THE ACORN December 2018 Located at: 2965 Oakland Church Rd. Gum Spring, VA 23065 On the web at: www.oakland-baptist.com Office: 804-556-3550 Dear Church Family, Happy Advent and Christmas season to all! As we prepare our hearts and lives to celebrate the birth of Christ, and as we expectantly wait for His return during this Advent season, may you be constantly and consistently be open to ways that you can grow in your relationship with Him. You hear it said frequently that people are so much more giving during this time of the year, which I believe is true. But I also believe there s much more to it than lights, food and shopping I believe the Holy Spirit is moving in a big way, reminding everyone of the Reason for the Season. Those who aren t following Christ may miss the message because of all the worldly distractions, so may we all be mindful of ways that we can point others to Christ through our actions of giving not just through gifts, but through sacrificial acts of love. I hope you can join us each Sunday during this special season! We may just have a little gift for you each week! I love you all! Blessings of peace, Nate In this issue: Page 1 Pastor Pen Page 2 Articles Newsletter / Bulletin Deadlines & Notes Database Changes Contact info Page 3-4 Birthdays Anniversaries Notes & Announcements Page 5 Assignments & Calendar of Events Page 6 Prayer Concerns & Reminders 1
Keep in Touch! Margie Gonzalez, 334.692.4131 162 Jones Road Newton, Alabama 36352 Claire Parrish, 804.447.4141 Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center 1601 Broad Rock Road, Room 137 Richmond, VA 23224 REFERENCE INFORMATION Do you want to put something in the bulletin or newsletter? Do you want to put something on our Website or in the Goshen News? If so, please submit the information as you want it to appear in the bulletin, newsletter or website, by the deadlines listed below to: communication@oakland-baptist.com email. For those of you without email access, please call or submit your written request to Sharon Kincaid. Deadlines: Bulletin 12 noon of each Wednesday Newsletter 15th of each month Website 12 noon of each Thursday Goshen Newsletter 15th of each month Christmas at Oakland Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 1 st 8:00 10:00 am Hanging of the Greens Sunday, December 2 nd 11:00 am Wrapping Party for Angel Tree Thursday, December 6 th 6:30 pm Christmas Cantata Sunday, December 16 th 11:00 am Christmas Eve Service Monday, December 24 th 5:00 pm Have you moved??? Has your name changed? Do you have an update to a birthday or anniversary in your family? If you answered YES to any of these questions Please notify any member of the Deacon Fellowship with any changes to your personal information or log into Church Trac and update your information. Contact Information: Pastor: Nate Varnier Cell: (540)290-4622 Email: nathanvarnier@gmail.com Youth Leader: Shelby & Craig Jones 17250 Taylors Creek Rd Montpelier, VA 23192 (804)402-6506 (cell) Email: mom21elijah@gmail.com Deacon Fellowship: Bill Groome: (804) 556-6482 Pat Groome: (804) 908-3276 (cell) Ricky Harper: (804) 514-6985 (cell) Lonnie Kincaid: (804) 363-3288 (cell) Frank Smith: (804)556-4746 Tom Sutterfield: (804)556-3836; (804)405-4046 (cell) Ann Taylor: (804) 556-3519; (804) 339-6085 (cell) Ron Taylor: (804) 556-3519; (804) 339-6067 (cell) Tony Wade: (804) 822-0415 (cell) 2
Happy Birthday! Virginia MacDonald 12/1 Lesley Alford 12/2 Billy Walton 12/6 Jimmy Lloyd 12/7 Brandi Hutchinson 12/8 Peggy Bartley 12/10 Brad Goff 12/14 Leona Kay Oglesby 12/15 Wayne Proffitt 12/15 Dennis Gammon 12/17 Judy Gordon 12/17 Joey Hamrick 12/17 Linda Dillon 12/18 Betty Rains 12/18 Jill Snead 12/18 Addison Brolia 12/19 Theresa Hicks 12/20 Linda Shettle 12/20 Wanda Miller 12/21 Craig Kane 12/22 Mark Brooking 12/23 Wendy Grady 12/25 Richard Klaty 12/26 Bruce Alford 12/28 Timothy Jarrell 12/28 Donald Ware 12/30 Youth News As we flip the calendar from November to December, I just want to tell you all how truly thankful I am to serve alongside you all. Thank you for your continued love and support of me and my family. The youth will gather on Friday, December 28 for a post-christmas celebration. Please meet at church at 5:45 and bring $10 for dinner. We will go to dinner, go on a tacky light tour, and grab donuts before returning to church around 9:00. If any of the youth would like to join one of the teams serving at Goochland Cares, please let me know. Blessings, Shelby Happy Anniversary! Les & Pam Bradshaw 12/5 Vance & Beth Willis 12/7 Len & Paula Archer 12/11 Wilford & Shirley Bowyer 12/14 Bill & Jeni DeRusha 12/21 Craig & Shelby Jones 12/22 Robert & Sharon Atkinson 12/28 Thomas & Billie Reid 12/31 3
Notes, Mission Opportunities & Announcements WMU Happenings Thank you for your support of Samaritan s Purse Operation Christmas Child. Forty stuffed boxes dropped off at Ragland Baptist on Sunday, November 18 th. Thank you for making a child s Christmas special. The Week of Prayer for International Missions and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is December 2 nd December 9 th. Lift up specific prayer requests during the Week of Prayer for International Missions and support thousands of international missionaries serving around the world with the International Mission Board by giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Prayer guides and offering envelopes are available in the Sunday school classes and foyer. Prayerfully give. Our goal is $3,000. The Lottie Moon Post Office is open. Drop off Christmas cards for members who regularly attend church and save some money. Place a suggestion $.25 donation per card in the tin which will support the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Questions? See Sharon Kincaid. What Are the Four Sundays of Advent? If you ve ever struggled to keep the four Sundays of Advent straight, you re not alone. For hundreds of years, faithful Christians have observed the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day as a special time to prepare their hearts, but these practices have changed over time and place. The first mention of Advent is found in ancient writings dating back to the sixth century, with some anecdotal mentions as early as AD 380 at the Spanish Council of Saragossa! So not only is it an old Christian practice, but it s also a very personal one, as churches have adapted the practice to suit their local parishes. So while there s no authoritative guide to Advent, we can find some commonalities in the ways churches have practiced the observance of Advent throughout history. Generally, the themes that correspond to each week fall into these categories: Week 1: Hope (or promise) Week 2: Preparation (or waiting or prophecy) Week 3: Joy (or peace) Week 4: Love (or adoration) While the differences in weekly Advent themes may be confusing, we can unite in our desire to quiet our hearts during a hectic holiday season and worship Jesus. And the good news is that you can definitely mix and match these weekly themes with various Advent readings that will best serve your congregation or your family. There is no right or wrong way to observe Advent as long as you re coming to God with a sincere and open heart. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS December 2018 Date Deacon Greeter Kid s Korner Extended Session Babies to 2 years Extended Session 3 years to 1 st Grade 02 Lonnie Kincaid Ann Taylor Sharon Kincaid Sarah Blair Cheryl Driver 09 Ricky Harper Wanda Miller Bill Groome Becky Sutterfield Julie Varnier 16 Tom Sutterfield Betty Dunivan Kathy Wade Denise Brooking Sandi Blair 23 Tony Wade Hazel Morgan Shelby Jones Sarah Blair Sandy Harper 30 Ron Taylor Hilda Harper Kim Rosson Becky Sutterfield Wendi Cooper 4
8 am 10 am Breakfast with Santa 1 2 12:30 pm Deacons Meeting 3 4 5 7 pm Choir Practice 6:30 pm Angel Tree Gift Wrapping 6 7 8 10 am 12 pm Crotch Class 9 10 11 12 7 pm Choir Practice 13 10 am Seniors @ 14 15 9 am 2 pm Missionary Stitchers @ Goshen Ministry Center 16 Cantata 12:30 WOM Meeting 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 5 pm Christmas Eve Service 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 5
The Acorn P.O. Box 99 Gum Spring, VA 23065 Church Office: 804-556-3550 Web Address: www.oakland-baptist.com Remembered in our hearts & prayers: Patsy Anderson Len & Paula Archer Virginia Beach-Cook Shirley Bowyer Lucy Cook Ronnie Cook Kaitlyn Daniels Robert Dorey Luke Getchell Margie Gonzalez Velma Goodwin Bailey Grant-Dickerson Jerry Green Hilda Harper Buck Hicks Eric Hughes Dean & Vicki Kellison Sharon Kincaid Wayne Mann Bryan McCallister Frank Moran Dale Nester Marie Nester Louise Parrish Sandy Pattison Callahan Phillips Mabel & Gerald Pleasants Jason Pope Wayne Profitt Margaret Rosson Riley Saunders Betty Smith Brenda Smith Nita Snead Preston Snead Betty & Loren Stanley Susan Wachter Allen Wade Cecil Watson Sandy Williams Shawn Williams Our Nation, Our Church & Community Remembered in Our Thoughts & Prayers the Family of: Gladys Nester Our Nursing Home Members; see Keep in Touch section. Remember our Servicemen & Their Families: Joey Berlin, Stateside Tennis Bradshaw, Stateside Gabe Edwards, Deployed Sgt. Allen Gordon, Stateside The prayer concern is completely revised monthly through mentioned prayer concerns, website submissions, email (communication@oakland-baptist.com) or by contacting Sharon Kincaid by the 15th of each month. 6