Last month the NBA hosted a Lunch and Learn event with Dr. Kyle Bueermann, Rural Specialist from the North American Mission Board. Our participants engaged on the topic of discipleship in the local church and heard from Dr. Bueermann who wrote, And They Devoted Themselves. Watch for more Lunch and Learn events at the NBA this fall ..read more

Wise older pastors will often say that ministry is more like running a marathon than running a sprint. This good advice is meant to be a warning not to run too fast, too far for too long--do so and you run the risk of exhaustion and ultimately burnout.   Every long distance runner has experienced “hitting the wall” more than once in the races they have run. The physical symptoms of fatigue from sustained exertion and the mental battle that ensues might just cause an inexperienced runner to drop out, most certainly, they will feel great pain and battle negative thoughts that scream to ..read more

One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me … Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” – 1 Samuel 3:2-5,8 (CSB) I have met with Samuel several times, but today we met at an Asian restaurant in East Nashville so he could tell me his story. Samuel Thawng is the pasto ..read more

Most every pastor I have met has entered into ministry with a high sense of calling, and a desire to honor God through preaching, teaching, discipling, shepherding and caring for the flock God has entrusted to him. Some among us carry a high sense of idealism, mixed with intense passion to see the church body grow, mature and fulfill the mission of Christ. We pray hard, lead to the point of exhaustion, and like Paul, feel the burden of the church daily.  Sometimes we get hurt. Every pastor has felt the sting of criticism about a sermon and the pushback from small changes, those hits are c ..read more

NBA Pastors, Leaders and Churches, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to connect with leaders and congregants the past couple of weeks. It’s been great to worship with several of you, tour your buildings, and learn about your stories. I’m definitely encouraged by what God is doing in and through the churches here in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. God is MovingI’m hearing reports of people coming to faith in Christ and taking the next step of going public through Baptism. One of our normative-sized churches baptized thirteen on a recent Sunday.  Praise God for that! Children and students are co ..read more

NBA Pastors, Leaders, and Churches, I’m grateful for the opportunity and the call extended to me to serve your church in advancing the Gospel in your context, in greater Nashville, Middle Tennessee, and the world. The NBA has a rich heritage from which to draw wisdom, strength, and inspiration.   SOME WORDS OF THANKS I want to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Directors for the seriousness with which they approached the selection process. They truly care for the Association, its churches, and for you as its stakeholders, partners, and members. In particular, I want to express t ..read more

Dag* introduced himself to the group as we sat around a table in the fellowship hall at a church in East Nashville. Dag was from a small village in the Middle East. He speaks in passable English but his mother tongue has probably never been uttered in this building. His people are predominantly Muslim and he is one of the few believers in Christ among them. He is of the first fruit, but everyone at this gathering prays to hasten the day when a myriad of believers from his people gathers around the throne to worship. We believe this vision God gave John of Patmos will become a reality one day ..read more

The Nashville Baptist Association exists to cultivate and connect churches throughout the Greater Nashville Area to fulfill the Great Commission. We seek to accomplish this through four priority focus areas: Leaders, Connections, Church Revitalization, and Church Planting. In the Church Planting priority area, we are committed to reaching your community with the gospel, by walking alongside church planters and the churches who send them. According to TBMB, approximately 80% of the population of most counties will not worship in any church this Sunday. In addition, more than 400,000 people of i ..read more

Dear NBA members and friends,  The board of directors would like to introduce our candidate elect for the Executive Director position of the Nashville Baptist Association, Bob Bickford.  Bob brings a wide variety of church and denominational experience to Nashville, having served as the Chairman of the Church Revitalization team of the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association. He led in the development of the Resound Network, a collaborative network of Associations in the state of Missouri, and he served as the Associate Director of Replant for the North American Mission Board.  He ..read more

These children, youth, and high schoolers participated in the Associational Bible Drill held at Nashville First Baptist on April 21. CHILDREN’S BIBLE DRILL – ASSOCIATION LEVEL  FBC NashvilleClaire Pope – 5th Grade, 2 years Cecily Pope – 5th Grade, 2 years Curtis Pope – 6th Grade, 3 years June Rodriguez – 4th Grade, 1 year  Tulip GroveKyleigh Fisher – 5th grade, 2nd year Rosie Boswell – 5th grade, 2nd year Willow Sutherland – 4th grade, 1st year Harper Anderson – 5th grade, 1st year Skyler Fisher – 6th grade, 3rd year         ..read more