Hey BRN Family, Elizabeth here and it’s time for the April Top 5!

#1- Thank you to all who participated in praying and giving toward the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Week of Prayer this past month. One hundred percent of gifts are used to support thousands of Southern Baptist missionaries serving across the United States and Canada. As we celebrate Easter this weekend, may you have a renewed sense of the great work God is doing through you and your church and of the great task still before us.

#2- Would you like to be a Cooperative Program Ambassador for your church? A CP Ambassador helps raise awareness and helps tell the story of the great things your church is able to accomplish through cooperative ministry. The average church member has very little understanding of what the Cooperative Program is and how it works. With your voice, you can champion how the Cooperative Program is the financial fuel for reaching every person in every town, every city, every state and every nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Learn more at https://www.brnunited.org/cp.

#3- You may have been hearing a lot lately about the so-called ‘Equality Act,’ which on the surface may seem appealing. But if this federal bill is passed, it could forbid your church and other religious nonprofits from requiring employees to live out religious beliefs about marriage, sexual morality, and the distinction between the sexes. Additionally, your church could also be forced to open sex-specific facilities, such as locker rooms or restrooms, to members of the opposite sex. Throughout our website, you can find resources from our BRN partners, ADF and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, to learn how the Equality Act poses a serious threat to women’s rights and religious freedom.

#4- Every year, GuideStone Financial Services releases its Ministers’ Tax Guide containing tax highlights, including annual contribution limits, standard business mileage rates and step-by-step filing instructions for ministers’ personal taxes along with comprehensive examples and sample forms. This year’s guide also explains certain tax implications of the CARES Act. Find out more.

#5- SAVE THE DATE! The annual business session and gathering of the Baptist Resource Network is moving from November to Tuesday, October 5. This “Accelerate Conference,” to be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, will feature author, church consultant and ministry entrepreneur, Will Mancini, as the keynote speaker, worship by SEVEN of Messiah University, a dinner performance by Piercing the Word, and several breakout sessions and exhibits, pandemic permitting. Watch brnunited.org for all the details.

That’s all for April. Thanks for watching, BRN Family. We appreciate you and we are thankful for you!