Blessings. Inside. F e b ru a ry A p u b lica tio n o f B yro m ville B a p tist C h u rch

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1 Blessings F e b ru a ry A p u b lica tio n o f B yro m ville B a p tist C h u rch Inside W e are not spiritual! About the cover Assn l Brotherhood More assn l news Need children s m edia Methodist revival Concerts nearby Relay for Life Calendar Monthly info Conference and Valentine Supper p p p p p p p p p p p 6

2 Page 2 Pastor s column We are not spiritual! Andy Blankenship A few days ago someone told me about a fascinating conversation they had with a person after the funeral services of John Murray This individual said that they were a spiritualist and that they found the service to be quite spiritual This spawned a series of thoughts that led me to the computer and now you get to read the overflow After that conversation my mind began to replay the articles, blogs, and conversations where there has been talk about spirituality and Christianity, which has made me wonder what fellow Christians mean when they use the words spiritual and spirituality Do they mean it was emotional? Do they think it means a certain quality or quantity of works/deeds? Does it simply mean religious? I think these are valid questions that need an answer How are we to understand the term spiritual? When discussing any topic, as it pertains to Christianity, it is important to focus on the very heart of our faith that we are not spiritual We do not practice spirituality because we have climbed the ladder to God through human means Rather, Christianity teaches that at one time we were alienated from God and that alienation is remedied by Christ, who absorbs the sin that separates us from God God came near to us in Christ, so that Christ could consume that which separates us from God, and thereby, draw us near to him We are not spiritual, but Christ was spiritual for us In other words, without God nothing is strong and nothing is holy We are weak and unholy by nature Our default position is to substitute anything for God We repel the holy and opt for manageable and convenient versions of God that do not Lord over us rather we can lord over them I think this is best illustrated in JB Phillip s book Your God is Too Small Chapter Titles include: The Resident Policeman, The Grand Old Man, God in a Box, and The Managing Director How many of these views have become a cultural main-stay for many, even many in our churches? But praise God for the truth revealed through the incarnation! The coming of Christ Jesus disarms and restrains us from self-reliant spirituality Through the Gospel we learn that God is morally and spiritually separated from us, and we are separated from God and from one another Christian spirituality, then, is ultimately created not by reason or emotion, but by Christ! The fundamental lesson we learn from this is a caution against the mania that some have created over spirituality itself Spirituality includes beliefs, practices, theology, rituals, and activities These are all things that contribute to a rich and vibrant Christian life, both individually and corporately as a church But at the heart of Christian spirituality is a reminder that no spiritual practice or ritual alone can draw us near to God God must come near to us That God-coming-near is what has happened in the incarnation and that is what we celebrate as Christians Christian spirituality ultimately rests in God s coming to us It is not that we have risen to spiritual heights, but that heaven has come down to us So I would have to agree that John Murray s funeral service was spiritual, but not because of the preachers who performed the service or because of the song that was sung This service was spiritual because much was made of Jesus; which is the measuring rod for all things spiritual Because He lives, Andy About the cover Pictured on the cover are (left to right), Rodney Kitchens, Cooper Blankenship and Kaleb West To see more pictures from January, visit our website at wwwbyromvillebaptistchurchcom God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him Psalm 67:7

3 Page Associational news BBC hosting Associational Brotherhood Meeting Feb 7 Brian Hawkins, representative from the Georgia Baptist Children s Homes, will be the featured speaker for the evening Brenda Brown will be the guest singer The meeting will begin at 6:0 pm with supper in Saliba Hall Missions Celebration draws 80 Around 80 people were encouraged and inspired at the Annual Houston Baptist Association Missions Celebration at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church on January 18 Buck Burch, IMB missionary to Russia, was the featured speaker Other speakers included Andy Blankenship, Fred Jones, Pat Story and HBA Associational Missionary Gary Leutziner Speakers shared exciting reports about international missions, local missions and mission trips in the States as well as abroad At the end, representatives from our churches shared briefly about their mission endeavors as well A total of 141 toothbrushes were collected for the Appalachian Regional Ministries and $50 for Camps Kaleo and Pinnacle NEWSBRIEFS Seeking children s books and DVDs Our children s media library is needing some new books and DVDs If you have books and/or DVDs your children have outgrown, please consider donating them to our children s library Media needs to be in excellent condition (no markings or dog eared pages) and should be appropriate for a church library Donations should be given to Library Committee Chair Mary Kathryn Blankenship Please do not just place in library All donated media will have to be reviewed and processed by the library committee before placing in circulation The Children s Media Library is located in the upstairs hallway Methodist revival services Feb 20-2 Robert Beckum will be the evangelist for the Byromville United Methodist Church s revival Services are at 7:0 pm Jubalheirs and Sons of Jubal in concerts nearby this month The Sons of Jubal, an all men choir made up of music leaders/directors from all over Georgia, will be in concert at Byron Baptist Church Feb at 6:45 pm The Jubalheirs, an all women choir made up of music leaders/directors from all over Georgia, will be in concert at Central Baptist Church in Americus on Feb 25 at 6:45 pm GAs to have Relay for Life team The Dooly County Relay for Life will be April 22 at the Jewel Bowen Memorial Park in Vienna More details about this event will be forthcoming Since our GAs will have a team this year, be listening for ways you can help them Robin Peavy requests people who have survived cancer please contact her so that she can get them on the guest list for the upcoming Annual Survivors Luncheon

4 SUNDAY M ONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 6:0pm Associational Brotherhood Groundhog Day 6:45pm Sons of Jubal Concert, Byron Baptist Church Georgia Day No Radical Book Study tonight 6:00pm Conference followed by Valentine Supper 7:0pm Revival Services at Methodist Church (thru W ed) President s Day 10:0am Women on Mission Valentine s Brunch, Brenda Lockerman s 6:00pm Turkey Creek Festival Assn Mtg, Municipal Complex 7:00pm GEMS National Chili Day Arbor Day :45pm Jubalheir Concert, Central Baptist Church, Americus Children s Ministry Day 2-1 Hilda Brackett 2-2 Judy Brock Brent Howell Michael Huckaby 2-4 Misty Chappell Adam Everidge Bun Fountain Bryan Hunter Richard Thom as, Jr 2-5 Pam Crutchfield Ricky Stephenson 2-6 Tony Bodrey 2-7 Misty W orn 2-8 Andy Collier Curtis Lam berth 2-10 Michelle Elsasser 2-11 Cheryl Christopherson Tyler Thom pson 2-14 Michelle Kitchens 2-15 Jon Brinson 2-18 Janet Lam berth Shealee Norris 2-19 Tyler Sledge 2-20 Anisa W oods 2-22 Ed Eaton 2-24 Clinton Brannen 2-26 Sterling McCullum 2-28 George Massey 2-29 Lillian Gresham -1 Rebekah Bowen -2 Jurelle Godfrey - Mike Raper -4 Kohl Cavanah Mary Beth Reed -5 Jared Averill -7 Brenda Dorsett -8 Clete Roberts W endy W illiams -9 Kristen Peavy Please pray for these people on their birthday Weekly Schedule SUNDAY Sunday School 10:00AM W orship 11:00AM Children s Choir 5:00PM Radical Book Study 6:00PM W EDNESDAY Supper 6:00PM Mission Friends 6:0PM GAs, RAs 6:0PM Acteens 6:0PM Challengers 6:0PM Prayer Meeting 7:00PM

5 Schedule of Volunteers for February 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 Ushers Feb 6 Open Sharon Thompson NA Jimmy Lockerman Bob Latimer Kyle West Feb 1 Open Michelle Kitchens NA Mark Smith Clinton Brannen Ronnie Hatcher Feb 20 Open Robin Peavy NA Floyd Tucker Frank Thompson Matt Youngblood Feb 27 Elaine Phelps Paula Smith NA Arthur Roney Daniel Thompson George Massey Page 5 January Stats Sunday School Senior Adults 7 FBIC 11 CIA 5 VOC 4 Young Adults 6 Older Youth 2 th th th 6, 7 & 8 Graders 6 rd th th, 4, & 5 Graders 2 st nd 1 & 2 Graders 5 Older Preschoolers Younger Preschoolers 6 Nursery 1 General Officers 2 TOTAL 61 Wonderful Wednesdays Mission Friends (ages 2-) Mission Friends (ages 4-5) 5 Girls in Action (grades 1-6) 12 Acteens (grades 7-9) 6 Acteens (grades 10-12) 5 Royal Ambassadors (grades 1-4) 8 Royal Ambassadors (grades 5-8) 9 Challengers (grades 9-12) 5 Other staff 7 Total 58 We have unnecessarily (add unbiblically) drawn a line of distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges of Christianity for us all From Radical by David Platt Financial $ummary December receipts General offerings $10,74619 Special kitchen stove Special ramp 5,00000 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering TOTAL 17,27919 December disbursements General expenses 5,8228 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Local missions/evangelism/benevolence Cooperative P r o g r a m 1,58648 TOTAL $8,46950 Wonderful Wednesdays Supper Schedule February 2 Cooks: Young Adult Sunday School (SS) Class Menu: Lasagna, french fries, garlic bread, salad, dessert February 9 Cooks: VOC SS Class Menu: Corn dogs, baked beans, dessert February 16 Cooks: Social/recreation committee Menu: Baked spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, dessert February 2 Cooks: CIA SS Class Menu: Chicken sandwiches, chips, dessert

6 Page 6 Blessings is published m onthly by Byrom ville Baptist Church Send news item s and/or com m ents to Editor Brenda Lockerm an at POB 217, Byrom ville, GA 1007, em ail to brendalockerm an@ windstream net or call Byromville Baptist Church 71 Patterson Street ` POB 126 Byromville, GA 1007 wwwbyromvillebaptistchurchcom Pastor: Andy Blankenship N O N PR O FIT O R G ANIZATIO N PO STAG E PAID PERM IT N O 2 BYR O M VILLE GA 1007 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED