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Money: An Instrument for Blessing, Not an Indicator of It

(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks)   I was in college. I was a young Christian. And I remember walking past my pastor’s luxury car into the church office one day, and was greeted by a... Continue Reading »

Cooperation Catechism: Why Be a Southern Baptist? 7 Questions & Answers That Succinctly State the Fundamentals of Our Cooperative Identity

(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at Christ Over All)   Like many parents throughout the centuries, we used catechisms to instruct our children in basic Christian doctrine. As a result of catechesis, our children were well-prepared to... Continue Reading »

Why It Might Be Good That Your Church Isn’t Growing

(Editors’ note: This article was originally published at 9Marks)   I hadn’t seen him in years. After small talk, he asked the question many pastors dread: “So, how big is your church?” If you pastor a small church, you... Continue Reading »

Southern Baptists See Attendance and Baptism Gains Amid Membership Declines

Southern Baptist churches saw sustained growth in attendance and baptisms, but the two-decade membership decline continued in 2025. Total Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) membership fell by more than 3 percent from 2024 to 2025, dipping to 12,331,954, according to... Continue Reading »

Testimony of Discipleship: The Story of Ridgewood Church (Part 4 of a Series)

As a young pastor, Trevor Hoffman felt tempted in the back of his mind to follow trends to have ministry success. But the Lord taught him there are some things you must learn the hard way while mirroring humility... Continue Reading »

Midtown Fellowship’s Prayerwalking Ministry Has Led Others Forward, Step by Step

Want to get a clearer picture of others’ needs? Take a walk. It’s been a consistent ministry among the people of Midtown Fellowship Church/Two Notch in Columbia for many years now. Prayerwalking includes prayer, of course, but the encounters... Continue Reading »

Apathy – The Quiet Crisis in Today’s Church

The greatest danger facing today’s church is not persecution, political pressure or cultural hostility. It is something far more subtle — and far more familiar. The greatest danger is apathy. Jesus warned the church in Laodicea about this condition... Continue Reading »

Parenting a Church: The Story of Christ Fellowship Cherrydale (Part 3 of a Series)

Matt Rogers’ time at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary was about to conclude. But a new season was beginning. His wife, Sarah, was pregnant with their first child, Corrie, and parenting would soon begin. But raising a little girl (and... Continue Reading »

Lessons We Can Learn From South Carolina Baptist History

Today, the South Carolinians of the Old South are often depicted as a very provincial, even isolated, people. The classicist Basil Gildersleeve once said, “I was a Charlestonian first, Carolinian next, then a Southerner.” It was of course Sen.... Continue Reading »

A Church Plant Redeemed: The Story of Crosspoint Church in Bluffton (Part 2 of a Series)

Our January issue carried the story of Ken Lewis and Jeremy Chasteen planting Crosspoint Church in Clemson in 2005. Now, the focus turns to Crosspoint Church’s first church planting partnership: Crosspoint Church, Bluffton, led by Carl Martin. Ken Lewis,... Continue Reading »

21-Year-old Sees ICE Protests as Opportunity for Evangelism

Caleb Phillips, 21, was born and raised in Minnesota and when he saw the crowds protesting, he thought, There are many unbelievers in the twin cities, and these protests are just a concentrated group of people. I’d love to... Continue Reading »

A Family Tree of Church Plants: Part 1 of a Series

Recently, I moved into a jungle. Not literally. But when you walk into our home, there’s a plant everywhere you look. They are my roommate’s plants. But she didn’t plant them from seeds; rather, many were given to her... Continue Reading »