Opinion Column

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: A MISSIONARY’S GRATITUDE

By Paul Chitwood International Mission Board President EDITOR’S NOTE FROM BAPTIST PRESS: Paul Chitwood is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. Learn more about CP here. RICHMOND, Va. — As I near the first anniversary of being elected president of the International Mission Board, I am incredibly encouraged about so many aspects of the Great Commission work

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GENDER NEUTRAL DOLLS: MATTEL MUDDIES THE WATERS

By Todd E. Brady Assistant Professor of Ministry and Vice President for University Ministries, Union University In 1949, George Lemer invented the Mr. Potato Head doll — a plastic body of a spud that could be decorated with various interchangeable parts like ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. As a kid, I had a Mr. Potato Head. My kids have a Mr. Potato Head. It’s funny

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WHEN A TOY IS NOT A TOY

The world is getting crazier by the day. When I was a kid, toys were a luxury. You usually received them on Christmas and birthdays. Now, kids get toys year-round, mainly from grandparents who spoil their grandkids (and I confess that I am among that number). Shame on us. But one toy my grandkids won’t be receiving is the new gender-fluid Creatable World doll from Mattel (see BP story). Barbie,

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FROM CHURCH-HOUSE TO NEIGHBORHOOD-HOUSE

By Justin Mullins Young Families Pastor, Collierville First Baptist Church A few years ago, our church, Collierville First Baptist Church, decided to take a closer look at who we were reaching through our annual Vacation Bible School. While our numbers were strong, we were surprised to discover that only four percent of the children who attended were unchurched. We put all our resources, volunteers and effort into a huge program

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SERMON OR SOLILOQUY? THOUGHTS ABOUT PREACHING

By Larry Robertson Pastor, Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville I love to hear Shakespeare filtered through the story-telling flair of Andy Griffith. In his rendition of Romeo and Juliet, he paused to explain the meaning of a soliloquy. He said, “A soliloquy is where you kinda look a way off and kinda talk to yourself. They used to do that a whole lot back then …” Honestly — and I’m a

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ARE WEDNESDAY CHURCH SERVICES STILL RELEVANT?

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Baptist Press recently ran an article from LifeWay Research on whether or not Protestant churches still hold Wednesday night services. And, they do. In fact, the number is a lot higher than I imagined — nine out of 10 Protestant pastors say their church has some type of service on Wednesday nights, according to the survey. Only 10 percent have no regular

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SHARING THE LOVE OF JESUS WITH GRANDCHILDREN

By Carolyn Tomlin Contributing writer, Baptist and Reflector In Tennessee, 168,215 (11.37 percent) children under 18 years of age live in households with grandparents or other relatives. Also, 74,406 grandparents are householders responsible for grandchildren who live with them (details: here). The Volunteer State is no different from other states. It is estimated that in the U.S. 2.9 million grandchildren live with grandparents. Across America, grandparents are stepping in to

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SUMMIT 2019 — ON THE HOMESTRETCH

By David Green President, Tennessee Baptist Convention It is a true blessing to see what God is doing in and through Tennessee Baptists as we approach the homestretch toward the “Summit” in November. The Tennessee Baptist Convention is blessed with some of God’s choice servants. Our pastors, directors of missions, BCM directors, state convention ministry specialists, and our ministry partners across this state along with countless volunteers are dedicated to

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SEPTEMBER: PERFECT TIME TO PRAY, PARTICIPATE

By Vickie Anderson Tennessee WMU Executive Director According to www.nationaldaycalendar.com, the month of September has a variety of things to observe or celebrate: baby safety, better breakfast, blueberry popsicles, chicken, classical music, courtesy, fall hats, honey, mushrooms, rice, piano, self-care, self-improvement, square dancing, whole grains, and more. For Tennessee Baptists, September brings the opportunity to observe and participate in the Week of Prayer for State Missions and the Golden Offering

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WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN FROM OUR PAST?

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Eighteen years ago today, the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board) was preparing for its September meeting. Before it started, however, news of the terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C. and New York City began to spread. People stood around a television set in the building and watched the horror unfold. Then TBC executive director James Porch observed

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