For seven years I served as the Pastor of Youth and Christian Education at the First Baptist Church in St Albans, WV. Upon entering the building, you immediately come to a stairwell. Whether you take the stairs up or down, you will encounter a similar sight. You will find rooms with tables and chairs. In both cases, people will be seated around these tables, probably eating food, engaging in...
I attended the First Baptist Church of Elkhart, Indiana from the time I was in kindergarten until I graduated from high school. At the time, the church was located on the corner of Prairie and Hively right across the street from a mall. It was a big, prominent church in the community; and while “times they were a changing,” it was, for the most part, a traditional Baptist church. I don’t know...
One of the hardest things as a youth pastor, and I’m assuming as a parent, is releasing your kids to go out to make their mark on the world. You spend years investing time, energy, and money into them. You lovingly guide and direct them in the hopes that your compassionate care and nurturing will help them become productive members of society. In one of nature’s dirtier tricks, just when you get...
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. once famously lamented that 11:00 AM Sunday morning was one of, if not the most, segregated hours in America. While the argument can, and certainly is being made that this is still the case, I have come to believe the issue extends beyond racial lines. This form of segregation is admittedly much less offensive than racial segregation, but it is present...
In the early 90’s, the band Live released a song entitled “Lightning Crashes.” The song paints a very interesting and emotional picture for the listener. Throughout the song, the artist paints a contrasting picture of two major life experiences. At one moment, he sings of the potential and hope present at the birth of a new baby. The next, he turns his attention to the loss and finality felt at...
Our society thrives on competition. There seems to be no end to the means through which our competitive streak runs. It can be observed in academics as students and parents alike tout the many accomplishments through the wonder of social media. It can also be seen in athletics on the local, national, and international level; not simply through the actions and attitudes of participants, but also...
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines LEGACY as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past.” To put it in more basic terms, a legacy is the content of one’s life left for others to carry after one is gone. Our legacy is our proverbial footprints on the sands of life, allowing others to follow our example and continue to propagate what was of value during...
Several years ago, I discovered Mr. Bob Ross. He was a painter and had a show called The Joy of Painting on PBS. If you don’t know Bob Ross by his name, you almost certainly would by his picture. Bob had a well-kept beard and an amazing ‘fro (turns out Mr. Ross hated his hair style, but kept it for branding purposes). The setting of the show was very simple. It was just Mr. Ross, his canvas and...
We live in exciting times. Human history is in the midst of a fundamental shift in the way we function. The advent of the smart phone is forcing us to evaluate and redefine how life is lived in our current age and for years to come. Not since the invention of the printing press has humanity experienced such massive changes. Every aspect of life has been touched by this new digital revolution, but...
We are a grand total of seven days into the new school year, and my lovely wife has already managed to contract the plague from the precious cherubs with whom she works. We are still experiencing temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s, yet somehow the common cold has already begun making the rounds in our area schools. It often seems to me that schools serve to pass germs along with knowledge. It...
Jeremy Myers is the Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church of Seymour, Indiana, where he has served since 2017. He has over 25 years of experience in local church ministry and not-for-profit leadership. He has a passion for helping emerging and existing generations learn to make space for each other and caring for the under-served and marginalized. In 2016, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Palmer Theological Seminary, with his thesis focusing on developing connections between senior adults and youth in the church. He is a passionate and gifted communicator and is regularly invited to speak at retreats, camps, conferences, and other events. He lives in Seymour, Indiana with his wife Robyn, their two children, Mikayla and JJ, and their Golden Doodle, Evie.
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