LAFAYETTE – While many in our culture are of the opinion that the church is irrelevant, obsolete and only of historic value, the Bible paints a very different picture, Dr. David Hankins said. By Kelly Boggs Editor LAFAYETTE – While many in our culture are of the opinion that the church is irrelevant, obsolete and only of historic value, the Bible paints a very different picture, Dr. David Hankins said. “The word of God says the church is not about to fall apart; the church is on its pathway to success,” the Louisiana Baptist Convention executive director told those attending the Monday evening session of last week’s Evangelism Conference. “The church is not only going to succeed – it is not only going to advance; the church is invincible.” declared Hankins. “And the reason it is invincible is because of some endowments that it was given at its founding.” Citing Matthew 16:13-19, Hankins pointed out endowments that cause the church to be invincible. They are: • The person of Jesus. When Peter confessed that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was speaking against popular opinion. Though the people of His day “really had a high view of Jesus,” Hankins said, they still believed … [Read more...]
Lab coats, stethoscopes underscore initiative for healthy EKG
HIGH POINT, N.C. (BP) – To the casual observer, it could have seemed Green Street Baptist Church was hosting a cardiology convention, with several people wearing lab coats and sporting stethoscopes around their necks. By Andrea Higgins Baptist Press correspondent HIGH POINT, N.C. (BP) – To the casual observer, it could have seemed Green Street Baptist Church was hosting a cardiology convention, with several people wearing lab coats and sporting stethoscopes around their necks. Heart health was the emphasis of featured speaker Kenneth Hemphill. But it wasn’t of the medical variety. The Southern Baptist Convention’s national strategist for Empowering Kingdom Growth, or EKG, has developed an “instrument” that is becoming widely used by churches to do a spiritual checkup. “Before churches correct errant thinking or myopic vision, they’ve got to have a change of heart,” said Hemphill, author of “Empowering Kingdom Growth: The Heartbeat of God,” a 40-day Bible study for church settings and a companion to the book of the same title. He also has developed a blue bracelet to remind wearers of their urgent prescription. Of course, any good doctor would prescribe a dose of outside exercise to maintain a … [Read more...]
Weekly announcements
Week of January 30, 2006 Potpourri FARMERVILLE – Anitoch church: Bible Conference; Feb. 9-11, 6:30 p.m.; guest speakers/music leaders as follows: Thursday – Jerry Chaddick/Smith, Elkins and Donahue; Friday – Bill Robertson/Brothers In Christ; Saturday – Jack Daniels/Brad Mount; Feb. 12, 11 a.m., Brad Mount in concert; everyone welcome; Paul Carter, pastor. ROBERT – Crossgate church: At a Dec. 18 event, in which 160 bicycles were given away, 57 people made a public profession of their faith in Jesus, pastor Louis Husser reported at last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention State Evangelism Conference. The pastor also said that after watching Southern Baptists in action, two area churches voted to become part of the Southern Baptist Convention, Central Baptist Church in Slidell and New Vision Baptist Church in Kenner. LAFAYETTE – First church: Reported at the 2006 Evangelism Conference: About 420 adults meet Wednesday evenings. They are studying through the entire Bible in one year under the direction of Senior Pastor Perry Sanders. Steve Horn is pastor. ZACHARY – Milldale church: Bible Conference; Feb. 20-23, 6:45 p.m.; Herb Reavis, Sonny Simpson, Sonny Holland, Jerry Chaddick, Luther Price and Philip … [Read more...]
New Orleans Seminary welcomes 200 back to campus
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Calling it a great day of triumph and victory, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley welcomed students back to the main campus Jan. 23. By Gary Myers New Orleans Seminary NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Calling it a great day of triumph and victory, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley welcomed students back to the main campus Jan. 23. After five long months away, about 200 students participated in a “welcome back” lunch on the first day of classes. Also among those in attendance were 17 new NOBTS students. The return of classes to New Orleans marked the most significant milestone to date in the seminary’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina. The storm and subsequent levee failures inundated much of the campus with water in late August, forcing a complete evacuation. “It’s good to have you back,” Kelley told the commuter students at a special red beans and rice lunch. “Welcome to ‘Camp New Orleans’ – lots of uncertainty, lots of limitations – but God is here. “People literally all over the world know your challenges and they are praying for you,” he said. Kelley recounted the sadness of driving through the campus following the … [Read more...]
Watson: ‘This is our opportunity to reach our state for Jesus’
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Baptists have an opportunity to be a part of the greatest spiritual transformation of a major city in United States history, said Dennis Watson, pastor of Celebration Church in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. By Brian Blackwell Staff writer LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Baptists have an opportunity to be a part of the greatest spiritual transformation of a major city in United States history, said Dennis Watson, pastor of Celebration Church in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. “I’ve been in Louisiana since 1981 and I really believe we can see our Judea turned around as never before,” Watson told participants during last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism Conference in Lafayette. Since he began Celebration Church in September 1989, the congregation has planted seven churches in Southeast Louisiana, five more across the nation and more than 25 worldwide while ministering to persons in prisons, homeless shelters and New Orleans’ inner city. “It’s been a great privilege,” Watson said. “And always our greatest challenge was the city of New Orleans. “It’s always been a great, great challenge,” he continued. “In fact, I’ve complained to the Lord numerous times, ‘Why in … [Read more...]
This Missisippi church’s DNA is CP missions
HERNANDO, Miss. (BP) – At the outset, Longview Point Baptist Church opted to give 8 percent of undesignated offerings to the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ global missions effort, and 2 percent to the Northwest (Miss.) Baptist Association for local missions needs. By Karen L. Willoughby Managing editor HERNANDO, Miss. (BP) – At the outset, Longview Point Baptist Church opted to give 8 percent of undesignated offerings to the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ global missions effort, and 2 percent to the Northwest (Miss.) Baptist Association for local missions needs. And in their second year, they bumped CP Missions up to 10 percent, plus 3 percent to the association. “We thought it was important for our church to build it into our DNA to give to missions,” said Wade Humphries, pastor of the four-year-old church in Hernando, Miss., just south of Memphis, Tenn. “Whatever financial resources came in, we felt it was important to be faithful to invest in missions,” Humphries said. “When we give to the Cooperative Program we are investing in the Kingdom of God and in eternity, because God uses our resources to see people saved. What better investment is there than that?” The pastor … [Read more...]
Top college recruit grounded in Christ
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) – Living with acclaim and accolades could easily overwhelm an 18-year-old recruited by the nation’s top college football teams. His decision to commit to the University of Florida recently pre-empted local television news programming and created a media frenzy throughout the nation. By Barbara Denman Florida Baptist Convention JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) – Living with acclaim and accolades could easily overwhelm an 18-year-old recruited by the nation’s top college football teams. His decision to commit to the University of Florida recently pre-empted local television news programming and created a media frenzy throughout the nation. But when Tim Tebow was asked to recount the record-setting statistics of his high school career, the Florida High School Player of the Year said he could not. “I’m sure someone kept the stats, but I haven’t kept track,” Tebow, a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., said. Nor does he surf the Internet, where dozens of stories and scouting reports have been written about the talented young athlete. Instead the dual-threat quarterback for St. Augustine’s Nease High School has been taught that honoring God is more important … [Read more...]
Arsonists burn five Alabama churches
CENTREVILLE, Ala. (BP) – Five churches, including four Southern Baptist ones, were destroyed or damaged in an Alabama county apparently by arson Feb. 2 and 3, and a fire at a sixth church in a neighboring county is being investigated. By Michael Foust Baptist Press Assistant Editor CENTREVILLE, Ala. (BP) – Five churches, including four Southern Baptist ones, were destroyed or damaged in an Alabama county apparently by arson Feb. 2 and 3, and a fire at a sixth church in a neighboring county is being investigated. Rehobeth Baptist Church in Randolph, Ashby Baptist Church in Brierfield and Pleasant Sabine in Centreville were burned to the ground, while Antioch Baptist Church in Centreville and Old Union Baptist near Randolph were damaged. All but Pleasant Sabine are Southern Baptist, and all five are located in Bibb County. “The sheriff’s department and the ABI [Alabama Bureau of Investigation] is treating it as arson, and obviously they’ve got some clues as to that,” Steve Patrick, director of missions for the Bibb County Baptist Association, told Baptist Press. The FBI joined the investigation on Feb. 3. Investigators are looking closely at how the fires were started in the two churches that … [Read more...]
SBC briefs
Week of February 6, 2006 SBC messenger registration opens ... NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Online registration for the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., opened Feb. 1. Churches will be able to register their messengers online at the SBC website, www.sbc.net, to avoid waiting at the counter upon arrival at the convention while a registration volunteer types in various lines of information. Online registration ends at midnight June 10 – after which registration must be done at the registration desk beginning at 4 p.m. June 11. Names can be added, edited and deleted up to June 10 as well. Each messenger must present the printed form that shows the messenger’s reference number – given on the website – at the registration booth in order to receive a nametag and set of ballots. Technically, a person is not a messenger until the messenger reference number is presented at the registration booth. But, unlike the traditional method, the person is pre-registered before he or she arrives to the convention. The traditional registration method also will be available for those churches unable to use Internet access. GuideStone releases Ministers’ Tax Guide ... DALLAS (BP) … [Read more...]
Weekly announcements
Week of February 6, 2006 Potpourri SHREVEPORT – Kingston Road church: Rhyme & Reason in concert; love offering accepted; Feb. 18, 6 p.m.; Trey Lewis, pastor. WASHINGTON – Washington church: Fred Luter, guest speaker; Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. with supper at 5:30 p.m.; Louis Charrier, pastor. LAFAYETTE – First church: “Forever” seminar; Feb. 17, 6-10 p.m.; for couples who are anticipating marriage in the near future or recently married; free; call (337) 233-1774 ext. 3039 to pre-register; Rod Dubois, minister to single adults; Steve Horn, pastor. RUSTON – Calvary church: “Last Chance” drama; Feb. 12-14, 7 p.m. nightly; free admission, nursery and children’s ministry provided; David Hastings, pastor. PINEVILLE – Louisiana College: Louisiana Baptist Convention drama festival; Feb. 24, 6 p.m. – Feb. 25, 4 p.m.; Wesley Brainard and Mad Dogs and Englishmen, featured guests; conference seminars will include acting, ballooning, magic, puppets, mime and video production; $45 per person by Feb. 10; $50 after Feb. 10; $55 at the door; for more information, call (800) 622-6549 or visit www.lbc.org/drama; Joe Aguillard, president. WOODWORTH – Tall Timbers Conference Center: Missions Rendezvous/State Acteens … [Read more...]
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