In the Witness this week

NAMB photo by John Swain

Mary Gore (“Miss Mary” as camp kids call her), a resort missionary for the North American Mission Board, prays with children during a campground worship service at Toledo Bend, La.

Resort missionary witnesses in Louisiana Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Published March 23, 2006: TOLEDO BEND, La. (NAMB)–For spunky, fast-talking, fast-walking Mary Gore, it’s just another Saturday in bass-fishing paradise – Toledo Bend, La. Mary is busy doing what she does best. She’s out fishing – not for largemouth bass, but for souls.
Homosexual adoptions among watched bills Published March 23, 2006: TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Upcoming state and national elections will likely influence the Florida legislature to a greater degree than normal, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley told Florida Baptist Witness as he surveyed the early weeks of the 2006 annual legislative session.
Culture of evangelism a church priority Published March 23, 2006: LAKELAND–(FBC) Two days of instruction, testimony and expository teaching of God’s Word inspired the 1,100 persons attending the Florida State Evangelism Conference to reach the spiritually lost in their community and world.
IMB ‘open letters’ explain decisions Published March 23, 2006: RICHMOND, Va. (IMB)–International Mission Board Chairman Tom Hatley sent an “open letter” March 7 to all Southern Baptists – and a much longer letter to all Southern Baptist pastors – addressing recent decisions by IMB trustees.

Opinion

Editorial

Our inevitable conflict with the homosexual lobby JAMES A. SMITH SR. Executive Editor: Any claim that the homosexual lobby seeks merely society’s tolerance has been laid bare as the lie that it is by two recent developments in which private Christian colleges and a Christian teacher at a Miami public high school have come under intense criticism for merely contending for the clear teaching of Scripture regarding the immorality of homosexuality.

Point of View

BREAKPOINT: Old news that’s not fit to print: The Times on natural selection CHARLES COLSON Breakpoint: Sometimes you have to wonder about the New York Times. It printed a long, breathtakingly written, scientific-sounding piece that just had one problem: It wasn’t news. Now, why would it do that?
The Cooperative Program and the Kingdom of God: If you are a Southern Baptist what do you need to know about the Cooperative Program? Is it merely a way to support the denomination, or is it a relevant, viable process that makes a difference in people’s lives beginning where you live and extending around the world?
Understanding categories of the emerging church ED STETZER Baptist Press: It’s been interesting to watch the emerging church conversation over the last few months. Important issues are being discussed. Unfortunately, like many conversations, good things are lumped together with bad and important conversations are lost in more heat than light.

Florida

Florida News

Culture of evangelism a church priority: LAKELAND–(FBC) Two days of instruction, testimony and expository teaching of God’s Word inspired the 1,100 persons attending the Florida State Evangelism Conference to reach the spiritually lost in their community and world.
2006 VBS Associational Clinics offer training: JACKSONVILLE (FBC)–Each year, associational Vacation Bible School clinics provide training for about 5,000 Florida VBS workers. Florida Baptist churches will enroll thousands of children in Vacation Bible School this summer, an opportunity that represents the most extensive outreach, evangelism, and prospect-discovering event available to Florida Baptist churches.
Chinese, Haitian churches join FBC: JACKSONVILLE (FBC)–According to a report released by the Florida Baptist Convention’s Church Planting Department, Florida Baptists started 11 new churches in February.
Symposiums, ‘how to’ sessions offer creative ideas, solutions: LAKELAND–(FBC) Florida Baptist pastors relayed ideas and methods they had used to spark evangelism fervor within their congregations during the Florida State Evangelism Conference in Lakeland.
A dozen youth profess Christ at ‘Night Thing’ with Beacon12: LAKELAND (FBC)—While adults attended the Monday evening session of the March 6-7 State Evangelism Conference, 200 teenagers gathered at Lakeland’s Lakeside Baptist Church where 12 students accepted Christ during “Night Thing,” the youth component of the two-day evangelism event.
‘Wild Game Day’ draws 700 men, boys to Green Pond: POLK CITY (FBW)–About 700 men and boys gathered under pine and oak trees and underneath a tent in rural Polk County, Saturday, March 4, to hear preaching, gospel singing, and have a time to fellowship with other men.
A ‘church alive is worth the drive’ says Fort Myers pastor: FORT MYERS (FBW)–Those familiar with Interstate 75 South in Lee County can hardly miss the Colonial Boulevard exit where a towering steeple embracing a cross is visible long before reaching McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers.

Legislature Watch

Homosexual adoptions among watched bills: TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Upcoming state and national elections will likely influence the Florida legislature to a greater degree than normal, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley told Florida Baptist Witness as he surveyed the early weeks of the 2006 annual legislative session.

Florida News Briefs

Discuss ministry in emerging culture
Historical Society Church History Award
Disaster relief training sessions offered
Welch kicks off FAITH clinic
Mother Daughter Overnight events
Workshop trains volunteers in TEFL

National

National News

IMB ‘open letters’ explain decisions: RICHMOND, Va. (IMB)–International Mission Board Chairman Tom Hatley sent an “open letter” March 7 to all Southern Baptists – and a much longer letter to all Southern Baptist pastors – addressing recent decisions by IMB trustees.

Missions News

NAMB commissions 143 new missionaries & chaplains: ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–Calling the United States the fourth most “unchurched” nation in the world, Robert E. “Bob” Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board, spoke March 5 during a commissioning service for 143 new missionaries and chaplains at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C.

Features

Hurricanes: Baptists Respond

NOAH volunteers to rebuild New Orleans in new initiative Mold, mess from Katrina’s devastation linger, motivate continued response: ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–Eight months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the people and landscape of New Orleans, a tidal wave of Southern Baptist volunteers is needed to help rebuild the historic city and surrounding areas.
New Port Richey volunteers help New Orleans resident gut home Photo: Volunteers from First Baptist Church in New Port Richey and Central Baptist Church in Marlow, Okla., pray with New Orleans homeowner Sid Allen after spending a day and a half gutting Allen’s home as part of their MissionLab ministry through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Annie Armstrong Offering

Resort missionary witnesses in Louisiana Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: TOLEDO BEND, La. (NAMB)–For spunky, fast-talking, fast-walking Mary Gore, it’s just another Saturday in bass-fishing paradise – Toledo Bend, La. Mary is busy doing what she does best. She’s out fishing – not for largemouth bass, but for souls.
NAMB missionary ministers to Cleveland internationals Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: CLEVELAND, Ohio (NAMB)–Showing pretty fair pitching form, Randy Chestnut winds up and fires the baseball. With a clang, Randy’s fastball nails the metal target and another victim plops into the dunking pool to gales of laughter in the crowd of several hundred.

Bible Study

Family Bible Study

April 2: You Need to Remember Luke 22:14-20, 24-27, 31-34: Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.
April 9: You Have A Motive Luke 23:32-47: Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville

Explore the Bible

April 2: Do You Live According to God’s Truth? Isaiah 24:1–31:9: Troy Bush is the minister of evangelism and missions at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.
April 9: Do You Take Your Burdens to the Lord? Isaiah 32:1–39:8: Troy Bush is the minister of evangelism and missions at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.