Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana’s Disaster Relief units help to restore hope

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 13:58 Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers pray at the Baptist Building parking lot before leaving for New York on Nov. 3. The state’s chainsaw, mud-out and shower units have joined other Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams, ministering to those in the Northeast affected by Hurricane Sandy. By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief crews often hear of the impact they make on-site but a caravan of its vehicles was the catalyst for a life-changing spiritual decision recently. Angela Young, a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, said she was overwhelmed and moved to tears when she saw the Louisiana Disaster Relief vehicles traveling in early November to help with Hurricane Sandy efforts in New York. A professing Christian since 2005, Young said she stopped attending church shortly after making a decision for Christ because of the negative behavior of people who attended worship services in her area. Now, Young said, her faith in Christians has been restored. “It is hard to describe the feeling that overwhelmed me to tears but I felt closer to God than I had in a very long time because I saw your mission group,” Young … [Read more...]

Calvary Bayou Chicot celebrates 200 years

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 14:00 Calvary Baptist Church of Bayou Chicot, today with a rural Ville Platte address, is the oldest continuously-serving Baptist church in Louisiana. Thomas Walker is pastor. VILLE PLATTE – When Joseph Willis crossed the Mississippi River at Natchez in 1799 to enter the untamed land known today as Louisiana, it was to find a place to settle where he, born of what then was socially unacceptable “mixed blood,” could make a home for his wife and five children. He found that place and people who accepted him in the forest near what today is Chicot State Park. Willis had come to know God in the Second Great Awakening that swept across the populated United States in the early 1790s, and like others touched by the hand of God in that revival, Willis was compelled to speak of Christ to everyone he met. A Bible study he started in 1803 or earlier grew into a church when he finally was allowed (because of his parentage) to be ordained in 1812. That church – Calvary Baptist Church of Bayou Chicot, which today has a Ville Platte address – celebrated Nov. 2-4 its 200th anniversary of continuous service to and for God. LBC Executive Director David Hankins was … [Read more...]

Louisiana Milestones

Arrivals/Departures Bubba (wife Linda) Talbert, new as music minister at Shreve City Baptist in Shreveport. Danny Campbell, new as young adult minister at Belle Park Baptist in Haughton. Brent Shoalmire resigned as pastor of Northwoods Baptist in Shreveport. Trey Lewis, new as associate pastor of Calvary Baptist in Shreveport, from Kingston Road. Church events/ac tivities Hebron Baptist Denham Springs: Fulton and Judy McGraw in concert at 6 p.m. Nov. 25. Emmanuel Baptist Oakdale began a partnership with the Italians of the United Kingdom, their chosen UUPG – unreached, unengaged people group – with an initial mission trip Nov. 10-17. Pastor: Nick Hodges. First Minden: Parade of Nations at 10:45 a.m. Dec. 2. Seasonal Events First Pineville: Lighting of the Green at 6 p.m. Nov. 25 in the worship center. Hebron Baptist Denham Springs: Hebron’s Holiday Helper Child Care with free gift wrapping, 2-6 p.m. Nov. 25 and noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 9. Thompson Road Baptist in Slidell plans a trip Dec. 2-7 to work in the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Boone, N.C. They have space for a few more. Cost: $135. Call Pastor Randy Boyett: 985.690.6077 if interested. Christmas … [Read more...]

Trustees learn LBF portfolio continues to perform well

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Trustees of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation met for their regular quarterly meeting Oct. 30 at the Louisiana Baptist Building in Alexandria. The Board’s morning committee meetings were led by Travis Morehart of Shreveport, chairman of the Investment Committee, and Wayne Hunt of Houma, chairman of the Operating Committee. The afternoon Board meeting was presided over by Travis Morehart, LBF Board Vice President, in the absence of Board President Cornelius Tilton of New Orleans. After reviewing and approving the minutes from the previous meeting, Morehart introduced Lee Morris of Graystone Consulting to report on the investment returns of the various strategies employed by the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. Morris reiterated a statement from the July meeting regarding an environment of low rates and relatively low returns. Equities are inexpensive relative to fixed income securities and managers are going to have to accept more volatility to get the returns they need in their portfolios. Post-election will be better a time to give a forecast on what to expect for investment returns, Morris added. The LBF portfolio continues to perform well . The Group Investment Fund, … [Read more...]

Baton Rouge Baptist architect builds a “Haiti house” from shipping container

Submitted by philip on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 14:09 rel, courtesy art by Darrin Badon, Tipton Associates, Baton Rouge, An architectural rendering of a prototype "Haiti House" designed by Baton Rouge architect Darrin Badon. He envisions a plan where shipping containers are purchased in Port au Prince and crafted into hurricane-proof homes by local workers and distributed to homeless families. By Mark H Hunter, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE - Darrin Badon had just returned from his fifth mission trip to Haiti last winter when he said he had a “come to Jesus” moment. An award-winning architect and partner at Tipton Associates, Badon said he was inspired to utilize his professional skills to help the countless number of orphans and Haitian families who are still homeless following the massive 2010 earthquake. “I heard God say - are you going to do something or are you not going to do something?” Badon, 41, said. “I realized I needed to stop talking about it and start doing it.” “As an architect, seeing the level of destruction, I just had a very deep desire to do something related to housing - something affordable, earthquake resistant, hurricane and tropical storm resistant,” Badon said. A lifelong … [Read more...]

Test Story 1

Submitted by Baptist Message... on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 23:09 Hispanic Mission: Louisiana Baptist Builders and Kingdom Builders have joined forces in helping to build a church for Hispanic Baptists under the operating authority of First Baptist Church of Bernice. Bill and Joyce Temple are the the onsite coordinators for the Louisiana Baptist Builders. HAMMOND – Jerusalem Baptist Church in Hammond will soon be getting a check from the Louisiana Department of Revenue for $3,500, and it is all because they filled out some important paperwork and provided the right documentation. Can it really be that easy? Well, it may not be all that easy, but, yes, churches throughout Louisiana can get money back from the state. Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Search form Search See where Louisiana Baptists are serving this summer by clicking here for the summer missions map TwitterFacebook … [Read more...]

Test Story 2

Submitted by Baptist Message... on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 23:11 This is my caption PINEVILLE – James Dobson’s message was a simple but poignant one: Don’t focus on your trophies – accomplishments – but rather your impact on the Kingdom of God. “I have learned if you live long enough life will eventually trash your trophies,” said the founder of Focus on the Family and author of 26 books. “If it’s not done for Jesus Christ, eventually your trophies won’t matter, much less be remembered.” Dobson, Edwin Meese III, and Alan Sears were presented with the Louisiana College Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award during a special chapel service in Guinn Auditorium as part of the annual celebration of LC’s founding on Oct. 3, 1906. … [Read more...]

ERLC joins battle against abortion mandate

Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 01:00 Obamacare Abortion Mandate: President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, at a Feb. 10 news conference, set forth modified HHS regulations on “Preventive Health Services and Religious Institutions,” which have since failed to alleviate First Amendment religious freedom concerns – and lawsuits. C-SPAN photo.   By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s religious freedom entity has joined the legal battle against the Obama administration’s abortion/contraception mandate in the first case to reach a federal appeals court. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief filed Oct. 12 that asked a federal appeals court to reverse the dismissal of two lawsuits against the controversial requirement under the 2010 health care law. The brief supports challenges by Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school in suburban Chicago, and Belmont Abbey College, a Roman Catholic institution in North Carolina, to the mandate that employers provide workers with health insurance that covers contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs. The ERLC -- and 10 other evangelical … [Read more...]

Louisiana mens’ events use hunting to target men for evangelistic outreach

Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 01:00 Targeting men: Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptist Convention director of men’s ministry and volunteer strategist, served as the master of ceremonies for Blessing of the Hunt.   By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director COVINGTON – Matthew Smith understands the importance many men place on hunting in Louisiana. So when his pastor, Clark Stewart, and others at New Zion Baptist Church learned in late 2011 that a church in Mississippi used the sport to reach men with an evangelistic event, they felt bringing the same to South Louisiana would be an excellent inroad to reaching them for Christ. The result was 1,300 people – many of whom were men and young males – gathering for an evening of hunting tips, a free meal and door prizes. Not to mention 138 who received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior by the end of the evening. The event was one of many across the state designed to draw men who don’t regularly participate in church-related activities. Sponsored by the Northshore Baptist Association, Louisiana Baptist Convention evangelism team and six churches in Folsom and Covington, the first-ever Blessing of the Hunt drew men from as far away as … [Read more...]

Weekend conference helps ‘Ignite’ college students’ faith

  By Beth Masters, Special to the Message LAFAYETTE – In the car and on the way home from a conference, a college senior told her BCM director that she wanted to serve as a missionary after graduation, and from the back seat of the car came the voice of a sophomore saying “Me too, well – at least for the summer!” As the BCM director asked questions about where they wanted to serve and why they wanted to go, many of the answers pointed back to God’s work in their lives, and to Ignite. Ignite is a conference for college students that took place in September. It is designed to get students ignited for Jesus as they start a new school year and to stir a passion in their hearts for missions. As Ignite began and about 200 students gathered on Friday night at East Bayou Baptist Church, you could hear the squeals as students saw friends from other campuses; some students were running to greet each other, and overall a spirit of joy was present as the door opened. From that point on, students were challenged in worship, pushed to consider missions, and given time to fellowship with others. For students from New Orleans, the two most impactful times of the weekend were the Saturday afternoon session – where mission opportunities … [Read more...]