KILMARNOCK BAPTIST CHURCH P.O. Box 99, Kilmarnock, Virginia 22482 JANUARY 2014 Sundays at Kilmarnock Baptist Church Worship - 9:00 Sunday School - 9:45 Worship - 11:00 (Nursery Available) Office Hours Mon, Tue, Thu: 9am-12pm &1-3pm Wed: 2-5:30pm PO Box 99, Kilmarnock, VA 22482 info@kilmarnockbaptist.org www.kilmarnockbaptist.org twitter @kilmarnockbc 804-435-1703 Wednesday Evenings at Kilmarnock Baptist Church WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) 6 p.m. Potluck dinner 2 nd and 4 th Wednesdays Matthew Tennant, Pastor Robbie Spiers, Music Director Carolyn Williams, Ministry Intern Denise DeVries, Ministry Assistant Mary Ann Crane, Organist Laura E. Bridges, Pianist
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 2 Ryan Joyner 5 Joseph Shehigh 5 Lisa Spiers 6 Denise Goodson 6 Anna Ransone 6 Sterling Russell 7 J. W. McNeal 9 S.W. Dawson 9 John Ebersole 9 Catherine Kimbrough 10 Jerry Hawley 10 Margaret Ransone 12 Steve Zukor 13 Marty Sutherland 14 Janet Joyner 19 Peggy Davis 20 Mathew Hudson 21 Lynnie McCrobie 22 J. Al Christopher 25 Don Headley 27 Doug Hundley 28 Winnie McCrobie 28 Madison Smith 28 Miles Smith 29 George Hutchings 29 Ronald Pouchot 30 Gary Wilkins 31 Kimberly Hudson SERVING IN JANUARY Deacon of the Week Edith Houghton Edna Mason Linda Whittaker Warren Sutherland Nursery Nancy Wetherington Louise Humphreys Gina Stump Melanie Tennant Mission Friends & Children in Action Roberta Pouchot Barbara Price Note of thanks: Dear KBC Family, Thank you for the cards, calls, visits, prayers, food and donations made in memory of Mom. Your love and support have meant so much to us during this difficult time. Thank you again. In Christian Love, The Family of Joan Wilkins Scripture for the month: The eyes of the Lord are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. --Deut. 11:12 Thought for the month: Before us lies a new year. The Father comes near to lead us on the way We need only to trust. It will be a good and blessed new year! Streams in the Desert (Cowman and Reimann) Important Dates WMU Meeting 10:30 a.m. Tues., January 14. January 14 is also Super Tuesday! Contact your committee head for your meeting time. A new ladies Bible Study will begin on Wednesday January 15th at 9:45. Written by David Jeremiah, Escape the Coming Night is a study that covers the first three chapters of Revelation. There are 12 sessions and we should complete the study on April 2nd. To sign up please call Lynne Saunders or Edna Mason. You may also call the office. A sincere thanks to all of our KBC family members for supporting this year's Angel Tree. Once again, our Angel Tree Family was overwhelmed by your generosity. Your care for this family was evident by the way in which each gift was so beautifully wrapped...one certainly did feel the joy and love as each gift was given to our Angel Tree Family. Thank you for sharing your blessings with others in need. Happy New Year! New BRICKS have been received for the KBC Memorial Garden. Please look for these new bricks from the following people: The John E. Houghton Family in Memory of Dr. John E. Houghton Anne Bromley in Memory of Dr. John E. Houghton Harriet Dawson in Memory of Bill Sigler Debbie Sachen in Memory of Michael James Sachen Anna Nundahl in Memory of Gerhard Alvin Nundahl and Gwendol Lewis Kilgore Michelle Haydon in Memory of Florance Winegar and Stokley Winegar.
The Good News Kilmarnock Baptist Church On Watch: Vision for 2014: KBC is the place to be on any given Sunday! In many churches, the congregation will share a vision each year. I fondly recall a friend who was a pastor in another tradition, and his congregation eagerly waited for their New Year s Eve worship when the pastor would reveal the new vision. They would guess the theme for the year and try to get him to give clues, but he waited until the appropriate time to share it with everyone. Appropriate time accurately describes a 2014 vision. I have witnessed God at work in our congregation, continually honing us as a church and drawing us closer together. It seems to me that it is an appropriate time to reach out and share all the good things happening at Kilmarnock Baptist Church with our community. At some point in November or December, I was struck by how rich our worship experiences are each Sunday. That particular day, everything seemed to click together, and then it struck me: Kilmarnock Baptist Church is a wonderful place to worship and encounter God on any given Sunday. It doesn t matter if we have a special service like the Hanging of the Greens or not; God always shows up! We can worship and have a great experience together. This is something worth getting excited about, and it is worth sharing with other people. Did you know that there are people, here in our area, who do not worship anywhere on Sunday? Of course you know, but my point is THERE ARE MISSION OPPORTUNITIES ALL AROUND US! Perhaps some people who do not attend church never have been invited. Maybe God is calling you to invite them. Pray. Ask God s guidance. Then, be open for the Holy Spirit to lead you to an opportunity to invite someone to experience the joy and wonder of encountering God at KBC. There are wonderful things happening in our church. Our job, as a church family, is to keep it up. If you have a job or opportunity to participate in worship, do it to best of your ability. Accept the task as an opportunity to glorify God, and realize that no task is small. Everything we do we can do to the glory of God, from ushering or lighting candles to reading or playing music. If you do not have a job in worship, ask for one. The choir can always use more members. You can usher, give out bulletins, welcome friends, etc. You can think about something God has done in your life and then share it with the congregation as a testimony. We can all be uplifted by hearing about your experience with God! In 2014, let us reach out. Let us share God s grace with our community. Let us tell others about the exciting things happening at KBC and invite them to join us. Can I get an Amen? Peace, Matt
Memorial Gifts Gift in honor of Laura Ransone on In Memory of Madison Moon Webb graduation from VA Tech. Cemetery Fund Education Fund Carolyn and Marie Webb Harriet Dawson Food Pantry Gloria and Ed Bosher In Memory of Ermon Toby Clark Margaret & Don Headley Education Fund Nancy Wetherington Edith Houghton General Fund In Memory of Grace McNeal Commonwealth Assisted Living Scholarship Fund Oliver and Mary Ann Crane Mr. & Mrs. John E. Bartlett Harriet Dawson Oliver & Mary Ann Crane Mary Jane Gemmell Harriett Dawson Don and Margaret Headley Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey C. Fox Louise Humphreys Mary Jane Gemmell J.W. McNeal Louise Humphreys Mr. & Mrs. Keith Mason Mr. & Mrs. James McNel Dennis O Neil John McNeal Mr. & Mrs. Don Self Mr. & Mrs. Keith Mason Mr. & Mrs. Warren Sutherland Mr. & Mrs. Mark Nash Mr. & Mrs. Cres Saunders Mr & Mrs William A. Nash Mr. & Mrs. Sonny Thomas Dennis O Neil James W. Webb Mr. & Mrs. Cres Saunders Mr. & Mrs. Warren Sutherland Gift in Memory of Milton Webb Mr. & Mrs. Sonny Thomas Cemetery Fund Norma Tapscott Carolyn and Marie Webb In Memory of Bill Sigler General Fund Louise Humphreys Music Fund Oliver and Mary Ann Crane In honor of Winnie &Lynnie McCrobie Food Pantry Dawn and Mike Nickerson Bequest from Elizabeth Burton Food Pantry Repairs and Maintenance Vacation Bible School WMU Women s Ministry Youth programs
The poinsettias that beautified the sanctuary this Christmas Season were given by: Ruby Abbott & Family In memory of Walter Abbott Martha Balderson In memory of June Balderson Lester & Sue Brent In honor of Barbara Price In honor of Robbie Spiers Anne Bromley In memory of Thomas Cecil Bromley Mary Ann Crane In memory of Judy Beane Oliver & Mary Ann Crane In memory of Arthur & Lillie Costello In memory of John & Amber Crane Doris Christopher In memory of John Christopher & Phyllis Edwards by the Christopher family Maude Davis In memory of Otis Davis Peggy Davis & Edward Davis, Jr. In loving memory of Edward J. Davis, Sr. Harriet Dawson & Family In memory of my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Mack Kirk Whitney Dawson In memory of my Aunts, Gladys Dawson Walker & Jeanette Kirk Gaddis Grace Gates In honor of Matt & Melanie Tennant, Dean, Eddy & Ben Mary Jane Gemmell In memory of Kenneth L. Gemmell Don & Margaret Headley In honor of Alease George and in memory of Marvin George Kathie Hegler & Evan Hegler In memory of Marsha Hegler & John & Evelyn Hegler Agnes Holloway In honor of Ken Holloway Houghton Family In memory of John E. Houghton George Ed Hutchings & Martha Jane & Warren Sutherland In honor of the Hutchings & Hastings families Collette Hudson, Troy Pouchot, & their families In honor of Ronnie & Roberta Pouchot In memory of Ed & Helen Pouchot & Wesley & Virginia Walker George Hutchings In memory of Novella Betty Kevorkian In memory of George Kevorkian Winnie & Lynnie McCrobie In memory of our grandparents: Viel, Jackson, Hastings & McCrobie Jonathan McCrobie In memory of my grandparents, Shorty & Bobbie McCrobie Charles & Barbara Price In memory of loved ones Pat Ramey In honor of Mary Dell Sigler In memory of loved ones The Ransone family In memory of Luther Folger Betty Rose In memory of parents Florence & Stokeley Winegar Debby Sachen In memory of Mike Sachen In honor of our service men & women
Poinsettia dedications, continued: Warren & Augusta Sellew In Honor of our children & grandchildren. Mark & Pam Sellew, Amanda, Jenna & Melinda, Pam & Brian Siemering, Elise & Nichole. Martha Jane & Warren Sutherland In memory of Levi E. & Roxanna Moone In memory of sisters Cathy & Margaret Mike & Donna Swinney In honor of Cadet Michael Douglas Louanne, Ernie, Clifton, William & Heather & Blake, Hope, Daniel & Travis In loving memory of parents & grandparents Francis & Jeanne Talley, Linda Frances & Linda Blake Danny Tobin In memory of Nancy Tobin Nancy Wetherington In honor of Mary Ann Crane In honor of the Food Pantry workers A MOUSE IN THE CORNER By Harriet Gearhart; January 2014 I dedicate this first column of the New Year to two very talented young men who have accomplished a difficult task with great success. For one of them it came at a time of stressful circumstances in his personal life and the life of his family. To anyone who has not had the pleasure of listening to the new Sanctuary Choir on any Sunday morning I sincerely hope you will make it a must do very soon. Just two years ago our choir had diminished to a total of about five members. It seemed very difficult to get anyone interested in joining in spite of the many pleas from the pulpit and remaining members of the choir. We hired a young, inexperienced, but well qualified woman to rebuild the choir and introduce new music to the repertoire but within a few months Mother Nature voted to allow this newly married couple to begin building a new family instead and we were, again, without a director. Two of our men, who both had majored in music in college, were asked to share the task of rebuilding the membership and promoting interest in the choir. Winnie McCrobie and Robbie Spiers took on the job in spite of the fact that Robbie s wife, Lisa, was quite ill and Winnie already had a full schedule on his plate. As a long time member I was looking forward to a new beginning but soon arthritis became a problem of limited mobility and reached the point where my doctor suggested that I give up night driving. With Daylight Saving Time night driving was not a problem but by the first of October I could no longer ignore the encroaching darkness earlier each evening and had to submit to warnings to drop out of evening activities altogether. So no more choir rehearsals. During those first enforced retirement months I agonized over having to sit in the congregation and listen to the choir trying to get used to a new director, new music, while being still diminished in number. Christmas season was approaching and we had been used to putting on a Cantata every year at this time. A few former members came back to help with the production but would not be staying for the regular choir performances on Sunday worship services. I had to become a home member during the winter months while trying to make some progress in fighting the health problems but in the spring I returned to the choir eager to try again to be a dependable choir member. I didn t last long and finally had to give up the dream and return to the congregation. Little by little I noticed a new spirit among the choir members and before long the chairs in the loft began to fill with new members. On one particular Sunday in November I was amazed to watch the new choir enter and take their seats. Row after row filed in until I feared they would run out of chairs. Four rows of bright and happy faced choir members took their places and a proud director lifted his arms to lead them in the Call to Worship. (continued)
(Mouse in the Corner, continued) I couldn t believe it! Four rows! The loft had never held that many singers since I had been with the choir. I asked Where did all these singers come from? All replied ROBBIE did it! I still don t know what his secret was but one of these days I hope to have my answer and can stop feeling sorry for myself for not being up there with the other eager faces! Occasionally Robbie has to take several Sundays off to be with his wife who must check into the hospital for treatments and when this happens Winnie McCrobie takes over and does a great job of directing the choir. His enthusiasm for the music and the expression on his face as he directs, gives the choir a different way of interpreting the anthems. In September Laura Bridges became our new pianist adding even more to the professionalism of the group. To Robbie and Winnie: the members and friends of Kilmarnock Baptist Church thank you for all the work and preparation you put into each performance of the choir. The results of the Music Ministry have been fantastic and as we approach Christmas week this year we are looking forward to hearing the Cantata you have prepared for us. Note: This column, written in December in order to have it ready for the January newsletter, will be updated in the next issue so you won t miss out on the Christmas events, especially the performances of the new Sanctuary Choir. I would like to congratulate the entire choir for their presentations during the Christmas Season. Members include: Sopranos: Peggy Davis, Carolyn Hawley, Susan Parker, Pat Ramey, Melanie Tennant and Carolyn Williams. Altos: Mary Ann Crane, Denise Goodson, Diane Gray, Lynnie McCrobie, Stephanie Philips, Susan (Moennsens) Rogers, and Sheila Zukor. Tenors: Jerry Hawley, Charlie Price, and Matt Tennant. Bass: David Humphries, Winnie McCrobie, Warren Sutherland, Steve Zukor and, of course, Robbie Spiers. The Story Lives On WMU 125 Years of Missions Juliette Mather In 1974, the Woman s Missionary Union of Virginia celebrated its 100 th anniversary, tracing its origin back to the first state-wide effort made for the cause of missions among women of the churches affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Plans included making the Centennial Year one of praise and study so that members would learn of their history and enlarge their vision. Juliette Mather worked a full year in research and writing to prepare this history. She wrote Light Three Candles, the History of the Woman s Missionary Union of Virginia, 1874-1973. Miss Mather was born in Illinois but moved to the South during her teenage years. She earned two degrees from the University of Arkansas and was a graduate of the WMU Training School in Louisville,Kentucky. She served as Young People s Secretary of WMU, auxiliary to SBC, from 1921-1949. She launched and edited five mission magazines for young people, World Comrades in 1922, The Window of YWA in 1939, Ambassador Life in 1946, Tell in 1953, and Sunbeam Activities in 1953. She next served as Editorial Secretary of WMU until 1957. She edited Royal Service, WMU s flagship magazine and built annual subscriptions to WMU magazines to about one million. (continued) No doubt our mouse in the corner will have his little antenna tuned to WKWI from wherever he is this year to listen for his choir s Christmas music.
(Juliette Mather, continued) She produced the first picture for Southern Baptists, Publish Glad Tidings, and also a radio broadcast that linked simultaneous banquets across the south celebrating the Young Woman s Auxiliary. After retiring from the WMU staff at age 61, Miss Mather taught two years at the Baptist University in Fukuoka, Japan and for five years in Taiwan. She worked fifteen months with the Baptist Press in Hong Kong. She filled an emergency teaching slot for several months in Taichung, Taiwan before returning to the United States in April 1968. She continued actively writing and speaking on behalf of missions. In the National Acteens Conferences. In 1975 and 1979 she spoke to audiences of more than 10,000 girls. Juliette Mather died on July 5, 1983 in St. Joseph, Michigan. She closed her book, Light Three Candles, by saying, Attention to the past is meaningful only when such reading and thought become a basis for action now and in the future. What gratitude women of today should have for the women of the first century who were brave enough to speak out and change so much for Christ s sake! Excerpts from Light Three Candles, Forward by Carrie S. Vaughn, Executive Secretary, WMUV, October 1972, and the Baptist Press Obituary for Juliette Mather, July, 1983. White Stone UMC "Friendship and Fun" This is a new bi-monthly gathering of "crafters" who are looking for friendship reminiscent of the old quilting bees. Anyone interested in joining other ladies while quilting, knitting, scrapbooking etc. is welcome. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1-4 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall. We will provide the friendship and fun; you provide the craft and materials. Kendall Vickery White Stone United Methodist Church 804-435-3555 whitestoneumc@verizon.net Food Pantry Angels Thank you all for your help, financial assistance and food contributions in 2013. We are now serving approximately 100 households every month, and the numbers may continue to increase. Your continued generosity would be greatly appreciated. The January challenge is cans of tuna and small jars of mayonnaise. Our Angel of the Month is Grace Gates. She was one of the original food pantry volunteers and is always there with a smile. Dear KBC family, Notes of Thanks: We are so grateful for the continued prayers, cards, food and gifts as I recovery from surgery and seek treatment for my cancer. I don t know what we would do without our faith and friends. Your support is really appreciated! Thank you, and please continue to keep our family in your prayers. Love, Lisa Spiers Kilmarnock Baptist Church Thank you so much for the flowers, candy, cards, calls and concern during my recent surgery. Most of all, thank you for the many prayers; I feel very blessed to have such a caring church family. Your love and support is appreciated more than you will ever know. Blessings and thanks, Linda Enders-Bailey