In addition to handling business last week, Louisiana Baptists also took time to fellowship and hear a challenge to demonstrate Christian love to a lost and needy world Louisiana Baptists have the necessary message for these uncertain times, but they must truly love one another if they hope to reach people with it, W.D. "Step" Martin warned. In addition to handling business last week, Louisiana Baptists also took time to fellowship and hear a challenge to demonstrate Christian love to a lost and needy world Louisiana Baptists have the necessary message for these uncertain times, but they must truly love one another if they hope to reach people with it, W.D. "Step" Martin warned. "We live in perilous times, ..." noted Martin, pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport. "Devastation is everywhere. If theres ever an opportunity for us as Baptists to step up and stand up, its now. "What an opportunity is before us - and we have the message. But we have to get the message across to the hearers," Martin said during the convention sermon at last weeks annual meeting of Louisiana Baptists. "And sometimes, Im afraid that we lose the message in our struggles and … [Read more...]
The yellow truck broke and the backhoe died; that’s it folks
Creede, Colorado, has two faces. In the summer, people from across the South find their ways to the area around this mountain village. Ceedes luxurious mountain setting, cool evenings and mild days are magnets for heat-weary Southerners. Creede, Colorado, has two faces. In the summer, people from across the South find their ways to the area around this mountain village. Ceedes luxurious mountain setting, cool evenings and mild days are magnets for heat-weary Southerners. The Rio Grande Rivers birthplace is only thirty miles up the Rio Grande Valley. The river provides excellent trout fishing for those thirty miles west, and another twenty miles east of Creede. Plus, you need more than your fingers and toes to count the trout-filled lakes. Countless creeks - with names such as Deep Creek, Rat Creek, Miners Creek - are nestled in almost every valley of size. People who have been going to Creede for decades have not managed to fish every place touted as "excellent." Two of the busiest businesses are the fly-fishing shops. Just to the west of Creede is the Weminuche Wilderness Area. Backpackers roam the millions of acres there knowing the pristine experience will … [Read more...]
Weekly Briefs
For the week of November 29, 2001 Briefs World of Religion Religious liberty violators The U.S. State Department has added North Korea to its annual list of the worlds most flagrant violators of religious liberty. The addition of the communist country marks the first time a regime has been added to the "countries of particular concern" since the original list was compiled in 1999. However, the State Department failed to cite three other governments recommended for designation by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In addition to North Korea, the commission had urged the State Department to designate Laos, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan as "countries of particular concern." The State Department acknowledged all three are guilty of major violations of religious freedom but did not add those names. It did keep six other regimes on the list - Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and the Taliban of Afghanistan. After a country has been designated, the law provides the president with a range of potential responses - from diplomatic protest to economic sanction. The president also may waive any punishment for national security reasons. The State Departments report may be accessed at … [Read more...]
‘Despite all circumstances, God is at work, raising up a people’
Church-planting movements may be the most exciting phenomenon in todays world, writes Mary Jane Welch, editor of The Commission magazine. They are powerful. They are biblical. They are of God. However, to avoid sabotaging their potential - or downsizing them into another mission fad - persons should listen to Southern Baptist International Mission Board strategist David Garrison: Church-planting movements may be the most exciting phenomenon in todays world, writes Mary Jane Welch, editor of The Commission magazine. They are powerful. They are biblical. They are of God. However, to avoid sabotaging their potential - or downsizing them into another mission fad - persons should listen to Southern Baptist International Mission Board strategist David Garrison: "A church-planting movement is not an end in itself," Garrison notes. "The end of all our efforts is for God to be glorified." Thanks to the efforts of Christian workers throughout the world, that is happening. Consider their stories. "How shall we ask people to pray for the church in China?" some Christian workers asked a Chinese house church leader. He has been beaten and imprisoned many times for … [Read more...]
Weekly Announcements
For the week of November 29, 2001 PPE 11-29 issue Potpourri RINGGOLD - First church: "Heavens Gates and Hells Flames" drama; Dec. 2-4, 7 p.m.; free admission; for more information call (318) 894-2755; Don Woodard, pastor. LAKE CHARLES - Tom Herbert Road Mission church: Constitution service, Dec. 9, 3 p.m.; Chris Fuselier, pastor. FOREST HILL - Calvary church: Marvin Morrow in concert, Dec. 2, 6 p.m.; Joel McMickin, pastor. DENHAM SPRINGS - Northside church: The Celebrant Singers in concert, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.; Walt Blain, pastor. HODGE - Hodge church: Trinity in concert; Dec. 1, 4 p.m.; Dwayne Boudreaux, pastor. Revivals LEESVILLE - Castor church: Dec. 2-7; 7 p.m.; Al Gist, evangelist; Jack Jones, music; David Willis, pastor. Ordinations CONVERSE - Union Springs church: Bob Farmer and Chad Rascoe to deacon ministry; Dec. 9, 2 p.m.; Don Slack, pastor. Ministers Needed JENA - Fellowship church: part-time music minister; send resumes to Fellowship Baptist Church, Attn: Randy Ray, P. O. Box 2438, Jena, LA 71342; Randy Ray, pastor. ANGIE - Washington … [Read more...]
Freed workers reflect on Afghanistan experience
Two days after their rescue from Afghanistan by American military helicopters, two Baylor University graduates thanked American troops for their "Hollywood rescue" and said they believed they owed their lives to Jesus Christ. Two days after their rescue from Afghanistan by American military helicopters, two Baylor University graduates thanked American troops for their "Hollywood rescue" and said they believed they owed their lives to Jesus Christ. Dayna Curry, 30, and Heather Mercer, 24, both of Waco, Texas, met reporters after being sequestered for 24 hours at the American ambassadors residence in Islamabad, Pakistan. After more than three months in a Taliban prison in Kabul on charges of preaching Christianity to Muslims in Afghanistan, the two were picked up by American Special Forces helicopters on Nov. 14 outside Ghazni, a city about 75 miles south of the Afghan capital. God is being glorified by the rescue, said Danny Mulkey, associate pastor at Antioch Community Church in Waco, both Mercers and Currys home congregation. "I think this is a huge encouragement to the body of Christ," said Mulkey, who has been in Pakistan for 11 weeks, working for release … [Read more...]
Reach out to neighbors, speaker urges
Christian women need to use the openings they have to share the gospel message in their neighborhoods, Jaye Martin emphasized recently. "We have to be careful about how we come across to non-Christians, but we also have to take advantage of the opportunities that we have," said Martin, womens evangelism strategist with the North American Mission Board. She spoke during a recent Southern Baptist womens conference. Christian women need to use the openings they have to share the gospel message in their neighborhoods, Jaye Martin emphasized recently. "We have to be careful about how we come across to non-Christians, but we also have to take advantage of the opportunities that we have," said Martin, womens evangelism strategist with the North American Mission Board. She spoke during a recent Southern Baptist womens conference. She told the women to ask God what doors he was going to open for them and then to proceed through them. She related how one of her opportunities came through a Moms in Touch group. "When I would go to my daughters school and ask the principal and the teachers if there was anything I could pray about for them, they were very … [Read more...]
Church-planting movements – a gospel phenomenon
What may be the worlds most exciting development does not make the evening news, but it is creating a stir among evangelical Christians. Missiologists call it church-planting movements. Basically, it is indigenous churches multiplying within a people group at a rate that almost defies belief. More specifically, it is Bible-believing churches led by local laypersons, meeting as cell groups or house churches. What may be the worlds most exciting development does not make the evening news, but it is creating a stir among evangelical Christians. Missiologists call it church-planting movements. Basically, it is indigenous churches multiplying within a people group at a rate that almost defies belief. More specifically, it is Bible-believing churches led by local laypersons, meeting as cell groups or house churches. It is healthy churches with evangelism and church-starting in their DNA. It is churches who count it as joy to win others to Christ, start other churches and teach others to do the same. These movements are popping up in places where one would least expect it -places where missionaries have not been welcome, places … [Read more...]
Want to fight world hunger? There are many ways avaiable
A Louisiana Baptist pamphlet outlines numerous ways persons and families can give to fight world hunger. A Louisiana Baptist pamphlet outlines numerous ways persons and families can give to fight world hunger. The glossy pamphlet noted persons can set aside $2 (or another amount) per month for world hunger, can raise money through church-related car washes and garage sales, can tithe grocery bills, can sponsor a walk for hunger and can participate in various Southern Baptist-related efforts. For instance, the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission offers rice bowl banks to collect money for world hunger. It also sponsors a "dime a day" program as a means of raising funds. In addition, the Louisiana Baptist pamphlet suggests a calendar for persons and families to use during the month in order to raise money. The calendar outlines daily suggestions for persons to follow during the month. The suggestions include: Give 5 cents for each cookbook at home. Read Matthew 25:40-42. Give 25 cents. Give 10 cents for each home television. Hold a neighborhood walk for hunger. Give the price of a meal … [Read more...]
A ‘most important’ case – Supreme Court agrees to rule on school vouchers
The United States Supreme Court has announced it will rule on a program allowing vouchers to be used at religious schools, setting the stage for a decision that could have a dramatic effect on public education. The United States Supreme Court has announced it will rule on a program allowing vouchers to be used at religious schools, setting the stage for a decision that could have a dramatic effect on public education. The high court announced last week it will review a lower-court opinion that struck down a choice program in Cleveland, Ohio. An appeals court voted 2-1 last year that the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program violates the separation of church and state, because most of the private schools in which vouchers are used are religious ones. The program permits low-income families to use state vouchers of $2,250 for tuition costs at the private or public school of their choice. More than 4,000 students use vouchers in 56 private schools, 46 of which are religious. No suburban public schools opted to participate in the program. The program has been allowed to continue while the high court appeal is pending. Both proponents and opponents of … [Read more...]
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