With one year of experience under his belt as project coordinator for the Arkansas Baptist Builders in New Orleans, Jackie James said he wouldn’t trade his volunteer position for any other job. NEW ORLEANS (BP) – With one year of experience under his belt as project coordinator for the Arkansas Baptist Builders in New Orleans, Jackie James said he wouldn’t trade his volunteer position for any other job. James and his wife, Linda, put the business that had been in their family for more than 50 years in the hands of a friend last October and went to New Orleans to join the Arkansas disaster relief team. In January, the Arkansas Baptist Builders were set in place for the rebuilding of homes in New Orleans, with James leading the team. They joined Baptists from other states in restoring a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina. As the supervisor for a growing workforce now numbering more than 1,400 volunteers, James and the Arkansas Baptist Builders have completed 44 homes, are working on 312 homes on an active construction list and have a waiting list of homeowners that is six pages long. They have seen 50 professions of faith. “Our primary goal is to rebuild lives,” James said. “Rebuilding … [Read more...]

“My daughter’s been riding a wave of emotion,” said one mother at First Baptist Church here. “She’ll be fine – playing and happy – and then she’ll be crying. They say that’s normal; it’s a process. Everyone grieves differently.” SLIDELL – “My daughter’s been riding a wave of emotion,” said one mother at First Baptist Church here. “She’ll be fine – playing and happy – and then she’ll be crying. They say that’s normal; it’s a process. Everyone grieves differently.” The First Baptist church family is grieving the death of 9-year-old Savannah Scharfenstein, who in less than 10 seconds – while her parents, sisters and many others from church were watching – fell during the local fire department’s Christmas parade Dec. 10 and was pulled under the wheels of a utility trailer being used as the church’s float. Savannah was in the parade to pass out flyers and application forms for First Slidell’s Upward Basketball program; about 900 youngsters participate each winter. She apparently was trying to climb onto the trailer when her foot got caught, the local media reported. Her dad had Savannah cradled in his arms within seconds of the accident, friends said; EMTs were onsite and bending over the child within … [Read more...]

Highland Baptist church here takes Luke 14:12-14 seriously NEW IBERIA — Highland Baptist church here takes Luke 14:12-14 seriously. Since 2002, the church has been serving those in need in their community by offering a Christmas dinner on Christmas day. They call it the Bread of Life. “I wanted us to provide in a small way for the emotional and physical needs of people in our community,” said Keith White, chairman of the deacons at Highland and coordinator for the Bread of Life Dinner, who began organizing the event in 2002. “I wanted to show them that we care, and at the same time present the gospel.” The pastor, David Denton, plans to provide a 15-minute message, sharing the gospel and the meaning of Christmas with those who attend the dinner. He and other counselors also stand ready for any who would like to talk further. Last year, because the church was financially supporting several families whose homes were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, Highland did not host the event, but in 2004, they served about 150 of their neighbors, said Tina Martin, church secretary. By advertising in the local paper, the church encourages those who want to attend to call ahead of time, … [Read more...]

Seafarers who port in Louisiana in December this year are likely to be met with gifts and parties. MULTI-CITY – Seafarers who port in Louisiana in December this year are likely to be met with gifts and parties. All five of the states ministries to seafarers have plans for special outreach to crews whose ships port in Louisiana during December this year. Many of the seafarers will have been away from their families for months. GONZALES “If [the seafarers] were at home at Christmas, they’d get a special dinner and some kind of gift,”  said Pat Caudill, director of the Gonzales Seaman’s Ministry. “But the men are away from home and missing their families so much,” added Dianne Caudill, wife to Pat and his assistant and coordinator in the ministry. “So we make the effort to reach out to them like family.” The Gonzales Seaman’s Center serves 42 docks. “The most we’ve had this year in one night was 73 boats,” he said, though they’ve been known to go three or four days without any boats. Three to four churches in the community will be conducting Christmas parties complete with games and stories, especially about the birth of Christ. In addition, seafarers porting … [Read more...]

In his book “God With Us: The Miracle of Christmas,” John MacArthur relates the following: “I read a haunting newspaper story several years ago about a wealthy Boston family who had a christening party for their new baby. In his book “God With Us: The Miracle of Christmas,” John MacArthur relates the following: “I read a haunting newspaper story several years ago about a wealthy Boston family who had a christening party for their new baby. They invited all their friends and relatives to their magnificent home to celebrate the birth of their precious infant. A half-hour into the party, when it was time to bring the baby out for everyone to see, the mother made a tragic discovery. The large bed where she had left the baby asleep was piled high with the coats of the guests. The baby was lying dead underneath the mound, suffocated by the carelessly discarded wraps.” MacArthur goes on to draw a parallel between the horrible scene in that Boston bedroom and the manner in which America’s consumer culture “celebrates” the birth of Jesus Christ. “Lost is the realization that Christmas is first of all the birth of the Savior,” MacArthur writes. “He is all but forgotten....” I concur with MacArthur’s … [Read more...]

Come Christmas, Santa had better not overwork his reindeer or he may end up financing some fancy surgery for them. Come Christmas, Santa had better not overwork his reindeer or he may end up financing some fancy surgery for them.  According to Dr. Claus Rehbinder of the Swedish Veterinary College at Uppsala, reindeer suffer from stress and are prone to ulcers.  Studying animals slaughtered during a round-up in the Lapp village of Mittadalen and elsewhere in northern Sweden, Rehbinder found that an astonishing four fifths of them had ulcers. Veterinarians blame the stomach bleeding on nervous exhaustion brought on by modern technology.  Once the Lapps herded the animals by skiing along side them and crooning soothing songs.  Now they use helicopters and the animals become spooked by noise. Nervous exhaustion brought on by modern technology affects people, too – especially at Christmas.  Loud music, long lines, pushy shoppers, a myriad of TV specials, and countless details complicate our already hectic lives at Christmas.  At a time that is supposed to signal joy and peace, many are sad and anxious.  Christmas depression, which is not rare, comes from many sources.  For some, loneliness brought on … [Read more...]

I will never forget the horrible realization three years ago: We would have to defer missionary appointments due to lack of financial resources. RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--I will never forget the horrible realization three years ago: We would have to defer missionary appointments due to lack of financial resources. After all, we are a missionary-sending entity in the world’s largest evangelical denomination with unlimited potential resources. Each of the previous two years more than 1,000 new missionaries had been sent around the world, and more candidates were in the process of appointment than ever before. The critical nature of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering became evident as never before. It is not just providing additional support beyond the Cooperative Program to underwrite the budget of the International Mission Board. It is a vital facet of supporting God-called missionaries to take the Gospel to a lost world. We in America tend to take our salvation experience for granted as most of us have heard the Gospel all our lives. Yet, hundreds of people groups have never had a Christian witness. There is no church in their town or neighborhood and maybe not in their entire … [Read more...]

The coming together of 112 people of assorted ages, races, doctrinal interpretations and worship practices gave host pastors Dwight McKissic of Texas and Wade Burleson of Oklahoma reason to be encouraged after a year in which both have been the center of controversy on denominational trustee boards. ARLINGTON, Texas (BP) – The coming together of 112 people of assorted ages, races, doctrinal interpretations and worship practices gave host pastors Dwight McKissic of Texas and Wade Burleson of Oklahoma reason to be encouraged after a year in which both have been the center of controversy on denominational trustee boards. McKissic welcomed participants to the church he pastors, Cornerstone Baptist in Arlington, for what he called the “Sandy Creek-Charlestonian Convergence” (SCCC), recalling two distinct traditions from which Southern Baptists arose in the Carolinas during the 1700s. Any life that the SCCC has beyond the Dec. 5 roundtable would be for the purpose of networking to “encourage spiritual renewal, theological and ecclesiastic dialogue, fellowship and mentoring in an environment where diverse viewpoints are welcome,” McKissic said. He quickly dismissed any speculation that a new … [Read more...]

The Ichthys, or Christian fish, has long been a symbol for Christian communities. For one congregation in Kentucky, the symbol has become a special reminder of answered prayer. MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (BP) – You’ve seen it displayed on car bumpers, printed on posters and worn as jewelry. The Ichthys, or Christian fish, has long been a symbol for Christian communities. For one congregation in Kentucky, the symbol has become a special reminder of answered prayer. Jonathan Hendrickson, associate pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Middlesboro, said the congregation has always been “missions-minded.” They pray for missionaries on a weekly basis and give every year to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. But during the Christmas season last year, Hendrickson wanted to find a way for the congregation to connect with missionaries on the field. “I got the material from the International Mission Board and was thumbing through it, looked, and saw that you could do a teleconference [with a missionary],” Hendrickson said. “I thought, ‘Wow! That might be really interesting.’ “The part that appealed to me was that you’d be speaking to someone who is right there on the field at the time that you’re … [Read more...]

Sharing plates of goodies with neighbors; decorating the home; mailing cards and letters across the nation – all these are Christmas traditions. The staff of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and related agencies maintain these and more: family traditions that glorify Christ. STATEWIDE – Sharing plates of goodies with neighbors; decorating the home; mailing cards and letters across the nation – all these are Christmas traditions. The staff of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and related agencies maintain these and more: family traditions that glorify Christ. The adult offspring in Wayne and Martha Jenkins home – he’s LBC evangelism director – are carrying on Jenkins’ traditions in their families, though Jenkins credits his wife’s family with starting them on a path of Christmas ministry. “When I married into the Jones’ family, they were already doing ministry things at Christmas, like caroling in neighborhoods and to shut ins, and having worship services as a family at  a local prison,” Jenkins said. One year the ministry site became the Central State Hospital in Pineville, where the Jenkins family – which now includes four grown daughters, their husbands and 10 grandchildren – baked cookies … [Read more...]