LAFAYETTE – A new statewide ministry is to be launched at the upcoming Louisiana Missions Celebration March 31 and April 1 at First Baptist Church here.
By Karen L. Willoughby
Managing editor
LAFAYETTE – A new statewide ministry is to be
launched at the upcoming Louisiana Missions Celebration March 31 and
April 1 at First Baptist Church here.
“Beautiful Feet” is one of about two dozen
highlights of the annual celebration sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist
Convention Women’s Missions and Ministry Team.
“We want to paint a picture of missions
extraordinaire,” said Cindy Townsend, Women’s Missions and Ministry
Team director. “This whole weekend is to celebrate missions for every
age group and every mission’s mindset.”
About 1,000 people from across the state are
expected to participate in the Missions Celebration, which is the
single largest event of its kind in the state. Its slate of program
presenters include the five-member Extravagant Grace worship team of
Natchitoches.
The annual event will focus on how members of
Louisiana Southern Baptist churches can be on mission for God every
day. “Beautiful Feet” is one example.
Many missionaries sent out by the SBC’s
International Mission Board cannot be named or photographed because of
the politically-sensitive areas in which they live and minister. WMU in
Alabama began using photographs of the missionaries’ feet instead; with
the Missions’ Celebration the idea will spread into Louisiana.
“The scripture says ‘how beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the glad tidings of good things’ in Romans 10:15,”
Townsend said. “The pictures of ‘beautiful feet remind us to pray for
real missionaries traveling difficult roads with the Real Gospel of
God’s love.”
Rhonda Kelley of New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary was tapped a year ago for the Missions Celebration to talk
about the seminary’s investment in the inmates of Angola State Prison.
She also is expected to talk about Katrina’s effect on the seminary.
Retired IMB missionaries Giles and Wana Ann Fort of Dallas, Texas, will
talk about involving the next generations in missions. In addition to
speaking about her work with college students, Native American Alpha
Goombi, a North American Mission Board missionary based in Nebraska,
will present The Lord’s Prayer in Indian sign language.
Kay Bennett, director of NAMB’s Friendship House in
New Orleans,will talk about how her ministry has changed since Katrina.
Other speakers from Louisiana will discuss cowboy
churches,French-language radio ministry and reaching Chinese.
Romania-born Gabriela Poenar Henson, who prayed as a 7-year-old for the
end of communism, is expected to talk on the subject of “Dreaming the
Impossible Dream,” designed specifically to challenge college students
attending the Missions Celebration.
First Lafayette pastors Dr. Perry Sanders and Dr.
Steve Horn will speak about more ways men, women, teens and youngsters
can live a missions lifestyle that impacts the world for eternity.
“From GAs and RAs to senior adults, there’s
something for everybody at the Missions Celebration,” Townsend said.
“Our purpose is to show everyone that they can influence their everyday
world for Christ, through every sense of their being.”
The missions conference is expected to start at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31, and conclude by noon Saturday.
“You can touch everybody in your world for Christ,” Townsend said. “This conference will show you how.”