By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Organizers and participants of the recent Youth Evangelism Celebration celebrated the 719 students who made a decision for Christ. After moving to a regional format in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns, YEC returned, Nov. 21-22, to its traditional home at the Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria. “It was so good to be back at the Rapides Parish Coliseum and to hear more than 4,000 voices singing to Jesus,” Louisiana Baptist Youth Strategist Brandon Lewis told the Baptist Message. “God moved and hundreds of lives were changed.” YEC challenged 4,600 Louisiana Baptist teens to share their story of how Christ changed their lives through messages by evangelist Clayton King. “Every story that is represented at YEC matters to God,” King said. “Your life matters to God. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in theology, you just have to tell people how Jesus saves you,” he said. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in systematic theology or New Testament hermeneutics, you just have to have a story to say here’s who I was before I met Jesus, here’s how Jesus saved me and here’s how Jesus is changing me now. That’s the power of your story.” During all four … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ABITA SPRINGS, La. (LBM) – Two Louisiana Baptist church plants recently celebrated their first baptisms, respectively, as corporate bodies. SWEETWATER CHURCH Natalie and Sarah Cowell shared a sweet sister moment, Oct. 31, when they became the first members of SweetWater Church, Abita Springs, to stir the baptistery waters. As the two sisters stepped into a horse trough at the Abita Springs Recreational Center to symbolize their new life in Christ, their mother, Amiee Cowell, was moved to tears because the baptisms signified a spiritual rebirth for the entire family. “My husband had passed away from cancer in 2019 and I was so angry at God I stopped going to church,” Cowell told the Baptist Message. “When Pastor Ken (Schroeder) told me he was planting the church, I knew it was time for us to get back into church and for my daughters to finally take that next step of baptism several years after they had accepted Christ. My girls are so close and do everything together, so sharing this moment is something they will remember forever.” SweetWater Church held its first worship service in September, two years after Northshore Baptist Association Missions Strategist Don … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Home[1]coming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptist[1]message.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your informa[1]tion three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Justin, wife Alisha, Clark is the new cam[1]pus pastor at First West Fairbanks. Andrew Orr is the new education minister and wife Tracy Orr is the new children’s minister at Blanchard First Baptist Church from Philadelphia Baptist Church, Deville. Jerod, wife Jessica, Gann is the new student pastor at Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. Stuart Graves has resigned as pastor at Red River Baptist Church, Benton. Micah Murrell is new pastor at NOW church, a church plant in Grant Parish. Jonathan Murrell is new worship leader at NOW church, a church plant in Grant Parish from HIS Church, Pineville. Matt Johns is interim music director at HIS Church, Pineville. Roger Dunlap is the new pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church, Holden. Marty Eaves was ordained into the Gospel ministry … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – Prayer is a necessity to spark revival within each person, David Cranford said in his 2021 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting presidential address, Nov. 16, in the North Monroe Baptist Church. Drawing from Matthew 6:5-15, Cranford, pastor of First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, said God has given His children a model to follow in their prayer lives. He said prayer is a practical privilege and refreshingly simple, adding that it involves alone time with God and demonstrates a yielding faith. Cranford said prayer helps center one’s life on God and His Kingdom. He explained that Christ followers live in a time when it is increasingly difficult to be unplugged, but he stressed the importance of intentionally seeking time alone with God. “God wants to change us,” he said. “God wants to transform us. Prayer doesn’t change God. It changes you. So, it then becomes consistent for God to do what he wants to do anyway and that is to change the human heart.” Prayer is not complicated and does not require a secret formula, Cranford said. He encouraged messengers to have a more focused prayer life. “What’s the best way to pray?” he said. “The best way … [Read more...]