In what he hopes will be a “game-changer in terms of the Cooperative Program and our whole relationship with missions,” Hayes Wicker has led First Baptist Church in Naples, to launch the “Great Commission Connection.” The initiative aims to personalize missions by linking church members with missionaries and others who serve the denomination, while also boosting funding for Southern Baptists’ cooperative missions. The project already has resulted in connecting 507 families in the Naples congregation with about 1,500 Southern Baptist missionaries, the Florida Baptist Convention and faculty members of Southern Baptist seminaries. The church anticipates additional families signing up. “The […]

New Hampshire has two proposed laws dealing with same-sex marriage. “One (bill) would repeal the same-sex marriage law enacted last year,” said Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Action. “The other would put the question of a constitutional amendment to give the people of New Hampshire a chance to finally have their say on the issue.” There’s also a grassroots movement of people petitioning their local town governments to put the question on the ballot, according to Smith. “Now it would be non-binding, but it would certainly be significant and symbolic for the townspeople to go and vote on it […]

On Jan. 12, Gov. Bob Riley said he will not be hustled into believing video slot machines are the answer to state revenue problems. “I can’t imagine anyone who thinks the best way to help our economy is to have Alabamans lose billions of dollars gambling,” he said in his annual State of the State address. The Alabama Baptist Convention (ABC) held a News conference announcing a resolution against gambling legislation. The group spoke out against the continued push by out-of-state slot manufacturers trying to gain ground in local communities, and is asking the Legislature not to pass any laws […]

A school district in Tennessee has agreed to stop handing out Gideon Bibles to students during the school day, under threat of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Tennessee chapter of the ACLU wrote Wilson County school officials in October, on behalf of the parents of a fifth-grade student. The parents objected to their daughter being pressured to come forward and take a Bible, along with fellow students. The parents, who were not identified by the ACLU, said their daughter was brought into a school gym with other fifth-graders during the school day for a presentation by […]

Three prominent Democrats have announced that they are not going to be running for their seats this year. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he wanted to write books. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., told reporters it was just time for a change. Moments later, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he would drop out, because he wanted to spend more time with his family. What each incumbent hinted at, but left unsaid, was that they were facing long odds in their upcoming races. Ritter and Dorgan didn’t even have announced opponents, but still trailed prospective rivals by 8 and 20 points, […]

Every time I write about marriage, I hear from readers who lament their sexless marriages. The comments are all from men, and they tell of years, sometimes decades, of living together without love, affection or sexual intimacy. The writers describe an arid life of “going separate ways” and “living separate lives.” Often a man will speak admiringly of his wife as the mother of their children and a fine person, but sadly relate that there is no longer any personal interaction between them as a couple. These are the ones who haven’t bothered to divorce, yet they lead lives of […]

Despite assurances by President Obama that the debate over health care reform would be a public one, Democrats are moving to close the meetings to the public. The House and Senate passed different versions of the health care reform bill, and those differences must now be resolved in committee. Rules in both the House and Senate say conference committee meetings must be open to the public, and multiple promises were made during Obama’s presidential campaign that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised. But after a meeting with her leadership team, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said […]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched “Hidden in Plain Sight,” an initiative aimed at educating people about human trafficking. Linda Smith, former congresswoman and president of Shared Hope International, said most people don’t realize middle-school children are being sold every day in the U.S. “These kids are hidden in plain view,” she said. “They are in our foster care system. And they’re in the strip club or the adult venues where they sell sex or produce pornography.” Billboards will be put up in 14 cities across the nation, with a toll-free number for people reporting possible trafficking victims. Smith […]

Sandra Bullock, starring in the movie The Blind Side, made an amazing statement during an interview. Speaking about the Christian mom she portrayed, Bullock confessed, “I finally got to see someone who actually lives what they believe.” “I finally got to see” – Those are very indicting words. In this true story, Bullock plays the role of a foster mom whose faith compelled her to adopt a boy from the streets. This mom lived out her faith in her home, for the boy and for all of us, including the actress, to see. As so often happens, the story behind […]

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case concerning a Texas school district policy that bans students from wearing clothes that declare a political position. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the school dress code. The high court rejected a Dallas high school student’s appeal. Paul Palmer sued the Waxahachie Independent School District for political censorship. The district wouldn’t allow Palmer to wear a T-shirt supporting then-presidential candidate John Edwards. Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the rulings are a “punch in the gut to freedom.” “If you don’t have a right to free […]