The Messenger V O L U M E 6 3 I S S U E 3 M A R C H 2 0 1 6 EMAIL: wrightsborobaptistchurch@cape-fear.net WEBSITE: www.wrightsborobaptistchurch.org 27th Year The Living Cross Four Amazing Nights @ 7:30pm Friday, March 18, 2016 Sunday, March 20, 2016 Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Friday, March 25, 2016 Limited Seating! Come Early! First Come, First Serve! Presented By: WRIGHTSBORO BAPTIST 2736 Castle Hayne Rd., Wilmington (910) 763-3181 A Love Offering will be received each night. WRIGHTSBORO BAPTIST CHURCH 2736 Castle Hayne Rd Wilmington NC 28401 910.763.3181 BUILDING FUND EMPHASIS MONTH THIS MARCH Pledge Cards will be in your Bulletins starting Sunday, March 6th.
P A G E 2 Last month Wrightsboro Baptist began reading together the devotional Why Pray by John Devries. Devries began his book by asking the question Why do we pray? and continued to question the necessity of prayer if our petitions are not met. Why pray if a miracle never comes, the job does not get easier, relationships are not mended, and life does not become easier? Devries answered his own question by writing: Do you talk to your spouse because it pays or because of love? You see, if you talk to someone only because it pays, you re doing it for a selfish reason. When we view prayer in terms of the number of answers we get, and when we track our answers in prayer journals just to be sure our time is well spent, are we not wrecking our relationship with God?...This is why we must never prostitute prayer; degrading it (and our perception of God) into some mechanical program for getting our way. Rather, prayer must be as living and natural and exciting as sharing our hearts with a friend. For Devries, the purpose of prayer is not to have our perceived needs met; prayer is not a mechanical process completed each day out of duty. The purpose of prayer is relationship; it s about being in the presence of the One we love and the One who loves us. Author and pastor John Killinger wrote: Prayer is not something we engage in because we wish to achieve anything. Prayer is communion with God. It is a matter of making connections with the One who stands at the center of all life and joy, and of learning to live with those connections all the time. That s all it is; nothing more, nothing less. Prayer is about relationship; it s about being in the presence of Christ who is all we truly need. But what about unanswered prayer; what are we to do when it appears God is not listening to our heart-felt cries for His hand in our lives? Pastor Andrew Murray wrote, Above all, God would draw us into closer fellowship with Himself. When our prayers are not answered, we learn to realize that the fellowship and nearness and love of God are more to us than the answers of our petitions, and we continue in prayer. Christians, listen to this warning. Be not impatient or discouraged if the answer does not come. Continue in prayer. You will find it an unspeakable blessing to do so. You will ask whether your prayer is really in accordance with the will of God, and the Word of God. You will inquire if it is in the right spirit and in the Name of Christ. Keep on praying. You will learn that the delay in the answer to prayer is one of the most precious means of grace that God can bestow on you. Prayer is driven by our desperation for God s presence and power in our life and in our church. Unanswered prayer should never be viewed as God s inattentiveness or absence, but as the mercy and compassion of a loving God who is working in us. As we focus on prayer this year, may we continue to seek Him, crave His presence, and never cease to pray even if we do not receive the answer or the miracle we seek. Prayer is about relationship be desperate for Him! For His glory, Brad What the Staff Has Been Reading We as a Staff at WBC get asked occasionally about what books we are reading. So here you go! Running on Empty by Fil Anderson; I Am A Church Member by Thom S. Rainer; Obstacles, In the Established Church by Sam S. Rainer III;
P A G E 3 Minister of Education Pursuing and Seeking Jesus Our church has prayed daily in February as we read and studied the book, Why Pray and what a blessing this little book has been to me (How about you?)! Now we re preparing to present for the 27th year, The Living Cross, that tells of God s love story to the world!! Jeremiah 29:13 says And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Peter was one in scripture who always was seeking after Jesus. He didn't always do or say the right things (neither do we) but he did seek to be with Jesus with all his heart. Are you living each day seeking after Jesus?? Did you begin today pursuing and seeking a closer walk with the Lord?? If our hearts are set on pursuing Jesus, then we will always find Jesus and be at peace in His presence!! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing, Pastor Mike Wrightsboro Baptist Church Sunday, March 27, 2016 7:00am Sonrise Service 7:45am Church Wide Breakfast 9:00am Bible Study 10:00am Worship Service
P A G E 4 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. Psalm95:1-3 God has blessed us with so many things to be thankful for each and every day. Today, I would like to express my thanks to my God and my church family for 3 specific things. I am thankful for our new sound system and our tech team, even as we are still tweaking it and learning how to operate it! I am thankful for the 27th opportunity to proclaim the gospel through our Living Cross ministry and for all the participation of our church family. I am especially thankful for such a loving, caring, praying and supportive church family for Ben, Alan and I through Ben s recent surgery and continuing recuperation. We Love you all so much!! Keep PraiSing Him!! Peggy WBA / WMU MISSIONS CELEBRATION ANNUAL MTG. Wrightsboro Baptist Church Monday, May 16, 2016 / 6pm-8pm Guest Speaker: Mary Ellen Bowman
P A G E 5 On behalf of the Youth Department, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support at the Valentines Banquet. Your presence not only allowed us to show you our appreciation for your support, but it reminded the Youth that they have strong church support. Please continue to pray for the Youth and Adult Leaders as we prepare for the continued spiritual growth of these students. If you would like to sponsor a Youth this summer for Camp, please contact me. We want every Youth that desires to go to Camp to be able to. God can use all of us to bring about change by being the middle man in someone s life. 1 Why Pray, Day 5 1 Stuart Pick up your shoebox today!
V O L U M E : 6 3 I S S U E : 3 P A G E 6 Children s Ministry I would like to thank everyone that has volunteered to help in our Nursery Ministry. This is an area that God has drawn me to recently and has been the focus of much prayer over the past several month. I feel God is going to grow this ministry and we need to be ready. We are going to be reviewing our nursery policies and procedures and making necessary changes to ensure that we are providing families with a safe and secure environment. This is also the perfect time to freshen up the nursery and some of our preschool areas. If you would like to make a donation or help in anyway, please see me. Thanks so much! Blessings, Leslie Kids Camp Caraway July 25th-July 29th Total Cost $285 Kick Off Monday, April 4th
P A G E 7 IN SYMPATHY Alton Bass & Betty Biggs for the loss of their Sister-in-Law, Margaret Piner. Brian Brogdan for the loss of his Father. Mary Cottle & Norris Flowers for the loss of their Brother, Bobby Flowers. Gerrie Mercer for the loss of her Daughter and Gwen Waggett for the loss of her Sister, Rhonda Mercer. Brian Merritt, Kathy Wang and Amy White for the loss of their Uncle, Willie Padgett. Brian Merritt, Kathy Wang and Amy White for the loss of their Mother, Sarah Page. Gail Rogers for the loss of her Aunt. March 13, 2016 Set your clocks forward Saturday Night, March 12th so you are not late for Church Sunday Morning! MEALS ON WHEELS Saturday, March 26th 9:00am Volunteers...we meet in the Old Fellowship Hall
P A G E 8 CHURCH MEDIA CTR. HOURS Sunday Mornings 9:15am till 9:40am Call Nancy Price if you would like to check out a book at a different time. Her number is 910-763-6219 Suzanne Biagini (Wrightsboro School), Classical Conversations, Norris & Carolyn Flowers, Gerrie Mercer, Gwen Waggett & Family, and Amanda Stanley INCLEMENT WEATHER In the event of inclement weather, our church services may be cancelled. Please check with the local TV Stations (WECT & WWAY) for cancellation announcements.
P A G E 9 MARCH BIRTHDAYS MAR 1 MAR 2 MAR 3 MAR 6 MAR 7 MAR 8 MAR 9 MAR 12 MAR 13 MAR 15 MAR 16 MAR 17 MARCH BIRTHDAYS Charles Thompson Debra Pearce Florence Wood Elizabeth Williams Barbara Mewborn Annette Groves Arnold Murray Sam Flowers Traci Bayse Emma Price-Ellis Bob Snipes PeeWee Moore Norris Flowers Joey Hardee Jenny Thompson Janet Smithey Ray King III Kattie Glover Eula Pleasants Garry Lewis Dale Wright MAR 18 MAR 20 MAR 22 MAR 23 MAR 24 MAR 25 MAR 26 MAR 27 MAR 29 MAR 30 MAR 31 MARCH BIRTHDAYS Bill Moore Charles Alford Dave Glenn Christopher Woodcock Kevin Feik Mildred Futch Liza Herring Jewell Floyd David Eakins Luke Bryan Bobbie Pugh Elizabeth Kerr Bobbie Jackson Sam Glazier Carol Waters Gwen Waggett Gwen Goodyear Kim Sanders Kathryn Taylor Donna Rhodes Brooke Dell-Olio
13 Daylight Saving 20 Palm Sunday 28 Office Closed 25 CAMP Closed March 2016 P A G E 10 BUILDING FUND EMPHASIS GOAL: 100% CHURCH WIDE PARTICIPATION Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 6 4:30 LC Joint Rehearsal Begins 4:30 Dress Rehearsal 6:30 LC Dedication 7:30 The Living Cross 27 EASTER Lords Supper 7:00 Sonrise Service 7:45 Breakfast 9:00 Bible Study 10:00 Worship Service No Children s Church 1 11:00 Revelation Study 7:00 Deacons Mtg. 7 8 11:00 Revelation Study 6:30 Cub Scouts 6:30 LC Joint Rehearsal 14 15 11:00 Revelation Study 6:30 LC Final Rehearsal 6:30 Cub Scouts 21 22 11:00 Revelation Study CAMP Open 7:30 The Living Cross No A.A./Scouts Tonight 2 10:00 Discovering God 3:30 Grief Share Wed. Night Schedule 6:15 LC Choir 9 10:00 Discovering God 3:30 Grief Share Wed. Night Schedule 16 3:30 Grief Share 23 Wed. Night Schedule 3 8:00 Cross Assembly 10 17 SCHOOL OUT FOR SPRING BREAK...MAR. 21ST - MAR. 25TH 29 11:00 Revelation Study 6:00 B & G Mtg. 6:30 Cub Scouts 30 No Services Tonight No Services Tonight 24 31 8:00 Cross Disassembly 10:30 Sr. Adult Choir 4 10:00 Tai Chi Class 11 10:00 Tai Chi Class 18 7:30 The Living Cross 10:00 Food Pantry 7:30 The Living Cross 5 8:00 Cross Assembly 12 19 26 9:00 Meals on Wheels WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE 6:00 AWANA (BB-5th) 6:15 Adult Choir 6:15 Prayer & Praise 6:15 Youth Group 6:30 Prayer & Praise Connect 6:30 Adult Bible Studies