VINTON - Crossroads Baptist Church has issued an immediate call for help providing meals for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, as well as for first responders. Pastor Rob Tibbitts said in an e-mail that volunteers will assist in one of two areas - cooking and serving. Some volunteers are needed to work in an outdoor kitchen, lifting large (often heavy) trays of food and need to be able-bodied. The cooking shifts are from 5 a.m. to noon, and from noon to 8 p.m. Other volunteers will work in the church kitchen, with the help of their Serve Team leaders, to serve meals and clean up the serving area afterwards. The serving shifts are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. To volunteer, call the church office at 337.589.7140 or, if no one answers the phone, call 337.526.0738. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer CALHOUN – Josh Elliff was at a spiritual crossroad in early 2016. He was a staff member for a congregation that was growing, thriving, and reaching their city… but still he was not at peace, believing God was about to move him and his wife. He and Jacqueline were happy at Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas, but he knew he had been called to be a pastor, and that God had him there to prepare for this next step. After a season of prayer, the Arkansas native was offered the possibility of leading a Calhoun, Louisiana, campus of First Baptist Church, West Monroe, which was expanding as a multi-site congregation. “God just put a burden on our hearts,” Elliff said. “He really just broke our hearts for the people here, just the need, the lostness that was in the community.” EXPANDING THE GOSPEL According to local pastors and demographic studies conducted by First West Monroe, roughly 6,900 out of the 7,745 people in the Calhoun zip code do not attend a worship service at any church on Sunday. With a five percent annual population growth rate projection, that number is likely to grow, further solidifying the need for expanding the Gospel there. “The fact is there are some great … [Read more...]

By Message Staff INDEPENDENCE – Churches of the Northshore Baptist Association and the Tangipahoa Parish Fire Department are teaming up to bring some Christian love to Hurricane Harvey survivors in Texas. They are filling up a 20,000-sq.-ft. warehouse with supplies for shipment to multiple locations in Texas, including a fire department in Houston. Already, two shipments have been delivered to the Texas communities of Vidor and Beaumont. Kent Newell, Northshore Baptist Association church planting strategist, said they were more than willing to give back to communities that helped the area during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and more recently the record flooding last year. “The opportunity gives me chills and deeply moves me,” Newell said. “Collecting and delivering these items allows us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” The warehouse began accepting donations Tuesday, Sept. 5, and has no ending date yet. Water, non-perishable food, bedding items, baby formula, diapers and cleaning supplies are being accepted at this time. Anyone interested in donating should drop the goods off at any Northshore church, which will then make the delivery to the warehouse. … [Read more...]

By Ruth Wisher, Louisiana Attorney General's Office BATON ROUGE – Legislative prayers led by county commissioners at public meetings do not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, affirmed the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who filed a brief in support of preserving this aspect of religious freedom, praised the court’s ruling. “This is a victory for religious freedom, and I applaud the court for its decision,” Landry said. “I am proud to have played a part in this affirmation of religious liberty being a fundamental right of all Americans.” By a 9-6 vote on Bormuth v. Jackson County, the Sixth Circuit ruled that county commissioners in Jackson, Michigan did not violate the Establishment Clause by opening their public meetings with a prayer. “From the days when States had established religions, to the period both before and after the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment, to the present day – lawmakers have led prayers at the state and local levels,” Landry said.. “And the governing Establishment Clause test recognizes that prayer practices that have stood the test of time are constitutionally permissible.” General Landry joined an amicus brief … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Scarlyte Collette is the new minister to preschool and children at First Baptist Church, Swartz. Alex Spiers, worship associate, resigned at North Monroe Baptist Church, Monroe. Chuck (wife Lisa) Clinton is the music/education minister at Pinecroft Baptist Church, Shreveport. Bill Stroud is interim pastor at Bethsaida Baptist Church, Ida. Mike Loftin is the interim pastor at Mansfield Road Baptist Church, Shreveport. Matthew Montgomery resigned as pastor at Belcher Baptist Church, Belcher. Brett Fuller resigned as music minister at Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. HOMECOMING University Baptist Church, Thibodaux: 45th Anniversary, September 15-17, Friday, 6 p.m. a night of Gospel music and share memories; Saturday, 2-6 p.m. bring the family for games, BBQ, and fellowship; Sunday, 10:45 a.m., Worship. Following Worship services there will be lunch at Peltier Park Community Center. Guest Speaker: David O. Cofield. Pastor: J.P. Cox. Hebron Baptist Church, Bush: Homecoming services, September 16-17. On Saturday at 6:30 pm the adult choir will be presenting “A Summer Night of Gospel Music Concert,” On Sunday morning homecoming service 10:30 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptist Youth Strategist Steve Maltempi has reported there were more than 216 total spiritual decisions during the four sessions of the 2017 Clear Camp. Attended by 1,071 students, the summer camps provided opportunities for spiritual growth, with leaders recording 102 salvation decisions combined, as well as two commitments to vocational ministry and a number of other spiritual declarations, including repentance to restore fellowship with Christ, Maltempi told the Baptist Message. Maltempti credits staff preparation and the broad range of activities supported by the facilities at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth as contributing factors to the camps’ success. “The strengths of our camps are our staff, program and facilities,” Maltempi said. “Our camp leaders are mentored for a full six months and are ready to fully engage campers spiritually and relationally. “They go past knowing the student’s names and get to know their life,” he continued. “Our staff members pursue opportunities to build relationships with campers. “The campers get to have fun and build relationships with staff during morning celebration, Bible study, recreation … [Read more...]

By Lane Corley, Louisiana Baptists church planting strategist The Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering is one of our best tools for planting the next generation of churches in Louisiana, and I have benefited from the GBO as a church planter myself. The Georgia Barnette Offering allows us to offer free training to all our church planters which helps strategy development. It also can provide anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent of an initial startup budget of a new church plant over the course of about three years. A lot of times that makes the difference in whether a church planter or sponsor church says, “Yes, we can do this project” or “We need to wait.” With the urgency of the moment for people to be saved in our state, this is a great tool to help churches say, “Yes,” and church planters to say, “Yes,” to planting churches and sharing the Gospel. Named for the first executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union, the Georgia Barnette Offering’s annual Week of Prayer is set for Sept. 10-17. The theme for this year is “Why Wait, For They Are Ready” inspired by John 4:35. This year’s offering goal is $1.7 million. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF-nzDGCN4Q … [Read more...]

By Message Staff LAKE CHARLES - Paul Watts normally spends his Wednesdays preparing for midweek Bible study as pastor of First Baptist Church in Franklinton but on this particular day he was working alongside five members of his church cleaning out a home damaged by Harvey. The Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team is gutting out a home that received 10 inches of water. As he surveys the house, Watts said he is thankful to be helping this homeowner get one step closer to  getting back inside the house. "Some people here have lost everything and we are trying to show them Christ's love," Watts said. "It's exciting to see God's people burdened for lost." The team arrived in Lake Charles Tuesday, Sept. 5, and plan to stay until Saturday, Sept. 9. Praying is an important aspect of any disaster relief response and this homeowner is no different said team member Ben Fussell. The homeowner expressed appreciation for our willingness to come help and pray with him. "When I opened my eyes after the prayer, I could tell in the homeowner's eyes that it was going to be okay," he said. "That's what we are ultimately here for - to share with them the hope found in Christ as His hands and feet." … [Read more...]

By Nancy Tower Sept. 16 kicks off the countdown to National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child in Southwest Louisiana. Weekend activities include a shoe box packing party in Sulphur, a countdown event in Lake Charles and an inspirational message in DeRidder. Interested citizens are encouraged to get involved at the activity of their choice beginning at 10 a.m. the morning of the kickoff event with a Community Packing Party hosted by the Sulphur Community Coalition. The activity will take place at 501 E. Burton Street in Sulphur and will include prayer, a presentation and lots of hands on effort. The public is invited and encouraged to bring items to place in the shoe box gifts. Saturday evening from 6-7 p.m. the countdown event will be held at The Dwelling Place at 1800 E. College Street in Lake Charles. The public is invited to attend this free event to learn more about Operation Christmas Child and meet a shoe box recipient with his own story about how a simple gift changed his life. Luis Wells-Gonzales has a special testimony to share about growing up in Panama and praying for school supplies. His experience with Operation Christmas Child will warm your heart as Luis details how the Lord answered his prayer … [Read more...]

By Message Staff The first Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been activated for a response to Hurricane Harvey. Gibbie McMillan, state disaster relief coordinator for Louisiana Baptists, said that while Rolling Hills Ministry has a feeding team and Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association a chainsaw team positioned in Texas, some of the teams from Louisiana are working towards recovery in their own state. McMillan said more than 800 homes flooded in southwest Louisiana, including 200 in Lake Charles. Command centers are set up at Crossroads Baptist Church in Vinton and another at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. A laundry unit from Webster-Claiborne Baptist Association is working out of First Baptist Church in Jennings and Eastern Louisiana has a mud out team stationed at Trinity Baptist. Rolling Hills has a shower unit at First United Pentecostal Church in Dequincy and another shower unit at First Baptist Church in Mauriceville. Its feeding unit was traveling Tuesday, Sept. 5 to work in Beaumont, Texas. A warehouse has been established at Boulevard Baptist Church in Lake Charles. Additionally, First Baptist Church in DeRidder is serving as a point of distribution for Louisiana teams. McMillan said … [Read more...]