Submitted by philip on Wed, 05/22/2013 - 10:13 Life Point Church Pastor Jacob Crawford, (left), visits with church members Jariance Williams, (center), and Joseph Buller, (right) in the church’s Cottonport clothing and furniture resale shop, one of the ministries it operates for the public as well as for at-risk families. By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter COTTONPORT – When Jacob Crawford began a church in Avoyelles Parish seven years ago, he had a vision for a modern church, one, he said, that would have “the black ceilings with all the lighting and nice things.” Things changed when he arrived in Marksville to plant Life Point Church.  He found an area where 50 percent of the people live in poverty, 50 percent of high school students drop out, and a parish that leads the state in domestic abuse, suicide and some forms of substance abuse. “It was either go with the nice things, or meet the needs of the people,” Crawford said. “I have a degree in social work and I knew I could minister to high-risk families, small children and youth,” the pastor explained. “God led us to create an environment where someone could come no matter what they looked like, wore or what they had done. I started knocking on doors. For four … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – In a spirit of camaraderie and cooperation, the members of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees met in their regular quarterly meeting April 30 at the Louisiana Baptist Building. One of the primary purposes of the Foundation is receive and manage gifts on behalf of Baptist churches, organizations and ministries. Once a gift is received, the Foundation invests the funds in order to distribute income to the Baptist entity designated by the donor. The Foundation trustees and staff constantly strive to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to maximize the income paid to ministry while maintaining a stable asset value. In that light, the investment consultant for the LBF, Lee Morris of Graystone Consulting, reviewed changes at the quarterly board meeting that have been made in the portfolio over the last several years. Morris showed graphically how the portfolio looked in 2007 and the changes made through 2012. Over the last five years the Board of Trustees, with the guidance of Graystone Consulting, has moved to reduce the overall exposure to equities by nearly 25 percent. Additional assets classes were added for diversification of the portfolio. Asset classes added … [Read more...]

By Karen Willoughby, Managing Editor MONROE – The mention that revenues were 5 percent over expenses the first quarter of the year was the first of several bits of good news heard by trustees of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home during their May 10 meeting in the Rusker-Austin building’s conference room on the Children’s Home campus. In his report to the trustees, President and CEO Perry Hancock said he was “encouraged by the growing support of our churches.” Income from VBS offerings “continues to grow, year after year,” he added. Online giving is up and the number of givers also is up, Hancock reported, though the specific dollar amounts are down about $7 per gift. Pool renovations are complete, Hancock reported. This includes a new roof, two new restrooms, and the refinishing of the pool walls and floor. The new 40 X 80-foot pavilion near the Children’s Home fishing dock is completed, Hancock continued his report. A ribbon-cutting of the new metal-roofed structure – with two restrooms and a gated outdoor kitchen at the back – took place after the board meeting. As part of their ministry, Campers on Mission earlier in the week had built a railing around the dock. Updating – new flooring, carpet and paint – at Grace … [Read more...]

By Karen Willoughby, Managing Editor ALEXANDRIA – The new digital delivery of the Baptist Message, as well as personnel items, dominated the agenda when members of the Board of Trustees for the Baptist Message met May 14 for their regular spring meeting. Chairman Pat Barber presided. Kelly Boggs, Baptist Message editor, announced that an iPhone/iPad  app, offering a digital version of the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s official newsjournal,  would soon be available. James Lambert, bi-vocational pastor of Bryceland Baptist Church in Gibsland who developed the app, was present to provide board members with a demonstration of the app’s features. Lambert indicated the Baptist Message app is in its final stages of testing. The next step is to secure approval from Apple. Once Apple gives the green light, the app will be available to paid subscribers at no additional cost. Those without a paid subscription can download the app via the iTunes store and purchase a digital subscription for $13.99. Lambert also said the app with be functional across a variety of smart phone platforms. Managing Editor Karen Willoughby announced her impending retirement to the personnel committee, reported Chairman Lane Corley. Willoughby, on staff since … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 05/22/2013 - 10:23 Campers on Mission volunteers recently completed the railing for the LBCH fishing dock. By Staff, Baptist Message MONROE – A “baker’s dozen crew of 13 Louisiana- based Campers on Mission recently descended for their annual visit on the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home. Their purpose: To do what they could. So, what could they do? “They built the new railing on the dock,” said Julie Cupples, LBCH director of communication. “They painted bathrooms in three cottages. They painted front doors on some of the cottages. They replaced the shutters on the chapel and helped renovate an office.” Campers on Mission go across the state – and, for some of them, the nation – doing good while enjoying their “leisure years.” They’ll stay on-site and do what they can to help spruce up “the place” – whichever place it is, for the next season. “The campers always enjoy their time on our campus,” said Dale Stone, LBCH director of buildings and grounds. “They love the safe environment and they love to interact with our children and cottage parents.” After having breakfast and morning devotion together, the campers stayed busy throughout each of the five days they were at the Children’s … [Read more...]

Arrivals/Departures Jimmie Clark, new as pastor of Northside Baptist DeQuincy. Caleb Brown, resigned as youth minister of Wallace Baptist Pelican. Michael (wife Jodi) Trahan, new as pastor of Victory Baptist Esterwood. Rhett Baxley, resigns as children’s minister at First Baptist St. Rose for a similar position in Arkansas. Pastor: Jim Kiltau. Alex Davis, new as youth pastor at Summer Grove Baptist Shreveport. Pastor: Aaron Burgner. Jeff (wife Barbara) Feibel, new as pastor at Woodland Hills Baptist Shreveport. Yvonne (husband Guy) Keller, new as children’s ministry leader at Cross Point Baptist Benton. Pastor: Shane Nugent. Peter Tidovsky, new as music leader at Waller Baptist Bossier City. Wayne DuBose, new as interim pastor of Northwoods Baptist Shreveport. Billy Crosby, new as pastor of Beulah Land Baptist Haughton. Bill Treadway, new as pastor of Mt. Gilead Baptist Vivian. Larry (wife Nancy) new as pastor of Salem Baptist Plain Dealing. Amber Keeny, new as music leader at Providence Baptist Shreveport. Kevin Smith, new as interim pastor of Ida Baptist in Ida. Billy (wife Laura) Arnold Jr., new as pastor of Kaplan Baptist in Kaplan; Laura is new as music director. Scott (wife Dana) Belmore has resigned as UL … [Read more...]

By Staff, World News Magazine Briefs Every four years more than 40,000 Boy Scouts and their leaders hold a National Jamboree. This year they are scheduled to gather in July at the new Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. The scouts pitch tents, hike, tie knots, trade patches, and raise their right hands to affirm: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout law, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” The pastoral scene will belie a crisis in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one related to that oath. What is “duty to God”? What does it mean to be “morally straight”? On April 19, the national BSA leadership announced a proposed change to its current policy of banning openly homosexual men and boys from participating in Scouting. The proposed policy would walk a tightrope by banning homosexual adult leaders but welcoming boys who identify as gay, while affirming that “Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.” The proposed policy emerged after an on-line BSA survey garnered more than 200,000 … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 05/22/2013 - 10:30 On Tuesday nights, Crossroads Church in Staten Island, N.Y., hosts what they call the Freedom Ministry, offering numerous support groups on topics from grief to divorce care. By Erin Roach, Baptist Press STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (BP) – Pastor Ray Parascando had just clicked “send” on an email to his congregation, letting them know of a plan to start monitoring train platforms in Staten Island after a rise in suicides involving people jumping from those platforms. Then he heard the sirens. It had happened again. He ran up the block from the church to find a woman in her mid-30s had attempted suicide but survived. Her body was mangled when the emergency workers pulled her from the tracks. What Parascando remembers is the look of utter hopelessness he saw in her eyes. A week later, Hurricane Sandy devastated Staten Island and the surrounding region. People who already were coping with problems severe enough to press them to take their lives now had lost even their homes. Parascando and Crossroads Church knew they had to act. The Southern Baptist congregation began immediately meeting the physical needs like food, clothing and shelter Staten Island residents had in the … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 05/22/2013 - 10:32 Paul Hart (name changed) teaches a multi-week Sunday morning study on the customs and culture of the people group to whom the layman and business entrepreneur felt called at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, N.C. By Tess Rivers, Baptist Press RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – Overseas, the sound of a gate closing often signals the end of the workday when many business, healthcare and engineering professionals retreat into gated homes and communities. For missionaries, though, it can be a despairing sound. “We try reaching out to our neighbors but it’s hard because they work during the daytime,” says Derek Samuels* [star indicates name changed], an IMB financial administrator in Santiago, Chile. “My wife met the housekeepers and we wave to the neighbors every time we see them. Then they go inside and close the gates behind them. “It’s hard to build relationships at that level.” Samuels’ family isn’t alone, says Devah Millsap*, a communication specialist in IMB’s Office of Marketplace Advance. In many countries around the world, she notes, “It is difficult for IMB personnel to build relationships with business professionals. We don’t make sense to business people. They don’t … [Read more...]