By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor [img_assist|nid=8091|title=John Schneider|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=452|height=640]Films with a Christian message have been on the rise since the unprecedented success of Sherwood Pictures’ Fireproof in 2008, and the rate is increasing. The recent October Baby outperformed percentage-wise the blockbuster Hunger Games on the opening weekend they shared in late March. Doonby, with its similar pro-life message, though from a more overtly secular perspective, is likely to be even more successful. “I’ve never had a movie in the top ten before,” said John Schneider, who stars in both October Baby and Doonby. He’s better known for his years on television’s Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville. “The hope is that October Baby will grease the skids so Doonby can come out in 500 to 600 theatres.” Christian filmmaking seems to have come of age with these two films that address the issue of abortion. This means it’s a great time either to invite a friend to a worthwhile movie, or to invite the community to an in-church showing – especially in places underserved by a movie theatre. “Both October Baby and Doonby are very cleverly written … … [Read more...]
State BCMs busy ministering to students needs
By Staff, Baptist Message Nicholls State University, where Jonathan LaFleur is BCM Director: THIBODAUX – This semester has certainly been a semester of New Things. The BCM has a new director, a new secretary, a new color of paint on the walls (you should come see it – it looks great!), and many new students getting involved. We have had several stories this semester of non-Christian students coming into our building to our different outreach events, and because of the love that our regular students have shown them, have decided to get involved in our ministry. We are tirelessly sharing the Gospel with them while showing them the love of Christ, praying that God would open their hearts and lead them to a knowledge of the truth. One student named Eddie came into the building during our Free Lunch outreach, looking for the “pastor.” I told him I was the director, and he said, ‘You’ll do.” Eddie shared with me things from his past …. After talking with him about genuine discipleship and conversion, Eddie realized that he did not have a genuine conversion experience. I was able to lead him to Christ that day, praise God! Reprinted from Bayou Baptist [Association] News; … [Read more...]
Tullos First Baptist reaches out to community with compassion
By Margaret Tarpley, Special to the Message [img_assist|nid=8094|title=Food collection|desc=First Baptist Church in Tullos recently held a community giveaway of donated household items, tools, shoes, clothing, toys, etc. More than 30 local families were assisted in the ministry event, according to church member Joan Martin. “God has given us so much,” Martin said. “We enjoy helping others.”|link=none|align=right|width=480|height=640]TULLOS – Over the last few months, the congregation of First Baptist Church in Tullos has performed quite a line-up of service to the community. The congregation’s latest outreach was on March 24 when there were donations given out of household items, shoes, clothing, tools, toys and other items. More than 30 families were assisted through the ministry’s giveaway day. “Tullos First Baptist reaches out to the community with compassion for those in need,” church member Joan Martin said. “The response was overwhelming [on March 24]. Around seventy women and men attended the function.” Martin said during Christmas, the church and the surrounding community donated money to purchase Christmas gifts for children in the … [Read more...]
Louisiana Milestones
By Staff, Baptist Message ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES David Lane, new as of May 13 as pastor of Judson Walker. Church gave $21,209.53 to Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. T.W. Terral resigns May 6 as interim pastor of Judson Walker. Zach (wife Molly Jo) Johnson, new as minister to students at Tioga First in Pineville. Pastor: Tim Hisaw. Needed/Giving First Baptist Church Baton Rouge seeks a Part-time Secretary/Receptionist /Administrative Assistant. Call: 225.343.0397 or email: info@fbcbr.com For Sale: Crate (6 mike) mixing bd. w/stand, 2 speakers w/stands, 8 mikes, 10 misc. cords – $600. 318.687.8799 or 318.687.7454. Woodlawn Iowa seeks bivocational minister of music. Call 337.802.3238. Pastor: Richard Louviere. Homecomings, Anniversaries, Revivals First Independence: Revival May 3-6. Several speakers. Pastor: Mitch Williams. New Beulah Hammond: Revival May 6-9. Speaker: Joe Aulds. Music: Price Harris. Pastor: LC Lord. Aimoch Olla: Revival May 6-9. Speaker: Casey Johnson. Pastor: Todd Whittington. Homecoming May … [Read more...]
SBC meeting theme to spotlight ‘Neighborhood & Nations’
By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press NEW ORLEANS (BP) – “Jesus: to the Neighborhood and the Nations” is the theme for the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 19-20 annual meeting in New Orleans, SBC President Bryant Wright has announced. Drawn from Luke 24:47-48, the theme is worded to convey the importance of dual missions at home and abroad, Wright said. “Sometimes people feel like it’s either/or, that they must focus on those at home to the neglect of those in the uttermost parts,” Wright said. “Sometimes people are so focused on the uttermost part that they neglect their own neighborhood, their own mission field. ... “[S]ome people think unless they are reaching their neighborhood first, they don’t have the right to focus on going to the nations,” Wright continued, noting: “This is a specifically-worded theme. Christ is clear. We are to focus on both. It is not either/or. It is both/and. They ought to be our focus all the time.” A radical reprioritization of Christ’s Great Commission is Wright’s prayer for the mission focus of the annual meeting, to take place at the New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans June 19-20, following a week of … [Read more...]
As Titanic sank, he pleaded, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus!’
By Douglas W. Mize, Baptist Press [img_assist|nid=8098|title=Titanic Sinking Anniversary|desc=Sunday, April 15, was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic. More than 1,500 passengers lost their lives when the ‘unsinkable ship’ sank in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=478]Editor’s note: Sunday (April 15) was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. TAYLORS, S.C. (BP) – It has been 100 years since Titanic, the greatest ship of its time, sank on its maiden voyage, killing more than 1,500 passengers. The “unsinkable ship” had done just that, and on the tragedy’s centennial we stand captivated by the story. Many movies, documentaries and books have familiarized us with some of the passengers, such as entrepreneur John Jacob Astor IV or the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. Yet one of the supreme stories of the Titanic involves a heroic pastor and his passion to save lives and souls. When pastor and preacher John Harper and 6-year-old daughter boarded the Titanic it was for the privilege of preaching at one of the greatest churches in America, Moody Church in Chicago, named for its famous founder … [Read more...]
Baptisms are trending up in state
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor [img_assist|nid=7978|title=River Baptism|desc=Eight-year-old Simon Rucker was one of 57 children, teens and adults who participated in First Baptist Covington’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Photo by Mark H. Hunter|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=447]STATEWIDE – “This is the fourth year in a row of increased baptisms,” reports Wayne Jenkins, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s evangelism and church growth team. “We’re moving in the right direction.” In all, 11,438 peoples’ baptisms were reported by the 1,465 of the LBC’s 1,605 churches that turned in ACP – Annual Church Profile – surveys for the 2010-11 church year, according to information supplied by the Business and Information Services Team, which LBC Business Manager Dale Lingenfelter leads. Based on what the 146 non-reporting churches baptized last year, the true numbers could be over 12,000. This is up from the 11,020 reported in the 2009-10 church year and the 10,221 reported in the 2006-07 church year, the first year of the upward trend. “I think our churches are more focused now on reaching people,” Jenkins said. “We’re coming out of several … [Read more...]
Wave of Prayer washes across state
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor [img_assist|nid=7980|title=Praying on the courthouse steps|desc=About 25 people gathered at the East Carroll Courthouse in Lake Providence on March 8 as part of Louisiana Southern Baptists praying for a spiritual awakening in the state. The event was one of 15 the first week in March. Other parts of the Wave of Prayer are to take place in each of Louisiana’s 64 parishes.|link=none|align=left|width=478|height=640]STATEWIDE – Prayer by Louisiana Southern Baptists is to take place at each of the courthouses in Louisiana’s 64 parishes during the months of March and April. Church members gathered at 15 parishes for prayer during the first week of March alone, led by David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, with other members of the LBC staff and the local associational director of missions. “I pray this will spread like wildfire,” said James Carson, DOM for the Caldwell, Deer Creek and Richland Baptist Associations, during prayer at the Caldwell Parish Courthouse in Columbia on March 8. “We do pray for spiritual awakening to start in our hearts, through our churches, to all Christians, as we … continue to confess and ask for … [Read more...]
Pastor, congregation make ‘covenant’ with community
By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – As he looked at the postmodern community in Metro Shreveport-Bossier, Luke Allen saw a place fertile with spiritual opportunities. As pastor of Covenant Church of Shreveport/Bossier City, Allen has inspired his congregation to reach out to those in the surrounding community and teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A call to church planting was the starting point for Covenant Church’s outreach effort in Metro Shreveport-Bossier. “We were looking at several areas in which we could plant churches, such as in Texas and New York City,” the pastor said. “We met with Wayne Dubose, the Director of Missions here, and he almost teared up as he talked about what we were doing. He told us that they had been praying for people like us to come, because a lot of the younger people had been disappearing from their churches. “What we do in outreach effort is three-fold,” the pastor continued. “One is our worship gatherings on Sunday mornings in which we marry expositional teachings on the Scriptures with a simple but progressive or contemporary field of music for Sunday mornings. Next are our midweek gatherings, or … [Read more...]
Baptisms decline: It’s time THE WALL came tumbling down
By Bill Day, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Last year the number of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was 331,008. Except for a minor increase in 2009, our baptisms have been declining since 1999. In just ten years our baptisms have declined by more than 87,000, a 21 percent decrease. The number of baptisms in the SBC are now at the lowest since 1948, when we had 310,226. We wait each year to see a turnaround. After all, we’ve had declines before now. We console ourselves by remembering that periods of decline have eventually been followed by periods of increase. We think surely the end of our decline in baptisms will occur this year, only to be disappointed again and again. While many know this decline in baptisms is bad, it is worse than people realize. Actually, baptisms in the SBC have been on a plateau since 1950. From 1936 to 1950 we had the greatest period of increasing baptisms in the history of the SBC, growing from 191,933 to 416,867. However, snce 1950 our overall situation has seen brief periods when baptisms increased followed by a similar period of decline. When you look at the total … [Read more...]
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