December Lamplighter 2011

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    LamplighterTheTheTheThe

    D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1Vol. 4 Issue 12

    The Church Christmas Play

    Church Christmas plays are quite often a part of the Christmas

    landscape. Various church members will portray different Bible

    characters. The individual actors, their roles, and how they get along during arduous

    rehearsals and the actual presentations often portray something of the church they

    represent. Along that line, could it also be that the actual players in the original story

    might offer insight into how we as a church ought to function as we together fulfill our

    mission and ministries.

    Lets first dismiss as role models men like Herod and the religious scribes. Herod

    epitomizes anger and hatred for all things Christianthreatened by any Messiah Whoquestions his ungodly lifestyle. The religious scribes illustrate those blinded by their

    own man-made religious system, showing apathy toward the true Gospel, and feeling

    threatened by a Messiah Who rocks their religious boat.

    However, take Mary. She models humble submission to Gods will. Without having to

    understand fully how God would fulfill His promise, she put aside her personal

    agenda, preferences, and conveniences for the cause of redemption and for the good

    of others. Continued on page 2

    Our Church Staff

    Gary BurdenSenior Pastor

    919-631-6789

    Landon OrrMinister to Students

    919-229-9379

    Debbe LangdonMusic D i rector /P ianis t

    919-410-0271

    Kathy WelchOffice Coordinator

    Michele McLaughlinAdmin. Assistant - Finances

    Pat Baucom Admin. Assistant - Publications

    Christmas at Bethesda

    December 4th:

    Festival of Trees - 4-5 PM - Johnson Medical Mall

    December 18th:

    Adult Choir Christmas Musical - 10:30 AMChildrens Christmas Program - 6:00 PM

    Childrens Christmas Party - 7:00 PM

    December 21st:

    Church-wide Christmas Caroling - 6:00 PM

    December 25th:

    Worship Service Only - 10:30 AM

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    Consider Joseph. Also not fully knowing how the Lord

    would pull off His promises, he was willing to trust Mary

    and give her the benefit of the doubt, as opposed to sus-

    pecting her of immorality and discarding her. He showed

    mercy even when his feelings showed potential betrayal

    by his wife-to-be. He trusted Gods facts rather than his

    feelings.

    The shepherds demonstrate a united, common focus

    when confronted by the supernatural newscast and con-

    cert of heavenly angelic praise. Their individualistic turfs

    and shepherding enterprises were suspended for worship

    and witness. They made the effort to gather at the stable

    for worship, and then they intentionally returned telling

    others the Good News. They demonstrate the mission of

    the church in praising the Lord and in proclaiming the

    Gospel.

    The wise men who came later simply wanted to see Je-

    sus! And they made the sacrifice to do so as seen in their

    difficult journey, in spite of Herods threats, and with gen-

    erous gifts for their Lord. They had a hunger to know Him

    and to make Him known--whatever the costs.

    Can we all learn something of the character qualities from

    each of these players that should characterize usHis

    players on todays stage of lifewhether in those times

    we gather to worship or scatter to witness? Also, in this

    season of giving, can we all give our best Lottie MoonChristmas Offering for International Missions yet? I be-

    lieve we can!

    Because He came and because Hes coming again! With

    love from our family to yours!

    Gary BurdenGary BurdenGary BurdenGary Burden

    Page 2T h e L a m p l i g h t e r

    F R O M T H E P A S T O R ( C O N T D ) Recently I have been dealing with a

    pretty major issue: writers block. For

    some reason Ive been lacking my moti-

    vation and inspiration to write, which for

    a typical person wouldnt be a bad thing,

    but when you have to write thousands

    upon thousands of words a semester itcreates a problem. It doesnt seem to

    matter what I do. I just cant think of creative ways to

    word things, I struggle in my development of theses, and

    my arguments and supporting points are tending to be

    quite weak. Even writing my monthly article for the Lamp-

    lighter has been tough recently as I am stumped as to

    what to put down on the page. I have entered into a low

    season as a writer.

    As Christians we have highs and lows also. Sometimes

    we feel like we are on top of the world: we are having

    regular quiet times; we find ourselves praying a lot; we

    can feel our relationship with God growing and moving.

    Sometimes we have low points in our faith: it is hard to

    open our Bible at home; we find ourselves blaming God

    for things going on; and we just generally feel no motiva-

    tion to serve. As we enter these seasons we need to ac-

    knowledge that they are normal and typical of any Chris-

    tian, and we need to try to get seasons to change.

    What better time to move out of a spiritual funk than

    Christmas. I know that for some people the holiday

    season brings with it memories that can cause sad-ness, but Christmas also brings with it hope, and from

    this hope stems joy because we know that our Savior

    was born. In that fact we can rejoice forever. So as

    we begin hearing those familiar Christmas tunes on the

    radio let us always remember why we are celebrating

    and let us use that remembrance as a joyful motivation

    to continue serving our Lord. LandonLandonLandonLandon

    Merry Christmas

    From your Ministry Staff

    Gary, Landon, DebbeGary, Landon, DebbeGary, Landon, DebbeGary, Landon, Debbe

    Kathy, Michele & PatKathy, Michele & PatKathy, Michele & PatKathy, Michele & Pat

    The word Advent means coming orarrival. The focus of the entireseason is the celebration of the birth

    of Jesus the Christ in His First Ad-

    vent and the anticipation of the re-

    turn of Christ the King in His Second

    Advent.

    In the Spirit of Advent, we will celebrate the Season

    each Sunday morning during the month of December.

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    Page 3The Lamplighter

    We had a great time fellowshipping and

    fishing in November. We found that the

    sea was quite rough and those of us who

    made it found it hard to keep the bait out in

    the ocean. Will Smith was able to catch

    our one and only fish. We had a great time.

    Just a reminder to all men, our Baptist Men of Bethesda

    Baptist Church is open to all men in and outside our

    church walls. Keep a lookout for more upcoming event

    information and opportunities. We hope to start anotherBible study in January on Sunday nights.

    Samaritans Purse (Christmas Child)

    Shoe Box Collection

    Praise the Lord. We received 190 boxes of our 200 boxgoal.

    Christmas is a season of giving and you helped to give agift that can last for eternity. Each shoe box is a simplegift with an eternal message. Operation Christmas Childbrings joy and hope to children in desperate situations

    worldwide through gift-filled shoe boxes and evangelis-tic material that tell the Good News of Gods love forthem.

    Please continue to pray that the shoe boxes will be de-livered safely and that lives will be changed for GodsGlory.

    The Lighthouse Class would like to thank everyone fortheir participation in this church-wide mission project.We wish you all a Blessed Christmas.

    Our Awana Awards program will be

    Wednesday, December 14th at 6:30

    PM. You are invited to come and

    share this special time with our children.

    Also during the month of December the Awana Program

    will be on December 7th and 14th only.

    CHRISTMAS PARADE

    The Clayton Christmas Parade will be

    held on Saturday, December 10th be-

    ginning at 3:00 PM. Our church will

    have a float with the theme of Happy

    Birthday Jesus. You are invited to

    join us, ride on the float and distribute

    candy along the parade route.

    The children have been hard at

    work preparing for a special

    presentation for you! Please

    join us Sunday evening, De-

    cember 18 to celebrate the

    birth of Christ with our chil-

    dren. Afterwards, we will

    gather together in the Fellowship Hall to share refresh-

    ments and hear the story as it is written in the Book of

    Luke. You are encouraged to bring your favorite holiday

    cookies to share!

    Once again, I ask for you to consider our childrens min-istry. Our classrooms are overflowing with children! We

    have had to split some grade levels which means we

    need more teachers for Sunday School as well as Kids

    Worship. We are making it each week in Kids Worship

    with an average of 22 children. We have had to move

    them to a larger room without tables and make some

    changes in how we use the time during Kids Worship.

    We want to prepare them for worship in the sanctuary.

    We need a few volunteers who are willing to lead music

    for them each week. We would also like to have some

    guest speakers. If you would like to share your testi-mony or a story from your childhood please let us know.

    The kids would love hearing from you and you would only

    need to speak for maybe 15 minutes. We look forward to

    hearing from you!

    DIRECTOR NEEDED

    Vacation Bible School Director. Must be organized,

    willing to delegate, able to make decisions, love the

    Lord and loves children. Please notify Wendy Gate-

    wood if you are willing to help.

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    W e e k l y W e d n e s d a y S c h e d u l eW e e k l y S u n d a y S c h e d u l e

    Ladies Lock-in

    6:30pm.................................................................... Awana, Youth Bible Study

    6:45 pm.............................................................. Adult Prayer and Bible Study

    Choir Rehearsal

    9:15 am .............................................................................. Bible Study Fellowship

    10:30 am ...................................................................MorningWorship Celebration

    6:00 pm..................................................LifeLine...Get Connected (Small Groups)

    Student LifeLine

    SPK CHOIR (Shout Praises Kids) - Grades 1-5

    The Lamplighter Page 4

    Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

    1 2 3

    4

    Brkf. Fellowship

    Week l y

    Sunday Service

    Festival of T rees 4-5 PM

    5 6

    Ladies Bible Study

    10 AM

    Deacons Meet-

    ing

    7

    Awana

    WeeklyWed.

    Schedule

    8 9 10

    Clayton

    Christmas

    Parade

    3:00 PM

    11

    W ee k l y

    Sunday Service

    12 13

    Ladies Bible Study

    10:00 AM

    14

    Awana Awards

    Weekly Wed.

    Schedule

    15 16 17

    18

    Christmas

    Mus ica l

    Childrens Christmas P rogram 6:00 PM

    19 20 21 22 23

    24

    25

    10:30 AM Only

    26

    Church

    Office

    Closed

    27 28

    No

    Activities

    29 30

    Youth leave for

    WinterFest

    31

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    T h e L a m p l i g h t e r Page 5

    Date S.S.AM

    Worship

    Budget

    Offering

    His Vision

    Our Mission

    Oct. 30 110 163 3,719.90 963.00

    Nov. 6 145 182 9,508.82 1,740.00

    Nov. 13 107 176 4,649.31 745.00

    Nov. 20 117 171 5,060.20 605.00

    Total 479 692 22,938.23 4,053.00

    Avg. 120 173 5,734.56 1,013.25

    Average Attendance & Offerings for November 2010

    Avg. 104 152 6,580.86

    Facts & Figures for October/November 2011

    DECEMBER EXTENDED SESSIONAND KIDS CHURCH

    Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4 ---- AMAMAMAM

    Babies: Kathleen McLamb &

    Cherilyn Murphy

    2s: Heather Henry &

    Tori Smith

    3s/4s:Wendy Beasley &

    Diane Duncan

    KKKK----3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church

    Frances Burden &

    Angel Duncan

    Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4Sunday, Dec. 4---- PMPMPMPM

    Sharon Johnson &

    Sharon Levin

    Wednesday, Dec. 7Wednesday, Dec. 7Wednesday, Dec. 7Wednesday, Dec. 7

    Frances Burden &

    Louise Gilmore

    Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11 ---- AMAMAMAM

    Babies: Brigitte Creech &

    April Lengel

    2s: Brandi & Tobi Sauer

    3s/4s: Kristol Flanigan

    & Kristen Duncan

    KKKK----3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids ChurchNicole & Michael Ritchie

    Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11Sunday, Dec. 11 ---- PMPMPMPM

    Jane & Johnnie Gatlin

    Wednesday, Dec. 14Wednesday, Dec. 14Wednesday, Dec. 14Wednesday, Dec. 14

    David Duncan &

    Shannon Coomer

    Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18 ---- AMAMAMAM

    Babies: Sondra Gatewood &

    Jane Gatlin

    2s: Diana Lee & Sis Godwin

    3s/4 s: Leigh Smith &

    Jennifer Harrison

    KKKK----3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church

    Christmas Musical

    Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18Sunday, Dec. 18 ---- PMPMPMPM

    Larkin Creech

    Wednesday, Dec. 21Wednesday, Dec. 21Wednesday, Dec. 21Wednesday, Dec. 21

    Church-wide Christmas

    Caroling

    Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25 ---- AMAMAMAM

    Babies: Faye Wells &

    Shalee Sams

    2s: Laura & Shane Benson

    3s/4s: Julie Brueggen &

    Sara Orr

    KKKK----3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church3rd Kids Church

    Wendy & Chris Gatewood

    Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25Sunday, Dec. 25 ---- PMPMPMPM

    No Activities

    Wednesday, Dec. 28Wednesday, Dec. 28Wednesday, Dec. 28Wednesday, Dec. 28

    No Activities

    Preschool Regis. DeskPreschool Regis. DeskPreschool Regis. DeskPreschool Regis. Desk

    1st Sunday:1st Sunday:1st Sunday:1st Sunday: Brigitte Creech

    2nd Sunday:2nd Sunday:2nd Sunday:2nd Sunday: Diane Duncan

    3rd Sunday:3rd Sunday:3rd Sunday:3rd Sunday: Diane Duncan

    4th Sunday:4th Sunday:4th Sunday:4th Sunday: Wendy Gatewood

    5th Sunday:5th Sunday:5th Sunday:5th Sunday: Brigitte Creech

    Do you hear what I hear? The

    sounds of Christmas music bring joy

    to my heart, reminding me of favorite

    Christmas traditions and the most

    wonderful gift of all the birth of Je-

    sus! Bethesdas choirs are prepar-

    ing special musical programs tocelebrate this most wonderful time of

    the yearand we invite you to be a part of each one!

    As a matter of fact, please invite your friends and fami-

    lies to join us!!

    On Sunday, December 4 @ 4pm, our Adult Choir will

    present a 30-minute program of Christmas music during

    the Festival of Trees at Johnston Medical Mall. Sunday,

    December 18, will bring a day full of Christmas music

    and celebration. The Adult Choir will present our

    Christmas musical Mary Did You Know? during the

    morning worship service, and the ShoutPraiseKidsChoir will present For the Glory of the King at 6pm.

    Youll enjoy hearing some old familiar carols along with

    some new melodies, all proclaiming this timeless mes-

    sage.This is the season where hope is strong

    With joy and peace and love and song,

    A glorious, blessed unparalleled season

    The coming of Christ to the world. This is the reason

    Enough for each carol and candle-lit service,

    So we gather with only one purpose

    To celebrate Jesus and think of His birth,

    This is a time to remember on earth,To reflect on His coming, to stop and look back

    And think of that story so long in the past.

    He is the reason we have a song to sing!!!!

    God bless.DebbeDebbeDebbeDebbe

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    4967 Highway 70 West Business

    Clayton, NC 27520

    Phone: 919-553-7678

    Address Service Guaranteed

    December BirthdaysDecember BirthdaysDecember BirthdaysDecember Birthdays

    Rebecca Johnson 2nd

    Kaye Peele 2nd

    Ann Harper 3rd

    Ray Carroll 5th

    Linda Little 5th

    Mandy Windham 6th

    Bobby Godwin 10th

    Brian McLamb 13th

    Judy Beal 17th

    Bob Jones 17th

    Jean Wilkins 19th

    Edward Sasser 27th

    Shelton Johnson 31stDennis Kennedy 31st

    Were on the web!

    www.bethesdaclayton.com

    Chris & Wendy Gatewood 9th

    Tobi & Brandi Sauer 13th

    Tommy & Betty Jones 15th

    Larkin & Brigitte Creech 21st

    Jerry & Betty Jo Dalton 21st

    Gary & Frances Burden 29th

    Bob & Brenda Jones 29th

    LADIES TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

    On Nov. 29, we will have finished our home study on 2 Peter and Jude, "LivingWith

    Discernment in the End Times" by Kay Arthur, David Lawson, and Bob Vereen

    (Precept Min. Int.). Many times in these short, but powerful, epistles Peter and Judeboth speak urgently and passionately of "reminders" to their recipients, true believers

    in Jesus Christ--the church: "I will always be ready to REMIND you of these

    thingsto stir you up by way of REMINDERI am stirring up your sincere mind by

    way of REMINDERI desire to REMIND you (2 Peter 1:12;3:1; Jude 5). And what

    are Peter and Jude urgently reminding God's people of? In summary--the Truth about

    God, His Word, and what we have been given in Jesus Christ our Lord, AND the stern

    warning to guard ourselves and be discerning about FALSE teachers who, as the Holy

    Spirit of God had Jude to put it "have crept in unnoticedungodly persons who

    turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord Je-

    sus Christ. (Jude 4) By the way, "licentiousness" means "wantonness, absence of

    moral restraint, indecency"--a "do as you please" or "its all about me" attitude and life-style. These men (& women, too) have infiltrated the church, so the apostles and

    Jude give us bold, strong examples and descriptions as to what to beware of. As

    Jude did, we need to "contend for THE faith"---salvation in no other than the Lord Je-

    sus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man! Keep in theWord and wait "anxiously for

    the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." (Jude 20-21).

    Because of the many activities here at Bethesda, we will postpone our home Bible

    study and prayer time until first week of March, 2012. Watch and listen for more infor-

    mation later. However--please never, never postpone your personal time with the

    Lord in His Word and prayer! Now, "to the only God our Savior, through Jesus

    Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and

    forever. AMEN!" (Jude 25) --Your sister in Christ alone, Sharon LevinSharon LevinSharon LevinSharon Levin

    The Lamplighter Page 6

    2011 Lottie Moon Theme HIS HEART HIS HANDS HIS VOICE I am Southern Baptist missions

    Southern Baptist churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the sole

    purpose of supporting international missions. Every penny of the offering goes to the

    International Mission Boards overseas budget, thus supporting our missionaries and

    their work.The International Mission goal for this year is $175 million.

    Our church goal is $5000.Jesus has commissioned us to be His heart, His hands, His voice.

    Through praying, giving and going, Southern Baptists have fulfilled this

    legacy for more than 160 years. Yet billions remain lost and time may

    be running out for them. Our churches must take direct responsibility

    for helping reach the nearly 3,800 unengaged, unreached people

    groups that missionaries may never be able to get to.

    Happy Birthday