KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As 2024 draws to a close, the Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College community celebrate God’s kind providence to the institution over the past year. Through various initiatives, faculty achievements, and enrollment growth, 2024 has been marked by God’s blessings on the institution’s mission for the Church.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Southern Seminary and Boyce College have marked 2024 as a year of profound impact, innovation, and celebration. From honoring the legacy of the Billy Graham School to advancing accessibility in theological education, these institutions continue to equip gospel ministers for a rapidly changing world.

FORT WORTH, Texas — As the end of the 2024 calendar year approaches, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary community reflects with gratitude on the past 12 months, looks ahead with hope as the state of the institution continues to see improvements, and commits to stay true to its six core values, said President David S. Dockery.

NEW ORLEANS — Growing enrollment numbers, academic milestones and a thriving spiritual community highlighted 2024 for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College. “This has been the best year of my time at New Orleans so far,” said Jamie Dew, president of NOBTS and Leavell College.

MEADVILLE, Miss. — A tornado destroyed the building of O’Zion Baptist Church near Meadville, Mississippi, on Saturday, Dec. 28, 90 years after another tornado flattened the church’s facilities.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams spent time Sunday assessing and preparing to mobilize following storms that left at least three dead and six injured from Texas and across the Southeast Saturday night.

ALPHARETTA, Ga.  — Send Network’s efforts in 2024 underscored the important role new, gospel-focused churches play in reaching North America and the world. “The early Church understood when God births a church, he has the nations on his heart,” Send Network President Vance Pitman said at the Send Network Gathering in Boston.

Many Bible app users looked up Philippians 4:6 and made this passage the most engaged verse of 2024, according to YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald. The passage reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (NIV).

My Bible person obsession changes every December. Sometimes it has been Zechariah and/or Elizabeth, sometimes Joseph, or the shepherds. This season it has been Mary. Pardon me while I squeeze in one more story before I close this chapter. 

Intercessory prayer is an essential part of completing the Great Commission. God works through your prayers to impact lostness. We’ve seen it!  This year, we asked you to pray for some fun and sometimes difficult things happening around the world. Join us as we celebrate the goodness and greatness of God.

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (KT) — A long-time desire to publish a book has become a reality for Dawn Reed, who writes a weekly article for The Christian Index. Her first published book is titled Weiner Stew and was released earlier this month. It is a compilation of short stories written about ordinary life in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

SENOIA, GA — In the true spirit of the holiday season, New Hope Baptist Church is thrilled to announce its first Christmas Store Georgia, a heartwarming initiative dedicated to bringing joy and hope to local families in need. This event took place at the church's South Campus in Senoia on Dec. 13 and 14.

If you are a college football fan, you know the many changes the game has experienced in the last few years. Players are free to transfer from school to school with fewer regulations and now, players are even compensated in the millions of dollars for their decision to play for their desired university or college. I hate to sound like a killjoy, but the college game has immersed itself in the money side of sports.

I have read this passage many times in my Christian experience. I confess that when I read it, the image I have in my mind is Charlton Heston in the movie “The Ten Commandments.” Yet I believe that the mighty miracles of God leading His people out of bondage cannot be adequately portrayed in film. The actual Exodus account is more dramatic than the movie.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Major hurricanes, international compassion ministry projects, and the Serve Tour highlighted Send Relief’s year in 2024 as the joint compassion ministry of the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board met physical needs and shared the eternal hope of the gospel.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A banner year for church planting in Canada, a third straight increase in baptisms, and another record year for giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering featured prominently in the North American Mission Board’s ministry in 2024.

Nancy Joan Harding Burgess went to be with the Lord on Dec. 17, 2024, at the age of 76. Nancy, named after Frank Sinatra's song, "Nancy with the Laughing Face," had a face full of joy and a blithe spirit which laughed with Jesus, bringing laughter to the hearts of all whom she met.

LITHONIA, GA. — On Thursday, Dec. 19th, Luther Rice College & Seminary was officially approved by the State of Georgia to participate in Georgia State Aid programs starting Fall 2025.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — For more than 30 years, East Cooper Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant has remained committed to missions locally and internationally. Their commitment includes getting the gospel to unreached people groups by supporting International Mission Board missionaries.  

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources experienced another banner year in 2024, highlighted by the fourth consecutive year of revenue growth, the 100th year of ministry through Vacation Bible School, and the largest camps missions offering in recent years.

ARNOLD, Mo. — First Baptist Church of Arnold shared the love and hope of Jesus through the “Lights of Christmas,” now in its fifth year. This presentation combined a live nativity, Scripture, lights, and hot cocoa.

In a convention of generous churches, large congregations aren’t the only ones giving large gifts. In fact, small churches often give more per capita in support of international missions.

KIBERA, Kenya (BP) – Matt Beasley, lead pastor of Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, Ky., conducted global missions the two years he and his wife Valerie were International Mission Board church planters in Prague.

I can’t stop thinking about that first Christmas morning. Mary and Joseph must have been exhausted, mentally and physically. So much had happened: an unexpected pregnancy, the disbelief at first of Joseph, a long trip to Bethlehem to pay taxes, no room in the inn, unexpected guests.

I think the older I get the more I realize how important it is to cherish every moment - to make the memorable memories. Christmas is one of those times.