Bible verse of the day

Ethics Daily

Anniversary of Bailey Smith's Harmful Moment in Baptist-Jewish Relations
Bailey Smith, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, claimed 30 years ago that God "does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Today, other Southern Baptist leaders have rhetorically followed his lead.

A 'Transformative Moment' in SBC Political Activity
Ronald Reagan, then the GOP nominee for president, joined a who's who of conservative Christians on a Dallas stage 30 years ago, convincing many Southern Baptists and other evangelicals to join the Republican cause.

Muslim Documentary Accepted at Festival
"Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," the most recent documentary from EthicsDaily.com, has been officially selected as part of the International Black Film Festival of Nashville.

British Churches Focus on 2012 Olympics in London
The London 2012 Olympics are less than two years away, and churches in Great Britain are beginning to develop plans for outreach, hospitality and service during the event.

Ken Starr Joins Baptist Church – Without Attending
Ken Starr, the new president of Baylor University, promised to join a Baptist church once he was on the job in Waco. He kept that promise, joining a church without even being present for the service.

While working on a few small construction projects with friends, there would always seem to be a moment when only one person was working while the rest of us took a break or were waiting for something to do. During those moments, someone
would joke that we were just like the road crews with more people appearing to supervise than actually working.

Unfortunately, it seems that such situations often occur in our churches as well, especially when it comes to evangelism. In 1950, Southern Baptists baptized one person for every 19 members. Yet, in 2004, Southern Baptists baptized one person for every 42 members. We are becoming less effective in reaching others. This should not be too surprising since some studies suggest that most Christians have never shared their faith with another person. Adding to the problem is the fact that as our society has changed, so have the evangelistic efforts needed to reach the average non-Christian. Large evangelistic "crusades" no longer work for most Americans. Instead, people need the personal one-on-one relational contact with a Christians who both shares the Good News and lives it out.

Although many claim America is a "Christian nation," there are tens of millions of Americans who are not Christians. If we take the Great Commission seriously, then we must be motivated to act and start to share hope with our neighbors. We must take the initiative to share with others and help train those have not yet shared their faith with others. Although it might be funny to joke about friends not doing their part on the construction project, it is not funny when the task being avoided is the sharing of the Good News.