For students and their families, the move to a seminary campus brings many new challenges. NEW ORLEANS (BP) – For students and their families, the move to a seminary campus brings many new challenges. Seminary families often are faced with tighter finances, smaller living quarters and the stress of theological studies. With the adjustment to new churches and new schools for the children, the combined effect can strain family relationships – especially marriages. “Coming to seminary is just stressful for your marriage,” said Kathy Steele, assistant professor of psychology and counseling at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “How can a pastor or minister go out and build a healthy church if his own family is unhealthy?” Steele and a small group of campus leaders at NOBTS who developed a burden for student marriages, began meeting together in May to develop a plan to help strengthen and enrich marriages. Known as the Marriage Initiative group, they believe a focus on strong marriages during ministerial training will result in healthier ministers and, in turn, ministries. NOBTS provost Steve Lemke agrees. “No married minister can be maximally effective in Christian service without a healthy marriage,” he said. … [Read more...]

Several Southern Baptist churches across Louisiana provided Thanksgiving dinner for people in their communities. STATEWIDE – Several Southern Baptist churches across Louisiana provided Thanksgiving dinner for people in their communities. See page 5 for Leesville, and page 10 for Hammond, Loranger and Mandeville. In Cenla, the Message found First Baptist Winn-field the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and First Baptist Pineville and Longview Baptist Church, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. “We’ve been stressing a lot about doing our faith and not just talking about it,” said Stephen Laughlin, First Winnfield pastor for the last four months. “We tried to reach out in every area we could,” the pastor added. “We didn’t reach everybody this year, but that’s why the good Lord made next year!” It was the first year for First Winn-field’s community Christmas dinner, the 13th for First Pineville, and more than 30 years for Longview. It was chicken and ham for First Winnfield, turkey at First Pineville, and roasted pig at Longview. What all the churches had in common though, was eager church members’ willingness to volunteer in whatever way they could help. “If pastors want a galvanizing event that will put their people to … [Read more...]

Baptist Temple Central Louisiana Baptist Association Baptist Temple, where perhaps 150 people gather for worship each Sunday, prints a full page of prayer concerns for Wednesday night prayer each week, under the headings In the Hospital, Immediate Needs, Long Term Needs, Serving in the Armed Forces, Members – Homebound and Nursing Home, Family and Friends – Homebound and Nursing Home. In addition to names, and to place of duty for the military, the list includes the following: “Political concerns in America, our church and [new pastor] Dr. and Mrs. James Sample, Hurricane victims, Haitian Christian Mission, Last Frontier ‘007’ missionaries, Burma friends – especially children in school” – all of which gives evidence of a church serious about prayer. First Baptist Tullos LaSalle Baptist Association First Baptist Tullos does much the same, listing known prayer needs on a full page in their Sunday morning bulletin. This list includes the names of church members in area nursing homes, unspoken requests, and “our church, our deacons, youth, Sunday school, outreach class, missionaries, our military, President Bush, leaders of our nation, families of troops, men and women serving in Iraq, nation of Israel, China, … [Read more...]

The Franklin Avenue Baptist Church  [New Orleans] construction team dubbed the M&Ms [Men and Missions] traveled to Golden Meadow to help with homes that were damaged during Hurricane Gustav. The first house had the words Please Help on the front and the team stopped. They not only helped, but shared gifts with the family and the word of God. Franklin Avenue Pastor Fred Luter said because of the team’s willingness to help, the family came to church to accept Jesus as their Savior. The team plans on returning to Golden Meadow to continue with the rebuilding … [Read more...]

day school, outreach class, missionaries, our military, President Bush, leaders of our nation, families of troops, men and women serving in Iraq, nation of Israel, China, Mid-East crisis, India, Osama bin Laden and terrorists. These are two of the many Southern Baptist churches in Louisiana that put knees to their prayers. CONCORD-UNION BAPTIST ASSOCIATION The 66 churches in this association in northeast Louisiana, headquartered in Ruston, filled 2,211 shoe boxes with about $40,000 in donated items, which the association plans to take Dec. 13 to the Navajo Indian Reservation in northwest New Mexico and northeast Arizona. It’s an annual ministry started by Pastor Bob Witt 13 years ago, which Karen Knight, ministry assistant at the association, and her husband, Harlin Knight, took over in 2001. “We really don’t realize how blessed that we are and how much we take for granted, until you see how some others have to live,” Karen Knight said. “I remember the first summer we went [there.] The children were so excited to get a glass of ice tea. They were excited over the ice! I have never thought of ice as something special ... but without electricity, ice would be a rare item.” C-U church members worked for months to … [Read more...]

COMINGS AND GOINGS Bryce Humphries, new as music minister, Highland Park Baptist, Monroe. NEEDED Full-time minister of youth and children at First Baptist Vivian; call 318.375.3245. Youth director at Paron Baptist Sterlington; send resumes to Jarrod Hawthorne, PO Box 221; Sterlington LA 71280. Bi-vocational pastor and part-time music director at Fordoche Baptist; send resumes to PO Box 95, Fordoche LA 70732. Bi-vocational pastor at Macedonia Baptist; send resume to Henry Harris, 8759 Harris Road, Denham Springs LA 70726 or call 225.664.7411 or 225.777.4772. REVIVALS CALVIN – First Baptist: 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 15-17; Bill Robertson, evangelist; Franklin Family, music; Gerald Roberts, pastor. CHURCH AND ASSOCIATION EVENTS SULPHUR – First Baptist: Dinner Theatre “One Quiet Night” 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; tickets $8; David Holder, pastor. BATON ROUGE – Woodlawn Baptist: Christmas Festival 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; Tommy G. Middleton, pastor. JONESBORO – Ebenezer Baptist: New Song Choir Christmas Cantata; Sunday, Dec. 14; Randy Lee, pastor. MONROE – First Baptist: Children’s Christmas Musical “I Wish You Jesus” 6 … [Read more...]

The short version of this story is that Woodland Park Baptist in Hammond and Loranger Baptist in Loranger independently decided this year for the first time to provide Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving for people in their communities. HAMMOND/LORANGER – The short version of this story is that Woodland Park Baptist in Hammond and Loranger Baptist in Loranger independently decided this year for the first time to provide Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving for people in their communities. Woodland Park Baptist had more people show up than they’d anticipated. Loranger Baptist – 11 miles away – didn’t have as many as they planned for. Loranger Baptist gave its extras to Woodland Park Baptist. Leftovers went to the inmates and jail staff at the local lock-up. “It’s like God knew how much would be needed, and He saw to it that everyone had all they needed,” said Becky Seale of Woodland Park Baptist. “It was absolutely amazing. It was like manna from heaven.” But why settle for the short version of this story, when God receives even more glory from the longer version? Seale, an active member at Woodland Park, was working with the youth in 2007. She arranged for them to take turkeys to five families, and later that day, … [Read more...]

MANDEVILLE – A Peruvian pastor with a penchant for soccer led his church plant to combine a community Thanksgiving dinner with a soccer tournament. It brought about 40 people new to Iglesia Cristo Redentor, along with the 70 or so who regularly attend Sunday morning worship. Umberto Medina is pastor of the 2-year-old church plant. He arrived in Louisiana from Peru via northern Mississippi. Francine Mathews is minister of education at the church. She has served since September 2007 under the Unlimited Partnership program of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, but actually has been part of the church plant from its inception. “It was pretty crazy how God worked,” Mathews said. At a First Baptist Mandeville church picnic in 2005, five people realized they all spoke Spanish. Then Katrina hit, and the area was flooded with Hispanic workers. “God placed in us the desire for this new work,” Mathews said. “We started meeting with them for a Bible study in their trailer park, and it just kept growing and growing. We couldn’t fit in a house anymore, and the pastor [of First Baptist Mandeville, Ken Schroeder] said we could use the church as of Mothers Day 2006.” Medina arrived soon after, and now about 70 people … [Read more...]

International Mission Board missionary Eric Reese taps on the interior ceiling light, illuminating the cab of his Chevy pickup. Reese doesn’t need to see inside his vehicle. But after six years of working with the urban poor in the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he knows those outside the cab need to see in. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (BP) – International Mission Board missionary Eric Reese taps on the interior ceiling light, illuminating the cab of his Chevy pickup. Reese doesn’t need to see inside his vehicle. But after six years of working with the urban poor in the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he knows those outside the cab need to see in. Eric slows the truck to a stop. A man steps toward the open driver-side window and cocks an AK-47. “Calma, calma,” Eric says. “We just finished an evangelistic presentation. We’re just leaving.” When the traficante (drug dealer) steps away from the window and waves him on, Eric, 42, puts the truck in gear and moves. It’s 9:20 p.m. With his truck windows open, Eric can’t mistake the sound of gunshots echoing through the favela as he heads home to his wife Ramona and their two children. With frequent shootouts, prostitution and drug trafficking in the … [Read more...]

Brazil Quick Facts: Full country name: República Federativa do Brasil Area: 8.51 million sq km Population: 175 million Capital City: Brasília People: 55 percent European descent, 38 percent biracial, 6 percent African descent, 1 percent other. Language: Portuguese Religion: 70 percent Roman Catholic; also a significant proportion who either belong to various cults or practice Indian animism Government: federative republic Facts for the Traveler Visas: Passports must be valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are required for tourists of many nationalities, including Australia, Canada and the USA; visas are generally granted for a period of 90 days, with one extension of up to 90 days possible. Health risks: dengue fever (The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the dengue virus, is most active during the day, and is found mainly in urban areas, in and around human dwellings. Signs and symptoms of dengue fever include a sudden onset of high fever, headache, joint and muscle pains, nausea and vomiting. Culture Brazilian culture has been shaped not only by the Portuguese, who gave the country its most common religion and language, but also by the country’s … [Read more...]