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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

August 15 dedication planned for new McNeese BCM

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAKE CHARLES – Baptist Collegiate Ministry officials at McNeese State University have scheduled an open house for its new building. Scheduled from 2 to 4 pm on Aug. 15, with a dedication service at 2:30 pm, the open house will showcase a building nearly seven years in the making. “It’s been a long process,” said Keith Cating, director of the McNeese BCM. “This gives us an opportunity to reach out to a larger group of students, build relationships with them and hopefully lead some of them accepting Christ.” The new 10,000-sq.-ft. building is nearly double the size of its former structure, which was demolished before construction on the new structure began in late 2013. Among the features of the building is an office suite with four offices, reception area, game room, library, great room, prayer room, kitchen, pantry and a room for its weekly lunch and worship services. Cating said the lunches held once a week are their biggest outreach tool. He estimates they will be able to serve many more than the 250 who showed up in its former structure that was 60 years old. “Over half of those folks who came usually were not believers, so it offered a chance to connect with them,” he … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

By Staff, Baptist Message ON THE MOVE Ryan and Katy Newsome James are new as minister of discipleship and student minister respectively at First Baptist Church, Crowley. Both are new positions in the church. Tim, wife Karen, Buford is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Luling. Steven Kelly, pastor at Bayou Vista Baptist Church, Morgan City, is the Bi-Vocational DOM for the Gulf Coast Association. Stephen, wife Jessica, Jennings is the new associate pastor of music and worship at Colyell Baptist Church, Livingston. IN REMEMBERANCE Ralph Thomas Self, who ministered for more than 60 years, passed away July 8 at the age of 87. He was laid to rest in Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches. Licensed to preach at the age of 17, he was ordained into the ministry by Troy V. Wheeler in April of 1948 at First Baptist Church in Natchitoches. He served as pastor of various congregations for over 60 years. He is survived by his wife of 62 ½ years, Louise Cox Self; son, Dwayne Self and wife, Tami; daughters, Beth S. Laseter and husband, John, Charlotte S. Pate and husband, Randy, Sr.; grandchildren, Katie and husband, Bill Sargeant, Tiuana and husband, Jamey McDonald, Ashley and husband, Danny Mandolfo and Randy Pate, … [Read more...]

Broadmoor Baptist’s B-groups have transformed members into missionaries

By Karen Pearce, Regional Reporter SHREVEPORT – When Keith Payne left Broadmoor Baptist Church (BBC) to pastor his own congregation three-and-a-half years ago, he had a healthy model of church to follow. But when he returned last year to become BBC’s part-time missions pastor, something dramatic had shifted. In Pastor Chuck Pourciau’s words, they had become missionaries. “When I came back it was just exploding – I was blown away at everything they were doing,” Payne said.  “I just had no idea that there were so many places where we had missionaries and where we were getting involved. It had doubled, it seemed, since I had left three years before.” In fact, it had more than doubled. They went from having around 200 people participating in part-time mission trips, to well over 500 as well as multiple local and regional mission partnerships. What happened? B-groups happened “We used to call it Sunday school but realized that didn’t communicate to the modern mind what all it was – it communicated something that only happened on Sunday and something that’s school.” Pourciau said. “We finally just made up a word – B-groups. That’s the first letter of our churches name and what we’re saying is it helps you believe, … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist churches seeking to multiply through ReGroup

By Staff, Baptist Message LAFAYETTE – It’s time to ReGroup. That’s the goal of an upcoming conference for Louisiana Baptist churches wanting to multiply but unsure as to why the growth in their congregations is not happening. Scheduled for Aug. 15 at First Baptist Lafayette, ReGroup Conference will focus on four areas of the ReGroup Strategy – sharing the gospel, developing biblical community, helping believes mature spiritually and equipping believers to live missionally. “My goal for the ReGroup Conference is that participants would be challenged and inspired as leaders in the local church to go home understanding that we are called to make disciples,” said Sean Keith,  Sunday School and discipleship strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “The churches best strategy to make disciples is through small groups of people like a Sunday School class. We want to challenge every group to: share the gospel with the lost, develop true biblical community in the group, help members to grow spiritually and equip members to serve missionally.” Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, is the keynote speaker for the conference. The Matt Papa Band will lead music. The conference also will feature lunch and … [Read more...]

Linwood Baptist Church vandalized for fourth time

By Staff, Baptist Message SHREVEPORT – Linwood Baptist Church is searching for answers after a fourth incident of vandalism on its property in the past several years. The incident occurred sometime between late Aug. 3 and early Aug. 4 at Linwood Baptist Church. According to Pastor Ed Gonzalez, the person responsible drove through a chain held up by two steel beams on the church parking lot. The result was steel beams that are now leaning, with repair costs estimated to be at least $3,000. Gonzalez said signs are posted warning people not to back into the area that was damaged. Linwood Baptist Church has surveillance near the front of the property but does not have cameras in the back of the parking lot to possibly capture the person who committed the act of vandalism. Gonzalez said the church is unable to pay for repairs and is pleading for someone to come forward with information. Even with the setback, Gonzalez said the church is committed to serving its community. Linwood Baptist Church operates a food bank, clothes closet and area to wash clothes and take a shower to others from the community in need. For more information to help with repairing the damage or if anyone has information about the incident, … [Read more...]

Baptist Foundation trustees wade through busy agenda at meeting

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Trustees for the Louisiana Baptist Foundation held their regular quarterly meeting July 28 at the Louisiana Baptist Building in Alexandria. During the morning Investment Committee meeting, the report on the assets under management showed a slight decrease of approximately 0.36 percent during the second quarter. Assets held by the LBF totaled $173,681,670.51 as of June 30, 2015, which is an increase of $4.37 million for the year to date. Jim Prince, chairman of the Investment Committee, presented the performance report for the portfolios managed by the Foundation. The returns for the major components of the LBF portfolio for Q2 of 2015 are as follows: Short Term Fund:  0.48 percent Annualized Yield; Fixed Income Fund:  0.40 percent Total Return and Equity Fund:  2.50 percent Total Return. The Group Investment Fund which is comprised of the segments above returned 1.29 percent year to date. Lee Morris and Susan Taylor from Graystone Consulting were present for the meeting.  Morris led a review of the individual managers, noting their performance with respect to the particular sector in which they invest. He stated no changes were recommended for the current group … [Read more...]

Gospel, politics addressed at ERLC event

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) -- Political engagement by evangelical Christians calls for a witness shaped by the Gospel of Jesus, Southern Baptists were told at a conference Wednesday (Aug. 5) in Nashville.Speakers at "The Gospel and Politics" -- the second national conference sponsored by the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission -- sought to help the more than 630 registrants think about how to approach politics in a changing culture a year before the next presidential election. The conference came a day after interviews of two Republican presidential candidates -- Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush -- by ERLC President Russell Moore at the Send North America Conference, an event sponsored also in Nashville by Southern Baptist missions entities. The Gospel calls for a different tone than has been demonstrated sometimes in the past by evangelicals, some speakers said. "I say this respectfully, the era of perceived, white, angry evangelicalism is officially over," said Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Impacting culture now "requires a multi-ethnic, kingdom culture canopy that reconciles truth with love," he said during … [Read more...]

Cooperative Program 1.40 percent ahead of year-to-date budget projection

By Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) - Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee have exceeded $158 million, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page. July's Cooperative Program allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $15,808,270.90, bringing the total to $158,859,518.38 received by the Executive Committee through 10 months of the fiscal year (October 1 through July 31). The year-to-date total for distribution through the SBC's Cooperative Program Allocation Budget is $2,192,851.71, or 1.40 percent, above the $156,666,666.67 year-to-date CP projection for support of Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. It is $4,945,028.86, or 3.21 percent, more than the $153,914,489.52 received through the first 10 months of 2014. Designated year-to-date giving of $185,610,814.48 is 0.62 percent, or $1,145,711.26, above the $184,465,103.22 received at this point last year. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee through close of business on July 31 and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC … [Read more...]

Life on mission celebrated at Send Conference

By Joe Conway, North American Mission Board NASHVILLE (BP) - A sold-out crowd of more than 13,000 from all 50 states and four Canadian provinces flooded into Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the call of Jesus and the response of life on mission at the 2015 Send North America Conference Monday. North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell and International Mission Board President David Platt welcomed the assembly and challenged attendees to serve wherever God calls them. "This is where I want to call 13,000 plus people in this arena, from the beginning [of the conference], to put a blank check of our lives on the table for God -- no strings attached," Platt said. Ezell noted, "We need pastors, students, men and women to rise up. We want this to be more than a conference you attend, we want it to be a life-altering experience." The mission entity leaders were joined on the platform by Southern Baptist Convention president Ronnie Floyd, Tennessee Baptist Convention executive director Randy Davis and others who helped lead prayer. Opening session keynote speaker J.D. Greear told attendees they have a call to leverage their talents and lives for the Great Commission. "True growth … [Read more...]

Fight to defund Planned Parenthood ‘far from over’

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) - The legislative effort to defund Planned Parenthood failed Aug. 3 in the U.S. Senate, but pro-life advocates said they will not give up. The Senate voted 53-46 to bring to the floor a bill to eliminate federal funds for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its affiliates. While a majority of senators favored consideration of the proposal, the attempt to invoke cloture, as it is known, fell short of the 60 votes needed to begin debate on the legislation and establish a path to its passage. The failure to move the bill, S. 1881, to the floor came in spite of the release during the previous three weeks of videos revealing Planned Parenthood's trade in baby body parts. The four undercover videos show PPFA officials discussing the sale of organs from aborted children for research. A fifth video was released Tuesday (Aug. 4). Pro-life leaders expressed their dismay, as well as their devotion to continuing the defunding campaign. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said he is disappointed the Senate "did not show the moral leadership to stop funding this violence. Now Senators are on record as … [Read more...]