Sammy Gilbreath lives like he’s dying because he knows he is. PINEVILLE – Sammy Gilbreath lives like he’s dying because he knows he is. Gilbreath, evangelism director for the Alabama Baptist Convention, was one of the speakers for the 2008 Evangelism Conference, which took place at Louisiana College Jan. 21-22. He talked about his medical condition – “I’m carrying the largest blood clot in the world” at the bottom of my heart, and a weakened vessel wall – which his doctor told him meant he could at any moment, without warning, die instantly. “No one in this room is promised tomorrow; I’m no different from you,” Gilbreath said. “If you will learn to live like you’re dying, passion will not be a problem.” The four sessions of the Evangelism Conference covered The Power, The People, The Passion, and The Plan. Nine messages were interspersed with worship led by This Hope, and prayers by members of the Louisiana College faculty. The two-day event was streamed live on www.lbc.org, which some said might have accounted for a smaller-than-anticipated attendance, and recorded for lasting reflection – see the ad on p. 12. The evangelism conference also included a Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon, five, 3-hour … [Read more...]

An unknown author wrote, “God gave us music that we might pray without words.” TIOGA – An unknown author wrote, “God gave us music that we might pray without words.” For almost seven decades, Mabel Hargis Smith has used her amazing talents to insure a multitude have had just such an opportunity. Now 90 years old, the former well-known music teacher at Tioga Senior High and a highly respected pianist/organist for Tioga First Baptist no longer maintains the pace she once did, but it doesn’t mean the music has stopped.  “I don’t play as much as I used to play,” said Smith, who spends much of her time caring for Thomas, her husband of 57 years, at a nursing home just outside of Rosepine, “but I still try to play when I can.” It’s her love, and it has been for all these many years. Smith said she took great pleasure in spreading her love for music to the multitude of students and people, which she would eventually touch. Whether it was at the high school or at the church, she was a shining example to all who came to know her, friends say. “I believe God blessed me with a talent, and I felt He wanted me to pass it on to others,” Smith said. “I also believe the Lord wanted me to contribute in as many ways that I … [Read more...]

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Seminary professor Terri Stovall wants churches to “understand the current trends of the aging population that will balloon over the next 50 years, to examine what Scripture says to seniors, families and the church, and to [offer] practical ways to meet the needs associated with the elderly.”  FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Seminary professor Terri Stovall wants churches to “understand the current trends of the aging population that will balloon over the next 50 years, to examine what Scripture says to seniors, families and the church, and to [offer] practical ways to meet the needs associated with the elderly.” Stovall, who teaches women’s ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, asks, “How does our theology and ecclesiology come together to truly care for the aged and care for those who are the caregivers?” Stovall, who addressed the topic during a family conference at the Texas seminary last fall, is concerned that many churches could be “blindsided by the intense needs and issues” of an aging population. Such issues include helping church members care for aging parents; ministering to the increasing number of homebound members; and providing ministry opportunities for … [Read more...]

Need some fresh ideas for effective nursing home and homebound ministry? Ministering to seniors: Energized by creativity  GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – Need some fresh ideas for effective nursing home and homebound ministry? Consider these: Manicure team – They show up at the nursing home each Tuesday at 10 a.m. with their plastic totes full of polish and nail files. Every week a long row of ladies in wheelchairs and walkers wait behind each nail table. No, they’re not professional nail technicians. They’re just a team of ladies from a local church, ready to minister with a listening ear, a gentle touch, nail polish and a prayer. Monthly birthday party – Make every resident feel special by planning a party for nursing home residents with birthdays each month. Stock a portable party box with balloons, streamers and birthday plates and napkins. Take a cake or cupcakes. Offer a prayer and Scripture for the birthday honorees. Adopt a grandparent – Teens, children or adults in your church can make a yearlong commitment to make weekly visits to their adopted “grandparent.” A nursing home director or minister at your church can provide names of residents or homebound members who need visitors. Lord’s Supper – Deacons from … [Read more...]

CEDAR GROVE, LECOMPTE For the people of Cedar Grove, the future is about family. Pastor Lee Taylor said the church, which typically hosts close to 40 people on Sunday mornings, is hoping to attract young families to the church through a somewhat unconventional tool for growth. “We’re fixing to start to have some type of family night,” Taylor said. “We’ll have a little food, maybe watch a movie. We’re going to try to get some of our Sunday morning folks to the evening service.” The congregation reaches out through other means as well. “We do some home visitation,” Taylor said. “We have a couple of ladies’ home Bible studies. Both are doing a Beth Moore study right now.” Additionally, Taylor said some of the ladies in the church have taken hold of an idea from the association WMU. “We make peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches and take them up to the LSU charity hospital at the airbase,” Taylor said. “It does appear to be a very good ministry.” It’s with a smile in his voice that the pastor, thinking of his congregation’s outreach programs, describes the sign outside the church building which, he says, sums up the character of the church very well. “It says ‘The country church that is missions-minded,’” … [Read more...]

FIRST MANDEVILLE Ken Schroeder and the people of First Mandeville take Jesus’ command to “go into all nations” quite literally. The church started a partnership, through the International Mission Board, with Nigeria in 2006. Why Nigeria? “We have some folks in our church from Nigeria,” Schroeder said. “We’ve made three mission trips to Jos, Nigeria. We adopted a people group to reach.” But the church’s support is by no means limited to financial support and the occasional mission trip. “The one God motivated to send to us to get us involved in international missions was added to the staff in 2006,” Schroeder said. “In June we actually started paying a church planter from Nigeria to live among the people [in Nigeria] and do evangelism. As a result of that, we’ve actually seen two churches started in the last two months.” Schroeder is pleased to report that some 65 people have come to know Christ in recent months. “There aren’t many churches in the state that are doing this, adopting unreached people groups,” he said. Schroeder added that supporting a staff member on-site in Nigeria isn’t something that’s completely out of reach for many churches. Describing the church’s salary and support for their … [Read more...]

COMINGS, GOINGS n  Scott Munson, new as minister of music at Florida Boulevard Baptist, from First Baptist, Livingston. n  Frank Nihart, new as minister of music at First Baptist, DeRidder, from First Baptist, Troy, Alabama. NEEDED n  Part-time music minister needed at First Baptist, Oakdale. Send resume to  117 South 12th St., Oakdale LA 71463 or email slaughlinfbc@bellsouth.net or call 318.335.1930. Stephen Laughlin is pastor. n  Associate pastor of education/administration is needed at First Baptist,  Ruston. Send resume to First  Baptist Church, Attn: Chris Craig, 200 South Trenton Street, Ruston LA 71270. LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS n  First Baptist, Franklinton, Goal: $7,500.00; Received: $15,106.50. Luther Stanford, pastor. REVIVALS n  JACKSON – Port Hudson Baptist revival services are set for 10:45 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, and 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 4-6. Joe Aulds, evangelist; Price Harris, music;  Joe Thibeau, pastor. n  SLAUGHTER – First Baptist revival services are set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, and 10:45 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. Joe Aulds, evangelist; Basil Wicker, pastor. n  FERRIDAY – Lake St. John Community Baptist revival services are set for 10:45 a.m. and 7 … [Read more...]

A majority of unchurched Americans are turned off by the institutional church and don’t have a biblical understanding about God and Jesus, yet they believe Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life and would enjoy an honest discussion with a friend about spiritual matters.  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A majority of unchurched Americans are turned off by the institutional church and don’t have a biblical understanding about God and Jesus, yet they believe Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life and would enjoy an honest discussion with a friend about spiritual matters. Those are just a few of the findings from a new study of unchurched Americans conducted by LifeWay Research in partnership with the North American Mission Board’s Center for Missional Research. LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, and the North American Mission Board are entities of the Southern Baptist Convention. The results of the study, which polled 1,402 adults who had not attended a religious service at a church, synagogue or mosque in the previous six months, are available at LifeWayResearch.com. The findings have important implications for Christian churches and individuals who want to reach … [Read more...]

Forced terminations in the Southern Baptist Convention were down during 2006, but those who issued the latest report say work remains to be done to reconcile conflicts between pastors and congregations.  ATLANTA (BP) – Forced terminations in the Southern Baptist Convention were down during 2006, but those who issued the latest report say work remains to be done to reconcile conflicts between pastors and congregations. The Southern Baptist Church-Minister Relations Association found that 680 fulltime and bivocational pastors were forced out of their positions in 2006, plus 265 staff members. While the total of 945 is 27 percent lower than the 1,302 reported for 2005, a former LifeWay Christian Resources staff member who conducted the survey pointed out that the report lacked input from four state conventions. Barney Self, a former pastoral counselor with LifeWay, said the omissions mean the actual number of terminations may have been closer to 1,100. The Southern Baptist Church-Minister Relations Association, encompassing state convention officials who work in the area of church-pastoral relations, compiles its annual survey with the help of nearly 1,100 SBC directors of missions from across the country. Their … [Read more...]

When a pastor’s phone rings at midnight, it often signals an emergency or tragedy – and early morning ministry. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – When a pastor’s phone rings at midnight, it often signals an emergency or tragedy – and early morning ministry. John Sharp, pastor of North Point Community Church in Columbia, S.C., rolled over to answer his phone around midnight last summer. Bob Hataway – a chaplain for the North American Mission Board who heads up TransAlive, a ministry to professional truckers – was on the line, telling Sharp that a driver from Columbia had been killed in an accident. Hataway asked Sharp if he’d minister to the family in crisis. “My first thought was, ‘Is this real or could this be a dangerous prank or scam?’ After confirming its validity, my thought shifted to, ‘Can’t you find someone else?’ I just couldn’t seem to hang up the phone or give a good enough reason not to accept the opportunity,” Sharp recounted. “God wanted me to answer the phone that night and play a small part in ministering to a family in need.” And Sharp did. Hataway, a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, said Sharp is one of many pastors grateful for the opportunity to be used by God in crisis ministry. Of … [Read more...]