When Hurricane Katrina reduced the 45-member congregation of a year-old church plant in Slidell to six, members wondered what the future held for them.
The week of prayer for Louisiana’s Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering is Sept. 16-23. The state goal is $1.5 million. At least one recipient this past year of the State Missions Offering is to be highlighted every issue leading up to the Week of Prayer, to give you snapshots of your missions offering at work around the state.
SLIDELL – When Hurricane Katrina reduced the 45-member congregation of a year-old church plant in Slidell to six, members wondered what the future held for them.
But God used the faithfulness of Louisiana Baptists and the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering to confirm in pastor Randy Boyett and his tiny congregation that He (God) would see them through the task of starting over.
“It’s a tremendously important offering, and I hope we never lose sight of that,” Boyette said.
The 2006 Georgia Barnette allocation enabled Thompson Road Baptist Church to regain its foothold and continue its ministry as families relocated out of flooded areas and into the church’s southwest Slidell part of town.
Within months after Katrina, the congregation outgrew the double-wide trailer where they met for worship. It soon became clear that God used the difficult days of the storm to strategically plant the church in an area booming with new growth.
“We are amazed at what God is doing here. God has blessed every step of the way,” Boyett says.
Their mother church, Calvary Baptist of Slidell, provided the land, a 9.1-acre parcel fronted on the high ground of Thompson Road, a major artery south of Interstate 12 and west of Interstate 10.
“The flooding stopped a block or two from where the church is now,” Boyett said.
Istrouma Baptist Baton Rouge gave $30,000 for building materials, and at exactly the right time, money from the Georgia Barnette offering arrived.
“I would encourage every church member across Louisiana to do what they can to give to the State Missions Offering. Without it, missions, such as ours would not be able to be in a position [as we are now] to minister to the people,” Boyette said.
Louisiana Baptist Builders in six months, under the direction of project coordinators Steve Hayes and Jim Wyble, constructed a 7.000 square-foot building for Thompson Road Baptist, which includes nine classrooms and a worship center where up to 175 people can sit comfortably.
Thompson Road members, having seen the effectiveness of the Georgia Barnette offering for state missions, are confident that God is at work, building His kingdom in Louisiana, the pastor said.
Thompson Road Baptist already gives 10 percent of offerings to missons through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptist’s acclaimed method of supporting missions and ministries of state conventions and the SBC, and 2 percent to the St. Tammany Baptist Association for missions in its part of the state. Thompson Road also gives to support the association’s Camp Livng Waters, and the local Community Christian Concern.
At its VBS this summer, during which 11 made professions of faith, nearly $400 was raised, and given to the local Hispanic mission sponsored by Calvary Slidell.
Thompson Road will be emphasizing the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering throughout the month of September, Boyett said.
“If you run it for the whole month, you challenge everybody to give,” the pastor said. “We’ve been recipients of this offering. We know the good it does. It will be important for us to give back.”
The Georgia Barnett offering helps support new mission churches, assists college students acquire a Christian education, starts new ministry centers in our state, and much more.
For more information about the State Missions Offering or resources available for your church to promote the offering contact the Women’s Missions and Ministry team, 1.800.622.6549, or 318.448.3402. Video downloads, tools, and information is also available on the website, www.georgiabarnette.org.
This year a new resource is available for your church, the Speakers’ Bureau, a list of mission speakers willing to come and share with your church family.