Download HomeNews - September/October 2026

I want to tell you a quick story about two ladies who made a tremendous difference in the life of our church—and in the lives of children at the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home.

One day, two wonderful ladies named Ann and Paulette called and asked if they could have a little of my time. They wanted to talk about something God had placed on their hearts. When we met, they told me they believed our church needed to do more for the Children’s Home Fall Food Roundup.

Now, as a church staff member, whenever someone said, “We need to do more,” I usually assumed they meant, “You need to do more!” But when I asked Ann and Paulette what they had in mind, I quickly realized that was not the case. They had already begun developing a great plan to involve our entire church, along with the schools connected to our church, in supporting the Fall Food Roundup.

Our church had participated in the roundup for many years, but over time it had become a little commonplace. Our promotion and participation had gradually waned. Ann and Paulette’s renewed excitement changed all of that. Through their leadership, our collection grew from only a few boxes to well over 50 boxes in a single year.

God spoke to them, and they responded by putting His prompting into action. The story of Ann and Paulette is one of my favorites from more than 30 years of ministry. When God spoke, these two faithful ladies listened, answered His call, and got to work. Their enthusiasm energized an entire church community around providing tangible goods for the children and families served by the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home.

I share this story for two reasons. First, I want to honor my friends Ann and Paulette and let others know how much their faithfulness and initiative meant to me. Second, I hope their example will spur each of us on to good works.

The Fall Food Roundup meets real and practical needs. I would love for you to visit our campus, tour our commissary, and see what the fruit of this ministry looks like. If your church needs ideas or encouragement—or if we can help you become more involved in this ministry opportunity—we would be glad to help.

My prayer is that God’s prompting will lead to our action, just as it did for Ann and Paulette.

Thank you for all you do to support the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home as we provide love, care, and hope in Christ for children and families in need.

David Jeffreys, PhD
President & CEO