Several of our 10 grandchildren enjoy playing the game of Monopoly. Once we have completed the game and all participants have sufficiently demonstrated their greed and avarice I insist on being the one to put all of the components of the game back in the box. Several of our 10 grandchildren enjoy playing the game of Monopoly. Once we have completed the game and all participants have sufficiently demonstrated their greed and avarice I insist on being the one to put all of the components of the game back in the box. I know precisely where everything goes – each denomination of currency, the houses and hotels, the cards of Chance and the Community Chest, the dice, the deeds to the property, and the tokens. I want each component to go in its specific compartment. I don’t want $10 bills to get mixed in with the $100 bills and I would be horrified to find the Baltic and Mediterranean property mixed in with Park Place and Boardwalk. That is also the way I like my closet. There is an item of clothing for every place and a place for every item of clothing. Some may say I am obsessive compulsive, but that is nonsense. However, in my opinion there is a divinely-ordained place for white shirts, a supernally-ordered location for … [Read more...]

I’ve read maybe 100 books about World War II. Biographies, battle reports, unit histories, technological development – all these fascinated me as a boy and the human stories still interest me as an adult. I’ve read maybe 100 books about World War II. Biographies, battle reports, unit histories, technological development – all these fascinated me as a boy and the human stories still interest me as an adult. Recently, we have been blessed to have filmmakers and historians who are capturing the stories of the veterans of the WWII era for the ages. Some 130 million Americans lived during the Word War II era; it seems that all of them have a riveting story to tell. Still, I’ve been surprised at how breathtaking Ken Burns’ The War, shown on PBS, is to me. I knew the timeline already – Guadalcanal, Tunisia, Tarawa, Anzio, and so on – but it’s those 130 million stories that continue to arrest my attention. Actually, I expected that his approach of selecting four American towns for the focus of the 15 hours of film would be sentimental and maybe dull. It’s not. The towns located in Alabama, Minnesota, Connecticut, and California experienced everything that typified the era. There were race riots among ship builders in … [Read more...]

The sum total of all the technology in the world will not replace the need for a real person to share the Good News of the Lord Jesus with a seeker.   ALEXANDRIA—The sum total of all the technology in the world will not replace the need for a real person to share the Good News of the Lord Jesus with a seeker. This reality birthed the North American Mission Board’s Evangelism Response Center (ERC), which has arrived in Louisiana. The ERC is a 24/7/365 network of Great Commission, Southern Baptist volunteers who use the telephone and/or the Internet to assist people who are receptive to the gospel message.  In 2005, the ERC received 17,000 calls. In 2006, more than 41,000 calls were received which resulted in 8,000 plus significant decisions and more than 1,000 of those decisions were professions of faith. “This is so easy for a Christian to do,” says Keith Manuel, LBC evangelism associate director. “Telephone and Internet encouragers never have to leave the convenience of their homes to help someone receive Christ. You might call this ‘Convenient Evangelism.’ Using television, radio, printed ads in magazines and billboards, Internet testimony programs, and printed tracts, the message goes out that there is … [Read more...]

As per the Convention’s Articles of Incorporation, the Baptist Message is to publish the following recommendations. The recommendations were approved by the LBC Executive Board on September 25, 2007 amd require action from the Convention in annual session. Additions are underlined and the deletions are indicated by a strikethrough. ALEXANDRIA – As per the Convention’s Articles of Incorporation, the Baptist Message is to publish the following recommendations. The recommendations were approved by the LBC Executive Board on September 25, 2007 amd require action from the Convention in annual session. Additions are underlined and the deletions are indicated by brackets. 1. Associational Representation on the Executive Board That Article X, Section 2 of the LBC Articles of Incorporation be amended as follows: Article X, Section 2. The Executive Board shall consist of one (1) member from each associationhaving a minimum of seven churches with an aggregate church membership of at least one thousand, plus one (1) additional board member from each association having as many as ten thousand (10,000) church members, and an additional board member for each additional five thousand (5,000) church members of such associations; … [Read more...]

MOORINGSPORT – After reading about the need for pure water in so many parts of the world, the WMU ladies of Mooringsport Baptist Church decided they would raise money to buy water filters for a community in a third world country. Following the example of a group they had heard about, each person decorated a hat using money in some way in the process. When they gathered for the monthly meeting wearing the hats, there was much interest and enthusiasm. Several were vintage hats with posies and pins plus money, one was a straw flower basket with trim, another was a lampshade plus fishing lures and grandchildrens’ pictures, another was WMU spelled out in rolled bills on a hat, one was a John Deere cap with gold colored dollar coins on the bill. Probably the most unique was the one with a waterfall of bills hanging down the back. It was decided that the hats would be worn on a Sunday, and an announcement was made to that effect the Sunday before. Special attention was given to the hat-wearing ladies by the pastor. Then the congregation was given an opportunity to help with the project by placing their contributions in water buckets at the sanctuary exits. The total gathered to be sent to WMU headquarters was $450. … [Read more...]

More than 250 people were on hand for the inaugural outdoor expo at the Family Life Center at First Baptist Church in Pollock where Nick Taylor is pastor. “Most of the people who attended are from the community and not from our church,” Taylor said. “As a matter of fact, most of our church is here working the event, so this is a tremendous turnout considering all that is going on this weekend (such as the LSU-Kentucky football game on TV, the fly-in at Buhlow Lake, and hunting season).” The event featured Don Barron, a Texas whitetail guide for Christian Hunters and Anglers Association, as well as various outdoor vendors, a booth featuring personnel from the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, door prizes, and a meal from Outlaws Barbecue. Decision cards were passed out at the end of the event.   … [Read more...]

Kingsville Baptist of Pineville in conjunction with Connect Ministries of Tennessee stepped outside its walls to host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and Family FunZone in the parking lot of the old Wal-Mart in Pineville. The event, only the second to be held in the state, drew 19 teams (76 players)  and 700 people to the FunZone, and provided a tremendous outreach for the local church. More than 180 members of the church served as volunteers and workers for the day-long event.   … [Read more...]

BATON ROUGE – The J. D. Perry family of Jefferson Baptist is on the mission field in Novosibirsk, Siberia, where he will be teaching business seminars, and other family members are to conduct English as a Second Language classes at a local school. HODGE – The preschool of Hodge Baptist is conducting its annual fundraiser sale of specialty meats and food products with proceeds to go toward classroom materials and playground equipment. Purchases may be made through Oct. 25. Norris Curry is pastor. PINEVILLE – Theatre Louisiana College presents “The Miracle Worker” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 18-20, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students. For tickets call 318.487.7495. Tabitha Huffman is artistic director of Theatre Louisiana College. HODGE – The Jackson Baptist Association community choir recently presented portions of “Experiencing God: the Musical” at the association’s annual meeting at Hodge Baptist. The musical in its entirety was presented Oct. 15 at Ebenezer Baptist, Jonesboro. FERRIDAY – Delta Baptist Association’s annual meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at First Baptist. Wayne Gray is pastor. Ken Gilmore is director of … [Read more...]

COMINGS, GOINGS Chad (wife Jamie) Thibodeaux, new as pastor of Vatican Mission. Bernabe’ (wife Elisa) Tasayco, new as pastor of Lafayette Spanish Mission. Jonathan Jenkins, new as pastor of Calumet, Patterson. Rodney Jackson, new as pastor of Aimoch Baptist, Olla from First,  Breaux  Bridge. Todd (wife Kathy) Rogers, new as worship leader and music director of Baptist  Temple, Alexandria. Doug Self resigned as interim music director of Kingston Road Baptist,  Shreveport. Luke Hand, new as music and youth pastor of Northside Baptist, Denham Springs. NEEDED  Evangeline Baptist Association needs pastors at the following churches: Bayou L’Ourse, Cypremort Point, First Patterson, Community Lafayette, First Breaux Bridge, Northside Lafayette, Jenkins Memorial St. Martinville. Part-time youth minister needed at Oak Grove Baptist, Winnsboro. Cory Bruce, pastor. Call 318.435.6737. CONCERTS SULPHUR – First Baptist is to present Redeemed and The Mike Speck Trio at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 27, and 10:10 a.m., Oct. 28. No admission; love offering taken. David Holder, pastor. FERRIDAY - First Baptist is set to host Benjy Huffman in piano concert tribute to Bill and Gloria Gaither at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. Wayne … [Read more...]

New leadership seminars, celebration rallies, renewal and student weekend events, podcasts and a revamped website are among the new resources under development as part of the Acts 1:8 Challenge.  ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – New leadership seminars, celebration rallies, renewal and student weekend events, podcasts and a revamped website are among the new resources under development as part of the Acts 1:8 Challenge. More than 3,200 Southern Baptist churches have committed to an intentional and comprehensive Acts 1:8 missions strategy since the initiative was launched in 2004 by cooperating Southern Baptist associations, state conventions, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB). “Acts 1:8 is an organic, evolving initiative,” said Tim Yarbrough, director of church relations and Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator at NAMB in Alpharetta, Ga. “It’s not a program, it’s a passion.” “While we’re happy to have 3,200 Baptist churches registered for Acts 1:8,” Yarbrough noted, “there are thousands of others who have not made a formal commitment to be strategic in their mission efforts.” In Louisiana, 166 churches to date have declared themselves to be Acts 1:8 churches. Yarbrough emphasized that … [Read more...]