Rick Warren has a secret about life he wants to pass on - it is all about family ... in the best sense of the word. Note: The Louisiana Baptist Convention currently is engaged in a pilot program to use "The Purpose-Driven Life" study by Rick Warren in several churches. Plans call for use of the study to be expanded statewide next year. As part of that effort, the Baptist Message is presenting a series of articles based on Warren’s book. This week looks at the second of five life purposes in the book.   C. Lacy Thompson, LBM Associate Editor   Rick Warren has a secret about life he wants to pass on - it is all about family ... in the best sense of the word.   "God wants a family, and he created you to be a part of it," Warren writes in "The Purpose-Driven Life," his best-selling study book. "This is God’s second purpose for your life. ... The entire Bible is the story of God building a family who will love him, honor him and reign with him forever."   It is not that God needs a family - but he desires one, Warren notes.   The invitation to join that family is universal, extended to every person, says Warren, pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., a … [Read more...]

Nine years ago at a Promise Keepers rally, Boyce resident Randy Bond Sr. says he had a dream that God would unify blacks and whites in his community. Nine years ago at a Promise Keepers rally, Boyce resident Randy Bond Sr. says he had a dream that God would unify blacks and whites in his community.   At the rally, evangelist Tony Evans told Bond and thousands of other men in the Denton, Texas, football stadium of God’s love for every race. By the end of the program, Bond says his heart was burdened for the town of Boyce.   "I talked about it over the years with some people in the community, but the time never seemed right," says Bond, who serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Boyce. "This year, God said, ‘Now is the time.’"   This month, the Louisiana Baptist’s dream became a reality when the two races participated in a four-day tent revival in the Central Louisiana town that has a population of almost 1,200.   "The goal of this was to bring unity and show that people of both races could worship together," Bond says. "This was a spiritual renewal for the people of God."   Bond estimates between 180 and 200 persons attended the revival each night. … [Read more...]

Louisiana College trustees have adopted a change in the faculty hiring process designed to ensure the "Christian" character of the school. Louisiana College trustees have adopted a change in the faculty hiring process designed to ensure the "Christian" character of the school.   Trustees unanimously approved the change during a 50-minute executive session at their scheduled meeting last week.   Trustee leaders later emphasized the change is not evidence of dissatisfaction with the practice of current administrators and does not affect current faculty.   Instead, it represents an effort to ensure that the Christian worldview is shared by incoming faculty members - and is presented to students at the Louisiana Baptist school.   "This simply represents an enhancement of the process we already have, ..." said Ed Tarpley, a member at Alpine First Baptist Church in Pineville. "It does not change the process."   But it does "raise the bar a little bit," added Wayne DuBose, pastor at First Baptist Church of Minden. He noted the change was drafted with input from administrators and approved with the support of college President Rory Lee.   The change was … [Read more...]

We are excited about your interest in the possibility of your coming to serve on the faculty at Louisiana College. LC is recognized as one of the top small colleges and "best buys" in the United States and for good reason. We are excited about your interest in the possibility of your coming to serve on the faculty at Louisiana College. LC is recognized as one of the top small colleges and "best buys" in the United States and for good reason. We feel that every year we recruit and attract some of the best and the brightest high school seniors to pursue their college education here. Our graduates are sought after because of the reputation established over the years; students from this institution are highly motivated, disciplined, productive, and reflect Christian character and values in their respective fields of work. We are pleased and gratified by their accomplishments, achievements, and overall success in life. Critical to the attracting, developing and then sending of high quality students is attracting, securing, and developing the best faculty available. Those who teach here provide the professional expertise, academic excellence and Christian worldview that enhance and stimulate our students to exceed … [Read more...]

John Vandercook says he saw his path clearly laid before him more than 30 years ago when he was on a wharf in New Orleans, just getting some air. Note: The following is part of a series of articles to be published in the Baptist Message regarding the Cooperative Program and how it is at work throughout Louisiana and the rest of the world. Subsequent articles will appear in the newspaper during the year to highlight Cooperative Program missions and ministry work.   John Vandercook says he saw his path clearly laid before him more than 30 years ago when he was on a wharf in New Orleans, just getting some air.   As pastor of Third Street Baptist Church in New Orleans, he and his wife had been ministering part-time to some of the seamen who came into the famous port city.   Inviting these world travelers into their home had become normal for the Vandercooks, and so, trips to the wharf almost has become a staple of the pastor’s favorite spots to visit.   "A ship pulled in close by to where I was seated, and a young man came down and asked me if I knew where he could attend church tonight. I told him I had a vague idea of where he could go," Vandercook jokes.   "The … [Read more...]

For the week of September 25, 2003 Potpourri   • FARMERVILLE - Antioch church: Moody Adams, guest speaker; Sept. 28, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; speaking on "The Seven Miracles of Iraq;" Paul Carter, pastor.   • SHREVEPORT - Ford Park church: "Miracle Mondays;" guest speakers are as follows: Oct. 6 - Billy Crosby; Oct. 13 - Kenny Joyner; Oct. 20 - Billy Pierce; Oct. 27 - "Step" Martin; 6:30 p.m. each Monday; Don Vercher, pastor.   • COLFAX - Bethel church: Wild Horse Ministries featuring Paul Daily; Sept. 28, 4 p.m.; for information, call (318) 627-3131; Ron Nation, pastor.   • SHREVEPORT - Calvary church: Oct. 13, 6:45 musical presentation by the Bellaire Choir; 7 p.m. service; Randy Harper, guest speaker; Eddie DeHondt, director of missions; Rick Edmonds, pastor.   • HOMER - Calvary church: Ivan Parker in concert; Oct. 4, 7 p.m.; $10 per ticket; for ticket information, call (318) 927-1109; David Abernathy, pastor.   • MANY - First church: Marty Haggard in concert; Sept. 28, 7 p.m.; free/love offering accepted; Steven L. Kelly, pastor.   • WALKER - Judson church: Praise Celebration Weekend; Sept. 26, 7-9 p.m.; Sept. 27, 1-5 p.m.; Sept. 28, 4 … [Read more...]

The Southern Baptist International Mission Board must push past distractions and stay focused on the vision of taking the gospel to all peoples, President Jerry Rankin told trustees recently. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board must push past distractions and stay focused on the vision of taking the gospel to all peoples, President Jerry Rankin told trustees recently.   Trustees approved a major change in the way new missionaries are sent to the field, heard a preliminary report on the board’s 2004 budget and discussed how the word "Baptist" describes churches being started overseas during their recently scheduled meeting in Austin, Texas.   With financial challenges limiting the number of new missionaries, Southern Baptists must stay focused on the vision of all people gathered at God’s throne, Rankin said.   "Ours is not a task that can be resource-driven and limited to simply doing whatever we can do for whatever may result," he said. "We must stay focused on that end vision of taking the gospel to all peoples with a passion that says ‘whatever it takes.’ We must be ever vigilant to avoid distractions that would divert us from moving forward in a unified focus on … [Read more...]

Pastors - want your church to have a reputation as a safe haven for people with broken lives, hearts, homes and hopes? Pastors - want your church to have a reputation as a safe haven for people with broken lives, hearts, homes and hopes?   It can happen, maintained Tom Elliff, pastor at First Southern Baptist Church of Del City, Okla., who has teamed up with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention to offer a series of conferences on "Kingdom Families: Come Home to the Heart of God."   But the responsibility falls to pastors to keep marriages alive, he added.   "There ought not be any issue in your church that you as a pastor are more committed to than marriage," Elliff insisted. "Hoping that things ‘work out’ is not enough. Hope is not a strategy (and) will not solve marriage problems."   However, Elliff’s conferences are designed to help equip pastors and other church leaders in developing a strategy for ministering to families.   Ultimately, families can be saved and marriages divorce-proofed, he said.   The Kingdom Families conference are "24 hours that can radically change the family life of every person," he … [Read more...]