Louisiana Baptists

Show Some Love to Your Pastor

Ray Swift — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:58:48 +0000

I grew up in a pastors home, have served as a pastor for 37 years and now have the joy of leading, listening, loving and lifting up Louisiana Baptist pastors and minsters. Pastors have, they are now and always will be my heroes.

IN OUR WORLD today we have a struggling economy, an ongoing pandemic, sexual identity crisis, defunding and overfunding, religious freedom threats, churches vandalized, protest and boycotts. IN THE CHURCH today we have pastor-less churches, power struggles, budget crisis, buildings needing repairs and overhead cost skyrocketing.

Dig Deeper: Pastors trail other Christians in relational flourishing and many say their ministry challenges their marriages and families.

“Pastors average 67 compared to other Christians’ 85 on a flourishing scale of 1-100 in relationships, and only 28 percent of pastors actively seek help in the area. This means that many congregants in U.S. churches are likely experiencing a greater sense of friendship and community than the pastors leading them.” Baptist Press, State of the Church by George Barna.

Pastors are hurting, pastors are lonely, pastors are depressed, pastors are under stress, pastors are overworked and underpaid, pastors need vacations, pastors need friends, and pastors need loving and supporting church members.

Pastors are heroes.

I’m sure I don’t have to convince you of that truth but I do want to motivate you to express your appreciation for your pastor during the month of October. Every day and every month a church should express their love and appreciation but October has been declared the time to really celebrate them.

We have prepared a list of ways you can express your appreciation. Several of them can be expressed in monetary ways but there are many spiritual ways as well. I pray that always, but especially throughout the month of October you will find many ways, individually and as a church to express your appreciation to your pastor and continue to make him your hero as well.

A Few Ways to Bless your Pastoral and Ministry Staff

Set aside a brief time in the October worship service(s) to pray publicly for them.
Organize a daily prayer partner(s) to pray for them every day in October.
Bless them with a special love gift from the congregation.
Present them with some time away with all expenses paid by the church.
Write notes/cards to express your appreciation and honor for their ministry.
Present them with a basket of gift cards to local restaurants.
Make a tangible special gift: mow the yard, clean the house, wash the car.

Additionally, download the resources below created specifically to bless our pastors through social media posts during the month of October. A sample of the images, as well as links for download are below.

Download Facebook Images

Download Instagram Images

Any Questions?

Louisiana Baptists — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:07:50 +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.

Life is full of questions. Think about it, if you had a dollar for every time your toddler/young child asked, “why,” you wouldn’t be reading this – you’d be on vacation – at the beach!

God is not afraid of your questions. Our challenge is often understanding His answers.

With that in mind…

Why does God bless us?
Does giving create happiness?
Is tithing a rule or a choice?

God blesses us so His goodness can flow through us. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that God provides what we need so we can abound in every good work, 2 Corinthians 9. Generosity is simple: God gives generously to us, and someone else is blessed when we share it.

When we give regularly, we’re saying: “Thank You, Lord. I trust You to keep providing. I want to be faithful with what belongs to You.”

Tithing is one practical way believers practice open-handed trust. Giving back to God a portion of all He provides is an act of gratitude and worship. Your giving blesses others and helps the church thrive. It reminds our hearts where our provision comes from.

Jesus reinforced this truth when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” Acts 20:35 NIV.

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

Trigger Words

Louisiana Baptists — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:28:24 +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.

Our society has become sensitive, maybe even overly sensitive, to different words, phrases, or positions. When these are verbalized, they can trigger immediate, and sometimes unpleasant responses.

Churches are not exempt from trigger words. On a Sunday, when the pastor talks about money, sacrifice, and serving, you might sense uneasiness among the people – their posture stiffens, facial expressions become stoic, and watches are frequently checked.

Jesus spoke often about money, possessions and generosity because He knew stewardship was never just about finances. It was about the condition of the heart.

Many churches talk about giving once a year, usually relating to budget needs or year-end gifts. What if stewardship became part of the regular rhythm of ministry?

By weaving stewardship into weekly messaging, churches can help their people develop a shared language of gratitude, generosity, and trust in God’s provision.

When stewardship becomes part of discipleship, generosity becomes more than a response — it becomes a reflection of Christ.

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

Once Upon a Time…

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:13:41 +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.

What comes to mind when you hear those words?

It usually means it’s story time! It may be familiar or it may take you someplace you’ve never imagined.

Jesus told many parables, or “heart stories”, intended not for entertainment but for enlightenment. Many of these parables dealt with issues related to the conditions of our hearts that often dealt with the stewardship, or management of our time, talents, and treasure.

In many ways, your life is a story of stewardship that unfolds day by day. Your schedule, your priorities, your language, your budget all tell a story that provides a window to your heart – to what’s important to you. Your story is tied to your heart, and your heart is tied to your treasure (See Matthew 6:21).

This summer, invite God into your story. Ask Him to show you how to include others in the story He’s telling in your life. Ask how He can include you in the story of His blessings in another person’s life. When we share our possessions, we become a conduit and partner in God’s generosity to bless others.

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

Pray for Summer Camp

Louisiana Baptists — Wed, 27 May 2026 21:24:42 +0000

Summer camp season is one of the most exciting times of the year at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center. Over the coming weeks, students, leaders, pastors, worship teams, and volunteers from across Louisiana will gather together for worship, discipleship, missions, and life-changing encounters with Christ. Every cabin filled, every worship service, every recreation activity, and every small group conversation represents an opportunity for God to work in powerful ways. As preparations continue for another incredible summer, we invite you to join us in praying faithfully for every person who will step onto the Tall Timbers campus. Your prayers matter, and we believe God uses them to encourage leaders, strengthen campers, provide protection, and draw hearts closer to Him.

Pray for Church Leaders and Sponsors

Praise God for the wonderful leaders who bring students to camp each summer.
Pray that God would calm any stress or anxiety as they prepare for the week ahead.
Ask the Lord to renew their energy and enthusiasm as they invest in students.
Pray for safety as they travel to Tall Timbers with campers in tow.
Ask God to strengthen their walk with Him throughout the week.

Pray for Camp Staff and Volunteers

Pray for Brandon Penton and the Tall Timbers staff as they facilitate camps all summer long.
Pray for Camp and Tall Timbers staff to have unity, energy, and enthusiasm.
Ask God to provide physical protection as they lead camp activities each day.
Pray for wisdom, patience, and encouragement as they minister to children and students.
Pray for positive attitudes and servant hearts throughout the summer.

Pray for Campers

Pray that God would prepare the hearts of campers to know Him more deeply.
Ask the Lord to give students bravery and comfort when they become homesick.
Pray for physical protection during all camp activities and travel.
Ask God to give campers open hearts and minds during worship, Bible study, and fellowship.
Pray for a fresh movement of Christ in their lives that continues long after camp ends.

Pray for Camp Communicators and Worship Leaders

Pray for camp pastors to have wisdom and guidance as they preach the Gospel each night.
Pray for the worship bands as they lead worship each day.
Ask God to use every message, song, and conversation to point students toward Christ.

Pray for Families

Pray for parents while their children are away from home.
Ask God to give families peace, encouragement, and confidence while campers are at Tall Timbers.
Pray that families would see spiritual growth and lasting impact in the lives of their children after camp ends.

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer this summer. We are trusting God to move in incredible ways through every camp, every leader, and every student who comes to Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center.

What Would You Do If…

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 14 May 2026 19:31:39 +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.

… you could eat whatever you desired without gaining a pound (or clogging your arteries)?

… you had the resources to travel anywhere in the world?

… you doubled or even tripled the number of tithers in your church?

In a recent survey, Louisiana pastors and church leaders were asked what the impact would be if more households in their church started tithing. Would they add staff? Would they build a building? Seventy-nine percent (79%) indicated they would increase community outreach and seventy-two percent (72%) noted they would invest more to the missions efforts of others! Now that’s Kingdom impact!

Giving isn’t about meeting a budget; it’s about multiplying Gospel impact. Every dollar given becomes a tool God uses to reach neighbors, support missionaries, and expand His Kingdom. Generosity opens doors, equips leaders, and meets real needs in Jesus’ name.

Through the prophet Malachi, God challenged His people, including us, in this area.

“’Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’”
Malachi 3:10, NIV

Consistent, intentional giving allows believers to partner with God in life transformation. Giving today may open the door for the Gospel tomorrow.

What could you do if …

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

2026 Stewardship Survey

Louisiana Baptists — Thu, 14 May 2026 19:09:40 +0000

Pastors from across Louisiana recently participated in a stewardship survey designed to help us better understand the opportunities, challenges, and needs churches are facing today. We are grateful for the many pastors and ministry leaders who took time to share their insights and experiences. By listening to pastors and learning from their experiences, we can better serve churches as they disciple believers, encourage faithful stewardship, and advance the mission of reaching people across Louisiana and beyond.

Below you’ll find a summary of the survey responses and some key takeaways from what pastors shared.

Q1 – What is your role in the church?
52% of respondents said their role was “Other”, 30% indicated they were the pastor.
Q2 – How important is it to teach members/guests to give financially to the Lord through the church?
97% of respondents said it was important/very important to teach members/guests to give.
Q3 – When is financial giving to the Lord best taught?
79% indicated lessons in Sunday School/small groups were the best place to teach about stewardship/giving followed by 54% – Sunday morning sermons and 45% who said mentoring (followed closely by 41% who said separate lessons on finances).
Q4 – How often do you preach/teach financial giving to the Lord?
30% of respondents said they preach/teach on stewardship twice a year, followed by 23% who do so three/four times a year.
Q5 – What personal financial management classes have you offered in your church?
40% said they have used Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace curriculum while another 40% indicated this question was not applicable. 35% said they’ve used Crown/Compass or Other/developed their own material.
Q6 – What percentage of households/family units give regularly to the church (your estimate)?
Almost 43% of respondents believe between 26-50% of their households/family units give regularly to the church while almost 21% believe 0-25% do so.
Q7 – What would be the impact if more households in your church tithed?
79% said they could increase community outreach, followed closely by 72% who indicated they would invest more to the missions efforts of others.
Q8 – Which of the following BEST describes the majority of households/family units in your church?
54% selected “Stable” (they consistently make ends meet) and another 30% described their members as “Solid” (can meet discretionary and non-discretionary expenses).
Q9 – Which of the following best represents where your church is located?
35% of those responding to the survey said their church was located in a small town (5,000-25,000 people) followed closely by 34% who said their church resided in a community in a rural area of less than 5,000 people.
Q10 – What is the biggest obstacle to encouraging stewardship and giving?
Click on this link to view those open-ended responses.

How to BE the Pastor at VBS!

Louisiana Baptists — Tue, 12 May 2026 20:35:46 +0000

Written by David Anderson, Children’s Ministry Strategist

Vacation Bible School is still the largest evangelistic outreach of the local church every year. This opportunity is truly an all-hands-on-deck all church committed event. However, many pastors feel unsure about how they can help or be a meaningful part of such an impactful outreach for families. Below are 5 ways that a pastor of a local church can BE there for VBS.

BE a PROMOTER

Be a promoter for all things VBS. Help the VBS director work through the calendar and clear a path with people in the church. Knowing they have the pastor’s backing makes all the difference. Spend time cheering for and promoting the upcoming VBS. There are many people in the church that will gladly serve at their pastor’s prompting whom the VBS director may not even know. Encourage the children and their families to sign up and bring their friends. When the pastor is excited, the whole church gets excited.

BE AVAILABLE

Having an open door to your children’s minister or VBS director is often the greatest help you can offer. They may never need to come and bounce ideas off you; however, simply knowing you are available to be part of their team speaks volumes. When they feel seen, by knowing that you consider them a valuable part of the church, they will have the confidence and assurance that their ministry truly matters.

BE WILLING

A pastor may never serve in the kitchen preparing snacks. He may never teach elementary Bible study for the children. He may not serve as a greeter during registration. HOWEVER, being willing to do all these things will have an impact bigger than one might imagine. Think of how comfortable the kids will feel with their pastor if he is the one teaching their Bible study or handing them snacks. Consider how connected those kids will feel to the larger church. Just being willing for whatever may come is a huge ministry in and of itself.

BE VISIBLE

Sometimes just being seen is the greatest encouragement to your people. Be visible throughout the week. Yes, be there for the gospel presentation, but, also be there for the opening rally and in between classes each day. This makes the pastor visible to the children and they begin to feel like he is their friend. This builds credibility with your youngest congregants that extends beyond VBS. It will also encourage your VBS team to see that you care.

BE PRESENT

Finally, and this really happens with the other 4 points, be present before, during, and after VBS. Yes, there are sermons to write, and hospital visits to make, and deacon ministry to partner with. But, if for one week you are simply present, your church will notice and see you in a new light. I remember in seminary one of the biggest lessons that I remember learning is to practice the ministry of presence. This has been a great assurance as I have stood with families in times of grief and joy, often not being sure what to say. I remind myself that families are not looking for special words, they are looking for my presence. Practice that ministry during VBS week and you will see eternal rewards in the lives of children, their families, and your church.

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

Obedient Children

Louisiana Baptists — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:13:57 +0000

Written by David Anderson, Children’s Ministry Strategist

It has often been said that the first step of obedience, for a new believer, is baptism. This phrase is so true and supported throughout the New Testament as we see every documented new believer follow through with baptism almost immediately. The question arises then. Why do we see so many children make professions of faith but wait a long time, and sometimes never, to follow through with this simple step? As a church, we should look within to understand our part in this scenario.

Throughout the year, and especially during the summer, we do a good job sharing the Gospel with children. Through VBS, day-camps, overnight camps, sports outreaches, and many other opportunities, we pour ourselves into sharing the Good News. We then often pat them on the back, congratulate them, celebrate them, and send them on their way. If we would like obedient children in every other area of life, then we should strive to help our children be obedient in this important ordinance of the church as well.

Isn’t that one of the reasons for baptism, to share what Christ has done in your life as a testimony to what He can do in anyone else’s life?

In 2026, we want to help our local churches gain some focus and follow through with baptism for the children we minister to all year long, but especially those making a decision for Christ during this summer. We have designated September 20 as Children’s Baptism Sunday for Louisiana Baptist churches. Our goal is that our churches will take time in August to follow up with each decision and offer them the opportunity to be obedient followers of Christ. Then on September 20, the church will have a grand celebration while baptizing those that had made decisions previously. This may even spur others on to make that decision to follow Christ also. Isn’t that one of the reasons for baptism, to share what Christ has done in your life as a testimony to what He can do in anyone else’s life?

So let’s get our calendars out, schedule September 20 for Children’s Baptism Sunday and guide our children in their first glorious step of obedience in a lifetime of following Jesus.