RICHMOND, Va.—Summer isn’t just hanging around the neighborhood for more than 200 children from the Richmond area each summer. It’s a chance to sleep in a tent overnight and look at the starry sky. It’s wading in the creek looking…
Churches conflicted when it comes to social media engagement
By Robert Dilday It’s not about hunting. It’s about farming. That’s how bestselling author Ivan Misner, founder of one of the world’s largest business networking organizations, describes social networks, which he says attempt to do one thing—cultivate relationships. For church…
Text message donors represent new category of giver, study shows
By Bob Allen One in 10 Americans have made a charitable donation using the text messaging feature on their mobile phones, according to a newly-released study produced by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Harvard’s Berkman…
So your church is on Facebook. What now?
By Robert Dilday While about half of Protestant churches have Facebook pages, many essentially use it as a bulletin board, missing out on the potential to nurture relationships with congregants and its community. “It’s OK for a church to use…
Beyond Facebook: Scanning the social media landscape
By Robert Dilday Facebook has become the social network of choice for the vast majority of people—it’s hard to argue with 850 million users around the globe—and it’s not likely to disappear any time soon. But some specialists see a…
Video blog offers deeper connection between pastor and church
By Robert Dilday When a church consultant recommended to Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo., that its senior minister needed an additional venue—other than the pulpit—to connect to its members, the church’s media minister pushed Pastor Jason Edwards to consider…
VITAL SIGNS: New clergy deserve a chance
A recent column on the surge of churches calling pastors in their fifth decade evoked a wide range of responses. Many came from mid-career clergy who offered a hearty “Amen” and were grateful for the news that their sense of…
OPINION: Imagining a statue of forgiveness
A few weeks ago my family toured the battlefield of Gettysburg National Military Park. About a month beforehand, my 14-year-old son read Killer Angels, a classic novel of the Civil War and he surprised all of us, including our licensed…
OPINION: As Baptists, it’s time we had the talk
As Baptists, the time has come for us to have the talk. The talk. The talk about which everyone has an opinion, but no one seems to have the courage to address. Yes, that’s the talk I’m referring to. The…
OPINION: Where your metric is, there your value will be also
In my experience the world of the arts and the world of the Church are not dissimilar. There are many instances in which the Church and artists have found themselves on opposite sides of the fence. But, I wonder if…
HeraldBeat
Transitions ON THE MOVE Harold Lewis and Bob Auxier, serving as co-pastors of Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Montvale, Va. Marc Brooks, to Gethsemane Baptist Church, Richlands, Va., as pastor. Jay Butcher, resigning as pastor of Millfield (Va.) Baptist Church….
So your church is on Facebook. What now?
While about half of Protestant churches have Facebook pages, many essentially use it as a bulletin board, missing out on the potential to nurture relationships with congregants and its community. "It's OK for a church to use Facebook like a…