Archives for September 2016
Louisiana Baptists dedicate Georgia Barnette Conference Center
By Message Staff WOODWORTH - A long-time dream to build a conference center and missions training facility has finally become reality. Louisiana Baptist staff, pastors, volunteers and other supporters who played a key role in the fundraising and construction of the Georgia Barnette Conference Center gathered Tuesday, Sept. 27 on the grounds of Tall Timbers Conference Center to dedicate the facility. The facility hosted its first meeting following the ceremony, when members of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board met in the auditorium. “This has been a buildup over about four years from vision to completion,” said John Hebert, missions and ministry director for Louisiana Baptists. “And I’m grateful for all those who volunteered – over 250 volunteers (and the) hundreds and hundreds of donations. God bless and we appreciate you so much.” Since early 2013, the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s missions and ministry team led by Hebert has been raising money for the new center, making hundreds of presentations to churches, Woman’s Missionary Union groups, individuals, missions education groups, associational groups and at annual meetings of associations. The 8,400-square-foot facility was designed for … [Read more...]
Four LC athletes trade diamond for a runway to battle cancer
By Bradley Welborn, LC Sports Information For at least one day, four Louisiana College baseball players traded the diamond for a runway to serve as escorts for the annual Christus St. Francis Cabrini Cancer Center Threads fashion show Sept. 25. Senior Keifer Moore and juniors Sully Martin, Zane Corbell, and Dylan Keller participated in the event, which began in 2000 and serves as a fundraiser for Cabrini's cancer patient assistance fund. The monies raised from the fashion show help patients with such costs as supplemental nutrition or fuel for trips to the hospital. Former patients get the full fashion show treatment with makeup from a local beauty school and outfits from local businesses to model on the runway. While it is not typically something a baseball player would do, these four LC standouts were motivated by the fact one of the 60 survivors serving as models in this year’s show was Colynda Byrnes, wife of Wildcats baseball coach Mike Byrnes. Colynda was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2014, on her 61st birthday, and underwent a mastectomy eight days later. She had her first chemotherapy treatment in December of that year. Following a year-long treatment process, she was officially placed in … [Read more...]
DOWN BY THE RIVER: First Covington baptizes 77 in Bogue Falaya
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COVINGTON – Christy Newell had experienced many high points in life as a young adult – getting married, having a child, accepting Christ and serving in a ministry at her church. Still, something was missing – publicly declaring her faith in Christ through believer’s baptism. Her husband encouraged her to join him in being obedient by taking this next step. Standing beside her husband in the waters and their daughter watching nearby, Newell was baptized Sept. 4. “Getting baptized that Sunday in the river with my husband was an incredible feeling,” she said. “The whole day unfolded just as it should. It was just the two of us with our little girl and she was so proud. She wanted to take our picture and she cheered from the river bank. Since that day I can feel Jesus working for the good in our marriage.” Newell and her husband were among 77 baptized on the banks of the Bogue Falaya River in Covington. Nearly 400 people were present to witness the baptisms. When the day was over, the church had set its all-time record for baptisms in one year, with 159. But as exciting as it was to baptize 77 people, Pastor Waylon Bailey said his congregation was even more elated … [Read more...]
GBO helps Iglesia Celebration make a difference in New Orleans
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer METAIRIE – The young Anglo, a native of New Orleans, admits he is an unlikely person to lead a Hispanic congregation of 200 in his hometown. But as David Speed serves as pastor of Iglesia Celebration in Metairie and trains leaders to fulfill the Great Commission throughout New Orleans and beyond, he realizes it would not be possible without the help of the Georgia Barnette Offering for State Missions. “There have been times where my wife and I have talked and it seems God has chosen us to be in this position because it personifies He is great in our weakness,” Speed said. “On the outside looking in, I’m a young White American guy and my wife is from Guatemalan culture. “But God is faithful and we are seeing people baptized and giving lives to the Lord,” said Speed. “God continues to confirm we are right where He wants us. There is no better place to be.” Unlikely calling God planted a desire within Speed to minister to Hispanics while he was living in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. One afternoon Speed was driving past a home improvement store when he noticed 300 Hispanics sitting in the parking lot, waiting for someone to come and pick … [Read more...]
Dream of Georgia Barnette Conference Center is almost reality
WOODWORTH - Just 14 months since ground was broken, the Georgia Barnette Conference Center is nearing completion, and a celebration is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 12:30 p.m. to dedicate the facilities located on the grounds of Tall Timbers. The program of activities includes Louisiana Baptist leaders who will honor pastors, volunteers and other supporters who played key roles in the project. The 8,400-square-foot facility was designed for flexibility, providing a 560-seat auditorium layout or the option to change the floor plan into six meeting rooms with a 280-seat general assembly space. The center is named after Georgia Barnette, the first elected and paid Woman’s Missionary Union executive director/treasurer in Louisiana. Every year Louisiana Baptists collect the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvOUU42A9a4 … [Read more...]
Winning the Lost
By Steve Gaines Matthew 22:9-10 – “‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.” We are all to invite all men to Christ. All Christians are commanded by Christ to invite all non-Christians to become Christians. Whether they are “good” or “bad” is not an issue, for we are all lumped within that less than admirable category called “sinners.” All people have broken God’s laws and fallen short of the glory of God. And the text says that we are to go to them instead of expecting them to come to us. We are to be proactive in our evangelism. We are to join Deacon Philip and go to the road upon which the eunuch is traveling. We are to approach the eunuch and open our mouths using Scripture to proclaim Jesus Christ to the lost. We are to bring precious souls to Jesus. We are to lift Jesus up before them in such a way that will cause them to desire Him for themselves. We are to invite them to receive Jesus. Jesus is all we have to offer them, and Jesus is all they will ever need. As we go out into the streets and gather … [Read more...]
Twitter experiences an empty nest as Americans on smartphones lessen use
NBA’s Patrick Beverly on anthem(video): ‘Being overseas five years … I appreciate it … being an American’
Clinton gave State Dept. appointments to 94 donors
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