Only 5 percent of the 4 million people who live in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, have been evangelized. ALEXANDRIA – Only 5 percent of the 4 million people who live in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, have been evangelized. Louisiana Baptists want to help Southern Baptist missionaries and Brazilian Baptists rectify that. About 160 people are to spend nearly two weeks in the city about seven hours north of Rio de Janerio. They are to be involved July 13-26 in witnessing in the streets, schools, prisons and marketplaces of Belo Horizonte. They also are to lead in vacation Bible school and related activities, soccer and basketball clinics, medical missions and even the building of four churches out of cement blocks. “This is the first time we have gone to Belo Horizonte,” said Wayne Jenkins, evangelism and church growth director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, who has led the Brazil trip for the last 21 years. “We have served in other cities in the state of Minas Gurias, but this is the largest.” The Louisiana Baptist team will be working with David Bledsoe, an evangelist and church planter missionary with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission  Board. “For the 21 years I have been involved in partnership … [Read more...]

With his shaggy hair, floppy socks and unparalleled flair for showmanship, “Pistol Pete” Maravich set basketball records that may never be broken and did things on the court that may never be duplicated. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – With his shaggy hair, floppy socks and unparalleled flair for showmanship, “Pistol Pete” Maravich set basketball records that may never be broken and did things on the court that may never be duplicated. Ironically, though, he spent the last few years of his life pointing people not to sports, but to Christ. The Pistol was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but in his final days, he also was probably one of the world’s greatest soul-winners. Maravich died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 40, but interest in his life has made a resurgence lately with two new biographies and a DVD. One book, Maravich, was written by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill in collaboration with Maravich’s widow, Jackie, while the other one, Pistol, was written by Mark Kriegel. The 1990 movie The Pistol is now out on DVD with two versions (a “rebound” and an “inspiration” edition), with the inspirational version including a powerful, 55-minute video of Maravich giving his Christian testimony … [Read more...]

Whether you’re a prison inmate or a police officer, single or senior adult, an off-road enthusiast or on the road to recovery, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., has got you covered. EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Whether you’re a prison inmate or a police officer, single or senior adult, an off-road enthusiast or on the road to recovery, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., has got you covered. With dozens of Bible-based, spiritually centered, evangelistically focused ministries, this Southern Baptist church in the San Diego area hardly misses any demographic slice. It even has its own educational system, from kindergarten to seminary. And when you compare the church to its pastor, David Jeremiah, it’s hard to tell the mirror from the reflection. For the last 15 of his 25 years at Shadow Mountain, Jeremiah has preached at least three and sometimes four times a week at the church and once or twice more at other locales across the U.S. His radio program is broadcast on more than 2,000 stations worldwide, and his sermons are televised via 10 satellites, seven networks and more than 500 individual TV outlets around the world. Best known for his Turning Point radio and television ministry, … [Read more...]

May  2007 1 – LBC Executive Board Meeting, Tall Timbers. Contact David Hankins: 800-622-6549. 1 – State Children’s Bible Drill, First Monroe and Williams Boulevard, Kenner. 3 – State Bible Drill, First Mandeville and Moss Bluff First, Lake Charles. 4 – Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home trustees meeting, time and location TBA. 5 – State Children’s Bible Drill, State Youth Bible Drill, State Speakers’ Tournament, all at Louisiana College. 5 – State Piano Festival, Baptist Building. 6 – Senior Adult Sunday 6-13 – Christian Home Week 7-8 – Baptist Golf Fellowship, Oak Wing Golf Club, Alexandria. Contact: Joanne Brechtel: 800-376-7728. 13 – Mother’s Day 14 – Empowering Kingdom Growth-Louisiana Interpretation, Baptist Temple, Alexandria and Boulevard Baptist, Lake Charles. 15 – Empowering Kingdom Growth-Louisiana Interpretation, Highland Baptist, New Iberia and Temple Baptist , Winnsboro. 15 – Louisiana Baptist Message board meeting, Message conference room, Alexandria. 17    Empowering Kingdom Growth-Louisiana Interpretation, Immanuel Baptist, Hammond, Calvary Baptist Church, Slidell, and University Baptist Church, Thibodaux. 18-19 – Building a small group discipleship ministry retreat, The … [Read more...]

MONROE – North Monroe Baptist plans a family camp July 15-20 at Shepherd of the Ozarks, a mountain resort retreat center near Harriet, Ark. Cost: $295/ages 12-adult; $190/ child ages 3-11; $30/under 3. Bill Dye is pastor. The church is in the midst of 40 days of community, with each small group identifying a local ministry they want to be part of. A church-wide golf tournament is set for 7 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Chennault Golf Course. Cost: $40/person. NATCHITOCHES – VBS training for Natchitoches Baptist Association is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at Calvary Natchitoches. Lee Dickson is director of missions. BATON ROUGE – Grace Baptist recently celebrated its 65th anniversary. Website:www.gracebaptistbr.com. Seen in a recent issue of its newsletter: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” HORNBECK – First Baptist has set 6 p.m. Friday, May 4, for its annual youth auction. Website:www.fbchornbeck.com. MONROE – A Maximum Impact silmulcast is set for May 11 at Parkview Monroe.  The $50/person; $30/students cost includes lunch and materials. Pastor Whit Holmes invites the congregation to participate in the community-wide National Day of Prayer event  at … [Read more...]

Comings and Goings Kat (husband Ty) Nichols, youth director at Pineville Park, Pineville. Greg Carroll, Pastor. Seeking Staff Pastor, First Lafayette Spanish Mission. Contact Steve Horn, pastor of First Lafayette, atsteve.horn@fbclaf.org or 337-233-1412, for more information. Deaths Lucian G. Conway died April 27 in Pineville. He was 85. A missionary in District 8 for several years, he later was pastor of First Baptist Tallulah for three years before serving as chairman of annuity work for LBC for 25 years. He retired in 1985. Survivors include his wife for 62 years, Evelyn Atkinson Conway of Pineville; two sons, four daughters, 17 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Revivals and related events Homecoming: Unity Baptist in Cotton Valley, 10 a.m. May 20. Chad Lee will preach. Lunch after. Homecoming: Springhill Baptist, Ringgold, 10:30 a.m. May 6. Evening service is to begin at 1:30 p.m., after lunch under the pavilion. Gary Hahler is pastor. Revival: Trinity Heights Shreveport, May 20-23 with guest speaker Roger Freeman  and guest musician Dave St. Andre. Lane Moore is interim pastor. 10: 45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday; 6:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Revival: Emmanuel Oakdale revival April … [Read more...]

Science, when done right, points powerfully to a designer whose characteristics “just happen to match the descriptions of the God of the Bible,” author and Christian apologist Lee Strobel said during a conference on the theory of Intelligent Design at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.  DALLAS (BP) – Science, when done right, points powerfully to a designer whose characteristics “just happen to match the descriptions of the God of the Bible,” author and Christian apologist Lee Strobel said during a conference on the theory of Intelligent Design at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Once an avowed atheist and journalist who investigated the evidence for Christianity and creation prior to his conversion, Strobel said all materialistic theories have failed to explain the origin of life or how any part of the universe became habitable. “The universe is fine-tuned on a razor’s edge in a way that defies chance. It is better explained by the existence of a Creator,” Strobel said. “It seems logical and rational that, if there is a God, that He would leave evidence behind for us to find Him.” Strobel was joined by noted scientists Stephen Meyer, Jay Richards and Michael Behe for the “Darwin vs. Design” presentation … [Read more...]

From Lakeshore out Interstate 10 east toward St. Bernard Parish, changes are becoming notieceable. What used to be Lake Forest Mall is now a pile of rubble. Apartment complexes damaged by Katrina are now vacant lots. A store is operating here, a tire dealership or automobile agency there, but mostly the place is deserted and shopping centers are defunct. NEW ORLEANS – Tuesday afternoon, I drove from our Lakeshore offices out Interstate 10 east toward St. Bernard Parish. It’s been weeks since I’ve been out this way and the changes are noticeable. What used to be Lake Forest Mall is now a pile of rubble. Apartment complexes damaged by Katrina are now vacant lots. A store is operating here, a tire dealership or automobile agency there, but mostly the place is deserted and shopping centers are defunct. Interstate 510 South to Paris Road leading into St. Bernard, the report is mixed. Some places out of business for nearly two years, a law office in a trailer, the prows of boats still poking out of the canal where Katrina left them, some places doing great business. Some of the fast food restaurants look brand new and were filled at 1:30. Construction trucks speeding up and down a busy St. Bernard Highway. Workers have torn … [Read more...]

Cindy Wilcken warned the congregation at Shadow Mountain Community Church that she might cry as she addressed them on Sunday evening, April 15.  EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – Cindy Wilcken warned the congregation at Shadow Mountain Community Church that she might cry as she addressed them on Sunday evening, April 15. Her audience laughed when she told them that her third grade students at Logan Elementary School know to expect a few tears from her whenever she tells them stories about her family and other people who are dear to her. And as she spoke to Shadow Mountain, Wilcken cried a few tears of gratitude on behalf of those students, whose lives she says have been impacted by a single day of service. Three weeks earlier, on the morning of Saturday, March 24, more than 500 volunteers from Shadow Mountain arrived at Logan Elementary. They came ready to paint, clean, landscape, hang banners, plant a vegetable garden, build soccer goals, and tackle any other project that needed to be done. The day was an opportunity to put into action the church’s Signs of Life campaign, a six-week series of teaching focused on living like Jesus, with dusty shoes, worn-out knees, rolled-up sleeves, open hands and outstretched arms. Several months … [Read more...]

“It’s our only hope,” Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page said, reflecting on the prevalence of prayer planned for the SBC’s June 12-13 annual meeting in San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. SAN ANTONIO (BP) – Let us pray. “It’s our only hope,” Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page said, reflecting on the prevalence of prayer planned for the SBC’s June 12-13 annual meeting in San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Each of the SBC’s five sessions will have a prayer focus: Tuesday morning: Lord, Transform Your Churches. Tuesday afternoon: Lord, Bring Us to Confession and Repentance. Tuesday evening: Lord, Unite Us in a Cooperative Mission Task. Wednesday morning: Lord, Send Revival to Our Convention. Wednesday evening: Lord, Energize Our Evangelistic Efforts. “The central focus for my presidency and therefore for this meeting is to seek from the Lord spiritual awakening – His Holy Spirit’s revival,” Page said. “And that is always prefaced by and enabled by and empowered by prayer.” A second key facet of this year’s convention will be the unveiling of a general outline for a 10-year evangelistic strategy in the SBC, said Page, pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...]