The numbers tell a moving story of lives touched during difficult times through the Church Retirement Plan of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention: DALLAS (BP) – The numbers tell a moving story of lives touched during difficult times through the Church Retirement Plan of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention: -Since 2002, GuideStone has paid out more than $30.4 million in disability benefits to nearly 1,500 retirement plan participants who were no longer able to work. -An additional $29.9 million was paid in survivor protection benefits to 1,277 families of participants who died while active in the Church Retirement Plan. The Church Retirement Plan’s protection section, which is free to eligible participants, includes a disability income benefit – up to $500 per month if the participant becomes disabled – and a survivor protection benefit of up to $100,000 payable upon death to the participant’s family. Eligible participants accrue protection benefits as they begin to make contributions to the Church Retirement Plan. Twelve consecutive monthly contributions are required to receive full protection benefits. If a participant has less than 12 consecutive monthly … [Read more...]

“In the traditional black church, most people only attend worship service,” said Jay Wells, director of LifeWay Christian Resources’ ministry to black churches. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – “In the traditional black church, most people only attend worship service,” said Jay Wells, director of LifeWay Christian Resources’ ministry to black churches. “We need to move them beyond the experience in the worship service to become disciples,” Wells told several hundred leaders of black churches attending a National Black Sunday School Conference at LifeWay’s headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. “The percentage of the population attending church is declining and the influence of the church is getting weaker. The commitment level of people is getting low,” Wells said, whereas, “The early church was concerned about what God called them to do, not what the church could do for them.” Breakout sessions and electives during the two-day conference addressed such topics as how to reach teens in a hip-hop culture and the development of a Growth-Oriented Sunday School class (GOSS). Two GOSS tracks were offered – one for those new to the theory and an alumni track for those who learned about the strategy at the national conference in … [Read more...]

Eastanallee Baptist is a “green” church, says incoming Pastor Ralph Jenkins of the rural congregation that numbers about 350 in Sunday morning worship. RICEVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Eastanallee Baptist is a “green” church, says incoming Pastor Ralph Jenkins of the rural congregation that numbers about 350 in Sunday morning worship. He’s not talking about the environment. He’s not talking about the 40 percent of its “green” the church gives to missions. He’s talking about the spiritual growth steadily taking place among the outward-focused members of the 186-year-old church. “We pray you will discover you have a place in this ‘lighthouse’ for the lost and ‘greenhouse’ for the saved,” Jenkins writes on the church’s website, www.eastanallee.com. “Our desire is, that as you visit us, you will find Eastanallee is not about us or about buildings. It’s about Jesus!” Jenkins was called in December 2008 as the fourth in a series of pastors who have led the church to support missions through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their state convention and SBC missions and ministries. “The Cooperative … [Read more...]

A new report indicates that the average child in America now spends 45 hours a week immersed in the media – a multiple of the hours spent with parents or in the classroom. A new report indicates that the average child in America now spends 45 hours a week immersed in the media – a multiple of the hours spent with parents or in the classroom. USA Today reports: “Parents and policymakers need to take action to protect children from being harmed by TV, the Internet and other types of media, a report says. “Researchers have done individual studies for years to learn how media affect children. A review released today, which analyzed 173 of the strongest papers over 28 years, finds that 80 percent agree that heavy media exposure increases the risk of harm, including obesity, smoking, sex, drug and alcohol use, attention problems and poor grades.” In one sense, this report should not shock any informed parent or observer. The report, however,  does offer something new in its analysis of so many published scientific reports and studies. The sheer quantity of the data is impressive. One obvious point comes to the fore –there has already been sufficient concern to prompt the development of the 173 separate studies … [Read more...]

Widespread computer use was supposed to move us toward paperlessness. But, somehow, the opposite has happened. Since the emergence of the Internet, Americans actually are consuming 40 percent more paper. Widespread computer use was supposed to move us toward paperlessness. But, somehow, the opposite has happened. Since the emergence of the Internet, Americans actually are consuming 40 percent more paper. One of the companies that helped create this problem is now working to solve it. Xerox is developing technology that will allow paper to be reused simply by erasing the printing on it. The company’s research shows that 40 percent of printouts are tossed within 24 hours. If erasable paper makes it to market, paper sales will drop. That’s fine with the Xerox’s chief technology officer Sophie Vandebroek. Her mission is to create a profitable business helping companies make do with fewer printers and copiers and less paper. Other new inventions include block ink that doesn’t require a cartridge and high-yield paper which uses half as many trees as traditional paper. Xerox is saving money for its customers, helping them pollute less – and is making money doing it. The company is accomplishing this without being told to … [Read more...]

When a volunteer from the United Kingdom met a young Middle Eastern man in Jerusalem’s old city and invited him to a Bible study, he had no idea he was talking to the son of a key figure in the Hamas terrorist organization. LA JOLLA, Calif. (BP) – When a volunteer from the United Kingdom met a young Middle Eastern man in Jerusalem’s old city and invited him to a Bible study, he had no idea he was talking to the son of a key figure in the Hamas terrorist organization. And while the volunteer surely hoped Masab Yousef would hear the Gospel and accept Christ, he had no clue how that invitation – and Yousef’s decision for Christ four years later – would eventually reverberate throughout the Middle East and perhaps even the world. “These guys were just going out and asking people to come for the Bible study,” Yousef told Baptist Press. “I didn’t even understand his English. He was talking to me by signals and I understood the invitation from his signals.” But in 2000, Yousef, who now prefers to be known as “Joseph,” was an open-minded 22-year-old Muslim, clean-shaven and dressed in jeans instead of the traditional garb of Palestinian Arabs. Despite his preference for Western ways, Joseph was the eldest son of Hassan Yousef, … [Read more...]

Earth stewardship isn’t typically a basis for ministry in most of today’s churches, but the members of New Chapel Hill Baptist Church are changing that in their corner of the world. WEST MONROE – Earth stewardship isn’t typically a basis for ministry in most of today’s churches, but the members of New Chapel Hill Baptist Church are changing that in their corner of the world. It began when Amy Dupree, adult daughter to Charles Dupree, pastor at New Chapel Hill, moved back to West Monroe last August. She had been living in Louisville, Kentucky where recycling is just the way trash pick-up is done. Residents divide their trash into recyclables and non-recyclables. Dupree was “kind of disappointed” that West Monroe wasn’t doing the same thing. “Recycling is easy,” she said. “And it’s important for the earth. Why not do it?” So, she approached the congregation at her father’s church to see if people would be willing to recycle their garbage. Everyone embraced the idea, and Green Earth Ministry was born. Dupree contacted West Monroe’s paper recycling company, Recycling Services, to get a dumpster placed at the church specifically for recyclables. “It’s a free service,” she said. “It took us a while to get it … [Read more...]

Volunteers from churches across the nation, to include many Southern Baptist churches, are taking part in a project called “The Bella Hero Project.” SLIDELL – Volunteers from churches across the nation, to include many Southern Baptist churches, are taking part in a project called “The Bella Hero Project.” Since its beginning last September, this project has saved lives and restored families, according to Cindy Collins, executive director of Slidell’s Crisis Pregnancy Help Center. “It’s been the Lord’s work in progress,” Collins said. “Everybody’s who’s been involved in the movie [and the project] has been directed by God.” The Bella Hero Project is a grassroots project that grew out of the 2007 movie Bella. Bella is the story of Nina and her unborn baby; Jose, an international soccer star; dreams lost, an act of kindness, lives saved and lives found. The Bella Hero project’s genesis was in the stories Bella’s Producer, Leo Severino, began hearing from pregnant women who chose to give birth to their babies instead of aborting them, as a result of seeing Bella. An idea began to take shape. What if crisis pregnancy centers were given copies of the movie to give to the women who came to them for help? Women who … [Read more...]

Overall, Christians are understandably against abortion. Abortions destroy lives that were created by God. SLIDELL – Overall, Christians are understandably against abortion. Abortions destroy lives that were created by God. This doesn’t mean abortion doesn’t touch churches though. According to Cindy Collins, the International Team Leader and Louisiana Leader for Operation Outcry, one in three American women have had abortions. Only God knows how many of them have been Christians. But having an abortion isn’t something a Christian woman typically talks about over coffee. Collins said many Christian women try to forget or hide past abortion. “The enemy wants us to feel it’s [an abortion] is an unforgivable sin,” she said. By hiding it, though, a woman’s entire life and all her relationships are affected negatively by it. God wants these women to come to Him with this past pain, Collins said. “Surrender and be healed,” she said. “This year the Lord wants to heal women [from abortions], especially in the church [where some] have been carrying this secret for years.” Operation Outcry is giving women the opportunity to share the hurt abortion has done to them. Women can submit their declarations of past … [Read more...]

In 1994, scores of people were sadistically slaughtered in the African country of Rwanda when the ruling Hutu tribe attempted to wipe out the country’s Tutsi minority. In 1994, scores of people were sadistically slaughtered in the African country of Rwanda when the ruling Hutu tribe attempted to wipe out the country’s Tutsi minority. In 100 days, nearly 1million people were brutally murdered. The horrific genocide was compounded when the whole world stood silently by and did nothing to intervene. “Hotel Rwanda,” a film released in 2005, is based on one man’s attempt to rescue as many people as possible from the Hutu’s murderous rampage. At great risk, hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina managed to save more than 1,200 Rwandans from certain death. Early in the movie, a television journalist named Jack videotapes footage of the brutal genocide being inflicted upon the Tutsis. When Jack shows the video to Rusesabagina, the hotel manager is relieved. He is sure that once the images are televised abroad, the West will move to stop the murderous madness in Rwanda. The cynical journalist is not nearly as hopeful as Rusesabagina.”If people see this footage,” Jack snarls, “they’ll say, ‘... [T]hat’s terrible,’ and they’ll go … [Read more...]