THE VENTURES - Emerywood Baptist Church

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THINK.
LIVE.
SERVE.
FAITHFULLY.
T HE V ENTURES
THINKING ALOUD
The “dog days of summer” are
upon us. How many times have I
heard that expression and thought
that it referred to the laziness of
canines in the August heat in the
deep South! However, I was
surprised to learn that this
expression had its roots in the
Mediterranean. According to
Wikipedia: The coincidence of
very warm temperatures in the
early civilizations in North Africa
and the Near East with the rising,
at sunrise (i.e., the heliacal
rising), of Orion's dog, the dog
star Sirius, led to the association
of this phrase with these
conditions, an association that
traces to the Egyptians and
appears in the ancient written
poetic and other records of the
Greeks (e.g., Hesiod, Aratus, and
Homer in The Iliad) and the later
Romans.
So, while “dog days” does have to
do with heat, it has nothing to do
with our old lazy cocker spaniel
who lays around wherever she
can find a coolish place. What
does this have to do with
church” you are probably
asking. Everything.
The weather this summer has
been an unusual (for NC)
combination of both hot and wet
— yet most of us do not suffer
SUMMER SUNDAYS
Bible Study – 9 am
One Worship – 10 am
because of the miracle of “air
conditioning.” While we enjoy
this comfort and could not
imagine living without it, air
conditioning has changed the
nature of the South. Whereas
once we sat on our porches, drank
ice tea, and chatted with our
neighbors — now we sit indoors,
cool and refreshed — and chat
with people from around the
world on Facebook, Twitter or
whatever social medium we elect.
Or, we stare at the television,
letting that box entertain us.
(One of the prime indicators of
personal unhappiness/depression
is the amount of hours in which
one engages television?) The
result is that we are more likely to
know someone in another country
or state than we are our new
neighbor; we are more likely to
have binge watched a show on
Netflix than to have talked with a
friend for a hour a day.
What does all this have to do
with church? Do you know why
people join cults? They do not
join because of the lure of the
teachings or the “truth” that they
are learning. They join because of
other people, because of the
community/love/acceptance
which they find in the cult. We
humans have an innate desire for
love/acceptance and we will go
where we receive that, no matter
what the “message” may be
otherwise.
August is a busy time when we
are all finishing up summer
August 2016
Volume XLV,
Issue 08
Dr. Bob Ferguson
vacations and getting ready for
school. Business, which may
have slacked off a bit in the
summer, now is running full
bore as we prepare for
September and a return to
“normal” — whatever that may
be. This is also a time when
people are often willing to
explore what a church may have
to offer them in terms of
community & acceptance along
with educational and missional
opportunities. Our Ministerial
Staff and Ministry Teams are
diligently preparing for a great
fall and even greater 2017.
Now would be a good time to
invite and BRING an
unchurched family to worship
with us. They will acquire a
good feel for the rhythm and
flow of our church, our worship,
and our way of following Jesus
Christ. In a still time of slower
pace they will be able to look
behind the curtains and see who
we really are — and not just the
pr pieces! What better time than
now to introduce someone to
our fellowship?
So, dog days or not (our church
air conditioning is working!) —
reach out to a neighbor, a
friend, a new acquaintance and
see if EBC might be the home for
which they are searching. We
never know for what/who
another is looking until we ask
and invite.
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The Ventures
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Rev. Meg Lacy
LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY
If you were with us in Worship
on Sunday, July 17th, you met
Rev. Josh Speight who was
visiting with us to say a few
words about the CBF Fellows
Program and my involvement
in it. This is such an exciting
opportunity, and I’m thrilled to
be a part of it! If you were
unable to be with us this
particular Sunday, the CBF
Fellows Program seeks to
support, encourage, and
connect, young clergy in their
first full time ministry setting.
As you may have heard, the
statistics on longevity in
ministry are not good—over
30% of clergy leave ministry
within their first five years.
Only 1 in 10 ministers retire
from the ministry—meaning 9
out of 10 find a different
profession or path somewhere
along the way. Depending on
which research you are reading,
somewhere between 1,200 and
1,700 ministers leave their
churches every year, and
burnout is consistently cited as
the number one reason for their
departure.
I don’t tell you these statistics
to alarm you, or to incite your
pity. I enjoy my job… and I
work hard to have healthy
boundaries with you so I can
continue to enjoy it! Most
ministers, I think, want to avoid
becoming one of these
heartbreaking statistics, and
our denomination, the CBF,
along with many other
denominations are taking note
of these alarming numbers and
trying to offer help.
Denominations and
endowments across the
country are creating programs
and resources for clergy
renewal and support—for
clergy coaching and
counseling, sabbatical
practices, peer learning groups,
and initiatives focused on
physical and emotional
wellbeing. The CBF Fellows
program is one of these
opportunities—a program that
is seeking to help young
ministers create healthy
boundaries, support systems,
and life-giving practices early
on in their careers. I am
honored to have been accepted
into this cohort, to be invited
to grow and learn with 16
other young ministers,
navigating the waters of
ministry and encountering new
terrain that we may not have
originally expected. If you’d
like more info about the
program, you can read about it
here:
https://cbfblog.com/2016/05/
16/cbf-names-16-ministers-asfellows-to-assist-in-their-firstcall/
I’m grateful that our
congregation has been so
supportive of this adventure,
and I want to reiterate one of
the things Josh said in
Worship: The CBF Fellows
covenant is not just a covenant
between the minister and the
Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship, it also involves
congregation. Your support,
your prayers, you willingness to
let me travel and learn, is a
huge part of this journey, as is
your openness to what I bring
back to EBC from my retreats
with this group. My hope is that
participating in CBF Fellows
does not just benefit me, as I
find my way as a young
minister, but that it also
benefits you—this faith
community, our church. I pray
that through my involvement in
the Fellows, our congregation
finds new energy, vision,
connection, and health. That as
I learn and grow, I am able to
bring that back as a gift to you,
to help us all to learn and grow
together.
I covet your prayers,
encouragement, and love as I
begin this journey, and I also
encourage you to continue to
support, love, pray, and care
for all of our staff. We love you
deeply and dearly. Thank you
for all the ways you love and
take care of us, in return.
Thank you for wanting us to be
healthy and whole, and
supporting us in this pursuit, so
that we don’t become just
another statistic of a minister
crippled by burnout, but so that
we can serve you with
commitment, strength, vision,
and longevity.
Blessings!
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Rev. Caleb Foust
A WORD FROM NEVERLAND
Greetings! What a joy it is to be
able to express how excited I
am to be here. I cannot tell you
how much I appreciate the
welcomes, and the dinners, and
the moving help, the smiling
faces and the introductions as
we adjust to life in High Point
and at Emerywood. In my cover
letter during my interview
process I shared about one of
my favorite books, Peter Pan.
I try to read it as often as I can
with Ava before she goes to bed
at night. Some nights we don’t
get to it and on the nights that
we do we read anywhere
between 2 words to 2 pages,
but we read it as often as a 20
month old will allow so that I
can share this memory and the
story beyond the story that is
Peter Pan. There are many
reasons that this is one of my
favorite books. Perhaps it is
because in the next few days I
will say goodbye to my 20’s and
I am secretly trying to hold on
to my youth, it could be
because I, like everyone who
has ever been 4, want to be
able to fly. Or, it could be
because the community that
exists within the Lost Boys and
their magical home of
Neverland is an inspiring look
at what it means to have a
family that transcends blood.
However, I think that the main
reason I love Peter Pan so much
is because Peter reminds those
around him that not growing
up and embracing a youthful
state helps us to hold onto the
understanding that anything is
possible. It is a lifestyle I see
lived out among students, and
it is a mindset that I think the
Church universal could stand
to be reminded of. Sometimes
the pressures of life get in the
way of expressing to those
around us we worship a God
who makes anything possible.
One of the things I enjoy so
much about Student Ministry is
that most students still know
that through faith, anything is
possible.
This is a critical thing for us as
a global Church and it is
something that I encourage us
as a congregation to continue
to ask our students to lead us
in. Throughout this fall we are
adding opportunities for
Sunday School Classes, and
individuals to prepare
breakfast and share a meal
with the students on Sunday
mornings so that we can focus
intentionally on doing life
together on a weekly basis. It is
my hope that through this time
at the table together the
wisdom and energy will bond
together as we work towards
discovering a fresh way to be
God’s people to the world
around us. Through the
sharing of life stories (and
food) we can all channel our
inner Peter Pan and refuse to
grow out the belief that
anything is possible. And as a
result we can live in a way that
expresses just that.
If you or your class would like
to volunteer to cook/provide
breakfast one Sunday morning
please let me know. I look
forward to continuing to meet
each of you as we walk this
journey together!
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SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY TEACHERS
WOMEN’S MINISTRY NEWS
Commissioning Service
Sunday, August 28
It’s that time of year again! We are so grateful
for all you do as teachers, and we want to
recognize and celebrate your talent and your
investment in our congregation! Your
commitment, care, enthusiasm, and creativity
are what give life to our Sunday Morning Bible
Study groups. Thank you! We literally couldn’t
do it without you.
Team meting
Monday, August 15, 6:30 pm
All women are invited and encouraged
to join our ministry team as we seek
to provide opportunities for spiritual
growth and fellowship for the women of EBC.
We invite you to join our next team meeting on
Monday, August 15th at 6:30 PM in the Gathering
Area
The Spiritual Formation Team would like to
honor your dedication and service on Sunday,
August 28th! We will recognize our teachers
during Worship that morning (10 am), and
following the service, we will host a luncheon
for you and your families! We hope this will be
precious time to gather and fellowship, as well
as say thank you!
Looking Ahead
Saturday, October 1 - Day trip to the Brushy
Mountain Apple Festival in North Wilkesboro and
dinner in Winston Salem
Thursday, October 6 – Women serve at West End
Ministries
Suzi Morris, Ministry Team Chair
[email protected]
Please RSVP by signing up in the Gathering
Area on Sundays or to the church office
([email protected]) by
Monday, August 22nd, if you plan to attend the
luncheon, so we can have the appropriate
amount of food.
Meg and the Spiritual Formation Team
WE WELCOME
SEPTEMBER 11
We return to our regular schedule:
8:45 am
9:45 am
11 am
6 pm
Awakening Worship
Bible Study
Morning Worship
Student Vespers
As our guest minister, Dr. Bill Leonard, author and Professor
of Baptist Studies and Professor of Church History at Wake
Forest University, School of Divinity. Dr. Leonard is a well
known scholar and
engaging speaker on
Baptist history and
heritage. He is also
leading the
Wednesday in the
‘Wood fall kick-off
series, “What Does
It Mean to be
Baptist in 2016?”
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PROJECT CONNECT
Thank you for taking a personal responsibility in supporting the mission of Project Connect.
EBC has had a busy summer of welcoming new members and observing ways they have integrated. We often
forget about the youngest, newest, members. Vacation Bible School was a blessing to witness how these
youngest, newest members integrated into our established relationships. They offered fresh energy and
reminder of how God gives us children to replace worldly troubles.
As we circled around in prayer on the closing night, one of the youngest, newest members prayed “Thank you
for my brother, Lord.” It is hard to leave this statement just for the children of Vacation Bible School! We
should thank God for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
A way to show personal thanks is through a genuine and authentic welcome. This welcome can occur by
attending Suppers for 8 together. Suppers for 8 will restart in August. This will be a time when members are
completing vacations and schedules offer a bit of freedom to have an opening in a week night.
Suppers for 8 is a meal hosted by a church member and 6 other guests sign-up to go on a
particular night. The host provides the entrée, the guests provide the sides/desserts. God
provides the relationship.
Please be encouraged to take time to “thank you for my brother, Lord” and be involved in
one of these suppers. Schedules can be found in the Gathering Area.
SERMON SERIES
Back to the Future: Hearing Hebrews Again/For the First Time?
Hebrews was written to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus to Moses, of the New Covenant to the Old; it
also demonstrates the continuity of faith between the two. These sections begin with the great chapter on
faith and then move to focus on perseverance of our faith in Christ.
August 7th
Hebrews 11:1-16
“Abiding in the In-Between”
August 21st
Hebrews 12:14-29
“The Shaking of the Foundations”
August 14th
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
“Balcony People…”
August 28th
Hebrews 13:1-25
“How Then Shall We Live?”
ELECTRONIC GIVING
Electronic giving through your bank is the simple, convenient, and secure way
to set up scheduled or periodic contributions. Contact the church office for
information. On-line giving is also available through the EBC website.
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“I desire to do your will, my God; Your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 40:8
WORKERS
IN THE ‘WOOD
FACTS & FIGURES
DIACONATE
HOSPITAL VISITATION
August
05
12 & 19
26
Jim Long
Ed Lefler
TR Hendrix
September
02
TR Hendrix
09 & 16 Charles Chavis
HOMEBOUND VISITATION
August
Mary Carroll
September
Carlton & Lamarie Clinard
ADULT SPECIAL CLASS
August
07
Ed Blair
14
Louise Hendrix
21
Don or Margie Boyd
28
Amanda Taylor
September
04
Judy Brice
11
Ginger Michaud
WEST END MINISTRIES MEAL
Coordinator – Michelle Loyd August 4
Adult III/Adult IV Classes
September 1
Ron Young Class Meeting
Sunday, August 21
5 pm
DEACON IN SERVICE
August
07
Ben Partin
14
Woodie Cain
21
Alan Patterson
28 Mallory Ingram June
Income
Expenses
38,742
66,054
(27,312)
Year to date
Income
314,296
Expenses
316,238
(1,942)
September
04
Sandy Bellamy
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit, Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit, Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me, Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me, I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.
Clothed then in blood washed linen, How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry, Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry, Me to realms of endless day.
Words: Robertson
CCLI: 1690286
th
This is Clarence Keever’s favorite hymn. Happy 100 Birthday, Clarence!
The Ventures
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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Victoria Lester
Caleb Foust
Grace Leach
Audrey Puschinsky
Anne Crowder
Steve Lawing
Suzi Morris
Allie Blosser
Larry Kiger
Clarence Keever
Lucy Picha
Jane Cox
Cathy Blackwell
Phyllis Osborne
Alan Patterson
John Setchfield
Lorraine Griffin
Herman Crawford
Jake Kennedy
Elliot Trammell
Eric Allman
Debbie Burton
Warren Gallemore
Brenda Mizelle
Sid Roberts
Scott Webster
Kelly Webster
Rosalind Allen
Addison Cain
Janie Keever
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ANNIVERSARY WISHES
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09
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Jack & Dot Byerly
Woodie & Sandie Cain
Frank & Martha Giles
Kent & Lynn Crawford
Jeremy & Ashley Williams
Bob & Faye Cecil
Royce & Esther Gillis
John & Joyce Setchfield
Alan & Judy Patterson
Ben & Elaine Partin
REMEMBER IN PRAYER
Dana Hatcher
Jim Long
Jane Cox
Charles Chavis Heidi Culler Lucy N elson Emma Durham Bob & Mary Lou Ennis OUR SYMPATHY TO
Happy 100th Birthday
CLARENCE KEEVER
SUMMER SCHEDULE
Sundays
9 am Bible Study
10 am Summer Worship
Wednesdays
11:15 am
Intercessory Prayer
12:00 pm
Wednesday Bible Study
3 – 4:30 pm
Food Pantry
6 pm
Sanctuary Choir rehearsal
Suzan Horton on the death of her
mother, Beverly House, of Little
Rock, AR.
Cathy Warner Blackwell on the
death of her sister, Fay Hill, of
Ontario, Canada.
5:30 pm
6:30 pm
7:15 pm
Jim Trammell on the death of his
uncle, Dr. Robert Trammell of
Luthersville, GA. 03 Bible Study Teacher Training, 6 pm
04 West End Ministries Meal, 4:15 pm
07-09 Staff Retreat
15 Women’s Ministry Team, 6:30 pm
21 Diaconate, 5 pm
22 Spiritual Formation Team, 6 pm
28 Bible Teacher Commissioning, 10 am
28 Bible Teacher Lunch, 11:15 am
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever present hope in times of trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
REGULAR SCHEDULE
Wednesdays beginning
September 7
Fellowship Meal
Programs for the family
Sanctuary Choir
September 11
BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY
Sundays
8:45 am
9:45 am
11 am
6 pm
Awakening Worship
Bible Study
Morning Worship
Student Vespers
EMERYWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH
PERIODICALS
1300 Country Club Drive Ÿ High Point, NC 27262
www.emerywoodbaptistchurch.com
PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID
AT HIGH POINT, NC 27260
The Ventures (USPS 175-000) Published monthly.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
1300 Country Club Dr., High Point, NC 27262
WEDNESDAY NOON BIBLE STUDY
Dr. Bob and Rev. Meg lead a casual Bible study on Wednesdays at noon. Come during your lunch break and
eat around the tables as we discuss the scripture passages that are related to the Worship Service and Sunday
Bible Study passage, as well as additional chapters from the book being used. All ages are invited to join us.
During August the focus is on Hebrews.
WEDNESDAYS IN THE ‘WOOD
Returns on September 7
We kick-off our Fall Season with the series “What Does It Mean to be Baptist in 2016?” Dr. Bill Leonard,
author and Professor of Baptist Studies and Professor of Church History at Wake Forest University, School of
Divinity, will lead the three week series. Dr. Leonard will also lead in worship on Sunday, September 11,
for “Back to Church Sunday.”
Note the following changes for WEDNESDAYS IN THE ‘WOOD:
Time schedule:
Meal service begins:
5:30 pm
Programs for all:
6:30 pm
Sanctuary Choir:
7:15 pm
Meal cost:
Adult/youth meal:
$5 per person
Child (ages 3 – 10) $3 per child
With a family max of $15