Tag: Bob Weeks

In my journeys to churches around the State of Indiana, I am noticing that many of our churches are filled primarily with people that are at or are fast approaching retirement age. While we can argue the merits of reaching families to grow our churches younger we must also care for the sheep God has […]

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The Baptist Foundation of Indiana exists to support the work of the churches of our State Convention.  What better way to stand alongside our churches than to encourage and elevate the training of her pastors? You might think that the Foundation uses OUR money to give scholarships.  That would be wrong.  BFI has no money […]

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Bill and Mildred lived in a small two-bedroom home that was built sometime in the early 1950’s. It was surrounded by overflowing flower boxes filled with bright blooms that somehow drew attention that the house could use some paint and a bit of repair. They had a yard sale. Not just a once or twice-a-year […]

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Barrington Ridge Baptist Church in Hobart, IN worked to maintain its parking lot every year. Over the years they invested more and more time and money filling the potholes in an effort to provide a nice place to park and ensure safe walking into their facility. This year, however, the parking lot was impossible to […]

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A pastor that I contacted to tell him that I had just accepted a position with the Baptist Foundation of Indiana (BFI) replied to me, “So, I am confused. Do we have a foundation? Our money just got returned.” Yes, people and ministries got their money back. No, the Foundation did not die, but there […]

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OK, I am officially old. I had cataract surgery last month. All my life, my vision has been somewhat of an issue. I got glasses at eight years old. I was unable to qualify in a night firing exercise in the Army after leading the way in the daylight. I had difficulty identifying one color […]

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On September 23, 1857, six people gathered to pray because of what they perceived as a spiritual decline in America.  The prayer meeting was organized by Jeremiah Lanphier, a business owner. Historians say this noon prayer gathering on Fulton Street in New York was the beginning of a movement of Prayer that swept the nation […]

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We all have seen the reports. The American Evangelical Church is in decline. Aubrey Malphurs reports that 80-85% of churches are plateaued or declining. Tom Rainer suggests the number is 84%. Here in Indiana, we did an informal survey of about half of our Associations and they have indicated that 75% of their churches were […]

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If we thought that after the November Elections we would return to normal – we were wrong. If we thought the arrival of a new year was going to miraculously alter our circumstances and return us to normal – we were wrong.

I think it is time we begin to consider that waiting for normal is like waiting for a ship that has already sailed. Perhaps we need to accept, we are living in the “normal” right now.

So if the “Normal” looks like what we have then what do we have?

The church I serve as an Interim Pastor has about 50% of the people attending than they did PC (Pre Covid-19). Giving has remained strong. Does that sound familiar? Most reports I have received from pastors say the same.

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Now that the Covid-19 restrictions have been decreased, most of our SCBI churches have begun to meet in person once again. I heard it put this way, “We’re getting back to normal!” Sure, we can get back to normal – but should we?

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