faith The Year of Faith And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith Without faith it is impossible to please Him Devotion Books

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2 Dear Second Family, Every year about the same time I say, I can t believe another year has come and gone. This year is no exception 2018 has flown by! What does that mean? It means that God has granted us the privilege of ministering in our community and around the world for another year. It means that God has been faithful and blessed us for another year. It means that we have seen God do an amazing work in our church and among our people for another year. And it means that we turn the page and look to a brand new year ahead of us with untold possibilities and unlimited potential. Honestly, I can t wait for 2019! As time marches on, seasons come and seasons go, dates and years on our calendars change, it s easy to forget that some things never change. Our call to make disciples is unchanging. This is the task that God has assigned every New Testament church. We are to share the gospel faithfully, disciple others intentionally, and advance the Kingdom continually. Our definition of a disciple is simple a disciple is a fully-devoted follower of Christ who will connect, grow, and serve. We connect with God in worship, we grow in the context of our small-group relationships, and we serve in ministry within the church and in mission beyond the church. Every year I pray and seek the Lord s direction for where He would lead us. This year, God laid on my heart one simple word. That word is faith will be The Year of Faith. We will begin the year with a study on faith entitled, Unstoppable: 40 days of breakthrough faith. Like many times before, we will provide you with a 40-day devotion written by our staff to guide you through this journey. We will center our teaching in Life Groups and worship on the subject of faith for 40 days beginning in January of The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:4, And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. What is it that empowers us to accomplish the mission that God has assigned us? Faith! What is it that enables us to win the battle and overcome the onslaught of the enemy? Faith! What is it that pleases the Lord and brings joy to His heart? Faith! Without faith it is impossible to please Him. So, would you join me in praying for a resilient, consistent, unrelenting, and unstoppable faith? I can t wait to see what God is going to do as we trust Him with this kind of faith! Finally, I want to encourage you to start the New Year off right by spending time with God daily and by studying His Word faithfully. This is why we have provided Devotion Books and Bible Reading Plans to help you

3 grow in your faith. There are also Sermon Series CDs and other study materials available at the Welcome Center in the lobby. All of these things are made available for your personal spiritual growth and development as we honor the Lord with unstoppable faith in 2019! The best is yet to come! Pastor Jim Wednesday Evening Activities On Wednesday, January 9th, all normal activities will begin again. Family Night Supper will be at 4:30 PM; Awana, CrossTraining, the Remedy, and Adult Choir and Orchestra Rehearsal will be at 6:00 PM; Disciple University classes, Adult Bible Study, and Second Mile Ministries will be at 6:15 PM; College Connection will be at 8:15 PM. MLK, Jr. Holiday On Sunday, January 20th, we will have no evening activities in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The Church Offices, Family Life Center, and Youth Activities Center will be closed on Monday, January 21st as well. Let s remember to thank God for His servants who stand up for His rights. Bible Reading Plan We have our 2019 Bible Reading Plans in the Grand Lobby. This plan is to guide you as you read through the Bible in one year! It breaks up the Bible into manageable sections, and gives you the weekends to catch up or reread a passage from the week. If this has been a goal of yours, there s no better time to start than now! You may pick up one in the Grand Lobby or download it at secondfamily.tv! Operation Christmas Child Thank you church family for supporting Operation Christmas Child each year! Something as small as a shoebox with toiletry items and toys is changing children s lives all across the world. This year, thanks to your giving, we collected 510 boxes! That s so great! Now, 510 children will be given hope through Jesus. When they feel as though all is lost, these shoeboxes show up and restore what was lost. This may also be the only time they feel love. We encourage you, as 2019 is now beginning, go ahead and plan to pack a shoebox! You never know the impact it can make on a child, their family, and even their village. Clark and Aaryn Whitney We are excited at who the Lord is bringing us to serve as the next Student Pastor here at Second Baptist Church. The Whitney s are passionate about serving the Lord and following where He leads. Here is a little more about who they are and their passion for Student Ministry. Clark Whitney is passionate about reaching the next generation for Christ. By the grace of God, he was saved at age six in his backyard. Clark grew up in Texas before moving to Searcy, Arkansas. He attended Ouachita Baptist University and received his bachelor s degree in Christian Studies and Political Science. While at Ouachita, two God-things happened: Clark met the love of his life, Aaryn, and he was called to Gospel ministry. After graduating from Ouachita, Clark attended Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tennessee, where he received his Master of Divinity degree (Pastoral Ministry). During seminary, he served as the High School Associate at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, TN. Prior to coming to Second Baptist, Clark served as Student Pastor at First Baptist Church in Siloam Springs, AR. Aaryn currently teaches third grade and is passionate about discipling teenage girls. Clark and Aaryn are looking forward to getting to know their new Second Family and investing in students and their families. Until the whole world hears, Clark Whitney

4 Tickets available for purchase at the Welcome Center, in the Church Office, and online at secondfamily.tv.

5 Disciple University Our new session of Disciple University classes will begin on Wednesday, January 9th, at 6:15 PM. We will no longer have Sunday Evening Disciple University, so we invite and encourage you to join us on Wednesdays. Please come to the Welcome Center to purchase any workbooks you may need. Survey of the New Testament (Part 1) - Taught by Matthew Gibbs in Room A117. How is Jesus the fulfillment of the Old Testament? What happed during the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments? How are we to understand the New Testament as a whole? This study will provide background information, book-by-book outlines, charts, and a walk through the entire New Testament. Join us on Wednesday nights as we walk through the New Testament. Study materials provided. Co-ed class. Everyday Questions - By Ravi Zacharias, Facilitated by Doug and Cindy Bradley in Room A116. Life s biggest questions are being asked all around you. Are you hearing the questions? Are you ready for the conversation? Everyday Questions is RZIM s new, nine-week small group curriculum designed to equip Christians in evangelism. The video sessions are all less than thirty minutes and the accompanying discussion guides will lead your group in conversations about how to respond to people around you who are looking for answers. Co-ed class. Masculine Mandate - By Richard Phillips, Taught by Jim Dutcher in Room A123. In The Masculine Mandate, Richard D. Phillips cuts through the cultural confusion, highlights God s mandate for men, and encourages readers to join him on a journey of repentance and renewal. Christian men today need to examine their hearts and embrace their God-given mandate. Only then will they be able to recognize their high calling, and by God s grace, serve faithfully in whatever context God has placed them. Workbook is $ Men only. Gideon - By Pricilla Shirer, Facilitated by Debbie Vartenisian in Room A120. When we hear the name Gideon, most of us think about his 300 soldiers or a fleece spread beneath the evening sky. This is a story about God and His people - His love for them, as well as His strength operating in spite of, even through, their weakness. This study will encourage you to recognize your weakness as the key that the Lord gives you to unlock the full experience of His strength in your life. If you ve ever felt insufficient, ill-equipped, incompetent, or outnumbered, this study is for you. Study Guide $ Ladies only. Tasting Grace Tasting Grace Ministry Begins Fifth Year! Our Second Family Women s Ministry mentoringin-the-kitchen-ministry called Tasting Grace begins our FIFTH YEAR in 2019! The purpose of Tasting Grace is to gain confidence with cooking skills enabling us to love, welcome, and serve each other with biblical hospitality. For our last session in 2018, we made soup and cornbread and delivered it to the fire station right next door to our church. It was a wonderful time as we prayed for the firemen and thanked them for their service. We will kick off the Winter Session on Saturday morning, January 26th at 10:00 AM in the Hangar Kitchen. On the menu is a wonderful, old-fashioned, favorite Southern delight CARAMEL CAKE. Sign-up sheets will be available at the Welcome Center. Space is limited to the first 25. Jan Hamil & Jan Morton can t wait to see you in the kitchen where good food, laughter and ministry happens! Victory Sports Baseball/Softball Registration for t-ball, baseball, and softball is now open with paper forms and will open online on January 4th! There are three different ways to register: complete the registration form and mail it in with payment; complete the registration form and turn it in to the Victory Sports Office with payment; or go online to secondfamily.tv. When you register, please make sure to choose the best night for your child to practice as well. We try really hard to accommodate as much as possible. Whether you use a form or complete registration online, make sure to still pick up a form for important dates pertaining to evaluations/sizing, practice start dates, Opening Day, and Awards Night. We offer four leagues depending on age. Each child is responsible for providing their own helmet, cleats, and glove. Their jersey, t-shirt, pants, socks, hat, and belt are all included in the registration fee. The deadline to register is February 8th. We look forward to this season and hope to see you here! Anna s Banquet Our Anna s Banquet is a special time where we as a church host a dinner specifically for our widows. We want to love on you and serve you! This year our dinner will be held on Saturday, February 9th, at 4:30 PM. We will meet in the YAC Auditorium. Please sign up in your Life Group, at the Welcome Center, or through our Church Office at If you need a ride, we can pick you up and take you home! Just let us know when you sign up.

6 Sanctity of Human Life On January 20, 2019, we will celebrate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SoHLS). SoHLS is a day for Americans to focus on the value of each and every human life. It is celebrated every year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion in every state for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy. On January 13, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22nd as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. (January 22, 1973, was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand in all 50 states.) Churches around the United States use the day to celebrate God s gift of life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and commit themselves to protecting human life at every stage. Here is an excerpt from President Reagan s proclamation: We have been given the precious gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that struck down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human beings. Here at Second Baptist, we support two local programs, Covenant Care and Caring Solutions. These ministries have their state office in Macon but they also serve Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Savannah, and Valdosta. They both strive to give birthmothers and their partners support, aid, and alternative options to abortion. Both of these organizations also strive to honor Christ in everything. They want His love to be shown to the ones coming to see them seeking help with their pregnancy and to the couple who adopt from them. Covenant Care Services is a state-licensed, non-profit Christian adoption and counseling agency founded in 1989 to provide services to birthmothers, children, and families. They are a domestic adoption agency working primarily with birthmothers and families in Georgia. On average, they serve women and complete 25 adoptions per year. Since their founding, they ve facilitated over 550 adoptions. Caring Solutions began in 1984 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers compassionate services to women and their partners facing unplanned pregnancies in a nationally accredited healthcare setting. They strive daily to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing unplanned pregnancies and have multiple locations to serve their patients. They have recorded over 41,000 visits and are dedicated to helping as many people as possible.

7 IMPORTANT DATES IN JANUARY 2019 January 1st New Year s Day TruFit Class Kick-Off Church Offices, FLC, and YAC are closed. January 2nd No evening activities. January 6th Guest Luncheon January 8th Ladies Tuesday Morning Bible Study Second Family Senior Adult Bible Study January 9th Wednesday Evening Activities begin January 10th Second Family Senior Adult Luncheon January 17th Second Family Senior Adult Day Trip January 20th Sanctity of Human Life Day No evening activities in honor of MLK, Jr Holiday January 21st Church Offices, FLC, & YAC closed January 26th Tasting Grace January 27th Kirk Cameron s Living Room Reset UPCOMING DATES TO CONSIDER February 3rd Second Life Class February 5th Upward Basketball/Cheerleading Awards February 9th Anna s Banquet February 15th, 16th, & 19th Baseball Evaluations February 28th Gaither Vocal Band Concert 6:00 PM 12:00 PM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 4:30 PM 11:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 7:00 PM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM JANUARY 2019 NURSERY ROTATION Sunday, January 6th This Sunday s childcare team will be Team 4: Karen Myers. The Wednesday night, January 9th, childcare team will be Team 4. Sunday, January 13th This Sunday s childcare team will be Team 1: Donise Woodrich and Blake Randall. The Wednesday night, January 16th, childcare team will be Team 1. Sunday, January 20th This Sunday s childcare team will be Team 2: Lynette Shepherd and Sabrina Comeau. The Wednesday night, January 23rd, childcare team will be Team 2. Sunday, January 27th This Sunday s childcare team will be Team 3: Joni New and Kim Layson. The Wednesday night, January 30th, childcare team will be Team 3. If you would like to volunteer in the nursery at Second either on Wednesday night or on Sunday, please contact Donise Woodrich in the Church Office. If you would like to volunteer in our Children s Ministry, contact Pastor Ben Hunley in the Church Office.

8 Since the early 1990s, the Gaither Vocal Band has served as a standard-bearer in the world of gospel music. Founded by legendary gospel songwriter and producer, Bill Gaither, this Grammy-winning vocal group has performed in the worlds most prestigious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. A featured favorite in the Billboard chart-busting Gaither Homecoming Series, the Gaither Vocal Band continues to fill venues across North America with a steady tour schedule every year. Today, the Gaither Vocal Band roster is comprised of five power-packed voices, including Bill Gaither, Wes Hampton, Adam Crabb, Todd Suttles and Reggie Smith. Individually, these men are gifted artists and men of authentic faith. Together, they are known around the world for their stunning vocals, innovative harmonies and life-altering message a message of grace, hope and redemption. We are excited to have them with us on Thursday, February 28th. Tickets are available to purchase at the Welcome Center, in the Church Office, and online at secondfamily.tv. Use the promo code CHURCH to receive a special discount. But hurry, because this special price only lasts for a certain number of tickets. So make sure and purchase yours today!