Mental illness remains taboo topic for pastors
by Bob Smietana NASHVILLE (BP) -- One in four Americans has suffered from some kind of mental illness. Many look to their church for spiritual guidance in times of distress. But a new LifeWay study shows they are unlikely to find much help on Sunday mornings. Most...
NAMB Sponsored 1-800 Care Line for Pastors
Background The daily stress and pressure of serving as a Pastor and/or Planter are frequently brought to the attention of the North American Mission Board staff. Research verifies that over time these daily pressures take their toll on Pastors, causing...
New Church Planting Research Tool Available
We've just built a new web-based research tool for use in our ministry across Iowa. I think it will be especially beneficial to understand our communities and to reach new ones. The tool can help identify towns and cities by population, growth rate, community type, or...
Change the Cooperative Program? First I think we need to try fully implementing it!
By Tim Lubinus, BCI Executive Director/Treasurer When I began as mission’s pastor in Iowa, one of my assignments was to prepare the annual mission’s budget (including the Cooperative Program allocation). I had just come back from service with the International Mission...
‘They are waiting for us to help’
KURDISTAN (BP) -- The newlyweds collapsed into bed, exhausted from a day filled with wedding celebrations. It was their first night as man and wife. They were jolted awake in the wee hours of the morning, when artillery shells exploded near their home. They scrambled...
Page: CP rebounding despite challenges
By David Roach NASHVILLE (BP) -- The average Cooperative Program gift from churches has rebounded from a low of 5.41 percent of undesignated receipts, and there are indications that Southern Baptists feel renewed interest in cooperative ministry endeavors, Frank S....
12 Reasons Why Churches Don’t Address Decline
By Chuck Lawless I have never met a church leader who said to me, “I really want my church to die. I’m not that concerned that we haven’t grown in years.” At the same time, though, most churches in North America are plateaued or in decline. Many of those churches have...
Register for the Send North America Conference
Every Life on Mission Matters August 3 and 4, 2015 Nashville, TN REGISTER HERE The Send North America Conference is a two-day gathering of the church in North America. The heart of this gathering is to see a movement of people from within the church...
The Cooperative Program: Learn about it, see what it does
By Staff/SBC LIFE NASHVILLE (BP) -- October is "Cooperative Program Emphasis Month" on the Southern Baptist Convention's calendar when churches are challenged to study the Cooperative Program -- to learn about it, see what it does, pray about their part -- perhaps...
Seeking Resumes for Two New Full-Time Positions with the BCI
The Baptist Convention of Iowa would like to assist churches by providing an experienced Discipleship Team Leader to develop a team to consult with pastors and other ministry leaders in churches to strengthen their discipleship and small groups ministry. The Baptist...
