I was always taught not to use the word "hate," so I will just say I "strongly dislike" going to the dentist. It has nothing to do with my dentist or hygienist, who I totally love. It just has to do with the sounds and feel of them working on my teeth.

AUSTELL, Ga. — It has been said that Baptist Associations are “first responders.” When a need or a problem arises in a local church, the association’s leadership is already familiar with the geographic location and spiritual health of the member churches and can quickly respond with concern and assistance. Associations are also resource hubs and can often provide the specific needs that a local church requires.

A South Carolina business found a unique way to support International Mission Board missionaries. Golf Carts. 

ROME, Ga. — Shorter University will present cellist Steven Taylor and pianist Hue Jang in a duo recital at Brookes Chapel on Monday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The event is open to the public at no charg

CLEVELAND, Ga. — On Monday, Jan. 20, Truett McConnell University’s Peter and Gredel Walpot School of Education announced the addition of a new graduate degree in Elementary Education. Beginning in the fall of 2025, students will be able to pursue a Master of Arts in Elementary Education.

New leadership was named for the Administration Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention last week. Chris Humphries, senior pastor of First Baptist Bainbridge, was named chairman and Brady Howard, pastor of Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough, will assume the role of vice chairman.

MACEDONIA, Miss. — Margurette Robison, 88, lives in the Macedonia community near Tupelo in Lee County. Her two daughters, Vanita Billingsley and Sherry Smith, live close by. What makes Robison’s story unique is how she has spent the past three-and-a-half years hand-copying the entire Bible word-for-word. She completed her task on Jan. 14.

A church without discipleship is just a gathering. And groups ministry is key for making disciples in the local church.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Jeff Dalrymple has been named to lead the office within the SBC Executive Committee dedicated to Southern Baptists’ long-term efforts in Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response, according to a statement from EC President and CEO Jeff Iorg.

Lately, I have been on a poetry kick. I cannot precisely tell you why or how I landed on this new reading hobby, but it is good for the mind and beats watching the so-called entertainment on television.

God desires to be worshipped at a place of worship. In the Old Testament, the place of worship was the tabernacle. Later it became the temple in Jerusalem. In the New Testament, the place of worship is the church.

LOS ANGELES — California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief began providing meals at an area disaster relief hub Wednesday, Jan. 15, and deployed two chaplain teams to provide spiritual support to survivors of the fires.

NEW ORLEANS — The 16th annual Defend apologetics conference at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary drew nearly 400 attendees from more than 100 different churches and 21 different states Jan. 6-10.  

It’s pink and purple, it has a Bible verse on it, and it’s understandably a little rough around the edges. It is, after all, one of the only items Send Network church planter Ronnie Rentz managed to rescue from his girls’ bedroom.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Despite a major winter storm that impacted travel across the country and brought a blanket of snow to Birmingham, approximately 180 missions leaders gathered for national WMU’s board meeting, Jan. 11–13, 2025, in Alabama.

“I was dating a girl from a cross-town school, and she got pregnant. Her parents were not going to be happy that she was pregnant at 17 years old. I demanded that she get an abortion.” Suffering from years of guilt, Tyler faced consequences from “one of those deep sins you lock in the basement and say I will knowingly die with this sin.”

AUGUSTA, Ga.  — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Volunteers have embarked on a 2-week deployment to the greater Augusta area, doing some remaining cleanup work of damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

LOS ANGELES – When Steven Smith and the group of college students he was leading began their mission trip to Send Relief’s Ministry Center in Los Angeles, they had no idea they would soon be serving a city facing some of its most challenging days.

ONTARIO, Calif. — In fall 2025, Gateway Seminary’s regional campus in Fremont, California, will relocate to the Bridges Bay Area Association facility in San Leandro, California.

ST. LOUIS —  News outlets report on the violence and crime occurring in downtown St. Louis, but The Rock City Church is shining the light of Christ in the area. “We are in the Cochran neighborhood, which is one of the most impoverished and crime ridden in the nation,” Pastor Jesse Sneed of the City Church said. “It is in the 99th percentile.”

If you live anywhere in Georgia you probably were on "snow watch" last week. I wasn't quite sure it would happen, but I knew if it didn't, we would have some very disappointed girls at my house. Thankfully it did snow.

Our dog, Dixie, digs into our couch almost every day. She roots around pushing her nose into the crevices as far as she possibly can, persistently sniffing and scratching at the material. Dixie is positive there is a hidden treasure beneath the cushions.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — On Wednesday, January 15th, Truett McConnell University’s Hans Hut School of Business announced it has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

APEX, N.C. — Evangelist and author Daniel Ritchie will be nominated for first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the 2025 SBC annual meeting this summer in Dallas, Texas.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Almost 2,700 people, including staff and volunteers, attended the 2024 MOVE conference in Valdosta. The event, held Dec. 29-30, saw 23 salvation decisions, 43 calls to ministry, and 72 people decide to take the next step in their walks of faith, such as being baptized or recommitting themselves to Christ.