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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Operation Christmas Child a global outreach for local ministries

By Norm Miller, Message correspondent PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - In 1993, Samaritan’s Purse launched Operation Christmas Child, and since 1993, Mary Deen has filled shoeboxes with gifts and grooming items to be sent to children around the world. “I can’t look at any box without thinking of the children,” she said. “I packed boxes with my own children to teach them to give, because some children never receive a gift of any kind. Now, some of my grandchildren are packing boxes. We can’t take the boxes to the children in faraway places, other people do that for us. I like to call it ‘missionary in a box.’” For the last five years, Deen has been the regional media spokesperson for OCC.  She attends Journey Church in Pineville, where she is the shoebox project leader. In 2009, OCC began including a 12-week discipleship course option called “The Greatest Journey.” Trained event leaders share the Gospel when children receive a gift box. Children who choose to follow Jesus are offered the opportunity to complete the study. The course equips them to become faithful followers of Christ and teaches them how to share their faith. More than 26.5 million children have enrolled in this course. Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes have … [Read more...]

LC Opera opens new season Nov. 4

By Wildcats Media PINEVILLE, La. (Wildcats Media) – LC Opera will open its 2021-22 season Nov. 4 with the comedy “Die Fledermaus.” The opera runs nightly at 7 p.m., Nov. 4-6 and Nov. 11-13. Set in 1899 at a New Year’s Eve ball in Vienna, Italy, “Die Fledermaus” begins with a celebration that ends “in a twisted turn of events.” The opera is co-directed by LC Professor of Music Kate Rawls and Artistic Director of Theatre Louisiana College Tabitha Huffman. LC Director of Bands Josh Davis will conduct a 14-piece orchestra. Tickets are $5 for LC students, faculty, and staff; $12 for senior citizens and non-LC students; and $15 for others. A rate of $10 is available for groups of 10 or more. For additional information on ticket purchases, call 318.613.4064 or visit the LC Opera website. … [Read more...]

Job fair to link upcoming LC graduates with local, national companies

By Elizabeth Clarke, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE, La. (LC) – Louisiana College's Center for Calling & Career will host a career fair for soon-to-be graduating Wildcats, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Granberry Conference Center. “We are excited to bring in over 30 local, regional and national businesses to promote job opportunities for our upcoming graduates -- and internships as well,” said CCC Executive Director Meredith Rennier. According to the school’s website, the center helps students seeking internships and career advice as well as information about jobs available that relate to their respective majors. Since it launched in August, CCC has held an on-campus student job fair as well as workshops in résumé writing and “LinkedIn 101.” For more information, email Meredith.Rennier@lacollege.edu. … [Read more...]

LC C3 speaker: Fight for religious freedoms!

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Freedom of religion is a long-held constitutional right, and it is up to the younger generation and others to fight for this important belief through thoughtful and civil engagement, Brittany Jones said during Louisiana College’s Christ Church Culture (C3) event, Oct. 28. “I encourage you all as you seek to live out your life and go on from Louisiana College to think through ‘How can I meld what I have been taught here and meld my beliefs and my beliefs system but also approach issues with kindness and compassion and to engage our world well?’” Jones told LC students and community members gathered inside Guinn Auditorium. Jones made a special emphasis to address vaccine mandates by governments and for-profit corporations, and church closure orders during the pandemic. Jones, director of policy and engagement for Kansas Family Voice, made “The Case of Religious Freedom” at the second C3 event of the fall semester. Jones, an attorney, graduated from Louisiana College in 2014 and earned her law degree from Regent University School of Law. Her focus at Kansas Family Voice primarily is on religious freedom, pro-life, education choice and combatting … [Read more...]

Tornado is latest weather-related disaster to hit Lake Charles, SW Louisiana

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Members of University Baptist Church are grateful for God’s protection after a tornado passed by the building where they were holding a Bible study Wednesday, Oct. 27. Pastor John Astling told the Baptist Message that 15 members of University Baptist were meeting when the storm passed by the church Wednesday afternoon. While the damage at the church was limited to only a few downed tree limbs on its lawn, the Walgreen’s drug store located across the street from the church lost a portion of its roof and homes nearby sustained significant damage. Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service in Lake Charles indicated an EF-2 tornado (130 mph winds) touched down around 12:20 p.m., Wednesday. Around a dozen homes received significant damage and at least two people were injured. The tornado is the latest weather-related disaster to impact southwest Louisiana in a 14-month period. Hurricane Laura made landfall Aug. 27, 2020, as a Category 4 hurricane (150 mph winds) in Cameron. Then, on Oct. 9, 2020, Delta crashed ashore as a Category 2 storm (100 mph winds) in Creole, nearly 13 miles east of Cameron. In mid-February, an ice storm left residents without … [Read more...]

ICYMI: Highlights of Louisiana’s four proposed amendments

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM)—Louisiana voters are facing four constitutional amendments and there is confusion about how to vote on the four ballot measures on Nov. 13 (early voting will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 6). Below is a synopsis about each from various sources -- with an emphasis on information that has not been broadly highlighted. Amendment 1 Amendment 1 proposes to consolidate the collection of state, local and remote sales taxes in the state. It would change who is authorized to collect the taxes but not the taxes themselves. Currently, each parish designates a governmental entity to serve as the sole sales tax collector for it. The amendment would eliminate local collection and assign this power to an unelected state tax commission. Consequently, the process would be streamlined; but local governments would lose some of their independence. Additionally, the statutory rules and powers that would guide the tax commission have not been drafted yet. So, taxpayers would not know the specific extent and limits of the authority of the proposed tax commission until next year when lawmakers would subsequently draft legislation to outline those rules and powers. Amendment … [Read more...]

Thousands of youth to gather in Rapides Coliseum for ‘Celebration’

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Rapides Parish Coliseum, which did not host Youth Evangelism Celebration last year because of COVID-19 concerns, is gearing up once again to host several thousand students at the largest annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists, Nov. 21-22. “We are fired up to have the big event again,” Louisiana Baptist youth strategist Brandon Lewis told the Baptist Message. “All of us are looking forward to hosting everyone once again in the coliseum and are anticipating what the Lord has in store.” 2020 Last year’s event moved to a regional format, a change from the usual event that draws up to 6,000 students each year. By the end of the three events, more than 1,100 students, collectively, heard the same Gospel message that was proclaimed during the previous 33 YEC events. The three gatherings combined resulted in 69 students making some type of faith decision: 16 statements of belief, 44 acts of repentance to restore fellowship with Christ and nine commitments to vocational ministry. 2021 Throughout this year’s two-day event, Louisiana Baptist teens will be challenged to celebrate what Christ has done in their lives and to share their stories of how … [Read more...]

Edwards ends state’s mask mandate

By Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – With more Louisianans receiving COVID-19 vaccinations combined with continuing reductions in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday, Oct. 26, the end to the state’s mask mandate. While the mask mandate will remain in place for k-12 schools, individual districts may opt out if they adhere to quarantine guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Masks also will be mandated by federal regulation on mass transit and in health care facilities. Local governments and private businesses may choose to continue to require and enforce mask requirements under the Edwards’ order, which goes into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 27. “I stand here today optimistic, relieved, that the worst of the fourth surge is very clearly behind us now,” Edwards said during his news conference. “And I think this is the result of the work that the people of our state have done. They have stepped up to the plate when we needed them to and when we asked them to, at least most of them, put their masks back on, exercised caution. Vaccinated numbers continued to improve, although we can all agree that they are not what they should be even today. … [Read more...]

Summer camp produces harvest among children

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer HARRISONBURG, La. (LBM) – Mistin McGuffee’s eight-year-old twins had just returned from Kids Camp at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, Woodworth, when they boldly proclaimed to their friends and family their respective decisions to follow Christ and their desires to share their testimony through public baptism. LIKE SON, DAUGHTER, LIKE MOTHER McGuffee, who previously had surrendered to Jesus but had not been baptized, felt compelled to join Briley and Braylon in baptism, Oct. 3, at First Baptist Church, Harrisonburg. “I knew from previous conversations at home and then church camp that the Holy Spirit was beginning to convict my twins,” McGuffee, who attended camp with them, told the Baptist Message. “When I saw them raise their hands to indicate they had made a decision during one of the worship sessions, tears filled my eyes. “As we walked outside to talk as leaders and children, I remember them looking up at me and saying, ‘Momma, why are you crying,’” she continued. “I kept telling them these were happy tears, knowing I’d spend eternity with them.” AS LITTLE CHILDREN Pastor Philip Caples said the decisions by seven children, who accepted Christ at camp in … [Read more...]