Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

🍂 It's the first day of fall!

A new season is here, and there’s plenty to look forward to across CBF. From opportunities to gather as a Fellowship to events happening in states and regions across the country, this fall is full of ways to connect, learn and grow together.

Swipe through to see what’s coming up this season — and mark your calendars! https://events.cbf.net/calendar/ 🍁

🗳️ National Clergy Call: Election Protection

🗓️ Sept. 22 | 2 p.m. ET
💻 Zoom

Mainline Protestant Stream is hosting a national gathering for Protestant clergy and congregational leaders focused on protecting free and fair elections this November.

The call will introduce election protection resources, including a Preaching & Teaching Toolkit, and help congregations prepare for the Oct. 18 National Weekend of Preaching and Teaching.

🔗 Register for the Zoom call here:

National Clergy Call to Protect the Vote - Mainline Protestant Stream We're inviting you to a national gathering of Protestant clergy on Tuesday, September 22nd for a call focused on one urgent task: protecting free and fair elections this November. Register for the Zoom call on this page.

😑 The hard truth about staff meetings? Some are more productive than others.

Staff meetings can be important spaces for connection, planning and collaboration. From grounding time together spiritually to celebrating what’s going well, breaking down ministry silos and getting clear on next steps, thoughtful gatherings can have an impact that reaches far beyond the people around the table.

Laura Stephens-Reed shares practical considerations for making staff meetings more purposeful, engaging and effective. 😀

👉 Keep reading: https://cbf.net/10-ways-to-lead-a-church-staff-meeting-that-doesnt-inspire-dread/

⛪️ Is your congregation dreaming up a ministry that helps people and communities thrive? The Ministries Council Ministry Grants Subcommittee is accepting applications from congregations for ministry grants.

In keeping with CBF’s focus on equipping churches for ministry, this year’s grants will prioritize initiatives that promote well-being—both within congregations and in the communities they serve.

Applications are due TODAY. Learn more and apply here ➡ https://cbf.net/ministries-council-grant-application/

Nearly 43,000 people in the Rio Grande Valley have stopped receiving SNAP benefits since November 2025. But did 43,000 people stop being hungry?

CBF Global Migration Advocate Elket Rodriguez reflects on that question following Hunger in the RGV: A Call to Action, where community leaders examined hunger, poverty and the barriers that can make accessing food even harder.

The decline in SNAP enrollment tells us how many people stopped receiving assistance. It doesn’t tell us how many stopped being hungry.

Keep reading his reflection here ➡ https://cbf.net/when-fewer-people-receive-food-assistance-did-hunger-actually-decline/

✏️ Be first to class at Throwback CEC!

The Christian Educators Conference is heading back to Study Hall, February 2–5 in Raleigh, N.C. 📚

Register by October 2 to snag your “First to Class” ticket for just $100! Join fellow Christian educators for a week of learning, growing and connecting—with classes tackling the conversations shaping ministry today.

🎒 Pack your bag. Sharpen your pencil. Get to class!

🔗 Register today: https://cbf.net/cec/

🌟 NOW it’s your turn! 🌟

What is your church’s next step to loving your neighbor to the voting booth? Want someone to help you think it through?

Contact a CBF Advocacy Fellow Brooke Holloway Blake at [email protected] and Gabby Price (Ella habla español) at [email protected]

💫 NOW is the time to love our neighbors to the voting booth through nonpartisan get-out-the-vote efforts in CBF churches!

Check out www.cbf.net/voting for all the resources to:

1️⃣ Check YOUR registration

2️⃣ Help your neighbor check their registration AND for everyone to make their plan to vote!

For more info on WHY NOW? Check out Brooke’s blog on the CBF blog: https://cbf.net/why-now-loving-our-neighbors-to-the-voting-booth/