Illinois Baptist Campers conquer
Elephants & donkeys in church Oh, my! P. 13
NEWS Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer
September 13-20, 2020
P. 15
ILLINOIS NEWS
Please encourage your church to participate. Special Prayer Guide supplement inside.
Pandemic roundup Meeting trimmed, masks challenged, DR delivers P. 4-5
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Summer surprises from conservative jurists P. 6
TABLE TALK
Racism confessed Can we fix it? P. 14
Where Lena IB died
covid-19
Rising counts
Delay some reopenings
Breaking news at at IllinoisBaptist.org
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
AUGUST 1, 2020 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
Vol. 114 No. 10
Another child killed in gang crossfire. Churches join prayer movement. P. 3
MISSION
Why I help forgotten families P. 7
Illinois | Smaller churches appear to have some advantage over larger bodies as efforts to resume in-person worship gatherings continue, despite the emergence of new hot spots. The number of churches that don’t plan to reopen until “sometime next year” has grown from 1% to 5% in a month, according to researcher George Barna. The most recent example: Andy Stanley’s multi-site megachurch in Atlanta, Ga. “We cannot guarantee your safety,” the pastor of North Point Community said in a video announcement. Stanley cited his state’s uptick in Coronavirus cases, the results of a member survey, and the experience of churches that have already reopened only to witness a rise in illnesses. P. 4
BRAGGIN’ RITES
Grandpa welcomes one, anticipates another P. 2