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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Let the Foundation assist you in charitable giving to ministry

By Jerry Love, Director of Planned Giving Thinking of giving to ministry in 2018? Appreciated assets – Even with the volatility in early February, markets are still at all-time highs.  Give stocks or mutual funds that have increased in value to benefit your church or ministry. Retirement assets – You can redirect retirement assets as part of your estate plans.  These plans are taxable when distributed to individuals, but tax-free to charitable organizations. Consider leaving your church or another ministry as the beneficiary of your retirement plan, and other assets to your heirs. IRA Rollover – Those who are 70 ½ and above can distribute IRA assets directly to a church or ministry.  There are other stipulations so contact the Louisiana Baptist Foundation for more information. Donor Advised Fund – Use a DAF to ‘bundle’ 2 years of deductions into one, if possible, to take advantage of itemizing your deductions.  Take the standard deduction following, using the DAF to make distributions to ministry. Again, contact the Foundation for more details. The Louisiana Baptist Foundation is an agency of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and supported by the Cooperative Program.  The Foundation assists people who want to give … [Read more...]

Foundation addresses lack of information, confusion or misinformation about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

By Jerry Love, Director of Planned Giving By now most people know about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by congress in the latter days of 2017. However there may still be a lack of information, confusion or misinformation that needs to be addressed. The Louisiana Baptist Foundation assists individuals with gifts that support Baptist ministry which can impact the tax picture of the donor. We attempt to stay abreast of changes in the US tax code, particularly as it relates to charitable giving.  Here are some highlights: Business Tax Reform – Without going into the depths of corporate tax changes, the reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35% down to 21% it is already adding to personal pocketbooks.  During January several companies, including Wal Mart, announced an increase in their base wages and other salaries.  Other companies such as Apple and AT&T have announced one time bonuses for employees to share their tax savings. In addition a number of corporations have announced expansion of their workforce with several announcing the return of overseas operations to US soil.  All these situations can be an encouragement to workers and allow them to give to ministry for the first time or increase the amount they … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastor wins Kung Fu gold medal

Randy Harper, senior pastor of Bellaire Baptist Church, Bossier City, recently returned from a trip to China as an international Kung Fu world champion. Harper, an instructor at Bellaire Wushu Academy, Bossier City, traveled with three of his students to compete in the World Kung Fu Championships in Emeishan, China. according to a recent article in the Bossier Parish-Tribune. More than 3,900 competitors from more than 70 countries participated in the event. Harper won a gold medal in the master’s division. One of his students took home a silver and bronze medal and another captured two bronze medals. … [Read more...]

Wales presents unique missions opportunities for Louisiana Baptists

By Message Staff Louisiana Baptist churches looking for a unique missions opportunity should consider partnering with a missions organization in Wales. Through a partnership with Missional Links Wales, churches have a variety of options available to share the Gospel in a country where just 60,000 out of a population of 3 million profess to be evangelical, according to Rob Burns, founder and international director of the organization. Opportunities include a one-week vision trip, one week missions trip, internships for college students and an apprenticeship for seminary graduates and other adults. Burns shared more about the options during a recent presentation at the Baptist Building in Alexandria to pastors, Louisiana Baptist Convention missions and ministry strategists and Baptist Collegiate Ministers. “We’d love to talk to any American missional oriented church who would like long term partnership in Wales and who would like to get involved in investing inside the counties and across the nation of Wales,” Burns told the Baptist Message. “In Wales, currently 2 percent or less are evangelical. But there is an openness to Americans and the American culture. The Welsh people like Americans and they love to talk to … [Read more...]

On Valentine’s Day, strengthen your marriage

By Waylon Bailey Marriage is good. In fact, it’s very good. This is what I say repeatedly to couples contemplating marriage: “I highly recommend marriage!” I really do recommend it. My marriage to Martha has blessed my life immensely and immeasurably. It would be easy to say, I can’t imagine living without her, but several years ago I had to deal suddenly with that reality. While I wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone, it made me think more carefully about the blessing of living with someone for a lifetime and getting to care for one another. Yesterday, I read about Louisiana’s longest married couple (83 years) in a blog post from Louisiana Family Forum. At the same time, I read of a report from Fox News citing the Brookings Institution study of marriage. Marriage is the greatest anti-poverty tool we have. The report showed that we would reduce poverty 25% if we had the same marriage rate as the 1970’s. In 1970, 79% of adults were married while the rate is 52% today. You would never think of marriage being a value for a stable and more prosperous life, but it is. We live in a society that has ridiculed and devalued marriage. That attitude is harming marriage and harming the well-being of children and … [Read more...]

A New Year’s Resolution – family first

By James Dobson Successful family life is difficult to achieve. It is never perfect and is often problematic. You have your own set of challenges as you seek to meet the needs of your children. You may be a single parent with very limited financial resources. Perhaps you suffer from illness, disability, or addiction. Or maybe you have strong-willed kids who are tough to handle. The last thing I want to do is add to your pressures or sense of frustration. Nevertheless, if there is any way you can give priority to your children amid those limitations, even if it requires serious sacrifice, you will not regret giving it to them. This might mean staying married when your impulse is to divorce. It could cause you to make choices that will handicap you professionally. It might mean financial hardship for the family because Mom is staying at home with her children. It might mean giving up your four-hour golf outing every Saturday. What I am saying is that from where I sit today, children are worth everything they cost us. It was this perspective that led me to walk away from my position as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. My responsibility in this rewarding position required … [Read more...]

The real meaning of Christmas

By Billy Graham There are three symbols which mean Christmas — the real meaning of Christmas. An illustration of a cradle The first is a cradle. There, in Bethlehem, were cradled the hopes and dreams of a dying world. Those chubby little hands that clasped the straw in His manger crib were soon to open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears and still the troubled seas. That cooing voice was soon to teach men of the Way and to raise the dead. Those tiny feet were to take Him to the sick and needy and were to be pierced on Calvary’s cross. That manger crib in remote Bethlehem became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God. An illustration of a cross The cross. There were both light and shadow on that first Christmas. There was joy with overtones of sadness, for Jesus was born to die. Jesus, approaching the cross, said, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world To Christians the joy of Christmas is not limited to His birth It was His death and resurrection that gave meaning to His birth. It is in the cross that the world can find a solution to its pressing problems. An illustration of a crown The crown. Jesus was crowned with a crown of thorns and enthroned on a cruel cross, yet His … [Read more...]