Communications Archives - Louisiana Baptists

Work. It. Out.

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:45:10 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

How are you doing on those resolutions you made in January?

If one of those resolutions involved exercise, you probably experienced some soreness from using muscles you may not have used in a while.

Obedience can sometimes feel like an underused or infrequently used muscle. When God’s Spirit prompts us to be obedient, especially in the area of finances, it’s not unusual to experience some discomfort. We’re not used to tithing. We’re not used to staying within a budget. We don’t enjoy saying no to a purchase when we’re used to saying yes – even if we really couldn’t afford it.

The benefit of exercising the “obedience muscle” in our finances, is it begins to affect other areas of our lives. We begin telling our money where to go rather than letting our desires do the talking. This in turn develops our witness, grows us in spiritual maturity, and increases our generosity towards the Kingdom.

One of the more important aspects of financial discipleship is learning how to make giving, saving, and spending decisions with obedience.

Helpful Resources:

Your Money Counts
This month, we’re sharing Your Money Counts a free eBook written by Howard Dayton that provides an overview of what the Bible says on money. (https://compassfinancialministry.org/product/your-money-counts/)

Want a paperback copy? Louisiana Baptists is offering $5 off for paperback copies. Use code LBC5OFF when you place an order for a hard copy.

YouVersion Reading Plans
YouVersion Financial Discipleship Reading Plans from Compass offer over forty topics to help you learn and apply what the Bible says about handling money. Got the YouVersion Bible App? Search for “Financial Discipleship” and look for the Compass icon.
(https://compassfinancialministry.org/read-biblical-financial-literacy/)

To learn more about Biblical stewardship and ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

What I Wish My Parents Had Taught Me

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:12:03 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

Flash Back–

on purpose—for just a moment. Now that you’re an adult, what is one thing you wish your parents had taught you about?

According to some financial consultants, the number one answer is: “I wish my parents had taught me what it meant to handle money God’s way.”

As adults, we recognize patterns of poor financial choices that could have been prevented. Even those raised in Christian homes often only know the world’s way of handling money-and many don’t realize they have another choice.

It comes down to viewing finances through a discipleship lens.

Families that are spiritually disciplined and financially healthy help create churches that are missionally generous and economically sound. Financial discipleship is more than getting people on a budget or out of debt. It is also about introducing people to Jesus so they can grow in their relationship with Him and build His Kingdom.

Helpful Resources:

Compass Podcasts
If you are a podcast fan, this is the month for you. Listen to Compass Financial Ministry speakers discuss a variety of topics that may further your financial discipleship walk. Explore Podcasts Page.

The Compass Curriculum
A terrific study for young adults ages 16-22. This Award-Winning resource is available in soft cover and Compass has made the eBook completely FREE to encourage young adults to gain a biblical perspective on handling finances. Please share the link with your Youth Director and with the students’ parents.

Give, Save, Spend Course
This class has been taught as a 3-credit course at Asbury University for over 10 years. When the KY state legislature passed a bill to require a financial literacy requirement for high school students, Asbury quickly moved on the opportunity and made this course available as a dual credit course for rising Kentucky High School Juniors and Seniors. Learn more about this dual credit option and how a student may enroll.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

Financial FAQ’s

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:40:47 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

Looking for answers?

Whether you’re a church or an individual, we all have questions related to money.

A recent search engine inquiry found that nationally, student loans were top of mind for most people. In Louisiana, the same question generated interest related to budgeting.

Common questions related to finances:

Should I give when I am paying off debt?
Should I pay off credit cards first or save for retirement
What steps should I take to prepare for the unexpected
How do I instruct my kids (and grandkids) to manage their money well?

We live in an age where we can buy groceries on installment payments, place sports bets online, apply for credit for small home repairs, or transfer money to friends (and even strangers) with only a phone number. We need God’s timeless truths to light the way!

What does Scripture say?

Did you know Scripture contains over 2,350 verses about money and possessions? Biblical principles are truths that never change, so we can act with confidence when we consult God’s Word on finances.

Prosperity is not about income — it’s connected to obedience.

If you would like a FREE resource relating to the 2,350 verses on money and possessions, visit compassfinancialministry.org.

If you’ve got questions, God’s Word has answers. This year, let God’s Word help you manage finances His way.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

God Doesn’t Need A Good Economy

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:32:47 +0000

Note: Louisiana Baptists have partnered with Compass Financial Ministry to provide churches inspiration and resources relating to Biblical Stewardship and Financial Discipleship. See the end of the article for more information.

A new year!

It is the season of resolutions and new beginnings. New goals, new tax laws, and new budgets. We’re already seeing predictions about this year’s economy and how to navigate it. But what about God’s economy? What if 2026 was the year we decided to turn from handling money the world’s way and chose to handle it God’s way! Scripture is packed with over 2,350 verses about money and possessions. In fact, Jesus talked about it more than any other topic, except for the Kingdom of God.

God knows what lies ahead.

He doesn’t need good circumstances to provide for His people.

He delights in overcoming the odds of bad situations by showing up and providing more than what is needed. So, how do we tap into this power? By drawing close to Him—in prayer, through the living Word, and in living out His commands to love God and to love our neighbor.

As we learn God’s ﬁnancial principles, apply them in our life, and share what the Lord is doing, we become a ﬁnancial disciple of Jesus Christ.

That could mean sharing how the Lord helped you work through a ﬁnancial challenge, extending generosity towards someone in need, or providing biblical counsel as the Lord opens the door.

Handling ﬁnances His way means asking Him what He would have you do with what He has entrusted you and being obedient to do what He tells you to do.

Building Financial Discipleship

Discipleship doesn’t happen in one conversation or message. It’s a journey that explores what it means and looks like to live out the Christian life. Financial discipleship is a discipline built over time just like prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines. This year, make a plan to build financial discipleship by refreshing your understanding, then sharing those foundational practices and teachings.

We’re here to help! Louisiana Baptists and Compass Financial Ministry are partnering to offer resources and messages you can use to strengthen the life of your church and family, and counter the world’s teaching about money.

To learn more about Biblical stewardship/ﬁnancial discipleship, visit louisianabaptists.org/stewardship or contact Rhea Fix at rhea@compassﬁnancialministry.org.

Rhea Fix

The Executive Director for Compass Financial Ministry serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Tennessee. She has over ten years teaching financial literacy and discipleship.

compassfinancialministry.org

Save Your Facebook Live Videos!

Steven Haney — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:34:56 +0000

Every Sunday my Facebook Feed is filled with live streamed services from all over Louisiana and across the country. It is great to see so many churches using this platform to share the Gospel with their communities! And it is a great option for a lot of churches. Easy to use, great connection with people, and an affordable live stream option for churches.

While nothing is changing with the Facebook Live part of Facebook, there are some changes coming regarding storage of those Facebook Live recordings that may impact your church.

No need to panic though!

The New Policy:
Beginning on February 19th, any new live broadcast videos can be replayed, downloaded or shared from your Facebook Pages or profiles for 30 days, after which they will automatically be removed from Facebook. Previously these videos were stored indefinitely.

You will have 90 days to download your existing video content before it is removed. Facebook will notify accounts via email and the app when this starts.

Your Next Steps:
If your church has sermons and services from the past stored on Facebook, start downloading those as soon as possible. Facebook has provided a great walkthrough of how to download multiple videos here.

It would be a great idea for your church to create a YouTube account, so that those services can continue being available.
Creating a YouTube Account.

Another long term storage option for churches would be a Vimeo account. They have a free and several pain options, based on how much storage you’d need.
Creating a Vimeo account.

While this can be frustrating, I think it’s understandable. With so many accounts using Facebook Live and storing videos on this platform, it would be impossible for Facebook to continue that indefinitely. Facebook continues to be a great way to share the Gospel with your community. Hopefully this will help set your church up to continue in the future.

Getting Started with Social Media

Steven Haney — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 19:14:17 +0000

As our world becomes more digital, churches have the opportunity to reach more people with the Gospel and engage more with their congregation outside of the four walls of the building.

Jumping into the world of social media can be intimidating, but we are here to provide you with information and resources that can help your church get the ball rolling!

YOUR AUDIENCE

First and foremost, you need to figure out your audience. As a church, you have two main audiences. One is members of your church and the other is the people in your area and even around the world that are lost or don’t have a church home.

Having a grasp on WHO you want to reach will help you establish the right content to post.

As a church, you want to present your social media content in a way that the lowest common denominator of your audience can understand.

What does that mean?

It may be easy to think that everyone around you understands words and phrases like “sanctification,” “washed by the blood” or “tithing.” However, people who have not grown up in church or have never heard the Gospel don’t understand “church-speak.”

This doesn’t mean we should water down our messages, but we should be aware and intentional about how we word things so everyone can understand.

After all, the ultimate goal is to give people the opportunity to hear and understand the Gospel.

YOUR PLATFORM

A plethora of social media platforms exist that you can choose from when starting out. Some things to keep in mind when choosing are age ranges/demographics, format of content/posts, and where you feel comfortable leaving your church’s digital footprint.

To reach your complete audience, I would recommend using multiple platforms and adjusting your content to fit each one.

Keep in mind when looking at this list that there are more than just these four platforms. The four listed are just more prominent right now!

Facebook

Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the United States (according to Pew Research). This platform has a wide range of users, but it is generally used more by people ages 25 and up.

The platform gives users a variety of ways to interact with followers. Text posts, images, videos, and livestreams are all accepted on Facebook.

Facebook can also be connected to an Instagram account through Meta, which could make using both platforms simultaneously much easier.

Instagram

Instagram is the next most popular social media platform. Most of its users are between the ages of 18 and 35.

This platform is all about images and videos—Specifically Reels (short videos with trendy, engaging elements).

X (formerly Twitter)

X was once a booming platform of limited character text-posts, images and videos. However, the platform grows less and less popular as time passes.

Most users are between the ages of 18 and 35.

TikTok

TikTok is a video sharing platform that continues to grow in popularity with teenagers and young adults. According to Pew Research, 62% of people ages 18-29 are on TikTok.

YOUR CONTENT

No matter the platform, originality and consistency are the keys to success!

All social media platforms have an algorithm. All of them value original/authentic content and consistent posting.

What does this mean?

If you frequently post web links on Facebook without any images or videos, the internal algorithm will limit how many people see those posts.

Users want to see candid moments and engaging content.

Photos and videos of church events and other things will always have more engagement than generic graphics with words on them.

The next most important thing is to be consistent.

This doesn’t mean to post something every hour. Posting at least once a day or even every other day helps to keep your content fresh in your followers’ feeds.

A sample schedule to help visualize how to run a consistent, engaging social media accounts can be downloaded here

YOUR SCHEDULE

We know it seems stressful to keep up with social media while also planning and preparing for church and other events. But it doesn’t have to be!

There are plenty of social media scheduling sites that use an online calendar to help make scheduling your social media posts on multiple platforms a breeze. There are even some that offer free versions, like Buffer.com.

Check out some of these sites and see if any work for you:
Loomly
Hootsuite
Later
Pallyy

Crowd Aversion

John Kyle — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:46:10 +0000

Some are calling it “Earthquake Game 2.” When LSU recently came from behind to beat Alabama in Tiger Stadium, the crowd went wild! It was unbelievable! The crowd’s roar was so loud it registered on the seismograph – for the second time – the first one following the Auburn victory in 1988. LSU won. The crowd roared and stormed the field. The celebration began.

We have a love/hate relationship with crowds. We like to be a part of big crowds at concerts and sporting events, but we hate crowds when we have places to go and people to see.

Many of us have “crowd aversion.” If we see a crowd, we start looking for a way around it. For example, we want the shortest line at the checkout lane. Despite my best guess, I usually end up in the slowest lane behind a lady who pulls out a checkbook – a checkbook! Crowds are a hassle at the stoplight, construction sites, the DMV, the gas pump, and the security checkpoint at the airport.

Jesus was no stranger to crowds. They followed Him everywhere. It’s amazing He found time to pray and train His followers when He seemed to be constantly surrounded by people. There were times when Jesus withdrew from the crowd, but there were also times when He engaged the crowd.

Matthew records such an instance in chapter 9 of his gospel, “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Notice that instead of ignoring the crowd, Jesus saw the crowd. He didn’t look past them or for a way to avoid them. He saw them. They were real and the sight of them triggered something inside Him. Matthew notes that Jesus felt for the crowds. He had compassion for them. They were not an annoyance. They were not keeping Him from His agenda. They were His agenda. He saw them. He felt for them. The word compassion in scripture literally means to be moved so deeply that you feel it in the pit of your stomach.

Jesus saw their true condition. He knew the crowd manifested and magnified the needs of the individuals. They were distressed and dejected. Various translations say they were bewildered, troubled and helpless, confused, harassed, worried, downcast, weary and worn out, abandoned. He didn’t see the crowds as a hassle, but a harvest. He didn’t see the crowd as something to be avoided, but people to be engaged.

The crowds represented the very people Jesus came to save.

On another occasion as a crowd surrounded them, Jesus asked His disciples “where will be buy bread so these people can eat?” (John 6:5)

Could Jesus be asking us, Louisiana Baptists, a similar question?

The crowd is real. Two million spiritually lost people reside in Louisiana and they are all around us. We have what they need – God’s truth. How can we get them what they need? This is the whole point of what we do as an association of churches. It’s one thing that separates us from social and civic organizations. We aren’t just concerned about how Louisianans will be doing in the next 10 years. We’re concerned about where they will be in the next 10,000 years. Marinade on that for a minute. Everybody is going to spend eternity somewhere.

This is why we invest in our multi-media outreach strategy, Here for You. By leveraging current communication platforms, we’re engaging the crowd and sharing the truth that can set them free. Since 2019, Here for You has seeded God’s truth in 94% of TV households across the state. We’ve also reached an average of 187,000 people per month via social media and streaming services and more than 3,750 people have indicated a decision for Christ through our partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Your gifts through the Cooperative Program and the Georgia Barnette Louisiana Missions Offering help us share the Bread of Life with the crowds who are distressed and dejected. Troubled and helpless. Weary and worn out.

The crowd is still there. In front of us. Beside us. Behind us. Don’t ignore them. Don’t look past them. See them. Pray for them. You don’t have to know their names. They may never come to your church. But that is not the point. The need is still there. Jesus sees them and feels compassion for them – and as His followers, so must we.

Using Boosted Facebook Ads

Steven Haney — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 18:35:27 +0000

Reach your Community

Boosted Facebook ads (and social media in general) have become important tools for churches and ministries. But for many people, getting started is the hardest part. We’ll fix that.

A Lesson in Boosted Facebook Ads

Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions on turning your Facebook post into a paid ad. You ‘ll also find a downloadable handout that provides the same information.

Happy posting!

Download Handout

Facebook Articles

Are you looking for more information about boosting your Facebook ads? Visit the links below to see what Facebook has to say about the subject.

God Never Promised This

John Kyle — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 19:10:12 +0000

How many promises have you made in your lifetime?

I read about a couple who had been married for 45 years, raised 11 children, and were blessed with 22 grandchildren. When asked the secret for staying together the wife replied, “Many years ago we made a promise to each other…the first one to pack up and leave has to take all the kids.”

The Bible is full of promises. Books listing every promise in scripture have been published over the years. One such book highlights over 800 promises from God’s Word. If we’re honest, most of us have combed through a book of this nature and claimed promises that would help us get what we desired. I’m partial to number 858 on page 83.

Which of God’s promises stand out in your mind?

I think all of us could testify of God’s faithfulness to His promises, but let me ask you this – what hasn’t God promised? Or, as the title of this blog states, “God never promised this.”

One of my favorite parables is the parable of the sower. It’s found in several places in the Gospels. It’s full of promises including:

Some of the scattered seeds find good soil.
The ones that do yield a return of 30, 60 or up to 100 times what was sown.
There is a harvest directly related to the seeds that were sown.

But that’s where it stops.

What is missing? What is the one thing God never promised? Laborers. Instead of promising the laborers, He tells us to pray for laborers. On one occasion recorded in John’s Gospel, Jesus, moved with compassion for the people he encountered, said to his disciples, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers,” Matthew 9:38. The harvest is there. The seeds have done their job. God has done what He promised to do. But the laborers – no guarantee. We must pray for them.

Could God provide the laborers? Certainly. But He has chosen not to do so. Instead, God’s calls us to pray for them. Why?

The short answer is God doesn’t tell us why. He simply tells us to pray for those who are needed to gather what He has prepared.

I’ll attempt to provide a couple of reasons why I believe this is God’s desired direction.

First, when we pray for something or someone, we’re assigning value. Think about it, when we value something or someone, we pray for them.

An old preacher once shared the 3 things God values the most:

People
People
People

Lost people matter to God. They have value to God. The question becomes, do they have value to us? Do we value them enough to pray for the laborers to bring them in from their fields of depression, disillusion and disappointment? Everybody will spend eternity somewhere. It’s a sobering reality!

Second, when we pray for people, it keeps them in what the marketing folks call “top of mind.” In other words, we pray for them because I’m thinking about them. If we’re going to glean what God has grown, praying for laborer’s should be in the forefront or top of mind. They are the missing link, if you will, to bringing in the promised harvest.

Promises abound in our culture. From politicians to products, almost everyone and everything promises to provide something that will make our lives better. But as Christ followers, our purpose is not to make our lives better, but lead others to experience the love, forgiveness and purpose God provides. God promises that they, the harvest, are there, waiting, watching to see if we’ll send people to bring them in.

The revival we talk about, the revival we long for, just might begin when we pray for and send laborers to bring in what God has promised.

Let’s pray for the laborers to go, and may we also be the first to hear the call.

7 Day Social Plan for Pastors

Steven Haney — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 15:16:46 +0000

Many churches and pastors have a love / hate relationship with social media. We know there is some potential to do good, but often the process can be frustrating and confusing. Knowing what platform to use, what to post, or how to create or find content feels like a lot to take on each week. The key to an engaging ministry on social media starts with a simple plan and consistency.

7-Day Social Media Plan to Engage with Your Church
Adapted from Re-Think Communication by Phil Bowdle.

Choose a platform

The first step in this process is to choose which platform(s) you will focus on. Two things to consider:

Go where your people are. Being on a platform where you already have an audience will lead to more engagement and will help you grow.
Don’t over stretch yourself. Focus on one or two social media platforms you feel people would engage with the most.

Schedule time

Having a social media plan will help you know what to post ahead of time, leaving more time to create and post content. Schedule some time, maybe 10-15 minutes each day, to work on your social media posts. You can also work ahead, by scheduling multiple posts at one time by using a third-party scheduling service such as Hootsuite or Buffer

Remember that social media is a two-way conversation. In addition to creating content, spend some time responding to comments or messages throughout the week.

The Plan

Day 1: Monday
Pray for your church

Start the week off in prayer for and with your church. Ask “How can I pray for you?” Encourage and lead your church to pray for something specific or share a testimony of how prayer has changed your life. Respond to comments and let them know you are praying for them today.

Day 2: Tuesday
Celebrate

Take a look back over the past week or so. What’s a win you and your church can celebrate? This could be a salvation or baptism. Maybe there is a ministry that is experiencing growth. Think about wins not everyone knows about and share them.

Day 3: Wednesday
Devotional Thought

Social Media allows you to share God’s Word with your church any time. Take time to share a quick verse and devotional thought. Share from your own experience of what God is teaching you. End your post encouraging others to share in the comments.

Day 4: Thursday
Sunday Preview

As you prepare for your message this Sunday, think about how you can build anticipation for the sermon. Maybe share a verse, ask a key question, or ask for feedback or stories on a specific topic.

Day 5: Friday
Honor a Volunteer

Take time to publicly appreciate someone serving at your church. Not only will this encourage that volunteer, but it is an opportunity to show how important and loved all your volunteers are.

Day 6: Saturday
Church Invite

Let your church know how much you are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. Include details (times, directions), but don’t leave it there. Share why it’s going to be a great Sunday and encourage people to bring someone with them.

Day 7: Sunday
Sermon Recap

Take time Sunday Afternoon to share a video focusing on the application of your message. Give a quick overview for anyone who missed the sermon that morning. Share a story or verse you didn’t have time to include in the service. Encourage people to apply what they heard. If this is done as a live video, even better, as live videos get reach boost on most social platforms.

Try this schedule for a month and see what happens. The key to effective social media is discovering what works best with your audience. Make note of the things that worked and focus accordingly. Don’t worry if you miss a day or two. Just focus on connecting with people and being consistent. Over time you will see results.