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JULY 10: PROVEN

July 4, 2022

By Dustin Allman
Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport

Focal Passage: 1 Kings 18:25-39    

Sunday School Lessons explore the bibleAs I get older, I’m less competitive about many things but I still love a good challenge! So did Elijah!

God alone is full of glory. The surrounding context shows us that a showdown of worship is imminent. 

The purpose of this showdown wasn’t for entertainment, but to demand a choice of worshiping either Yahweh God or Baal. Elijah addresses the people on top of the mountain saying, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him” (Ch. 18:21). [Read more…]

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FBC GALLATIN ADJUSTS MINISTRY AS COVID-19, DELTA VARIANT CASES RISE

August 17, 2021

By Scott Barkley
Baptist Press

During a virtual worship service, Travis Fleming, lead pastor of First Baptist Church, Gallatin, explains the church’s recent steps to address a rise in the Delta variant of COVID-19.

GALLATIN – A week ago, pastor Travis Fleming of First Baptist Church, Gallatin, thought all-digital worship services, recommended masking and strict social distancing were a thing of the past.

But after a July 25 baptism service, reports began to trickle in of members testing positive for COVID-19. By Thursday, when several positive cases had been reported at First Baptist, a team consisting of Fleming, deacons, lay leaders and medical professionals determined that an all-virtual worship service Aug. 1 would be the best course of action. The team had expected the case number to grow, and they were right, as the number ticked up throughout the following days.

The church hosted a funeral service on Aug. 2, although masks were required. The following day, the church’s Wednesday night activities were canceled. Worship services were changed to all-virtual, Fleming said. [Read more…]

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LONG HOLLOW SEES 1,000 BAPTISMS SINCE DECEMBER

April 27, 2021

By Scott Barkley
Baptist Press

Long Hollow senior pastor Robby Gallaty (left) assists Dylan, a former Satan worshiper who recently gave his life to Christ, in baptizing his friend Patricia, who had also worshiped Satan. — Photo courtesy of Jacob McKaig, Long Hollow Baptist Church

These days at Long Hollow Baptist Church, interruptions aren’t considered bad. The plan isn’t as crucial as the response. Things flow from a position of prayer, ultimately pointing toward Christ.

Structure exists, sure. There’s still an order of worship. Trained childcare workers remain ready and available. Pastor Robby Gallaty prepares and prays over his sermons. But anyone feeling led to come to the altar can do so at any time. Gospel conversations occur throughout the week. Baptisms are conducted while worshipers sing. They also take place after Gallaty’s message and invitation, continuing as long as 45 minutes after the benediction regardless of lunch plans.

Such steps are needed to meet the response the church has witnessed since December. That marked the beginning of a wave of baptisms that exceeded 1,000 on April 11. Gallaty, who began at the church in 2015, estimates that 70-75 percent of those are from first-time confessions of faith and 83 percent are adults.

He’s quick to point out that it is all due to God. And really, it couldn’t occur until Gallaty got out of the way. That realization happened after the suicides of two of Gallaty’s close friends: ministers Jarrid Wilson and Darren Patrick.

“Both of those men preached at Long Hollow within six months of their passing,” he said. “They both sat at my dining room table. It made me realize that the last person to say he’s burning out or that ministry is tough is usually the one burning out. [Read more…]

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‘PORTABLE CHURCH’ FINDS NEW HOME DURING COVID

March 18, 2021

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Kent Shingleton, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in Smyrna, is helping guide the church through the process of relocating — a move that has been made through a series of miraculous events.

SMYRNA  — Only God.

That’s the explanation pastor Kent Shingleton has for what occurred at Hope Fellowship Church in Smyrna during a year that will forever be known by a virus that brought the world to a screeching halt.

For nearly nine years the former church plant met in a local elementary school and members spent a great deal of time each week setting up and tearing down their “portable church.”

In the fall of 2019, Shingleton felt called to lead the church to begin its first ever fund-raising campaign to begin the process of buying property for future relocation.

On Jan 1, 2020, Hope Fellowship launched its “Hope for the House,” a two-year campaign to fully fund the church’s ministry budget while intentionally raising money for a future church home. [Read more…]

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OCT. 18: GOD LISTENS

October 12, 2020

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour

Focal Passage: Isaiah 37:14-20, 30-35

Sunday School Lessons explore the bibleGod listens to the prayers of His children. Indeed, He hears, He cares and He responds to us according to His righteousness, His love and wisdom. He is never too early. He is never too late. He is always on time. It stirs in my heart that I do not pray enough!  

Franklin Graham, the son of the late Billy Graham, said that one regret his father had was that he didn’t pray enough. He felt that if he had prayed more and preached less, that he would have seen God do even greater things than he had witnessed over the course of his ministry.  

King Hezekiah is described in the Bible as one of the most godly kings of Judah who had a close relationship with God. He was known as a reformer. When he became king, he was most concerned with Judah’s present obedience to the Lord.  [Read more…]

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TBC COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIFTS HOLD STEADY

August 5, 2020

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches contributed $2,941,530 through the Cooperative Program in July.

For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $25,831,963.

In the midst of a pandemic, the amount is just $295,149 or 1.1 below what was given at the same time last year. In addition, gifts are $418,037 or 1.59 percent below budget needs after the first nine months of the budget year. [Read more…]

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PERSONAL TOUCH DRIVES CHURCHGOER GIVING

April 18, 2018

By Bob Smietana
Senior Writer for Facts and Trends (from LifeWay Research)

NASHVILLE — When it comes to charity, a personal touch works 10 times better than Facebook — at least for churchgoers.

A new report from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found more than half of Protestant churchgoers say a personal connection inspired them to give money to a charity for the first time.

Social media such as Facebook inspired only 4 percent of similar donations.

See chart here: https://lifewayresearch.com/2018/04/17/personal-touch-drives-churchgoer-giving/

Three-quarters of churchgoers support at least one charity besides their church. Almost half do volunteer work. A similar number changed the charities they support.

Churchgoers like to give — and to get involved, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.

“The question is, where will churchgoers give this year? The answer lies in having a personal connection,” McConnell said. “It turns out charity really does start close to home.”

Churn in charitable giving

The nationally representative study asked adults who attend a Protestant church at least once a month to look at their charitable giving from 2016.

Sixty percent of those churchgoers gave to the same number of charities in 2016 as they did the previous year. Fifteen percent gave to more charities. Eight percent gave to fewer, while 15 percent were not sure.

Among those who donated to charities, 49 percent made changes in which charities they supported in 2016. This included about a third (31 percent) who gave to a charity they’d never supported before.

“The reality is that funding for charities is anything but stable,” McConnell said. “When a donor adds a charity, it can take away from ministries they have supported in the past.”

When asked what factor prompted them most to give, 21 percent say they knew someone who worked there. Nineteen percent had met someone from the charity, while 18 percent say friends of theirs supported the charity. Fifteen percent had been to a fundraiser, while 15 percent had received a letter from the charity. Eleven percent had volunteered for the charity.

Phone calls (5 percent), television ads (5 percent), social network sites such as Facebook (4 percent), online ads (3 percent) and email appeals (2 percent) were less influential.

Most donors support a few charities

LifeWay Research also asked churchgoers how many charities they gave to last year, aside from their local congregation. Those charities could be religious or non-religious. The donations could not be property or volunteer time.

Seventy-three percent of churchgoers gave to at least one charity beyond their church.

This includes 15 percent who gave to one additional charity and 58 percent who gave to multiple charities. About a third (34 percent) gave to two or three additional charities. Nineteen percent gave to between four and seven charities. About 6 percent gave to eight or more additional charities.

About a quarter (27 percent) gave to no additional charities.

Churchgoers from Assemblies of God and other Pentecostal backgrounds are most likely to give only to their church (38 percent). Nondenominational Christians (30 percent) and Baptists (29 percent) were more likely to give only to their church than Lutherans (14 percent).

Lutherans (29 percent) are more likely to give to five or more charities than Baptist (13 percent), nondenominational (12 percent) or Assemblies of God/Pentecostal churchgoers (10 percent).

About half (48 percent) of churchgoers say they volunteer at a charity—including their church. Forty-four percent don’t volunteer. Eight percent aren’t sure.

Those who go to church at least once a week (51 percent) are more likely to say they volunteer than those who attend once or twice a month (30 percent). More than half of Methodist (63 percent), Lutheran (55 percent) and nondenominational churchgoers (53 percent) volunteer. Baptists (38 percent) are less likely.

“Donors come and go frequently,” McConnell said. “It helps to know why they give in the first place — typically a personal connection to the ministry or charity.”

 

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