Submitted by Baptist Message... on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 23:09 Hispanic Mission: Louisiana Baptist Builders and Kingdom Builders have joined forces in helping to build a church for Hispanic Baptists under the operating authority of First Baptist Church of Bernice. Bill and Joyce Temple are the the onsite coordinators for the Louisiana Baptist Builders. HAMMOND – Jerusalem Baptist Church in Hammond will soon be getting a check from the Louisiana Department of Revenue for $3,500, and it is all because they filled out some important paperwork and provided the right documentation. Can it really be that easy? Well, it may not be all that easy, but, yes, churches throughout Louisiana can get money back from the state. Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Search form Search See where Louisiana Baptists are serving this summer by clicking here for the summer missions map TwitterFacebook … [Read more...]

Submitted by Baptist Message... on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 23:11 This is my caption PINEVILLE – James Dobson’s message was a simple but poignant one: Don’t focus on your trophies – accomplishments – but rather your impact on the Kingdom of God. “I have learned if you live long enough life will eventually trash your trophies,” said the founder of Focus on the Family and author of 26 books. “If it’s not done for Jesus Christ, eventually your trophies won’t matter, much less be remembered.” Dobson, Edwin Meese III, and Alan Sears were presented with the Louisiana College Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award during a special chapel service in Guinn Auditorium as part of the annual celebration of LC’s founding on Oct. 3, 1906. … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 01:00 Obamacare Abortion Mandate: President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, at a Feb. 10 news conference, set forth modified HHS regulations on “Preventive Health Services and Religious Institutions,” which have since failed to alleviate First Amendment religious freedom concerns – and lawsuits. C-SPAN photo.   By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s religious freedom entity has joined the legal battle against the Obama administration’s abortion/contraception mandate in the first case to reach a federal appeals court. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief filed Oct. 12 that asked a federal appeals court to reverse the dismissal of two lawsuits against the controversial requirement under the 2010 health care law. The brief supports challenges by Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school in suburban Chicago, and Belmont Abbey College, a Roman Catholic institution in North Carolina, to the mandate that employers provide workers with health insurance that covers contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs. The ERLC -- and 10 other evangelical … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 01:00 Targeting men: Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptist Convention director of men’s ministry and volunteer strategist, served as the master of ceremonies for Blessing of the Hunt.   By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director COVINGTON – Matthew Smith understands the importance many men place on hunting in Louisiana. So when his pastor, Clark Stewart, and others at New Zion Baptist Church learned in late 2011 that a church in Mississippi used the sport to reach men with an evangelistic event, they felt bringing the same to South Louisiana would be an excellent inroad to reaching them for Christ. The result was 1,300 people – many of whom were men and young males – gathering for an evening of hunting tips, a free meal and door prizes. Not to mention 138 who received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior by the end of the evening. The event was one of many across the state designed to draw men who don’t regularly participate in church-related activities. Sponsored by the Northshore Baptist Association, Louisiana Baptist Convention evangelism team and six churches in Folsom and Covington, the first-ever Blessing of the Hunt drew men from as far away as … [Read more...]

  By Beth Masters, Special to the Message LAFAYETTE – In the car and on the way home from a conference, a college senior told her BCM director that she wanted to serve as a missionary after graduation, and from the back seat of the car came the voice of a sophomore saying “Me too, well – at least for the summer!” As the BCM director asked questions about where they wanted to serve and why they wanted to go, many of the answers pointed back to God’s work in their lives, and to Ignite. Ignite is a conference for college students that took place in September. It is designed to get students ignited for Jesus as they start a new school year and to stir a passion in their hearts for missions. As Ignite began and about 200 students gathered on Friday night at East Bayou Baptist Church, you could hear the squeals as students saw friends from other campuses; some students were running to greet each other, and overall a spirit of joy was present as the door opened. From that point on, students were challenged in worship, pushed to consider missions, and given time to fellowship with others. For students from New Orleans, the two most impactful times of the weekend were the Saturday afternoon session – where mission opportunities … [Read more...]

  By Beth Masters, Special to the Message LAFAYETTE – In the car and on the way home from a conference, a college senior told her BCM director that she wanted to serve as a missionary after graduation, and from the back seat of the car came the voice of a sophomore saying “Me too, well – at least for the summer!” As the BCM director asked questions about where they wanted to serve and why they wanted to go, many of the answers pointed back to God’s work in their lives, and to Ignite. Ignite is a conference for college students that took place in September. It is designed to get students ignited for Jesus as they start a new school year and to stir a passion in their hearts for missions. As Ignite began and about 200 students gathered on Friday night at East Bayou Baptist Church, you could hear the squeals as students saw friends from other campuses; some students were running to greet each other, and overall a spirit of joy was present as the door opened. From that point on, students were challenged in worship, pushed to consider missions, and given time to fellowship with others. For students from New Orleans, the two most impactful times of the weekend were the Saturday afternoon session – where mission opportunities … [Read more...]

  By Staff, Baptist Message ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES David Womack, pastor of Sherwood Baptist in Baton Rouge, is to retire Oct. 31, after 22 years at Sherwood and 47 in ministry. A reception is set for 2-4 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Sherwood fellowship hall. Jonathan and Bethany [last name removed for security], recently appointed by the International Mission Board, are preparing for assignment in Portugal, where they will teach at a seminary and help the 5,000 Baptists in that nation start new churches. She is the daughter of Randy Hales, DOM in Bienville and Webster-Claiborne Baptist Associations. Jonathan Nida, new as family minister at Norris Ferry. James Hill, new as pastor of Plain Dealing. Needed/Giving Pilgrim Rest Baptist in Covington seeks a part-time minister of youth. Send resume tollbodnar@bellsouth.net. Emmanuel Denham Springs seeks a youth pastor/director. Send resumes to the church at PO Box 279, Denham Springs LA 70727. Pastor: Max Landry. Northside Denham Springs seeks a bivocational part-time minister of music. Send resume to the church at 200 Cockerham Rd, Denham Springs LA 70726 or emailnorthsidebap@bellsouth.net. Pastor: Merlin McCon. Homecomings, Anniversaries, Revivals Horseshoe Baptist Mer Rouge: … [Read more...]

  By Kelly Boggs, Baptist Message Editor The word bully, according to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as a person or persons who “intimidate or persecute [someone weaker].” Though the practice has likely been around since the beginning of mankind’s existence, the advent of the Internet and proliferation of social media has given bullies new and innovative ways to torment their victims. Situations have occurred where the bullying has been so relentless and intense that victims were driven to commit suicide, a practice that is now referred to as “bullycide.” Bully, a documentary by Lee Hirsch that calls attention to the harsh reality of bullying, is currently showing in select theaters in the United States. The film focuses on students victimized by bullies and the families of children who committed suicide in response to being bullied. Though the motives for bullying are varied, they are irrelevant. It is a cowardly and despicable behavior that should never, ever be tolerated for any reason. That said, some lifestyle activists are taking advantage of the bully problem to push an agenda. In Louisiana, House Bill 407 was recently debated before the House Education Committee. The legislation sought to deal … [Read more...]