“Gen Z is riddled with anxiety, and their belief system doesn’t help,” Boyce College dean Dustin Bruce says. “They’re lonely, and we make the case for faith in the context of community.”
During his breakout session at the Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference, Tim Dowdy explained that pastors need to create a culture of evangelism and help each church member embrace the mission to reach their community.
During his sermon, Phil Waldrep said the most effective form of evangelism is loving people. He challenged churches to love people well, not show favoritism and call people by name to show them that they’re cared for.
IMB President Paul Chitwood was guest speaker at the 10th annual Missionary Appreciation Banquet on Nov. 21, sponsored by the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association and conducted at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook.
Lifeway Research found that 94% of American Protestant churches have continuing Bible study groups for adults, though the nomenclature and strategies differ widely.
“A 2021 survey found that 51% of professing Christians claim to have a biblical worldview on issues like marriage, gender and abortion, but only 6% do when pressed on specifics,” according to one observation of a recent Barna Group survey.
Daniel Edmonds said the journey of faith is often tough and brings fear, but we’re encouraged by our walk with Christ. “We abide in Him and obey Him, so it begins and continues with prayer,” he said.
David Eldridge, pastor of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham, said the essential thing for pastors is the “care of the soul.”
