Makeover for ministry: Langston BSU/BCM building undergoing remodel
LANGSTON—In June 1993, the Baptist Messenger published news about building improvements made at the Langston University Baptist Student Union (BSU). Now, 25 years later—and after years of fruitful ministry at the building and on campus—the BSU, now called Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM), property once again is undergoing major improvements and enhancements. Volunteers with the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention and the Baptist...
Conventional Thinking: VBS, a great success
The cookies and lemonade are consumed. The clever decorations are put away, and the volunteers have moved on to the next ministry opportunity. Yet the fun memories, take-home crafts and important spiritual lessons that happened, still linger. Yes, as many Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) have come to a close, it’s a good time to think about what just happened and what can happen next. First, there is the opportunity for VBS follow-up. Not...
A winning way: Coach, pastor mentors on the field and off
NORMAN—Both occupations build people up and offer encouragement. They both speak impassioned words on a regular basis. And they both are well-known jobs on the field of life. Today’s pastors and coaches have many things in common. It just so happens that at least one man in central Oklahoma literally does both. Pastor Mat McIntosh of Norman, Blue Lakes, also serves as athletic director and high school football coach for Community...
Conventional Thinking: Incognito Christians?
in·cog·ni·to—Adjective: “(Of a person) having one’s true identity concealed.” There’s been a lot of discussion lately in the media about secret agents. Not of the fictional James Bond sort, but real life FBI and CIA agents and their work. A recent LifeWay Research poll shows that there is another group that is often living under cover: Christians. While the poll of Protestant Christians showed that a majority of “American churchgoers...
Conventional Thinking: Life after Roe
With President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to become the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice, there has been widespread conversation about the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the notorious 1973 Supreme Court ruling that mandated legalized abortion in America. The thought goes like this. If Justice Kavanaugh is affirmed by the Senate, thus bringing a conservative majority to the Court, a case could thereafter arise that challenges and...
