By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON (LBM) – Donald Trump will return to the White House after he won a second term as president of the United States. According to multiple news outlets, Trump secured the 270th electoral vote needed to secure victory in the early morning hours of Nov. 6. At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Trump was leading challenger and current Vice President Kamala Harris 292-224, according to the Associated Press. The win comes after Trump survived two assassination attempts earlier this year. One occurred July 13, after a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. And on Sept. 15, a gunman’s plot to assassinate Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, was stopped. “We’re going to make our country better than it ever has been,” Trump said in his victory speech. “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness. And now we are going to fulfill that mission together. “We’re going to fulfill that mission. The task before us will not be easy, but I will bring every ounce of energy, spirit and fight that I have in my soul to the job that you've entrusted to … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists will have the opportunity to join thousands across the world to share the ultimate gift to children in other countries through Operation Christmas Child. Formed in 1993 by Samaritan’s Purse, OCC allows churches and individuals to bring gift-filled shoeboxes to relay stations across the country that are then processed and shipped to local partners around the world with a means of reaching out to children in their communities with the good news of Jesus Christ. National Collection Week is Nov. 18-25. Louisiana Christian University, in its fourth year of participating in OCC, is collecting shoeboxes inside Martin Performing Arts Center through Nov. 15. “As a member of the Operation Christmas Child Student Ministry team for this region, I am the Project Leader for Operation Christmas Child Ministry on our campus,” said Tabitha Huffman, LCU professor of theatre. “Last year our campus packed and sent out 178 shoeboxes...which was over double the year before! This means 178 needy children overseas received our gifts that include a message about Jesus through ‘The Greatest Journey’ discipleship program that is delivered wherever the … [Read more...]