SBC Voices

It all came down to the wire in the SBC Voices NCAA Basketball Bracket Challenge. I faded out LONG ago, having picked Kansas and Indiana to square off in the title game. Until tonight's championship, my brother Steve, a Georgia pastor was in the lead. I would have loved for him to win. He is my older brother, but frankly, he was shorted in intelligence, charisma, looks and athletic talent in comparison to me, so having this victory would have meant something to him. Unfortunately, his picks had all played out and there was actually no way he was going to win, even though he had the … [Read more...] about Congratulations “MABTS06” – Andy Hynes – SBC Voices NCAA Tourney Champ

You want to grow your church? Practice hospitality. (And that means more than serving awesome fried chicken) I’ve read about 50 articles today that begin a similar way. They promise us church growth and then give us a few steps to implement hospitality. Tips like making sure that the word of life doesn’t come with the breath of death—in other words tell your greeters to try some breath mints. Now don’t get me wrong. These articles have been really helpful. And I really do believe that healthy churches are also hospitable churches. But when I read these articles something in my stomach … [Read more...] about How Hospitality Reflects Your Grasp of the Gospel

Sunday School is an old program that is out of date and has many holes. It requires space for classrooms and teacher training and plans and development. It can be hard to staff, hard to manage, and hard to find space. You should absolutely find a way to tackle these issues and have a Sunday School program. Many churches are moving to small group programs, and by all means have small groups, but don't give up on Sunday School. Here is why. 1. Sunday School is for the family. Sunday School should be age graded and ideally use a family oriented curriculum. This means that every class is … [Read more...] about Yes, You Should Have Sunday School

It is considered almost a truism that conservative Christians, who believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman and that homosexual behavior is sinful, are hateful, cruel, homophobic, intolerant and just plain evil. And, unfortunately, that has perhaps been the case with some churches, some pastors in some situations. At times, our rhetoric has been intemperate. The liberal orthodoxy is clear: conservative Christians are homophobic, hateful bigots. It is, in my opinion, a lie that is not founded in reality. Those who accuse us of bigotry and hatred are engaging in lazy and … [Read more...] about Dealing Redemptively with the Hate and Intolerance of the Left

Another stupid error. This was becoming one of the worst practices in history. I was sure to lose my starting position after all of these stupid errors. It was like the worst of Bill Buckner and Chuck Knoblauch had invaded my playing skills. I couldn’t throw to first base. I couldn’t catch a simple ground ball. And so I did what every unsanctified high school boy does when he’s having a practice like that; I cursed and screamed out expletives while kicking the dirt. I was playing the game that I loved and I hated it. Baseball had become my god and it was kicking my tail. It started … [Read more...] about Baseball, Meaninglessness, and True Joy

Dr. David W. Manner is the Associate Executive Director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at  http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter:  @dwmanner.  Why are churches that so zealously defend the Bible rarely reading its text in public services of worship?  Does its limited use convey a lack of trust in the very Word professed to be foundational to faith, doctrines and practices?  And by limiting its text to a single reading prior to the pastoral exhortation are leaders implying that a higher level of credibility is found in the exhortation … [Read more...] about If the Bible Is Foundational to Worship…Why Aren’t We Using It? (by Dr. David W. Manner)

This was originally posted at Bart's blog, Praisegod Barebones. The following post refers extensively to the framework that Dr. Al Mohler articulated in his own blog post of 12 July 2005 entitled "A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity." You can find that article here. The official statement of faith for the Southern Baptist Convention is the Baptist Faith & Message. I have signed this document several times. And, in point of fact, not only have I signed it, but I also have read it and I agree with it. My signing of this document has been a matter of informed … [Read more...] about Theological Triage and Statements of Faith (by Bart Barber)

I doubt it. As tempted as I am to leave that as the entire blog, I will explain my thoughts. I think we as the SBC have become stagnant. There are some alive, vibrant churches out there, but as a whole, we have become still water. The push and pull and twist and tug have all negated each other and movement has stopped. Here are the root issues as I see them (this is my opinion). 1. The move to be missional has become a drive to reach people like us. Let's face it, the world has changed and we haven't. We are still fighting about hymns and organs, using powerpoint and under use online tech. … [Read more...] about Can The SBC Change?

For those who end up being replanted in North American soil... About 27 years ago, Cal and I left the US for the mission field.  We were young and strong.  We had a healthy sense of who we were, where we were from, and knew that God had spoken to us.  We left behind extended families, barbecue, football, tulips in spring and leaves in the fall.  We preserved the memory of places and people in our hearts. Over the years, we learned languages and foods.  We ministered and taught.  New workers were welcomed and later sent back to their original homes.  Nationals resisted, listened, … [Read more...] about Coming Home