Rickie Holstein, promotional director for the West Virginia State Association of Free Will Baptists, discusses “A DNA Timeline of West Virginia Free Will Baptist History” and the importance of recording our history.By NAFWB

“I’m going to heaven—who’s coming with me?” Charolette Tallent tells the story of Al Braca, who died in the World Trade Center attacks September 11, 2001. Al lived his Christian life intentionally and with purpose and was able to lead many to the Lord during the events of that tragic day. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #September11 #WorldTradeCenter…

“It exposes you broadly to the sorts of things that [Dr. Picirilli] has contributed to Free Will Baptist scholarship and beyond over the years.” General editors Matthew Steven Bracey and Phillip Morgan preview “Teacher, Scholar, Shepherd - Essays in Honor of Dr. Robert E. Picirilli,” a new release from D6 Family. Order now: https://bit.ly/3VqfqPH. …

Free Will Baptist scholar and author Dr. Robert Picirilli joins the podcast to discuss his book, “The Submissive Christian,” an analysis of biblical material on humility and meekness in five key relationships. The book is available from D6 Family: https://bit.ly/3KwpMZh. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Christianity #Submission #Humility #Meekness #Relation…

Noah Taylor, pastor of Evergreen Church, will speak in the Wednesday night service at the 2024 National Convention. He previews his sermon of our role in reaching the world for Christ with the theme “Do the Word…By Reaching the World,” from James 5:19-20 and Romans 10:14-17. Find all convention information at https://nafwb.org/convention/. #NAFWB #…

Yvonne Thigpen, president of the Evangelical Training Association (ETA), joins the podcast to discuss the variety of training courses, resources, and tools they have available for training lay leaders for ministry in the local church. Find more at https://www.etaworld.org. #NAFWB #BetterTogetherBy NAFWB

Derek Altom and Ryan Lewis preview the 2024 National Convention and Vertical Three Conference, including what attendees can expect in Tampa and what will be offered for those unable to be there in person. Pre-Registration for the convention is open through June 21. Find all convention information at https://nafwb.org/convention/. #NAFWB #BetterToge…

“I was an atheist, but you cannot deny goodness when you are in front of it…period.” Pedro and Rebecca Garcia share the story of Pedro’s conversion from atheism, including the influence Rebecca had on him through kindness and hospitality. Pedro is Outreach Director at The Donelson Fellowship. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Conversion #Disciple #Atheism…

Forty million people in the U.S. have stopped attending church over the last 25 years, with a major reason being that they have moved to a different city. When Andy and Robin moved to Chicago from Dr. Danny Conn’s church in Pensacola, he immediately contacted David Potete and Northwest Community Church, and they were able to help the couple transit…

Reuben Cason, promotional director for NCFWB, will speak in the Tuesday night service at the 2024 National Convention. He reflects on hosting the 2023 convention and previews his sermon, “Do the Word…By Enduring Suffering,” from James 5:7-12. Find all convention information at https://nafwb.org/convention/. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #DoersOfTheWord#Ja…

“You set it up in such a way to say one of our goals as a church is that we want to raise up new leaders; to prepare the next generation of preachers of the word.” Dr. Chuck Lawless discusses the many benefits for churches and congregants of team preaching, including giving opportunities for younger leaders in the church to find their calling. Dr. …

Bob Brown, pastor of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church in Lake Butler, Florida, will speak in the Sunday morning service at the 2024 National Convention. He shares some background about himself and previews his sermon, “Doing the Word…By Embracing Trials,” from James 1. Bob also serves as the convention prayer chairman for the Florida Free Will Bapt…

Throughout its 25-plus years of ministry in Chicago, Northwest Community Church has partnered with various agencies to provide services to the community, which has in turn brought people into their building and much-needed funds into the church. Pastor David Potete talks about the creative ways the church has found to keep the ministries of the chu…

“At the end of life, the church as a whole isn’t the best at [caring for the “least of these”]. But it’s hard to deal with something like dementia.” Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly shares her experience of caring for and ministering to people with dementia, and gives ways the church can help to minister to those affected by it. Mary Anne authored A Proa…

“A public school can be a good partnership for the local church, and Good News Club is a good way to do that.” Hannah Driggers Matthews describes how any church can start a Good News Club in their local public school, and how it has impacted both the students and those teaching in the club. Hannah also wrote about her experience in “Good News Goes …

“Often, one of the big reasons churches eventually close or church plants never get off the ground is due to their financial viability.” Dr. Jay Moon, author of “Missional Vibrancy and Financial Viability” and professor at Asbury Seminar, describes his MINCE approach, providing effective financial and funding approaches for churches in financial di…

"The question we’ve been trying to figure out is this right here: what is it the church does that leads to lasting faith in kids?" Matt Markins, president & CEO of Awana, discusses factors that help shape and influence kids in their faith. He addresses research insights that helped determine these factors in his book, “The Faith of Our Children,” a…

“It is more important than ever that you’re proactive because it may not be as easy to switch or find a solution as it was two years ago.” Roger Peyton of James Greene & Associates talks about the major shift in the insurance market, the challenge that brings for churches, and steps they can take to mitigate the cost of their insurance. Find the fl…

“One of the things I wanted to do was to try to avoid the controversy and the negativity and just explain to our readers how the Bible comes to be in our hands.” Dr. Robert E. Picirilli reflects on his book, “How We Get Our English Bible,” providing an insightful and thorough explanation of how the written Word of God has been preserved throughout …

With over 30 years’ experience in student ministry, Dr. Richard Ross has developed a specific discipleship moment in which churches recognize a “milestone” of students recognizing the call on their lives and taking significant roles in the church. Dr. Ross is Senior Professor of Student Ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, frequen…

When the pastor of Ada First FWB Church resigned, the leadership knew something had to be done. They met with Legacy FWB Church and determined the best thing to do would be to merge the two churches. Pastor Jarrod Presley shares the steps they took in the process of merging and how the two congregations became one. #NAFWB #BetterTogether #Church #C…

The world is coming to our doorstep. There are around 1 million international students in the US. The top sending countries are China and India, countries it is often difficult to send missionaries to. Do you have a college close to your church? In these 5 podcasts, learn actions you can take to minister to these students. Josh Chapman and Faron Th…

The world is coming to our doorstep. There are around 1 million international students in the US. The top sending countries are China and India, countries it is often difficult to send missionaries to. Do you have a college close to your church? In these 5 podcasts, learn actions you can take to minister to these students. Bradley Mercer serves wit…

The world is coming to our doorstep. There are around 1 million international students in the US. The top sending countries are China and India, countries it is often difficult to send missionaries to. Do you have a college close to your church? In these 5 podcasts, learn actions you can take to minister to these students. Tyler Penn serves with IM…

The world is coming to our doorstep. There are around 1 million international students in the US. The top sending countries are China and India, countries it is often difficult to send missionaries to. Do you have a college close to your church? In these 5 podcasts, learn actions you can take to minister to these students. Josh Chapman serves as co…

The world is coming to our doorstep. There are around 1 million international students in the US. The top sending countries are China and India, countries it is often difficult to send missionaries to. Do you have a college close to your church? In these 5 podcasts, learn actions you can take to minister to these students. Curt Holland is the Direc…

It has been said the two most neglected things in our churches are the third verse of a hymn…and the pastor’s wife. Debe Taylor joins the podcast to share ways we can love, support, and encourage our pastor’s wife, especially in this month designated as Pastor’s Wife Appreciation Month. Mrs. Debe was the daughter of a pastor, wife of a pastor, and …

It is estimated that by 2023, 20% of the population will struggle with dementia. Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly discusses the alarming trends among Baby Boomers and some of the signs to watch for. Mary Anne has over 20 years of experience in health and senior care industries and works to help churches, senior adults, and families address issues relatin…

“That is why I think he’s probably the greatest President, given what he has to deal with and how he handles it over that four year period.” On this Presidents' Day, Dr. Daniel Worthington discusses the challenges and responsibilities Abraham Lincoln faced as President, and lessons we can learn from his leadership. Dr. Worthington is Director of Th…

“The Creator of all of us designed our emotional, our social, our physical, our behavior makeup to be worshipping of Him and to be following His directions.” Dr. Harold Koenig gleans from his book, “Nothing More Important: A Book About Faith,” which explores the many spiritual, social, mental, and physical health rewards of faith: https://amzn.to/4…

Research indicates only 10% of Generation Z attends church once a month. We found a sample where over 99% of Gen Z attends church consistently. Hear Derek Altom and Leslie Nichols describe how keeping students involved keeps them in church. Derek is director of events and development for D6 Family Ministry and the director of Vertical Three Ministr…

“Being a First Aid Ready church just means that we can help others where they’re at, we can kind of meet them on the road that they’re struggling on.” First FWB Church Beaufort has participated as a pilot church in becoming First Aid Ready, a program aimed to equip congregations to help people with emotional issues. Caleb Smith discusses the progra…

“As we look at Scripture, it becomes obvious that we were designed for more; our money was designed for more.” Art Rainer shares insight from his book, “Money in Light of Eternity,” encouraging believers to remember that God has entrusted us with financial resources for a purpose. Find more from Art and his “8 Money Milestones” at https://www.chris…

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating the third Sunday in January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. Pam Crank of the Hope Center (a ministry of Free Will Baptist Family Ministries) discusses ways that individuals and churches can support their pregnancy care ministry as well as how Christians can provide for suppo…

“Every aspect of human flourishing is enhanced by having a strong religious faith that is then acted out in religious beliefs and behaviors, the way we treat others, and the way we live our lives.” Dr. Harold Koenig discusses how things we put our faith in, including family, work, or even habits and addictions can drastically affect our health. He …

Jared Wall works as a student financial services advisor at a private university and shares how individuals can apply to have student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Qualifications include being employed by a 501(c)(3) organization, which would include all churches that are members of the NAFWB. Find out m…

“We had this hunch that we could be in the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country.” Co-authors Jim Davis and Michael Graham join the podcast to discuss their book, “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?” Jim is teaching pastor of Orlando Grace Church and host o…

“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 wi…

“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 m…

“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 wh…

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/…

“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…

“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 f…

“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 …

“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…

“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 rea…

“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 practic…

“I decide to figure out a way that I could put a tool in the hands of people who had nothing to go on or very little.” Doug Little discusses the challenging shortage of musicians in so many of our churches and introduces a resource he is offering to help provide worship music for them. Access the resource at https://www.douglittlesongs.com. Doug is…

Dr. Vernon Whaley joins the podcast to discuss his books, “Exalt His Name: Understanding Music and Worship” (Book 1 and 2), published in partnership with the Evangelical Training Association. The books are helpful resource tools for individuals, worship teams, worship leaders, and pastors to use in practicing worship. Available at https://www.etawo…

“We wanted it to be thoroughly Free Will Baptist in its theme, in its presentation, in its theology, and in its doctrine.” Dr. Vernon Whaley describes the process of how “Rejoice: The Free Will Baptist Hymn Book” came to its existence, including all those who contributed to the project. Dr. Whaley is the Dean of the School of Music at Trevecca Univ…