By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LMB) – Summer Grove Baptist Church recently celebrated the last payment on $12 million debt that was previously owed for its 900,000-square-foot facility. Members of the church, who purchased a vacant Shreveport shopping mall in 2003 and relocated there a year later, rejoiced during a unique Nov. 26 note-burning service that featured encouraging remarks by Pastor Heath Peloquin, Pastor Emeritus Wayne DuBose, Pastor Emeritus Billy Crosby and former Senior Pastor Aaron Burgner. Prayers were led by Northwest Baptist Associational Missions Strategist Lane Moore and former church member Ronnie Smith, and there was a substantial celebratory atmosphere. “I’m so proud of our people because they never stopped giving and never gave up,” Peloquin told the Baptist Message. “This has given us a renewed sense of why God has brought us here to do our part to reach Shreveport and be that light of Jesus to a lost and dying world that needs it. Now, I believe there will be new ministry opportunities because of retiring our debt, and we will have a renewed sense of being able to help more in areas where we have not been able to in the past.” When Peloquin became pastor in … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) – A spiritual awakening is gaining momentum among college students and young adults at First Baptist Church, Lafayette. Since 2019, the group has grown from 25 col­lege students and 15 young adults to 100 college students and 50 young adults, with 12 students and three young adults having been baptized since January (compared to none in 2019). Scott English, who serves as the minister to young adults, attributes the growth to an emphasis on evangelism and dis­cipleship. “There are a lot of good quality young people who are being responsive to the Gospel and obedient to the Lord’s calling on their lives,” English told the Baptist Message. “They are embracing the need to share Jesus and be dis­ciples.” GROWING IN CHRIST Each week, the col­lege students and young adults meet separately for Bible study on Sundays and discipleship sessions on Wednesdays. They also meet at other times throughout the week when they sharpen each other further to become fully devoted followers of Christ. The group’s lead­ers gather every Tuesday for prayer and purposeful in-person outreach, and others are invited to join them. Additionally, they share the Gospel on … [Read more...]

By Baptist Community Ministries news NEW ORLEANS (BCM) – Baptist Community Ministries, a faith-based private foundation providing philanthropic services and promoting health and well-being to the greater New Orleans area, has promoted Christy Ross to chief operating officer. Ross most recently served as Senior Vice President of Grants. “I am thrilled to announce the well-deserved promotion of Christy to this new and pivotal role within our organization,” said Inman Houston, president and CEO of BCM. “She has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision and a deep commitment to not only our organization’s values but to our partners as well.” In this role, Ross will leverage her extensive expertise to drive BCM’s service activities and to lead all of BCM’s programs in the areas of chaplaincy, congregational wellness and grants. This move not only recognizes Ross as a key architect of the organization’s current success but also positions her to play a central role in shaping BCM’s legacy as a community convener for collective impact. Ross joined the BCM team seven years ago as health grants program director. Ross also has served in various leadership roles at the National Association for the … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff KIHEI, Hawaii (LBM) – A Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team has been activated for ministry on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The team of four from First Baptist Church, Slidell, have been cooking meals, from Dec. 5-21, for 80 members of Southern Baptist DR and other organizations and staff of the Hagaii International Institute, the host site. Maui was impacted by a series of wildfires that broke out in early August. At least 99 people died and more than 2,200 buildings were destroyed. LBDR Strategist Stan Statham said it will cost $15,000-$20,000 to prepare three meals a day. “Because the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention is so small and limited in their financial resources, we wanted to take on the entire cost for this response,” Statham told the Baptist Message. “Pray for the recovery workers we will feed and for the residents still struggling to recover.” Bruce Efferson, blue hat for the team, added this is a way to give back to others who helped his church and city recover from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “We received a ton of help after Katrina, so we now are privileged to go and help others,” Efferson said. “God has called us to this work and we are blessed to have the … [Read more...]