The answer to the growth dilemma is obvious. When it is shared with congregations, they often reject it in favor of doing things to help existing congregations remain or become vital and vibrant.
“One moment is not going to change the entire trajectory of what we do, but it can remind us of some very important things. The beauty of Baptist life and cooperation is that everybody is autonomous … we work together because we want to.”
Stephanie Edwards navigates rows of tall, unfinished wooden shelves, touching the world with each reach into one of the hundreds of cardboard boxes filled with exotic goods.
This ongoing ministry has been marked by personal investment, practical support and a desire to meet physical and spiritual needs.
Mary Lane Moore added that many in their small church of 50 members cannot go to the missions field due to health or work, but that didn’t stop God from calling them to be a part of it in some capacity.
“This religious liberty issue goes beyond Baptists.”
Building relationships across state lines and serving as one family is what Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarksville and Emmaus Church in Manchester, N.H., have been doing together for the past four years.
The best animated movie of 2024 launches on Netflix in May, and it comes from neither Disney nor Pixar, the longtime twin giants in this realm.
