By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LCU) – Louisiana Christian University’s football team had just beaten a NCAA Division I program that awards scholarships when Head Coach Ben McLaughlin assembled his players for what he called a “proud dad moment.” Looking at them from inside Turpin Stadium, Aug. 27, McLaughlin was overcome with joy thinking about the hard work his players had put in while preparing for the 42-37 win over Northwestern State University, located just 60 miles away from LCU’s Pineville campus. “The guys that we put in pads the other night were on a knee looking at you, smiling, and you’re just proud because they bought into what you are trying to preach to them,” McLaughlin told the Baptist Message. “These guys literally put their bodies on the line for the program, for the university, for us coaches. When you look at them, it’s just this outpouring of gratitude of ‘Thank you, players. Thank you for believing in the vision.’ “There are a lot of really good coaches out there that have great vision and do everything right, and then they lose,” he continued. “And then the opposite is true for us. We tell them all the time, ‘don’t look at the scoreboard, don’t look at the … [Read more...]

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By Baptist Message staff LBM) – Organizers have announced the lineup for the Nov. 22-23 Youth Evan­gelism Celebration in the Laborde Earles Coliseum, Alexandria. This largest annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists will feature Lo­gan Grantham, youth evangelist and student pastor with Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia, who will chal­lenge students from God’s Word, and Dylan Novak, a Tennessee evangelist who is known for sharing the Gospel with celebrities and cultural influencers, who will help students think practically about how they can boldly share Jesus in their own circles of family and friends. The event will include Sunday evening music by Cliff Preston, a Christian artist from Arkansas who was featured on this year’s WinterJam tour. During Monday morning and afternoon sessions, Firm Foundation (a Christian worship band from the Shreveport area) will lead worship by song. Meanwhile, Christian recording artist Micah Tyler will help bring YEC to a powerful close Mon­day evening. Jay Barbier, a Ponchatoula native, speaker and Tennessee youth pastor, will serve as host and emcee, bringing his trademark energy to the coliseum stage “This is the event you want to get your teenag­ers to,” Louisiana … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NATCHITOCHES, La. (LBM) – Westside Baptist Church has embraced a cross-cultural approach to the Gospel and has reaped a spiritual harvest this year as a result. Since January, 22 in­dividuals have expressed their faith in Christ to and been baptized by the Natchitoches congregation. Ten of those – half were Hispanic – were baptized in a joint service, Aug. 2, of its Anglo and Hispanic congregations. The average Sunday worship atten­dance is 407, including 35 for the Hispanic service. Most of the decisions took place during M-Fuge camp at Mississippi Chris­tian University, Clinton, Mississippi, June 22-26. During the camp, 10 out of 45 students made decisions for salvation. “One night during our church group sharing time, I was prompted to ask, ‘Are we stuck in the follow through?’” Student Minis­ter Peyton Spears told the Baptist Message. “’Why are we not taking that next step?’ “When I asked who wanted to talk about sal­vation or be baptized, 10 hands went up out of 45 students in the room,” he continued. “It was a great night that set the stage for a powerful moment when we celebrated the students’ baptisms. This was cool and really powerful to see 10 students take … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ST. GABRIEL, La. (LBM) – This fall, Louisiana Baptists will have multiple opportu­nities to provide inmates of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women with hygiene boxes that meet physical needs but often lead to spiritual decisions. Churches are invited to participate in a gift box packing day, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. -1 p.m., in the Granberry Conference Center on the campus of Louisiana Chris­tian University, Pineville. Al­ternatively, they may donate, prior to and on Sept. 25, complete gift sets containing items from an approved list provided by the Louisiana Baptist women’s missions and ministry office. Volunteers will distrib­ute the boxes on Oct. 15, and LBWMM leaders are praying that 1,000 boxes are packed. “The boxes are a remind­er to the women that they are not forgotten and they are cared for,” Christine Gill, LBWMM strategist, told the Baptist Message. “Those who go into the prison are work­ing together to help bring light to a dark place.” The effort began in 2006, when Louisiana Baptists learned that LCIW inmates were needing additional hygiene supplies. Last year, a record 1,000 boxes were donated, surpassing the 2024 mark of 700. “The thing that … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer RUSTON, La. (LBM) – Nearly 700 small group leaders and pastors, collec­tively, were encouraged to strengthen their disciple­ship efforts during recent multiple ReGroup events. ReGroup South, host­ed Aug. 1 by First Baptist Church, Lafayette, drew 415 attendees. Meanwhile, ReGroup North, hosted Aug. 8 by Temple Baptist Church, Ruston, had 272 participants. Reggie Bridges, pas­tor with Temple Baptist, Ruston, was the keynote speaker for both events. Leading worship were Crescent City Worship, a worship team with New Orleans Baptist Theolog­ical Seminary (ReGroup South), and Firm Founda­tion, a worship band from Ruston (ReGroup North). The conferences fea­tured age-graded breakout sessions for leaders in the areas of worship, adults, young adults, college, youth, children, preschool, men and women. Louisiana Baptists’ evangelism and church growth team also offered a drawing at each location for a marriage disciple­ship retreat at WinShape in Rome, Georgia. Scott Beardsley, pastor with East Ridge Baptist Church, Lake Charles (ReGroup South), and Brent Shoalmire, pastor of discipleship and administration with First Baptist Church, Natchi­toches (ReGroup North), were the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MANAUS, Brazil (LBM) – During a mission trip to a city located in the cen­ter of the Amazon rainforest, Louisiana Baptists experienced a Gospel harvest of 647 Brazilians. “The theme for this year was ‘Hope for Manaus,’” David Denton, senior pastor with Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia, told the Baptist Message. “We partnered with local churches to help them fulfill the Great Commission in their vicinity. Much like Louisiana, Manaus was hot with high humid­ity. We sweated a lot but had great Gospel conversations.” GOSPEL HARVEST Fifty members of Beyond the Walls, a Louisiana Baptist-led mis­sion team from Louisiana, Texas and Utah ministered, July 10-21 in Manaus, known as the “Heart of the Amazon.”. While there, they split into 12 ministry teams and participated in personal visits, drama minis­try, construction, street ministry, Vacation Bible School, medical ministry and compassion ministry that included distribution of food baskets – each as a bridge to Gos­pel conversations. IN THEIR WORDS Among those Denton saw come to Christ was Jonathan, a recov­ering drug addict he met during a visit to a local park. During the ­ the conversation, Denton shared the … [Read more...]