By Gennady Podgasiky Since the war in Ukraine started on February 2022, we visited Ukraine twice: the first time in August of 2022 and the second time in April of 2023. Both times the fighting was raging on the eastern and southern fronts of the country. There was an uncertainty about when and how this … Continue reading
By Rick Burnette “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). In the Misión Peniel kitchen at 3:00 p.m. June 1, I’m alone, sorting eggs donated by an area farm. The building is typically buzzing on Thursday afternoons when the Cultivate Abundance staff and Misión Peniel team organize … Continue reading
By Mary Generally, I make it a practice not to engage in the game of “What if . . .?” You know the one. What If I had done this instead of that? What if I had said this and not that? It’s closely related to the game of “I wish I had . . … Continue reading
By Marv Knox “Loaves and fishes” come to mind when people think about a Brownsville, Texas, church’s ministry to migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. And a recent Cooperative Baptist Fellowship grant illustrates why. The New Testament describes how Jesus fed at least 5,000 people by miraculously dividing just five loaves of bread and two small … Continue reading
by Rachel Gunter Shapard Together for Hope has a bold mission: to transform rural America. Is it a daunting task? Sure. Yet when it comes to communities of persistent poverty in rural spaces, settling for anything less than holistic transformation is unacceptable. In six years, Together for Hope has expanded its scope of work from … Continue reading
By Jessica Hearne I learned the term “forest bathing” recently, and I find it very intriguing. The idea comes from Japan, where people started practicing it in the 1980s to fight burn-out in a society that was increasingly technology- and achievement-oriented. The term describes a practice of immersing oneself in a forest, connecting with creation … Continue reading
By Carson Foushee One of the blessings of our work as field personnel with CBF is the partnerships we have with congregations across the Fellowship. This is especially true of the Encourager Churches with which we have covenantal partnerships of support. First Baptist Church Dalton, Ga, is one such congregation. A month before the pandemic … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester Ask any fan of fantasy stories and they’ll tell you that magic makes things out of nothing. It conjures out of thin air; it achieves the impossible. It leaves people befuddled, awed at its capabilities. For Charles Tinsley, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church in Barbourville, Ky., it’s the most apt descriptor … Continue reading
By Cindy Ruble What does it mean to be resilient? Are some people more resilient than others? Or is resilience something that can be nurtured and learned? In my work as an advocate for women and children, I have seen women survive horrendous things, rise and go forward with their lives. I’ve seen others crippled … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester Grace can be manifested in many forms, often appearing in the unlikeliest people and the most unexpected places. It can even show up in a plant. Just ask Lupita Vazquez Reyes, the Community Gardens and Outreach Manager for Cultivate Abundance in Immokalee, Fla. For someone who has spent her entire life around … Continue reading