Natural disasters continue to strike with little warning across the globe. In the aftermath of these tragic events, people often ask, "Where is God?" Intellectual answers even when based on fact do not take away the pain or the loss of those affected by disasters. People need hope and grace amid the darkness, and I... Continue Reading →
Lessons from Crisis
Disasters are part of living in a fallen world, and Jesus taught us, "He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust" (Matthew 5:45). Disasters come without warning and are no respecter of position, status, age, economic status, or belief system. Disasters have an equalizing... Continue Reading →
How Can the Church Help Disaster Survivors?
Hurricanes Floods Wildfires Earthquakes Tornadoes The year 2018 witnessed Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, the California Wildfires, the Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami, the Guatemala Mount Fuego Eruption, and Super Typhoon Manghut along with countless other smaller disaster events. Each of these events caused significant loss that left people and communities reeling in the aftermath of these... Continue Reading →
Importance of the Pastor as a Catalyst for Missions
The Pastor is called to be a preacher/teacher within the body of faith. This place of leadership gives him a unique authority and influence in the local church. When the shepherd of the flock leads, the flock will follow. This is crucial for the general health of the church but also for the missional health... Continue Reading →
Thank You Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Volunteers!
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief finished an active year of disaster response in 2018. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are often the first to arrive on the scene in times of disaster and the last to leave. This past year saw Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers respond to flooding in Kentucky, wildfires in Colorado, tornadoes in... Continue Reading →
What is Disaster Relief?
Our world continues to experience devastation and destruction annually. Man-made events as well as natural disasters continue to challenge our minds with “why.” Why has this happened? Why me? Why my community? As Believers, we cannot answer the “why,” but we can respond with love and compassion as we help those affected know that they... Continue Reading →
Serve Others Everyday – Not Just at Christmas
I love Christmas, the lights, family gatherings, decorations, music and gift giving. It’s a time of year when people show compassion to the hurts and needs of others. We see it displayed in the days leading up to Christmas by children taking gifts to the elderly in the nursing home, groups singing carols and delivering... Continue Reading →
Iconic Branding
Churches, pastors, and ministries seek to be heard in the massive expanse of one of the most competitive cultural influences in history... the influence and power of global media. We daily compete to share the most important message of life in a culture that is bombarded with 24-hour, non-stop media clutter. Marketers today constantly talk... Continue Reading →
Steps to Engaging Your Community with the Gospel
Ministry in and to the community is the most critically important, but often overlooked activity of the local church. The church gets busy doing the “inward focused” activities that serve and even appear to strengthen the church. But somewhere along the way, they fail to turn outward and engage the local community by meeting it’s... Continue Reading →
Why Cultural Awareness is Important in Ministry?
Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20 to “go and make disciples of all nations.” To do this effectively requires us to have some understanding of the community and the culture that God has called us to minister within. Race, age, religious belief, economic status, language, educational background, unique community marks of identification, major social issues... Continue Reading →