VOL. 9 NO. 21 MAY 25, 2016

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1 THE BRIDGE Page 1 VOL. 9 NO. 21 MAY 25, 2016 Next Monday is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in It was first established as a time for the nation to decorate with flowers the graves of the war dead. The actual terminology Memorial Day dates to It was only in 1971 that Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an official act of Congress. One of the things that Teena and I are hoping someday to do is to journey to Normandy where 9,238 white crosses and 149 Stars of David mark the burial place of the 9,388 members of the American military buried at the American cemetery overlooking Omaha beach. A tribute is also paid to the 1,557 men whose remains have never been found at the conclusion of the Normandy campaign. Their names appear on the Wall of the Missing. We want to take some time to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of our troops that stormed those beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and helped turn the tide of WWII. Those troops literally helped save the world. And thousands of them paid the ultimate price to do so. Whether the opportunity ever comes to journey to Normandy, the duty is still ours to pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives for our country, some even in the last few weeks. That we will do as we gather to worship this Sunday morning. We will also acknowledge our gratitude to those who were able to come home from battle but who (Con nued on page 2) Photo: Crosses on the American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer, Normandy

2 Page 2 THE BRIDGE (Con nued 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 dared to lay their lives on the line for our freedom and security. I hope you will join me this Sunday, May 29, as we concentrate on the subject, On the Brink from the 80th Psalm. We will see how Israel, a blessed nation, became a stressed nation and consider whether that is happening to America. Let s come together this Sunday ready to honor our heroes, but above all, to honor our Lord and see what answers He has for a nation on the brink. Gary Dyer, Pastor John 3:30 Jon Marc Burge CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP ASSOCIATE jonb@austinbaptistchurch.com 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 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 Pictured above is Anna Barndt. Her photo was not available when she joined April 10 during the Membership 101 class. Cayla Sims joined us in the traditional service on May 22. She transfers her membership from Destiny World Outreach Center in Killeen. Sunday was her first time to visit ABC and 18:29 Bible Fellowship; her mother had seen our sign on 2222 and suggested she visit. Cayla is a graduate of The University of Texas majoring in international relations and Japanese. She is leaving soon for a two month study tour in Tokyo, Japan. David Procter

3 THE BRIDGE Page 3 We all judge the quality of our corporate worship experiences differently. For instance, worshippers have widely varying tastes of music used in worship. Music highly valued by some worshippers is found less appealing to others. The same tastes come into play when we consider preaching style. Some value expositorystyle preaching, and others a more topical approach. So then, with so many preferences, is there a set of specific standards by which we can accurately evaluate our corporate worship experiences? We all want to be pleasing to the Lord in worship, so it s important we understand God s expectations. What are God s standards? How does God evaluate corporate worship? These six questions may help us understand God s perspective as we evaluate our weekly corporate worship experiences. Have I properly prepared myself for worship by entering into a private time of confession? If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me]. Psalm 66:18 (Amplified Bible) Are my relationships with others in good order? Am I holding a grudge, harboring resentment or anger against someone? Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV) Are my motives pure? Is my worship genuine or strictly for show? Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28 (ESV) Am I entering the presence of God in a spirit of true humility? God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 Am I worshipping in Spirit and in truth? Spirit = passionately engaging the whole heart. Truth = engaging the mind to worship the one true God of the Bible. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24 (ESV) Am I appropriately responding to God, or is my heart indifferent? Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8 This is not an exhaustive list, of course, but these questions do get us thinking about what matters to God in worship. By the way, did you know there s nothing in the Bible about what kind of music or style of preaching God prefers? In fact, nearly every New Testament passage about worship deals with what s happening inside of us, rather than what s happening on the platform. I guess I could summarize by saying when it comes to worship from His children, God cares more about what we ARE than what we DO. Food for thought. Worship on, church! Blessings, John Parker 9:00 a.m. Worship A Mighty Fortress is Our God If My People Will Pray Canticle of Hope (Sanctuary Choir) Lord, I m Coming Home 11:11 a.m. Worship God s Not Dead Mighty to Save Jesus Friend of Sinners Beautiful Things Come As You Are

4 Page 4 THE BRIDGE I hope you will circle July 3 on your calendar in red, white, and blue! Well I guess you really can t circle a date in white, unless of course your calendar is a chalkboard but I digress! We have a very special opportunity to host a guest youth choir during the morning worship service. We will also get to hear and participate with them in a concert that evening. The choir of approximately 90 students is from Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and is directed by John Woods, who grew up here in Austin. John and the youth pastor from Dawson, along with choir sponsors, will accompany these teens to Austin for the purpose of hosting several Bible clubs in neighborhoods, as well as presenting concerts. We are so excited to be on their itinerary! Here is a timeline for the day: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service (only one worship service that day) 10:10 a.m. Bible Fellowship Groups 6:00 p.m. Concert - Features Dawson Memorial Chapel Choir & ABC Sanctuary Choir. Music will include Christian as well as patriotic selections. We will honor all branches of the Armed Services. 7:00 p.m. Food & Fun - Includes Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Watermelon, Ice Cream! Train Rides for all ages! Puppet Show! Bounce House for Kids! And much more! Wear red, white, and blue! Bring your lawn chairs, and sit a spell! Every day they met together They ate meals together Their hearts were glad and sincere. ACTS 2:46

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6 Page 6 THE BRIDGE Members and Guests, Join us this Sunday as we see in the book of Genesis how God took the best - and the worst - of people, and beautifully shaped it together for the redemption of mankind. Lamplighters meet in the Worship Center each Sunday morning at 10:10 a.m. If you are not already involved in a Bible Fellowship Group, we invite you to join us! Zack

7 THE BRIDGE Page 7 The Missions Committee of Austin Baptist Church has decided to assist the Christian Resource Center by sharing information about its services and volunteer opportunities. The purpose of the CRC is to network and support ministries, churches, businesses, and individuals to work together to demonstrate and proclaim the Gospel for all people by addressing real needs. Christian Compassion Center (Household items distribution) Contact: Leo Mejia Help on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to pick up and unload items from stores. Nineveh (Mentoring at-risk youth) Contact: Lori Goggin The young people involved at Ninevah often have no transportation and need rides to doctor appointments, to and from CARS classes, GED classes, WIC appointments, and college classes. Career Life Ministry (Electrician apprentice program) Contact: John Jarmon Help prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks on Saturdays for usually 6-10 young people in his class. Support is also needed for the graduation celebration at the end of the class session. There may also be a need for childcare workers. Life Bridge Job Corps (Adult education classes) Contact: Teresa Jones A variety of help is needed: van drivers, childcare workers, meal preparers, fundraising committee members, and general janitorial. CARS (Automotive mechanic certification classes) Contact: Marc Swiatek Marc and his volunteers meet on Thursday evenings in a small garage. They usually provide hotdogs or hamburgers for their participants. An easy way to help is to bring food to grill onsite. Heroes Night Out (Veterans resource center) Contact: Judy Pierce There are a variety of ways to get involved, including becoming a peer counselor if you have military experience. You can also complete a questionnaire on their website to be matched with a volunteer job in one of the following areas of need: Employment Job Readiness Training Housing (Emergency, transitional, and permanent) Education (GED preparation, ESL, Life Skills) Employment opportunities Spiritual--evangelization, discipleship, faith family Addictions Medical Dental Clothing Emergency food Household items Counseling Children/Youth Services Advocacy Click here to complete the volunteer form online.

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9 THE BRIDGE Page 9 One of the joys of our ministry at ABC is that every summer I get to call on a Summer Intern. With the amount of ministry and teenagers that we have, his help is always deeply appreciated and effective. For the second year in a row, Luke Thompson will be joining us for ministry. He is currently moving into his junior year at Samford University. We re looking forward to the great things that we ll be able to do together this summer as we work to equip and challenge our students through Scripture to growth in Christ. A temptation that we as leaders can have is an unwillingness to embrace help. Often when we grab a hold of a dream, we feel that we have to put in the totality of the work to see the vision come to reality. But in reality, when we as leaders take on a lone wolf mentality we severely limit the span of our reach. Throughout Scripture, the people of God relied upon each other to carry out the calling of God. Moses had Aaron, Deborah had Barak, David had Joab, Jeremiah had Baruch, Paul had Barnabas (and Silas and Timothy and John Mark and on and on). These men and women were uniquely skilled leaders, but they also understood that they weren t called to do all their work on their own. All of them called alongside fellow believers to work effectively for God. In fact when Elijah claimed that he had to do the work of God all on his own, God informed him that there were 7000 people who were ready to stand for God at that very moment (2 Kings 19:18). We were never meant to walk this path alone. If you find yourself today downtrodden in whatever ministry God has called you to, have you considered that it might be time to call on a partner to help? Not only will help double your ability to work, but it might also result in a blessing for that person to find their own ministry. Who can you call upon today? I m thankful that at ABC, I know I can count on many in our faith family to walk alongside me in ministry to students. Know that at every turn that you put your heart and effort into the ministry of this church, you are an enormous encouragement to the staff. I pray that God would continue to clarify for you the areas of ministry that He is calling you to. And in that call, may you begin to identify others to walk that path with you. May we be a church that walks side-by-side as we seek to work for the Kingdom of God, for His honor and glory. By Christ s Love, Matt

10 Page 10 THE BRIDGE 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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16 Page 16 THE BRIDGE REGISTRATION Tuesday June a.m. & 6 p.m. GUIDES Thursday June a.m. & 6 p.m. YOUTH Wednesday June 22 11:00 a.m.

17 THE BRIDGE Page 17 Next Week at ABC Fellowship Menu Sun., May 29 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 10:10 a.m. Bible Fellowship Groups 11:11 a.m. Contemporary Worship, Sanctuary Mon., May 30 MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY ABC Offices Closed Wed., June 1 5:00 p.m. Fellowship Dinner, Great Hall 6:00 p.m. Bible Study, Great Hall 6:15 p.m. Life s Healing Choices, Rm :00 p.m. Outreach & Evangelism Team Meeting, Rm. 275 Sat., June 4 8:00 a.m. Adopt-a-Highway, Meet at Parking Lot Boat House Grill 6:00 p.m. Night of Worship, Sanctuary On the Horizon JUNE iserve Calgary Prep Meeting Acteens Student Life Camp at Orange Beach, AL 12 Membership 101 Class Mission Committee Meeting 13 Adults on Mission Committee Meeting 14 VBS Training: Registration, 10 a.m. & 6 p.m. 15 Finance Committee Meeting 16 VBS Training: Guides, 10 a.m. & 6 p.m. 19 Father s Day 20 Deacons Meeting 22 Business Meeting VBS Training: Youth, 11 a.m. 26 Trustee Meeting 27 Vacation Bible School begins Calgary Student Planning with Dodie (Right after VBS) 28 Calgary Student Planning with Dodie (Right after VBS) 29 VBS Family Night 30 VBS Decision Day JAM Camp Auditions (Right after VBS) JULY Last Day of Vacation Bible School 3 One Worship Service at 9:00 a.m. Today Dawson Memorial Baptist Church Student Choir at Morning Worship Festival of Freedom: Celebration of God & Country 4 Church Offices Closed for Independence Day Holiday 10 Membership Finance Meeting Encore 25 Deacons Meeting 27 Business Meeting Wed., June 1: Spaghetti & Meatballs Recurring Events MONDAY Men s Prayer Group Will Not Meet on Memorial Day TUESDAY Music Rehearsal 7:00 p.m., 11:11 Band WEDNESDAY Music Rehearsals Handbells, 6:00 p.m. Choir 7:15 p.m. Orchestra 7:45 p.m. Deacons on Call Week of May 30, 2016 Bill Morris Phil Samuelson Our Response to God s Faithfulness Our Tithes & Offerings YTD General Fund $38, $1,079, Designated $ $33, Bldg./Strong Foundation $5, $274, Total Giving $43, $1,387, Building on a Strong Foundation Total-to-Date $4,079, Our Attendance :00 Service :11 Service Bible Fellowship Amistad NOTE: Items for THE BRIDGE are due to Rita Jones by noon Friday. Send to ritaj@austinbaptistchurch.com AUSTIN BAPTIST CHURCH 7016 RIBELIN RANCH DRIVE AUSTIN TX

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