Calif. convention expels 'Third Way' churchSeptember 15, 2014 by Terry Barone, Baptist Press | |
 | The California Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Board voted Sept. 11 to withdraw fellowship from New Heart Community Church in La Mirada, Calif. READ MORE  |
Boston kicks off Send North America Experience tourSeptember 15, 2014 by Joe Conway, NAMB/Baptist Press | |
 | The fall tour of NAMB’s Send North America Experience debuted Sept. 8 at Tremont Temple Baptist Church. There were more than 1,100 attendees. READ MORE |
Religious liberty needed to limit stateSeptember 16, 2014 by Tom Strode, Baptist Press | |
 | Russell Moore: Conservative Christians should recover a proper use of the term “separation of church and state” in defending religious liberty against government interference. READ MORE |
Texas abortion law ruling expected this weekSeptember 16, 2014 by Bonnie Pritchett, TEXAN/Baptist Press | |
 | Attorneys argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals whether to implement a contested 2013 Texas law regulating abortion practices while a lawsuit against the legislation is on appeal. |
OTHER BR NEWS |
Tim Tebow joins ‘Good Morning America’
Busy moms discover everyday life as ministry
72-hour abortion wait prevails in Missouri
 K. Allan Blume BR Editor | Why is October special? Do you know what is special about October? Is it the football games, fall festivals, cooler weather or colorful leaves? No, it’s Pastors Appreciation Month! This is a great time to express gratitude for the shepherds who labor for the Lord by faithfully serving His flock. Certainly, that includes all of the church’s pastoral staff. Your pastoral leadership are likely aware of their personal weaknesses. Some church members are overly committed to remind the pastors and staff of their faults. Others in the church family assume the pastor is sufficiently affirmed in his ministry. Not so! For this reason, it is important for the church to unite through expressions of appreciation for your senior pastor and for the whole pastoral team. I pray that your church’s deacons, personnel committee or someone in leadership will guide the whole church to be a blessing to your pastor and staff. October is almost here, so get the ball rolling now. God’s Word says if we know we should do something good, the failure to do it is sin. (See James 4:17.) We know we should be a blessing to the servants who are called by God to lead His church. Let’s do the right thing. Let me help you with some resources: (1) Focus on the Family has a website that will guide your expressions of gratitude. They also have a Facebook page for this purpose. (2) LifeWay also has a website filled with ideas for blessing the church’s shepherds. Hey pastor, are your church members getting the BRweekly? It's FREE! Help others be informed on issues that relate to Christian ministry, Great Commission missions, cultural challenges and news in Baptist life. As you review the highlights of this week’s news, don’t overlook the passing of a great hero of the faith. Evangelist Freddie Gage died last Friday. His services will be streamed live on the internet this Friday. Read the story for more information. It is impossible to describe the impact of this bold, spiritual giant. He will be missed. Don’t forget the high value of the North Carolina Missions Offering. This month encourage your church family to give generously to impact lostness in North Carolina and beyond. Another reminder: Do you have your calendar marked for the North Carolina Pastors’ Conference and the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina? I hope to see you at the Koury Center in Greensboro, November 9-11. People need to know! |
