By Laura Stephens-Reed I am so relieved that heading into Advent and Christmas 2021, the pandemic is in the rearview mirror. We can put aside the difficulty and the different look of last year’s holiday observances and go all out, with all of our people back in the pews! Record scratch. The reality is that … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed It was a lovely fall mid-day, if a bit breezy. My husband and I had taken a trip to Atlanta, the city where we met in seminary. We decided to enjoy lunch on the porch at one of our favorite restaurants. We talked and ate chips and guac, enjoying the food, one … Continue reading
By John DeWitt I have been called to ministry since I was in high school. I accepted my calling as an 11th grader and never looked back. I interned as a college student at four churches in two different countries and I loved every second of it. I was eagerly anticipating my first call, I … Continue reading
By Laura Foushee We knew that when we could eventually return to Japan, we would be returning to a different Japan than the one we knew before the pandemic. We have been back in Japan over a month now, yet the differences are not as readily apparent as I thought they might be. For our family, much … Continue reading
By Holly Strother-Waller I watched Emma’s body come up out of the Jacuzzi-looking portable baptismal. The pandemic forced the church to get creative for our baptisms throughout the last year. Water splashed on to Worship center floor as she got out of the pool of water to get dried off. The water continued to ripple … Continue reading
By Chris West A few years ago, I found myself at a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah surrounded by interesting folks from all around the world. It was a blast! Then, something really incredible happened: I met Jon Acuff. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Jon Acuff, you may know his blog … Continue reading
By Paul Baxley One year ago today, a large number of congregations in and beyond the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship worshipped for the first time virtually as the coronavirus pandemic began to redefine all aspects of life in the United States the week prior. A week or 10 days earlier, many congregations started to realize that … Continue reading
By Andy Hale We’ve officially been under the various degrees of pandemic mandates for over a year. My wife and I were flying home from DC when everything began to shut down. We had just wrapped up CBF’s Advocacy in Action conference. Many strains were felt from this pandemic, from dramatic changes to work to … Continue reading
By Luke Perrin A few weeks ago in my preaching class, our small group precept spent some time focusing on the story of the Golden Calf from the book of Exodus. It’s tale with vivid imagery, juxtaposing God with what the Israelites quite literally forged to be God. It’s a tale that has been used … Continue reading
By Andy Hale “I can’t even imagine pastoring a church throughout this crisis,” a church member said to me over the phone last week. “Well,” I responded, “I did take a class in seminary on leading through a global pandemic.” What prepares us to lead in moments of crisis? What knowledge do we need to … Continue reading
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