Wednesdays are delightful at New Prospect Baptist Church. I haven’t attended a Sunday service yet, but I plan to, because of a Wednesday’s. DRY PRONG – Wednesdays are delightful at New Prospect Baptist Church. I haven’t attended a Sunday service yet, but I plan to, because of a Wednesday’s. “Dry Prong” is just the church’s mailing address. Actually, they’re way out in the country, or it seems like it – 15 miles sort-of-north of the Baptist Building in Alexandria, a fact I apparently was not the first one to discover, judging from the slew of newer – nice! – homes in the area  near the church. Drive north on U.S. Highway 167 about 10 miles past Tioga, and there on your left is a big huge uptown-style, red-brick church sign. You’re not there yet.  Turn left at the sign; that’s Taylor Road. Wind around a ways down that road, and just about the time you think you’ve done something wrong, there’s the church on the left, surrounded by enough lawn to make a riding lawnmower tired. Inside you can tell New Prospect has added on here and there as they’ve grown from that original rectangular worship center the old Home Mission Board used to refer to as a “first unit building.” In other words, humble roots. Roots the … [Read more...]

Randy Hales, director of missions for the Bienville Baptist Association has a heart for young people, he says, and counts ministering to them as some of the most worthwhile experiences of his life. MINDEN – Randy Hales, director of missions for the Bienville Baptist Association has a heart for young people, he says, and counts ministering to them as some of the most worthwhile experiences of his life. As a certified teacher for first through eighth grades, Hales has always enjoyed children, he said. “Working with children, leading them to the Lord, baptizing them, and seeing them grow up and then bring their own children to church has always given me joy,” the DOM said. Hales, who has always done children’s sermons as a pastor, became known to children, many of whom are now grown, by a six-foot story stick with Biblical carvings, such as the ark, the head of Moses, the empty tomb, the crown of thorns and others, he said. Carved by Rodney Mason, Hales’ barber, the stick helped Hales draw the attention of the children as he told a Bible story, he said. Other special aids weren’t quite as useful, Hales said. Once, a box of baby chicks spilled over while Hales was trying to teach an Easter story about new birth. The … [Read more...]

Ray of Hope World Outreach Ministries has seen more than 800 people make professions of faith since its inception five years ago, said founder Michael Sammons. WEST MONROE – Ray of Hope World Outreach Ministries has seen more than 800 people make professions of faith since its inception five years ago, said founder Michael Sammons. Along with his wife Karen, who serves as co-director with him, Sammons became burdened about going after the unchurched on a full-time basis, he said, and so resigned from being a full-time pastor to found and direct Ray of Hope. “Leading people to the Lord is what the ministry is all about,” Sammons said, remembering a particular man named Tommy who’d come into the center with his arms bandaged, the result of a propane bottle exploding in his arms. “If you’d been killed, where would you be today?” Sammons asked Tommy. Tommy, tears in his eyes, indicated by nodding his head downward that he would have been in hell. “Is that what you wanted?” Sammons continued. “No, but I don’t know what to do about it,” Tommy said. Then, Sammons shared the gospel with Tommy, leading him through the plan of salvation. When Sammons asked the young man if he could lead him in prayer, Tommy simply … [Read more...]

Acadian Baptist Center (ABC) is gearing up for its Acadian Outdoor School (AOS), which camp officials hope to use to teach children the truth about God and his creation, said Guy Atkinson, outdoor education director at ABC. EUNICE – Acadian Baptist Center (ABC) is gearing up for its Acadian Outdoor School (AOS), which camp officials hope to use to teach children the truth about God and his creation, said Guy Atkinson, outdoor education director at ABC. The target audience for AOS is fifth through eighth grade students in home schools, private schools, public schools or charter schools, Atkinson said. The aim is to create opportunities to share the gospel. “For years I’ve dreamed about having an outdoor education ministry,” said James Newsom, ABC director.  “If we could get kids to have field trips during the week, it would be an additional ministry and give us additional exposure,” he added. “With the Christian schools and home schoolers we can ofter classes on creationism. With public schools, we can offer classes on birds and trees, but also be able to invite them back to evangelize them.” “We’ll be a witness, regardless, even to public school groups,” he added, indicating that just being on the ABC campus would … [Read more...]

Jim Ingram, pastor at First Baptist here, went looking to form a relationship with a new church plant and discovered a passionate flame for Christ in the coolness of Canada. BASTROP – Jim Ingram, pastor at First Baptist here, went looking to form a relationship with a new church plant and discovered a passionate flame for Christ in the coolness of Canada. The temperature on a summer day in the Canadian province of New Brunswick can reach as high as 73 degrees, a welcome relief, perhaps, to Ingram, who traveled there in early June to work with Dave Storey, church planter for Miramichi Valley Church.  “Dave is on fire for the Lord,” Ingram said. “He spends three or four hours a day just in prayer and Bible study getting himself ready to witness. I wish we could send everyone in [Louisiana] up there to spend time with him. His whole church is on fire. Everyone talks about Jesus.” A little over a year ago, Ingram, looking to form a relationship with a church plant that First Bastrop could support and encourage, contacted the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists, he said.  The convention referred Ingram to Gary Smith, a regional church planter in charge of the eastern part of Canada, the Louisiana pastor said.  Smith … [Read more...]

Jerry Blackmon uses granite as a lead-in, he said. ALEXANDRIA—Jerry Blackmon uses granite as a lead-in, he said. A businessman who installs granite tops into people’s kitchens, Blackmon looks for every opportunity to share the gospel, he said. And now he’s teaching others at Calvary Baptist the same approach. “I don’t like knocking on doors and presenting the gospel,” he said. “I feel like we run into enough folks on a daily basis that the opportunity is there for us to do more than we can get around to. I feel like we should look for opportunities in our work and play and in friendships for folks that don’t know the Lord.” Using granite as a lead-in for spiritual matters isn’t as difficult as it might sound, Blackmon continued. “ I don’t pass up an opportunity to remind people that God made that stuff and how unique it is,” he said. “I use that as a way to begin to talk about spiritual things with customers that I talk with everyday.” On July 15, Blackmon began teaching a course at Calvary that is designed to help others recognize and use everyday opportunities to share the gospel, he said. With material he’s modified from past courses, along with scripture, Blackmon plans to help his students examine reasons … [Read more...]

Sometime in the coming year – and for the first time in history – more people will live in cities than in rural areas. Sometime in the coming year – and for the first time in history – more people will live in cities than in rural areas. The movement of humanity into cities might never reverse. According to demographic forecasters, we face an “urban future,” with all its challenges and opportunities. “As recently as the early 20th century, the vast majority of the world’s people lived in the countryside and practiced subsistence farming,” writes Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute. “By 2005,” observes Flavin,  “the world’s urban population of 3.18 billion people constituted 49 percent of the total (global) population of 6.46 billion.” Surpassing the 50-percent urban total, Flavin adds, will mark “a significant milestone on the long road of civilization.” Consider these numbers and projections: n 20 cities or metro areas have populations of more than 10 million. But much of future growth will come in smaller cities (500,000 people and under). n In China, 200 million people (the equivalent of two-thirds of the U.S. population) have migrated from the countryside to cities over the last 10 … [Read more...]

In the course of human history few institutions have been more misunderstood and maligned than the Christian church. Indeed, it would be foolish to insist that the church is perfect, because it is made up of frail and fallible people like you and me. Unfortunately, the criticism being leveled against the church today is not only coming from those outside the church, but from those within. In the course of human history few institutions have been more misunderstood and maligned than the Christian church. Indeed, it would be foolish to insist that the church is perfect, because it is made up of frail and fallible people like you and me. Unfortunately, the criticism being leveled against the church today is not only coming from those outside the church, but from those within. However, those who have a gloom-and-doom attitude toward the church are certainly overstating the case. Surely, the picture is not as bad as some would have us believe. George Bernard Shaw, the Irish dramatist, playwright, and literary critic who at best was a mystic and at worst an atheist, once stated what would happen if the church went out of business for awhile. He proclaimed that it would have “a very salutary effect. It would soon evoke an … [Read more...]

Aren’t you offended? That is the question many evangelicals are being asked in the wake of a recent document released by the Vatican. Aren’t you offended? That is the question many evangelicals are being asked in the wake of a recent document released by the Vatican. The document declares that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church – or, in words the Vatican would prefer to use, the only institutional form in which the Church of Christ subsists. In the first place, I am not offended because this is not an issue in which emotion should play a key role. This is a theological question, and our response should be theological, not emotional. Secondly, I am not offended because I am not surprised. No one  familiar with the statements of the Roman Catholic Magisterium should be surprised by this development. This is not news in any genuine sense. It is news only in the current context of Vatican statements and ecumenical relations. Thirdly, I am not offended because this new document actually brings attention to the crucial issues of ecclesiology, and thus it presents us with an opportunity. The Vatican document is very brief -- just a few paragraphs in fact. It’s official title is “Responses to Some Questions … [Read more...]

One job of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation is keeping Louisiana Baptists informed and updated regarding tax advantages of charitable giving. One job of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation is keeping Louisiana Baptists informed and updated regarding tax advantages of charitable giving.  I think we are to be “as wise as serpents” when it comes to paying taxes and “render unto Caesar ‘only’ what belongs to Caesar.”  But, in this column I want you to stop and consider if modern day Christians put too much emphasis on the “tax benefit” allowed by the IRS and not enough on God’s command to give.  People pass up opportunities to meet the needs of others: friends, a stranger or even a family member, because no tax deduction exists for that gift.  Technically, the IRS does not allow an income tax deduction for gifts to an individual.  Sometimes attempts are made to donate through a tax exempt organization that the IRS recognizes as a 501c3.  A person will then “encourage” the organization to help the individual they desire to help.  This is an elaborate process to try and circumvent the IRS rules.  Also, individuals may limit their annual charitable gifts based on the deduction limits allowed by the IRS.  Do you think the … [Read more...]