Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

GOD’S GRACE AND A DRIVE-IN MOVIE

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…]

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‘THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN DEATH’

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…]

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WHAT ABOUT THE GRADUATES?

Seeing the whole picture from a family’s perspective

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…]

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COVID-19 CAUSES CHALLENGES, CREATES ANXIETY FOR MANY

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…]

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TBMB KIDS SPECIALISTS: ROUTINE IMPORTANT

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…]

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PARENTS CAN TEACH BIBLICAL TRUTHS TO CHILDREN DURING EXTENDED TIME AT HOME

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…]

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AMERICANS MOST LIKELY TO FIND IDENTITY IN FAMILY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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…]

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ALWAYS TIME FOR A SMILE: GLENN POSTS SOME OF HIS MOM’S FUNNY ONE-LINERS ON HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS

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…]

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GETTING PERSONAL

Brentwood pastor shares about his mom’s disease in his new book about Alzheimer’s, dementia

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…]

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EXPERIENCE IS THE PATH TO EXPERTISE

Parents of special needs children know there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to everyday challenges

By Laura Hurd
Baptist Press

Our son is five years old. He has autism spectrum disorder.

The Mayo Clinic defines autism as “a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term ‘spectrum’ in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.” [Read more…]

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