The MESSENGER A Message from Dr. Rick Spencer Inside this issue: Responding to Change (3) Disrupters (1) Positive Adapters 2) Unbending Traditional-

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1 The MESSENGER Manchaca Baptist Church A Message from Dr. Rick Spencer Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2014 Inside this issue: Responding to Change At the Dec. deacons meeting, J.P. Kirksey provided astute insights, learned from experience, into the three main ways that people respond to change. You may not want to admit it, but you will be represented by one of the three reactions: (1) Positive Adapters even though they may not enjoy or welcome change, this group embraces change as a necessary part of life, knowing that any time a large group of people are involved, such as a church family, flexibility and adjustments are essential. (2) Unbending Traditionalists the natural reaction of this group is to resist. They are characterized by a strong allegiance to the past, seeing some bygone era as the good old days. The traditions which have meant so much to them are often assumed to be the bedrock of truth. Certainly, traditions have much to offer. The regular observance of The Lord s Supper is a valuable tradition which provides tangible reminders of the redemptive work of Christ. In our recent observances of Christmas, many of us celebrated family traditions which add special meaning to the season. Traditions help us to maintain meaningful contact with our heritage. However, traditions can become a form of idolatry when people place higher allegiance to them than to truth and healthy change. For hundreds of years, the King James Version of the Bible was the preferred version for almost all English speaking congregations; however, when it was first published, it was not warmly received by the Christian community. Many traditionalists strongly resisted this new translation. Yet, once the KJV had gained wide acceptance, traditionalists found themselves resisting newer translations which were attempting to be true to the best Greek manuscripts and current word usage. When Isaac Watts began to write songs based on Christian theology but not directly taken from the Psalms which were the starting place for most church music of his day, Watts music was severely criticized as secular. Today, most evangelical hymn books have as many entries by Watts as any other hymn writer. (3) Disrupters Although this group would deny it to others, and often to themselves, their behavior is characterized by sabotage. Even when their numbers are small, they can create and accelerate dissention by indirect communication rather than talking directly to the person with whom they have a problem, the disrupter will often talk about the person to others, sowing seeds of confusion and distrust. In my opinion, the number of disrupters at MBC would be very limited; however, even a small number of people can have significant impact when the squeaking wheel gets the grease. Yet, there is no reason to allow a few people to have disproportionate influence. The strong majority must take responsibility for those who try to sabotage any change which they do not agree with. Obviously, in a church like MBC, there is a large group of traditionalists. In fact, in many ways these are the backbone of the church. Hopefully, rather than being characterized as unbending, most see the reality that every living organism must change or die (the human body must constantly produce new cells in order to sustain life). After all, do you not believe that God desires to change you? If He is to conform you to the image of Christ, enormous change will still be required. In fact, for most of us, a total make-over is involved. If you will prayerfully submit your ego and attitude to God, I predict what He desires for you and me with regard to change. To the traditionalists, He would say, Adapt! To the Disrupters, He would say, Repent! To the Positive Adapters, He would say, Take the lead! Will you obey? What do you think would begin to happen if the majority of us do? I d like to know. Blessings, Dr. Rick , ext. 14 rickspencer@manchacabaptist.org Associate Pastor News 2 Preschool News 2 Get to Know Deacon Clark Weekly Opportunities 3 4 Uplift in Prayer 4 January Calendar 6 Disciple Now Back Page Special Points of Interest: New Member Lunch Growth Groups Pastor Search Woman s Conference Financial Summary

2 From the desk of JOHN BERRYHILL, Associate Pastor Fellow Believers, It is an exciting New Year and we look forward to all that God will do in the months to come! There are some hopeful signs that we are growing healthier and perhaps turning a bit of a corner. Worship and Sunday School numbers were trending slightly larger and a new Sunday School teacher has emerged to take the Thee Class in the place of Aubrey Southerland (moved to Arkansas) who served faithfully for so many years. Evidence of missional activity also is on the rise with ministry efforts in flood ravaged Bluff Springs and Dove Springs where relationships have been forged and people in need effectively serviced. Other efforts include the Soup Kitchen, our own food pantry, Operation Christmas Child and Austin Children s Shelter just to name a few. We also have a small group of prayer warriors lifting up the church on Sunday nights at 5:00pm - another strong, new development. Good works and acts of service abound from all corners of the church. This is not to say that there are not challenges, but when you take an aerial view of things it is clear that God is up to something. Jeremiah 29:11 reads, I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Let s pray that God s plan continues to unfold as we prepare for new leadership in the months to come! In Christ, John Berryhill , x26 john@manchacabaptist.org P is for Preschool This month the preschoolers will be learning about doing what is good. We will learn about serving others by teaching examples to the children of how Jesus served and helped. We will learn stories about Peter and how he was a disciple of Christ and how he told many people about Jesus love and told people how they should live their lives for HIM. Another special opportunity that we have this month is to teach the preschoolers that there is no other God, Isaiah 45:22. We will talk about how God can heal and restore and bless as we share the story of Jesus and Bartimaeus and how his sight was restored. What a wonderful story of trust and belief! There are many wonderful things about Jesus to learn about in this new year. If you are looking for a place to serve, and you love kids, come see me. We can always use more hands in our preschool department. Happy 2014 MBC! Holly North, Preschool Coordinator holly@manchacabaptist.org Page 2 Operation Christmas Child Yes, it s that time already! We are collecting items for our shoe boxes. January collection items are for soap. Please no Irish Spring as everything absorbs the fragrance. And year round we collect shoe boxes. You can place items in the box located in the office wing. Memorial Plaques Did you know that the Memorial Plaques that are located in the main Foyer are provided by the Deborah Sunday School Class? We want to thank them for memorializing our loved ones in this way. The MESSENGER

3 Deacon s Corner: Get to know Deacon Stephen Clark Stephen was born in White Plains, NY he was one of three children. He attended college at Suny Albany in Albany, NY. He met his wife, Carra at The River Church in Poughkeepsie, NY; after she graduated from Texas Tech and moved to the New York area for what was originally to be a short term stay. They were married in Lubbock, TX in Stephen & Carra have three beautiful children, Dominic age 4, Elijah age 2 and Caroline age 1. Stephen owns his own online retail business selling footwear and Carra is a speech pathologist who currently stays at home with their three children. Stephen and his family joined MBC in late and in November of 2013 he was ordained a Deacon. He and Carra have a passion for reaching the lost for Jesus. and they especially enjoy the Austin Children s Shelter Ministry of MBC. Stephen also participates in the men s basketball outreach night. Their family s favorite activity is eating out, so if you want to grab lunch with them after church be sure to let them know, they d love for you to join their family for a bite! OASIS Austin Children s Shelter AGE 18+ BASKETBALL Older Adults Still In Service (OASIS) Friday, Jan :30 a.m. Room Pot-luck lunch and table games OASIS is a great opportunity to meet other MBC ers in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Bring a couple of your favorite dishes and enjoy this time of fellowship. January 12th is our next ministry night at ACS. Bring your crafts, games and lots of cookies. If you want to carpool, we will depart from the church at 5:30 p.m. or you can meet us at ACS at 6:00 p.m. Mon. & Tues. Evenings 7:00pm Gym Ages 18+ Join us in the Gym on Monday & Tuesday evenings for a community-wide basketball game. Anyone age 18 and older is welcome! Open Studio Pat s Bunch Soup Kitchen Needs OPEN STUDIO meets Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. in Room. Open Studio is for those who are artists to gather weekly to work on their projects. ALL are welcome! Pat s Bunch is a respite care program that meets on Wednesdays from 9:30am 1:30pm in Room. (Includes breakfast snacks and lunch.) The Soup Kitchen is in need of clean plastic bags-they can be grocery bags, produce bags or newspaper bags. And with the cold weather on the horizon, they can also use socks, warm clothes, blankets, etc. You can place items in the ministry baskets located in the office wing. Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3

4 SUNDAYS Early Morning Worship Sunday School Worship Service MONDAYS Fusion Bible Study Grades 6-12 Adult 18+, Gym Weekly Opportunities 8:30am 9:30am 10:45am 7:00pm 7:00pm TUESDAYS Adult 18+, Gym 7:00pm WEDNESDAYS Pat s Bunch, Room 9:30am Prayer Gathering 5:30pm Conference Room Wed. Night Meal, Gym 6:00pm Grades 1-5 Choir 6:45pm Room M106 Adult Choir Rehearsal 6:45pm Choir Room Fusion Grades :00pm Youth Room Mission Friends 7:00pm 3-5 years old Preschool Wing GA s & RA s, Gr 1-5 7:00pm Pastor s Bible Study 7:00pm Room 110 WEDNESDAYS (con t) Band of Brothers 7:00pm Conference Room Ladies Bible Study 7:00pm Room M109 Facilitated by Nocona Koenig THURSDAYS Open Studio, Room Friendship Intl Hyde Park Baptist Church 9:00am 9:45am FRIDAYS Ladies Bible Study 9:30am Room Facilitated by Carlene Cleveland Thank You Your staff here at MBC would like to thank you for the wonderful gift given to us this Christmas. What a joy and blessing it is to serve all of you! Thank you for all you have done this month to help us follow God s call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and give a drink in his name. To Him be the glory. - Frank Deutsch, Angel House Soup Kitchen Deacon on Call Deacon on Call for the Week of: Jan. 5 Mark Inabinet Jan. 12 Carl Wren Jan. 19 Stephen Clark Jan. 26 Jeremy Davis Uplift in Prayer Kathy Bryan Her husband, and one of our Deacons, Steve Bryan, passed-away on Nov. 28th. Please keep Kathy in your prayers. Willie Mae Hector - Currently at Reliant Rehab., She has pneumonia and a UTI. Please call before visiting. She had a stroke Dec. 7. Husband Walter. Wade Kirkpatrick - He began radiation on Dec. 2 and chemo on Dec. 5. He will have 6 weeks of treatment. Diagnosed with tongue cancer. Wife Susan. Page 4 The MESSENGER

5 New Member Lunch Growth Groups Pastor Search New Members & Visitors are invited to have lunch with Dr. Rick, Deacons and Staff on Sunday, January 19th following the 10:45am service in Room. On Sunday, January 26th in Room we will have a gathering for people interested in Growth Groups. It will be a potluck lunch following the 10:45am service. So bring your favorite dish and come ready to discuss this outreach opportunity. The Deacons are in the process of refining the nominations for the Pastor Search Team. The entire church is invited to participate in that process. Be sure that you take advantage of the opportunity to select the candidates that will be on the ballots to be voted on in January. More information will be provided at the Church Conference on January 19th. Special Prayers Prison Ministry Christmas Decor Please continue to hold the flood victims in your prayers and remember that these people lost everything. We have several people from MBC who are helping to repair a former members home, we have someone collecting clothing, and we have people going out to pray with the victims. It remains and will remain an ongoing project. Our Prison Ministry is accepting donations of greeting cards. They can be new or used as long is there is not any writing on the back of the picture side. Prisoners use these as postcards, You can place your cards in the ministry baskets located in the Office Wing. Our Sanctuary and foyer looked so beautiful for the Christmas season. A big thank you to Deanna Sears and all the volunteers. Now that we are through the holidays your help is once again needed. It is time to take the decorations down! Please join us on Jan. 6th & 7th at 9:30am - noon to take down and pack up all the decorations. Annual Women s Conference Join us for two extraordinary days of life-changing Bible study, authentic worship, hands-on ministry opportunities and sweet fellowship. You will have fun and feel restored, and walk away challenged to live out a Christ-filled life allowing His love to overflow to everyone around you. This special gathering is designed to help women of all ages and walks of life be encouraged in their relationship with Christ; connect with other women and desire to be used by God in and out of the local church setting; and be equipped women able to make a difference in their world. Each participant should pre-register by Monday, February 10, For registration information visit: Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 5

6 January 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 No Scheduled Activities 2 Open Studio 3 Ladies Bible Adapted Sports 6:30-8:30pm Gym 4 5 Prayer Gathering- 5pm Sunday Night Svc. - 6pm 6 Fusion Bible Study 7-9pm Shultz s Home Pat s Bunch 9:30-1:30 Family Dinner 6-6:45 Gym Spaghetti, Green Beans, Bread, Dessert 9 Open Studio 10 Ladies Bible OASIS, 11:30am Deacon Mtg. 3pm Prayer Gathering - 5pm - ACS Ministry Night - 5:30pm 13 Fusion Bible Study 7-9pm Thomason s Home Pat s Bunch 9:30-1:30 Family Dinner 6-6:45 Gym King Ranch Chicken, Green Beans, Dessert 16 Open Studio 17 Ladies Bible Adapted Sports 6:30-8:30pm Gym 18 Linus 10am- 4pm, Room 19 New Members Luncheon Noon Prayer Gathering- 5pm Sunday Night Svc. & Church Conf. - 6pm 20 Fusion Bible Study 7-9pm Stuewe s Home Pat s Bunch 9:30-1:30 Family Dinner 6-6:45 Gym Goulash, Broccoli, Dessert 23 Open Studio 24 Ladies Bible Adapted Sports 6:30-8:30pm Gym 25 Ladies Coffee Texican Café 9:00am 26 Lord s Supper Service Growth Groups Meeting, Noon Prayer Gathering- 5pm 27 Fusion Bible Study 7-9pm Shultz s Home Pat s Bunch 9:30-1:30 Family Dinner 6-6:45 Gym Chicken Pot Pie, Salad, Dessert 30 Open Studio 31 Ladies Bible Adapted Sports 6:30-8:30pm Gym Page 6 The MESSENGER

7 Statistical Report for December 2013 CHURCH YEAR Sept. 1, 2013 Aug. 31, 2014 SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday School Enrollment 199 SS Avg. Attendance 184 MORNING WORSHIP* (Both Worship Svcs, Nursery & Ext. Session) Year to Date Average Attendance 235 BAPTISMS* Number Awaiting Baptism 0 Number Baptized 1 Financial Summary Financial Summary Through November 2013 Income in November was $98, and expenses were $55, This is truly a testament to how God can bless our church through His provisions and our faithfulness to His commandments! We realize that many people are very faithful with their tithes, and that many give beyond the tithe, even to the point of a sacrificial gift to God over and above one tenth of their income. May we all strive to be willing to give to God, as we are reminded in 2 Corinthians 9:7, that it not become a "chore" or just a "responsibility", but that we are grateful to do it. As we reported last month, the members of the finance committee will be visiting the youth and adult Sunday School classes on the 5th of January. They will present information which further explains to church members how their giving contributes to the many different ministries within the church, as well as missions outreach programs to those outside of the church. Please pray for us as we plan this presentation format, that it would honor God as we work to fulfill His mission in our church and community. We pray that God will bless each of you in a special way in the new year. In Christ, MBC Finance Committee Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 7

8 Manchaca Baptist Church December 27, 2013 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #2 Manchaca, TX 1215 W. FM 1626 P.O. Box 400 Manchaca, TX Phone: Fax: We re on the web at manchacabaptist.org Ye shall have a song, as in the night...and gladness of heart - Isaiah 30:29 Return Service Requested DNOW - LIVE LOVE - February 28-March 2 WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR? You have a lot going on. You have all kinds of interests, abilities, commitments, and relationships. You have a reputation based on any number of things. So, what really matters in life? CHRIST SAID HIS SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR THEIR LOVE. LOVE. IT CHANGES EVERYTHING. John, the beloved disciple, wrote a lot about living in God s family. Each moment presents new opportunities to reflect God s love to the world, this is your life. What are you going to do with it? Disciple Now for Grades For more information, please contact the church office.