NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee president Frank Page has announced the members of an advisory team who will help him craft a strategic plan to bring together various groups within the convention who hold different opinions…
EDITORIAL: Celebrating what never happened
Dear Jimmy, Well, it’s Sunday afternoon and I am bone-tired and the cause of my weariness was the big doin’s at our little Bluebell Baptist on Saturday. Jim White You might remember Boney and Vera Mae Taylor who have been…
OPINION: The end of church as we know it
(ABP) — Has anybody out there noticed that church attendance has been lower lately? The church budget is stretched thin because fewer people are giving? You can’t get a commitment out of people who are so busy they are already…
LETTER: The defining mark of Christian discipleship
Jesus, who never wrote anything, is quoted as saying, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Today he has over seven billion disciples. Shortly after Jesus’ murder, an educated Jewish writer…
Report shows more than 5,000 multisite churches, and growing at faster pace than traditional ones
(RNS) — The number of congregations that host worship services at more than one physical location has grown to more than 5,000 in the last decade, according to a new report. Researchers say these "multisite" churches, which may share worshippers…
LETTER: Interpreting Scripture for the 21st century
This morning as I cleaned my desk—post-vacation procrastination as I desperately tried to prolong the last remnants of two weeks of complete irresponsibility—I came across one of your Herald articles that I had cut out for future reference. “The birds…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader changes hats
Larry Leader’s typical Sunday at church is full and fast. This morning, Larry arrives at All Alike Baptist Church at 9:30 as usual and goes directly to the Pressured Parents’ Sunday school classroom, where he’s the teacher. Leading by example…
LETTER: Agrees with county’s decision
The wonderful opinion article by Dr. Ellis West [Herald, Aug. 6] echoed similar thoughts I felt with the recent decision of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors to cease having invocations (prayers) before their public board meetings. As a citizen…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Many communication channels—good problems?
Have you noticed that the more your church grows, the harder your leadership task becomes? In fact, your leader challenges are much bigger than sheer numbers. Here’s the ministry background. Communication channels—the connective tissue for groups—keep leaders connected to others….
Orthodox Jews mark end of 7-year Talmud study, 2,711 pages later
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (RNS) — Some have called their efforts a spiritual calling, a labor of love, a rich opportunity to connect with thousands of years of Jewish history and religion. Others have viewed them as a relentless endeavor and…
LEADERSHIP LINK: No pews, no suits, no problem
Ron Williams is the pastor of Church at the GYM in Sanford, Fla. As the Baptist church’s name implies, Williams’s congregation meets, well, in a gym. Williams said the goal is to remove the “stained-glass barriers” for people who might…
FaithVillage.com — Real community in online reality
LANO, Texas—The future of electronic communication for evangelical Christians appears crystal clear to Brad Russell. “Picture a vibrant community of Christians, including leaders, artists, thought-shapers and culture-makers,” Russell describes. “They’re online together—expanding their faith, deepening their relationships and fulfilling their…