By Baptist Message staff LORANGER, La. (LBM) – Sixth through twelfth grade girls will be reminded how God treasures them during the upcoming Teen Girl Retreat. The multi-site event will take place Sept. 8-9 at Camp Living Waters, Loranger, and then again on March 15-16 at Clara Springs Baptist Camp, March 15-16, offering participants to attend at the location closest to them. “Our heart for this event is for girls to know how truly treasured they are by God, the creator of the universe,” said Louisiana Baptist Children and Youth Mission Education Strategist Erin Jones. “He loves them and created them for such a special purpose. Our prayer is that teen girls will walk away from this weekend reassured of who they are in Christ no matter what the world around them may try to tell them.” Samantha LaRocque and Andrea Bourgeois, founders of “Holy Restored Ministry,” will be the main speakers. They will share about the importance of mental health awareness and provide coping skills from a biblical perspective. The event also will feature a pajama, popcorn and pamper party, times of worship, missions moments, and breakout sessions. Sept. 1 is the registration deadline. The retreat will start at Friday, 6 p.m., with … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Twenty-one people were obedient in believer’s baptism, making a splash during a recent service at a Shreveport water world. Organized by 29 churches of various denominations in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, the June 24 event at Splash Kingdom drew 156 people who looked on and cheered as each person came in and out of the water. Eric Cunningham, pastor of Narrow Gate Cowboy Church, Vivian (a congregation planted in 2021 by First Baptist Church, Oil City), said the evening was a highlight of his time in ministry. “We didn’t even know this many people would want to get baptized but they kept lining up after the devotion I gave,” Cunningham told the Baptist Message. “The Holy Spirit was really working on people that night and they were excited to have the chance to show others how they had accepted Christ. “With all the things going in the country today, you wonder if people are still looking for truth,” Cunningham said. “That night showed me people still hunger for Christ and we had so many, including a lot of young people, who took part in baptism that night.” The baptisms were part of a follow up event for individuals who made decisions … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn told incoming Louisiana Christian University freshman class Saturday, encouraging to share their faith everyday on campus and beyond. “If the Gospel is going to advance, it’s going to take advance because everybody takes the Gospel,” Horn told the students inside Guinn Auditorium, Aug. 19. “Every Christian is a witness. That’s how we create a culture of evangelism.” Horn’s message was part of Welcome Week that began Aug. 16 at LCU. Throughout that time, 249 freshman have participated in service-learning projects, moving into their dormitories, a Baptist Collegiate Ministry worship service and more. Basing his message on Acts 8, Horn said the early Christians and not the “professional Christian’s” were the first ones God sent out to share the Gospel outside Jerusalem. Horn said this can be accomplished if Christ followers are prayerful, bold, relational and prepared. He shared with the students several evangelistic tools they can use when sharing the Good News of Christ: Life On Mission app (uses a simple Gospel presentation); Hereforyou.org (Louisiana Baptists’ multi-media approach to share … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – A frequently asked back-to-school question is “how did you spend your summer vacation?” Thirty students from the state’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries can answer, “I helped lead Vacation Bible schools (VBS) in Louisiana and Wyoming.” Celebrating a 14th year of summer service, GOLA (Go Louisiana) VBS is an emphasis by Louisiana Baptists’ collegiate ministry that allows college students to serve on teams who share God’s love through what is the largest evangelistic outreach (VBS) of the year for many congregations. The teams typically conduct VBS for churches with low baptisms and who could not hold such an outreach without the help of the GOLA volunteers. Five teams of five to eight students each served at churches around the state, June 1-July 15, while another team of six students conducted VBS in Wyoming, June 7-July 30. Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministry Team Director Mark Robinson said the experience allowed the students to gain experience working with children and churches to advance the Gospel. “They saw faith in action through practical, everyday ministry with children,” Robinson told the Baptist Message. “From a church’s perspective, … [Read more...]

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn will address the incoming freshmen class at Louisiana Christian University, Aug. 18, 9 a.m. inside Guinn Auditorium. Horn will share simple ways for students to share their faith with others as part of Wildcat Welcome Week activities. “We are partnering with our Baptist family to support this emphasis for creating a culture of evangelism on campus and beyond,” said LCU President Rick Brewer. As students grow in their ability to share their faith with others, Brewer said, he expects the impact will extend beyond the campus. “We recognize our campus is a mission field and wholeheartedly embrace the priority for establishing a culture of evangelism at LCU,” Brewer said. “We are grateful for Steve Horn’s vision and availability to challenge our incoming freshmen with this powerful idea this year.”   … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary Professor David Allen is the keynote speaker for the 2023 E4+ Preaching Conference, Sept. 19, which will be held in the facilities of the First Baptist Church in Pineville. Allen, who serves as the seminary’s distinguished professor of practical theology and dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching in Cordova, Tennessee, will bring messages during three sessions of the annual conference. In addition to serving as a professor, Allen is founder and editor-in-chief of the new podcast and website, Preaching Coach (preachingcoach.com), which trains and mentors pastors and other ministry leaders to strengthen their preaching skills. This year’s conference also will feature breakout sessions for pastors and directors of youth, media/ sound, music, children, as well as ministers’ wives. Breakout sessions for pastors will include such topics as leadership and preaching through certain books of the Bible, and will be led by professors from Louisiana Christian University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three to four weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Mark Norwood is the new pastor at Green Oaks Baptist Church, Merryville. Nancy Huey is the new children’s minister at Cheniere Baptist Church, West Monroe. Billy, wife Linda, Edwards is the new pastor at Humble Baptist Church, Glenmora. Hannah Greenwood is the new worship leader at First Baptist Church, Calhoun. James Davison is the new minister of evangelism and missions at Fair Park Baptist Church, West Monroe. Dan Teed resigned as pastor of New Hope Batist Church, Monroe. Liam Gordon is the new pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church, Clearwater. Wade Allen resigned as pastor of Pilgrim Home Baptist Church, Benton. Kurt Zortman is the new pastor at Elm Grove Baptist Church, Bossier City. HOMECOMING First Baptist Church, Leesville: 125th Homecoming, September 17, 10:30 a.m. … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clark, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University will welcome new and returning Wildcats to campus this week, with freshmen move-in beginning Aug. 16. After moving in, freshmen will spend time getting to know their classmates and learning about campus facilities and traditions. Wildcat Navigators, upperclassmen assigned to orient freshmen to campus, will each be assigned to a group of freshmen to help ease the transition to college life and be available for questions, conversations or concerns. “We are looking forward to welcoming a new freshmen class this week as they move onto campus and participate in our traditional Wildcat Welcome Week,” said LCU Vice President of Student Life Meredith Rennier. “Our team is excited to meet each student and build relationships with them during their time at LCU.” Freshmen will participate in service-learning projects in the central Louisiana community feeding the hungry and cleaning up Versailles Boulevard in Alexandria. LCU President Rick Brewer will host a President’s Dinner Aug. 16 for the incoming class of 2027. “This will be my 37th launch of an academic year as a university administrator and I’m just as excited this year as I was … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff FLORIEN, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief crews and churches responded quickly to those impacted by wildfires in Sabine Parish east of Florien, Aug. 14. The are contained at this time. While this remains a very serious situation because of wind direction and changing weather conditions the wildfire was contained Monday evening. However, officials cautioned that flare-ups could ignite new fires in the area. The LA Dept of Forestry worked throughout the night clearing lanes to further control the fire. The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page at approximately 2:14 p.m. their office received a call regarding a woods fire near Corleyville Road in the Mt. Carmel community. By 9 p.m., the fire was contained. As the fire raged Monday afternoon, residents in the path of danger were urged to evacuate. KSLA-TV (Shreveport) reported that at least eight homes were damaged or destroyed by the fire. “Sheriff Aaron Mitchell asks everyone to remember those in your prayers affected by this disaster as well as all first responders and law enforcement agencies who responded,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post Monday evening. “Also, thank you to the many … [Read more...]