First Baptist Church of LaPlace
Pastor's Letter | June 10, 2026
FBC LaPlace Church Family,
Hey everyone!
I am writing this from Orlando, Florida, at the SBC Annual Meeting. We are on our final day! I love being Southern Baptist, and I'd like to share just one of the many reasons why.
Yesterday, we had the privilege of seeing 63 IMB missionaries who said "yes" to taking the Gospel to the nations commissioned for service. Five of those missionaries were from Louisiana! I know the day is coming when we will see the name of our church on the screen under someone being sent out to the nations. One distinct feature of being Southern Baptist is that we will not always completely agree. There will be moments of disagreement, and there have been a few of those at this meeting. Yet we always come together to cooperate in fulfilling the Great Commission. It has been so good to spend a few days with our ministerial staff at the SBC Annual Meeting, fellowshipping with other SBC messengers, being encouraged through preaching and worship, and praising God for how He uses Southern Baptists for Kingdom purposes.
I want to thank Matthew Kelly for faithfully preaching the Word of God this past Sunday. We are blessed as a church to have men who can fill the pulpit and rightly divide the Word of God. God has allowed us to disciple several men, and I am praying that He will call them into gospel ministry to serve wherever He leads. I am also praying about a possible residency program this fall for those called to gospel ministry, helping prepare them to serve in local churches, church planting, or missionary work. More details will come as I continue seeking the Lord's direction.
Jack and I have also been praying about and connecting with church plants in North America for our FBC LaPlace family to partner with, particularly in the cities of Denver and Boston. On Sunday night, we had dinner with two church planters from Calvary Veritas Church in Littleton, Colorado. It was exciting to hear what God is doing through Calvary Veritas as they prepare to launch this fall. I look forward to sharing more about Calvary Veritas with our Missions Team. The Lord also gave us the opportunity to close our dinner by having Dylan pray for our server at Denny's.
Lastly, we introduced Jack to Mickey Mouse as we visited Disney Springs on our first night. I was able to add a few Star Wars items to my collection. We've also had some great conversations with Uber drivers, looking for opportunities to share the gospel. We even rode in our first Waymo—a driverless car controlled by AI. Here are a few pictures from our time in Orlando. We also had the opportunity to meet Shane & Shane, who led worship on Monday night at the Pastors' Conference.
VBS
We are one week closer to sharing Jesus with kids in our community! Have your signed up to volunteer? Have you got your kids or grandkids registered?
We have four incredible days to share the love of Jesus through Bible stories, worship rallies, crafts, games, and snacks. We are excited about this year’s theme, Rainforest Falls, as we explore the nature of God together.
Registration is now open for both participants and volunteers.
July 13–16
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Pre-K3 through 5th Grade
You can contact Cherakee Epperly with any questions.
Men’s Breakfast
Men and boys of all ages are invited to join us for breakfast this Sunday, June 14 at 7:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Any of our men who are attteding this please sign-up on the link below. We need to know who are attending to plan for food. Please do this ASAP.
Men, come enjoy a great meal and a great time of fellowship together.
Serve Monroe Mission Trip
I am excited about our upcoming mission trip to Monroe, Louisiana, on August 21–22.
One of our project teams is already full, but there are still plenty of opportunities to serve. Projects include block parties, painting, landscaping at schools, and other community outreach efforts.
If you would like to be a missionary this summer, please see a member of our church staff or Harold DeGruy for more information.
Summer Sermon Series
Our Psalms Series starts this Sunday. You can read Psalm 1 to be ready for Sunday morning!
As we move into the summer months, we will begin a new series through the Book of Psalms. Throughout the Psalms, you will often encounter the Hebrew word Selah, which means “pause.”
Summer can be busy and hectic, so our desire is to use the Psalms to help us pause, reflect, and focus our hearts on God and His Word.
Lastly, please pray for Nicaragua Mission Team as they head to serve the Lord this Friday with Open Hearts Ministries.
I look forward to being back with you all this Sunday!
With Christ’s Love,
[Image: Shane Newton]
Shane Newton
Senior Pastor
Also available as Markdown.