The Grace Chronicle CHURCH NEWS & EVENTS

Transcription

1 Rosedale Baptist Church The Grace Chronicle CHURCH NEWS & EVENTS Volume 8 Saturday August 6, 8:30 Ryan's Free Spirits will be traveling to Cincinnati on August 11 to see Cleopatra: The Exhibition Sunday August 7 9:00 AM Sunday August 14 7:30 PM Monday - August Inside this issue: News & Events 1 Pastor s Page 2 Free Spirits 3 Stewardship 4 Youth News 4 Evangelism 5 New Beginnings 6 Baptist Seminary of Kentucky Month August 7 - Greg Earwood will be speaking Ladies Bible Study August 6:00 PM JULY 2011 Sunday School 54 Morning Worship 83 Evening Discipleship 10 Offering 3, Weekly Budget Needs $3,299.00

2 Freedom Part 2 Excerpts from sermon, July 3, 2011 by Chris Dotson TRUE FREEDOM It was on July 4, 1776 that the Continental Congress agreed to the wording of the Declaration of Independence, in part reading: Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. There is some debate as to when the actual Declaration was signed by the 56 men that were part of the Congress but they all made great sacrifices when they put their names on that simple piece of paper. They sacrificed not only their lives but also their liberty, prosperity, and the lives of their families. As my US History Professor in college, James Heizier, pointed out on one of my essays: it was not the Declaration of Independence that gave the new nation its freedom, but a six-year war eventually ending at the Battle of Yorktown, VA with formal surrender on October 19, It was not the Declaration of Independence or the surrender papers at Yorktown that freed the colonies from British oppression, subjugation and taxation without representation but it was the blood of the men and women that fought, were wounded and died on the battlefield. It was blood that secured our nation s freedom. At the end of the book of Genesis, Joseph s brothers and eventually their families came to Egypt to escape the famine and drought in their home of Canaan. As the book of Exodus begins, it states in Chapter Verse 8 that a new pharaoh came into power in Egypt and he knew nothing of Joseph and feared the people of Israel would fight against them if attacked and in Verse 11 it says So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. Then 400 years later God sends the deliverer out of the desert to Egypt in the form of Moses. However, it was not the 80-year-old Moses walking out of the desert that delivered the Israelites from slavery. It was not the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness that delivered the Israelites from slavery, but it was the spilt blood that delivered them. Exodus 12:12-13 says: On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are and when I see blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike. Only 85 years after the Declaration of Independence, our nation was torn apart by conflict and war. It was not abolitionists, it was not speeches, it was not Uncle Tom s Cabin, it was not an Emancipation Proclamation, it was not Abraham Lincoln that gave the slaves freedom and saved our nation, but it was the blood of 140,000 plus union soldiers killed in action; it was the blood of the 365,000 total Union dead, and the blood of the over 275,000 wounded union soldiers. Freedom is not free. Freedom requires sacrifice. It is the blood of Christ that frees everyone from the slavery of sin and death. It was God s sacrifice through Christ that gives us true freedom. Romans 6:22 says, But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Sacrifice equals freedom. Why the cross? Why the blood? Why the sacrifice? Because God loves us. God loves you. When you feel no on else loves you, God loves you. 2nd Peter 3:9 teaches that God Does not want anyone to perish, but desires everyone to come to repentance. Have you given your life to Christ? Have you secured your true freedom? Chris Page 2 The Grace Chronicle

3 FREE SPIRITS Thelma Lawson Happy summer! It has arrived full force with lots of days with temperatures in the 90 s. I hope you have access to air conditioning and have managed to stay comfortable. We postponed our trip to Buckhorn Lake State Park for this month because Melba and I have ailing backs and we just weren t able to host the trip. We may go this fall if we feel better and can work it in our schedule. We have several fun and interesting activities coming up. Most of you middle and senior adults are on my mailing list, but for those of you who are not, I m going to list & describe the activities coming up and invite you to join us if you would like. Information concerning each of these activities is posted on the bulletin board. Please note that in addition to the cost of your ticket, we will be asking you to pay a share of the cost of gas, amount depending on how far and how many go. This month (August 11), we are going to see an exhibition of nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra s time. The exhibit is at the Cincinnati Museum Center which is located in the old Union Terminal train station, which is quite an interesting site of its own. In the exhibit, you will see statuary, jewelry, daily items, coins and religious tokens that archaeologists have uncovered from the time surrounding her rule. The cost is $19.00 for seniors, and $23 for other adults. Please sign up NOW if you are interested; you may pay me and I will order the tickets online, or you may go online and order your own ticket. On September 29th, we will be going to the Newport Aquarium. See the information I have posted. Ticket price is $20 if purchased in advance at Kroger. Again, you may give me the money and I will pick up the tickets, or you may get your own at Kroger. On October 6th, we will be going to the Appalachian Harvest Festival in Renfro Valley. No information is posted on their website as of yet, but the weather should be nice and cool and a great time for an outdoor festival. I believe the cost is $5.00. On November 7th, we will be attending a live taping of the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour in Lexington, which provides an international stage for grassroots artists. The brochure I have posted is an old one and has the old ticket price. The Radio Hour is broadcast to over 203 radio stations worldwide. Tickets are $10 and should be reserved in advance. I can all and reserve the number of tickets we need and we may pick them up and pay the night of the show. If you have never been, it is quite an experience! In December we will have a Christmas gathering either at church or a member s house. We usually exchange small gifts, and eat of course! This is it for the remainder of the year. It consists of quite a variety of activities that should appeal to almost anyone of any age. If you have suggestions for future outings or ministries for the Free Spirits, please share with either me or Melba Hay. Melba and I are really blessed to be able to provide direction for this ministry of our church and invite each of you to join us at any time. FREE SPIRITS SENIOR ADULTS ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (JUNE - DECEMBER, 2011) AUGUST 11, 2011 Cincinnati Museum Cleopatra Exhibition $19.00 (food & gas for van not included SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 Newport Aquarium, Newport, KY $20.00 (if purchased in advance at Kroger) Food & gas not included OCTOBER 6, 2011 Appalachian Harvest Festival, Renfro Valley $5.00 (Food/gas not included) NOVEMBER 7, 2001 DECEMBER 1, 2001 Dinner in Lexington, WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour Christmas gathering either at church or member s home $10.00 (Food/gas not included) Small gift exchange Volume 8 Page 3

4 STEWARDSHIP At the July 10 Church Council meeting the Church Council approved upon the recommendation of the pastor to have a Fall Stewardship Emphasis. The 4-6 weeks of stewardship emphasis will occur between September 18 and October 23. This emphasis will not just involve worship and preaching but many of our ministries including Sunday School. At the August 14th Church Council meeting the pastor will present the Stewardship Emphasis plan we will use. At that time, the Sunday School teachers will be contacted with ways in which their Sunday School classes can be involved. During the discussion at the meeting, it was the consensus of the council that the Stewardship Emphasis will benefit those that have never been taught about stewardship and it will be a good reminder to those that have been fortunate in their lives to have been taught about Christian Stewardship. Christian Stewardship is more than just teaching and encouraging giving of tithes and offerings, even though that is a big part. It teaches total life stewardship of what the LORD has blessed us with and given to us. YOUTH NEWS UPCOMING YOUTH ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AUGUST 2 DAY YOUTH RETREAT SEPTEMBER - BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC OCTOBER HAYRIDE/PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST; HELP AT HAUNTED BARN NOVEMBER - MISSION MONTH DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS PARADE FLOAT; CHRISTMAS CAROLING

5 EVANGELISM LOUISE BURROWS Louise Burrows our Evangelism Team Leader is putting together a prayer team to pray for people that need to make decisions for Christ. She has already recruited several. If you would like to be part of the prayer team, please contact her. On Sunday, July 24 we collected names of people for which to pray (those that need to make decisions for Christ and or those that need to come back to church fellowship). At any time, you can bring to the church the names of people for which you and the prayer team can pray. Just write their names on a 3x5 card or similar size paper and give the name or names to the Louise or the pastor. Again, the focus for the prayer team is to pray for FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors) that need to make decisions to come to Christ and or need to get back in church fellowship. Also, Louise is in the early stages of putting together an evangelism team. The focus of this group is to think about, plan, and implement specific ideas and strategies in relation to outreach and evangelism of our FRANs and surrounding communities. Not only are there over 3700 unreached and unengaged peoples around the world there are unreached and unengaged people in the city of Richmond and Madison county. The harvest is bountiful. Will you be worker? If you would like to be part of the evangelism team, please contact Louise. To the right is an evangelism track that you may want to use as you witness to your family and friends. It is a simple way to show your FRANs the road to salvation. On Sunday, August 7 we will have available at the church a full size version that you can take with you. The key to church growth is being concerned with those in your sphere of influence. Churches should not necessarily be concerned about numbers but about transformed lives. It is only Christ that can transform and change someone s life. When churches are truly concerned first with people giving their lives to Christ then churches will grow. Some of the steps to church growth include: 1. Prayer 2. Developing Relationships 3. Being involved and engaged in ministry 4. Regular attendance at Sunday School and worship. 5. Living like a disciple of Christ. 6. Telling people your testimony. 7. Introducing some one to Christ and sharing the plan of salvation (witnessing). How can some one come to Christ unless they are told? Which steps have you done? What steps are you doing? EVANGELISM HANDOUT

6 Rosedale Baptist Church 411 Westover Ave. Richmond, KY Phone: Fax: "Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known" RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D Permit No. 122 Richmond, KY WEEKLY SERVICES 9:30 am - Sunday school 10:30 am - Worship 6:30 pm - Sunday Evening Adult Discipleship Damascus Road Youth (grades 6 12) 6:30 pm - Wednesday Prayer Meeting Kid s Praise (grades 1 5) Mission Friends (ages 3 Kindergarten) NEW BEGINNINGS It is time to begin something new on Wednesdays evenings at Rosedale Baptist Church. Traditionally baptists have used a mid-week service to refresh and renew and gather for prayer meetings, fellowship meals, youth and children activities, committee meetings and a vast array of other events. It is time for Rosedale to refresh and renew our Wednesday evening programming. At present, our children ages 4 through fifth grade meet as do our adults for prayer and Bible study. One of the plans in development for Wednesdays is to begin having a first Wednesday meal each month. These meals will take place on the first four Wednesdays of September through December. This will be a catered meal by the church and their will be a charge for each meal. Complete details about this will be available in mid August. Our first Wednesday meal will be September 7th. A second component of our new Wednesday evening renewal will be focused on expanding our opportunities for adults. An eventual goal is to offer multiple classes for adults to choose to attend. Multiple benefits of this is include drawing more church members to Rosedale on Wednesdays and to outreach to our neighborhood and FRANs. At present the pastor is praying about what class or classes to offer this fall to help energize our Wednesday evenings. One key to developing our Wednesday evening activities is start small and slow. As the saying goes, one can not run until one walks. A second key to help grow this new ministry is you. Each one reading this newsletter should prayerfully consider your and your family s participation. Excitement breads excitement. A third key, and the most important, is prayer. We should seek and follow the LORD s guidance in all things that we do. If you have any suggestions or ideas concerning our Fall (and future) Wednesday evening activities and programming, please contact our Discipleship Team leader Paul Purcell or the pastor. Lets us together walk, run, grow, and reach out. Let us use Wednesday evenings at Rosedale Baptist Church as an outreach and evangelism tool.