THE BEACON

BIBLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

JUNE, 2010

A NOTE

I can only "Praise the Lord” as Bible Missionary Baptist Church continues to surprise and amaze me. I still believe we are experiencing our strongest spiritual growth, with many people involved in prayer triplets, small-group Bible studies and others reading the Bible through in a year. We continue to be reaching out with the missions and ministries that God has placed upon our hearts. Many of you have stepped up to help someone else for whom God has placed a ministry or mission on their heart. You have given your time, talents, money and, most of all, your support with prayers. During this time we have the most critically sick people at one time we have had. Many of us have also known someone very close to us who has gone to be with the Lord. You have responded and ministered with phone calls, letters, card, visits and food to those who were hurting. Many of you were the ones hurting or separated from a loved one due to death, yet you were ministering to others in their time of need. I could not be more humbled and, at the same time, be more proud to be the pastor of Bible Missionary Baptist Church. People say to me all the time how they feel the presence of the Lord, and the love relationship shared at BMBC. I have to agree; I believe the Holy Spirit is alive and well at BMBC, even when we have so many special prayer needs and sickness at this time.

Kathy and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your prayers,cards and visits during the death of my brother Howard. We would also like to thank you for the food and cards for Kathy as she continues to battle the migraines and other health issues. Praise the Lord, she has now been two weeks without a migraine. It is that kind of love and support that makes me proud to say I am the pastor of Bible Missionary Baptist Church.

I encourage you to continue serving the Lord as you reach out to help others—it is very biblical.

Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

²⁶"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

²⁷He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'^[; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

²⁸"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

²⁹But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

³⁰In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two silver coins^[^c^] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

³⁶"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

³⁷The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Thank you, BMBC, for going and doing likewise!

In Christian Service Together,

Pastor David

SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE

Attendance

Average attendance for the past five weeks (April 18, 25; May 2, 9, & 16) was 62. Total enrollment now stands at 104. We miss you when you are unable to attend. If you have not joined a class, please contact Rita Mangum or Donnie Williams. We will be glad to help you find the class or classes to meet your family’s needs. For those of you who do attend, please continue to pray for our Sunday school ministry. Pray for our Sunday school teachers daily, thanking God for the time they give to study and prepare each Sunday’s lesson. People are looking for small group fellowship. Invite someone to your Bible study class on Sunday mornings.

Challenge

Discovery Learning (continued)

Last month we began discussing “stories,” the second aspect of David Francis’ The Discover Triad: Three Facets of a Dynamic Sunday School Class. We talked about the fact that stories can effectively connect an issue in life with the passage of study from the Sunday school lesson. Stories can “set the stage for a life-changing Bible study experience” (24). In a Sunday school class, people should be able to find a safe place to share with one another how God’s story is impacting theirs. Stories can also be used for connecting journeys.

Our latest prayer triplet guide advised us to ask God for ideas on ways to make connections with unchurched FRANS. A Sunday school class should be an open group where unchurched newcomers feel welcome and safe. When veteran believers share their stories, telling these guests how God has helped them to overcome life’s struggles, they offer encouragement to those experiencing similar troubles. Stories connect people’s journeys.

Newcomers, too, should be given the opportunity to share their stories. Someone in the class may find something in his/her story that interconnects with the newcomer’s story, offering a way to build a bridge or to develop a relationship. After all, “isn’t a Sunday school class a place where people should be able to discover that they are brothers and sisters” in Christ (25)? Keep sharing your stories in Sunday school.

Next month: Stories share our pilgrimages of faith.

Abiding in His Word,

Rita Caveny Mangum

Sunday School Director

Francis, David. The Discover Triad: Three Facets of a Dynamic Sunday School Class. (LifeWay: Nashville) 2008.

Outreach

How exciting to hear how Sunday school classes are reaching out to people outside the walls of our building! Faith, Hope, and Charity, our ladies’ class, has planned to meet monthly to discuss opportunities for outreach within our community. They have already begun several projects. Willing Workers fed the Barton Christian Ministries group this year and began some important relationships with these college students. Plans are underway to begin a monthly class meeting, too. Faithful Disciples continue to support the work of Christian Library International to reach those in prisons, jails, and detention centers. May God bless each outreach endeavor.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER

Rationalization, Friend or Foe?

Jesus: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Rationalization: According to Webster, I’m “the practice of accepting reason as the only authority in determining one’s opinion or course of action.”

Jesus: Go [as you are going]!

Rationalization: I’m tired. I “go” all the time. What’s wrong with going home, putting my feet up and watching TV? I’m not bothering anybody. I believe in “live and let live.”

Jesus: Make disciples of all nations…

Rationalization: I do my part! I give a nice offering every year to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. That’s good enough.

Jesus: Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…

Rationalization: That’s why we pay the Pastor. That’s his responsibility! Besides, the important thing is that they believe in “something.” I don’t want to be known as a fanatic.

Jesus: And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Rationalization: Nobody’s perfect! What’s a little indiscretion? Is it politically correct to talk about “sin” these days? I don’t want to insult anybody!

Jesus: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Rationalization: God is too good to forsake me! Why, my grandma was the backbone of our church! I’m there every time the doors are open. Who has time to “build bridges” with the unchurched? Our doors are open, and we are friendly, loving people. Why don’t they just come?

Jesus (last word): You are my friends if you do what I command.

(Matthew 28:19-20; John 15:14 NIV)

Let’s be friends of Jesus!

Learning in Christ,

Rita Caveny Mangum

Minister of Education

CHURCH LIBRARY NEWS

BOOK REVIEW

Crazy Love

Chan, Francis

David C. Cooke (Colorado Springs, 2008)

Crazy Love is the perfect title for this book. Once Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?”

“Love,” He responded. “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:37-40)

The first three chapters of this book are designed to give the reader an understanding of the character of God. The remaining seven chapters take the read on a journey of self- examination, not always an easy task. We cannot assume that we are saved because we do the right works. Chan compares believers to different types of soil. In one powerful chapter, Chan profiles the lukewarm Christian. “A lukewarm Christian,” Chan wrote, “is an oxymoron; there is not such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are ‘lukewarm’ are not Christians. God wants all of us or nothing.”

The author writes that along the believer’s pilgrimage of faith, a crossroad decision must be made. The right turn is “live your best life late.” Chan encourages the Christian reader to live in a way that is different from those around us. He suggests that we forego much of what we consider necessary, those things that we want or feel that we are due. The Christian’s attention should be focused on eternal treasures. According to Chan, God calls us to be comfortable and to trust Him to provide our needs in every situation.

Too many Christians are living too safely and easily. We spend brief moments at church each week. We are practically no different than a non-believer. God did not intend for His church to exist this way. Francis Chan’s Crazy Love is the wakeup call the church needs. The book will jolt the reader to become passionate about his/her Christian walk and love for God. Chan states, “My hope and prayer is that you finish this book with hope, believing that part of your responsibility in the body of Christ is to help set the pace for the church by listening and obeying and living Christ.” Christians need to simply live their daily lives full of love and obedience.

Lydie Silverthorne

COOKBOOKS FOR SALE

Our church cookbook has received interstate attention! A lady from South Carolina recently ordered one. We still have 32 church cookbooks to sell. The church media library team has sold 368 copies to date at $15 per volume. All proceeds have gone into our church’s general fund. Our cookbook makes a wonderful gift. With the wedding season, graduations, and Mother’s Day rapidly approaching, please consider purchasing one.

Church Media Library Committee

Overdue Book Notices

Please check your bookcases and favorite reading nooks for overdue library books. We need your help in locating some AWOL volumes, videos and DVD’s! The Church Media Library Committee has prepared

notices to remind our patrons of unreturned titles. Please accept these notices in the positive way for which they were intended. No fees are charged for overdue books. Please bring these back and check out others. Thanks for your help.

Sundae Sweet Sunday

Get ready for a really sweet treat! On Sunday, August 15, at 6:30 PM, the Church Media Library Team will lead us into an evening of riddles, clues, books, stories, authors, and ice cream! Save the date! Bring a friend(s) to join our fun! Solve the major riddle! Clue #1: A SOUNDLESS VOICE (Collect all the clues to solve the major riddle. They could appear anywhere in the church. Read all correspondence.)

Church Media Library Team

Window Display

All books on display in the church windows are ready for checkout. Just contact a church media library team member for help in selecting a book. The book reviewed each month in The Beacon is usually on display as well as books that concern current study themes, Christian calendar events and topics of interest to the church family and community.

COWBOY UP!

There is a little cowboy in most of us. We saw great Western movies as children, especially on Saturday afternoons. Those days bring back many fond memories, even though most of us never had an opportunity to even get near a horse, much less ride one. If those days still linger in your mind, then you are in for a real treat…right here in Wilson. Just make plans to attend Down East Cowboy Church, held each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Wilson County Fairgrounds.

Down East Cowboy Church is sponsored by Bible Missionary Baptist Church and provides a wonderful opportunity to bring back those childhood memories. You will have an opportunity to hear wonderful church sermons and hear great music provided by talented local musicians. An arena of beautiful horses provides the background for the event. The Rev. David Barnes serves as host for the church. Pastors of various local denominations deliver outstanding sermons.

Dress for the church is strictly informal. If you have a favorite pair of cowboy boots and jeans you wish to wear, you will fit in very well. Don’t forget that cowboy hat you like so well, your favorite western-style shirt and silver belt buckles. Refreshments are provided at the close of services.

There is a great deal of authenticity to the setting. Pastor David Barnes and Earl Mangum both maintain stables of fine horses and are generous in offering their horses for the event.

Make plans to attend soon.

Milton Rogerson

YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S UPDATE

WASP AND HORNET SPRAY – not just for warm weather

On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo, Ohio, dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Southview High School in Sylvania, Ohio. For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp andhornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says,"spray the culprit in the eyes." It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Danny Simmons – 7^th

Josh Walston – 7^th

Luke Mangum – 13^th

John Eberwein – 14^th

John Goff – 15^th

Terry Dobbins – 18^th

Pat Lynch – 20^th

Justin Marcum – 21^st

Bob Desrosiers – 30^th

Charles and Caron Autry – 2^nd

Earl and Rita Mangum – 6^th

Wayne and Susan Sharpe – 7^th

Bob and Anne Desrosiers – 13^th

Linda Higgins – 17^th

Betty Jean Price – 21^st

Danny and Lucille Simmons – 21^st

Bishop and Monica Holmes – 22^nd

Lionel and Marie Smith – 24^th