By Terry Sharp
International Mission Board

Terry Sharp

From time to time I receive a postcard boasting the headline, “Choose Your Neighbor!” It’s from a local realtor sending listings of houses for sale in my neighborhood. The idea is for me to tell my circle of friends and acquaintances about the available houses, thus allowing me to choose my neighbor.

Through many years of moving around the country and overseas, my family has been blessed with incredible neighbors. There was one family in particular that we really enjoyed. Our daughters were nearly the same age, and they were in and out of each other’s houses all the time. We also struck up a wonderful friendship with their parents, celebrating the holidays together and cooking out on the weekends. [Read more…]

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

At breakfast recently, wife Phyllis and I were talking about technology. Another new tech gadget was advertised on TV. Phyllis is not anti-tech, but she declares I dragged her “kicking and screaming into technology.” Let me explain. Phyllis has been a professionally published writer for over 45 years. She never wanted to become a writer, but I “bootlegged” her into it when I became a LifeWay editor in 1970 and another editor needed a Vacation Bible School writer. Phyllis was well-qualified with a diploma of theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

“It’s Too Much.” When Phyllis became a professional writer in the 1970s, we used manual typewriters, though I owned an IBM Selectric at home. No problem. Now it’s 2017, and Phyllis says she’s completing her writing career with a final assignment she recently completed. But what about her tech journey? I bought my first PC in 1984. Ever since then, I have brought Phyllis through every tech invention to the present. So at breakfast, the mention of yet another tech gadget caused her to exclaim, “It’s too much!” And I said, “I totally agree with you. I won’t buy it!” Peace at home! [Read more…]

By Nathan A. Finn
Dean, School Of Theology & Missions, Union University

Nathan Finn

As Baptists, we believe that “ground zero” for the Great Commission’s advance is the local church. Ministries, kingdom-minded institutions, and even denominations come and go over time, but the local church will endure until Jesus returns. As such, we argue that being the pastor of a local church is the most strategic ministry role in the kingdom. But it’s not the only strategic role. Aside from local church pastors, I’m increasingly convinced that directors of missions (DOMs) are the most strategic kingdom servants in Baptist life.  [Read more…]

By Carolyn Tomlin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Recently a friend mentioned that she attended a class reunion with others who graduated from the same college. “I had not seen many of these people in years,” she said, “but like me, most of these couples had been married 45 years or more. With today’s high divorce rate, I was a bit surprised.”

According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 1900 there were 709,000 (9.3 percent) marriages per 1,000 total population and 55,751 (0.7  percent) divorces per 1,000 total population. In 2015 estimates were 2,221,379 (6.4 percent) marriages per 1,000 total population and 800,909 (3.7  percent) divorce rate per 1,000 population. Not only are there more divorces, but both males and females marry later than several generations ago. With improvements in health care, the longevity rate rises. This means many couples can expect to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary and beyond. [Read more…]