Category Archives: News & Info
Worth Reading: The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
Very challenging book that I will revisit often. Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, USA, paints a vivid picture of the major needs of the world and how making a difference is possible for every one of us. Today’s church needs to be reminded that we are saved for a mission and invited to join God on His mission in the world. The things I see God doing in scripture are giving radically (John 3:16), transforming people (2 Cor 5:17), AND caring for the needs of the poor and destitute (James 1:26-27). This book calls us back to that way of life. Stearns gives details of his very personal struggle with the Gospel, with having compassion for the least, with obeying God when that means inconvenience, pay cuts, and career changes. The Hole in Our Gospel will be helpful on the shelves of communicators, with many stories from the World Vision fields, statistics on the needs of the world, and quotes on the Christian life. Great book. Well worth reading. Here are a few of my favorite quotes and meaningful stats:
Northshore Seminary Extension starting Feb 23rd
Excited to announce that we will have an Extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on the Northshore beginning this month. The classes will meet for now at the offices of the Northshore Baptist Associations at 11411 McLaughlin Lane in Hammond. On February 23rd there will be an orientation meeting. Below is a memo from our local “Dean” (my title for him), Randy Davis. He will teach the first class.
Dear Co-Laborer,
The Plans for our North Shore Seminary Extension Center are finalized. We have been approved by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, so we are ready to get started.
We will have an orientation meeting on Tuesday, February 23, at 7:00 p.m. at the Clegg Missions and Ministry Center (11411 McLaughlin Lane, Hammond LA 70403). I will tell you about the costs, the textbook and where you can find it. We will discuss the class schedule. If you are interested in taking the class you need to be there for the meeting or get in touch with me and let me know. Once the class starts it will be very important that you not miss a class. We will meet once a week for two hours. This will last for 8 weeks.
One final bit of information you need. Each class is a one-hour class. The survey of the New Testament will be covered in three separate classes and each class will be for one hour of college credit. There is a one-time registration fee of $25.00 and each course will cost $100.00.
The best way to contact me is by email, randy@kudzuvine.org. I hope to see you at the orientation meeting.
Randy Davis
Let me or Dr. Davis know if you have any questions. The course work is part of the Certificate Program at New Orleans Seminary. One hour of college credit is earned with each course. This will be a great opportunity for those who have always wanted, but never had the opportunity for theological education, those who just want to stay sharp in a continuing Education kind of way, or for those who are mulling around with starting their theological training formerly. Hopefully, the program will grow and more courses can be offered in the future. Thanks to Randy and Dr. David Cranford for their work to get this program kicked off on the Northshore.
Starting a New Church from Scratch: 2009 In Review
Bridge Church had a tremendous year which included 22 Worship Gathering @ the YMCA beginning on August 16th, 6 Worship Gatherings @ the St. Tammany Jail, 2 Faith In Action Sundays, over $10,000 given to missions around the world. 1,000’s of volunteer hours were put in at Northshore Crisis Pregnancy Centers, St. Tammany Parish Jail, Oak Villa Mobile Home Park, and various other projects around St. Tammany. We also gave away over $10,000 in money for benevolence and projects for the disadvantaged. And we’re just getting started!!! Thanks to all those who supported and prayed for and partnered with us. Looking forward to 2010. For more info about Bridge Church check out www.bridgenorthshore.com
Chiapas Team Update, Free Museum Day, etc.
I just skyped with Sergio Matassa, the missionary in Chiapas, Mexico. Our Mission team just arrived back into the city from the Lacandon Jungle and were getting ready to go out on the town (San Cristobal de las casas, incredible city). They had 33 professions of faith and other cool things take place. Can’t wait to hear the personal testimonies next Sunday from Derek Kitterlin and Eddie Koch, our own guys on the trip. And of course start planning the next trip to the Jungle – any takers? For more info on the work in Chiapas, check out gled.net.
FYI:Saturday is FREE MUSEUM DAY nationwide. Locally, the D-Day Museum, LA Children’s Museum, Lake Ponchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, and a few others will be participating (here’s the list). At the Maritime Museum in Madisonville they will be unveiling the official T-Shirt that volunteers will receive for free for their work at the Wooden Boat Festival on October 10-11. If you’d like to volunteer with Bridge Church and the Boat Fest Children’s Village, download and fill out the Volunteer Registration Form and bring it Sunday (check out the Festival Poster to the right). For 4 hours of volunteering you get the free T-shirt, a meal pass, and you get to help Bridge Church serve thousands of people in our community.
Join us Sunday as we continue our study of 1 John. Last Sunday we talked about the Real Jesus, this week we’ll talk about the Real Christian. Our questions will be, “How can I be certain that I’m a Christian?” and “Should I be so certain that I’m a Christian?”
Download last weeks message from our website and check out a few supporting articles on my blog here.
Chiapas, Mexico – VOM Restricted Nation
This week we have a small team from our church traveling to remote villages in Chiapas, Mexico, bringing physical and spiritual care and supporting the church planting movement taking place among the Tzotzil Indians in Mexico’s southern most state. While I was unable to go on this trip, I had an interesting opportunity to contribute to the mission of spreading the Gospel in Chiapas this week. Voice of Martyrs, Spanish Edition, asked to use one of my pictures from a previous trip on the cover of an upcoming issue. The picture (to the left) was taken at a village called Nuevo Sabanilla in the Lacandon Jungle, where a team from Hope Church of Waldheim, Oak View Baptist Church in Irving, TX, and Willow Bend Church in Plano, TX, traveled with a few Mexican doctors last June. It was an incredible experience that included a five hour ride on a dirt road (that’s a long dirt road even for someone from LaSalle Parish), breath taking scenery, waking up inside a passing cloud bank, being the first Americans to travel to the area, and knowing that because of our trip lives were saved physically and spiritually. This week our team is back in the jungle village of Nuevo Sabanilla to continue the work and help solidify the planting of a healthy church in the region.
I hope you’ll join me in praying for Chiapas. To be on the cover of Voice of Martyrs means that it is not a safe place for evangelical Christians. See this story about their status as a restricted nation. And pray for our team that will be making the trek out of the jungle starting tomorrow. Can’t wait to hear the stories of God’s work and to start planning the next trip!
For info about our partnering organization in Chiapas visit gled.net. For more of the story and pics click here.
What is Lent Anyway?
This week marks the beginning of a major religious celebration around the world called Lent. In our area it means FRIDAY’S ARE FOR SEAFOOD! What is Lent exactly? In Brief:
For Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and other liturgical protestant denominations (those with a continuous history before AD 1500) Lent is the forty day period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. It is to be a season of soul-searching and repentance. It can be loosely traced to the early days of the church, but was certainly less formal (most scholars believe the time of fasting was two to three days and not forty) and of course much more spiritual. Lent, as we know it today, originated in the fourth century and has changed in practice throughout the years. In AD 325, the Council of Nicea discussed a forty day season of fasting and preparation for new converts to be baptized. In the seventh century, Gregory the Great moved the beginning of Lent from Sunday to Wednesday, now called Ash Wednesday. He is also credited with beginning the ceremony of marking foreheads with ashes, as a symbol of repentance taken from the Old Testament. The practice of fasting during Lent has become more relaxed over the centuries and in 1966, the Roman Catholic Church restricted fast days to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Having moved to South Louisiana just seven years ago, I have observed that Lent is practiced but not understood by many. Even many irreligious people will give up something of value (if you count chocolate, certain adult drinks, coffee, or some other modern convenience that doesn’t really affect a person’s way of life) and will abstain from meat on Friday. When asked the purpose behind this, the person will say, “I’m not sure,” or take a great guess that would fool everyone if they were playing my favorite board game Balderdash. Herein lies the problem with modern spirituality – it’s long on activity and short on meaning and understanding.
Too often we use religious expression, such as Lent, as a means to fit in, to feel better about ourselves, but not to understand and conform to God’s desire for our lives. In many ways Lent illustrates our lack of understanding about God and His will for humanity. Many people give up for forty days what they know they shouldn’t be doing anyway. In the 2002, movie 40 Days and 40 Nights, a single man vows to stay celibate during Lent, but meets the girl of his dreams and regrets being unable to rebel against God’s commands concerning sexual purity (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8) and to “let the marriage bed be undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4) until Lent is over. As this movie illustrates, some people may see Lent as a window of time to be serious about their faith. I tend to believe God deserves and expects 365 days of devotion and obedience, not just forty.
A somber season of soul-searching and repentance, which includes fasting, is necessary for our generation. I don’t search my soul when I give up my favorite commodity but when I understand and get a glimpse of what God has done for me through Jesus Christ. His suffering, His sacrifice, and His love should make us forget modernity for awhile and focus ourselves on repentance and new life that Christ’s death and resurrection make possible.
So how should we view Lent? One 19th Century preacher called it “The Season of the Cross.” I like that. It’s the cross that is the centerpiece of our faith (1 Corinthians 15:3) and it’s the cross that we are called to carry (Luke 9:23). So, join me during the season of the cross and do more than just mark your calendar and do without some material luxury. Let’s increase our awareness of Christ’s love and His desire for our lives. We may find ourselves gaining more, spiritually, than we could ever give up in 40 days.
The state of the Church in Louisiana
I recently came across some insightful statistics from the American Church Research Project, compiled by David T. Olson of the Lausanne Movement (see www.theamericanchurch.org). They seek to answer the question “How many people really attend church in Louisiana every week?” Here’s what they found:
- 27% of Louisiana residents attend a Christian church on any given Sunday (regular attenders are those who attend 3 out of 8 sundays), including Catholic, mainline, and evangelical. This is #1 in the nation. The national average is 17.5%, down from 20.5% in 2000. What about Barna and Gallup saying that 45% attend. Olson calls this the Halo Effect – people over inflate their participation in activities that create acceptability within their social group. For example, in 1996, 58% claimed they voted in the presidential election but only 49% actually did. Olson’s stats come from actual attendance counts, not cold calls to people who are answering questions based upon what they think they should do and what makes them look good.
- Attendance at Christian churches declined 5.8% in Louisiana from 2000-2005. (.6% in evangelical churches, 6% in mainline churches, 12.1% in Catholic churches)
- Every denominational group except Pentecostals decline in attendance from 2000-2005. (Baptist .1%, Methodist 2.2%, Lutheran 17.6%, Catholic 12.1%)
- There was a net gain of 25 churches in Louisiana between 2000-2005. However a net gain of 81 churches were needed to keep pace with population growth.
The research also reports on individual parishes. I’ll mention some stats on St. Tammany, the one in which I reside:
- 23% of the population of 230,000+ attend a Christian church on any given weekend (9.5% evangelical, 2.8% mainline, 11.0% Catholic).
Personal Observations: We have a lot of work to do if we desire to reach our population and transform lives, families, communities, states, and nations. New churches should be a part of a comprehensive plan to get people plugged into our churches, but more importantly to get church people plugged into the communities and the lives of 72% of people not attending a church and are most likely not in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Find more info about other states and the US as a whole at www.theamercianchurch.org.
Also see some other finding from the study here.
Resources for Answering Other Religions
Our church is in the midst of a message series called “Answers: What to say when…?” This past Sunday we took on what to say when you interact with people from other religions. In follow up, I wanted to share a few of my favorite websites for dealing with other religions. So, here they are…
– Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
– Apologetics Site of the North American Mission Board
– Alpha and Omega Ministries
– Watchman Fellowship
Feel free to share any others you may have.
What is Lent Anyway?
This week marks the beginning of a major religious celebration around the world called Lent. In our area it means FRIDAY’S ARE FOR SEAFOOD! What is Lent exactly? In Brief:
For Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and other liturgical protestant denominations (those with a continuous history before AD 1500) Lent is the forty day period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. It is to be a season of soul-searching and repentance. It can be loosely traced to the early days of the church, but was certainly less formal (most scholars believe the time of fasting was two to three days and not forty) and of course much more spiritual. Lent, as we know it today, originated in the fourth century and has changed in practice throughout the years. In AD 325, the Council of Nicea discussed a forty day season of fasting and preparation for new converts to be baptized. In the seventh century, Gregory the Great moved the beginning of Lent from Sunday to Wednesday, now called Ash Wednesday. He is also credited with beginning the ceremony of marking foreheads with ashes, as a symbol of repentance taken from the Old Testament. The practice of fasting during Lent has become more relaxed over the centuries and in 1966, the Roman Catholic Church restricted fast days to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Having moved to South Louisiana just five years ago, I have observed that Lent is practiced but not understood by many. Even many irreligious people will give up something of value (if you count chocolate, certain adult drinks, coffee, or some other modern convenience that doesn’t really affect a person’s way of life as valuable) and will abstain from meat on Friday. When asked the purpose behind this, the person will say, “I’m not sure,” or take a great guess that would fool everyone if they were playing the board game Balderdash. Herein lies the problem with modern spirituality – it’s long on activity and short on meaning and understanding.
My Best of for 2007
After Christmas comes the litany of what was best in 2007. As a way to evaluate my year, I’ve put together a few list of my own. Feel free to add your own.
Best books read:
1. Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham – God’s discipleship strategy was the family. Refreshing.
2. Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll – Being a church planter, I’ve had many of the same thoughts.
3. Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell – Behind enemy lines, surrounded, sacrificing for the team, dangerous rescue, Medals of Honor, True story, etc.
4. Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer and David Putnam – The church becoming a missionary in the community. It’s time to apply mission principals here at home. Thank God for this book.
5. Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney – First importance – the Cross. Centering life on that is the pursuit of a lifetime.
Best Podcasts:
1. Matt Chandler, Village Church, Dallas, Texas
2. Rick Warren Ministry Podcast, Saddleback Church,
3. Ravi Zacharias, RZIM Ministries
4. Fighter Verses (Scripture Memory), Bethlehem Baptist Church
5. Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, Washington
6. Tom Cheyney, NAMB Church Planting Group
7. Darrin Patrick, Journey Church, St. Louis, Missouri
Best Places/Events Visited:
1. Azalea Falls, Arkansas – Family Vacation, May 2007.
2. San Kristobal, Chiapas, Mexico – Mission Trip, October 2007
3. Jena, Louisiana – No matter what they say, I still love my home town
4. Abita Springs Crawfish Festival, Abita Springs, Louisiana – May 2007
5. Hope Cafe, Hope Church of Waldheim
Experiences that have helped me grow:
1. Watching my son being wheeled away for surgery – September 2007. Jack broke his arm and had minor surgery to set the bones and insert pins. However, it was still a life changing hour of my life. I now know what they mean when they say, there is no such thing as minor surgery.
2. Hearing unfounded criticism and gossip about myself spoken from someone I considered a friend. Not responding to immaturity and ignorance with my own immaturity and ignorance has been a challenge that has forced me to rely on God more than anything. Loving those who say all manner of evil against you is truly a supernatural phenomenon, impossible apart from Christ. The pain of conflict seems constant in ministry. It’s what I dislike most about what I do, but it has helped me grow as a Christian and as a leader like nothing else.
3. Preaching at the graveside service of a dear friends infant son – January 2007. I’m still trying to figure out what I should say. But God gave me grace and His Word gave us comfort.
4. Watching those friends recover and serve God enthusiastically the remainder of the year. I’ve learned in ministry that it’s the people who should be and could that usually don’t serve enthusiastically and sacrificially, and the people that shouldn’t have to that usually do. God’s strength is promised in our weakness and God gave incredible strength to these friends and amazed me in the process.
5. Choosing to confront instead of flatter a friend. Knowing that something must be said and that it might cost friendship has kept me up several nights as a Pastor desiring to protect the flock God has placed me over. Sleepless nights and responding to the call to be honest has helped me grow this year.
6. Preaching and serving in a primitive Indian village in Southern Mexico – October 2007. Trying to communicate from English, to Spanish, to Tzotzil, in speech and in culture was an awesome experience. Seeing the light bulb of the Gospel burst on in their hearts and minds, made it very much worth the effort.
Best/Most Used Blogs and Websites:
1. www.theologica.blogspot.com
2. www.desiringgod.org
3. www.drudgereport.com
4. www.bpnews.net
5. bible.lifeway.com
6. www.amazon.com
7. www.edstetzer.com
8. www.churchplantingvillage.net
9. www.theresurgence.com
10. www.newchurches.com
Lane Corley 
