The Rocky Hock Anchor The Mission of Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to magnify Christ and make disciples of all people.

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1 FEBRUARY 2016 VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2 The Rocky Hock Anchor The Mission of Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to magnify Christ and make disciples of all people. February is the time of year our thoughts are directed to those we know and love. Everything good comes from God. All of life for a Christian is designed, delivered, directed, and dependent on God. This is necessarily true in dating and marital relationships. God, being the source of life, is sovereignly the One to sanction life and how it is to be lived. To be pleasing, purposeful, and presentable before God, we must live accordingly by the predestined standards of God. This is specifically addressed in Scripture concerning relationships between men and women. The Bible speaks in its genesis in Genesis of the reason and rationale of relationships. Adam and Eve were pure and without sin, therefore a like match, morally acceptable to God. Christians, likewise, are to wait on God to direct us to the person that matches His spiritual and moral requirements. The following are some characteristics that must exist before even considering another person in a personal relationship, dating, or possibly marriage. First, the person should have an existing and established relationship in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior in like faith according to the authority of Scripture and not personal opinion or interpretation. This demands a personal, ongoing worship and following of Jesus Christ, trustworthy and honest in all of life. They must be submissive to the inerrancy of Scripture and submissive to its demands in all areas of life. They are to be a person who lives boldly for Jesus Christ before and above all other things in life. They must display the ability to love sacrificially, always considering others before themselves. They must have a heart of genuine humility and an attitude of total commitment to Jesus Christ. They must be chaste, not participating in sexual activity before marriage. They must be someone, male or female, who dresses modestly and never seeks to draw attention to themselves from the opposite sex. They must be a person, male or female, completely intent on glorifying God in their relationship for Jesus Christ. These are some basic truths, but not an exhaustive list. You cannot change a leopard s spots and the probability of you changing a non-believer in a relationship or after marriage is slim to none (countless examples of failure in Scripture and no examples of success in union of believers and non-believers). God intended for there to be partnerships between individuals for His purposes. Genesis 2:18 says, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. Relationships are acceptable only between two people of likeness (Genesis 2:21-24), but not mandatory. Paul says it s even better, if possible, to be totally committed to the Lord without the responsibility of marriage (I Corinthians 7:38). Looking at the origin of relationships it is clear they are to be between Christ followers of like status before God in purity by God s power. Believers are not suitable for any interaction with non-believers outside of a casual acquaintance. Dating should be restricted to only Christians of like faith (lifestyle) and beliefs, as determined in Scripture. Just as relationships are fitting in the sight of God, they are also fixed in the sight of God. Paul writes in I Corinthians 7:39, relationships are to be in the Lord, based on the reality of the permanent bond God assigns them in Genesis 2:24: the two become one flesh. Paul writes in II Corinthians 6:14-18, Christians are not to be joined to any unbeliever in personal relationships (dating or marriage) because we are the sole possession of God. Why does God demand purity? Because relationships are morally based and intended to glorify God and exemplify the purity God establishes in us and for us through Jesus Christ. God commanded purity of Israel to not expose themselves in marriage to unbelievers and their corrupt ways and beliefs and He demands the same of Christians. We are not our own, but are purchased by Christ, and in all things, are to glorify Him (Proverbs 4:23). (continued on page 2)

2 THE ANCHOR PAGE 2 (continued from page 1) Believers partner with and marry only believers because it is forever (Mark 10:6-9). Whatever relationships or lifestyles we had before salvation are erased by and at conversion, buried in our death in Christ s crucifixion (II Corinthians 5:16-19). All things bound in Christ (in our Christian life) are to be entered into as pleasing to Him and blessed in Him forever. Follow God s advice and plan and know the goodness of His blessings! Proverbs 15:22 says, Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Believers marry believers to live out the testimony of their relationship to Christ and to model the pure and unbreakable relationship between Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:22-25 says, Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her. It takes being a Christian to understand this commandment and to believe and live it. No couple can live out this moral responsibility except they be one in spirit and purpose. Keep yourselves pure and in perfect peace in Christ and you ll have a blessed union! Dr. Horton 2016 RHBC Basketball Information... and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord. ~ Colossians 3:17 The most important aspect of this league is for the young people to enjoy playing and promote good Christian fellowship. Please make sure that all rules are followed, and we all, including players, coaches, and spectators, set good examples and honor Christ. Practice Schedule: Feb. 1, 6-7 PM - Kindergarten - 2nd Grade 7:30-9 PM - Middle School Boys Feb. 2, 6-7:30 PM - 3rd - 5th Grade 7:30-9 PM - Middle/High School Girls Feb. 4, 7-9 PM - High School Boys Feb. 8, 6-7 PM - Kindergarten - 2nd Grade 7:30-9 PM - Middle School Boys Feb. 9, 6-7:30 PM - 3rd - 5th Grade 7:30-9 PM - Middle/High School Girls Feb. 11, 7-9 PM - High School Boys Feb. 15, 7:30-9 PM - Middle/High School Girls Feb. 17, 8-9:30 PM - High School Boys Game Times: Co-ed Grades K - 2 4:30 PM Co-ed Grades 3-6* 5:00 PM *6th Grade girls only Boys Grades 6-8 6:00 PM Girls Grades :00 PM Boys Grades :00 PM Game Schedule: February 13 Rocky Hock vs. St. Paul s/edenton Methodist February 20 RHBC Old Timers Game 7 PM - Women 8 PM - Men RHBC is responsible for opening prayers, game balls, scorekeepers, concessions, and clean-up after games.

3 PAGE 3 From our Minister of Youth & Children THE ANCHOR Your purpose is to glorify God. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ~ I Corinthians 10:31 First Corinthians 10:31 combines simplicity and fullness; we re to glorify God in everything we do! That s not to say there aren t other equally important aspects of our purpose and mission. We are commanded to love God and others. We are told to make disciples. We are urged to pray at all times. Maybe, perhaps the unique value of a verse like I Corinthians 10:31 is that it includes all other demands within it. Loving, discipline, and praying should all be done for God s glory. It s a North Star kind of verse, re-orienting us to our ultimate purpose of glorifying God. The aim of God in creating and redeeming us is the delight He Himself enjoys in seeing His creatures delight in Him. As Edwards said, The glorifying of God is nothing but rejoicing in the manifestations of Him. In other words, the purpose of the knowledge of God is the enjoyment of God because God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him. ~ John Piper Running decisions through a I Corinthians 10:31 filter can give such clarity and confidence that you are practicing the purpose you were made for. When you have a decision to make, ask yourself, How can I most glorify God in this situation? What will bring Him the most glory? We tend to think pursuing what God wants will make us miserable. That happens when we selfishly pursue our own glory that we make bad decisions and suffer the consequences. Ezekiel 36:26-27 assures us that God gives us the ability to be able to do these things that glorify Him, And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. God made us to worship and glorify Him. Nothing else will do! Pastor Mike Events & Opportunities for Youth Every 6 PM and Every 7 PM - INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) February Ski Trip to Winterplace Ski Resort, WV - (We will leave the church on Friday at 11 AM & return on Sunday at 4:30 PM. Bring money for meals.) February 7 - Super Bowl 6:30 PM in the Youth Suite - Bring a friend! February 16 - Baptist Men s Missions Rally Region RHBC (for Men, Women, & Youth) - 6 PM, 6:50 PM - Register by February 8 February 28 - Youth to Winter Jam June Youth Summer Ridgecrest, NC

4 THE ANCHOR PAGE 4 From Our Minister of Music & Education We must have passionate outreach. The church more than any other institution in the world does not exist solely for the sake of its membership. Do we want to be a comfortable church or a Great Commission church? The church exists to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the redeeming factor in a dying society. Everything we do must be for the purpose of reaching others for Jesus Christ. George Barna wrote about growing churches: These were people who were passionate about outreach... They saw every event in their lives as having a hand in better enabling them to reach others for Christ. They looked upon life as a opportunity to serve God. God has brought together those of us who love Him and love lost souls in order to reach our world for Christ. To reach our world for Jesus, we must have a passion, an overwhelming desire to see persons come to a saving knowledge of the Lord. Passionate outreach means public proclamation. The gospel must be the first priority in all we do to reach people for Jesus Christ. The gospel is to be studied in Bible study, proclaimed in regular worship services, and shared outside the church. Peter and the other apostles were committed to the public proclamation of the gospel. They seized every opportunity they could. We see in Acts 5:25 that even after they were arrested and jailed, they spoke boldly in the temple in the Lord s name. Proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ must be our passionate aim if we seek to grow as a church. When we have trails and tribulations, we need to stand up for Jesus Christ even in these times. Passionate Outreach means vital visitation. The apostles were committed to reaching people in their homes, as well as by public proclamation (Acts 5:42). Visitation is vital to the growth of the church. It is important for pastors, deacons, and church members to engage in outreach visitation. Good visitation means finding good prospects (through new residents, prospect forms, telephone calls, door-to-door drop by, and special events). A church that wants to grow will give priority to visitation. Passionate outreach means enthusiastic evangelism. Our commitment to evangelize the lost is wavering. The apostles let nothing stand in their way of witnessing to the lost people. We have lost people and families in the world today that don t even open their Bibles on a daily basis. One poll showed that 93 percent of Americans have a Bible in their home, but only 12 percent read it daily. Less than one third knew the expression God helps those who help themselves is not in the Bible. Less than half knew Jonah is a book in the Bible. The church that seeks to be effective in evangelism must come to grips with the mentality of these people. We need to make every effort to reach them (it may call for drastic changes in some of our methods). It will take evangelistic training. It will take many different approaches, such as door-to-door, life-style, and hospitality evangelism (having things in our homes, such as prayer cottages, and our church that are not threatening). A church seeking to grow must have an enthusiastic commitment to ongoing evangelism. Above all we must have patience with people. Passionate outreach means meaningful ministry and missions. The early church did its outreach within the framework of meaningful ministry and missions (Acts 2:45; 4:32). One reason the apostles were so flexible in their ministry is because they knew that their overall mission was to preach Christ and make disciples. They accepted suffering as a part of that ministry (Acts 5:41-42). Like the disciples, our commitment to ministry and missions will impact our community for Christ. Through meaningful ministries, we communicate that we care. A close correlation exists between our growth and our commitment to a needy world. Our primary concern should not be growth. It should be missions and ministry for Christ. When we take care of ministering God s Word, He takes care of our growth. The growth of a plant depends on three things the seed, the soil, and the seasons. Missions and ministry create a climate in the church that makes growth possible. If we are to be passionate in our outreach, we must be involved in life-changing ministries that will touch lives and make a difference. A great way to do outreach here at RHBC is to participate in CREW each month. Also, to learn more about missions here at RHBC and the state of North Carolina come to the NC Baptist Missions Rally here on February 16 th. This is open for men, women, and youth. May God give us a passion that will not die, and a desire that will be fueled by our passion for serving the Lord here at RHBC! Pastor Tyler

5 PAGE 5 THE ANCHOR Children s Movie Night Children s Summer Camp Monday, July 25 - Friday, July Gardner-Webb University Friday, February 12 from 6:00-9:00 PM in the Youth Suite & Special Function Room

6 THE ANCHOR PAGE 6 Baptist Women Keeping the Faith A Message from Belva I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~ II Timothy 4:7 We must pray for stamina and enduring strength. When we start that race, the enemy will do everything to singe our bodies and hearts. If he can knock us off the path, he smiles with victory. We are a work in progress on His path of progress. We must not let the enemy control our path or our resistance. We must pray for a steadfast faith. We must have courage to endure the race. Courage can be defined as an ability to do something that takes strength even though it is difficult or dangerous. Courage means acting in spite of fear. The outcome is immaterial when we trust God. Our courage spurs others to action and provides encouragement. Many missionaries today show great courage. Many live in countries that are hostile to Christians. They must be careful about how and where they share the gospel. Sometimes their presence might endanger other local believers. It takes great courage to share Jesus in those situations. Christians in some countries may be jailed, beaten, or killed because of their faith in Jesus. We can be courageous because our strength comes from the Lord. He will fight our battles for us. Joshua 1:9 says, This is my command - Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. With God as my help and strength, I will have courage in HIS abilities and power. Our courage is rooted in placing our faith in HIM. Please pray for our missionaries, sharing the gospel in situations we cannot even begin to imagine. Pray for strength, endurance, and courage as they serve our Lord. Region 1 Missions Rally - Tuesday, February 16 at Rocky Hock Baptist Church Join us for a night of missions inspiration as we experience what God is doing through NC Baptist volunteers in our state, nation, and around the world. Supper at 6 PM, Program 6:50 PM. To register call church office or NCBM at Bap ist Men Baptist Men s Breakfast Sunday, February 21st at 7:30 AM in the Special Function Room We are instructed in scripture to, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19-20). This is the motto verse for CREW. By participating in this outreach, you will experience how to become a better disciple and how to grow new disciples. If you have not been to CREW before, I challenge you to come this month on February 23rd at 7 PM to the Special Function Room. Let s strive to see this ministry take off for one reason, and that is to build the kingdom of God!

7 PAGE 7 THE ANCHOR Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry Seeking Executive Director The Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry has an opening for an Executive Director. Perhaps you may know someone who may be retired or semi-retired and is looking for a part-time opportunity to continue to use their business skills. The person should have the administrative management skills to oversee the operation of the Pantry and its staff of part-time employees and volunteers; must be self-motivated, detail oriented, with good communication skills (verbal and written); experienced in fundraising, public relations, and purchasing; and should be familiar with Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Adobe. The job requires hours per week. Interested persons should submit a resume either by to ecpantry@gmail.com or by mail to: Resume Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry P.O. Box 643 Edenton, NC The Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry is a non-profit 501c3 Agency and is affiliated with Feeding America and the Food Bank of the Albemarle. It is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Children s Ministry Day 2016 In recognition of Children s Ministry Day, the GA s will be collecting items for Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas and Hope Lodge (a free service of The American Cancer Society to cancer patients and their families who must travel to receive treatment). A wish list of items needed for each location is included below. Please bring new and never been opened donations by February 10th. Ronald McDonald House Individual mixed fruit cups Individual gummy fruit snacks Individual packs of potato chips, goldfish, nuts Heavy-duty hand-held can openers Lysol disinfectant wipes, 409 Cleaner 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper, Post-it notes cubes Men s/women s house slippers, all sizes Extra-large plastic storage tubs with lids Medium plastic food storage containers Queen or Twin mattress pads White-only hand towels for bathroom Regular or Queen size pillowcase protectors Queen size white-only FITTED sheets Bottled water LED light bulbs of any kind Electric dishwasher liquid or pods Jet Dry electric dishwasher rinse aid Pocket-size word search books Regular & non-chlorine liquid bleach Home Depot, Lowe s, Bi-Lo, Restaurant, or Wal-Mart gift cards Clorox toilet wand & Clorox wand refills Kitchen sponges Kitchen hand towels Hope Lodge Purell or any waterless hand sanitizer 23 watt CFL soft white light bulbs White copy paper, 20 lb., full reams DVD movies (new or used) White-only bath & hand towels & wash cloths 409 Multipurpose Cleaner, Clorox wipes Facial Tissues (anti-bacterial) White-only Twin sheet sets, Washable bed pillows Canned goods, Individually wrapped snacks Hand soap in pump bottles Cookie trays, Kitchen utensils, Silverware Night lights and bulbs Toilet paper, Paper towels, Paper napkins White-only dish towels, White-only Twin blankets Styrofoam plates, Styrofoam bowls Postage stamps 16 oz. plastic cups, plastic knives, forks, & spoons Cascade dishwasher pacs Non-scratch kitchen scrubbing pads Dryer sheets Clothes iron Food storage containers, Ziploc bags (all sizes) Swiffer Duster & Refills Gas, Grocery, Pharmacy, or Restaurant gift cards

8 THE ANCHOR PAGE 8 Serve the Lord with gladness... ~ Psalms 100: 2 Deacon Officers for 2016 Deacon Greeters Allen Peele, Chair Steve Evans, Vice Chair Keith Nixon, Secretary Deacon Ministry Teams 1/31/16 2/6/16 Wayne Howell, Ted Peele, Bill Smith 2/7/16 2/13/16 Adam Bunch, Steve Evans, Allen Peele 2/14/16 2/20/16 Fenton Eure, Ruston Howell, Fred Smith 2/21/16 2/27/16 Lee Bass, Joey Byrum, Oscar White Sr. Adult SS Center: Steve Evans Sanctuary Main: Carroll Evans Connecting Corridor: Fred Smith Multi-Purpose Main: Keith Nixon Offering Col. Bill Smith (Chairman), Fred Smith (Co-Chairman), Carroll Evans, Keith Nixon, Chris Sykes, Oscar White 2/28/16 3/5/16 Donald Bass, Carroll Evans, Chris Turner Ushers Adam Bunch, Wayne Copeland, J. C. Forehand, Allen Nixon, Mike Nixon, Bill (Janet) Smith, Jay White Counting Committee Butch & Emily Byrum, Jasper Evans, Lee & Ruth Jordan, Keith Rollins January & February are SOUPER MONTHS Donate items to make a hearty pot of soup: Kidney Beans, Northern Beans, Black Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Rice (1 lb. bags), Dried Lima Beans, Canned Tomatoes, Carrots, Corn, or Green Beans or you can simply donate cans of Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup

9 PAGE 9 THE ANCHOR Nursery & Pre-School Workers During Sunday School 1st Sunday Penny Byrum Linda Layton Lisa Smith 2nd Sunday Ashley Byrum Kristia Noble Michelle Tynch 3rd Sunday Mary Jo Bass Amanda Howell Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Bonnie Bond Holly Evans Marcia Evans 5th Sunday Arlene Bass Betty Bunch Beth Evans * indicates teachers of the week 1st Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Catina Byrum Faith Byrum Molli Riddick Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) Joey & Ashley Byrum *Amanda Howell *Laura Turner Sunday AM Worship (Nursery) 1st Sunday Maryann Bunch Kim Forehand Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Lindsay Smith 2nd Sunday Alanna Bass Melissa Chappell Lauren Smith Peggy Weiss 3rd Sunday Amanda Goodwin Jessica Hoggard Kristia Noble Tanya Turner Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Laura Bass Dawn Bunch Gloria Horton Amanda Howell 5th Sunday Claire Evans Karen Miller Kristia Noble Mia Noble 2nd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Regina Copeland Kim Forehand Chelsea White Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Gloria Horton Jay & Felicia Parrish Lisa Bullock *Mike & Heather Denny Sunday AM Worship (2 year olds) 1st Sunday Louvenia Stewart Amanda O Kelley 2nd Sunday Holly Evans Dawn Bunch 3rd Sunday Hope Gosser Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Anna Evans Karen Smith Logan Smith 5th Sunday Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Children s Church 3rd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Melissa Chappell Claire Evans Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Trey & Alanna Bass *Wayne & Donna Harrell LeAnn Nixon Sunday PM Worship 1st Sunday Sue Hoggard Elizabeth Riddick 2nd Sunday Megan Bass Karen Miller 3rd Sunday Karen Miller Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Donna Harrell LeAnn Nixon 5th Sunday Ashley Byrum Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Alanna Bass Sherlynne Smith Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) Debbie Bicknell *Sharon Nixon Chris & Susan Sykes *Mike & Heather Denny Wednesday PM Worship 1st Wednesday Leslie Peele Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Chris & Susan Sykes 2nd Wednesday Rhonda Bass Laura Turner Mission Friends Kim Forehand Sherlynne Smith 3rd Wednesday Ashley Byrum Linda Layton Mission Friends Alanna Bass Molli Riddick 4th Wednesday Alanna Bass Molli Riddick _Mission Friends Michelle Tynch Laura Turner 5th Wednesday Gloria Horton Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Sallie Chappell Clara Peele Molli Riddick 5th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Allen & Sarah Nixon Clara Peele No Children s Church for Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) on 5th Sunday

10 Rocky Hock Baptist Church 113 Rocky Hock Church Road Edenton, North Carolina Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID EDENTON, NC PERMIT NO. 127 February Check us out on the web at Weekly Church Activities: Sundays: 9:45 AM - Bible Study for all ages Designated Sundays: 6:00 PM - Ignite & Jr. Ignite 10:55 AM - Worship (Contemporary Children s Worship) 5:45 PM - GROW - Kids In Discipleship (K.I.D. Groups) 6:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) Tuesdays: 10:00 AM - Adult Bible Study 4th Tuesdays: 7:00 PM - Prayer Shawl Ministry 7:00 PM - Senior Adult Choir Wednesdays: 7:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth); GROW (Children - Mission Friends, GA s, RA s) 8:00 PM - Sanctuary Choir Dr. James Horton, Senior Pastor jhorton@rockyhockbaptistchurch.org Pastor Mike Denny, Minister of Youth & Children mdenny@rockyhockbaptistchurch.org Pastor Tyler Cone, Minister of Music & Education tcone@rockyhockbaptistchurch.org Mr. Allen Peele, Chairman of Deacons Mrs. Linda B. Bunch, Administrative Assistant lbunch@rockyhockbaptistchurch.org (Home) (Cell) (Cell) (Home) (Office)