No "Church Council Meeting" Tonight Due to Expected Bad Weather

Due to the expected snow that is forecast to begin late this afternoon and continue into the evening hours. we will NOT have our Church Council Meeting tonight. I don't want folks to be out in that as it is falling.

So far, our parking lot is in good shape (10:30 am), but the expected cold front and snow with it that is to hit later today could change that - and the road conditions - quickly.

Be careful out there, and have a wonderful day!

Brian

Parking Lot Has Been Cleared for Winter Bible Study and Sunday Services!

Just wanted to report that our Parking Lot was plowed this morning (See photos)! So we are set to begin out Winter Bible Study tonight, February 6, at 6:00 PM, and to have our regular Sunday School and Morning Worship Service tomorrow. I will be preaching on John 3:16 in the morning, and we will observe the Lord's Supper.

For the Bible Study, we will just do one session tonight, and tomorrow. It is too long to try and squeeze yesterday's session in. It makes it too long for those working with children.

Tonight's video message on "John 3:16" will be by Dr. Jerry Vines, a truly great preacher, and former President of our Southern Baptist Convention.

Tomorrow, after church and the carry-in lunch, we will listen to a detailed message by Dr. David Allen - a seminary professor - as he teaches on "The Atonement," which is at the very heart of "John 3:16."

I'll schedule later a time for those who are interested, to listen to the other messages that go along with this study on "John 3:16." Hope to see you at church later today and tomorrow!

ATTENTION: Friday Session (Feb. 5) Canceled Due to Snow; Study to Begin Feb. 6); Join Us for "Winter Bible Study" February 6-7: "John 3:16"

Just what does the most famous verse in the Bible really mean? It would seem to be clear, but there is controversy among some people whether Jesus really gave His life for every person. In this video study, we will examine this issue, and set forth our fundamental conviction that Jesus died for all people, and whoever believes in Him will be saved! Join us for this important video study!

SCHEDULE

Friday, February 5 (Canceled Due to Snow)

Saturday, February 6

NO MEAL

6:00 PM – Session 1: “John 3:16” – Video Message by Dr. Jerry Vines

Sunday, February 7

12:00 NN – Carry-in Meal After Church (Please bring main dish and sides to share)

1:15 PM – Session 2: The Atonement – Video Message by Dr. David Allen

Discussion will follow each video message. All Sessions in the Sanctuary.

Nursery and Class for Preschool Age Children Provided

"Lottie Moon Christmas Offering" Goal Surpassed!

Thanks to God's provision, and your generous giving, we have gone over our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Goal for International Missions! Our goal was $4,700 and we are now over $4,800! Thanks so much for giving so that the message of Jesus can be shared all around the world!

Getting Close to our Lottie Moon Goal for International Missions!

We are now getting close to reaching our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Goal of $4,700! As of today, we have give $4,339.31. That's just $361 short of our goal.

Let's go over the top this coming Sunday! Every penny given goes directly to the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. More than 5,000 missionaries are depending on these funds to have resources to actually carry out ministries on their field of service. Thank you so much for your generosity in giving to share Jesus to the ends of the earth. It encourages me as your pastor to see you respond to such a challenge in the midst of a difficult economic environment. At a time when many churches are falling back on giving because of the hard times, we are moving forward! That is how it should be. Thanks again, and may God bless you for blessing others.

Pastor Brian

Getting Ready for Sunday

What a week of cold it has been! We have truly had some winter this year. We had three (counting me) gather on Wednesday as it snowed to pray. I hope everyone has managed to stay warm and safe.

The parking lot has been graded, and while it is not perfectly clean, it is in pretty good shape. It will be cold Sunday morning, but I hope you will be able to get out and come to study God's Word on Sunday, and worship the Lord! I look forward to seeing you then.

Pastor Brian

Prayer Meeting and Choir Practice Only Tonight - 1/6/10

Due to the expected severe weather, we will have ONLY Prayer Meeting/Bible Study and Choir Practice tonight.

Our Wednesday night meal, as well as Children and Youth Classes are canceled. For those who feel they can make it for Choir Practice and Prayer Meeting, we will go forward with those as usual. But please use your own judgment as you see how weather conditions develop.

We will move back our Business Meeting from tonight to next Wednesday night, January 13, at 7:00 PM. That will enable more to participate. We will have Prayer Meeting and Bible Study tonight instead for those who can come.

This will result in the final session of our Deacon Training being moved back a week to January 20 instead of January 13.

These weather situations create hard decisions sometimes. Nothing has happened yet, but all forecasts sound like by 5 pm there will be snow on the ground, and the heaviest snow will fall from 5-9 pm. That's why we have made these decisions.

If you can make it out tonight, I'll be at church for Bible Study at 7 pm, and Choir Practice will meet at 6 pm. Take care, and stay warm!

Pastor Brian

Warm Worship!

We had a great day in worship yesterday despite the extreme cold and the falling snow. It was warm inside, and God always touches our hearts as we spend time worshiping and glorifying His Name. There are many who just can't get out in this kind of weather because of health conditions. Keep them in your prayers during this tough time. But thank you to all those who were able to come and do what is needed for the teaching of the Bible and the worship of the Lord to go on. Stay warm, and have a great week!

Prayer Meeting Only Still On for Tonight

With the snow we had overnight, our parking lot has snow on it right now. We will plan to have the lot cleared off once the snow ends, and hope it is snow-free by Sunday.

We will go ahead and have Prayer Meeting tonight for those who can make it. We may still have some snow on the lot tonight since it may continue to snow off and on today. But the canopy in front of the building is clear of snow, and you can park in front of the building even if there is some snow. There is no meal tonight or children/youth activities since it is still the holiday season.

Our normal schedule resumes next Wednesday, January 6. Take care!

Parking Lot Clear; Prayer Meeting Only this Wednesday at 7:00 PM

Just a word to let everyone know that our parking lot is now clear of ice and snow! We will have Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting only this Wednesday at 7 PM in the Sanctuary. All other activities are canceled because of the holiday season. The full schedule will return as normal on Wednesday night, January 6, 2010.

All Services Canceled December 27 Due to Black Ice on Parking Lot

After checking the parking lot this evening, the decision has been made in consultation with our Building and Grounds Committee to cancel all services tomorrow, December 27, 2009, due to black ice being all over the parking lot.

The east side parking lot is especially bad - basically a skating rink. There is a little snow on top, but underneath is black ice, probably a result of all the rain that fell on Thursday prior to the cold front blowing in with the snow. There was also some melting and refreezing that took place late this afternoon and evening. The west side parking lot also has a lot of ice, especially once you get about halfway down toward the building.

We hate to do it, but really believe it is necessary for the safety of everyone concerned. May God bless you. Be careful, and we hope to see you Wednesday (December 30) for Prayer Meeting ( no other activities - only Prayer Meeting), and the first Sunday of January to worship the Lord.

Building Remodeling to Add Improved Classroom Space

One of the things we are so grateful for right now is the tremendous work being done by our Building and Grounds Committee, and committed volunteers, to add additional classroom space to our facilities. They have been working so hard, and the project is really coming along!

They have taken what used to be our "Old Fellowship Hall" and are remodeling it to add three classrooms around the perimeter of the area. When completed, there will be three new classrooms - one large and two mid-size rooms. The larger room will be equipped as a "Media Room" that can be used for video studies in addition to Sunday School.

The middle area of what used to be the "Old Fellowship Hall" is being preserved as a nice meeting area that will have a video screen available as well. It's going to be a great addition to our church and to our ability to continue expanding our Sunday School and other discipleship ministries.

A big "Thank You" goes out to Rick M. and Steve G. for heading up this effort, and to all those who are working so hard to make it possible!

Funeral Arrangements for Mary Hackney

One of our dear members, Mrs. Mary Hackney, has passed away at the age of 93. Mary was a sweet lady, and loved the Lord Jesus. She had a wonderful spirit, and loved to smile and laugh. We will miss her, but can rejoice that she is with the Lord in heaven. Be in prayer for Mary's family, particularly her son, Terry, at this time of grief, and the many friends who loved her so much.

Here are funeral arrangements for Mary: The service will be held on Wednesday, December 23, at 11:00 AM, at the Bowlin-Cantriel Funeral Home in California, Missouri. A visitation will precede the service at the funeral home from 10:00-11:00 AM.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service to be Held, December 24, 6:00 PM

I hope you can join us this coming Thursday night, December 24, for our traditional "Christmas Eve Service," which will begin at 6:00 PM. It will feature Christmas music, a brief message, Observance of the Lord's Supper, and will close with a candlelight singing of "Silent Night." Put the worship of Jesus at the very heart of your Christmas celebration!

A Blessed Day in Worship!

What a wonderful day we had in worship yesterday! Thanks so much to our choir, led by our Minister of Music Stan Neely, for leading us in the morning service with the Christmas Cantata, "The Gift Goes On." What a blessing to know that the "Gift" of Jesus continues to change lives today! His birth changed everything, because it culminated in His sinless life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection from the dead!

Because He came to earth, we can go to heaven through faith in Him. The "Gift" really does go on, and on, and on. . . .

We were also blessed in our evening service by our JOY Puppeteers, who shared several songs with us. The Puppet Ministry is a great outreach across our area, and we are truly privileged to support this ministry and the tremendous work that they do! Thank you for your hard work, Puppeteers!