West Point Baptisms, Church Data, & Ukraine

West Point cadets baptized

A pair of cadets at the U-S Military Academy in West Point, New York recently placed their faith in Jesus Christ and it led them to some chilly water…literally. Brooke Parker and Jenny Ma were so excited about their newfound faith that they were baptized in the freezing waters of the Hudson River.

Joshua Austin, the director of the Baptist Campus Ministry at the academy, had the privilege of baptizing the pair as around 60 of their family and friends cheered them on from the banks of the river.

Ma and Parker met at the campus ministry as they were both asking questions about Christianity. They both say their new hope by Jesus Christ is motivating them to talk to others about Him.

Right data can inform your church’s ministry

Data specialist Matt Engel says just as Nehemiah knew about the people of Israel and their needs in rebuilding the walls around Israel, churches should know about their community. He believes having the right data will help.

Engel says data is available about the trends and personality of every community that will help a local church understand the community they’re called to reach.

Alex Dennis, a member of the Arizona Baptist technology evangelism team and lead pastor of Asante Church in Surprise, says this kind of data played a key role in developing a strategy to plant a church and reach their community.

“We based our church plant off of the data we found and the demographics of our area,” Dennis said. “It showed us our needs and the needs our church needed to meet in the community, and everything we do is based off of that.”

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.

4 reasons American Christians should care about Ukraine

While the eyes of the world seemed focused on the humanitarian and political crisis of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, perhaps you’ve been drawn into a conversation about why this issue is so important.

Chelsea Sobolik, the public policy director for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, offers four reasons American Christians should be concerned about the situation in Ukraine.

First, Ukraine is a sovereign nation and an American ally.

Second, cyber attacks could trigger a military response from NATO.

Third, Russia’s invasion could cause a refugee crisis in Central Europe.

Fourth, the invasion is detrimental to the work of the church in Ukraine.

You can read the full story, which includes greater explanation and prayer points, at Baptist Press.

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