By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Alexis Benoit was a faithful follower of Christ as a child until, at age 14, she succumbed to the desires of the world.
But a recent invitation to attend services at Trinity Baptist Church, Lake Charles, brought the 22-year-old mother of two children back to church for the first time in eight years, and she renewed her relationship with Christ through baptism, Dec. 5, at a grand opening service of Trinity’s remodeled central venue worship center.
“It had been heavy on my heart and mind to take this step,” Benoit told the Baptist Message. “I was sitting in the church service after my baptism and realized all my anxiety and negative thoughts had gone away. I am just trying to be a better example for my kids because they deserve a mom who is deeply committed to Jesus.”
RESTORED
Benoit was among three believers baptized during the special service, while another three converts stirred the baptismal waters, Dec. 1, during a special prayer and dedication time at the facilities.
Since September, Trinity Baptist has baptized 21 persons who have made first time professions of faith, that compares to 29 for the prior 12 months, September 2020 to August 2021.
David Doyle, pastor of students and evangelism at Trinity, said the recent baptisms symbolize the church’s passion for reaching others for Christ.
“Jesus says the Great Commission is to lead people to Jesus and baptized them,” Doyle said. “Our goal each week is to see life change in the Lake area. It’s been such a blessing to be a part of this and see God change lives.”
LIGHTHOUSE
More than 1,600 members and guests packed the newly remodeled central venue worship center, Dec. 5, for two special services. The center, which sustained heavy damage from Hurricanes Laura and Delta, was a key lighthouse to the community during the multiple natural disasters of 2020 and 2021, serving as a hub for ministry to hurricane survivors, relief workers and law enforcement personnel.
“Lake Charles dealt with COVID like everyone else did, then when you added two hurricanes, then had the freeze in February and then the floods in May, you have the makeup for a very challenging year,” Pastor Steve James said. “Our folks were up to the challenge. We have got a core of people at Trinity who helped us carry on despite all of the difficulties we faced.”
Renovations to the 27,000-square-foot central venue that began in January 2020 were completed last month. With theatre-style seating for 1,000, it is the largest of three venues used for various worship services on the 39-acre campus: the central venue hosts blended-style worship, the north venue features contemporary worship, and the chapel venue is home to the Hispanic service.
Disaster relief volunteers with state Baptist conventions from around the country and as well as with other organizations joined with up to 50 Trinity Baptist members each day to use the church as a launching pad for ministry as part of disaster relief efforts. Moreover, local law enforcement utilized the campus as a staging area, creating even greater visibility for the campus within the community.
In addition to the central venue, Trinity also is remodeling other areas of the campus, including its education and office spaces. Work is expected to be completed by January.
“This has been a long process,” said Greg Bath, Trinity’s executive pastor of administration. “The pandemic, then three hurricanes, a flood, and a major freeze have impacted material and labor resources in our area, but we are so thankful to finally see these projects being completed and the reopening of our entire campus.”
James said the renovated facility helps to position the church to continue reaching the Lake Charles area for many generations.
“A generation ago God gave our church a vision and a task to accomplish and almost 22 years ago through prayer, faith, and financial sacrifice; we relocated our campus to South Lake Charles,” said James, Trinity’s pastor for more than 25 years. “Today, we see a new generation looking to sustain the future of Trinity’s mission to reach and minister to the Lake area for years to come.”
