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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Special needs Champions Camp set, Sept. 8-10

By Baptist Message staff WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – Individuals with special needs will experience a full slate of activities with the upcoming Champions Camp, Sept. 8-10 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, Woodworth. The camp will match participants with buddies who will accompany them throughout the weekend. The camp will feature games, activities, crafts, karaoke, worship and Bible study designed for children and adults from ages 8 and up who have intellectual or development disabilities. “This is a time for people to enjoy a camp in a Christian atmosphere who otherwise may not be able to attend one,” said David Anderson, camp organizer and Louisiana Baptist children’s ministry strategist. “All of the teaching and activities are geared to their level and most of those who come return each year. They have a blast, and we would love to have many more people join us for a fun-filled weekend.” Anderson said individuals with special needs along with their families are one of the most unreached people groups in the state. “We have so many who need a church to plug into,” Anderson said. “If you have an individual with special needs to come into your church, then you need a ministry for that group. I would love to help set … [Read more...]

‘America’s Top Model’ contestant to headline ‘Gift of Life’ banquet

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – During the fifth annual CENLA Pregnancy Center ‘Gift of Life’ fundraising banquet at the Randolph Riverfront Center, Sept. 12, former “America’s Top Model” reality show contestant Leah Darrow will share how she became an outspoken advocate for women. “She has a phenomenal story of redemption,” CPC Executive Director Kim Lyons told the Baptist Message. “Her father came to help rescue her out of a destructive lifestyle, one that the world promoted as important, the opposite of where a woman should find her identity, which is in Christ.” According to her website, leahdarrow.com, she was caught up in a lifestyle of worldly success that led to suicidal thoughts, depression and low self-confidence. But soon after appearing on “America’s Top Model” in 2004, she found Christ during a photoshoot in New York City. Now, Darrow travels the world and shares her story of how Jesus changed her life. The largest fundraiser of the year for the pregnancy center also will feature Claire Lemoine (former CPC executive director, who will emcee of the event), a testimony by a former CPC client, music by a local band comprising members from area multi-denominational … [Read more...]

Young women to discover treasures in Christ at Teen Girl Retreat

By Baptist Message staff LORANGER, La. (LBM) – Sixth through twelfth grade girls will be reminded how God treasures them during the upcoming Teen Girl Retreat. The multi-site event will take place Sept. 8-9 at Camp Living Waters, Loranger, and then again on March 15-16 at Clara Springs Baptist Camp, March 15-16, offering participants to attend at the location closest to them. “Our heart for this event is for girls to know how truly treasured they are by God, the creator of the universe,” said Louisiana Baptist Children and Youth Mission Education Strategist Erin Jones. “He loves them and created them for such a special purpose. Our prayer is that teen girls will walk away from this weekend reassured of who they are in Christ no matter what the world around them may try to tell them.” Samantha LaRocque and Andrea Bourgeois, founders of “Holy Restored Ministry,” will be the main speakers. They will share about the importance of mental health awareness and provide coping skills from a biblical perspective. The event also will feature a pajama, popcorn and pamper party, times of worship, missions moments, and breakout sessions. Sept. 1 is the registration deadline. The retreat will start at Friday, 6 p.m., with … [Read more...]

LCU to hold annual on-campus student job fair

PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Christian University will host a job fair Aug. 24 for students seeking future employment. Scheduled 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. inside Granberry Conference Center, the event will allow LCU students to submit resumes and applications, and visit with representatives of employers. … [Read more...]

21 people make waves with baptisms at aquapark

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Twenty-one people were obedient in believer’s baptism, making a splash during a recent service at a Shreveport water world. Organized by 29 churches of various denominations in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, the June 24 event at Splash Kingdom drew 156 people who looked on and cheered as each person came in and out of the water. Eric Cunningham, pastor of Narrow Gate Cowboy Church, Vivian (a congregation planted in 2021 by First Baptist Church, Oil City), said the evening was a highlight of his time in ministry. “We didn’t even know this many people would want to get baptized but they kept lining up after the devotion I gave,” Cunningham told the Baptist Message. “The Holy Spirit was really working on people that night and they were excited to have the chance to show others how they had accepted Christ. “With all the things going in the country today, you wonder if people are still looking for truth,” Cunningham said. “That night showed me people still hunger for Christ and we had so many, including a lot of young people, who took part in baptism that night.” The baptisms were part of a follow up event for individuals who made decisions … [Read more...]

Evangelism fuels FBC Leesville’s amazing growth

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LEESVILLE, La. (LBM) – An emphasis on “out of the box” evangelism has helped bring about a recent uptick in baptisms and worship attendance at First Baptist Church, Leesville. “When people walk into our church, there is a level of excitement of what God is going to do,” Pastor Darin Worthington told the Baptist Message. “Our people are excited about what God is doing. Even though we may be a smaller church in size, God is using us to accomplish so many amazing things for Him.” Since September, the church has celebrated 32 baptisms, compared to eight the previous year; and the most baptisms in any single year for the church, since 2016, when they recorded 19. Moreover, the church has seen growth in Sunday worship attendance, increasing from 100 in January 2022 (when Worthington became pastor) to 200 in early August. Charlene Linton, along with her four children, are among those who have celebrated life in Christ through baptism this year. Linton, who previously accepted Christ as a child but never followed through with baptism, was encouraged to pursue baptism after her children accepted Jesus during an in-home visit from Worthington in early April. Since the … [Read more...]

Horn tells incoming LCU freshman class to share their faith daily

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn told incoming Louisiana Christian University freshman class Saturday, encouraging to share their faith everyday on campus and beyond. “If the Gospel is going to advance, it’s going to take advance because everybody takes the Gospel,” Horn told the students inside Guinn Auditorium, Aug. 19. “Every Christian is a witness. That’s how we create a culture of evangelism.” Horn’s message was part of Welcome Week that began Aug. 16 at LCU. Throughout that time, 249 freshman have participated in service-learning projects, moving into their dormitories, a Baptist Collegiate Ministry worship service and more. Basing his message on Acts 8, Horn said the early Christians and not the “professional Christian’s” were the first ones God sent out to share the Gospel outside Jerusalem. Horn said this can be accomplished if Christ followers are prayerful, bold, relational and prepared. He shared with the students several evangelistic tools they can use when sharing the Good News of Christ: Life On Mission app (uses a simple Gospel presentation); Hereforyou.org (Louisiana Baptists’ multi-media approach to share … [Read more...]

In wake of McLaurin resignation – pray

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - News broke late Thursday afternoon that Willie McLaurin, the current interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, has resigned. Willie resigned in the wake of the discovery that he had misrepresented his academic degrees on his resume. Many of us are devastated. We are devastated because we had grown to trust Willie and believed he was the right man at the right time to lead us as Southern Baptists in this position. We are devastated because, once again, a leader’s sin is exposed to the watching world. So where do we go from here? That question will be answered by the Search Team and the Executive Committee of the SBC. They are starting over. They will need time to grieve, process, and begin their prayerful search again. In the meantime, Louisiana Baptists have a specific assignment. Our assignment is to pray. Pray for our own Philip Robertson. Philip is the new chairman of the Executive Committee, having been elected in June. He is not new to the Executive Committee and he is not new as a leader, but he is new to being the chairman of this committee. His role will be great in this season of securing another interim leader. I have known Philip since we were in Seminary, 30 … [Read more...]

GBO: 30 BCM students sowed Gospel seeds during GOLA VBS

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – A frequently asked back-to-school question is “how did you spend your summer vacation?” Thirty students from the state’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries can answer, “I helped lead Vacation Bible schools (VBS) in Louisiana and Wyoming.” Celebrating a 14th year of summer service, GOLA (Go Louisiana) VBS is an emphasis by Louisiana Baptists’ collegiate ministry that allows college students to serve on teams who share God’s love through what is the largest evangelistic outreach (VBS) of the year for many congregations. The teams typically conduct VBS for churches with low baptisms and who could not hold such an outreach without the help of the GOLA volunteers. Five teams of five to eight students each served at churches around the state, June 1-July 15, while another team of six students conducted VBS in Wyoming, June 7-July 30. Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministry Team Director Mark Robinson said the experience allowed the students to gain experience working with children and churches to advance the Gospel. “They saw faith in action through practical, everyday ministry with children,” Robinson told the Baptist Message. “From a church’s perspective, … [Read more...]

Horn to address LCU freshmen Aug. 19

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn will address the incoming freshmen class at Louisiana Christian University, Aug. 18, 9 a.m. inside Guinn Auditorium. Horn will share simple ways for students to share their faith with others as part of Wildcat Welcome Week activities. “We are partnering with our Baptist family to support this emphasis for creating a culture of evangelism on campus and beyond,” said LCU President Rick Brewer. As students grow in their ability to share their faith with others, Brewer said, he expects the impact will extend beyond the campus. “We recognize our campus is a mission field and wholeheartedly embrace the priority for establishing a culture of evangelism at LCU,” Brewer said. “We are grateful for Steve Horn’s vision and availability to challenge our incoming freshmen with this powerful idea this year.”   … [Read more...]