By Staff, Baptist Message WINNFIELD – A focused view of missions led Jeremy Albright, youth pastor at First Baptist Winnfield, to search the Internet. As a result, he discovered a variety of simple, effective mission “projects” any individual can become involved in. “We talked on a Wednesday night about our mission as a church,” Albright said. “We talked about how easy it is to say the right words, the right Bible answers, but it’s difficult to do the things to back up what we’re saying. [img_assist|nid=7142|title=First Winnfield Youth|desc=The youth group at First Baptist Winnfield show off gift cards they collected for a ministry. The group are learning about missions through simple but effective mission “projects” such as the gift card ministry.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427]“We tossed out ideas of what we’d like to see happen,” the youth pastor continued. “Not on a church-wide scale, but individually.” Albright spent several days searching the internet for mission projects teens could do on an individual basis. He found 15, like Toms Shoes – www.tomshoes.com – which gives a pair of shoes to an underprivileged child for every pair of shoes … [Read more...]
Where are the children who need us? … Where can we meet their needs?
By Louisiana Baptist Children's Home MONROE – Since 1899, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries has been providing love, care and a positive Christian witness to children and families in need. Over the years, God has enabled the Children’s Home to expand its Residential Child Care ministry in Monroe to include Sellers Maternity Ministries in Baton Rouge and Granberry Counseling Centers with eleven locations across the state. Since 2003, Dr. Perry Hancock, President & CEO, has been focusing on the question, “Where are the children who need us and how can we meet their needs?” Answering that important question has created many new opportunities for the Children’s Home to move forward with its mission. More recently, the answers to that question have provided three new life-changing ministries. Where are the children who need us? [img_assist|nid=7144|title=Mobile Pregnancy Care Center|desc=In May 2011, the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries will launch its Mobile Pregnancy Care Center.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=253]1 They are homeless with their mothers. Louisiana has one of the highest child homelessness rates in the nation. Single mothers with children are the fastest … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home Reunion set for June 10-11, 2011
By Louisiana Baptist Children's Home MONROE – Tryon Edwards, a nineteenth century American theologian, once said, “Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.” If that statement is true, former residents of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will experience a little taste of heaven this June 10-11. Every three years, about 150 former residents of the Children’s Home gather on the beautiful Monroe campus to reminisce and to visit with current residents and staff. LBCH alumni will enjoy two delicious fellowship meals, a story telling contest, horse and buggy rides on the campus grounds, sharing old photographs, a memorial service, and an open house to make new friends and encourage current residents. [img_assist|nid=7146|title=Reunion at the Children's Home in 1970|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=344]This year’s Reunion will feature gospel music recording artist Ben Waites in concert. Ben is a recent graduate of Louisiana College. After three solo CDs and a duet album with his late grandfather, Ben is an accomplished singer. In spite of his severe physical limitations, he has been performing at various venues since his call to … [Read more...]
Acteens/Youth on Mission Ministry Day at Global Maritime Ministry
By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter [img_assist|nid=7148|title=GMM Mission Ministry Day|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=68]NEW ORLEANS – Laughter lit the faces of Louisiana teens and a seafarer from India as a small puck bounced around the international tabletop game Carrom, then skipped past the pocket. The shot was a “miss,” but the first-ever Acteens/Youth On Mission Ministry Day at Global Maritime Ministries in New Orleans was a definite hit. “It’s been a great experience for them,” said Kimberly Aguillard, Children/Youth Mission Education Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The group of nearly 60 youth and sponsors stuffed envelopes for the monthly newsletter, prepared food, and visited one-on-one with men and women from around the world. Crewmembers from cruise ships visit the center when docked in New Orleans. “Most are from different religions,” said Will Owens, an eighth grader from First Baptist Church in Bogalusa. “I asked one man if he ever thought about God.”[img_assist|nid=7148|title=GMM Mission Ministry Day|desc=Louisiana teens and a seafarer at Global Martime Ministries play an international tabletop game called Carrom. The … [Read more...]
Fairview Coushatta celebrates Acts 1:8 Day with missions emphasis
By Staff, Baptist Message COUSHATTA – Girls in Action at Fairview Baptist Church in Coushatta, wearing bright pink new GA t-shirts, and Royal Ambassadors, wearing royal blue new RA t-shirts, stood with in the worship center with their GA and RA leaders Sunday, Feb. 20. Earlier in the 9 a.m. worship service designed to celebrate Fairview Coushatta’s Acts 1:8 global missions involvement, RAs and GAs had carried in flags of the 18 places around the globe where the church has a missions involvement. It’s a presence that starts locally – Toledo Bend and BCM at NSU among others – and moves out to southern Louisiana and elsewhere in the United States, plus internationally, such as Brazil. [img_assist|nid=7150|title=Fairview Coushatta Acts 1:8 Day Celebration|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427]Gordon Fort of the International Mission Board was the morning’s guest speaker. The service was followed by a missions fair. Matt Endris is pastor of Fairview Coushatta. … [Read more...]
Landscapes
By Staff, Baptist Message Comings, Goings and Kudos Albert Hagen died Feb. 20 in Dry Creek. He was state RA leader for a time, and for 30 years was manager of Dry Creek Baptist Camp. Memorial service is set for 1 p.m. March 5 at Dry Creek Baptist Camp’s tabernacle. First Milton: New Pastor Beau (wife Olivia) Guidry. Installation service is March 6. First Bastrop: New Minister of Music and Senior Adults: Phil (wife Fran) Smith. Pastor: Jim Ingram. Shiloh Bernice: New Pastor Scott Scallan. Raina Futrell, member of Fair Park West Monroe, on Feb. 11 received the Charles E. Dunbar Jr. Career Service Award, the highest honor Louisiana state employees can receive. Needed/Giving First Iowa: Full-time Discipleship/Assimilation Pastor. Send resume to Iowa First Baptist Church, PO Box 577, Iowa LA 70647. Pine Grove Ruby: Part-time youth minister needed. Seeking young man or couple. Salary DOE. Send resume and letter of recommendation from pastor to: Pine Grove Baptist Church, PO Box 37, Ruby LA 71365. Sorrento Baptist in Sorrento, Baton Rouge Association, has two pianos to donate to ministry. Pastor: Eugene … [Read more...]
As CP giving rebounded, so did congregation
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor MONTANA CITY, Mont. (BP)--South Hills Baptist Fellowship in Montana City, Mont., got its start 14 years ago with help from the Cooperative Program, but it didn't take the congregation long to forget its Southern Baptist heritage. [img_assist|nid=7153|title=Pastor Steve Young|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=80|height=100]By the time Steve Young was called as pastor in 2008, the church had decreased its CP giving to 2 percent of undesignated offerings, down from its original 10 percent in 1998 to help support Southern Baptist work in Montana, across North America and around the world. "The church went through some hard times, and the Cooperative Program was the easiest place to trim some dollars," Young said. "They went a year without a pastor. The men of the church took on the responsibility, and financially things began to turn around. By the time I came, finances weren't a problem, but they hadn't put that money back to work for God." Young led South Hills, located in the suburbs of Helena, Montana’s capital city, to increase CP giving to 4.5 percent that first year and to 6 percent his second year. "Hopefully in one to two … [Read more...]
Oklahoma Natives preapre for The Gathering
By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY – The difference between reaching Native Americans in the past and in the future could well be determined at The Gathering, in early March. At this gathering of Native American leaders of Southern Baptist churches across the United States and Canada, the discussion will center around how to more effectively than ever before reach Native peoples on reservations and in urban areas with the gospel of God’s personal love for them. “Southern Baptists have been working with us for more than 100 years, and we are still an unreached people group,” said Eddie Lindsey, a Creek Indian and church planter strategist with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, in a conversation with the Baptist Messenger. “No way can the gospel that was brought to us be bad, but there are better ways to do it” that would be more effective than previous efforts. “Now, when we reach one Indian it [the gospel message] stops,” Lindsey continued. “Awakenings come when we reach one Indian who reaches another Indian with the Gospel, and the gospel continues on. … We are trying to learn why Indians don’t share Christ with others when God comes into our life. Living without … [Read more...]
The big picture of Native American ministry
y Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY – Eddie Lindsey, a church planter for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and a Creek Indian, says he sees at least two barriers to reaching the 67 tribal groups across Oklahoma, 39 of which are federally-recognized. “We have tried to change him [the Native American who comes to Christ] but God is the one who changes him,” Lindsey said. “The problem we have faced was dealing with our culture. We were taught, to become a Christian, you had to put away your culture. … One man told me the other day that his father-in-law said, ‘if they didn’t want us to throw everything away, we would have become Christian a long time ago.’ “The thing we have to understand is that not all pow wow is bad,” Lindsey said. “We have to look at all cultures individually. Some dances are social, while other dances have a form of worship. Indian churches have struggled in addressing this problem.” Jewish Christians faced the same situation, and lost out on a blessing, Lindsey said. “If you read the book of Acts, the Jews had a terrible time going to the gentiles,” he pointed out. “The Jerusalem church couldn’t do it, so God raised up the Antioch … [Read more...]
Native American response to The Gathering
By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY – Because they made their presentations in story form, non-Native speakers resonated with the Native American and First Nations participants in The Gathering March 2-4 in Oklahoma City. Many expressed appreciation for the insights brought by the speakers who are experts in their fields. “The scales fell off my eyes when Dr. Iorg spoke,” said Pandora Watchman, a Navajo member of Gateway Community Church in Window Rock, Ariz. “He showed how in the Bible times about how the gospel was given to the gentiles and the Jews didn’t like it. That made an impact, with what we go through here on the Navajo Reservation. “A lot of people here are traditional,” she continued, referring to people’s Native belief mindset. “If a problem happens, they go to the Medicine Man. A lot of people feel a Medicine Man is more powerful than their own prayers to God.” Iorg spoke about the need to stay true to the gospel without compromise, but to be gentle about it. “My husband is a new Christian,” Watchman said. “He agreed with me about how the missionaries came across and how the missionaries did it all wrong – cut their hair, boarding school … [Read more...]
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