With the help of Southern Baptists from across the state, Church Point Baptist Mission is putting the finishing touches on its new fellowship hall, said Buddy Hampton, director of missions in the Acadia Baptist Association, where Church Point Baptist is located. CHURCH POINT – With the help of Southern Baptists from across the state, Church Point Baptist Mission is putting the finishing touches on its new fellowship hall, said Buddy Hampton, director of missions in the Acadia Baptist Association, where Church Point Baptist is located. Church Point, a town of about 10,000, is north of Sunset, in the middle of Cajun country. The mission is sponsored by PilgrimRestBaptist Church in Eunice. “We’re praying that this new facility will help the church to grow,” Hampton said. The construction won’t be finished for another two weeks. The mission church was built about eight years ago, but the fellowship hall was damaged by Hurricane Rita, Hampton said. With financial help from the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Rolling Hills Ministries in Monroe, the Acadia Association, and volunteers from First Baptist Church Jonesboro and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jonesboro, the mission is well on its way to seeing the new … [Read more...]
Missionary counts it all joy
Being publicly bested by a squirrel has neither stopped Buddy Hampton, director of missions for the Acadia Baptist Association, from following God’s call, nor interfered with his sense of humor. EUNICE – Being publicly bested by a squirrel has neither stopped Buddy Hampton, director of missions for the Acadia Baptist Association, from following God’s call, nor interfered with his sense of humor. After a squirrel-hunting trip to Mississippi with a deacon in which neither hunter saw one, Hampton was caught off guard the next Sunday when, as he preached, a squirrel – unseen by the congregation – scampered back and forth outside, in front of the sanctuary’s double glass doors. Deacons in the choir, aware of the unfruitful hunting trip, also saw the squirrel, and could barely contain their laughter. Hampton continued to preach. “Then the squirrel puts his little paws on the doors and looks in,” Hampton said. “The guys are just dying laughing.” Hampton had to stop the service to explain to the puzzled congregation. “I guess he’s making fun of me,” he said of the squirrel. For the past 20 years, Buddy Hampton has seen the churches of Acadia Baptist Association go through both triumphs and struggles in … [Read more...]
Schools rely on God’s provision
Through church support, volunteers, creative fundraisers, and private donations – which often arrive in the nick of time – as well as discounts, payment plans, and financial aid, the 18 Southern Baptist schools in Louisiana supplement incomes and subsidize tuition in order to provide the best educational environment possible for as many students as they can. STATEWIDE – Through church support, volunteers, creative fundraisers, and private donations – which often arrive in the nick of time – as well as discounts, payment plans, and financial aid, the 18 Southern Baptist schools in Louisiana supplement incomes and subsidize tuition in order to provide the best educational environment possible for as many students as they can. All the schools offer some sort of discount, and many offer multiple discounts – such as military, employees, multi-student, or ministerial. Half of the schools offer some sort of financial aid, though in some cases it may be limited. All but two of the schools offer some sort of payment plan; some offer multiple plans. All the schools have fees in addition to the tuition, which cover expenses such as books, maintenance, and registration. “We couldn’t do this without … [Read more...]
Curriculum sets the pace
Most of the Christian day schools in Louisiana use A Beka curriculum, which also is used in many if not most homeschools. Most of the Christian day schools in Louisiana use A Beka curriculum, which also is used in many if not most homeschools. So what is A Beka? “The God-given ministry of Christian schools is to lead young people to Christ and train them in the Bible, Christian character, language, and traditional subject matter. Today’s students need to be taught the accumulated wisdom of the past from God’s point of view and trained in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6) so they will have a firm foundation from which to evaluate the present and make proper decisions for the future.” So reads the purpose statement on the “Our Foundation” page of the www.abeka.com website. Here’s more from the website: “Three decades ago, God raised up A Beka Book to provide Christian schools with God-honoring, high-quality textbooks and teaching aids to help each school fulfill the goal of its ministry. The hundreds of traditional Christian educational materials developed by A Beka Book have been developed and refined over a period of 50 years in the classrooms of PensacolaChristian Academy, one of … [Read more...]
LifeWay, NAMB and IMB forge collaborative research effort
Three Southern Baptist entities – LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB) – have forged a collaborative research effort in which LifeWay Research will conduct special research projects on behalf of NAMB and IMB. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three Southern Baptist entities – LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB) – have forged a collaborative research effort in which LifeWay Research will conduct special research projects on behalf of NAMB and IMB. As part of the new initiative, Ed Stetzer, missiologist and senior director of the Center for Missional Research at NAMB, will become director of LifeWay Research, effective June 1. Stetzer, 40, brings a wealth of experience to LifeWay Research, which LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer launched in February 2006 to equip church leaders with insight and advice that leads to greater levels of church health and effectiveness. Under Stetzer’s leadership, LifeWay Research will provide vital information that will support both NAMB’s and the IMB’s church-planting and evangelistic efforts worldwide. “Ed’s experience as an evangelist, … [Read more...]
Crossover San Antonio begins
On Easter weekend, Bobby Welch launched a six-week initiative across Texas to speak nearly 100 times encouraging Southern Baptists in the Lone Star State to join in this June’s Crossover San Antonio evangelistic effort. SAN ANTONIO (BP) – On Easter weekend, Bobby Welch launched a six-week initiative across Texas to speak nearly 100 times encouraging Southern Baptists in the LoneStarState to join in this June’s Crossover San Antonio evangelistic effort. Crossover San Antonio -- with June 9 as the key date for a range of evangelistic efforts in Texas’ second-largest city -- will precede the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 12-13 annual meeting. Welch, recently named as the SBC Executive Committee’s Strategist for Global Evangelical Relations, told members of Park-hillsBaptist Church in San Antonio April 8: “It’s a wonderful thing to see that you’re involved in soul-winning, Great Commission evangelism and discipleship, reaching people with the Gospel and being intentional about it. “I am thrilled to be in Texas because we’re trying to encourage churches just like this one ... to be a part of Crossover on Saturday, June 9,” said Welch, who also spoke at two other San Antonio churches, … [Read more...]
U.S. Supreme Court upholds partial-birth abortion ban
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on a gruesome procedure known as partial-birth abortion April 18, delivering an important victory for legislative efforts to protect unborn children. WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on a gruesome procedure known as partial-birth abortion April 18, delivering an important victory for legislative efforts to protect unborn children. The high court’s 5-4 decision reversed rulings by two federal appeals courts and affirmed the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act as the law of the land, marking the first judicially approved restriction on a specific procedure since the justices legalized abortion in 1973. The 2003 law prohibits an abortion technique that involves the killing – in at least the fifth month of pregnancy – of a nearly totally delivered baby normally. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Associate Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in the majority. Kennedy, who affirmed the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in a crucial 1992 ruling, wrote in the majority opinion that the ban does not infringe on the right to abortion declared previously by the high court, meaning Roe remains in effect. He said … [Read more...]
Outfielder heeds dad’s discernment
When Houston Astros outfielder Luke Scott was a boy, his father made a bold decision for his family. It was a life-changing and eternity-changing decision. EDITORS’ NOTE: BP Sports columnist Tim Ellsworth recently visited Florida to do a series of stories on spring training as baseball players get ready to begin a new season. KISSIMMEE, Fla. (BP) – When Houston Astros outfielder Luke Scott was a boy, his father made a bold decision for his family. It was a life-changing and eternity-changing decision. Scott’s parents were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses. But Scott’s dad concluded that he wasn’t on the right path. Scott remembers a conversation his father had with him, his brother and his sister. “Look guys, I don’t have the answers to everything,” Scott said his dad told them. “This is all I’ve ever known, but I know it’s not the right thing.” Scott said his dad had been reading the Bible for himself, so he and his family left the cult behind, embracing the Bible alone as the new authority for their lives. And though Scott didn’t immediately become a Christian, his dad’s decision laid the groundwork for Scott to come to faith in Christ later in life. When Scott left home for college, his mother gave … [Read more...]
EKG churches report positive news
Some 14 pastors gathered Tuesday, April 17, at the Baptist Building to report on EKG-Louisiana and make suggestions for the statewide launch of the initiative. ALEXANDRIA – Some 14 pastors gathered Tuesday, April 17, at the Baptist Building to report on EKG-Louisiana and make suggestions for the statewide launch of the initiative. Pastors of pilot churches participating in the strategic initiative gathered to report on how the tool has assisted them in advancing God’s kingdom. “We have had good results … our baptisms are up. EKG is a great reminder of what we are about – being kingdom agents,” said Chris Kopp, pastor, Church Without Walls in Lafayette. Church Without Walls has an average attendance of 170 at Sunday morning worship, and some 70 percent of the congregation are new believers, the pastor said. The strategic initiative of EKG-Louisiana is a trilogy of special emphases designed for the local church to implement one after another within a calendar year. “EKG-Louisiana is a call to the kingdom of God. I hope that every congregation and every individual in a particular congregation will examine what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God and will re-engage the concept of the kingdom … [Read more...]
Kaleidoscope set for April 28
Kaleidoscope 2007 is to take place April 28 at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; the program begins at 9 a.m. ALEXANDRIA – Kaleidoscope 2007 is to take place April 28 at Calvary BaptistChurch in Alexandria. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; the program begins at 9 a.m. Kaleidoscope is a day for women to draw strength from each other and connect with God. Women from across our state learn how to live a life that makes our Heavenly Father smile. This day is to include a time of inspirational Bible teaching, heart-felt worship, challenging breakout conferences, and sweet fellowship, LBC womens missions and ministries leaders say. “Kaleidoscope has been something that I look forward to every year with great anticipation,” said Diane O’Neal of First BaptistChurch in Golden Meadow. “I enjoy getting together with other women to grow in our knowledge to further the Kingdom of God. The Bible study, discipleship, and personal growth have always been something that can apply to all of our lives, no matter where we are in our walk with God. ... “I know the preparation of this conference has been planned with much thought and prayer. On April 28, 2007, I know that God … [Read more...]
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