Young Alabama Preacher Becomes Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church at 19 Years Old

Courtney Meadows, Preaching Since the Age of Six, Believes He's Been 'Called' by God to Ministry

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter

July 9, 2013|1:53 pm

 

Courtney Meadows, currently 19 and preaching since the age of six, was finally able to answer his calling when he was installed as pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in White Hall, Ala., during a recent and well-attended Sunday service.
"I can honestly say, there has never been a time when I couldn't imagine myself preaching," Meadows told the Montgomery Advertiser. "I always make this statement: If I'm not preaching, life is not worth living for me, because I know that's what I've been called to do."
Meadows couldn't help but smile, and the congregation laugh with him, when the presiding bishop mentioned during his installation service the New Testament requirement for a church leader to be the husband of one wife and manage his children — "when the time comes," the bishop added.

READ MORE at the CHRISTIAN POST

Being the wife of a pastor for 40 years has had its share of challenges that thankfully we learned to navigate, especially early in our marriage.

We were 28 years young with two small children when Jimmy accepted the call to lead Trinity, which made for several very difficult years for our marriage and family. I know our struggles are not unique to ministry couples—far from it. So when Jimmy asked me to write for the July-August issue of Ministry Today, I knew I wanted to share some of my own experiences and story in an honest letter to pastors’ wives. (If you’re a pastor reading this, you’ll likely gain some real insight into your wife’s journey.)

What follows are some specific lessons—sometimes learned in hard ways—to encourage you that you are not, and never have been, alone.

Marriage and family are prime targets for Satan, especially pastors’ marriages. When we began MarriageToday, we were actually going though the toughest times of our lives and marriage. We began to recognize that marriage and family are the areas Satan attacks the most. If you’re a pastor’s wife, you need to grasp that Satan wants to destroy your family even more than the church.

Understanding how God sees me gives me the freedom to be myself. I knew I was not the typical “pastor’s wife.” I didn’t teach or have any musical abilities. Our church never put pressure on me to be anything more than Jimmy’s wife.

- See more at: http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-leadership/women-in-leadership/20189-an-open-letter-to-pastors-wives?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29#sthash.sWem3WAT.dpuf

Where Christian Persecution is Worst - World Watch List 2013

The Love Dare: iBookstore

CALL TO PRAYER: 5 summer prayer action steps

PALATINE, Ill. (BP) -- We've entered the dog-days of summer (July and August) -- this often oppressive and sweltering time of year that coincides with traditional summer slumps in church attendance as families scatter for summer vacations and other summertime activities.

But our need for prayer is never greater. Here are five suggestions to make your dog days of summer sparkle with spiritual freshness:

Family table time -- Ask each church family to use at least one family meal each week to pray for their neighbors, whether those who live nearby, people they work with or fellow students. Keep a log of the names and needs of those the Lord leads toward in prayer. During a Sunday morning service in August, ask families to come prepared to share their prayers and God's responses.

Schedule a church picnic -- Before the festivities begin, ask every family to form a circle and to pray (facing inward) for the church, its spiritual health, its ministry vision and its evangelistic effectiveness. Reverse positions to face outward and pray for the community, its needs, its leaders and the church's influence on it.

READ MORE at Baptist Press

"One Year" The Next Chapter - Steve Saint

Billy Graham Team Consoling Community Where 19 Firefighters Died

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

July 2, 2013|12:58 pm

Members of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were sent out to Prescott, Ariz., to offer support to a community grieving after 19 firefighters lost their lives on Sunday in a scorching wildfire that continues to rage through the region.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those firefighters as well as the fire station," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham RRT. "Firefighters are like brothers."

READ MORE at the CHRISTIAN POST

Learning From Young Atheists: What Turned Them Off Christianity

By Eric Metaxas , Christian Post Contributor

July 2, 2013|10:10 am

It's something most Christian parents worry about: You send your kids off to college and when they come back, you find they've lost their faith. The prospect of this happening is why many parents nudge their kids towards Christian colleges, or at least schools with a strong Christian presence on campus.

But in many ways, the damage has been done long before our children set foot on campus. That's the message from a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly.
My friend Larry Taunton of the Fixed Point Foundation set out to find out why so many young Christians lose their faith in college. He did this by employing a method I don't recall being used before: He asked them.

READ MORE at the CHRISTIAN POST

Loss of 19 firemen in Arizona prompts chaplains' deployment

Posted on Jul 1, 2013 | by Tobin Perry

YARNELL, Ariz. (BP) -- After an out-of-control, lightning-induced fire in Yarnell, Ariz., killed 19 firefighters on Sunday, Southern Baptists are mobilizing disaster relief chaplains to walk alongside grieving families to offer spiritual support.

The deaths represented the worst firefighting tragedy in Arizona's history, the Phoenix daily Arizona Republic reported.

As of Monday morning, Arizona Southern Baptists had connected with local churches near Yarnell and were determining the needs of the impacted families. Chaplain teams are already on the way to the disaster, said Larry Hyde, the disaster relief director for the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.

"Our response to hurting families is to help hurting people, not to make Baptists out of them," Hyde said. "We're just out there to support people's needs and share the love of Jesus at a time when their lives are falling apart."

READ MORE at BPNEWS.NET

Christian Tight Rope Stuntman Praises Jesus Entire Way Over Grand Canyon

Christian Tight Rope Stuntman Praises Jesus Entire Way Over Grand Canyon from ourgodisforus on GodTube.

Sweet Baby is Overcome With Praises for Jesus!

Sweet Baby is Overcome With Praises for Jesus! from kidsarecute on GodTube.