2006 Archives
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City Reach meets needs
Posted: 11/17/06
City Reach meets needs
By Barbara Bedrick
Texas Baptist Communications
DALLAS—Sharing an 18-wheeler of donated chicken and Christian love, the Baptist General Convention of Texas City Reach 2006 missions project connected with hundreds of families across the Dallas-Fort Worth area during a “Day of Sharing” partnership with Lift Up America.
The BGCT City Reach collaboration with Lift Up America—a corporate partnership that included Tyson, Interstate Batteries, FC Dallas and Ty Beanie Babies—was the first initiative of its kind for the Texas Baptist convention.
Pastors from 23 North Texas churches received early Thanks-giving gifts from BGCT City Reach to aid the less fortunate. 11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Fellowship of Cowboy Churches points to continued growth
Posted: 11/17/06
Fellowship of Cowboy Churches
points to continued growthBy Barbara Bedrick
Texas Baptist Communications
WAXAHACHIE—Pastors and western-heritage church leaders who believe God must be a cowboy at heart voted to ramp up the growth of the cowboy church movement at the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches 2006 Annual Cowboy Gathering, prior to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.
Fellowship members voted to increase their current budget of $120,000 to $290,500, hire two staff members, double church planting school funds from $4,800 to $10,000, double ranch house school funding to $8,000 and quadruple event funding.
• See complete list of convention articles 11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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DaVinci Code DVD dialogue a starting place
Posted: 11/17/06
DaVinci Code DVD dialogue a starting place
By Jenny Pope
Buckner International
DALLAS—With the upcoming release of the DaVinci Code on DVD, Dallas pastor Jim Denison believes the best-selling book remains relevant because “it’s an opportunity to have a conversation with culture.”
“The DaVinci Code is so popular because it reinforces what this culture already wants to believe,” said Denison, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church, noting more than 50 million people claim to have read the book and 10 million say it has influenced their faith.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Steps already taken to implement recommendations
Posted: 11/17/06
Steps already taken to
implement recommendationsBy Ken Camp
Managing Editor
DALLAS—All of the recommendations made by an investigative team regarding misuse of church starting funds in the Rio Grande Valley will be implemented—and some were initiated long before the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board mandated them, Executive Director Charles Wade said.
At a closed-door meeting Nov. 13, the board voted to implement the recommendations “expeditiously and in full.” The board also instructed Chairman Bob Fowler to name an ad hoc committee to monitor implementation and report to the Executive Board at its February meeting.
Executive Board Chairman Bob Fowler speaks at the BGCT annual meeting. (Photo by Jim Jackson) 11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Church not immune from family violence
Posted: 11/17/06
Church not immune from family violence
By Mike Midkiff
East Texas Baptist University
DALLAS—Domestic violence is the “elephant in the room that nobody wants to see,” Joanna Berry, director of counseling and family ministry at South Texas Children’s Home told a Texas Baptist workshop.
“I am positive that in my church, there are victims of family violence sitting in the pews on Sunday morning,” Berry said during a Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting workshop.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Preaching must change to communicate with culture
Posted: 11/17/06
Preaching must change to
communicate with cultureBy Craig Bird
Baptist Child & Family Services
DALLAS—Culture is changing and, consequently, preaching must change as well, pulpiteer Joel Gregory told a Texas Baptist gathering.
Gregory, professor of preaching at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, reminded participants at his workshop during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting that they had a tool never available to preachers before this generation.
• See complete list of convention articles 11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Texas Baptists urged to launch world missions offering
Posted: 11/17/06
Texas Baptists urged to
launch world missions offeringBy Marv Knox
Editor
DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas must take five significant steps, which include launching its own world missions offering, if it hopes to preserve Baptist identity and advance God’s kingdom, Ken Hall told participants at the Texas Baptists Committed breakfast during the BGCT annual meeting Nov. 14.
“We stand today in a decision time for what it means to be Baptist,” insisted Hall, president of Buckner International and a former BGCT president.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Internet ministry can help churches expand their reach
Posted: 11/17/06
Internet ministry can help
churches expand their reachBy Blake Killingsworth
Dallas Baptist University
DALLAS—Many churches’ publishing ministry gave way to tape ministry, which gave way to television ministry. Will it now give way to Internet ministry?
During the 2006 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting, the web broadcasting team from South Main Baptist Church in Houston gave a do-it-yourself workshop of how to build a “worship webcast.”
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Kids Hope USA mentors make a difference
Posted: 11/17/06
Kids Hope USA mentors make a difference
By Jenny Pope
Buckner International
DALLAS—One child in five lives in poverty. One in three lacks a significant father figure, and children without a father figure are twice as likely to drop out of school, said Scott Waller, director of program development for Buckner Children & Family Services and Kids Hope USA liaison.
Poverty, poor education and lack of parental involvement clearly are linked to crime. In fact, two states currently look to third-grade reading-level scores to determine the future number of prison cells.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Missions workshop offers tips
Posted: 11/17/06
Missions workshop offers tips
By Craig Bird
Baptist Child & Family Services
DALLAS—There is no shortage of mission trip opportunities for church groups; the difficulty is in determining where to go and why, a workshop leader told Texas Baptists.
Dearing Garner, executive director for Africa for Children’s Emergency Relief International, led a breakout session on “Give Your Congregation a Mission—Choose a Place in the World and Go” during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
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Nontraditional approaches may be needed
Posted: 11/17/06
Nontraditional approaches may be needed
By Craig Bird
Baptist Child & Family Services
DALLAS—In a “Dr. Phil and Oprah age,” the church doesn’t have to be traditional to be faithful, Ray Brown, pastor of Resurrection Baptist Church in Schertz, told a Texas Baptist group.
In fact, being traditional may result in being unfaithful to the command to “go and tell the world,” he asserted.
11/17/2006 - By John Rutledge
