Check out a new blog about dealing with church conflict by David Noble author of Winning The Real Battle At Church. Here is what SBC President Johnny Hunt said about that book. If your church has ever dealt with any type of internal strife or conflict and you have wished there was a resource to help guide you, let me commend this book to you. I'm excited that David is bringing this topic to the blogosphere. … [Read more...] about New Blog About Church Conflict
When Money Is Tight The WMU Leads By Example
The Tennessean.com posted a story today about cutbacks at the Woman's Missionary Union. It was reported that they won't ask for additional donations for operating costs. Instead they are slashing personnel expense. The article mentions unpaid furlough for employees, a hiring freeze, no raises, and pension cuts. This is a strong contrast from the "bailout" mentality that is dominating our culture. It was their rationale that caught my attention. Here's the quote: Julie Walters, communications specialist at the union's headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., said the organization's priority is … [Read more...] about When Money Is Tight The WMU Leads By Example
Top 10 SBC Stories Of 2008
What events from this past year will have a lasting impact on the life of the SBC? Here is my attempt to answer that question. This exercise is sure to invite criticism and I am open for your correction in the comment section. 1. Decline In SBC Giving: While membership numbers can be inflated and baptisms can fluctuate, the real measure of our denominational mission has always been our missions offerings. That is what the SBC does - cooperate for missions. So, when that slides it should catch our attention. This story broke in early October but was largely ignored. The quote, "Cooperative … [Read more...] about Top 10 SBC Stories Of 2008
Tweaking Our Wesbite Layout
Last night, or rather early this morning, I finally found some time to tweak the layout here on SBC voices. The main goal was to move our blog posts to the front page while retaining the aggregation boxes front and center. The easiest way to do this was using the "sticky post" feature from the latest version of WP. I also backed off the number of items displayed in those boxes, but never fear - we now have a SBC blogs directory page that displays the a much longer list of recent posts - something like 15 buzz posts and 50 latest posts. You can also view the latest posts from your … [Read more...] about Tweaking Our Wesbite Layout
2008 Is History – So What?
It's that time of year again, where everyone wants to reflect on the near term history. So, what mattered most in 2008? What impacted you - was it a news story, a personal event, SBC issue or something else? Leave your comments below. … [Read more...] about 2008 Is History – So What?
Study Notes Or Plain Text: Which Bible Is Better?
This Christmas, my church purchased ESV study Bibles for Sunday School teachers. The thinking was to give them an all-in-one resource to help them work out sticky passages and better grasp the meaning of the Bible. But there is a downside to these type of Bibles, even if they are very well done. I've often found myself checking the notes before I struggle to understand the text on its own merits. That is why I normally recommend plain text Bibles with minimal notes. What do you think? Which Bible would you recommend and to what types of readers? … [Read more...] about Study Notes Or Plain Text: Which Bible Is Better?
Should Preaching Be The #1 Priority Of The Church?
The centrality of preaching has been on my mind lately. Mainly because of some conviction God has been giving, and also because of some excellent books I'm reading. For example, I read this statement by Dr. Mohler in his contribution to the book Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea For Preaching. "This is not to say that there are not other responsibilities or that there are not even other priorities for a pastor. However, there is one central, non-negotiable, immovable, essential priority, and that is the preaching of the Word of God." Does it follow that maintaining the preaching of the Word … [Read more...] about Should Preaching Be The #1 Priority Of The Church?
Have We Really Fallen This Far?
Once upon a time, Southern Baptists believed the church had a mission. We held that our aim and authority came from the mouth of Jesus himself when he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20). So, churches were specialists in one thing. That one thing was proclaiming the Gospel so that the lost could hear, believe and follow Christ. We were passionate about this one sacred task and began to send preachers to the nations. We insisted that everything our churches would do must related clearly back to that mission. After all, our local bodies belong to Christ and exist … [Read more...] about Have We Really Fallen This Far?
Is It Wrong To Mock Other Preachers?
I was about to post a video that used satire to highlight some flaws in contemporary preaching, but something stopped me. While the video made some great points, I began to think about the hubris it takes for me to scoff at God's ministers. Who am I to pass judgment on another congregation's shepherd? At the same time, some types of modern preaching clearly exchange the Gospel for something else. My default response is to mock and scoff, while giving little though to the real spiritual peril they in which they stand. I have not prayed for these guys or their people, but I am too glad to … [Read more...] about Is It Wrong To Mock Other Preachers?
Marketing The Cooperative Program
LifeWay Research is constantly releasing new data and helpful insights. But the most interesting part of their latest study was the purpose of the research. This new study was "conducted on behalf of the SBC's Executive Committee." I would like to address the purpose of this research. Here is the stated purpose of the XComm in their official description. The Executive Committee initiated the survey of all Southern Baptist churches to collect data that would provide an empirical baseline of our churches’ thoughts, feelings and perceptions about the Cooperative Program and stewardship, and to … [Read more...] about Marketing The Cooperative Program