If you are, either, as old as I am or if you watched the syndicated reruns, you will remember the television show “Happy Days,” and the Fonz. In the early 1970s to the mid 1980s, actor Henry Winkler played the part of Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, known to most of us as Fonzie, on that sitcom that was set in the 1950s. Thinking back to those days, you may also remember the great difficulty that Fonzie had with the words “I’m sorry.” The Fonz just could not bring himself to utter those words. Especially lately, I can identify with my old friend Fonzie. 

About a month ago a portion of my column warned Missouri Southern Baptist parents about the upcoming pro-homosexual Day of Silence set for April 25 at about 20 Missouri public schools. 

A short time after coming on staff with the Sunday School/Discipleship Team, I decided to check recent Sunday School statistics among Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) churches. I took the Annual Church Profiles from 1990 to 2007 and compared Total Church Membership, Total Sunday School Enrollment, Average Sunday School Attendance, and Total Baptisms. The results were not surprising. I have seen them all too often in other state conventions. 

The leadership of a large, suburban church in a major Missouri city has decided to plant a new church. Their plans include asking a group of their own members to consider joining one of their pastors, and with their blessing will leave to start a new church on the other side of town. No church member has moved anything but their memberships. 

Today we look at an “off-the-shelf” book, meaning I missed it when it first came out, but now have the pleasure of reading and recommending it. The Baptist Way, published in 2005 by B&H, comes to us from the pen of Southwest Baptist University’s Vice President for University Relations R. Stanton Norman. Missouri Baptists, do you realize the treasure we have in Norman being part of Show-Me state Baptist work? 

About 12 years ago my mother gave me for my birthday, a Brinkman charcoal grill with a detached smoking box. This was one of my favorite toys. I was forever smoking meat, grilling meat and you guessed it … eating meat. 

Most Christians believe in and practice prayer. We have prayer lists at home and church. Prayer chains that are activated by phone or email get the “word” out as quickly as possible.