When we moved to Jefferson City, the housing market was rather difficult. Very few homes were available in the price range and size we desired, so we made an offer on a house in the process of being built. The size and layout seemed sufficient for our family, but since the exterior bricks had not been laid yet, we didn’t even know what the finished house would look like. Regardless, we liked the quiet neighborhood, the trees in the back yard, and the proximity to the office, so we moved forward and purchased the house. Thankfully, the bricks ended up looking really nice! We learned quickly tha ..read more

NOTE: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the U.S. During this season, the International Mission Board is celebrating the rich contributions of Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the Revelation 7:9 vision. The emphasis is designed to motivate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to consider missions with the IMB and to mobilize Asian fellowships within the Southern Baptist Convention to partner with IMB in reaching the nations with the good news of Jesus. Please visit imb.org/asian-church-missions for more stories and resources to promote ..read more

BOWLING GREEN – Options for Women (Pregnancy Resource Center) provides information and clinical services to the women in northeastern Missouri and surrounding areas. “We are seeing women in the midst of brokenness.” Carmen Gamm, director of client services and member of Second Baptist Church here, said. “The world is telling them that abortion is ok and that they should be able to live and to make plans without a baby. We are trying to give them resources to avoid that catastrophic decision.” The center has grown in recent years, expanding from its beginnings in Bowling Green to a new location ..read more

Many of my fondest memories involve books—scanning my father’s bookshelves as a boy, perusing the set of print encyclopedias displayed in my family’s living room, growing in faith as a teenager while reading missionary biographies, like Jesse Fletcher’s Bill Wallace of China. My father often took me and my siblings to the local library in the small, western Oklahoma town where I grew up. It was a treat to spend an hour there, letting my mind roam free among so many books. The library was a haven from the bustle of life, and a place where I could learn and dream. Even today, I can think of few ..read more

LIBERIA – Several churches in the Black River Association have begun assisting a ministry to children in the western African nation of Liberia. The ministry is called Calvary Love Ministries.  The association has sponsored mission trips several times and plans to continue to support the Liberian ministry. Paul Reams, the associational mission strategist explained that the Calvary Love organization ministers primarily to orphans—many who do not have parents or whose parents could not provide for them. There are about 30 children there. Calvary Love Ministries also has a Christian school wi ..read more

ST. LOUIS – Questions are swirling around Christians in today’s culture, and 1 Peter 3:15 charges believers to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks for a reason for the hope in Christ. Two events equipped both adults and youth to give those answers. A St. Louis Youth Conference was held on April 6 at First Baptist Church St. John in St. Charles, and an event called “Navigating Hot Topics with a Cool Head” was held for all ages at Fellowship of Wildwood (FOW), April 7. Both events featured Greg Koukl, founder and president of Stand to Reason (www.str.org), and the author of ..read more

SEDALIA – First Baptist Church here is hosting a conference on biblical manhood, April 26-28. “One of the great tragedies of our day is the weakening of manhood,” Jeremiah Greever, pastor of First Baptist, Sedalia, said. “Biblical manhood is an essential component of God’s design for thriving in the family, church, and community. To help encourage and equip men in their calling, First Baptist Church of Sedalia will be hosting Dr. Owen Strachan on April 26-28 for the conference, ‘What is Biblical Manhood? A Call to Courage and Conviction.'” Strachan is the Provost and Research Professor of Theo ..read more

by Kristen Sosebee Sonya Herron stood beneath a small tent among a group of lepers, and others from the village, and shared the gospel with boldness. She called people to walk in the light as Jesus is the Light and challenged them to be fully committed to Christ. Afterward, an older man, missing one leg, came forward on crutches. He declared his allegiance to Christ in front of the entire group and put his faith in Jesus. The man, who suffers from leprosy, is one of almost 50 lepers in the village. “You don’t hear much about these people, people with leprosy, because they are more hidden, and ..read more

ST. LOUIS – Busy moms need prayer, but they also need to pray. A new book, released, April 2, and called Honest Prayers for Mama Bears will help moms and others do that. Honest Prayers was written by Hillary Morgan Ferrer, founder and president of Mama Bear Apologetics, and Julie Loos, member of Fellowship of Wildwood and member of the MBC Apologetics Network. “When we started this book,” Loos said, “we wanted to capture what was on a mom’s heart. I’m passionate about prayer and we wanted to establish a resource to help others with prayer.” Loos has more than 20 years in prayer ministry, servi ..read more

HAMILTON – The Heartland Baptist Association is hosting the “Engage Christian Worldview Conference,” April 30, in Hamilton, Mo. The “Engage” conference is co-sponsored also by the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Christian Life Commission. Keynote speakers include MBC President Chris Williams, pastor of Fellowship Church, Greenwood, and MBC legislative liaison Timothy Faber, Director of Missions with the Lake of the Ozarks Baptist Association. Pastor Dave Nixdorf of River of Life Baptist Church, Cameron, is a member of the MBC’s Christian Life Commission and has helped to organize the “Enga ..read more