FBC Carthage E-News
October 22, 2012
Good Morning,
It is great to be back in
Carthage, Tennessee! The mission trip to
Cambridge Bay was fantastic but there is no place like home. I will give a full report on the trip at the
end of this E-News. I learned a lot and
have complete confidence that the Lord has begun a good work in that people
group. Thank you for your prayers for
me, the team, and the people of Cambridge Bay.
Thank you also for the financial support for our first mission trip into
Nunavut. In addition to the printed
report, a recording of last night’s service will be available online on the
Media page of the www.fbccarthage.com
web site under Sermons.
Yesterday was a great day
and I am humbled by the luncheon and generous gifts given to me for Pastor
Appreciation Day. I have been working
with my new iPad this morning. It is an
honor and a blessing to serve the Lord as your Pastor. Thank you.
I want to say “Thank You” to Brad Tackett for preaching and teaching for me on Sunday and Wednesday nights while I have been out. It is a blessing to know you are being cared for in my absence.
I also want to say how
much I appreciate each leader who has stepped up and shouldered additional
responsibilities during these past several weeks.
An upcoming mission trip
to add to your prayer list; Lynn Sharenberger will be traveling with the
Tennessee Baptist Ladies Chorus to one of our TBC mission partnership states of
Iowa, November 1-5. The Ladies Chorus
will be singing in several Iowa churches and during the Iowa Baptist
Convention.
Before I close, I want to
honor the memory of a dear friend,Pastor Wallace Kent, the pastor I served with
for 13 years during my first full-time staff position in Kentucky. Bro. Kent died last week after a short
illness and I had the privilege to have a part of his funeral service. In the service each person who shared spoke
of his great love and compassion for the people of Frankfort, Kentucky. He served over 40 years in that city and
touched thousands of lives, including mine.
As my mentor, he taught me many valuable lessons in ministry and
Christian living. Here are the lessons I
learned from him:
·
Love the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, soul, and
mind.· Love your family and do not neglect them and their needs.
· Love people and care for them. Visit tem. Call them.
· Love the Word of God and preach it faithfully.
· Invest in the lives of others. Be patient with them, especially the ones from Tennessee (He was from Alabama.)
· You don’t have to drive the best car to be somebody.
· Enjoy life.
· Finish well. Serve the Lord all the days of your life.
My prayer is that I may live
out these principles in my ministry and life.
It is a blessing to be
your Pastor. Have a blessed week and
remember to check out the mission report at the end of this E-News,
Bro. Tim
Here is the News for the
Week:
1.
We rejoice with
Tim Bush as he makes his Profession of Faith in Christ and follows the Lord in
Believers Baptism. Pray for Tim as he
takes this important step of obedience. 2. This Sunday, October 28 will be the Collection Day for your Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. Bring your filled boxes with you this Sunday.
3. The Fall Family Fun Festival will be this Wednesday night, October 24 at 5:30 PM in the Christian Life Center. There will be food, inflatables, games, and fun for everyone. We also have a special guest missionary coming to share during the evening. Invite your friends and neighbors to bring their children and join us for this annual event.
4. The Personnel Committee will be meeting this Thursday, October 25 at 6:00 PM as they consider the many resumes received for the Minister to Youth position. Please pray for the committee this week as they pray and prepare themselves for this important meeting.
5. The final home game of the Smith County High School football season will be this Friday, October 25 against York Institute. Jason Kline with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will be our guest speaker at the 5th Quarter following the game. These 5th Quarter Fellowships are for students in grades 7-12 and provide an opportunity for our students to reach out to their friends and invite them to join them for food, fun, and an encouraging word from the Bible.
6. This Sunday, October 28 is the New Salem Association of Baptists’ Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be at Lancaster Baptist Church beginning at 2:00 PM. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend.
7. We will have Wednesday Night Prayer Service and Bible Study on October 31 at 6:30 PM.
8. Two special Thanksgiving meals and services are coming up very quickly:
· The Smith County Ministerial Alliance Thanksgiving Meal and Service will be Sunday, November 11 at 5:30 PM at the Ag Center. Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish for the dinner.
· Our church Thanksgiving Dinner and Service will be Sunday, November 18 at 5:30 PM. Bring a covered dish and join us for a great evening of fellowship and thanks-giving.
9. Thank you again for your prayers and support of the Mission Trip to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Enjoy reading the following report.
Mission Report from
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut – October 10-19, 2012
First
Baptist Church Carthage began praying for the Inuit people of Nunavut Canada in
December 2010. We prayed for direction,
timing, and effectiveness in reaching into this territory in northern
Canada. During these past two years we
have learned from many people in preparing for this trip. Those persons have included:
Dr. David Sills, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological in Louisville, Kentucky
Donny Coulter, North American Mission Board Missionary
Alec Sunrise and Alec Tambour, Native Believers from Hay River, Northwest Territory
Lance Kramer, Inuit Believer from Alaska
This first trip was to Cambridge Bay, a town of 1800
people, located above the Arctic Circle.
There are no roads leading to Cambridge Bay so everything must be
brought in by plane or ship (Ships come in summer months only.)
Here are things learned during this initial trip which will
be of help in future efforts:
1.
I believe the
Lord has brought us into a relationship with this unreached people group. The events that led up to the initial trip
were bathed in prayer from multiple areas and culminated in a great series of
meetings together.
2.
The Inuit are a
kind, friendly, and open people. They
live in great hardships of weather, isolation, and limited resources. They have learned to work together, share
their resources, and welcome those from the outside. Many other people live in Cambridge Bay from
the lower provinces and territories of Canada.
3.
September and
October seem to be good times to go to this area. The weather is still mild and the most of the
people are in the community. July and
August would be better in terms of weather but many of the people are out
fishing and preparing for winter.
4.
On our next trip,
we need to expand the length of the trip to include more time with the people and
possibly visit in multiple towns.
5.
The Camp Meeting
format seemed to be very well received.
In these meetings, expect long services and extended times of fellowship
after the services. The services were
2-3 hours and fellowship time went past 12 Midnight.
6.
Take Bibles to
give away to the people. They seemed to
be very thankful to receive the limited number we brought. One idea would be to carry a case or two in an
additional suitcase. The person would have
to pay additional fees on US airlines but Canadian North allows two bags free.
7.
Be ready for
expensive prices. For example:
Yellowknife Super 8 $173
Cambridge Bay Hotel $230 per person
Hamburger $ 15-18
Lasagna Special $ 34.95
8.
Take items from Tennessee
to leave with the people. It is good to
share our life with the people.
9.
Be ready to try different foods. The people eat a lot of meat and fish. We ate samples of musk ox, raw fish, and whale
skin. The people delight in hosting
guests. There is not a ready supply of
vegetables. Don’t expect them. Also, watch
the water – drink only bottled water.
The mission trip is not long enough to be feeling bad. Take Pepto Bismol and other medications
needed.
10.
The Northern
Lights are amazing. We saw them one
night and they were beautiful
11.
The key to this
trip was the power of prayer. The
24-hour prayer vigil, people praying, and those who prayed and fasted made the
difference. Thank you for undergirding this
effort with prayer.
12.
Alec Sunrise was
an invaluable member of the team and was readily accepted by the people of
Cambridge Bay. He may be a key part of
the overall strategy in reaching the Inuit in Nunavut. The Lord blessed us when he brought us in
contact with Alec and Alex.
13.
There needs to be
openness on our part to work with existing evangelical churches where possible. In Cambridge Bay we were blessed to serve
with two evangelical churches, Glad Tidings Church and Northern Lighthouse
Church. The believers of these two
churches faithfully attended the services and brought family and friends.
14.
There is a great importance of following native
leadership in this work. For us, Alec
Sunrise was a great leader of the team.
Early on there was a situation that demanded a decision and it was
important to resist the urge to take control from the native believers. As we go, we do not go to do work for them
but to work alongside them. We do not
want to create an unhealthy dependency on us.
This willingness to yield and follow calls for great deal of humility
and trust in the native leadership. We
can learn much from the believers in the area if we go with a desire and
willingness to listen to the people, be a learner, and let them take the
lead.
