This is, hands down, the least favorite time of year for pastors everywhere: church budget planning season. Nobody likes budget planning, from the tedious work it entails to the way in which money necessarily informs the work of the church,…
What if church doesn’t matter?
Americans are a remarkably faithful people when it comes to spirituality, yet they are simultaneously, remarkably faithless when it comes to institutional religion. Why? This perplexity borders on cliché since it has been true for a number of years, but…
Baptists among religious groups facing severe limits under Russian laws
Missionaries and others who evangelize in Russia now face severe restrictions on those activities since President Vladimir Putin approved sweeping new anti-terrorism laws.
Separating mission and spiritual formation is bad strategy, say ministers
If he had a magic wand, Trey Lyon says he would likely transform the way churches conceive, fund and experience mission and spiritual formation. Basically, he would combine them. “I would love to see churches with ministers of mission and spiritual…
Christian engagement growing as Cuba-U.S. ties improve
The level and frequency of United States-based Christian activity in Cuba has been rising since the normalization process between the two countries began in late 2014. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida has been building on existing relationships with Baptists and…
Direct ministry, legislatures best tools in anti-hunger fight, advocates say
Combating hunger in the United States is a big job — but Christian leaders have identified two main strategies for that fight. And they know that when the victims of hunger involve young people, the motivation and creativity brought to bear…
The Pope needs to do more than kiss the disabled
There’s a long history of disability serving only as an opportunity for non-disabled people to demonstrate their piety through service, a “charity model” that ultimately still promotes otherness and exclusion.
‘God sent you here,’ child tells minister in violent community
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Cecelia Beck has established herself as a presence in the lives of children, youth and adults since moving to the “Weed and Seed” neighborhood of Shelby, N.C. “It is important to be present in order…
Global Women celebrates 15th anniversary with award
A women-to-women missions group will celebrate its 15th birthday by honoring a philanthropist whose family has a long record of generous support for moderate Baptist causes.