By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS – Getting in and out of the Baptist Community Health Services clinic was a bit more difficult than usual on a Saturday in late November. For several blocks, cars in this Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood lined the streets to create a traffic jam as they waited their turn to get their hands on a coveted possession – boxes of food to feed their families for up to a week. Some volunteers unload boxes from one of three Feed the Children trucks while others walked the boxes of food to cars as they arrived on a street next to the clinic. By the time all boxes are given out, some 1200 families are served. Provided through a partnership of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton’s Play It Forward Foundation and the Baptist Friendship House, the boxes were distributed by 40 volunteers who are members of churches from the New Orleans Baptist Association, along with others who helped from Baptist Friendship House and clinic staff. Among the many volunteers who gave of their time was Ken Taylor, pastor of Gentilly Baptist Church not far from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he serves as professor of urban missions. “Jesus told us to love our fellow man and of the … [Read more...]
Steven Maltempi introduced as LBC’s new youth strategist at YEC
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – A long-time student ministry specialist with strong ties to Baptist life in the state is the new youth strategist for Louisiana Baptists. Steven Maltempi assumes his new role on Dec. 1 and will be introduced during a youth ministers fellowship at next week’s Youth Evangelism Celebration in Lafayette. Most recently the lead associate of student and collegiate ministry for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Maltempi also served in a similar position at the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. While attending seminary, Maltempi said God placed in his heart a a calling for student ministry. Though he enjoyed serving in Texas, Maltempi said he is looking forward to what lies ahead in his home state of Louisiana. “As Louisiana Baptists we must have as our goal to evangelize, disciple, and involve students in ministry and missions,” he said. “When they graduate from high school they must be ready to minister at work or college. To prepare them we must capture their imaginations and passions for Christ. “Teenagers are a mission field and a mission force,” he continued. “Our focus must be evangelism; discipleship, much more than a transfer of knowledge; … [Read more...]
LCIW Revival brings freedom to 32 behind bars
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ST GABRIEL – Inmate Chelsea Daigle had decided to follow Christ during one of the revival services at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women the day before when she went forward with a request. “I want to be baptized tonight,” she proudly exclaimed. For Janie Wise, those words represented a beautiful picture of Christ’s love and forgiveness, a freedom found in a place where many inmates spend many years behind bars. “The tears, joy and the women saying, ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ made this a special weekend,” said Wise, women’s missions and ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists which co-sponsored the revival at the prison. “The women who followed through with baptism knew what they were doing. It was a step that said to their peers right there, I have decided to follow Jesus.” During four revival services from Oct. 3-4 at the maximum security prison about 10 miles east of Baton Rouge, 32 women made professions of faith and 28 of them were baptized. Approximately 160 volunteers from 28 Louisiana Baptist churches participated in the revival, which included a gift box distribution to the inmates, three worship services on Saturday, a worship service on Sunday and a … [Read more...]
Healing souls in Haiti: October mission trip allows team to minister to Haitians in need
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAITI – Lane Howe and his interpreter had just entered the 8 x 10 foot home when they were offered the only food the 28-year-old Haitian woman named Garline had in her entire house – eight bananas. Though she owned very little and had lost 17 family members during a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the country on Jan. 12, 2010, Garline demonstrated she had all she needed – a relationship with Jesus Christ. The encounter forever etched in Howe’s mind a picture of Christ-likeness, and is a constant reminder of why he and 42 other Louisiana Baptists went to Haiti for a mid-October mission trip. “She had it all figured out and showed me it’s not about the material things that matter,” said Howe, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. “Here was someone who had lost 17 family members and still had some injuries visible from the earthquake, yet she showed me how we are supposed to live our lives – devoted to Christ and excited to have Him in us. “Just like she wanted to share all the food she had, we should be willing and excited to share what we have as Christ-followers,” he continued. “It’s our obligation because Haiti is in need. “How can they hear the Word … [Read more...]
Youth Evangelism Celebration all about moments
By Message Staff LAFAYETTE – The 2015 Youth Evangelism Celebration was all about making the most of the moment. “You have this moment,” Acton Bowen told the youth gathered inside the Cajundome for the opening session of YEC on Monday, Nov. 23. “This is the moment you have right now to say yes to Jesus.” A speaker and New York Times best-selling author who has served in the local church, led a city-wide student Bible study in Gadsden, Ala., and was the host of x|roads TV, Bowen was one of several people who were on stage during YEC. The largest gathering of Louisiana Baptists each year, YEC featured high-energy music, inspiring messages, fellowship and much more. The theme for this year’s YEC is Moments, based off Psalm 119:32. Throughout the two-day event, Bowen issued several challenges, including take up one's cross to follow Jesus. Basing his message off Mark 8:31-35, Bowen told the students and adult chaperons that too often in America to not be just a follower, but a fan of Christ. He said Jesus is looking for followers, especially when times get tough. "There is a huge difference between being a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus," he said. "In churches across America I am preaching to some of the greater … [Read more...]
Youth Evangelism Celebration kicks off today
By Message Staff LAFAYETTE - The annual Youth Evangelism Celebration kicks off tonight. The largest gathering of Louisiana Baptists each year, YEC is scheduled for Nov. 23-24 and will feature high-energy music, inspiring messages, fellowship and much more. Due to on-going renovations at the Rapides Coliseum in Alexandria, and an unknown date of completion, the Cajundome will be the home for YEC through 2017. The theme for this year’s YEC is Moments, based off Psalm 119:32. You can follow the event through the Baptist Message's Facebook and Twitter updates. Send any photos to brian@baptistmessage.com and we'll post them on our Facebook page and in our photo gallery once YEC has ended. … [Read more...]
T-shirt sales at NOBTS raise funds for IMB
By Marc Ira Hooks NEW ORLEANS (BP) - "When I first heard the news I felt bad, but my heart did not break," Keith Taylor, a Ph.D. student in preaching, said of the 600-800 International Mission Board missionaries preparing to leave their place of service due to budget shortfalls. "I was not broken for these folks who had given their lives for the work of spreading the Gospel around the world. And now their part of that work was coming to an end." Taylor's attitude changed, however, after a chapel message by NOBTS professor Blake Newsom several weeks ago. "It was not even a missions’ message," Taylor said. "It was about stewardship." Taylor and others challenged by Newsom's message created a T-shirt emblazoned with "Not On Our Watch -– Support The International Mission Board" to be sold on campus. After only four days of sales, more than $1,200 was raised for the IMB's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The T-shirts reflect a rhetorical answer to the question: "Are we okay with the fact that Jesus told us we are to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest field, and on our watch we are bringing workers in from the fields?" IMB President Platt expressed his appreciation for the Not On Our Watch theme during his … [Read more...]
‘Blank check’ is ‘elementary’ commitment to God, Platt says
By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS (BP) - Giving one's life as a "blank check" to God may seem like extraordinary devotion, IMB President David Platt said, but a commitment to go wherever God leads is the "elementary essence of what it means to follow Christ." Platt spoke in the opening chapel service of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's annual Global Missions Week Nov. 2-5, which coincided with an IMB trustee meeting in New Orleans and a missionary commissioning service. Before Platt spoke, NOBTS students, faculty and staff gave more than $10,000 in special offerings collected in light of recent IMB financial/personnel cutbacks. During the seminary's missions’ emphasis, IMB personnel spoke in chapel, classes and breakout sessions and met with students over coffee or lunch. Underscoring his meaning of a "blank check," Platt cited flooding in Yemen, fighting in Iraq and persecution of Christians in Pakistan from the day's headlines. "To be clear," he said, "when you say 'wherever' to God, you're saying I'll go and take my family to Yemen, Iraq, and Pakistan. I'll go into the heart of ISIS. I'll go into Boko Haram territory of West Africa. I'll go wherever You want me to go.'" Platt said … [Read more...]
Trustees: Stock markets decline in August, September affects assests
By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – At their final quarterly meeting of 2015, trustees learned the stock market’s decline in late August and September affected the assets under management by the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. Investments During the investment committee meeting Oct. 27, data that was shared about assets under management showed a $9 million decrease in the third quarter, primarily due to market decline in late August and September. Still, assets held by the LBF totaled $164,566,429.39 on Sept. 30, about $3.79 million more than the same date a year ago. Likewise, it was noted that the stock market recovery in the month of October helped to erase most of the losses, with LBC-held assets gaining back about $6 million. Investment Committee Chairman Jim Prince (Aimwell Baptist Church, Aimwell) presented the performance report for the different portfolios managed by the Foundation, and he announced the returns earned by the major components of the LBF portfolio as of the end of this year’s third quarter: Short Term Fund: 0.51 percent Annualized Yield Fixed Income Fund: 1.46 percent Total Return; Equity Fund: -6.46 percent Total Return The group investment fund which comprises … [Read more...]
Hispanic pastors urged to ‘work together’
By Will Hall, Message Editor BOSSIER CITY – California Southern Baptist Convention Executive Director Fermín Whittaker urged pastors and others gathered Nov. 9 to go all in for the Gospel ministry, saying, “We are ambassadors or not; we cannot be 50 percent.” The venerable Southern Baptist leader spoke at the fourth annual Hispanic pastors’ conference conducted during the Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting. Cooperation was the common theme among the three sessions, each conducted by Whittaker. Likewise, he offered key advice on the husband and wife partnership in the ministry. “Remember, she is not assistant pastor, she is your wife,” he said, cautioning pastors from putting too much on the shoulders of wives. “I saw a change in my wife when she began to be a woman and not a pastor’s assistant, a woman and not a conference speaker,” he offered. “She began to be a woman, instead of a Sunday school director.” The call of God In the first session, Whittaker spoke on a personal level to the group, encouraging them not to feel inadequate for the task God has called them to undertake. God does not see a person with problems and deficiencies, he said, but He does look for a humble heart. “I have to … [Read more...]
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