Please pray for these churches damaged by flooding in south Louisiana. Amite Baptist Church, Denham Springs Bethel Baptist Church, Franklinton Bethel Baptist Church, Jennings Blood River Baptist Church, Albany Carroll Baptist Church, Walker Church of Life, Baton Rouge Comite Baptist Church, Baton Rouge Cross Creek Cowboy Church, Zachary Crossroads Baptist Church, Amite Don Avenue Baptist Church, Denham Springs Eastside Baptist Church, Zachary Ebenezer Baptist Church, Hammond Emmanuel Baptist Church, Denham Springs Faith Baptist Church, Baker Fellowship Baptist Church, Central First Baptist Church, Baker First Baptist Church, Broussard First Baptist Church, Crossgate First Baptist Church, Denham Springs First Baptist Church, French Settlement First Baptist Church, Eunice First Baptist Church, Greensburg First Baptist Church, Head of Island First Baptist Church, Kaplan/parsonage First Baptist Church, Lake Arthur First Baptist Church, Lydia French Corner Baptist Church, Ponchatoula Friendship Baptist Church, Central Glen Oaks Baptist Church, Baton Rouge Gracepoint Church, Simmesport Grays Creek Baptist Church, Denham Springs Greenwell Springs … [Read more...]
‘Not again’
I think it was New York Yankee great Yogi Berra who said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again!” This is how I felt when I saw the low pressure system basically park itself over southeastern Louisiana. As I saw the videos being posted on social media and via various news outlets, I couldn’t help pray, “Lord, please, not again. Not so soon.” As you well know, we dealt with historic flooding in March across northern and western parts of our state. Volunteers from across Louisiana, as well as our Baptist brethren from a dozen or more state conventions, responded to the need. All told, volunteers spent 80 days assisting victims during the spring floods – and here we go – again. There is no answer to the “why” question on this side of heaven, but there is a promise found in Isaiah that can encourage us as we face the aftermath of another storm. “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.” Isaiah 43:2, HCSB God promises that He’ll be with us when we pass through the waters. Even in the midst of a chaotic scene, God is there. Sometimes we sense His presence during the storm, but most often we do not. Either way, the promise is the same “I will be with … [Read more...]
Celebrating through service
Steve Masters celebrated a milestone Aug. 15 as director of the LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry. “Having my 25th anniversary during a major disaster reminds me the most important things in life are God, family, church, friends and serving others,” Masters said. “Material goods that get flooded can be replaced. You cannot replace God!” He was joined by 20 LSU BCM students, who later helped clean out six homes in the area. Associate Director Sarah Farley challenged believers to react positively to “one of the worst disasters to hit our state. This is a great time to be the Global Church,” she proclaimed.” To be the tangible hands and feet of Jesus! Join us!” The BCM is hosting volunteer groups Aug. 26-28, Sept. 2-5 and Sept. 9-11, with housing provided at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. For information about partnering with them, contact sfarley@bcmlsu.net or lsubcm@eatel.net. … [Read more...]
On Wings of Eagles: Helping hands, both large and small
By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor FRENCH SETTLEMENT -- The crew of the UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter was assigned search and rescue duties Aug. 15, flying along the Amite River when a small group of people flagged them down. The chopper, part of F Co 2-135th AVN, an Army National Guard aviation support unit based in Pineville, hovered as team members tried to assess the needs of those stranded on the ground. NOT A TYPICAL MONDAY “We could see a walker sitting in the small boat and an elderly lady sitting in the boat,” said Staff Sergeant Chad McCann, a member of Union Baptist Church, Deville. “We realized we couldn’t do a hoist rescue so the pilots [Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jesse Curtis and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Walt Clement] inched the chopper down to a small sand island between two houses. As the medic, Staff Sergeant Scott Hamilton, went over to assess the needs, McCann borrowed a small boat and followed after him. What they found was much more than they anticipated. “Not only was there an elderly woman, but she had just recently had brain surgery,” McCann said. “There also was a young mother (the woman’s daughter) and two small children. We quickly got the grandmother secured in the helicopter and I went … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptist associations announce needs for affected churches, residents
By Message Staff Directors of missions from the southern areas of the state are asking for donations that will be distributed to thousands of people affected by last weekend’s massive flooding in south Louisiana. “The greatest needs we have right now are prayer for the pastors who have personally experienced loss and for their financial issues,” said David Carlton, director of missions for Evangeline Baptist Association. “Some have no flood insurance.” The Bayou Church, which is a member of the Evangeline Baptist Association of churches, is collecting bleach, rags, mops, deodorant, soap, toothbrushes and school supplies from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. though Thursday, Aug. 18. The church is located at 2234 Kaliste Saloom Road in Lafayette. In Baton Rouge, one church opening its door for donations is Istrouma Baptist Church, 10500 Sam Rushing Drive. These items may be dropping off from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday: First aid kits 50-ft. heavy duty water hoses Crow and pry bars Square shovels Squeegees Brooms Rubber gloves Hard hats Five-gallon buckets bleach Mosquito repellent Gatorade Bottled water Hammers Dust masks One-gallon spray bottle Box fans Extension cords … [Read more...]
As water rises, First Baptist Lake Arthur, community prays and waits
By Message Staff LAKE ARTHUR – The sandbags are stacked high around First Baptist Church in Lake Arthur, most of the congregation has evacuated and now all they and the rest of the southwest Louisiana town can hope for is a miracle from God. Threatening to flood the community is the Mermentau River, whose crest occurred earlier Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10.73 feet. The river previously was expected to crest at 11.5 feet on Friday. So far, they are holding up as the community and local churches have banded together to help one another during this time. “We are holding each other’s hand during this time,” said Pastor Jered. “The Lord has shown up and showed off his greatness during this time.” The Lake Arthur Police Department has issued a dusk-til-dawn curfew until further notice for the town of 2,700 residents. Thomas said water was not in the town yet, though he expects to know if water will come into Lake Arthur between later tonight and sometime Friday. Lake Arthur Mayor Robbie Bertrand said in a Facebook post Thursday morning that overnight all levees held, with some amount of leakage due to pressure from the buildup of water against them. Bertrand said the east part of town does not have a levee or pump and … [Read more...]
OLYMPICS: Gold medialist Brianna Rollins: I want to be known as ‘the athlete who glorified God’
By Michael Foust, Christian Examiner RIO DE JANEIRO (Christian Examiner) – A trio of American sprinters swept the 110-meter hurdles final Wednesday night during the Olympics, but it was the post-race interview that many TV viewers will remember. Brianna Rollins won the gold medal with a time of 12.48 seconds, while teammates Nia Ali (12.59) and Kristi Castlin (12.61) captured the silver and bronze, respectively. It was the first Olympics since 1972 that a country had swept the event. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]
Louisiana College brings Jesus and basketball to Jena
B By Craig Franklin JENA, - For Louisiana College Head Men's Basketball Coach Reni Mason, basketball is nothing more than a platform to build the kingdom of God. Mason and his assistant coach, Jonathan Brooks, and two other student-athletes -- Raheem Regis and Travis Schutlz -- represented Louisiana College and Jesus Christ August 11 and 12 when they conducted a free basketball clinic at First Baptist Church Jena for aspiring players from kindergarten through 12th grade. "We teach the fundamentals of basketball, but the most important reason we conduct these camps is to share the Gospel," Mason said. "We start each day with a devotion, get into our drills, and end with a devotion. Everything we do starts and ends with God." "I'd like to thank Pastor Dominick DiCarlo and the Jena First Baptist Church family for allowing us to come and conduct this clinic," Mason said. Louisiana College sponsors basketball camps for three weeks each summer, but this year expanded with free clinics to areas outside of the campus after. "This year we conducted two of these clinics, the first was at Alpine Baptist Church in Tioga and the second was here at First Baptist in Jena," Mason said. "We've averaged about 65 youths between … [Read more...]
Your pirogue is our pirogue
My Martha Bailey, First Baptist Covington Although I had planned another post for today, my heart won’t let me write about anything except the punch in the gut that our neighbors to the west all the way to Lafayette received last weekend. Caught completely off guard, residents in that area received anywhere from 15-28 inches of rain in a 48-hour period. With such an extreme amount of water falling in such a short window of time, the rivers and tributaries could not accommodate the runoff. The flooding resulted in the deaths of eleven people, 20,000 people having to be rescued from homes and vehicles, and 11,000 victims seeking refuge in shelters. Unfortunately, many of those people hadn’t even gotten over the flood that hit this area only five months ago. Some of them had just completed the restoration of their homes after the March flood. Others were still in the process. How discouraging that must be. Twenty Southeast Louisiana parishes have been declared as disaster areas. It is being referred to as a “historic flood event”. Meteorologists are comparing it to the devastation caused by a hurricane that hit this area in 1940, over 75 years ago. But even though what has happened in our state has been categorized as … [Read more...]
UPDATE: Disaster relief training sessions scheduled around the state
UPDATE (3:23 p.m.): Additional mud-out training opportunities have been scheduled through Aug. 23 in the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas. The following churches are hosting sessions: Aug. 17: Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, 6 p.m. First Baptist Church, Lafayette, 6 p.m. Aug. 18: The Grove, Prairieville, 6 p.m. Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia, 6 p.m. Aug. 20: Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, 8 a.m. (Hispanic) Aug. 23: First Baptist Church, Jennings, 6:30 p.m. An assessment training session is also scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 19 at Ascension Baptist Church in Gonzales. ORIGINAL STORY: BATON ROUGE – The Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge has announced two mud-out training sessions for this Saturday. Hosted at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, one session will take place from 8 to 11 a.m., led by Charles Watson. The other session is for college students from 7 to 9 a.m. and will be led by Steve Masters, campus director of the LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry. The cost is $25, which covers the cost of a hat and t-shirt. Each class will be deployed immediately after the training. Participants are asked to bring work clothes, such as long pants, long … [Read more...]
