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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Horn calls Louisiana Baptists to focused prayer on Thursday

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists' Executive Director Steve Horn is asking members of the Louisiana Baptist family of congregations to devote Thursday to focused prayer and fasting for God’s intervention in the current challenges facing the country. Horn said he is not trying to organize an event. Instead, he said Louisiana Baptists are a praying people and his call to prayer is meant to organize what they already are doing but with united hearts and minds as a faith community. The basis for his call to prayer, he shared, is Nehemiah 1:4 - When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. “I realize that this is short notice, but the present circumstances of our nation demand an immediate prayer and fasting response,” Horn told the Baptist Message. “Because of the short notice, I am requesting everyone help get the word to churches through social media and associational e-newsletters.” … [Read more...]

Can you see the light?

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - For over two months now, my oldest son, my mom, and I have spent most Friday mornings at my mom’s clearing overgrown brush. What was planted as a fruit orchard in an open pasture almost thirty years ago has grown into a wilderness of every kind of vine and tree imaginable. How did the orchard get that way? For one, my dad seldom pruned anything. He liked to plant things and watch them grow. Therefore, the fruit trees and grapevines grew too big. That l...ed to the second problem: procrastination. As other trees started to come up among the fruit trees, even though I mowed the area through high school and college, I was not allowed to cut those trees. “We’ll cut them later.” Well, we never did. Daddy said “later” until he died thirteen years ago. When I moved here, mom said, “Sometime we need to cut those trees.” I too said, “Later.” Now, here we are another twelve years later! Guess what? The little trees aren’t so little anymore and now there are a lot more! We have worked hard cutting down trees, pulling vines, and hauling brush to our now three massive piles. We are nowhere near through. However, when we stopped on Friday, we rejoiced because we could see all the way through … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastor loses home in fire

By Message Staff KINDER, La. (LBM) - A Kinder church planter is in need of prayers and financial assistance after a fire destroyed his home Thursday. Trev Talbert, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church in Kinder, told the Baptist Message an electrical fire was to blame, but no one was at home when the incident occurred. Talbert, who also is a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was in New York City Thursday providing medical care to those impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Talbert said he is grateful for the financial gifts received. These include monetary donations from the Louisiana Baptist Convention, St. Paul Baptist members, EJ Kemper, pastor of Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Lake Charles, and others from Carey Baptist Association. “I could never thank the LBC and [Director of Missions] Bruce Baker enough for the love they’ve showered on me since the fire," he said. "This has been one of the most devastating losses I’ve ever had to endure and to have them looking out for me the way they have has definitely made this a bit easier to deal with.” John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team director, delivered a check from the church planter supplement fund to Talbert … [Read more...]

Pineville plane crash tragic for Calvary Baptist family

By Message Staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Blake and Ben Cooper, two brothers who were members of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, were killed in a private plane crash Sunday afternoon. According to City of Pineville officials, Ben was flying the plane when the accident occurred after take off from the Pineville Municipal Airport at 1:20 p.m. Blake’s son, Mason, was thrown from the wreckage, underwent survey and is expected to live, officials said. The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Ben was owner and administrator of Oceans Behavioral Hospital in Alexandria while Blake was executive director of the Central Louisiana Regional Port.   … [Read more...]

2020 Commission update: Plant soul-winning churches that multiply

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the sixth in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS FIVE Partner with churches, associations and other Southern Baptist entities to plant healthy, culturally relevant, biblically sound, multiplying churches that seek to fulfil the Great Commission. Since 2010, the Louisiana … [Read more...]

2020 Commission Update: Engage churches in compassion ministries

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the fifth in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS FOUR Engage Louisiana Baptist Convention congregations in compassion ministries. Jeff Cook, compassion ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists said that much progress has been made toward this objective. Nearly 70 … [Read more...]

2020 Commission update: Aid local congregations in disciple making

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the third in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS TWO Assist churches with the development of a disciple-making process for the local congregation. The best strategy for making disciples is through small groups such as Sunday School, said Sean … [Read more...]

Working together: Mineral Springs receives $10,000 from Louisiana Baptists

By Message Staff DUBACH, La. (LBM)– Louisiana Baptists donated $10,000 to the Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Dubach to help offset expenses incurred after a fire destroyed most of the congregation's facilities on Saturday. A check from the Louisiana Baptist Convention was presented on Tuesday. John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team director, presented Pastor Greg Tipton with the funds from the LBC disaster relief ministry. He said he hopes the gift will encourage the congregation as they rebuild. “Our friends at Mineral Springs where Pastor Greg Tipton serves have experienced a tremendous tragedy in the loss of their church,” Hebert told the Baptist Message. “The thoughts and prayers of Louisiana Baptists are with them and this money from the Disaster Relief Fund is a symbol of our support. We pray that this money will help them in the short term take care of some things that are needed so that they can continue to worship together as a congregation.” The fire was discovered around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, and despite valiant efforts to extinguish it, the flames destroyed the congregation’s worship center, sound room, office space and nursery. The fellowship hall received smoke damage. The … [Read more...]

Evangelist asks Louisiana Baptists to join Gospel event to 15 million this weekend

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)--Evangelist Sammy Tippit has planned a special online outreach event this weekend that may reach up to 15 million people in 68 countries in what could be one of the largest evangelistic efforts ever. Tippit has established partnerships with more than 1,000 churches worldwide, the Brazilian Baptist Convention National Mission Board, the Northwest Baptist Fellowship of India and many others for the evangelistic event. This past month he and his international partners trained around 2 million people through Facebook and the What's App messaging platform in how to share their faith with family and friends. These trained volunteers are now conducting outreach in their respective communities to invite others to watch the weekend broadcast. The one-hour program will be streamed live on Friday at 8 p.m. across social media channels and satellite television, and will be available throughout the weekend at facebook.com/sammytippitministries. The special broadcast in English and 10 other languages will feature a message by Tippit, president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, and music by Jennifer Turner, the wife of country music star Josh Turner. Jay Begbie, pastor of … [Read more...]

Skills of a church planter: Resilience

By John Hebert, Louisiana Baptist missions and ministry team leader ALEXANDRIA, LA. (LBM)--Do you know what Winston Churchill, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, and Colonel Sanders have in common? It has nothing to do with their fame or notoriety, I would suggest. Instead, it is the trait that I contend was the cause of their renown -- resilience. I have observed that resilience is a characteristic most successful people possess, and I know firsthand that this is certainly true of successful church planters and church leaders. -- Winston Churchill was defeated in every election for public office until he became prime minister at age 62; -- Henry Ford went broke five different times before founding Ford Motor Company and becoming one of the wealthiest men in history; -- Bill Gates was a Harvard drop-out who founded a failed business (Traf-O-Data) before launching Microsoft; -- Colonel Sanders hawked his secret recipe hundreds of times before he found a restaurant that would accept it; and, -- Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” These men were resilient when they failed and church planters and leaders must be resilient to succeed. There is a rather … [Read more...]