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Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

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Plan now for mission trip success in 2020

November 25, 2019 By Mark Emerson

In past years, short-term missions were mainly summer activities. Some churches would hold an annual youth mission trip, help another church with VBS, or join in on a construction project. Today, Illinois Baptists are engaging their Acts 1:8 mission fields year-round. We are excited to hear reports that our churches are engaging lostness around the […]

Packing for missions success

November 25, 2019 By Mark Emerson

I recently Googled “common mistakes made in packing for a trip” and discovered that the most common mistakes cited were often demonstrated in my own preparations. Summarizing the wisdom that was shared in these articles comes down to one specific point, “Know what to take with you, and know what to leave at home.” It […]

Field a winning team

June 28, 2019 By Mark Emerson

Scott Hatteberg was a broken-down catcher when baseball manager Billy Beane decided to recruit him for his Oakland Athletics. Hatteberg had injured his throwing arm the previous season, ending his career as a catcher. But what caught Beane’s attention was the potential he believed the man still possessed. Hatteberg had a large on-base percentage, and […]

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Featured Columns

Scott Foshie

An honest word about our CP giving

Scott Foshie

The first six months of serving you have been filled with encouragement and hope. God is bringing a new season of harvest across our state, with rising attendance, baptisms, and outreach opportunities. We are answering his invitation to join him in his work as we say “yes” to opportunities to show up in the lives […]

Carmen Halsey-Menghini

What if leadership isn’t the main issue?

Carmen Halsey-Menghini

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on something Henry Blackaby said: “The church doesn’t have a leadership problem; it has a discipleship problem.” I’ve found myself thinking about that, especially when talking with pastors of smaller churches who are discouraged because they don’t see enough people stepping into leadership roles. What if the question isn’t “Why aren’t […]

5 things bivocational pastors wish you knew

Will Dole

If you had told me 15 years ago that I would be a bivocational pastor today, it’s doubtful I would’ve believed you. At the time, I was working—bivocationally—with a small parachurch ministry and desperately hoping to be fully funded so I could focus on ministry. It was around that point that a friend asked me: […]

More Columns

An honest word about our CP giving

Scott Foshie

The first six months of serving you have been filled with encouragement and hope. God is bringing a new season of harvest across our state, with rising attendance, baptisms, and outreach opportunities. We are answering his invitation to join him in his work as we say “yes” to opportunities to show up in the lives […]

News

U.S. Capitol

GuideStone, ERLC applaud Senate’s passage of Clergy Act

Roy Hayhurst

Dallas | The U.S. Senate passed the Clergy Act Wednesday (Sept. 30), which sends the legislation to President Donald Trump for consideration. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the act in April. GuideStone Financial Resources applauded passage of the bipartisan bill that would provide eligible ministers who previously opted out of Social Security with a […]

Moms reconnect at Super Summer—because their kids are attending

Prayer tours the Mother Road

More News Stories

Mission

World Cup scores for digital witness

Illinois Baptist Staff

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup roared to a close and Spain left holding the trophy, Southern Baptist churches and missionaries around the world prayed for impact that outlasts the hardware. Southern Baptists mission boards joined churches and associations in digital and in-person outreach, as North America hosted the World Cup for the first time […]

IMB trustees appoint new missionaries, elect first woman chair

Metro East church plant hosts multiplication meeting

More Mission Stories

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