GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH OF BLUE BELL Skippack Pike & Lewis Lane, P.O. Box 122 Blue Bell, PA 19422

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1 GRACE NOTES GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH OF BLUE BELL Skippack Pike & Lewis Lane, P.O. Box 122 Blue Bell, PA Volume XXXI, Number 5 May 2012 Newsletter Grace Baptist Church of Blue Bell is a Christ-centered community sharing God s love with the world. Sunday Schedule 9:30am Sunday School 10:45am Worship Office Hours 9:00am-12:00pm Mondays 9:00am-1:00pm Tuesday-Friday Church Staff George M. Hawthorne Minister ghawthorne@gbcbb.org Casey Stauffer Director of Children & Family Ministries Barbara Green Director of Music/Organist Trish Simpson Administrative Assistant ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING Sunday, May 20 11:45 P.M. On Sunday, May 20 immediately following the morning worship service, we will be holding our Annual Congregational Business Meeting. Copies of the 2012 Annual Report will be available. The Nominating Committee (Jeff Ledbetter, Betty Helpa, and Ed Paluszka) has been hard at work and will present its recommended slate of new officers and board members. Election of officers and board members will be by the vote of the congregation. Other items on the agenda include voting on the new church Strategic Plan, thanking exiting board members and officers, and updating the church audit. Copies of the Strategic Plan are in church mailboxes with extras available at the Welcome Center. We encourage all Grace Baptist Church members to attend and participate in the business of the church. THE RETRO GAME SHOW EXTRAVAGANZA! Saturday, May 12 2:00-4:00 P.M. Please come join the youth group for this brand-new fundraiser for our REACH trip to Eleanor, WV this summer. We will play three very fun game shows from the 70s. We need YOU to come and not only be the studio audience, but also participate and be the contestants! Families with children are welcome! We are asking for a donation of at least $5 for adults and $2 for children. (We are, of course, open to larger donations!) We will be calling nine contestants from the audience. For a chance to be a contestant, you can enter your name for $1, and you may enter as many times as you would like. Era appropriate prizes will be awarded to the contestants and all who attend will receive a parting gift! Bring your friends and family to join in the fun. We hope to see you on May 12!! Summer Worship Schedule Begins Sunday, June 17 Service of Worship - 9:30 A.M No Sunday School during the summer months Pre-school child care provided.

2 Worship Schedule Worship on Sunday mornings at 10:45 A.M. Sunday, May 6 Peace Sunday Communion A Step of Faith - Mark 5: Rev. Rod Birney preaching Choirs Recognized on Music Sunday The musical ensembles of Grace Baptist Church of Blue Bell were honored during worship on Music Sunday, April 29. Sunday, May 13 Mother s Day Baby Manna Offering received The Message Is...I Love You - Genesis 2: 18-24; Hebrews 2: 9-11; Mark 10: 2-16 Rev. Hawthorne preaching Sunday, May 20 Baptist Heritage Day A New Beginning - Genesis 12: 1-8; John 3: 1-17 Rev. Hawthorne preaching Annual Congregational Meeting following worship Sunday, May 27 Pentecost A Pentecostal Church - Acts 2: 1-13 Rev. Hawthorne preaching Adult Small Groups All adults are welcome at 9:30 A.M. each Sunday morning! The Wired Word - led by Irene Philips (Boardroom) This discussion group looks at current events in the news from a biblical point of view. The Crusader Class - led by Doug Hargis (Room B) The Crusader Class is studying God s Creative Word as found in John s Gospel. Our focus on May 6 is Jesus as the bread of life. We need to understand the ways that our spiritual hunger is satisfied by the bread of life. On May 13 we will look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd and look at Christians as flock to examine the Shepherd s care for His people. On May 20 the lesson is about Jesus as Resurrection and Life and considers our response to Jesus invitation to life in its fullness, both in the present and beyond. On May 27 we look at Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life and find comfort in these words of reassurance He provides. Join us as we continue our crusade in the Christian life. Mark your calendars! Children s Day & Teacher Recognition The music ministry of the Sanctuary Choir, Bell Choir, and Praise Team adds so much to the worship experience for all of us. Be sure to express your appreciation to individual choir members and to Barbara Green, Music Director and Organist, for her many years of committed leadership. Sanctuary Choir Sopranos Amy Bocklet Nancy Burns Jan Cascaden Sue Jenkins Isabel Lehman Altos Miriam Camlin Donna Sue Froman Amy Hawthorne Valerie King Tenors Steve Longenberger Ed Paluszka Baritones Robert Allmond Bill Clewell Larry Davis Pat Mathues Gunta Plostnieks Harriet Rintz Jeanette Simpson Kate Stremme Louise Markley Carolyn Paullin Tamra Phillips Gene Stremme Bob Stremme Butch Swanson Harold Mathues Neftali Ortiz Celebration Choir -Betty Helpa Bell Choir Robert Allmond Carolyn Paullin Amy Bocklet (sub.) Diane Schwartz Harold Mathues Debra Sharpe Pat Mathues Gene Stremme (sub.) Ed Paluszka Kate Stremme Praise Team Robert Allmond Kristin Paluszka George Hawthorne Patrick Rodgers Ed Paluszka Organ & Piano Substitutes Gunta Plostnieks, Trish Simpson, Gene Stremme

3 Dear Friends, I want to use my column this month to highlight a few things: First, at their April meeting the Diaconate voted to approve my request to work one day a week at home this summer. Since arriving at Grace nearly six years ago, it has been my practice to work five days a week in the office plus Sunday. Beginning in June, one of those five days will be spent working at my home office, mostly writing my sermons. I will also be able to make phone calls and do other work. Please feel free to contact me on those Mondays or any time by calling my cell phone, With the price of gas continuing to rise (some predict $5.00 a gallon by summer) plus the price of tolls, working one day a week at home makes sense and will be a cost saver. In addition, Trish Simpson, our Administrative Assistant, takes Mondays off in the summer because things tend to slow down a bit here at Grace during those months. Second, I want to give you a brief peek at what s coming and encourage you to participate. I m speaking specifically about our church s emphasis on the family in May and June. It all begins with three special services. First, on Mother s Day, May 13, I ll be sharing a sermon for the whole family entitled The Message is I Love You. On June 10 we ll celebrate Children s Day with a unique service that will involve all of the children of our church. On Father s Day, June 17, I ll be sharing a message for every individual who s in a family (that means everyone) entitled Investment Tips for Growing Family Relationships. Also in May or June (a date has yet to be finalized), Grace Baptist will sponsor a workshop for parents and their teenage children. We are currently having conversations with Peter and Carol Schreck from the Kairos Counseling Center and former professors at Palmer Seminary to provide leadership. Peter and Carol have presented seminars at Grace Baptist in the past. A third counselor who specializes in working with teens will also be included. We ll let everyone know the date and time as soon as they are set. We are hopeful that this event will greatly benefit the families of our church. Lastly, I want to give you an update on my health and thank you again for your prayers and patience. At my most recent appointment with the kidney specialist, I was told that my blood work is very good and that I don t need to see him for another 5 months. That, of course, is good news! Still, my vision has yet to return to nearly 100% since my stroke over a year ago so I still struggle a bit to read. This affects my sermon preparation and my preaching. For that reason, I m spending more time in preparation than ever and my sermons have been shorter than usual. (I haven t heard anyone complain about that yet!) At any rate, I am grateful for the progress I ve made and hopeful that my vision will continue to improve. Thank you again for your understanding and your ongoing support. Grace Baptist is a very caring church, and I am forever grateful to be your pastor. Centered in Christ, Pastor George (As of April 9, 2012) UPDATE March YTD Income $ 28, Income $ 70, Expenses $ 48, Expenses $ 95,917.77

4 GAME NIGHTS IN MAY If you enjoy playing games for fun, you are welcome to attend any or all of the ones that fit your schedule. Optional: bring a friend; bring a favorite snack; bring a favorite game. The games begin at 7 p.m. and end about 9 p.m. Contact the host to let them know you plan to attend. Tuesday, May 1 Hosts: Doug and Beth Hargis Address: 103 W. North Lane, Conshohocken Contact: or dhargis5@juno.com. Tuesday, May 8 Hosts: George and Amy Hawthorne at the church. Bring a snack to share for this event. Contact: jessily@verizon.net, or (Amy s cell). Wednesday, May 16 Hosts: Ken and Vivian Maahs Address: 346 E. Valley Forge Road (State Route 23), King of Prussia Contact: kmaahs@eastern.edu or Thursday, May 24 Hosts: Doug and Beth Hargis Address: 103 W. North Lane, Conshohocken,19428 Contact: or dhargis5@juno.com Tuesday, May 29 Hosts: Doug and Beth Hargis Address: 103 W. North Lane, Conshohocken Contact: or dhargis5@juno.com. Mother s Day is Sunday, May 13 Remember to let your mother and those other special ladies in your life know how much you love them! Pastor on Study Leave April 30 May 4 Pastor Hawthorne will be visiting Andover Newton Seminary in Massachusetts for a few days, as is his annual custom, to plan his message topics and texts for the remainder of this year and beyond. This planning ahead time also enables our music director, Barbara Green, to choose appropriate anthems and hymns for each Sunday well in advance. This is not a vacation but a concentrated time to get away and hear from the Lord, study the Word, meditate, rest, pray and plan. I appreciate this time and am excited about choosing topics and texts that will be appropriate to the church calendar and the direction our church is moving in, says Pastor Hawthorne. PBA Holds 305th Annual Meeting Saturday, May 5 The Philadelphia Baptist Association Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, May 5 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Holmesburg (8101 Erdrick St., Philadelphia 19136). This year s theme is Transformed By the Spirit: One Body in Christ based on 1 Corinthians 12: The day s activities begin with registration and a continental breakfast at 8:00 A.M. The opening session is at 9:00 A.M. Rev. Dr. Craig Van Gelder will lead a plenary workshop, sharing new ways to open our minds and hearts to new directions. Following will be the business meeting, worship service and lunch. Cost per person is $15. The keynote speaker for the worship service is Rev. Dr. Clifford I. Johnson, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, Wilmington, DE and past Moderator of the PBA. It s not too late to attend! If you wish to represent Grace Baptist at the Annual Meeting, please contact the church office right away.

5 Super Saturday Easter Egg Hunt Palm Sunday & Easter Sunday Chimes April Parents Night Out Thanks to everyone who helped make these events successful!. Our next Parents Night Out will be Friday, May, 4th at 6:00pm. Look for the amazing Graceland performers on June 10th during the morning worship. We are still looking for volunteers to Dive Deeper with us during VBS, July Casey Stauffer

6 Inter-Faith Housing Alliance s 14th Annual Golf Tournament is Monday, May 21, at Meadowlands Country Club. All proceeds benefit I-FHA s housing programs Hope Gardens and our Emergency Shelter. For reservations, please call as soon as possible. Congratulations and best wishes to Jessica Hawthorne and Owen Farrell who were married on Saturday, April 21 at the First Baptist Church of Collingswood, NJ. Jessica is the daughter of Rev. George and Amy Hawthorne. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Joel Hawthorne. The couple will live in Philadelphia. We extend Christian sympathy to the following members of our church family: Delores Davis and her family on the death of her husband, Bob Davis, on April 6. A memorial service will be held on July 12 at 2:00 P.M. at Elm Terrace Gardens. Family and friends of Bob Pridgen who died on April 7 Thank You: We thank you all for the many, many cards we received remembering Bob Davis and the dedicated life he lived for our Lord. He was devoted to the church which represents a community of faith. A memorial service will be held at Elm Terrace Gardens on July 12 at 2:00 P.M. Delores Davis and family, Evan and Marcia. A lift training session for those who ve expressed interest in being operators will be held at the church on Saturday, May 12, 10:00 A.M.-noon. Some of Grace Baptist s small groups: The Cooking Club meets monthly to show off their culinary skills and learn new cooking techniques. Contact Irene Philips ( , irenephilips@yahoo.com) for a meeting schedule. The GBCBB Duffers golf together monthly at area golf courses. Contact Harold Mathues ( , haldoyudo@verizon.net) for more information and a complete schedule of outings. The Communion Club meets on the first Friday of the month at host homes. The next meeting is Friday, May 4, 7:00 P.M., at the home of Obed and Kathy Kautz-Arango. Mark Your Calendars for Vacation Bible School July 8-12, :00-8:30pm Dive Deeper Graduate Recognition is Sunday, June 3 during the 10:45 service of worship. If you or a family member is graduating from high school, college or a graduate program, please contact the church office with the appropriate information (name, school, degree, college or postgraduate plans). Brooke Rhea s annual Birthday Car Wash to benefit Feed the Children is Saturday, June 2, 1:30-3:30 P.M. The car wash is held at her home (1249 Forrest Hill Drive, Lower Gwynedd). Brooke s goal is to raise $5,000 this year. Consider being a sponsor! Brooke was recently featured as Citizen of the Week in the Ambler Gazette! All children ages 3 years-12 years are welcome to VBS fun! Bring your children & grandchildren invite friends and neighbors!

7 P.O. Box Skippack Pike & Lewis Lane Blue Bell, PA FAX If you would prefer not to receive future mailings, call or and let us know. The monthly newsletter is also available at the church website. May Birthdays 2 John Brady 2 Herman Nurnberger 3 Lauren Foyle Rojek 3 Andrew Winner 4 Tymere Davis 4 Tevill Gally 10 Shabrae Jackson-Krieg 11 Dena Winner 14 Winnie Stobbe 15 Chadd Jenkins 16 Luke Sharpe 17 Cynthia Dunne 17 Beth Hargis 18 Jeanette Simpson 19 Kathy Kautz 20 Barbara Longenberger 21 Rebecca Cate-Cummings 21 Stephen Lloyd 21 Sunil Philips 29 Louise Blessing 31 Jackson Bolick Baby Manna Offering Sunday, May 13 Our special Mother s Day offering will help feed local impoverished babies. 100% of the money collected will be used by the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank to purchase infant formula and baby food which will be available to 700 member feeding agencies in the Philadelphia fivecounty area. There will be a Baby Manna offering envelope in your May 13 bulletin.