The following is a press release from CBF-partner Baptist History & Heritage Society. TUCKER, Ga. — Who is your Baptist hero? The Baptist History & Heritage Society (BHHS) announced today a free e-book and teaching resource highlighting the stories of Baptist heroes spanning the 415-year history of the Baptist tradition. Portraits of Courage: Stories of … Continue reading
By Paul Baxley, CBF Executive Coordinator “Seek the welfare of the city to which I have sent you…and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7 The prophet Jeremiah calls the Hebrew people to pray for the wellbeing of their communities. This summons to prayer … Continue reading
By Leigh Anne Armstrong Loving God, you desire for us the gift of connection. Your creation was not complete until you had imagined for us the mutual blessing of human community, and we struggle to thrive outside of that community still. When we pray, we weave our hopes and dreams for others together with their … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens Reed Effective lay leadership in congregations is essential. Without it, either little gets done or the pastor takes on too much and becomes crispy-fried, leaves, with the church flailing in the sudden absence of someone to do all the things. Many congregations are currently in a lay leadership quandary. Church attendance has … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens Reed In the world of ministry, many congregations offer their pastors an extended time away after a certain number of years of service. This gift might be called a sabbatical or a renewal leave, but typically it’s a one to three month period (preferably on the longer end), and it is in … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens Reed Recently, the leaders of a church I was coaching told me that it takes 17-20 people to make their worship service happen on a Sunday morning. They related this with a sense of awe and pride, because their congregation’s worship is truly the work of the people. That got me thinking … Continue reading
By Chris Aho Decades ago, I was a high school runner. It wasn’t my first love, but I was pretty good at running laps around the football field. For that reason, when I wasn’t playing basketball like Happy Gilmore played hockey, I ran, like Forrest Gump. Our high school track team’s signature event was 400-meter … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed For a long time, the number of member-in-ministry hours has been on the decline in many congregations. Retired people – who make up the largest percentage of church members – often travel, take care of family members or have calendars full of social and non-church volunteer commitments. Parents of children and teenagers … Continue reading
By Brian Foreman While theology and politics are remarkably difficult to extract from one another (especially since the words of Jesus about loving our neighbor and caring for those ignored by the religious establishment are political), let’s be clear: Jesus was not put to death for carrying a lamb around and telling people to love … Continue reading
By Kristen Thomason Music plays a central role in worship for most church goers. “[It] creates a pathway so that together we love the Lord with heart and mind and strength,” said Doug Haney, who recently retired from ministry at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. Yet the church musicians crafting a meaningful worship experience often … Continue reading