By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAKE CHARLES – Parents and children will have the opportunity to serve alongside one another during the upcoming Family Serve weekend in Lake Charles. Scheduled for Sept. 25-26, Family Serve will encourage families to be on mission through a variety of local ministries in the city. The weekend begins on Sept. 25 at 5:30 pm, with a dinner, opening worship and mission team social at First Baptist Church in Lake Charles. The following day, families will eat breakfast and worship together before heading out to work at mission sites. Mission opportunities on Sept. 26 include sharing the gospel at block parties, prayer walking in neighborhoods, operating free wellness checks at a block party and assisting church plants with outreach. The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will have its Mobile Pregnancy Care Center stationed at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church to offer free ultrasound and pregnancy testing. Family Serve weekend will conclude with a worship celebration, led by Jeff Slaughter who wrote songs for LifeWay Christian Resources’ Vacation Bible School for 16 years. The $40 registration cost per person includes program fee, three meals, church lodging, t-shirt and funds for local … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2015
American Sniper’s widow to share testimony Aug. 30 at First Bossier
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY – The widow of American Sniper Chris Kyle will share her testimony during two worship services at First Baptist Bossier City on Aug. 30. Taya Kyle will share about her husband’s commitment to fighting for his country and the impact his Christian faith had on him. Throughout his book that became a New York Times bestseller, Chris Kyle mentions numerous times of his reliance on Christ. Known as the most lethal sniper in US military history with more than 160 kills, Kyle was honorably discharged in 2009. He died in 2013 while visiting a shooting range with a friend when another man, Eddie Ray Routh, allegedly killed the two men. His story was made into the movie “American Sniper” and was released in 2014. She will speak during the 9:15 and 10:45 am worship services as part of the church’s “Honor Our Heroes Sunday.” Active military, police, firemen and first responders will be honored during the services and at a breakfast reception at 8:15 am and lunch at 12 pm. Brad Jurkovich, pastor of First Bossier, said the day allows his church to actively serve those who protect them. “We need to encourage these families as much as possible,” Jurkovich said. “They all are on the … [Read more...]
Faithfulness, courage lift state past Katrina
By Will Hall, Message Editor NEW ORLEANS – A decade ago, it was difficult to see anything more than the devastation that accompanied Katrina as she swept across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. But looking back now, it’s possible to see the triumph that emerged from the tragedy. After passing over the Florida panhandle as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, then weakening to a tropical storm, Katrina grew in ferocity fueled by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, growing in intensity to a 200-mile wide Category 5 tempest. But before it made a predicted direct hit on New Orleans, dry air from the Midwest absorbed some of its energy, dropping it to a strong Category 3 system and causing it to shift direction, making landfall about 25 miles east of the city, according to the Houston Chronicle. Moreover, the winds over New Orleans (where the weakest part of the storm passed) reached only Category 1 levels and the storm surge failed to top the levees as predicted. But, where a natural disaster of the predicted magnitude failed to materialize in New Orleans a manmade one burst forth. Levees along the Mississippi River held, but some holding back Lake Ponchartrain, Lake Borgne and the waterlogged swamps and … [Read more...]
Leavell College, NOBTS mourns the loss of beloved professor, John Gibson
By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications Director NEW ORLEANS – The first day of a new semester was marred by sadness as New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Leavell College students learned of the death of beloved professor John Gibson. Gibson, 56, died Aug. 24. A memorial service for Gibson will be held in Leavell Chapel on the seminary campus Aug. 28, at 10:30 a.m. The service is a joint effort between NOBTS and First Baptist Church, New Orleans where Gibson’s wife, Christi, served as minister of discipleship and missions. Gibson was discovered at his home on the seminary campus at approximately 5:30 p.m., Aug. 24, by his wife when she arrived home from work. After finding Gibson unresponsive, she immediately notified emergency medical service. EMS workers were unable to revive him, and Gibson was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death is still undetermined. Born in Louisiana to a long line of Baptist ministers, Gibson spent many of his formative years in Mississippi where his father served in pastoral ministry. Gibson earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi College and went on to earn a master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees at NOBTS. Gibson served as youth minister and … [Read more...]
Long-term investors should focus on objectives during market volatility
By Timothy Head, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS — Monday’s stock market drop, on the heels of disappointing performance over the last few days, led to headlines and some investor concerns, but long-term investors should continue to consider their objectives and time horizons. David S. Spika, global investment strategist at GuideStone Capital Management, LLC, offered a commentary posted on GuideStone’s website explaining the nature of current volatility, as well as offered perspective on the current market. “As volatility rises, the best course of action is to ensure you invest with active managers who possess a strong track record, stay focused on the long term, and remain well diversified,” Spika wrote, likening market volatility to a roller coaster. Many observers have expected some level of correction to occur at some point given that markets had been on a long-term growth pattern since the market trough in 2009. The S&P 500 Index®, spurred on by quantitative easing and a near-zero Fed Funds rate, had gained more than 200% since 2009 and has not had a 10% or greater correction in more than three years, Spika observed. Active management firms, like GuideStone, are thought by many to be better suited for … [Read more...]
Injunction extended while GuideStone awaits appeal
By Timothy E. Head, Baptist Press DALLAS (BP) -- The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 21 it would keep in place the preliminary injunction won by GuideStone earlier at the District Court level while GuideStone's appeals it case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The preliminary injunction, which protects certain ministries from providing abortion-causing drugs or devices in their health plan, or face crippling fines, was first issued by a federal judge in December 2013. Upon the government's appeal, a three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit of Appeals ruled 2-1 to end the injunction. GuideStone, along with co-plaintiffs Reaching Souls International, an Oklahoma-based missions-sending organization, and Truett-McConnell College, a Georgia Baptist institution, appealed the Tenth Circuit's ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court in July. Churches and integrated auxiliaries of churches, including GuideStone, are already exempt from the mandate and its penalties as religious employers. GuideStone's current litigation was sought to protect other ministries it serves, such as children's homes, colleges and other ministries not controlled by a church or association of churches, from the mandate and its penalties. "What this means is … [Read more...]
Janet Huckabee to visit Louisiana College
By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Mrs. Janet Huckabee, wife of presidential hopeful Governor Mike Huckabee, will visit Louisiana College Aug. 26 for an hour-long open forum. Mrs. Huckabee will arrive at approximately 11 a.m. and will address the public shortly thereafter in the Granberry Conference Center. She will entertain questions from the media following her public comments. Pastors are cordially invited to attend as honored guests with reserved seating. At the close of Mrs. Huckabee’s remarks there will be a time for prayer. Pastors and/or church groups planning to attend should notify Louisiana College via the contact info above. This event is free and open to the public. … [Read more...]
Chick-fil-A blocked from Denver airport for now
By David Roach, Baptist Press DENVER (BP) - A committee of the Denver City Council has stalled what was expected to be routine approval of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at the Denver International Airport after at least four council members expressed disapproval of the company's alleged opposition to same-sex marriage. During an Aug. 18 hearing, council member Robin Kniech said she was concerned about a local franchise generating "corporate profits used to fund and fuel discrimination," The Denver Post reported. Councilman Paul Lopez compared the pro-family stances of some Chick-fil-A leaders to presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments about immigration and other issues, calling opposition to the airport restaurant "really, truly a moral issue." The council's Business Development Committee will take up the matter again at its Sept. 1 meeting. At issue is whether to approve a seven-year lease for a Chick-fil-A that would be operated by a 60-40 partnership involving Atlanta-based Concessions International and Denver's Delarosa Restaurant Concepts. Chick-fil-A would receive 7 percent of the restaurant's profits, according to The Post. If the committee rejects the lease, an individual member could still introduce the matter … [Read more...]
David Hankins: Remembering Katrina
ALEXANDRIA – It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since hurricane Katrina left her mark across southeast Louisiana. Who can forget how we felt when we saw the broken levees, the flooded homes and churches, the devastation at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the Superdome refugees and the broken lives. Just a month later, approximately 200 miles to the west, Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana were coming to grips with the devastation left in the wake of hurricane Rita. As Louisiana Baptists from New Orleans returned home to the devastation, Southern Baptists were there with hot meals, prayer, counsel and their own sweat to start the processes of rebuilding. While we helped those in need, opportunity after opportunity occurred and Southern Baptists shared the transforming gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dennis Watson, pastor of Celebration Church in New Orleans, saw first-hand the combined strength of Southern Baptists. "Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the Celebration Church Relief Center served over 117,000 families. This was for a period of 9 months and with the help of over 20,000 volunteers,” (most were Southern Baptists). Through all of the disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding, thousands of … [Read more...]
Katrina: Personal reflections from Pastor Dennis Watson
By Dennis Watson, Senior Pastor, Celebration Church NEW ORLEANS – On the weekend before Hurricane Katrina we had 2,051 people in worship. God was blessing our ministry and we were growing significantly. Then Hurricane Katrina came. Both of our campuses were inundated by the waters of Hurricane Katrina. Our largest campus on Airline Drive was hit with a seven foot wave of water. It was under water for two and a half weeks. We lost everything at that campus. Our smaller campus on Transcontinental Drive that we had just procured was also flooded. Fortunately it was flooded by the rainwater of Katrina— the fresh water not the salt in the sewage canal that flooded our Airline campus. We were able to get in quickly and gut out the facility with the aid of volunteers from around the nation and resume services one month after Katrina. The day that Katrina hit, I was in Lafayette. I had said I would never evacuate for a hurricane, but my daughter and my son-in-law came to me with my two little grandsons and said ‘we’re not leaving if you don’t leave.’ I couldn’t imagine those two little boys having to swim out. One was just a tiny baby, and I couldn’t risk them. So we all evacuated. I saw the satellite images of the … [Read more...]
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