These junior high school students had one thing on their minds during a summer visit to Shreveport - showing God’s love through helping others.   Even though most of the students had little experience in home repair, the 110 youths spent five days cleaning and painting house exteriors, replacing porches and putting up siding on 11 residences in low-income areas of Shreveport. These junior high school students had one thing on their minds during a summer visit to Shreveport - showing God’s love through helping others.   Even though most of the students had little experience in home repair, the 110 youths spent five days cleaning and painting house exteriors, replacing porches and putting up siding on 11 residences in low-income areas of Shreveport.   Seven junior high youth groups from five nearby states - Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee - spent a week in the Louisiana city in late July participating in World Changers, a ministry sponsored by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board.   World Changers projects focus on home repair and community service while giving student volunteers a hands-on lesson in missions.   Each summer, groups … [Read more...]

My friend remains consistent, slowly prowling up and down each lane, waiting to pounce upon any open space. He even pauses at every handicapped place, sorely tempted.   He, unlike I, is looking for a parking place. Earlier, I watched as though by magic a place opened for me as I crept by. Not just a parking place, but the best parking place - the closest by the door. My friend remains consistent, slowly prowling up and down each lane, waiting to pounce upon any open space. He even pauses at every handicapped place, sorely tempted.   He, unlike I, is looking for a parking place. Earlier, I watched as though by magic a place opened for me as I crept by. Not just a parking place, but the best parking place - the closest by the door.   As he pokes around, some places do open for him, at the end of the row. He desires a closer one and keeps moving. He circles the lot while the Tappet Brothers on Public Broadcast Radio solve two car problems and he is still circling.   A couple of times he thinks he is about to get a pretty good place, but he is a car too slow and someone shoots into the place as though they are arrows from the strings of a giant bow. His hands give one of those … [Read more...]

With the explosive growth of contemporary worship in the past two decades, some Christians might think they have seen the last of liturgical worship. Think again. Though still small, there is a movement back to the roots of ancient worship. It is surfacing in some unlikely places. With the explosive growth of contemporary worship in the past two decades, some Christians might think they have seen the last of liturgical worship. Think again. Though still small, there is a movement back to the roots of ancient worship. It is surfacing in some unlikely places. For instance: Some liturgical churches are attracting a new generation of worshipers seeking to connect with ancient traditions to counteract America’s eclectic and rootless religious culture. Some traditional evangelical churches are "blending" liturgical elements into worship for the first time. Even some new-style churches are finding that Generation Xers respond to the counter-cultural nature of ancient worship. It is a far cry from the user-friendly contemporary worship predominant among baby boomers. Not so long ago, liturgical worship - a set ritual for public worship - was considered anathema by many evangelicals, who come mostly from … [Read more...]

Many of the members have never met. Even so, this group of nearly 200 pastors and laypersons from around the world use the Internet to teach and learn from one another every day. Many of the members have never met. Even so, this group of nearly 200 pastors and laypersons from around the world use the Internet to teach and learn from one another every day. Louisiana Baptist pastor David Anderson of Franklin, started a church growth ideas e-mail list in April 1999 as an outlet for pastors and laypersons to share ideas, sermons, resources and other church related topics with one another. It has grown to have close to 200 members worldwide who send and receive daily e-mails. Anderson says he wanted to show pastors how important the Internet can be in their ministries. "I think most pastors today really undervalue the role of the Internet in their ministries," he says. The list offers members an opportunity to use the Internet as a ministry tool, as well as a chance for pastors to communicatewith each other. "The Lord inspired me and showed me what we could do," Anderson says. The e-mails’ content is "strongly-flavored Southern Baptist," but members are from all denominations, Anderson says. Pastors and lay … [Read more...]

Seafarers seem to have one thing in common when they dock on American soil they want to shop at discount stores.   At least, that is what workers at the Gonzales Seamen’s Center have discovered. And as amazing as it seems, this fact has had significant impact on the center’s life and ministry. Seafarers seem to have one thing in common when they dock on American soil they want to shop at discount stores.   At least, that is what workers at the Gonzales Seamen’s Center have discovered. And as amazing as it seems, this fact has had significant impact on the center’s life and ministry.   "Contrary to popular belief, America is the cheapest place to shop," says Donald Davis, coordinator of missions and ministries for the Judson Baptist Association, which oversees the Gonzales center.   Many of these men purchase clothing, electronics, outdoor equipment and numerous other products at popular stores to bring back to their native countries. In America, these products are usually available at a fraction of the cost the men would have to pay in their countries, Davis notes.   The Gonzales center has gone through a few changes since its original location in Convent (then … [Read more...]

As an interested bystander neared the new grass field located near the rear entrance of Louisiana College, he smiled and shook his head a bit in wonder.   "Now, that’s a sight that hasn’t been around here in a long while," he said, nodding toward the field.   Indeed, it was. As an interested bystander neared the new grass field located near the rear entrance of Louisiana College, he smiled and shook his head a bit in wonder.   "Now, that’s a sight that hasn’t been around here in a long while," he said, nodding toward the field.   Indeed, it was.   On the recently-sod field were 101 Louisiana College students, all clad in school colors, all wearing bright orange football helmets, all lined up and clapping in unison as a coach directed warm-up drills.   When the players did not perform the drill as the coach desired, he shouted, "Not good enough. Again."   And the drill was repeated - until it was good enough.   From the summer blue sky to the shouts of the coach to the shrill of the whistle to the scattered spectators ringing the practice field sidelines, everything made it official.   After a 32-year absence, football … [Read more...]

Twenty percent or 54 million Americans have special needs - and churches should have programs to minister to them, a national consultant said. Twenty percent or 54 million Americans have special needs - and churches should have programs to minister to them, a national consultant said.   "Jesus didn’t tell us to minister to just those who can walk up our steps, who are socially acceptable, who are good looking or who are well-behaved and highly intelligent," said Marci Campbell, a consultant for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. "No, the Bible tells us to minister to everyone."   During a recent presentation, Campbell said people are misinformed when they think of people needing special education as being only mentally challenged.   "Of this 20 percent of Americans with special needs (from 1990 Census figures), only 3 percent have mental retardation."   People with special needs have a variety of challenges, Campbell said. They may deal with hearing disabilities, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental handicaps, visual impairments, behavior disorders or even be exceptionally bright.   Additionally, it is not only the … [Read more...]

A Southern Baptist missionary in Southeast Asia asks for volunteers to dig wells and instantaneously 600 churches are mobilized to meet the request. That is just one of the things the Global Missions Center of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla. does to support Southern Baptist missionaries around the world. A Southern Baptist missionary in Southeast Asia asks for volunteers to dig wells and instantaneously 600 churches are mobilized to meet the request. That is just one of the things the Global Missions Center of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla. does to support Southern Baptist missionaries around the world. The Bell Shoals missions center was started in 1998 and is the first of its kind among Southern Baptist churches. More than 200 volunteer and paid staffers work in its various ministries. Two other missions centers have become operational this year, in Hampton, Va., and Louisville, Ky. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board hopes to have 20 such centers throughout the United States to give firsthand, front-line support to missionaries. Three years ago, board leaders put together the Global Missions Center idea to make missions more visible and doable for the local church. The … [Read more...]

Last week’s column reflected on God’s will as something of supreme importance for the Christian that encompasses all of life and that we can readily know 99 percent of the time. Last week’s column reflected on God’s will as something of supreme importance for the Christian that encompasses all of life and that we can readily know 99 percent of the time.   Amazingly, however, the vast amount of conversation about God’s will focuses upon the one percent of the time when God’s will may be difficult to discern because it is intangible, multifaceted in opportunities and directions and uncertainty. These times usually relate to decisions toward the future: Should I move? Should I take this job? Who should be elected to . . . ? Should the church do this? Should an agency of the denomination do that?   Discerning God’s will during these times can be difficult because there are numerous "morally right" directions that can be taken. It can also be difficult because such decisions are usually far more personal and intuitive and subjective. We make the decisions not only out of trying to discern what God would have, but out of who we are and how we feel and what we want. Such thoughts and feelings blend … [Read more...]

I read in the August 3 issue a letter from a pastor in our state praising the past moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I read in the August 3 issue a letter from a pastor in our state praising the past moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. While, as the letter stated, the past moderator may have served the CBF with grace, dignity, and humor, she also presided over the approval of a CBF budget for the coming year that includes money for the "Baptist Peace Fellowship." This group openly supports homosexuals, including promoting ordaining homosexual ministers and performing unions between homosexuals as marriage. An article in the July 20, 2000 "Baptist Message" chronicled this action.   Is this an example of interpreting the Bible in the light of Jesus? If it is, then the moderates just lost that argument. I call on the CBF and its past moderator to take a biblical stand against the Baptist Peace Fellowship, and anyone who distorts Scripture concerning homosexuality. Can you imagine the Southern Baptist Convention supporting such a group? The differences between the SBC and the CBF continue to be revealed. Leviticus 18:22 commands us, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with … [Read more...]