By Jeff Brumley Some contemplative spiritual practices may be as old as Christianity itself, but they are increasingly attracting younger generations hungry for alternatives to contemporary, flashy worship. Case in point: portions of an international Taizé pilgrimage hosted by First…
Five challenges of diversity
How strange it has seemed to us to live in Houston. The Houston we left 28 years ago and the Houston we call home today are two entirely different places, though they share the same geographic location. It was about…
At 10, Facebook making major ministry impact
By Jeff Brumley Facebook turned 10 this month, eliciting countless articles and blogs about the cultural, personal and technological changes the world’s most popular social media site has generated in the past decade. But another area of major impact is…
West recovery steady but painful
By Jeff Brumley At times, the citizens of West, Texas, are able to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel in their recovery from the April factory explosion that cratered their city and lives. Slowly, homes are being…
They are your brothers
The news of late has been enough to depress just about anyone who longs for and fights for justice, fairness, and equality. We have seen states trying to limit a woman’s access to healthcare and limit her right to make her own…
FBC West receives Baylor donation
By Jeff Brumley First Baptist Church of West, Texas, will receive nearly $300,000 from a Baylor University fund established after the fertilizer plant explosion that partially flattened the city in April. The money from the Baylor West Relief Fund will…
One giant step for West, Texas
By Jeff Brumley The Central Texas city rocked by a fertilizer plant explosion took a giant leap toward recovery last week during “Loving West,” a cleanup campaign organized by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Planners with BGCT disaster recovery…
Doctrinal disputes disappear in disaster
Jeff Brumley The capital “C” Church is on display in West, Texas, as Churches of Christ, Methodists, Mennonites and Baptists join together to help the Central Texas city recover from the April fertilizer plant explosion. Doctrinal controversies such as grace-vs.-works or whether the Bible is inerrant take a…
Calamity turns Americans to God
By Marv Knox Bombs burst at America’s most venerated footrace, ripping runners and spectators limb from limb. An industrial explosion blocks from some of Texas’ most beloved bakeries shakes an iconic small town to its core. Poison-laced letters in Washington…