I have become that older woman standing up front with raised hands during prayer. I met her during the Pastors Conference at Huguenot Road Baptist Church at the Baptist General Association of Virginia meeting in 1999. She was then about…
Helping the generations
There scarcely has been a time in Rob Sandford's life when he was not associated with Baptist student ministry. “Born and raised in a Baptist church,” he became involved in campus ministry at the age of 18 when he entered…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for September 4, 2008
STAFF CHANGES • Robert Baldwin, to Airlee Court Church, Roanoke, as pastor. • Israel Maxwell, to Scottsville Church, Scottsville, as pastor. • Terry Riddle, to Southside Church, Chesapeake, as pastor. • Richard Martin Jr., to Bethel Church, Chase City, as…
OUT LOUD
“The fact is that megachurches aren't — and never have been — solely grandiose political pens in which only Republican elephants lumber about.” Scott Thumma The co-author of Beyond Megachurch Myths was writing in a commentary in USA Today following…
FAITHSHAPERS: Giving to God
Money is a tricky topic in our society, and we have to be careful how we handle it, because our children are watching. If we act like money is the answer to everything, what will they learn? It is important…
Saddleback forum points out candidates’ differences, similarities
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (ABP) — Presidential candidates presented their positions on moral issues — and presented themselves as individuals of faith — during the recent Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency. The two-hour forum, sponsored by Saddleback Church and held…
Is voting a Christian rite or right?
Jason Ford, 29, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will be spending Election Day at home this year. A self-identified evangelical Christian, Ford cast his vote for President Bush in 2004, but says he and his wife plan to stay away from the…
FAITH DIGEST
Church bells a nuisance? A town hall in southern England has ruled its 14th century village church has just as much right to ring its bells as the villagers have to operate their noisy lawnmowers and hedge trimmers. Some residents…
Resources available to help problem gamblers
Like most addictions, compulsive gambling usually has more than one victim. Take the example of a 16-year-old named Jerry. The picture he painted of his own experience as he began treatment is common among young people who struggle with problem…
Soaring motorcycle sales spark faith opportunities
RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) — Motorcycle sales, like gas prices, are soaring — and in the process churches and believers are discovering opportunities for witness and ministry. While gasoline prices have dropped from the $4 per gallon this summer, motorcycle dealers…
Warning signs identified
The University of Missouri's Keeping the Score website — gambling.missouri.edu — lists some of the problem gambling signs to look for in family member or friend: • Frequent unexplained absences from classes or work • Sudden drop in grades •…
F.A.I.T.H. Riders’ numbers grow to 54 chapters
RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) — F.A.I.T.H. Riders has grown to 54 chapters in 10 states since its launch in February 2002 in Lakeland, Fla., at First Baptist Church at the Mall. Buddy Newsome, a retired police officer now working full-time on…