By David E. Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention
ALEXANDRIA – I hope this summer season allows you an opportunity to relax, vacation with your family, and otherwise enjoy some time off. But don’t forget the amazing ministries that are taking place this summer.
I have been hearing reports of outstanding participation in VBS from churches all over our state with scores and scores of children giving their lives to Christ.
Our GOLA VBS teams, sponsored by the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, are working throughout Louisiana and all the way to Canada.
Additional summer missionaries from Louisiana are fanned out all over the globe. Numerous other Louisiana Baptists, including LBC strategists, are involved in mission trips this summer from Brazil to Belarus to Indonesia.
Another summer outreach staple is our camping ministries. Tall Timbers, our LBC state camp, is experiencing another record year in children and youth attendance with most weeks full to overflowing. We are so thankful for the new Georgia Barnette Missions Conference Center which is nearing completion and which will provide needed room to grow.
Even the summer session of the Louisiana legislature afforded opportunities for LBC ministries.
Louisiana Baptists’ Office of Public Policy played a key role in passing critical legislation that benefits our churches in practical ways to support our cooperative missions and ministries.
Dr. Will Hall, our director, met privately with legislators, developed policy papers, testified in committees and lobbied on the House and Senate floors to help push through such measures as the repeal of the taxes imposed on churches during the 2016 First Extraordinary Session.
Our churches can be thankful that we are so ably represented in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Hall already had success in supporting multiple bills to protect the life of the unborn. His son Jacob, who has Down syndrome, even testified before two committees in support of legislation to prevent the abortion of a child just for being diagnosed with an abnormality like Down syndrome. Both the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed that bill.
Even in the hazy, lazy days of summer Louisiana Baptist missions are in full swing. So, enjoy your summer. Be at church when you are in town. Send your tithe in when you are away. Don’t forget to pray for all the mission work being done in the good old summertime.
Dr. David Hankins is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
