By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA- Area principals and teachers took a break Tuesday, Aug. 1, from preparations for the upcoming school year to learn how they can help grow the Central Louisiana Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Throughout the course of the hour-long meeting, they heard from FCA board members, principals and school leaders about what they offer, answers to any legal concerns and how to form a chapter. “We wanted to do this before school starts first of all to thank the principals for their leadership and let them know how FCA can have an impact on campus,” said Central Louisiana FCA board chairman Warren Morris. “It's not just for athletes. It’s for all students. “We want to have a thriving Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle on each campus,” said Morris, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria and former LSU baseball standout. “We’re excited about having that start right now with the principals.” Board member Sheila Johnson added that support for existing chapters has helped reach thousands of students since the organization was formed 60 years ago. “We felt like this was a great time to get all the principals together to lift them up and pray for them as they begin a new school year,” … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews) - For the third year running, Louisiana College faculty will study and discuss another book that underscores the importance of integrating faith and learning. Evangelical author Mark Noll’s book “Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind” follows the previous two: “Conceiving the Christian College” by Duane Litfin and “Renewing Minds” by David Dockery. Once a month, faculty gather in small, interdisciplinary groups to discuss the book and gather information and inspiration regarding the integration of the Christian faith into the liberal arts courses they teach. “We are first grateful for our president, Dr. Rick Brewer, who initiated the study groups when he arrived in 2015,” said Philip Caples, vice president for the Integration of Faith and Learning. “The books and subsequent discussions have enriched our pedagogy and informed our content as we teach from a Christian worldview.” Caples believes Noll’s book is another building block for LC’s faculty. Noll observes: ... it has become conventional to think that belief in the Christian story opposes serious commitment to intellectual explorations of the world. There are no good reasons for this opinion. It rests on … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE (LCNews) - Louisiana College’s annual faculty/staff retreat welcomes Linda Karges-Bone Aug. 14, making this the third time LC has tapped the best-selling author’s expertise in higher education. Karges-Bone’s address it is titled, “Three Strikes and You’re In: The Truth about Meeting the Needs of First-Generation College Students Who Live in Poverty.” The Aug. 14 session is from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m. in the Georgia Barnette Conference Center on the grounds of the Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, located at 10218 Hwy. 165 South, Forest Hill. Drawing from her best-selling book, “Rich Brain, Poor Brain: Bridging Social and Synaptic Gaps in Schools,” Karges-Bone said the training session “is designed to both motivate and inform faculty and staff on brain-friendly strategies to increase retention and success of all students,” particularly those from low-income backgrounds. “The world says these students are ‘at risk.’ We say they are a gift,” she added. Karges-Bone says there is a “distinct Biblical mandate guiding this work,” as she cites Jeremiah 29:11, which states: “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer TIOGA/PONCHATOULA – For three jam-packed, fun-filled weeks, 40 Korean children experienced a mixture of Louisiana hospitality, culture and outdoor fun during the 12th annual Camp USA. It made for a memorable time. However, the biggest takeaway for 15 of these kids was their life-altering decision to follow Jesus Christ. “Every year we have some decisions from the Korean children and it blesses my heart, whether we have a few or many,” said Tim Hisaw, pastor of Tioga First Baptist Church. “Seeing so many children come to Christ is one of the blessings we get to experience with Camp USA. Clearly, the camp fulfills the Great Commission and allows our church members to participate in an international mission trip without leaving their own backyard.” A partnership of REACH Missions and the Korea Baptist Church Development Board, the camp involved more than 20 churches in Big Creek, Central and North Rapides associations and First Baptist Church in Ponchatoula. During their first week, the children took part in Vacation Bible School at Tioga First Baptist Church while also participating in activities at other area churches. After their time in Central Louisiana, the campers … [Read more...]

By Louisiana Family Forum BATON ROUGE — Congressman and Majority Whip of the U.S. House Steve Scalise is the recipient of the Louisiana Family Forum's Gladiator Award, the organization announced Friday, Aug. 4. Given out during its annual Legislative Awards Gala Sept. 21, the award is presented to the recipient who the organization finds as committed to the principles of life, liberty and limited government. “Honoring Steve Scalise as the Gladiator for 2017 is an easy choice given his integrity, his dedication to Louisiana, and his outstanding leadership,” said Louisiana Family Forum President Gene Mills. “Steve is known as the go-to guy who gets things done and who maintains respect for his colleagues even amid the D.C. division and strife.” Scalise has a long history of fighting for conservative principles and a lifetime of achievement in working for Louisiana families, according to the Louisiana Family Forum. During his twelve years in the Louisiana legislature, he was a champion for the sanctity of life and traditional marriage. In 2004, he authored the constitutional "marriage amendment," defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In the years following Hurricane Katrina, he led relief efforts on … [Read more...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Baptist Global Response (BGR) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in a big way—with a campaign to raise $100,000 for people in need. Since 2007, the humanitarian aid organization has been partnering with Southern Baptist donors to fund disaster relief and community development projects around the world. And, BGR hopes to celebrate the milestone in August by raising $10,000 for each year of service, reaching a total of $100,000. “It’s hard to believe that it has already been 10 years since we started BGR,” CEO Jeff Palmer says. “It only seems like yesterday. But when I think about the thousands of projects implemented worldwide and literally millions of lives impacted, I thank God for bringing about BGR and then letting us be a part of this amazing ministry.” The 10 for 10 Campaign will run through Aug. 31. Those who want to get involved can find resources and fundraising ideas at www.gobgr.org/10for10/. On the site, BGR offers suggestions for donors such as selecting 10 items from the organization’s gift catalog and organizing a group of 10 friends to give $100 each. Palmer says generosity from donors has made BGR’s work possible and will continue to do so in the coming years. “Whenever we've … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RAYVILLE – Eddie Wren will be nominated for the office of president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2017 LBC Annual Meeting. Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, plans to nominate Wren for the position. Wren, who serves as pastor of First Baptist Church in Rayville, is the only announced candidate for the office. Horn said he has known Wren since their time as students at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and added that his respect for Wren as a husband, father, pastor and friend has grown strongly through the years. “I am pleased to nominate Dr. Wren because I believe he cares about the issues that most Louisiana Baptists care most about,” Horn said in a written statement to the Baptist Message. “He is committed to a strong belief in the inerrancy, infallibility, and inspiration of the Bible which reveals itself in his preaching. He is passionate about the evangelism of all people—those in Rayville, the state of Louisiana, the United States, and the nations. He believes all ought to hear and all can be saved. “He is committed to our cooperative work as Louisiana Baptists and Southern Baptists,” Horn continued. “The evidence of … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BRAZIL – Robert Spinks and his New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary mission team took a week-long boat trip down the Amazon in June, stopping along the way to share the Gospel message in homes and villages, reaping a harvest of 1,100 souls. Spinks and his team of eight seminary students faced a range of spiritual obstacles, but relying on Christ, he said, helped them persevere amid distractions of crying babies and threats of roving animals. “I had a front row seat to see God work among the people of the Amazon River,” Spinks said. “Had it not been for the prayers, support and obedience of many others, I am convinced I would have missed this blessing. My life was changed, and I know this sounds cliché, but I did not come back home the same way I left.” AMAZON HOPE The seminary team joined 21 others for the May 31-June 8 trip, working with an organization named Amazon Hope which owns a boat that stays on the Amazon River. During the trip, the group slept and ate most of their meals afloat. During the day, they conducted eye clinics, distributed flip flops, led worship in churches and shared Christ in homes. Reaching some homes meant docking and then traveling by a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer TYLER, Texas – Two young men from Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria entered camp expecting to spend quality time with one another, but in the end left for home with something even more special that strengthened their friendship bond – a memory of their unplanned baptisms in late June. An out-of-state destination for a number of Louisiana Baptists, Pine Cove Christian Camp in Tyler, Texas, offers campers the opportunity to be baptized at the end of their week of faith building and summer fun. Andrew Cole and Colin Renois – both ten years old -- had accepted Christ at a younger age but had not yet followed through with baptism. But when the opportunity was presented at Pine Cove, Cole and Renois eagerly jumped at the chance to be baptized in a swimming pool. Surrounded by a handful of family members and friends who made the trip with them, each boy stepped into the water and was baptized by Todd Strain, connections pastor at Calvary Baptist, who was attending the same camp with his wife and children. Andrew’s dad, Philip, was emotional as his son was baptized. “Andrew had previously talked to us about salvation and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of his life,” he … [Read more...]