2theadvocate.com | Faith | Faith Matters for Jan. 31, 2009

Church tries to live up to its name

By TERRY ROBINSON
Advocate staff writer
Published: Jan 31, 2009 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

Faith, Hope and Love Worship Center is trying to live up to its name.

The church at 4055 Choctaw Drive is hoping that reaching out in love will help bring restoration to people in the community.

“I see it being a church that will grow, and the people will grow with it,” said the Bishop Ronald Hardy, pastor of the Baton Rouge church of about 300 members and also of a church in St. Francisville.

Faith, Hope and Love moved to its current location about nine months ago after five years on Wooddale Boulevard.

Amanda Clay, a minister at the church, said she’s invigorated by the move and the opportunity to reach out to people.

“Because of the area where we’re at, this is a new opportunity to win souls for Christ,” Clay, 60, said.

Restoration is a theme of the church, and Hardy wants that to include everyone and every area of life.

“That’s restoring families, restoring marriages, seeing people get restoration in their finances, in their health,” he said.

On health issues, Hardy said the church offers life enrichment conferences.

“We share information with them concerning proper food and things you need to take in your body, so you can eat healthy and live healthy,” he said.

Hardy, 47, wants people to enjoy financial freedom.

“I actually teach people how to manage their finances, how to get back on track with their finances, how to have a debt-reduction plan,” he said.

While the church is open to all age brackets, Hardy said, he is particularly concerned about the elderly and the youth.

“What I see in the elderly when they get older, some of them fall on fixed income, life is going on, and they’re kind of ignored,” he said.

The church is setting up programs to make sure the elderly feel special, instead.

Hardy hopes to raise $12,000 for a program to help with medical prescriptions. “Sometimes, the elderly have to decide whether they’re going to get their medicine or whether they’re going to eat.”

Hardy, author of the book “Where is Daddy?,” said the church will target youth by presenting several rallies throughout the year — the first one set for 10 a.m. March 7.

“We plan to get heavily involved in the school system and motivate the young people to achieve,” Hardy said. “We feel like that will change the climate of the community, if we’ll able to do that.”

Feeding the needy

The outreach ministry of New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Grosse Tete fed more than 200 needy people in the area last week.

It’s something the church has been doing since 1996, with about 20 volunteers helping feed the needy two Saturdays a month in the North Iberville Parish areas of Rosedale, Maringouin and Grosse Tete.

“God has been good to us, and it has just been working out,” said Juanita Hill, president of the New Mount Olive Mission Outreach Ministry.

The church relied on donations for goods and transportation until about three years ago, when it was able to secure a federal grant to help with funding, including the purchase of a van for deliveries.

Nearly all of the meals are delivered, but the church, 76625 Garner Lane, has gotten visits from drivers passing through the area because of its proximity to Interstate 10.

Most of the feedings are on Saturdays with some occasional Fridays.

Hill, an area councilwoman and former schoolteacher, said she enjoys helping people.

“It gets hectic sometimes but that’s our goal: to make a difference in the community,” she said.

To help the effort or get on the delivery list, call Hill at (225) 648-2443 or the church at (225) 648-2903.

‘Pentecost experience’

Working with youth in Cambodia proved to be an uplifting experience for Louisiana Methodists who went on the mission trip last month.

David Howell and Ken Musick of St. Andrews Methodist Church in Baton Rouge were among those participating in the Louisiana’s Volunteers in Mission program.

The highlight, they said, was a first-ever four-day Methodist Youth Conference that drew more than 225 youths to the port city of Sihanoukville.

“It was one of the most spiritually powerful events I’ve ever been a part of,” said Howell, 61.

Musick, 60, likened the event to a ‘Pentecost experience’ as found in the book of Acts.

“I’m hearing them praying and making noises, but I don’t understand,” Musick said. “It came to my mind that they were speaking in tongues. I know what they’re praying generally. They’re giving thanks. They’re praising God and they’re asking God to direct their lives, but I don’t understand them. But I lift my prayers up at the same time in my own language.”

The youth came from all across the Third-World country, where accepting Christianity oftentimes causes separation from family and friends, Musick said.

“These young people really understand their faith, because they’re growing up in a environment where Buddhism is the principal religion,” he said. “It was wonderful to see them all come together. They knew they were in the safety and the company of common believers.”

The Rev. Jack O’ Dell of The Well United Methodist Church. served as the team leader on the trip. Other team members were Mandy O’ Dell, of The Well, Curt Bailey, of St Francisville United Methodist, Diane Reich, of St. Timothy United Methodist and Mike Patterson, of First United Methodist.

Howell’s blog is http://cambodiamission.davesceneryphotos.com

Faith Matters runs every other Saturday. Contact Terry Robinson at (225) 383-1111, Ext. 508, or e-mail trobinson@theadvocate.com.


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