By Ed Steele, Professor of Music at Leavell College NOBTS   The phrase that is sometimes heard among those leading worship is that we must come and “minister to the Lord,” and since the word “minister” can bring to our minds the idea of “meeting needs,” we need to think seriously what we are saying.   This is particularly interesting since God is self-sufficient and needs nothing.   The following found its spark from discussions in our Bible Study last Sunday, as well as a follow-up conversation with my wife, Kathy.   Let’s look at an example, then list some other references that deal with ministering to the Lord as well as ministering before the Lord, which is similar.   The goal here is not to provide commentary for each passage, but to see the common elements that exist.       Old Testament:       “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.”   – Psalm 101:6   Some similar passages are as follows: Isaiah 56:6, Judges 20:28, 1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Chronicles 16:1, Jeremiah 33:21, Numbers 18:2, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 2:35, 1 … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message STATEWIDE – Six Louisiana Baptists returned Aug. 26 from Japan, where they had served for 10 days in ministry to people still floundering after a March 11 undersea earthquake and the resultant tsunami devastated the northeastern coast. Read the next issue of the Baptist Message to learn what they experienced in disaster relief efforts by Southern Baptists five months after the event. Four Disaster Relief-trained chaplains from Louisiana are onsite in Minot, N.D., ministering to people who endured massive flooding on June 22. More are needed for mud-out ministry – which DR veterans term the hardest, nastiest, smelliest of all DR options – but so appreciated by Dakotans who are facing the possibility of snow by September, and below-freezing temperatures by October. Countless numbers of Louisiana Baptist church members have ministered since January 2010 in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Haiti. Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins and LBC Executive Assistant Wayne Sheppard traveled to Haiti in May. Led by Jay Johnston, DR coordinator for Haiti, they explored the Bon Repos area of Haiti, looking at ways of partnering with the Florida Baptist Convention – which leads … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7564|title=Georgia Barnette State Offering|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=640|height=458] … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7566|title=Hebert Award|desc=John Hebert, LBC Missions and Ministries team leader, recently received the Charles Roesel Ministry Evangelism Award from the North American Mission Board. Featured with Hebert (center) is Jeff Wagner (left) of the NAMB Ministry Evangelism Team and Phyllis Foy (right), president of the Fellowship of State Ministry Evangelism Directors. The award was given in recognition of Hebert’s “commitment to expanding the Kingdom of God demonstrated by the multiplication of churches committed to meeting needs and sharing Christ.”|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=538] … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7568|title=Charles Thompson|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=430][img_assist|nid=7569|title=Gloria Thompson|desc=Louisiana’s newest Mission Service Corps Missionaries are Barnabas Team Leaders Charles and Gloria Thompson of Ascension Baptist Church in Gonzales. They plan to train members of Barnabas teams as well as work alongside church planters to help plant churches and train volunteers throughout Louisiana. Barnabas Team members are volunteers trained in evangelism who help develop core members of church plants.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=430] … [Read more...]

By Pastor Tony Meinhardt, Cross Point Baptist Church   After visiting the village of Santa Rosa el Rodeo in Guatemala last year, I returned home with a renewed  desire to reach that people group for Christ.[img_assist|nid=7571|title=Church Plant|desc=The Cross Point Bossier City mission team and local residents worshipped together in the new church building even before the roof was raised.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]   After spending a mission week there and discovering there was no evangelical church in that village, I knew this was an opportunity to do something great for the kingdom, but how?   After returning to our home church in Bossier City,  I shared with our small congregation of about 70 that the Lord had placed this opportunity before me and I thought it was something we surely needed to pray about.   Our church, Cross Point Baptist,  is a new church plant and like most new starts, we have our own struggles. Nevertheless,  I was determined not to allow this vision to die. After several weeks of prayer and studying just what it might cost, we set a goal of $30,000. In just a couple of months, we reached our goal and raised an additional $14,000 for the up- keep … [Read more...]

Arrivals/Departures n Chuck (and his wife Melinda) Johnson are starting D’Arbonne Hills Cowboy Church in Ruston, Concord Union Association. DOM: Barry Joyner. n Joe Thibeau: new as pastor of First Patterson from Port Hudson, Zachary. n Ronnie (Shawn) Tarver, new as pastor of East Jena Baptist in Jena. n Clois Cole, resigns as pastor of Bellevue Jena. n Ernest “Ernie” Nelson: new as pastor of First Doyline. n Mike Russell, resigns as pastor Pinegrove Jena. n Paul (wife Joyce) Pearson: new as pastor of Fellowship Central (Baton Rouge). Needed/Giving n First Ferriday needs a bivocational or part-time family/youth minister. Send resumes to Search Committee, P O Box 386, Ferriday LA 71334 or email wayne@ferridayfbc.com. n Elwood Forest Hill needs a part-time youth pastor. Send resumes to Elwood Baptist Church, 213 Elwood Rd, Forest Hill LA 71430 or email elwoodbaptist@centurytel.net. n Longview Baptist Church needs a pianist for Sunday services, blended worship. Call Longview Baptist Church at 318.466.5313. Homecomings, Anniversaries, Revivals n Buelah Many: 50th anniversary Sept. 11 of Kenneth Ray Leach Sr. in the ministry, including 41 years at Beulah Baptist. Meal to follow service. n Faith New Orleans 10:30 a.m. Sept. … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7574|title=New Family Life Center|desc=Pastor Dwayne Monk (in suit) and members of New Hope Choudrant break ground for a Family Life Center.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427] … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7576|title=Special Baptism|desc=Harry Wilson, 96 and a member at Amite Baptist Church in Denham Springs, recently baptized his great-granddaughter, Meghan Dunn, 7, at Amite. In previous years he had baptized his mother, his daughter, his granddaughter and two other great-granddaughters. Terry Booth is pastor of Amite Denham Springs.|link=none|align=left|width=481|height=640] 0 … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message CHOUDRANT – When Hurricane Katrina hit six years ago, New Hope Baptist Church gave money and labor to help refugees at Camp Harris. “The Red Cross wouldn’t certify our building [to house refugees] because we didn’t have showers,” said Pastor Dwayne Monk. “We’re going to do away with their objections.” The church is doing so by building an 8,750 square foot family life center. Groundbreaking was Aug. 14. It’s a metal building with regulation high school gymnasium, three classrooms, restrooms with showers, and a laundry. “We want to be able to minister any way we can,” Monk said. “We want to be able to help in disasters. Showers and laundry are among a thousand ministries we can provide.” About 130 people participate in Sunday morning worship at New Hope Choudrant. Monk has been pastor there 12 years. 0 … [Read more...]