Christian author Priscilla Shirer admitted for surgery on left lung; SWBTS to hold event for church re-planters.
Christian author Priscilla Shirer admitted for surgery on left lung
By BP Staff
NASHVILLE (BP) — Priscilla Shirer, Christian speaker and leader of “Going Beyond Ministries,” announced Jan. 10 that she would be undergoing surgery to remove a lobe in her left lung Jan. 13.
As one of LifeWay Christian Resources’ best-selling authors, Shirer has garnered a large following in women’s ministry fields.
Shirer published a statement about the surgery on her Facebook page:
“Hey there Family,
On Tuesday, the women in my home church surrounded me in prayer regarding an upcoming surgery that I have scheduled. Since then, news of this procedure began to spread on the inter webs by concerned individuals so I wanted to take a moment to address it personally.
Three years ago, my doctors discovered a small nodule in my left lung. Several pulmonary specialists and I have watched it meticulously since then. This past summer, it was clear that something surgical needed to be done as the nodule had begun to grow and show signs of dangerous irregularities.
As you know, the past few months has been filled with alot of difficulty for my entire family. For those reasons, the surgery was delayed but I cannot put it off any longer without jeopardizing my own health. So this Monday, 1/13/20, surgeons will be removing an entire lobe of my left lung. Thank you for praying for me and for our entire family. We refuse to cave to fear, anxiety or a decrease in faith — because, well. … ain’t nobody got time for that!
Through it all, we still believe God. We are trusting Him for a favorable outcome and that I will return to full health personally and full function in ministry.
I’m incredibly grateful to you for lifting me, Jerry, our sons … and my entire family up to our Father. We are tired but we are holding steady.
Your sister,
Priscilla”
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Southwestern Seminary event to help ministers take first step toward church replanting
By Julie Owens
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — The Center for Church Revitalization at The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary will conduct a church re-planter assessment event Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at the Riley Center on the Southwestern Seminary campus.
This assessment is intended for any pastor, seminary student, or ministry leader who is considering church replanting.
The assessment is being organized by in conjunction with the State Convention Network of Church Revitalizers and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) replant team.
To register, attendants should contact Kenneth Priest, interim director of the Center for Church Revitalization, at [email protected], or send a text to 817-709-9761.
Priest, who also serves as director of convention strategies for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), says this assessment is the initial step for any church replant process.
Church replanting, according to information provided by NAMB, is intended to infuse new life into churches that might otherwise close their doors. Re-planters help these churches to embrace cultural changes and better reach their communities, NAMB indicates.
“The re-planter assessment gives us an opportunity to develop a pipeline of re-planters, on the national scene, to assist state conventions with the ongoing needs of replanting churches,” Priest says. “Presently, with somewhere around 7 to 9 percent of churches in high-risk situations of needing to close their doors, replanting is a growing need in SBC life.”
Re-planters are assessed for visionary capabilities, a passion for ministry, resourcefulness, patience, and emotional intelligence. The assessment process will assist attendants and their spouses to determine if they are good candidates for this particular ministry. Successful completion of the re-planter assessment process will engage candidates in the national pipeline for re-planter consideration.
Attendants who arrive early can also participate in the biennial SBTC RevConference, which will cover topics relevant to church revitalization, including worship, mobilizing for missions, evangelism, and how to launch a revitalization or replant movement in one’s church. The conference will be Jan. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Southwestern Seminary campus. Registration is available here.
Southwestern Seminary’s Center for Church Revitalization was launched in August 2019 as a means of strengthening Southwestern Seminary’s work in training those who serve in established churches to initiate renewal and revival. The center will host the Renovate Revitalization Conference on the seminary campus later this spring, March 30-April 2.
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Julie Owens is a writer for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
