By Scott Charbonneau, Managing Director of Insurance Solutions, GuideStone It’s almost here. The fourth Thursday of November is the traditional kickoff to five fun and frantic weeks of holiday celebrations. As Christians, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the arrival of the new year are annual opportunities for us to count our blessings, celebrate our Savior and look to the future with hope. …
By John Murphy We can’t seem to go a single week without hearing about a new cyberattack or ransomware campaign affecting the information of millions. Yet, we rarely hear about churches and other nonprofits being impacted — but that is not the case. Cybersecurity statistics from 2019 indicate 43% of all cyberattacks target ministries, nonprofits and small organizations. If you combine …
By Andrew Davis I love church history! I delight in immersing myself in the world of brothers and sisters in Christ from different eras of history and in different cultures from mine. I love to see how they acted so boldly and courageously for the glory of Christ. I thrill to read how firmly they stood against persecutors, or how …
Understanding the leadership structure presented in the New Testament is critical for healthy church functioning. To explore this topic, we have links to our two-part podcast on this topic, along with an article listed below. By Matt Diaz It’s popular in our day to take business maxims and apply them to the work of the church. While a whole host …
By Aaron Meraz “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 2020 has had what feels to be more than its share of trouble. Through Christ, though, we are able to view suffering and affliction as opportunities for increased gospel advancement and grace giving. Here at GuideStone’s Mission:Dignity® ministry, we have the opportunity …
By Jonathan Woodyard The departure of well-known Christians and churches from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) tends to make the headlines. Recently a prominent pastor, one from whom I have benefited personally, led his church to leave voluntary cooperation with the SBC. There are legitimate concerns with the state of our convention. The SBC is declining numerically, and baptisms are down. The reasons for the …
By Dave Russell B21 Podcast on Congregationalism with Dave Russell – Part I “Do Baptist churches have any accountability?” This is a question I have been asked on a number of occasions by pastors who serve in other denominations. The Baptist distinctive of congregationalism answers this question. God has provided accountability for every local church through the congregation itself. While …
By Josh Wester The advent of social media has changed our lives in innumerable ways. For Southern Baptists, the rise of platforms like Facebook and Twitter has fundamentally changed how we relate to one another, and to a large extent, meaningfully altered our experience as members of America’s largest Protestant denomination. The ability to communicate instantly online has widened our …
By Clint Darst Do you ever feel weary from the battle of Christian ministry in this broken world? Think of the last few weeks: a global pandemic, extreme isolation, escalating counseling concerns, #AhmaudArbery, another beloved pastor’s death, and on top of all that the daily pressures of the church. Seasons like this remind me of why the Apostle Paul exhorted …
By Clint Darst Listen to the B21 Podcast on Believer’s Baptism, featuring Pastor Clint Darst. Also, be sure to read the article below on this same topic. “Clint, you need to decide who you believe the church is. Do you think God has designed the church to be a mixed group of believers and non-believers, or do you think he …
