March 17 th Young Adults St. Patty's Day Food, Devotion, and Game Night

Transcription

1 Volume XXXIX, No. 10 The Banner March 10, 2015 March 17 th Young Adults St. Patty's Day Food, Devotion, and Game Night Where: Fellowship Hall Time: 7:00pm Cost: Free Everyone bring something "Green" to eat and ask a friend to join in on the fun fellowship. Wednesday Night Fellowship Supper FREE OF CHARGE NO RESERVATIONS...SEE YOU THERE!

2 MARCH 15 11:00am Worship More Than A Poster John 3:14-21 Psalm 107:1-3, :00pm Sunday Night Kaffeé Mercy and Grace to the Nth Degree! Ephesians 2:1-10 From Your Pastor... Dear Church Family, It was fifty years ago this weekend. I was five years old when Hosea Williams and John Lewis (now Representative John Lewis, US Congress) led a peaceful march of about 600 souls across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on their way to the state capital. They were going to Montgomery to protest discrimination against African-Americans who were attempting to register to vote. They were met by the Alabama State Police and ordered to return to their homes or churches and were given three minutes to comply. The marchers asked for the opportunity to kneel and pray but instead were immediately attacked by the Alabama State Police and other law enforcement personnel. Armed mostly with a baton, the police proceeded to mercilessly beat the peaceful unarmed protesters sending 50 or more to the hospital. I have no recollection of that specific event. In September of 1965, I began first grade and don t remember a time when schools were segregated. I don t remember whites only bathrooms or water fountains. I have no recollection of a time when African-Americans were expected to sit in the back of the bus. Perhaps I was simply too young to have a first-hand comprehension of the debates, conflicts, violence, danger, and struggles that marked that period in our history. I can say that, over the years, I have observed discriminatory acts and overheard negative racial comments. No experience I have had, has ever approached the level of hate and resentment that it must have taken to commit the dreadful acts of aggression and violence perpetrated on African- Americans prior to, and during the struggle for equal rights for everyone. So, I m a bit of an outsider when it comes to my personal experience with the struggle for Civil Rights. Even Christians in the United States haven t had the cleanest-of-hands in our dealings with racial equality. Frankly, until the 1960 s, churches in the south with primarily Caucasian memberships had done little to advance equality under the law for all citizens of our country. They were wrong. We were wrong. How anyone got the idea that Jesus would want any human being to treat another as a lesser person than themselves is incomprehensible. When I consider where we believers should stand on issues involving racial equality, the Bible is clear. On any number of occasions, when Jesus encountered those of other races, He acted with the same grace and love that he did with those of his own ethnic background. In each case he demonstrated justice and equality. Jesus used those opportunities to call attention to the fact that he was doing something extraordinary; something that his fellow Jews would never have done. Probably the strongest words of equality come from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Galatia: for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27b-29, NIV) How fortunate we are to have a Savior that has reset the norm for how people (especially those who call themselves Christian ) ought to treat each other. We would do well to embrace the same Christlike values that compelled people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Hosea Williams, and Rosa Parks to risk life and limb to lift up those around them! It seems to me that Jesus was 2000 years ahead of where we should be. We still have catching up to do. Your Pastor, Steven P.S. FYI: For a time, I will be shifting my regular day off from Friday to Thursday.

3 F.Y.I.... Deacon of the Month - March Johnny Crigger (c) SUNDAY SCHOOL Attendance for Sunday, March 8:122 Greeters Upstairs entrance Charles Grogan Jim Hughes Downstairs entrance Peggy Hughes Patricia Hensley Extended Session Workers March 15 Charlene Phelps/Mary Garrett Ushers & Greeters 11:00am Co-Chairs: Kevin Abel, Larry Payne, Mike Overstreet March Greeters Mary Fraysier Nan Jones John Berry Janet Berry Jennifer Berry Ushers: March Mary Fraysier Kevin Abel Gen Compton Judy Osborne Barbara Van Huss Wayne Hayter Worship Technicians: Bill Klose and Norman Klose Tony Roberts & Thomas Roberts Van Drivers: March Mike Overstreet (c) Financial Update March 8, 2015 Budget Funds Weekly Requirement $7, Received $6, Year-to-Date Budget $78, Year-to-Date Receipts $66, Annie Armstrong/Spring Missions Goal $8,000 To Date $2, Building Fund To-date $98, Gifts... The following people have given in memory of Vivian Anderson to Annie Armstrong Fund...Bert Parsons The following people have given in memory of Don Hutton to General Fund...Crumpler Bible Class FRIDAY March 13 SUNDAY March 15 9:45am Sunday School YAK Fellowship Hall 11:00am Worship 6:00pm Sunday Night Kaffee Fellowship Hall MONDAY March 16 Hearts of Gold TUESDAY March 17 6:30am Young Adults Devotions & Game Night Fellowship Hall Finance Committee Library 7:00pm Council of Deacons Conference Room WEDNESDAY March 18 12:05pm Lenten Ecumenical Noontime Services St. John Lutheran 5:00pm Wednesday Fellowship Supper Menu: Country Style Steak with gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Roll Assorted Desserts Kid s Menu: Grilled Cheese, Fruit Cocktail 5:30pm Cherubs (Music for 3, 4 & 5 yr-olds) Children in Action (Missions grades 1-5) Youth Missions (6th-12th Grade) 6:00pm Worship 6:10pm Children's Choir (Music for grades 1-5) Mission Friends (Missions for 3, 4 & 5 yr-olds) 7:00pm Sanctuary Choir FRIDAY March 20 Widows Support Group w/dana Duncan SATURDAY March 13 9:00am Setting Deacons Free Conf. Marion Baptist Church

4 Prayer Concerns Hospital: Recuperating: NHC Healthcare, Bristol, VA Jim Woodrum Treatments Continuing/Pending: Ken Bailey, Mike Beard, Mack Bowman, Maxine Benson, Lois Campbell, Evelyn Campbell, Terry Christian, Ann Colley, Harold Dunaway, Tristan Duncan, Eddie Dunn, Beverly Eason, Roger Glass, Keith Goodman, Wayne Goodman, Evelyn Gregory, Ron Gunter, Beth Hagan, Sandy Haney, Trula Harris, Mary Holbrook, Jimmy Hughes, Jr., Peggy Hughes, Herbert Johnson, Joe Johnson, Ken Johnson, Jim Jones, James Kiser, Pat Litton, Helen McCall, Sharlene Miller, Jeanette Millsap, Jett Moore, Ann Mowell, Betty Mullins, Brenda Mullins, Don Nixon, Savannah Parks, Adam Parris, Ronda Phillips, Alice Porterfield, Bertha Prater, Eleanor Rainey, Ruth Rasnake, Hannah Richards, Sandy Riley, Sheila Robinson, Renee Roberts, Sylvia Simmons, Ruth Slate, Rheba Starnes, Michael Taylor, Candy Tignor, Martha Tignor, Manuel Townsend, Shirley Turner, Leona Willis. Long Term: Curtis Burkett, Roger Clifton, Corine Collins, Frances Dover, Ray Duncan, Judy Ferrell, Betty Griffith, Lucille Heath, Jim & Ann Howard, Paul Jones, Vivian Kite, Bill Munsey, Buzz Murray, Mary Pace, Don Ray, David Robinson, Wesley Smith, Bob Taylor, Joyce Wright. Independent Living/Retirement/Assisted Care & Rehab Facilities: Jim Jones, John Blankenship, Lydia Collins, Dancey Flanagan, Doris Fleenor, Evelyn Hilt, Christine Kohr, Janet Lambert, Mae Ledford, Genevive McCall, Jean Moore, Virginia Moore, Ruth Noe, Rosa Lee Phelps, Vera Rivera, Howard Smith, Sally Stevens Homebound: Mary Dennison, Mary Hunicutt, Jeanette Millsap, Jake Turner, Shirley Turner. Homebound of the Week Sally Stevens Green Spring Road Abingdon, VA If you have prayer requests or know of needs in our church family, or have an update or correction to any of our prayer requests, please contact the church office prayer & share line at ext. 42. Happy Birthday... Monday, March 16 Verna Kirk Rosemary Blevins Tuesday, March 17 Don Cottage Eric Mullins Wednesday, March 18 Charles Meade Betty Jo Carrier Thursday, March 19 Pam Fife Addison LIght Sunday March 22 Rose Payne Terry Christian Shalee Hart CHURCH CLOSINGS For information about our church closings due to winter weather Call the office at Main greeting will have updated service details Check website Check our Facebook page

5 Mark Your Calendars... Starting Thursday March 12th ABC will be hosting Faith & Films Location: Fellowship Hall on the Big HD Screen Time: Popcorn starts popping at 6:30 pm Movie starts at 7:00 pm Title: SOUL SURFER Cost: FREE Bring a Friend, Enjoy Popcorn, a Movie, and wonderful Fellowship Speaker Rev. Dr. Timothy Madison, Sr. Pastor Mechanicsville Baptist Church May $10 Call the church office to register

6 Ministers Entire Congregation Pastor ext. 23 Dr. Steven Pollard Minister of Music and Worship ext. 24 Rev. Parke Deans Church Organist Mr. Edward Eller Church Pianist Mrs. Rose Payne Church Secretary ext. 32 Mrs. Trina Vickers 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: