First Baptist Church-Bell Gardens

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

There is a lot of unnecessary confusion about what the Bible is really saying about homosexuality. Dr. Michael Brown offers five key scriptural truths that dismantle the modern-day argument that God's Word condones the homosexual ...

Apostle Jeffrey Woody Installs a New Pastor

By Journalist Ms. Jones NEWBURGH – “It’s not easy starting a ministry from scratch… That’s what we did. When God sends you out… God will meet every need. We are here almost 21 years later in a building that belongs to us. We’re no renters… 55,000 square feet all because of our obedience to God. […]

What the Bible Says About Homosexuality

What does the Bible truly say about homosexuality? In this blog you can find out the truth about what it says concerning same-sex love.

I went to church with Bruce Jenner. Here’s what Caitlyn Jenner taught me about Jesus.

Caitlyn knows who Jesus is, and Jesus knows her by name.

4 Ways to Balance Leading the Church and Loving the Community

How do we both lead our church and love our community well? And how does this calling inform a church leader's priorities and daily schedule?

How To Reach Unchurched People Who Don't Think They Need God

I read a survey the other day that made me literally sit up straight as I took notice. The number of people in Canada (my country) who profess “no religion” is now at 24%, up from 16.5% a decade earlier. That’s a massive shift in a mere ten years. As I reflect on it all,…

Assistant Counselor or Pastoral Counselor New Era Wellness & Therapy Center

A substance abuse counselors job is far more than talking an addict through treatment. Counselors have ethical and moral responsibilities they have to follow...

Do Megachurches Provide a Better Religious Experience than Smaller Churches?

Leadership Network’s work with innovative pastors regularly pairs us with megachurches. Indeed, in recent years no one has done more megachurch research than us.Thought leader @lensweet recently tweeted “No one knows more about...

Building Churches and Religious Facilities

The Bobbitt design & construction portfolio includes religious facilities of all types & sizes. See how design build could work for your specific needs.

Whose problem is clergy burnout?

Training in healthy ministry for pastors—and congregations

12 Steps for Clergy Recovery

Clergy have one of those fuzzy, slippery jobs – a job where nothing and everything is in the job description. Also, because being a pastor is essentially relational, there’s an emotional subtext to almost everything we do: from presiding at a funeral, to the look on our face while shaking someone’s hand or giving them communion, to what we put in the newsletter and […]

What is Religious Liberty?

The Baptist Joint Committee advocates a “golden rule” of religious liberty: Do not ask government to promote your religion if you don’t want government to promote somebody else’s religion; and do not permit government to hinder somebody else’s religion if you don’t want government to hinder your own religion.

Why Church Leaders Need the Church

When you are in need, let the body serve. You will be better off for it, and you will get a chance to experience the ministry of the church to you.

Is it Religious Freedom or Just Religious Opinion?

We don't need any more “religious freedom” laws, but we could certainly use more graciously religious people. Instead of laws, we need more people of faith, free enough from prejudice and arrogance and condescension, to be able to express convictions with compassion – not just with passion.

What Makes a Church Missional?

Freedom from cultural captivity does not mean freedom from tradition.

Is Your Church Ready?

Disasters often strike with little warning, and no community is beyond the reach of natural or man-made catastrophes. Because of this, a church must plan on how to respond to disasters, large and …

How Religious Are You?

Pew Research has developed a typology of religion based on "how religious" a person is, along with the nature of that religious belief.

Religious freedom? Yeah, right!

OPINION- “Freedom of speech is the air that any thinker breathes; it’s the fuel that ignites the fire of an intellectual’s thoughts.” Raif Badawi dared to write such things …

Why so many non-religious Europeans pay church taxes