July From the Pastor s Desk. What s Inside this Issue: By Craig Thompson

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1 July 2015 From the Pastor s Desk How are you making the most of your summer by growing spiritually? I learned a good lesson last year while on vacation. Angela suggested (strongly sug- gested perhaps) that I take a vacation from my phone. She even circulated rumors among our leadership that the best way to reach me while on vacation would be to contact her and she would relay the message. She felt that this plan would at least cause people to think twice before they texted, called, or ed me. She was right. An interesting thing happened when I turned my phone off; the world did not stop turning. I checked my phone once or twice a day and only re- turned phone calls, s, or text messages that were urgent (there were two of those all week), and nothing bad happened. Of course, I was still available if there had been an emergency, but with the help of my wife and some leadership within the church, we made sure that I was only available in case of an emergency. The time away from technology was great for me. I no- ticed several good things happening as I separated myself from my phone. I browsed Facebook and Twit- ter less often. I was in control of my day rather than being dominated by the buzz of messages or s. I was less distracted and devoted more attention to the people around me I was all there. After the first couple of days, I didn t miss my phone. I also found myself working more diligently to be organized before I left for vacation because I knew that I would be a lit- tle harder to contact. By Craig Thompson It turns out that the world can get along without me and even Malvern Hill can get along without me for a week. Just as I was humbled and reminded that God can work without me, so too can you if you choose to take a vacation from your phone or . You might just find that in the busyness of our twenty- first cen- tury world putting your phone down allows you to slow down and appreciate all that God has given to us. It was God, after all, who urged us in Psalm 46:10, Be still and know that I am God. Life is busy, but I hope that you will make time this summer to disconnect from the busyness of life and reconnect with God and with your friends and family. What s Inside this Issue: From the Church Library Missionary Profile Music Ministry & Prime Timer s Ministry... 3 Children s Ministry Generation 180 Ministry Discipleship and LifeGroup Ministry Upcoming Events Calendar, Birthdays, and Anniversaries.... 7

2 From the Church Library Children are out of school and many families are on vacation. It s summer time and schedules are slower and more relaxed. Take the opportunity as individu- als, small groups, or families to study God s Word to- gether. There are many options available for Bible study, including the following video- driven studies available in the church library: Transformational Discipleship- How People Really Grow (Eric Geiger) is a reliable guide for church leaders and members seeking to fos- ter a culture in which people genuinely grow in Christina faith. Church Essentials (Mark Dever) iden- tifies characteristics of church health and helps every church member, from the pastor to the pew sitter, come to a greater understanding of why they are so important. Gideon (Priscilla Shirer) will help you see how God can use your weakness to unlock His strength. Crazy Love (Francis Chan) will help you embrace God s intense, relentless love and watch that love transform eve- ry aspect of your being. By Ginger Chestnut A Confident Heart (Renee Swope) has perfect jumping- off points for focused and life- changing discussions. Often the biggest obstacle to living out our faith is our own doubt- about our worth, our abilities, our relationship with God, and the situations in our lives. The Gospel According to Jonah- A New Kind of Obedience ( J.D. Greer) is for those who have been running from God as well as those who have served Him out of a bur- densome sense of duty, this study will encourage you to a new kind of obedience! 2

3 Missionary Profile: Adoniram Judson Adoniram Judson was America's first foreign mission- ary and an example of one who considered, and exe- cuted on, his own uniquely strategic role in the com- pleting of the Great Commission. Though warned not to go to Burma, he entered the country almost 200 years ago in July of 1813 and there invested the next 38 years of his life preaching Christ where he had not been named. At the time that Judson entered into Burma it was what we would to- day consider to be a closed country hostile to the gospel and war- torn. Nevertheless at the age of 24 with his 23- year- old wife of 17 months, he entered Burma to share the gospel with a people whose lan- guage he did not know. Judson was born in Massachusetts to a congregational clergyman and attended Brown University and was in the first class of Andover Theological Seminary. He was a man of exceptional abilities he read at age three and began his study of theology as a child. In 1812 Judson set sail for India to join the mission work there. During their voyage the Judsons carefully stud- ied the Baptist practice of believers baptism by im- mersion to refute it among the British Baptists with whom they would be staying, but were instead con- Music Ministry & Prime Timer s Ministry Malvern Hill Music Ministry We have so much to be thankful for in our Great Na- tion. God has truly blessed us with the freedoms we experience each day, but the freedom of worship is of- ten taken for granted. As we remember our great na- tion and the liberties that cost so dearly, please re- member the freedom to worship; and when we have opportunity to sing of these freedoms, let us do so with great excitement and gratitude to our God, through whom all freedom exists. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. (Isaiah 61:1) Malvern Hill Prime Timer Ministry What a great VBS we experienced once again. Let me say to Ms. Rhonda and Ms. April a job well done. So many of our folks truly sacrifice all week long to be here and to be a part of sharing the greatest story ever: the Gospel. But, I want to take a moment to re- flect on the story that was kind of behind the scenes. This would be the kitchen crew. We had a diverse 3 By Buster Morris group of folks. We had senior adults, but right beside us were several of our youth. They did a great job! It was a great experience for all as we worked alongside each other and grew in our relationships that week. We developed a new understanding and appreciation for each other. I heard that one young man said, I didn t know old folks could be so much fun! That s what you miss if you are not a part of these kinds of opportunities. I hope to see more of our folks when these kinds of opportunities come our way. For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13) Prime Timers July Opportunities By Craig Thompson vinced of the Bible s teaching on baptism and were baptized by immersion upon arrival in India. As a result of their conversion, the Judson s resigned from their congregationalist mission society and laid the foundation for the creation of a Baptist missionary society in the United States. Soon, the Judsons were forced out of India, but rather than returning home they found their way to the golden shores of Burma where Judson set himself a lifetime goal of translating the Bible into Burmese and founding a church of 100 members. Judson s life in Burma was a constant trial. His first three children died and he lost two wives. He was im- prisoned and following the death of one wife was even forced to beg women in his village to nurse his young child. He would eventually die at the age of 61 as a re- sult of a respiratory infection contracted in Burma, but not before God used him to accomplish great things for the gospel. He not only founded one church, when he died he had written a Burmese- English dic- tionary, a Burmese grammar, translated the whole Bi- ble, founded over one hundred churches, and could find eight thousand believers. Today, his legacy can still be seen in the Burma Baptist Convention. Tuesday, July 7 th - Shoney s - The Bus leaves 8:00 AM Thursday, July 9 th - Karesh Wing 2:30 PM Thursday, July 16 - Senior 6:00 PM Tuesday, July 28 th - Peach Trip - Leave the AM Thursday, July 23 rd Springdale 2:30 PM

4 Children s Ministry I would like to thank everyone who gave of their time to come and help in the many ways that VBS requires. It takes around one hundred workers for us to do VBS. It is one of the hardest but also the most satisfy- ing weeks for me personally as I think it is for others as well. 52 children came forward on Wednesday night to receive salvation counseling. Of those, 12 were MHBC children. We will be following up with those 12 to see where they are and if they have any questions. The children will be attending Camp Longridge July As of today 21 children and 2 adults will be go- ing. Some will experience being away from family for the longest they ve ever been. While I don t believe that children who are brought up in a Christian envi- ronment are always well- behaved (I know better!), some of the children who attend church camp are not coming from a Christian environment, and there is a definite difference. Our children will have an oppor- tunity to be salt and light for these children. Please pray for all of us who will be attending. The following is a list of some things you can pray for us: God will use this week to help us grow spiritually. God will use the camp counselors in a mighty way. By Rhonda Adams God will help us understand the environments other kids come from. Worship time will be just that. God will comfort all who are feeling homesick. God will give us cooler weather. God will keep all of us healthy. God will comfort parents who are missing their babies. We will be able to sleep well so that we will all feel energetic the next day. God will help us focus on what is important and be able to ignore the rest. I am looking for individuals or groups within the church to send letters of encouragement to each of the children for them to receive while they are away at camp. The camp address is Camp Longridge, 10 Lon- gridge Rd., Ridgeway, SC If you plan to do this, please see me for a list of the names of everyone going. Upcoming Events July Camp Longridge Sunday, August 30 - Children s Day Wednesday, September 2 - New Church Year Kick- off 4

5 Generation 180 Ministry (Student Ministry) On Wednesday nights this summer our theme has been Don t Waste Your Summer as we have talked about making the most of the time that God has given us. We begin our study by looking at Ephesians 5:15-17: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, be- cause the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. While these summer months are a great opportunity for our students to relax and take a break from their regular routine, they are also a great opportunity for them to grow spiritually. In the month of July, we are going to talk specifically about several spiritual disci- plines like evangelism, prayer, Scripture memory, and giving. Parents, I would encourage you to take the time to talk with your teenagers about what they are learning on Wednesday nights and see if there are ways you can help them make these spiritual disci- plines habits in their daily lives. May we truly make the best use of time God has given us. We have a number of events coming up in July, here are a few of them: Discipleship and LifeGroup Ministry Κοινωνία. This New Testament Greek word is translated several ways into English. In the ESV, it is translated as fel- lowship, participation, sharing, contribution, and partnership. It communicates a close fellowship among people and is one of the defining characteris- tics of the church in the New Testament. It is also one of the goals of our LifeGroup ministry. We desire to have LifeGroups that fellowship in such a way that there is a close community that cares for one another while holding each other accountable in their spiritual walk. On Sunday evening, July 12 we will have a LifeGroup Fellowship Night where we specifically set aside a time for our LifeGroups to meet together for fellow- ship. It is easy to see this as a less- than- important date on the calendar or as an optional event in a busy summer calendar. Let me encourage you to make this time a priority for you and your family. Here are some reasons why we believe these times of fellowship to be important: 1. Fellowship Nights encourage community. In a world of Facebook, texting, and e- mail, it is 5 By Luke Tolbert Outdoor Movie Night (July 10) Join us on Friday night, July 10, 8:00-10:30PM at Ricky and Darlene Ham s for an outdoor movie. We will be watching Se- cond Hand Lions (PG) starring Michael Caine and Robert Duvall. Sign up on the Generation180 Bulletin Board and plan to join us. Yard Sale (Week of July 13) Our annual yard sale is just around the corner and we will need all the volun- teers we can muster to help us this week. Our set- up day will be Monday, July 13 beginning at 10:00AM. We will have our MHBC Member s Sale on Wednesday night from 5:00-6:30PM with the full Yard Sale on Saturday from 7:00-11:00AM (We will need volun- teers here at 6:30AM). M- Fuge (Week of July 20) I am excited about taking our largest group ever to camp! Please be in prayer for our 30 students and 6 adult leaders who will be at- tending Mission Fuge this summer. Pray that God will transform our own lives during the week as well as use us to transform the lives of others. Lake Day (August 22) I know it seems like years away, but our annual back- to- school Lake Day is com- ing up soon. Make sure this date is on your calendar! By Luke Tolbert easy to say we are connected to others without actually spending time with our brothers and sisters. We must avoid the drift towards artifi- cial community by carving out times to inten- tional build relationships with those in our church family. 2. Fellowship Nights encourage evangelism. LifeGroup Fellowship Nights are an excellent opportunity for us to invite unsaved or un- churched friends and family members. They might not come to a classroom on Sunday morning, but may be open to a cookout on Sunday night. 3. Fellowship Nights encourage accountability and care. Strong, open, gospel- centered rela- tionships are the best place for accountability and care to take place. These relationships come from trust that is built over time through love. I pray that you and your LifeGroup will make the most of this opportunity on July 12. May your time of fel- lowship be more than just conversation over food; may it be saturated with the gospel and a love for each other.

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7 Monthly Calendar July 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday LifeGroup Fellowship Budget and Finance Mtg. Deacons Mtg Senior Breakfast at Shoney s Mission Bible Study Mission Prayer Group Camp Longridge Youth Yard Sale Week Karesh Wing Ministry Senior Supper Springdale Ministry 10 Youth Outdoor Movie Night Youth Yard Sale 7/1 Joshua Dixon 7/2 John Piros Becky Watkins 7/3 James Brogdon 7/5 Robert Muncaster Shirley Muncaster Jules Lemonds 7/6 Vivian Piros 7/7 Audrey Barfield 7/8 Ava Chandler 7/9 Wade Lemonds Peyton Thompson 7/10 Nicole Malbone 7/12 David Hance 7/14 Julian Morris Russell Glasscock Ryan Thomas 7/15 Hanna Bowers 7/19 Victor Thomas 7/20 Mary Eddings Scott Holden Zeb Belton 7/21 Travis Milliski 7/22 Lynda Ham Summer Morgan Jacob Mathis 7/23 Wilma Arledge Chandler Robinson 7/24 Ruth Graham Lily Lantz 7/25 Renee Broughton Taylor Roberts 7/26 Pam Glasscock Trey Thompson 7/28 Macie Guinn Cole Thompson 7/29 Kimberly Hayes David Anderson 7/31 Thomas Holden 26 M- Fuge Youth Report M- Fuge /3 Robert and Mary Eddings Jim and Jerri Keller 7/5 Brandon and Michelle Johnson 7/22 Julius and Lois Gause Larry and Beverly Rogers 7/25 Shawn and Brenda Tarte 7/27 Lee and Suzanne Arthur 7/28 Paul and Sarah Odom Wade and Joann Rush 7/30 Bryan and Ginger Chestnut

8 Malvern Hill Baptist Church 1514 Malvern Hill Drive Camden, SC (803) RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED 8