Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
By Norman Ridenhour
Baptist Layman & Retired Journalist
Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible (Luke 1:27).
I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard people ask “Why do I need the church?” My answer would be “who do you turn to in times of need? Who do you call when all your efforts to solve a problem or crisis have failed?” [Read more…]
By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R
“When things aren’t right in the parsonage, they won’t be right in the pulpit” (anonymous).
On a Saturday night 65 years ago at a drive-in movie, I got my first glimpse of Phyllis. She was in the car next to mine on a first date with a guy I barely knew. Besides my saying howdy to the guy, I did notice Phyllis. “Noticed?” For the whole movie, I was unaware of the two pals with me, everything on the movie screen and most everything else.
I alternated in trying to think about time frames to prepare for preaching and pastoring and also that I knew nothing at all about Phyllis. How old was she? What was her name? Where did she come from? Was she going steady with the guy who took her to that movie? Nevertheless, I tried to take my eyes off Phyllis and focus on the need to prepare for preaching and pastoring and the year that lay ahead of me. [Read more…]
Editor’s note: The following column was originally published in the Baptist and Reflector in July of 2019. It was reprinted in the current edition of the B&R in recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness month.
By Joe Sorah
Compassion Ministries Specialist, TBMB
“There are worse things than death.”
I had heard that expression over the years from church members as I walked with families through terminal illnesses. However, the expression became real as we watched my father go through Alzheimer’s. [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: The pandemic has wreaked havoc on almost every imaginable event including high school graduations. Keep in mind, not only the graduate missed graduation, but so did his or her family who spent untold hours of helping the graduate reach the milestone. Jay Barbier, youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, his wife, Natalee, and son, Jay, provide their perspectives.
The Barbier family, from left, Caleb, Mary-Clare, Natalee and Jay.
Jay Barbier — A dad’s perspective
Let’s take a look into our current situation from one family’s perspective. Going through the experience of a pandemic has been overwhelming. The Lord has impressed on my heart to share thoughts from a student about to graduate, a mother wanting her son to enjoy the last moments of high school, and what is going through my mind as a father and the TBMB youth specialist. [Read more…]
By Tony Rankin
Special to the Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — These strange days of COVID-19 and the impact of tornados cause us to feel like we are juggling chainsaws on a tightrope. Frequently an overwhelming sense of gloominess or depression coincides with difficulties of addressing the ordinary stresses of illness or disaster. [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — With children staying home from school and activities, keeping them in a routine is critical, agree Tennessee Baptist Mission Board childhood specialists Donna Blaydes and Vicki Hulsey.
Blaydes suggested that families establish and stick to a routine.
“Routine is an important part of a child’s daily life,” she observed. “During this time when a child’s life has been temporarily disrupted, it is important to establish a new routine for your family,” she said. [Read more…]
Note: Many resources are available online for families. See list beneath this story for a few options.
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — The coronavirus pandemic is providing many parents more opportunities to share biblical truths as children are now confined to their homes rather than schools or daycare facilities.
The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s childhood specialists, Vicki Hulsey and Donna Blaydes, are encouraging parents to take advantage of the unique opportunities they have to invest in the spiritual health of their children. [Read more…]
By Aaron Earls
LifeWay Christian Resources
NASHVILLE — In “Overcomer,” a new film from Alex and Stephen Kendrick opening August 23, a young girl struggles to understand where her identity is grounded. Most Americans say they find their identity in relationships and achievements, according to a new study.
Nashville-based LifeWay Research asked 1,010 Americans about their sense of identity and what matters most about themselves. These are important questions to ask, said Alex Kendrick, director of “Overcomer.” [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — During four years of caring for his mother with Alzheimer’s, Mike Glenn would stop on the way to his office and have coffee with her most every day. He noted the visits were sometimes “funny” and other times, “painful beyond belief.”
Glenn began a Twitter series called “Coffee with Mom” “just to have a place to deal with the funny but painful, daily process of dealing with Mom and her illness.” [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Mike Glenn, lead pastor at Brentwood Baptist, poses with a stack of ‘Coffee with Mom’ — the book he wrote about his mom’s battle with Alzheimer’s.
BRENTWOOD — As a minister for more than 40 years, Mike Glenn walked through the valley of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with many families over the years.
But he admits that until you face it personally it is truly hard to understand what a family goes through. “Caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is totally consuming,” said Glenn, pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood. [Read more…]
