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iLead

Financial crisis: a parable

June 9, 2017 By Sylvan Knobloch

Imagine with me that Pastor Rick is talking with Ernie, the financial team’s chairman, about the church’s budget: “This has been a difficult year financially,” Ernie says. “Since the glass company closed, giving and attendance has decreased. The financial team is recommending we reduce our percentage of missions giving, and that you pay a greater […]

Leadership and knowing when to hold back

April 16, 2017 By Stephen Williams

The church must discover and follow new leaders! We current leaders must allow those younger than us to do the hard work of discovering their leadership skills and potential. Read…

The key to successful outreach

March 2, 2017 By Jack Lucas

For church leaders, the end of an outreach event is only the beginning. This is heavy on my heart as we enter Vacation Bible School season, and I’m reminded how crucial a church’s follow-up process is to their overall VBS strategy. Read…

Disciple your leaders

December 13, 2016 By Stephen Williams

Discipleship has really happened effectively when the person I am coaching outdistances me and I must step aside. The same is true for leadership. If I have been effective, I can focus my attention elsewhere and celebrate the wins of those who have learned to take the reins themselves.  Read…

Casting a difficult vision

December 3, 2016 By Carmen Halsey

Leaders often are tasked with communicating vision. They call people to action, urging them to move from observers to participants. And often, they become leaders themselves. But sometimes the vision is difficult. Sometimes, successes aren’t resounding. For a few years now, our team has been working to equip and advise churches on the issue of human trafficking. It’s an exceedingly messy, heartbreaking problem, and casting a vision for people to help prevent it is also complicated. When an issue is so big, how do effective leaders guide people to real engagement, even without the promise of results? Here are some helpful tips we’ve learned along the way: Read…

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Tuesday Briefing

Briefing

Christians look for path forward after Capitol riot

Featured Columns

Praying to satisfy a deeper hunger

Doug Munton

Editor’s note: Pastor Doug Munton posted this column on his website just as the first COVID-19 restrictions were implemented. Now, many months later, it seems an even more vital word as we contemplate life after the pandemic. Personal revival is a challenge in isolation; now our churches—and we ourselves—need a fresh wind of the Spirit […]

‘Sanctity’ beyond the unborn

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 […]

Start fresh with family worship

John Yi

Before my wife, Gloria, and I even married, we vowed to establish a rock-solid family tradition of daily devotions together. But after almost 25 years of marriage and building a family, we could count on a single hand the longest streak of consecutive days when every member had come together for family worship or devotions […]

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Are you weary? Run on.

Aubrey Krol

We set up a makeshift pulpit in our dining room. With the camera balanced on cardboard boxes and books, my husband preached while I served as executive producer—a role I gained overnight. Immediately after his sermon, I taught children’s church via video conference from a desk in our bedroom. I also held an open invitation […]

News

Ann Graham Lotz

Anne Graham Lotz to speak at Priority Women’s Conference

Eric Reed

Evangelist and teacher Anne Graham Lotz will be the keynote speaker at Priority, an annual conference of Illinois Baptist Women to be held at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield April 23-24. Lotz is the daughter of renown preacher Billy Graham, and the author of 19 books, including “Jesus in Me.” “Anne will help […]

Merritt replaces Stetzer as Resolutions chair

GA pastor joins race for SBC presidency

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Mission

2021 Forecast: Hope for the year ahead

Illinois Baptist Staff

Editor’s note: For the January 1 issue of the Illinois Baptist, pastors and leaders from IBSA shared their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing the church in 2021. You’ll see them here every Wednesday this month. Rayden Hollis, pastor, Red Hill Church, Edwardsville A recent “Thanksgiving Song” by musician Ben Rector sums up 2020 […]

Food giveaways launch holiday season for Illinois Disaster Relief

Teens celebrate AWSOM in an unusual year

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