May Newsletter - Memorial Baptist Church

What a great month at Memorial. The emphasis
of prayer during Wednesday evening studies thru
the whole church was great. Have you ever
thought, “Why me Lord”. The Wednesday Night
Teen Ministry participated in a prayer study by
Francis Chan. We learned key factors of prayer
and why we pray. Most of us expect Jesus to
answer us by telling us what we need to know or
receive. The class was surveyed and nobody in
the class had heard the voice of God. It was also
discovered that most in the class had a one way
prayer life, which is where we ask but wait for an
answer instead of seeking one. We learned that
God talks to most people thru His word, the
Bible, and thoughts impressed in our minds by
the Spirit. The study pointed out that people must
have courage to pray even if by yourself since
you are talking to the Creator, the Most High. A
personal prayer life is one of the most powerful
actions a person can do because you can gain
emotional strength, receive comfort, get answers,
or just talk to God. We have to remember that He
created us in His image for the purpose to be able
to have a personal relationship with Him.
The group is looking at going to JFest on May
21st and 22 in Chattanooga. Anyone interested
contact Candy McNeely. Just as a reminder that
adults are invited to attend our classes (it is youth
style) if you want to see how we worship.
Always be in prayer for us
Memorial
Baptist Chur ch
Newsletter
P.O. Box 39
Crossville, TN
Phone: 931-484-9278
Fax: 931-484-9383
E-mail: [email protected]
In his book, “I Will,” Thom Rainer tells of a guy
whose commitment was to be admired. In spite of
terrible weather and low temperatures, this guy
pushed through the difficult circumstances in order to
attend a college football game. After all, he enjoyed
the fellowship with other fans and shared the same
belief that their team was the greatest. His presence
vividly demonstrated his love and commitment.
By the way, the same guy did not attend
church worship services the next day. He was tired
from the ball game. And there was a forty percent
chance of rain!
Children’s Ministry
Kids On Mission
The MBC kids visited Life Care
Center nursing home on Wednesday
night after learning to Pray,
Give, and Go while studying the
Annie Armstrong Easter offering
for North American Missions and
learning about the missionaries.
We pray that they will continue
to serve God in big and small
ways.
While people will tell you how committed
they are, their presence speaks the truth about it. I
know there are sometimes circumstances which may
prohibit us from being in worship, but how many
times is our absence simply a choice we make.
2016
1858 Sparta Hwy
Crossville, TN
Bill Bruce
1858 Sparta Hwy
Pastor’s Page
www.mbccrossville.org
[email protected]
Tel: 931-484-9278
I love the picture of commitment shown by
the early church in Acts 2:46-47 (look it up). It talks
about how joyful they were in
gathering for worship. It says
that it was a practice that they
“devoted themselves to.”
Why were they so
joyful? Because they were not
gathering to check off some
legalistic guidelines. They were gathering to focus on
God. They did not go for a worship experience. They
went to experience God in worship!
We live in a world that sees church as a place
to have their self-centered needs met. As Christians,
we should go to worship the one true God as we
serve alongside other believers. Just something to
think about as we demonstrate our commitment.
To God Be the Glory!
Pastor Scott
The kids delivered 65 messages
of love to the residents of the
nursing home.
Sunday School and You
Bill Pressly,
Sunday School Director
THE DREADED
SUMMER SLUMP!
It’s springtime and summer is
coming up which, for Sunday
Schools across the nation, is a
time when attendance begins to
drop off. What is it about the post
-Easter, warm weather season
that affects people’s commitment
to Sunday School (and church)?
While I do not question the
importance of people taking
summer vacations and enjoying
God’s creation, I do feel it is
important to make your warm
weather plans for the upcoming
season to include Sunday School.
But don’t fool yourself, if taking a
summer vacation was the answer
to the question of why there is
a declining Sunday School
attendance during the warm
weather season, wouldn’t people
just take a two-week break from
Sunday School and church and
not be absent for most of the
season? Obviously, there is more
to the annual phenomenon of
declining attendance than meets
the eye.
In Sunday School, we sometimes talk
about the importance of living the
Christian life so that others may see Him
in us. If you constantly show your kids
and others that taking an extended
vacation from Sunday School and church
during the warm weather season is okay,
what kind of example are you setting?
What kind of witnessing are you making?
When skipping Sunday School and church
becomes more than occasional, are you not
showing others that whatever the reasons
for doing so trump God and church? Of
course, the same can be said of skipping
Sunday School and church during other
seasons as well. Habits are hard to break.
Wouldn’t it be great to experience a
summer surge versus decline in attendance this year? There is not a verse in the
bible that says that “Full Surrender” is only
necessary in the fall or that worship is
necessary only in the winter months.
What the bible does say is that we are not
to “give up meeting together, as some are
in the habit of doing ….” (Hebrews 10:5)
BE A GOOD ROLE
MODEL FOR YOUR
KIDS AND WITNESS
TO OTHERS - STOP
THE SUMMER
SLUMP.
SEE YOU IN
SUNDAY CHOOL!!!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
UPLIFTERS
The Uplifters would like to invite every
church member who has been touched
by cancer to a reception and time of
fellowship on Monday May 16 at 6:00 pm
in the Old Sanctuary/Children’s Area of
the church. We also would like to remind
everyone that May 29 has been
designated “Survivor Sunday” and will
feature morning services dedicated to
the fight against cancer followed by the
Uplifters “Italian Feast” fun-raising
luncheon. This year we have added the
“Purple Games” in furtherance of the
Relay for Life motto for 2016 “Paint Your
World Purple.” The “Purple Games” will
include fun contests between teams from
Sunday School classes as well as other
“purple” activities for everyone. There
also will be fun activities for the
children as well.
VBS is a month away - the most fun and
perhaps most important event of the year
for our church. Volunteers have attended
the VBS clinic (see pictures below) and
now we have to turn our attention to
recruitment.
VBS is an event during which our children
continue learning about Jesus in a fun and
active environment and, more importantly,
an event designed to reach children who
may not attend church on a regular basis.
This gives families of the church an
opportunity to invite visitors, neighborhood
kids, children of co-workers, family
members who do not attend church,
disadvantage kids, etc. to come and enjoy
the fun while learning about Jesus. The
VBS Planning group will handle general
promotion activities for VBS but, if we truly
want to use VBS to reach the lost as the
Great Commission commands, each one
of us individually must be committed to
recruiting attendees.
The expedition begins June 5 so mark
your calendars and invite all the kids who
need to learn more about Jesus (that
would be all kids) and how He saw people
for who they were deep down below the
surface!