I've not yet seen The Pastor's Kid: Finding Your Own Faith and Identity by Barnabas Piper, which releases today. But having spent a few years as one of 25 or so apprentices at Bethlehem Baptist Church, I'm intrigued by a book which (among other things, I'm sure) gives perspective on what it was like growing up in the Piper household. Today Jonathan Merritt posts an interview with Barnabas. Here's an excerpt: RNS: What was the biggest negative you experienced growing up in the Piper household? Greatest positive? BP: The biggest negative was not connecting with God in a personal way. My … [Read more...] about The Pastor’s Kid – Barnabas Piper
Practical Ministry
Big Sale on Preparing Your Teens for College
Available on Amazon's Kindle, or other e-readers. Or learn more about the book. … [Read more...] about Big Sale on Preparing Your Teens for College
Westminster’s Global Impact
WTS Global Impact: … [Read more...] about Westminster’s Global Impact
Most Southern Baptist Churches Baptize Almost No Millennials
The troubling decline in SBC baptisms has entered its 7th year, per the 2013 Annual Church Profile. Kate Tracy with Christianity Today writes: According to a recent report by a special task force of pastors, the baptism drought in America's largest evangelical denomination—which counts 15.7 million members and 5.8 million Sunday worshipers—is worst among millennials. In last year's Annual Church Profile, 60 percent of the more than 46,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) reported no youth baptisms (ages 12 to 17) in 2012, and 80 percent reported only one or zero baptisms … [Read more...] about Most Southern Baptist Churches Baptize Almost No Millennials
Under 40? Got Student Debt? Good Chance You’re Poor
Walter Hamilton writing for the LA Times: College graduate heads-of-household under 40 with student debt have a median net worth of only $8,700, according to the analysis by the Pew Research Center. That’s a fraction of the $64,700 the same group without college loans is worth. They're not all drowning in student debt--the median student debt for this group is about $13,000--it's that "because of the other loans they’ve taken out, the median total indebtedness of college graduates under 40 with student loans is $137,010...compared to $73,250 for their counterparts with no college debt." … [Read more...] about Under 40? Got Student Debt? Good Chance You’re Poor
What Are Some of the Key Issues Facing Youth Ministry Today?
A great discussion between David Plant, director of youth ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City; Cameron Cole, director of youth ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama; and Liz Edrington, who is pursuing her master's degree in counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. HT: Collin Hansen, who has more info. … [Read more...] about What Are Some of the Key Issues Facing Youth Ministry Today?