At the Blue Bird Cafe, music is king - and queen. The hole-in-the-wall provides seating for fewer than 100 people and is one of the few places outside performance halls where the musical performance is not coincidental. At the Blue Bird Cafe, music is king - and queen. The hole-in-the-wall provides seating for fewer than 100 people and is one of the few places outside performance halls where the musical performance is not coincidental. They serve food and libation, but one does not go there to eat or drink; one goes to hear music. If music were not of utmost importance, would "Shhh!" be the Blue Birds theme? Make noise during a performance and be met with numerous aggravated "Shhhs!" They sell tee shirts with "Shhh!" printed across them. Most of the music featured at the Bird - this is Nashville - is country. After a meeting in our denominational capital recently, I went to the Bird. It was "songwriters in the round" night. Four songwriters sat facing one another in the middle of the room and took turns plunking and strumming acoustical guitars and singing their songs. They sang some songs that had made the charts, but mostly, they sang new songs the writers wanted to … [Read more...]
Briefs
For the week of November 15, 2001 Cooperative Program Gifts through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program totaled almost $12.7 million last month, about $1.8 million (12.4 percent) down from the previous October. In turn, designated gifts for the month totaled $3.3 million, an increase of slightly more than $1 million (46.3 percent) from the previous October. The totals represent the first month in a new fiscal year for the Southern Baptist Convention. It closed the 2000-2001 Cooperative Program year at the end of September with the second-highest total in history and ahead of the budget goal. However, receipts failed to exceed the previous year, a trend that continued last month. In addition, the October total was more than $2.1 million (85.4 percent) below the monthly budget needs. Bucks for Fire Trucks The Louisiana College community is participating in Gov. Mike Fosters "Bucks for Fire Trucks" program, an initiative to collect donations from Louisiana citizens and businesses interested in helping to purchase a fire truck for the City of New York. Fosters goal is to raise at least $500,000 to purchase a pumper fire truck to donate. The New York City Fire Department lost a total of 35 trucks and vehicles … [Read more...]
His ‘challenge’ is to help change troubled young lives
He is explaining that there are 2.5 miles of such walkways connecting every building on the 374-acre Gillis W. Long Center campus. They were built to enable former residents of the facility to move from building to building with minimal difficulty. Suddenly, the visitor understands why. He is explaining that there are 2.5 miles of such walkways connecting every building on the 374-acre Gillis W. Long Center campus. They were built to enable former residents of the facility to move from building to building with minimal difficulty. Suddenly, the visitor understands why. "Wait," he says. "Is this Carville?" Kirkpatrick nods. "This is Carville." In years past, the very name was enough to evoke a range of images and emotions. After all, for most of the last century, the isolated Carville facilities housed leprosy patients from around the world. Now, the Hansens Disease Center has moved to Baton Rouge, which lies just a turn and twist upriver. Only a few dozen Hansens patients remain on the Carville campus. They have no other place to go. Thus, after years of giving care and hope and a future to people once considered hopeless, … [Read more...]
For Louisiana Baptists, the key is to work as a team
As a math major, I believed that the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, until I worked with teams. Then, when I became a coach, I saw that the whole is never the sum of its parts - its greater or lesser, depending on how well the individuals work together." These experienced words of wisdom come from Chuck Noll, former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers when they were consistent Super Bowl champions. As a math major, I believed that the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, until I worked with teams. Then, when I became a coach, I saw that the whole is never the sum of its parts - its greater or lesser, depending on how well the individuals work together." These experienced words of wisdom come from Chuck Noll, former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers when they were consistent Super Bowl champions. When people form an organization for any purpose, they become some kind of team. They will either focus on their tasks and implement proven teamship principles or frustrate their members by missing their mark. The Louisiana Baptist Convention is an organization, established primarily, according to Article II PURPOSE, "to provide means through which Louisiana Baptist churches and members … [Read more...]
Weekly Announcements
For the week of November 15, 2001 Potpourri ALEXANDRIA - Horseshoe Drive church: The Down East Boys, Mark Lanier and The Bennetts in concert; Nov. 16, 7 p.m.; Don Arbuckle, minister of music; Aubrey Whitlock, pastor. BATON ROUGE - Goodwood church: The Down East Boys in concert; Nov. 15, 7 p.m.; David Campbell, pastor. EUNICE - Acadian center: childrens retreat; Nov. 30 - Dec. 1; John Yates, speaker; for information, call the camp at (337) 457-9047; James Newsom, camp manager. FOREST HILL - Calvary church: Brotherly Love in concert; Nov. 18, 6 p.m.; Mike Evans, minister of music; Joel McMickin, pastor. Homecomings ALEXANDRIA - Twin Bridges church: 30th homecoming/anniversary; Nov. 18; Sunday School, 9:45 a.m.; worship service, 10:45 a.m.; Herb Dickerson, speaker; The Bennetts, music; dinner to follow; Robert Daniel, pastor. Anniversaries BOGALUSA - Lees Creek church: 130th; Nov. 18, 9:30 a.m.; Terry Wilkerson, speaker; Tim Jones and Ric Watkins, music; dinner and afternoon service of worship and praise to follow; Lonnie Thompson, pastor. BOGALUSA - First church: 95th; Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m.; dinner to follow; Bob Adams, pastor. DEQUINCY … [Read more...]
… including within the Salvation Army
The Salvation Armys Western Corporation is set to offer healthcare benefits to the domestic partners of its employees - many of whom are homosexual. The action has been announced despite the Salvation Armys long-standing policy against homosexuality. The Salvation Armys Western Corporation is set to offer healthcare benefits to the domestic partners of its employees - many of whom are homosexual. The action has been announced despite the Salvation Armys long-standing policy against homosexuality. The Western Corporation is based in Long Beach, Calif., and is one of four Salvation Army nonprofit corporations in the nation. It previously had severed ties with the San Francisco government rather than comply with the citys Equal Benefits Ordinance, which forced city contractors to offer benefits to domestic partners of employees. The Salvation Army had been the last major holdout on the 1997 ordinance, forgoing a $3.5 million contract with the city to provide drug rehabilitation and meal programs, as well as a homeless shelter. However, a Western Corporation official said changes in society now has dictated a change in healthcare … [Read more...]
Report: Homosexuals continue to gain rights in American workplace …
Homosexuals continue to gain employment rights in both the public and private sectors, a new report indcates. More than 700 American employers added health insurance benefits for the partners of their homosexual employees during the last year, reported the countrys largest homosexual political organization, the Human Rights Campaign. Homosexuals continue to gain employment rights in both the public and private sectors, a new report indcates. More than 700 American employers added health insurance benefits for the partners of their homosexual employees during the last year, reported the countrys largest homosexual political organization, the Human Rights Campaign. In some cases, the policies also cover unmarried, heterosexual partners. The total reflects an increase of 20 percent from the previous year. The 4,284 companies, colleges, and state and local governments that now offer or have announced they soon will offer health benefits to domestic partners amounts to a 50 percent increase from 1999, the report said. In addition, more than 290 employers extended their nondiscrimination policies during the last year to cover "sexual orientation." The … [Read more...]
Now, Louisiana Baptists need to ‘stick together’
The Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting last week significantly mirrored the 1990 Southern Baptist Convention that met in the same metropolitan area. At the New Orleans 1990 Southern Baptist Convention, the movement headed primarily by Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson won a watershed election as Morris Chapman defeated Daniel Vestal for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The margin of that vote was 58 percent for Morris Chapman and 42 percent for Daniel Vestal. The Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting last week significantly mirrored the 1990 Southern Baptist Convention that met in the same metropolitan area. At the New Orleans 1990 Southern Baptist Convention, the movement headed primarily by Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson won a watershed election as Morris Chapman defeated Daniel Vestal for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The margin of that vote was 58 percent for Morris Chapman and 42 percent for Daniel Vestal. Since that election, those opposed to the movement that was reshaping the Southern Baptist Convention never have put forth a candidate for the convention presidency. Last week in Westwego, a suburb of New … [Read more...]
Area Briefs
For the week of November 22, 2001 Messenger registration Almost 1,600 messengers registered for last weeks Louisiana Baptist Convention at the Alario Center in Westwego. The unofficial final tally of 1,592 falls far short of last years total of 2,169 and the previous years total of 1,952. However, it represents an increase from the last time the state convention met in the New Orleans area. That 1992 convention drew 1,026 messengers. Arrangements Louisiana Baptist convention messengers approved program personalities for the 2002 annual meeting, scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. The convention sermon at that gathering is scheduled to be delivered by David Uth, pastor at First Baptist Church of West Monroe. The alternate preacher is Chuck Pourciau, pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. Music director for the 2002 annual meeting will be Jim Faull, director of church music and worship development for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The alternate music director is Herb Armentrout, minister of music at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. In addition to those personalities, messengers last week agreed with a Committee on Arrangements recommendation to hold the 2005 annual … [Read more...]
Convention messengers adopt record 2002 budget
Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week. The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers from the LBC Executive Board at last weeks convention. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week. The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers from the LBC Executive Board at last weeks convention. The approved budget of $23,923,076 represents an increase of $1,173,076 (5.2 percent) from the current goal. It also represents a major challenge for Louisiana Baptists, who have enjoyed strong giving in recent years. However, economic unrest has impacted giving this year. At last weeks annual meeting, convention leaders acknowledged gifts may fall as much as $1 million below budget by the close of the calendar year. If that happens, it means giving would have to increase by almost $2.2 million next year in order to reach the 2002 goal. However, that scenario did not prove daunting to convention messengers, who approved the 2002 budget without … [Read more...]