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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

You should always choose life

DAVID CROSBY, Pastor First Baptist Church New Orleans   A woman came to see me recently who was struggling with guilt about an abortion she had many years ago. She was worried that this might be an unforgivable sin. She also wondered if current events of great difficulty in her life might be punishment from God for the abortion.   Some things are very hard to get out of our heads and hearts. Some things stay there forever.   … [Read more...]

The church, as an institution, must also be vigilant

  Chester Quarles, Professor Emeritus Criminal Justice at the University of Mississippi   Individual victims may be significantly harmed in any crime.   When the crime occurs at church, however, the danger is that the fellowship may be harmed, along with attendance.   Folks don’t ordinarily worship at sites they are afraid to visit. There is also a strong liability issue. When a civil suit results from a harm at your site, the usual claim is that the church "did not exercise ordinary care."   … [Read more...]

But Sister Cindy is a better preacher than Brother Bob

JAMES LAW,   Pastor First Baptist Church Gonzales I remember well my first year at the University of Kentucky walking through the free speech area and hearing a woman with a high shrill voice waxing eloquent in open air.   I remember her name was "Sister Cindy," and she was quite skilled in enumerating the sexual sins of college co-eds.   Her voice took me back to childhood, when one of the neighborhood moms would yell at her son early in the morning to get the trash to curb before the garbage truck passed.   … [Read more...]

NAMB’s Ezell explains his proposed strategy

STAFF, Baptist Press   ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell plans to propose new strategy, new vice presidents and a staff reorganization when he meets with NAMB trustees at a board meeting scheduled for Feb. 9 in Alpharetta, Ga.     … [Read more...]

Computers add new dimension to Global Maritime Ministries Center

MARILYN STEWART, Regional Reporter   NEW ORLEANS – What does it take to impact the world? Just how far is the other side of the globe?   For New Orleans Port Chaplain (and NOBTS student) Norman Mangum, the answer is 12,296 steps. That’s the distance he covers each Sunday as he walks nine floors of the Norwegian cruise ship Spirit, ministering to crewmembers from 67 countries.   … [Read more...]

Living Waters hosts annual DR roundtable, banquet

STAN STATHAM, Special to the Message   Loranger – Camp Living Waters welcomed more than 85 Louisiana Baptists to the annual Disaster Relief Roundtable Friday night, Jan. 21.   "We are committed to disaster relief," said Keith Maddox, director of the camp in southeastern Louisiana. "Our assistant director, Tom Long, is the state coordinator for the Southeast region." Camp Living Waters houses several disaster units owned by churches and associations throughout southeast Louisiana.   … [Read more...]

Sellers Maternity Ministries celebrates 90 years of service

MARK H. HUNTER, Special to the Message EDITOR’S NOTE – Some names mentioned in this story have been changed to protect their privacy.   CENTRAL [img_assist|nid=7055|title=Sellers Ministries|desc=Stanley and Marlene Cheatham donated his family home and property in Central to the Family Ministries in 2000, which was used as a satellite campus for residential child care. In 2007 the Cheatham Oaks campus was transitioned into the current Sellers home for pregnant young women.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=73]– When Cassy Maxwell fled Houston, Texas, and her abusive boyfriend two years ago, she ended up in Baton Rouge homeless and pregnant.   "I googled ‘maternity home, Baton Rouge’ and Sellers turned up," said the 20 year-old mother of Jonah Maxwell, now 21 months old. "It’s funny how God works and leads you to places."   All her belongings were in a friend’s car. "I had no place to go ... I didn’t believe in God at all," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "But the moment I stepped foot in here, my life changed. I’ll never be the same again."   Maxwell is graduating from a nursing school this month and will soon become a licensed practical nurse. She has a home, a healthy son … [Read more...]

Churches statewide minister through food banks

By BRIAN BLACKWELL, Special to the Message   STATEWIDE – Carolyn Stansell had an extra reason to offer gratitude during the most recent Thanksgiving season.   About a dozen first through sixth graders she co-teaches at Pineville Park Baptist Church spearheaded an effort to give about 400 pounds of canned goods that were donated to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.   Each year the Children in Action group at the Pineville church chooses a missions project to coincide with World Hunger Awareness Month. This year the children placed boxes throughout the church building with the goal of collecting donated food along with money that would be used to purchase the canned goods.   [img_assist|nid=6926|title=Calvary Food Bank|desc=Members of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria sort and package food items at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. The Food Bank recently honored Calvary for its volunteer and financial efforts with the Make a Difference Award.|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]     "Seeing the results with what our children did is very rewarding," Stansell said. "Sometimes children learn more about His love through giving away."   Pineville Park is one of countless … [Read more...]

Shoeboxes filled in Louisiana set for global distribution

    By KAREN L. WILLOUGHBY, Managing Editor   STATEWIDE – Churches large and small across the state, and of several denominations, filled shoeboxes this year for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization.   [img_assist|nid=6949|title=Shoeboxes filled in Louisiana set for global distribution|desc=About 50 volunteers at Hebron Baptist Church in Bush helped pack more than 3,000 shoeboxes on Big Box Party day. “I believe God has called our entire church to the shoebox ministry,” said co-coordinator Shelli Herring. “So many people surrended to that call this year.” Above: Mikayla Strain, 11.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]The unofficial total was 88,314 shoeboxes from Louisiana alone, said Bryce Wilks, a ministry spokesman for the Texas/Louisiana regional office of Operation Christmas Child.   "That’s up more than 7,500 shoeboxes from last year," Wilks said. "The New Orleans collection center went from 9,300 last year to 12,000 this year. That was the biggest increase in any of the eight regional collection centers in Louisiana."   The shoeboxes were trucked from Louisiana to Denver, Colo., and then potentially to more than 100 … [Read more...]