STATEWIDE – Many churches of various sizes are taking advantage of the summer months to offer a large number and variety of missions opportunities throughout Louisiana as well as other states and countries during the summer months.
n GAs of Kingsville Baptist Pineville recently raised $1,550 for six water purification filters for Pure Water Pure Love, a WMU missions response started in 1987 to help provide people in third-world nations with a pure source of water.
n Pisgah Baptist Bernice has set July 7-11 as the date for a Houma Mission Trip where they will be working with Montegut Baptist doing light construction and youth rallies. Jerry Dark, pastor.
n Students of The Edge Student Ministry of First Baptist Blanchard are preparing for the Brownsville Mission Trip set for Friday, June 6 through Saturday, June 14. Lonnie Hill, student minister; James Hill, pastor.
n Pine Grove Baptist, Ruby, is preparing for a Dominican Republic mission trip July 14-24 with a fundraiser auction, 9 a.m. Saturday, May 31.
n The June Mission Emphasis, “Emmanuel loves…” at Emmanuel Baptist Alexandria is participating in numerous mission projects during the month of June. These include preparing and serving food at the local Manna House and cleaning up of a street or park. Church members will also be sorting and boxing food at the Food Bank, volunteering for a Habitat construction team as well as providing music/art/Bible experiences for kids at the Hope House and Turning Point shelters. Making and delivering blankets to Huey P. Long Hospital and volunteering at Friendship House are on the list of opportunities for missions. Donations of food for the Central Louisiana Food Bank are also being collected as part of the month-long emphasis. Funds are being collected for a medical mission team trip to Indonesia that will be used to offset the cost of medical supplies and resources. Chris Thacker, pastor.
n Volunteers of First Baptist Baton Rouge who participate in the Jefferson Terrace school ‘Everybody Reads’ program were recently recognized for their volunteer hours and the positive results they have produced at the school. Nell Meriwether, Ministry Evangelism Coordinator, Burn Page, pastor.
n A special Mission Recognition Service was held at First Baptist Hornbeck, recently. Bill Hines, interim pastor.
n A missionary who recently escaped from an African country shared the experience with the congregation of Judson Baptist Walker. Merelin McCon, pastor.
n Mission Church Builder Jeff Woodrich spoke recently at a Blastoff for Mission Builders at Carroll Baptist in Walker.
n The Brazil Mission Trip training class of Highland Baptist New Iberia met recently to make preparations for their upcoming trip July 11-24. A Missionary Commissioning Service for everyone going on various mission trips followed the training session. David Denton, pastor.
n Several summer missionaries of Jefferson Baptist Baton Rouge are to travel to Ecuador and Portugal through the International Mission Board. Tommy French Jr., pastor.
n The shipping deadline for Operation: LifeBox for military personnel sponsored by the Ouachita Baptist Association is June 18. Space is available for a Monterrey, Mexico, trip July 6-11. The cost is $250. For information, contact Gary at 318.992.7669. Ken Gilmore, director of missions.
n A mission trip to Gallup, New Mexico to aid resident Native Americans continues this summer, July 12-20. The traditional trip is sponsored by First Baptist Bogalusa and has grown from 15 participants to more than 60. An Alaska Mission II trip is set for August 2-8. Bob Adams, pastor.
n A church-wide missions trip is set for July 24-27 by Westside Baptist Bogalusa. The trip is for the entire church family at a cost of $50 per person. The mystery destination is only a three-hour drive from the church. Marcus Rosa, pastor.
n Youth of First Baptist Homer are to participate in a missions trip July 12-19. James Simeon, pastor.
n The Baptist Collegiate Ministries of McNeese State University reports 33 participants on its recent spring break mission trip to Gulfport, Miss. where they assisted with construction work and a church plant. Keith Cating, director.
n Bradshaw Mountain, West Virginia is the destination of a “Judea” missions group from Natchitoches Baptist Association who will be doing light construction and unskilled labor under the direction of Wayne Hicks.
n The Navajo Nation Evangelistic Mission Trip of Cook Baptist Ruston is set for Saturday, May 31 through Friday, June 6. The community of Sanostee, New Mexico is the destination where the team will offer Bible School and tent crusade to the residents. The church’s recent five-day mission trip to Chalmette First Baptist through its “Tool Man” mission gave participants an opportunity to help with the construction of the church that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. An international mission trip to Kazakhstan Central Asia is being offered Sept. 1-12.
The church previously adopted the city of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and will continue that work with a Vacation Bible School, women’s seminars, construction work and an evening crusade. Registration deadline for this trip is June 1. Mike Holloway, pastor.
n Associational Missions Week was observed in Bienville and Webster-Claiborne Associations recently with an offering for Partnership Missions dedicated to Unlimited Partnerships which is used to pay salary and support for a minister of education student assigned to West Saint Charles Baptist in New Orleans. Randy Hales, director of missions.
n First Baptist Winnfield Pairs and Spares Class is participating in the “One Pack-One Vaccine” faith in action project with a goal of protecting women and babies from preventable diseases and tetanus. Specially marked Pampers products will be distributed to the local health unit and the Pampers brand will donate 5 cents to provide tetanus vaccines to women in the developing world. Jerold McBride, interim pastor.
n Ebenezer Baptist Jonesboro is to participate in Missions-2008 in Sioux Falls/Sturgis. Cost is $265 for adults and $245 for children. Deposit of $50 is due by June 1. Randy Lee, pastor.
n First Baptist Minden’s Mexico Mission Trip to Cordoba, Mexico is set for July 26-Aug. 2. The trip will include Bible study, painting, woodwork, concrete work and quilt sewing. Cost for this trip is approximately $800. A Nicaragua youth trip is in need of supplies, which include granola bars, travel-size personal hygiene products, Crystal Light pink lemonade dry mix. Wayne DuBose, pastor.
n First Baptist Minden WMU has planned a Families on Mission Day for Saturday, June 28 at the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission, to feed the homeless.
n The Baptist Friendship House, a NAMB ministry to homeless women and children in the French Quarter neighborhoods of New Orleans, needs WalMart gift cards to purchase needed items for the center as well as for individuals who are ministered to daily. The WMU of First Baptist Minden is collecting cards for this ministry during the month of June.
n Philadelphia Baptist Deville is offering a local missions opportunity at Main Street Mission Pineville each Wednesday at 6 p.m. Co-leaders are needed for nursery, preschool, grades 1-3, grades 4-6 Jr. High, Senior High, Sports Ministry, Adults. Cooks, clothes closet organizers and van/bus drivers are also needed. Philip Robertson, pastor.
n First Baptist Oakdale Missions Committee is taking donations for its newly-formed School Uniform Shoppe. Stephen Laughlin, pastor.
n The May missions focus for First Baptist Vidalia has been the Store Front Mission in Ferriday. Needs include money donations, clothes (especially men’s) and canned goods. Volunteers are needed Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings. Dan Glenn, pastor.
n North Monroe Baptist recently sent a missions team to Global Maritime Ministries in New Orleans to work on taping/floating Sheetrock and priming walls for painting. Bill Dye, pastor.