By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter WOODWORTH – Giggles bubbled up from the cluster of children gathered around the youth throwing a block party at an Alexandria apart­ment complex. Jump ropes twirled, little art­ists colored with chalk on the sidewalk and a rous­ing game of kickball took place on the nearby field. The day of fun was all part of M-NOW, a ministry opportunity for teens in grades 7-12. M-NOW, a two-day re­treat hosted by the Louisi­ana Baptists women’s mis­sions and ministry team, stands for Missions Now. The weekend was designed to engage students in mis­sion action and witnessing so that they may discover similar needs in the con­text of their own com­munities. About 75 youth, youth leaders and program staff from seven churches across the state partici­pated in M-NOW on Feb. 15-16 at the Tall Timbers Conference Center. “M-NOW has been an amazing experience,” Ra­chael Smith, a 16-year-old with First Baptist Church of Tullos, said with a big grin on her face. “It’s something I will remember forever,” Smith said, adding that coming together with other like-minded youth has made it easier for her to share her faith in a community outreach setting. Matthew Jambois, a senior with Lakeshore Baptist … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay PINEVILLE – About 300 women gathered for a two-day conference simply to soak in the presence of the Lord and to dwell in the Word as a respite from the world’s interruptions, organizers told the Baptist Message. The R.E.A.L. women’s conference, which stands for Relationships, Em­brace, Authenticity and Love, took place Feb. 22-23 at First Baptist Church in Pineville. The theme of the event was “Still My Soul” based on the scripture Psalm 46:10. Janie Wise, women’s mission and ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists and coordina­tor for the event, said participants were offered 15 breakout sessions to engage in diverse topics such as spiritual growth, discipleship, personal development, overcoming sexual sins, finding your identity in Christ, worship and making connections in a multicultural world. They were treated to a number of gifted speakers in these small groups and in the general sessions, she said. NICKI KOZIARZ “How’s your soul?” asked Nicki Koziarz. “That is the most important question we can engage you in this weekend. What will it take for it to be ‘well’ with your soul?” Koziarz, who served as the keynote speaker for R.E.A.L., is a best-selling author and speaker with … [Read more...]