Re: Contemporary worship services   Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods... Re: Contemporary worship services   Contemporary services focus seems to be to peak the interest of youth by offering music with instrumentation at elevated decibel levels, use of abbreviated verse in songs repeated numerous times, extended periods of standing that enables more freedom of body movement and, often, casual dress. The pastor frequently omits suit and tie, perhaps in an attempt to become one of them. Employment of psychological manipulation seems evident.   The contemporary service is frequently employed by churches that offer two or more worship services and, on occasion, more than one Sunday School session. Sometimes, one Sunday School is set aside for the youth, leaving the others primarily for senior adults, since the younger adults usually follow their children. Even with one Sunday School, the young adults usually gravitate to the contemporary service.   Seldom has a church opted for only a contemporary … [Read more...]

For the week of November 14, 2002 Potpourri • PITKIN - First church: Missions Celebration; Nov. 24, 11 a.m. with dinner on the grounds to follow; Monica Skiles, missionary to Tanzania, guest speaker; Stephen Laughlin, pastor.   • ZACHARY - Milldale church: Accepting reservations for 2003 Bible Conference; Feb. 17-20; Bailey Smith, Jim Cymbala, Sonny Holland, Malcom Ellis, Jerry Chaddick and Bill Riddick, guest speakers; for information, call (225) 654-8168 or write Milldale Baptist Church, 11950 Milldale Rd., Zachary, LA 70791; Jimmy Robertson, pastor. Youth • DEQUINCY - First church: "Hallelujah Heart" children’s musical; Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.; Jared Prewitt, minister of music/education; Byron Comish, pastor. Revivals • VIDALIA - First church: Nov. 23, 7 p.m. youth night; Nov. 24, 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. senior adult night; Jeff Vernon, evangelist; Dan Glenn, music; Gary Nunn, pastor.   • SHREVEPORT - Northwoods church: Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 18-20, 7 p.m.; Russell Harbin, evangelist; Starla Harbin, music; Billy Stevens, pastor.   • BATON ROUGE - Stevendale church: Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. with covered dish luncheon to follow and 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 18-20, 6:30 p.m.; … [Read more...]

American voters in various states addressed three key issues during the recent elections - gambling, drugs and traditional marriages. The results were mixed. American voters in various states addressed three key issues during the recent elections - gambling, drugs and traditional marriages. The results were mixed. On the gambling front, voters in: • Tennessee and North Dakota approved implementation of state lotteries. • Arizona passed a measure to extend the state lottery for 10 more years. • Iowa renewed casino gambling for the next eight years. • Idaho agreed to allow slot machines on Indian reservations. • Arizona passed one of three referendums to expand reservation gambling. "Those states ... are simply proving the axiom of the camel’s nose," said Barrett Duke, vice president for research for the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "Once it gets its nose in the tent, the rest is sure to follow. "That is why it is so important to prevent gambling from ever gaining a foothold. It is very difficult to get out once it gets in. "A previous generation of Americans were so sure of this that many of them included gambling bans in their state constitutions," Duke noted. "Today’s … [Read more...]

More than 10,000 churches continue to operate a vehicle the Southern Baptist Convention’s primary insurer of churches has declared "inherently unsafe."   GuideOne is the church insurer endorsed by the Southern Baptist Annuity Board. It insures more than 50,000 churches, and about 10,000 of those maintain policies on one or more 15-passenger vans. More than 10,000 churches continue to operate a vehicle the Southern Baptist Convention’s primary insurer of churches has declared "inherently unsafe."   GuideOne is the church insurer endorsed by the Southern Baptist Annuity Board. It insures more than 50,000 churches, and about 10,000 of those maintain policies on one or more 15-passenger vans.   However, the insurer has strongly encouraged churches to stop using the vans. "GuideOne believes 15-passenger vans to be inherently unsafe," a company statement said. "We encourage our policyholders to strongly consider other transportation options."   GuideOne still covers 15-passenger vans it already has insured but has stopped writing new policies for them. It also has issued regulations about who may operate the vans. All drivers are required to have a chaffeur’s or commercial … [Read more...]

For the week of November 21, 2002 Messenger registration A total of 1,401 persons registered as messengers to last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City. The total marks a decline from last year, when 1,592 messengers registered. It also marks the lowest registration total since 1,228 messengers attended the 1998 annual meeting. But the total does represent an increase from the last time the convention met in Bossier City. At that meeting in 1994, a total of 1,215 messengers registered. Vote totals Messengers engaged in a trio of ballot votes at last week’s annual meeting - all during the report of the Executive Board. Messengers cast ballots on three board recommendations within a span of minutes on Tuesday morning. These included:   • A vote to add the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to convention bylaws. A total of 1,191 messengers cast ballots (including two disqualified votes) - 85 percent of the final registration total.   • A vote to affirm the Bible in the convention constitution. A total of 1,058 messengers cast ballots (including one disqualified vote) - 75.4 percent of the final registration total.   • A vote to revamp the associational director of missions … [Read more...]

Last week’s column was a word to sermon listeners. This week’s is for sermon presenters. As did last week’s column, this one draws from Peggy Noonan’s book, On Speaking Well (Harper Collins, 1997). Ms. Noonan is one of the most noted recent   presidential speechwriters who in this book shares from her expertise in crafting speeches for Ronald Reagan, among others. Last week’s column was a word to sermon listeners. This week’s is for sermon presenters. As did last week’s column, this one draws from Peggy Noonan’s book, On Speaking Well (Harper Collins, 1997). Ms. Noonan is one of the most noted recent   presidential speechwriters who in this book shares from her expertise in crafting speeches for Ronald Reagan, among others.   Her first "preliminary" is titled, "No Speech Should Last More than Twenty Minutes." In answering "Why?" she refers to Ronald Reagan who said no one wants to sit in an audience in respectful silence for longer than that, if that!   "He also knew twenty minutes is more than enough time to say the biggest, most important thing in the world. The Gettysburg Address went three minutes or so, the Sermon on the Mount hardly more. It is usually and … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected a trio of state officers last week by acclamation, with nominees endorsed by the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship sweeping the offices.   Messengers granted sitting President Steve James a second term as state convention leader without opposition. James is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected a trio of state officers last week by acclamation, with nominees endorsed by the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship sweeping the offices.   Messengers granted sitting President Steve James a second term as state convention leader without opposition. James is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   James was nominated by Ken Fryer, associate pastor at Broussard Grove Baptist Church in Prairieville.   Fryer told convention messengers at last week’s annual meeting that James "has served us well, working diligently to promote a spirit of unity among all Louisiana Baptists."   He noted James is unapologetically committed to inerrancy and to cooperative missions. Fryer also praised the state convention leader’s commitment to evangelism and to ministering to other … [Read more...]

God has blessed Louisiana Baptists - and they must be careful to guard that which has been committed to their trust, Steve James stressed last week.   "Choose not to lose the blessings of God," James urged persons during the annual president’s address at last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City. God has blessed Louisiana Baptists - and they must be careful to guard that which has been committed to their trust, Steve James stressed last week.   "Choose not to lose the blessings of God," James urged persons during the annual president’s address at last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention in Bossier City.   Too many times, Christians and churches fail to guard what they have received - and the power and presence of God is on them but for a season, said James, state convention president and pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   However, it does not have to happen that way - if Louisiana Baptists will understand four keys, James said.   One, there must be a commitment to the Scriptures, he emphasized.   "The Word is the gospel, ..." James stressed. "The main responsibility of every New Testament church in the convention ... … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention agencies announced steps - intentions, in one case - to tie themselves closer to the state denomination last week.   Leaders of Louisiana College, the Louisiana Baptist Message, the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and the Baptist Retirement Center all informed convention messengers of actions to ensure that their agencies will remain tied to Louisiana Baptists. Louisiana Baptist Convention agencies announced steps - intentions, in one case - to tie themselves closer to the state denomination last week.   Leaders of Louisiana College, the Louisiana Baptist Message, the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and the Baptist Retirement Center all informed convention messengers of actions to ensure that their agencies will remain tied to Louisiana Baptists.   Concerns about that arose after agencies in several other states had acted to sever ties from their state convention and move to self-perpetuating boards.   In response, the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board appointed a study committee to examine the charters of denominational agencies and determine what - if anything - needed to be done to ensure the same scenario did not occur in … [Read more...]

After months of discussion, Louisiana Baptists finally adopted a new system for employing and administering associational directors of missions.   Messengers to last week’s annual Louisiana Baptist Convention voted 592 (50.8 percent) to 573 (49.2 percent) in favor of a revamped director of missions structure. After months of discussion, Louisiana Baptists finally adopted a new system for employing and administering associational directors of missions.   Messengers to last week’s annual Louisiana Baptist Convention voted 592 (50.8 percent) to 573 (49.2 percent) in favor of a revamped director of missions structure.   The approved change replaces a structure that had been used for more than four decades. As the previous process worked out, local directors of missions have been employed and administered by the state convention - working in consultation with associations - for a number of years.   The previous structure allowed associations to choose from three options - to employ and administer their own director of missions, to enter into a contract by which the state convention employed and administered a director or to work out an agreement in which the association … [Read more...]