May A publication of Byromville Baptist Church

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1 May 2008 A publication of Byromville Baptist Church INSIDE Pastor s column p. 2 Transferred to Church Triumphant... p. 2 National Day of Prayer.. p. 3 Pictorial directory p. 3 Turkey Creek Festival... p. 3 Bible conference... p. 4 Ladies Night Assn l Brotherhood p. 4 Monthly info p. 5 King Ranch recipe..... p. 6 Open House picture.... p. 7 Day of Prayer & Fasting. p. 7 Children s Home Day... p. 7 Old pictures p. 8

2 Page 2 Pastor s column Don t let worry keep you from God s work Mary Kathryn Blankenship Editor s note: Our pastor wasn t feeling so great at press time so his wife, Mary Kathryn, graciously agreed to pen a few words for us this month. Andy and I recently attended the birthday party of a very dear lady in our church. Before we left for the party, I asked my darling husband what kind of dress would be appropriate. He told me that it was an outside party and that it was very casual. Well, I stepped out in my blue jean capris, flip-flops and a comfortable shirt. When we arrived at the party everyone had on dress pants and church clothes. I was mortified! I scowled at Andy as we walked up. I felt like every eye in the place was on me. I felt like everyone was thinking, Look at what the young pastor s wife has on! I can t believe she thinks that is appropriate! I immediately attached myself to the biggest jokester in the place hoping he would make me laugh and forget about the way I was dressed. Well, it turned out I was a woman obsessed and I could not stop talking about my attire so all of the laughter was over the feelings I was trying to ditch. As the night went on, everything I did or said became about the fact that I was underdressed. I just knew that the new people there that I had never met would think I was a hood rat. All of the people I did know would think I was a teeny bopper who didn t know how to properly dress myself for the occasion. And everyone else would look at me and think, Look at that beautiful baby with the crazy blue-jean-wearing hippie mama. Okay, I know what you are thinking by now, Mary Kathryn really is crazy! But you know how you can just blow things up in your mind well, I know I can. In reality, I know I made a mountain out of a mole hill. Being the drama queen that I am, I obsessed for days over it, but then I had to ask myself, Is it really that big of deal? People are dying and going to hell and I am still, three days later, obsessing over the way I dressed for a birthday party. What real significance does that have? Well, it has none. It carries no spiritual weight and has no bearings on who I am as a person. The truth is, I don t think anyone at the party even noticed. My point in telling you all of this is not to reveal what an insane worrier I am, but to express to you that we, as humans, waste so much time. All the time I spent preoccupied by the thoughts of that birthday party, I could have shared my faith with three people. Why are we so quick to put God s work on the back burner for ridiculous things? How many opportunities from God have I missed because I was so consumed by myself and my preposterous fixations? The real revelation that I have come to is God is a serious God and He is looking for serious people to do His work. It s time for us to stop wasting so much time on the little things and allow God to use us for kingdom things. In Matthew 9:37, Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. I can t help but think, Are the workers few because we are so hung up on ourselves and our own neurosis? Mary Kathryn Transferred to the Church Triumphant Lewis Burnam March 30, 2008

3 Page 3 May 1, 2008 National Day of Prayer Join friends and neighbors in Groves Park from 12:05 12:15 p.m. to pray for our community and country. Turkey Creek Festival Byromville, GA Sign up to have picture made for pictorial directory We re doing a new pictorial directory, and it will not be complete without you. All BBC members need to sign up to have their picture made either on May 12 or 13. Sign up sheets are in the connecting foyer. For more information, contact Mary Kathryn Blankenship. May 6 is National Teacher Day Last year, NEA conducted an online poll asking teachers what kind of gift would most make them feel appreciated. The answer? A simple thank you, according to nearly half (48%) of all poll respondents. Visit to find out how you can say thanks to your teacher. May 3, 2008 This year s theme: Pirates in the Park 9AM 2PM Dessert Taste-Off Parade Museum Car Show Live Entertainment (John Haines, Five For One, Gospel Stars and Alex Clements) Inflatable Rides Pony Rides Arts & Crafts Food Fun Prizes Lots More ADMISSION IS FREE

4 Page 4 Associational news Glen Sheppard back to lead Bible Conferences in May Prayer & Repentance: Gateway to Revival and Spiritual Awakening will be the theme s of this month s Bible conferences led by Glenn Sheppard. Rev. Sheppard is founder of International Prayer Ministries, an interdenominational Christian mission organization whose purpose is to educate, train and motivate believers, churches and Christian organizations to pray for personal revival, spiritual awakening and world evangelization. Rev. Sheppard led a similar conference in our association in September of last year. Pinecrest Church in Cordele will host one conference on May 5. Times are 3:00 5:00 p.m. for pastors and church leaders and 6:30 8:30 p.m. for everyone. Vienna First Church will host another conference on May 6 from 6:30 8:30 p.m. Annual Ladies Night at Brotherhood Meeting Northern Heights Church in Cordele will host the quarterly associational Brotherhood meeting on May 12 with supper being served at 6:30 p.m. And all ladies are invited as well. Rev. and Mrs. Ben D Amico will be the featured speakers for the evening. A phone funny A man decided to write a book about churches around the country, starting in California and working his way east. In the first church, he spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with the sign, which read Calls: $10,000 a minute. He asked the pastor about it and he answered that it was a direct line to Heaven and if one paid the price he/she could talk directly to God. The man continued his research, visiting churches in Seattle, Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and all around the United States. He found more phones with the same sign and the same answer from each pastor. Finally, he arrived in Georgia. Upon entering Byromville Baptist Church, behold, he saw the golden telephone. But this time, the sign read. Calls: 35 a minute. Fascinated, he asked Pastor Andy Blankenship, Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why? Pastor Andy, smiling benignly, replied, Man, you re in Dooly County now...you re in God s Country. It s a local call. Submitted by Paula Smith (tweaked by the editor) Joyful Noise May Grades 7-10 June 2-6 Grades 4-6 June Grades 1-3 June Contact Houston Baptist Center ( ) for application and more information.

5 Schedule of Volunteers for May Please remember it is up to you to arrange coverage if you are unable to serve on your scheduled day. Date Flowers Nursery AM Nursery PM Deacon of the Week May 4 Open Patricia/Joe Kent Sue Thompson Rhonda Youngblood May 11 May 18 Pat/Ronnie Hatcher Pat/Ronnie Hatcher Laura/Keith Lamberth May 25 Open Kimberly Godfrey Terri Gregory Suzy Grantham Evette Hendrix Mark Smith Frank Thompson Ushers Arthur Roney Mark Peavy Bob Latimer Kyle West Paula/Mark Smith Patricia/Joe Kent Curtis Lamberth Ronnie Hatcher Jeff Witmer Laura/Keith Lamberth Jimmy Lockerman Jimmy R. Hendrix Clinton Brannen Page 5 April Sunday School Stats Senior Adults 13 FBIC 10 CIA 9 VOC/Berean 9 Young Adults 8 Older Youth 2 th th th 6, 7 & 8 Graders 2 rd th th 3, 4, & 5 Graders 5 st nd 1 & 2 Graders 4 Older Preschoolers 6 Younger Preschoolers 5 Nursery 3 General Officers 6 TOTAL 80 Financial $ummary March receipts General offerings $10, Memorials Annie Armstrong Easter Offering TOTAL 12, March disbursements General expenses 7, Computer, vacuum cleaner, video camera 2, Pastorium improvements Cooperative Program 1, Houston Baptist Association TOTAL $11, Dear Byromville Baptist Church Family, We appreciate your prayers, visits, calls and donation to the Georgia Baptist Children s Home in Dad s memory. We are so blessed to have family and friends like you to lean on during our loss and through the healing process. Thanks for hosting the family dinner after the service to give us time to visit. Keep us in your prayers. Sincerely, The Lewis Burnam Family

6 Page 6 Recipe for King Ranch Chicken Casserole 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon pepper 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided Saute onion and bell pepper in hot oil in large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat. Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces, and layer onethird of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Congratulations to Sarah Averill Brannen, the newyoung Miss Fullington There s a reason for every woman to celebrate Mother s Day For years my husband Ken and I tried to conceive a child. I had known other spinal-cord injured women who gave birth to children, and was convinced I could do the same. I planned to turn my art studio into a baby nursery, and my wheelchair into a stroller. I could even envision holding my little one in a kangaroo carrier on my wheelchair. But it wasn t to be. After many tests an infertility clinic, Ken and I realized we would not be able to have a child. At first, I was devastated. But then we realized we already had a family. A worldwide family. We began to rejoice anew over the thousands of spiritual children especially children with disabilities that my life-story had touched over the years. That s when Ken and I began to pray in a deeper; more specific way for these young people. Almost overnight God took away the pain and emptiness of my barren womb. I almost plastered an Isaiah 54:1 bumper sticker on the back of my wheelchair! Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband, says the Lord. There s a reason for every woman to celebrate Mother s Day even those who like me, do not have children. Any woman, whether single or widowed, can enjoy rich relationships with boys and girls in their neighborhoods, churches, and extended family. If you have never given birth to a child, ask God to show you a young person whose life you can spiritually nurture. May the Lord use you to bring many boys and girls into the kingdom of Christ it ll be a reason to burst into song and shout for joy. Joni Eareckson Tada Either you are one or you ve got one. Celebrate a Mom! Mother s Day May 11, 2008

7 Page 7 Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization May 11, 2008 Every year on Pentecost Sunday, Southern Baptists devote a day to pray for a people group that has not heard the Good News of God's love and salvation in Jesus Christ. Why Pentecost? Because the power of the Holy Spirit to take the Gospel into the world enveloped the church on that day (Acts 2:1-13). Pictured above is Martha Hill (left) greeting Cheryl Wilder and Mary Anna Ingram at our Open House on April 19. Thanks to all who helped with the event from the preparation to the greeting and serving to the clean up. It was a lot of fun. More photos are on the website. Planting the Seeds of Tomorrow...Today This year s focus is the unreached peoples of the Amazon Basin. More than 400 people groups about 26 million people live in the Amazon Basin of South America. Most have never heard of Jesus Christ. Some live in villages too remote to be reached by missionaries. In fact, about 85 people groups live isolated deep in the jungle. Other barriers hide the people of the Amazon Basin. Government restrictions, guerilla groups and tribal beliefs also stand in the way of their hearing the Gospel. But prayers can go where feet cannot. Visit to learn more about the unreached peoples of the Amazon Basin. Children s Home Day May 11, 2008 Special offering envelopes will be available at the church house. Visit to learn more about this wonderful ministry. Vacation Bible School 2008 June 16-20

8 Page 8 These picutres are from banquets in the 1960s. Go to our website to see more. Blessings is published monthly by Byromville Baptist Church. Send news items and/or comments to Editor Brenda Lockerman at POB 217, Byromville, GA 31007, to brendalockerman@windstream.net or call Byromville Baptist Church 713 Patterson Street POB 126 Byromville, GA Pastor: Andy Blankenship