FBC Carthage E-News
January 26, 2015
Good morning,
As we wrap up the month of
January, we remember the emphasis this month on the sanctity of human life. We have been receiving a special offering during
the month for the Pregnancy Help Center, our local ministry to mothers and
babies and so far have received $1,162.13.
Several baby bottles are still out being filled which will add to this
total. I encourage everyone to make a
gift to the work of the Pregnancy Help Center as they serve Smith County with
the good news of life.
A special fund-raiser for
the Pregnancy Help Center will be held on Monday, February 16. The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) has
invited the Center to bring a group of people to the taping of one of their
television programs and will contribute $20 for every person in our group. The program for that evening includes Don
Moen, Jason Crabb, The Three Bridges, and other Christian speakers and
musicians. The doors open at 6:00 PM and
the actual taping is from 7:00-9:00 PM.
We will take the church bus and plan to leave at 5:00 PM from the church
parking lot. To sign-up for this free event,
send an email to Alicia Hoffman, the Pregnancy Help Center Director, at mommyauctioneer@aol.com.
January is also “Make Your
Will” Month in which every adult is encouraged to have an updated will. Your will is a part of your stewardship
responsibilities before the Lord. No
only does it matter how we glorify God in our finances and possessions as we
live, it is also a testimony to the Lord how we leave our possessions at death. The idea that the family will work it out,
fight it out, figure it out demonstrates poor understanding of our
responsibility before God for what He has entrusted to us to manage. Too many families suffer the effects of estates
left with no preparation or plan.
Contact a local attorney this week, while it is on your mind, and have a
will prepared that honors God and demonstrates your love for your family. In your estate plans, please remember the
impact you can also have for the Kingdom of God by including the church or
other mission agencies in your will. We
recently purchase the property across from the Christian Life Center through monies
given in 2003 through the estate of Mrs. Reba Whitley. That gift to the church at her death will be
a blessing for years to come. Be a good
steward of all of your possessions by having an up-to-date will which reflects
your love for your family and your commitment to the Lord. The Internet has many articles on the importance
of a will such as: https://www.wilmingtontrust.com/wtcom/index.jsp?fileid=3000310.
Have a blessed week,
Bro. Tim
Here’s the news for the
week:
·
GriefShare meets
each Tuesday at 6:00 PM at the Chamber of Commerce Building on Upper Ferry
Road. GriefShare is a 12-week support
group for those who have experienced the grief of the loss of as loved one in
death. The sessions are video-based and
center around the teaching of well-known Christian counselors with testimonies
of people who have traveled through the journey of grief. GriefShare is sponsored by First Baptist
Church Carthage, Bass Funeral Home and Sanderson Funeral Home. There is no cost for the sessions and
workbooks are available for $15. For
more information contact Pastor Tim Frank at (615) 735-1929 or by email tfrank@fbccarthage.com. You don’t
have to walk alone in your journey through grief. Join the GriefShare group here in Smith
County. A special article written on
this subject appears at the end of this E-News.
·
The Church
Council and Deacons will meet this Sunday, February 1 at 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM
respectfully.
·
AWANA and the
regular Sunday evening service will meet this Sunday, February 1.
·
The Women on
Missions group will meet on Monday, February 2 at 6:30 PM. Kathy Reece is the hostess for the meeting
and her home is located at 137 Swope Road.
All ladies are invited to attend.
·
The first Mission
Montana Planning Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 8 at 3:00 PM. The Mission Montana 2015 trip will be June
25-July 4. Everyone interested in
information of the trip are needed at this meeting.
·
The Senior Adult
Fellowship will meet on Tuesday, February 10 at 11:00 AM for a luncheon trip to
Helen’s Restaurant in Gainesboro, Tennessee.
·
This year’s
Couple’s Dinner will be held on Friday, February 13 at Nick’s Restaurant in
Cookeville. We have a room reserved for
our dinner at 6:15 PM. After dinner we
will have a program centered on love and marriage.
·
Our first annual Marriage
Retreat will be held on April 17-19 at the Edgewater at the Aquarium Hotel and
Conference Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The cost for the Marriage Retreat
will be the cost of the rooms, $89 a night plus tax. Each couple will make their own reservations
with the Conference Center by going online or calling (865) 436-4151. The website is http://edgewater-hotel.com. All married couples are encouraged to be a
part of this inspirational and enjoyable weekend.
·
It won’t be long
before the Defeated Campground Services begin for 2015. We have the opportunity to host the services
on the following dates:
April 5
May 3
June 7
July 5
July 26
September 6
October 4
November 1
·
Here is an
article written for the Carthage Courier on grief and to publicize the
GriefShare support group. Please share
it with anyone you may know who is going through a time of grief.
Benjamin
Franklin is quoted as saying, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except
death and taxes.” In reality,
the experience of grief is also a certainty for most every person as he journeys
through this life. Grief is the
emotional response one feels after the loss of someone or something
important. For many, the death of a
parent, sibling, spouse, child, or close friend is the beginning of a painful
and unexpected journey. Motivational
speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Grief is the price you pay for loving someone.”
Grief
is intensely personal with no two people’s experiences being exactly the
same. Often a person is overheard
saying, “I know exactly how you feel.”
That person may have had a similar loss but, in actuality, no one knows
exactly how another person feels in his grief.
Relationships, personal interactions, and family situations are unique
for every person and loss. Therefore,
there is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve based on another’s experiences. Grief is a unique journey for each
person.
That
being said, grief is also a universal experience that has been shared by almost
every person who has lived on this earth.
The universal aspect of grief provides insights and help for individuals
as they experience their own personal journeys through grief. The Bible speaks of grief in many passages
and offers a connection between the heart of God and the heart of the grieving
person.
The
book of Psalms in the Bible offers a rich source of help and hope for the
grieving. For example, Psalm 6:6-9
expresses the lament of a person in grief as the Psalmist writes, “I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench
my couch with my tears. My eye wastes
away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. For the Lord has heard
the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will
receive my prayer.”
In Psalm 18:2-6, the writer cries out to God in a time
of sorrow and anguish, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my
deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of
my salvation, my stronghold. I will call
upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be
saved from my enemies. The pangs of
death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol (the grave) surrounded
me; The snares of death confronted me. In
my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard
my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” Many of the
Psalms speak to the fears, sorrow, and pain of grief.
Addressing
the reader more personally, if you are in the midst of grief, the passages in
the Bible will speak to you of God’s love and help in this difficult time of
your life. One of the most beloved and
known Psalms, Psalm 23:4, portrays God as a loving Shepherd who walks with you
though death and sorrow, “Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
A special Bible-based support group meets in Smith
County to provide a place for you to find encouragement and comfort in your
grief. This group, called GriefShare,
meets each Tuesday at 6:00 PM at the Chamber of Commerce on Upper Ferry Road
and is made up of people just like you who have lost a loved one to death. Each group member receives encouragement from
nationally known Pastors and counselors by way of video. In addition, there is time provided in each
session for individuals within the group to share their challenges and
strengths experienced during the week.
The sessions are free of charge, and a workbook is provided for a
nominal fee. For more information, you
can contact Tim Frank, the group leader, at (615) 735-1929.
Grief
is not an event to be endured but a journey to be taken. Friends and acquaintances return to life’s
activities soon after the funeral, but for the spouse, children, parents, the
road of grief can be long and difficult.
It is important to know you don’t have to make the journey by
yourself. The Lord is there with you as
you call upon Him, and the GriefShare group would love to have you be a part of
the meeting this week. Take the next
step with the Lord in your journey through grief.
