SEPTEMBER 2016 VOLUME 20, ISSUE 9 The Rocky Hock Anchor The Mission of Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to magnify Christ and make disciples of all people. DISCIPLESHIP Examine me O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. ~ Psalm 26:2 It s time for a spiritual reality check and it begins with a biblical literacy check. Are you willing? INSPIRED. INERRANT. INFALLIBLE. UNREAD. (John 5:39-40) Union University professor Dr. George Guthrie reports in a survey that only 16% of church goers read their Bible daily. And 25% of regular church goers DO NOT READ their Bibles at all! I looked and found that George Barna had also done a survey that produced a profile of professing believers: * Many professing believers cannot identify more than 2 or 3 disciples. * 4 out of 10 believe the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths. * 5 out of 10 believe that anyone who is generally good, and does good things for others during their life will earn a place in heaven. * 7 out of 10 born-again Christians said they do not believe in moral absolutes. * Only 1 out of 10 bases their moral decision-making on the principles taught in the Bible. * 54% believe truth can be discovered only through logic, human reasoning, and personal experience not the Bible. What are the results? * Defective Theology. * Unregenerate People. * Lack of Effectiveness church attendance, participation, personal moral purity, dedication and commitment to Kingdom work. Matthew 28:18-20, make disciples; drawing a crowd is an event; making disciples is a process! So what? Does this describe us? We can easily determine the answer through personal examination of our actions. If it finds us out and exposes us, what are we, me and you, going to do about it? Where do we start? Let s answer a few questions that will tell us what the Lord is looking for when He tries our minds and our hearts. Here are five questions to get us started. 1. Do I put God and my witness in importance ahead of all other activities? 2. Do I attend church every Sunday (this means all services)? 3. Do I participate in adult Bible study each week on Wednesday & Sunday nights to grow as a disciple? (Likewise, the youth and children attend studies on their level) 4. Do I participate in outreach evangelism? 5. Do I honor God with tithes and offerings? These five questions are sufficient to start. If we look at the participation, we realize the truth. If we are in need of spiritual renewal, God is ready! Are we? All the success in this world will have no effect on our eternity. Ready? Let s experience great things in His Great Commission! It is only what is done for Christ Jesus that will matter. See you in God s house! Dr. Horton
THE ANCHOR PAGE 2 From our Minister of Youth & Children 3 Best-ever Discipline Tactics for Parents of Teenagers By Kami Gilmour If you re reading this, you re probably a parent who s looking for a little help figuring out how to effectively discipline your teenager. Or you might be a parent who s dreading the teenage years, and trying to get a plan in place. Or your kids might be all grown up, and you re STILL not sure what the best discipline for teenagers is (especially if they re still living in your basement). Or maybe I m the only one who s been perplexed by trying to figure it out. Because I ve confiscated my teenagers cell phones, ipads, car keys and video games more times than I can count. And, of course, I ve grounded them limiting all social contact whatsoever and forcing my sulking offspring to play board games with their parents on many Saturday nights. (I secretly like these times, and I think they might too. Even though they snarl a bit.) But halfway through the teenage years as a mom of 5, I realized something was missing in these strategies. They simply weren t very effective. In fact, they were expected. I needed to add some creativity into the mix. I needed to get bold. And my teenagers needed to be surprised. So here s some of my best-ever tried-and-true discipline tactics for tweens and teens that worked in our home. (I ve tried some other creative efforts that flopped, but that s a post for another time.) I certainly haven t given up on grounding and loss of privileges, but these additional tactics serve as in the moment illustrations for unforgettable lessons. And I m doing less yelling and more laughing. You ll notice there s a fear factor in all of these tactics, but keep in mind, these are absolutely not meant to be sadistic pranks to humiliate your teenagers they re meant to prove a point, deter future misbehavior, and create an opportunity for a meaningful conversation about the lesson learned. And you ll only have to do them once, I promise. Got a teenager who s pushing the limits of obeying curfew? Bring on the Curfew Clown. Surprise them with a super-scary clown mask suspended or propped somewhere in the dark shadows of the stairs, or in their room. Not only will you HEAR them come home (this foils kids who try to sneak in) they ll be briefly traumatized and get a taste of the fear we parents experience when they re late. Explain the reason for curfews is because we love them and want to make sure they re home safe and not chained up in someone s basement (which is much scarier than Curfew Clown), who, by the way, will show up somewhere new if they re late again. Tired of disrespectful eye-rolls and snide comments from your socially aware adolescent who critiques your clothes, hair, and everything else? Be bold about your uncool-ness! Just head to the craft store and buy a plain t-shirt, fabric markers, sequins and any other obnoxious adornment, and write in large letters [kid s name] Mom (or Dad)! Put it on the next time they re disrespectful, explaining that if they re going to treat you that way, you ll BE that way! Start by wearing it around the house, and if the behavior doesn t change, tell them you ll wear it in public where people they know will see it. This will lead to panic and pleading, which opens the door for a conversation about agreeing to show each other mutual respect, and that verbal and nonverbal mockery doesn t feel good. The Dance-off Countdown text: Mom is here. And she s driving the crazy train As if driving kids everywhere is not infuriating enough, there s nothing worse than arriving to pick them up at school, practice, or a friend s house and they make you WAIT. (My son would linger with his buddies inside the junior high school for 10 minutes AFTER I texted him I was there.) But this is remedied with a simple text: I m here. In 2 minutes, I will pump up the bass and start dancing on the sidewalk. No more waiting! (continued on page 3)
PAGE 3 THE ANCHOR (continued from page 2) This text makes any tween/teen coming running. It s extra impactful if you re wearing your Uncool t-shirt and roll down the car windows with really loud hip-hop music blaring when they approach the car. They ll know you re not joking and you will dance boldly. And they ll listen when you explain that making you wait is NOT a good idea, EVER, for everyone s sanity, because carpools suck and are torturous enough. So there you go. This is what s worked in our home, for our kids and nobody s called Social Services yet. (I m hoping there s a statute of limitations or something.) But in all seriousness, I did take my kids personalities and life situations into consideration before engaging in these tactics. These might not be appropriate disciplines to use with teenagers who are dealing with significant issues such as being bullied, mental/emotional health issues, drug addiction, self injury or anything else where these strategies might trigger something worse. Bottom line being a teenager is really hard, and so is being a parent of one. And every teenager is unique, and the best discipline for one teenager won t be the same for another. You have to really know them even when they start acting like strangers. And you have to keep finding ways to break through the walls they put up and get them talking. Get creative. Stay engaged. Be bold. Keep trying... let your inner freak flag fly and raise it high! Let them know you re still in the game, giving it everything you ve got. They need to know you will not give up on them. So here s my last bit of advice. And it s for everyone: The best strategy for raising teenagers is to love boldly by building a strong relationship with them as a parent (not as their peer). Let them know that even when they screw up that they re still loved unconditionally. Express your love for them in words, touch, and time. Give them responsibilities and boundaries. Allow them to have consequences. Don t be afraid of tough conversations and remember to be a listener too. See them through the eyes of their Creator they are unique, worthy, and have a purpose and remind them of this often. Connect their search for identity and significance to a faith in a loving, almighty God who is significant in their lives, and yours, as well. And when they push you away, don t take it personally just stick around and stay present. And... keeping dancing on the sidewalk. Raising teenagers is just a season, my friends, and it will pass. Pastor Mike Events & Opportunities for Youth Sundays & Wednesdays @ 7 PM - INCREASE - Youth Suite Sunday - Wednesday, September 11-14 @ 7 PM - Revival Thursday, September 15 @ 7 PM - Run for Mukhanyo Meeting Rocky Hock Baptist Church 8th Annual SPORTSMAN S BANQUET September 30, 2016 from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Multi-Purpose Building Food, Music, Door Prizes, Adult & Kid s Grand Prize Guest Speaker: A. J. Layton FREE event for all ages!
THE ANCHOR PAGE 4 From Our Minister of Music & Education How to Pray Pray Biblically Daniel 9: 1-2 says: In the first year of Darius, son of Xerxes, who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. I picture Daniel reading and studying his copy of the Scriptures. He was an old man, approaching 90 years of age. He had been sent to Babylon almost 70 years earlier and had proven himself as the prime minister under three successive kings. Here s what he was reading from Jeremiah 29: 10-12: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. We know that Daniel and others had been taken captive in 605 B.C. and that it was now 538 B.C. and so Daniel had been in captivity for 67 years. He recognized that his people were only 3 years away from returning to Jerusalem. Stand on the promises of the Word of God and pray like Daniel did. I think there was probably a step between his reading of the prophet Jeremiah and Daniel s prayer. I picture Daniel reading the Scriptures and then spending some time meditating upon what he had just read. He rolled these truths over in his mind. Then he prayed. Meditation is often the missing link between Bible intake and prayer. There s good application for us here. We should start by reading a passage of Scripture and then meditating on it, allowing time to take what God has said to us by thinking about it and digesting it. It may even be helpful to write it down. Then, after we ve read and meditated, we can move into prayer. The focus of our prayer should be what we ve encountered in the Bible, now personalized through meditation. John Bates said this: The great reason why our prayers are ineffectual, is because we do not meditate before them. And so, we begin with reading the Word. We then move to meditation, and end in prayer. I think it s better to read a chapter or a short passage and meditate on it than it is to read several chapters and not think about them at all. Even though God announces what He is going to do in Jeremiah 29, He also indicates very clearly that He will bring it about through prayer. As His people pray, He will accomplish what He is going to do. Prayer is so important that God will often delay what He says He will do until we start responding in prayer. Prayer is not a way to get God to work for us it s His way of involving us in what He intends to do. Pray with Humility Daniel 9: 3 says: So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Daniel takes off his beautiful oriental robes and jewelry and dresses himself in a simple gown of rough burlap. The term sackcloth is used 46 times in the Bible and was a symbol of deep grief and mourning. Spreading ashes on the head was more of a statement of guilt and symbolized deep repentance. When you re covered with ashes, you don t feel clean because they represent something that is burned or lost. In the Bible, the penitent person often covered their entire body with filthy ashes. Basically, when you put on sackcloth and ashes, you aren t comfortable, and you don t feel clean. It was an outward sign of inner pain and agony. Daniel did not do any of this as a public display of spirituality, but as a private expression of his sincerity. When we are humble before God, others will see it, but we aren t doing it for their sake, it s for God. Have you ever put on sackcloth and ashes? Have you ever fasted? If you have, don t talk about it, or you ll spoil it. But if you wonder why your prayers don t seem to be getting past the light bulbs, perhaps your pride is getting in the way. Someone has said, The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is. D.L. Moody put it this way: Be humble or you ll stumble. (continued on page 5)
PAGE 5 THE ANCHOR (continued from page 4) Pray with Intensity This verse (Daniel 9: 3) says that Daniel pleaded with the Lord. That s a Hebrew word that means, to wrestle like Jacob did with the angel in Genesis 32. Then verse 4 says, I prayed to the Lord God... The Hebrew word prayed is an emphatic imperative that denotes extreme intensity. So many of our prayers are just vain repetitions. My own prayers seem anemic compared to Daniel s. Many of us are like the little boy who said his prayers one night and got confused with his rhymes, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If he hollers let him go... eeny, meeny, miney, mo. What? Some of our prayers are so dull and lifeless that we could just say, Dear Lord, yadda, yadda, yadda. Daniel s prayer was filled with urgency and fervency. Ten times he says something like, O, Lord or O, my God. Romans 8:26 says that when we are praying in the Spirit there are often groans that can t be uttered. Have you agonized in prayer? Have you wrestled and groaned when you prayed? What is your prayer time like? Are you like Daniel or are you more like the confused little one? Pray Biblically, Humbly, and Intensely. Pastor Tyler Dinner Theatre Sunday, September 25, 2016 @ 5:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room Cost: $10 per person, $7 for children ages 5 and under Steak, Baked Potato, Green Beans, Salad, Roll, & Dessert CREW is all about learning to be better disciples and growing new disciples of Jesus Christ, as we are instructed in scripture to do. Our goal here at Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to build the kingdom of God together. This month, CREW will have a booth at the Chowan County Fair where we will share information about our church and our upcoming activities. The dates of the fair are September 27 - October 1. To find our how you can help out, see Pastor Tyler! Building Fund Offering - September 4, 2016
THE ANCHOR PAGE 6 Baptist Women The Baptist Women are in need of a Director or Co-Directors. Please prayerfully consider how God can use you for His service in this leadership position. Overview of the Baptist Women s Director Job Description Purpose: To plan, coordinate, support, and promote all mission activities of the Baptist Women Duties include: * Communicating with Circles about local, associational, state, and national mission projects * Working with the Pastor to plan Weeks of Prayer and determine goals for Lottie Moon & Annie Armstrong Offerings * Submitting budget requests to Finance Committee * Serving as a sounding board for each Circle s ideas, suggestions, and concerns * Transporting (or delegating the transportation of) items and monies collected by each Circle to the appointed drop-off point * Submitting information to Church Secretary regarding subscriptions for magazines (ex. Missions Mosaic, Journey, etc.) and any other materials needed by the Circles Baptist Men s Breakfast Bap ist Men Sunday, September 18 at 7:30 AM in the Special Function Room Senior Adults Day Trip Spirit of Norfolk Lunch Cruise September 21 For those who have signed up and paid, we will be leaving the Church @ 8:30 AM, will board the Ship @ 11:30 AM, and the Cruise will last from 12 Noon - 2 PM. New Address Mrs. Ethel Perry Golden Living Center - Greenville 2910 MacGregor Downs Drive P.O. Box 5046 Greenville, NC 27834 Cruise includes lunch, a narrated tour of the Naval Base, and other fun activities on board the ship. Contact Peggy Weiss for any questions.
PAGE 7 THE ANCHOR Bible Drill 2016 Rocky Hock Bible Drill will begin in September. Bible Drill empowers children to learn to express their faith and hide God s Word in their hearts. Along with memory skills, the Drillers learn that God s Word is a lamp unto their feet and that the Bible should be handled correctly and with proper respect. Drillers are taught the importance of honesty, self-discipline, and having personal honor and integrity during the drills. March and April will be the months for Church Drill and Associational Drill to determine who will advance to the Regional Drill. The Holman Christian Standard Bible is used for Drillers. We have these Bibles at church and all training materials are provided. The purpose of Children s Bible Drill is to help children in Grades 4-6 to: increase their knowledge of the Bible and to be able to apply this knowledge in living their life with Christ develop skills in locating Bible books and key passages memorize the names of the books of the Bible in order and the verses and key passages identified on the current Children s Bible Drill verse card develop skills in the proper handling of the Bible Each child who participates in Children s Bible Drill will: learn the names of, and be able to locate, the 66 books of the Bible memorize the 25 verses and their references printed in the current cycle of Children s Bible Drill resources learn the names, references, and locations in the Bible of 10 key passages printed in the current Children s Bible Drill resources explore how these passages of scripture can help them in their daily life respond to each of the drills within 10 seconds When a child participates in Children s Bible Drill for three years, he or she has the opportunity to learn 75 Bible verses, 30 key passages, and the names and sequence of the 66 books of the Bible Eligibility: Children who are in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades for the current church year are eligible to participate. Third graders may participate in their Church Bible Drill only. I look forward to this year of Bible Drill and what the Lord has to offer to us as a church and to our children of the church. Pray for the children who decide to participate in Bible Drill this year. Pray that they will have concentration, accuracy, speed, and patience with themselves. Any questions, please call me at 331-3631 or 221-8424. God Bless, Donald Bass Kids helping Kids (GA s, RA s, and Youth) October 8th @ Camp Cale to benefit Mukhanyo Christian Academy, South Africa Rocky Hock Baptist Church 2016 Sign up in the connecting corridor by September 11th
THE ANCHOR PAGE 8 Serve the Lord with gladness... ~ Psalms 100: 2 Deacon Ministry Teams Deacon Greeters 8/28/16 9/3/16 Keith Nixon, Scott Noble, Phil Smith 9/4/16 9/10/16 Russell Byrum, Col. Bill Smith, Chris Sykes 9/11/16 9/17/16 Wayne Howell, Ted Peele, Bill Smith 9/18/16 9/24/16 Adam Bunch, Steve Evans, Allen Peele 9/25/16 10/1/16 Fenton Eure, Ruston Howell, Fred Smith Offering Lee Bass (Chairman), Donald Bass (Co-Chairman), Wayne Bunch, Allen Peele, Bill (Janet) Smith, Phil Smith Sr. Adult SS Center: Lee Bass Sanctuary Main: Allen Peele Connecting Corridor: Steve Evans Multi-Purpose Main: Carroll Evans Ushers Neal Bass, Tony Bass, Matthew Evans, Leon Hemmings, Aubrey Tynch, Stanley Tynch, Bob Wallace Counting Committee Mike Evans, Frank & Hope Gosser, Carroll & Judy Peele September Flip Flops / Shoes Needed for September Canned Tuna or Chicken
PAGE 9 THE ANCHOR Nursery & Pre-School Workers During Sunday School 1st Sunday Penny Byrum Linda Layton Lisa Smith 2nd Sunday Ashley Byrum Kristia Noble Michelle Tynch 3rd Sunday Mary Jo Bass Amanda Howell Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Bonnie Bond Holly Evans Marcia Evans 5th Sunday Arlene Bass Betty Bunch Beth Evans * indicates teachers of the week 1st Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Catina Byrum Faith Byrum Molli Riddick Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Joey & Ashley Byrum Amanda Howell *Laura Turner Sunday AM Worship (Nursery) 1st Sunday Maryann Bunch Kim Forehand Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Lindsay Smith 2nd Sunday Alanna Bass Melissa Chappell Lauren Smith Peggy Weiss 3rd Sunday Amanda Goodwin Jessica Hoggard Kristia Noble Tanya Turner Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Laura Bass Dawn Bunch Gloria Horton Amanda Howell 5th Sunday Claire Evans Karen Miller Kristia Noble Mia Noble 2nd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Regina Copeland Kim Forehand Chelsea White Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) Gloria Horton *Jay & Felicia Parrish Chandler Cone *Mike & Heather Denny Sunday AM Worship (2 year olds) 1st Sunday Louvenia Stewart Amanda O Kelley 2nd Sunday Holly Evans 3rd Sunday Hope Gosser Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Anna Evans Karen Smith Logan Smith 5th Sunday Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Children s Church 3rd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Carolyn Bassett Cher Bassett Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Trey & Alanna Bass *Wayne & Donna Harrell LeAnn Nixon Sunday PM Worship 1st Sunday Sue Hoggard Amber Young 2nd Sunday Karen Miller Rene` Smith 3rd Sunday Karen Miller Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Donna Harrell Audrey Eley 5th Sunday Ashley Byrum Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Sherlynne Smith Amber Young Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Sharon Nixon Chris & Susan Sykes *Mike & Heather Denny Wednesday PM Worship 1st Wednesday Leslie Peele Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Chris & Susan Sykes 2nd Wednesday Rhonda Bass Laura Turner Mission Friends Kim Forehand Sherlynne Smith 3rd Wednesday Ashley Byrum Linda Layton Mission Friends Molli Riddick 4th Wednesday Alanna Bass Molli Riddick _Mission Friends Dawn Bunch Chandler Cone 5th Wednesday Gloria Horton Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Sallie Chappell Molli Riddick 5th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Allen & Sarah Nixon No Children s Church for Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) on 5th Sunday
Rocky Hock Baptist Church 113 Rocky Hock Church Road Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID EDENTON, NC PERMIT NO. 127 Check us out on the web at www.rhbce.org Weekly Church Activities: Sundays: 9:45 AM - Bible Study for all ages 10:55 AM - Worship 5:45 PM - GROW - Kids In Discipleship (K.I.D. Groups) 6:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) Tuesdays: 10:00 AM - Young at Heart Adult Bible Study 4th Tuesdays: 7:00 PM - Prayer Shawl Ministry 7:00 PM - Senior Adult Choir Wednesdays: 7:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth); GROW (Children - Mission Friends, GA s, RA s) 8:00 PM - Sanctuary Choir Dr. James Horton, Senior Pastor jhorton@rhbce.org Mike Denny, Associate Pastor: Youth & Children mdenny@rhbce.org 221-4948 (Home) 336-266-9493 (Cell) Tyler Cone, Associate Pastor: Worship & Education 252-903-2565 (Cell) tcone@rhbce.org Mr. Allen Peele, Chairman of Deacons Mrs. Linda B. Bunch, Administrative Assistant lbunch@rhbce.org 221-8814 (Home) 221-4133 (Office)