NC Baptists

2023 highlights — Here is how God moved.

What a year! From witnessing nearly 1,600 profess their faith on Fill the Tank Sunday to the highest attendance at annual meeting in nine years, we’ve seen God use N.C. Baptists throughout 2023 as a movement of churches on mission together.

In this episode, Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker gives a quick overview of some highlights of 2023 and how churches plan to serve their local communities through ServeNC in 2024.

Whitfield shares Lottie’s story through new book

Every year, Baptists across the nation celebrate the timeless legacy of Lottie Moon by giving to the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. But how many of us actually know Lottie’s story?

In this episode, Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker sits down with Amy Whitfield, executive director of communications at The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, to discuss her new children’s book Lottie Moon: The Girl Who Reached the World. Aimed at elementary school students, the book tells Lottie’s story in a way that reminds us all why we are on mission together. 

Listen in as the two discuss the background of the book, the importance of Lottie Moon and more. 

Newly elected officers talk ServeNC

In August 2024, churches across North Carolina will join together to reach local community needs through ServeNC. In this episode of the N.C. Baptists’ Podcast, hear from newly elected N.C. Baptist officers as they share their excitement, vision and plans for this time of serving on mission together. 

In this episode, Baptists on Mission EDT Richard Brunson sits down with the newly elected officers of the Baptist State Convention: Pastor Jason Miller of Dutch Cove Baptist Church of Canton, Pastor Quintell Hill of Multiply Community Church of Monroe, and Pastor Allan Murray of Centerville Baptist Church of Kelly. Listen in as they discuss the necessity of local community service, the ways they plan to get involved in ServeNC, and much more.

NC missionaries sent to reach the nations

N.C. Baptists are on mission together to reach the nations. In this episode of the N.C. Baptists podcast, hear from two N.C. Baptist missionaries who are accepting that call and taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Join us as we hear from Brandon and Danielle Pirtle, two of many N.C. Baptist missionaries who were celebrated at this year’s annual meeting, as they share with us their background, their calling into missions, and their next steps as they move to Japan. Hosting this week’s episode is N.C. Baptist Great Commission Catalyst Casey Norkett, who discusses with the Pirtle's the primacy of the Great Commission task. 

Why a sabbatical?

The church suffers when its pastor feels burnt out, exhausted or spiritually empty. Providing a sabbatical is a key way to ensure that pastors flourish for the long run of ministry.

 

In this episode, Pastoral Ministry Strategist Sandy Marks sits down with Chris Turner, senior pastor of Neill’s Creek Baptist Church in Angier, and Gary Mayes, former executive director of Church Next Ministries and Consulting, to discuss the benefits of pastoral sabbaticals, their own experiences in church sabbaticals and how to maximize the sabbatical to ensure long-term health for the pastor and the church.

What the church needs to know about the pastor’s family

It can be easy to forget the special role the pastor’s family plays in the life of the church. On this week’s episode, join N.C. Baptists as we look at the unique blessings and challenges of life and ministry for the pastor’s family. 

In this episode, N.C. Baptist Women’s Discipleship consultant Ashley Reffit joins three pastors’ wives — Kimberly Merida from Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, Tabatha Frost from Providence Church in Raleigh, and Veronica Greear from the Summit Church in Durham — as they discuss the life of a pastor’s family. Listen in as the four discuss family life, the challenges of ministry and helpful resources for supporting this family in the church.

A candid conversation about pastoral health

A church’s health is directly tied to its pastor’s health. If pastors want to see their churches flourish, they need to set themselves up for long-term success and care for their own health. 

 

In this episode, Church Health and Revitalization Strategist Terry Long sits down with Sandy Marks, N.C. Baptist church revitalization and pastoral ministry strategist, and Keelan Cook, director of the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Listen as the three have a conversation about pastoral health and how pastors can take care of themselves to create a lasting ministry.

Why growing churches are going churches

What’s more important: sending capacity or seating capacity? What if too many of our churches have emphasized one to the neglect of the other?

In this episode, Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker sits down with Andrew Hopper, pastor of Mercy Hill Church in Greensboro, to discuss the importance of strategic church growth and how it can fuel our members to go to the nations.

What we can learn from the Hispanic church

With Sept. 15 marking the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to take time to celebrate the Hispanic church, learn more about Hispanic culture and take time to hear from key Hispanic voices as we serve on mission together. 

In this episode of the N.C. Baptists’ Podcast, Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker joins Amaury Santos, statewide Hispanic catalyst for N.C. Baptists, to discuss the distinctives of Hispanic culture and what N.C. Baptists can learn from their Hispanic brothers and sisters.

How a 200-year-old church created a sending culture

It’s not every day you encounter a two-century-old church with a goal to plant 20 churches in 20 years. And yet, for Hephzibah Baptist Church in Wendell, this sort of sending culture has become the heartbeat of the church.

 

In this episode, Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker sits down with Aaron Wallace, lead pastor of Hephzibah Baptist Church, to discuss the church’s cultural transformation, the joys and challenges of church planting and revitalization, and how God can use churches of all kinds to bring people the hope of the gospel.

Healthy worship. Healthy church. (Part 2)

What is your worship ministry culture like? Is your church struggling with gaining and retaining volunteers in your worship ministry? How is the health of your staff?

In this episode, N.C. Baptists’ worship ministries strategist Kenny Lamm and David Manner, executive director of Church Forward, discuss practical ways to invest in volunteers in your worship ministry. In this second half of a two-part series, David Manner shares suggestions in creating a healthy culture in your worship ministry.

Healthy worship. Healthy church. (Part 1)

How is your church’s worship doing? Worship health gives an insight to the overall well-being of your church, and intergenerational worship plays an important role.

N.C. Baptists’ worship ministries strategist Kenny Lamm discusses the connection between worship health and church health with David Manner, executive director of Church Forward. In this first half of a two-part series, David Manner shares six suggestions to help create intergenerational worship in your worship service.

Behind the scenes of a church residency

N.C. Baptists college students are committing to “Go2” — to live on mission together for the sake of the gospel. One of the pathways college graduates and young professionals can take when they commit to the Go2Years initiative is to join a church residency. 

Ashanti Glass is a church resident at Provision Church in Monroe. She graduated from Wingate University, and she is being trained in ministry and pouring into other college students.

In this episode, N.C. Baptists’ college ministry strategist Alex Hugo asks Ashanti to give a behind the scenes look at a church residency.

Launching high school students into college and young adulthood

The transition from high school ministries to college and young adult ministries can be jarring for students. As student pastors and leaders, it’s important to ask the question of how can your ministry lay the foundation for students to grow into mature, healthy college and young adult disciples. 

Austin Gentry is the Young Adults Pastor at Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas. He’s originally from North Carolina, a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of “10 Things Every Christian Should Know For College”.

Listen to a breakout session recording from the 2023 Disciple-Making Conference where Austin shares strategies to prepare your students — and their parents — well.

Protecting religious liberties in your church and student ministry

On this week’s episode, Seth Brown, N.C. Baptist director of convention relations, discusses cultural and legal challenges and opportunities facing churches with Daniel Rose, N.C. Baptists’ student ministries strategist, and Harrison Smith with Alliance Defending Freedom.

Discipleship begins at the door

Your guest’s first visit helps set up their second visit. Therefore, it’s essential and biblical that we connect hospitality and discipleship within our church services. 

On this week’s episode, N.C. Baptists’ Bradley Norris speaks with Danny Franks, pastor of guest services at The Summit Church, and Ashley Reffit, women’s discipleship consultant with N.C. Baptists. Listen as they discuss the importance of church hospitality and how churches should pay attention to details. 

For more episodes, visit ncbaptist.org/podcast. You can also find us on Apple Podcasts.

How to move your church from where you are to what’s next

On this week’s episode, Send Network’s Brian Frye and Mike McDaniel share the recently announced Church Mobilization Pathway with SendNC’s Mike Pittman. They discuss what it looks like for all churches to become involved in church planting and sending. 

Listen to how this new five-step tool will assist churches in visualizing how they can become involved. 

10 things under 10 minutes — What every N.C. Baptist should know about SBC23

Many North Carolina Baptists are heading down to New Orleans next week for the 2023 SBC annual meeting. Whether you’re attending this year’s meeting or if you’re not, N.C. Baptists’ Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker, shares ten things that every N.C. Baptists should know about SBC23 in under ten minutes.

Pace and Horton answer the college question: How do I choose a college?

Test scores, favorite teams, social life and location often determine a student’s plans after graduation — but is there a better way to discern if, when and where you should go to college?

On this week’s podcast, listen to a breakout session recording from the 2022 N.C. Baptist Annual Meeting, led by Scott Pace with The College at Southeastern and David Horton with Fruitland Baptist Bible College.

Learn how families should think about college education, how to choose the right school for them, and how their faith can be strengthened and leveraged while they’re in college.

I’m giving up my summer for missions

What are you doing this summer? College students across North Carolina are being mobilized to reach their neighbors and the nations with the gospel. 

On this week’s episode of the N.C. Baptists podcast, Brandon Powell, student mobilization coordinator with Baptists on Mission, catches up with two college students that have accepted the call to serve on mission during their summer break. Listen to how God has led Jordan Gibbs, a student at The College at Southeastern, and Sheridan Rice, a student at UNC Pembroke, to this decision. 

How to find joy in your calling

As a pastor, it’s easy to lose your joy and effectiveness in ministry. Pastoral wellness is vital when it comes to a church's health. 

In this episode of the N.C. Baptists’ Podcast, Sandy Marks — church revitalization and pastoral ministry strategist for N.C. Baptists — offers necessities to maintaining or recapturing joy and effectiveness as we live out our calling. Here is a sneak peak: This lifelong journey begins with becoming a spiritually and emotionally healthy disciple.

How to engage your community with the gospel

Engaging communities with the gospel is one of the most pressing issues facing the church today. 

On this week’s episode of the N.C. Baptists’ podcast, listen to a breakout session recording from last year’s annual meeting as two North Carolina Baptist pastors share how their churches are engaging their communities for the sake of the gospel. Pastor Aaron Smith of Kenansville Baptist Church, Pastor Todd Brady of The River Community Church in Fayetteville and Great Commission Catalyst Barry Murry share helpful methods, tools and resources to meet the needs of hurting people while effectively sharing the love and message of Christ.

Top 3 things church planters would do differently

Church planting is often a demanding journey for those getting started. With all the unexpected trials one faces while planting, it can be vital for church planters to learn from those who have gone before and hear what worked — and what didn’t work — for them.

This week on the N.C. Baptists’ Podcast, join church planters Mike Pittman, Antoine Lassiter and Barry Murry as they each share three things they would have done differently had they started the church planting process over again. 

For more episodes, visit ncbaptist.org/podcast. You can also find us on Apple Podcasts.

This pastor signed up for ’Fill the Tank’ and saw God move

When David Herman, pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Creedmoor, signed up with hundreds of other churches for “Fill the Tank” Sunday in Sept. 2021, he had no idea he would end up baptizing 12 individuals — including his own father-in-law.

On this episode of the N.C. Baptists’ Podcast, Herman sat down with Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer for N.C. Baptists, to share his testimony of God’s work through “Fill the Tank” and explore the reasons Pleasant Grove signed up again for the upcoming “Fill the Tank” Sunday.

This year, “Fill the Tank” Sunday will take place on April 16, the weekend after Easter. Churches can learn more and sign up at fillthetanknc.org.

Answering God’s call to truly live ‘on mission together’

On this episode of the N.C. Baptists podcast, a group of women who are living out the gospel in their everyday lives discuss God’s calling to live on mission together and what that looks like to practically live out the gospel. 

Ashley Reffit, N.C. Baptists’ consultant for Women’s Discipleship, sits down with Missie Branch with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Shirnetta Harrell with The No Woman No Girl Initiative. 

For more episodes, visit ncbaptist.org/podcast. You can also find us on Apple Podcasts.

How to create a system for discipleship in student ministry with Shaq Hardy

Discipling the next generation of disciple-makers is crucial to the Great Commission. In this episode of the N.C. Baptists podcast, listen to a breakout session recording of Shaq Hardy as he shares how you can create a discipleship system in your student ministry. Shaq serves high school students at Biltmore Church in Asheville, North Carolina and is a guest speaker at one of Be.Do.Tell.’s Summer Youth Weeks at Fort Caswell this Summer.

 

At the 2022 Disciple-Making Conference, Hardy shared how student ministry pastors and leaders can look for opportunities within their churches  that the student ministry can join in on, how to establish a mission statement for the student ministry, how ministry leaders can assess where their students are and the importance of gaining investment from parents, leaders and students. 

What’s our disciple-making strategy? A sneak peek at ‘23 DMC with Robby Gallaty

On this episode of the N.C. Baptist podcast, Robby Gallaty and Brian Upshaw offer listeners a preview of the Disciple-Making Conference as they discuss Gallaty’s journey in disciple-making, his vision for churches, certain myths that churches hold when trying to create a culture of discipleship, and much more.

Learn more and register for the Feb. 20, 2023 Disciple-Making Conference at disciplemakingconference.org. 

President Quintell Hill on Politics, Personal Preferences and ‘The Main Thing’

On this episode of the N.C. Baptists Podcast, Quintell Hill, president of N.C. Baptists, sits down with Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer for N.C. Baptists, to discuss Hill’s personal testimony, his vision for N.C. Baptists and obstacles that prevent us from keeping “the main thing, the main thing.”

How To Start A Foster Care And Adoption Ministry At Your Church

Here is how your church can start a foster care and adoption ministry! Listen to a panel discussion featuring Baptist Children's Homes' Mark Smith with pastors John Cashwell, Kyler Smith, Casey Norkett, and Andrew Hopper on how the Every Child initiative has impacted their respective church's missions strategies. 

Learn more at every-child.org. 

Life Initiatives In N.C. and Beyond

How can your church stand for life in 2023? N.C. Baptists' Seth Brown discusses life initiatives in North Carolina and beyond with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission's Brent Leatherwood. Because of your generosity, N.C. Baptists are standing for life.