Knowing God is up to something and watching it come into focus can take our awe of Him to an entirely new level.
We love the opportunity to tell stories of what God is doing in your lives and ministries week after week, and we know we’ve only scratched the surface of the stories that can be told.
Now our team gets to offer this same support and resource to Baptists across the nation as we expand our ministry to include a second publication called The Baptist Paper.
Can you believe it? Not only will you continue receiving this weekly paper focused on our state, but now Baptists in all states will have a similar paper arriving in their mailboxes every other week.
Launches May 13
We launch The Baptist Paper on May 13 and will work in conjunction with our Baptist media partners across the nation to make it happen.
It was more than a decade ago I sensed God expanding our team’s vision and ministry but I couldn’t make sense of it then.
Recently retired team member Linda Harrison had a similar impression not long after she arrived about 10 years ago, and we chatted often about the possibilities, watching and waiting to see what God was doing.
Other team members eventually joined in the various conversations and several saw it just as clearly. Some even began outlining how it might happen.
With the loss of state Baptist paper after state Baptist paper in recent years, The Alabama Baptist remains the only weekly Baptist publication in the nation and only one of two published more frequently than monthly.
And during all the chaos of 2020, it all became clear. We were supposed to offer a similar product to Baptists across the nation as what we provide Alabama Baptists.
The Baptist Paper is not a competition piece nor meant to take away from the content currently being provided by the various media outlets. Its purpose is to make sure all Baptists receive the information they need while also enhancing and boosting our partners’ efforts.
Providing connection
We will work together to bring the best of what we are tasked to do to all Baptists in an effort to ensure all who want to stay connected and resourced have an opportunity to do so.
Each state’s editor and/or communications director will still be responsible to cover his or her area, and Baptist Press remains the news service for the Southern Baptist Convention through its role as a ministry of the Executive Committee. Other online news outlets also consistently cover Baptist news and are available to everyone.
Important resource
But providing an autonomous news source is vital for the health of any group, and ensuring communication gets to all members allows everyone to remain connected to the group.
While digital communication is an absolute must to reach the masses, a trustworthy and reliable printed product with the top news and inspirational pieces captured in a consistent resource provides the connection needed to reach those who prefer receiving their Baptist news and information through the mail.
Our motto is “No Baptist left behind” and our hope is that The Baptist Paper provides the articles and resource information everyone needs in a form manageable to work through without getting distracted by the countless discussions that are not always based in fact.
Expansion of 178-year-old ministry
The new publication is an expansion of our 178-year-old ministry through The Alabama Baptist. In some ways, it takes us back to our early days when The Alabama Baptist expanded to become The South Western Baptist in 1850 for a time.
And now in 2021 with two publications, a robust digital and web presence, and a podcast and radio ministry, we have shifted to calling our overall effort and ministry TAB Media Group.
With the same mission, professionalism and journalism ethics that comes with The Alabama Baptist, the TAB Media Group staff will provide credible, balanced news you can trust from a Christian worldview in The Baptist Paper as well.
Our team works hard to provide uplifting, encouraging and calm information while also providing the hard, simple facts of current issues.
The Alabama Baptist and The Baptist Paper provide stories of what God is doing through His people in the state, nation and world. Engaging with our content gives you a boost of energy, shot of grace and truth with compassion.
While everything you know and love about The Alabama Baptist remains the same, you may also want to check out The Baptist Paper. To request a free trial, call 800-803-5201 or visit tabonline.org/thebaptistpaper.
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