Some three million people in Louisiana do not know Christ, estimates the Center for Missional Research at the North American Mission Board. STATEWIDE – Some three million people in Louisiana do not know Christ, estimates the Center for Missional Research at the North American Mission Board. Thanks to Louisiana Baptists generous gifts to the Georgia Barnette State Missions offering there is a “light rising in the darkness” as churches are started, needs of care and share ministries are met, and new ministries to the unreached are launched. This year Louisiana Baptists are asked to embrace Isaiah 58:10, “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. As they give to the 2008 state goal of $1,600,000 for the Georgia Barnette State Mission Offering, lives are changed through the light of the Gospel. Mark your calendar for the Week of Prayer for State Missions and the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering, Sept. 14-21.  Featured this year are: Miguel Barrios, I-20 Catalytic Missionary; Becky Clausen, Community Ministries; Parkview Baptist Church; Tony Bourque, The WatersEdge Church; Jeff … [Read more...]

Amiable Baptist Church is as serious about vacation Bible school as it is about missions and being God’s servants in its community. GLENMORA – Amiable Baptist Church is as serious about vacation Bible school as it is about missions and being God’s servants in its community. One of the first churches to be started in what is now the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Amiable is to cele-brate its 180th anniversary in September. From its inception, members say, the church has focused in equal parts on outreach and inreach – including not only its members, but everyone in its community, which is about seven miles into the piney woods and 30 minutes south of Alexandria. “We don’t do big things, but we do a lot of little things to help people,” said Martha Winegeart RN, long-time member and a driving force behind the church’s free medical clinic. It may be the only free Southern Baptist medical clinic in the state. The medical clinic needs physicians to volunteer one Thursday night a year, Winegeart said. Call 318.659.3399 to reserve your night, she implores physicans from throughout central Louisiana. “This is God’s ministry,” the nurse said. “We’re just being His hands, and at the same time we’re sharing the love of … [Read more...]

The quality of the photo with this article is not all it could be, but the content is. MONTGOMERY – The quality of the photo with this article is not all it could be, but the content is. There’s Ray Teal, pastor of the historic (notice the antique windows) First Baptist Church of Montgomery, surrounded by youngsters of many skin tones, and those kids are riveted on what’s happening at the front of the worship center. Teal, pastor of First Montgomery since 2003, and a public school teacher before that, leads by getting out of the way. He equips and enables church members to get out of their pews and into God’s service, no matter where it takes them. This year during VBS, the youngsters signed soccer balls, which then were deflated and shipped to a mission point in South Africa. First Montgomery spends about $5,000 a  year on VBS, and considers it money well spent in addition to the 10 percent of offerings given to missions through the Cooperative Program. First Montgomery is among the highest per-capita giving churches in the state. “VBS is the best investment we can make in our church,” Teal said. “It’s the best investment in our time and our gifts.” One of the VBS students gave the offertory prayer: “Bless … [Read more...]

Linda Longoria Benefit Sing JENA – A special benefit concert is set for Saturday, August 16, at 7 p.m., at Midway Baptist Church for Linda Longoria, wife of Evangelist Lyndon Longoria. She was recently diagnosed with stage three multiple myeloma cancer. Evangelist Longoria, of DeRidder, is well known in this area as he has preached hundreds of revival services in LaSalle Parish churches and surrounding areas. Groups performing at the benefit include: Kingdom Bound, The King’s Messengers, The Franklin Family, and the Olla First Baptist Praise Team. Linda, 60, was first diagnosed with cancer on May 12, the couple’s 29th wedding anniversary. The cancer covers 70 percent of her body. She is receiving treatments in Lake Charles and Houston, Texas. Myeloma cancer affects the plasma cells in bone marrow. Future treatments will require bone marrow transplants. Lyndon Longoria has had to cancel several revivals because of his wife’s illness, meaning his income was drastically affected. A love offering will be received at the concert, with all money collected going to the Longorias for living and medical expenses. First Monroe’s summer camp CLINTON, Miss. – Bible study combined with sports and time for fellowship on the … [Read more...]

COMINGS AND GOINGS -Chad Foster, new as music minister, Glenmora Baptist, from Friendship Baptist, Pine Prairie. -George Johnson, new as minister of music, Forest Hill Baptist. -Randy (wife Leigh) Johnson, new as pastor, Florida Boulevard Baptist, Baton Rouge. -Mike Miller, new as pastor, First Baptist Kenner. -Ken Gabrielse, resigns as minister of music, First Baptist Kenner, going to Oklahoma Baptist Convention. -Michael Carney, new as pastor, Calvary Baptist New Orleans. -Scott Carlin, resigns as associate pastor, First Baptist New Orleans, going to First Baptist Lubbock, Texas, as education minister. NEEDED -Minister of Education/Administration. Send resume to First Baptist Church of Calhoun, Attention: Clay Crawford – Personnel Committee, PO Box 430, Calhoun LA 71225. Call  318.644.5929 or emailclaycrawford@wildblue.net. -Part-time worship minister. Send resume to Northside Baptist Church, 61141 Hwy. 1091, Slidell LA 70458. -Full-time worship pastor. Send resume to Cedar Crest Baptist Church, 3245 Arkansas Road, West Monroe LA 71291. -Full-time pastor. Send resume to Teche Baptist Church, Attention: Pastor Search Committee, PO Box 74, Centerville LA 70522-0074. -Minister of youth. Send … [Read more...]

Don’t let disagreement over music cause division This is in reference to the letter titled “Writer prefers old hymns to new music (Baptist Message, July 24). I can appreciate much of what Mr. Chester Peyronnin wrote concerning his preference for hymns. We have enjoyed a rich heritage of great hymns. I appreciate them greatly. However, our personal preferences should not give rise to a spirit of division. Hopefully this letter won’t cause more division. The letter suggested that new music makes use of “repeated phrases.” But it should be noted that many of our favorite hymns also have choruses that repeat. It appears, then, that our choice of music really comes down to personal preference. Our church is able to offer multiple services, and we have found advantages in this approach. For one, it gives attendees choices in music styles. We include hymns in our contemporary service and newer songs in our traditional service because we find great value in both. In a congregation where it’s not practical to have more than one service, it is possible to utilize a variety of music styles in a blended format. I have worshiped in many churches. There have been times when a full orchestra accompanied a large choir. I have also been … [Read more...]

Oh no! Summer is over? Oh no! Summer is over? I have to go back to school? Yes, it’s true and the transition from summer to school brings unique challenges for both children and parents. Adjustments to schedules, feelings of anxiety, homework, safety issues, and more can be overwhelming. Consider these suggestions for having a great start to the new school year. -Routine/Organization – One of the greatest back to school challenges is the transition from a relaxed to a structured schedule. During the summer most parents allow children to stay up later at night and get up later in the morning. A return to the school schedule can be a shock for children and result in a grumpy, cranky student. Two to three weeks before school starts parents should have children begin the routine of regular sleep and wakeup times. Another back to school challenge is organization. The unstructured days of summer are great for children but when school begins they must shift from neutral to drive quickly. Parents can help children get organized in a number of ways. The experts all agree that color is the key. Color-coding folders, notebooks, book sleeves, and other supplies is one of the best ways to help students keep it all together. … [Read more...]

There’s much in the news these days about yet another travelling evangelist promising healing to the sick. There’s much in the news these days about yet another travelling evangelist promising healing to the sick. Every few years here comes another fraudulent, scandal-riddled “faith healer.” That’s, sadly, no surprise. Having said that, let me make clear, I am not dubious about healing. I believe that God heals today, often miraculously. And I believe that there are sometimes certain people whose prayers for the healing of others avail much. We all know, however, that there are those who will use the power of God to peddle a product. What’s most tragic about this is the fact that there’s always a constituency for guys like this.   I fear that it’s more than just P.T. Barnum’s famous old maxim about the gullibility of the American public. I fear that there’s something missing in our churches that drives even some of our people to charlatans. Might there be less of a demand for these traveling health-and-wealth revivalists if our churches spent more time on our knees in prayer for sick and hurting people?   Of course, all our churches have prayer lists of the sick, and many of them go over these lists line by … [Read more...]

It’s a long way from the sets of “Flywheel” and “Facing the Giants,” but the filmmaking team of Alex and Stephen Kendrick is up to the challenge. ALBANY, Ga. (BP) – It’s a long way from the sets of “Flywheel” and “Facing the Giants,” but the filmmaking team of Alex and Stephen Kendrick is up to the challenge. The brothers’ third and latest film, “Fireproof” will be released Sept. 26. The storyline focuses on a young couple, Caleb and Catherine Holt, whose seven-year-old marriage is on the rocks. Divorce is imminent when Caleb’s father issues a “love dare” to his firefighter son as a last-ditch attempt to save the marriage. The movie is largely set in a fire station and, unlike the previous films, boasts some special effects. It is being released two years after “Facing the Giants,” filmed on a $100,000 budget, surprised many in the film industry by grossing $10 million. It remains a top-selling DVD. “Fireproof” had a $500,000 budget. When asked on location last year what was different on the set of “Fireproof,” Alex Kendrick quickly joked, “We’ve got more than one camera, plus I don’t have to both direct and play a major role.” (He played the lead role in “Facing the Giants.”) Then he turned serious when … [Read more...]

If standing ovations are any indication, the makers of “Facing the Giants” probably have another hit on their hands.  ALBANY, Ga. (BP) – If standing ovations are any indication, the makers of “Facing the Giants” probably have another hit on their hands. Sherwood Pictures’ latest film, “Fireproof,” won’t release in theaters until Sept. 26, but it’s been screened for pastors and Christian leaders all summer, and often to enthusiastic crowds. At the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis, between 3,000 and 4,000 people saw the film, with many standing during the closing credits, applauding the movie’s focus on a biblical view of marriage. The plot focuses on the struggling marriage of a firefighter named Caleb (played by Kirk Cameron) and his wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea), both of whom are seeking a divorce after having fallen “out of love.” Their lack of communication and their disagreements over finances – as well as his addiction to Internet pornography and her budding romance at work – are tearing them apart. Caleb’s father, though, refuses to see the young couple split up and gives his son a “Love Dare” journal – a 40-day experiment in which Caleb must complete a loving action toward his wife each … [Read more...]