Better Together

Ministering to Internationals in the Midwest - Bradley Mercer

“There are 3,700 international students on campus, and around 110 different countries represented, so it’s a huge and ripe field.”

Bradley Mercer describes the mission field he works in on the campus of Mizzou, and tells the ways he is cultivating relationships and meeting the needs of the students there. He also offers encouragement to churches with a college campus nearby with ways to minister there.

Bradley is part of IM, Inc.'s growing initiative to reach international students in the US. Find out more about how you can support his ministry at https://iminc.org/im-missionaries/bradley-mercer/.

NAFWB and IM, Inc. have also formed a Reaching College Students Task Force, aimed at equipping churches to minister on college campuses. More resources will be available soon. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #CollegeStudents #Ministry #Missions #CollegeMinistry

Getting the Most From Your Building: Lessons From the Brown Group

“Most churches in America were built institutional and educational, not relational.”

Todd Brown of Brown Church Development Group discusses the changes in the church over the last 40 years and how the Brown Group can help churches plan to intentionally be more relational through consulting, design, finances, and church building/construction.

Find more at https://www.churchdevelopment.net. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Church

The Benefits of Rekindle – Travis Alexander

“The thing that most churches are finding out is that they don’t necessarily feel like they’re unhealthy (and they may not be unhealthy), but what I tell them is we can always do better.”

Travis Alexander, executive director of ARFWB missions, describes the process of Rekindle. Churches walk through an assessment of themselves and identify areas where they can improve. For more about Rekindle, contact us at questions@nafwb.org. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #ChurchRevitalization

Free Will Baptists in Puerto Rico - Jose Correa & Wilberto Moreno

Jose Correa and Wilberto Moreno discuss the ministries of Puerto Rico Free Will Baptists, including Jesús es el Centro IBL and Genesis Academy.

Sunday is the Mission North America Offering, providing vital funding for ministries like this through Free Will Baptist North American Ministries. Find out more about how to give at https://www.fwbnam.com/mna/. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #ChurchPlanting #Gospel #Discipleship

Planting a Church in Hickory – Brandon Smith

“We want to equip families with the hope of the Gospel and equip them with the Biblical truths for their everyday life.”

Brandon Smith, lead pastor at Equip Church, talks about the ways their church plant hopes to reach the community of Hickory, North Carolina. Equip Church is a church planting partnership of North Carolina Association of Free Will Baptists and Free Will Baptist North American Ministries.

Sunday is the Mission North America Offering, providing vital funding for Free Will Baptist North American Ministries. Find out more about how to give at https://www.fwbnam.com/mna/. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #ChurchPlanting #Gospel #Discipleship  

Christians in Culture - Matthew S. Bracey & Chris Talbot

“It demonstrates that what we believe theologically and biblically also fits with what we can believe when it comes to history, and economics, and science and all of these other things.”

Matthew S. Bracey and Chris Talbot of Welch College, editors of Christians in Culture, preview the new release from Welch Press, aimed at helping Christians live faithfully in a confusing culture.

Order your copy of Christians in Culture: https://welchpress.com. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Christianity #Culture #ChristianWorldview

How One Church Stretched to Fight Addiction - Mike Cox

“God was showing me if you’re going to be in this area, you cannot ignore this neighborhood.”

When Church H2O began planning to relocate their church, they found themselves near a neighborhood that desperately needed to be shown the love of Christ. Pastor Mike Cox shares how the church has found a way to meet the needs of the people around them by reaching them right where they are. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Ministry #Outreach #Addiction

How God Got Me Through After My Trooper Husband Was Shot—Twice - Jowand Larrimore

“You are in a situation where all you can do is depend on the Lord.”

Jowand Larrimore tells the story of when her husband, Tim, was shot while serving as a SC State Trooper and the way the Lord sustained them through a near-tragedy. Tim and his wife now serve pastoring Liberty FWB Church. She shares her experience as a pastor’s wife and ways that a congregation can support law enforcement families as well as their pastor’s family. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #LawEnforcement #PastorAppreciationMonth #Pastors

How You Can Help Your Church With Social Media - Lauren Biggs

“How are we spending our time on social media? What are we sharing? Are you using it to be a light in the darkness of the social media landscape? Are you using it as a ministry versus just posting content?”

Lauren Biggs, media and content coordinator for IM, Inc., shares some things to consider as a church works to use social media platforms to reach its congregation and the community. She gives “dos and don’ts” and practical tips for laying out a social media plan to engage your audience. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #SocialMedia #Ministry #Church

Does the Pastor Placement Program Work? – Barry Long

“What I tell our church is I’m not a perfect pastor and this isn’t a perfect church, but it brought us together to serve a perfect God.”

Barry Long discusses the pastor placement program, where churches seeking a pastor and pastors seeking a church fill out a questionnaire to help determine their compatibility of philosophy, traditions, and practices. Through the program, Barry was called as pastor to Heritage Free Will Baptist Church.

The program is part of the Refresh initiative of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. You can find more about the church and pastor questionnaires at https://nafwb.org/refresh/. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Pastor #Church