By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter With teenagers comprising nearly twenty-five percent of Louisiana’s population, reaching the “next generation” with the gospel is a priority, the Louisiana Baptist Convention President’s 2020 Commission reported. The 2020 Commission Report, formulated by 400 Louisiana Baptist pastors, lay leaders and denominational workers, noted that the decline in attendance and baptisms over the last few decades comes almost entirely from children and youth age groups. Reaching the next generation is “the key to gospel success for the future,” the commission reported. Seizing the moment to impact the future can be done through 2020, the state-wide initiative to reach every generation and every people group in Louisiana, concluding remarks of commission subcommittee chairpersons noted. “Collegiate ministry is the gateway for new church leaders to be discovered and developed,” said Matt Endris, pastor, Fairview Baptist Church, and Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) subcommittee chairperson. “If Louisiana churches will intentionally invest in the development of collegiate ministry, they will find that the college students who are won to Christ will meld with the students who have grown up in the church to … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 10:52 Wayne Sheppard By Brian Blackwell. Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptists looking to expand their opportunities to be on mission will have an opportunity to preview the upcoming launch of Cast the Net, a missions mobilization website, during the Annual Meeting of the LBC in Lafayette next week. First developed in 2009, Cast the Net allows individuals, churches and associations to connect with mission efforts in whichever state and nation God has led them. Wayne Sheppard, Executive Assistant to Executive Director David Hankins, is excited about the opportunity to connect Louisiana Baptists with missions opportunities across Louisiana and beyond. “As more people and churches are getting more intentional about being on mission, Cast The Net will provide multiple tools for missional engagement and global Gospel impact.” Sheppard said.  “Acts 1:8 opportunities will allow for local, regional, national, and global involvement.” Among the new features of the website is a listing of missions opportunities in Louisiana, North America and the world, as well as ways to get involved in such missions endeavors. A registration feature will enable individuals and … [Read more...]

It is important to remember that motions may only deal with one topic at a time. When making a motion, you should be as brief as possible and always begin with the phrase “I move that...” If you are making a subsidiary motion (one that deals with a motion already on the floor), it must be relevant to the motion currently under consideration and not be a motion that is the same or substantially similar to one already dealt with by this convention. If your motion is a privileged motion, it must not be dilatory (unnecessary or made only to delay the conduct of business). If your motion seeks to amend the Louisiana Baptist Convention Articles of Incorporation or Louisiana Baptist Convention Bylaws, please review these documents in advance for special rules regarding the process of amendment prior to offering your motion. A copy of the LBC Articles of Incorporation and LBC Bylaws are found in your Book of Reports. Important Steps in wording your motion: • A motion should direct that the Convention take some sort of action or refrain from taking some action. Include only the action you want to see taken in your motion. • Do not include supporting reasons for adopting your motion in the motion itself. This is done during debate and as … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 11:01 The only three pastors that have served Bayou Vista Baptist Church of Morgan City since its beginning in 1964 returned on Oct. 25-26 for the church’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Pictured (From left to right) are Dr. John Lee (1964-1969), Rev. Charles Gilder (1970-2008), Rev. Steven Kelly (2009-present). ON THE MOVE Ralph G. Parks is serving as transitional Pastor at Southern Baptist Church of Varnado. Rocky Brown new as pastor at First Baptist Church Head of Island. David Montgomery new as music minister at First Baptist Church of Livingston. Eric Lefevers resigns as youth minister at Amite Baptist Church, Denham Springs. Kirk Talley new as music minister at Colfax Baptist Church, Colfax. HOMECOMING St. Landry Baptist Church, St. Landry: Homecoming, Nov. 16, 10:30 a.m. Fellowship dinner to follow the service. Speaker: Josh Adams. Pastor Philip Caples. First Baptist Church, Lake Providence: Homecoming: 100 YearS of Blessings, Nov. 23, 10:45 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow the service. Pastor: Justin Clark. REVIVAL Welcome Home Baptist Church, Columbia: Revival, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. Nov. 10-12, 7 p.m. Evangelist: Jack Gouge. Music: Rick Duckett. Pastor: Jim … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 11:05 Pine Grove Baptist Church in Ruby has a prayer chapel as a place for members, those in the community and others just passing through the area to spend quiet time with God. The chapel was built after Mickey Hudnall, who was pastor of the church in 1998, felt led to have a place specifically for anyone who needed a quiet place to pray any day or hour of the year. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Reporter DEVILLE – Spend a few moments with Ricky Belgard and you’ll realize he doesn’t just talk about the importance of prayer. He believes in the power of prayer and how five weekly prayer meetings at Philadelphia Baptist in Deville can result in supernatural results to further the kingdom of God. “Our desire here at Philadelphia Baptist Church is to be a prayer saturated church,” said Belgard, the church’s prayer minister. “We believe it is essential to pray before each activity, meeting event or decision. Prayer is the platform on which plans begin, end and rest. There should never be anything that goes on that does not have prayer at the central core.” Philadelphia’s prayer gatherings include a Sunday morning prayer time with its pastor, Philip Robertson, at 7:50 a.m.; a … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor SHREVEPORT – If you haven’t already, you should circle Jan. 26-27 on your calendar for 2015. Why? It’s not a major holiday, nor is it a time to go back to the voting booth; it’s not an inauguration, or a historical anniversary. While it is none of the above, it is still important because it could very well be the two most important days in the life of your church. The 2015 Evangelism Conference, which will be hosted by Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, could be the first and most important step in helping a church ‘Reset’ [the theme for the conference] or get back on track toward healthy growth. According to the 2020 President’s Commission report, three out of four churches in Louisiana are either plateaued or declining. For various reasons a congregation may find a need to make a minor tweak to enhance what they are currently doing or ask the Lord to help them refresh multiple ministries of the congregation. With ‘Refresh’ as the theme, the speakers, testimonies and equipping seminars at the 2015 Conference will not only encourage but give practical assistance to help reverse the trend. “This year’s conference is built around revitalizing churches, which is very important, … [Read more...]