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‘Sanctity’ beyond the unborn

January 13, 2021 By Eric Reed

Ahead of each January issue, our editorial team asks, “How will we report on ‘sanctity’ this year?” The Sunday before the anniversary of the 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States is observed as Sanctity of Human Life on the SBC calendar. This year it falls on January 17. For many Southern Baptists, that […]

Learning from 1918’s quiet Christmas

December 10, 2020 By Eric Reed

Christmas star

They called the holiday of December 1918 “the peace Christmas.” A truce had been declared. With the armistice announced, the shooting had stopped at 11 a.m. on November 11. Although the agreements to end The Great War were not yet signed, the world sighed relief that the confrontation that consumed Europe and 18 million war […]

Heard from the kids lately?

November 20, 2020 By Eric Reed

The first time I recall feeling old I was only 34. I was the pastor, and the youth minister, a decade younger, had let me know by some word or look that I was not in touch with what the students were thinking on a particular issue. That may be when I realized that keeping […]

Board approves 2021 budget plan, hears ‘pivot’ reports

September 16, 2020 By Eric Reed

IBSA

Springfield | The IBSA Board approved a budget plan for 2021 that shows hope for a strong recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also allows for some adjustments if needed. The budget based on projected $6.2 million in Cooperative Program receipts will be presented for approval by elected messengers at the 2020 […]

I’m racist–but not like you think

July 28, 2020 By Eric Reed

I’m-racist–but-not-like-you-think

Some of the earliest conversations I remember about the Civil Rights movement were happening above my head in my grandmother’s beauty shop. But while the shampoo-and-set ladies were still sputtering about the Freedom Riders, my first-grade class was being integrated. As I remember it, none of us six-year-olds had a problem with Beverly or Geneva […]

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Crisis can bring clarity. When I first heard that simple observation from a friend, its truth immediately resonated with me. A crisis has a way of demanding our attention and diminishing the less important things in our lives. The result can be a clearer vision of what truly is important to us. In other words, […]

Start at home: Building a framework for discipleship

Sarah Bordewick

Being a part of a church family is part of growing as a follower of Jesus. But kids spend far more time in their homes. That’s why we want our families to go deeper together. Discipleship at home is a critical endeavor. God made us for relationship, and those first relationships are in the home. […]

How to navigate conflict together

Mark McCormick

Question: We can’t seem to develop a helpful conflict style in our marriage. Whenever a problem arises, one of us shuts down, making the other one angrier. What are some healthy steps we can take to finding resolution? Answer: Reconciliation is the work of God. Pursuing Christ-like character traits of honesty and humility will help […]

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Baptist Press interviews SBC presidential candidates

Baptist Press

Baptist Press will publish interviews with each of the four announced candidates for SBC president. The Illinois Baptist newspaper will excerpt the interviews as they are released and will also publish the excerpts here. Albert Mohler Jr. Louisville, Ky. | R. Albert Mohler Jr. was to be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention […]

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Equality Act threatens religious freedoms

Lisa Misner

Christian leaders are concerned about the loss of religious freedom, expansion of federal abortion funding, diminished protection for women, and the impact on hiring practices by Christian organizations under HR5, the Equality Act, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 25. The vote was 224-206, almost totally along party lines. The bill goes to […]

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Mission

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Grace Family Church celebrated its second anniversary in early 2021 with a worship service in the Art Deco theater they’ve called home for the last few months. But the young church has already been planted twice. At least, that’s how it feels to Pastor Jorge Rodriguez. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Rodriguez later lived in Chicago […]

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