Reports from the churches: Potpourri OAK GROVE – First church:  Bayou Bacon Associational Evangelism Conference; Aug. 20, 6 p.m.; Gene Douglas and Joe Aulds, guest speakers; Wesley Bennett, associational evangelism director; Jay Morgan, director of missions; Carl Gulde, pastor. SHREVEPORT – Kingston Road church:  Cross Point Quartet in concert; Aug. 19, 7 p.m.; nursery provided; Trey Lewis, pastor. ZACHARY – Milldale church:  Labor Day Weedend Camp Meeting; Sept. 1, 6:45 p.m. – Sept. 4; Bill Britt, Malcom Ellis, Jerry Chaddick, Danny Greig, Sonny Holland, Joe Murray, Danny Lovett, Luther Price, Philip Robertson, Sonny Simpson and Jerry Spencer; for information, call (225) 654-8168 or email gloriarogers@milldale.org; Jimmy Robertson and Danny Greig, co-camper directors. BATON ROUGE – Istrouma church:  “Blitz on the Bayou” leadership training; Aug. 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Ken Hemphill, keynote speaker; $20 per person; for information, call (225) 274-8600; Stuart Rothberg, pastor. KEITHVILLE – Mansfield church:  Crosspoint in concert; Aug. 20, 6 p.m.; Glenn Scruggs, pastor. WEST MONROE – Ridge Avenue church:  “English as a Second Language” training; Aug. 18 and 25, 6-9:15 p.m.; Aug. … [Read more...]

DENVER (BP) – No rate increase is expected to be enacted in 2007 in the personal medical plans of GuideStone Financial Resources, marking the third year in a row that the Southern Baptist entity has held the line on rates. DENVER (BP) – No rate increase is expected to be enacted in 2007 in the personal medical plans of GuideStone Financial Resources, marking the third year in a row that the Southern Baptist entity has held the line on rates. GuideStone trustees approved the annual re-rate recommendation during their July 31-Aug. 1 meeting in Denver. An update on GuideStone’s long-range planning toward its 100th anniversary in 2018 also was presented to trustees by Chief Operating Officer John R. Jones. Other than regular age increases, GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins noted in his report to trustees, 100 percent of personal medical plan participants will receive no rate increase and more than 40 percent will receive a rate decrease. Hawkins credited the good report to the continued improvements in the administration and design of GuideStone’s medical plans. “During the past several years, we have provided a greater variety of choices in our medical plans with varying deductibles and … [Read more...]

when Rhonda Kelley began noticing she was meeting countless other women of her generation who like Kelley were dealing with hard decisions in helping their aging parents, Kelley decided to write Raising Moms. She wanted to help these women, aiming to provide a resource focused not only on the facts of caregiving but also on the biblical principles that should guide Christians. “What a privilege to tenderly care for parents in the way that they cared for you in childhood,” says Rhonda Kelley of New Orleans. “Yes, it is hard to juggle the demands of work and family while also supporting parents. But the sacrifice is worth it. In caring for aging parents, Christians are following the biblical principles of honoring parents, continuing the spiritual legacy, and training children to respect elders.” Kelley and her husband, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley, gained firsthand experience in the subject when they become caregivers for his parents. The experience led Rhonda to pen Raising Moms, released by the New Hope publishing division of Woman’s Missionary Union. When her father-in-law Charles Kelley Sr. began facing age-related health problems, the family began searching … [Read more...]

The occasional sound of a morning dove, raven or songbird mingles with the muted buzzing of bees and the industrious chirp of crickets. It’s gentle, peaceful, until a dilapidated pickup rattles down the road and breaks the mood. MONTPELIER – Ann Booth Fletcher knew life was bound to be better in Louisiana when she moved to Montpelier with her new husband from Mississippi, and she was right. Today Fletcher, a member of Montpelier Baptist Church, is one of the state’s leading dairy farmers. “I thought I’d moved to the promised land when I moved down here and didn’t have to look at the back of a mule and pick cotton anymore,” Fletcher said. “I wouldn’t trade my life with anyone.” Fletcher has been the state delegate four times to the National Holstein Association; she was the first woman to serve on the state Holstein board. She owns three pieces of property she calls Shade View Farm, which together include about 800 acres and nearly 400 registered Holsteins, and she’s an active, committed member of her church. Fletcher is the daughter of Mary Booth, a 90-year-old church organist featured last week in the Message. A reader contacted the paper about Mrs. Booth; that interview led to … [Read more...]

Similar in content to Sunday School Week at Ridgecrest, Louisiana’s conferences prepare teachers and leaders for the upcoming church year, with ideas and concepts designed to build Sunday schools and Bible study groups, and grow healthy churches. ALEXANDRIA – Fewer conferences during the year are more important to teachers and leaders in Louisiana’s churches than the “Ridgecrest-style” events that take place in six regions of the state starting this weekend. Similar in content to Sunday School Week at Ridgecrest, Louisiana’s conferences prepare teachers and leaders for the upcoming church year, with ideas and concepts designed to build Sunday schools and Bible study groups, and grow healthy churches. Each regional event is designed by people in that region, to meet their specific needs: Blitz on the Bayou Aug. 19 at Istrouma Baton Rouge features Ken Hemphill, the SBC Empowering Kingdom Growth specialist, and “A Game Plan for Growth as a theme. First Shreveport Aug. 19 features NOBTS President Chuck Kelley; Sessions include Children in Crisis, Positive Guidance, and Learning Styles. Ridgecrest in Cenla Aug. 26 at Louisiana College Pine-ville features David Frances, a LifeWay Sunday School national … [Read more...]

Camp ministry goes 15th century at Judson this summer. JACKSON – “To know Jesus is our quest, we’ll make Him known to all the rest!” This catchy phrase was the clicker used to help campers remember the most important truth of the 2006 summer camp season. This year “the rest” included more than 580 girls and counselors who attended camp during one of the four weeks of July at Girls’ Missions Camp at Judson Baptist Retreat Center. This included 18 Angel Tree campers, a record number. Several  other records were broken as more than 20 girls made professions of faith during worship, at the concession stand and at the creek. Four young ladies said they felt God’s call to missions. Campers were invited “To Know Him and to Make Him Known” as they experienced a medieval quest. From the moment the girls drove on the campground, they were immersed in the camp’s summer-long medieval theme. A castle spacewalk awaited them at the entrance to camp with a sign asking, “Are you ready for the quest?” As campers exited their cars for registration, Celtic music played over loud speakers to fill the entire campground. Campers were even greeted by staff dressed in medieval attire. “One Thing,” the camp theme song by … [Read more...]

News from the churches Potpourri n WALKER – Judson church:  Joe Aguillard, guest speaker; Aug. 27, 10:30 a.m.; Merlin McCon, pastor. n WEST MONROE – First church:  “It’s a Mom Thing” women’s conference; Aug. 26, 8:30 a.m. registration – 4 p.m.; Chonda Pierce, Jennifer Rothschild, Kim Hill, Jill Rigby, Joneal Kirby and Gigi Schweikert, guest speakers; Sandi Patty, musical guest; $53 per person/$15 meal package; $55 per person at the door/meal package not available; to register, call (318) 322-5104 ext. 157, (318) 396-3122 or (800) 858-4109; Barry Haire, communications pastor; Bob Utley, interim pastor. n MANY – First church:  “A Night of Encouragement” featuring Dennis Swanberg; Aug. 27, 6 p.m. at the Many High School gym; love offering accepted; Steve Kelly, pastor. n HARRISONBURG – First church:  Ouachita Associational Evangelism Rally; Aug. 27, 5:30 p.m.; Mack Walker, evangelism director; Ralph Webber, director of missions. n ST. FRANCISVILLE – First church:  Benji Harlan to present special music program; Aug. 20, 6 p.m.; Joe Ratcliff, pastor. n PINEVILLE – Louisiana College:  “Ridgecrest in Cenla” church leadership and Sunday school teacher training; Aug. 26, 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Joe … [Read more...]

NEW COLUMN, because you might be interested in seeing what other churches across the state are doing – local ministries, church program, inreach and outreach Each week Section Editor Rhonda Havens reads through all the church newsletters, looking for specific information that she uses for the Louisiana People, Places and Events column. When I was looking through the latest batch of newsletters, I saw a lot of information that didn’t fit in Rhonda’s column. It seemed to me that you might be interested in what other churches are doing across the state – local ministries,  church programs, inreach and outreach. So I took the time to set down a page’s worth, all in alphabetical order. Let the Message know if you like this column or not. And send in your newsletter so we can report what your church is doing! I also noticed some things missing from some church newsletters; check yours to make sure it includes the pastor’s name, your mailing address and phone number with area code. Airline Baptist, Bossier City; Chad Grayson, pastor: A MOPS – mothers of preschoolers – ministry started Aug. 6. World Changers was here. Youth and youngsters attended Camp Fuego and Centrikid. Sunday School teachers/workers … [Read more...]

OAKDALE – “It all started two years ago last February,” says Vicki Booth, a member at First Baptist Oakdale and a clerk at Wal-Mart. OAKDALE – “It all started two years ago last February,” says Vicki Booth, a member at First Baptist Oakdale and a clerk at Wal-Mart. But really it started when she was 13, Booth acknowledges. That’s when at a GA conference in Texas she told God, “Whatever You want to do with my life, You can have it.” She thought it would be what then was known as ‘foreign missions’ – perhaps as a missionary in Africa. But instead God used teenage rebellion, the kidnapping of her child, Vietnam War, betrayal by her best friend and more, so that today she speaks “with authority,” Booth says. She works at Wal-Mart, and uses that as her primary point of impact, though leaders at First Oakdale credit Booth with instigating the church’s upcoming city-wide Mother-Daughter Incredible Love conference, which will deal with sexual purity in a town where even 10-year-olds get pregnant, and which will involve both blacks and whites in a town where there haven’t been many joint efforts. But to start two years ago last February, Booth felt strangely compelled to chaperone teens on a church-sponsored ski … [Read more...]

OAKDALE – Katrina helped bridge a path between the black and white parts of this small town; now women are working together to address a common problem: premarital sex. A day-long, city-wide, mother/daughter conference is set for Sept. 9 at First Baptist Church here, which, once pristinely white, was home for more than four-and-a-half months to about 75 refugees from New Orleans, all of whom were black. “I’ve worked in the schools for many years,” said event chairperson Phyllis Callahan. “I see the need in the schools, and in the community.” Marilyn Morris, founder and president of Aim For Success Inc., which she says is “America’s largest provider of abstinence programs,” has agreed to lead a Saturday morning session and also to speak Friday afternoon at a rally for Oakdale junior and senior high school girls. Aim For Success encourages the character values of self-control, self-respect and self-discipline in the lives of teenagers, according to its website: www.aimforsuccess.org. The conference also is to include a fashion show, lunch, door prizes and Allison Martin from Granberry Counseling Center as the Saturday afternoon guest speaker. “It’s going to teach young women – and their mothers – that they matter, … [Read more...]