“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) After the Babylonian Exile, the people of God couldn’t simply re-install a ruling king. Israel was no longer large and in charge, the dominant…
VITAL SIGNS: Intervention
The award-winning reality show Intervention is about addiction and the extraordinary lengths it can take to face one’s unhealthy compulsions. Each episode chronicles the attempts by family members and friends to bring health to someone who is destroying their life….
OUT LOUD
“In our era of creeping moral relativism, one of the best contributions of Christians in American culture has been that some of us still believe in objective truth and real right and wrong. But that rigorous moral code was all…
OPINION: Being careful with terminology
A week or two after the 2004 election, I was dining with some friends in New York when the conversation turned to religion and politics — the two things that you're never supposed to discuss in polite company. George W….
ASK THE ARCHITECT: Planning a church’s facilties requires analysis
Now we hit the runway! We have flown at 33.000 feet in understanding the critical importance of mission statement development for your church, and then a series of articles on master planning enabled us to take a helicopter view of…
Richmond Association churches provide summer program for children
RICHMOND, Va. — Calvin Birch’s 6-year-old son, Joel, was dressing one Sunday and asked his dad, pastor of the African Christian Community Church in Richmond, where they were going. “What do you mean?” he replied to his son. “We’re going…
Churches are filling stockings to support chaplain ministry in Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. — There are many types of Christmas stockings. Most are familiar with the ones hung by the chimney with care, yet since the 1950s many churches around the state have stuffed red Christmas stocking coin holders to support…
Vestal announces decision to retire in 2012 as CBF executive coordinator
ATLANTA (ABP) — Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal has announced that he will retire effective June 30, 2012. “Fifteen years ago I sensed a calling of the Spirit to become coordinator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” Vestal told the…
Are singles finding community at church?
"Why aren't you married yet?" "When are you going to settle down?" "Why can't a pretty girl (or handsome guy) like you find a husband (or wife)?" Singles sometimes hear these questions from well-meaning friends or relatives, which can make…
Singles ministry tough, but vital
RALEIGH, N.C. — Greg Belcher understands why many churches avoid keeping or starting a ministry specifically to "single adults." It's tough. A large part of the difficulty in singles ministry is the huge umbrella the term covers. "Singles" are not…
Single adults represent tremendous mission field
A hidden mission field exists — one that encompasses more people than live in many small countries. And it could be just outside the walls of any given church. Single adults make up more than 40 percent of the U.S….
North Carolina CBF rallies around pastor during deportation threat
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ABP) — Thirty-three people wearing “I Support Hector” badges packed Immigration Court in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 2 for the hearing of a Hispanic church planter facing possible deportation. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina worked hard to…