DALLAS (BP) – SBC Worship, a new collaboration between The Worship Initiative and a broad swath of the Southern Baptist family, has attracted thousands of churches in its first month of operation at sbcworship.com, Robbie Seay told Baptist Press.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (KT) – A new ministry is seeking to change how foster care begins in southwestern Kentucky. Isaiah 117 House will provide a comfortable, dignified waiting location for children who are removed from their homes and placed in state custody in Logan, Simpson and Butler counties—reducing trauma for children awaiting placement, lightening the load borne by social workers and easing the transition for foster families.

SUN VALLEY, Calif. (BP) – Longtime pastor, author and teacher John F. MacArthur died July 14 after a short battle with pneumonia. MacArthur, 86, pastored Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles area for 56 years.

ATHENS, Ga. — Having a conversation about God can often be intimidating, but Beech Haven Church in Athens is taking on that challenge in a big way by setting a goal of initiating 10,000 gospel conversations over the next five years.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — At Truett McConnell University, student success is a shared goal, and no one is more invested in that success than parents and families. To better support this partnership, TMU has launched the TMU Parent Portal, a new online platform powered by CampusESP. 

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources trustees named an interim CEO and began the initial steps to search for a successor to President and CEO Ben Mandrell during a special-called meeting Tuesday, July 15.

KERRVILLE, Texas — The Wheat brothers are well-known as ministers in the Texas Hill Country. Robert serves as director of missions for Hill Country Baptist Association, while his brother, John, pastors Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville.

John MacArthur, the popular and influential pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., died Monday at 86 following a battle with pneumonia.

Most people are given to at least one bad habit that grips them. It could be overeating, tobacco or alcohol abuse, chewing their fingernails, or any number of things that people seek to exercise their willpower in overcoming.

Reflecting on God’s faithfulness may lead to a stronger commitment in our lives to be faithful to God and share the good news of God’s salvific plan.

CORDOVA, Tenn. — The congregation of Bellevue Baptist Church officially voted to extend the call for Ben Mandrell, CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, to be the church’s eighth senior pastor. Mandrell, 48, will fill the role left by Steve Gaines.

Twenty years ago, Judd and Debbie McKinnon* packed 26 suitcases — two of which were filled with LEGOs — and brought their 12- and 10-year-old children to make themselves at home in Central Asia. The McKinnons are missionaries with the International Mission Board who have lived in the same city their entire career, a rare blessing for missionaries.

Tables are set up in a public area of the large European city where John Everett is serving as a Journeyman for the International Mission Board. He and his friends place Bibles and Christian literature on the tables, as well as coffee and tea, to offer to passersby. Regularly, he has opportunities to use his missionary training and practice.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) – Two women were killed and three others, including a Kentucky State Police trooper, were injured Sunday in a pair of related shootings involving a single suspect at Blue Grass Airport and a Lexington church.

Two things can be true at the same time. I never intended to become a fire chaplain. “It was never on my Bingo card,” as they say. For me, it came along with the job. I was going to be the pastor of the area church, so I became the chaplain for the volunteer fire department at the end of the street.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Many churches have begun using background checks to help prevent abuse, but fewer are trained in reporting potential abuse. Lifeway Christian Resources and Clear Investigative Advantage hope to help congregations do both.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – During Send Relief’s presentation to the Southern Baptist Convention last month, Paul Chitwood and Kevin Ezell highlighted Global Hunger Sunday, which will take place on August 24 this year.

HENDERSON, Ky. (KT) — Kody Fox underwent a successful kidney transplant in June — and in the process saw God’s providential care in a multitude of ways. Fox, 31, student pastor at Zion Baptist Church in Henderson, saw God’s provision not only in his life, but in the life of another family.

In 1898, Mrs. Virginia Hawes at Epiphany Baptist Church in New York City started a daily Bible school for neighborhood children during the summer. A bronze plaque honoring her efforts adorns the foyer of First Baptist Church in her hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia. 127 years later, Vacation Bible Schools in churches across the country are a staple of summer.

In the heart of Lima, Peru, a church plant blossomed in the backyard of a home in the community of Magdalena. Initially, the congregation was small, but a turning point came when the church hosted a medical clinic for residents. This act of kindness and compassion brought about a significant transformation.

OAKBORO, N.C. — In some ways, the worship service at Red Cross Baptist Church on the first Sunday in July was like any other with singing, praying, and preaching. But in other ways, it was much different. The curtains to the baptistry were closed, some furniture was missing, and a little more natural light than usual shone into the sanctuary from windows marked by broken glass.

When the Bible says the word of God is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), it’s not just a churchy saying. It’s legit. To me, that means though it was written thousands of years ago, God’s Word is relevant, applying to right here and now.

This has been a hard week for me. I am sure it has been a hard week for many people for different reasons. The tragedy in Texas has been on my heart and mind. As a parent and a grandparent, I cannot even begin to comprehend the enormity of what the people who have lost loved ones must be feeling.

WASHINGTON (BP) – Colossians 1:9, Ephesians 4:1, and Micah 6:8 were among the Scripture passages touched on in a prayer offered at the opening of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning, July 9, by SBC President Clint Pressley.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Every September, Georgia Baptist churches unite to pray and generously give to a missions offering dedicated to making a gospel difference across the state. This year’s theme for the Georgia Baptist State Missions Offering is Missions in Motion and highlights the gospel-centered impact taking place across Georgia as believers step into their communities to build relationships and meet tangible needs.