Spreading the Gospel

Published 8:00 am Friday, April 19, 2019

While some people are dyeing Easter eggs and planning family gatherings for Sunday, the youth from Temple Baptist Church in New Iberia have been placing invitations to attend Easter services at 804 Fontelieu Drive. An area often riddled with gunshots and drug users, the efforts to find the treasures in young people before their lives get snatched by the world is growing bigger each year. The youth pastor, David Coupe, talked about the work they are doing to provide for the ministry.

Are you a New Iberia native?

No, my wife and I moved here four years ago to become the youth pastors. We now live in God’s country. It’s great when you know you’re living in God’s will, even though you don’t always see it at the time. I’m originally from Florida but we came by way of South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama and now in Louisiana.

Have you seen many changes since moving to the area?

Yes, it seems to be growing. When we first moved, there wasn’t any trouble maneuvering on Admiral Doyle Drive but now at 5 o’clock it is busy. Yet, with all the empty houses for sale, it looks like its not. Growing for all of us is a daily walk. The church is growing. We have some who come from Franklin, Jeanerette and Lydia, even leading Sunday school. It’s a mixed congregation.

Do you have any children?

Amanda and I have been married for 12 years but don’t have any of our own. We are pouring ourselves into others. Like last night we had 10 to 12 kids at the house until after midnight playing board games. School is out. Sometimes we take them fishing, teach them about discipleship — we work hard at it to get around to all of them. There are about 30 on the rolls, but on any given week 10 to 12 are here. Most of the time it depends on what their parents are doing, or if we can pick them up. That’s a good number for one-on-one teenage mentoring.

Tell me about the postcards you’re handing out. I got one at my house.

We’re almost through giving out 5,000 invitations to our Easter Services. Most of us know the Easter Story. Jesus died on the cross taking all our sins and hurts on Himself so that we could be forgiven. He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. But why does it matter so much that He rose from the dead? Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel — and that’s not just for pastors to do but for all the children of God. Living a Christian life wherever we go, whatever we do, whether at work, in the community or at school, we’re just doing what Jesus did, going to our neighborhoods and sharing the gospel with those we meet.

What will the church be doing this Sunday to greet members and non-members?

We’re having Resurrection Sunday with an Easter Egg Hunt for ages 12 and under and special music by the McCormicks at 11 a.m. We have childcare provided. People can also visit us online at TBCNew Iberia.com or on Facebook.

You also have something big coming up in May, right?

We’re having our annual Church Yard Sale to raise money for the youth program. Many of the kids we minister to don’t come to church with their families. We send the van to pick them up and take them home later. We also raise money to send them to summer camp for a week, that’s a really important part. Some of these kids have never been outside of the community. We took some to a conference in Alabama and they had never been out of Louisiana.

Why is that important?

It’s not so much where they go, but what they do to get out of negative environments. One of the hardest things the first day or two is leaving their cell phones behind. There are about eight or nine pastors that annually take groups of teens to Dry Creek to a week-long camp. They camp, hike, play games, there’s a climbing wall, archery, swimming, a lot of activities. To get them off social media for a week, teach them about reading the Word of God and clearing their heads — without those phones, we watch them get their heads clear and learn about God. It’s a good investment in the future. We get to see them think clear for themselves. We can all waste so much time on Facebook and other things. When they get away from the world and social media, it’s retraining, learning to keep a balance. I wish I’d done that earlier in life.

When did you come to the Lord?

At 21 I started thinking and seeking the Lord. I’m human and like these kids have desires of the flesh, like we all do, but we learn to make good decisions when we know the Lord and serve him. I wish there was some way I could make that decision for all of them, to save everyone, but every person has to make up their own mind. We live in what some call a rough neighborhood, but we go out and talk to them, try to relate to them and explain things of God.

Do you have any success stories you’d like to share?

Jamarcas Dennis started coming to the youth program alone when he was about 13. He was told he was slow, had special needs, but no one ever worked with him. When you walk with the Lord, you become good citizens, help with the community. If we don’t, we can easily fall into destructive habits that can destroy young lives, older ones, too. Jamarcas kept coming, then his mother and sisters came, the whole family got saved. Now he’s 21, studying to serve the Lord and we believe he is called to preach.

“I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, 

and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one..”  

— 1 John 2:14, New International Version