By Todd Brady
Vice President for University Ministries, Union University

Todd Brady

Inclusivity is one thing.  Impropriety is another. And decisions fueled by feelings are often unstable.

After North Carolina passed a law recently stopping transgender people from using bathrooms for the gender they identify with, the Target corporation announced on a blog entitled, “Continuing to Stand for Inclusivity,” that they “welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.” Target concludes its announcement by saying, “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong.  And you’ll always be accepted, respected, and welcomed at Target.” [Read more…]

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Johnnie Godwin

Thirty-five years ago, citified Johnnie and Phyllis bought 56 acres of rough ridge we call Godwin’s Mountain. We love that mountain but need help with things I can’t do. And when I need help, I’ve got people. What one of my people told me characterizes what an intergenerational church ought to be like. After literally getting me out of a ditch, Ronnie said, “Mr. Johnnie, I don’t think you’ve got anything out here that needs doing that I can’t do or don’t know someone who can.” He and others help!

What an intergenerational church is. Technically, it’s just when folks from more than one generation worship and minister together. But it’s really a lot more than that. In an intergenerational church, every person from the cradle to the grave is important. The key is consistent valuing of personhood in all the church. Some churches even have classes for those with dementia. Their time focuses more on familiar Scriptures and hymns. For a brief time, some whose minds and eyes are dead and darkened come alive with brightness. [Read more…]

By Carolyn Tomlin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Carolyn Tomlin

Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore, he made mothers.

Celebrated the second Sunday of May, Mother’s Day is recognized as a special time we pay tribute to our mothers. Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, recognized as the founder of Mother’s Day, petitioned Congress in 1914 to set aside this date to honor those women to whom we owe so much.

A “mother” is not only the person who gave you birth, but she is the one who cared for you as a child. This may include aunts, grandmothers, foster mothers, or neighbor women who nurtured a lonely child. Some of the best “mothers” I’ve known never had biological children, yet in every sense of the word, they were truly mothers. [Read more…]

By Marty Duren
Social Media Strategy Manager, Lifeway

Marty Duren

When Facebook’s membership grew beyond that of a few colleges and universities across America, millions of people piled on. A common refrain from those days was the formerly unwatched student who’s status, “Ugh. My mom’s on Facebook,” indicated a perceived loss of freedom.

It wasn’t long before pastors and other leaders began to warn about flirtation and the role Facebook (and eventually all social media) might play in harming marriage. A story was passed around claiming a certain percentage of divorce filings mentioned Facebook as a problem. One pastor forbade the members of his staff from having social media accounts.

Of course we should always be concerned about the potential abuse of any technology but we should remember Moses didn’t receive “You shall not commit adultery” because of Classmates.com, and David didn’t spy on Bathsheba on Periscope. [Read more…]

By Jon Duncan
Layman, Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville

Jon Duncan

Having been around children as an educator for close to 20 years now, I remain fascinated at their inability to separate fact from fiction.  More fascinating still is the unwillingness of adults to do the same. In children, this inability is biologically involuntary, cognitive limitation. In adults, this unwillingness is a voluntary, self-imposed limitation. Why let facts get in the way of a strong opinion, right? Regardless of the type of cognitive limitation — voluntary in adults or involuntary in children — the end result is the same: flawed reasoning, which leads to inaccurate, often irrelevant opinions. [Read more…]

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

Chris Turner

It can take a lifetime to build a stellar reputation. It only takes a single “tweet” to destroy it.

That, in a nutshell, is the dark side of social media, especially for ministers (but true of everyone). Many still find it unbelievable that social media has that kind of influence, but social media is like nitroglycerin: useful when handled with care but terminal if jostled the wrong way.

Here’s an example. Justine Sacco was the senior director of corporate communications at a large New York company. While on a layover in London, she posted this Tweet: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” [Read more…]