The Explainer: Christian bakers face $135k fine and gag order over wedding cake for same-sex couple
From The Weekly, a rundown of news by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission highlighting top news stories from the public square and providing commentary on the big issues of our day. Subscribe to The Weekly at erlc.com/theweekly. The Explainer: Christian bakers...
Cornerstone Church of Ames reaches out to Boone
by Pastor Jack Owens In the Spring of 2014, as the leadership of Cornerstone of Ames considered the people involved in our church, we discovered that there had been well over 100 people who had attended our church from Boone at various times, many on a regular basis....
Iowa Missions Offering 2015
By Tim Lubinus, BCI Executive Director/Treasurer The focus of the 2015 Iowa Mission Offering (William & Garlinda Hyde Iowa Missions Offering) will focus on reaching the Next Generation of Iowans for Christ. This year our foundation committee made two changes in...
Baptist Convention of Iowa Churches increase Cooperative Program Giving by Nineteen Percent
By Tim Lubinus, BCI Executive Director/Treasurer For the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2015, BCI churches gave nineteen percent more than the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2014. We boldly increased our funding for national and international missions...
GuideStone makes available retirement assistance for small churches
DALLAS — More than 600 churches across the Southern Baptist Convention are making use of a GuideStone program that can help their pastors as they plan for retirement. The Mission/Church Assistance Fund provides up to $3,000 in retirement contributions for pastors who...
Last Service for Heartland Baptist Chapel Ida Grove
by John Shaull, BCI Pastor / Church Support Staff Heartland Baptist Chapel in Ida Grove commemorated 24 years of ministry in the Ida Grove Community. Those still involved in ministry at Heartland at the time of its closing were (left to right): Interim Pastor Steve...
Church’s CP part of being in ‘center of God’s will’
by Karen L. Willoughby WOODVILLE, Miss. (BP) -- Faced with unanticipated dangers at home and abroad, Christians can find “true safety” in serving the Lord, pastor Rob Muncy told the Mississippi congregation he leads a week after a June 17 massacre of nine worshippers...
Seven key reasons your church attendance may be declining
By Thom S. Rainer My five-year old grandson asked me how old I was. When I told him I would turn 60 in a few weeks, he responded: “I didn’t realize people got that old.” Indeed, in 60 years, like any of us who have lived a few years, I have seen change, lots of...
Future of missions spotlighted by CP panel
by Karen L. Willoughby and Bonnie Pritchett COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- David Platt of the International Mission Board and Kevin Ezell of the North American Mission Board addressed during a panel discussion the future of Southern Baptist missions and the two organization's...
Ezell to trustees: “This is NAMB Phase II”
by Mike Ebert, NAMB COLUMBUS, Oh. — Meeting a day before the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell shared updates and a new “NAMB Phase II” vision with members of his entity’s Board of Trustees. “We...
