The Jesus Room lies in the bowels of Richmond’s cavernous First Baptist Church, one of those stately old churches that takes up most of a city block. It’s a part of the basement floor of the church, comprising a community…
Our untapped treasure
Do you know any old ladies? I mean the ones gerontologists refer to as the “old-olds”? They are in their late 80s, their 90s and even 100s. With our advancing technologies and expanding life spans, there are more of them…
This church’s ministry is on the move
A North Carolina church has tapped into a mission field it hopes other congregations might emulate by helping people on the move. A pastor and volunteers at Circle of Mercy in Asheville say the church’s moving ministry combines muscle power,…
In Ukraine: ‘We cannot just preach like we did before the war’
Ukrainian pastors have radically adjusted their ministries to meet the physical and spiritual needs of church members and countrymen since Russian forces invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. So says Igor Bandura, a pastor and vice president of the All-Ukrainian…
Learning to tell time as a minister
Remember the 1960s song from the group Chicago, “Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?” This is an excellent question for a new year, especially as one does ministry. I retired as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Abilene,…
In praise of billiards: A tool for ministry
When I was in my early sixties, my mother moved into an adult retirement community not far from our home. There she took up the game of pool. Every afternoon, she and a group of women played doubles. She became…
Gallup documents the role and influence of chaplains
American adults who have been served by chaplains hail the ministers for providing compassionate and effective care during some of the most difficult moments of life, a new study shows. “Most people say the interaction they had with a chaplain…
Amid the chaos of war, I witnessed Ukrainians seeking safety and hoping for peace
Few people were flying into Warsaw in the first half of March. Those who were displayed a similar intensity — an unpolished, gut-level sense of mission. Russia had invaded Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24. A half dozen former U.S. servicemen…
Report from Ukraine: ‘In the midst of the suffering, God is at work’
As the war in Ukraine has passed its seventh month, a shift has occurred. Ukrainian forces have reclaimed parts of occupied territories causing Russian state rhetoric to become even more extreme and desperate. Fighting has intensified in the east and…