May 2014 enewsletter Pastor s Ponders By Dr. Dennis J. Brunet Beloved in Christ We are living in strange but blessed days, proving once again that there are no panics in heaven just plans. The first four months of 2014 have been jam packed with great ministry moments, and the summer will be just the same. Thank you for embracing both the Family Conference and the Answers in Genesis Conference. Your love for the Lord and His Word was a joy to see. The Christian life is not hard work but it is heart work. Every month, every day belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. Most churches seem to disappear during the summer. Not at Midway! God has called us to be faithful to the finish. All our ministries take a stronger step in the summer. Let s enjoy this wonderful life for God and His glory! To those who will visit Midway looking for a church home, let me offer you the Midway challenge. Rather than hop all around, stay with us for one month. Attend for four weeks. Experience the Word of God as it s taught and preached, sense the heart beat and love of God s people and then determine if Midway is the place for you to grow and serve. Give it a try. Never forget you are loved, Bro. Dennis MBC Issue #7 Men s Golf Tournament May 17 Pg 3 Young Singles Scavenger Hunt May 25 Pg 3 Alternative May 10 Contact Bro. Andrew for details
Discipleship By Bro. Pete Belmain Dis ci ples (di sī pǝls): Men, women, boys and girls committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and growing daily in their knowledge, love, and service to Him. I love Spring and more specifically the month of May. To me, May means several things: sunshine, warmer weather, and transformation! As God s beautiful creation transforms from its dormancy to full fledged life I am vividly reminded of the transformation that occurs in the lives of the redeemed. May is the perfect time to share Christ s life, death and resurrection to a world seeking truth. This month let s ask ourselves how we can take the opportunity afforded by the beauty of these days to impact lostness in our community and grow our own faith? Here are a few ideas: 1. Invite a Friend to Church As you read this, I bet a person s face popped into your mind. Why not invite that person to church with you this month? Tell them about your church and your friends there and then encourage them to join you on a Sunday or Wed. night. Now, here is the real challenge...ask them more than once! Statistics show that most people must be asked personally to attend a church service three times before they actually go. Now is the perfect time for them to come so start asking! 2. Build a Relationship Use this month as your first opportunity to start a relationship with an unreached friend, but don t stop there. Building a relationship with someone is key to developing trust and a trustworthy relationship opens the door for sharing your life and the Gospel. We ve equipped you with a perfect tool to help reach the lost and build new relationships... the Truelife.org cards. Grab some, hand them out and show people you care about where they will spend eternity. 3. Get Plugged Into a Small Group No more excuses. You have heard how important being part of a small group is to the Christian s personal growth so stop putting it off and get plugged into one of our great small group Sunday School classes. It is a decision you will not regret. 4. Serve The church consists of individual believers who are called to minister one to another. Are you ministering to those around you? We want to equip you with the tools and motivation to begin serving in a ministry that is a perfect fit for you. This month, purpose to attend Disciple Life Disciple Life 301, Committed to Ministry (May 15). All of our discipleship classes will provide you with vital practices and tools to help you grow and begin serving in the church! Each of these ideas has the potential to positively impact the Kingdom of God. Let s use the beauty of April and the wonder of Easter as the catalyst to begin sharing our faith and growing in Christ-likeness. Midway s discipleship ministries are here to help you develop the traits of authentic Christianity. All you need to do is COME, CONNECT, and GROW! For More Information Minister of Discipleship and Evangelism Bro. Pete Belmain pbelmain@midwaybaptist.org Follow on Twitter @erbelmain Adult Sunday School - Get Connected Sunday Morning at 9:30am. Now is a GREAT time to join a Sunday school class or renew your commitment to attend regularly. We ve concluded our studies in Genesis and are now back in Acts looking at the early history of the church and how it impacts our Page 2 lives today. Come to Sunday school and bring your friends! You ll be blessed, I guarantee it! Bro. Dave Jeffers as our Sunday School Director. Look for him at the Sunday School banner in the FLC lobby on Sunday mornings for assistance finding a class.
Mens Ministry Mighty Men of Midway! Did you love watching Bubba Watson win the Masters last month? Us too and somehow we ve convinced ourselves that golf is a game anyone can play. Grab your clubs and buy some extra balls because Midway s Annual Men s Golf Tournament is Saturday, May 17. This year s event promises to be a great time of fellowship, laughter and even the occasional amazing golf shot. Whether your game is more suited to the PGA or the putt-putt circuit we want you there! Watch for more details in the coming weeks. Womens Ministry Don t miss this months exciting opportunities to fellowship and make new friends. Knitting Hearts: May 6 @ 6:30pm in the FLC Lobby. An opportunity for ladies 18 to 35 to make friends and fellowship. For more information or childcare needs. contact Doozie Bosak at mediadirector@midwaybaptist.org. Ladies Fellowship: Next Fellowship is May 23 @ 6:30pm. Please bring finger foods! Child-care will be provided upon request for age 12 and under. Please contact Erin Belmain (939-7642) if you need child-care. Young Singles Ministry Scavenger Hunt! Sunday, May 25 Details of the event will be posted in Sunday School. Music Ministry Choir: Wasn t it a blessing to see and hear our kids singing to the Lord this Easter? They did a great job, I m sure you ll agree. Moving into summer it s a good time to make use of your abilities and join the choir! We have openings in all voice parts, and you don t even have to know how to read music we ll teach you! Come use Page 3 Adult Ministries Get Involved and Grow in the Lord! Find the ministry opportunity that is right for you! Senior Adult Ministry Our in-depth study of the Book of John continues in May. We will meet at 10:10am every Wed. morning this month and share a wonderful time of Bible study, fellowship and food, May 7 when we all enjoy lunch together and so invite some friends and plan now to join us. Life Change Institute We hope you enjoyed the classes from our recent Life Change Institute (LCI). Remember, we will be offering these same courses when LCI resumes in the summer so you can attend one of the classes you missed! your abilities for the Lord s glory! We practice Wednesday evenings at 7:45. Hope to see you there! Praise Band: Midway members, do you play an instrument? Can you read and play from a chord chart? Do you have a desire to use your talents for the Lord? Talk with Bro. Greg if you d like to be part of this worship leadership team.
Calendar Highlights Wednesday Nights 6:30pm in the FLC 6th - 12th Grade Alternative May 10 Contact Bro. Andrew for details J. A.M. in May 25 @ 5:30pm Jesus Alive in Me Youth Ministy By Bro. Andrew Bosak One of my favorite months of the year is May. The main reason I love May is fishing. The weather heats up and so do the fish. The bait fish are out and the big ones are chasing them. The water temperature rises and the fish are on the move. The conditions for catching monster fish could not be better. It seems like we are living in a dark place, a time of turmoil. Christians seem to be existing in a nation completely against the things of God and in a world that is as contrary to Christ as it s ever been. I m here to tell you that the conditions for fishing could not be better! The darker the day the brighter a light can shine. The more confusion, poverty, persecution, anger, violence, heartache, and disease the more people know that something is wrong. Don t curse the darkness. Shine the light of Christ s love on a dark and dying world! I love hearing Jesus talk about fishing. In Matthew 4:19 Jesus says, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus said to go fishing for men! With the Word of God as your pole, the love of Christ as your bait, and the Kingdom of God as your cooler, go fishing! For More Information Minister of Students Bro. Andrew Bosak 850-932-6549 abosak@midwaybaptist.org Facebook Page 4
Sunday Morning KIDZ CHURCH is awesome! Midway s 1st-5th graders are enjoying a special time of their own where worship, fellowship, and Bible study are the order of the day. KIDZ Church is offered during both the 8 and 10:30am Sunday services so there is a perfect time for your child to attend. In May, we begin the Gospel Project for Kids lessons on the Nation of Israel s return from exile. We encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors so their kids too can hear the good news of the Gospel. Remember to register your child in the Education Bldg. atrium prior to the 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. NOTE: There is no KIDZ Church, May 11 as we will be celebrating Mother s Day together. Please have your 1st-5th grade child attend with you the worship service of your choice If you are a member of Midway and are interested in serving in KIDZ Church please contact Brother Pete Belmain at 850-932-6549. Your newborn - 2 year old children will love our nursery and so will you! An educational and engaging place, our nursery is safe and staffed by loving workers who will care for your child as their own. The nursery opens each Sunday at 7:45 a.m. and on Wednesday nights at 6:15 p.m. Are you interested in serving in this great ministry? Contact Ms. Karen Pyle for more information Our Sunday morning ministry is for kids age 3-K rocks! Kingdom Kidz is designed to help children learn how much Jesus loves them and wants them to know Him! Parents can enjoy a distraction free time of worship knowing their children are enjoying a biblically-based, well-planned, and memorable lesson designed just for them. This month we begin learning about Jesus earthly ministry and of His incredible miracles. Please register your children in Room 101 of the Education Bldg. prior to the 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. Adult members are needed to serve so please call Ms. Erin Belmain, 850-939-7642, for more information on this awesome ministry. Did you know there is a small group Sunday School just the right size for your child? Here they can meet new friends while learning about the love of the Lord. All classes begin at 9:30 a.m. Visit the Welcome Center in the Family Life Center lobby for directions to your child s class. Page 5
Wednesday Night Our nursery is an educational and engaging place for newborns - 2 year old children. Bright, fun and lovingly staffed your child will be safe, secure and loved during the short time you are away. The nursery opens each Sunday at 7:45 a.m. and on Wednesday nights at 6:15 p.m. Are you interested in serving in this great ministry? Contact Ms. Karen Pyle for more information. This high-energy ministry is designed especially for your 1st-5th grader! Your child will love the awesome worship, fun Bible lessons and Scripture memorization as well as all the new friends they will meet! PowerSurge Kidz is simply an awesome place for your child to grow. In May, our kids begin a new series entitled Love Your Neighbor. We ve all heard the Golden Rule, Love your neighbor as you love yourself., but there s a lot involved with obeying that command. This series teaches kids to look beyond appearances and differences, realizing that we have neighbors in places we d never expect. Kids will learn who their neighbors are and how to love them as Christ commanded. In doing so, kids will learn to love Jesus all the more! Register your child in the Education Bldg. atrium from 6:15-6:30 p.m. If you are an adult member of Midway and are interested in serving in this dynamic ministry contact Bro. Pete Belmain at 850-932-6549. Every Wed. evening our 3-K kids experience a wonderful time of playing, singing, exploring and discovering the joy of knowing Jesus Christ. This loving ministry is designed to help children learn the truths of God s Word and to begin burying it in their hearts through Scripture memorization. In May, we are learning Christ s teaching through the Parables. We guarantee that it is a time that will both educate and bless your child. Please register your children at the Sparkplug Kidz classroom (Room 101) in the Education Bldg. from 6:15-6:30 p.m. If you are an adult member of Midway looking for a wonderful place to serve then Contact Erin Belmain to volunteer! Page 6
Church Family New Members We are several months into our Truelife.org ministry, are you still handing out your cards? Remember, these cards are a great and easy way to share the Gospel and at the same time invite people to church. Don t worry about handing out too many cards...its impossible! You can pick up extra cards in your small group Sunday School classroom, the Family Life Center Welcome Center or in the Small Chapel atrium. See Bro. Pete Belmain with any questions or to share a testimony from your recent experiences. Month in June Sunday Nights in June starting @ 6pm Praise Worship Fellowship March - The Zawitkowsky Family Jason and Sarah Jackson, Jonathan, Jesse - The Turner Family Ken and Kim Kade, Kamryn, Karl April - Greg Egenberger - Sandy Lee Birthdays & Anniversaries Birthdays 1 Sarah Boggs, Justin Watson 2 Joshua Smith 5 Rachel Hiatt, Debbie Gunnoe 6 Kerry Christopher, Alma Early, Imogene Holcomb 7 Zachary Beagle, Barbara Graves, LeAnn Blair, Wayne Bonnett 8 Stephanie Deaton 11..Houston Foster, Elaine Foushee, John Varnon 16..Anne Marie Hamby 18..Angel Humphrey, Evan Platt 19..Dana Walker 20..Keith Romigh 21..John Carey Sr. 24..Josh Carey, Barbara Martin, Nathan Davis 25..Flora Dugger, Christy Pernell 26..Rebekah Foushee, Joshua Hiatt 28..Christina Sutton 29..Sawyer Wright, Hudson Leonard 30..Kyle Simpson Anniversaries 14.Russell and Jenny Grooms Danny and Deb O Harrow Gary and Sally Woodman 17.Keith and Carol Romigh 18.Jesse and Ashton Wedemeyer 19.Houston and Irene Foster 20.Greg and Karen Pyle Ulyan and Nadia Atamanyuk 22.Clarence and Julie Janson 30.Wayne and Sara Bonnett Page 7