By Brian Blackwell, Special to the Message   ALEXANDRIA – Many Christian parents have forgotten that a close relationship with their teenager is the pipeline that carries spiritual impact from them to their child, Richard Ross said during a recent parenting conference at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria.   The problem, Ross said, is those parents believe managing their child’s life leads to a positive outcome. Not so! Teens begin to turn their heart back toward their mom and dad when the parents devote quality time to building or repairing a relationship damaged by the angst of being a teenager.   “Our churches are spiritually alive when our homes are spiritually alive,” said Ross, who led the Be Conference the last weekend in March. “At the end of the day the battle is won or lost by what goes on at home.”   [img_assist|nid=7247|title=Richard Ross|desc=Richard Ross, professor of youth ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Forth Worth, Texas, said too many Christian parents have forgotten that a close relationship with their teens is essential.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]About 225 people participated in the event, which was designed to better equip … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter   Note: Inmates’ names changed for privacy   ST. GABRIEL – God took them from the dope house to the church house, from death row prisoner to preacher. Now they go back into prisons with the gospel, and take others with them.   Former jewel thief Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy and the Bill Glass Champions For Life prison ministry presented a “Day of Champions” program recently for the 3,000 men and women at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women and the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel.   Louisiana Baptists were part of a multi-denominational team of 250 that shared the gospel in lockdown, hospice, the prison yard, and around the lunch table the last Saturday in March. Including 220 first-time commitments, 560 decisions were recorded.   [img_assist|nid=7249|title=Sharing the Gospel|desc=A college co-ed from Texas, one of 20 from different Texas colleges, shares the gospel with one of the inmates at St. Gabriel during a ‘Day of Champions’ presented by Jack Murphy and the Bill Glass Champion for Life prison ministry.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=536]“We’re not going out to have church,” Murphy said to participants … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   SHREVEPORT – As a 12-year-old boy growing up in Shreveport, James Michael “Mike” Johnson  wanted to be a firefighter just like his dad. That is, he did until his father was nearly killed in an explosion.   [img_assist|nid=7252|title=Michael Johnson|desc=Louisiana School Law School Dean Michael Johnson wanted to be a firefighter before his father, who was a firefighter, was involved in a near-fatal explosion. The near-tragedy altered the course of Michael Johnson’s life.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]“That altered the course of our lives,” Johnson said in a recent interview. Instead of becoming a firefighter, he became an attorney specializing in defending individuals and groups in religious and free speech cases.   As dean of Louisiana College’s Judge Paul Pressler School of Law, Johnson, 39, will help a new generation of students practice law from a biblical, conservative, Constitutional world view.   The Baptist school earlier this year purchased the former Federal building in downtown Shreveport and classes are scheduled to begin August 2012.   “We really believe that it is important to acknowledge our Judeo-Christian … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor   HOUSTON – Mike Huckabee was the featured speaker at the first public fund raising event held by the Louisiana College Judge Paul Pressler School of Law.   [img_assist|nid=7254|title=Gov. Mike Huckabee|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]The former governor of Arkansas and host of the Fox News Channel program “Huckabee” addressed more than 150 people who gathered at the prestigious River Oaks Country Club in downtown Houston, Texas, on March 29.   Though many pundits believe Huckabee will throw his hat into the ring as a Republican presidential candidate for 2012, his remarks to those who had come with an interest in LC’s new law school were politics-free.   Huckabee indicated that his presence at the fund raiser was two-fold. One, because of his relationship with Judge Paul Pressler, the school’s name sake, and two, because he sees a need for the type law school LC is starting.   “I am here because of my affection for Judge Pressler,” Huckabee said.  “I wanted to be here to honor one of the most significant individuals in U.S. Christian history.” He added, “When Paul Pressler saw his denomination drifting from its historic, biblical roots he … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   COMINGS & GOINGS   Kenneth Crumbley has resigned as pastor of St. Matthew Baptist Church in Oakdale after 51 years of service.   Jimmy Sasser has retired as pastor of Bethel Livingston. Special services are planned for April 17 to honor him and his wife.   L.B. Canterbury, in the ministry for 53 years, has retired as pastor of Old Union Shongaloo, where he has served since 2005.   Tim Richardson is new as minister of music at Walker Baptist.   Scott Scallan is new as pastor of Shiloh Bernice.   Tommy Gray is new as pastor of Southside Ruston.   Buddy Boatright is new as pastor of Camp Creek Spearsville.   Marcelle Ronquille is new as interim pastor of Pleasant Hill Ruston.   J.L. Williams has resigned as pastor of Sardis Baptist.   Chad Hebert is new as pastor of Calument Patterson.       Needed/Giving   Mt. Hope Oakdale seeks part-time Youth Minister. Send resumes to Mt. Hope Baptist Church, PO Box 544, Oakdale LA 71463; or call 318.335.8200.   Faith Baker seeks pastor. Send resumes to Anita Westbrook, 5580 Rush Road, Slaughter LA … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   Rachel Morgan of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville has a senior project she’d like your help with.   “I want to motivate the people of the church to be kind,” Morgan emailed. She’s looking for 2,000 reported acts on kindness to be listed on mysimpleactofkindness.org.   “When you do the kindness, ask the people to go to the website,” Morgan wrote. “On it, the Gospel is presented as well as stories of acts that have been done.   “My project ends at the end of April. I just want the Christians to be a kinder people: it is a true way of witness.”   Ken Hansen, a member of First Bossier City, is involved with a truckers ministry out of Grand Rapids, Mich.   “I work with four truckstops here, supplying special truckers’ Bibles in displays for truckers to pick up,” Hansen emailed. Churches statewide could do as he does, he said: Buy a case of 44 Truckers New Testament NIV for $78 from HMI Ministries, and put up a display for free Bibles at area truck stops.   “The first step is get permission from truckstop manager,”  Hansen wrote. “The display is free. You can see it on the … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   BALL – Missions is reaching out with God’s love to people across the street, down the block and around the world, heard the nearly 230 people who registered for the 2011 WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting.   The event took place April 1-2 at Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball. It included missionaries from Louisiana, North America and across the globe. Featured ministries included, among others, Kingsville’s truckers ministry and the North Rapides Baptist Association’s two ministries: Hannah’s Plea pregnancy center, and Main Street Mission to the homeless and struggling in Pineville.   A ministry fair Friday afternoon and during an extended break Saturday morning helped familiarize WMU participants with these and other ministries, including Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Cast the Net of volunteer opportunities, and more.   [img_assist|nid=7260|title=WMU Officers|desc=After serving a maximum of four, one-year terms as Louisiana WMU President, Glenda Hofius of Broadmoor Shreveport passed the gavel to incoming President Salli Perry of Calvary Monroe. Re-elected (at Hofius’ left) were Margaret Freeland of First Gueydan as vice president for her … [Read more...]

By Mark Kelly and Mickey Noah, Baptist Press   TOKYO (BP) – Yongala and her husband Junkichi couldn’t believe their eyes. Their 145-year-old family business was swept away in a moment by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan -- hard on the heels of a massive earthquake.   A thick layer of gooey black mud covers the floor of their kimono shop. All their inventory and equipment were destroyed. The street outside is piled high with flood debris. With no idea even where to start, discouragement weighed down their hearts.   “Imagine the joy this couple felt when a team of American and Japanese Christians walked up and offered to help them clean up the mess,” said Ben Wolf, who with his wife Pam directs work in the Asia Rim for Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization. “It’s hard enough to comprehend the devastation the earthquake and tsunami caused. You would have to be there to understand. But for complete strangers to offer to help, that makes a God-sized impact on someone’s heart.”   [img_assist|nid=7262|title=Cleaning Up|desc=This couple’s 145-year-old family business was swept away by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan. … [Read more...]

By Michael Foust, Baptist Press   BERGMAN, Ark. (BP) – Shannon O’Dell has a passion for rural churches, but his church is anything but a typical rural congregation.   [img_assist|nid=7264|title=Breaking all the Rurals|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]Just eight years ago when he arrived in Arkansas, it was a classic rural church, with fewer than 50 regular attendees. Today, his congregation – known as Brand New Church – has seven physical campuses as well as an Internet “iCampus” and a combined in-person attendance of more than 2,000. O’Dell’s sermons are beamed via satellite to all the campuses.   O’Dell, who once dreaded the thought of pastoring a rural church, now loves it. In his book, Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking all the Rurals (2010, New Leaf Press), O’Dell explains how his Southern Baptist congregation went from being a tiny church in a small town to one of the largest congregations in the state. (The church’s unique name comes from Colossians 3:10, which speaks of the believer being made “new” in Christ.)   God, O’Dell says in his book, has a heart for rural churches. Most Old Testament prophets were called from small towns, and Jesus was “born … [Read more...]

By Erin Roach, Baptist Press   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – In order to comply with new safety regulations taking effect in June, churches need to replace their nursery cribs, which could already pose a danger to children and leave churches open to liability lawsuits.   The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission unanimously approved sweeping new safety rules, which outlaw drop-side cribs and require stronger hardware and supports. The commission said it is unlikely that existing cribs will meet the new standards.   Jim Swedenburg of the Alabama State Board of Missions served more than 10 years as a state missionary for church administration and said churches that have weekday ministries or daycares especially need to heed the new safety standards.   “If a parent had a child that was injured and the daycare was in that sense negligent in not having changed that bed, that’s going to put them at greater risk for any kind of liability judgment,” Swedenburg told Baptist Press. “In other words, nobody’s going to come around and inspect the cribs and force the church to comply, but if they don’t they’re still going to be taking a risk.”   For years, parents favored drop-side cribs … [Read more...]