Blogs
Latest Blog Articles: John Pierce
One of the good guys
By John D. Pierce Jack Causey is not only a creative and effective pastor — he is the epitome of a pastor’s pastor. My first recollection of Jack comes from my campus ministry years when he led a workshop (might have been called something cooler like a “breakout”) on...
An invitation to subscribe
Nurturing Faith Journal is a unique contribution to navigating Christian understanding and faithfulness in a fast-changing and, at times, confusing culture. And I don't just say that because I'm the executive editor. The journal is chocked full of insightful,...
Taking the gospel seriously without taking ourselves too seriously
By John D. Pierce Entering a new academic pursuit during my campus ministry years in the late-‘80s, I would make regular treks across metro Atlanta. My routine was to leave in the early morning hours to avoid traffic, and settle into a never-closed Denny’s for...
Where’s the raisins?
By John D. Pierce Eggs, milk, bananas and coffee are easy for me to find. But my grocery shopping efficiency breaks down when pursuing certain items. Much like when driving off course on an unfamiliar highway, I tend to continue on a serpentine route up and down the...
SPECIAL OFFER!
By John D. Pierce Advent is coming and the start of a new year. Whether reading for one’s own spiritual benefit or preparing to preach, there is a new resource available for a limited time, exclusively from Nurturing Faith. A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE: A Devotional Guide...
For those who dare to choose truth over comfort
By John D. Pierce Indeed, truth can be unsettling. That’s why so many ignore it in favor of false but more comfortable narratives. For those who dare to face uncomfortable truth — since Jesus said such is the key to personal and spiritual freedom — there is a new...
Latest Blog Articles: Tony Cartledge
Celebrating “HERstory”
The 2019 Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE) wrapped up July 7 with a panel discussion featuring 11 representative global pastors, counselors, and theologians responding to questions raised by participants in the meeting, which drew about...
23 and Philistine
Bible scholars have long speculated about the origins of the Philistines, who showed up in southern Palestine during the transition from the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age I, somewhere around 1200 BCE. After failing to conquer Egypt in a sea battle that cost the...
Lost in translation
The second day of the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education got underway with a stirring paper by Valérie Duval-Poujol of France on the subject of "Bible Translations and How They Have Affected Women's Engagement in the Church and Society."...
Women, Baptists, and theology
Every five years or so, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) sponsors a conference with the ungainly acronym of BICTE: the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education. Meeting either before or after the BWA's Annual Gathering, the conference generally...
Zucchini Gump
One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump, and there's a memorable scene in which his army friend Bubba recites to him all the different ways his coastal Louisiana mother knows how to cook shrimp. Fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp alfredo, shrimp...
Dealing with Br’er Briar
The first stories I can remember hearing as a child were from Joel Chandler Harris' collection of African American folktales as told by a fictional character known as Uncle Remus. Harris became a respected journalist in Atlanta during the post-reconstruction era, but...
Latest Blog Articles: Ginger Hughes
What Do They See When They Look At Me?
By: Ginger Hughes There have been times in my life when I found Sunday School or church to be intimidating. Perhaps it’s my introverted ways, but I can remember feeling nervous about walking into a new church or a new Sunday School room filled with people who already...
Clean Out The Closets
By: Ginger Hughes Our entryway closet greets us as we walk in the door. It’s the perfect dropping off spot for coats, shoes, umbrellas, and book bags. As soon as we walk inside, we can hang jackets on the provided hangers, put shoes on the provided shelves, hang...
Choosing the Better Part
By: Ginger Hughes Today there are crayons, construction paper, and glue sticks with no tops stuck to my table from my little one’s “art” project. There’s a half-done puzzle littering our living room floor. There’s a pile of mismatched socks in the laundry room that...
Waiting For Spring
By: Ginger Hughes He squatted down close to the dirt, playing with his elephant, tiger, and tapir, an uncommon mix to be sure. As he played, his eyes drifted to a small, green shoot poking through the dirt. “What’s this, Mama?” he asked while continuing to dig in...
When Being First Means Being Last
By: Ginger Hughes I’ve had the opportunity to observe a lot of people recently as our family enjoyed some fun-filled days at Disney World. Standing in lines for elevators, restaurants, rides, ice cream vendors, and yes...even bathrooms, afford you a lot of time to...
Releasing The Reins
By: Ginger Hughes I watched my son ride horses recently, the reins held firmly in his small hands, his feet dangling on each side of the saddle nowhere close to reaching the stirrups. My dad, his “Papa”, walked alongside him, answering ALL the questions my little guy...