A sage once appropriately said that life is a marathon, not a dash. But what Louisiana faces in the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is both a dash and a marathon. A sage once appropriately said that life is a marathon, not a dash. But what Louisiana faces in the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is both a dash and a marathon. Right now, we are running the dash – running full speed for a short distance. We are overwhelmed by immediate, short-term needs for food, clothing, shelter and comfort. This is the time to run full speed to help victims any way we can. In a matter of weeks, we will enter the marathon stage. Needed efforts will not be met quickly, easily or cheaply. We will learn of churches and parsonages that need extensive repairs or complete rebuilding. We will learn of other families who have lost their houses and everything else, including jobs. We will discover children in new towns and new schools with parents who can barely provide the essentials of life. And like in a marathon race, after awhile, our muscles and bones will begin to ache, and we will wonder if we can continue. It is at this point that we will discover how committed we are to the task of helping those in … [Read more...]

Week of September 12, 2005 LC change The inauguration of Joe Aguillard as Louisiana College president has been postponed as a result of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent relief efforts. “So many in our state are suffering because of Hurricane Katrina, and many in our college community have been affected,” Aguillard said. “We feel like our direction from God at this point in time is to focus on ministering to those who are in need. There will be time for an official inauguration later.” A worship service scheduled in conjunction with the inauguration also has been postponed. However, a prayerwalk still is set for Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. on the Pineville campus. “If ever there was a time when our campus and our state needed to be wrapped in prayer, this is it,” Aguillard said. The tentative date for the rescheduled inauguration is March 23, 2006. For information about Louisiana College efforts to assist persons affected by Hurricane Katrina, visit www.lacollege.edu/katrina/index.html. For information on the prayerwalk, visit www.lacollege.edu/prayerwalk/prayerwalk.pdf. Katrina cancellations The LifeWay Women Reaching Women Conference set for Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at First Baptist Church of Opelousas has been cancelled due … [Read more...]

Week of September 12, 2005 Potpourri DRY CREEK – Dry Creek camp: The following upcoming events have been cancelled due to the camp operating as a shelter for hurricane Katrina victims:  Community Luncheon/Sept. 15, Timothy Retreat/Sept. 16-17 and See You at the Pole Youth Rally/Sept. 17; for information, call (337) 328-7531; Curt Iles, camp manager. PINEVILLE – Louisiana College: Inaugural Prayer Walk; Sept. 24, 11 a.m.; meet between Alexandria Hall and the student center; participants will receive free admission to the afternoon football game; Joe Aguillard, president. JENA – First church: Kingdom Bound Quartet in concert; Sept. 25, 6 p.m.; Dominick C. DiCarlo Jr., pastor. MONROE – Parkview church: Church Growth Conference; Sept. 18, 12:30 p.m.; free; Josh and Missy Hunt, conference leaders; call (318) 325-3174 to make reservations; Whit Holmes, pastor. WEST MONROE – Fair Park church: Tutoring Children/Youth Training sessions; Sept. 15-16, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Sept. 17, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; $30 per person/includes materials, refreshments and two light meals; register by calling (318) 396-6306; Waymond Warren, pastor. JONESVILLE – Lismore church: Old time gospel concert featuring Stacy Gallup Owen, Bernadette … [Read more...]

The scene seems like a war room right out of a movie. People are holding a desk phone to one ear and a cell phone to the other. Charts cover the walls. Individuals rush about distributing information and asking questions. Computer keys sing as information is entered and extracted. Urgency fills the room. The scene seems like a war room right out of a movie. People are holding a desk phone to one ear and a cell phone to the other. Charts cover the walls. Individuals rush about distributing information and asking questions. Computer keys sing as information is entered and extracted. Urgency fills the room. “I have to find out the length of the airstrip to know if this plane can land there,” a haggard John Hebert explains to a volunteer in Covington. “If they can land, the man has 1,000 one-gallon gasoline cans he wants to donate. If he can land, I’m sending the cans to Hammond, and I’m trying to get some gasoline in there. We have someone talking to Exxon right now. If that comes through, I promise you, you will get gasoline.” Meanwhile Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief Director Loy Seal speaks to his secretary above the other conversations going on in the room – “See if you can get a computer person up here. It … [Read more...]

God wants to use Louisiana Baptist churches in ways they never imagined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rick Warren says. By Brian Blackwell LBM Newswriter God wants to use Louisiana Baptist churches in ways they never imagined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rick Warren says. “I came from California to say don’t miss this opportunity,”     Warren told persons attending a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief worship rally at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge last week. “People will be more open to the gospel over the next 90 days than they ever have been in their lifetime,” asserted Warren, author of “The Purpose-Driven Life” and pastor at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif. “God is looking for people to use. If you say ‘God use me and my church,’ he’ll use you in amazing ways.” Organized by Louisiana Baptist Convention leadership, the rally also featured Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch. About 700 persons attended the gathering. Earlier in the day, Welch and Louisiana Baptist Convention leaders met with the state’s directors of missions amd later with Southern Baptist Convention leaders. Warren also spoke to a congregation of … [Read more...]

It is 7 a.m. on Sept. 7 and a small group of laypeople sits in a classroom at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge for the third straight morning, brainstorming ways to alleviate the burden of relief work from church staff nine days after Hurricane Katrina struck. Note: Louisiana Baptist churches throughout the state have responded to the needs of Hurricane Katrina victims. All of the stories cannot possibly be recounted. Instead, the following article about efforts of one such church is representative of so many others across Louisiana. It is 7 a.m. on Sept. 7 and a small group of laypeople sits in a classroom at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge for the third straight morning, brainstorming ways to alleviate the burden of relief work from church staff nine days after Hurricane Katrina struck. Even with 100 church volunteers working 16-18 hour days, it is not enough. On the wall in the makeshift war room, a white marker board shows a flow chart as complicated as any NFL pass play – names, boxes, arrows, indistinguishable scribbles. “We’ve got to take it over,” church member John Hudson says. “It was evident by Sunday that the effort at this church was overwhelming. That’s my … [Read more...]

As the nation unites for the daunting challenge of assisting Hurricane Katrina survivors, President George Bush is calling for a national day of prayer and remembrance on Sept. 16. Day of prayer As the nation unites for the daunting challenge of assisting Hurricane Katrina survivors, President George Bush is calling for a national day of prayer and remembrance on Sept. 16. “Throughout our history, in times of testing, Americans have come together to heal and ask for strength for the tasks ahead, ...” Bush said. “I ask that we pray –as Americans have always prayed in times of trial – with confidence in his purpose, with hope for a brighter future and with the humility to ask God to keep us strong so that we can better serve our brothers and sisters in need.” In response to Bush’s request for a national day of prayer, the National Day of Prayer Task Force is stepping up to promote awareness. The task force has no official relationship to the day of prayer but is working to promote participation. “We’re encouraging people to do things like ring their church bells (at noon Sept. 16), keep their car lights on throughout the day, display the flag at their home, gather at their workplace to pray during their … [Read more...]

Nearly two-thirds of Americans support teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools, but there is far less agreement over who gets to decide what is taught, a new poll indicates. Nearly two-thirds of Americans support teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools, but there is far less agreement over who gets to decide what is taught, a new poll indicates. The poll by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that three-quarters of Americans believe God created life on Earth, and 64 percent support teaching both evolution and creationism. The battle over evolution in the classroom has flared in various public school districts. The poll showed 41 percent of Americans want parents to decide what children are taught, compared with a slightly larger combined group who think the decision should be made by teachers (28 percent) or local school boards (21 percent). Those figures roughly mirror the number of Americans who believe that life has always existed as we know it today (42 percent) versus those who believe life has evolved over time (48 percent). “This is an example of American pragmatism,” said John Green, a senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew … [Read more...]

No doubt about it – for Louisianians these days, all eyes are glued on the southern part of the state, especially New Orleans … [Read more...]

Week of September 19, 2005 Daily updates The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board officials announced the agency is providing a daily brief Web-cast highlighting disaster relief operations. The briefing will be posted weekdays at www.namb.net/dr. The Web site will include statistics and downloadable materials to inform Southern Baptists of relief efforts and needs. Hurricane reunion McKinnley Pittman lost all his phone numbers in the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina, and for eight days he did not know if he also had lost his wife. Pittman took his wife, Geraldine, to a niece’s house outside of New Orleans on Aug. 28, to shelter her from the hurricane. Then, he went back to New Orleans to ride out the storm. Five days after the storm – but without his family phone numbers. Pittman was rescued from a rooftop. He eventually was taken to a shelter at Churchill Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. He mentioned his plight to John Nelson, a member of Churchill Baptist who was working as a volunteer. Nelson began an Internet search and soon located Pittman’s wife. “Hey, woman! Where have you been hiding?” Pittman asked when he finally talked with his wife by telephone, grinning and weeping at the same time. … [Read more...]