The local church has always been one of God’s primary places for forming ministry leaders. While seminaries provide theological education, congregations shape ministers through worship, pastoral care, leadership, relationships and the everyday work of serving God’s people. This fall, CBF North Carolina is taking a significant step toward strengthening that connection through the launch of…
CBF North Carolina (CBFNC) has selected nine congregations for the newest Shared Learning Cohort of the Helping Churches Thrive initiative. The churches selected for the new cohort are: First Baptist Church of Erwin Carolina Trace Community Church, Sanford Shiloh Restoration Baptist Church, Raleigh The Fountain of Raleigh Fellowship Pollocksville Baptist Church HOPE Christian Fellowship Baptist…
Hosted by CBFNC’s Welcome Network director Randy Carter, our most recent Reflections on Faith conversation focused on the impact of the “Charlotte’s Web” ICE operation on immigrant families, churches and the broader Charlotte community. The reflections below offer three different perspectives from the conversation. Together, they bear witness to both the challenges faced by our…
Thanks to more than 100 generous donors, the CBFNC Hunger Fund has been replenished. This year’s Annual Gathering offering campaign, which was dedicated to the Hunger Fund, raised a total of $12,393 — a testament to the collective compassion of our fellowship. Across North Carolina, more than 1.6 million of our neighbors are living with…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”– Jeremiah 29:11 Though this verse is told to those in exile, I cannot help but apply it to my own life. If you had told me…
How? How can we pursue the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” in our own communities? How can we fulfill the Great Commandment to love God and our neighbor? How can we welcome the stranger in our midst, and thus find our places on the right hand of the King at the Great…
Greystone Baptist in Raleigh has become the first congregation in our state to complete the requirements for Christians Caring for Creation (C3)’sCertified Congregation. Greystone has completed requirements in all four areas of C3’s assessment: worship, discipleship, outreach and facilities and grounds. The certification process is a quantitative self-assessment reviewed and approved by the C3 Board…
I have been a practicing artist since 2020 (thanks COVID!) but my love of art has been lifelong. During that social distancing season, I found painting was a way to stay in and accept the present moment in all of its beauty and challenge. Often, images would come to me to execute; sometimes with words…
This article is the third in a series on CBFNC’s Three Overarching Commitments. In this issue we focus on A Commitment to Transformation: “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2). We serve a God who declares, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Transformation is the work of the Spirit…
The words “Hispanic” and “Latino/a” often hide a vast diversity for many of us across the CBFNC. It’s not intentional, but we often miss an important truth when we speak about the Latino community: it is as diverse as any other community. Santiago Reales and Daniel Sostaita of the CBFNC Red Latina (not the color…