In previous articles, I examined two major items relating to a minister’s compensation. In previous articles, I examined two major items relating to a minister’s compensation.  The first item I discussed was the procedure for setting up the minister’s compensation so that he pays the lowest amount of taxes possible while at the same time maximizing the amount of money he is able to keep in his pocket. The second item was the concept of the Housing Allowance.  Remember, the premise of this entire exercise is to lower the minister’s tax liability. As a result, a minister is able to keep more of his own money. A church is able to do this without adding a single penny to the minister’s compensation. All a church has to do is allow the minister to identify money from his salary as housing allowance.  There are two other ways the church can help the minister in respect to his finances. They are through direct payments and accountable reimbursements. Direct payments are monies that the church pays directly to a company for a service. However, the recipient of the service will be the minister.  Almost all direct payments will deal with insurances of one variety or another, and retirement funds.  As a general concept, the … [Read more...]

“Depending on the Lord. That’s been our biggest lesson over the last two years,” says Sam Allen of No Other Name. DEVILLE – “Depending on the Lord. That’s been our biggest lesson over the last two years,” says Sam Allen of No Other Name. No Other Name is to lead in worship Nov. 16-19 at Philadelphia Baptist Church, where Philip Robertson is pastor. Over the last seven years, No Other Name has experienced highs and lows, the trio acknowledges. Most have been highs, but life has taught a few hard lessons too. Money: “There were a couple of times when my husband and I looked at our bank account and wondered how we were going to pay the bills that month,” says vocalist Laura Allen, Sam Allen’s sister. “We took a step back and cried out ‘Lord, you’re going to have to make our finances work.’ Sure enough, God took control and everything worked out. God just wanted us to depend on Him.” Parenting: “Having kids has been one of the biggest and most rewarding challenges of my life,” says Chad Smith. “It’s humbling to think that God put them in our hands to raise. I learned quickly that there is no ‘how-to’ manual on fatherhood. I know; I looked. But through hard times and good, ups and downs, God has taught me not to worry, … [Read more...]

How are Christians supposed to grow, unless someone steers them in the right direction? SHREVEPORT – How are Christians supposed to grow, unless someone steers them in the right direction? That’s the essence of “Association,” the second principle of evangelism, as described by Robert Coleman in The Master Plan of Evangelism – MPE. The first principle was “Selection.” For the first two articles into this series, see www.baptistmessage.com and search for “Evangelism.” “Jesus made a practice of being with them,” wrote Coleman on p. 33 of MPE. “Amazing as it may seem, all Jesus did to teach these men his way was to draw them close to himself.” The more time his disciples spent with Jesus, the more they grew like him. Coleman pointed out that in his second and third years of ministry, Jesus spent increasingly more time with his disciples. “Jesus had virtually no time to call his own,” Coleman wrote, and later in the same paragraph added, “the only way that a father can properly raise a family is to be with it.” Jesus didn’t have time to give to all the people who wanted it, but he did impress on his disciples “the need for immediate personal care of new converts.” That’s where Coleman moved from the pulpit to the pew. … [Read more...]

Baptist Golf Fellowship Fall Tournament participants left their two-day event in late September with trophies, door prizes and the sound of nature ringing in their ears. ALEXANDRIA –Baptist Golf Fellowship Fall Tournament participants left their two-day event in late September with trophies, door prizes and the sound of nature ringing in their ears. OakWing Golf Club in Alexandria, a “must play” course on the Audubon Golf Trail, accommodated all skill levels involved and provided a blend of natural beauty of Louisiana bayous, lakes and towering tree-lined fairways with a challenge of rolling hills and undulating greens. “It was a perfect two days to enjoy one of the best courses in the state,” one participant said. “Blue skies, balmy weather, a beautiful course – it doesn’t get any better than this.” The awards banquet was hosted by Calvary Baptist Church, where an abundance of delicious food and lively fellowship were enjoyed. Wayne Taylor, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation, emceed the event. He was assisted by Baptist Message Editor Kelly Boggs. The Foundation and Message sponsor the tourney. BGF Committee members Bob Braly, Bill Penny and Robert Spicer assisted in awarding trophies and door … [Read more...]

The popular notion of the “sweet by and by” is often one of clouds, pain-free bliss and not much else – except for the occasional angel floating by with a harp. If one’s idea of eternity is a happy pill, such an image might be appealing. GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – The popular notion of the “sweet by and by” is often one of clouds, pain-free bliss and not much else – except for the occasional angel floating by with a harp. If one’s idea of eternity is a happy pill, such an image might be appealing. Author Randy Alcorn, in his bestselling book Heaven, illustrates contemporary Christianity’s failure in teaching on eternal life by quoting a pastor who admitted: “I can’t stand the thought of that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to do but strum a harp ... it’s all so terribly boring. Heaven doesn’t sound much better than hell. I’d rather be annihilated than spend eternity in a place like that.” More than one music leader has suggested, based on Bible passages that speak of music, that a believer’s eternity will be a never-ending sing-along around a celestial piano. Most people enjoy good music and everyone wants bliss, but are these accurate depictions of what heaven will be like? What is … [Read more...]

Have you ever noticed that when a discussion turns to a recently deceased celebrity, someone invariably says, “I know he’s looking down on us right now”? It doesn’t matter how godless the person was, his peers refer to him as being in a better place and then gesture skyward. GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – Have you ever noticed that when a discussion turns to a recently deceased celebrity, someone invariably says, “I know he’s looking down on us right now”? It doesn’t matter how godless the person was, his peers refer to him as being in a better place and then gesture skyward. Mark Coppenger, professor of Christian apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, sees a lamentable example of that in the 1941 poem “High Flight,” which was quoted in tribute to astronauts who died in the 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Not all the astronauts were Christians “but we were told they ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God,’” Coppenger said. Also a cartoon in a Chicago newspaper depicting the late sports announcer Harry Caray being welcomed by Saint Peter at the pearly gates, even though there was no evidence Caray was redeemed. “Everywhere you turn, culture ignores the Bible to make … [Read more...]

The Senior Adults of First Baptist, Minden are to participate in a workday at Rolling Hills Thrift Store in Ruston, Wednesday, Nov. 19. They will also be working at the Global Maritime Ministry Center in New Orleans in January. They continue their ongoing mission projects of Pennies for Gypsy Children in Romania and Feed the Children Ministry in Nicaragua. They have added Lakeside Baptist Church and Maritime Ministries in New Orleans to their project list as well as Mansfield Street Mission, Bossier City. Bill Crider is minister to senior adults. Global Maritime Ministry Center in New Orleans requests Christmas gifts for the seafarers and port workers who they will be ministering to during the Christmas season. A gift of a coffee mug, phone card and booklet, which shares the meaning of Christmas, along with a Bible or New Testament in their heart language can be provided for $8. Also, volunteers are needed for gift wrapping, labeling Bibles and booklets, providing assistance with Christmas parties and Christmas cookies.  So far this year, the ministry has visited 204 ships, contacted 7,645 seafarers and 461 port workers, hosted 4,771 seafarers at the visiting center, distributed 608 scriptures and 137 Jesus videos, and provided … [Read more...]

Celebration Church, where Dennis Watson is pastor, last weekend celebrated its 19th anniversary. Celebration Church BAGNO METAIRIE – Celebration Church, where Dennis Watson is pastor, last weekend celebrated its 19th anniversary. “Nineteen years ago, what was to become Celebration Church as we know it today, began as a small group meeting in a home,” Watson emailed. “Since that time the Lord has greatly grown our influence and ministry.” Along with helping to start seven other churches in South Louisiana, five churches in other cities and states and 26 churches around the world, Celebration now has three campuses in the Greater New Orleans area, with more local campuses planned for the future. “As a result of being involved with numerous local missions and ministry efforts throughout our history, and having served over 140,000 families since Hurricane Katrina, we have gained a local reputation as a ‘church that truly cares about the people of New Orleans,” Watson wrote. “Join us this weekend as we celebrate all God has done in and through our Celebration congregation to bring the healing hope of Jesus Christ to people locally and around the world.” Beech Springs Baptist Church Webster-Claiborne Baptist … [Read more...]

Ministry to boomers and young adults must change if these generational groups are going to be reached for Christ, according to information learned from studies conducted by LifeWay Research and shared at the Oct. 20-22 Adult Ministry Institute. NASHVILLE, Tenn., – Ministry to boomers and young adults must change if these generational groups are going to be reached for Christ, according to information learned from studies conducted by LifeWay Research and shared at the Oct. 20-22 Adult Ministry Institute. Attendees of the conference – ministers and young adult leaders from across the country – gathered at the home office of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tenn., to find out ways their churches can address the impending crisis. Boomers Bill Craig, director of LifeWay’s business and ministry development area said that boomers – the generation of Americans born between 1946 and 1964 which make up about 26 percent of the U.S. population – want their lives to matter and want to make networks and connections that will meet their needs. Churches can’t just offer a bus trip to this group and expect them to come. Churches will have to help boomers find meaning in their … [Read more...]

CBS and other broadcast television networks increasingly are pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable entertainment as the Federal Communications Commission, the government body charged with enforcing indecency laws, awaits an upcoming Supreme Court hearing in order to determine a response. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – CBS and other broadcast television networks increasingly are pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable entertainment as the Federal Communications Commission, the government body charged with enforcing indecency laws, awaits an upcoming Supreme Court hearing in order to determine a response. The Parents Television Council, a nonpartisan watchdog group, filed an indecency complaint with the FCC after an Oct. 20 episode of the CBS show “Two and a Half Men” which featured a three-minute-long strip club scene featuring a lap dance. The show aired at 8 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones, violating a law that prohibits the airing of indecent material before 10 p.m. “The scene was in no way ‘fleeting’ or accidental; rather, it was specifically written into this scripted program,” Tim Winter, PTC’s president, said in a news release. “It’s high time for CBS to be held accountable for violating the … [Read more...]