By Staff NEW ORLEANS (BCM) – Baptist Community Ministries has partnered with three New Orleans organizations to provide a $3 million grant that will be used to advocate for greater access to early childhood education in the city. According to a news release from the organization, the money will be distributed to New Orleans Baptist Association, Agenda for Children and Louisiana Policy Institute over the next three years and will strive to add enough seats in a classroom to accommodate all children ages 0-5 that live in neighborhoods where early childhood education centers are located. More than 68 percent of children in New Orleans’ most vulnerable neighborhoods live in households below the ALICE Threshold, representing the minimum income level necessary for survival. Their families cannot afford housing, health care, food, transportation, and child care. By advocating for quality early childhood education seats, working families will have a stable environment for their children to receive a holistic educational experience while helping parents to be able to work normal hours and miss fewer workdays. “All of our city’s early learners deserve safe, supportive, educational environments, and that need is even more … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message MONTEREY, La. (LBM) – A crowd of 105 members and guests packed the newly remodeled educational building at New Era Baptist Church for a special celebration service Jan. 29. Completed in early January, the project featured renovation of its educational facility and the addition of two classrooms. According to Pastor Dustin Davis, this was the first time in nearly 50 years that the education building had received any updates. Davis said that renovations were needed to accommodate a growth in Sunday school. Since he arrived four-and-a-half years ago, Sunday school attendance has increased from 51 to 64. “We, at New Era, would like to thank everyone for making the building project possible,” Davis told the Baptist Message. “And we praise God for his blessings.” … [Read more...]