May 1 Golden Tones to White Oak Estates - 2:00 P.M. Beautiful Hat Groups: 11:30 A.M. - Mr. Gatti’s 6:30 P.M. - Home of Janice Parris 3 Nic at Night Children’s Musical - 6:00 P.M. 5 ESOL Dinner - 5:30 P.M. 7 Spotlight on Spartanburg County Baptist Network 9:30 A.M. Donut Fellowship - 10:30 A.M. 8 Golden Tones to Summit Hills - 2:00 P.M. 9 Missions Council - 10:00 A.M. 14 Mother’s Day - No Evening Activities 15 - 21 Pictorial Directory Sessions - 1:00 - 8:00 P.M. 15 Golden Tones to Eden Terrace - 2:00 P.M. Deacons’ Meeting - 6:30 P.M. 16 Boy Scouts Ceremony - 6:30 P.M. 18 Prayer Shawl Ministry - 11:00 A.M. Mside Preschool Graduation - 6:30 P.M. 20 Sparkle City Transparent Men’s Breakfast 8:30 A.M. 21 Graduate Recognition Day - 9:30 A.M. Vote on Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Summer Small Groups Preview - 6:00 P.M. 22 Golden Tones Luncheon - 11:00 A.M. 25 Hearts and Hands Crafters - 10:00 A.M. 29 Memorial Day Holiday - Church Office Closed Joy of Missions - 6:30 P.M. - Home of Anne Stevens 30 Boy Scouts Ceremony - 6:30 P.M.

The Monthly Newsletter of Morningside Baptist Church May 2017 Volume 60 Number 5

Seeking, Serving, Sharing The Messenger We Seek a personal, life-changing relationship with God through prayer, engaging worship, and Bible teaching. We Serve others by modeling the love of Christ through missions and ministry involvement. We Share God’s grace through genuine, loving fellowship, and discipleship.

Vacation Bible School Children Ages 3 (before 9-1-16) - Grade 5

Sunday-Wednesday June 4 - 7 6:00 - 8:15 P.M.

Kids, have you signed up for VBS? No? Why wait? Sign up at the display, contact Freida Cole (Ext. 6), or go online at www.vbspro.events/p/243eb7 Adults, we still need volunteers to help with many different areas of VBS such as refreshments, crafts, recreation, and teaching. Contact Freida Cole.

MissionsFest 2017 June 25-28

June 25 - Kickoff - 4:00 P.M. June 26 - 28 - Projects in Spartanburg

9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. June 28 - Celebration - 6:00 P.M.

Assignments with Our Area Missions Partners

Available for the Entire Family

Cost: $10 covers T-shirt and Boxed Meal Sign-up Begins Sunday, May 14

http://www.vbspro.events/p/243eb7

Letting the Shepherd Lead "April showers bring May flowers." How often have you heard that phrase repeated during your life? I think the first time that I heard that little turn of phrase was at the feet of my grandmother. I can remember the beautiful azaleas and other flowering bushes, as well as a rose bush at Gram’s house. Each year when Easter came in April, we took pictures outside in front of the azalea bushes. Those blooms often lasted through the month and into May. On the other hand, we could never count on the rose bush at Gram’s house to produce flowers on schedule. It did not matter how many good showers we had in April. We could not rely on the bush having roses by Mother's Day so that we could wear one in honor of our mothers. Gram’s rose bush just needed a little more maintenance to flourish. Believers can come to church Sunday after Sunday and hope the refreshing shower of God's Word helps them to bloom with ease in their everyday lives. Do you, like me, need a little more care and nurturing in order to flourish and enjoy the refreshing showers from God's Word? We long for more, desiring to have the blessing of a relationship with others centered around Jesus Christ's work in our lives. We need to know that other believers are praying for us and need to hear the testimonies of our fellow Christians. That additional nurturing spurs us on to live more boldly for Christ. Do you long for an opportunity to receive that kind of nourishment? This summer we will offer new options for spiritual growth in what we are calling Life Groups, which are casual, temporary gatherings for study, fellowship, and prayer. What a great time to meet new people and to invite neighbors to join you for a short-term summer study! Everyone enjoys a well-told story. Jesus chose to help his followers learn through parables and stories, and storying and discussion will also be our chosen teaching style for the eight summer sessions held mid-June through mid-August. Each group will decide on the times they will meet outside the walls of the church. Make plans now to attend our introduction and preview session on Sunday, May 21, at 6:00 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall. Anyone youth age and above can sign up for our groups. How can you help? Please consider ... PRAYING! Ask God to use our summer Life Groups for His

glory. We need MSide attendees to sign up and to invite friends, group leaders willing to facilitate our study times, and a few host homes to welcome groups into a relaxed, relational atmosphere. Call or text Freida (864-884-4793) to offer your home or to attend the preview session.

SIGNING UP! Call the Church Office, complete a CONNECT CARD, or talk with a member of the ministerial staff. Assignments will be made according to host home locations and potential attendees.

ATTENDING! When you are in town this summer, attend your group! Make a commitment to your group members and host to be present as often as possible. Set aside ninety minutes each of the weeks for building new friendships, talking about the life of Jesus, and praying with others.

I pray that you will consider enriching your life with the Jesus -centered relationships our Life Groups will encourage. Pastor Steven

mside music

The Children’s Choir Presents the Musical

Nic at Night Wednesday, May 3

6:00 P.M. Sanctuary Make plans now for a fun night of worship and fellowship as our children present God’s Word in their spring musical, Nic at Night. This play cleverly weaves the account of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John with the mystery of rebirth and renewal. Set in Jerusalem, this three-act musical focuses around Nicodemus who is first presented as he approaches Jesus at night. Act II takes us into the Sanhedrin for the late night meeting about Jesus, and Act III shows Nicodemus’ unselfish love the night of Jesus’ death. The resurrection medley "The First Lord’s Day," the perfect follow-up in the weeks following the Easter season, shares the plan of salvation. Everyone in the church family is invited to a snack supper in the Fellowship Hall following the musical.

Upcoming Events

Outreach May 1 - White Oak Estates

May 8 - Summit Hills May 15 - Eden Terrace

The bus will leave the church at 2:00 P.M. for these three trips to area nursing/retirement facilities. We will sing at 2:30 P.M. Wear your golf shirt.

End of Year Luncheon

May 22 Home of Rick and Debby Byars

The bus will leave the church at 11:00 A.M., and lunch will be served at 12:00 P.M.

mside kids

END OF YEAR PARTY Wednesday, May 17 6:00 - 7:20 P.M.

Multi-purpose Room Children’s choir, Mission Friends, RA’s, and GA’s will end the year with games and refreshments. Come join in the fun!

mside missions mside family

mside youth

Thrive Bible Study Wednesdays

6:00 P.M. Youth Room

MFuge Camp at Union College in KY The second installment ($50) is due Wednesday, May 3.

Graduate Recognition and Luncheon

Sunday, May 21 11:00 A.M.

We will recognize our high school and college graduates on May 21. They will process in wearing their regalia, sit together in the Sanctuary, and participate in the morning worship. Following the service Morningside will treat the graduates to lunch at Select Restaurant. Relatives who join us for lunch will pay for the cost of their meal. Please e-mail the graduate’s full name, graduation picture, school, and degree (if applicable) and bring a 5x7 picture for display in the library window to Steve Kibbe by Wednesday, May 10.

Coming in June Summer Nights

Mark Your Calendars July 31-August 1

More Details Coming Soon!

Church Directory Photos

Scheduled for May 15 - 21

Lifetouch Connections will help us create a new pictorial record of our church family, and we want to include you. If you have not already reserved your time slot for a family picture, please do so by completing one of these three options: Go online at the following address: https://booknow-lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/9r5n12t8/ Go to the Mside website (www.msidechurch.org) and

click on the picture you see above (7th frame) in the Welcome series.

Call Linda Alverson (Ext. 1) in the Church Office if you do not have internet access or need assistance.

May Missions Project Our church-wide missions project for May will be to help one of our ministry partners know we care about them. We plan to collect snacks for volunteers who work on site each day, building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Individual packs of the following items are needed: Granola Bars Crackers Chips Pretzels Cookies Jerky (Slim Jims) Nuts Thank you for helping meet this need. Donations will be taken to Habitat as part of Mside MissionsFest 2017.

Men’s Breakfast Saturday, May 20 Fellowship Hall

8:30 P.M. All men of Morningside are invited to a community men’s breakfast, hosted by Sparkle City Transparent

Men, a group of men from all walks of life who come together to become ONE in the name of God. Through Christ’s leadership, the group is inspired to ignore the color of a person’s skin and see only the face of God in all His children. Plan now to join others in our church family and community for this time of scripture study, discussion, and fellowship. Men, sign up in your Sunday School Class or in the Welcome Center no later than Wednesday, May 17. Invite a friend!

Missions Opportunity at Habitat

for Groups and Individuals Habitat for Humanity needs groups or

individuals to help in the ReStore, located at 2270 S. Pine Street Tuesdays through Saturdays. Volunteers are also needed on the current construction site each Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. For more information, please contact Carrie Vaughn, Volunteer Coordinator, at 864-591-2221 (Ext. 105) or by emailing her at carrie.vaughn@habitatspartanburg.org.

Spotlight on Our Missions Partners Spartanburg County Baptist Network

Sunday, May 7 Under the leadership of our new Director of Missions, Rev. Paul McKee, the network office has as its objectives...

Fostering Christian fellowship and mutual support among churches in the network

Witnessing for our Lord Jesus Christ to the lost Cultivating church growth Increasing the number of churches and planting new

churches for ethnic groups Strengthening and improving network programs Ministering to more people through specially designed

programs.

Come meet Rev. McKee during our doughnut fellowship and learn more about the work of the network office.

mailto:carrie.vaughn@habitatspartanburg.org

Our monthly newsletter and our weekly worship bulletin can be found on our website at www.msidechurch.org under the Resource tab. You may also stream, download, and/or subscribe to our weekly podcast under the Sermon tab.

897 South Pine Street Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302

Office: (864) 585-5457 | Fax: (864) 585-6217

Weekday Preschool: (864) 585-5424 Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday 8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.

MORNINGSIDE THE MESSENGER (USPS 363-420) is published monthly by the Morningside Baptist Church. Periodical postage paid at Spartanburg, SC. Postmaster, send address changes to The Morningside Messenger 897 South Pine Street Spartanburg, SC 29302

Morningside Baptist Church Staff

Steven Owensby, Senior Pastor .............................................. sowensby@msidechurch.org

Jack Dodds, Associate Pastor ..................................................... jdodds@msidechurch.org Freida Cole, Children’s Minister .................................................... fcole@msidechurch.org

Steve Kibbe, Youth Director ........................................................ skibbe@msidechurch.org

Harold and Paula Joye, Interim Music Directors ........................... pjoye@msidechurch.org John Kelly, Financial Office.......................................................... jkelly@msidechurch.org Robin Kelly, Financial Office ....................................................... rkelly@msidechurch.org

Linda Alverson, Membership Ministry Assistant .................... lalverson@msidechurch.org

Kathy Green, Communications Ministry Assistant ..................... kgreen@msidechurch.org

Debbie Bishop, Weekday Preschool Director ........................... dbishop@msidechurch.org

Paula Joye, Organist ...................................................................... pjoye@msidechurch.org

Gail Medlin, Pianist ........................................................................ ggmedlin@wildblue.net

Christian Sympathy Extended to

… Bill and Nancy Marley in the death of Nancy’s mother, Carolina Camp, on March 29 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. … Tony and Flonnie Shaw in the death of Flonnie’s sister, Billie Wilson, on April 13 in Belton, South Carolina. … Doris Shurburtt and family in the death of her husband, Joe, on April 18 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. … Betty Keith and family in the death of Betty’s daughter, Pam Gossett, on April 20 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Join Us Each Sunday Morning for

Worship: 9:30 A.M. Bible Study: 10:45 A.M.

Prayer Room Our Prayer Room, located in the Welcome

Center, is open Mondays through Thursdays during regular office hours,

as well as on Sundays and Wednesdays before and after worship services.

Ministers on Call This Month

May 5-7 Freida Cole 884-4793 May 12-14 Steven Owensby 590-7985 May 19-21 Jack Dodds 590-8951 May 26-28 Steven Owensby 590-7985

Thank You Notes for Your Love, Prayers, Concern, and Support Received from

Brian and Lynn Alexander

Congratulations to

… Corey and Anna French, who were married April 8 at Morningside. Anna is the daughter of Danny and Helen Robinson and granddaughter of the late Henry and Ann Williams. … Jeremy and Amanda Gault in the adoption of their son, Isaac, born March 28, 2017.