FBC Carthage E-News for April 11, 2011

FBC Carthage E-News


April 11, 2011

Good Windy Morning,

The wind is blowing the trees outside the window and rattling the windows. It is a Spring day in Tennessee. During this season, take time to enjoy the freshness of Spring. Take a walk. Notice the dogwood trees. Feel the breeze. Enjoy the day. It seems we get so busy that we miss the simple blessings of each day. I encourage you to say with the Psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)

This is an exciting two weeks as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the resurrection. I encourage you to read the e-devotionals each day as they point us to the cross and the empty tomb. The theme for the Easter service will be “He Rose!” The hope we have is in the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. Invite your family and friends to join you for the special Easter celebration service at the Smith County High School Auditorium at 10:00 AM. I love these special services when we all have the opportunity to worship together in one service and have plenty of room to invite the community.

Speaking of inviting the community, this Saturday, April 16 we will gather at 9:30 AM in the Christian Life Center, form our teams, pray, and go out to invite the community to the Easter service. We found, last Saturday, during the prayer walking that there are approximately 2000 homes in our immediate church field. Wow! That is almost double what we had expected. We need everyone to join together in this invitation distribution on Saturday. People will come to the Easter service if we will invite them.

Have a blessed week as you live in the hope of Jesus’ resurrection.

Bro. Tim


Here’s the news for the week:
1. It is a joy to welcome Shawn Pinson as he came yesterday to move his church membership to FBC Carthage. In addition, Shawn shared his call into the gospel ministry. Pray for him and the other young people God has called out in the last several months. These are exciting days in their lives and in the life of our church.

2. Remember to put the Easter Invitation Distribution on your calendar for this Saturday, April 16, at 9:30 AM.

3. The Mission Montana team will meet in Bro. Tim’s office on Sunday, April 17 at 3:00 PM. We will be planning the travel and work for the trip. All team members are needed.

4. The Church Council will meet this Sunday, April 17 at 4:00 PM.

5. This Sunday will be the last meeting for AWANA this year. A special thank you to all the workers in this important and vital ministry.

6. Last Wednesday, during the business meeting, the church approved a recommendation to purchase a 25 passenger bus. The bus will be a great tool for the many ministries and missions of FBC Carthage.

7. The Islam Awareness Conference is coming up quickly on May 8-10 at the Smith County Ag Center. The Smith County Ministerial Alliance, of which we are a part, is sponsoring this conference. The speaker will be Pastor Mujahid el Masih, a former Muslim who now has a ministry of exposing the truth of Islam and sharing how Christians can share Jesus with their Muslim friends. We have an information flyer posted on the church web site www.fbccarthage.com. Look for, and click on, the picture link at the bottom of the “About” page.

8. The Pregnancy Help Center had their first fundraising banquet last week and received over $4,000 in contributions and pledges. This is a great start for this new ministry which will be a voice for life and an encouragement to young ladies in unplanned pregnancies. A house has been provided at 108 College Avenue West for the Center to use, however, there are still many renovations to do before the it can open. The following dates are set aside to as work days on the house. Help is needed in electrical, plumbing, roofing, and painting. The work dates for April will be:
Tuesday, April 12 @ 3:00 PM
Friday, April 15 @ 3:00 PM
Tuesday, April 19@ 3:00 PM
Friday, April 22 @ 8:00 AM
Tuesday, April 26 @ 3:00 PM
Saturday, April 30 @ 8:00 AM

9. My phone alarm just went off, 9:38 AM, to remind me to “Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38) This one simple reminder each day has been a great tool to call me to stop what I am doing and to pray for the Inuit people in Northern Canada. My prayer is for God to raise up a pastor to go into that unreached people group and see a church established. Set your alarm and let’s pray specifically for laborers in the harvest.

10. Here is a link to a great resource for missions and three great videos on reaching native peoples in America and Canada. Donny Coulter, the North American Missionary who spoke last Sunday, shares in one of the videos on the work with the First Nations People of Canada. Check it out: http://www.lbc.org/NACulturalTraining/

11. Here are several youth related dates from Zeke’s Parent Blog:
April 16, YOUTH OVER NIGHT at 11pm - This is for High School Student's attending prom. Snacks and games will be provided for. We will end with breakfast, and a devotion on Sunday morning. Please contact Zeke if you are attending.

May 23 to 26, KIDS CAMP at the AG Center from 9am to 2pm - Need more students to sign up to serve in recreation, tech, meals, and more.

May 29, YOUTH CAMP SUPPORT LUNCHEON at FBCC - Contact Zeke if you can supply a dish.

May 30 to June 2, REFUEL at the AG Center from 1:30pm to 8pm - You can signup in the Youth Room. More info on Web Site.