By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DEQUINCY, La. (LBM) – Kristie Singley came to New Hope Baptist Church in Dequincy searching for a Bible study class to attend on Sunday morning, March 29, and in the process discovered her need for a Savior. Singley arrived on campus only to learn that her age group class met online prior to the Facebook Live worship service. But in the one-on-one conversation that ensued with Associate Pastor Tracy Smith, part of the skeleton crew that helps produce the livestreamed Sunday service, she turned to Christ. The following week, she was baptized in a portable deep basin at the April 5 drive in-service conducted by New Hope. “When I asked Jesus in my life I felt all my sins go away and felt like a new person and a new beginning in my life,” Singley told the Baptist Message. “The day I got baptized was a celebration of the new beginning in my life, a declaration that I give my worries, concerns and everything I have to the Lord so He can guide me and shape me into the person I’m supposed to be.” The baptism came while Singley was still recovering from the pain of losing a child only 30 minutes after his premature birth. She credited her church family for helping her cope with the … [Read more...]

By Message Staff MONROE, La. (LBM)–Louisiana Baptists have continued to help homeowners whose homes were damaged by a tornado that touched down in Monroe-West Monroe Sunday, April 12. Disaster relief teams from Rolling Hills Ministries in Ruston and Cedar Crest Baptist Church in West Monroe, as well as volunteers from First Baptist Church in West Monroe and Temple Baptist Church and Calvary Baptist Church in Ruston have cleared debris from 12 homes in the area through Wednesday, April 15. Two other groups also are assisting: Minutemen Disaster Response, a non-profit response team in McKinney, Texas; and, Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational humanitarian aid organization founded by evangelist Franklin Graham. Volunteers also prayed with the homeowners at each site. According to Brandon Rodgers, media and communications director for First Baptist Church in West Monroe, spent much of Wednesday helped remove debris from the Lazarre Park area of West Monroe and also in areas of south Monroe, two of the hardest hit sections from the tornado. Nearly 300 homes were hit in Monroe and Ouachita Parish, and the Monroe Regional Airport received an estimated $30 million in damage. Michael Wood, lead pastor at First West, … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) - Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge recently gave gifts to medical personnel at area hospitals, providing fuel for the body and soul for each recipient. Members distributed 400 snack packs throughout the week of April 13-17 to workers at Women’s Hospital, Our Lady of the Lake and two locations of Baton Rouge General Hospital. Included in each kit were healthy snacks and spiritually-encouraging notes and cards created by adults and children at Istrouma. Terry Bracey, director of missions at Istrouma, said the response was uplifting. “We received replies through text and Facebook messages,” Bracey told the Baptist Message. “We may never truly know just how we touched and encouraged those who received the gifts.“ The effort is one of many ways Istrouma, which averaged around 2,000 in early March at its Baton Rouge and Prairieville, has helped minister to the community. Last week, members filled up a truckload of food for delivery this week to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and to needy families of school children – and they plan to make this an ongoing ministry. “I love how our church thinks outside the box, using creative ideas to minister to and stay connected with … [Read more...]