SBC’s GuideStone sues government over abortion mandate

Meredith Flynn —  October 22, 2013

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

GuideStone Financial Resources has joined a long list of organizations suing the federal government over the abortion/contraceptive mandate within President Obama’s healthcare reform package.

GuideStone, the Southern Baptist Convention’s health and benefits entity, filed suit Oct. 11 along with two other organizations – Oklahoma-based Reaching Souls International, and Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. Baptist Press reports:

The suit contends the religious liberty of the entities and other non-church-related organizations covered by GuideStone’s health plan, is violated by a rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the 2010 health-care law. The HHS regulation requires employers to pay for coverage of workers’ contraceptives, including drugs that can cause abortions, but does not provide an exemption for entities like those that filed suit.

“GuideStone plans do not cover drugs or devices that can or do cause abortions,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said in a written release from the entity Monday (Oct. 14).

“We reluctantly take this step because we are committed to protecting the unborn and preserving the religious freedom that is guaranteed under the laws of this nation,” he said. “This mandate runs rough-shod over these foundational principles.”

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is representing in GuideStone in the suit, which is the 74th such complaint filed against the mandate. Read more at BPNews.net.

Opposing voices in Illinois marriage debate head to the Capitol
People for and against same-sex marriage will rally in Springfield this week in hopes of swaying the votes of lawmakers back in town for the fall veto session. It’s not clear whether sponsors of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act have the votes needed to pass the measure (it stalled in the House last May), but same-sex marriage supporters are planning a rally and march around the Capitol today, October 22. On Wednesday the 23rd, the Illinois Family Institute will host a prayer rally and “Lobby Day” at the Capitol.

Southern Baptist task force addresses baptism decline
A group of leaders assembled by the North American Mission Board will meet over the next few months to discuss the decline in baptisms across the Southern Baptist Convention. “Our baptismal trends are all headed in the wrong direction,” NAMB’s vice president for evangelism, Al Gilbert, told Baptist Press. “With a burden to penetrate lostness in North America, we must pray and think through what we can and should do to turn around this decline.”

According to the 2012 Annual Church Profile, Southern Baptist churches baptized fewer than 315,000 people last year, the first time baptisms dropped below that number since 1948. The 2012 total was 5.5% less than the previous year.

Gilbert and Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, will facilitate meetings for the group, which consists of 15 pastors and leaders from Southern Baptist entities. Baptist Press reports the task force hopes to conclude their work in May 2014. Read more at BPNews.net.

Graham’s ‘My Hope’ event set for Nov. 7-10
Billy Graham’s next evangelistic event could be his largest crusade ever. More than 25,000 churches have signed up to take part in My Hope America, which asks Christians to invite non-believers into their homes and churches to watch Graham preach on the power of the cross. His message will be broadcast Nov. 7-10 on various outlets; go to myhopewithbillygraham.org for a full list and schedule.

Spokesperson Brent Rinehart told The Christian Post, “Woven within Graham’s message are the faith stories of two popular musicians: rapper LeCrae who overcame addiction and the pull of the gang lifestyle to see his life changed by an encounter with Jesus; and former Flyleaf lead singer Lacey Sturm who fought depression, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts only to be rescued by the love of a Heavenly Father and the hope that comes through a relationship with His Son.”

The event’s website also includes additional evangelistic videos and online training materials for those who sign up for the outreach.

From alien to understood
Brant Hansen writes about growing up in church with Apserger’s syndrome on CNN’s Belief blog. The Christian radio host’s experience is specific to his circumstances, but probably will encourage anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider. Hansen writes of his earlier church experiences: “I wondered if I was so broken, such a misfit that God simply took a look at me and decided to move on.” But “…Jesus himself finally reached me.” Read more at CNN”s Belief blog.

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Centenarians remind church of its history

Meredith Flynn —  October 21, 2013

CELEBRATION YEAR – (From left) Georgia Griffin, Goebel Patton, and Maxine Ferrari, all members of Second Baptist in West Frankfort, turned 100 in 2013.

CELEBRATION YEAR – (From left) Georgia Griffin, Goebel Patton, and Maxine Ferrari, all members of Second Baptist in West Frankfort, turned 100 in 2013.

HEARTLAND | Meredith Flynn

Goebel Patton will turn 100 years old this week. But he’s not the only one in his community, or even his church, to celebrate that milestone this year. Maxine Ferrari and Georgia Griffin, fellow members of Second Baptist in West Frankfort, already celebrated their 100th birthdays in 2013.

The unique situation – three centenarians in one church – attracted the attention of a local newspaper and has given their church cause to celebrate. Together, they represent 238 years of church membership at Second Baptist.

Patton joined the church in 1926 as a 13-year-old. “Back in that day, the only social activities were at church,” he says. Drawn to Second Baptist for the fellowship with other young people his age, he has stayed for 87 years, and still serves as chairman of the finance and properties committees. He also started a men’s prayer group in 1991, and reports they’ve met every single Tuesday morning since then.

Having Patton, Ferrari and Griffin as part of the church “ties us to our history,” says Pastor Brett Beasley. The 100-year-olds help younger people understand the church’s history, and give a perspective of what church life was like and how it’s changed.

Their faithfulness is also a source of encouragement, Beasley says. Two years ago, Ferrari arrived at church on a messy wintry morning when only about half of the church’s regular attenders were there. Beasley remembers good-naturedly teasing his congregation: “Maxine made it today, so really nobody’s got an excuse.”

Each of the centenarians has already received a birthday party this year, but Second Baptist is hoping to celebrate the three of them together some time in the future.

Happy Birthday indeed.

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May I come to your church?

Meredith Flynn —  October 17, 2013

pull quote_adamsCOMMENTARY | Nate Adams

Earlier this summer, I wrote about my desire to worship in every Illinois Baptist church. Even though it would take years and years of attending a new church every week, I can’t think of a better way to invest my Sundays than to meet, and listen to, and worship with, as many Illinois Baptists as possible.

Since writing about that desire, I’ve already been invited to worship in eight new churches for the first time on a Sunday morning. Some have been invitations to come and speak, and some have been invitations to simply join the church for worship, which I enjoy just as much. But I am so grateful for each of these churches that responded to my simple question, “May I come to your church?” with the same gracious answer: “Sure, we’d love to have you.”

It’s made me wonder how many people are asking that same question every week about your church or mine. They probably don’t ask it directly of us. In fact, they probably don’t even ask it out loud. But they drive past, or read about, or perhaps hear someone talking about our church. And they wonder what it would be like to go inside.

Of course, their question is really multiple questions. What exactly happens in there on Sunday mornings? How would I know where to go and when to do what? Would I know anyone, and do they know anything about me? How would I be treated? Would I like it? Would I want to go back? Do I know anyone who would go with me? What about my kids?

I think we would all like to answer the simple question, “May I come to your church?” positively and warmly. Of course we want new people to come to our church! But if we really expect it to happen, we have to realize that these “questions behind the question” reveal potential barriers that may be keeping people from taking the first step.

For example, my sons tell me that most people their age will not seriously consider attending a church that does not have a decent web site. It’s not necessarily that they are looking for a technologically sophisticated church. It’s just that their generation gathers information that way. Whether they’re trying to answer a trivia question or shop for the best price or consider attending a church, they usually go to the web first, to check things out.

An effective church web site can be a wonderful tool for helping people anonymously answer their questions about your church in advance. But some people are going to look to the newspaper, some to the phone book, and some are going to want to call the church on Saturday night. In other words, an effective, inviting church is going to do everything it can to answer the questions behind, “May I come to your church?” before they are ever asked out loud.

Of course, just as important as answering these questions in advance is answering them on site at the church, especially on Sunday. A first time guest to your church needs all kinds of help that your regular attenders don’t need.  That would seem obvious, but I am sometimes surprised at how difficult it is to find a church’s service time, or address, or directions. And even if the church is easy to find, it can be unclear where to park, or what door to enter, or where to go once you’re inside.

Fortunately, almost all of the churches I attend, even for the first time, do a great job of communicating in advance, and welcoming warmly when I arrive. And if I’ve not yet been to your church on a Sunday morning, I would still love to come and join you in worship. But far more important than my asking this question are the many people in your community who may be asking it silently every week: “May I come to your church?”

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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Marriage debate begins again

Meredith Flynn —  October 15, 2013

marriage_buttonsTHE BRIEFING | Lisa Sergent and Meredith Flynn

Vote possible during fall veto session

Same-sex marriage could be on the legislative agenda this week as the Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield for their fall veto session. Meanwhile, people on both sides of the issue plan to make their voices heard at the Capitol.

At issue is SB10, or the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which was passed in the Senate last spring but stalled when it wasn’t called for a vote in the House. Supporters of the bill are calling on the House to vote on it during the fall veto session or in January 2014 when the regular session begins. Due to legislative rules, if passed this fall, same-sex marriages could begin in June 2014. However, if voted on and passed in January, such marriages could begin in February 2014.

In preparation for a possible vote, groups supporting same-sex marriage will rally at the Capitol October 22 for the “March on Springfield for Marriage Equality.” The next day, the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) will host a “Defend Marriage Lobby Day” for supporters of traditional marriage. On the schedule are prayer gatherings in front of the Lincoln statue and inside the Rotunda, and an opportunity to lobby legislators on behalf of traditional marriage.

A major concern of pro-traditional marriage groups is the religious liberty of those who oppose same-sex marriage, should the bill pass in Illinois.

Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune hosted a marriage equality debate where State Rep. Greg Harris (Chicago), sponsor of SB10, told those gathered he believed the bill protected the rights of religious institutions opposed to same-sex marriage.  But some doubt whether individuals are similarly protected.

Peter Breen, senior counsel with the Thomas More Society, countered Harris by sharing the story of Jim Walder, a bed and breakfast owner in Paxton, Ill., who is being sued for refusing to rent out his facility for a same-sex civil union ceremony. The argument against Walder is that Illinois businesses are governed by the Human Rights Act, passed in 1979, which forbids discrimination based on many factors, including sexual orientation.

The Illinois Family Institute and others argue that the Human Rights Act and SB10 protects individuals from discrimination in regard to sexual preference, but not religious conviction.

Same-sex marriage is legal in 14 U.S states and the District of Columbia. Last month, New Jersey became the latest state to allow same-sex marriage after a state judge ruled that because it already allows civil unions for same-sex couples, the state is illegally preventing them from receiving federal benefits. Same-sex marriage ceremonies officially began in New Jersey October 21.

Other news:

Illinois volunteers join flood relief efforts in Colorado

IBSA Disaster Relief teams have joined with teams from 22 other Baptist state conventions to help Colorado residents clean up their homes after they were damaged by recent flooding.

Veteran disaster relief volunteer Butch Porter called it “the worst devastation” he’s ever seen. “It seemed like a tsunami of mud came down from the mountains and destroyed everything in its path,” he said. Butch and his wife, Debbie, are members of a team from First Baptist Church, Galatia, that served for five days in Lyons, Colorado.

Debbie shared the story of one young man, Brian, who needed help removing the waist-deep mud that had settled in his garage. He and his aunt had had worked for two days shoveling out the mud, but only had a small corner cleared.

“When we pulled up and started getting out of the van he looked deflated,” the retiree laughed. “You could tell he thought, ‘All these old people, they can’t do anything.’”

The team spent two days working at his home, and removed all the mud from his garage. His aunt, a Christian, had been witnessing to him and team members continued along the same track. While he had not accepted Christ by the time they left to return home, Debbie believes he is very close.

“I told him, “Your aunt is right, she’s trying to tell you that you need to get closer to God. You need to accept Him.’ I have a feeling we made a big difference and that his aunt will finish the work.”

Read the full story in the October 21 edition of the Illinois Baptist, online here.

Bad choices dog many of us
Nearly half of Americans feel weighed down by a bad decision they made at some point, according to a new study by LifeWay Research. The survey found 47% of respondents are still dealing with the consequences of a bad decision, including 51% of self-identified born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christians. The better news: 84% of those surveyed believe God gives second chances. Read more at LifeWayResearch.com.

Mormon missionaries top 80,000
Relaxed age restrictions on Mormon missionaries have resulted in a drastic increase in the number of people serving around the world, according to a report on The Washington Post’s On Faith blog. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced earlier this month that 80,000 missionaries are now on the field, 22,000 more than the previous year. The number of women serving has more than doubled since the age requirement was dropped from 21 to 19 last year. Read more at the On Faith blog.

Moody drops faculty alcohol ban
Moody Bible Institute in Chicago this summer lifted a ban on alcohol and tobacco use by its 600 faculty members and employees. Marketing vice president Christine Gorz told The Christian Post, “Employees of Moody are expected to adhere to all biblical absolutes, but for behaviors that Scripture does not expressly prohibit, Moody leaves these matters to the employee’s biblically-informed conscience.” Students at the 127-year-old school are still required to abstain. Read more at ChristianPost.com.

 

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Happy, Happy, Happy

Meredith Flynn —  October 14, 2013

dv0301212HEARTLAND | Justin Kinder

I recently started a sermon series at my church in the Beatitudes. I first asked my congregation this question: “How many of you want to be happy?” Most of them raised their hands but a few did not. I repeated the question again, just to make sure everyone had heard me. Again, there were still some who did not raise their hands. I was flabbergasted by their response. Doesn’t every person want to have joy and happiness in their life?

Maybe some of them didn’t raise their hands because they were afraid to do so. Others might have been embarrassed by my question. Or maybe there were some who didn’t want others to see that they weren’t truly happy Christians at this point in their lives.

I can understand how they feel.

Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I was not a very happy or joyful Christian.  When I was in college, I was a grump.  I knew I was born again by the Spirit of God but I didn’t have the happiness I saw in other Christians’ lives. My roommate Luke, for example, was a very happy-go-lucky person. He would often “torture” me by asking me over and over again, “Are you a happy person?” What was his secret to happiness?

I sought the answer in God’s Word, through prayer, and through a book titled, “Happiness is a Choice.” What I discovered was that my happiness was actually quite shallow. My happiness was based on obtaining material possessions, achieving academic status, relationships with people, and the circumstances of life. But those things were constantly changing!  I needed something that could give me happiness consistently. I discovered the joy of the Lord could help me to be happy even in life’s ever changing circumstances.

You see, Jesus preached a happy, happy, happy, message in the Beatitudes. Over and over again Jesus used the word “blessed,” which has as one definition, “happy.” Happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are they that mourn. What a great message to the world and to Christians who are very unhappy!

But the happiness and blessedness Jesus talks about in the Beatitudes isn’t shallow. It has a deeper mean than we usually give the word, according the Reformation Study Bible. “It includes spiritual well-being, having the approval of God, and thus a happier destiny.”

We will never get anywhere in our search for happiness until we give up trying to find it by our own efforts.  The secret to true happiness is found in loving Jesus and following Him all the days of your life. We will not find true joy and happiness until we find it in Him.

Justin Kinder is pastor of Main Street Baptist Church in Braidwood, Ill.

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Happy 100th Birthday, GA’s

Meredith Flynn —  October 10, 2013

COMMENTARY | Meredith Flynn

On some Wednesday evenings, if I listen really hard, I can still hear it:

Girls in action, girls in action, missions growing and mission action. Praying, giving money, so the world may know that Jesus loves…

The jaunty chorus bounced out of a third floor classroom at our church every Wednesday at 6:45 p.m., heralding the beginning of our weekly GA meeting. It was in GA’s – the aforementioned Girls in Action – that I first learned most of what I still understand about missions.

This year, as the organization created by Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union celebrates its 100th birthday, I’ve been remembering the most important piece of information I received from GA’s: I could do missions.

Every week our teacher, Mrs. Briggs, led us through 45 minutes of good things: international snacks, missionary stories, and the occasional letter from an overseas pen pal. As we prayed and ate and learned and gave, missionaries became more real to us. They were our heroes, yes, but they were also normal people who even wrote us letters sometimes. So, as I grew up and became a normal person, I never questioned that if God so purposed, he could use me as a missionary.

That’s why missions education is still important, because we are far more likely to try the things we think we can do. We GA’s (and the RA’s in the boys’ class next door) heard week after week that there is always something we can do to support the advance of the Gospel. We lost the excuses of “I can’t,” or “The task is too big,” or “I’m just one person.” The ways Southern Baptists cooperate to reach the world are compelling, even to a third grader. And when we saw that we had a place within that cooperative system, the missions potential felt limitless.

Every Wednesday night now as I sit in my community group (where, sadly, we have not once had egg rolls or baklava), I’m reminded of the lessons I learned more than 20 years ago. Mrs. Briggs and her volunteers played a part in my decision to go on my first international mission trip this summer. And their counsel back then reminds me that I’m called and equipped to be on mission, here and now.

Meredith Flynn is managing editor of the Illinois Baptist newspaper.

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Potluck Blogger welcomes fall

Meredith Flynn —  October 9, 2013

Editor’s note: Potluck Blogger is a regular feature in the Illinois Baptist newspaper, online here. Leave a comment with your favorite fall recipe.

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Praying for Baptist state conventions

Meredith Flynn —  October 9, 2013

PRAYER | Frank Page

Editor’s note: This column is part of a Baptist Press series designed to follow the SBC Call to Prayer issued by Frank S. Page (photo below), president of the SBC Executive Committee, to pray for revival and spiritual awakening for our churches, our nation and our world during 2013.

Frank_PageState convention season is here!

I spoke at the Baptist Convention of New York’s annual meeting earlier this week to kick off a full season of state convention travel. My goal is to represent the Southern Baptist Convention to as many states as possible. The reason for this is simple: It is a time when I can touch the lives of a large number of pastors and church leaders.

Our cooperative ministries will only thrive when trust is strong among the churches, associations, state conventions and the SBC. I strive to encourage our state convention leaders in the common work for Christ in which we’re engaged. Trust is built when these relationships are strengthened.

Our state conventions serve as partners in many ways. First and foremost, they are involved in reaching people in their respective states with the Gospel. They also provide specialized ministries to a large number of our churches.

With more than two thirds of our churches facing slow-growth or no-growth challenges, many of our churches are hurting. In most instances, when a church needs help, it is the state convention to which it goes for training, encouragement and assistance across a wide range of needs.

State conventions also serve as partners as the conduits through which our Southern Baptist missions and ministries receive Cooperative Program funds to do the work God has entrusted to them. They have taken significant steps in forwarding a larger percentage of CP funds to these SBC ministries, for which we are grateful. Partnerships developed over the decades remain strong as we join together to do the work of God at every level.

It took me a little over a year in my current role to get to every state convention and visit with the executive directors of those conventions. I have found these men to be deeply called and passionate about winning people to Christ. Interestingly enough, most come from the states they serve and have a deep passion for their home base. They also have a clear vision for reaching the nations with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, both here and abroad.

I have often said that if we lose the base, we have lost the battle. We need to work as partners in encouraging one another. While we have many, many churches in our state conventions, particularly in the South, we desperately need to understand the lostness that surrounds even those churches.

If there was ever a time when we need to be strengthening churches to reach the lost, it is now. Our state partners are true helpers in that needed ministry.

Join me in praying for the work of our state convention ministry partners.

— Pray for your state convention executive director.

— Pray for the church planting and other ministry specialists employed by your state convention.

— Pray for the ministry entities of your state convention.

— Pray for and participate in the missions initiatives of your state convention.

— Pray for the collegiate ministries in your state.

— Pray for me as I continue my assignment of building relationships and hopefully deepening trust as we encourage one another in the good work of our Lord.

I am thankful for our state convention partners and pray this fall will be a time of deepening resolve and commitment to the work of our Lord.

This column first appeared on BPNews.net.

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Mental health and the church’s opportunity

Meredith Flynn —  October 8, 2013
Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, wrote a book about his daughter, Melissa, his grief after her suicide, and how church leaders can help people living with the deep pain of mental illness.

Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, wrote a book about his daughter, Melissa, his grief after her suicide, and how church leaders can help people living with the deep pain of mental illness.

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

Editor’s note: This article is excerpted from the September 30 issue of the Illinois Baptist. The first part of the article headlined The Briefing last Tuesday, but this section takes a closer look at how the church, and specifically church leaders, can minister to individuals and families struggling with mental illness and suicide.

At the Southern Baptist Convention this summer in Houston, mental health and the church was a much-discussed topic, with messengers approving a resolution to “oppose all stigmatization and prejudice against those who are suffering from mental health concerns.” The resolution also called on churches to “look for and create opportunities to love and minister to, and develop methods and resources to care for, those who struggle with mental health concerns and their families.”

When it comes to mental health, “the church has had a tendency to say we’re going to leave that up to the professionals,” said Pastor Hal Trovillion, pastor of First Baptist, Manteno, Ill., and a former youth and family counselor. The problem is that for the most part, those professionals don’t take God into account.

Melissa_book_coverThe church has an opportunity to engage in the critical ministry of offering spiritual help to those in deep pain.

Jesus’ ministry did just that, Pastor James Shannon says. His church, People’s Community Church in Glen Ellyn, has sponsored several support groups (grief, divorce, substance abuse, etc.) and plans to do more in the future. An experienced and degreed counselor, Shannon is dedicated to helping hurting people find wholeness. His mission is to help people transition from “walking wounded” to “wounded healers” so that they can minister effectively to others.

“The point where a person is hurt the most is the point where God can equip them to do ministry, and I think that’s so vital for people to understand.”

The potential for those who have struggled with mental illness to be used in ministry to others with similar stories is encouraging, but the need to alleviate pain is often more pressing. What can churches do now to help people who are depressed and possibly contemplating suicide, and their families?

Frank Page has clear advice for pastors who likely are ministering or will minister to people in deep pain. Teach good theology, help people learn how to control their thoughts, and steer clear of trite advice, he counsels in his book “Melissa: A Father’s Lessons from a Daughter’s Suicide.”

“Stay quick with Scripture but sparing with human philosophy,” writes Page, whose oldest daughter took her own life almost four years ago. Currently serving as president of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee, Page was a pastor for many years and he and his wife, Dayle, raised their three daughters in the church. In the book, which includes a letter at the end of each chapter to those contemplating suicide, he says, “We were not a family whose daughter kills herself.”

Page is using his national platform to help Christian leaders understand the complexity of suicide and mental health issues. First, “be a learner,” he writes. “No one on this side of eternity can fully understand or articulate the complex nature and theological mysteries surrounding the horrible act of suicide nor of the loss of rational thought that typically leads up to it.

“Grow your observations, increase your insights, but don’t place pressure on yourself to grasp it all or to promise the absolute answer to every question.”

At the same time, Page writes, pastors should make themselves more knowledgeable about mental illness. “The church many times has been woefully inadequate in reaching out to persons who either experience mental illness themselves or are dealing with it in their families. …And when we as pastors, not in dismissiveness perhaps but at least in ignorance, give them ‘snap out of it’ advice (or something in that family of faulty counsel), we do more harm than good.

“More than ever – if you intend to serve your congregation well – you need a working knowledge of what causes mental illness and depression and how to assist its sufferers with the best kind of loving assistance.”

Read Religion News Service’s interview with Frank Page here, or watch his interview with LifeWay’s Ed Stetzer.

Senate chaplain likens government shutdown to ‘madness’
In a prayer in the U.S. Senate chamber last week, Senate Chaplain Barry Black asked God to “save us from the madness” of the ongoing government shutdown. Black, a Seventh-day Adventist minister who has served as chaplain of the Senate since 2003, also used words from Psalm 51 in his prayer. “We acknowledge our transgressions, our shortcomings, our smugness, our selfishness, and our pride,” he said. “Create in us clean hearts, oh God, and renew a right spirit within us. Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable.”

The Washington Post’s On Faith blog ran an article yesterday about the role pride is playing in the federal government’s shutdown. Read it here.

Leaders, scholars remember Chuck Smith“His impact can be seen in every church service that has electric guitar-driven worship, hip casually-dressed pastors, and 40-minute sermons consisting of verse-by-verse Bible expositions peppered with pop-culture references and counterculture slang,” sociologist Brad Christerson said of California pastor Chuck Smith, who died last week. Read Christianity Today’s story on Smith, who helped a generation of “Jesus People” find their faith.

Mississippi church apologizes for racial discrimination
First Baptist Church of Oxford, Miss., decided it’s never too late to right a wrong. This summer, the church nullified a 1968 decision to deny African Americans use of its building facilities and resources. The policy hadn’t been enacted for many years at the church, but it also had never been officially overturned. Pastor Eric Hankins and deacons wrote a resolution to repeal the earlier decision and apologize for it, and Hankins preached on corporate repentance. Read the full story at BPNews.net.

Chris Davis seeks godliness above stats
The Baltimore Orioles missed this year’s playoffs, but first baseman Chris Davis celebrated several individual achievements, winning 2013’s homerun and RBI crowns. “I just want to be known as a godly man,” he said in story on BPNews.net. “That’s more important than any legacy on the field or numbers you leave behind. Read Joshua Cooley’s profile of Davis here.

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Music for your Monday

Meredith Flynn —  October 7, 2013

HEARTLAND | If you’re thinking, “I need a pick-me-up this morning,” you’re in luck! Check out this video from Rend Collective Experiment.

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