Grace Notes - Grace Baptist Church...seagull, and you will see why Ivan Aivazovsky entitled it...
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Grace Notes MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH MAY 2016 Pastor’s Notes Pastor Mark Elkins They say that "April showers bring May flowers," and if that's true the last few days should result in some beautiful blossoms later this month! But, sometimes the storms of this life bring us something that we would not describe as flowers. Although God uses all things for our good and His glory, sometimes the process itself involves sickness, tears, loss, and grief. For example, in just the last couple of weeks, I have visited our brothers and sisters in almost every hospital in our area: Wake Forest Baptist, Forsythe, Northern in Mt. Airy, Pioneer, Carillion, and Martinsville Memorial. It is just one in a recently long line of stark reminders that today's sunny skies are not a promise for a bright tomorrow, or for that matter, even a tomorrow. But, of all people, we are ones who should “not grieve as do the rest who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13), for we are a people of hope, who have a message of hope. A missionary friend of mine, who is struggling to stay on the field, recently sent me this photo of a famous painting: Church Events May 7 th Saturday Morning Men’s Ministry May 8 th Mother’s Day May 15 th Face Painting Workshop Gideon Sunday May 18 th Red Cross Blood Drive May 21 st Strawberry Festival May 25 th Last Night of AWANA May 29 th AWANA Sunday June 5 th Anniversary Sunday June 12 th Graduation Sunday It is so easy to lose the message of hope in this painting when one focuses only on the incredible power of the storm, or the sight of their ship sinking in the background, or the faces of the crew as they struggle to make it to shore in their tiny life boat. But hope is definitely the message! Look closely at the left hand side of the painting, especially around the seagull, and you will see why Ivan Aivazovsky entitled it “Rainbow”. Our journey through this fallen world is often just like this painting, because it is so easy to be overwhelmed by the storms of this life and find ourselves only focusing on the bad news behind us and the height of the waves in front of us. We can become so focused on the storm that we miss the rainbow of hope that is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord! Beloved, please know that your Father in heaven loves you more than you can imagine, so when this life brings its inevitable storms (and it will), have hope that not only will He see you through it, He will actually use that storm to mold, shape, and chisel us into the image of His Son. This is the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18)
Transcript of Grace Notes - Grace Baptist Church...seagull, and you will see why Ivan Aivazovsky entitled it...
Grace Notes MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MAY 2016
Pastor’s Notes Pastor Mark Elkins
They say that "April showers bring May flowers," and if that's true the last
few days should result in some beautiful blossoms later this month! But,
sometimes the storms of this life bring us something that we would not
describe as flowers. Although God uses all things for our good and His glory,
sometimes the process itself involves sickness, tears, loss, and grief.
For example, in just the last couple of weeks, I have visited our brothers
and sisters in almost every hospital in our area: Wake Forest Baptist,
Forsythe, Northern in Mt. Airy, Pioneer, Carillion, and Martinsville
Memorial. It is just one in a recently long line of stark reminders that
today's sunny skies are not a promise for a bright tomorrow, or for that
matter, even a tomorrow. But, of all people, we are ones who should “not
grieve as do the rest who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13), for we are a people
of hope, who have a message of hope.
A missionary friend of mine, who is struggling to stay on the field,
recently sent me this photo of a famous painting:
Church Events
May 7th
Saturday Morning Men’s
Ministry
May 8th
Mother’s Day
May 15
th
Face Painting Workshop Gideon Sunday
May 18
th
Red Cross Blood Drive
May 21st
Strawberry Festival
May 25
th
Last Night of AWANA
May 29th
AWANA Sunday
June 5
th
Anniversary Sunday
June 12th
Graduation Sunday
It is so easy to lose the
message of hope in this painting
when one focuses only on the
incredible power of the storm, or
the sight of their ship sinking in the
background, or the faces of the
crew as they struggle to make it to
shore in their tiny life boat. But
hope is definitely the message!
Look closely at the left hand side of
the painting, especially around the
seagull, and you will see why Ivan
Aivazovsky entitled it “Rainbow”.
Our journey through this fallen
world is often just like this painting,
because it is so easy to be
overwhelmed by the storms of this
life and find ourselves only focusing
on the bad news behind us and the
height of the waves in front of us.
We can become so focused on the
storm that we miss the rainbow of
hope that is the power of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord!
Beloved, please know that your
Father in heaven loves you more
than you can imagine, so when this
life brings its inevitable storms (and
it will), have hope that not only will
He see you through it, He will
actually use that storm to mold,
shape, and chisel us into the image
of His Son. This is the hope of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, that “we all,
with unveiled face, beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, just as
from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor.
3:18)
Nursery Schedule
01 – Nancy Howell & Amy Shelor
08 – Ashley & Kaleb Marshall
15 – Nadine & Rusty Smith
22 – Maura Elkins & Beth Hughes
29 – Candi Hylton & Linda Daumen
Children’s Church
01 – Wendy Buchanan & Kaleb Marshall
08 – Casey Elkins & Dawn Gregory
15 – Leisa LeFew & Sandee Davis
22 – Heather Spence & Levi Spangler
29 – Diane Ross & Jane Bryant
Announcements We were honored to have missionaries Chris and Tina Eisbrenner join us at Grace this past Sunday; and we hope that you were blessed by Chris’ presentation entitled, “Messiah in the Passover.” If you were unable to attend and would like to see his sermons, please contact Casey for a DVD and study notes. You can also learn more about the Eisbrenner family, as they serve the Lord by discipling both Messianic Jews and Gentiles and sharing the Good News of Yeshua with the Jewish people, through their work with Ariel Ministries and Ariel’s School of Messianic Jewish Studies in Keeseville, NY at www.ariel.org. We recently launched a new Men’s Ministry for men aged 15 and up, on the first Saturday of every month from 8:30-10:30am for breakfast, fellowship, and bible study at the church. Join us on Saturday, May 7th, for our next meeting, as we study through a book and DVD series entitled, “How People Change…How Christ Changes Us By His Grace”. There is no cost and feel free to invite anyone from the community. Please, contact Pastor Mark (229-5719) if you would like to attend. If anyone is interested in dedicating your baby or child/children to the Lord on Mother’s Day (this Sunday), please contact Pastor Mark as soon as possible. If you are interested in face painting at the upcoming Strawberry Festival or any other festival this Summer, please sign up with the sign-up sheet, and be sure to join us for a “Face Painting Workshop” after church on Sunday, May 15th, in the Fellowship Hall. Pizza will be provided. Grace Baptist will be hosting another Blood Drive for the Red Cross this year on Wednesday, May 18th in the Fellowship Hall from 3-7pm. Please pray and consider donating and/or volunteering for this wonderful cause. Sign up with the sign-up sheet in the hallway or contact Pastor Mark ([email protected]).
Please pray and consider serving at the Stuart Strawberry Festival on Saturday, May 21st. There is a sign-up sheet for various time slots in the hallway outside the Sanctuary. AWANA Sunday will be on May 29th, and Graduation Sunday will be on June 12th. We would like to have slideshows for each Sunday to commemorate our AWANA clubbers and our graduating seniors. Please submit either AWANA pictures or Graduation pictures to Casey Elkins. We need YOUR HELP!!! Grace Baptist’s 10th Anniversary is June 5th! We need you to contact past members, who have moved away, and invite them to come back and join us for a special service that day, followed by a luncheon, as we remember 10 years of being Grace Baptist. We also need some pictures of the church from the last ten years for a slideshow. Please, put your name on the back of them and give them to Casey ASAP. And remember, if you are interested in any of the planning and/or preparation for this special occasion, please contact Sue Smith. Be sure to check out the newly decorated room upstairs, next to the church library! It is a quiet place available for praying, reading, or
conversation.
Fellowship Meals May 04 – Prepared
(Chicken & Gravy) May 11 – Potluck May 18 – Prepared
(Hamburger Steaks & Fondue Fountain)
May 25 – Subs Prayer Deacons May 01 – Chuck Buchanan May 08 – Greg Carlson May 15 – Joe Griffin May 22 – Pat Groves May 29 – Dale Hollandsworth
GBC PICS
Join us at 8:30am on Sat, May 7th for our Saturday Morning Men’s
Ministry!
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 “The Messiah in the Passover” Service
2
3
4 Fellowship Meal (Prepared) AWANA AWANA MAMAS Isaiah’s Bells Truth Project Choir Practice
5
Sierra Matthews Elijah Spangler
6
7 8:30am Men’s Ministry
Erin Carroll
8 Mother’s Day Baby Dedication
9
10
11
Fellowship Meal (Potluck) AWANA AWANA MAMAS Isaiah’s Bells Truth Project Choir Practice
Karen Walker
12
13
14
15 Gideon Sunday Face Painting Workshop
16
17 6:30pm Deacon
Meeting
7pm Women on
Mission
18 3-7pm Blood Drive Fellowship Meal (Prepared) AWANA AWANA MAMAS Isaiah’s Bells Truth Project Choir Practice
19 10am Women of Grace
Ron & Maynee
Meadows
20
21 10-4pm Strawberry Festival
Art Anthony
22
23
24
25 Fellowship Meal (Sandwiches) AWANA AWANA MAMAS Isaiah’s Bells Truth Project Choir Practice
Jessica Spangler
26
27
Carrie Gregory
28
29 AWANA Sunday Sarah Clark Austin Menear
30 Maigan Hodges
31
MAY 2016
Birthdays Anniversaries
