VOL. 9 NO. 32 AUGUST 17, 2016

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1 THE BRIDGE Page 1 VOL. 9 NO. 32 AUGUST 17, 2016 When you are driving your car, ever so often you need to look in your rearview mirror. You need to look back at where you ve been as you look ahead to where you are going. That is true in life, and it s true in church life. As we at ABC look ahead to moving into another beautiful new building next week and look forward to the launching of several Bible Fellowship Groups that we have needed to start for some time but without places to put them we really ought to look in the rearview mirror as well. It is healthy and encouraging to look back at where we ve come from and recognize the great faith and significant sacrifices made by the visionary men and women who had the faith to begin Austin Baptist Church. What we experience now as reality, they first saw with eyes of faith. God gave them a dream and they pursued it. It wasn t easy, nor was anything guaranteed. They had no 35 acres of land in a prime location; they started in a 20 X 50-ft. room. They had no facilities staff to set up chairs and tables; they did it all themselves. There was no paid ministerial staff; they started solely with volunteers. There was no mother church that underwrote the effort to the tunes of tens of thousands of dollars, nor state convention financial investment; all the financial support (Con nued on page 2)

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 Jon Marc Burge CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP ASSOCIATE jonb@austinbaptistchurch.com ADMINISTRATION Christina Mendoza MINISTERIAL STAFF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & IT SPECIALIST 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 Joe Pere DIRECTOR OF MEDIA MINISTRY joep@austinbaptistchurch.com SUPPORT STAFF Bill Dickson FINANCE CLERK billd@austinbaptistchurch.com Elena Samper ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT elenas@austinbaptistchurch.com Kati Dobbs CHILDREN S MINISTRY ASSOCIATE katid@austinbaptistchurch.com came out of their own resources. There was no pre-fabricated manual for how to start a church like this one; they developed the plan from their own wisdom and experience. Of course, they did seek counsel and guidance from people who were skilled in helping churches grow like Dr. Ralph Smith (who remains a faithful member here), Dr. Jimmy Myers, the late Bob Edd Shotwell and others. That, in itself, reflected the wisdom of our church s early leadership; but they, themselves, had a wealth of experience and wisdom from which to draw as well; and they voluntarily put their shoulders to the plow to accomplish what they had a mind to do. They had a dream from the Lord and they wouldn t let it die. Doubtless, there were setbacks that caused some to consider giving it up; but they pressed on! Many of those who were a part of that initial group that started off calling themselves the True Life Group are still playing key roles in our church today over nine years later. Others have made their journey to heaven; still others have moved; still others are not able to be as active as they were nine years ago, though they still cheer us on and pray for us; but all of them are owed the deepest debt of gratitude for their vision, their fortitude, their skill, and their love. There would be nothing to which to look forward if not for what we can see when we look back to our early days. Yes, things have changed over time; they always do. However, as we look forward to the exciting days ahead, it is only right and wise to take a look in the rearview mirror and remember that we wouldn t be moving into a beautiful new building or even existing as a church at all without some of God s greatest people stepping out in faith, and refusing to take no for an answer. May that whatever it takes spirit never die for Austin Baptist Church! whatever it takes... Gary Dyer, Pastor John 3:30

3 THE BRIDGE Page 3 Praise the Lord! Ten new members joined our church on Sunday morning, August 14, Four couples joined in the Pastor s Membership 101 Class; one child came by profession of faith in each service. Dus n and Shannon McCain (photo not available) join by statement of faith. Both were bap zed in Southern Bap st congrega ons. They began a ending ABC this spring. Dus n is from Houston; he earned a degree in history and poli cal science from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and an MBA from Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Dus n is a financial advisor for Edward Jones. Shannon is the daughter of ABC members Ron and Rhonda Smith. She grew up in Georgetown and earned a degree in art at the University of Mary Hardin- Baylor. For a me Shannon worked in the field of research grants and projects for The University of Texas before leaving the work force to raise their daughter, 16-month-old Elly. The McCains are expec ng another daughter in December! They met at the University of Mary Hardin -Baylor; Dus n was an upper classman assis ng new students as they arrived on the campus for their first day. They were married in Dus n and Shannon live in north Aus n and a end Home Builders Bible Fellowship. Gene and Diana Clark transfer their membership from Riverbend Church. They began worshiping with us in June. Gene is from Tulsa where his father pastored a Bap st church for 35 years. He earned a degree in music educa on from the University of Tulsa. He then a ended Bap st Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, earning a degree in fine arts. He served as worship leader at Tulsa Bap st Temple for ten years. Gene was a consultant with FaithHighway, a Chris an company that designs church websites. DIANA & GENE CLARK He is now an appointment contractor with Landscapes USA, working with opera ons managers in five major American ci es. Diana is also from Tulsa. She earned her degree in Chris an educa on from Pillsbury Bap st Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota. Diana worked at J. C. Penney for 20 years, coordina ng the interior decora ng department. Gene and Diana met at church while they were high school students. They were married in 1968 and moved to Aus n 12 years ago. They have four grown children and ten grandchildren. One of their sons lives here in Aus n. The Clarks live near our church and a end Crossroads Bible Fellowship. Ted and Kay Kapp transfer their membership from First Redeemer Church, a Southern Bap st congrega on in Cumming, Georgia. Ted is from Detroit, Michigan, and earned a degree in business from the University of Indiana in Bloomington. He re red as vice president of the real estate side of Waffle House a er 30+ years. Kay is from Lafaye e, Indiana, and earned her degree in nursing from Evansville College in Evansville, Indiana. She specialized in geriatric nursing un l re- rement. Ted and Kay met on a blind date while he was serving in the U.S. Army and sta oned in Indianapolis. They were married in 1967; they have three daughters KAY & TED KAPP and five grandchildren. One of their daughters and her family live in River Place. The Kapps moved to Lakeway in June and began worshiping with us this summer. They a end Beginnings Bible Fellowship. Robert and Joan Sandford transfer their membership from First Bap st Church of Georgetown. Both of them grew up on Long Island northeast of New York City. Robert worked as an electrician for 34 years and re red in Joan worked for the District A orney of Suffolk County on Long Island. They a ended the same high school and rode the school bus together. They were married in 1965, and have three (Con nued on page 4)

4 Page 4 THE BRIDGE (Con nued from page 3) grown sons and six grandchildren. In 2012 they moved to Georgetown (Sun City); this summer they moved JOAN & BOB SANDFORD to Lakeway to be near their youngest son and three grandchildren. They began a ending our church this summer and are part of Beginnings Bible Fellowship. Nathaniel Achebe made his profession of faith in the 9:00 a.m. service; NATHANIEL ACHEBE he was accompanied by his mother, Stephanie Achebe, who teaches in our three-year-old Bible fellowship group. Nathaniel begins kindergarten this fall at Grandview Hills Elementary. He enjoys trains and Transformers! OLIVIA COULTER Olivia Coulter made her profession of faith in the 11:11 a.m. service. She is the daughter of Brian and Kristen Coulter (Family Ties Bible Fellowship). Olivia will be a third grader this fall at River Ridge Elementary in Steiner Ranch. She enjoys singing, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Olivia has two brothers (Clayton, an 8 th grader, and John, age 4) and a sister (Ava, a 6 th grader). David Procter Pastor Gary Dyer bap zed Vickie Westlund on Sunday, August 14, She joined ABC by believer s bap sm along with her husband, David, on Sunday, July 10, They a end the Lamplighters Bible Fellowship and live in Anderson Mill in north Aus n. MEMBERSHIP 101 WITH PASTOR GARY DYER Sunday, September 11, :10 am Choir Room VICKIE WESTLUND This class is for those interested in finding out more about ABC and are considering membership. If you ve been worshipping with us and would like to learn more about our church, we invite you to attend. The ABC family wants to encourages and disciple those who God brings to our church and help them feel welcome and truly a part of the family. Participation does not commit you to membership. No need for reservations! Just plan to attend!

5 THE BRIDGE Page 5 Our beau ful new educa on facility is nearing comple on. It will serve as an instrument for fulfilling our mission to teach God s Word and see lives transformed. On August 28, we will move into the new building. The ground floor will provide for our children s Bible Fellowship Groups; the second floor will provide for addi onal adult and young adult groups. Our Student Ministry will expand into the rooms of Celebra on Hall. How can you help us have a great beginning? Plan to be present on August 28. Invite friends and family to come with you. Volunteer to teach in one of our new children s groups. Join one of the new adult groups and help them grow. Pray for God s blessing on Aus n Bap st Church. Con nue to give generously to Building on a Strong Founda on and to Fill the Rooms! Beginning new Bible teaching units is key to any church that desires to fulfill the Great Commission. Commi ed, enthusias c leaders are needed for children s groups. Our new adult groups need people willing to leave their current group and help a new group make a good beginning. You can read about the new adult Bible Fellowship groups in The Bridge. Young adults are also adding a new group aimed at the parents of children in grades K through 5 th grade. David Procter Meet our new missionaries, Tanner and Kendra Clarke. Tanner is a charter member of Aus n Bap st Church and is the son of ABC members, Jim and Lynn Clarke. Tanner and Kendra met at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, where Kendra received a degree in Business Administra on and Tanner received a degree in Mass Communica on. They married in 2013 and moved to San Francisco, California, for both to a end Golden Gate Bap st Theological Seminary (later renamed Gateway Seminary of the Southern Bap st Conven on). During their me in San Francisco, they partnered with a North American Mission Board missionary doing evangelism and discipleship on the San Francisco City College campus. Tanner and Kendra graduated in May 2016 with Master s of Missiology degrees. They are now part of the Interna onal Mission Board (IMB) and will be heading to Dusseldorf, Germany, in October 2016 to do Church Plan ng. Aus n Bap st Church has the privilege to be one of the Clarke s five Send Churches. While the IMB will fully support the Clarkes financially, as a Send Church, ABC will support the Clarkes with our prayers and encouragement. Please be in a endance on Sunday, October 2, to meet the Clarkes and pledge your prayer support to them as they leave for Germany the following week. You may begin praying for them now as they are in orienta on and training with the IMB. David Procter

6 Page 6 THE BRIDGE In only two weeks, the Sanctuary Choir, Orchestra, and other ensembles in the Music & Worship Ministry will begin working on this year s Christmas music! It ll be here before you know it! Won t you come and join us for a season? Come to our special preview rehearsal on Wednesday, August 31, at 7:15 p.m. at the home of Diane and Bill Love. See me for details! Beginning Wednesday evening, September 14, I am excited to be leading a brand new Bible Study for young adults/college-aged people. The first sixweek segment is called, CHRIST LIFE, Ancient Bible Principles in a 21 st Century World. We will gather at 6:00 p.m. in Room 243A in the new east building to dive deep into six key parables Jesus used to teach His followers meless truths about Himself, His Father, and how we can apply them to our everyday lives. I do hope you ll come be part of our gathering. Please sign up on the ABC website by clicking here. For your children, we will have our excellent children s choir program, KIDZMUZIK! Blessings, John Parker Thanks to all who par cipated in making JAM CAMP so wonderful as 130 children and leaders worked hard all week to present a splendid program to a nearly full house last Friday evening. A special word of apprecia- on goes to Stephanie Rankin for her excep onal sacrifice of me and talent, and to Dodie Morris for her excellent leadership over the en re camp. May God bless you both for your immeasurable ministry to our li le ones. ABC s own Jon Marc Burge will be offering two group guitar sessions throughout the fall semester on Thursdays, September 8 through December 1. Space limited to six par cipants per class. 3:30-4:00 p.m. Beginner Class (Ages 10-12) 4:15-5:00 p.m. Intermediate Class (Ages 13-16) Contact Jon for details and sign-up at jonb@aus nbap stchurch.com. 9:00 a.m. Brethren, We Have Met to Worship (Sanctuary Choir) To God Be the Glory We Have Come into His House One Communion (Sanctuary Choir) Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross The Lord s Prayer 11:11 a.m. O Praise Him This I Believe The Stand

7 THE BRIDGE Page 7 Thank you is such a small phrase. It does not quite cover the gra tude in my heart for Aus n Bap st Church. I expected parents and grandparents to make the effort to come last Friday evening to watch their li le ones perform. I was overjoyed to find that so many of you (who did not have children in the program) came to celebrate with us as we finished a wildly successful JAM camp. I, too, was amazed and delighted at the finished produc on! I am humbly thankful for the 30+ volunteers who came to serve, each with specific exper se to offer. In addi- on to rehearsing the music, the 4s, 5s, and K children listened to Bible stories, played games, learned songs, and worked on cra projects. The older children learned complicated choreography for The Kingdom Connec on; heard Bible stories told by firelight about the Old Testament kings; par cipated in a different mission project each day; worked on cra s that illustrated each story; had a fun me in recrea on each day; and everyone had a delicious snack! The precious thank you notes that I have read and the individual stories I have heard indicate that this past week made an impact on children s lives. I hope that you will decide to be a part of it next year. I encourage you to put JAM camp on your calendar because we will need more volunteers. I also encourage you to volunteer to help with KidzMuzik on Wednesday evenings, beginning September 14. You do not have to be a great musician. There are two requirements: 1) that you love God, and 2) that you love children. me right now while you are thinking about it! dodiem@aus nbap stchurch.com People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. Let these children alone. Don t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom s pride and joy Luke 18:15 16 The Message

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14 Page 14 THE BRIDGE Members and Guests, The crucifixion of Jesus is known universally as the symbol of Christianity. But what does it mean to you? This Sunday, we will explore what the Bible has to say about the personal impact and important of the cross for each believer. Zack

15 THE BRIDGE Page 15 My Dear Faith Family, Thank you for the prayers, notes, telephone calls, and the encouragement you gave me when I had a pacemaker put in. What a blessing you are to me and I am grateful to each of you for remembering me during this time of need and being part of this family makes my heart sing. Respectfully, Jo Ellen Radoe 724. That s how many page likes the Austin Baptist Church Facebook page has at publication time. If you haven t liked our page, please log into Facebook and do so. Then, ABC posts will appear on your timeline and we can better communicate with you. You can also share our page with your friends and use it as an outreach tool. Thank you!

16 Page 16 THE BRIDGE Where: Walters Ranch Between Jarrell & Salado Time Schedule: Meet at Sliders Café (Exit 275 off I-35) for lunch in Jarrell at 12:30 p.m. or at the ranch after 1:30 p.m. If you can t come early, come late! Activities: Hunting, skeet shooting, fishing, washers, horseshoes, softball/basketball, armadillo chasing, cow chip tossing, prickly pear tasting, and lots of food! What to Bring: Bring a friend! If you are hunting birds, you must have a hunting license. No fishing license is necessary since it is a private lake. You will need to bring guns and fishing poles, but we have some extra guns and fishing poles if you don t have your own, so don t let that stop you! Directions to the Ranch: Head north on IH-35. Take Exit 277 and stay on access road one mile. Turn left (west over I-35) onto CR 305. Go 2.2 miles until CR 344. Go north (right) on CR 344 for 8/10 of a mile. Look for a white gate that is latched and the Walters Ranch sign. Please make sure to close the gate after you enter. Directions to Sliders Café: Head north on IH-35. Take Exit 275. Turn right on Sonterra, one block down, behind and just east of McDonald s. If You Get Lost: Call Wes at

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18 Page 18 THE BRIDGE At the end of each summer, ABC promotes our four-year-olds to Big Church. On Sunday morning, August 21, we will have a special recognition of our new worshippers at the beginning of the service. On Thursday evening, August 18, we will have a class for parents and their children to help with this transition. Dinner will be provided. Kati Dobbs will hold a class for the children and I will lead the parent class with John Parker and Pastor Gary Dyer. We will take them on a tour, giving them the chance to touch the instruments and stand on the stage. Please me with questions and reservations. Looking forward to this milestone, For further information, please contact Dodie Morris at dodiem@austinbaptistchurch.com

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20 Page 20 Next Week at ABC Sunday, August 21 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service Camp Big Enough 10:10 a.m. Bible Fellowship Groups 11:11 a.m. Contemporary Worship Service Camp Big Enough 12:15 p.m. Mission Committee Meeting, Rm :00 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting, Rm. 275 Monday, August 22 6:30 p.m. Deacons Meeting, Great Hall Tuesday, August 23 7:00 p.m. 11:11 Band Rehearsal Wednesday, August 24 5:00 p.m. Fellowship Meal, Great Hall 6:00 p.m. Business Meeting / Bible Study, Great Hall Handbells 6:30 p.m. Student Ministry AXIS 7:15 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 7:45 p.m. Orchestra Rehearsal Saturday, August 27 Adopt-A-Highway has rescheduled to September 17 Fellowship Menu Deacons on Call Week of August 22, 2016 Wes Hudson Harlan McMorris THE BRIDGE Wednesday, August 24: Chicken & Beef Fajitas Our Response to God s Faithfulness Financial report or will be printed in next week s Bridge Our Attendance :00 Service :11 Service Bible Fellowship Amistad AUGUST Promotion Sunday Trustees Meeting On the Horizon SEPTEMBER Acteens Meeting 5 Labor Day Holiday - ABC Offices Closed Men s Labor Day Dove Hunt 7 Outreach & Evangelism Team Meeting 8 Hill Toppers Event 9 Parents Night Out 11 Membership 101 AWANA Parents Meeting AWANA Begins Mary Hill Davis Week of Prayer 12 Adults on Mission 14 KIDZMUZIK Starts Christ-Life - Young Adult Bible Study Begins 17 Adopt-A-Highway 18 Missions Committee Meeting AWANA Finance Committee Meeting 22 Mom2Mom Begins 25 Trustee Meeting 26 Deacons Meeting 28 Business Meeting 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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