#baptist mission

[trexalicious]

This is going to sound crazy but please read the message. I am a Canadian veteran who owns a tree service company with equipment that can safely clear debris on / around roadways and power lines. Truck can reach up and out 109’ with saws to cut.

I do not know who to contact that is legitimate to get information on how to help if it’s possible.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You are wonderful to offer! There are so many areas in need of clean up help! Here are some ideas of people to contact, who aren't big groups like Red Cross, who will make sure help arrives!

I know the Baptist Mission in North Carolina is organizing some local clean up 800.395.5102 ext.5596. The TN Hurricane Helen clean up hotline is 844.965.1386. I've also contacted the regional Rotary Club in the TN area as they're coordinating some cleanup efforts there as well. When I hear back with their phone number, I'll update this.

Please fellow Tumblrs jump in and give local organization info with contact numbers who could help or use the help. God bless you kind Canadian!

[disgruntledexplainer]

churches

upper-class suburban churches kinda creep me out, not gonna lie.

like don’t get me wrong, God is definitely present, but even He seems uncomfortable in those stale, mass-produced things. it doesn’t help that the people there often seem like the only reason they are attending is to keep up appearances.

i dunno, maybe I’m just used to big churches with a larger, more lively and diverse population, or old quiet churches in the poorer parts of town that may be low on membership but are high in devotion and never seem to be entirely empty of people silently praying around the clock, or missions and soaring cathedrals steeped in hundreds of years of history where the very air seems filled by the glory of God. Those are the kinds of churches that exist in my area, and going to them feels like going home.

Even those little start-up baptist churches that set up in abandoned stores around the city seem preferable, even though they don’t belong to my denomination (I’m Catholic); the passion and faith is there at least, and I think that is what God cares about in a Church. After all, didn’t the early Catholic Church set up in catacombs and attics and the like? It’s just a reminder that we aren’t so different.

with the other churches, it feels like i’m walking into a liminal space, a place that is meant to be quickly attended and then left empty for the rest of the week. if these are the kinds of churches that exist across the US, I think it might be a contributing factor to why religion in general is declining here.

it’s doing fine in my city, tho. growing, actually.

[irlactualhuman]

Oh, where's my sermon... it's here somewhere...

*checks notes*

Evangelism is a sin against humanity.

*checks more notes*

That is all. I'm certain I've expounded on this elsewhere.

something that rly creeps me out…..occasionally ill see videos or articles for christians or christian missionaries that say something like “what you need to do is make friends with non christians and really get them to trust you and THEN you start preaching to them and bringing them to jesus” and that is….man how much would it hurt to know that the only reason someone’s hanging out with you is to convert you to a religion you were never interested in. maybe this is a real friend, someone you really really feel like you connect to, and all of a sudden you cant hang out with them without being scared they’ll bring out the jesus stuff.

[hishandsguatemala]

Faith and Fundraising: Our New Church Vision in Guatemala

After 20 years of serving the LORD here in Guatemala, of all the visions that the LORD has given me, I am the most excited about this next project. After the back-to-back hurricanes flooded the first church we built here in the community a few years ago, I have had building a new one in the back of my mind for some time now. It was not until this past summer when I spent 3 months here in…

[biblebloodhound]

Confronting the Evil in Front of Us (Mark 6:14-29)

Unfortunately, there are individuals in this world incapable of doing good.

St. John the Baptist rebuking Herod, by Giovanni Fattori (1825-1908) King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John,…

[christianblogr]

The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board's 150th Anniversary

The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board's 150th Anniversary — As the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) marks a significant milestone, celebrating 150 years of unwavering service and spiritual guidance, we take a moment to reflect on the profound impact it has had on countless lives and communities. #TBMB #tnbaptist

The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s 150th Anniversary — As the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) marks a significant milestone, celebrating 150 years of unwavering service and spiritual guidance, we take a moment to reflect on the profound impact it has had on countless lives and communities. #TBMB #tnbaptist The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s 150th Anniversary A Journey Through…

[pastorkevinc]

The Lovable (and Not So Lovable) Mr. Levergood

Mr. Levergood, as everyone knew him, suddenly died this past week (May 29, 2024) of a heart attack. Bill was a husband, father to two, grandfather to five, great grandfather to four, pastor to many, and dean to hundreds. Serving the past couple of decades in the Deans Department (Dean of Men and Dean of Students) at Mission University (formerly Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary,…

[elgallinero]

Practice English

share.libbyapp.com/title/110626

[proseandpeonies]

i hate baptists why are you posting national geographic-level photos about your 'outreach' (this is a codeword for mission trip) in the global south. bitch all you're doing is reaching for a vacation. stfu and go home

[padrebaldo]

Pour Jésus, le baptême est-il un signe de conversion pour le pardon des péchés ? Alors Jésus avait-il aussi des péchés ? Et s’il ne les avait pas, pourquoi a-t-il également participé et reçu le baptême ? Une sorte de mise en scène ? Pourquoi Jésus a-t-il « vu les cieux déchirés » ? Pourquoi une colombe descend-elle sur lui ? Quelle signification le baptême a-t-il pour Jésus et quelles sont ses conséquences pour tous les chrétiens ?

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Pigs Not Blind Says Cameron," Cobalt Daily Nugget. February 6, 1912. Page 1. --- TORONTO, Feb. 6. - Rev. C. J. Cameron, assistant superintendent of Baptist Home Missions, writes from the north country of the trip he made to Porcupine. More in evidence than transports he says were the scores of blind pigs which have made Porcupine notorious throughout Canada as synominous for lawlessness. The term "blind" is misnomer, says Cameron, as the illicit saloons are run wide open.

[revdrjamesjshowersjr]

Dallas Life Foundation

I was just reading the Bio on our 1 lt. Bailey, and thinking about the Dallas Life Foundation and their work with the Homeless in Dallas,Texas. So let us add the Dallas Life Foundation and the HUD/VASH Program in Dallas Texas and the prayer requests for today. Medline and the Veterans Resource Center-Dallas,Texas. US Air Marshals Service...

[notanotherbaptistpodcast]

Missional Student Ministry with Cameron Crow

Kyle is tied up, but Matt was in Puerto Rico with Cameron Crow, the new student pastor of FBC Farmersville, for a mission trip––which made for a great opportunity to talk through his approach to student ministry. For ministry training that prioritizes both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, we would encourage you to consider Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Southwestern Seminary equips students in living their calling, seeking to glorify God through Christ-centered education that encourages academic excellence and faithful ministry preparation.

They are grace filled, Christ centered, scripturally grounded, confessionally guided, student focused, and globally engaged.

Learn more about Southwestern Seminary's recently reaffirmed core values at swbts.edu/corevalues.

[oncedelivered]

Article XI of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000: Evangelism and missions

Following is another in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000. “Those who have received the gospel are to share it. This obligation God placed upon redeemed men, not upon angels. If men do not tell the story, it will not be told.” – Herschel Hobbs Article XI of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads: “It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every…

[cevansbrat0007]

Hello, Duchess

Summary: Your first encounter with Bounty Hunter, Ari Levinson, goes worse than you ever could've imagined. Takes place directly after the events in New in Town.

Warnings: Mature Themes, Ari Being A Menace, Bickering, Implied Jealousy, Threats of Violence, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Special thanks to my creative consultant, @curls-and-eyeliner. Part my Sweet Renegade Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Ari’s P.O.V.

“Can’t believe this town actually has a real live bookstore.” Ari muses as he pulls up in front of the tiny, quaint-looking bookstore. “Fuckin’ wild.” Throwing his truck in park he takes a moment to survey the area, making note of the empty lot.

‘Must not do much business.’ He thinks before climbing out of his vehicle and confidently striding toward the door. Hopefully, the lack of an audience would make things flow a hell of a lot faster. Hell, if you were anything like some of the other women in this town, he’d probably just have to smile and flash his baby blues to convince you to spill your guts.

In fact, he was practically banking on it. Because this wasn’t Ari’s first rodeo – not by a long shot. He’d spent a lot of his life in and out of small towns like Bell’s Creek, which was part of the reason he couldn’t wait to bag his latest bounty and put this place, and its people, in his rearview mirror. Ari reaches for the handle on the door, only to frown when he gets a look at the sign hanging in the window that reads: “sorry, we’re closed”. 

Well, that couldn’t be right. 

He could’ve sworn that when he’d pressed Mrs. Turner, the First Lady of Calvary Baptist Church, about your whereabouts she’d said he’d be able to find you at your shop. Something about your preferring to work instead of resting and rejoicing on the Lord’s day. 

While the bounty hunter supposed he could always try back tomorrow, he was keen to check you off his list. Refusing to admit defeat, he decides to try his luck anyway, only to be surprised when the door opens with a tinkling chime of a bail. 

Confused but also now on high alert, Ari takes a tentative step inside as he looks for any sign of life. “Hello?” He calls out, finally allowing the door to swing shut behind him. Instinct has him reaching for his back pocket, checking to make sure he had brought along his firearm.

Just in case.

“Is anybody here?” He tries again, moving further into the shop. The place is clean and well lit, and boasts rack after rack of books. But what’s most impressive is that there doesn’t appear to be a speck of dust anywhere. “Look, I just came by to–”

“We’re closed!” A disembodied voice sounds from the back of the store. 

“Yeah, I saw the sign, ma’am…” He clears his throat. “But I think you forgot to lock the door, so I –”

“That means get out!”

“So much for southern hospitality.” Ari grumbles under his breath as he continues on his mission to track down the owner of the voice. “Ma’am, I just wanna talk. And maybe–ahh shit!” He curses when his hip accidentally connects with a half-full rolling cart, sending several of the heavier books crashing to the ground. “Sorry!” 

“Did you just break something?!” The voice suddenly screeches. “Don’t make me get my taser.”

“There’s no need for that.” Instead of picking them up, the bounty hunter hastily nudges them aside with his foot. “My name is Ari Levinson, and I’m just here to ask you a couple of questions.”

While this isn’t how the man had expected any of this to go, he’s relieved when he sees a familiar face peek at him from around the corner. A face that happened to be even more beautiful than he initially remembered. Even though it had only been a couple of hours since he’d seen you last. 

Damn! It was as if the image of you in that dress taking up space at the other end of the pew was now permanently imprinted into his brain. He'd have to tread lightly here.

Otherwise things could get complicated. Fast.

Your P.O.V

“Pretty sure this is what law enforcement calls trespassing.” You sniff, craning your head around the corner to stare at the man who was taking up entirely too much space in the narrow hallway. Sure said man was easy on the eyes, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t at least a little concerned about his apparent inability to read. 

“I can assure you that’s not what this is.” The lawman holds up his palms in an effort to placate you. 

And although you try not to stare, it’s impossible to miss just how big they are – how rough they seemed – with just the right amount of callus. You can’t help but wonder what those hands would feel like on your bare flesh. 

“Then what is it?” You ask, struggling to keep your tone short and clipped as you emerge from your hiding place. The last thing you needed was to have this man thinking you were actually attracted to him. 

If anything, you considered yourself to be curious. No harm there, right? 

“As I said, my name is Ari Levinson. I’m a bounty hunter from just outside Rosewell, New Mexico who also occasionally moonlights as a private investigator.” He tells you, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I just stopped by to ask you a couple of questions. And while I didn’t necessarily mean to intrude, I figured you might appreciate me taking a more delicate approach on account of your relationship with my person of interest.”

Fucking Martin Westbrook. He’d been the bane of your existence ever since you’d first crossed paths back in high school. 

“I know you’re looking for Martin.” Annoyed by the very nature of the conversation, you pick up a box, hefting it onto your hip so that you can carry it out to the sales floor. “But I’m not quite sure how much help I can be.”

You brush past him, inwardly smiling when he scrambles to get out of your way. It was a subtle reminder that this was your shop. And you absolutely refused to be intimidated by him or anyone else. 

“I’m sure whatever you have to say will be plenty helpful.” He’s quick to reassure you as he turns to follow the path you set. “Provided you’re honest, that is.”

“Did you really just waltz into my shop and call me a liar, Mr. Levinson?” 

“I meant no offense.” Ari coughs, scrubbing a weary hand over his bearded jaw. If you were the overly presumptuous type, you might think you’d just managed to fluster the poor man.

Now feeling extra prickly, you drop the box onto the far counter of your cashwrap before turning to face your unwelcome guest. “As you can see, I have a busy day’s work ahead of me. And I was really keen on doing it by myself.” You gesture at the array of other boxes and racks placed around the store. “So if we could get a move on, I would greatly appreciate it.”  

“Gladly.” He gives a brief look around. “Is there some place maybe where you and I can sit and chat?”

“I’d say here is about as good a place as any.” You tell him as you step behind the counter. Bending down, you snag a bottle of cleaner, along with a couple of rags. If this man insisted on being here, then he would just have to deal with you taking care of your business. “I’m pretty confident in my ability to multitask.”  

Nodding along, Ari pulls out a small notepad and pen from his back pocket. “When was the last time you saw Mr. Westbrook?”

You let out a sigh as you begin to spray down your countertops with your all-purpose cleaner. While you supposed you could’ve gone with something a little more industrial, you were partial to the way this particular brand’s products always smelled. 

“I don’t know.” You shrug as you bask in the scent of rose and cedar. “Maybe three, four weeks ago.” 

“Do you happen to recall the day and time?”

“No. Not really. If I had to ballpark it, I’d guess sometime around the 5th of last month.” You move to the next flat surface, spraying it down just like the last.

“You sure about that?” You try not to let it irk you when you see him take a seat on a nearby step stool out of the corner of your eye. 

“As much as I can be.” 

“And did Mr. Westbrook happen to give you any indication of where he might be headed?”

“Nope.”

He’d been nervous though. That much you did recall. By the time he’d come to you that night, your old friend had been well beyond spooked. 

“Did he give you his reason for leaving?”

“We didn’t…” You trail off, taking a moment to scrub at a particularly stubborn sticky spot that’s marring the wood. “There wasn’t really much time for talking.” You’re so concerned with scrubbing that you miss the way the county hunter’s eyes narrow as he studies you. “He just stopped over to say goodbye.”

And to borrow all the cash you happened to have on hand – to the tune of $500. Enough for a bus ticket and a couple nights in a dirt cheap motel.

“Right.” Ari scoffs, admittedly with a bit more heat than he intends. “Not a lot of time for talking.” He pauses briefly to drag a hand through his shaggy brown locks. “Not sure why I didn’t wanna believe them.” 

“Am I sensing a problem, Mr. Levinson?” You hum, tossing your rag to the side in favor of focusing on the rugs. 

“I guess I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that he kept you in the dark about his plans.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “In my experience, most men like Martin tend to have loose lips around the women they’re fuckin’.”

In that moment, it’s almost as if you can feel the air go out of the room. Just who the fuck did this knuckle-dragging, mouth-breather think he was?

“Excuse me?” Those two little words are spoken through clenched teeth. You’re so taken aback by his brazen accusation that you can scarcely breathe, let alone think.    

Ari simply quirks a tawny brow at you, seemingly unaware of the danger he’s just placed himself in. Did he not see how close your hand was to that damned stapler? While it was clear that folks in this town had been running their mouths, they’d apparently neglected to mention that you’d also been the star pitcher for your high school softball team.   

“Apologies if I offended your delicate sensibilities, Duchess. But I’ve never been the type to beat around the bush. Besides…” The smug bastard tucks his pen behind his ear. “You have to know that people in this town like to talk.”

Fire simmers hot in your belly, as you come out from behind the register. It takes less than ten  seconds for you to bridge the distance between yourself and the cocky lawman. While you might’ve been taught never to raise a hand against anyone, this man was sorely testing every last bit of your patience.

“I want to make one thing very, very clear.” You hiss once you’re finally standing toe-to-toe with the handsome interloper who, of course, makes no room to get up himself. “I have never – not even once – slept with Martin Westbrook. He’s a friend, you backwoods jackass. Something you clearly know nothing about.” 

“I get the feeling I struck a nerve.” 

And, judging by the newfound tick in his jaw, so had you. Except you had no way of knowing it was because he’d lost a buddy of his own a little while back. 

“And I think it’s about time you got the hell out of my shop.” His piercing blue eyes fly to yours, letting you know that you’d managed to surprise him with your heated dismissal. 

Good. Because this Ari Levinson fella had officially overstayed his welcome.

“Look, Duchess. I apolo –”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me out of my name, Mr. Levinson. And I’m not sure I appreciate it.” You spit as you take a step backwards with the intention of giving him enough space to stand. “Now, I’ve been nothing but amenable to your rather…invasive questions. But we’re done. So, I’m gonna have to insist that you leave.”

Before you decided he’d make a deserving candidate for death by a thousand paper cuts. 

Your pulse continues to thrum in your ears as you watch him rise to his full height – an impressive 6’4 – so that he now towers over you. Perhaps if you weren’t so angry you’d be a little more tempted to allow your mind to wander a little farther into the realm of fantasy. 

But not now. 

Right now, in this moment, all you wanted was to watch Ari Levinson’s sculpted ass walk right out your front door.  

Nodding, the now quiet bounty hunter begins moving in the direction of the entrance. Neither of you say a word as you make that quick walk. In fact, you don’t speak again until Ari’s hand is on the handle. 

“For what it's worth…” He blows out a weary breath. “This wasn’t how I meant for this to go.” His eyes find yours, as if imploring you to see the truth in them. 

However, instead of responding all you can do is offer up a shrug. Which he, of course, takes as an opportunity to keep going. 

“It’s just…the idea of someone like you getting caught up with a piece of slime like Westbrook…” He pauses long enough to open the door and take a tentative step outside. “I guess it bothered me more than I realized.”

His reluctant admission has your stomach tied up in knots, which prompts you to ask the one question you were almost certain you’d regret later: 

“And just what do you mean by that?” You do your best to seem unruffled as you awkwardly brace yourself against the doorframe.

“All I’m saying is that you’re out of his league.” Feeling even more confused, you watch as Ari’s lips curve in a faint smile. “And if you didn’t know that before, well, now you do.” His head dips politely as he turns to head towards his truck. 

“Guess I’ll see you around, Duchess.” You don’t have to see his face to know that he’s grinning. “Oh, and don’t forget to lock up. Might help with all those unwanted visitors you’ve been havin.”

Ari doesn't need to turn his head to know that you're currently giving him the finger. He can feel it. And all it does it make him smile harder.

END 

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