We do love simplicity. We love the idea that complex issues can be distilled into easy sound bites, that nuanced conversations can be summarized as “he said/she said” and that internet memes and bumper stickers offer plenty of space to…
Why have so few U.S. congregations experienced even a single COVID death?
With more than 800,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in America alone, observers might wonder why some U.S. congregations have taken a seemingly cavalier approach to fighting the pandemic. One possible answer emerged this week from new survey data released by…
The true gospel is social
Several years ago, a mission team of laypersons preached the morning sermon at First Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas. They had just returned from completing medical and construction projects at a small Christian hospital in the mountains near Chihuahua, Mexico….
A Christmas lesson at BubbaDoo’s
To understand Christmas at BubbaDoo’s, you’d have to understand the setting for BubbaDoo’s itself. This large, old general store sits at a key crossroads in a small rural community. There isn’t much to the little community these days, save a…
There’s no time like the present to be a present
“I learned from a 5-year-old prophet on my run this week that every day is a gift from God because that’s why it’s called ‘the present,’” a pastor said recently during the greeting time at church. The present of every…
New endowed academic chair will lead Baylor in research to end hunger
A $1.5 million gift will place a Baptist university among a select set of U.S. schools conducting scholarly research and engaging students on the topic of food security. Baylor University in Waco, Texas, announced the gift from Jim and Tammy…
Buckle up: Global turbulence ahead
As much as we might wish otherwise, living in the post-COVID world promises to be a pretty rough ride over the next 20 years. So buckle up. Not just because of the global impact of the pandemic itself, but because…
If you want to help the poor, first understand their humanity
Humanizing the poor and hungry is a vital first step for individuals and churches called to combat poverty and hunger, a group of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ministers and lay leaders learned during a recent webinar hosted by CBF Heartland. “It’s…
Why vote to fund something you won’t ever use?
Last fall, my hometown of Austin, Texas, put a monumental public transportation bond question on the ballot: light rail, tunnels underneath downtown, electric buses. Austin’s Capitol Metro called the plan “bold.” Another way to say that: “Billions.” Austin voters have…