FBC Carthage E-News for August 31, 2009

FBC Carthage E-News
August 31, 2009

Good Morning,

It is hard to believe that we are closing out the month of August. Summer is behind us and the Fall is upon us. This is my favorite season of the year. Take some extra time during these cool, crisp mornings to be alone with the Lord. Take a walk with Him and imagine Adam and Eve as they walked with God in perfect fellowship in the cool of the day. In Jesus Christ, that relationship is reconnected and we can once again walk with God and talk with Him. Never take for granted the wonderful transformation that has taken place in you through your faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. God is waiting for that walk together.

This coming weekend is Labor Day weekend and I would like for us to get together for a little labor. I have been noticing a few projects around the church and Saturday morning, September 5 would be a good time to get them done. Let’s meet at 8:00 AM and we will be through no later than 12 Noon. There are some shrubby to trim, closets to clean, and general cleaning and straightening to do. If you have noticed specific projects that need to be done please contact me this week and we’ll add them to the list. A work day on Labor Day.

This Sunday, September 6 is our last scheduled campground service at Defeated Creek. The service begins at 8:30 AM at the Pavilion. It should be a beautiful morning for this service of outreach to the campers. Everyone is invited to attend.

I appreciate Tim Agee coming and sharing yesterday about the great mission of the Gideons. I was excited to hear of the 78 million Bibles they distributed last year. Click on the link below to learn more about the work of the Gideons. Also, if you would like to know more about becoming a Gideon, contact me and I will get you in contact with Tim Agee. The Gideon’s web site is: http://www.gideons.org/.

Have a blessed week and remember that walk in the cool of the day,

Bro. Tim


Here’s the news for the week:
1. Senior Adults are reminded of the Senior Adult Banquet on Thursday night, September 3 at 6:00 PM at First Baptist Church in Gordonsville. Bring a covered dish to go along with barbeque.

2. Deacons are reminded of our meeting this Sunday, September 6 at 4:30 PM.

3. Our Fall Revival will be at the Ag Center on September 20-23. We will join with the churches in the Association for these Crusade services at 7:00 PM each night. Jerry Chadwick will be the Guest Evangelist and Gary Miller will be leading the worship. Make plans to attend. Invite friends and family to come with you. Pray for the lost to come so they may hear the gospel.

4. The special nights and activities for the Crusade are listed below:
Crusade ScheduleSunday night, September 20 — Youth night
4:00-7:00 PM Youth will have special activities, pizza
4:30 PM Crusade Choir Rehersal
7:00 PM Crusade Service

Monday night, September 21 — Senior Adult night
6:00-7:00 PM Garden Grass Ambush will perform.
7:00 PM Crusade Service

Tuesday night, September 22 — Children’s night
6:00-7:00 PM Special activities for children
7:00 PM Crusade Service

Wednesday night, September 23 — Family night
6:00-7:00 PM Gary Miller and family will give a concert.
Please bring canned goods for the Help Center.
7:00 PM Crusade Service

5. Speaking of the Associational Crusade, everyone is invited to sing in the Crusade Choir each evening. The choir will meet at 4:30 PM on Sunday, September 20 at the Ag Center to rehearse and prepare for the week of worship.

6. On Saturday, September 19 at 9:00 AM we will participate in a county wide Prayer Walk / Prayer Drive in preparation for the Crusade. Prayer Walking has been described as praying on site with insight. As you walk through a neighborhood you simply pray for the people and families that live in the houses you pass. You walk and pray for the Lord to work in their lives. Prayer Driving is the same principle but you drive through the county roads, praying for the people and families as you pass their houses. Listed below are four interesting sites with information and instructions for Prayer Walking/ Prayer Driving:
http://www.bgct.org/TexasBaptists/Document.Doc?&id=808

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A=150101&M=50022,00.html

http://www.hannahscupboard.com/prayer-walking.html

http://www.newchurches.com/mediafiles/PrayerWalkManual.pdf

7. The Church Council met for an extended time yesterday and worked on the 2009-2010 Church Calendar. If you have additional events or activities please contact the church office. Also, if you are wishing to use the Family Life Center, you need to contact Deborah prior to using the facility. We have several activities planned for the FLC and those events on the Church Calendar take precedent over other activities that are not reserved. As the FLC is used more and more, it is important for everyone to let Deborah know when you are planning to use the facility.

8. The 2009-2010 Church Calendar is listed below for you to transfer the specific dates onto your calendar. Remember to check with the Church Office for scheduling additional events:

Calendar Planning 2009-2010
September 2009 – Sunday School Focus
3 Senior Adult Dinner FBC, Gordonsville @ 6:00 PM
5 Church Work-Day @ 9:00 AM
6 Defeated Creek Campground Service
New Church Year begins
Deacons Meeting
9 Business Meeting
11,18,25 5th Quarters
20-23 Association Crusade – Ag Center
27 Sunday School High Attendance Day

October 2009
3 Rendezvous on the Square
4 Church Council and Deacons
7 Business Meeting – Elect Assoc. Msg-ers
9,16 5th Quarters
10 Sunday School Teachers Appreciation Dinner
11 Be the Church Sunday
18 Association Meeting
23-24, 26-27 Pictorial Directory
23-24 Youth White-Water Rafting
31 Community Fall Festival

November 2009
1 Daylight Saving Times Ends
Church Council and Deacons
4 Business Meeting – Elect TBC Messengers
9-11 Tennessee Baptist Convention, Jackson, TN
18 Sunday School Leaders Mtg. 7:30 PM
22 Thanksgiving Dinner
29 Christmas Services Begin
30 Christmas Parade – Singing on the Steps

December 2009 - International Mission Focus
6 Church Council and Deacons
Children’s Choir Christmas
9 Business Meeting
19 Youth Connect – Christmas Party
20 Christmas Choir
24 Christmas Eve Service
31 New Year’s Eve Celebration

January 2010
3 Awana Begins
Church Council and Deacons
5 Smith County School Begins
6 Business Meeting - Children Choir resumes
17 Sanctity of Life Sunday
18 No School



February – WMU Focus
7 Church Council and Deacons
10 Business Meeting
12-13 Youth Ski Trip
15 No School
17 Sunday School Leaders Meeting
26-27 Marriage Retreat

March – North American Missions Focus
5 No School
5-6 Youth Evangelism Conference
7 Church Council and Deacons
10 Business Meeting
14 Daylight Savings Time Begins
28-31 Spring Revival

April
2 No School
Good Friday Service - 6 PM
4 Easter
11 Church Council and Deacons
12-16 Spring Break
14 Business Meeting
25 Children’s Choir Program

May
2 Graduate Recognition
Church Council and Deacons
5 Business Meeting
9 Mother’s Day
14/15 Gordonsville/ Smith County Graduations
16 AWANA Awards Night
19 Sunday School Leader Meeting
20 No school
21 ½ day of school
30 Memorial Day

June
6 Church Council and Deacons
9 Business Meeting
14-16 Vacation Bible School
21-July 4 Hold for Mission Trip

July
11 Church Council and Deacons
14 Business Meeting
26-31 Smith County Fair

August
1 Church Council and Deacons
Awana Begins
4 Business Meeting

9. Last week Steve Kelly, a good friend of mine from Louisville, Kentucky sent me this letter and I felt it would be of inspiration to you.


Last Friday, Darlene (Steve’s wife) saw a homeless man at the exit ramp we take coming home from work. He was behind some trees and shrubs going up the embankment next to the underpass. When I got home and after we ate dinner Darlene asked if we should take a meal to the man. I was pretty reluctant. You see, my heart had become hardened towards people at intersections looking for hand outs. We often see the same people there then walking back to cars and driving off. At some point, a week or so before this, I asked God to help me not to be so judgmental towards these people. I asked Him to give me a heart more like Darlene’s, she has a very tender heart for people in need. But this man was different, he wasn’t asking for anything, just looking for a place to bed down for the night I guess.
Well, Darlene put together some food and drinks for him and we went down the road to drop it off for him. I pulled off the road and hollered out to him behind the trees, he came out looking really timid and was very cautious. When I told him we had some food for him, his face lit up and we met half way. I handed him the sack and he reached out to shake my hand. The moment our hands touched I had a flash back to years ago. I was quickly reminded that I was just days away from being in the same position he was in now. He thanked us over and over, and then to my surprise he started praising God and rising up his hand and pointing, thanking Jesus. Before we left he told me his name was Willie. We said our goodbyes and said we would be praying for him.
That night in bed the Holy Spirit really got hold of me, I could not get Willie off my mind. Memories of my past struggles kept coming back. I wept a good portion of that night thinking how God had rescued me and my son from the same fate Willie was dealing with now. That morning Darlene and I got together a couple of changes of clothes and I ran to Big Lots to get some toiletries for him. On the way there I passed close by where he was staying and I knew then that God was working on changing my heart and tears filled my eyes again. At home we put together the clothes, sleeping bag etc for Willie and I ran back out to drop them off for him.
Again when I got there and called out to him he was acting very timid, he came down and shook my hand and I gave him the materials. He asked if he could give me a hug and I said sure. In the past when I’d see someone on the road looking dirty and ragged, the last thing I would want to do would be to get close to this person, let alone hug them. But there was no bad odor or anything like that, and I did not feel like I had to run home and take a shower. I could tell that he had been drinking but later in the day I realized that this may have been Satan trying to get me to reject Willie or it was a test from God to see my reaction. We hugged again and this time he asked me why we were doing this, I told him God had put him on my heart in a heavy way. Willie stepped back and had an expression on his face that I will never be able to explain, and for a brief moment all the noise from the interstate and exit ramp went silent and it was like Willie and I were isolated from the rest of the world. We went our separate ways and I knew God had used Willie in a mighty way to start working on my heart.
That evening we had a fellowship get together with our Sunday school class. On the way back we stopped to bring Willie a plate of food but he was gone as quickly as he came. We also stopped by on our way home from church Sunday, no Willie. We did catch a glimpse of him hiding behind a piling under the interstate on Monday but when we came back thru a short time later, again no Willie.
What lessons from Willie did I learn? That God answers prayer. That God can use anyone no matter what their situation may be. That just as I saw Willie all ragged and dirty, but still hugged him, this is what Jesus does. Our sin makes us ragged and dirty but Jesus will still reaches out and shakes your hand and welcomes you into His arms. Thank you Willie for being the instrument used by God to work on my heart and thank you Darlene for being the example I need to follow.
I am not going to ask you to pass this on to 10 friends if you love Jesus or that you will prosper if you sent it out in 7 minutes and 46 seconds. I am going to ask you to pray for a pure heart and a renewed joy in your salvation. Just maybe, God will send Willie your way.