Talking About Difficult Topics (Like Abortion) in Student Ministry
My role as a Student Pastor places me right in the heart of a traditional corner of our country, in a staunchly Southern Baptist Church, surrounded by parents deeply rooted in conservative values. This church and community stand arm-in-arm on numerous pro-life platforms. Yet, the week Roe v. Wade was overturned, I was taken aback […]
3 Ways Sidewalk Counseling Can Be Applied in Post-Roe America
The sidewalk is empty in front of my city’s abortion facility. On a typical morning last June, dozens of women, companions, and pro-choice escorts would tread toward the building’s concrete awning. Our sidewalk counseling group walked alongside them toward the facility, offering them Gospel hope and help. We would see hearts harden and doors slam […]
Caring for the Single Moms in Your Church
Dear Church, Imagine how different our world would be if a young woman holding an unexpected positive pregnancy test thought first of the church: “I know who will help me with this baby.” Imagine if she knew single mothers who told her, “The church will help you raise your child.” Imagine if she went to […]
Having a Realistic Perspective of Marriage in the Church
Growing up in the Church I’ve always felt like marriage was mostly viewed through the lens of roles: the husband leads and the wife submits. A lot of times I would see the beautiful picture of Christ and his bride, the Church, being like marriage. These ideas are found in the pages of Scripture, and […]
How Your church can become more service-oriented
How can we help? As a local pastor in a small community, this is a question that runs through my mind a dozen times a week. For most believers, this is an impulse whenever we see a tragedy, problem, or issue in our cities and beyond. Some churches have vast resources and excel at identifying […]
How to Develop a Pro-Life Culture in Your Local Church
The local church has the responsibility to demonstrate the life Christ makes possible by being an embassy of God’s kingdom. How so? Jonathan Leeman explains, “Indeed, the church is a kind of embassy, only it represents a kingdom of even greater political consequence to the nations and their governors. And this embassy represents a kingdom […]
Pastors set the Pace: A Call for Pastors to Adopt as Example for the Church
Church historians cite William Carey’s mission to India as the fount of modern missions. At a time when some Calvinistic Baptists, thinking God would not employ the efforts of men to spread the message of His kingdom, squelched Carey’s pleas for international missions efforts, Carey pressed his ministerial associates to consider the blessings they enjoyed […]
