Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Three words for such a time as this

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - As we pass the mid-point of what seems like an extremely long year, several words come to mind that would be descriptive of how I feel about 2020. Unexpected would definitely be one of those words. No one expected COVID-19. No one saw the social unrest that has unfolded over the last several months. Another word would be uncertainty. It’s no surprise that unexpected events such as the ones we’ve experienced lead to uncertainty. Economic uncertainty. Health uncertainty. Emotional uncertainty. What can we do? What should we do? But even in the midst of these unexpected and uncertain times, I would include the word grateful. I’m grateful God has been faithful. Samuel sums it up well for me when he said, “So far, the Lord has helped us.” These unexpected and uncertain times have not caught Him off guard. I’m grateful for the spirit I’ve seen in Louisiana Baptists. You’ve been creative, stretching yourselves, utilizing unfamiliar technology for many of you, as you’ve continued to minister to each other and your communities. You have exhibited a God-honoring spirit that shows we may have been confined, but we were not contained. You cannot quarantine good news. I am grateful for your faithfulness … [Read more...]

Baptisms celebrate son’s, mother’s spiritual bond at Metairie’s Memorial

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer METAIRIE, La. (LBM) - Mateo Alvarez experienced plenty of fun and games at the 2019 CentriKid summer camp, but in the end also came away with something much greater – the gift of salvation. During an evening worship session at Timber Creek Camp in Polanski, Mississippi, Alvarez, who was 10 at the time, realized the need to confess his sins and stepped forward to publicly declare Jesus as Lord. “The decision just made sense,” Alvarez told the Baptist Message. “That evening was something I never will forget because that was the day that I shared with everyone there that I am someone who is a new creation in Christ.” Alvarez had completed the church's foundational course on discipleship and subsequently set a date to be baptized in the spring. But COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings interrupted his plan. Finally, on July 5, Alvarez was able to step down into the baptistery -- with the double blessing to have his mom, Mary, by his side. She had accepted Christ 20 years ago, but was baptized then under another denomination's doctrinal beliefs about baptism. She wanted to follow through in believer's baptism -- an act of obedience symbolizing her faith in a … [Read more...]