BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway’s Next Gen team equipped Next Gen leaders from across the nation to refocus their ministries. The annual ministry conference—ETCH (Equipping the Church and Home)—took place at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Sep. 30–Oct. 2.

In Acts 17, Paul encounters the intelligentsia of the first-century world. Paul’s engagement with the philosophers in Athens would be like addressing the combined faculties of the leading academic universities in England and America.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief continues to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people impacted by Hurricane Helene’s destructive path across Georgia. As of Friday morning, GBDR director Dwain Carter reported that more than 134,000 meals had been prepared by volunteers, including those from other states supporting the response.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources welcomed Andrea Lennon as director of women’s ministry last month. Lennon previously served for 10 years as the women’s ministry specialist for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Lennon is known as a committed Bible teacher whose life calling is to “teach women to know the truth, live the truth and share the truth.”

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — A simple phone conversation between Jonathan Chapman, collegiate ministry specialist at East Tennessee State University, and Troy Rust, director of missions for Holston Baptist Association, led to one of the largest-ever disaster relief training events in Tennessee.

LAKE CITY, Fla. — Although Lake City, located about 60 miles west of Jacksonville, may have been spared the brunt of Hurricane Helene’s record-setting storm surge and fierce winds, the storm still forced many in the community to search for basic needs.

“Sometimes it’s easier to submit to God’s will while praying than to live with the result of His will when the answer is no.” Lauren Sullens, president of Georgia WMU, spoke candidly about the mystery of prayer after her 43-year-old husband, Pastor Clint Sullens, died suddenly in April 2024.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — When Lifeway Christian Resources employees met for their biannual One Lifeway gathering on Tuesday, Sept. 24, the company presented a $70,000 check to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

PERRY, Fla. – When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, it was the third storm to hit in 13 months, following 2023’s Hurricane Idalia and Hurricane Debby earlier this year. “As the storm track tightened and it became clear that landfall would be in our area for the third time,” said Steven Ruff, pastor of First Baptist Church, Perry, “I remember thinking, ‘Are we ready to do this again?’”

ALPHARETTA, Georgia (BP) – During a time when change seems to be constant for Southern Baptists, associational mission strategists from across the United States met to learn more about how to lead through it.  

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. (LBM) – Less than a week after Hurricane Helene devasted parts of the US, a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team is on the ground to “give a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name” to those affected by the powerful storm.

Tony Wolfe, executive director-treasurer for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, said as he drives around his state, he sees months and months of work to do in the wake of Hurricane Helene. “This may be the biggest disaster at least in terms of wind damage that our state has ever known,” said Wolfe.

CUMMING, Ga. — The United States has a long history of immigration. It is a country built on the backs of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty standing in the New York City harbor bears a quote from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, “New Colossus,” that says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

We can’t trust Dixie out of our sight. (Dixie is the eight-month-old puppy my beloved rescued a month ago.) The first week she was with us, Dixie got out of her crate twice while we were gone and set off the security alarm.

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board's Financial Services Committee announced a special allocation of $500,000 dollars on Tuesday, Oct. 1, specifically to support Mission Georgia's efforts to provide direct assistance to Georgia Baptist churches, impacted ministerial staff, and community support. In addition, the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation approved a matching grant of $500,000.

SCBaptist Disaster Relief volunteers are currently providing shower units, laundry units, feeding units, chainsaw units, incident management, chaplains, and damage assessors at locations across South Carolina that were affected by Hurricane Helene.

MADISON, Fla. — In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Madison community in north Florida has found itself in yet another season of recovery.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (BP) — The search team tasked with finding the next executive director-treasure of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) has announced it has selected Ed Emmerling to fill the role being vacated by Tim Patterson. Patterson, who came on board in 2015, announced his retirement late last year.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — In celebration of National Cyber-Security Month this October, Truett McConnell University's Hans Hut School of Business is proud to highlight its newly launched Cyber Security concentration, which began this Fall 2024. The program equips students with the technical experience and ethical foundation necessary to navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape.

I don't know about you, but I cannot get the storm from last week off my mind. It seems everywhere I look and turn I  see the devastation and heart-breaking situations that people all around us are dealing with. I can only imagine how overwhelmed people are feeling.

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. – A tinge of nostalgia permeated the 2024 annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of New York, a Northeast Network of churches. It was Executive Director Terry Robertson’s last annual meeting. He plans to retire next April. He will be celebrating 54 years in ministry – 45 in New York State – and 20 years at the helm of the New York state convention, which spills over into five states.

VALDEZ, Alaska – Randy Covington announced at the recent annual meeting of the Alaska Baptist Resource Network that he plans to retire as executive director at the 2025 annual meeting. 

EUBANK, Ky. (KT) – Two years ago, when Clay Herd was pastor of Licking River Baptist Church in Salyersville, flooding practically paralyzed the community.  Then, an angel on wheels from a church in Hendersonville, N.C., rolled up to the church loaded with water and other desperately needed supplies. Herd did not even know the pastor at the time, he said. 

The International Mission Board and Woman’s Missionary Union invite all Southern Baptists to participate in the 2024 Week of Prayer and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®. Resources are now available at lottiemoon.com.  

There are many reasons Christians do not take advantage of opportunities to share the gospel. Perhaps one reason we fail to witness is because we do not have relationships with unbelievers; we live life in a Christian “cocoon.” Believers should pray that God will give us open doors to share the gospel.