By Message Staff MONROE – Rolling Hills Ministries has opened its new thrift store in Monroe, setting the stage for the store to be used as a tool to show Christ’s love to the people of northeast Louisiana. The thrift store that serves also as a compassion center located at 5339 Desiard Street opened Jan. 2. Among the items sold inside the store are household items, clothing and furniture. “Rolling Hills has seen God work through many ways to provide this step of faith,” said David Abernathy, executive director of Rolling Hills Ministries. “The ministry wants to add value to Monroe by serving those in need, and assure them that God loves them and desires to help them through the life situations that they are experiencing.” The $1.8 million, 15,600 sq. ft. store is the fourth Rolling Hills Minisitries has opened. The other three are located in Arcadia, Bossier City and Ruston. Like the other stores, the Monroe location accepts drop off items, and picks up donations such as furniture and other large items. Money made through the thrift store will support Rolling Hills Ministries’ compassion ministries such as the partnership with Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home starting in March. Women in the community – … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Ron Herrod said in a day when Southern Baptist churches are seeing a decline in baptisms, the time is now for Christ-followers to carry out God’s will – bringing in the harvest. “May God break our hearts,” Herrod said during the 2018 Evangelism Conference at First Baptist Church, Pineville. “The harvest is there and we’re missing the harvest.” Herrod was one of many speakers who emphasized this theme in their messages. The  program also featured Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Rick Gage, founder of GO TELL Ministries, Atlanta, Ga.; Sammy Tippit, founder of Sammy Tippit Ministries, San Antonio, Texas; Greg Frizzell, founder of Greg Frizzell Ministries, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and, Karen Abercrombie, an award winning actress who played the spicy, 80-year-old prayer warrior, Miss Clara, in the film “War Room.” Also, he was representative of the group’s emphasis on soul-winning as the needed focus of all Louisiana Baptist ministries. “You can build houses,” said Herrod, founder of Ron Herrod Evangelism Ministries Association, Knoxville, Tenn. “You can meet human needs. You can … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message ON THE MOVE Adam Hughes is the interim pastor at Red Bluff Baptist Church, Folsom. Gerald Burton is the new pastor at Antioch Baptist Church, Tickfaw. Matt Pinckard is the new Next Gen pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Albany. Russell Osborne is the new pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church, Independence. Courtney Rainey is the new pastor at Greenacres Baptist Church, Bastrop. David (wife Celina) Rice is the new pastor at Brookwood Baptist Church in Shreveport. Larry Alton is the new music minister from interim at First Baptist Church, Keithville. REVIVAL Fullerton Baptist Church, Pitkin: Revival, February 21-25. Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria Pastor: Steve Squires. LAGNIAPPE Calvary Baptist Church, Forest Hill is seeking committed musicians to form a praise team. Positions needed are: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass player, drummer, and keyboard/piano player. Singers are also encouraged to reply. Anyone interested (serious inquires only) in filling any of these positions can contact Aaron Dunn at 337.655.0237 or Wayne Dunn at 318.733.0248. Riverview Baptist Church, Alexandria: The Erwins in concert, February 8, 7 p.m. A love offering will be received. Pastor: David … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Alyssa Rayette Altenberger struggled with emotional setbacks for several years until, in 2014, she encountered a horse named Tony who served as a means for the youngster to develop a relationship with Christ. Since meeting Tony at the Cross Branded Cowboy Church, Pineville, he has been present for a number of special moments for Alrenberger that took place inside the church’s arena -- including her baptism in a galvanized horse trough during a November 2017 worship service. Altenberger is one of five new believers at the Cross Branded Cowboy Church baptized in 2017. Another four are awaiting baptism. “Some people might ask, ‘How do you ask Jesus to be your Savior?’” Altenberger told the Baptist Message. “Well you just have to ask him. You have to love Him enough to go to Heaven with gold streets, and you will never cry, go thirsty or hungry in Heaven. “If you want to be forgiven, you have to ask Christ to forgive you of your sins,” she added with conviction. CROSS-FOCUSED While Cross Branded opens its services to anyone, it especially appeals to those who are part of the cowboy culture. An amateur horse trainer, Pastor Herb Dickerson said many times he … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA - Students were challenged to take the next step in life Feb. 2-3 at the 2018 Collegiate Evangelism Conference. The conference featured messages by Rahul Agarwal, the director of men and married couples at Gwinnett Church, a campus of the non-denominational North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Ga., and worship led by the House Band, a group comprised of former Baptist Collegiate Ministry members from around the state. Students also participated in seminars and a late-night time of fellowship. Agarwal’s messages and the various seminars were centered around the theme of CEC – Next. The Baptist Message will publish an expanded story on CEC later. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA/PINEVILLE - More than 5,600 turned out for the third annual Louisiana Life March Central Saturday, Feb. 3. Men and women, young and old, from various denominations and races joined together to make the journey from the Louisiana College campus in Pineville to the amphitheater in downtown Alexandria. Speakers included several Louisiana Baptists, such as Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church, Pollock, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, a member of Alto Baptist Church. Also speaking to the crowd was Baptist Message Editor Will Hall, his wife, Catherine, and their son, Jacob. The Louisiana Life Marches are a chance for different denominations, ages and ethnic and racial backgrounds to march together and pray to declare their opposition to the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in 1973. The theme for this year’s marches was “Every Life Deserves A Lifetime.” The Baptist Message will publish an expanded story later on this Life March and the North and South marches held in late January. https://youtu.be/sAnxOQlhyIg … [Read more...]

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – During an evening session of the 2018 Evangelism Conference, Brent Crowe urged hundreds of adults and youth to make sure redemption through Christ was part of their life story. “When Jesus calls us to tell a story in our life that has redemption as the theme and the redeemer Jesus as the central character, He not only bids us to tell the story but He provides us all the resources that are necessary so that theme will be true in our lives,” said Crowe, vice president of Student Leadership University in Orlando, Fla. “If redemption is not the theme of the story we are telling in our life, then our story is not worth telling.” Crowe spoke Jan. 22 to a packed crowd in the worship center at First Baptist Church, Pineville, while hundreds of youth watched from their home churches via a livestream broadcast during student night at ECON. At the invitation, three students came forward to declare Christ the Lord of lives, four repented to restore fellowship with Christ, two responded to the Holy Spirit’s call to vocational ministry and one made an undisclosed spiritual commitment. Student night also featured the testimony of Kayla Sasser, a member of the youth group at Philadelphia Baptist Church, … [Read more...]