Members of Baptist congregations would do well to try to understand something of the travail, albeit what is often joyful travail but always travail, involved in preparing and delivering sermons three times a week.   "There was a poll a few years ago that said that of all things to be feared in life - death, disease, drowning - Americans picked as their number-one fear . . . public speaking." (On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan, Regan Books1998, page XI), Members of Baptist congregations would do well to try to understand something of the travail, albeit what is often joyful travail but always travail, involved in preparing and delivering sermons three times a week.   "There was a poll a few years ago that said that of all things to be feared in life - death, disease, drowning - Americans picked as their number-one fear . . . public speaking." (On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan, Regan Books1998, page XI),   Noonan, a noted presidential speech writer for Ronald Reagan, and those who answered the polling question could not have imagined what their fear level would be if they considered preparing and delivering three different major speeches a week, 45 to 50 weeks a year, basically to the … [Read more...]

Debbie and Wayne Brinkley thought they had a plan - they would eat in as many Chinese "chifas" (diners) as they could to learn where the Chinese living in Lima, Peru, gather.   Also, when they were not eating in chifas, they would drive around Lima, marking locations on a map. Debbie and Wayne Brinkley thought they had a plan - they would eat in as many Chinese "chifas" (diners) as they could to learn where the Chinese living in Lima, Peru, gather.   Also, when they were not eating in chifas, they would drive around Lima, marking locations on a map.   They ate and marked - and marked some more. They noted more than 100 chifas on a single street alone. Little did they know they had embarked on an impossible mission. There are almost 6,000 chifas in Lima.   The Brinkleys are Southern Baptist missionaries who recently changed from working with Spanish speakers to focusing on the more than 400,000 Chinese living in Lima. Nearly 100 percent have no relationship with Jesus Christ.   "We were praying about how to reach the Chinese with the gospel," Wayne Brinkley says. "And we had the thought, ‘What if there was a church in every chifa?’"   His wife answers … [Read more...]

Sitting around the table, the Wong (not their real name) family laughs and talks, teasing each other as their elderly mother brings a dish of noodles from the kitchen.   Chopsticks then fly, diving into the steaming hot bowl. Sitting around the table, the Wong (not their real name) family laughs and talks, teasing each other as their elderly mother brings a dish of noodles from the kitchen.   Chopsticks then fly, diving into the steaming hot bowl.   Off to the side sits the father of the house, smiling and reveling in the joy of children and grandchildren. He listens to the chatter as he strokes his long, gray beard.   He is blessed to have such a family. All three of his daughters are married, as well as his three sons. All have jobs - hard to come by in this part of China.   The rotund father glances at the clock and rises. He nudges his eldest son and then disappears. The son grabs his hat and rushes out the door.   A few doors away, a young Chinese man steps up to a microphone. He belts out a guttural song much different than the karaoke his peers perform just down the street. This song is not Chinese hip-hop, but an Arabic call … [Read more...]

Healthy churches are not determined by budgets, buildings or even baptisms, John Marshall stressed recently.   "A great church makes a great commitment to the Great Commandment and Great Commission," said Marshall, pastor at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo. "A healthy church must proclaim first and foremost the fact that every human being is created for the purpose of loving God." Healthy churches are not determined by budgets, buildings or even baptisms, John Marshall stressed recently.   "A great church makes a great commitment to the Great Commandment and Great Commission," said Marshall, pastor at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo. "A healthy church must proclaim first and foremost the fact that every human being is created for the purpose of loving God."   In a recent lecture series at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Marshall cited three aspects of a healthy church with "heart-healthy" members - individuals must love God first, neighbor second and be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission.   "The call to be a Christian is the call to give heart, soul and mind to someone above this world," he stated. "No life is fulfilled until wholly … [Read more...]

Re: Contemporary worship services   Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods... Re: Contemporary worship services   Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods of standing that enables more freedom of body movement and, often, casual dress. The pastor frequently omits suit and tie, perhaps in an attempt to become one of them. Employment of psychological manipulation seems evident.   The contemporary service is frequently employed by churches that offer two or more worship services and, on occasion, more than one Sunday School session. Sometimes, one Sunday School is set aside for the youth, leaving the others primarily for senior adults, since the younger adults usually follow their children. Even with one Sunday School, the young adults usually gravitate to the contemporary service.   Seldom has a church opted for only a contemporary … [Read more...]

For the week of November 14, 2002 Potpourri • PITKIN - First church: Missions Celebration; Nov. 24, 11 a.m. with dinner on the grounds to follow; Monica Skiles, missionary to Tanzania, guest speaker; Stephen Laughlin, pastor.   • ZACHARY - Milldale church: Accepting reservations for 2003 Bible Conference; Feb. 17-20; Bailey Smith, Jim Cymbala, Sonny Holland, Malcom Ellis, Jerry Chaddick and Bill Riddick, guest speakers; for information, call (225) 654-8168 or write Milldale Baptist Church, 11950 Milldale Rd., Zachary, LA 70791; Jimmy Robertson, pastor. Youth • DEQUINCY - First church: "Hallelujah Heart" children’s musical; Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.; Jared Prewitt, minister of music/education; Byron Comish, pastor. Revivals • VIDALIA - First church: Nov. 23, 7 p.m. youth night; Nov. 24, 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. senior adult night; Jeff Vernon, evangelist; Dan Glenn, music; Gary Nunn, pastor.   • SHREVEPORT - Northwoods church: Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 18-20, 7 p.m.; Russell Harbin, evangelist; Starla Harbin, music; Billy Stevens, pastor.   • BATON ROUGE - Stevendale church: Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. with covered dish luncheon to follow and 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 18-20, 6:30 p.m.; … [Read more...]

American voters in various states addressed three key issues during the recent elections - gambling, drugs and traditional marriages. The results were mixed. American voters in various states addressed three key issues during the recent elections - gambling, drugs and traditional marriages. The results were mixed. On the gambling front, voters in: • Tennessee and North Dakota approved implementation of state lotteries. • Arizona passed a measure to extend the state lottery for 10 more years. • Iowa renewed casino gambling for the next eight years. • Idaho agreed to allow slot machines on Indian reservations. • Arizona passed one of three referendums to expand reservation gambling. "Those states ... are simply proving the axiom of the camel’s nose," said Barrett Duke, vice president for research for the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "Once it gets its nose in the tent, the rest is sure to follow. "That is why it is so important to prevent gambling from ever gaining a foothold. It is very difficult to get out once it gets in. "A previous generation of Americans were so sure of this that many of them included gambling bans in their state constitutions," Duke noted. "Today’s … [Read more...]

More than 10,000 churches continue to operate a vehicle the Southern Baptist Convention’s primary insurer of churches has declared "inherently unsafe."   GuideOne is the church insurer endorsed by the Southern Baptist Annuity Board. It insures more than 50,000 churches, and about 10,000 of those maintain policies on one or more 15-passenger vans. More than 10,000 churches continue to operate a vehicle the Southern Baptist Convention’s primary insurer of churches has declared "inherently unsafe."   GuideOne is the church insurer endorsed by the Southern Baptist Annuity Board. It insures more than 50,000 churches, and about 10,000 of those maintain policies on one or more 15-passenger vans.   However, the insurer has strongly encouraged churches to stop using the vans. "GuideOne believes 15-passenger vans to be inherently unsafe," a company statement said. "We encourage our policyholders to strongly consider other transportation options."   GuideOne still covers 15-passenger vans it already has insured but has stopped writing new policies for them. It also has issued regulations about who may operate the vans. All drivers are required to have a chaffeur’s or commercial … [Read more...]

For the week of November 21, 2002 Messenger registration A total of 1,401 persons registered as messengers to last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City. The total marks a decline from last year, when 1,592 messengers registered. It also marks the lowest registration total since 1,228 messengers attended the 1998 annual meeting. But the total does represent an increase from the last time the convention met in Bossier City. At that meeting in 1994, a total of 1,215 messengers registered. Vote totals Messengers engaged in a trio of ballot votes at last week’s annual meeting - all during the report of the Executive Board. Messengers cast ballots on three board recommendations within a span of minutes on Tuesday morning. These included:   • A vote to add the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to convention bylaws. A total of 1,191 messengers cast ballots (including two disqualified votes) - 85 percent of the final registration total.   • A vote to affirm the Bible in the convention constitution. A total of 1,058 messengers cast ballots (including one disqualified vote) - 75.4 percent of the final registration total.   • A vote to revamp the associational director of missions … [Read more...]

Last week’s column was a word to sermon listeners. This week’s is for sermon presenters. As did last week’s column, this one draws from Peggy Noonan’s book, On Speaking Well (Harper Collins, 1997). Ms. Noonan is one of the most noted recent   presidential speechwriters who in this book shares from her expertise in crafting speeches for Ronald Reagan, among others. Last week’s column was a word to sermon listeners. This week’s is for sermon presenters. As did last week’s column, this one draws from Peggy Noonan’s book, On Speaking Well (Harper Collins, 1997). Ms. Noonan is one of the most noted recent   presidential speechwriters who in this book shares from her expertise in crafting speeches for Ronald Reagan, among others.   Her first "preliminary" is titled, "No Speech Should Last More than Twenty Minutes." In answering "Why?" she refers to Ronald Reagan who said no one wants to sit in an audience in respectful silence for longer than that, if that!   "He also knew twenty minutes is more than enough time to say the biggest, most important thing in the world. The Gettysburg Address went three minutes or so, the Sermon on the Mount hardly more. It is usually and … [Read more...]