Hometown Hope Ministries

The debate over marijuana is not just about a plant, but about the Christian mind. Scripture never blesses intoxication, whether mild or severe. The consistent biblical ethic is sobriety—clarity of thought, vigilance in spiritual warfare, and Spirit-filled self-control.

When it comes to ministry affiliations, not every question can be answered by a single verse or quick judgment. Discernment requires weighing doctrine, character, reputation, and fruit together. This article introduces a practical four-category rubric that condenses broader biblical principles into a usable tool, helping pastors and believers evaluate potential partnerships with clarity and peace of conscience.

When pastors preach from multiple Bible versions, they may think they’re offering variety—but instead they sow confusion, weaken authority, and rob the church of clarity. We must stand with one Bible, one voice.

On a summer evening in rural Michigan, ten people gathered in a church. The pastor preached on the mighty hand of God, but after the service he shared something even more powerful: the story of how God met his loneliness through the friendship of a visiting believer. This quiet testimony reminds us that struggling churches need more than programs — they need friends who show up, listen, and encourage.

From fallen leaders to compromising leaders, there is challenge on every side. Jesus did not align with everyone or every group to get His message “out there.” He literally started his own group! And that group was given guidelines on how to operate! This tool for evaluating potential associations is designed to help ministry leaders make wise, biblically grounded decisions about whom to partner with. It serves to protect our testimony while encouraging healthy, purposeful en

Where Do We Go From Here? Introduction: Navigating Baptist Identities with Faithfulness In an age of denominational drift, moral...

After retiring from pastoring, George couldn’t ignore his burden for struggling churches. One Sunday, he walked into a congregation of three

NEW Copyright Notice This website and all blog/article material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For full copyright information, visit our Copyright Page. Accepting a call to a local church is far more than agreeing to serve; it’s a serious spiritual commitment requiring mutual understanding and discernment. Too often pastors leap into their first or next pastorate without asking the hard questions that s

You Matter! In an age where education is often measured in test scores and ministry in metrics, it’s refreshing—reviving, even—to look...

"Can These Bones Live?" — A bold new series on reclaiming dead and dying churches through Spirit-led, Scripture-driven revitalization....

The work of God must be done in God’s way, by God’s men, for God’s glory. Then you...

There’s a subtle yet serious pressure that is attempting to shape the church once again—a pressure not born of Scripture, but of results, and results-driven comparison. Pastors and churches are being measured less by faithfulness to the Word of God and more by visible success. Events, campaigns, and increases in attendance are once again being held up as proof of God’s blessing, while smaller or slower-growing churches are quietly deemed ineffective.

Abstract This paper explores the comparative value of church revitalization and church planting, especially within the context of...

Too many youth conferences today have traded gravity for gimmicks and reverence for relevance. With fog machines, themed theatrics, and manipulated emotionalism, many ministries now disciple young people into entertainment culture rather than spiritual depth. This article issues a sober warning to the churches and colleges that platform such movements while also calling believers back to biblical patterns of worship and discipleship—by truth, not theatrics.

What happens when visible success becomes the defense against biblical accountability? This article exposes the spirit of pragmatic triumphalism taking hold in some conservative circles—and calls pastors back to truth, holiness, and trembling before God.

Church revitalization isn’t second-class ministry. As churches close across the country, we must not overlook the call to rebuild and restore Gospel witness where it once thrived. Revitalization is biblical, strategic, and urgent—and it belongs alongside church planting, not beneath it.

By Brent Madaris The issue of whether women can serve as pastors has stirred debate across many denominations, but for Independent Baptist pastors, the position is clear: We believe the office of pastor (also called elder, Bishop, or overseer) is reserved for biblically qualified men. However, while we know this instinctively and doctrinally, many struggle to explain why with confidence—especially when challenged with cultural, linguistic, or scholarly arguments. This article