Sharing Jesus: The spiritual ‘three Rs’
When I was in elementary school my dad would jokingly say something like: “Focus on your three Rs Michael! They will help you the rest of your life!” I really didn’t get it. When I would ask what he meant, his response was the same each time. Laughingly, dad would say, “The basics in school: reading, riting and rithmetic.” I would smile and argue that only one of the words began with an “R.” My dad would just laugh. It took me quite a...
Native American spiritual needs weigh on FoNAC
DALLAS (BP) — Native Americans balance life in both the Native and white culture and too often lose to both, Gary Hawkins said in his executive director’s report during the Fellowship of Native American Christians sixth annual gathering in Dallas. “Spiritual needs are tremendous among Native people,” Hawkins said during FoNAC’s June 10-11 meeting in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s...
Missions & ministry: Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief serves Connecticut after late-May tornadoes
CONNECTICUT—Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) teams travelled to Connecticut recently after late-May tornadoes and a microburst hit an area of six or seven communities near New Haven. Don Williams, state director of Oklahoma Baptist DR, said, “It is a heavily-wooded area. Trees there are 100 feet tall with a diameter of about 40 feet, but their roots are only about three feet deep so they are uprooted easily.” Meteorologists...
Outdoors-themed outreach boosts church’s witness
UMATILLA, Fla. (BP)—On a Sunday in April, pastor Brooks Braswell encouraged worshipers to praise God for the many blessings He is showering down on the church. “Last Sunday, in all of our morning services and in our baptismal service God brought the blessings,” said Braswell, pastor of Umatilla, Fla., First, which is located in a lake community. “He showed up in a big way.” Braswell baptized 53 people between ages 6 and 87 at...
First Person: Your small group needs a leader!
In the midst of ministry, I often have both church members and pastors ask me what the silver bullet for a growing, healthy small group or Sunday School organization. Although there are a number of things that are helpful to a healthy small group, there is no “silver bullet.” However, there are a number of things that are beneficial to having healthy small groups such as starting new groups; an outreach/evangelism strategy that...
God leads former Muslim to become OKC church planter
The Lord has proven Himself as Shepherd for Iranian church planter Farshid Amin. Amin has been through dark valleys, yet God’s goodness and faithful love pursued him, gave him a renewed life and led him on the right path with a specific purpose in mind. A native Iranian, Amin grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Raised in a Muslim home, but not fully practicing Islam, he had several Christian friends who took him to church...
