New Directions. The newsletter of Grace Community Baptist Church May/June 2016, Volume 13, No. 3 GCBC.ws Website Edition

Transcription

1 New Directions The newsletter of Grace Community Baptist Church May/June 2016, Volume 13, No. 3 GCBC.ws Website Edition From the Pastor: Church Confusion This week I was reading of a report from Brazil where Evangelical pastors met and discussed the state of the church. (I believe Brazil still has the largest Evangelical population in South America.) They concluded that the majority of their church activity focused on four things they said are being confused with marks of a church. These were from South America, but they can just as easily be misunderstandings in the U.S. as well and frankly may have begun here in the first place. The first was that of having a building. There was the mindset that a church was more of a real church if it had its own building and real estate and the bigger the better. If it was new that was better as well than an older building, unless it was really old with historical significance. Such places were seen as the place where Christians do stuff for God and where God meets with His people. A problem here is that our identity of serving God should not be tied to some location as if were some kind of New Testament temple where God dwells. Thinking biblically, this can t be anywhere near a definition of a church. Additionally we may serve God while at a church building, but if a building contains our living service to God something is fundamentally off. The second was Sunday. It was seen as the day Christians do stuff for God and somethings for each other. It was the day of service and devotion to God. There s nothing wrong with that for sure, but every day is to be a day of serving God isn t it? We shouldn t see serving our Lord as isolated from everyday living nor is it over-time if we do things outside of Sunday. That day is definitely important and commanded, but certainly a day should not be the mark of a church or individual Christians. Sunday in some respects should be nothing more (if I can say it that way), than another daily extension of Christians living out their calling. Third was the worship service. This was the thing on the right day in the right place where it s all focused. Church means having worship service with TV quality singing and preaching and something for everyone. There is nothing wrong with any of those things (and doing our best is a right way to honor God), but those things don t make a church a church. They are not the biblical definition of a church anyway, and that should matter to the followers of Jesus. As important as gathering as a community of faith for worship is, that shouldn t be the end-all but another part of our worship to God. The last thing mentioned was having a full-time pastor. Real (think good ) churches have pastors who do nothing but church, and having more than one full-time pastor is always better than one. This person is the man who hears from God and tells others. He s the local prophet, counselor and innovative CEO of the church. Not having a professional pastor is thought of as not really having a church in the fullest, most meaningful sense of the word. The problem here is that this nowhere a biblical marker for a church or even a good church. I could not find any stats for Kentucky, but one Tennessee Baptist leader thinks that 50% of pastors are not full-time in his state. Think of the pastors around the world who pastor and have other jobs. Paul did it at least some so that can t in anyway be an accurate marker of a church, good or otherwise. Space won t permit full development on the study, but one takeaway is we should always be vigilant lest certain un-truths unknowingly slip into our thinking. Notice these things are a little similar to the ideas of Old Testament practice more so than New Testament markers of a local church. Thus there is some confusion. It s also interesting that this report was a little over ten years old. If those problems existed then I can t help but wonder if they are not still with us and possibly a little worse in some quarters. Article continued on third page

2 Kids Korner Carl & I have been sprucing up around the house this spring. There are rooms that needed painting, dying landscape removed, and a new garden planned and planted. It was time for a renewal. If you watch a lot of HGTV programs (guilty), you constantly hear the words renovate, renew, and update. An exorbitant amount of money and time is spent on, and I quote, falling in love with your home again. I absolutely believe our homes should be a place of love and peace, but if we truly invested that same passion and energy into living Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect., every home, every business, every school, and every government would undergo a renovation like no other, and I don't mean the décor! A Christcentered would change the world. It starts with each one of us. What are you renewing this spring? Our home spruce up doesn't seem like such a big deal now. Thanks so much for your support of our CentriKid fundraisers. We have one to go. It is a Banana Split Bar which coincides with a Hymn Sing on Sunday evening, May 29. After the Sing, the kids will make you a Banana Split to order. Your cost is a donation of your choice. Praising God through song and then getting to enjoy banana splits, who could ask for more? The VBS signup sheet will soon go up on the bulletin board. Our theme this year is Submerged where we will find truth below the surface. We will learn that Jesus sees, knows, and saves and we will ask Him to search us and know our hearts; test us and know our concerns, and lead us in the everlasting way. Psalm 139: VBS is the week of July I hope you will prayerfully consider helping us teach the children how having a growing relationship with Christ is the most important relationship they will ever have! Blessings, Mary Ann June The CentriKid parent meeting will be Sunday, May 29, immediately following the service. This meeting is to fill out forms and discuss camp rules, etc. Campers and parents need to attend. Fundraisers Banana Split Bar Sunday, May 29 following the Hymn Sing at 5:00 P.M. Come enjoy a delicious, made-to-order banana split for the cost of a donation to the camp fund. Centri-Kid Card Shop Sunday, June 12 after the service All cards are $1

3 Pastor s Article continued from first page In many ways we humans can tend to make Church far more complicated than it needs to be. This is evidenced by basic understanding of church history and the reoccurring need to reform faulty ideas and basically clear accumulated baggage. We can tend to add layers and layers of good things and ways to be doing Church when in reality, often the biggest impact that we can make is living out Church in our daily lives (which can be a little mundane sounding). We need to think and live the reality that I am the church. The church is doing whatever I'm doing because I am the church. As a result the church is not located in a certain place, to a certain time, to a certain building or to a certain person. The church is all of us going and living our lives each and every day. So in reality, how well the church is doing is dependent on the above externals but rather on how well we as Christians are living. Donnie - Soli Deo Gloria Youth Yard Sale The youth are having a yard sale fundraiser on Saturday, May 14. If you have items you wish to donate, bring them to the church. If you need help transporting larger items, let Tom Littrell know. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for the ladies tea on May 21 at 11:30. Ladies are encouraged to bring friends and family members. There will be limited spaces available so it s important to sign up. Let s join together on Sunday, May 29, at 5:00 P.M. and lift our voices in praise as we sing some of your favorite hymns. The Hymn Sing will be followed by a Banana Split Bar CentriKid fundraiser. If you would like to play coed softball, please sign up on the bulletin board by the church office. The games will be on Saturdays at 6:30 P.M. and will begin Saturday, June 4 and run through the end of July. Everyone age 15 and up is welcome to participate. Lord s Supper May 1 ** June 5 Everyone is welcome to participate in a fun afternoon of putt-putt golf on Sunday, May 15, after church. Lunch will be provided at church. Kids not accompanied by an adult need a signed permission slip. They will play two games. This is a free activity. The Dare to Care Mobile Food Pantry will be in the church parking lot on Thursday, May 12 and Thursday, June 9, at 10:00 A.M.

4 Serving in Ministry Nursery Workers Sunday KidsWorship May 1 Jackie/Jeff Riley Pam Wachter/Alice Shelman/Sue Fields May 8 Karen Francis/Nicki Wellinghurst Mary Ann Alexander/Children s Helper/Carl May 15 Pam Wachter/Tim Miller Colleen/Josh/Jim Quinter May 22 Sue Fields/Sarah Fields The Francis Family May 29 Sandra Gullion/Colleen Quinter The Riley Family June 5 Jackie/Jeff Riley Mary Ann Alexander/Children s Helper/Carl June 12 Karen Francis/Nicki Wellinghurst Alice Shelman/Pam Wachter/Sue Fields June 19 Pam Wachter/Tim Miller Tom/Darlene/Tom Littrell, Jr. June 26 Sue Fields/Sarah Fields Jim/Josh/Colleen Quinter Nursery Workers - Wednesdays May 4 Karen Francis June 8 Sue Fields May 11 Mary Ann Alexander June 15 Karen Francis May 18 Holly Francis June 22 Camp May 25 Alice Shelman June 29 Alice Shelman June 1 Sandra Gullion July 6 Holly Francis Greeter Ministry Side Door (by Front Door (facing Pre-Worship Secretary s Office) Joyce Applegate National Turnpike) Howard Sloss Back Door May David Francis Parking Lot Greeter Rick Shelman Back Door June Karen Francis Guide Greeter Darlene Littrell March April (to date) May Carl Alexander Financial Report Offerings $9, $8, Offerings Year to Date $37, Expenses Year to Date $ 41, Bus Driver of the Month Expenses $12, $ 6, June Joe Fields Sunday School Attendance Report Average Attendance March: 75 April: 73 Just Keep Swimming In Athens, the apostle Paul responded to the people's worship of "an unknown god" by declaring, "[God] is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being'" (Acts 17:23, 27-28, NIV). Author Diana Butler Bass echoes that sentiment: "If the water is invisible to the fish, is God, as the One in whom we swim, also invisible?" (Grounded: Finding God in the World, HarperOne). I, in turn, am reminded of Dory, the blue tang fish in Finding Nemo. Feeling overwhelmed and alone, she chants to herself, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." When we feel alone and can't see God, it's not that he doesn't exist or can't be known; rather, he surrounds us so closely that sometimes we miss the fact. God is the Living Water in which we swim. Sometimes we need to just keep swimming until we become aware of that again. Heidi Mann

5 GRACE COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 7300 National Turnpike, Louisville, KY Phone: (502) Website: gcbc.ws Facebook: facebook.com/gcbcky Church Calendar: gcbc.ws/calendar Postmaster: Return Requested THE CHURCH STAFF Donnie Gullion, Pastor Michael Fay, Worship Leader Mary Ann Alexander, Director of Children s Ministries Tom Littrell, Sr., Youth Coordinator Sue Fields, Secretary Wednesday Evening Adult Bible Study 6:30 P.M. Lifepoint Studies Mondays, 6:30 P.M. at the Fays Thursdays, 7:00 P.M. at the Poiles Ladies Bible Study The ladies are continuing their study of Deuteronomy on Tuesdays at 10:00 A.M. Kentucky Primary Election Day May 17 Mother s Day May 8 Memorial Day May 30 Father s Day June 19