By Message Staff LAKE CHARLES - Paul Watts normally spends his Wednesdays preparing for midweek Bible study as pastor of First Baptist Church in Franklinton but on this particular day he was working alongside five members of his church cleaning out a home damaged by Harvey. The Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team is gutting out a home that received 10 inches of water. As he surveys the house, Watts said he is thankful to be helping this homeowner get one step closer to  getting back inside the house. "Some people here have lost everything and we are trying to show them Christ's love," Watts said. "It's exciting to see God's people burdened for lost." The team arrived in Lake Charles Tuesday, Sept. 5, and plan to stay until Saturday, Sept. 9. Praying is an important aspect of any disaster relief response and this homeowner is no different said team member Ben Fussell. The homeowner expressed appreciation for our willingness to come help and pray with him. "When I opened my eyes after the prayer, I could tell in the homeowner's eyes that it was going to be okay," he said. "That's what we are ultimately here for - to share with them the hope found in Christ as His hands and feet." … [Read more...]

By Nancy Tower Sept. 16 kicks off the countdown to National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child in Southwest Louisiana. Weekend activities include a shoe box packing party in Sulphur, a countdown event in Lake Charles and an inspirational message in DeRidder. Interested citizens are encouraged to get involved at the activity of their choice beginning at 10 a.m. the morning of the kickoff event with a Community Packing Party hosted by the Sulphur Community Coalition. The activity will take place at 501 E. Burton Street in Sulphur and will include prayer, a presentation and lots of hands on effort. The public is invited and encouraged to bring items to place in the shoe box gifts. Saturday evening from 6-7 p.m. the countdown event will be held at The Dwelling Place at 1800 E. College Street in Lake Charles. The public is invited to attend this free event to learn more about Operation Christmas Child and meet a shoe box recipient with his own story about how a simple gift changed his life. Luis Wells-Gonzales has a special testimony to share about growing up in Panama and praying for school supplies. His experience with Operation Christmas Child will warm your heart as Luis details how the Lord answered his prayer … [Read more...]

By Message Staff The first Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been activated for a response to Hurricane Harvey. Gibbie McMillan, state disaster relief coordinator for Louisiana Baptists, said that while Rolling Hills Ministry has a feeding team and Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association a chainsaw team positioned in Texas, some of the teams from Louisiana are working towards recovery in their own state. McMillan said more than 800 homes flooded in southwest Louisiana, including 200 in Lake Charles. Command centers are set up at Crossroads Baptist Church in Vinton and another at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. A laundry unit from Webster-Claiborne Baptist Association is working out of First Baptist Church in Jennings and Eastern Louisiana has a mud out team stationed at Trinity Baptist. Rolling Hills has a shower unit at First United Pentecostal Church in Dequincy and another shower unit at First Baptist Church in Mauriceville. Its feeding unit was traveling Tuesday, Sept. 5 to work in Beaumont, Texas. A warehouse has been established at Boulevard Baptist Church in Lake Charles. Additionally, First Baptist Church in DeRidder is serving as a point of distribution for Louisiana teams. McMillan said … [Read more...]

By Message Staff KINGWOOD, Texas – Fresh off a three-day disaster relief trip to the Houston suburb of Kingwood, Texas, Kirk Jones took away something valuable he said Louisianans can offer to those residents whose homes flooded. “Show up,” said Jones, pastor of Fellowship Church in Prairieville. “It meant the world to those families we helped that we were there. One homeowner we knew told me how worried he was and when he heard we were coming, he said there’s my Louisiana army. He then knew everything was going to be alright.” Jones spent Thursday evening, Aug. 31, through Saturday afternoon, Sept. 2, alongside fellow members of Prairieville Church helping families gut out their homes so they can in turn begin the process of rebuilding the inside of their home. Two families were connected to Fellowship. One a former member and the other a life-long friend of Jones' whose parents helped start Fellowship Church. In addition to helping gut homes, Jones was able to pray with various homeowners. “Sometimes they got emotionally overwhelmed when I was praying with them,” Jones recalled. “It’s a great reminder that people are not just with you but God is with you. It’s one of those places that you can be Jesus with skin on … [Read more...]

By Message Staff On a day when President Donald Trump called for a special national day of prayer to remember Hurricane Harvey victims and recovery efforts, Louisiana Baptist churches responded with times of prayer at their worship services Sunday, Sept. 3. “We give thanks for the generosity and goodness of all those who have responded to the needs of their fellow Americans,” Trump said in his proclamation that he signed Sept. 1. “I urge Americans of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers today for all those harmed by Hurricane Harvey, including people who have lost family members or been injured, those who have lost homes or other property, and our first responders, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and medical professionals leading the response and recovery efforts. “Each of us, in our own way, may call upon our God for strength and comfort during this difficult time,” continued Trump, who attended a service Sunday morning at St. John’s Church, an Episcopal church in Washington, D.C. “I call on all Americans and houses of worship throughout the Nation to join in one voice of prayer, as we seek to uplift one another and assist those suffering from the consequences of this … [Read more...]

By Message Staff As the floodwaters from what was once Hurricane Harvey recede in the coming days and weeks, Louisiana Baptists State Disaster Relief Director Gibbie McMillan is urging as many people as possible to complete training now. Those who have yet to be trained to serve on a disaster relief team can do so by visiting the disaster relief website. A brief online training session can also be completed there. Several training sessions are scheduled in the state. These include: Chaplaincy training Sept. 5, 8 a.m. to noon Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge office, 10560 Airline Hwy., Baton Rouge. RSVP by email to domstan@basela.org Mud-out training Sept. 6, 9:30 a.m. to noon The New Orleans Baptist Association office, 2222 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans Chaplaincy training Sept. 6, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The New Orleans Baptist Association office, 2222 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA – A group of pastors brought the hope of Christ inside the LSU AgCenter mega-shelter to more than 1,000 Hurricane Harvey evacuees Friday, Sept. 1. Five pastors offered words of encouragement inside the mega-shelter on the campus of LSU-Alexandria while lay people set up booths in the parking lot outside to pray with anyone interested. Held in the lobby of the building, participants also sang and heard from Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy, Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields and Rapides Parish Sheriff William Earl Hilton. Nathan Martin, pastor of Christian Challenge Worship Center in Pineville, received a call from the Rapides Parish Sheriff's around 4 p.m. Thursday requesting they hold the multi-denominational prayer service. While media and the public were not allowed inside, Martin shared with the Baptist Message that the presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful during the prayer service. “Things began a bit chaotically at the beginning,” Martin said to pastors who participated after the service concluded. “It seemed like we were voices speaking into a waterfall. But as our time went on, more and more people were engaged in what was being shared, and by the end of the service ... well, you … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – Noah’s Ark Flood Relief, a coalition of 10 central Louisiana churches, is seeking donations to fill up at least an 18-wheeler by Monday for delivery to neighborhoods in Kingwood, Texas. Formed out of a response to help those impacted by last year's historic flooding in Denham Springs, Noah’s Ark Flood Relief is collecting items people may have lost when Hurricane Harvey came through their area. Sheryl Craig, spokesperson for the organization, said they hope the effort is an encouragement to those suffering. “Christ’s commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves,” Craig said. “Today is someone else’s turn to experience difficulties but tomorrow may be my turn. It’s about people coming together to help people in need.” Donations, with the exception of clothing, will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 15 at Trinity Baptist Church, 3905 Trinity Church Road in Pineville. The organization hopes to fill up a second truck by mid-September. For more information on donating items or volunteering with Noah’s Ark Flood Relief, call 201.8218.     … [Read more...]

By Message Staff A Louisiana College football player has established a campaign to benefit those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Since Wednesday, Zac Barrient, a senior wide receiver from Mandeville, has worked tirelessly to raise money and promote the Wildcat Football Relief Handoff that will benefit families in Katy, Texas. Barrient and four other teammates plan to drive a U-Haul truck filled with donated food and water to Katy Sept. 8, which is during the only bye week of the season for the Wildcats. Donations for food and water will be collected at LC's Sept. 1 and Sept. 4 soccer matches at 3 p.m. and 11 a.m. respectively, as well as during the football game Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. Barrient also is accepting donations at other times of the week until Thursday, Sept. 7. Impacted by last year's rainfall event in south Louisiana, Barrient said he can relate to what residents of Texas are experiencing. "I didn't want to do something that was all talk and no action," Barrient said. "When this situation came up, I was talking with a teammate from Katy who knew many of the people affected. I said if somebody is going to do something, why couldn't I be that someone." For more information about donating to Wildcat Football Relief … [Read more...]

By Message Staff Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in DeRidder and HIS Church in Pineville are collecting purses packed with toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, baby wipes, insect repellant, feminine hygiene products, brush, comb, shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitizer, lotion, lip balm or lipstick, $5, a personal note from the sender for women impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Since posting the announcement on its Facebook page Wednesday night, Pleasant Hill Baptist has received inquiries from throughout the U.S. Organizer Susan Wilson said the post has reached more than 216,000 by this morning and expects that number to grow. "A woman's purse is where she keeps evidence of her life, similar to a man's wallet but so much more," Wilson said. "A purse not only holds ID and monetary cards but items used to care for herself and others like Kleenex, peppermint, clippers and toys, as well as precious things of life like pictures, tokens of love from others. We are trying to give them a small piece of normalcy back in their life and praying it gives them hope. " The church begins accepting the purses and contents this Sunday and will continue to do so until Sept. 10. They will soon determine exact locations for delivery. Meanwhile, … [Read more...]