Phil Cooke Archives - The Baptist Paper

First person: Concerned about AI? You’re probably asking the wrong question.

October 8, 2026

Everybody is talking about what AI can do, and for good reason.

First person: What do Christian funerals really communicate?

September 17, 2026

Something isn’t adding up. Nearly every Sunday we sing about heaven. We preach the resurrection. We quote Paul’s words that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” But do we really believe it?

First person: The valuable resource disappearing from your church every day

August 21, 2026

Walk into almost any church communications or media office, and you’ll find talented people running at full speed.

First person: Stop trying to ‘manufacture what only God can do’

July 21, 2026

Every church has that mythical “perfect” Sunday. The worship is powerful. The sermon lands. Everything clicks.

First person: Don’t use social media like it’s 2012

July 16, 2026

Church and nonprofit leaders who understand how X works today can still build significant influence—but only if they stop treating it like a digital bulletin board or megaphone.

First person: Why leaders fail when crisis strikes

July 9, 2026

You don’t discover your leadership style during a crisis.

First person: Ways to make change stick after a Christian conference

July 2, 2026

You can tell how most conferences will end before the opening session. People arrive excited. The coffee is good. The worship is excellent. Speakers are

Young people may be leaving the Church, but not for the reason you think

June 13, 2026

Here’s what most church leaders get wrong about the exodus of young people: they blame screens.

First person: When someone in your small group ‘hijacks the room’

May 16, 2026

One of the fastest ways to kill a small group isn’t bad theology, poor leadership or even lack of preparation.

First person: Here’s what I’m thinking when you share your ‘God idea’

April 20, 2026

I get a lot of requests to read scripts, take pitch meetings, and give career advice. I’m a “connector,” and it’s apparently part of my DNA. But when it comes to helping people, there’s always one response that stops me in my tracks.

First person: Concerned about AI? You’re probably asking the wrong question.

First person: What do Christian funerals really communicate?

First person: The valuable resource disappearing from your church every day

First person: Stop trying to ‘manufacture what only God can do’

First person: Why leaders fail when crisis strikes

First person: Ways to make change stick after a Christian conference

Young people may be leaving the Church, but not for the reason you think

First person: When someone in your small group ‘hijacks the room’

First person: Here’s what I’m thinking when you share your ‘God idea’

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