American teenagers overall have a fairly strong sense of conscience, a recent Gallup poll indicates.   And as a boost to those who emphasize the importance of church involvement for young people, those who attend religious services report an even more-developed sense of right and wrong, the poll shows. American teenagers overall have a fairly strong sense of conscience, a recent Gallup poll indicates.   And as a boost to those who emphasize the importance of church involvement for young people, those who attend religious services report an even more-developed sense of right and wrong, the poll shows.   In the recently-released poll, American youth (ages 13-17) were given a list of items and asked to indicate if they would feel guilty or not guilty about committing them - "even if nobody else knew about it."   The results were both encouraging and frightening, with majorities saying they would feel guilty about any of the items but those majorities shrinking when it came to pornography, cheating, cursing and sex.   Indeed, across the board, those four areas rank the lowest as guilt-inducing behaviors, with having sex before marriage ranked the … [Read more...]

The plans students from Louisiana State University’s Baptist Campus Ministry had made for their trip to New York during Christmas pretty well fell through.   But that turned out to be not so bad. The plans students from Louisiana State University’s Baptist Campus Ministry had made for their trip to New York during Christmas pretty well fell through.   But that turned out to be not so bad.   The group originally was scheduled to spend a day at Staten Island helping a Southern Baptist North American Mission Board church planter begin a new church.   Some members from the group were also to visit Ground Zero to distribute "relief phone numbers" from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and to be open to counsel people. Those same group members also were scheduled to work in a store operated by Samaritan’s Purse that allowed family members’ victims to shop for their Christmas presents at no cost.   But cold and rainy conditions stopped the outside activities at the church-starting site, so those students were forced to look for another avenue of missions work, since that entire day was set aside for the activity.   Their cancelled plans led to team … [Read more...]

By the time a Louisiana Baptist mass choir performs "Experiencing God: The Musical" in Lafayette on March 15, thousands will have heard it across the state.   And no one knows how many lives will have been touched by the presentations, said Jim Faull, Louisiana Baptist church and music development director. By the time a Louisiana Baptist mass choir performs "Experiencing God: The Musical" in Lafayette on March 15, thousands will have heard it across the state.   And no one knows how many lives will have been touched by the presentations, said Jim Faull, Louisiana Baptist church and music development director.   "This (musical) is a great way to model how worship should be," Faull said. "God is the focus and not the people.   "It’s been good for our state."   The concluding performance of the "Experiencing God" musical is scheduled for March 15 at 7 p.m. in the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette.   The performance will cap a year-and-a-half tour of the state, in which choirs have presented the musical in eight locations.   Every performance attracted a "packed house," Faull noted. The largest crowd came during the state Evangelism … [Read more...]

The number of persons with disabilities in the United States is on the rise, statistics indicate - the question is whether the church is making itself and its ministries accessible to them   When Austin Tucker talks about the importance of making churches accessible to persons with dis-abilities, one listens.   It is evident that Tucker has firsthand knowledge. Since 1994, the Louisiana Baptist preacher has experienced life from a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a fall from a pine tree. The number of persons with disabilities in the United States is on the rise, statistics indicate - the question is whether the church is making itself and its ministries accessible to them   When Austin Tucker talks about the importance of making churches accessible to persons with dis-abilities, one listens.   It is evident that Tucker has firsthand knowledge. Since 1994, the Louisiana Baptist preacher has experienced life from a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a fall from a pine tree.   In ways, it is a miracle that Tucker even survived the fall and the damage to his spinal cord and ribs. It is as much of a miracle that Tucker … [Read more...]

For the week of February 28, 2002 Potpourri   • ABBEVILLE - First church: Southern Lights and Chris Burney in concert; March 15, 7 p.m.; Sheri Young, ventriloquist, special guest; $5 per person; Noah Lang-ley, interim pastor.   • ZACHARY - First church: area wide Sunday school training session; "Disciplemaking Teachers," March 11, 6:30 p.m.; "How To Double Your Church in Five Years or Less," March 12, 9 a.m.; Josh Hunt, seminar leader; T. W. Terrell, interim pastor.   • OAKDALE - Trinity church: adult retreat; March 15, 6:30 - 9 p.m.; March 16, 9 a.m. - noon; Bill and Joanne Riddick, guest speakers; Tony Robinson, pastor.   • LEESVILLE - Castor church: One Reason in concert; March 1, 7 p.m.; David Willis, pastor.   • HOUMA - Mulberry church: "Every Little Crook and Nanny" drama; March, 15-16, 7 p.m.; March 17, 4 p.m.; $5 for tickets, for ticket information call (985) 876-3204; Charlie Vandercook, director; Tommy Harrell, pastor.   • WISNER - First church: The Hemphills in concert; March 3, 11 a.m.; Thomas Peoples, pastor.   • START - Start church: deacon ministry conference sponsored by Caldwell, Richland and Deer Creek Associations; March 14, … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members have proposed a new procedure for submitting resolutions to the denomination’s annual meeting.   The new procedure was approved during the committee’s scheduled meeting last week and will be submitted to convention messengers in June for approval. Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members have proposed a new procedure for submitting resolutions to the denomination’s annual meeting.   The new procedure was approved during the committee’s scheduled meeting last week and will be submitted to convention messengers in June for approval.   Among the proposed changes:   • The Resolutions Committee will be selected 75 days prior to the annual meeting, instead of the current 45 days.   • Proposed resolutions may be submitted as early as April 15 but no later than 15 days prior to the annual meeting. No resolutions can be introduced at the convention.   • Proposed resolutions must be accompanied by a letter from a church qualified to send a messenger to the annual convention, certifying that the individual submitting the resolution is a member in good standing. However, the person … [Read more...]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the first time has been listed among the top five largest Christian denominations in the United States by the 2002 Yearbook of Canadian and American Churches compiled by the National Council of Churches.   The Southern Baptist Convention ranks second in membership size behind the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the first time has been listed among the top five largest Christian denominations in the United States by the 2002 Yearbook of Canadian and American Churches compiled by the National Council of Churches.   The Southern Baptist Convention ranks second in membership size behind the Roman Catholic Church.   Although the Interfaith Witness Department of the SBC North American Mission Board classifies the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) as other than orthodox Christian, the Yearbook considers them a Christian denomination.   The Salt Lake City-based church ranked fifth with 5.2 million members. Catholics registered 63.6 million and Southern Baptists 15.9 million.   The United Methodist Church placed third, with 8.3 million members and the … [Read more...]