Welcome To. Last Month s Averages: Special Dates: (Specific times listed on pg. 3)

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1 Last Month s Averages: Morning Worship: 439 Sunday School: 226 Total Offerings: $ 48, Welcome To Special Dates: (Specific times listed on pg. 3) 2/05 Building Fund Sunday 2/05 Joint Worship 2/05 Macon Valley Service 2/05 5/6 Super Bowl Party 2/05 Youth Super Bowl Party 2/08 Family Missions Night 2/08 Widow s Banquet 2/09 Gems Home Light 2/11 Baptist Men s Workday 2/12 Parents Night Out 2/12 Date Night Simulcast 2/13 Baptist Men's Rally 2/15 Children s Valentine Party 2/17 Gems Game Night 2/18 Gems Valentine Dinner 2/19 Children s Council 2/26 Deacons Meeting 2/26 Church Business Meeting February is a month that has much attention and emphasis given to the word love. While that word is used in many ways and can have many different implications and emotions attached to it, the motives and heart of the person and the object of their affection is critical. All around Cowee Baptist we see three words, Love In Action, and many of us have pondered those words. We may have wondered what these words mean to our individual lives and to our church? It is my hope that everyone in our church would take hold of the answer to this question and truly embrace the mission God has for His people. We start by recognizing that God has given the Church clear vision through His Word. Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 record the command and vision Jesus gave to His disciples to go and make disciples. In the power of the Holy Spirit, this vision has caused millions of believers to go and do just that. The early church united around this mission, that was greater than anything else in their lives, and we are called to do the same today. Look also at the words of Christ in Mark 12: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. The second is this, `YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28, 30-31). As we have marinated in councils and in prayer over these verses and the things that matter most, a few very simple but very powerful words emerged to express our heart as the people of Cowee Baptist: Love God, Love People, Love In Action. It is our desire to be a church that loves God with everything and that loves people with compassion. When you put those two things together it results in something beautiful! It results in Love In Action. The graphic below communicates this so well. As we love God and love people, it results in more disciples who learn to love God and love people and make disciples. Out of our great love for the Lord, may we as His people, move forward in unity on mission for the glory of His great name! Inside this Issue: Pastor Jason Bible Reading Plan & More Pg. 2 Monthly Calendar Pg. 3 Children Pg. 4 Students & Families Pg. 5 Missions Pg. 6 Announcements & Events Pg. 7 New Members & Baptism Pg. 8

2 Page 2 February is a great time to commit to a Bible reading plan and by dividing the Bible into 365 daily readings, your goal of reading the Bible in a year can be accomplished. This listing corresponds with the Open Windows devotion reading plan available in print and on our new DevoHub app for smart phones and tablets. May our time together in God s Word lead us to deeper communion with Him this year. I am grateful for the white Christmas boxes all of you put together with loving hearts with the love of Jesus. In my heart, I want to say, Thank you All. Love, Deborah Bell Dear Cowee Baptist Church, Because of you, there are people thanking God, today. People who appreciate your warm and caring ways. Thank you for your recent donation to Macon New Beginnings. You are a blessing! April, Yvonne, Bo, Kerry, & Debbie Thank you so much for the love & support shown to us during this difficult time in our family, the wonderful meal after the service, the cards, the phone calls and most of all, for the prayers. Words just don t seem adequate for all of these things. We love each of you. Linda, Kathy, Cindy, Nita & Family I would like to thank everyone from the Cowee Baptist Church for your generosity in this time of need. May God bless you all, from the bottom of my heart. Sincerely, Gene Lamb On Sunday, February 5 (2:15pm in the Spark Unit and 2:30pm in the dining hall) and on the first Sunday of each month following, Cowee Baptist Church will be leading a worship service at Macon Valley Nursing Home. All are welcome & encouraged to attend. Macon Valley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (3195 Old Murphy Rd.) Church Family, I m so thankful to have friends like you. I want to thank each one who has made donations for Dale and been praying for him, too. It s been tough, but with your prayers and God s help, I think everyone is ok. Dale goes to Asheville every week, has blood drawn and sent to Charlotte, and, about a month ago, they called him about 6:30 a.m., to come immediately. They took off in a hurry and after two or three days of running tests, it was not rejected, thank God. Dale is not out of the woods yet, but I think with your prayers and God s help, he will be ok. Thank you, again, and may God bless each one of you. In His love, Betty Duvall I would like to thank all the Deacons that were able to make our retreat. A big Thank You to Roger and Daylon for providing breakfast and lunch for us. It was delicious and very thoughtful. The desserts were fantastic and thank you, ladies, for your time and effort to provide them. Kenny Lamm did are great job Saturday and Sunday in bringing God's message to us all. Cowee, you are truly blessed with strong spiritual leaders that fear the Lord. Praise God for them all. Happy New Year to you all. We are here to serve, so, don't hesitate to let us know how we can help you. David Morgan, Chairman of Deacons Month of December 2016: Loan Balance is $ 301, Paid on loan principal: $ 15, Colored in: 26 squares ($ 15,456.26/596=25.93) At this point: 572 squares are colored in WE ARE OVER HALFWAY TO HAVING THE CHILDREN S WING PAID OFF! BUILDING FUND: Questions/Answers Have you ever wondered what the Building Fund was, how to give to it, or why it is so vitally important? Over the next several months, continue to look here for informative answers to these and other questions regarding our Building Fund at Cowee Baptist. Question 6: What are the Building Fund monies used for? This is often an area of confusion concerning the Building Fund. The monies collected and accrued in the Building Fund are not used for everyday expenses. The fund is strictly used for new construction, not to take care of the facilities we now have. By setting the fund aside for only new construction, vital funds are accumulated for the future. The visionaries of the past knew we would need such a fund. The Building Fund has helped us grow and expand to the point where we are today. As we look to future building projects, these funds will be crucial for them, too. Therefore, the funds are not used for the everyday expenses to the current physical building, but for new buildings and sections that will be constructed.

3 Cowee Baptist Church February 2017 Page 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday DEACON (01/29-02/04): Steve Waldroop 5 Cowee; Combined Worship Svc BUILDING FUND SUNDAY Macon Valley Nursing Home Service, 2:15 p.m. Youth Super Bowl Parties :30pm-Adult Bible Study 7pm-Mission Friends, RAs, GAs, Adult Choir FAMILY MISSIONS NIGHT 5:30pm-Widow s Banquet 6:30pm-Adult Choir 7:00pm-Mission Friends, RAs, GAs, Adult Mission Groups 9 Gems Home Light, 10 a.m Baptist Men s Workday, 8:30 a.m. DEACON (02/05-02/11): Charles Womack 12 5:00-10:00 p.m. Date Night Simulcast 7-9:30 p.m. DEACON (02/12-02/18): David Morgan 19 Special Needs Council Meeting, 3 p.m. (Children s Wing) Children s Council 4:30 p.m. DEACON (02/19-02/25): Roger Plemens 26 Baptism 13 Baptist Men s Rally In Robbinsville :30pm-Adult Bible Study 7pm-Adult Choir Children s Valentine Party, 6:30 p.m. 6:30pm-Adult Bible Study 7pm-Mission Friends, RAs, GAs, Adult Choir Gems Game Night 6:30 p.m Gems Valentine Dinner, 6 p.m. Deacons Meeting 4 p.m. Church Business Mtg. 6 p.m. DEACON (02/26-03/04): Bobby Bolick Women s Daytime Study, 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays 6:30pm-Adult Bible Study 7pm-Mission Friends, RAs, GAs, Adult Choir 3 Josh Stewart 8 Kelsey Averett 14 Eric Trammel 19 Janice Burnette 24 Ann Enloe 4 Amanda Fox 8 Michael Johnson 16 Jean Davis 20 Jerry Shuler 24 Kristine Estes 4 Teresa Smith 9 Drew Braswell 16 Kim Ensley 20 Dawn Trammel 24 Holden Riles 5 Kaye Rickman 12 Brooks Heard 16 Stephanie McConnell 21 Duane McHan 24 Crystal Smith 6 Ann Bennett 12 Dereck Jones 17 Beverly Duvall 21 Thelma Sanders 25 Bonnie Rung 6 Hugh Brown 13 Abigail Brenner 17 Harvey Fouts 21 Tim Teague 26 Alisha Cochran 6 Roy Burnette 13 Lauren Shannon 18 Nikki Swafford 22 Vera Holcombe 27 Barry Breeden 6 Knox Holbrooks 14 Mikayla Hickman 18 Eli Wishon 22 Brooklyn Stewart 27 Sam Kelly III 6 Ryan Paquette 14 Riley Jenkins 18 Cohen Wishon 23 Brandon Hoffman 27 Arnold Rickman 7 Graham Shaw 14 Helen Lambert 19 Linda Brogden 23 Matthew Reynolds 28 Darcel Green February Please log into to see when you are scheduled to work with the children this month. If you have any questions, please contact Sierra Womack (sierra@coweebaptist.org). February 8:45 am Ushers: *Rick Tallent **Bobby Bolick Wayne Chandler Jack Dillard, Sr. Mark Foster Dereck Jones Roy Jones Chuck Norton Roger Plemens *Leader ** Assistant 11:00 am Ushers: *Jon Fouts Dereck Jones Roger Plemens Mark Foster Gabe Bingham Brody Crawford *Leader February Deacon of The Week: 01/29-02/04 Steve Waldroop 02/05-02/11 Charles Womack 02/12-02/18 David Morgan 02/19-02/25 Roger Plemens 02/26-03/04 Bobby Bolick

4 Page 4 We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 Let s be honest: we give Valentines or chocolates to every kid in our class because we are told to do so, right? That doesn t mean that we don t love our friends, but it s a good reminder that love is more than just a feeling. Love is a choice. It s taking action and showing someone we choose to love that they are special. We choose to spend money on people we care about. We choose to be there for friends when they need us. We choose to take action to help those in need, because we love God and we love our neighbor. Love isn t just the words we say. Do you hug your mom and dad to show them you love them? Love isn t a noun. It s an action, and it s the most powerful action we can take. God showed us that love very clearly through His action of sending His son to show how much He loves us. This Valentine s Day, show others you love them. But don t use a card or chocolates. Use your actions. Sierra Womack Sunday, February 12, 5:00-10 p.m. Special Needs Council Meeting (Children s Wing) February 19, 3 p.m. We have just come back from our Christmas break and have begun practicing for our upcoming performances. It's not too late to join our choir if you're between the ages of 4 years old and 6th grade and enjoy singing and having a good time. Children's Choir meets each Wednesday evening from 6:15-6:45 p.m. in the Children's Worship Center. Our Children's Choir will be singing at Macon Valley Nursing Home on Sunday, February 5. Parents should meet us by the front doors at 2 p.m. We should be finished singing by 2:45 p.m. Our Children's Choir will be singing for both church services on Sunday, February 12. With love, Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Bonnie

5 Crossroads Winter Conference 2017! Page 5 Well, I survived our first big trip with these amazing youth! What a blessing it was to continue to grow in our walk with the Lord together, being fed by Mr. Rick (brownies, ice cream, cake, BBQ, pasta and everything else). We were challenged by one of the speakers as he said, God is not calling us to do hard things FOR HIM, He calls us to do impossible things THROUGH HIM. The Students were left challenged to be different to plug into God s word to be more intimate in their relationship with God to exercise their faith through their inabilities, relying on God s promising abilities to do a work through us. I recently read an article published by a Christian website that describe the current years for you and your children (ages 12-18) as the Coaching Years. Meaning- you take an approach to parenting as a coach would to their team. It began with a stage where the foundation was laid through discipline and training (through previous years) and now, from the sidelines, you are engaging your children through meaningful conversations and practical advice. You are building relationship with your children, giving them responsibility, allowing them to make some calls or decisions (still interjecting when need be). I found this article very interesting because in a way, I feel our youth are under challenged and hungry for something bigger. Find ways to allow your children to be challenged, holding them accountable to God, pushing them into an intimate relationship with Christ. They ARE the Church of today! I love you and your families dearly. May God bless you and may our lives be filled with Love, Praising our Heavenly Father! Pastor Chris Date: July 25 through July 29 Ages: 7th Grade and Up Total price: $175; scholarships are available $20 deposit due online at coweebaptist.org/students to secure your student's spot Camp Promo Video: SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT SCHOOLRELEASE.COM

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7 Page 7 James 4:2-3 tells us that we have not because we ask not and when we ask, we don't receive, because we ask with wrong motives. One of the greatest assets we have as Christians is prayer, and it is one of the least used. If you want to see a revival spread across our land, it will happen if God's people become a praying people. For those of you who haven't visited the prayer room, I ask you to stop by and feel free to write your requests on the paper that is on the wall, or take a fresh sheet and put your request on it. Every Sunday from a.m., I am in there praying for these needs and others that are brought to my attention. Let us make a commitment to pour out our hearts to our Lord and then stand back and watch what He will do. Linda McKay STUDY OPPORTUNITY February 28 Tuesday morning small group Sign up to participate in the Beth Moore, Entrusted study with Christie McGaha ( ) on Tuesday mornings. Childcare available. WILD GAME FEAST Please be in prayer for the upcoming sixth annual Charles Pickens, Wild Game Feast, April 22. Admission and meal are free. This is an important outreach and evangelistic event at Cowee and requires over 40 helpers. There are a wide variety of tasks you can help with. Contact Arnold Rickman (arickman47@gmail.com or ) to volunteer. COME TO THE TABLE!

8 Contact Us Phone: (828) Fax: (828) We re on the Web! Visit us at: Addresses Rev. Jason Smith: Rev. Chris Ciufo Rev. Ronnie Branson: Children s Ministry Director: sierra@coweebaptist.org Church Office: office@coweebaptist.org Financial Secretary: finance@coweebaptist.org CD/DVD Requests: request@coweebaptist.org David, Barbara, & Amy Underwood February 26 What is your next step? Accepting Christ as your Savior, being baptized, joining a small group, uniting with this church family in membership, and /or serving at Cowee? If you have questions, or just want to talk further about taking your next step, please come forward during the invitation time during services or contact one of our pastors. The next baptism is planned for February Bryson City Road Franklin, NC 28734