By KAREN L. WILLOUGHBY, Managing Editor BALL – When first-grader Emma Miller heard that her friend from the concession stand at Upward Soccer had cancer and was going to be treated for it at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., she remembered that at her school the previous spring, someone had been collecting the tabs from aluminum cans for St. Jude. Emma decided to do the same. She got an emptied and cleaned gallon milk jug, and put a sign on it: “Tabs for Jacob.” But her family – parents Chuck and Kristetta Miller, 11-year-old sister Kailyn and 6-year-old Emma – didn’t drink enough soda pop for the container to fill very fast. [img_assist|nid=6798|title=Emma Miller shows a bucket filled with aluminum can tabs she has collected to help a friend undergoing cancer treatment|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]Something more needed to be done. But what? Emma took the jug to her 7th birthday party a couple of weeks later, and provided soda pop for all her guests. Still not much of a dent. The youngster not yet in the second grade – this took place in the summer of 2009 – decided she would have to enlist help. She wrote a speech, and gave it to her Sunday school class. She gave the same speech … [Read more...]

By ERIN ROACH, Baptist Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – During a brief greeting to Executive Committee members in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 21, Frank Page, president-elect of the Executive Committee, emphasized the importance of partnerships in the Gospel ministry. “The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 1 that there is a partnership in the Gospel. The New King James Version calls it a fellowship, but most versions call it a partnership in the Gospel,” said Page, who became president Oct. 1. “I want to pledge to you my partnership with you. I pledge that to you, and when I say I am a partner with you, that means a great deal to me because partners work alongside one another. They take care of one another.” Page said the Greek term paraclete, though often translated “comforter” or “encourager,” comes from classic Greek literature in which two Greek soldiers were paired together. “When the fighting got intense and even became hand-to-hand combat, one’s paraclete backed up to your back and you fought to the front and to the side, knowing that someone was behind you protecting that which you could not protect yourself,” Page, who was elected in June, told EC members. “To me, that’s a partnership. That’s where I want us to … [Read more...]

SAO PAULO (BP) – Scriptures, prayers and random thoughts – scrawled in white ink – cover the prayer room’s black walls. “For nothing is impossible with God.” “Whatever it takes.” “Intentional.” “Spontaneous.” “Show us your glory.” “Give us the nations.”[img_assist|nid=6804|title=IMB Journeyman Christ Black baptizes a Brazilian university student through the outreach of Zoe Marajoara.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66] “Use me.” The words reflect something big God is doing in Sao Paulo, Brazil – population 23 million. The Christian students who wrote them share a vision for reaching Sao Paulo’s 1 million university students for Christ. Nearly three years ago, in the Sao Paulo neighborhood of Marajoara, IMB missionaries Chris and Melody Julian started “Igrega Zoe Marajoara” (Zoe Marajoara Church). Its members simply call it “Zoe,” Greek for “abundant life.” “I never saw myself as a church planter, but God did,” says Chris, whose background is in student and youth ministry. “We just took a leap of faith and said, ‘Let’s start this thing.’” The Julians, from Memphis, Tenn., had tried to reach students through Bible studies on several Sao Paulo campuses. “But we never really saw any fruit,” Melody … [Read more...]

BY KAREN L. WILLOUGHBY, Managing Editor ALEXANDRIA – When asked “How do you maintain your vision for the lost?” Wayne Jenkins responds, “by seeking them out in the normal traffic patterns of life.” Also, “I plan involvement in activities that are intentionally evangelistic, like prison revivals, Crossovers, and mission trips. [img_assist|nid=6806|title=Wayne Jenkins, Evangelism/Church Growth Team Leader|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=79|height=100]For the last 20 years, Jenkins has been the Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism Director. During a re-organization five years ago, the Church Growth Division was added. Jenkins has been sharing his faith since he was a teenager. “I went to my pastor, shortly after I became a Christian, and asked him how I could share my faith,” Jenkins said. “I was 16, and that desire to share with people never left. It became a part of who I am. God opens the door to talk with someone and when we are obedient to walk through the open door He empowers us.” A Louisiana native, Jenkins loves evangelism – sharing Christ with people – and he loves pastors across the state. “Our job [LBC’s evangelism/church growth team] is to assist local churches in becoming strong, evangelistic … [Read more...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Many churches begin the new Sunday School year with a Promotion Day or Advancement Day. On that Sunday, children move “up” to a new class and meet new teachers. Many adult classes soon forget about those who would be class members were they not serving as teachers. Here are a few ideas your class can use to make sure you honor these important “associate” members of your class. Visually celebrate your classes’ “Missionaries to Kids.” Devote a wall or poster as a visual reminder of your associate members. Put “Our Missionaries to Kids” across the top. Take a digital photograph of them teaching for the display. Pray for one of your associate members each week. Here is how that might sound: “We’re glad to have some guests join us today for Bible study. You can see that we have a nice group of people in our class, but this isn’t all of us. Some of our class members serve as ‘missionaries to kids’ during Sunday School. Their names, photos and places of service are on the display. This morning, we are going to pray for Jim and Linda Schultz who serve in the two-year-old class. Jim and Linda have been married for 10 years and have twin girls, Sam and Kaley ....” Be sure that your “missionaries to kids” … [Read more...]

Bluff Creek Baptist Church in Clinton helped interim pastor Ed Jenkins celebrate his 85th birthday. Members surprised him with cake, brought in by local volunteer firemen, 85 red roses and dinner on the grounds. Jenkins has been preaching in southeast Louisiana for over 57 years and is "still going strong", said church member Linda Furr. [img_assist|nid=6809|title=Bluff Creek Baptist Interim Pastor Ed Jenkins celebrates his 85th birthday.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67] … [Read more...]

Compiled by Joanne Brechtel DEATHS RUSTON – Dick Paige, 79, died Sept. 26; he served as pastor of Fair Park Baptist, West Monroe, for eight years. WEST MONROE – Don Roberts, 75, died Aug. 16; he retired from Plain Dealing Baptist as pastor in 1999 and pastored several other Louisiana and Texas churches between 1954 and 1999. ANNIVERSARIES AND HOMECOMINGS BLANCHARD – First Baptist: 125th Anniversary Celebration 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7; James Hill, speaker; Stan Wallace, Bubba Talbert, music; lunch following service; Doug Allen, pastor. CLINTON – Bluff Creek Baptist: Homecoming 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31; Kimberly Welker, soloist; Terry Ellis, speaker; dinner on the grounds; Bluff Creek Boys concert; Ed Jenkins, interim pastor. RAYVILLE – Eastside Baptist: Homecoming 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 14; Johnny Smith, speaker; Blessed Assurance, music; Bill Gueringer, pastor. JONESBORO – First Baptist: 150th Anniversary 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 reception; 6 p.m. banquet; Southern Grace in concert; 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7 worship; John Alley, guest speaker; Benjamin Harlan, music; Charles Wesley, pastor. LAFAYETTE – Northside Baptist: 70th Anniversairy Celebration 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31; dinner on the grounds; 2 p.m. … [Read more...]

By PHILIP TIMOTHY, Message Staff Writer MANDEVILLE – Typically, in these economically depressed times, one wouldn’t think a construction company would be adding divisions or personnel, but Kent Construction Inc. of Mandeville is not your typical company. The highly successful 15-year-old firm, licensed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, is not only flourishing, but is expanding its services with the addition of a Faith Division and the hiring of Adam Martin to head it. [img_assist|nid=6812|title=Kyle Kent, president of Kent Construction Co., and Adam Martin, head of the company s new Faith Division at FBC Covington|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]“I had been thinking about doing this for more than a year,” said Kyle Kent, president of Kent Construction. “How appealing would it be to a church for a construction company to come in and work biblically with that church and its congregation? “What makes Kent Construction different from other companies, you might ask? It’s our employees,” Kent said. “Kent Construction is driven by personable employees who enjoy working with their clients. We focus on building relationships with people in order to build successful projects. “It doesn’t matter whether … [Read more...]

By QUINN LAVESPERE, Message Summer Staff Writer VIVIAN – Kicking up dust sometimes means to stir up trouble. Pastor Dustie Dunn of First Baptist Church in Vivian is a dust-kicker – for Jesus Christ, that is. Since becoming pastor at First Vivian, Dunn has led his congregation on a tremendous spiritual outreach for the Vivian community. He also is the alternate to give the convention sermon for the 2010 annual meeting. [img_assist|nid=6814|title=Dustie Dunn has led First Baptist Vivian to love the people in its community, which resulted in 165 additions and 82 by baptism|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]“We love the people of Vivian,” Dunn said. “We love the people of the world too.” Dunn first became youth and children’s pastor at First Vivian after he graduated from Louisiana College in 2005. “My most exciting part is probably people who made decisions for Jesus and got saved,” Dunn said. “There’s also our outreach in our community. Since I became pastor in 2008, we’ve seen 165 additions, 82 of those additions by baptism. It’s been really exciting to see. “What I’m really excited about, though, is that our church has really come to celebrate people getting saved,” the pastor continued. “Whenever … [Read more...]

By Jason Hiles, Chair of Christian Studies Louisiana College In a previous article I discussed some of the implications of Jesus’ well-known declaration in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” With this statement Jesus was concerned to focus his disciples’ attention on the connection between the condition of their hearts and their faithfulness to His commands. [img_assist|nid=6816|title=Jason Hiles|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100] The burden of the previous article was to draw out the necessity of loving Christ in order to become genuinely obedient to Him. I noted that one may go through the motions of obedience and fulfill what appear to be the basic requirements of righteousness, and yet fail to obey the Lord by doing such things without love for Him. This loveless manner of life may be described as legalism, which basically amounts to performing right actions for all the wrong reasons. The Bible condemns such acts as sin. Legalism, however, is but one symptom of the spiritual disease of lovelessness toward God. Another symptom of deficient love is captured by the word “lawlessness.” Lawlessness stems from the false belief that one who has been saved by grace through faith … [Read more...]