Much of the world’s greatest hymnody and poetry has been more therapeutic for the writer who penned the words than for those who continue to read them decades later. Such is the case with the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his classic Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” originally titled “Christmas Bells.” In the depths of his unimaginable grief, Longfellow’s pen etched a journey from personal despair to resolute hope.
What if the story of the prodigal son and the Christmas story got together? Our 2023 Christmas musical, “Coming Home to Bethlehem” provides at least a possible answer to that question.
An original drama set in Bethlehem, PA is matched with sparkling music presented by the choirs and orchestra of Friendship Baptist Church to tell a story of rebellion, hurt, longing, waiting, and redemption.
A few months ago, during the 2023 FBC Missions Conference, Pastor Vradenburgh shared that the Lord had laid it on his heart to have others specifically ask God to reach down and to call someone from our midst into the whitened harvest field. He had no idea who it would be, but he was praying that God would touch somebody.
Later, he found out that the Lord had touched Ashley Huskey’s heart—even before then.
As tourists travel to a destination, they often plan to visit specific sites in that region or city. It’s common for these travelers to explore one of the magnificent cathedrals in that city.
But do those cathedrals point people to the powerful and loving God, or do they muffle and confuse people when it comes to how they see God?
How would I describe the ARCH young adults fellowship? Familiar faces mingled with new. Warm greetings and introductions. Genuine love. This fellowship has quickly become one of the highlights of my summer…
When I was little—and even now—I looked forward to the summer. The school year was officially over. It was time for vacations and a time to forget about school. I was anxious to play outside with my neighbors, to head out on a special trip with my family, or to finally get a chance to spend the night at my cousin’s or my grandparents’ house. It was a time of relaxation from schedules—a time to decompress….
Col. Steve Martin reminds us that our nation was founded on the cornerstone of the great pilgrim quest to worship God without the constraint of government. In recent years, we’ve seen a shocking decline in the moral standard in our country. It has predictably mirrored the decline in church attendance and the ability of the church to maintain influence on the moral compass of our nation.
In a few weeks, thirty-eight of our students are preparing to cross the platform and receive their diplomas. As they begin their own great journey, they too will need a North Star by which to navigate successfully. Our prayer is that our students, and us too, will avoid the trap of self-navigating this life with feelings, opinions, and emotions as their guides. We pray that they will start on the right course, stay on the right course, and direct others to the right course as they live the lives God has created them for.
I recently had the opportunity to travel to a country in South Asia to help run a Christian teen camp. The poverty that I expected to see in that part of the country was a reality. It didn’t take very long for me to realize how many things I take for granted at home. Just as I had been told, a few days into this mission trip, I recognized how unbelievably blessed my life has been. But at the same time, the unexpected life changing experience I was having had nothing to do with how “rich” I was feeling, but rather with seeing how “poor” I truly am.
We were privileged to have the Coffey Ministry Team with us Sunday through Wednesday. We worshiped. We heard powerful truth from Scripture. We were convicted. We prayed. And we were reminded of God’s grace time and time again.
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