From the Executive Office

Last Fall, I introduced the Hoosier Heartbeat for Missions, a packaged way of expressing our commitment to providing churches with opportunities to be active in missions in our state and globally. We need to fuel the IMB pipeline with more missionary candidates, and we need to actively reach people in our state and beyond with […]

Read More

Ministry families can often feel overwhelmed during Holy Week. The preparation for those extra services (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Sunrise Services, Children’s activities, extra music, etc.), in addition to the Resurrection Celebration service, leads to extra hours and time away from the family.  So, let’s get practical.  I posted this on Facebook this week:  “Pastors, […]

Read More

The SCBI started in 1958 with 111 churches and a budget of $122,000 with a purpose to “establish, strengthen and inspire the churches in missionary, educational and benevolent enterprises.” 65 years later, much has changed! Yet, our focus on our churches and the gospel of Christ remains.  We are in a moment where change is […]

Read More

Guidestone, a helpful SBC entity, seeks to enhance financial security and resilience for those who serve the Lord. CEO Hance Dilbeck and Director of Pastoral Wellness, Mark Dance, invited state executive directors and certain state convention staff to attend a summit at the Guidestone building.  I love Guidestone’s new vision: every servant of Christ finishes […]

Read More

Our partnership with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) is expanding to create our Next Step Certificate Program (NSCP). All SBC seminaries offer certificates, but this is the first we know where a state convention is bringing seminary professors into our state to teach our pastors and lay people in person with a customized certificate […]

Read More

Our polarized culture has bled into churches, at times creating postures of distrust, uncharitable exchanges, and ignorance about situations and issues. It should be expected, then, that misunderstandings will abound in the SBC, considering we are all finite beings. Understanding ignorance as “the state or fact of being ignorant: lack of knowledge, education, or awareness […]

Read More

Of all the statistics I could mention, I’m very thankful that 91 churches were represented in the messenger attendance at our Annual Summit in October, 2022.  2021: 65 churches. 2022: 91 churches.  The 26-church increase this year is 21% of our 432 SCBI-affiliated churches.  But that’s 26 more churches than last year attending our most […]

Read More

Diversity Size, leadership style, methodology, and ethnicities– I love the diversity of churches in our convention! At the Annual Summit, you get to spend time with leaders who are doing things differently than you, which could inspire you in your ministry context.  Plus, this year, I want to celebrate ethnic diversity and facilitate encouragement for […]

Read More

The SCBI wants to set the environment for every church to be active in missions in our state and globally.  We need to fuel the IMB pipeline with more missionary candidates, and we need to actively reach people in our state and beyond with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Hoosier Heartbeat for Missions is […]

Read More

We all desire and long for Revelation 7:9-10: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a […]

Read More