By Holly Jo Linzay, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=8058|title=A Young heart|desc=Sulphur’s Addie Young, shown holding two Haitian babies, went to Haiti last month with her identical twin, Allie, her father, Steven Young, and her younger sister, Jamie, 13, on their first mission trip.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]SULPHUR  – A wellspring of compassion flooded Addie Young’s heart after hearing her youth pastor tell about how thousands of children worldwide die each year due to drinking tainted water.   “I knew then I wanted to make a change, a difference in the world. I did some research on the internet, and decided I wanted to raise money to drill wells for clean water in Haiti,” 15-year-old Addie recalled.   Her concern about Haiti’s need for clean water was the spark that compelled Addie to start fundraisers with her church family at Houston River Baptist Church that garnered more than $15,000.   “We just mailed a check this week for the fifth water well,” Addie enthused over the amount raised, which was quadruple the amount needed for the initial goal of funding one water well.   Last month, Addie, her identical twin, Allie, her father, Steven Young, … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter   CENTRAL – When Dennis Terry was asked if he felt like he was in the middle of a tornado, the senior pastor of Greenwell Springs Baptist Church laughed and said, “bunches of them!”[img_assist|nid=8061|title=Rev. Terry|desc=Dennis Terry, senior pastor at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, preached a sermon on Sunday evening, March 18, about how Christians should be involved in the political process before introducing presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R., Pa., (seated left) and Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, who for nearly two hours interviewed Santorum on his views.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=438]   What started out as a patriotic Sunday evening service last month turned into a media frenzy after heavily-edited video clips of Terry’s sermon went viral across the internet and network talk shows.   Dozens of liberal web sites accused him of bigotry and hate, and he is being called all sorts of names by politically left and atheist critics. Many sites compare him to Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama’s former pastor who was exposed during the last election in videos cursing America.   Terry … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Message Staff Writer   WALKER – Months ahead of schedule and coming in under budget, the construction of Victory Baptist Church in Walker, a three-year-old church plant, is on a record-setting pace.   “I’m am just blown away at how quickly this project has come together,” said Jeff Woodrich, Mission Builder and Campers on Mission Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention.   The slab was poured in late December, but the Baptist Builders did not begin framing on the 12,000 square-foot, multi-use facility until the second week in January.   Amazingly, the project is within weeks of completion, just three and a half months after work commenced, and months ahead of schedule.   “Right now, Steve [project coordinator Steve Hayes] is doing some touch up work. The weather slowed us down a little (couldn’t pour concrete), but I am meeting with the inspectors this week,” Woodrich said. “So, we are close, really, really close.”   Like Woodrich, Hayes has also been amazed at how fast everything has come together on the project.   “The Lord has truly blessed us. We have had Campers on Mission from Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee … [Read more...]

By Karen Knight, Special to the Message   CONCORD/UNION BAPTIST ASSOCIATION – God has really blessed the shoebox ministry [for Native Americans in the Farmington, N.M., area] abundantly this year.   Concord/Union Baptist Association collected 2,529 shoebox gifts,  plus blankets, throws, new coats, sweaters, new clothing, hats, gloves, school supplies, jars of jelly to pass out to adults, adult gifts, candy to pass out to children, stuffed animals, and many miscellaneous items.   Also the association collected enough money to purchase 270 of each of the following items: 20-pound bag of Blue Bird flour, 10-pound bag of pinto beans and a 3-pound can of shortening.   The cost for this year had increased, of course, from $20.73 per set to $26.37.   It also purchased six cases of apples and six cases of oranges to pass out at the churches where we had worship services.   As usual God provided what was needed. God never calls us to do anything without faithfully keeping His word and enabling us to do it. He remains faithful and stands by His word to fulfill what He has promised.   Over the last few years we have come to realize that the food items are just as … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director   [img_assist|nid=8065|title=Learning teamwork|desc=Nearly 440 people – including 258 first through sixth graders – from 25 churches attended this year’s RA Congress, one of the highest attended ever for the event.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427]WOODWORTH – Gibbie McMillan says he believes Royal Ambassadors are experiencing a revival in the state and pointed to a recent gathering of young men and their counselors as evidence of such.   Nearly 440 people – including 258 first through sixth graders – from 25 churches attended this year’s RA Congress, one of the highest attended ever for the event. About 340 people representing 26 churches attended last year’s RA Congress.   “The emphasis on Cooperative Program and Georgia Barnette Offering have begun to connect with some pastors and they realize the importance of missions education, therefore they are encouraging more activities for boys and girls,” said McMillan, Louisiana Baptist Convention men’s ministry and volunteer strategist. “Therefore they are encouraging more activities for boys and girls. We already have RAs in place and it is available, so they have chosen to get it started in their … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=8067|title=Watson Groundbreaking|desc=Watson Baptist Church celebrated the beginning of their construction project with a cere-monial groundbreaking service on Sunday, April 1. The church, to be located on Cane Market Road in Denham Springs, is 2 1/2 years old and has 125 members, led by Dennis Phelps. For now, they meet in two buildings provided by Angels Unlimited Daycare in Watson. The church worship center and education space is to be built with the oversight of and volunteer labor from the Louisiana Baptist Mission Builders.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=424] … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message [img_assist|nid=8071|title=A Helping Hand|desc=RAs and GAs at Unity Baptist Church in Pineville clean the yard of an elderly church member, Marie Wiggins, a former GA and former longtime GA leader. The youngsters earned a service patch for their work, a meal of Louisiana red beans and rice from Mrs. Wiggins, the fun of working together and a sense of satisfaction from helping someone, their leaders said.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]PINEVILLE – Way back when, little Marie was part of the Girls in Action mission group at her church. In time, she became Marie Wiggins and a GA leader. Recently, about a dozen GA girls and RA boys at Unity Baptist Church in Pineville spent a Saturday getting her sizable yard ready for spring. “They had fun working together and a sense of satisfaction in helping somebody,” said RA Leader Doug Aycock. “It was a successful and fun missions workday,” said GA Leader Iris Rosier. “At our next GA meeting, we discussed the importance of helping others.” The youngsters raked up leaves and pinestraw, picked up pine cones and planted flower bulbs for Wiggins, who is “always out doing good things as she can,” Rosier said. … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor NEW ORLEANS – “We have to go where the unborn babies are,” says Perry Hancock, president of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries.[img_assist|nid=8073|title=Second Mobile Unit|desc=The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will add a second mobile pregnancy care center this summer, and it will stay in the greater New Orleans area.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=50] Where are unborn babies? In wombs. “You knit me together in my mother’s womb, …” according to Psalm 139:13. “I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.” Protecting the lives of unborn babies is the reason LBCH started its mobile pregnancy care center last April. That’s why it’s adding a second unit this summer – one to stay in the greater New Orleans area. “Fewer than three out of ten women who face a crisis pregnancy actually go to a pro-life pregnancy center,” Hancock said. “The mobile unit takes the ministry to them. “We know there’s a concentration of women in New Orleans who are having unplanned pregnancies,” the LBCH president continued. “The reason we are trying to have the second mobile unit in New Orleans is because we are having so many requests for the first one from our churches … [Read more...]

By Ginger Culpepper, Special to the Message LAKE CHARLES – The Louisiana WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting speakers encouraged women to tell their stories so that they have opportunities to tell the most important story “of Jesus and His love.” Women from around the state, representing 73 churches and four generations, heard stories from local and international missionaries, each reminding them to tell their stories of how Jesus has worked in their lives. “My story cannot be told without the story of WMU,” said Suzanne Reece, Student Ministry Consultant for WMU SBC in Birmingham. “I’m kinda like their poster child.” Suzanne’s story began when she attended Girls in Action with a friend and learned that there were things she could do in her own little way to help missionaries around the world. “I knew then that God would use me,” Suzanne shared. After getting her family involved in church and learning about salvation, she accepted Christ and “went through a transformation like Superman in a phone booth.” God is using Suzanne to encourage others to share their stories and to share what God is doing in their lives and what He can do in others’ lives. “Because He IS, we get through our stuff and have the strength to … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   STATEWIDE – The Sunday habits of church members have been changing ever since many Sunday Blue Laws were repealed in the 1980s.   “Blue laws” (initially a derisive term meaning “uppity laws,” coined by people who disagreed with their intent) kept many businesses closed on Sunday, as a way of encouraging church attendance.   When businesses were allowed to stay open, sporting events started taking place on Sundays.   A response to attendance options is just one way that churches have changed.   Bruce Raley, director of leadership and evangelism training and events at LifeWay Christian Resources, plans to discuss 15 trends that impact churches’ education ministry, in his upcoming eight-stop tour of Louisiana to talk with ministers of education and others with similar ministry positions, including pastors.   The April 16-19 event is to be in Swartz, Ruston, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Pineville, Lafayette, Covington and Gonzales. See www.lbc.org/MEtour2012 for complete information.   The no-cost event includes lunch, supper or light refreshments, depending on the time of day and location. Pre-registration is needed for proper … [Read more...]