October 18, 2026
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Transformation Church embraces Great Commission in Lula

Members worship in Transformation Church's newly renovated sanctuary. (Photo/Transformation Church)
LULA, Ga. — Transformation Church in Lula is very much akin to the New Testament church because, in many ways, it reflects the spirit of the church described in Acts 2:44-47. It is not a large church, and it is not a wealthy church, but the people are excited about their faith, seeking to meet the needs of their community, and welcoming everyone to be a part of their family.
Trending stories
Evangelist Doug Elks. (Photo/Festival of Hope, Frank Simme)
Monroe Festival of Hope sees 96 professions of faith
MONROE, Ga. — Rain fell on the opening night of the Festival of Hope at American Legion Post 64 Fairgrounds, but the four-night evangelistic event continued and resulted in 96 professions of faith.
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers gather outside a trailer in Florida. (Photo/GBDR)
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief deploys to Florida after Hurricane Isaias
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — About 50 Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are working in the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Isaias brought destructive winds, flooding, and widespread damage to the region.
Members, families, and friends gather at the groundbreaking for a 2,400-seat worship center. (Photo/Burnt Hickory Baptist Church)
Burnt Hickory breaks ground on 2,400-seat worship center
POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Burnt Hickory Baptist Church broke ground Sunday, Oct. 11, on a 2,400-seat worship center as part of its “All In” initiative, a project church leaders say will provide needed space for a congregation that is already holding five Sunday morning worship services in two auditoriums.
Evangelism conference to equip Georgia Baptists with practical tools for reaching the lost
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Georgia Baptists will be encouraged and equipped to maximize their evangelism efforts during a one-day conference on Monday, Nov. 9, at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, just before the Georgia Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
(Photo/Fellowship BC)
Fellowship Baptist sees attendance grow as young people catch fire for the Lord
GIBSON, Ga. — Fellowship Baptist Church in Gibson has more than doubled its Sunday attendance in the past year, and Pastor Jonathan Rosier says much of the spiritual energy is coming from teenagers who returned from summer camp determined to share the gospel. The 226-year-old church has grown from about 85 on Sunday mornings a year ago to an average of 220.
Baptist Life

Vidalia men’s gathering leads to professions of faith, new discipleship efforts

Men pray during the What's at Stake? event at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Vidalia, Ga., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Index/Henry Durand)
VIDALIA, Ga. — Eight men indicated they had trusted Christ as Savior in connection with a men’s gathering at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Thursday, Oct. 8, while others committed to renewed discipleship and organizers began planning a follow-up revival.

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Rosette Mansour, far right, with daughter Sally Lahoud, far left, and son Marvin Lahoud with his wife Suzie and their two daughters, front row from left, Nora and Ava. (Photo/via Baptist Press)
BEIRUT (BP) – Marvin was only 9 months old when his mother Rosette Mansour, pregnant again, held him tightly to her breast as armed Syrian soldiers ordered the young family out of the car and against a wall.
More than 900 next-gen leaders gathered in Brentwood, Tenn., to be encouraged and equipped in ministry on Oct. 5-7. ETCH celebrated its 10th year serving next-gen leaders. (Photo/Lifeway)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Kim Vallair, children and youth director at The Mount Church in Garland, Texas, walked into the 10th annual ETCH (Equipping the Church and Home) NextGen Ministry Conference wearing all 10 of her name tags from each conference she had attended. Sitting in the front row, she embodied the spirit of the week, celebrating the conference’s history while looking ahead.
(Photo/TMU)
CLEVELAND, Ga. — On Monday, October 12, the Truett McConnell University World Missions Center relaunched with a vision that reaches far beyond its walls. For World Missions Center Coordinator, Gracie Hudson, the Center is meant to be more than a place students visit. She hopes it will become a catalyst for a campus-wide heart for the nations, where meaningful engagement and a growing understanding of God’s heart for the lost overflow into every corner of TMU.
(Photo/MBTS)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Midwestern Seminary welcomed pastors, ministry leaders, and students to Kansas City on Sept. 28–29 for the 2026 For the Church National Conference. Centered on the theme “The Work of the Word,” the conference encouraged attendees to trust the power, sufficiency, and enduring authority of Scripture in every part of the Christian life and ministry.
Georgia
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Mableton. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Georgia amusement park to reopen as scheduled days after roller coaster death

ATLANTA (AP) — Six Flags Over Georgia is set to open its gates Friday for the first time since a man fell to his death from one of the amusement park's towering roller coasters.

This combination of photos from 2017 to 2022 shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat on mobile devices. (AP Photo, File)

Court lifts block on Georgia law that restricts children’s access to social media

ATLANTA — Georgia can enforce a 2024 state law that seeks to limit social media companies’ access to children under a new ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act passed the General Assembly with broad bipartisan support, but an organization representing online platforms sued and secured a preliminary injunction last year.
The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, which houses the Georgia Supreme Court, in Atlanta on Dec. 10, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Georgia Supreme Court ruling could shift more fire costs to property taxpayers

ATLANTA — In a ruling with potentially far-reaching consequences for homeowners and businesses, the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a fire service fee levied by Chatham County.
A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 in Austell, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)

Man killed on a Six Flags roller coaster was thrown from the ride and hit other patrons, police say

MABLETON, Ga. (AP) — A 42-year-old man killed while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was thrown from his seat and struck other patrons before landing below the ride, police said Tuesday.

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Nation
People leave a family meeting area following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

Teen shooter kills 4 at Oregon elementary school before being shot by a witness

A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said.

The FBI seal is pictured in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Authorities investigate letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional, election offices

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”
Homeland Security officers carry boxes from the Washington residence of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, during a search. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone seized and relatives subpoenaed in criminal probe, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities investigating Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar seized the Democratic lawmaker's phone and have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, according to a person briefed on the probe.
The U.S. Department of Justice logo adorns a podium, May 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Justice Department threatens California with legal action over claim of noncitizens on voter rolls

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Justice Department has threatened California with possible legal action over what it says are noncitizens believed to have received mail ballots for next month’s midterm elections.

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World
People look at charred cars the day after violent demonstrations in Paris, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

France's Macron vows to hold accountable those who 'sought to bring down the Republic'

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday voiced the public’s “anger” and “shame” over rioting and looting during nationwide protests against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. At least 1,800 people have been arrested.

Paramedics load an injured person into an ambulance at the Wainwright Health center after a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, outside of Wainwright, Alberta Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carney says 4 service members killed and dozens injured in fire at Alberta military base

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens more seriously injured in a fire at a military base in Alberta, describing it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil.
Smoke billows following Ukrainian drone strikes on an industrial zone in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (UGC via AP)

St Petersburg oil facilities ablaze as Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia

Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg on Sunday as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war.
Rescue workers carry an injured boy after rescuing him from the rubble of a roof collapse at a private school, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Zubair)

School roof collapse in Pakistan kills at least 35 and injures more than 50

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — The roof of a private school collapsed in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday, killing at least 34 children and a teacher and injuring more than 50 other people in the deadliest incident of its kind in the country, authorities and a hospital official said.

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Perspectives
Steve Foster
A church can offer evangelism training, host outreach events, and run community ministries without ever developing an evangelistic culture. Programs fill a calendar. Culture shapes a people. The difference matters.
Ralph Fudge
C.S. Lewis called pride the utmost evil (Mere Christianity). He said pride leads to every other vice and is the complete anti-God state of mind. Pride has been the chief cause of so much misery in every nation and family since the great “fall” of man.
Ben Bradley
Ever since Zoran Mamdani won the New York City mayor’s race, candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have been winning primaries across the country. In several cases, newcomer socialists have defeated long-standing Democratic incumbents. Now, politicians on both sides of the aisle are left wondering what happened.
(Index/Henry Durand)
Picture a church meeting that ends with hope. The need is clear. People agree that something must change. Heads nod, the motion passes, and the pastor goes home encouraged. Six weeks later, little has happened. The same questions return. A few hallway conversations grow louder. The people who said yes begin asking whether this is really the right time.
Dawn Reed
I keep picturing their faces. They sat on a mattress, fully focused, listening intently. I’ve told you countless times that we have a small team of ladies (a small army, really) who go to the jail every Sunday morning at 6:45.  We take it very seriously, cherishing every opportunity.

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Business
The Social Security Administration office is seen in Mount Prospect, Ill., Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Social Security recipients to get 3.6% cost of living boost, an average of $75 per month

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration projected Wednesday that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities will go up by 3.6% beginning in 2027, with some recipients complaining that is not enough to offset soaring prices.

(Photo/NOBTS)

New Orleans Seminary partners with The Worship Initiative and SBC Worship for night of worship celebrating Center for Worship Studies

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a worship night Oct. 6 in partnership with The Worship Initiative and SBC Worship. The event was held in celebration of the ribbon-cutting for the seminary's new Center for Worship Studies, which took place earlier in the day.  
The U.S. Department of Agriculture seal is seen on a podium during a news conference in Washington on July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

More than 160,000 pounds of meat bearing false USDA inspection labels recalled

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 83 tons of meat are being recalled across the U.S. because the products were not properly inspected by federal authorities and were shipped out with falsified inspection stickers, the Department of Agriculture said.
A hiring sign is displayed at a grocery store, in Schaumburg, Ill., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Claims for unemployment benefits drop to 197,000, the lowest since mid-July as layoffs remain rare

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, as U.S. jobless claims remain at historically low levels and most Americans enjoy job security.

Major tire company to expand in northwest Georgia

ATLANTA — A global leader in tire production will invest $1.2 billion to expand in Georgia, bringing 1,000 jobs by 2033, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.

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Sports
Miami running back Javian Mallory (21) celebrates with offensive lineman Ben Congdon after scoring a touchdown during the second half against Florida State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami takes No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 after a week of upsets

Miami is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2002, No. 2 BYU has its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season, and Notre Dame and Georgia stayed in the top five Sunday after both lost close games.

Auburn kicker Alex McPherson (38) kicks the game-winning field goal as time expires against Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Alex McPherson kicks 34-yard field goal as time expires to lift Auburn over No. 1 Georgia 27-24

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Alex McPherson kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired and Auburn, led by quarterback Byrum Brown's dominant running game, upset No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on Saturday.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi celebrates a goal by Germán Berterame against Atlanta United, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Lionel Messi scores twice, adds assist to propel Inter Miami to 3-1 victory over Atlanta United

ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals 4 minutes apart after a first-half assist, and Inter Miami cruised to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throws a pass during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Penix expected to start at quarterback for Falcons against Bears after suffering rib injury in loss

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is on track to start for the Atlanta Falcons Sunday against the Chicago Bears after leaving last week's loss to Baltimore with a rib injury.

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