News

Jackson First Baptist hosts “Walk Through Bethlehem”
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published December 22, 2005

Jackson, a historic town located midway between Atlanta and Macon, annually hosts a Christmas parade in December. A year ago First Baptist Church capitalized on the event by having a “Happy Birthday, Jesus Party,” complete with a church float in the parade.

Atlanta inner-city ministry legend dies after battle with cancer
Published December 22, 2005

Terry P. Moncrief, 60, whose ministry was featured on the front page of the Dec. 8 issue of the Index, died on Dec. 7 from complications of brain cancer. He slipped into a comma earlier that day and passed away at 4 p.m.

Exiled Iraqi Christians vote with concern about their future
By Ashtar Analeed Marcus, c. 2005 Religion News Service
Published December 22, 2005

Yalda Hajey, draped in traditional Assyrian scarves around his neck and waist, with red and green feathers protruding from his hat, dropped his vote into a ballot box, dipped his finger into a purple ink sponge and sprang into an Iraqi jig.

Christian public school teachers witnessing Christ
Second in a three-part series
By J. Emmett Henderson, Retired, Ethics and Public Affairs, GBC
Published December 22, 2005

In the latter stage of his ministry, Paul planned to go to Spain. His goal was to be on mission where the Word of God was not proclaimed and Christ was not known. Spain was then what public schools are now – are they not?

Lottie’s world (a)
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published December 22, 2005

In this Index exclusive, Georgia Baptists are given an inside look at the believers who comprise the membership of the church where Lottie Moon served at the turn of the 20th century. Lottie died on Christmas Eve 1912 in the port of Kobe, Japan, as she was being evacuated to the United States. Her 50-pound body was decimated with starvation, but her love for the Chinese people is the legacy that continues to produce a spiritual harvest in the world’s most populous nation.

Lottie's world (b)
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published December 22, 2005

Children no longer beg for scraps of food here as commonly as they did when an American missionary first set foot in the town known as Tengchow.

In final letter, Rogers asks that LWF ministry continue
By Michael Foust
Published December 22, 2005

A letter that Adrian Rogers wrote for use in the event of his death is being mailed to contributors to his Love Worth Finding radio and TV ministry, making it clear he wanted the ministry to continue after he was gone.

Gathering Jewels now available for Georgia readers
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published December 22, 2005

Bertie Mae Garrett has traveled the world for missions. Now she wants to share those experiences with others.

Wis. school allegedly strips Christ from ‘Silent Night’
By Michael Foust
Published December 22, 2005

An elementary school in Wisconsin allegedly has written new lyrics for “Silent Night” for its winter program, stripping away all references to Christ and replacing them with winter weather themes.

How one school district solved the ‘December Dilemma’
By Bobby Ross Jr., c. 2005 Religion News Service
Published December 22, 2005

When the superintendent in this Bible Belt town yanked baby Jesus from a fifth-grade school play – but left in symbols of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, along with Santa Claus – a small army of parents erupted in protest.

GBC Executive Committee votes Dec. 13 to discontinue relationship with Mercer University
Terms of dissolution of relationship approved
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published December 22, 2005

The GBC Executive Committee, meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 13, heard a motion from Wayne Robertson, pastor of Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, to discontinue the Convention’s relationship with Mercer University. Robertson, representing the Administration Committee of the Executive Committee, reminded those present of the action of the Convention regarding Mercer at the annual meeting in Columbus on Nov. 15.

People and Places

Anniversaries
Published December 22, 2005

Homecomings
Published December 22, 2005

Honors
Published December 22, 2005

Ordinations
Published December 22, 2005

Ministerial Moves
Published December 22, 2005

Cooperative Program Stories

Making Lottie personal
First Eastman promoting Christmas offering while on the go
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published December 22, 2005

At First Baptist Eastman, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering giving has increased by $57,000 in the past four years.

Bible Study

Work Matters
By Tony Guthrie, Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries/Preaching, Luther Rice Seminary
Published December 22, 2005

The modern culture is seemingly becoming less interested in what historically has been termed “the work ethic.” Conducting a skill or managing an office seems to have lost its appeal to many in contemporary culture. The American dream once was that one would secure a career, marry, and purchase a home. Seemingly, more people are interested in the “dream” of enjoyment through recreation rather than seeing their work as a source of satisfaction.

Money Matters
By Tony Guthrie, Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries/Preaching, Luther Rice Seminary
Published December 22, 2005

So significant is the need for a Christian understanding of money that the late Larry Burkett made a ministry of teaching about it. Burkett helped Christians recognize that accumulation of possessions and wealth is glorified in this society. He emphasized the proper management of God-provided resources. Still, status is desired because it indicates that one has arrived at significance. Many people, even Christians, fall into the trap of believing that monetary gain is equivalent to significance in life.

Columns

The unsanitized version of Christmas
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published December 22, 2005

Our children were born more than 30 years ago, but they had the advantage of being born in sanitized hospitals with competent physicians clothed in Martinized smocks doing their work with disinfected hands washed with soap containing Chlorhexidine Gluconate.

Are you going to miss the party?
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published December 22, 2005

I admit it. I am a traditionalist. I am a conservative. I am sentimental. I am old fashioned, maybe archaic, but I never thought of calling off worship services when Christmas was on Sunday. It just never occurred to me that doing that was an option, and it wasn’t an option as long as my mother was living. I guess my parents just instilled into the fabric of my very being a loyalty and an allegiance to the church that just won’t permit me to accept the notion that calling off church is an option.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published December 22, 2005

One Christmas season when I was pastor at First Baptist Church in Paducah, Kentucky. I decided to do a children’s sermon. I had all the children to join me down front and I told the Christmas Story after reading a portion of the Luke 2 account. I didn’t normally do this sort of thing because we were on live television on the NBC affiliate and with the children there was no way to predict what might happen.

Parents must steer lightly through adolescent turbulence
By James Dobson
Published December 22, 2005