Easter Offers Opportunities to Worship, Grow, & Invite Others

Transcription

1 Third Baptist Church 410 West McKnight Drive Murfreesboro, TN (615) APRIL 2015 EDITION Easter Offers Opportunities to Worship, Grow, & Invite Others... Easter Week Luncheon and Speakers, Daily, April 1-3 3BC invites you to a special time of fellowship, growth and worship during our annual Easter Week Luncheons. This year s luncheons will be held Wednesday through Friday, April 1-3, from 11:45 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. You may make reservations by calling the church office at , or by signing up in the Upper Lobby before noon on Monday, March 30. The cost for Wednesday and Thursday is $6.00 per person each day, while the Friday luncheon is free with no reservations required, but still encouraged. This is a wonderful event to invite someone to, enjoying a casual lunch together along with an encouraging word! Wednesday, April 1 Chick-Fil-A SPEAKER: Duane Geib Thursday, April 2 Newk s SPEAKER: Marty Blakely Friday, April 3 Pizza SPEAKER: Ray Colley Easter Distribution To Be Held Friday, April 3 Diligent in our mission to be a light and witness in our own community, 3BC invites you to join us as we canvas the neighborhood around our church, distributing door hangers with a special invitation to our upcoming Easter service. This is a simple, yet highly successful ministry outreach effort each year! Meet in the Fellowship Hall on Friday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. to begin visiting our neighborhood. Please return at 11:45 a.m. to take part in our Easter Week Luncheon, which is provided at no cost. Please sign up in the Upper Lobby if possible, but reservations are not mandatory. Childcare will be provided for babies thru 5 years old. Special Tenebrae Service, Friday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. It is one of the most unusual and spiritually rewarding services you will ever attend. 3BC s Tenebrae Service, held on Good Friday, focuses on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, combining solemn music and scripture reading to draw our remembrance to Christ s sacrifice at the cross. This service is a powerful remembrance of the extremely painful and difficult events that preceeded the eventual celebrations of Christ s glorious resurrection. The service will be held on Friday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Worship Center. Childcare will be provided for babies thru 5 years old. Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro April 2015 page 1

2 A Message From Pastor Mike... Dear 3BC Family, This April offers many ways we can impact our city with the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, our Easter luncheons are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, April 1-3, starting at 11:45 a.m. and finishing by 12:45 p.m. These are opportunities to take a break in the day to ponder the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and prepare to celebrate His resurrection. Invite a friend to come with you. Sign-up sheets are in the upper lobby. Second, on Good Friday morning, April 3, at 10:00 a.m. we ll once again go into the Baseball Diamond surrounding 3BC to distribute door hangers inviting our community to join with us on Easter Sunday. Following the distribution we ll have lunch together. Third, Good Friday night, at 7:00pm we ll have our annual Tenebrae Service. Many of us find this gathering a wonderful time to remember the death of our Savior as our substitute. The gathering will last about an hour. Fourth, we ll gather on Easter morning, April 5, to sing praises and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. I hope you ll bring friends with you on this great day of worship and praise. Finally, on Saturday, April 18, 3BC is going to work in our Baseball Diamond as we go to do light yard work for those who have requested that we come and help. We ll meet in the Fellowship Hall at 7:30 a.m. for a light breakfast and then we ll head out to serve our neighbors. We ll need some chainsaws, hedge clippers, rakes, lawn mowers, and any other yard tools that might be helpful. Please make this day a priority! May our Lord Jesus be glorified as we lift Him up to our neighbors and city. April will be a great month to help people discover a life worth living! Your Pastor by His Grace and Yours, Mike Lee, Senior Pastor 3BC Goes To Work In The Baseball Diamond Saturday, April 18 Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. 1 Peter 4:10-11 HCSB Be a part of a very special event as 3BC volunteers goes on mission into the neighborhoods surrounding our church. We will be providing light yard work and other small services for people who have requested our help. This is a tangible way for our church to go out into our community and demonstrate the love of Jesus. Plan on meeting at 7:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a light breakfast, leaving for work at 8:00 a.m. to serve our neighbors. We need lots of volunteers for this special effort, and everyone is invited! If you have questions, please see Pastor Mike or Pastor Steve THIRD BAPTIST MURFREESBORO WEEKLY MINISTRY SCHEDULE SUNDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY LIFE Groups Bible Study for all ages 8:00am & 10:45am Worship Gathering 9:15am Kid s Worship 9:15am (1st 3rd Grade) Fellowship Meal 5:00pm, Fellowship Hall Reservations Required Worship/Bible Study 6:00pm, Fellowship Hall Worship Team Rehearsal 6:00pm, Worship Center XTB (Explore the Bible) 6:00pm Pre-K thru 5th Grade Student Worship 6:00pm, HS Area The Community Bible Study 7:30pm Men s Study 6:00am, Fellowship Hall 12:00pm Stones River Mall Food Court Women s Coffee & Conversation 6:45pm, Panera Bread

3 Churchwide Picnic at Siegel Park Sunday, April 26, 5:30 p.m. Hard to believe it was only a few weeks ago when everyone was fighting over the last gallon of milk at Krogers as the snow continued to accumulate outside. The Lord has been faithful yet again as winter has quickly faded away and Spring has blossomed in middle Tennessee for another spectacular year! It s time to celebrate the warm temperatures and abundant sunshine during 3BC s annual Church Wide Picnic, to be held Sunday, April 26, at Siegel Park. Invite your friends and neighbors to join with us at 5:30 p.m. for a wonderful time of fellowship, games and delicious food. How do we know it will be delicious? Because you guys are supposed to bring it! Be sure to bring enough to share with others, and according to the Baptist Rules of Covered Dish Dinners always bring a serving spoon! The church will provide the drinks and paper products. See you at Siegel Park for a wonderful afternoon and evening together! Quarterly Business Meeting, Wednesday, April 22 Our church s next Quarterly Business Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The meeting is open to all church members who are encouraged to attend. Time To Polish The Clubs And Hit The Links, April 23 The sand traps are freshly raked and the bermuda grass is starting to turn green again. It s golf time for 2015! 3BC welcomes the warm weather with the very first Golf Club Outing of the year beginning Thursday, April 23. Plan on leaving the church at 8:00 a.m. Be sure to watch the church worship guide for information concerning which course we will play. Also remember, the Spring Golf Trip is scheduled for the weekend of May 1-3 in Chattanooga. The estimated cost of the trip will be about $250 per person. All golf sign-ups will be at the information desk in the Upper Lobby. Get Ready For These Great Events During May w 3BC Golf Club Trip, Chattanooga (May 1-3) w High School Senior Recognition/Luncheon (May 3) w Way of Hope (May 4) w Mother s Day (May 10) w Parent/Child Dedication (May 10) w Joyful Hearts (May 12) w Last Wednesday Meal (May 13) w 3BC Golf Club (May 14) w Lord's Supper (May 17) w VBS Training, 5:00pm (May 17) w Memorial Day, Church office closed (May 25) w VBS Blitz and Splitz, 6:00pm, Fellowship Hall (May 27) w May At-A-Glance Wednesday - Friday, April 1-3 Easter Lunches, 11:45, Fellowship Hall Friday, April 3 Good Friday/Church Office Closed Easter Flyer Distribution, 10:00am, Fellowship Hall Tenebrae Service, 7:00pm, Worship Center Sunday, April 5 Easter Monday, April 6 Way of Hope, Fellowship Hall/Gym Friday, April 10 Kids Nite Out, 5:00pm Sunday, April 12 Lord's Supper Associational Bible Drill, 2:00pm, Belle Aire Baptist Monday, April 13 New Women s Bible Study begins, 9:30am, Room 116A Tuesday, April 14 ARK Registration for year, Preschool Area Joyful Hearts, 9:30am, Fellowship Hall Wednesday, April 15 New Women s Bible Study begins, 9:30am, Room 116A Saturday, April 18 Baseball Diamond Work Day, 7:30am Tuesday, April 21 Senior Adult Trip Wednesday, April 22 Quarterly Business Meeting, 6:00pm, Fellowship Hall Thursday, April 23 3BC Golf Club, 8:00am, Course TBD Saturday, April 25 State Bible Drill, 9:00am, Hermitage Hills Baptist Church Sunday, April 26 Church Picnic, 5:30pm, Siegel Park Wednesday, April 29 Last College Worship for semester Parent/Child Dedication meeting, 6:00pm, Room 212E Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro April 2015 page 3

4 Our Vision Third Baptist Church will produce MATURE disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ who advance God s Kingdom, by His power, for His glory! Our Goal The goal of Third Baptist Church is to worship, glorify, and delight in God as we present to Christ MATURE disciples who: Manage God s Resources Adopt Spiritual Disciplines Treasure Scriptural Truth Understand A Biblical Worldview Reach Out To Those In Need Evangelize The Lost Let Us Know For an emergency regarding death, serious illness, or accident, please call the church office and follow the recorded directions ( ). Visit Our Website At 3BC Church Staff To contact a staff member by , address correspondence by typing the staff member s first name, followed Mike Lee Senior Pastor Marty Blakely Senior Associate Pastor, Education Steve Hutson Associate Pastor, Senior Adults & Young Adults Duane Geib Associate Pastor, College, Evangelism & Missions Mark Moore Associate Pastor, Worship Adam Lickey Associate Pastor, Students Ray Colley Associate Pastor Preschool & Children Jorge Arenivas Pastor, Hispanic Church Submit Your Photos For Senior Recognition Sunday It seems like only last year they were carrying their Blues Clues lunch box to kindergarten and bringing home art crafts made out of macaroni and yarn. Hard to believe twelve years has already passed and they are just a few weeks away from graduating high school. 3BC wants to celebrate with our graduates and parents during a very special Senior Recognition Sunday, scheduled for May 3. Graduates are asked to reserve their spots for a celebration luncheon on that day for our high school seniors, while also providing some photos to be used during the event. Please provide the church with 10 photos, from all stages of life. Digital photos are welcome. We also need two hard copy photos, (1 baby picture and 1 senior picture) which need to be 5 x 7 for the Upper Lobby display. Please turn in both the digital and hard copy pictures by Sunday, April 19. Congratulations again to our very special graduates! We look forward to making this celebration and luncheon a special moment in your life. 3BC Student Ministry Summer Camp Deposits Due April 15 Few events provide a deeper spiritual impact than summer youth camp, consistently leading young people to Christ, while providing lasting spiritual growth to those students already saved. 3BC has experienced such amazing success from youth camps past, and are excited about this year s upcoming camp scheduled for June This year s camp will be held in Panama City, FL at Shalimar Retreat Center 330 feet of white sand on a beautiful beach. Students will be challenged this year by an incredible study entitled Alive and Free: A Book Study on James. Breakout sessions will challenge youth to take action in their lives, speaking out in truth, Youth Camp June while humbling themselves in the true worship of our Lord God. The total cost of the 2015 camp is $330 per student with a $50 deposit due by Wednesday, April 15. The final balance will be due by Sunday, June 7. Limited Scholarships are available. Parent Packs can be picked up in the student ministry area, church office or downloaded on the church website at These packets contain daily schedules, information about what to bring and what to leave home, and a required release form (which must be notarized and turned in to Adam prior to departure date). Get your students registered and excited for what is sure to be one of their highlights of 2015! Summer Camp Isn t Just For Students! We Need Adult Chaperones As Well! Think summer camp is just for students? Guess again! 3BC needs several adult chaperones to attend this exciting week in Panama City. Ask anyone who went on previous year s trips and they will tell you, they received as big a blessing and experienced as much spiritual growth as the students. Not to mention, it s just a whole lot of fun. Contact Adam Lickey in the church office if you are interested or would like more information. Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro April 2015 page 4

5 Associational and State Bible Drills Take Place In April We have had a tremendous group of Bible Drillers this year, 8 children and 4 youth! These children and youth have worked hard memorizing the books of the Bible, 25 verses, and where to find 10 key passages. They all successfully completed the Church Bible Drill at 3BC and will be moving on to the Associational Bible Drill. The Associational Bible Drill will be held at Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro on Sunday, April 12, at 2:00 p.m. The State Bible Drill will be held at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church in Hermitage, TN on Saturday, April 25, at 9:00 a.m. These students have worked so hard and would truly appreciate your encouragement. Please come out to these events and support our Bible Drillers! Kids Nite Out Can Also Be Parents Nite Out, Friday, April 10 The school year is about to come to a close in just a few weeks and they are about to burst with excitement welcoming another summer. It s the perfect time to let them unwind for a night during 3BC s Kids Nite Out event scheduled for Friday, April 10, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Kids from birth to 5th grade are invited to a night out at the church, with plenty of pizza, games and laughter! Parents can sign their kids up at the Information Desk or in their LIFE Groups. The cost is $10 for one child; $15 for two children; and $20 for three or more children. The great thing about this event is, Kids Nite Out also means Parents Nite Out. So take advantage of this time for a fun date night for yourselves. For more information, contact Ray Colley in the church office. Parent/Child Dedication Sunday Happens May 10 The scriptures are very clear children are truly a gift from the Lord. It is such an amazing honor and privilege to dedicate your children back to Him, seeking His blessing and guidance on their lives as they grow into men and women of God. 3BC proudly announces the 2015 Parent/Child Dedication Sunday, scheduled for May 10 during the 9:15 a.m. Worship Gathering. All families wishing to participate are required to attend our Parent/Child Dedication Meeting on April 29 at 6:00 p.m. in 212E. If for any reason you cannot make this meeting but still wish to participate, please contact Ray Colley in the church office at Ray@3BCOnline.com. VBS Is Right Around The Corner, And We re Needing Some Awesome Leaders Can you believe it s almost time for Vacation Bible School again? This is the biggest event of the year for our children and we re already excited about getting everything ready! This year s VBS theme is Journey Off The Map where we will be heading into uncharted territory learning to trust and obey God wherever He leads us. We are needing plenty of adult leaders and workers for this year s event, scheduled for June 1-5. If you would like to be a leader in this year s amazing VBS, or would like more information about how you can help, contact Ray Colley at Ray@3BCOnline.com or BC ARK Preschool Registration Begins ARK Preschool is 3BC s weekday preschool program for 1 s through Pre-K, which meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The registration for the year will be held on April 14 at 9:00 a.m. for returning students and 9:30 a.m. for new students in the Preschool Area. The tuition is $140 per month with a one time $50 registration and $50 supply fee. Please contact Amy Geib at 3BCark@3BCOnline.com for more information. Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro April 2015 page 5

6 Tips for Senior Adults on Charitable Donations... Chris Kelly, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Tennessee Baptist Foundation It s not always popular to speak of the, uh, let s say seniority of some of our Baptist brothers and sisters. However, for the purpose of this article, it may be a good thing as you have an opportunity to contribute to Kingdom work that others do not enjoy. If you have reached the young age of 70 ½ years and you have an IRA, you know that the IRS requires that you take out a certain amount each year known as the Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD, for short. The taxpayer is then taxed on the amount taken from the IRA in the calendar year. For several years, with some limitations, the IRS has allowed a taxpayer to have the RMD distributed directly to a qualified charity. This direct distribution, known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), satisfies the person s annual RMD requirement. A great tax benefit of this plan is that the money distributed directly to the charity does not count as personal income for the taxpayer. Thus, the individual gets the tax benefit and the charity gets the benefit of the donation. Win-win for everyone! However, the current problem we have is that even though legislation is pending in Congress to make this effective in 2015, as this is being written, it has yet to become the law. The QCD has historically only been approved on a very narrow basis from year-to-year, and many times not until the very 11th hour in late, late December. So, is this article nothing but worthless historical information and a waste of newsprint? I think not. There is still a planning opportunity while we wait to see if Congress acts. If you are required to take the RMD and you have charitable inclinations (such as to your church, local association, or other Baptist cause), you should still consider structuring a gift from your IRA so that if Congress does extend the QCD for 2015, you will already be in compliance with the law and can enjoy the full tax benefits of this transaction without the yearend rush to get it done. Simply contact your financial advisor to follow the previous QCD rules and make your distribution directly to the charity. Then, you can rest easy that you have covered your bases for the year and you can enjoy the better things of life rather than monitoring tax legislation (unless, of course, you enjoy doing that...). But what happens if Congress does not renew the QCD for 2015? Your IRA custodian will simply issue you a 1099-R for the distribution, and the charity will issue you a receipt for your personal income tax filing. If you itemize your taxes, you may get some benefit for the charitable contribution, just depending on your individual tax situation. So, talk to your advisor and get the ball rolling. And if you have any questions about this technique, please feel free to contact the Foundation at We are happy to help with this opportunity to support the work of the Kingdom! Article frst appeared in the Baptist and Reflector, March 11, Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro April 2015 page 6