Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

VBS: TRIED, PROVEN — AND STILL EFFECTIVE

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

FRANKLIN — Ever since the first Vacation Bible School was held in New York City in 1898, the program has reached thousands upon thousands of children with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Despite its record of success, some churches view VBS as an outdated tool of evangelism and are “abandoning one of the best conduits for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with future generations,” observed Vicki Hulsey, childhood specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

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CREATING A CULTURE FOR SHARING JESUS — PART ONE

Jay Barbier
Evangelism Event Specialist, TBMB

Creating a culture of sharing faith, actually sharing the name and fame of Jesus, is the driving factor for Christianity.

How can we become a people and a church that live out the Great Commission? How can we get over the fears of what others will say or think? The questions can go on and on about purpose or evangelism. The heart of the issue is found in everyone asking themselves, “If I know Jesus and have a relationship with Jesus what do I do with that?” [Read more…]

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SUMMIT CONCLUDES: ‘WE MUST RECAPTURE EVANGELISM’

About 100 people traveled from across the United States to gather in Oklahoma at the Falls Creek Conference Center to identify issues that have led to declines in evangelism as well as the use of evangelists in the Southern Baptist Convention. -Photo: Baptist Press

By Will Hall
Baptist Press

DAVIS, Okla.  — About 100 evangelists, pastors, directors of evangelism and some wives traveled from across the United States to gather in Oklahoma at the Falls Creek Conference Center to identify issues that have led to declines in evangelism as well as the use of evangelists in the Southern Baptist Convention. They also met to develop recommendations about how to restore the denomination to its Great Commission roots.

The group included a diverse representation in age and geography, with a large number among the crowd identifying themselves as 45 years old or younger. Participants included attendees from Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana and other mainline state conventions such as North and South Carolina and Tennessee. [Read more…]

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CAN EVANGELISM BE EASY?

Whether it’s one-on-one or event-driven, sharing good news should be simple

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

FRANKLIN — Jesus kept evangelism simple. Just read Matthew 28:19-20.

But apparently, a new generation is not getting the message of the Great Commission as found in Scripture.

A Barna survey, “Reviving Evangelism,” released in early February, reveals that Christian Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are “conflicted” when it comes to evangelism with almost half of them believing it is wrong to share their faith. [Read more…]

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EVANGELIZE, THEN DISCIPLE

By David Evans
TBMB Evangelism Director

Samantha Wilson being baptized at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville.

A decease in baptisms is symptomatic of a larger and looming issue. 

In 2015, Tennessee Baptist churches baptized 22,613. In 2016, Tennessee Baptist churches baptized 20,267.  In 2017, our Tennessee churches baptized 21,000. 

The baptism number across the United States has been declining, but the baptism number is only symptomatic of a larger and looming issue. 

Baptized believers are not reproducing their faith by being evangelistic. Baptism is not the problem in Tennessee. Thousands are being baptized.  [Read more…]

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‘COME AS YOU ARE’ APPROACH HELPS CHURCH CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Bert Spann has helped lead First Baptist Church, Hohenwald, to a new era of evangelism and outreach.

HOHENWALD — Since his arrival at First Baptist Church, Hohenwald, roughly five years ago, pastor Bert Spann said he has seen the church undergo a change in culture.

And it started with a change of clothes.

Before Spann’s arrival, FBC had essentially been operating as a white-collar church in the heart of a blue-collar town. But over the past half decade, the church has become more focused on finding ways to connect with the community — and the results have been seen, week after week, in the baptismal pool. [Read more…]

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CHRISTMAS BACKPACKS IMPACT TN FAMILIES

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

Terry Robinson, left, and Tom Nelson of Roan Creek Baptist Church prepare to take a load of backpacks to a local school.

FRANKLIN — Children living in the Appalachian area of Tennessee have been beneficiaries of the Christmas Backpack Ministry for several years, most of which have been donated from outside the state itself.

The Christmas Backpack Ministry has evolved  over the years since 2001 when some Girls in Action (GAs) in Georgia decided they wanted to do something special for children living in the Appalachian region of the United States. [Read more…]

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GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Churches reach community, keep focus on Jesus during Christmas

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

The manger scene depicting the birth of Jesus is performed during “The Life of Christ Christmas Drive-Thru” at Brush Creek Baptist Church.
— Photo by James Wilson

FRANKLIN — Keeping Christ at the center of Christmas is a challenge that seems to get tougher each year.

Fortunately, many churches around the country, including a large number of churches in Tennessee, are doing their part to guard against the secularization of the season.

Whether it’s hosting one of the traditional Christmas productions — such as live nativity scenes, children’s musicals, candlelight services and Christmas cantatas — or perhaps branching out in a new direction, the objective is the same: Ensuring that the birth of Christ remains the focus of the holidays. [Read more…]

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NEAR-TRAGIC INCIDENT BECOMES WITNESSING TOOL

Ripley pastor Rocky Gilliam uses nail gun accident to generate gospel conversations

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

RIPLEY  — Rocky Gilliam might have the most unique evangelism method in history.

Not many people, after all, can use a personal story about being shot in the head with a nail gun as a segway into sharing the gospel.

But Gilliam, pastor of Spirit Filled Baptist Church church in Ripley, believes the traumatic experience — when a three-inch nail was accidentally driven into his skull last November — is a great example of God’s providence.

Gilliam has, in fact, turned the horror story into a love story, and uses the details of the incident to point people to Jesus. [Read more…]

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GREEN: KEEP DOING WHAT WE DO WELL

TBC’s new president plans to continue focus on statewide evangelism

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

David Green

FRANKLIN — As David Green begins his tenure as president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, his primary plan is to encourage Tennessee Baptists to keep their focus on what past TBC presidents have emphasized in recent years — sharing the gospel with the more than four million people in Tennessee who have no relationship with Jesus Christ.

Green, pastor of First Baptist Church, Greeneville, was elected by acclamation in November during the Summit held at West Jackson Baptist Church in Jackson to lead the convention in 2019. [Read more…]

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