Oftentimes, when we think about starting new churches, we’re focused on the present or the future. But, of course every established church was once a church start. CBF of Georgia’s newsletter this month focuses on their work with lay-led new church starts over the past ten or more years. It provides a few brief reflections … Continue reading
Author Archives: davidpking
American Grace
It seems like the landscape of American religion is always changing constantly, and it’s often hard to know where to turn for good information. One recent book, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Robert Putnam and David Campbell, attempts to give us a manageable overview of the recent religious past and interpret … Continue reading
Advent Stories: Edgewood Church
As the Advent season is upon us, I’m reminded of the difficulty of waiting… of the unknown….of the unadorned and undone. And that led me to reflect on the work of many of our CBF church starters who labor often behind the scenes – making relationships and moving into communities often under-served by other churches. … Continue reading
New Church Start’s Baptism
The post below are the recent reflections of Irma Duke, a core leader of the Baptist Fellowship of Angier, on their new church’s first baptismal service. “It wasn’t the Jordan River but it could have been. It was that kind of high and holy experience. We, the Baptist Fellowship of Angier, had our first baptismal … Continue reading
New Church Start Bloggers
Many interested in CBF church starting often ask me, “how do you start a church? What does an ideal church starter look like?” I never know quite how to answer those questions. We do have some nuts and bolts, do and don’ts, and logical steps in the process, but I’ve determined it is much more … Continue reading
New Church Starts Academy
Last week over 40 church starters met in Winston-Salem, NC for a great weekend of learning, refreshing, and sharing. We had such a diverse groups from states and regions throughout the country. We were Anglo, African-American, and Hispanic; retired pastors and young seminary students; traditional churches and emergent communities. What held everyone together were the … Continue reading
Welcoming the Millennials
Research and advice on the emergence of the millennial generation seem to be all the rage. From Pew studies to the Today show, experts want to tell you how to get to know the millennials, work with them, manage them, succeed as one of them. But how does that impact our churches? Are you a … Continue reading
Christian Stewardship of our Citizenship
Living a life of faith in our complex world is never easy. Too often we have the habit as Christians of limiting our religious conversations to what goes on within the walls of the church. But as we all know, our faith impacts all aspects of our lives – from the daily encounters at work … Continue reading
Souls in Transition: Engaging Young Baptists
CBF has pinpointed “Engaging Young Baptists” as a key priority for the movement over the coming years. As a “young Baptist” myself, I’m excited to be a part of this conversation. But before we can engage “young Baptists,” we have to know something about them. I’d argue the best way to engage is to build … Continue reading
New Church Start and Campbell Religion Club find niche together
New church starts in CBF take a myriad of forms and often model the type of organic partnerships that allow missional communities to emerge. Baptist Fellowship of Angier shares space with a local Hispanic church while also partnering with nearby Campbell University students to facilitate its after-school tutoring ministry. Their story is worth sharing to … Continue reading
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