By Kyle Henderson My mother asked, “What’s that?” She was speaking to Dr. Warren Pulich, a renowned ornithologist and our teacher. He could identify almost any bird by sound. It was amazing. We could stand quietly in the woods and…
Back to school with a free haircut, thanks to Gardner-Webb staffer
By Matthew Tessnear Keith Rhodes knows the importance of a good children’s haircut and the struggle with its cost for families who have limited resources. When Rhodes was 10 years old, his single mother, Janade, couldn’t afford a haircut for…
Churches on the chamber of commerce list
Economic development. Networking. Community engagement. These phrases may come to mind when someone thinks about chambers of commerce. Varying in size and capacity, they mobilize businesses and organizations in order to promote economic growth. And, yes, they’re known to engage…
Pastor credits God for transforming once-seedy neighborhood
By Ken Camp Elmo Johnson rejects any personal credit for transforming Houston’s 4th Ward since he arrived as pastor of Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church 30 years ago. But he’s eager to give God the glory. “The Lord has done some…
Engaging ‘nones’ is challenging but possible, say church leaders
By Jeff Brumley American “nones”— people who claim no religious affiliation — come with a variety of stories. Some were raised without any religious education at all. Most of them have few opinions on faith and wouldn’t know the Bible…
Ministry model appears to overcome barriers to reviving challenged communities
By Terry Goodrich A new model of ministry that empowers residents in an at-risk neighborhood of Dallas to transform their communities has resulted in crime reduction, better meeting of health needs, more jobs and improved student academic performance, according to…
I can’t just leave
By Helms Jarrell Have you read The Help? I am Mae Mobley. Miss Eva hugged me close as I read to her from my kitty cat book, words she could not read herself. Miss Carolyn cleaned the scrape on my…
Communities, borders and ‘persons of peace’
Corey Fields “We pray and walk through our community, looking for persons of peace with whom we can connect.” “Persons of peace.” That’s a term I’ve heard multiple times during my summer sabbatical study of how churches are engaging in…