A number of years ago, as the Christmas season was approaching, I began preparing to lead worship by revisiting the gospel narrative. Knowing that every detail is important, and seeking that which may have been overlooked, I approached the text with many questions. One that struck me particularly that year was, “Why a stable?” Why did God choose a stable as the birthplace of the Savior?

ATLANTA – One of the nation’s most-sought-after Christian speakers will be at Georgia's Legislative Prayer Breakfast next month. Longtime college football coach Tommy Bowden will headline the event that draws most of Georgia’s lawmakers and a standing-room-only crowd of Christian leaders from across the state.

LaGRANGE, Ga. – Some 4,000 people turned out to watch Rosemont Baptist Church’s Christmas presentation, The One. The production, described as Disneyesque in its quality and scope, went beyond the Nativity of Christ by including scenes from the Old Testament that point forward to His birth.

Earlier this month, 16 Georgia Baptists traveled to Whitley City, Kentucky, to deliver nearly 700 backpacks for low-income children for the Christmas holiday—a venture that was supported by members from twenty-two local churches. The three-day trip to Kentucky, spearheaded by Rev. Quillian Mercer, the Associational Mission Strategist for the Washington Baptist Association, provided warm clothing such as socks and knitted hats and gloves in addition to the backpacks—many of which were stuffed full of toys, balls, school supplies, candy, snacks and canned goods.

Over and over, we see examples of Southern Baptists coming together to take the gospel to every nation. The cooperative efforts have never shone brighter than this year. You set a record with your generous giving. The Lottie Moon offering was the largest in the 177-year history of the IMB with $203.7 million.  IMB president Paul Chitwood reminded those attending a sending celebration at the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim, California that 100% of that offering goes to sending and equipping missionaries, just like it has since the beginning.

DULUTH, Ga. – Mission Georgia has provided nearly $392,000 in grants to ministries that provide direct care to children, mothers-to-be, victims of human trafficking and international refugees. “Through the generous giving of Georgia Baptists through Mission Georgia, we are able to come alongside churches, associations, and specialized ministries to help make an impact on the needs of the most vulnerable in our state,” said Beth Ann Williams, lead strategist for Georgia Baptist Women.

DULUTH, Ga. – Several training events have been scheduled for Georgia Baptists who want to join Disaster Relief crews that minister to victims of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and other natural calamities. Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Director Dwain Carter said it’s important to have as many people as possible trained and certified to ensure the ministry has the manpower needed to offer help, hope and healing to people in need.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For many, Vacation Bible School is the best time of the year, and many ministry leaders and volunteers are already preparing for VBS 2023. To help prepare these leaders to make next summer a game changer, Lifeway Christian Resources is hosting VBS Preview events to train, equip and encourage leaders. According to Lifeway Research, 6 in 10 Americans say they attended VBS growing up, and 7 in 10 parents say they would let their child attend VBS at someone else’s church if they were invited.

NEW ORLEANS – Several Georgia students were among the latest graduates of the North Georgia Extension Center of Leavell College of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary housed at Cross Pointe Baptist Church in Duluth.

DULUTH, Ga. – Georgia lawmakers will see a renewed effort from the state’s largest religious group to protect biblical definitions of gender and to oppose efforts to expand gambling when they convene next month in Atlanta for the start of the 2023 legislative session. Messengers to the 1.4 million-member Georgia Baptist Convention approved a series of resolution last month, including one that reiterates their opposition to allowing male athletes to compete as females in sporting events.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. - Born out of Southeastern’s commitment to the Bible and the Great Commission, the CBTT exists to improve the quality of editions of the Bible in the original languages and to ensure the accuracy and clarity of Bible translations worldwide. “Southeastern is unwaveringly committed to the inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, authority, and sufficiency of God’s word,” shared President Danny Akin. “That is why we are delighted to be launching a center solely devoted to accurately translating the word of God from the original languages and resourcing the global Church to do the essential work of Bible translation.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When The Gospel Project curriculum launched 10 years ago, it had one driving goal: Help people see how all of Scripture revolves around Jesus Christ. Since that time, the chronologically driven curriculum has made three full orbits around the Son of God and is currently on its fourth pass, transitioning from the Old to New Testament in spring 2023.

I love Christmas! It’s a season of cheer and goodwill, wrapped in red and green. There’s an extra skip in our step and a song in our heart as the calendar unfolds and Christmas approaches. Christmas is a holy hug from heaven. As the late BO Baker, Texas pastor, wrote, “It’s a carol of hope in a world of broken dreams ... It’s the coming into time of the Savior, Jesus Christ; a God-kind of joy lying in a manger; the hope of heaven in a mother’s arms ..." In no particular order, here are 10n things I love about Christmas.

At the jail last Sunday, female inmates sat in the floor as we studied the first part of the Christmas story.  Due to the numbers incarcerated, we were squeezed into the visitation room.  No one complained.  We always begin by telling them why we’re there.  We want to remind them that God sees them and still loves them dearly.  To be truthful, these girls desperately need to hear that.  (Doesn’t everyone?)  Many of them have burned so many bridges.  More than a few have no family left to turn to.

Around the first of November, my husband found out he was going to have another foot surgery. I think this is at least the sixth one. The surgery was originally scheduled for November 11th but because of some insurance circumstances, he did not end up having the surgery until three weeks later.

The holidays are a time to focus on faith, fellowship and family. For some international students it can be difficult to get together with family during this festive season. And for others, celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas at all can be a new experience. To help international students feel more at home, Baptist Campus Ministries on campuses across Georgia welcomed international students to celebrations marking the national day of thanks and the birth of Christ.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – Georgia Baptist Convention First Vice President Rubén Torres told a group of the state’s top ministry leaders on Tuesday to keep their church members reminded that they are special instruments to be used by the Lord.

MOUNT VERNON — On Sunday, December 4, Brewton-Parker College (BPC) received notification that the application to become a level three institution has been approved by The Southern Association …

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – A veteran pastor, evangelist and seminary professor has been elected chairman of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee. In the role, David Mills, 57, will head the group of 110 ministry leaders charged with guiding the cooperative work of Georgia Baptists.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Christmas Day, churches plan to welcome “all ye faithful” and anyone else who wants to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, and for most pastors, that gives them all the more reason to gather. More than 5 in 6 U.S. Protestant pastors say their church plans to have services on Christmas Day, according to a Lifeway Research study. Slightly fewer (71%) say the same about Christmas Eve.

ONTARIO, Calif. -- During the winter commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 10, on campus in Ontario, Calif., Gateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg charged graduates with a simple responsibility: to help people follow Jesus. “You can take all that we've taught you and distill it into that particular mission” Iorg said. “Walk out of here today and say, ‘I'm just going to help people follow Jesus.’”

KANSAS CITY, Mo – Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College celebrated hundreds of new graduates this fall, as the school held its 72nd commencement exercise on Friday, Dec. 9. After welcoming graduates and guests, President Jason Allen recognized God’s faithfulness in providing hundreds of new graduates to serve the Church and the Kingdom. “This December’s graduating class is our largest December graduating class in the history of this seminary,” Allen said.

NEW ORLEANS - Jamie Dew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College president, spoke with urgency at graduation on Friday, Dec. 9, charging candidates to remember the task to which God had called them. “There has never been a greater need for what you are about to do than right now,” Dew said. “In a world filled with darkness and hurting and brokenness, what you have been called to do is, in fact, the answer to it all.” 

WAKE FOREST, N.C. - Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and The College at Southeastern celebrated 264 graduates during Friday’s fall commencement ceremony at Binkley Chapel. President Danny Akin charged attendees to treasure the incarnate King, stewarding their gifts and training to fulfill the Great Commission of King Jesus wherever God sends them.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If Jesus tarries, the latest graduates of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will have ministries that will impact this century but will also reverberate into the 22nd century, President Albert Mohler said Friday morning at the seminary’s fall commencement. “These graduates graduating right now, if the Lord grants them a normal tenure of ministry, that will bring many of them right up to the brink of the 22nd century,” Moher said. “It’s a pretty amazing thing. We’re celebrating all of that today.