Rounding the bend where I-57 meets I-70 at Effingham, there rises on the east side of the highway the largest cross you may ever have seen. In fact, it’s the largest cross in the United States. Bud Althoff wanted it to be so. The Effingham resident had seen a similar cross while passing through Groom, […]
Freedom BC stretches its impact with CP despite Coronavirus
Picture an old-style, white, wooden structure with a bell tower capped by a steeple, set in the middle of corn fields, alongside a cemetery. The church looks to be far from the coronavirus and yet is as affected by it as any church in America. But the people at Freedom Baptist Church, organized by 10 […]
LifeWay offers free family Easter resources
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Easter is going to be all about doing old things in new ways. Recognizing this, kids ministry leaders are looking for new ways to help children and their families experience Easter season together, but online. Through “The Gospel Project for Kids,” LifeWay Christian Resources is offering the “2020 Family […]
News Stories
Illinois Baptist delivers online: Print edition goes monthly in crisis season
The number of visitors to online Illinois Baptist media has more than doubled during the Illinois stay-at-home order, and in some cases, traffic has increased more than 500%. To accommodate the staff time needed to produce extra news reports and online resources for the local church’s Coronavirus response, the Illinois Baptist newspaper will adopt a […]
Floyd to host online SBC prayer gathering on Good Friday
As Southern Baptists navigate the crisis resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic, Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, has called for a special time of prayer. The SBC Good Friday Online Prayer Gathering will take place at 12 p.m. CDT April 10. While plans are still being finalized, led by Floyd […]
Do SBA-backed loans violate the separation of church and state?
Over the past week, several pastors have asked me the same question: namely, is a church or ministry taking advantage of newly approved government-backed Small Business Administration (SBA) loans wrong to do so? Would such a church be now a government-funded enterprise? I do not think so, and here’s why. The reason for the question, […]
Churches, pastors eligible for relief under federal stimulus package
The COVID-19 Pandemic Phase III Stimulus Package signed into law March 27 will provide relief options for churches, pastors, and ministry staff. GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention created a question-and-answer document to provide general information on the new law, including: Unemployment insurance: The law creates a temporary program through Dec. 31, 2020, […]
Encouraging Words
Leadership disrupted
Daniel 1:1-21 These days feel unprecedented, but they’re not new to God or his people. There’s comfort in that. Knowing God has taken his people to and through disruptive days before provides us with reassurance that he will do the same for you and me now. Pastors, ministry leaders, and parents: how do you personally […]
When tragedy strikes
Unexpected tragedy comes in many forms. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, and most recently, the Coronavirus pandemic. We are left to deal with the physical, emotional, and spiritual aftermath, as the world asks, “Where is the God of love? Why are innocent people suffering? How come God didn’t prevent this?” As believers, we understand that God […]
Leaders
Resources available for Sunday school at home, family devotions
The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the regular rhythms of our lives. Social gatherings, travel, even going in to the office, have all come to a sudden halt for many of us. It has been just as disruptive to the lives of our children. Their daily routines of school, sports practices, and maybe even after-school jobs […]