AWESOME! - Community Baptist Maylene

REV. BO BROWN, P a s to r
663.2340 (H) • 427.2340 (C) • [email protected]
JONATHAN LOWERY, Y o u t h M i n i s t e r & A s s o c i at e P a s to r
670-7027 (H) • 283-8396 (C) • Jjlowery2121@char ter.net
MELISSA CALTON, C h i l d r e n ’ s M i n i s t e r & A s s o c i at e P a s to r
620.6022 (H) • 790.5419 (C) • [email protected]
Matt Monk • E d u c at i o n M i n i s t e r
663-7490 (H) • 368-8785 (C) • [email protected]
DAVE MILLER, M u s i c M i n i s t e r & A s s o c i at e P a s to r
478-4775 (C) • cbcmusic@char ter.net
LISA SHADIX • C h u r c h S e c r e ta ry
837.4762(C) • ssecretar [email protected]
DAVE SHORT, Custodian
663-0050 (H) • 682-0778 (C)
DEACONS
M I K E ( DA N A ) H O L L I N G S WO RT H , Chairman
6 6 3 - 4 6 7 2 ( H ) • 2 4 0 - 0 4 9 6 (C)
m ike l e e h o l l i n g s wo r t h @ a t t.net
B R I A N ( M A N DY ) M E A L E R , V i c e Chairman
2 4 3 - 8 1 6 1 ( H ) • 2 4 3 - 3 5 7 6 (C)
[email protected]
B R I A N ( M A R I O N ) B A R N E TT
396-8494 (C)
b b a r n e t t 9 2 4 6 @ c h a r t e r . net
M I K E ( B O B B I E ) C A RT E R
6 6 3 - 4 3 7 7 ( H ) • 3 6 9 - 3 1 0 9 (C)
J AY [ C H E RY L ] C O F I E L D
936-3822 (C)
[email protected]
R U S S ( A L I S A ) C O M P TO N
4 2 5 - 2 2 3 4 ( H ) • 5 1 5 - 5 3 4 5 (C)
[email protected]
BOB EMRICK
441-8027 (C)
[email protected]
A N DY [ D O N A ] G A R R E T T
229-2366 (C)
g a r r e t t _ a n d y @ y a h o o . c om
BRAD [TINA] GOGGINS
3 5 8 - 8 2 8 8 ( H ) • 5 3 3 - 0 3 3 0 (C)
br a d @ s n o o z y b o o k s t o r e . c om
ROB [LEE] JOLLEY
215-0476 (C)
[email protected]
J I M [ S H A R O N ] K I L PAT R I CK
6 6 3 - 6 8 7 9 ( H ) • 2 2 2 - 6 5 7 4 (C)
[email protected]
DAV I D M A N N I N G
383-5000 (C)
[email protected]
D O U G ( T E R R I ) M C G A U G HY
999-0962 (C)
d o u g m c g a u g hy @ g m a i l . c om
B I L L Y [ B R E N DA ] M I M S
307-9253 (C)
[email protected]
JACKIE (GWYN) MIMS
6 8 5 - 9 0 0 6 ( H ) • 5 8 7 - 1 3 3 8 (C)
m i m s 9 0 0 6 @ b e l l s o u t h . n et
TO M [ C L A R A ] P O S E Y
4 2 5 - 3 9 1 9 ( H ) • 6 4 3 - 8 6 6 7 (C)
t o m p o s ey 3 9 1 9 @ a t t . n e t
DA N N Y ( D E N B Y ) P OT T S
6 2 0 - 1 3 0 2 ( H ) • 5 4 1 - 4 8 4 3 (C)
Tr e k N o i d @ a o l . c o m
DON [LISA] SHADIX
540-2884 (C)
[email protected]
PAT ( R H O N DA ) WA R D
6 2 0 - 3 4 5 6 ( H ) • 4 8 2 - 5 6 0 6 (C)
[email protected]
CH R I S [ J E N N I F E R ] WO F F ORD
6 2 1 - 3 6 9 4 ( H ) • 6 1 3 - 0 9 3 7 (C)
c h r i s t o p h e r . wo f f o r d @ i p a c c .com
NON-PROFIT ORG .
U.S . POSTAGE PAID
ALABASTER, AL
35007
PERMIT NO. 9
G od I s
Go od. . .
A ll t h e
T i m e!
8 2 5 4 H i g h w a y 1 7 • P. O . B o x 1 5 9 • M a y l e n e , AL 3 5 114 • 205.664.1675
BE SURE TO VISIT US at
www.communitybaptistmaylene .com
MA R C H 2 0 1 4
SUNDAY SCHOOL • 9:45 / WORSHIP • 8:30 & 11:00 AM • 6:00 PM • WED. BIBLE STUDY • 6:30 PM
AW E S O M E !
DR. FRED LUTER VISITS
DR. FRED LUTER, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTIION AND SENIOR PASTOR OF FRANKLIN AVENUE BAPTISRT CHURCH
IN NEW ORLEANS(LEFT) AND BRO. BO TAKE A MOMENT FOR A PICTURE TOGETHER AFTER BRO. FRED DELIVERED A STIRRING MESSAGE
AT OUR SPECIAL MIDWEEK WORSHIP SERVICE FEBRUARY 26TH. FOR MORE ABOUT THE SPECIAL EVENING, SEE PAGE 5. (PHOTO
folks
folks just
just like
like you
you
Page A Fond
Farewell
Ma
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2014
A Fond Farewell
daniel elijah
johns
J anuary 16, 2014 F ebruary 1, 2014
Kara and Shaun Johns excitedly approached the arrival
of their third child–son, Daniel Eric Johns–and he arrived to their delight on Januar y 16, 2014. The couple’s
delight was dampened soon thereafter when Daniel
demonstrated symptoms of hear t problems and a series
of effor ts to address his medical difficulties ensued.
Over his shor t 16-day lifespan, Daniel demonstrated
a warrior’s fight in his struggle to remain here, but , in
time, that battle was lost and he escaped to God’s welcoming arms on Saturday, Februar y 1st.
In addition to his parents, Daniel left behind an older brother, Ian, and sister, Kaitlyn, paternal grandmother,
Betty Johns, and maternal grandparents, Buddy and Donna Brantley. He also left behind a legacy of strength and
struggle that touched and inspired ever yone who came
in contact with one of God’s “blue babies.” Although
we may personally find it challenging to understand the
passing of one so small, we were blessed to have known
him for a while as he fulfilled God’s purpose for his brief
sojourn here.
INSIDE
Fond Farewells
From Your Pastor’s Heart
CBC Newsbits
Fred Luter Visit
Senior Adults
The Birds Nest
Community Women Connecting
Youth
Kids
New Members
Discipleship Training
Birth Announcements
Joe McKeever
Missions
Outreach
Passion Week
Mrs. Ann Burnett
Big Dog Speaks
Community Opportunities
2
3
4
5
6
6
7
8
10
12
14
15
16
18
20
21
22
23
24
loval lowe
JUNE 26, 1929 - FEBRUARY 8, 2014
Mrs. Loval Lowe, who had been a long-time member of
the First Baptist Church of Helena, joined Community
Baptist on October 24, 2010, and was a faithful member
of the Senior Adult Sunday School class. She lost her
husband of 59 years, Lloyd Cecil Lowe, on November
9, 2011, and had also been predeceased by a son, Jerr y
Lowe. She also left behind two sons, David and Paul,
four grandchildren and numerous other family members
and friends.
A sweet lady who had devoted much time and attention to her husband’s care in the failing health of his
later years, Mrs. Loval was a warm and pleasant lady
who laughed easily and was well-respected and -loved.
The LORD has done
great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Psalm 126:3
P.O. BOX 159 • MAYLENE, AL 35114
205.664.1675
Periodicals postage paid at Alabaster, AL 35007.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHRUCH
P.O. BOX 159 • MAYLENE, AL 35114
Published periodically by Community Baptist Church
8254 Highway 17 (P.O. Box 159) • Maylene, AL 35114
Ma
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2 0 1 4 Page WHAT A
WONDERFUL BEGINNING
From
Your
Pastor’s
Heart
RevERAND
Bo
B r own
What a wonderful beginning to our year here at CBC!
We have been blessed with incredible guest speakers, have welcomed many
new members to our church family, and have witnessed both young and old give
their hearts to Christ for the first time. Truly we have been blessed, but such is
the history of our Church. God has had his hand on this place for a long time,
but as remarkable as it has already been, God has only just begun.
We could rest on our laurels and sing praises of what has taken place, or we
can look in faith to a future that God holds in His hands. I don’t know about
you, but as I grow older I want to look back and rest, get comfortable, and keep
the status quo, but that is not the Biblical mandate we have been given. Instead we are tasked with continuing the challenge placed before us, searching
for God’s direction and following passionately after His will and reaching His
people.
We may have been blessed, but God is not done. We may have seen God
move, but God still is moving. We may have thought we have seen the mountain top, but God says keep on climbing. As your Pastor I am excited about
what God is doing , and even more excited about what He is going to do!
Let us be found not staring back, but in conviction continuing the faith
walk that has defined our Church. It is within that step of faith that we truly
can say –
G od is G ood ~ A ll the T ime .
“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is
ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, all who are mature should think this way.
And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.”
Philippians 3:13-15
Thankful and Blessed to be your Pastor,
Brother Bo
G od is G ood - A ll the T ime !!!
Page Ma
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2014
Bulletins from All Over!
COMMUNITY BAPTIST NEWSBITS . . .
• more than 50
couples participate
in inaugural married couples valentines date night
More than four times the
number of couples Bro.
Bo had hoped to have be
part of our first-ever Married Couples Valentines
Date Night were on hand the evening of February
14th in the sanctuary. Following a special meal and
some skits by the Drama Team, marriage and family
counselor and therapist, Paul Johnson, led everyone through a light-hearted but insightful exercise
designed to help everyone better understand the
type of relationship and social animal they and their
spouses are. It was a unique and beneficial evening,
and follow-up evaluations are in progress now.
• scott davis brings levity to church
on super bowl sunday
Comedian Scott Davis
dropped past CBC on
Sunday evening, February
5th and provided folks
in attendance a time of
great fun and humor that
proved to be far better
than the Freezer Bowl
between the Seahawks
and the Broncos that
same evening. After
providing a lot of laughter and some uncomfortable
glances when some things hit a little close to home,
Scott closed by singing his own arrangement of
George Beverly Shea’s “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”
• cbc men
The CBC Men held their quarterly breakfast meeting
on Saturday morning, January 11th. The food was
great and the devotional time was special. Time was
also devoted to discussing future plans.
The group’s next quarterly breakfast meeting is
scheduled for Saturday, April 5th, starting at 7:30
a.m.
• spring work day
Our Spring church-wide Work Day at the church will
be held Saturday, April 12th, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
If possible, make plans to join other members of the
church family as we spruce up the church premises
for the fast-approaching Easter season and coming
summer. As usual, there will be cleaning and painting and straightening and purging and landscaping
and who-knows-what-else to be done. But it always
makes the day go better and more quickly when
a good number of folks are on hand and ready to
work. Hope we’ll see you then.
• NOMINATING
As we’ve hit the mid-point of the current church
year, our Nominating Team is gearing up to work
through the process of locating and engaging members to assume positions of teaching and ministry
during the 2014-2015 church year. As we’ve grown
in number and ministries, so has our need for individuals with a heart for teaching and ministering. So
if you believe you might be interested in taking on
a role in our continuing growth and development,
please contact Bro. Matt Monk.
DVD
RECORDINGS
OF OUR SPECIAL MIDWEEK SERVICE WITH DR.
FRED LUTER ARE AVAILABLE
FREE. PLEASE CONTACT THE
CHURCH OFFICE IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO OBTAIN
ONE.
• new member and prospects classes
If you’re curious about the details of our denominational history and principles, our own church’s
history, vision, and beliefs, the structure of the
church organization and its various opportunities for
service and growth, and a variety of other beneficial
types of information our New Members and Prospects Class is for you. Those classes will be offered
on two Wednesday evenings: March 5th and March
19th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. both evenings, taught by
Pastor Bo Brown in the King’s Palace.
Ma
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2 0 1 4 Page SBC President Fred Luter, Jr., Visits CBC and Brings an
Awesome Message in Special Midweek Worship Service
Well, it finally happened, thanks to Bro. Bo’s persistence, according to Southern
Baptist Convention President, Dr. Fred Luter. While passing out various
compliments at the outset of his message in our special midweek worship
ser vice, Februar y 26th, Bro. Fred was quick to note that it was Bro. Bo’s
persistence that had resulted in his coming to visit Maylene. Well, that and
the fact that his daughter, Kimberly, lives and teaches in the Birmingham area.
Kimberly and several of her Bible study friends were in the congregation, which
literally filled the sanctuar y.
Following a worship ser vice that included great congregational worship
and special music offerings by Cindy Bierman and the Worship Choir, Bro. Fred
shared a message based upon Jesus’ Good Shepherd illustration found in John
10. Over the 40 minute sermon, Bro. Fred demonstrated the hear t-felt passion
and unique preaching gifts and style that have well-earned him the reputation of
being one of the most engaging pulpit preachers in the countr y.
Following the ser vice, he was warmly greeted by those who’d shared the
mar velous evening, and he was patient and understanding in visiting with the
several hundred folks who sought him out for a handshake or hug or both, and
having pictures made.
IN no time a variety of postings on Facebook popped up, praising his
preaching and the evening’s ser vice as a whole (samples adjoining).
Dr. Luter, who was first-elected SBC President in June 2012, was re-elected
at last June’s convention to ser ve a second term and was unopposed when the
election took place. He noted that his term will end in five months, adding
that his wife wishes it would be in five days. He shared that he has spoken all
over the countr y during his tenure and commended his staff at Franklin Avenue
Baptist Church for the patient, understanding, and willingness to enable him to
spend so much time away form the church while he fulfills his denominational
responsibilities.
He took time to note that Rebekah Parr’s dad, Steve Loggins, who is the
Director of Missions
for Nor th Birmingham
Association, ser ves
with Luter on the
denomination’s Executive
Board. Bro. Steve was
on hand, but Bro. Fred
shared that he suspected
Bro. Steve more
likely was seizing the
oppor tunity to visit with
his granddaughter, Olivia.
He and his wife,
Elizabeth, have two
adult children. Daughter,
Kimberly, teaches fifth
grade at Avondale
Elementar y School in
Birmingham. Their son,
Fred Luter III, known as
“Chip,” is also a Baptist
pastor, who ser ves as
Youth Minister at Franklin
Avenue. He and his wife,
Jasmine, have given Bro.
Fred and Mrs. Elizabeth
their first grandson, Fred
IV.
Page CBC
Ma
2014
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SENIOR ADULTS
AND WE’RE OFF....
B iscuit B uddies is back on T hursday M orn ings ....@ 9 a . m .!
C ome share a biscuit with
a buddy !
S o far this year we have had our
pictures taken in a CRAZY PHOTO BOOTH...
we have had surprise SCAVENGER HUNTS...
we always have fun with our GAMES and end
our T hursday mornings PRAISING the LORD
together ! C ome join this incredible group of
JOINT HEIRS!!!
J anuary
S hopping the S ales on our
monthly outing ....F ebruary we ran out to T he
S outhern M useum O f F light ... which was FABULOUS! O ur M arch trip has been postponed BUT
O n A pril 3 rd we will be heading to GLORY
2014 with F rank J ones and folks like F iddlers
in the parlor !!!
SIGN UP TODAY!!! SIGN
found us
5 5 ‘ n ’ S t a y i n ’ A l i v e (IN C H RI S T )
UP SHEET
H all !!
T his
is in hallway next to
F ellowship
winter has really been tough on so many
of us ... please let me know if you have a need !
We
do our best to reach out to everyone .. but
I
understand from time to time we miss someone !
Y ou
are
LOVED
and if you have a need we will
do our best to help !
P lug
into a
such great
S unday S chool cl ass !! W e have
T eachers and these small groups
are
where we have those special moments and memo ries with each other by enjoying
GOD
as family !
THE WORD OF
HE LOVES U, HE LOVES U, HE LOVES U...
I,
M rs . M elissa
and so do
THE BI RD S ’ NEST
CBC EAGLES
The EAGLES will not gather in March but will gather on
May 17 (weather permitting) at 4 p.m.
for a road trip to our favorite restaurant near Prattville with a stop on the
way back at the Peach Park. In June
we will pick blueberries (weather permitting) at the Lee farm near Wilton.
This date will depend on the blueberries ripening so be ready for a short
notice to don your sneakers and hats and pick those
sweet treats. Reminders and more info on each event
will be shared closer to the actual date.
CBC DOVES
The DOVES continue to serve
the members of CBC through
phone calls, cards, visits and
distribution of Bible Study
lessons on DVD to our homebound courtesy of Dave Bachelor and his SS class.
Our homebound ministry will be referred to in
the future as the CBC H earthside M inistry . We
chose “H earthside ” as the name for this ministry
because in the past, the hearth was considered
the heart of the home since so many activities took place near the hearth. By naming it
H earthside , we are acknowledging that we are
going into the home and sharing whatever God
has led us there to do in His Name. Anyone
with questions or the desire to help, please
contact Reba Hatcher at 663-0067.
Community Women Connecting
Ma
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2 0 1 4 As the mid-point of our church year has arrived (How is
that possible?), the delight and gratitude we feel in what
Community Women Connecting has meant thus far is
exceeded by our excitement at what lies in the months
ahead. The Community Women Connecting Leadership
Team is busy working on the remainder of this church
year’s activities.
Thus far our year’s activities have included creating a quilt that symbolizes how women of all stages of
life can come together to create something beautiful;
hearing about the stages of a woman’s life told by the
storyteller, Dolores Hydock; preparing care packages and
ministering to the women from the Shelby County Work
Release program; and enjoying a brunch at which our
own Stephanie Brown shared about our growing through
studying God’s word.
The women of CBC have just begun a study of
God’s word together as part of our winter Discipleship Training offerings. The study by Angela Thomas
entitled, Stronger, examines our ability to meet life’s
struggles more ably once we accept the fact that God’s
strength is greater than any struggle we face. An exceptional Bible student and teacher, Angela draws from
personal experience as a long-term single mother and her
study reflects her desire to engage the students, not jut
teach them. The study is offered on Sunday evenings,
beginning at 4:30 p.m., led by Viki Pate and Debbie
Reeves, and is also available on Tuesday mornings at
9 a.m., led by Debra Short. This study is seven weeks
long and worth every minute.
It’s been a while since we held a CWC Girls Nite
Out, and we have one scheduled for Friday evening,
March 14th, beginning at 7 p.m. We’ll share dinner together at the Olive Garden Restaurant in Alabaster and
go from there. We need to know how many to expect
so we can reserve adequate seating space, so please sign
up immediately on the sign-up sheet in the foyer or by
contacting a leadership team member.
The Women’s Spring Retreat is scheduled for FridaySunday, April 4-6, at Springville Camp and Conference
Center in Odenville. We’re delighted to once again
welcome Page Hughes as our retreat speaker. She has
spoken at earlier CWC events and always touches hearts
with her humorous, insightful and spiritual observations
about our walks as women of God. This weekend is sure
to be a wonderful time of fellowship and renewal. You
don’t want to miss this! A limited number of openings to
attend are still available on a first come-first serve basis.
Please contact a CWC leadership team member for more
information.
Just as the current year has been speeding past, our
new church year will be upon us before we know it.
Therefore, we are looking to the future and building
our leadership team for the next year. If you have ever
thought about serving in the women’s ministry, see a
team member for details about serving in this capacity.
Page Left: MRS. STEPHANIE WAS
DELIGHTED TO HAVE HER
DAUGHTER, CLAUDIA, AND
MOTHER, SHIRLEY NEWELL,
ON HAND AS SHE SPOKE.
Ladies,
don’t
miss our
at the Alabaster
Friday • March 14 • 7 pm
P L E A S E S I G N U P I N T H E F O Y E R T O D AY
S O W E C A N R E S E R V E A D E Q UAT E S PAC E
Page Ma
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2014
M
Y
H
4
h
t
u
CBC yo
Brother
Jonathan Lowery
Youth Minister
mrs. diana helps j-low get ready to cruise
Dear Community Family,
As I write this, my family and I preparing for
our annual Caribbean cruise and we are so
excited. It will be wonderful to share time
together away.
But it has been great to be involved with
our Youth group at CBC over recent weeks,
and it has been a busy time.
Recapping recent events:
• Sunday evening, February 9th, was WinterJam at the Birmingham Convention Center.
What an awesome night!! For $10 a head we
were privileged to experience worship with ten
different Christian bands and several thousand
like-minded of our closest friends. We had a
good time hanging with everyone and listening
to some great music!!!
• Sunday evening, February 16th, we put
on our annual CBC Valentines Banquet. This
event is always a great evening with a meal and
entertainment and a time of sharing about our
Fuge experiences and plans. It is also one of
our biggest fund-raisers for our expenses to
The 2014
Community Baptist
Valentine’s
Banquet
attend Fuge summer camp. The Youth spent all
afternoon that Sunday converting the Sanctuary into a Valentine setting. Special thanks goes
out to all the adults who helped us get everything cooked and set up. We were able to raise
$1350.00!!!!!! So thanks to those of you who
contributed so generously. Our Fuge week at
Ridgecrest will be June 16th-21st. Please begin
praying now for our youth and leaders as we
work toward that special week of fun and spiritual growth.
• On Saturday, February 22nd, we had a great
time with a unique tandem of activities: Paintball and a Movie! The weather could not have
been more perfect than it was that day for a
great game of paintball. Just imagine the youths’
delight at being able to take out their frustrations by shooting your Youth Minister with paint
balls. Yes, some of them stung and paybacks
loom large down the road. LOL!!!! We had a
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 great time being able to hang out and show
off some paintball skills. Then that night we
went to see the new Lego Movie. Always love
hanging with everybody. The phrase, “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME,” became something
of a catch-phrase for us after seeing the Lego
Movie. If you have seen the movie then you
know why this is stuck in all of our heads!!!!!
Don’t be surprised if you hear it uttered in
our presence from time to time.
• On Wednesday, February 26th, we had the
privilege of sharing in our special midweek
worship service, featuring a sermon from Dr.
Fred Luter, the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was a remarkable privilege
to hear the President of the Southern Baptist
Convention speak at our church. He was such
a dynamic and engaging individual and speaker.
Once my family and I return from our
time away, we hit the ground running and look
forward to the following upcoming Events:
• Sunday, March 16th – S.N.A.C. Time. After
that evening’s worship service we will be going
out to eat at one of our favorite chow houses
for a night of fun and fellowship.
• Saturday, March 22nd – Oak Mountain Trip.
We’ll meet at the Church at 9 a.m. Everyone
should bring a sack lunch and some drinks, and
$3 to get in. We will have a fun day at Oak
Mountain together. We’ll be in the great outdoors so dressing suitably for outdoor adventures might be a good thing.
• Saturday, April 12th - Work Day and a
Movie. We’ll gather at the church at 7 a.m.
(YES, 7 A.M.!!), and do our part to help in a
Work Day at the church, and that will be followed by a trip to the movie.
• Saturday, April 26th - Roadtrip to the
Page Montgomery Zoo. We’ll gather and leave the
church at 8 a.m. heading to the Montgomery
Zoo for the day, returning around 5 p.m. For
admission fees and eats a total of $30 would
likely be wise to have eon hand. The Montgomery Zoo visit has been one of our more
enjoyable adventures together an we look
forward to going again.
• Friday-Saturday, May 2nd-3rd, 7 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Rock-a-Thon. Another of our major Fuge
fund-raisers is the annual Rock-a-Thon, when
our youth are sponsored by various church
members and spend the night–overnight–rocking and trying to avoid getting water-gunned
for falling asleep. It’s a lot of fun and helps us
greatly in raising our funds to go to camp.
Remember that Daylight Saving Time
returns on Sunday, March 9th. So be sure to
re-set your clocks that Saturday evening by
“spring forward.”
And don’t forget what our normal schedule is, whether it is Standard or Daylight Saving Time:
On Sundays:
* Sunday School – 9:45 a.m. in the White
House
* Youth Choir – 4 p.m. in the Sanctuary
• Youth Discipleship Training – 5 p.m. in
the Church
On Wednesdays:
• Youth Worship – 6:30 p.m. in the Youth
House!!!
Just want to say a quick “Thank You” to all
of my Youth leaders and parents. Thank you
for the time that you sacrifice to be there and
help out with everything that we do. Y’all are
AWESOME! God has truly blessed us here at
Community, and He keeps on blessing.
Finally, I have to share that I am so
PROUD of each and every one of our Youth.
It is such a blessing being able to be your Minister. I can’t say enough about how awesome
it is to be able to spend time you. Ya’ll have
the Light of Christ and you are not afraid to
show it.
I n C hrist ,
B ro . J onathan
Page 10
Ma
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2014
m rs. me l is sa’s
kidz notez
MRS. MELISSA CALTON
CHILDREN’S MINISTER
H ey K ids ( and P arents 2!):
2014
TREMENDOUS ..... so far
FIRST TIME TRAVEL
trip thru the TARDIS back in BIBLE
TIMES. W e stepped in when the T hree
W ise men were just coming out of K ing
H erod ’ s P alace asking him where the NEW
KING was ... he wasn ’ t very happy with
them ....BUT they did FIND HIM... and H is
name is JESUS!!
has been
we have been on our
F ebruary we loaded up and were off to
T he S outhern M useum of F light ... what
an incredible experience that was !!! W e
learned so much and could have stayed much
longer !!
If
you want a
GREAT S aturday
trip with your kids ... take them on a day
trip back !!!
Y ou
won ’ t be sorry !
M arch brings SPRING!!!! W e enjoyed a
FABULOUS day W ith the critters @ T he
CBC S pring F ling !!! I n full CIRCUS
fashion ... an incredible group of volun teers welcomed kids and families to our
church that may not have come other wise !
the
T hanks is just never enough for
MANY HOURS that go in behind the
I can ’ t
M inister to
scenes of something like this and
tell ya what it means to this
have such willing servants ,
M arch
will also provide your kids with
BACK in THE BIBLE...
M arch 21 st ...PLEASE, SIGN UP UR
CRITTER so we have enough for supper ....
SIGN UP SHEET @ SIGN N DESK!
another adventure
VBS M eetings
begin in
M arch ... if
you
have not been contacted and want to work
PLEASE see me ASAP!!! J ungle S afari is
our 2014 VBS!!!!
C an ’ t wait .... the vines
will begin to appear right before your
eyes !!!
I AM 2ND M usical is coming along very
well ... the children are taking “ baby steps ”
toward understanding HE IS FIRST and I
am 2 nd ! W e work on the musical W ednes day evenings at 6:30 p . m . and S unday
evenings @ 4:30 p . m .!
S ervin ’
the
The
Ringmaster
S hepherd , F eedin ’ H is L ambs .
MRS. MELISSA
:
T
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G
R
O
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• K I D Z P R AY Z
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P R ACTI C E S A R
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4
T
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S
S
Y
A
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S
NE
• WAC KY W E D
S! !
Y
A
D
S
E
N
D
E
W
6 : 3 0 P. M . ON
(ABOVE:) THE USUAL MIX OF INTERESTING CHARACTERS THAT GRACE MOST KIDS ACTIVITIES AT CBC THIS TIME INCLUDED (L-R:) DAVID MANNING, CHRIS WOFFORD, HUMPTY
DUMPTY, MRS. MELISSA, MATT MONK, JULIE SIMS AND DWIGHT BARROWS.
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 Page 11
(ABOVE:) ADDISON FRIEDMAN IS ALL SMILES WITH HIS
POPCORN IN HAND
(BELOW:) BRO. DUB JUST CAN’T KEEP MRS. GLENDA
FROM CLOWNING AROUND!
(TOP, LEFT:) JESSE MONK AND TIMOTHY AARON ENGAGE IN A
FRIENDLY BOUT OF BALLOON BATTLE.
(MIDDLE, LEFT:) BRODY HATCHER GETS HIS FACE PAINTED BY
ALESIA AARON.
(BOTTOM, LEFT:) KIDS OF ALL AGES GATHERED FOR THREE HOURS
THE MORNING OF MARCH 1ST AND ENJOYED POPCORN, PICKLES,
LEMONADE, COOKIES, MUSIC, FACE-PAINTING, GAMES AND PRIZES.
A STEADY STREAM OF CHURCH FAMILIES AND VISITORS KEPT THE
FLING WORKERS BUSY ALL MORNING.
(RIGHT:) BRO. CHRIS WOFFORD JUST COULDN’T HELP FLASHING
THOSE LOVE-FILLED EYES. OF COURSE, WITH WIFE, JENNIFER, AND
DAUGHTER, , ON HAND WHO COLD BLAME HIM?
(RIGHT:) COOPER
THE DOG AND CATHY
RAY SHARE A BIG
HUG. CATHY’S 4TH
BIRTHDAY WAS THE
NEXT DAY!!
Page 12
Ma
r c h
2014
NEW MEMBERS
These new pieces have been added to our CBC quilt . . .
MIKE & ROBIN
EBERHARDT
MAYLENE
JANUARY 26
ROBYN GRAGG
MONTEVALLO
JANUARY 26
• Mike and Robin are Georgia natives, who graduated from
Elber t County H.S. in 1964 & 1967.
• Mike earned degrees in Political Science, a Master’s in Divinity and Masters in Christian Ed and Family Counseling
• Robin earned her Bachelor’s from Georgia.
• Mike has pastored several churches and the Eberhardts
ser ved as International Missionaries in Granada, 1982-1990.
• Mike now does intentional interim pastoring.
• After Robin retired last May, they moved here in December to be nearer their son David (Suzanne) and their 2
grandsons, Reece (13) and Conner (11).
• Robyn turned 26 this month.
• Robyn has three children: son Souljer, will be 6 in April;
daughter, Gernie is 4; and daughter, Jovie-Ann, will be 1 this
month.
(More infomration will be forthcoming next issue)
Jovie-Ann (1), Robyn, Gernie (4)
and Souljer (6)
AMY SPIRES
maylene
JANUARY 26
amy & daniel (9)
madi & cassie STACY
ALABASTER
january 26
cassie & madi
• Amy grew up in Florence and earned an Accounting and
Computer Science degree from UNA.
• She and her husband, Joey, met on a blind date while at
UNA and married in 1992.
• He is a Accounts Payable Manager at Health South.
• Amy is a Senior Accountant at Ebsco where she’s been 3
years, after being a Comptroller at Savela for 12.
• Their 14 year old son, Skylar, is a THS 9th grader who likes
guitars and Dr. Who. Son, Daniel, is 10, in 5th grade at TIS.
He’s into Boy Scouts and football.
• Joey likes fishing and dir t bikes. Amy enjoys times with kids.
• Madi and Cassie are granddaughters of CBC members,
Rober t and Ann Johnson, who joined Community Baptist in
June 2005.
• Their mother, Carol Reese, is the Johnson’s daughter, and
she works as a teacher’s aide at Creekview Elementar y.
• After graduating from Thompson H.S. last year, Madi is a
freshman at the University of Montevallo interested in accounting. She enjoyed drama club in high school.
• Cassie, who was less than 2 pounds at bir th (5 months
premature) is now 18 and a junior at THS. She loves ar t
and is intent on pursuing it in college.
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 S I ST E RS A N EW!
AFTER SHARING THEIR
DECISIONS TO ACCEPT
JESUS AS SAVIOR ON
JANUARY 28TH, CASSIE
AND MADI STACY WERE
BAPTIZED AS NEW
SISTERS IN CHRIST AT
THE BEGINNING OF OUR
LATE WORSHIP SERVICE
MARCH 2ND. ON THE
LEFT, CASSIE WAITS
PATIENTLY AS MADI
IS BAPTIZED. TO THE
RIGHT, MADI RETURNS
THE FAVOR. PICTURES BY
SECOND REFLECTIONS
PHOTOGRAPHY.
Page 13
KAYLA GALLOWAY
SPRINGVILLE
FEBRUARY 9
• Kayla was born in Augusta , GA, but grew up in Birmingham
from age 4 and graduated from Irwin H.S. in 1999.
• She has 3 sons from her marriage soon after graduating:
Chase (13) is a 7th grader, Luke (11) a 4th grader, and Jeffrey
(9) a 4th grader, all at Springville.
• She is engaged to CBC member, Stephen Rylee, and their
wedding is scheduled for Januar y 3, 2015, at the church.
• Her sons tend toward spor ts: Chase, soccer ; Luke, basketball; Jeffrey, roller blading.
• Kayla loves spending time with her boys, with Stephen and
doing ar ts and crafts.
LANDON HAYS
PELHAM
MARCH 2
• Landon is the middle of Mike and Mandy Hayes’ three children. His parents joined CBC in April 2010. His older sister,
Payton, 12, joined CBC
• Landon turned 9 years old in Januar y. He’s in the second
grade and is home-schooled.
• His younger sister, Br yleigh, is 7.
• Landon loves Godzilla, playing soccer, playing with animals
and the game, Minecraft.
• His dad has just recently taken a salesman position with
Renewal, by Andersen Windows, in Oklahoma City, and the
family expects to move there in the coming months.
BOBBY GIPSON
HELENA
MARCH 2
• Bobby is the older brother of CBC member, Clara Posey.
• He grew up in the Powderly area of Jefferson County and
graduated from Jones Valley H.S. in 1953.
• After ser ving as a medic in the U.S. Navy, Bobby earned
degrees from Birmingham-Southern, UAB, the University of
South Alabama, LSU and Shepper ton University in London,
including a Masters in Hospital Administration, a nursing degree, and a PhD in philosophy.
• He worked as an R.N. and taught at the high school and
college levels.
• He had four children. He has seven grandchildren.
Page 14
EDUC A T I O N & D E V E L O P M E N T
Ma
r c h
2014
from Brother Matt Monk
Education Minister
Discipleship Training Opportunities
Our new session of Discipleship Training began on Sunday, March 2nd, with a variety of
outstanding offerings, from “regular” classes to a variety of small groups. We hope you’ll be
interested in becoming a part of one of our class or small group offerings. The classes include:
D ebt -P roof L iving
(Sunday afternoons thru April 27 at 4:30 PM)
This class will be led by Jennifer and Chris Wofford and will deal with
personal financial issues many people face. In this class, Jennifer and
Chris will show you some of the principles of debt-proof living that they
have learned and applied. These principles are Bible-based and will help
participants learn how to set up short- and long-term financial goals, develop a spending plan, implement a plan to eliminate debt, create accounts
for emergencies and irregular expenses, all while setting aside money for
tithing and saving. These principles have made a difference in Chris and Jennifer’s life and
they want to share them with you.
FAITH E vangelism
(Sunday afternoons thru April 27 at 4:30 PM)
Led by our Lay Outreach Minister, Mike Fitzgerald, this class will help
to equip and mobilize believers in lifestyle evangelism, discipleship, and
ministry by guiding them through a simple way of sharing the Gospel
message using the acronym FAITH. Members will also learn how to share
their personal testimony as well as leading someone to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
S tronger
(Sunday afternoons thru April 27 at 4:30 PM)
This class will be led by Viki Pate and Debbie Reeves from the Community Women Connecting leadership team. Through biblical teaching and
real life application , this study teaches that believers do not have to live
in weakness. God is stronger than every struggle you will ever face. All
who receive Jesus Christ have been hidden in Him. We have been made
alive in Him through the forgiveness of our sin, filled in Him with all the
fullness given to Him, brought near to God in Him, and blessed with every spiritual blessing in Him. Today, because of Christ, you can live stronger. This study will
guide women into biblical truth through exposition and story, so they live confident, transformed, Christ-radiating lives marked by His strength.
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 Page 15
G o F ish
(Sunday afternoons thru April 27 at 4:30 PM)
This class will be led by Don Shadix, a member of the CBC Men leadership team, and will view and discuss the Go Fish video series by Andy
Stanley. We have all heard the story of someone’s fishing adventures.
Many of us like to share these types of stories. But when it comes to talking about our faith, many times we go silent. In this six-part series participants will discover how talking about our faith can come as natural as
sharing a fishing story.
N ew & P rospective M ember C lass
(March 5 and 19th at 6:30 PM)
Led by Pastor Bo Brown this class, for new and prospective members, will
help participants learn about the history and mission of the church as well
as meet leaders of various ministries with the purpose of informing each
participant in the ways that God is working at CBC and how they can become involved.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone or email.
Christ is All
B ro . M att
(205) 368-8785
[email protected]
Welcome to the CBC Family!
Jennifer & Todd Riddle
are pleased to announce the arrival of their son,
M aster
Brayden Eric
Riddle,
Rachel & Matt Lawley
were pleased to announce the arrival
of their daughter,
M iss
Ella Jane Lawley,
who was born Tuesday,
who was born Saturday,
Jan. 28th, weighing 7.2
Feb. 1st, weighing 7.75
pounds and
pounds and
measuring 19.75 inches long.
measuring 19.75 inches long.
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!
Page 16
Ma
r c h
2014
Get the Love Out:
Sometimes Only Words Will Do
by Dr. Joe McKeever,
Pastor, Author, Artist, Friend
“My little children, let us not love in word or tongue (only), but in deed and in truth” (I John 3:18).
In our effort to encourage people to “love one another,”
we must not leave the impression that words do not
count. While deeds of love and other expressions are
vital, a lot of people need to hear the actual words.
“I love you.”
“You have no idea how much you mean to me.”
“Thank you for being such a precious friend.”
“I treasure you.”
Speaking love is a good thing to do.
First, something inside me needs to speak words of
love. It’s good for me.
Back when grandson Grant was a preschooler,
grandpa and he maneuvered to spend time together almost every day at the swing in his front yard. We would
laugh and sing and make up stories. We had a great
time and the memories of those years, and later with his
sisters, will remain to my dying day. (To our five grands
who lived off in North Carolina and New Hampshire, I
would give anything to have done the same with you!)
Often I would interrupt our fun time to say something like, “Grant, I love you so much.”
One day, when he had heard that yet again, Grant
said, “Grandpa, why do you tell me you love me so
much?”
How perceptive, I thought. And such a good question. Why do I do that?
I said, “Grant, the love inside me keeps building up
and I have to let it out.”
That seemed to satisfy him. And it expresses the
truth as well as anything I know. Speaking love to someone dear to us can be a kind of pressure relief value.
We will explode if we don’t tell that person of our love.
This is why writing a love letter to our sweetheart can
be almost as good as getting one from them.
To repeat: It’s good for us to say “I love you.”
We have all heard stories of a husband saying,
“Honey, I love you so much it’s all I can do to keep
from telling you.” We want to scream, “Tell her! Tell
her!”
We’ve all heard the story of a trucker whose rig went
off a Colorado mountainside in a snowstorm. He was
found several days later, buried in the snow, his truck a
crumpled wreck. During the hours before he died, the
man had written a note to his wife. He told her how
much she meant to him, and added, “I’m so sorry I
never told you.”
That line is nearly as tragic as the wreck itself.
In Dan Fogelberg’s tribute to his father called “The
Leader of the Band,” one memorable line goes, “And
papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough.”
Most of us do not say it nearly enough.
In the 17th chapter of John’s Gospel, in what’s
called Jesus’ “high priestly prayer,” we are eavesdropping on the Savior’s conversation with the Father. There
is nothing else like this in all the Word and it deserves
much more attention than most of us have given it.
Toward the conclusion, Jesus says:
“I have made Thy name known to them, and will
make it known, that the love wherewith Thou didst
love me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)
Earlier, Jesus had prayed that His followers may
know “that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them,
even as Thou didst love me” (17:23). Think of that.
Jesus wanted us to know that the Father loves us the
same way He loves Him! This is as powerful and yet as
incomprehensible as anything in the Word. That He
could love us like that.
Second, people all around us need to hear those
words. It’s good for them. Most people long to hear the
words “I love you,” particularly from the ones they cherish most. No one is too old, too infirm, too ornery, or
too anything not to need love. Hearing the actual words
can penetrate a stubborn rebellious heart.
Mary Beth was a sixteen-year-old and getting in
trouble. She came from a wonderful family and was
clearly pushing at the fences, trying to find out where
the borders were and who she was. I’ve long since
forgotten what was going on at that particular moment,
but as she spotted me in the hallway just outside the
pastor’s office, the inner conflict was written all over her
face. I called to her. “Could you come here just a second.” Now, she just knew she was about to get reamed
out for misbehavior. But that was not what I had in
mind.
I said, “Mary Beth, I love you.” That’s all. Nothing
more.
She teared up on the spot and her heart broke.
Whether she remembers that or not–and she’s now
an adult with a wonderful family and serving the Lord–I
will never forget it. The power of those little words to
penetrate rebellion and summon the wayward heart back
home is truly amazing.
Third, there are hundreds of ways to convey the
words “I love you.” Be creative.
Write a personal note. (Remember handwritten
notes? The fact that this is a dying art means your letter
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 of love and appreciation will be kept forever, I promise.)
E-mail works and so does Facebook. Certainly not
as well as the face-to-face or handwritten kind, but it’s a
start.
A phone call is good. It can’t be kept on a shelf or
in a notebook, but if done right, it will be retained in
the person’s heart.
Best of all is the face-to-face, full-press experience of
eyeballing your friend and saying something like, “Hey,
look at me. Listen closely. I love you.” Then smile real
big. Because if your friends are like mine, they will be
taken aback and not know what to say. Or, they’ll mutter a “I love you too,” and experience a slight embarrassment.
That’s just fine. It’ll be easier next time.
I was in college before I began to realize just how
much I loved my mom and dad. We were a close-knit
large family (six children born over a 9-year span). On
the farm, we had all worked together and argued and
fought and enjoyed one another. Now in college, I was
missing my parents.
This was in the late 1950s when letter-writing was
the thing to do. Since I was four hours away from home,
we would go six weeks without seeing one another. So,
in my letters, I began to say “I love you.” My siblings
teased that “Joe is homesick.” True enough. I was.
I decided something as a freshman in college: I
would tell my parents that I love them. Life was too
short–and they were getting old (they must have been in
their fifties!)–not to tell them how much they meant to
me.
Over the years since, all our family but one became
skilled in the expression of those words “I love you.”
We learned to say them to each other, to hug and to
mean it. Mom would often take the initiative. I can still
hear her saying, “I love you, Joe.” (Tears now.)
Pop did not grow up hearing those words or voicing
them. We smile at this memory. I would say, “I love you,
my father,” with a big smile. He would say, “All right
then” and change the subject. We knew he loved us and
he proved it a thousand ways. He was just not good with
uttering the actual words. Contrary to the theme of this
piece, I suppose, that was perfectly fine with us.
Fourth, the words must never be a substitute for
“doing love.”
One of the strongest teachings of Scripture is that
“love is something you do.” In Luke 6:27-38 when our
Lord commands His people to love their enemies, He
is not calling for affection and emotion, but for action.
“Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who threaten you….”
Those who treat their enemies in this manner will
frequently make several discoveries: their anger toward
the enemy goes away, the enemy (those hating you,
cursing you, threatening you, etc) is stunned and does
not know how to react, Christ is honored, outsiders are
impressed that they are seeing actual Christianity on
display, and the devil is infuriated. In time, this loving
behavior tends to destroy enemies by turning them into
Page 17
friends.
First John 3:18, our text for this piece, makes the
point that our words of love must not be a replacement
for “deeds and truth.”
Many an adult who grew up with a shiftless parent
who could spout the words of love but would not hold a
job, did not provide for the family, and abused the children, has a disdain for hearing words of affection. The
words fall on deaf ears; they want to see the evidence.
This is understandable.
God in Heaven was not content with sending lovenotes from glory to struggling mankind. He did not
stop with sending prophets and even angels. Eventually,
He “came Himself ” in the person of the Lord Jesus. The
opening verses of Hebrews says this so eloquently. (This
article is already overly long, so I will forego inserting
the verses and encourage readers to enjoy this text in
their own Bibles.)
How do we know God loves us? Look at Jesus. In
particular, look at Him on the cross. No one can ever
say again, “God does not love me,” unless in ignorance.
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“God demonstrates His own love toward us in that
while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
(I John 3:1).
“Thank you for loving us, Our Father. We love you,
too. Now, help us to show You how much we love you in
the way Jesus taught us.”
Fifth, the Lord Jesus made it very clear how we are
to love Him. In the Upper Room discourse, His almostfinal teachings to the disciples, our Lord made this point
repeatedly….
–”If you love me, you will keep my commandments”
(John 14:15).
–”He who has my commandments and keeps them,
he it is who loves me” (John 14:21).
–”If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (John
14:23).
–”He who does not love me does not keep my
words” (John 14:24).
–”If you keep my commandments you will abide in
my love” (John 15:10).
–”You are my friends if you do what I command
you” (John 15:14).
–”This I command you, that you love one another”
(John 15:17).
Anyone see a theme here?
The next time you hear someone (or are tempted to
do this yourself ) saying, “Well, I know I’m not living for
the Lord, but He knows I love Him,” consider pointing
out to them that Jesus says otherwise.
Words can be cheap. They can fall off our lips too
easily and carry no meaning. So, let us not love in words
or in tongue only–the clear intent of First John 3:18–
but in deeds and in truth.
Amen.
Page 18
M i s s i
o
Ma
r c h
2014
n s
Russ Compton Shares About
February medical Mission to nicaragua
Russ Compton, Sr., a CBC Deacon and member of our Missions Team, was a member of a medical mission that flew
to Nicaragua February 1-8 to serve natives there. It was a
life-altering event for everyone concerned. He submitted the
following account of the mission:
When folks have asked if the mission trip successful, I
tend to first share some statistics of the trip in terms of the
number of people who received medical and dental care
during those six days of clinics (1275) or the number of
people who accepted the
gift of salvation (206) or the number of prescriptions filled
(nearly 4,000). However, numbers don’t always convey the
real impact of a mission trip on the lives of those touched,
both receiving as well as giving care. Yes, this mission trip
was successful, in terms of both the numbers as well as the
real impact-changed lives for Christ.
The team included both American, and Nicaraguan
believers. The six churches that hosted the clinics were all
small villages (3,000 to 4,000 people) located 45 minutes
to 2 hours from the city of Nueva Guinea where the team
stayed. Some of the churches that hosted clinics were
newly established without a physical building, some trying
to restart, and some established. In most villages, we held
the clinic in the church, but in several, we held the clinic
in a school and in a home.
Travel to several of the clinics could be made by bus
where the roads were in good enough shape. However,
half of the villages were only accessible by roads filled
with mud holes that were 2 to 3 feet deep. On those days
we traveled by 4-wheel drive trucks that looked similar to
troop transports you might see in an old war movie. By the
time all of the equipment and supplies
were loaded, some had to stand for the journey, which was
probably more comfortable than sitting on the wooden
benches as we bounced along.
The people who came to the clinic were of all ages, very
poor and in need of care. Some had to be carried in by
friends or relatives. Everyone who came received the Good
News of Jesus Christ from a team of evangelists, which
included one American (myself) aided by an interpreter.
Many who came needed spiritual healing more than they
needed physical healing.
Those who made a decision to accept Jesus Christ will
be followed up by the local church so that the disciple-
ship process will continue. Vacation Bible school activities
were held in the morning and afternoon for the children.
They also received the Gospel, and a number of them were
saved. At every stop, the presence of the Lord was powerfully felt.
The woman, who volunteered her house to host the clinic
in her village, had a small store attached which she closed
for that day. During the course of the day, her 14-year-old
daughter was saved, as was her 10-year-old son. Before
the day was done, the woman also gave her life to Christ
as Lord and Savior. On another day, a 55-year-old woman
was carried into the clinic
because she was too weak to walk. She had mental issues
and in effect was starving herself to death. There was little
that could be done medically however, the doctor and others prayed with
her before she left. She died later that night. These are just
a few examples of the lives impacted by the trip.
For the twelve American team members who made the
trip, it was the first trip to Nicaragua for five and the first
foreign mission trip for two. We were also accompanied
Tim Prewitt, the director of World Reach; and a missionary family from Honduras. From Nicaraguan two doctors,
a dentist and his wife, a pharmacist and a nurse. Also the
district superintendent of the Federation of Evangelical
Churches in Central America and members of his staff.
For many it was a time to renew and strengthen friendships and to form new ones For all, it was an exhausting,
rewarding, and fulfilling experience and strengthened air
resolve to be all that we can be for our Lord. He certainly
showed us his power and glory.
None of this would have been possible without the support and prayers of our church family as well as members
of our faith community. Thousands of dollars were donated in direct support of the team members. Vitamins and
supplements worth several thousand dollars were donated
by several area pharmacists. Most importantly, we were
strengthened by all the prayers that were offered up on our
behalf. God’s hand and blessing was most certainly on this
trip.
G od Bless Y ou All
Russ
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 boston
ION
S
S
I
M
BC ON
C
2014
July 2-7
Page 19
M i s s i
o
n s
AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING
ABOUT THE BOSTON MISSION TRIP
WILL BE HELD ON
SUNDAY, MARCH 9TH AT 3:30 PM
IN THE MEN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSROOM
SIGN-UP DEADLINE
& DEPOSIT DUE
SUNDAY APRIL 6TH
Last July a contingent of CBC members spent a life-changing week
on mission in the Boston, MA, metro area. The 17 person-strong
group travelled to the Boston suburb of Chelmsford, MA, where
they conducted Vacation Bible School for more than 100 Arabic
children whose parents were attending a conference hosted by
the Arabic Evangelical Baptist Church of West Roxbury. Reusing our own VBS materials and adapting the plans to fit the
conference schedule and hotel spaces made available, the group
touched the lives of countless children and their families.
We’ve been requested to send another group this summer,
and plans have been made to do so July 2nd - 7th. This
remarkable and memorable opportunity to serve and impact the
lives of these children and their families can be life-changing for
our people as well.
Please prayerfully consider whether you can be a participant,
or, at a minimum, please support the effort through prayer and
financial support.
SOME OF THE DETAILS:
• ESTIMATED COST PER PERSON: $700
(Includes Air Fare, Hotel and Meals)
• WILL FLY FROM BIRMINGHAM TO BOSTON EARLY
ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 2ND.
• HOME-BOUND FLIGHT WILL DEPART BOSTON
MONDAY MORNING, JULY 7TH.
PLEASE CONTACT DEBBIE REEVES BY PHONE AT
(205) 527-4637 OR BY EMAIL AT [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Christmas Gift Shop 2013
We were privileged to participate in and support the Shelby Baptist
Association Christmas Gift Shop 2013. In her letter of thanks for our
contributions to this unique ministry, Debbie Snyder shared the following
details about the ministry:
• 371 families interviewed for Christmas Gift Shop and 286 families
qualified.
• 693 children and youth from these families received gifts.
• The Gospel story was shared with 357 moms and dads , as a result
of which there were:
• 4 re-dedications, and
• 46 professions of faith; 12 of the 46 were 6 couples.
• $37,100 in designated contributions were received for Christmas
Gift Shop.
• $46,300 was spent for gifts. (The $9,200 deficiency was recovered
from Earthly Treasures Thrift Store earnings.)
• 5,000-plus hours were donated by about 300 volunteers working in
intake, processing applications and serving at Christmas Gift Shop.
• 207 volunteers served at Christmas Gift Shop during the 15 appointment days.
• 2,000 hours and hundreds of volunteers, in addition to those who
served at Christmas Gift Shop, served at Walmart and Jack’s to staff
Christmas trees at these locations, shopped and purchased clothing,
made stockings and stocking-stuffers, shopped and purchased popcorn and cookies, made homemade cookies for guest refreshments,
made package toppers for gifts, cleaned and decorated the building,
made building repairs and renovations over the summer, as well as
countless hours given by the Christmas Gift Shop Task Force as they
enlisted and trained volunteers.
• For the first time, there was no need to solicit for clothing sponsors.
• 34 Shelby Baptist Association member-churches along with their
members gave and participated in Christmas Gift Shop.
• 8 non-Shelby Baptist Association member-churches along with their
members gave and participated in Christmas Gift Shop.
Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to this very special and
continuing outreach ministry. It is a blessing that keeps on giving well
beyond the Advent season.
Page 20
O U T R E A C H
Ma
r c h
2014
from Brother Michael Fitzgerald
Lay Outreach Minister
The Case for Apologetics
Christian fields of study, like secular fields, often have
large, confusing names that actually have simple meanings. For example: Ecclesiology means “the study of the
Church,” Eschatology means the “study of end times,”
Hermeneutics means “Bible interpretation,” and Soteriology means “the study of salvation.” See what I mean?
And that’s only a few of them.
Words like these can be scary and intimidating
when we don’t know what they mean. Another field that
is, at times, ignored by large portions of the church is
Apologetics. Apologetics is based on the Greek word
apologia, which means to “speak in return, defend
oneself.” 1 Peter 3:15 says: “Always be prepared to
give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for
the hope that is in you.” (HCSB) Are you prepared?
If someone asks you why bad things happen to good
people, can you give a strong response that defends the
existence of a loving God with a world full of tragedy,
suffering, and death?
Christ said, “I assure you: Whoever does not
welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will
never enter it.” (Luke 18:17, HCSB) That is certainly
true. Saving faith is exactly that, and a child is a great
example of someone who believes what they are told,
without question. However, I’m sure that many parents
can attest that while children are generally trusting,
they also ask an important question: “Why?” They can
ask it to the point where those being asked decide they
won’t answer it anymore. It can be maddening, can’t it?
“Why? Why? Why? Why?” But it’s a legitimate question, isn’t it? They want to understand, and so should
we. We cannot ever fully understand God, but that
should not be a reason to be satisfied in ignorance. We
should still pursue as much understanding as we can attain.
Further looking at the above statement by Christ,
it can be determined that we don’t stop there. We must
first have the child-like faith, but we surely shouldn’t
remain child-like, right? “Like newborn infants, desire
the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it
for your salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2 HCSB) We begin as
children, as infants, as newborns in our faith, but as we
ingest the milk, we grow, we gain knowledge, we gain
wisdom, we gain answers. “Come, let us discuss this,
says the Lord.” (Isaiah 1:18 HCSB)
A final criticism of the concept of Apologetics I’d
like to address is based on the idea often repeated in
scripture, especially in 1 Corinthians, which is this:
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are
being saved.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 HCSB) While yes,
the world’s wisdom and philosophies are often used
to attack and trivialize the truths found in Scripture,
are we supposed to just disregard the reasoning for
our beliefs? God is not irrational or unreasonable. His
truths can be defended with the tools of reason and
logic. Christ, Himself, did not ignore such things. When
the Pharisees engaged Him with a question intended to
trap Him in Mark 12, He responded with wisdom and
amazed them. (Mark 12:13-17) Stephen, on trial before
the Sanhedrin after being accused of blasphemy, gave a
thorough explanation for his beliefs, before becoming a
martyr for Christ. (Acts 7) Perhaps the greatest example
of Apologetics demonstrated in Scripture is Paul’s
activity in Athens as recorded in Acts 17:16-34. Paul
was in one of the central hubs of human wisdom, where
many great thinkers lived, studied, and debated. Paul
took the stage at the Areopagus, a location of reason
and debate, and presented his faith to a crowd of pagan
philosophers and thinkers.
As we seek to share with others the Good News of
Christ, there will undoubtedly be times when folks will
question or challenge the Gospel and we should do our
best to be equipped to meet such probings and challenges head-on.
Christ answered questions reasonably, Stephen presented his case before a hostile court, and Paul shared
and defended his faith before some of the greatest
minds of the time. Should we not follow their example,
and be prepared to give an answer for our faith, which
is both logical and reasonable?
B lessings in C hrist ,
B ro . M ike
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 Page 21
Passion
Passion Week
Week Easter
&
&
PL A N TO S H A R E O U R S PECIAL CBC PASSION WEEK EVENTS:
• Palm Sunday •
April 13:
The Worship Choir
Easter Musical
• Maundy Thursday •
April 17:
Maundy Thursday
Service & Lord’s Supper
Observance
• Easter Sunday •
April 20:
Easter Sunday
Celebration
Worship Services
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
8:30 & 11 a.m.
It is somewhat difficult to accept the fact
that Easter season is nearly upon us, but it
is. With Fat Tuesday nand Ash Wednesday
having been observed this week, we are truly
into the long-recognized season of Lent, that
culminates with the observance of Easter
Sunday on April 20th.
As is our custom at Community Baptist
we will mark the Passion Week with three
special services:
• P alm S unday [A pril 13 th ] • W orship
C hoir E aster M usical : A rise , M y L ove The Worship Choir will share a very special
evening of Easter-themed music through a
musical titled, Arise, My Love. Featuring
soloists and choral pieces, the musical helps
us focus on the remarkable gift that God
gave each one of us through His Son’s death
in our place.
• M aundy T hursday [A pril 17 th ] • M aun dy T hursday S ervice and L ord ’ s S upper
O bservance - One of the most meaningful
services we share, the Maundy Thursday
Service focuses upon the details of our
Savior’s final meal with His disciples and
the instructions He gave them
as
He began the final hours of
His earthly sojourn before
dying on the cross the
next day.
• E aster S unday [A pril
20 th ] W orship S ervices - In both our
8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services, special
music and celebratory worship will mark
our commemoration of that special morning
when Jesus arose. Everyone is encouraged
to bring live flowers that morning or during
the day on the Saturday before, so that they
may be placed on the flowered cross that is
always so beautiful in its representation of
Jesus’ victory over death.
He is not here;
He has risen, just as He said.
Come and see the place
where He lay.
M att h e w 28: 6
P a g e 22
From the Pen
& Heart of
MRS. ANN
BURNETT
Ma
r c h
2014
Hungering and Thirsting
After Righteousness
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
~ M at thew 5 : 6
F
ound in the Beatitudes, this Bible verse says that those shall be filled
who have this hunger. It is almost impossible for one who feels this
hunger and thirsting to be lukewarm. I say almost, as to recognize that
while we dwell in these fleshly bodies, from time to time, we need
to rededicate our lives and not cool down. We need to keep ourselves full of
passion and determination. This verse paints the picture of a person possessing
great faith. Faith such as this also produces obedience, which is what God says
He wants above all things from His Children. Adam brought the whole world
into sin through his disobedience to God. Sin and death began to reign over
the earth. It took the obedience of one Man, the Son of God, to bring back
light and life to those who obeyed Him.
Building a relationship with the Lord is the fundamental first step in
building a faith foundation that will begin to fill you with the passion to serve
Him in righteousness. Remember, Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.
Actually the Lord will be with you every step of the way. After all, the eyes of
the Lord run to and fro in the whole earth seeking to show Himself strong on
the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards Him. (2nd Chronicles 16:9
[KJV]). We may lack perfection in this fleshly body. Nevertheless, we CAN
have a heart that is perfect towards Him. King David had this and he was not
a perfect person.
If a person hungers and thirsts after righteousness, that person will
explore every way that they can please the One who is able to fill them–the
Lord Jesus, Himself. You always wish to please the one you love. We are told,
Jesus Himself is the Word of God. Imagine that: the living, breathing Word
of God. We are sanctified through the word of God. We must be sanctified
(cleansed and holy) before we can be in the presence of God. His word will
do this for us. Jesus said we can know that we have passed from death into
life when we love our fellow Christians and will, if necessary, lay down our
lives for them. He says we will be identified by the world by the way we love
one another. Not by the way we love our neighbors whom we love as we love
ourselves and seek to do no harm to self or to others. We must, in obedience,
be constant in reading the word and be sanctified by the washing of water by
the word.
We are told to not forsake the gathering together of the church (i.e., the
body of Christ). If we love one another as we are told we must, we will want to
be together.
In late April, we will be celebrating Easter–the highest holy day in all
the Christian world. Our churches will be overflowing with capacity crowds.
Beautiful Easter lilies will come in to join us in worship of the Passover Lamb,
Jesus the Christ. The one-time sacrifice for all Who will accept the payment of
their sin debt by our Savior. Yes, the Easter lilies are indeed beautiful but even
more beautiful still are the perennials that are always amongst us, giving Him
in gratitude the time He deserves in all seasons, in all our ways.
Love in Christ,
Mrs. Ann
Ma
r c h
2 0 1 4 G O O DN E S S
“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One--God.
Luke 18:19 [HCSB]
P a g e 23
THE
BIG DOG
BARKS
For far longer than I care to admit, this response of Jesus to
the young ruler’s calling Jesus “Good teacher” puzzled me. It
seemed during those times that Jesus might well be denying
his perfection.
by Brother Dave Miller, Music Minister
Eventually, I came to understand that such was not the
case at all. Jesus truly was divine and holy, yet he was human
as well. In fact, what his response to the rich young ruler demonstrated was a divine understanding of the
shortcomings of the ruler’s situation. As the conversation unfolds, the ruler rather proudly asserts that he
has followed the law of Moses all his life. Then Jesus asks that he sell all he has and come follow. This the
ruler could not do and he went away sad.
What Jesus attempted to help his followers comprehend in the parables of Luke 18 is that God is the
one truly good being, and that our own goodness is not something we may simply conjure up on our own.
Instead it requires that we pursue God with all our heart and, through the resulting relationship with Him,
the goodness that He is can become an attribute of our own.
This remains a bit of a dilemma for some folks. I recall a conversation with my mother, late in her life,
in which she affirmed her acceptance of Christ as her personal Savior but then went on to express her hope
that she’d achieve heaven in eternity if she’d been “good enough.” That stance made no sense to be because
I had finally realized that as Jesus said, in essence, above, none of us are “good enough” on our own. The
extent of our goodness seems to be derived from the depth of our relationship with and devotion to God in
our daily walks.
So here and now, I declare that I am not good enough–by a long shot–on my own. And I’d lay fairly
strong odds that neither are any of you.
But the great thing, it seems to me, is that we can develop increasing goodness the more we align ourselves with Him. After all, goodness is one of the nine fruits of the spirit that Paul specifically lists. So,
along with patience, humility and peace that we’ve explored in prior columns, and love, joy, kindness, faithfulness and self-control that we’ll not doubt address sin the future, they ALL become a part of our being,
our essence, the more prevalent God’s Holy Spirit permeates our lives.
So the final question begs: What is “good”? There are any number of definitions, most of which are
some variation of: “morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious.”
While at my aunt’s funeral in Illinois last month, a distant relative I’d not
seen since we’d gathered for my dad’s funeral more than a decade ago, spoke
fondly of Dad with the words, “he was as good a man as I ever knew.” As we
drove back south, the many miles afforded ample opportunity to reflect upon
that accolade. It was true then. Still is now. And I re-discovered why.
Dad spent hours in Bible study. He communed with God regularly,
especially when he walked the farmlands where he grew up. He sought to
always do the right thing, regardless the personal cost. He loved and cared
for people.
Deep down part of me wonders if he might not have gone and sold everything he had to follow Jesus, had he been asked.
What about us?
Page 24
Ma
r c h
2014
COMMUNITY’S OPPORTUNITIES
SUNDAY ( 3 - 9 )
DAY L I G H T S AV I N G T I M E B E GINS
3 : 3 0 P M M I S S I O N T E A M B O S TO N M I S SION TRIP
I N F O R M AT I O N A L M E E T I N G
WEDN E S DAY ( 3 - 1 2 ) 6 : 3 0 P M
M O N T H L Y C H U R C H B U S I N E S S MEETING
FRIDAY ( 3 - 1 4 )
7 : 0 0 P M
C O M M U N I T Y WO M E N C O N N E CTING
“ G I R L S ’ nite O U T ” E V E N T at
alabaster olive garden restaurant
SUNDAY ( 3 - 1 6 ) 7 : 0 0 P M
YO U T H S . N . A . C . T I M E
TUESDAY ( 3 - 1 8 )
5 : 3 0 P M
C B C WO R K N I G H T AT S H E L BY BAPTIST
A S S O C I AT I O N
WEDN E S DAY ( 3 - 1 9 ) 6 : 3 0 P M
N E W M E M B E R S & P R O S P E C TS CLASS - 2
FRIDAY ( 3 - 2 1 )
6 - 8 : 3 0 P M C B C K I D S : PA S S P O RT PA L S
SATUR DAY ( 3 - 2 2 )
9 A M - 5 P M YO U T H R OA D T R I P TO OA K MOUNTAIN
S TAT E PA R K
SUNDAY ( 3 - 3 0 )
W E E K O F P R AY E R F O R N O RT H A M E R I C A N MISSIONS
BEGINS
NOON
C O L L E G E C L A S S O U T TO E AT
THURS DAY ( 4 - 3 )
9 : 3 0 A M – 3 : 4 5 P MS E N I O R S R OA D T R I P TO GLORY
2 0 1 4 AT T H E B A P T I S T C H U RCH AT
M C A D O RY
FRI-SU N ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 6 ) C W C S P R I N G R E T R E AT AT S P R I N G V I L L E CONFERENCE
CENTER, ODENVILLE
SATUR DAY ( 4 - 5 )
7 : 3 0 A M
Q U A RT E R L Y M E N ’ S B R E A K FAST
SUNDAY ( 4 - 6 )
W E E K O F P R AY E R F O R N O RT H A M E R I C A N MISSIONS
C O N C L U D E S W I T H A N N I E A R M S T R O N G E A STER
O F F E R I N G WA L K D U R I N G F E L L OW S H I P T IME IN BOTH
M O R N I N G WO R S H I P S E R V I C E S .
7 : 0 0 P M
YO U T H S . N . A . C T I M E
SATUR DAY ( 4 - 1 2 )
7 : 3 0 P M
C H U R C H - W I D E WO R K DAY AT THE
CHURCH
7 : 3 0 A M
YO U T H WO R K DAY A N D A MOVIE
SUNDAY ( 4 - 1 3 ) PA L M S U N DAY
6 : 0 0 P M
WO R S H I P C H O I R M U S I C A L
TUESDAY ( 4 - 1 5 )
5 : 3 0 P M
C B C WO R K N I G H T AT S H E L BY BAPTIST
A S S O C I AT I O N
WEDN E S DAY ( 4 - 1 6 ) 6 : 3 0 P M
M O N T H L Y C H U R C H B U S I N E S S MEETING
THURS DAY ( 4 - 1 7 ) 7 : 0 0 P M M A U N DY T H U R S DAY S E R V I C E
SUNDAY ( 4 - 2 0 )
E A S T E R S U N DAY ( N O E V E N ING SERVICE)
TUESDAY ( 4 - 2 2 )
5 : 3 0 P M
C B C WO R K N I G H T AT S H E L BY BAPTIST
A S S O C I AT I O N
FRIDAY ( 4 - 2 5 )
6 - 8 : 3 0 P M C B C K I D S : PA S S P O RT PA L S
6 : 3 0 P M C O L L E G E C L A S S O U T TO E AT
SATUR DAY ( 4 - 2 6 )
9 A M - 5 P MYO U T H R OA D T R I P TO T H E MONTGOMERY
ZOO
WEDNESDAY (4-30) 6:30 PM
KIDZ PRAYZE MUSICAL: I AM SECOND
FRIDAY (5-2) 9 AM - 2 PM SENIORS ROAD TRIP TO CLANTON CIVIL
WAR BATTLEGROUND WITH LUNCH
FRI-SAT (5-2-3) 7 PM – 7 AM YOUTH ROCK-A-THON
SUNDAY (5-4) SENIOR ADULT SUNDAY
6:00 PM JOINT HEIRS CHOIR MUSICAL
SUNDAY (5-11) MOTHERS DAY (NO EVENING WORSHIP SERVICE)
WEDNESDAY (5-14) 6:30 PM MONTHLY CHURCH BUSINESS MEETING
FRIDAY (5-16) 6:30 PM COLLEGE CLASS OUT TO EAT
SATURDAY (5-17) 9 AM–2 PM YOUTH MISSION IN THE PARK
TIME TBD CBC EAGLES MEETING , SPECIFICS TBD
SUNDAY (5-18) TIME TBD college class URBAN PURPOSE
ACTIVITY
TUESDAY (5-20) 5:30 PM
CBC WORK NIGHT AT SH ELBY BAPTIST
ASSOCIATION
WEDNESDAY (5-21) 7:30 PM
PARENTS FUGE MEETING
FRIDAY (5-23) 6-8:30 PM CBC KIDS: PASSPORT PALS
7:00 PM
YOUTH SCHOOL-YEAR END PARTY
SUNDAY (5-25) GRADUATES SUNDAY
MONDAY (5-26) MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY (OFFICE CLO SED)
FRIDAY (5-30) 6-8:30 PM CBC KIDS: PASSPORT PALS
SUN-THUR (6-1-6-5) VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
SATURDAY (6-7) 7 PM -? YOUTH LOCK-OUT
TUESDAY (6-10) 9 AM-NOON CBC KIDS: SOOPER TOOZDAY MUSIC
CAMP – AMERIKIDS
WEDNESDAY (6-11) 6:30 PM
MONTHLY CHURCH BUSINESS MEETING
FRIDAY (6-13) 9-11 PM
COLLEGE CLASS OUT TO EAT & AIR
WALK
SATURDAY (6-14) 9 AM - ? SENIORS ROAD TRIP TO COLUMBIANA
FOR HIGH TEA, TRADE DAYS AND
FARMERS MARKET SUNDAY (6-15) FATHERS DAY (NO EVENING WORSHIP)
MON-SAT (6-16-21) YOUTH TO MFUGE AT RI DGECREST, NC
TUESDAY (6-17) 9 AM-NOON CBC KIDS: SOOPER TOOZDAY MUSIC
CAMP – AMERIKIDS
5:30 PM CBC WORK NIGHT AT SH ELBY BAPTIST
ASSOCIATION
SAT-SUN (6-21-22) CWC LEADERS RETREAT
TUESDAY (6-24) 9 AM-NOON CBC KIDS: SOOPER TOOZDAY MUSIC
CAMP – AMERIKIDS
SUNDAY (6-29) 6:00 PM CBC AT THE MOVIES NIGHT
TUESDAY (7-1) 9 AM-NOON CBC KIDS: SOOPER TOOZDAY MUSIC
CAMP – AMERIKIDS
WED-MON (7-2-7) BOSTON MISSION TRIP
folks
folks just
just like
like you
you