“People aren’t being changed by a shuttle ride,” one college student said. “They are being changed by people who are consistently pouring into them and showing them what Christ died for.”
Cultural Christianity seemed like a huge roadblock in IMB missionary Sarah’s ministry. She encountered people every day in Poland who affirmed they were “Christian.” But when Sarah asked, “Why did Jesus die?”, the question stumped them.
Mulberry Springs Baptist Church, about 15 miles northeast of Longview, doesn’t see a lot of traffic on a typical day. Yet the rural congregation — founded in 1892 — is building a new worship space to seat nearly 800 people.
Some days June Estes pinches herself to make sure she isn’t dreaming. As an International Mission Board missionary explorer, she experiences a lot of things she never imagined doing in her lifetime.
“Most of the time for me, I see churches that are doing something unusual helps us to get ideas,” said Ohio pastor Fran Trascritti. “If somebody’s doing something that might work in their context, it might work in our context.”
According to Lifeway Research’s analysis of the 2022 Annual Church Profile of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1,253 congregations that were part of the Convention in 2021 were no longer connected in 2022.
Here’s the Bible Studies for Life Sunday School lesson commentary for April 7, written by Bobby McKay, pastor of New Liberty Baptist Church in Morton, Mississippi.
“Places like the University of Mobile shape minds, move hearts, identify gifts, cultivate friendship, strengthen communities and launch lifelong careers. But even more important (they) equip students to follow Jesus.” —Charles W. Smith Jr.
