Tag Archives: john upton

The Gospel plot could hardly be simpler. A man walks up to two fishermen saying, “Come with me,” and they get up and do it. Jesus sees two more fishermen, says the same thing, and they, too, get up and follow.  

What a season of life we are in! As I write, BGAV Disaster Response teams are heading south to help with hurricane recovery. Virginians are still trying to assess what happened in Charlottesville with racial tensions and trying to find ways to speak to the anger and hate in our society. As if that is not enough, the U.S. and North Korea are exchanging hostile words with one another, pushing ever closer to open conflict. With all these storms pressing us, it is no wonder our anxieties are high. When we add the anxiety that comes with daily challenges of life and church, it can all seem almost insurmountable.   

Recently I had a good laugh with a group of energetic young people who were gathering to go on a mission trip leaving from the Baptist building. It was an energizing time. Those young people reminded me of why we need summers and why we need our youth.

We always speak of Jesus as a giver, which of course he was. No one gave more than he, and he gave because of his love for us. So, what was he trying to teach us in the borrowing?

When we are too discouraged and too tired to sing for ourselves, Christ will sing for us, and he will help us sing for each other and for the world.

Read John Upton's statement regarding the violence of the last few days.

Over at BGAV.tv, watch as Executive Director John Upton shares a Christmas message with the BGAV.

Missed anything from the annual meeting? Watch a video recap by John Upton and see links of all stories, blog posts, videos, and photo galleries.

Missed John Upton's messaged Wednesday morning at the 2015 BGAV Annual Meeting? Watch it now!

John shares a Christmas memory about how there must have been a great deal of excitement in heaven as God announced to the angels that he was going to send a messenger to earth.

John reflects on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book The Great Face recently. "Virginia Baptists, we have our gaze fixed on some things and it is shaping us. "

The Kingdom of God takes a team effort.

John recently recorded a video explaining more about the BGAV Governance process.

John explains why it's so critical for a minister to take a break, a sabbatical, and be refreshed.

"With summer coming on, [it's] a perfect time for all of us in leadership roles in churches...to kick back a little bit and reflect on what does it mean to be called of God to be a leader in church."