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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Start the new year off right by praying it forward

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Amid those New Year’s resolutions of losing weight, spending more time with family and watching less television is another one that Louisiana Baptists leaders have issued as a challenge – start the first 21 days of 2016 praying intentionally for the Next Generation. To help make that happen, the Louisiana  Baptists Evangelism & Church Growth Team in partnership with the Pastoral Ministry Team has released the journal “Pray It Forward: 21 Days of Prayer for the Next Generation.” Each day of prayer focuses on three areas – reading God’s Word, reflecting on God’s Word and responding to God’s Word. Every day of focus has a verse, devotional thought and action steps to follow. Louisiana Baptist Convention team members along with pastors and Baptist Collegiate Ministry directors authored the prayer guide. Louisiana Baptist Evangelism and Church Growth Director Wayne Jenkins hopes those attending the Evangelism Conference at First Baptist Church in Lafayette will complete the journal by the time the event takes place on Jan. 25-26. A focus of the Evangelism Conference will be reaching the Next Generation. “Pray it Forward is the latest in a series of 21 day prayer and … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist female duo plan CD release concert to benefit Compassion International

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA – A Louisiana Baptist female singing duo have planned CD release concert next month to benefit Compassion International. Scheduled for Jan. 22 at Alexandria’s Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center, the concert will feature music from the new project entitled “We Receive.” The songs were written by Kellie and Kristen Fuselier, along with others from their home church, The Gathering Place in the Wardville area of Pineville. For the past 10 years, Kellie and Kristen have traveled throughout the U.S. to lead worship and said this project further illustrates their passion – to see the gospel proclaimed. “While deciding whether or not this was the season to put out another project, the Lord breathed life into these songs during our co-writes and we began getting clearer vision about what the Lord wanted us to say through our ministry,” Kellie and Kristen wrote in an email. “These songs all derive from scripture, and it has become our heart's desire to see the global Church come together in one sound to proclaim the gospel of Christ. “We have been walking through personal seasons of learning the depth of the love of God,” they continued. “We began to truly realize that we have done and can do … [Read more...]

Canaan Baptist celebrates six consecutive Sundays of baptisms

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LEESVILLE – One Sunday last year, Morris Goins was deeply grieved while preaching at Canaan Baptist Church. He saw a visitor open the front door of the church, either looking for someone or seeing no seats available and left. That’s when he knew the congregation needed a bigger space. “I told them the next Sunday we need to start having our church services in the gym where we have room for everyone who comes,” recalled Goins who was recently honored as Southern Exemplary Bi-vocational and Small Church Pastor of the Year. “Brother Derrell Kay, one of the men of the church said having church in the gym won’t work long, we ought to look at building another building.” Fast forward to mid-November, when the church broke ground for its future new 296-seat worship center. When complete by a target date of May 2016, the new building will include a nursery, office space, a Sunday school classroom for our elderly ladies, a room to hold a children’s church service and a section in the back of the worship center to house sound equipment. Goins said his congregation that averages 125 for Sunday morning worship is excited about how God will use the new facility for ministry to the … [Read more...]