By BRIAN BLACKWELL, Special to the Message   STATEWIDE – Carolyn Stansell had an extra reason to offer gratitude during the most recent Thanksgiving season.   About a dozen first through sixth graders she co-teaches at Pineville Park Baptist Church spearheaded an effort to give about 400 pounds of canned goods that were donated to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.   Each year the Children in Action group at the Pineville church chooses a missions project to coincide with World Hunger Awareness Month. This year the children placed boxes throughout the church building with the goal of collecting donated food along with money that would be used to purchase the canned goods.   [img_assist|nid=6926|title=Calvary Food Bank|desc=Members of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria sort and package food items at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. The Food Bank recently honored Calvary for its volunteer and financial efforts with the Make a Difference Award.|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]     "Seeing the results with what our children did is very rewarding," Stansell said. "Sometimes children learn more about His love through giving away."   Pineville Park is one of countless … [Read more...]

    By KAREN L. WILLOUGHBY, Managing Editor   STATEWIDE – Churches large and small across the state, and of several denominations, filled shoeboxes this year for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization.   [img_assist|nid=6949|title=Shoeboxes filled in Louisiana set for global distribution|desc=About 50 volunteers at Hebron Baptist Church in Bush helped pack more than 3,000 shoeboxes on Big Box Party day. “I believe God has called our entire church to the shoebox ministry,” said co-coordinator Shelli Herring. “So many people surrended to that call this year.” Above: Mikayla Strain, 11.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]The unofficial total was 88,314 shoeboxes from Louisiana alone, said Bryce Wilks, a ministry spokesman for the Texas/Louisiana regional office of Operation Christmas Child.   "That’s up more than 7,500 shoeboxes from last year," Wilks said. "The New Orleans collection center went from 9,300 last year to 12,000 this year. That was the biggest increase in any of the eight regional collection centers in Louisiana."   The shoeboxes were trucked from Louisiana to Denver, Colo., and then potentially to more than 100 … [Read more...]

By CHARLES QUARLES, Chair of Christian Studies, Louisiana College Silent night, holy night, All is calm; All is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child; Holy infant, so tender and mild; Sleep in heavenly peace; Sleep in heavenly peace.[img_assist|nid=6933|title=Charles Quarles|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100] This beloved Christmas hymn was written by Joseph Mohr in Germany in the early 1800’s. The organ in his church was broken, so he penned this simple hymn to be sung to the tune of his guitar on Christmas morning. The hymn beautifully depicts a quiet rural 19th century German Christmas. Since the German carol was translated into English, it has become such a traditional part of our Christmas celebration that we may have failed to ask whether it accurately depicts the first Christmas. Does it? I think not. The hymn repeats the refrain "Silent night, holy night." That is only half true. The first Christmas was indeed a holy night when God himself visited the earth in the form of a tiny baby. Nevertheless, the first Christmas was not a silent night. In fact, it was a very loud night, a night when angels shook the countryside with their glorious announcement that the Savior had been born, a night when … [Read more...]

  By ARCHIE ENGLAND, NOBTS professor of Old Testament and Hebrew Question: Who is the son of man in Daniel 7:13? Archie England responds : The term "son of man" occurs 107 times in the Old Testament. The first 12 times (Numbers 23:19; Job 25:6; 35:8; Psalms 8:4; 80:17; 144:3; Isaiah 51:12; 56:2; Jeremiah 49:18, 33; 50:40; 51:43) that it occurs all reflect a meaning synonymous with humanity.   Who is the son of man in Daniel 7:13? 0 … [Read more...]

BY QUINN LAVESPERE, Message Summer Staff Writer       ATLANTA – Horace "Ray" Teal has accomplished a lot in his long life. There are two jobs, however, which Teal can claim to be the benchmarks of his life.   Teal is going strong as he both serves as mayor of the town of Atlanta and pastors at First Baptist Church of Montgomery.   "I’ve been blessed that God has allowed me to do so much in my life and do His work," Teal said. "I’m enjoying living my life and both of these jobs."[img_assist|nid=6936|title=Ray Teal|desc=Ray Teal serves as mayor of Atlanta, La., and he also is pastor of First Baptist Church in Montgomery. He was elected mayor in 1978, a position he has held since, and became pastor of First Montgomery on March 15, 2001.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]   Teal became mayor of Atlanta in 1978 while he juggled jobs as a pastor and schoolteacher. He said he continued to serve in the two other jobs after becoming mayor.   "I started pastoring in 1954 and was preaching two years before that," Teal said. "I was a teacher at Atlanta and Calvin [schools located in Winn Parish]. I became pastor of First Baptist Montgomery on March 15, 2001."   Teal described … [Read more...]

By Joanne Brechtel, Administrative Editor RUSTON – Several men and youth of Calvary Baptist traveled to New Orleans for a mission trip Nov. 19-21. Some remodeling and construction were done for teen challenge. Calvary Ruston participates in the Friendship Families project for international students at Louisiana Tech, with a goal of reaching its approximate 600 international students. Bill Reid is pastor. … [Read more...]

By PHILIP TIMOTHY, Message Staff Writer   RAYVILLE – For more than 40 years, Allen Construction Company of Northeast Louisiana, Inc. has been the go-to company for churches and church buildings not only across Louisiana, but also in southern Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas as well.   Known as church building specialists, the family-owned business located in Rayville is dedicated to the exclusive master planning, construction, and renovation of church facilities. And they have a lot to show for their 40 years of work.   Founded in 1972 by Gordan and Liz Allen, members of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Rayville, this company features a small, dedicated staff: Gordan and Liz, their son Tim and his wife Lindsey, daughter Michelle Bell, Karen Morris and Charles Johnston, Tim’s father-in-law. They also have dedicated and experienced superintendents and a host of professional subcontractors.     … [Read more...]

By WILL TUBBS, LC Communications PINEVILLE – On Saturday, Dec. 11, the Louisiana College family gathered in Guinn Auditorium to officially send 139 men and women into the world who have completed their undergraduate or graduate studies. In his commencement address, Justice Jeffrey P. Victory of the Louisiana Supreme Court urged the new graduates to become the embodiment of the Christian walk. "Our country, while she has many strengths, is also in trouble," Victory said. … [Read more...]