As I greeted people after a recent Sunday service, a couple gave some refreshing honesty: “We enjoyed worship here today. We are looking for a church and shopping around.” I replied, “Thank you for worshiping with us today. I pray…
The challenge of Chreasters in congregations
On Christmas Eve in my church I looked to my left and saw a Chreaster family sitting in the next section of pews. Although the service was crowded, I hoped that I could arrange to greet them at the conclusion…
Should a dying church be repurposed?
It seems that I’m stuck on thinking about dying or dead churches. Why so grim, Alan? That is a good question. It seems that folks are interested in talking about this topic. For some odd reason, I’ve been thinking about…
Put your heart into it
By Bill Wilson Recently, our staff was talking about things our parents would tell us that we find ourselves repeating to our children or ourselves. We had to admit that we increasingly sound like those voices we vowed never to…
A hopeful but scary future
By Amy Butler Like a lot of people I know, I am up at night sometimes thinking, wondering and worrying about the viability of the church as we know it. I’m not worried about the gospel. I’m pretty sure the…
Breaking new ground
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a nominee as third executive coordinator of the organization. Once again, the nominee is from Texas, but . . . this nominee is female and a layperson—Suzii Paynter. Prior coordinators Cecil Sherman and Daniel Vestal…
South Carolina CBF names coordinator
By Bob Allen Alabama Baptist pastor Jay Kieve has been elected coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina effective March 25, according to a press release made public Jan. 21. He succeeds Marion Aldridge, who is retiring after…
Perspectives on immigration 2: Economic concerns and Christian response
Economic Concerns Christian perspective on the economic impact of immigration can be summarized through two different questions. One, can our nation afford the number of immigrants crossing our borders? Two, can our nation afford not to have the number of…
Our culture of violence requires adaptive change
I owned one gun in my life. It was a single shot 22-gauge rifle. My father gave it to me when I was around 12 years old. I sold it to a friend for his grandson 16 years later. In…