IBSA News

Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

Evangelism

Churches celebrate baptism and new life, as Annual Church Profiles testify to continuing challenges

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One weekend every month, leaders at Vale Church move a mobile baptistry into the lobby of the church’s Bloomington building. “Baptism weekend,” held the fourth weekend of most months, is a time of church-wide celebration, said adult ministries pastor Nolan Recker. “Personal is powerful,” Recker said, and the church’s baptism weekends highlight personal stories of […]

Midwest Leadership Summit: Churches urged to reach the next generation

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“College students still think they can change the world.” That’s part of what makes campuses such strategic mission fields, collegiate ministry leaders said at the Midwest Leadership Summit in Springfield Jan. 21-23. Many students are at the beginning of what one sociologist has called “the defining decade.” Young people in their 20s want to make […]

Youth Encounter tells students, ‘You are not alone’

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Students across Illinois are seeking to live for Jesus each day, said John Howard, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Marion. Youth Encounter, IBSA’s annual one-day student event, is a reminder that they’re not taking the journey alone. Howard organized the last of three Youth Encounter sites for 2019 at First Baptist Church in O’Fallon […]

Youth Encounter encourages next steps for students at every level of faith

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IBSA’s annual youth conference needs to reach some distinct audiences, said Jimmy Hammond. Youth Encounter, held in two of its three locations this month, is designed for students who know Christ and those who don’t, for teens in the church and out of it. At Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, speaker Josh Griffin (pictured on […]

On Sept. 8: Our first act of discipleship

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Editor’s note: Churches in Illinois baptized more than 700 people during One GRAND Month last April. September 8 is Baptism Sunday across the Southern Baptist Convention. For several years now, I have been greatly burdened by the declining number of baptisms across the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe the baptism numbers serve as one of […]