Hurricane Isaac didn’t pack the devastating punch that Katrina brought to the Gulf Coast in 2005. That fall, cable news brought us images of desperation and a deep concern for those who lost an entire way of life, and even life itself. But what happens when Gulf Coast residents suffer when a nation isn’t watching? … Continue reading
Author Archives: btommey
Pastoral Care Week 2012: Giving a Voice
Susan Harthon, CBF-endorsed chaplain serving at Vidant Medical Center’s Clinical Pastoral Education program in Greenville, N.C., shares what it means when a chaplain gives others a voice for their story and healing process. The patient was skeletal, the contours of his ribs clearly visible under the thin white sheet. The chaplain had been called because … Continue reading
Are you ready for Advent?
Mark Wingfield, Associate Pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas and former managing editor of the Baptist Standard, reflects on the forethought and intentionality that must accompany the season of Advent. This summer, when the published church calendar showed a Hanging of the Green meeting, several church members questioned whether that was a typo. … Continue reading
Distributing Dignity
LaCount Anderson serves with his wife Anna as CBF Field Personnel in Eastern North Carolina and is part of the Together for Hope network, CBF’s rural poverty initiative. Learn more about the Anderson’s ministry at http://www.morethancans.org. For months we began seeing our food distribution line forming daily. This bi-weekly line began to grow until we … Continue reading
You Put Your Whole Self In
Rubent Swint, Generosity Guy and stewardship consultant, calls congregations to choose the only world that gives life. A tension commonly emerges in the annual stewardship emphasis around the issue of how much money should people give. Stewardship communication contains a lot of Biblical references to giving, the testimonies speak to giving and the minister preaches on giving … Continue reading
A Culture of Encouragement
Mike Walker, deacon at Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina offers an alternative vision for deacon ministry beyond budgets and machinery toward serving the needs of a congregation. Having been an ordained deacon for more than 30 years, I have witnessed the responsibilities of the diaconate transition in many ways. I have also seen … Continue reading
Happy New Year
Bo Prosser, CBF Coordinator for Missional Congregations, offers tips for ministers and teachers as they prepare for a new school year. One of my favorite times in the church calendar is Promotion Sunday or “Back to Sunday School Sunday.” This is always a time of renewal and excitement as preschoolers, children, and youth move to … Continue reading
Online auction benefits Touching Miami with Love
Touching Miami with Love (TML) kicked off its online auction this week, giving you an opportunity to bid on more than 80 items and contribute to the work of empowerment in the lives of inner-city Miami families. Through Sunday, July 22, the auction showcases a collection of treasures ranging from TML youth artwork and handmade … Continue reading
Resourcing Missional Teachers
Karen Gilbert, Missional Church Consultant and long-time minister in Fellowship life, offers guidance on what it means for a church to not only educate its congregation but educate its educators as well. Where do I start with this unit? How will I present this concept and help children get it? What’s another way of teaching … Continue reading
Pockets of Friendship: Three Lessons for Interfaith Engagement
Michael A. Smith, senior pastor at Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and well-published author, outlines a model of conversation and true friendship for inter-religious relationships. Smith’s interfaith work with Rabbi Rami Shapiro led to the co-authorship of their book, ”Mount and Mountain,” which details their conversations about the Ten Commandments over the past eight years. By the … Continue reading
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