The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every community and every element of our society. Businesses, schools, organizations and even parks, are closed if they don’t provide what is considered an essential service. Most people are sheltered in place, while those that do get out are forced to practice social distancing. The pandemic has impacted our medical... Continue Reading →
Showing Mercy Should Bring Change
We’re all familiar with churches that minister to the hungry by providing a bag of groceries, hot meal or sack lunch. Some churches provide financial assistance to individuals and families needing help with their rent or utilities. Others provide clothing, household items, job training, pregnancy resources or shelter to those in need. Each of these... Continue Reading →
The Key to Success
How do you measure success? The world looks at bank accounts, houses, prestige, degrees earned, or your position in the company. The athletic world looks at scores, games won, and championships attained. The church may look at membership rolls, worship attendance, the number of baptisms, or the size of buildings. All of these things are... Continue Reading →
Choose Obedience Over Safety
I talked with a pastor last week who was discouraged and hurting. The reason he was discouraged might surprise you, because worship attendance wasn’t down and the church wasn’t behind in the budget. It wasn’t because of internal fighting or dissatisfaction with his sermons. Instead, this pastor was discouraged because members felt like conducting ministry... Continue Reading →
A Cultural Change May Be Needed
Last week, at our annual state convention, we recognized churches that had shown marked improvement in their missions participation. Those churches understood the commandment we’ve been given to go and make disciples of all people and had intentionally sent their members out on mission. It was so interesting to learn of things the churches had... Continue Reading →
The Lord Will Provide
In the book of Genesis, God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. So, in obedience, Abraham binds Isaac and places him on the altar. At that time, God provided a ram to sacrifice in place of Isaac and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh, meaning the Lord... Continue Reading →
They Went because They Were Sent
In response to Scripture (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15 and Acts 1:8), churches should be intentionally sending their members. Sending them on mission trips, church planting efforts, ministry projects and disaster relief responses. The church can reach our world with the gospel by putting the focus on how many we send rather than how many attend. ... Continue Reading →
Strategy is a MUST for Baptist Associations
Most of the 2,400 churches of the Kentucky Baptist Convention have chosen to belong to an association of churches. Generally speaking, each association exists to provide support and assistance to member churches. But, the specifics of how that is done and what it looks like is up to each association and its member churches to... Continue Reading →
My Name is Alex and I’m a Missionary
There was a celebration reception at the Freeda Harris Baptist Center in eastern Kentucky earlier this month to recognize retiring missionaries Greg & Alice Whitetree and incoming missionaries Richard & Amy Greene. Richard served as a pastor in Salyersville before being called to come serve as director of the Baptist center in Pike County. He... Continue Reading →
Effectiveness of Baptist Associations Questioned
The Baptist association has been an important part of our history as Southern Baptists. It has been described as “the oldest cooperative unit in Baptist life tracing its existence back over 300 years.” Therefore, because of its long history, one could assume that the association must be effective in networking and helping churches in missions... Continue Reading →