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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

The GBO’s impact: salvation decisions through church planting

By James Jenkins, Louisiana Baptists church planting director Since 2010, 11,194 people have made a decision to follow Christ as Lord and Savior in church plants that the GBO helped to support. In that same time frame, 2,908 people submitted to baptism in church plants that the GBO helped to support. When Louisiana Baptists give to the GBO, they help to support church planters who have a passion to preach the Gospel to all kinds of peoples in all kinds of places. Named for the first executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union, the Georgia Barnette Offering’s annual Week of Prayer is set for Sept. 10-17. The theme for this year is “Why Wait, For They Are Ready” inspired by John 4:35. This year’s offering goal is $1.7 million.   … [Read more...]

The impact of the Georgia Barnette Offering

By Janie Wise, Louisiana Baptists women’s missions and ministry strategist What would Louisiana missions be like without the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering? It's a scenario I would not want to imagine. It is like asking, “What if churches had no desire or conviction to share God's great love with the lost in our state?” It is like asking, “What if we didn't care that our neighbors and co-workers were dying without knowing Jesus?” -- Without the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering providing assistance to church planting, the 2,908 persons baptized by our church plants since 2010 likely would not have heard the Gospel. -- The 200 congregations of the church plants established since 2010 would not have met for discipleship, for worship and fellowship, and, they would not have been reaching and teaching people who were not being reached by existing churches. -- Without the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering to provide an allocation for children's mission events, sixteen girls and boys would not have heard the Gospel at M-JAM in the spring of 2016 and responded in faith for salvation. Six girls at Girls' Mission at mission camp may have waited longer to accept Jesus as Savior. -- Without … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist churches appear to have escaped damage from Harvey

By Message Staff Tropical Depression Harvey appears to have left Louisiana Baptist churches without any structural damages. As of Thursday, Aug. 31, no Louisiana Baptist churches had reported damage from a storm that wreaked havoc on nearly 750 Southern Baptist churches in Texas since Harvey made landfall in the Lone Star State Friday, Aug. 25. However, at least one pastor’s home took in water. Jerry Key, pastor of New Life Baptist Church in DeRidder, reported that his home took in a few inches of water come inside his home off Vernon Lake in Leesville. He said since water got into one room on the lower level, they are staying on the second floor in the house. “We had minimal flood damage but would cherish the prayers for the clean up,” Key said. “Hopefully the water will go down soon so we can begin drying out.” Meanwhile, Vernon Baptist Association Director of Missions Morris Goins was forced to evacuate from his home off Anacoco Lake late Wednesday evening after a Vernon Parish Police Juror knocked on his door and advised him to leave. He stayed the remainder of the night at the association office. “We just gathered up our things and left,” Goins said. “We still had the lights on and are waiting to see what … [Read more...]