By Seth Hawkins Whether you’re breaking bread with new neighbors, celebrating a joyous occasion or lamenting grief with a trusted friend, what makes a house a home is the people coming in and out of its doors. So it is with vocational ministry; it may begin inside the church building, but ministry often extends to and through the walls of …
By Nate Akin February 10, 2021, I posted a twitter thread about “pastors/complementarianism” due to the amount of conversation I was observing on Social Media (SM) around the topic. This thread preceded both SBC 2021, SBC 2022, and the whole dust up with Rick Warren including the revelation that he was ordaining women as “pastors” but not “elders.” Almost two years later, …
By Dr. Mark Dance, GuideStone Director of Pastoral Wellness After pastoring in a fog of clinical depression for several months, I came very close to walking away from the church I was pastoring — and the ministry altogether. I had been pastoring for 22 years at the time and was burned out and fed up — mostly with myself. At …
By John Murphy, GuideStone Managing Director of Insurance Sales Social media has fundamentally changed the way we communicate with one another. Thoughts are broadcast to followers in a matter of seconds, generating quick public criticism or praise. Posts can be as entertaining as your latest vacation snapshot, as boring as your dinner plate and as controversial as the politics of …
HOW TO LEAD A GREAT BIBLE STUDY BY ANDY DAVIS One of my favorite ways to teach the Bible is in a small group setting in which there is the opportunity for give and take, for dynamic interaction over the sacred texts of Scripture. To prepare for such Bible studies, for years I have written out discussion questions that get …
HOW TO TREAT SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION IN MINISTRY? By Andrew Davis Spiritual Depression Temporary fits of spiritual depression have engulfed some of the choicest servants of the Lord throughout church history. It is amazing to read the list of those who confessed to feeling dark despair crowd into their souls at critical moments: Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Adoniram Judson, …
Follow Our Lead on Church Plans for Your Retirement Needs By Stephen Osborne, Senior Relationship Manager in Retirement Solutions Ministers and ministries are unique — both in mission and in operations. As a minister, you received an inspirational calling from God and most likely pursued theological training to prepare for your vocation. But did your seminary offer you a class …
In this episode of our B21 Podcast, we interview Matt Smethurst, managing editor of The Gospel Coalition, a church planter, and author of a new book for 9Marks on Deacons. In part 1, we get to know Matt better and discuss some of the key questions relating to the diaconate and healthy ecclesiology. In part 2, we discuss church planting …
By Dr. Aaron Meraz, Director of Mission:Dignity at GuideStone Having pastored and shepherded young pastors, I am reminded often of the faithful servants who led my own family, friends and even me to Christ. These ministers and their wives dedicated most of their lives to churches that could not contribute to their retirement savings, but they kept serving anyway. After …
B21 invites all Southern Baptists to set aside June 1st as a day of prayer for our upcoming annual meeting. To coincide with this day, there will be a virtual prayer meeting beginning at 2pm EST led by various Southern Baptist leaders. Although we are in contentious times, the Lord is still doing much through Southern Baptists for the propagation …
