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MIO: Making peace in Austin

September 5, 2022 By Ben Jones

Chicago West Bible Church hosts a neighborhood outreach event.

John Kelly is a lot like his western Chicago neighborhood of Austin—there is more to the story than first impressions. Austin, the third largest of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, has beautiful tree-lined streets, parks, pre-WWII homes, historic architecture, and ethnic diversity. It also has high poverty, lots of brokenness, and the eleventh highest crime-rate in Chicago. […]

MIO: College town’s Cornerstone connection

August 30, 2022 By Ben Jones

Pastors Jacob Lee and Luke Henry.

When Luke Henry became pastor of Cornerstone Church in Savoy, he knew the church had great opportunities to reach college students. But something unexpected surprised him. The new townhouses and apartment complexes surrounding the church were home to many, possibly hundreds, of Asians. The University of Illinois has one of the largest enrollments of Asians […]

MIO: Church replant picks up the torch

August 25, 2022 By Ben Jones

Thomas Gensler is giving new life to his childhood church. Logos Church in Decatur is bringing renewed gospel witness to this working-class city.

Thomas Gensler wonders if his childhood church and pastor ever imagined him filling the same pulpit. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I think he was like, ‘Man, this kid, I just hope he stays with it.’” But Gensler remembers those faithful leaders fondly. “They loved us and supported our family. And I think every […]

MIO: Just walk down the street

August 15, 2022 By Ben Jones

Marlene Wood (left) invited her neighbor, Kathleen Woodley, from "just three houses down" the street to attend church with her. Woodley soon came to Christ and was baptized.

In small southern Illinois towns like Wayne City, being a missionary can seem like something for far-off places and foreign cultures. But in reality, there are people just down the street in need of a friend on mission for Jesus. Marlene Wood knows that. “We don’t have to go very far,” she said. “I just […]

Next Step: Letting the Word do the work in Atwood

July 13, 2022 By Ben Jones

Next Step Stories

When Pastor Woody White reached out to IBSA’s Fran Trascritti, his focus was on helping leadership function more efficiently as a team at First Baptist Church of Atwood. But through the consulting process, he also gained the clarity about discipleship that is changing the church. “I call us a big church in a small town,” […]

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Featured Columns

Meredith Flynn

Spectators or participants?

Meredith Flynn

My church is in a season of refocusing on prayer. Every Sunday before the sermon, we break into small groups and pray together. One of the goals of this emphasis, our pastor has said, is to move from being spectators of prayer to participants in it. Last season, the football team I have followed and […]

Nate Adams

Good new days

Nate Adams

We all have “good old days” in our lives. They may be the days when we felt most successful or appreciated, or when things were done the way we agreed with or liked, or when those we respected were in charge. Most of us have good old days in our churches too. Days when our […]

How we can speak to men in the abortion conversation

Justin Mullins

As a pastor, father and follower of Christ, I have often found myself with a heavy heart when I think and pray about abortion. I’m saddened. I’m sickened. I’m burdened for the life of preborn children who are precious in the sight of God. And I have a deep conviction that there’s more that I […]

More Columns

Study shows Hispanic churches are young, vibrant, and growing

Lifeway Research

A new survey of Hispanic churches shows their attenders are younger and more evangelistic than at other Protestant churches—and there are more of them in worship on any given Sunday. Together with two dozen other religious organizations, Lifeway Research polled 692 pastors of churches that are at least 50% Hispanic for the largest survey of […]

News

Hunt sues SBC, EC and Guidepost

Brandon Porter, Baptist Press

Longtime pastor and former SBC President Johnny Hunt has filed suit against the SBC, the SBC Executive Committee (EC) and Guidepost Solutions. The suit seeks unspecified damages related to allegations of defamation and the invasion of privacy based on accusations made against Hunt in the 2022 Guidepost report stemming from an investigation into the alleged […]

SBC aids largest people displacement in history

Stetzer leaves Wheaton to lead Biola’s theology school

More News Stories

Mission

Sallateeska baptism demonstrates SBC connections

Baptist Press

(Ed. Note—In our July issue, we reported that Illinois’s very own Sandy Wisdom-Martin told the story of her brother’s recent baptism during her WMU presentation at the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Anaheim. We thought we you would appreciate this longer account that shows God’s fingerprints through multiple SBC connections. It’s too good to miss.) […]

A first-time ministry to migrant workers is very fruitful

FIRST-PERSON: A once-feared tribe now spreads the Gospel

More Mission Stories

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