THE BRIDGE PAGE 1 VOL. 10 NO. 6 FEBRUARY

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1 THE BRIDGE PAGE 1 VOL. 10 NO. 6 FEBRUARY 8, 2017 The [Un]apologetics Conference is now only two weeks away. What an exciting opportunity to have some of the most respected apologists for the Christian faith on our campus for those two great days February 24-25! Fully half of those registered to attend as I write this are from our church, and that is such a blessing to me. People from around our area and from other parts of the state will be coming to our church to participate in this conference. We are ready to put our best foot forward and show them the kind of Christian hospitality for which ABC is known. I m looking forward to some of the fine breakout sessions that are being offered. Those coming to help with those breakout sessions are extraordinarily equipped in their own right in fields of science and Scripture, evangelism, sharing with those who are Muslim, etc. One of our breakout session leaders is Dr. Braxton Hunter. Dr. Hunter is the President of Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary in Evans- (Continued on page 2) WHAT S INSIDE Contact Information... 2 [UN]Apologetic Conference... 3 Adopt-a-Highway... 4 Believer s Baptism... 4 Staff Anniversary... 5 Amy Strickland Honored... 5 Daddy Daughter Date Night... 5 From the Heart of John Parker... 6 The Chorale from DBU... 7 Hill Toppers... 7 Music Notes from Dodie... 8 Thanks for Your Recipes... 9 Japan Mission... 9 Membership Call to Prayer Lamplighters Golden Marriage Celebration Myanmar Mission Thank You Note Children s Activities Electrify by Matt Gillum Student Ministry Events Calendar & Reports Retrospective Construction Photos... 16

2 PAGE 2 THE BRIDGE (Continued from page 1) STAFF Dr. Gary Dyer SENIOR PASTOR Cell garyd@austinbaptistchurch.com Dr. David Procter EXECUTIVE PASTOR Cell davidp@austinbaptistchurch.com John Parker ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF MUSIC & WORSHIP Cell johnp@austinbaptistchurch.com Matt Gillum MINISTER TO STUDENTS & THEIR FAMILIES Cell mattg@austinbaptistchurch.com Cathy Smith MINISTER TO CHILDREN & THEIR FAMILIES Cell cathys@austinbaptistchurch.com Dodie Morris MUSIC & WORSHIP ASSOCIATE dodiem@austinbaptistchurch.com Jon Marc Burge CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP ASSOCIATE jonb@austinbaptistchurch.com ADMINISTRATION Christina Mendoza MINISTERIAL STAFF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT / IT SPECIALIST christinam@austinbaptistchurch.com Jennifer Koret FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR jenniferk@austinbaptistchurch.com Rita Jones OFFICE MANAGER ritaj@austinbaptistchurch.com Derek Tackett FACILITIES MANAGER Cell derekt@austinbaptistchurch.com Clifteen Samuelson EVENTS COORDINATOR events@austinbaptistchurch.com Joe Pere DIRECTOR OF MEDIA MINISTRY joep@austinbaptistchurch.com SUPPORT STAFF Bill Dickson FINANCE CLERK billd@austinbaptistchurch.com Elena Samper ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT elenas@austinbaptistchurch.com Kati Dobbs CHILDREN S MINISTRY ASSOCIATE katid@austinbaptistchurch.com ville, Indiana. A great bonus is that Dr. Hunter will be staying over to preach at both worship services on Sunday, February 26. Dr. Hunter s background is in vocational evangelism and employing apologetics in evangelism. In fact, he previously served as the President of the Southern Baptist Conference of Evangelists. At the young age of 36, Dr. Hunter has already established himself as a highly regarded leader in the field of apologetics and evangelism. What a blessing to have him stay around to share with us on February 26! DR. BRAXTON HUNTER If you have not reserved for the conference, I hope you will. You do not have to attend all of it in order to attend any of it, but you do have to be registered. If your plans are still in flux, you can register at the church the day of the conference at an additional cost. As much as I encourage our members to participate, I long to see us bringing non-believers with us. If they have not followed Jesus, but would like to hear a defense made for why we have followed Him they will have no clearer case made for our faith than from men like Lee Strobel, Matt Mittelberg, and Mike Licona. One other reminder: Dinner Friday night and lunch the Saturday of the conference will be offered onsite. The dinner is being prepared by the Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas with the proceeds going to help them with their spring/ summer missions efforts. Save the hassle of driving somewhere to eat while investing in a worthy missions cause by eating with us at the church that Friday night, February 24. Gary Dyer, Pastor John 3:30

3 THE BRIDGE PAGE 3 ABC Members: Click here to go directly to register at the Student Rate for $20

4 PAGE 4 THE BRIDGE Reed Baptized Last Sunday Odell Reed joined Austin Baptist Church by profession of faith in the 11:11 service on Sunday, January 22, Pastor Gary Dyer baptized him on Sunday, February 5, Please welcome Odell to our church family! PASTOR GARY DYER BAPTIZES ODELL REED Adopt-A-Highway Update Since moving to our Four Points location, Austin Baptist Church has partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation to maintain a two-mile stretch of FM 620 north and south of the 2222 intersection. Wayne King has given dedicated leadership to our Adopt-A-Highway Ministry Team. On several Saturday mornings each year, the team parks at the Boathouse Grill and enjoys soft drinks and donuts at 8:00 a.m. Pick-up starts by 9:00 a.m. The participants enjoy good fellowship and provide a real service to our community. Wayne is stepping down from chairing the group; we are deeply grateful for his faithful ministry from the beginning of Adopt-A-Highway. Ron Waide will now give leadership to the team. Ron and his family moved to Austin from Denver in 2012 and joined our church in September Ron and his wife Melinda are faithful members of Family Ties Bible Fellowship Group. Ron also serves on our Prayer Ministry Team and on the Long Range Planning Committee. Some 2017 dates for Adopt-A-Highway have already been scheduled, with Saturday, March 4 being the first one. Anyone is welcome to participate! David Procter RON WAIDE WAYNE KING

5 THE BRIDGE PAGE 5 Staff Anniversary Jon Marc Burge has completed one year as our Contemporary Worship Associate. Jon Marc has done an incredible job in giving energetic leadership to our 11:11 service. He also provides worship leadership to the AXIS youth service on Wednesday evenings and KIDZ worship on Sunday mornings. Jon Marc is from Mississippi and is a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. We are grateful to have Jon Marc and Jaimie at Austin Baptist Church! David Procter Amy Strickland Receives TCSO Employee of the Year Award JON MARC BURGE LEADS WORSHIP IN 11:11 SERVICE L TO R: GREG HAMILTON, AMY STRICKLAND, SALLY HERNANDEZ On February 4, 2017, ABC member Amy Strickland was awarded the Travis County Sheriff s Office (TCSO) Law Enforcement Bureau Employee of the Year. She is the SWAT LES/Dispatcher assigned to the TCSO SWAT unit where she plays a critical role in its overall operation. She also conducts research on the location, persons, and other intelligence requirements that are crucial to the successful resolution of the emergency situation. Amy s dedication to duty and commitment to this team brings credit to the Unit and the TCSO. Amy and her husband Pete are members of the Lamplighters Bible Fellowship Group. Their son Ronald is a member of the children s third grade Bible Fellowship class. Son Johnny Frost is a member of the seventh grade Bible Fellowship class. Proud parents are Lecia and David Caudle and grandparents Johnnie and Don Long, all ABC members.

6 PAGE 6 THE BRIDGE Mondays can be difficult. The weekend has ended, and we begin our routine all over again. Sometimes we dread Monday. Wednesdays are pretty good because we can at least see the end of the week from there. Fridays are really good because our weekend is beginning. Work is over, school is out. Whew! But, the BEST day of the week is SUNDAY! And here s why: 1) It is the day of Christ s Resurrection: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. (Matthew 28:1 ESV). That pretty well settles it. Sunday is charged up with resurrection power. Christians have been worshipping on Sunday since the time of Christ s resurrection, and continue to this day. Sunday is a re-enactment of Jesus resurrection. That makes Sunday the BEST day of the week! 2) We start our week off humbling ourselves before God: What better way to get our week off to a perfect start, than fall on our faces before God in humility and confession, emptying ourselves of self and allowing God s Spirit to fill us and renew our minds. The weekly reset makes Sunday the BEST day of the week! 3) We gather with our faith family to worship God: Christians need Christians. What a joy it is to reunite with our family of faith each week to worship the Lord. It s like a great big family reunion, and it s a perfect small picture of what heaven will be like as we gather together around the throne of God and lift a mighty song of praise and adoration. Worshipping God together makes Sunday the BEST day of the week! 4) We gather with our faith family to study God s Word: Each week is full of activities, and often we do not take enough time to sit down and really focus on God s Word. Sunday morning Bible Fellowship Groups is such a wonderful time to dig deep into the Bible to hear God s voice and respond to Him accordingly. Studying God s Word together makes Sunday the very BEST day of the week! 5) We gather with our faith family to encourage one another: The weekdays can leave us feeling lonely and isolated from our faith family. Work environments, school campuses, and the marketplace can be hostile places that war against our faith. But, when we gather together on Sunday, we encourage one another in our faith with kind words and loving prayers. That makes Sunday the BEST day of the week! Clearly, Sunday is the very best day of the week! A day like no other. I look forward to seeing you at ABC this coming Sunday as we worship, study, fellowship, encourage and celebrate Christ s glorious resurrection. Blessings, John Parker

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8 PAGE 8 THE BRIDGE This past weekend, Bill and I, along with The Family Upstairs took grandson #1 on a surprise destination birthday to McDonald Observatory in Ft. Davis. I don t know who had more fun the birthday boy, the other children, or the adults (none of whom had been to this amazing place). Unfortunately, we had to miss church services here at ABC; however, I was reminded that God is not confined to a building and that we can worship Him anywhere. There were several God moments throughout the trip; but none that topped the star party. The clouds cleared out enough on Saturday night that we could go out in the amphitheater for a star party. (Incidentally, as warm as it is here in Austin, I know it is hard to believe, but it was freezing out there!) As we lay bundled up on the cold stone benches, staring up into the heavens, a guide, working patiently with laser beam flashlight, explained everything in the night sky. After his lecture, we looked through powerful telescopes at the moon and several clusters of stars. I do not know enough words to describe the beauty, the vastness, the perfection of what we saw. The music to The Majesty and Glory of Your Name flooded my mind. It is based on Psalm 8. Here is the text to verses 3 and 4: I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. What are human beings that you think about them? What is a son of man that you take care of him? I found several good renditions of this anthem on You Tube. This was my favorite. I hope it blesses your quiet time this week. Dodie

9 THE BRIDGE PAGE 9 Thanks to Everyone......who helped celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Austin Baptist Church by contributing recipes for our special commemorative 10th Anniversary Cookbook. This publication will share the ABC families favorite recipes, along with a photographic history of the life of our church. Watch The Bridge for the cookbooks to go on presale in April. These cookbooks will make great gifts for your loved ones, too! Make plans now to buy several!

10 PAGE 10 THE BRIDGE Sun, Feb 12 11:15 am For ABC Member Couples Married 50 Years by Feb 14, 2017 INFORMATIONAL MEETING Upcoming Myanmar Mission Trip Opportunities Sunday, February 19, :30 pm, ABC Chapel Lunch Provided Dear Austin Baptist Church Family, Tim and I wish to convey to you how much we have enjoyed your many visits, cards, food, and flowers, but most of all your prayers for our health and our son, Timothy, the past two years. It seems like only yesterday when we helped form our wonderful Austin Baptist Church, not ten years ago. When we think of all the accomplishments made for our Lord, we praise God and ask Him to continue His blessings on such a caring congregation. You are always in our prayers. Love and thank you, Jean & Tim McCoy

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12 PAGE 12 THE BRIDGE The time is upon us again as ABC Students embarks on Disciple Now We are so excited for all of the great things the Lord will do through this weekend and for the myriad of experiences our students will dive into. There s not much else better than students joining together to worship God in the midst of their stress, devoting their time to grow in Him. I love it! This year s theme is Seek and will focus on the truth from 1 Peter 3:15. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. This weekend, our students will focus on apologetics and defense of their faith. However, our hope is that we can connect that intellectual knowledge to growth of their hearts toward the work of God in their worlds. As Dr. Dyer has put it so many times: Grace and Truth! As we approach this weekend, I hope that you will join with us in prayer. There are a lot of logistics that go into a Disciple Now, so I hope you ll join with me in the following prayers! But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... First and foremost, pray that Disciple Now 2017 will be a weekend of growth and lifechange for our students. Pray for their growth in knowledge about their faith as well as growth in fellowship with one another. Pray against any kind of distractions that would go against that growth. Pray for Sean McDowell as he speaks to the students on the subjects of apologetics. Pray that God would give him safety in his travel and clarity in his words as he communicates truth about God to our students and parents. Pray for Jon Marc Burge Band as they lead in worship, that God would use them to loosen up hearts that have been tight toward devotion to God. Pray also that God would begin a revival of worship in our students through their leadership this weekend. Pray for our nine Host Homes and 18 Small Group Leaders as well as all the other volunteers that will come together to lead these students. Pray for safety for the students in travel and their times at the homes. Pray that this safety will facilitate outstanding growth in our students. Finally, pray that over everything else, Disciple Now 2017 would honor God and grow/strengthen His Kingdom in our community. It s all for Him. I firmly believe that as we pray these things together, we will see God do amazing things in this coming generation. May we be a church that prays together, worships together, ministers together, and loves together! By Christ s Love, Matt

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14 PAGE 14 THE BRIDGE NEXT WEEK AT ABC RECURRING EVENTS Sunday, February 12 9:00 am Traditional Worship, Worship Center 10:10 am Bible Fellowship Groups 11:11 am Contemporary Worship, Worship Center 11:15 am Golden Marriage Celebration, Celebration Hall Acteens Monday, February 13 10:00 am Adults on Mission Meeting, Chapel Wednesday, February 15 5:00 pm Fellowship Dinner, Great Hall 6:00 pm Bible Study, Great Hall Young Adult Discipleship, Rm. 243-A 6:30 pm Student Ministry Axis, Student Suite Thursday, February 16 6:00 pm Hill Toppers Potluck Event, Great Hall SUNDAY AWANA 2 pm MONDAY Tiny Tots & Tunes 9:30 am Class, Rm 134 TUESDAY Tiny Tots & Tunes 9:30 am Class, Rm :30 am Class, Rm 134 Music Rehearsal 7:00 pm, 11:11 Band WEDNESDAY Tiny Tots & Tunes 10:00 am Class, Rm 134 WEDNESDAY (cont.) KIDZMUZIK 6:00 pm, Children s area Music Rehearsals 6:00 pm Handbells 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal 7:45 pm Orchestra Rehearsal THURSDAY Mom2Mom 9:45 am Rm 248 Women s Bible Study 9:45 am Rm 243 A & B American Heritage Girls/ Trail Life Feb 16, Mar 2 & 16 6:00 pm, Rm 137 FELLOWSHIP MENU Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Ham Steak & Cheese Grits DEACONS ON CALL Week of February 13, 2017 John Boyd Dan Price ON THE HORIZON February 19 Membership 101 Lord s Supper Meeting on Myanmar Mission Finance Committee Meeting 20 Deacons Meeting 21 VBS Leadership Meeting 22 Business Meeting [un]apologetic Conference 28 Children s Ministry Parent-Baby Dedication Class March 3 Parents Night Out 4 Adopt-A-Highway 5 Baby Dedication Day Daddy-Daughter Date Night 11 Handbell Conference, Great Hall 12 Membership Trustees Meeting Finance Committee Meeting 27 Deacons Meeting 29 Business Meeting OUR RESPONSE TO GOD S FAITHFULNESS Annual 2017 General Fund Budget $3,500, Average Weekly Requirement... $ 67, Year-to-Date Requirement... $ 403, Account YTD Budget YTD Variance YTD Actual v. Budget Our Attendance Sunday, February 5, :00 Service :11 Service Bible Fellowship Groups General Fund $88, $303, $403, ($100,469.26) Designated $ $3, Bldg/Strong $6, $39, Fill the Rooms $0.00 $ Offering Total-to-Date $4,527, Total Giving $95, $346, AUSTIN BAPTIST CHURCH 7016 RIBELIN RANCH DRIVE AUSTIN, TX

15 1 2 THE BRIDGE PAGE : 9th-10th Graders Service Project for Soldiers; 4 - Elli Mendoza, 5 - Izzy Mendoza, 6 - Martha Beaty, 7 - Judy Rowland & John Parker, 8-12: Fun at Parents Night Out: Spy Night!

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