Special Offering This Sunday, March 25, 2012

Transcription

1 Volume XXXVI, No. 12 The Banner March 20, 2012 Special Offering This Sunday, March 25, 2012 Let s share the good news... ~Please help with your financial gift~

2 MARCH 25, :00am Worship Would You Like to See Jesus, Too? John 12:20-33 Jeremiah 31: :00pm Sunday Night Kaffee From Your Pastor... Dear Abingdon Baptist Family, After this week, there are only two more weeks of Lent. Lent concludes, after forty days, on Easter morning. If you re keeping track you ll probably figure out there are actually a few more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Have no fear, the Sundays during Lent aren t counted. Our Christian fore bearers thought that every Sunday, even the ones in Lent, should be feast days. In other words, Christ s resurrection should always be celebrated on the day of resurrection, Sunday, of every week. You may even wonder why forty days? Shouldn t it be just a week since God created the world in just six days? Perhaps it ought to be 10 days since there are Ten Commandments? Maybe it should be twelve days since there were twelve apostles. The forty days of Lent represent the forty days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his earthly ministry. Forty days Jesus spent fasting and praying to prepare himself spiritually for the biggest challenges of his life. At the conclusion of his forty days, he was not only tempted by the devil but immediately accepted his destiny as Savior of the world through death on a cross. I think many of us aren t comfortable with the idea of Lent. Lent by its very nature is a bit of a downer. When believers spend forty days preparing themselves for the events of Holy Week (arrest, trial, crucifixion), one will need to visit some dark spiritual places. The main word associated with Lent is penance. Penance means to come to a place where we realize the need for a constant supply of forgiveness. Penance is a time of seeking out our sins, then repenting of them. It is a period of re-connecting to the power of the Cross of Jesus to forgive us of all unrighteousness. I can t help be uncomfortable when I have to re-examine my life for hidden short-falls in my relationship with God. Here s the thing: we are only ready to take a close look at the passion of Christ after we commit ourselves to: prayer so that we might renew our relationship to God; fasting so that we might be at peace in our own skin; and giving that that we might renew our commitment to act justly towards our neighbor. For sure, Lent is not a season of festivity. It is, however, the time to remember the great price paid for the cost of our sin. So hang in there. Don t rush by the Cross and on to the empty tomb too quickly; without the horror of the Cross there is no glorious resurrection. I can t wait to see you Sunday. Your pastor, Steven

3 F.Y.I.... Deacon of the Month: March Michael Warren Home (276) Cell (276) SUNDAY SCHOOL Attendance for Sunday, March 18: 133 Greeters Upstairs entrance Jim Hughes Charles Grogan Downstairs entrance Louise Blevins Peggy Hughes John Blankenship Extended Session Workers March 25, 2012 Amanda Sills and Lauren Morelock Ushers & Greeters 11:00am Co-Chairs: Larry Payne, Buddy Carrier, Mike Overstreet March Greeters: Carolyn Fuqua Mary Fraysier Janet Lambert Ray Duncan Don Salyers Ev Fuqua Jim McCall Bill Klose Ushers: Bo Henderson J. E. King Norman Klose Worship Technicians: Chuck Callahan and George Strong Van Drivers Sunday Morning & Evening March Ken Bailey (H), (C) Financial Update March 18, 2012 Budget Funds Weekly Requirement $8, Received Today $9, Year-to-date Budget $100, Year-to-date Receipts $96, Building Fund To-date $89, THURSDAY March 22 YGTT Gal. 5-Phil. 1 FRIDAY March 23 YGTT Phil. 2-1 Thes. 2 2:00pm WMU Leadership meeting SATURDAY March 24 YGTT 1 Thes 3-1 Tim. 5 SUNDAY March 25 YGTT 1 Tim. 6-Heb. 1 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship FCBH Ingathering 6:00pm Sunday Night Kaffee MONDAY March 26 YGTT Hebrew :00am Counting Committee Hearts of Gold TUESDAY March 27 YGTT Heb. 11-James 5 10:30am Staff Meeting WEDNESDAY March 28 YGTT 1 Peter 1-1 John 1 12:05pm LENT Service/Lunch Valley Street Baptist Church 5:00pm Wednesday Fellowship Supper Menu: Taco Salad Assorted Desserts 5:30pm Children in Action (Missions grades 1-5) Youth Missions (6th Grade) 5:50pm Mission Friends (Missions for 3 yr-olds) Cherubs (Music for 4 & 5 yr-olds) 6:00pm Worship 6:10pm Music Makers (grades 1-3) Young Musicians (grades 4-6) 6:20pm Mission Friends (Missions for 4 & 5 yr-olds) Music for Threes (Music for 3 yr-olds) 7:00pm Sanctuary Choir THURSDAY March 29 YGTT 1 John 2-Jude FRIDAY March 30 YGTT Rev. 1-7 SATURDAY March 31 YGTT Rev. 8-15

4 Prayer Concerns rayer Concerns Hospital: Johnston Memorial Hospital Jimmy Fleenor Holston Valley Medical Center Cliff Ramey (Pastor, Lime Hill Baptist Church) Lewis-Gayle Hospital, Roanoke, VA Don Rector (Sue Rector s brother-in-law) Recuperating: Kenneth Denton, Suzanne McComis (Mary Holbrook s daughter), Virginia Smith (@ Grace HealthCare), Grace Hardy, Margaret Benson (J.E. King s sister), James Tweed, Morris Jordan (now at home) Treatments Continuing/Pending: Albert Akers, Jennifer Berry, Alma Blankenship, Scott Blevins Family, Jessica Campbell, Joe Campbell, Lois Campbell, Sammy Campbell, Terry Christian, Carol Clifton, Roger Clifton, Ann Colley, Amy Crowder, Nadine Culberson, Duke Davis, Pat Davis, Tammy DeBord, Judy Ferrell, Doris Fleenor, Allen Griffitn, Jim Gunter, Sandy Haney, Paul Hash, Lucille Heath, Earl Helms, Sam Henry, Lilyanna Hope Hicks, Po Hogston, Becky Holbrook, Clara Sue Holt, Paula Howington, Jim Jones, Ruth Keith, Esther Kelly, Mac Kiser, Theresa Lambert, Aaron Lochostka, Sarah Lochostka, Tyler Lohse, Claude McGlothlin, Caylen Rachelle Moore, Virginia Moore, Bill Nunley, Sabrina Nunley, Joanna Owens, Ronda Phillips, Susan Pollard, Beverly Ramsey, Jacob Roe, Don Salyers, Linda Salyers, Lewis Leon Smith, Elizabeth Snead, Reba Starnes, Tom Talley, Marsha Terry, Steve Turner, Michael Warren, Diana Willard, Mary Frances Wolfe Homebound of the Week Jake Turner Worthing Way Abingdon, VA Long Term: Curtis Burkett, Joe Childers, Corine Collins, Marie Denton, Clayton Dickens, Frances Dover, Trula Edwards, Katherine Glover, Jim &Ann Howard, Mary Hunicutt, Paul Jones, David Kampenga, Kim Kilby, David King, Peggy Lord, Edna McMillen, Jean Moore, R.W. Osborne, Dorothy Perkins, David Robinson, Carol Seifried, Wesley Smith, Irby Snead, Margaret Sorensen, Sally Stevens, Fred Sutherland, Sr., Jennifer Watson, Jane Whitaker, Joyce Wright Independent Living/Retirement/Assisted Care & Rehab Facilities: Lola Hutton, Vivian Anderson, Jack Bailey, Helen Bartee, Esther Grossman, Dan Stevens, Genevive McCall, Marion Jenkie Tomlinson, Helen Holliday, Howard Smith, Lydia Collins, Dancey Flanagan, Margaret Frayser, Helen Harris, Virginia Moore, Ruth Noe Homebound: Luther Johnson, Mae Ledford, Lois Maiden, Jeanette Millsap, Rosa Lee Phelps, Jim Repass, Rosella Reynolds, Virginia Saunders, Sloan Southerlin, Ruby Stout, Coma Tiller, Jake Turner, Elbert Umberger Sympathy: We extend our Christian love and sympathy to John Daniels, Jr. and family in the death of his sister, Hazel Wyatts. Happy Birthday... Monday, March 26 Anne Marie Overstreet Tuesday, March 27 Ronnie Melvin David Miller Brennan Sutton Wednesday, March 28 B. R. Munsey Friday, March 30 Mark Goodpasture Sunday, April 1 Carol Larkey

5 Mark Your Calendar... Biking for Hunger - All levels welcome Saturday, April 14, 1:00 PM Virginia Creeper Trail - Abingdon, VA Please call the Church Office if you are participating ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attention All Seniors: Shatley Springs Breakfast Trip, Thursday, April 5th. Departing at 8:00 am. Please call Mary Lynne Lowe to make reservations ( ). From the Heart... Abingdon Baptist Church Family, Words cannot express our feeling of Christian love shown to us during Lewis illness and passing. From phone calls, cards, visits, food and most of all the concern and the prayers for our family. We could feel the prayers in our heart during his stay in the hospital, rest home and when he was at home. Special thanks to Dr. Steve Pollard for his uplifting message to us and thanks to all who spoke remembrances of him and the special music by the choir. The service helped us feel at peace. Thank so much Abingdon Baptist Church family. We love you! Sally Stevens Family and Pam Moser Family ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Abingdon Baptist Church Family, Thank you for including me on your prayer lists for the past year or so. I received a good report at my recent doctors visit and take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate your faithful prayer support. Barbara Barker Birth Announcement... Eli Andrew Richards Born: February 29, 2012 Stats: 6 lbs. 1 1/2 oz., 19 Parents: Keith and Ellie Wilson Richards Morado Cr., # 1522, Austin, TX Grandparents: Ralph and Karen Wright Wilson Earnest and Maryanne Richards Great Grandmother: Joyce Wright

6 During the month of March, the Crumpler Discussion Class is challenged to bring food items for the Stone Soup Food Pantry. So, please help by bringing at least one food item each time you come to church. Collection baskets are at each entrance. Ministers Entire Congregation Pastor ext. 23 Dr. Steven Pollard Minister of Music and Worship ext. 24 Rev. Parke Deans Church Organist Church Pianist Mr. Edward Eller Mrs. Rose Payne Church Secretary ext. 32 Mrs. Susan Buchanan Receptionist ext. 21 Ms. Judy Osborne A church with a world mission and a world program in association with the Lebanon Baptist Association, Baptist General Association of Virginia, Southern Baptist Convention, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Baptist World Alliance. Church office hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm Phone: 276/ PRAYER LINE: extension 42, FAX: 276/ WEB Site: