Strengthen: Sheep and shepherds
Rarely does a week go by without a conversation taking place in my world related to either a pastor expressing frustration regarding the congregation he serves or a church member expressing disappointment in their pastor. The common denominator in these conversations appears to be the unmet and maybe the unrealistic expectations on both sides of the equation. These conversations have caused me to think more directly about what...
3×3 evangelism emphasis: #Share72
It is hard to imagine that another summer is coming to a close and in just a few days school will start again. Families are scrambling to fit last minute vacation plans before the normalcy of the school year calls them back to the regular scheduled bed-times, and the early morning rush of getting out the door to a busy day. At the church, the start of the school year has become symbolic with the start of a new Sunday School year when...
Strengthen: It’s not too late for Connect>1
I learned a valuable lesson last year that will serve as an ongoing reminder to take care of things before it is too late. Last fall, we moved our daughter into an apartment with a six-month lease agreement that we knew we did not plan to continue past the time frame. What I failed to do was thoroughly read the agreement which stated that we needed to provide a 60-day notice of the intent to vacate the apartment. By the time I read...
Strengthen: Summer camps are a highlight
When this edition of the Baptist Messenger is released, we will be nearing the conclusion of the first week of Youth Camp at Falls Creek and Children’s Missions Adventure Camp at CrossTimbers. These two camps are deeply ingrained into Oklahoma Baptist life and have impacted the lives of so many over the years. Each summer, the programming for the camps is provided by our Student and Children’s Ministry leaders who join together with...
Strengthen: Connect>1 curriculum coming
I have been richly blessed with the opportunity over the past few years to serve as interim pastor at a number of great churches across our state. During the course of an interim, as I start to get better acquainted with the people of the congregation, I will typically get asked a question about Sunday School material. It usually goes something like this, “Do you have an input to our Sunday School material?” That question often...
