Trinity Baptist Church exists to proclaim Christ and. make disciples of those who claim Christ, all for the glory of Christ.

Transcription

1 Trinity Baptist Church exists to proclaim Christ and make disciples of those who claim Christ, all for the glory of Christ. TBC Discovery Newsletter March 2015 I have a confession to make: my earliest memories of church do not involve a Baptist Church. While I remember attending my grandparents Lutheran Church in Moorhead, MN, on special occasions with my mother, my earliest memories of Worship and Sunday School were at First Assembly of God in Fargo, ND. While I don t remember a lot (having been there prior to the age of 7), I do remember feeling uncomfortable when everyone would start praying out loud at the same time. Now when I say praying out loud, I don t mean vocalizing things like Yes Jesus or I Agree, Lord. I m referring to what that church would call praying in tongues unintelligible words spoken out loud. For a Kindergartener, this was a bit on the scary side. As I grew up, I remember asking my mom why she worshipped in an Assemblies of God Church when she didn t believe some of the doctrine that was being taught there. Her response went something like this: Growing up in the Lutheran Church, it seemed that there was very little room for the Holy Spirit. I just felt more freedom to worship the Lord in spirit and truth in the Assemblies of God Church. continued

2 While my desire isn t to evaluate Pentecostalism, I do want to address the idea of being free to express ourselves in worship. Worshipping God in spirit and truth (John 4:22-24) is more about truth-based affections (reflecting on and celebrating biblical truth) than external expressions or inward emotions. However, in Scripture, we see that the reality of God s character and goodness leads to both external expressions and internal emotions. Please hear me: I m not saying that genuine worship is taking place any time someone raises or claps his or her hands, or even sings. These are all external manifestations that can become rote exercises. I m also not saying that people who are not as outwardly expressive are failing to worship. What I am saying is that for worship to be genuine, it must begin in the heart. Additionally, oftentimes genuine worship will find an outward expression. Many of us grew up in churches that discouraged outward expressions of worship (other than singing) either directly or indirectly. Things like clapping during a song, raising one s hands, bowing down, and swaying from side to side (okay, dancing) were off limits. In some churches, there were unwritten rules that guided appropriate worship service conduct. I ve learned that in at least one Baptist church here in Amarillo, if you happen to raise your hands in worship, you are likely to be visited by an usher who will promptly tell you to put your hands back in your pockets (okay, maybe not your pockets, but by your sides). No Kidding. I ve heard others compare external expressions of worship (other than singing) as attempts to manipulate people. While there may be a fine line between telling people what to do and modeling it for them, the Bible is full of examples, as in the Psalms for instance, when worshippers are repeatedly instructed to sing, clap, lift hands, dance, stand in awe of God, shout, kneel and bow down. It s true that we want to avoid emotionalism and any attempt to manipulate people into a response that is not genuine, but worship does involve our emotions. I love what Bob Kauflin writes in his book Worship Matters: When we fail to demonstrate delight and satisfaction in God, we re not only dishonoring God, we re disobeying Him (167). Consider the fact that we are by nature expressive people. Who doesn t pump their first in the air or signal a touchdown (two hands in the air) in excitement when their favorite football team scores a touchdown? Who doesn t stand up and clap for their children when they ve done something well? Who doesn t tear up when learning of a tragedy or when faced with a crisis? If all that is true, there is nothing that should elicit our excitement, joy, and awe (even sorrow at our sinfulness in light of God s holiness) more than God s greatness. While we never want to manipulate emotions, why would we ever want to hide the joy that our God creates within us? Friends, I write this article to remind us that worship is not about us. It s not about our preferences or our comfort levels. Worship is about heart felt devotion and love for our Savior. While worship is primarily a heart attitude, and not an outward display, may we grow as a church body in our willingness and freedom to genuinely express our worship to God. May we do so in response to His greatness, goodness, and grace! Nate

3 Wednesday Evening at Trinity Come join the TBC family as we gather in the middle of the week for fellowship, food, and encouragement from God s Word. Please remember to make your reservations one week in advance. You can sign up in your Sunday School class or call Rita in the church office. Please remember to make your reservations one week in advance. Schedule 5:30-6:30pm Fellowship Dinner (Fellowship Hall) 6:00-9:00pm ROC is open for students 6:30-7:30pm Equip University 6:30-7:30pm Kingdom Kids for all children 3 years through 5th grade (Children s Wing) 7:00-8:15pm Youth Planted Worship Service for all youth, 6th - 12th grade (ROC) 7:30-8:45pm TBC Worship Choir Rehearsal Menu for March 4 - Baked Potatoes, Chili, Salad, & Dessert 11 - Oven Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Green Beans, Rolls, & Cobbler 18 - Spring Break 25 - Beef or Chicken Enchiladas, Beans, Rice, & Dessert TBC Membership Class The TBC Membership Class is offered on the second Sunday of every month. The class for March will be Sunday, March 8, at 9:45am, in the Library. Please attend this class if you are interested in learning more about TBC or are ready to join the church. Call Rita in the church office at , if you are interested in attending. Thank You TBC Thank you TBC family for your prayers during this difficult time. The meal was great and the services were meaningful and touching to the entire Field family. From the bottom of my heart, along with my children, we thank you! Sincerely, Mary Field TBC Information Sunday March 8 Set Your Clocks Ahead 1 Hour First Friends Registration First Friends is a preschool ministry of Trinity Baptist Church for TBC members and the community. We have been offering classes for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and kindergarten students for the past 15 years. First Friends offers a licensed program that includes phonics, math, learning centers, circle time, music, and daily Bible stories. We have caring teachers and great student -to-teacher ratios in a wonderful learning environment. Registration for TBC members and current First Friends families begins on March 23, for the school year. On Monday, March 30, registration will be opened to the community. We encourage parents to sign up as soon as possible, because our classes fill up quickly. A registration fee of $100 is required to hold your student s place for the program (each additional child is $50). Feel free to come by anytime and check out our program! Sunday School Attendance 02/01/ /08/ /15/ /22/ (Snow & Ice) Monthly Budget Report January 2015 Revenue: $122, Expense: $116, Revenue Compared to Expense: $5, Year to Date January 2015 Revenue: $122, Expense: $116, Revenue Compared to Expense: $ 5, General Fund Balance as of January 31, 2015 $345, TBC Taiwan Mission Trip (July 2 - July 12) Our mission team will leave for Taiwan on July 2. Once again we will serve an English Camp at the National Taiwan University for Sports. We will return on July 12. If you are interested in going, the deadline for your online application and deposit is Friday, March 6, Please see Daniel Coward or Derek Hall if you are interested in going or call the church office at , for more information.

4 Mission Trip Financial Support Each year at TBC, we have teams travel to the far corners of the earth to represent our Lord and our Church through mission trips focused on proclaiming Christ and making disciples of those who claim Christ all for the glory of Christ. We are now coming upon the time of year when teams are forming and members who feel led to join one of these teams are considering how they can effectively go. Included in members considerations is how they will manage the finances for their respective trip. One way members over come financial challenges is to ask others, including members of TBC, to give in support of their trip. Letters are generally mailed which ask for financial assistance. Every year there are many of you who generously respond to these requests. Frankly, we could not reach anywhere near the scope of places we are blessed to serve without this support. Finally, every year there are questions from members who provide this support about how they can receive tax credit for their gifts. This year, we have created a new form to use when giving toward a mission trip so you can also receive tax credit. On this form, givers will identify which trip(s) they are supporting and whether it is for a specific person OR a trip in general. A copy of the new form should be included with any letter mailed to you requesting support. The instructions on the form are fairly simple make the check out to Trinity Baptist Church, leave the memo line BLANK, complete the form and then mail/deliver the check AND the form to the church. The new form is also available on our website. Here is the direct link if you would like to print copies to use: So, what does all this mean? It means the monies so generously provided for a person (or trip) may be used by the church directly toward the desired person s trip costs, and givers will receive tax credit for their contributions. In fact, it will show up on your annual contribution form, which is available in January each year. Here s one more piece of information about contributions toward mission trips. This is what you will see on the form and it is important to recognize this regarding matters related to taxes: Thank you very much for your contribution to the ministries of Trinity Baptist Church (TBC). Gifts to TBC are tax deductible and are accepted subject to donor designations. However, in accordance with IRS requirements, all contributions are given to and must be treated as belonging fully to TBC and are subject to its control and discretion. In practice, TBC implements donor instruction whenever possible. Occasionally, we receive more contributions for a given project than can be wisely applied to that project. When this happens, we use the funds to meet a similar pressing need. So, if gifts toward a member s trip costs exceed the costs for the trip (which is always a blessing), the church uses these funds to cover the gap for another person who might not receive full support AND/OR to address additional costs associated with the trip or other trips. Finally, it must be said once again THANK YOU Church, for your continual and sacrificial support for TBC Missions: locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally! Daniel Coward But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

5 A Great Need in Our Community I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. John 14:18 When you see the word orphan, what imagery pops into your head? Do you ever think about the child in your son s class at school? Or the teen in your neighborhood that always seems sad and alone? How about the children playing on the playground when you take your kids to the park? Our world is so broken. Our own community is so broken. Our children need us! Every minute of every day, children in our own community become victims of abuse. They are abused, neglected, and mistreated in ways that the general public cannot begin to imagine. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, A World For Children contracts with and is licensed by the State of Texas to provide foster and foster-to-adopt services for abused and neglected children across the State. At A World For Children, we pride ourselves on being more than simply a corporation we re one big extended family. The children enter the doors of A World For Children foster homes with terror, uncertainty, physical scars, and emotional trauma. A World For Children s foster parents, along with the 24-hour support of A World For Children s staff, spend every day changing uncertainty into undying stability, mending physical injuries, and providing in-depth treatment for emotional trauma. How can you help? There is such a great need for foster parents! In January, our Amarillo office received 54 referrals for children that we could not place because we did not have families. Unfortunately these children may have had to be placed outside of their own hometown, or possibly they were sent to Dallas or San Antonio. These children lost everything their family, their pets, their friends, their house, their school, and their own hometown. We need your help! Caring for orphans is a demonstration of the Gospel. As foster parent Jason Johnson wrote, In the end, our call is to fully love these children while we have them and accept the costs we may incur as worth it for the gain they may receive. This is nothing more than what Jesus has done for us. He joyfully laid down the infinite value of His own life so that we might know the immeasurable worth of being fully and unconditionally loved in Him. Foster care is a beautiful expression of the Gospel. It demands a selfless, costly and potentially painful love for the sake of a child gaining much as you willingly give all. As we labor to love with the love we ourselves have received from Jesus, we do so in a cloud of uncertainties and unknowns, but with the confidence of one guarantee - it's always worth it. Always. Even if being a foster parent does not fall within your abilities, there are so many other ways to help! Please contact Tanya Park for more information or come to an information meeting at A World For Children on Tuesday March 17 th at 5:30pm Olsen Blvd Suite B Amarillo. No RSVP required.

6 Save the Dates!!! Friday and Saturday May 1-2, 2015 Men s Ministry Location: High Plains Retreat Center Cost: $55 Mark your calendar and join us for a weekend filled with praise and worship to our Lord and Savior as we dig into His Word to see how we can be more godly men, husbands, and fathers.

7 First Friends Registration First Friends is a preschool ministry of Trinity Baptist Church for TBC members and the community. We have been offering classes for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and kindergarten students for the past 15 years. First Friends offers a licensed program that includes phonics, math, learning centers, circle time, music, and daily Bible stories. We have caring teachers and great student-to-teacher ratios in a wonderful learning environment. Registration for TBC members and current First Friends families begins on March 23, for the school year. On Monday, March 30, registration will be opened to the community. We encourage parents to sign up as soon as possible, because our classes fill up quickly. A registration fee of $100 is required to hold your student s place for the program (each additional child is $50). Feel free to come by anytime and check out our program! MDO registration will begin for TBC families and current families Tuesday, March 24. Enrollment will open to the public on Tuesday, March 31. For more information contact Ms. Tara in the church office at Upcoming Events! We have many exciting opportunities for you and your family to get involved this spring! Mark your calendars with these upcoming dates and be looking for more information as they draw near! April 22 Kingdom Kids Bible Jeopardy April 29 Kingdom Kids Parade of Nations May 6 Kingdom Kids Celebration Carnival May 8 Kid s County Fair (6:00-10:00pm) $5 per Child (3 months 5th grade) May 3 Preschool Praize Program at 4:30pm May 17 Kidz R.O.C.K CD release party at 6:00pm June 3 Family Fun Night June Children s Camp (completed 3 rd -5 th Grade) July Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:00pm) August 5 Family Fun Night For information about any of the above events, contact Tara Cruse at , or her at tara.cruse@tbcamarillo.org SAVE THE DATE TBC Children s Camp 2015 Plains Baptist Camp (near Floydada) (for children who will complete 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade in May 2015) SUNDAY, JUNE 14 TUESDAY, JUNE 16 The cost will be $125 per child. Mark your child s summer calendar and plan to send them (or come with them as a counselor) to a great camp!

8 March Birthdays March 1 Nancy Appling Paul Davis Jana Harold Wes Holcomb Vernon Scott March 2 Delaney Case Susanne Reece Jan Weston March 3 March 4 Judy Park Dick Pumphrey March 5 Lauren Hoffman March 6 Alan Armstrong Scott Morris Shawn Wells Bubba Wilhite March 7 Beth Everett March 8 AJ Fredman George Glover Gavin Williams March 9 Garrison Magloughlin March 10 Will Bryant Wanda Estes Paula Hands Gary Hyatt Shirley Kinney March 11 Bryson Cunningham Loyd Reneau March 12 Stacie Conn Mattie Morris Kyle Watson Betty Wilson March 13 Elizabeth Ingham Robert Lackey March 14 Lily Curiel Brent Wade March 15 Ethan Bryant Mike Jennings Melissa Raleigh March 16 March 17 Pat Fawell Jeff Swann Ava Watson March 18 Brittney Foster Evan Waters Maurine Williams Travis Williams March 19 Edward Emerine Rita Jones Mike Pryer Colton Sanderson Bob Talkington March 20 Doug Burke Yvonne Koontz Blake Law Emarie Waters March 21 Aaron Sanderson March 22 Rick Wrestley March 23 Bailee Gallagher Lisa Goen Josh Richardson March 24 Mike Messenger March 25 Lily Everett Manuel Sanchez Carson Smith Frank Tijerina March 26 March 27 Cela Jones March 28 March 29 Bryan Lintner Bessie Reid March 30 Emerson Law Jerry Whatley March 31 Rachel DuFault Happy Birthday to You!

9 March 2015 For Prayer, call the Church Office at ,Terri Burke at , Art Garner at , Shirley Holland at , Margaret Raleigh , or Betty Wilson at Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 TLUSA/AHG Committee Meeting (ROC Coffee Shop) 6:30pm Handbell Rehearsal (E201) 7:00pm 3 Trinity Quilters (W-200) 9:30am - 12:00pm TLUSA/AHG (ROC) 6:30pm 4 Women s Bible Study (Parlor) 9:30 5 Women s Bible Study (Parlor) 7:00pm 6 Men s Prayer Breakfast (Worship Center) 6:15am 7 TBC Worship Choir Power Rehearsal (Music Suite) 9:00am 8 Daylight Savings Begins Spring Forward TBC Membership Class (Library) 9:45am The Haven Class Fellowship Luncheon (Parlor) 12:00pm 9 Handbell Rehearsal (E201) 7:00pm 10 Trinity Quilters (W-200) 9:30am - 12:00pm TLUSA/AHG (ROC) 6:30pm 11 Women s Bible Study (Parlor) 9: Men s Prayer Breakfast (Worship Center) 6:15am 14 TBC Student Ministry High School Spring Break Trip to Provo Utah 15 No Afternoon or Evening Activities Scheduled 16 Handbell Rehearsal (E201) 7:00pm 17 Trinity Quilters (W-200) 9:30am - 12:00pm Men s Prayer Breakfast (Worship Center) 6:15am 21 Median Adult C Spring Fellowship (Parlor) 6:00pm TBC Student Ministry High School Spring Break Trip to Provo Utah Senior Adult Game Night (Parlor) 6:00pm Handbell Rehearsal (E201) 7:00pm 24 Trinity Quilters (W-200) 9:30am - 12:00pm 25 Women s Bible Study (Parlor) 9:30 Special TBC Worship Choir Rehearsal (Music Suite) 6:30-8:45pm 26 Women s Bible Study (Parlor) 7:00pm 27 Men s Prayer Breakfast (Worship Center) 6:15am 28 Youth/Senior Adult Tea (Parlor) 10:00am TLUSA/AHG (ROC) 6:30pm 29 TBC Worship Choir Presents Kingdom Power Glory (Worship Center) 6:00pm Trinity Quilters (W-200) 9:30am - 12:00pm TLUSA/AHG (ROC) 6:30pm Sunday Schedule Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00am Sunday School 9:45am Small Groups 5:00-7:00pm Foundations 5:00-7:00pm Kidz R.O.C.K. 5:00-7:00pm PreSchool Praize 6:00-7:00pm Wednesday Schedule Senior Adult Discipleship (W-100) 10:00am Fellowship Dinner 5:30pm ROC Open for Students 6:00pm Kingdom Kids 6:30pm Equip University 6:30pm Student Ministry/Planted 7:00pm TBC Worship Choir Rehearsal (Music Suite) 7:30pm

10 Welcome New Members Erick & Amber Emerine By Baptism Sabrina Pugh TBC Ministry Staff Nate Magloughlin, Senior Pastor Derek Hall, Discipleship Pastor Troy McConnell, Music and Worship Pastor Joshua York, Student Pastor Tara Cruse, Children s Director Daniel Coward, Missions Associate