By Message Staff LAFAYETTE - Three-year-old Carter Hornsby spent an unscheduled day off from school Aug. 30 in a special way - delivering bags of pillows to First Baptist Church in Lafayette for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. He was beaming with excitement as he handed the pillows and other items to Pastor Steve Horn. For the youngster, the pillows held a special memory. In late August 2016 the family's Lafayette home was flooded. It was during their first night inside a temporary apartment the family realized they did not have any pillows on hand. His mom, Monica, said the gesture of helping those impacted by Harvey was a great opportunity for Carter and his brother to experience what others did for them in their time of need. "As we were buying supplies to help others, loading pillows into our basket was especially memorable," she said. "To think that many don't have the option of going to the store to get basic needs due to the flooding is heart wrenching. "My boys do not understand the impact of this tragedy, but they do understand the generosity of people and the church meeting needs because of what others did for us and what we are now having the opportunity to do," she continued. "We prayed over … [Read more...]

By Message Staff HUMBLE, Texas – As Joshua Drummond watched in horror last weekend floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey engulf entire communities in Texas, he couldn’t sit idle. By Sunday, Aug. 27, Drummond and others from Christ’s Community Church in Denham Springs organized a trip to join hundreds of members of the Cajun Navy in rescuing Texans trapped by the raging waters of Harvey. Over the course of their three-day mission, they helped rescue nearly 200 people from a neighborhood in Humble, Texas, including residents of a nursing home. Though they worked long days, Drummond said the effort allowed him to show the love of Christ to those needing hope. “With all of the devastation around, just take a second to watch and you will see the true nature of people,” Drummond said shortly after returning from Texas. “It truly brings out the best in everyone. “The nursing home rescue was amazing,” he continued. “People answered the call in force. When we showed up to the area there was a few boats and by the time we left there were over 100. People were lined up waiting to help transport patients and supplies. With all the chaos it actually went pretty smooth.” The rescues came a year after many volunteers from Texas … [Read more...]

By Message Staff Two Louisiana Baptist associations are preparing to host evangelistic rallies next month with the expectation of reaping a harvest of souls. Temple Baptist Church in Jena will host the LaSalle Baptist Association Family Evangelistic Event Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Casey Johnson, pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church in Bastrop, will be the guest preacher and Broken Vessels, a Christian band from DeRidder, will provide the special music. Meanwhile, First Baptist Church in Ferriday will serve as the location for the Delta Baptist Association’s evangelism rally Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. Wayne Jenkins, evangelism and growth church director for Louisiana Baptists, will be the guest preacher and Glenn Roberts, pastor of First Baptist Church in Newellton, will provide the special music. The evangelism rallies come at a time when Louisiana Baptist churches – including those in both associations – are preparing to participate next year in the Harvest, a statewide Harvest initiative to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person.” If the goal of at least 700 churches is reached, it would be the most churches who have participated together at one time in a combined evangelism effort across the state. “We want … [Read more...]

By Message Staff LAKE CHARLES - Carey Baptist Association Director of Missions Bruce Baker has issued an urgent call for volunteers to work at the shelter at the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles, and help sort through items donated for those impacted by the storm. Due to a large response from the community who dropped off food, clothing and other materials, no additional donations are needed at this time. However, beginning Sept. 4, donations once again will be accepted at either the association office, 1701 W. Prien Lake Road in Lake Charles, or Trinity Baptist Church, 1800 Country Club Road in Lake Charles, between 8 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. A complete list of items can be found by visiting the association website. Also, next week volunteers will be needed to begin cleanup of homes flooded during the recent rainfall. Walk-up volunteers will be accepted. Those wanting to complete training online before coming can do so by going to the Louisiana Baptist Convention website.   … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA – After days of watching the impact of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and anticipating it to landfall as a tropical storm in Louisiana, John Hebert, missions and ministry team director for Louisiana Baptists, said that a timetable for deploying the state’s disaster relief volunteers and mobile units is ready and will be publicized soon. Sixty-two Texas counties have been declared disaster areas, and initial reports indicate Southern Baptist congregations in these places have been hit particularly hard. Greg Teffertiller, a marketing director with the North American Mission Board, tweeted Wednesday morning that 746 of the denomination’s churches were flooded. HOW TO HELP “The last few days have been filled with anxiety and anticipation due to the storm we’ve been -- and are still going -- through,” Hebert wrote in an e-mail to Louisiana Baptist directors of missions Wednesday. “We have been assessing situations both in Texas and here in Louisiana. Many of you have already begun to make plans about your responses and I know there are individuals in your associations that are ready to go help our friends in Texas now. We will get our chance to help very soon.” Until teams are activated, Hebert … [Read more...]

Editor's note: The list of collection sites continues to grow and will be updated as new ones are added: Updated 10 a.m. Sept. 1 Carey Baptist Association The Carey Baptist Association of churches are collecting five-gallon buckets with cleaning supplies in them for homeowners who must rebuild after Harvey. This link has more information. Simpson Baptist Church 4795 Highway 8, Simpson 71474 870-592-2873 The church is collecting items every Monday in September. Items include: Basic toiletries (hygiene products, diapers, etc.) Blankets Pillows Toilet paper Styrofoam cups Napkins Paper towels Plastic forks, spoons and knives Medium duty type gloves Band-Aids Neosporin Paper plates Laundry detergent Hand wipes Bug spray Sunscreen Mudout Supplies: 5 gallon buckets or similar size plastic tote Rubber gloves Dust masks Germ-X Measuring tape Flashlights Batteries for flashlights Utility knives Chalk line First aid ointment Band-Aids 2-quart Clorox Hydrogen peroxide Wash clothes Goggles Gloves Ziploc bags First Baptist Church, Pitkin 7230 Highway 463, Pitkin 70656 318-358-3321 The church is collecting … [Read more...]

By Message Staff As Tropical Storm Harvey continues to dump unprecedented rainfall in Texas and was preparing to make landfall in the Bayou state Wednesday, Louisiana Baptists were stepping up to respond. “We continue to monitor conditions in Houston, SE Texas and across Louisiana as Harvey prepares to make his third landfall. Gibbie McMillan, our Disaster Relief Director, has been in contact with sister state conventions, as well as local leaders, in preparation for deployment once approved by local authorities," Louisiana Baptists Executive Director David Hankins said in an e-mail to the Baptist Message. "We’re encouraging people to visit our website for lists of needed supplies, training opportunities and donations. I know Louisiana Baptists are praying and are ready to join the relief efforts in what will likely be a long-term operation.” Family of Grace in Alexandria was among the churches collecting items for those affected by the storm. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 4200 S. MacArthur Drive, the church is collecting items such as mud-out supplies, flashlights, first aid kits, dusk masks, Germ-X, basic toiletries and laundry detergent. A complete list can be found here. The church also is … [Read more...]