Concerted disaster relief efforts in South Louisiana have ended after a multi-state response following a pair of storms that hit the state just days apart a few weeks ago.   In addition to Louisiana Baptists, 10 other Baptist state conventions responded during the recent efforts following Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili. Teams of volunteers engaged in feeding and cleanup operations. Concerted disaster relief efforts in South Louisiana have ended after a multi-state response following a pair of storms that hit the state just days apart a few weeks ago.   In addition to Louisiana Baptists, 10 other Baptist state conventions responded during the recent efforts following Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili. Teams of volunteers engaged in feeding and cleanup operations.   Specialized disaster relief units also offered showers and laundry services to persons impacted by the storms.   In addition, other Baptists made financial contributions to enable the work.   While the two recent storms did not hit Louisiana as hard as in the past, hundreds and hundreds of people were affected by wind and water damage. However, within hours after each storm, Southern … [Read more...]

There are some who go through life, moving from job to job, city to city. However, 85-year-old Mabel Smith is what she calls a "stay-putter."   "Some people are meant to stay around, and others are meant to stay put," says Smith, who recently retired from playing the organ at First Baptist Church of Tioga.   After 61 years, the Pineville native decided it was time to hand over the reins to someone else. There are some who go through life, moving from job to job, city to city. However, 85-year-old Mabel Smith is what she calls a "stay-putter."   "Some people are meant to stay around, and others are meant to stay put," says Smith, who recently retired from playing the organ at First Baptist Church of Tioga.   After 61 years, the Pineville native decided it was time to hand over the reins to someone else.   "Two weeks before my 84th birthday, I told my church that it was time," Smith says. "I wanted to retire while I still could cut it. I didn’t want them to come to me and say I couldn’t cut it."   First Baptist Church pastor David Cranford says Smith taught many of the church members music.   "She is the most influential member of the … [Read more...]

Next week at the Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City, ministers and church search committee members will be able to see how the convention Web site could revolutionize ministry opportunities and placement.   Those individuals will have the chance to submit requests for openings and position placements at www.lbc.org through a new resume referral service for ministers and search committees. Next week at the Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City, ministers and church search committee members will be able to see how the convention Web site could revolutionize ministry opportunities and placement.   Those individuals will have the chance to submit requests for openings and position placements at www.lbc.org through a new resume referral service for ministers and search committees.   LBC Church Minister Relations Director Alan Miller said his department will operate a booth at this year’s state convention. A computer will be located at the booth, where persons can view the state convention Web site and the resume page.   Also, a digital camera will be available to take ministers’ photographs. Those pictures will be submitted through the Web site program … [Read more...]

Six Baptists have received the annual Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation awards for helping to "provide, promote and protect a positive moral climate for Louisiana."   As in previous years, awards were given in the fields of business, communications, law enforcement, public service and preaching, said Ken Ward, executive director of the foundation. Six Baptists have received the annual Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation awards for helping to "provide, promote and protect a positive moral climate for Louisiana."   As in previous years, awards were given in the fields of business, communications, law enforcement, public service and preaching, said Ken Ward, executive director of the foundation.   The awards program was launched by the foundation in 1980. Each award recipient is chosen from submitted nominees by the foundation board.   This year’s Louisiana Baptist recipients include:   • Robert Bolton. Bolton received the W.L. "Bill" May Christian Businessman Award. The award is named for May, a respected businessman who also served as the third president of the foundation and its first lay leader. Bolton is a longtime, respected businessman in the Central … [Read more...]

Messengers of the Jackson Baptist Association Annual Meeting on October 14, 2002, at Quitman Baptist Church, passed a resolution to encourage all our member churches... Messengers of the Jackson Baptist Association Annual Meeting on October 14, 2002, at Quitman Baptist Church, passed a resolution to encourage all our member churches and their messengers to the 2002 Louisiana Baptist Convention, to be held on November 11 and 12 at the Bossier Civic Center, to vote against any motion or action that would change the present arrangement of selecting, employing and supervising our directors of missions.   We ask all other churches to support this resolution and vote against any changes to the present agreement.   Stuart Toms, moderator Jackson Baptist Association … [Read more...]

I have just returned from being a part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Louisiana Tech BCM/BSU. During these ceremonies, I was reminded of the great legacy of this organization and the impact it has had in the lives of untold thousands of university students... I have just returned from being a part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Louisiana Tech BCM/BSU. During these ceremonies, I was reminded of the great legacy of this organization and the impact it has had in the lives of untold thousands of university students who have walked through the doors of the BCM/BSU center. Since I am one of the ones whose life was affected, it means even more to me.   I am grateful to Louisiana Baptists and their love and vision for college students and their willingness to make such a great investment in these young lives. I have known personally many of the campus ministers who have served on this campus - people like Sam Sanford, George Haile, Duane Spikes, Lynn Hawkins, Scott Carlin and our present campus minister, Linda Osborne. These are some of God’s choicest people, and their ministry has been such a positive influence on many young lives.   I am also grateful to the churches in this … [Read more...]

For the week of November 7, 2002 Potpourri • BATON ROUGE - Stevendale church: Four Fold in concert; Nov. 9, 7 p.m.; Michael J. LoBrutto, pastor.   • KEITHVILLE - First church: Gospel Jubilee featuring several singing groups and Johnny Parrack, tenor; Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m.; for information, call (318) 925-9467; Mike Stowell, pastor.   • DENHAM SPRINGS - Gray’s Creek church: Squire Parsons in concert; Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m.; tickets are $10 per person; Carl Sullivan, pastor.   • PINEVILLE - Pineville Park church: Louisiana College Choral in concert; Nov. 10, 6 p.m.; Thomas Lott, Jr., minister of music/education; Gregory Carroll, pastor. Homecomings • ELIZABETH - Elizabeth church: Nov. 10, 10:45 a.m., dinner on the grounds and singing to follow; Jerry Adams, pastor.   • HOMER - New Hope church: Nov. 10, 11 a.m. with lunch to follow; David Bazer, guest speaker; Kingdom Bound, music; Eddie Ballance, pastor. Revivals • MONTGOMERY - Union Hill church: Nov. 10-13, 7 p.m.; nursery provided; Oda "Tuck" Roberts, evangelist; Frank Alexander, music; Earnest Little, pastor.   • DERIDDER - Temple church: Nov. 17, 6 p.m.; Nov. 18-20, 7 p.m.; evangelists are as follows: Sun.- Stuart … [Read more...]

There is an oft-repeated story about a man who wanders into a Quaker meeting and sits with the other participants as they wait in silence for the Holy Spirit to move one of them to speak or sing or pray.   After a number of minutes of quiet, the uneasy visitor finally leans over to the person sitting next to him and whispers, "Excuse me, but when does the service start?"   "Worship is not social hour. There is work   of the highest order to be done."   - Gerrit Scott Dawson   There is an oft-repeated story about a man who wanders into a Quaker meeting and sits with the other participants as they wait in silence for the Holy Spirit to move one of them to speak or sing or pray.   After a number of minutes of quiet, the uneasy visitor finally leans over to the person sitting next to him and whispers, "Excuse me, but when does the service start?"   And the reply comes, "When the worship ends."   While perhaps a familiar vignette, it nevertheless sums up the place of worship in the life of Christian faith.   It is central.   "If the Lord is to be Lord, worship must have priority in our lives, ..." Quaker author Richard Foster … [Read more...]

Misplaced worship wars? While the debate about worship forms and styles continues in places some are saying the real need is for a focus on the nature of worship itself   The so-called "worship wars" that has disrupted many churches are being fought on the wrong front, researcher George Barna maintains. Misplaced worship wars? While the debate about worship forms and styles continues in places some are saying the real need is for a focus on the nature of worship itself   The so-called "worship wars" that has disrupted many churches are being fought on the wrong front, researcher George Barna maintains.   "We’re only fighting about the style of music because our people don’t know what worship is," Barna told a recent gathering of Christian musicians.   A new study from the Barna Research Group suggests American churches are less conflicted regarding worship music than many people think.   However, neither do church members understand the nature of worship, said Barna, head of the Barna Research Group.   "The real issue is not music but the state of the heart.   "Everything in Worshipland is not okay," Barna said in summarizing the new study, … [Read more...]

For the week of November 14, 2002 Cooperative Program Gifts through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program totaled almost $13.8 million in October, an increase of a little more than $1 million (8.5 percent) from the previous October. The month kicks off a new fiscal year for the Southern Baptist Convention, which operates on an October 1-to-September 30 basis. In the first month, Cooperative Program receipts fell $981,331 (6.6 percent) behind budget. Meanwhile, designated gifts totaled some $2.7 million last month, a drop of $560,144 (16.9 percent) from last October. Halloween treat The evangelistic spirit of Marjorie Reed was alive on Halloween. Thousands of children descended on her historic east Dallas house to receive candy and gospel tracts and to watch VeggieTales on a giant outdoor screen in the front yard. The annual outreach was begun four years ago by Reed, who died in August at the age of 78 during a service at First Baptist Church of Dallas. Members from the First Baptist Church singles department organized this year’s event, complete with bilingual tracts for the predominantly Hispanic children in surrounding neighborhoods. In four hours the night of Oct. 31, participants handed out 6,000 pieces of … [Read more...]