FIRST-PERSON: FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED FROM A COVID-19 SPIKE AT OUR CHURCH
By Derek Allen MOBILE, Ala. — In March, April and May, our church staff braced for a wave of COVID-19 cases to sweep through our church family. It never happened. In fact, for the first three months of the COVID-19 outbreak, our church family of about 1500 only experienced a handful of coronavirus cases. As […]
REBUILDING WHAT WE HAD BEFORE COVID-19
By Bruce Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville All of us find ourselves now in the unique situation of needing to rebuild what we had going prior to the pandemic. As most of us began the process of regathering in person, we found some things are missing. Most of us […]
SOUTHERN BAPTISTS GATHER TO VIRTUALLY CELEBRATE SENDING 61 MISSIONARIES
By Caroline Anderson IMB writer On June 9, the International Mission Board commissioned 61 missionaries in a virtual Sending Celebration. The missionaries represent churches in 15 states and will be serving in all nine of the IMB’s affinities. Sending Celebrations provide a forum for Southern Baptists to commission new missionaries and hear their call to […]
VBS HAS NEW FORMAT, SAME FOCUS
Rather than canceling VBS, many churches change methods By David Dawson [email protected] FRANKLIN — With a mixture of determination, imagination and inspiration, many churches in Tennessee are finding ways to host Vacation Bible School this year. Despite the challenging circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, many VBS leaders have elected to move forward, even if […]
‘VIRTUAL VBS’ ALLOWS CHURCHES TO SAFELY CONNECT
By Ashley Perham Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Confetti poppers, bulldozers and science experiments are just three of the ways Tennessee Baptist churches are engaging children involved in virtual Vacation Bible Schools this summer. Rather than calling off this annual summer outreach event due to concerns about COVID-19, many Tennessee Baptist churches are hosting some […]
A DILEMMA: PERSONAL LIBERTY VS. PUBLIC GOOD
By Larry Robertson Pastor, Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville One of our sources of conflict these days is personal liberties versus public good. And opinions are rarely vague. Masks or no masks? Social distancing or up in each other’s faces? Stay at home or live and let live (or die, whatever). Some are writing, “Give me […]
HOUSEPARENTS, TBCH MOVE ON IN ‘NOTHING IS NORMAL’ WORLD
By Shawn Hendricks Contributing writer, B&R BRENTWOOD — When it comes to navigating the COVID-19 pandemic while houseparenting four elementary kids and their 15-year-old daughter, Nathan and Laura Mankin have become firm believers in a daily routine. Or, what they have humorously referred to as the “apocalypse schedule.” “We’ve had to adjust it like […]
UNION TO RESUME IN-PERSON CLASSES FOR FALL SEMESTER
Union University news office JACKSON — Classes for the fall semester at Union University will meet on campus and in-person, with the university taking necessary safety precautions to protect students, faculty and staff from COVID-19. “We’re excited to welcome new and returning students back to campus in the fall,” Union president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver […]
CHURCHES GRAPPLE WITH WHETHER TO REQUIRE MASKS
By Tobin Perry Southern Baptist TEXAN HOUSTON — Listening to the discussion surrounding the reopening of churches, Steve Bezner could see much of it revolved around a dichotomy of faith versus fear. As Bezner, pastor of Houston Northwest Church, and other church leaders studied the issue from a variety of angles, they began to see […]
CHURCH PLANTS THAT MEET IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS FACE REOPENING CHALLENGES
By Tess Schoonhoven Baptist Press ATLANTA — As the state of Georgia continues on a path to reopening, Christ Covenant Church is cautiously planning to resume in-person gatherings. But decisions about when and how to return are complicated by where. Christ Covenant has called Sutton Middle School its Sunday home for 2 1/2 years. The […]