Vicki Brown

A gap exists between generations in the church, experts seem to agree — and building strong relationships may be the way to bridge it. “There is difficulty in reaching across generations,” said Chris Gambill, congregational health service manager for the…

Churches often segregate their members along age lines. Sunday morning usually sees children in one wing in age-graded Bible study, with adults in another area and often split up age segments. But many congregations will cross age barriers in ministry,…

While many congregations — particularly older, established churches — have members from several generations, often one generation dominates either in leadership or in numbers. But many churches intentionally look for ways to bridge generation gaps because they value the contributions each generation…

Relationship is the heart of mission involvement, and the form that relationship takes determines whether believers minister “with” or “to” others, missiologists insist. Today, they add, relationship translates as partnership, collaboration and reciprocity. Access to safe drinking water means healthier…

Ministry to older adults must take many forms, depending upon the make-up of the group a church is trying to reach. As the U.S. population ages, congregations will have even more opportunities to engage older adults. Richard Martin, newly retired,…

Pretend for a moment a congregation has called you as youth minister and includes all individuals from 3 to 30 years old as your group. What is your reaction? Most people wouldn’t expect a youth worker to deal with such…

Jan. 1 not only marked the beginning of a new year, but also saw the first Baby Boomers turn 65 years old. And congregations face the evolving challenge of finding ways to minister with and to them. Bill Pigott, state…

As some congregations reach out to minister beyond their church campus, many have chosen to begin second or third or more sites under the church umbrella. Adding more sites usually means adjusting the congregation’s governing structure. Glenn Akins, assistant executive…

Baptists long have been known as strong advocates of the priesthood of the believer — the idea that every individual can approach God and have a personal relationship with the Creator. Each person has the right to interpret Scripture for…

Are Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Mainstream Baptists evangelicals? The answer is yes and no. Formed in reaction to the Southern Baptist Convention’s shift to the far right in the late 1980s and early 1990s, both the CBF and Mainstream focus…

CHATHAM, Va. — Rural churches in America face a host of challenges as they seek to continue ministry in their communities. The continued population shift from rural areas to urban centers can drain rural churches, noted Chuck Warnock, an expert in…