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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

A deacon ministry that works

The genesis for the ministry of deacons starts with a complaint in the church that was beginning to cause the pastoral leadership to “give up or stop preaching the Word and deal with a secondary issue in the church.” … [Read more...]

Twenty presidents who spoke on Bible and Christianity

On the rare occasions America looks to her history, the legacy media reports her presidents’ virtues and vices (real or imagined). Yet they purposefully omit American presidents’ firm conviction in Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the indispensable role the Christian religion has played in establishing, undergirding, and sustaining American institutions to this day. … [Read more...]

Seven ways to say ‘I love you” to your children this year

By JT Waresak I'm not a huge New Year's resolution guy. However, as a new year begins, it is another opportunity to raise the bar in my effort to be the best dad I can be. I'm also reminded that the opportune time to pour into my sons and daughters is limited to a couple of precious decades. This is not to say I can't still influence my older children, but those initial years while my kids are still at home are critical ones. By God's grace, if I can help influence and shape these formative years, my children will have a great launching point as they prepare to build their own lives and families apart from me. … [Read more...]

Make church planting evangelistic again

By Lane Corley A troubling trend I’ve noted among church plants in Louisiana. Since 2012, professions of faith are down 86 percent and baptisms are down 66 percent in Louisiana church plants. It’s not just church plants. The decline in evangelism outcomes is well-noted across North America. It’s most surprising among church plants, because church planting is supposed to be for the purpose of evangelism. Why the decline? Some possible reasons to note: Contacts and evangelistic contacts are down 52 percent. Church planters should aim for 200 contacts and 50 Gospel conversations per month. 2022 numbers were 81 and 20 per month. We reap what we sow. Sowing the Gospel broadly should be priority No. 1 for church planters. And these should multiply exponentially as team members are added and begin to learn the habits of evangelism and disciple making from the church planter. It’s definitely a changing missional landscape. Evangelism may be harder today than it was 10 years ago. The pace of evangelistic responses may have slowed. This is more reason to share the gospel more broadly than ever before. Ecclesiological issues have taken precedence. Our organizations, logos, websites, and by-laws are in better order than they … [Read more...]

Four tips to make your New Year’s resolution last

It doesn’t take much to keep a New Year’s resolution, but it doesn’t take much to fail either. Americans notoriously struggle to keep their January drive all year long. According to a 2020 poll, 68 percent of Americans report giving up on their resolutions by February 1. … [Read more...]