Reaching out through new shoes

A first-grade girl made direct eye contact with the woman who had washed her feet and was then putting new shoes on them. “You will all be blessed,” the girl said.

That moment made a lasting impression on Challys Williams, a Temple Baptist Church member who helped with the Samaritan’s Feet outreach at Cypress Springs Elementary School in Ruston, La., recently. “Oh, what a precious little girl,” Williams said. “May we stop to pray for her and the others to receive salvation.”

The recent project was Temple’s first time working with Samaritan’s Feet. That organization (which is not affiliated with Samaritan’s Purse) “serves and inspires hope in children by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities,” as stated on its website.

Helping to provide shoes for children is one way in which Temple’s people reach out in Jesus’ name to Ruston and its surrounding communities. John 13 records His setting the example for Christians as He washed the feet of His disciples.

Williams related a second anecdote from the project, one that involved two brothers. The boys are active in their church, so they were familiar with the scripture as she reminded them of Jesus’ example of humility and service in ministry. She encouraged them to follow that example for their mother, and she later heard them talking about washing each other’s feet. Williams observed: “Oh, don’t you know our Lord was enjoying seeing His little children catching a nugget of His truth? Pray that they will live His truth every day.”

The socks and shoes that children received in the Samaritan’s Feet project will one day wear out and be discarded. With God’s blessing, however, the spiritual truths that they received will grow and prosper in their lives.

 

College students scatter to serve

Students from Temple’s college ministry have left their comfort zones to serve God in mission opportunities not only in Louisiana but also in other states and in other countries in the summer of 2018. Please pray for these young people.

• Aldin Brady, Calgary, Canada
• Kayla Clark, Houston, Texas
• Camille Cole, Eunice, Louisiana
• Michael Dickson, Bossier City, Louisiana
• Andrew Ebeyer, Calgary, Canada
• Lauren Fletcher, Eunice, Louisiana
• Garrett Gibson, Benton, Louisiana
• Zach Harper, Waltham, Massachusetts
• Miranda Howland, Hunt, Texas
• Clay Hudson, Eunice, Louisiana
• Hannah Jones, Chicago, Illinois
• Maggie Jones, West Palm Beach, Florida
• Stephen Kessler, Calgary, Canada
• Meredith Nichols, Tyler, Texas
• Jaina Robinson, Calgary, Canada
• Connor Scott, West Palm Beach, Florida
• Emily Seabaugh, Chicago, Illinois
• Sarah Beth Sewell, Eunice, Louisiana
• Hyder Spence, Black Mountain, North Carolina
• Mitchell Spillers, Flint, Texas
• Ashley Swofford, West Palm Beach, Florida

Temple team aids Los Angeles ministry

Smartphone technology helped to overcome a language barrier as Temple members ministered in Los Angeles in early June 2018.

An opportunity accompanied by a problem arose while Scott Felder and Taylor Davis passed out free bottles of water on a hot day in downtown Burbank. When a Spanish-speaking man wanted to pay for the water, they tried to convince him that it was free, but they spoke no Spanish and he spoke no English. As efforts to communicate continued, a translation app on Felder’s phone and a Bible app on the man’s phone played a key role when he and Felder located scripture passages from Isaiah and Ephesians, which led the man to make motions indicating that he prays to God.

Felder summed up his feelings after the exchange by saying, “It warmed my heart that he was as into [Christianity] as I was, and that I got to share what I did with this Spanish-speaking gentleman.”

Spencer Morris and Scott Felder prepare to distribute free doughnuts to passersby.

Felder and Davis were part of a group that left Ruston on June 4 and returned on June 10. While in the Los Angeles area, they helped with outreach efforts of the Story City Church, one of Temple’s mission partners. The group’s members worked not only in Burbank, but also in adjacent areas, such as North Hollywood and Pasadena. The two-a-day projects (morning and afternoon) included giving out free movie tickets, free ice cream and free doughnuts in addition to water. “These were all great ways of getting people’s attention,” Felder said, “filling basic needs, and sharing the love of God and our story with the Californian people.”

Jason Walsworth wrote in The Tidings that during the week the group also distributed almost 800 cards inviting people to the church and painted an apartment that will be used to house the church’s staff.

Felder noted that outreach is always on the minds of the staff at Story City Church, starting with pastor Matt Lawson and extending through all staff members. “Every time we met with anyone on staff,” he said, “they always wanted to think of how they can continue to impact the community around them for the Kingdom’s cause.”

Beyond the benefits to the local church plant, Temple’s people came home feeling beneficial results in their own lives. Felder said, “God tore down many barriers on this trip, such as comfort, prejudice and even language.” He added that God used the team members’ skills in special ways and prepared the hearts of the people to hear His message from the folks from Louisiana.

Story City Church holds worship services in the Colony Theater in downtown Burbank, California. Equipment is set up each week for services, then taken down and stored until the next Sunday’s services.

Helping to clean up after flood in Monroe

On April 24, over 100 Temple members served our community in the name of Jesus during Released. We had seven different projects: Disaster Relief Mud-out, Bethel School, Senior Yardwork 1-3, Homebound visits and Rolling Hills. Thanks to all who came out to serve. Special thanks go out to our project coordinators: Loy Seal, Woodie Cooper, Bob Myers, Dustin Alexander, Tim McCarthy, Dale Oden, and John Nugent.

One unique project from this past Released was the Disaster Relief Mud-out project. This project was headed up on the Temple side by Loy Seal, and worked in partnership with Rolling Hills and Alabama Disaster Relief.

The team of 13 worked all afternoon in the home of a family affected by the flooding in mid-March.

Due to the high volume of disaster relief requests, their house sat nearly untouched for over a month. Our team was able to rip out drywall and shiplap from five rooms to get the house ready for restoration.

In addition, they had the chance to encourage and pray with the couple, who are members of Firs t Baptist, Schwartz.

–John King, Minister of Missions

Missionary appointment service to be shown at Temple

This year, for the first time, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention will stream an appointment service for new missionaries. The service can be viewed in Room 216 at Temple Baptist Church, Ruston, La., beginning at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 2016.

Click here for a brief message from IMB President David Platt inviting you to celebrate and share in this event.

‘Voice of the Martyrs’ conference set

Temple members are invited to attend the Advance Regional Conference of The Voice of the Martyrs March 5, 2016. See the adjacent image for location and schedule.

Registration can be done online or by phone (800-747-0085). There is no charge for attending. An offering will be taken during the conference.

Featured speakers will be:

• Gracia Burnham — While serving as missionaries in the Philippines, Gracia and her husband, Martin, were kidnapped by a militant Muslim group and held captive for 376 days.
• Brother John — Born in Syria, Brother John is a part of God’s great work in bringing Arab people to a true, saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in war-torn Syria.
• Dr. Hormoz Shariat — Dr. Hormoz Shariat, who came to the United States in 1979, is the founder of Iran Alive Ministries. His satellite TV broadcasts reach millions in the Middle East and Europe.
• Sarah Liu — Sarah Liu lived a life of faith in her homeland of China. Her unapologetic Christian beliefs ultimately led to her arrest, torture and imprisonment for six years.
• Amy Shreve (Worship Music) — Music and worship.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. for registration, access to the resource center and prayer.

Lunch will be on your own from noon to 1:15 p.m. at area restaurants.

Food collected for Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home

Along with many other Baptist churches in Louisiana, Temple recently collected food for the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home as part of the home’s annual Fall Food Roundup. The picture below shows the items as they awaited pickup for delivery to the home.

Medical team commissioned for 2015 trip to Nicaragua

Dale Oden prays for the 2015 medical mission team.

Dale Oden

At the end of the Aug. 16 evening Worship Service, Associate Pastor Dale Oden led a commissioning service for Temple members and other individuals who will compose this year’s medical mission team for Nicaragua. Each August, the church sends a group to treat physical ills and share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Please pray for the following people as they minister in Nicaragua Aug. 22-28. Also, please pray for the people to whom they minister.

• Dwight Anderson
• Mattieu Bissell
• Reggie Bridges
• Mike Brister
• Andy Carter
• Janie Cherry
• Kenny Cox
• Connie Eagles
• Anna Fuller
• Jenny Garner
• Maddie Hogg
• Donna Hood
• Molly Humphries
• Norlyn Hyde
• John King
• Randy McWhorter
• Nancy Smith
• Tommy Smith
• Frances Springfield
• Morgan Stanley
• Nathan Taylor
• AdamVanDenLangenberg
• John Ward

Youngsters enjoy Summit Kids Mission Trip

Here are some pictures from Temple’s Summit Kids’ recent mission trip to Arlington, Texas.

Among other activities, the participants sorted items that Mission Arlington will distribute to the community.

SEND>>West Palm Beach: ‘Phenomenal and life-changing’

Julie White provided the following update on Temple college students’ activities in West Palm Beach, Fla.

This summer in West Palm Beach, Fla., was phenomenal and life-changing to say the least. God worked through and in our team these past eight weeks and has grown each of us in ways we never thought possible. I have seen brokenness restored, hearts changed, and life plans turned inside out. It is amazing to see how God is working in Palm Beach County and the vision that Family Church has for reaching the county for Christ. The goal of Family Church is to have planted 100 churches across the county within 10 years. There are already five church campuses, and now there is one being planted in Jupiter, Fla. It is amazing to see the core values of Family Church lived out in everything they do, including student ministry, family ministry, and community outreach.

To end the summer, July 13-17, we went to student camp, better known as Jurassic Camp. For Jurassic Camp students from grades six through twelve came to camp where they were always in constant worship and fellowship with one another. Two-hundred and thirty students went to camp along with over 90adult leaders and pastoral staff. It was amazing to see how many students came to camp and how all of the work for the summer was put into action and carried out that week.

Each morning and night a different pastor would speak and the series they went through were the seven stories of hope:

• Hope for the Rejected: The Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)
• Hope for the Non-Religious: Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-17)
• Hope Changes Things: Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
• Hope Forgives: Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
• Hope Through Death: Thieves on the Cross (Luke 23:32-43)
• Hope Rose from the Dead: Resurrection (Luke 24:1-20) and
• Hope is Waiting for You: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

Through these seven stories of hope, it was amazing to see how each one applied to the students’ lives and how they responded to them. I saw God break down walls of a few students whose hearts were hard against God and who doubted He even existed. There were many students who made decisions at camp to turn their lives over to God for the first time, or back to God because they had run so far from him. There were also students who made the decision to be baptized because they had not taken that step of faith yet. When returning home from camp, the students who made a decision to be baptized were baptized in the ocean that Sunday evening.

Members of the SEND>> West Palm Beach team are (front row) Olivia Loewer, Sol Boehm and Julie White and (back row) Spencer Morris and Brennan Edwards

I am so thankful that I, as well as my team, was given this opportunity to serve South Florida this summer. Thank you for all of your support and your prayers for the team and me because we could have not done it without it. Also, a huge thank you goes out to Family Church for everything they have taught us, for the life-long friendships, and for being so willing and excited to allow us to serve with them this summer. This was an experience of a lifetime and I will never forget the things God has taught me through this season in life.

Thank you,
Julie White