Tim Lubinus is the new Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Iowa. His vision is to get the state convention to a 50/50 split of CP dollars even if that means sacrifice at the local level. We are grateful for Tim’s leadership in this area and pray that this mindset takes root across our conventions. Tim was kind enough …
Arrogance or Responsibility
In light of the recent publication of his latest book Aspire: Developing and Deploying Disciples in the Church and for the Church, B21 has been running a series of posts from Matt Rogers, pastor of The Church at Cherrydale, on discipleship. If you get a chance, check out his book as it is meant to provide a tool for people to …
The Battle For the Bible Continues: Andy Stanley, Gungor, and J. Gresham Machen
One day during my seminary training, I was sitting in a theology class at a school that just 15 years earlier had been influenced by liberal theology – a school where faculty members questioned biblical inerrancy and the exclusivity of the gospel. Thankfully, the SBC had fought “The Battle for the Bible” starting in 1979 and this school had returned …
Claiming Your People
Josh Greene, Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church Fairdale, exhorts every pastor to “claim your people”–connect, identify, and bind your life with theirs. In our current church culture where it is not uncommon for pastors to serve multiple churches in a relatively short span, it can become easy to view ministry and the people as a job. May we all take a step back, let the …
Fault Lines in the SBC
Ashley Clayton, Vice President for Cooperative Program and Stewardship Development, joins Dr. Frank Page, President and CEO of the Executive Committee and Jon Akin of B21 to talk about some fault lines within the SBC. Whether it be Calvinism, CP giving, or age of baptism, there are certain points of tension between Southern Baptists that could affect our cooperation in the …
Why David Platt Is A Great Choice For IMB President
It has just been announced that David Platt is the next President of the IMB. We are so thankful for the Trustees hard work, and we could not be more excited for this election. Here are several reasons we think David Platt is a great choice: We need a leader who resources cooperative missions corporately and personally David Platt …
Involvement with the Local High School
Josh Greene, Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church Fairdale, is passionate about community involvement in the local church. In this post he outlines how his church gets involved with their local high school. While schools provide incredible potential for outreach and ministry, many of our churches fail to have a lasting or recognizable presence on campus. May Josh’s wisdom from experience challenge and …
Small Groups Are Good But They’re Not Enough
With the release of his new book, Aspire: Developing and Deploying Disciples in the Church for the Church, Matt Rogers, pastor of The Church at Cherrydale, wants to provide a tool for relational discipleship. Among other things, it provides a one-year plan that is ideal for one-on-one disciple-making. In the post below Rogers challenges us all tho question, while small groups are good, are they …
Being the New Pastor at an Older Church
Josh Greene, Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church Fairdale, gives helpful and practical advice for new pastors who take a position of leadership at an older church. This topic is one that includes many of us at B21 and many of our brothers in the ministry. We are confident Josh’s insight will prove helpful. Read, learn, and share these points of advice with …
The Future of the IMB
Eric King, Missional Church Strategist for the International Mission Board, leads the discussion as key figures in the SBC talk about the future of the IMB. As they look for a successor to IMB president Tom Elliff, this time of transition affords an opportunity to step back and discuss issues like strategy, theological differences, funding, and cooperation within the larger conversation of what …