Our second DIY kids workshop is around the corner on March 11, 2023. Help us get the word out about our new outreach opportunity. Click on the link below for more information or to register.

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On Thursday, March 23, we will be giving out popcorn and cookies during the movie being shown to the community during the Fire Ant Festival. This is a great time for us to embrace and interact with our community. If you can make cookies to be given out, please let Jonathan know. You will need to have the cookies at the church on Wednesday, March 22nd, before family night so that we can package them.

We also need volunteers to help distribute popcorn and cookies at Heritage Park from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. If you can help with part or all of this time, let Jonathan know.

Witness Traning For Fire Ant Festival

Each year the Turner Baptist Association gives out walking sticks as a witnessing opportunity at the Fire Ant Festival. They have a tent set up where we can share the meaning of the salvation beads that are attached to the walking sticks. Our church will help staff the outreach tent on Saturday, March 25, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Please see Bro. David, if you have any questions.

There will be a training for those willing to help on Saturday, March 18, from 10:30 AM-11:30 AM at Morningside Baptist Ashburn.

WMU Group Starting Up

If you would be interested in being a part of starting up a new WMU group, see Geri Phelps or Mary Moore.

WMU, also known as Women on Mission, is a missions discipleship group designed to equip adult women to become active disciples of Christ as they live on a mission for Him. 

Women on Mission members seek to live out missions through missions projects, ministries, prayer, giving, and Bible study. The organization’s purpose is to provide every person with the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. 

Through Women on Mission, women:

• learn about missions around the world and in North America,
• pray for the nations to hear of God’s love and for the missionaries who serve Him,
• give to missions offerings and through the Cooperative Program, and
• do missions by sharing Christ with others.

7 FOR 7 PRAYER CARDS

Don’t forget to continue to pray for your seven different people or families. Remember, each week, we desire for you to pick a different person or family and pray for them leading up to Easter. Of course, we hope you always remember your church family in prayers, but we desire you to pray for someone who does not attend church regularly or a member who has become inactive. Please commit to praying for this person or family every day. Besides putting the seven people or families down on your prayer list, fill out the yellow prospect referral cards in your Sunday School class and turn them in. There are extra prayer cards outside Nikki’s office and on the back table of the sanctuary.

Don’t forget to invite them to church.

Giving as of February 28, 2023

Budget for 2023 . . . . . . . .  $348,707.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . . $60,353.19
Received to Date . . . . . . . . . $36,202.80
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,705.91
Tithes Received this week . . .  $3,150.20

MID-WEEK DEVOTION

Don’t forget to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion in the book of Psalms. They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

From Our Family And Music Minister

Suppose a loved one is having severe medical problems. You can choose between two doctors when you arrive at the hospital. The first doctor has a medical degree from a university and has been practicing medicine for the past five years with the local hospital. The second doctor decided he didn’t need school, but is confident he knows what he is doing. He has been watching medical shows on television since he was a kid. He has done some medical classes over the computer but didn’t have to take any tests and didn’t complete all the lessons. Undoubtedly, you will choose the one with the hands-on experience and the certified education.

If we are unwilling to risk our lives on doctors with no official education, why would we trust our eternal lives to the same type of learning? But, unfortunately, popular opinion concludes that individuals can study and worship at home and don’t need to be a part of a local congregation. We read in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

If we read these verses, we can easily see that we should not neglect meeting together. Obviously, this was a habit of some already, and the apostle Paul told them to stop it. We, as believers, need each other. If we say we don’t, we are deceiving ourselves. Instead, we should gather to share our faith and strengthen fellow Christians. As the end times approach, Satan’s forces will grow in strength. A strong support system is crucial to living apart from the sinful habits of this world. We read in Proverbs 27: 17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Two friends who strengthen and encourage each other are better than one.

Another fundamental reason we should not neglect to worship with a church is the example we set for neighbors and children. When we attend church, we show the people in our lives where our priorities lie. Even if we believe our relationship with God is past the point of needing others to help us grow, our responsibility as believers is to influence those around us. The world needs to see where our loyalties truly lie.

James Moffet states, “The wisest man is a fool in the sight of God, and the strongest man is weak in the moment of temptation. Therefore, no man can live the Christian life and neglect the church’s fellowship.”

Yes, all churches have problems, and we will not agree on everything that takes place.  A church is made up of imperfect people; however, we serve a perfect God. Many of you have seen the quote, “Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.” Suppose we see something is lacking or being neglected in God’s church. Then, we should do our best to help fix it and not leave it to someone else. Difficulties in our lives and church should not cause us to abandon worshiping together. Instead, in difficult times we should make even more effort to attend to encourage and be encouraged.