By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – To first-century Jewish Christians in Acts 15, there was just one solution to the problem of gentile believers: they had to become circumcised. [img_assist|nid=7159|title=Jeff Iorg|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=80|height=100]The uproar caused by the spread of the gospel to gentiles in Antioch provides a case study of how issues related to the gospel and culture should be handled, said Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, the most multi-cultural seminary in the world, the president said. He discussed “The Gospel and Culture” at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. Natives understood what he was saying because he used a story that they could relate to in their cultural context, several said later. “The scales fell off my eyes,” said Pandora Watchman of the Navajo nation. Was circumcision a matter of doctrinal conviction, spiritual commitment or personal preference? Heated debate surrounded the question, said Iorg in pointing out that confronting believers is sometimes part of preserving fellowship. Frivolous reasons, sinful choices and … [Read more...]
Change takes place when you replace your worldview with God’s worldview
By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – People view everything they see and hear through their cultural worldview, through the understanding they have acquired from living the life they have lived. While similarities exist in people born within a 10-year period in the same geographic area and same economic level, each individual’s perspective on life is forged by what they personally have gone through. Jay Jackson talked about this at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. The title of his two-hour keynote address: “On becoming agents of redemption in a cross-cultural context.” It was a talk relevant to people from any cultural background, which resonated with Christian Native Americans desiring to reach their family, friends and neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ. “My ability to communicate effectively is entirely dependent on my understanding of the person I’m talking with,” Jackson said. “We take for granted when we share the gospel that the hearer shares our understanding of the nature and character of God … of inevitable judgment and inescapable eternal … [Read more...]
What is difference between starting a church and a church planting movement?
By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – Inherent multiplication is the difference between starting a church and a church planting movement, said Bill Fudge at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. [img_assist|nid=7162|title=Bill Fudge|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66]Fudge served as a missionary through the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board for 34 years. The title of his two-hour seminar: Training for Trainers, or T4T. It’s a process used successfully in East Asia for at least 15 years, which could be used by people from any cultural background, which resonated with Christian Native Americans who were at The Gathering to hear of new ways of reaching their family, friends and neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The concept is that people will invite friends, family, and others they know to their home for a lay-led time to worship Jesus. The following week, some of the original group will spin off and start their own lay-led times to worship Jesus, and the multiplication of trainers continues indefinitely. “Don’t invite … [Read more...]
Lovejoy: It’s time to reclaim the story quality of the Bible
By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – When Grant Lovejoy was a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a student’s comment led him to the conclusion that two-thirds of the world’s population would not understand a clear gospel presentation even if it were given to them in their language. [img_assist|nid=7164|title=Grant Lovejoy|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]“It was an ‘aha’ moment,” Lovejoy said at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. The title of his two-hour keynote address: Bible Storying. It was a concept particularly interesting to his Native American listeners, who come from an oral culture and thought, rather than the abstract thinking of gospel-spreading Westerners. “We have spent most of the time imposing our oppressive and culturally destructive ways on tribal people,” Lovejoy said. “We’re like King Saul, who said, ‘Wear my armor’ to David. David used what God gave him, and that was more than enough in the hand of God.” The Bible is basically a story of God relating to His people, Lovejoy said. “If the Bible is a story, why is a sermon a list? Let’s reclaim the … [Read more...]
Media specialist involves himself in inspirational ministries
By Quinn Lavespere, Message Intern Writer COLFAX – There was a time when it looked like David Smith’s life would end early. Today, though, the Grant Parish School Board worker is living better than ever. [img_assist|nid=7166|title=David Smith|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=72]Having triumphed in a life-or-death battle with esophageal cancer, Smith gratefully repays the Lord today through ministries that aim at giving encouragement to others and bringing salvation to the unsaved. “My aim is to show kindness to others and let the love of Jesus shine through my behavior,” Smith said. “After what the Lord has done for me, I feel obligated to repay Him the best ways I can.” Smith said he works in the technology department at the Grant Parish School Board and is the media specialist for the Grant Parish school system. “My role in that is I support the teachers as they integrate technology into the classrooms,” Smith said. Smith talked about the ministries he is involved in and God’s role in these ministries. “Probably the most important ministry I do is my devotional ministry,” Smith said. “In 2007, I was diagnosed with esophageal … [Read more...]
Louisiana College responds to paper’s story on Aramark study
By Kelly Boggs, Editor PINEVILLE – The Town Talk, the daily newspaper of Alexandria, La., reported Feb. 20 on portions of a draft document that is part of a study being assembled by Louisiana College to assess the status of its infrastructure. According to The Town Talk, the draft document produced by Aramark Higher Educationindicates the LC infrastructure has some significant needs. “One portion of a project, commissioned by Louisiana College in 2010 to study the status of its infrastructure, was intercepted and stolen from the college,” said Tim Johnson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at LC. “Evidently working with the person or persons who stole the ‘in process’ study, The Town Talk ran an article in an apparent effort to damage the college,” Johnson added. “The first time I saw some of the specific pieces of the report were on the front page of The Town Talk. The attack on the college was unbelievable, especially using unconfirmed and stolen information.” Joe Aguillard, president of LC, said. “At this point, there is probably nothing that The Town Talk can do to make us think any less of them.” Aguillard added, “There is a great spiritual battle … [Read more...]
Louisiana College purchases Joe D. Waggonner building for law school
By Kelly Boggs, Editor PINEVILLE – Louisiana College announced on Feb. 14 the college’s agreement to purchase and renovate the former Joe D. Waggonner Federal Building in Shreveport to serve as the home of LC’s Judge Paul Pressler School of Law. [img_assist|nid=7169|title=LC Law School|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]“We are delighted to announce this decision,” said LC President Joe Aguillard. “The Federal Building offers all the space we will need to serve our students and provide a superior program of legal education.” One of Shreveport’s largest landmarks, the building that will house the law school is situated near the Northern Louisiana city’s main business district. Adjacent to the Shreveport Convention Center, the building is also located near the U.S. District Court for the Western District of La., and the La. Second Circuit Court of Appeal, LC indicated in a press release. Original plans had the law school being housed in the CBN/United Mercantile Building, also located in downtown Shreveport. On Sept. 1, 2010, LC announced that $3.1 million of the historic building’s purchase price would be donated to the college by the building’s … [Read more...]
Louisiana DR units leap into action after bad storms
By Philip Timothy, Message Staff Writer RAYNE – Just two weeks after attending a regional Disaster Relief training session at Acadian Baptist Center, the 10 from First Baptist Church Rayne who participated found themselves putting that training to use. [img_assist|nid=7172|title=Rayne Tornado|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]On Saturday, March 5, an EF-2 tornado, packing 130 mile-per-hour winds, cut a swath of destruction five miles long and three football fields wide through the northwest corner of Rayne, a small southwest Louisiana town west of Lafayette. According to the state Fire Marshal’s office, 42 houses were destroyed, 48 sustained major damage, 79 sustained minor to moderate damage and another 514 some damage – primarily the loss of shingles or other roofing materials. The savage storm also took the life of 21-year-old Jalisa Granger – who was protecting her child when a tree fell on her house – and injured 11 others. [img_assist|nid=7173|title=Rayne Tornado|desc=The sign leading to Rayne High School was one of the many structures damaged by an EF-2 tornado packing 130 mile-per-hour winds that hit the southwest Louisiana town Saturday, March … [Read more...]
Crockett Point looks past judgement during solemn assembly
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor CROWVILLE – Fellowship wasn’t a problem. Neither were finances. But Crockett Point wasn’t growing, baptisms last year were down by 25 percent or more, and Pastor Joe Senn had grown complacent, he now admits. [img_assist|nid=7175|title=Crockett Point|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]“I was not hearing from God like I had been,” Senn said. “My personal relationship with God was not where it needed to be, same with my wife and everybody else. I had really grown cold, indifferent.” He didn’t realize this, however, until he read a book he received at the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s annual meeting last November, Senn said. The book: Returning to Holiness, by Gregory R. Frizzell of Oklahoma. “It talked about Solemn Assemblies and how to do one,” Senn said. “I kept saying, ‘This would be good for my church,’ but then it came to me, ‘This would be good for me.’ I was just dry, complacent. I had gotten to that place where you are content with the status quo.” Perhaps a dozen churches across Louisiana have held a Solemn Assembly this year, some in response to Southern Baptist Convention president Bryant Wright’s call to … [Read more...]
Facing the Cooperative Program Challenge
By David E. Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention As Cooperative Program Day (April 11) approaches, the CP has been receiving high profile attention by Southern Baptists. We have been asking about the future of this 85 year-old missions funding network. The good news is that the SBC in adopting the Great Commission Resurgence Report last June once again affirmed the CP as the primary means for supporting our common missions work as Louisiana Baptists and as Southern Baptists. The bad news is that we have not yet managed to reverse the rapid 25-year decline in the average percentage of church receipts forwarded to missions through the Cooperative Program (from 10.5 percent in 1984 to under 6 percent in 2009). This decline represents the strategic Cooperative Program Challenge. The churches that make up our state and national conventions are the only ones who can successfully meet the challenge. [img_assist|nid=7177|title=The CP Squeeze|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=464]What steps must be taken by the churches? 1. Southern Baptist churches must re-value our common ministries. Southern Baptist churches, by definition, are those … [Read more...]
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