First Baptist Church in Grapevine continues commitment to New Orleans

Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Texas Baptists continue ministering there. Texas Baptist churches are partnering with congregations throughout the city in rebuilding efforts and social ministries.

The other day Stacey Billger of the Louisiana Baptist Convention sent me these photos of First Baptist Church in Grapevine members continuing their commitment to serve in New Orleans. This is the congregation’s 5th trip to help rebuild a multi-purpose building for New Salem Baptist Church in the city’s 9th Ward. Outstanding work.

There continue to be needs in New Orleans. Check out Stacey’s blog or call the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans to connect with missions opportunities

Straight Up, Day 5 and Camp Wrap Up

I couldn’t help but feeling on Friday morning that with one more week that I would have a developed a good enough relationship with Miss D to make a difference. I was frustrated with feeling that God had put her in my path and on my heart, but felt like all of our interaction throughout the week was missing something. So then I started doubting that I was making up that connection that I felt I was supposed to make with her. THEN, Friday at lunch before we left, I was opening a door for her and her friends and she gave me a big hug. A huge, tight hug. She didn’t say anything, but let go and smiled at me. I hope and pray that she accepts God’s love for her.

Here’s the story John wrote after visiting last week.

Lost children of Wichita Falls (8/22/07)

They’re Peter Pan’s fabled lost boys – the children the world forgot. Most of them have never met their fathers. Many of them don’t live with a blood relative of any kind. They call the streets home and live in world full of drugs and alcohol. Read more…

Your Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions largely supported this camp. You have made a difference in the lives of these kids (and the people like me that got to be with them.)

Straight Up Slide Show

Student missions photowalking

Each year, hundreds of Texas Baptist college students serve as summer missionaries around the world. What they do, see and experience is amazing. Check out a collection of their photos by clicking here or on the Flickr widget on the right of the page. For what it’s worth, I prefer viewing them as a slideshow, which can be found by clicking here.

Amazing stuff.

Straight Up, Day 4

God’s love is big and my heart is full. Here are a few reasons why:

         

    

Straight Up, Day 3

Besides self-inflicted bruises on my chin and my leg, this has been a good day. (They’re working me hard!) There are some kids here that know that they are called to a different life than they have been living. There are also kids that are acting so hard, but I can tell that they are listening.  Some kids have been honest enough to say that they think it’s too hard or there’s too much to give up. All the more reason to pray. We had a lesson on purity (girls and boys split up) and so the picture of the girls with the crowns are their princess of purity crowns. They also went to the high ropes course today with some elements that take a bunch of courage. So many were afraid, but overcame that and had a great time. The Gospel is being shared constantly. Johnny and Byron are plainly and boldy taking every chance they have in front of the kids to let them know of God’s love and sacrifice for them.

         

Straight Up, Day 2

Today the kids did some ropes course exercises that apply to our Christian walk and fit right along with the theme of “Together We Can Do More.” They learned about what it takes to work together in a group…how to listen, that someone needs to lead, that sometimes it takes more than one try, that they need to encourage each other and how good it feels to complete a task. Click on a picture to see some of the ways they worked together.

 

Straight Up, Day 1

It’s been a different camp, but kids are kids. They like to have fun. They like to be with their friends and they LOVE to swim when it’s hot (104 degrees, I think).

     

The camp pastor, Byron, preached the Gospel tonight. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top crazy. It was amazing how the Spirit settled on the kids and how still they were. A boy who had been tough all day came to Byron and said that he needed Jesus. Incredible and glorious.

Two to be nominated for president

The Baptist Standard is announcing in its Aug. 6 issue that at least two Texas Baptists will be nominated for president of the BGCT during the Annual Meeting this fall — Joy Fenner and David Lowrie.

Joy is executive director emeritus of Texas WMU and currently first vice president of the convention

David is pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon.

These are two wonderful Texas Baptists, each with a history of church and denominational service. As we approach the election in the fall I’m confident that both Joy and David will conduct themselves in ways that honor our Lord. One of our prayers should be that all Texas Baptists, whomever they support, will conduct themselves in a manner that shows respect to others and lifts up our Savior.

It is great to be a Texas Baptist.

Urbanization increasing religion’s popularity

I found this interesting. A recent study by the United Nations Population Fund indicates urbanization is increasing the popularity of religion.

From the RNS story:

“Rapid urbanization was expected to mean the triumph of rationality, secular values and the demystification of the world, as well as the relegation of religion to a secondary role,” the report said. “Instead, there has been a renewal in religious interest in many countries.”

George Martine, a demographer and the chief author of the report, said the renewed religious fervor has been spurred by the increasing waves of immigrants flooding major cities around the globe.

“It’s a noticeable fact that people in cities nowadays tend to find in religion a new form of belonging,” he said, pointing to the immigrant experience in European cities as an example.

“In Europe, urbanization was initially marked by a growing labor movement,” he said. “The labor movement gave (new immigrants) solidarity and promise. But since the labor movement has basically been eroded by globalization … religion is fulfilling much the same kind of role.”

What are the implications of this study for Texas? Clearly major urban centers in the state are growing tremendously. What can Baptists do to help reach people in these cities? What can Baptists do to appeal to people looking for community?

LifeCall volunteers with August birthdays

Please pray for the following LifeCall Missions volunteers on their August birthdays:

1 Bill Bloodworth
Church and Community Ministries, Clifton

1 Reed Harris
Texas Itinerant Missionary, Lawton, OK

1 Harold Rucker
Construction/Builder Coordinator, Santo

2 Lydia Cantu
Children’s Ministry, Harlingen

2 Ruth Olive, Jr.
Church Strengthener, Texas City

2 Danny Perkins
Missions Involvement and Outreach Ministry, Olney

2 Rudy Pittman
Church and Community Ministry, Kyle

3 Ronnie Boggan
Association Evangelism Assistant, Allen

3 Nellie Monteith
Administrative Assistant, CWJC, San Antonio

3 Jane Mussey
LifeCall Missions Advocate/Volunteerism Dir., Liberty

3 BJ Ritchie
CWJC Site Coordinator, Houston

3 David Singleton
River Ministry Consultant-at-Large, San Antonio

4 Umbelina Flores
Missions Education/Children’s Outreach Min., Mission

4 Reynol Gonzalez
Missions Education/Preschool- Children’s Min., Penitas

4 Gloria Parker
Volunteer Chaplain, Paris

4 Arlene Pope
Pastoral Ministries/Chaplain’s Assistant, Liberty

4 Gerald Sumners
Mission Church Strengthener, Texas City

5 Sherrie Morrison
Literacy Instructor/MSC Consultant, New Haven, CT

5 Becky Rodriguez
Church Starter, Mission

6 Gene Lansford
Criminal Justice Ministry Coordinators, Diana

6 Mildred Livingston
River Ministry Facilitator, San Marcos

6 Richard Potter
TBM – Restorative Justice Chaplain, Burnet

7 Shirley Dimmock
Mission Ed/Awareness, Jasper

7 Donna Pinto
Corpus Christi

7 Frank Tamasy
Pastor, Haxtun, CO

8 Nora Carter
Camp Staff Support, Paris

8 Debbie Key
Christian Women’s Job Corps for Olney, Olney

9 Damon Hollingsworth
TBM Region 20 Director, Spicewood

9 Larry Mills, Jr.
Administrator for Buchanan Chapel Ministries, Amarillo

9 Henry Richmond
Texas Itinerant Missionary, Livingston

10 Kathy Evans
Special Friends Ministry, Duncanville

10 Glen Nugent
Itinerant Prison Ministry, Timpson

11 George Crews
Special Projects/TBM, Colleyville

11 Bruce Mussey
LifeCall Missions Advocate/Volunteerism Dir., Liberty

11 Patrick Skipper
Director of Hope Welcome Center, Amarillo

12 Steve Dickerson
Prayer Warrior, Marshall

12 Mary Lou Jordan
Special Projects, Irving

13 Classie Scott
Director of Clothing Closet, Houston

14 Mary Baker
Pastoral Support, North Ft Myers, FL

14 Jack Chastain
Church and Community Ministries, Angleton

14 Donna Cooley
Director of Damascus Home of Redwater, Redwater

14 Pat Long
Education Director, Fred

14 Rosemary McKinley
Church Planter, El Paso

15 Mary Burdett
Church Strengtheners, Lumberton

15 Bob Davis
Texas Itinerant Missionary, Watauga

15 Sandra Power
Children’s Director, LaFeria

15 Bob Sawyer
Church Business Administrator, Austin

15 Abelino Torres
Church Strengtheners, Grand Prairie

15 H. D. White
Literacy Missions Consultant, Amarillo

16 Gloria Helleson
Prison Ministry, Waco

16 Ken Weber
Director of Missions/Outreach, Howe

17 Larry Gilbert
Amarillo

17 Dan Kirkley
Missions Coordinator, Belton

17 Bill Morrison
Camp Maintenance, Arlington

18 Jo Graves
Pastoral Support, Barre, VT

18 Jesse Watson
LifeCall Missions Advocate, Harlingen

19 Bill Watts
Bible Study Leader/Interim Pastor, Livingston

20 Novalene Dowe
Church Strengthener, Brownwood

20 Paul Greer
Harbor Ministry, Angleton

20 Charles Pruett
Outreach Ministry, Burleson

21 Betty Sumners
Mission Church Strengthener, Texas City

22 Kathy Boroughs
CWJC Executive Director, Midlothian

22 Mike Pearson
Church Strengthener, Pittsburg

22 Joe Todd
Baptist Student Ministry Director, Bozeman, MT

23 Alice Hoegenauer
Senior Adult Ministry, Cotulla

23 Bill Storey
MSC Personnel Encourager, Wylie

24 Sue Hicks
Evangelistic Outreach, Blanco

24 Juliet Landrum
Outreach/Evangelism Ministry, Lampasas

25 Roger Byler
Assistant to Pastor, Sweeny

25 David Cobb
Resort Visitation Evangelist, Gatlinburg, TN

25 Janie Flores
Admin. Assistant/Missions Outreach Dir, Edinburg

25 Barbara Whiteman
TDC Information Center Staff, Alto

26 Mary Baxter
Outreach Director, Ruston. LA

26 Lewis Fitts
Volunteers in Annuity and Stewardship, Conroe

26 Harry Nelson
Minister of Music Assistants, Houston

26 Tadge Ross
Church Strengthener, Pflugerville

26 Elfrieda Schoenewolf
Outreach Ministry, Brady

27 Judy Cole
Church Strengthener, Cleburne

27 Elmore Emmons
Church Strengtheners/Senior Adult Ministers, Nocona

27 Carolyn Head
Resort Ministry Workers, Woodville

27 Dottie Medlin
Church Strengtheners, Edinburg

28 Janet Colvin
Missions Coordinator/College Career, Santo

28 Dorothy DuBose
Mission Education/Awareness Dir., Milam

28 Barbara Kennedy
Taylors, SC

28 Ed Neal
Exchange Student Ministry, Burkburnett

28 Gus Reyes
Senior Adult Coordinator, Corpus Christi

28 Vira Riek
Ministry Outreach Parents, Livingston

29 Marie Dyess
Texas CWJC/CMJC Prayer Coordinator, Ennis

29 Janet Henson
Outreach Ministry, San Angelo

30 Gail Walker
Prison Ministry, Bonham

30 James White
Church Building Planning Consultant, Lumberton

31 Sandy Dean
Truckstop Chaplain, Texarkana

31 Saundra Huggins
Assistant to Pastor-Outreach, Rowlett

31 Gloria Reyes
Senior Adult Coordinator, Corpus Christi