Some weeks fade from memory quickly, others stand out for their significance and impact. This year, the week of Easter and following was a memorable week for us to learn some indispensible things about being a vibrant and healthy church…
One church, one message, multiple locations
ABINGDON, Va. — If you are a member of Highlands Fellowship, you may have attended worship in Abingdon, Va., last Sunday. Or you could have been in Bristol, Va., or Marion, Va., or Johnson City, Tenn. Among its four campuses,…
Roundup of Baptists in the Mid-Atlantic
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Soccer league opens church door for family who found community there
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (ABP) — When the soccer season sponsored and funded by First Baptist Church in Kannapolis, N.C., wound down, Chris and Jennifer Roman realized they were going to miss the new friends they found while mingling with church families…
Soccer pulls church into community ministry in former textile town
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (ABP) — Charles Cannon built First Baptist Church in Kannapolis, N.C., when Cannon Mills provided both engine and fuel for the aging textile town 27 miles north of Charlotte. He wanted a good church for his workers, so…
VBMB names Brooks as field strategist, Sunday school specialist
Brooks RICHMOND, Va. — Tony Brooks has joined the staff of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board as a field strategist for the board’s southside region and as a Sunday school specialist. The southside region includes the Appomattox, Concord, Dan River,…
Hybrid multisite model uses multiple approaches
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville, Texas, functions as a hybrid multicampus church as a means to give birth to autonomous congregations across the state and the nation. While he was pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntsville, David…
Multisite multiplication
The term “multisite” or “multicampus” church might first bring megachurches to mind. But as it has developed, the church-growth model has taken on many forms to serve a variety of purposes and ministry contexts. Ministry Some churches use the multicampus…
Multisite fans view approach as good stewardship
Proponents of the multicampus church option cite flexibility, stewardship and the “spark” that newness can bring to ministry. “You get the big-church bang … but you also get the pop and sizzle of a new church,” said Rodney Harrison, vice…
Texas congregation takes church to Air Force base
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — When Pastor Bob McCartney arrived at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, he wanted to lead the congregation to minister better to two distinct populations — students at Midwestern State University and the airmen and their…
Church start or church satellite? Decision can be difficult
Perhaps a congregation has discovered a neighborhood or nearby community with no evangelical or other church presence. Or maybe the church has found a demographic that isn’t being reached with the gospel. Church leaders believe God is leading their congregation…
Multisite ministry by any other name
LEWISVILLE, Texas — Before a church launches a multisite ministry, it must select and secure a site, assemble a leadership team, raise funds and work through logistical details. But Northview Baptist Church in Lewisville, Texas, has discovered the most difficult…