Monday, January 06, 2020

• CP giving ends first quarter 2.58% ahead of previous year's giving

  by BP Staff, posted Monday, January 06, 2020 (2 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Giving through the Cooperative Program remains ahead of last year's pace by 2.58 percent as contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries totaled nearly $15 million in December 2019.

  As of December 31, gifts received by the EC for distribution through the CP Allocation Budget total $47,511,312.90. This exceeds last year's first quarter budget contribution of $46,315,254.71 by $1,196,058.19 or 2.58 percent. The amount given is slightly less than the $49,125,000.00 year to date budgeted projection to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America by $1,613,687.10 or 3.28 percent. Read More

• FBC, Bradfordville, Fla., fast-ramps its CP giving

  by Karen L. Willoughby, posted Monday, January 06, 2020 (2 years ago)

  

  Submitted photo

  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BP) -- Bradfordville First Baptist Church voted unanimously Dec. 8 to increase its Cooperative Program giving to 10 percent in 2020. That's up from 1 percent the year Ronny Raines arrived six years ago as pastor.

  The Cooperative Program is the way Southern Baptists work together to advance the Gospel in state Baptist conventions, across North America and throughout the world. Read More

• Stetzer: 'We could all learn from' proposed UMC split

  by Diana Chandler, posted Monday, January 06, 2020 (2 years ago)

  

  Associated Press file photo by Cristina M. Fletes. Used by permission.

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- An anticipated split within the United Methodist Church could prove educational for other religious denominations if conducted as proposed, noted Southern Baptist researcher Ed Stetzer at Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center told Baptist Press Monday (Jan. 6).

  A coalition including worldwide UMC bishops and diverging advocacy groups has unanimously paved the way for the church to split into a new traditionalist Methodist denomination and other Methodist bodies, aimed at embracing varying views on gay marriage and gay ordination. Read More

• Texas church prepares future fulltime ministers

  by Tobin Perry, posted Monday, January 06, 2020 (2 years ago)

  

  TEXAN Photo

  ARLINGTON, Texas (BP) -- Connor Torrealba didn't have a bad job. The pay was good. The work environment was healthy. Torrealba figured he could stick with his career as a database analyst and live a happy life.

  But that job wasn't what God had called him to do. God was leading him into vocational ministry. Read More

• Five social media trends churches should know about in 2020

  by Chris Martin, posted Monday, January 06, 2020 (2 years ago)

  

  Social media strategist Chris Martin lays out ways churches can be more effective in their social media activity and outreach. Read More