Last week at Louisiana College, 67 campers showed it is more blessed to give than to receive. The Campers on Mission members participated in Work and Worship Camp, an annual week of repairing and renovating campus buildings, worshipping nightly and hearing faculty- and staff-led devotionals. Last week at Louisiana College, 67 campers showed it is more blessed to give than to receive. The Campers on Mission members participated in Work and Worship Camp, an annual week of repairing and renovating campus buildings, worshipping nightly and hearing faculty- and staff-led devotionals. "We normally take home more than we leave," said Warren Hopkins, president of Louisiana Campers on Mission. "We always receive a blessing." A national fellowship of Christian campers who share their faith while they camp, Campers on Mission is sponsored by the Adult Volunteer Mobilization unit of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board. Two-hundred fifty individuals make up the Louisiana chapter, which is divided into five regions. Prior to Work and Worship Camp, the Central Louisiana chapter held a rally on the Pineville campus. The week also included an appreciation banquet that featured keynote speaker … [Read more...]

Two weeks ago, Louisiana Baptist Children's Home Executive Director Perry Hancock unveiled his vision for the ministry at the board of trustees meeting in Tallulah. Two weeks ago, Louisiana Baptist Children's Home Executive Director Perry Hancock unveiled his vision for the ministry at the board of trustees meeting in Tallulah. Hancock assumed the role of executive director on July 1. Since then, he said he has developed four specific ministry objectives for the 2003-2004 fiscal year. They are: . To develop relationships with all constituencies, including the trustees, staff, children and alumni of the home; Louisiana Baptist churches; Louisiana Baptist Convention staff members; and community leaders and donors. "I have to be with the people, churches, alums and donors," said Hancock, the former dean of graduate studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. "People in South Louisiana know me well, people in Central Louisiana know me somewhat and people in North Louisiana don't know me at all." In order to accomplish the objective, Hancock said he hopes to meet with Louisiana Baptist pastors, church staff members and convention leaders, as well as with all his staff in formal and … [Read more...]

I cannot believe I read that! Actually, I cannot believe I read that, that and that. The first article that engendered disbelief was in the Alexandria Daily Town Talk. I cannot believe I read that! Actually, I cannot believe I read that, that and that. The first article that engendered disbelief was in the Alexandria Daily Town Talk. Governor Mike Foster established the Governor's Program on Abstinence. The program has had a tinge of controversy because some say the program promotes a particular moral view of sex and the state should not be in the business of promoting a particular moral view. Now, is that not quaint to think that sex has a moral component! The program has helped teenagers who may not have been persuaded about the wisdom of abstinence on a moral basis understand abstinence makes great sense. Just two of the reasons are the increasing numbers of sexually- transmitted diseases and unwanted teen pregnancies. One wonders if the course also teaches the emotional damage done by freewheeling sexual activities. Last week, the program provided a meeting in Alexandria to present the abstinence program and material to teenagers. With the heightened prevalence of sexually- … [Read more...]

For the week of August 14, 2003 Potpourri PIONEER - New Prospect church: Singing, Aug 17, 11 a.m with lunch served at noon and singing to resume at 1 p.m.; Frank Self, Cleo Yeates, Sr. and Cleo Yeates, Jr., along with others, will be performing; Walter Cloud, pastor. HEFLIN - Bistineau church: Miracle Mondays, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25, 7 p.m.; Marion Collier, Jimmy Brossette, Harold Danley and Everett Geis, Sr., guest speakers; Everett Geis, Jr., pastor. NEW ORLEANS - Oak Park: Gospel music concert; Aug. 24, 6 p.m.; Ben Caston, minister of music; Paul Brady, pastor. SULPHUR - First church: Brendan McKinney, flutist-singer, in concert, Aug. 17, 6 p.m.; Donald W. Dukes, music minister; David Holder, pastor. n SULPHUR - First church: "Evidence of Grace" musical; Aug. 24, 6 p.m.; Donald W. Dukes, music minister; David Holder, pastor. MANSFIELD - First church: "God With Us" musical; Aug. 24, 6 p.m.; Gary Gregg, minister of music; Thumper Miller, pastor. LAFAYETTE - First church: SoulReal in concert; Aug. 22, 7 p.m.; tickets $5, children under 12 free; for information, call (337) 233-1412; Perry Sanders, pastor. COUSHATTA - First church: 4Given, gospel quartet, in concert; Aug. 17, 6 p.m.; free … [Read more...]

For most of the girls, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience - after all, it is only open to those in grades seven through 12 and only occurs about every five years. And by most accounts, participating girls agreed it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience - even a life-changing one. For most of the girls, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience - after all, it is only open to those in grades seven through 12 and only occurs about every five years. And by most accounts, participating girls agreed it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience - even a life-changing one. "I think about one girl who carried the cross on a prayerwalk," said Janie Wise, Louisiana Baptist Convention Acteens director. "She said as they walked through the streets, the cross began to get heavy, and it dawned on her - 'This is what Jesus did for me. And he does it everyday. "That's a great testimony from a girl who is 15 years old." But it hardly was the only one. Nearly 6,500 teenage girls and their leaders representing almost all 50 states and 19 countries gathered in Nashville, Tenn., recently for one foundational purpose - to gain a broader perspective of God's activity in the world. The occasion was the National … [Read more...]

For the week of August 21, 2003 LBCH correction   In the August 14 issue of the Baptist Message, it was reported that Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home trustees had hired the wife of Executive Director Perry Hancock as a speaker for the home. That is incorrect. Trustees simply approved Tonya Hancock as a speaker for the home. Like other approved speakers for the Louisiana Baptist agency, she simply will be reimbursed for travel and no other expenses. Change of plans   The "On your Knees" prayer conference set for Sept. 18-20 at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport has been combined with the conference scheduled for Oct. 2-4 at Ridgecrest (N.C.) Conference Center. The conference schedule features several keynote speakers and a host of small-group sessions on aspects of prayer. Conference costs range from $75 to $99 per person, depending on the number of individuals registering from one church. Lodging and meals are additional. Registration deadline for the Oct. 2-4 conference is Sept. 25. For details, call LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention at (800) 254-2022 or visit www.lifeway.com/events. Protecting marriage   A constitutional amendment likely is … [Read more...]

No question, the Southern Baptist International Mission Board is short of money. Over the last few months the mission sending agency has announced that the shortage of money has kept it from No question, the Southern Baptist International Mission Board is short of money. Over the last few months the mission sending agency has announced that the shortage of money has kept it from   being able to appoint all the people who have volunteered to serve as career missionaries and successfully gone through the screening processes. That is a negative landmark Southern Baptists had just as soon not experience.   To help keep as much money as possible going to the field, the IMB cut a significant number of positions in its Richmond office. Even those cuts did not prevent the inability to appoint all the missionaries it could have appointed, if funds had been available.   The apparent reasons for the shortage of mission funds are low or no returns on invested reserves and endowments, the failure of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions to reach its goal and a slowing of giving to the Cooperative Program.   A group of missionary kids (MKs) issued a challenge for every … [Read more...]

It is not unusual for tithe checks to be mailed to Moss Bluff First Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   Some members do it when they are out of town. Others do it as a convenience.   However, a pair of recent checks caught the attention of church leaders. It is not unusual for tithe checks to be mailed to Moss Bluff First Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   Some members do it when they are out of town. Others do it as a convenience.   However, a pair of recent checks caught the attention of church leaders.   The checks were drawn from what can only be characterized as an unusual financial source - the Centralized Inmate Bank of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.   They arrived from Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola - more specifically, from death row at the prison.   They were from an inmate.   "He considers Moss Bluff First Baptist Church to be his home church because of the ministry of our men’s team to him and the other men in the prison," explains Shawn Thomas, pastor of the Louisiana church.   That such a ministry exists is remarkable in itself - Lake Charles and Angola are not anywhere near each … [Read more...]

United States Army Maj. Tyler Fitzgerald did what any good soldier does when faced with an aggressive enemy. He took the offensive.   Fitzgerald was about to finish his tour of duty as military liaison in Guyana, a small Caribbean country. However, as a Christian, he says he could not shake the feeling of desperation he had for the physical and spiritual condition of Guyana’s people. United States Army Maj. Tyler Fitzgerald did what any good soldier does when faced with an aggressive enemy. He took the offensive.   Fitzgerald was about to finish his tour of duty as military liaison in Guyana, a small Caribbean country. However, as a Christian, he says he could not shake the feeling of desperation he had for the physical and spiritual condition of Guyana’s people.   Guyana’s HIV/AIDS crisis is second to that of Haiti’s in the Western Hemisphere. However, the government’s attempt to combat the situation decidedly excluded any abstinence programs.   Fitzgerald found that conclusion unacceptable. In March, he turned to the Internet. His search landed at True Love Waits, the faith-based abstinence program produced by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern … [Read more...]

Trustees of the Louisiana Baptist Retirement Center in Arcadia have entered into an agreement to sell the 43-year-old facility.   The agreement to sell was approved unanimously by trustees. However, it still must be approved by the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board and by messengers to the annual state meeting in November to become final. Trustees of the Louisiana Baptist Retirement Center in Arcadia have entered into an agreement to sell the 43-year-old facility.   The agreement to sell was approved unanimously by trustees. However, it still must be approved by the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board and by messengers to the annual state meeting in November to become final.   If approved, it will mark a transition in the convention’s ministry to retired ministers and the elderly.   However, trustee leaders insist the ministry will not end but simply enter a new — and perhaps even expanded — phase.   Retirement center trustees met for more than five hours last week to address an ongoing financial and administrative crisis at the center. After a closed session of more than three hours to discuss the future of the facility, they issued the … [Read more...]