• Contact
  • Return to IBSA
  • Advertise Through Us
  • Subscribe
  • E-Reader

IBSA News

Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

  • Quick Links
    • E-Reader
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Resource
  • News
    • IBSA
    • SBC
    • Culture
    • Illinois Churches
  • Stories
    • Church Planting
    • Mission
  • In Focus
  • Columns
    • Nate Adams
    • Eric Reed
    • Meredith Flynn
    • Table Talk
    • Reporter’s Notebook
    • Encouraging Words

3 reasons to improve connections

October 7, 2025 By Doug Munton

Stock art

I’ve said this sentiment frequently in recent days as I’ve spoken to other pastors and Christians and churches around the Illinois Baptist State Association and the Southern Baptist Convention. With the spiritual brokenness of our generation and culture, believers need each other more than ever. At the same time, pastors, Christians, and churches seem less […]

Navigating a season of change

July 8, 2025 By Doug Munton

Doug Munton

Nothing is scarier than change. (Well, maybe spiders are scarier, but I digress.) But here is the reality we face. Change is happening all the time, whether we like it or not. The real issue isn’t whether things will change, but how we deal with the change that is inevitable. So, let’s talk about navigating […]

Celebrating partners in ministry

April 9, 2025 By Doug Munton

Doug Munton

I look forward to meeting Tychicus in heaven one day. Do you remember Tychicus? Outside of having a great name (something for you expecting parents to consider!) Tychicus had an important role in the Bible. Let’s note a couple of things the New Testament tells us about Tychicus. (Could we call him “Ty” for short?) […]

Let’s get connected

February 19, 2025 By Doug Munton

Blocks

Do you remember playing with Legos as a child? They snap together to make all kinds of wonderful things. They are made for connections! Christians are made for connections as well. We work best when we work together. All kinds of wonderful things happen when we connect. I can’t help but notice that Christians and […]

The man I never really knew

June 11, 2024 By Doug Munton

Doug Munton

I walked out of my office and into the church parking lot not long ago just as an older couple was pulling in to visit our church bookstore. As the husband rolled down the window, I recognized him as the son of an old pastor, long since departed to glory. That old pastor had been […]

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Featured Columns

The heavens

“Made for More” Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Tyler Shipley

How often do you think about your death and where you will be after you die? This is something that I have thought about more recently. It was something that terrified me as a kid. The average American believes that heaven and hell are real, but that majority say they will be entering heaven because […]

Stock image

The Million Dollar Question: Mark 8:22-30

Ryan Hall

Call me what you will, but I like watching people lose big on gameshows. It is far more enjoyable than watching them leave with a free car! The biggest gameshow loss happened on NBC’s “The Wall.” A father-daughter team worked to amass an unknown bank of cash, but then the daughter was offered a $230,000 […]

Three requests

Nate Adams

Last month the IBSA Board of Directors’ Executive Director Search Committee completed an eight-month process of considering the future needs of the IBSA organization, and screening and interviewing candidates to succeed me in the role of Executive Director. I’ve been praying for them throughout that time, as I’m sure many others have. On December 9, […]

More Columns

“Made for More” Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Tyler Shipley

How often do you think about your death and where you will be after you die? This is something that I have thought about more recently. It was something that terrified me as a kid. The average American believes that heaven and hell are real, but that majority say they will be entering heaven because […]

News

Abbie Howard

Illinoisan named to national Acteens panel

Illinois Baptist Staff

Birmingham, Ala. | A young woman from Illinois has been named to the 2026 National Acteens Panel, a group of four who will serve with the national WMU at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando. Abigail (Abbie) Howard of Casey First Baptist Church has been active in missions service through Acteens for seven years. “Being […]

HLGU suit secures Christian schools’ rights

Nolin returns to consult new Northern Region

More News Stories

Mission

“While we have not yet arrived at the destination we envision, I believe we are clearly headed in the right direction,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood to trustees in the May 22 plenary session. IMB Photo

IMB trustees appoint new missionaries, elect first woman chair

Leslie Caldwell

Richmond | International Mission Board trustees approved 65 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 21-22 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. The missionaries approved for appointment will be recognized during a Sending Celebration on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:08 a.m. CDT in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. The event will […]

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

Sallateeska baptism demonstrates SBC connections

More Mission Stories

  • News
  • Mission
  • In Focus
  • Columns

Copyright © 2026 · Website by Megaphone Designs