By John DeWitt Danny Steis is the Children and Youth Pastor at Yates Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. Like so many other youth ministers, Steis was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID Zooms were awkward. Many youth, children and families didn’t fully return, and something was just ‘lost’ when we resumed.” However, the youth ministry … Continue reading
By CBF field personnel Kirk New Year is a time of hope for many, looking ahead to the future, making resolutions—most of which will soon be broken. For others, the start of a new year can be a source of hopelessness and desperation that things can ever change. The aftermath of COVID revealed a lot … Continue reading
By Janée Angel My husband Hary and I pastor a small, Arabic-speaking church. Hary has the evangelist’s heart, while I, Janée, have a teacher’s heart. We use those passions as best as we can to serve the Lord in the city of Antwerp and as far as Syria. During our COVID years, unsurprisingly, we began … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester CBF church starters Felix and Nicole Iyoko may very well have the answer. Since they were first featured in 2018 for starting a church – their 15th – the Congolese couple have continued to do what they’ve been doing since fleeing from their native Democratic Republic of Congo years ago: They’ve pressed … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens Reed Recently, I was talking with a pastor whose congregation has weathered the pandemic as well as any church I know. There have been no significant conflicts. The pastor has felt her people’s grace when she has made mistakes navigating new technology. The congregation has welcomed new worshipers and found innovative … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester When CBF Communications first featured Nabeha and her daughter Hanin as part of the Offering for Global Missions campaign in 2019, the headline read as follows: “The Impact of Abundant Life.” Not easy life, or luxurious life. Not even good life. Abundant life. The kind of life Jesus promises for us, and … Continue reading
By Ben Brown The COVID-19 pandemic introduced the world to new vocabulary. One of the most common terms in this new lexicon is “social distancing.” Scarlette Jasper is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel in a large geographic region stretching from south central Kentucky to eastern Tennessee, where her ministry is one of connection. Several … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed I recently interviewed several pastors about their experiences leading congregations during the pandemic. Specifically, I wanted to know how they handled the initial turn to online worship and the million mini-ministry pivots they’ve had to make in the two years since. Unsurprisingly, all these pastors are exhausted. But not all are discouraged. … Continue reading
By Rickey Letson, CBF Congregational Stewardship Officer The Payroll Protection Program (PPP) opened up a whole new world for many churches. For the first time in their existence, churches applied for and received forgivable government loans in the early days of COVID-19. Of course, there was a lot of debate about the ethics of congregations taking … Continue reading
By Aaron Weaver and Tracy HartmanDECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Thriving in Ministry Initiative is now accepting applications for cohort groups beginning in May, 2022. Thriving in Ministry provides pastors and associate pastors with mentoring support and skill building to help them navigate the challenges they face in their congregational settings. Over the … Continue reading