VOL. 9 NO. 10 MARCH 9, 2016

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1 THE BRIDGE Page 1 VOL. 9 NO. 10 MARCH 9, 2016 What a blessing it was to see the great response to our DiscipleNow weekend! I want to give Matt and Adrian a great big thank you for their leadership and pass along my sincere gratitude to all of those who volunteered homes, time, transportation, leadership, etc. Young lives were touched and changed. Thank you all for praying for our students. They are growing up in an unnerving and uncertain day. To see so many of them hungry for the Lord and to have the kind of godly leadership Matt and his team provide is refreshing and encouraging. Believe it or not, Easter Sunday is now just over two weeks away. Would you join with me in praying that hundreds of people who do not have a saving relationship with Christ will worship with us that day? I will be preaching on the subject, It Ain t Over Till It s Over, from I Corinthians 15. We will be singing the great songs of celebration of our Lord s victory over death and the blessed assurance that victory extends to us. Pray, promote, and plan to attend. If you are physically able, consider parking across the street at the medical/dental office or at Four Points Middle School. We will have two golf carts running constantly to give you a lift. One of the exciting problems we have faced lately is more cars than parking spaces exciting because more cars mean more people! The new construction will enlarge our parking considerably. Until then, your assistance with this if you are able physically will be of great help and will be greatly appreciated. Gary Dyer, Pastor John 3:30

2 Page 2 THE BRIDGE 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 ADMINISTRATION Christina Mendoza MINISTERIAL STAFF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 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 SUPPORT STAFF Bill Dickson FINANCE CLERK billd@austinbaptistchurch.com Barbara Hunley ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT barbarah@austinbaptistchurch.com Elena Samper ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT elenas@austinbaptistchurch.com Meredith Todd CHILDREN S MINISTRY ASSOCIATE mereditht@austinbaptistchurch.com Kati Dobbs CHILDREN S MINISTRY ASSOCIATE katid@austinbaptistchurch.com Austin State Capitol South Steps on April 26, :00 noon to 1:00 PM Our nation has turned its back on God. Sin is embraced even flaunted and secularists are trying to remove the Name of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, from everything possible. It is time we recognize the serious condition our country is in and take a stand for truth and righteousness. That s what I am doing on this 50-state tour we re holding a prayer rally in every capital. We praise God for the thousands who have joined us at the first few locations. Will you stand with me? Franklin Graham

3 THE BRIDGE Page 3 Bring Words to Life Monologues, reader s theatre, skits, comedy/tragedy, mime, living pictures, story-telling, plays, pageants, puppetry, etc..all unique and useful types of drama. Do you have experience in church drama ministry? Perhaps it s something you ve always wanted to do? Interested students and adults from 9 th grade up are invited to a Drama Ministry Informational Meeting on Sunday evening, April 24, at 5:00 p.m. in the Choir Suite. Come discover how we use drama to enhance worship, communicate the truths of God, enable fellowship and evangelize our world. 9:00 a.m. Worship The Solid Rock I Will Sing the Wondrous Story (Sanctuary Choir) In Christ Alone Worship Medley (Jill Burnett) Trusting Jesus 11:11 a.m. Worship How Great Is Our God Our God Nothing But the Blood In Christ Alone Help Reach Our Easter Eighty Goal! Easter Sunday March 27 9:00 a.m. Easter, without question, is the most well-attended worship day of our church year. More than 1450 worshippers celebrated Easter with us in 2015, and this Easter we could have even more in attendance. Well, a BIG day calls for a BIG choir! The most ABC has ever fielded in the loft is 75, but for this Easter, let s see if we can assemble a choir of 80+! Will you pray about being part of the Easter Eighty? For the digital score and mp3 song file, please johnp@austinbaptistchurch.com. In this year of Loving Where We Live, I am pleased to tell you about a SUPER opportunity for each of us to invite our neighbors to participate in a fun-filled family event at ABC. Our Second Annual Neighborhood Block Party will be held at ABC on Friday evening, April 22, 6:00-9:00 p.m. EVERY- ONE is invited to enjoy an evening of live music, hamburgers, hotdogs, bounce houses, family games, classic cars, popcorn, snow cones and MUCH, MUCH more! Just think what a fun time we ll have hanging out with our neighbors, enjoying being together. An invitation card will be available soon to make it easy for you to invite your neighbors and friends. Blessings, John Parker

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5 THE BRIDGE Page 5 Bill and I are not impulsive people... However, last Friday, when we discovered that our grandsons were on spring break this week instead of next week, we had one of those let s go get em early moments. Now our house is full of happy noise and activity; our car is full of car seats and leftover snacks; and our hearts are indeed full of joy! Their parents will not be here until Thursday night, so we are asking in advance for understanding if we look frazzled! It was such a privilege for me to get to lead worship last Sunday! I am always grateful. But, I am really, really grateful for all of those who sang or played an instrument! We had guest instrumentalists: Zach Firkins played trumpet and his mom, Amy Murray played French horn. A set of songs about servanthood featured Zach s rendition of Make Me a Servant. We heard Lester Eisenbeck sing The Longer I Serve Him. I have no doubt that those lyrics are part of Lester s personal testimony. Later, our marvelous choir and orchestra sang and played We Will Serve Him. All of these wonderful people share at least one characteristic: They are willing to share. Has God given you something to share? Don t miss church next Sunday. We are singing a newer hymn that has become a favorite of many. I encourage you to watch this You Tube worship video of In Christ Alone in anticipation of our worship service. It features scenes from The Passion of the Christ and blends them with the great lyrics of this hymn. In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand Music & Lyrics by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend

6 Page 6 THE BRIDGE Eight new members united with our church in the Pastor s Membership 101 Class on March 6. Billy and Jaren Lord join by profession of faith. They visited our church for the first time on February 28. Billy is from Lubbock; he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in media arts and animation from the Art Institute of Austin. He is a character artist for Arkane Studios, an international company that develops video games. Jaren is from St. Mary s, Pennsylvania, and earned her degree in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania. She works in marketing for Realty Austin and also works as the nanny and household manager for the owners of the company. Billy and Jaren met online after both of them moved to Austin a few years ago. They live near the church and were invited by their neighbors, ABC members Jake and Emily Ross. They will be attending the Young Married Bible Fellowship group. Lori DeVillez joins by statement of faith; for many years she was a member of Great Hills Baptist Church. Lori is no stranger to our church, having spoken in our church on numerous occasions. She grew up in Evansville, Indiana and earned a degree in psychology and social work from the University of Southern Indiana in her hometown. With a background in social work, public administration, and missions, Lori began her career path of serving pregnancy centers in She quickly advanced from a volunteer position to director of the pregnancy center and a maternity home. From Lori traveled the nation as president of The Heidi Group, an Austin organization helping centers develop strategic ministry and providing training in all aspects of pregnancy resource center management. Lori developed a heart for the 100,000- plus university students in Austin, where she moved in Her vision for a pregnancy center adjacent to The University of Texas campus was realized in January 2005 when the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center opened. In March of that year Lori became the executive director of that facility and has since planted 12 more pregnancy resource centers in the Austin area. Lori recently moved to a new home in Hutto.

7 THE BRIDGE Page 7 Diane Bandiga transfers her membership from Travis Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. She and her husband Bill began worshiping with us in January; they were invited by their neighbors, ABC members Ricky and Celia Cox. Diane grew up in Corpus Christi, and earned her degree in finance from Texas A&M University. She worked in the energy industry for many years, but is now retired. Her husband Bill is a member of another denomination, but worships with us. He is from Chicago but moved to Corpus Christi when he was a child. He earned a degree in accounting from the University of Houston at Clearlake. He is retired from a career in investing. Bill and Diane met as high school seniors at a roller skating rink in Corpus Christi; they married in They live in Leander and also enjoy time on their nearby ranch. They have attended Lamplighters Bible Fellowship. Trey McCall and Amanda Cochran-McCall join by statement of faith. Their son Jack and their daughter Eden are joining by believer s baptism. Trey is from Amarillo and earned his degree in Latin American studies from The University of Texas where he was a member of the Silver Spurs. He is vice president of inside sales and client management, as well as site lead, for Ten-X, the nation s leading online real estate marketplace. Amanda was born in Lawrence, Kansas, but lived in different places as her father s military career dictated. Her family eventually moved to Austin and she graduated from Anderson High School. She then earned a degree in journalism from The University of Texas and her law degree from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. She is Deputy Chief of the General Litigation Division for the Texas Attorney General. They met at a restaurant in Austin, began dating, and were soon married in Trey and Amanda began worshiping with us in January They live in nearby River Place and attend Family Ties Bible Fellowship group. Jack is a 7 th grader at Four Points Middle School and Eden is a 4 th grader at River Place Elementary. (No photo was available at publication time.) David Procter Adam Zelenski was baptized by Pastor Gary Dyer on Sunday, March 6. He will be 10 years old in April. Adam is the eldest son of A. J. and Allison Zelinski and older brother to Abby and Alex. He and his family have been attending ABC since 2014.

8 Page 8 THE BRIDGE Members and Guests, Do you sometimes trust in yourself and your abilities more than you trust God? Come join us as we continue our journey through the book of Genesis and see God's might power on display even when his chosen servants take matters into their own hands. The Lamplighters meet in the Sanctuary at 10:10 a.m. each Sunday morning. You have a special invitation to join us! Zack

9 THE BRIDGE Page 9 Austin Baptist Church Goal: $10, Given-to-Date: $1,582.00

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12 Page 12 THE BRIDGE Cost $325. Work in Super Summer Spaghetti Spectacular reduces fee to $250. Register by ing Matt Gillum at CALGARY JULY ABC Student Ministry and Joyful Noise Choir will serve in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, running Bible camps for the kids of the Pathway and Connect churches, participating in community missions/service and singing at multiple venues. They ll also visit Banff National Park. For more information, contact Matt Gillum at

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14 Page 14 THE BRIDGE On March 4-6, ABC Students hosted Disciple Now 2016! It was an awesome weekend! Our 70 students were led in worship by Wes Hamilton and Kyle Cook, served at seven different service/mission projects across Austin (Texas Baptist Children s Home, Thomas Wright Ministries, Community First!, Mission Possible, Thanks-a- Million, Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, and Austin Disaster Relief Network), played some exciting bubble soccer, and spent time in host home small group Bible Study. Throughout the weekend, we focused on 1st John 4:11-12 as we sought to understand the real meaning of love and how God s love empowers us to love those around us. It was a fantastic weekend and I am so grateful to all our host homes, volunteer workers, and fellow church members that stepped in to see God do great things in our kids lives! Matt Gillum

15 THE BRIDGE Page 15 Next Week at ABC Sun., Mar. 13 Daylight Saving Time Begins 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 10:10 a.m. Bible Fellowship Groups 11:11 a.m. Contemporary Worship, Sanctuary 11:15 a.m. Acteens, Rm. 223 Mon., Mar. 14 Spring Break for LISD, AISD & RRISD Wed., Mar. 16. No Fellowship Meal or Other Midweek Activities Due to Spring Break 6:00 p.m. Handbells Still Rehearsing 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Still Rehearsing 7:45 p.m. Orchestra Still Rehearsing Sat., Mar. 19 Bring the Blue Day On the Horizon MARCH Palm Sunday Student Ministry Seder Meal During BFG Trustee Meeting ABC Egg Hunt 12:15 p.m. Missions Committee Meeting Finance Committee Meeting 21 Adults on Mission Meeting, Rm Upper Room Service with Lord s Supper 25 Good Friday - ABC Offices Closed 27 Easter Sunday 28 Deacons Meeting 30 Church Business Meeting APRIL Parents Night Out 3 Acteens 6 Outreach & Evangelism Team Meeting 8-9 WMU of Texas Annual Meeting at ABC 9 Adopt-A-Highway 10 Membership 101 Class 11 Adults on Mission Meeting 14 Hill Toppers Potluck Supper 16 Bring the Blue day 17 Missions Committee Meeting Finance Committee Meeting 22 ABC Neighborhood Block Party Student Ministry Girls Pinterest Night 24 ABC Trustees Meeting 25 Deacons Meeting 26 Franklin Graham Decision America Tour 27 Church Business Meeting NOTE: Items for THE BRIDGE are due to Rita Jones by noon Friday. Send to ritaj@austinbaptistchurch.com Fellowship Menu Wednesday, March 16: No Meal due to Spring Break Recurring Events SUNDAY AWANA, 2:00 pm MONDAY Men s Prayer Group 6:45 a.m., Welcome Center TUESDAY Tiny Tots & Tunes Not Meeting because of Spring Break Music Rehearsal 7:00 pm, 11:11 Band WEDNESDAY Tiny Tots & Tunes Not Meeting because of Spring Break Kids Choirs WACK Not Meeting because of Spring Break Deacons on Call WEDNESDAY (continued) Music Rehearsals Handbells, 6:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, 7:15 p.m. Orchestra, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY Mom2Mom, Women s Bible Study, Not Meeting because of Spring Break American Heritage Girls Mar. 24 & Apr. 7 6:00 pm, Rm 117 Trail Life Mar. 24 & Apr. 7 6:30 pm, Rm 268 Week of March 14, 2016 Doyle Hickerson David Jenkins Our Response to God s Faithfulness Our Tithes & Offerings YTD General Fund $71, $522, Designated $1, $9, Bldg./Strong Foundation $11, $146, Total Giving $83, $678, Building on a Strong Foundation Total-to-Date $3,950, Our Attendance :00 Service :11 Service Bible Fellowship Scofield Farms Amistad AUSTIN BAPTIST CHURCH 7016 RIBELIN RANCH DRIVE AUSTIN TX

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