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Piedmont Church puts love into action with massive community outreach

Kids gather eggs at Sprayberry High School on April 19, 2025. (Photo/courtesy Piedmont Church)
MARIETTA, Ga. — Marlon Longacre, associate pastor of Community Engagement at Piedmont Church in Marietta, orchestrated a mammoth Egg Drop at Sprayberry High School for the 13th year on Saturday, April 19. Each year, the spectacular event has grown, and this year, more than 20,000 people showed up for the extravaganza. More than 95,000 eggs with candy inside were waiting to be found by excited children.
A huge outdoor crowd gathers for Easter Sunday service April 20, 2025, at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church in Powder Springs. (Photo/Burnt Hickory Baptist Church via Facebook)
Easter 2025 brings historic turnouts to Georgia Baptist churches
Across Georgia, churches large and small saw filled pews and crowded sanctuaries as record numbers of worshippers gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. From rural towns to urban centers, pastors are reporting historic Easter Sunday turnouts and powerful moments of salvation and baptism.
People attend a Good Friday event at Grayson Park on April 18. (Photo/Yovanni Valladares @goldproductionsatl)
Grayson churches come together for inaugural Good Friday community service
GRAYSON, Ga. — Churches and communities gathered on Good Friday for services across Georgia. For the first time, seven Grayson-area churches assembled Friday night for Good Friday Grayson. A crowd estimated at more than 1000 gathered in Grayson Park for worship, scripture reading, prayer, and messages from pastors and ministry leaders who shared from the seven sayings of Jesus throughout the Gospels during the crucifixion.
Brad Hughes, chairman of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board's Public Affairs Committee and director of governor's office outreach, speaks during a panel discussion with former State Rep. Kevin Cooke and former State Sen. Josh McKoon, center, at a training session at Shorter University in August 2024. (Index/Henry Durand, File)
Georgia Baptists urged to engage in politics as Public Affairs training events launch across the state
SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board's Public Affairs Ministry is launching a new round of training events this month, designed to equip pastors and church members with the tools and insights they need to effectively engage in today’s cultural and political landscape. The training sessions, set to run from April through November, will take place in eight cities across the state, beginning April 29 in Dalton.
Women gather on the shores of the lake at Camp Pinnacle during a recent Hispanic women's retreat. (Photo/Georgia Baptist Women)
Hispanic women gather for life-changing weekend in the North Georgia mountains
CLAYTON, Ga. — Nearly 300 women gathered in the scenic north Georgia mountains on a beautiful early spring weekend for a time of fellowship, worship, and renewal. The retreat organized by the Georgia Baptist Hispanic Women’s ministry provided the women with an opportunity to spend time with like-minded sisters, learning from and encouraging each other.
Randy Ellis with the 800-pound gator he harvested. (Photo/courtesy Randy Ellis)
Randy Ellis is a pastor with a heart for people and a taste for adventure
CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Randy Ellis, pastor of First Baptist Church in Chatsworth, is a fisher of men and a hunter of gators. Ellis finally met all regulations specified by the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and qualified to have a hands-on, eye-to-eye hunting adventure in search of an alligator.
Baptist Life

Most Protestant pastors confident their churches will be around for at least another decade

The sun rises behind a cover of clouds at Northside Baptist Church in Tifton, Ga. (Index/Henry Durand, File)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Most pastors believe their churches will be around for at least another decade. According to a Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors, 94% believe their churches will still exist in 10 years, 4% disagree, and 2% aren’t sure. 
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Church planting is not a one-size-fits-all process — neither is training church planters. Each church planter has a unique calling that must be fostered by established ministry leaders who are properly equipped to guide them in their ministry context.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thirteen teams of students from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College will spend summer 2025 serving the Great Commission in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Truett McConnell University’s College of Health and Life Sciences will host its 2nd Annual Research Symposium on April 30, 2025, in the Harris Athletic Complex.
Southeastern Seminary and Judson College mourn the recent passing of Dr. Keith Harper, senior professor of Baptist studies (retired). Following a courageous battle with lung cancer this past year, Dr. Harper passed away on Wednesday, April 23, finding ultimate joy and healing in the presence of his beloved Savior.
Georgia
The Cybercrime Center at Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

New report finds huge increase in cybercrime in Georgia

ATLANTA - Cybercrime is on the rise in Georgia and around the country. Georgia ranked 11th in internet-related complaints last year, up from 13th in 2023, according to the FBI's newly released Internet Crime Report 2024. The potential losses of $420 million represented a 40% increase between 2023 and last year.

Report finds Atlanta-area air pollution worsening

ATLANTA - Metro Atlanta suffers the third-worst levels of ozone pollution, otherwise known as smog, in the Southeast, according to a study released Wednesday by the American Lung Association.

Kemp signs tort reform bills

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed two tort reform bills Monday that supporters say should reverse a pattern of excessive jury awards they hold responsible for rising liability insurance premiums that are hurting Georgia businesses’ bottom lines.

State Sen. Esteves enters race for governor

ATLANTA – State Sen. Jason Esteves announced Monday that he will run for governor next year. The Atlanta Democrat was elected to the Senate in 2022 and is serving his second term under the Gold Dome. Before that, he spent nearly a decade as a member of the Board of Education for Atlanta Public Schools.
Nation
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

RFK Jr. recounts heroin addiction and spiritual awakening, urges focus on prevention and community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a personal story of his own heroin addiction, spiritual awakening, and recovery at a conference on drug addiction Thursday and emphasized that young people need a sense of purpose in their lives to prevent them from turning to drugs.

Trump urges the Russian leader to 'STOP!' after a deadly attack on Kyiv

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.

Evacuation orders lifted as fast-moving New Jersey wildfire burns

BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire was burning in New Jersey's Pine Barrens, but officials on Wednesday lifted earlier evacuation orders, and a stretch of a major highway that was closed due to the blaze has reopened.

US health officials move to phase out artificial dyes from the food supply

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday said they would phase out petroleum-based artificial colors in the nation's food supply, potentially triggering an ingredients overhaul for scores of brightly hued products on American store shelves.
World
Houthi supporters chant slogans during a weekly, anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo)

Houthi rebels have shot down 7 US Reaper drones worth $200 million in recent weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Houthi rebels in Yemen have shot down seven U.S. Reaper drones in less than six weeks, a loss of aircraft worth more than $200 million in what is becoming the most dramatic cost to the Pentagon of the military campaign against the Iran-backed terrorist group.

Bloody April for Christians in Nigeria with death toll surpassing 240

PLATEAU, Nigeria (BP) — More than 240 Christians were massacred in attacks on villages in Plateau and Benue states during Lent and Easter, some as they worshiped, news agencies and religious liberty advocates reported.

India suspends water treaty and downgrades ties with Pakistan after deadly Kashmir attack

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — India on Wednesday closed a border crossing, suspended a water-sharing treaty, and downgraded diplomatic ties with rival Pakistan, blaming its neighbor for an attack by militants the previous day that left 26 people dead in the Indian-held portion of Kashmir.

A magnitude 6.2 quake shakes Istanbul and injures more than 230 people

ISTANBUL (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul and other areas of Turkey on Wednesday, prompting widespread panic and scores of injuries in the city of 16 million people, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage.
Perspectives
What is an emotional affair and why must pastors, elders and ministry leaders fight against succumbing to this temptation?  According to one online source, “An emotional affair is a non-sexual relationship involving a similar level of emotional intimacy and bonding as a romantic relationship.”
I’ve been encouraged recently by all the posts about Easter on social media. I love the family photos. I love watching children hunt eggs. I love seeing families come together for meals. But most importantly, I love the truth behind this special day on the calendar.
Many things run through the minds of college students at the end of the academic year. Exams are over, and summer is here! Families and friends ask when you’ll be back, and you begin counting the weeks and days of relaxing, maybe working, or going on exciting trips. Looking at your calendar, you see six to eight weeks of being away from school and back “home.”
Two preachers stood by the side of the road that separated their churches. They had just finished hammering a hand-made sign into the ground, which read:           The End is Near!           Turn Around Now           Before it’s too Late!
Ecclesiastes 10:10 reminds us, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.”  Leadership burnout results from continually giving one’s energy and resources for the well-being of others without taking time to invest in one’s own well-being—or a failure to sharpen one’s ax. 
Business
A Norfolk Southern freight train passes through Austell, Ga. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Norfolk Southern's derailment insurance payments provide boost but even without that profits were up

Norfolk Southern's quarterly profits were again inflated by insurance payments related to its disastrous 2023 derailment in eastern Ohio, but even without that, the railroad's profits still grew.

China warns countries against making trade deals with the US unfavorable to Beijing

BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday warned other countries against making trade deals with the United States to China’s detriment.

Japan reports a $63 billion trade surplus with the US as it talks with Trump on tariffs

TOKYO (AP) — Japan recorded a trade deficit in its March-April fiscal year but racked up a surplus with the U.S., the Finance Ministry reported Thursday.

Go inside the factory where Peeps are made

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly bright colors and an array of flavors are inescapable around the Easter holiday.

Stocks rally worldwide after Trump eases some of his tariffs on electronics

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose worldwide Monday after President Donald Trump relaxed some of his tariffs and as stress from within the U.S. bond market seems to be easing.
Sports
St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar (21) circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Nolan Gorman delivers key hit as Cardinals pull away from Braves 10-4

ATLANTA (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit a tiebreaking 3-run double in the eighth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped a five-game losing streak with a 10-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Braves rally on Sean Murphy's 3-run homer, then hold off slumping Cardinals 7-6

ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Murphy hit a three-run homer during Atlanta's five-run eighth inning, and the Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Braves pitcher Spencer Strider strains hamstring, goes on 15-day injured list

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider strained his right hamstring on Monday while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list.

Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin hit 2-run homers as Braves beat Twins 6-2 to complete a 3-game sweep

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin hit two-run homers, Grant Holmes allowed only one run and the Atlanta Braves beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep. Marcell Ozuna also homered off Joe Ryan (1-3), who allowed six runs and eight hits and one walk in five innings.