Illinois Baptist
My 100-year-old sermon series Josh Parsons
Table Talk P. 13
NEW BF&M TEACHING RESOURCE DEBUTS. P 16
Ready
mission
Fire & Ice P. 6 NEWS
Parents’ rights Bill introduced in Congress P. 3
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Unexpected connection Manchester & Myanmar? P. 10
SECTION B
Church leaders lean into the future. Are you prepared?
Offerings at work Year-end CP Report INSIDE
TEAM REPORT: Highlights from the Illinois Leadership Summit, P 7
IllinoisBaptist.org
IB
Politics and culture
Trump endorses ‘male and female’
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
FEBRUARY 1, 2025
State pushes back on Executive Order
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 964
Vol. 119 No. 2
The perfect date for sharing the gospel Nate Adams P. 2
In Focus: Bible stories
How much do you know? P. 11
Washington, D. C. | President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive actions his first week in office has drawn mixed reviews from evangelicals. Initiatives to combat radical gender ideologies and protect pro-life demonstrators sparked praise while facets of Trump’s immigration crackdown met with caution in some cases and opposition in others. The president’s other executive actions spanned a range of topics, including freedom of speech; the death penalty; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S Capitol Building. Gender & abortion An executive order signed on Trump’s first day in office defined male and female as biological realities determined at conception and ordered federal agencies to follow those definitions. The order also called for Trump’s P. 4
ROUNDUP ON EXECUTIVE ORDERS INSIDE