The Testament Special Edition Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church

Fifty-six and Counting! “At Least One”

“The church at 1500 South Roxboro

Street has helped save my life.” How many

people that come through the doors of

Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church (LMBC)

will have the opportunity to say those

words? How many people who are here

now can say that they have been truly

blessed or that their lives have been transformed through

this ministry? Pulling up on the church grounds and

walking up to that front door set the stage for the

experience that one may have when they visit Lincoln.

With churches opening today and closing tomorrow,

having a solid history speaks volumes. There are a

countless number of churches in the Durham city alone,

so what sets LMBC apart from the rest? The history

within these walls of LMBC is a story that I cannot

personally tell, but fifty six years of ministry have

brought each one of us to this point today, right here,

right now. Rev. Atkins has preached and mentioned on

several different occasions that there is no such thing as a

perfect church. But for some, LMBC is the perfect place

to get everything that you need. I can attest to that fact!

Being at a place in my life where I was turned off by

church and church folk, I told myself that I was done. I

was done with the lines where the preacher was begging

for money for a third offering, playing dress up to see

who can wear the highest heels with their Sunday’s best,

and coming Sunday after Sunday only to leave the same

way I came in. I was so broken because of church

experiences. And please, please do not let me get started

on the church folk! I was done. I was raised in the church

and I understand why coming to church is important. So

to no end did or do I ever expect for things to be perfect,

but I was tired. I really felt like giving up on church and

opening up Bedside Baptist permanently. Of course, we

know that our plans are not God’s plans, nor our ways

but His ways according to Isaiah 55:8. I would hear a

friend of mine reference something her Pastor said as she

would encourage me through this trying time and it

caught my attention. Here is someone who goes to church

to really hear and receive the Word so that she can

encourage someone else. Does that still exist? I had to

check this out for myself. I wanted to know if this

ministry was real and are there more people like her

there.

It was that one thing that changed my mind about church

and God knows exactly what we need, when we need it. I

needed an example that real church still exists, not about

form or fashion, not obsessive about money, but a true

genuine ministry that is about the people. This is what sets

LMBC apart for me. It is what ministry is all about. Not a

perfect church, but a perfect place to get what you need.

Now all roads led to LMBC were I am being changed,

healed, freed and delivered, and I won’t go back.

It is up to all of us at LMBC to make every experience

here a life changing one for the members and visitors. Are

we doing all that we can to help transform someone else’s

life while they are here? Is this the perfect place to get

everything you need so that you can help make it the perfect

place for someone else to get what they need? I asked the

question, how many people will come through the doors of

LMBC and be able to say that this church has helped save

their life? Well, at least one. So thank you LMBC for lasting

fifty-six years just for me!

- by Sis. Chanetta Evans

An Anniversary Celebration As we celebrate our 56th Church Anniversary, we

pause to say “thank you” to the surviving

founding members. Thank you for the vision,

courage and determination in laying the

foundation for our church. Thank you for your

guidance and the wisdom of your years. Thank

you for your continual support and your faith in

God’s word. Thank You!

“Building the Church in the Community

and the Community in the Church”

Sis. Katie Williams

Sis. Rosa Bass

Bro. Nathan Weaver

Durham, NC

Keep Moving Forward Many years ago, an old friend -

Larry Hester, shared with me a

vision for a new shopping center

that he wanted to develop. During

our talk, he also shared with me the

origin of the name of his first

shopping center - Phoenix Square.

According to Larry, legend has it

that in ancient times there once

lived a large and colorful bird

called the phoenix. The phoenix

lived for long periods of time. At

end of its life cycle, the phoenix

would burn itself to death. Then,

out of its ashes, a new phoenix

would emerge. Younger and

stronger, the new phoenix would

then venture out on its own.

For Larry, locating his shopping

center on the land that once housed

the sprawling Hayti Business

District (a successful Black

business community destroyed by

Urban Renewal in the 1960s), was

reminiscent of the story of the

phoenix. Thus, out of the ashes of

Hayti - Phoenix Square was born.

In a similar fashion, the

Newsletter Committee sees this

issue of The Testament as our

phoenix. For several years, The

Testament was published on each

4th Sunday for the benefit of our

church family. Over the years, we

produced a steady stream of

newsletters - some much better

than others, and played an active

role in recording the history of

events and activities occurring in

the lives of our fellow members

and of Lincoln Memorial Baptist

Church itself. Some of our issues

featured timely and informative

offerings in the health, financial

and spiritual areas. Others featured

the creative and expressive writing

talents of some of our members.

And nearly all included at one least

photo that was destined to be a

keepsake for some and engendered

a smile among many.

- by Bro. Dean Jernigan

We have been on hiatus for a

little more than a year - our own

burnout if you will, but strongly

encouraged by the interest among

our members in seeing the return

of the newsletter.

In this second offering of The

Testament, we aim to build upon

the success of the earlier years of

this wonderful communicative

tool. We will offer many of the

same types of stories and event

coverage as we did previously, but

we'll also ask more of the "what

if.." types of questions that will

lead us to include new and broader

content. Our basic design will

remain the same but curiosity and

ingenuity may lead to subtle

changes in appearance and layout,

all aimed at bringing you a more

enjoyable reading experience.

We’ll take the occasional look

back, to mull over the pluses and

minuses regarding the success of

our efforts. We’ll look back into

our archives from time to time and

pull out some of our favorites for

the “Food For Thought” section as

well as a few articles that convey

a timeless message. But we won’t

linger in the past. We'll employ

the essence of the words of

wisdom that Walt Disney once

shared with members of his staff

during the building phase of his

successful empire - “Around here,

however, we don’t look backwards

for very long. We keep moving

forward, opening up new doors

and doing new things because

we're curious and curiosity keeps

leading us down new paths.”

We invite you to join us as we

move forward in bringing The

Testament back to you with

renewed energy and focus. Travel

the path with us and litter it with

your photos, articles, recipes,

poems and other words of

encouragement to share with our

church family. Let us

know what you and

your ministries are

doing to promote the

efforts of our church

in “spreading the good news”.

We need your input, fused with

our energy, to keep us moving

forward.

Not that long ago, a forward

thinking group of individuals

founded our church. To be

certain, there were challenges,

trials and tribulations during the

start up and growth phases of our

church. We may never know of

some of the obstacles that they

had to maneuver or the setbacks

that hindered their progress.

But what we do know is that

they kept moving forward. And

as a result of their efforts, this

year’s anniversary celebration

marks our 56th year of existence

as a church family. Let us

continue to build on the

foundation laid by our founding

members and keep moving

forward along the path that leads

to redemption and salvation. That

path is laid out for us in God's

word.

Finally, as you leave church

today, or as you browse through

The Testament in the days and

weeks to follow, don’t be alarmed

if you happen to spot a strange

bird flying overhead nearby. It’s

ok - it’s probably just a phoenix!

The Testament is produced monthly

by our Newsletter Committee. Please

send articles, photos or other items for

publication in The Testament to

newsletter@mylmbc.org by the 3rd

Sunday of each month.

Newsletter Committee

Chanetta Evans ● Janice Campbell

Gloria Manley ● Reginald Davis

Earleen Sharrock ● Joan Lofton

Marva Atkins ● William Mayfield

Dean Jernigan, Chair

Saluting Our Mothers Hats off to the Laymen’s League for recognizing the mothers and mother figures of Lincoln with their annual

Mother’s Day Breakfast. The breakfast outing is just one way that the men at Lincoln express their love,

admiration and support of the women in our lives and our church family.

Church Beautification Always dutiful in caring for God’s property, the Trustees recently organized an effort to beautify the church

and grounds in preparation for our anniversary celebration. Assisted by several additional members from the

congregation, some areas cleaned, some painted, the kitchen cleaned and reorganized for efficiency and the

grounds were treated and mulched. Thanks to everyone who participated in the event.

Senior Adult Appreciation The month of May has been set aside nationally to recognize older Americans in our country. Lincoln proudly

participates in this celebration and each year honors our senior adults with a special program and dinner.

Congratulations to all of our senior adults and thanks to each of you for all that you have done to improve the

quality of our lives.

“Aging With Passion and Purpose”

Putting The Amazing

Back Into Grace

Paul’s definition of grace is unmistakable.

In Roman’s 11:6, “If by grace, then it is no

longer of works; otherwise grace is no

longer grace.” Once a condition is placed on

grace, or asks a payment for it, or demand a

work to obtain it then it ceases to be grace.

To those who try to relate to God through bargaining,

Paul says, “You have fallen from grace”.

Jesus told us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

A Pharisee is someone who tries to get you to pay for

that which God gives you for free. That’s what legalism

does.

Never let anyone take you out of the grace of God.

Stand fast in the liberty Christ purchased for you and

me. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered

Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him shall also

freely give us all things” (Rom.8:32).

Everything that God has done for us flows from His

heart of love. God wants us to respond to Him through

love. When we pray, give, serve, sacrifice, go, witness

and suffer out of a heart of love, this is pure Christianity.

God’s desire is to have a love relationship with us.

What makes Christianity unique and stand apart from

every other religion? Man-made religions may demand

that we do something in order for God to accept us or to

bless us. Grace says we are already accepted

unconditionally and blessed immeasurably-all are free!

His Grace is amazing, no doubt about it!

Food For Thought...

A PIECE OF CAKE

Sometimes, we wonder, "What did I do to

deserve this", or "Why did God have to do

this to me". Here is a God sent explanation!!

A little boy was telling his Grandma how

everything was going wrong.

School, family problems, severe health

problems, etc.

Meanwhile, Grandma was baking a cake.

She asked her grandson if he

would like a snack, which, of course, he did.

"Here, have some cooking oil."

"Yuck" said the boy.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"

"Gross, Grandma!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe

baking soda?"

"Grandma, those are all yucky!"

To which Grandma replied: "Yes, all those

things seem bad all by

themselves. But when they are put together

in the right way, they

make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we

wonder why He would let us

go through such bad and difficult times.

But God knows that when

He puts these things all in His order,

they always work for good!

We just have to trust Him and,

eventually, they will all make

something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you

flowers every spring and a

sunrise every morning. Whenever you want

to talk, He'll listen.

He can live anywhere in the universe, and

He chose your heart.

Hope your day is

“A Piece of Cake!"

- by Sis. Janice Campbell

CAN YOU FIND 16 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE?

I once made a remark about hidden books of the Bible.

It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for facts and for

others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially

since the name of the books were not capitalized, but the

truth finally struck home to numbers of readers. To others,

it was a real job. YES, THERE WILL BE SOME REALLY

EASY ONES TO SPOT. Others may require judges to help

them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find

one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is

found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea, so she can

concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now

for there are really sixteen names of books of the Bible in this

story.

(One preacher found 15 books in 20 minutes, but it took him 3

weeks to find the sixteenth one.)

Mother-Daughter Luncheon

Hat’s off to our Pastor’s Aide Ministry for the outstanding Mother-Daughter luncheon recently on Mother’s

Day weekend. Well planned and attended, the event featured delicious food, wonderful fellowship, and an

inspired message from First Lady Marva Atkins.

Just Horsing Around

There’s nothing more relaxing than an afternoon of riding horses. Several of our youth (and adult) members

experienced this joy on a recent outing to a local horse stable. This outing, funded by our Special Projects

collections, was enjoyed by all, and topped off with an afternoon meal at McDonald’s.

Around Lincoln….

Rev. Joyce Bailey performs with her family

during a recent concert.

Apryl and Bailee celebrate after

performing with the Durham Public

Schools Elementary Honors Chorus.

Save The Date!

Lincoln Memorial Baptist

Church Health Fair

Saturday, June 23rd

10:00am - 2:00pm More Information Coming Soon

LMBC Jimmy and Torian Graves

Memorial Scholarship Program

Saturday, July 14th

More Details Coming Soon

All smiles as the Brodie family proudly celebrate the graduations

of Bianca and Peggy from NC Central University.

The Eley family celebrates

Joe Jr.’s graduation from

Josephine Dobbs Clement

Early College.

Sis. Erin Campbell graduates from NC

A&T State University.

Sis. Adrienne Jernigan and the NC A&T

State University Choir pose with the 2012

Commencement Speaker - First Lady

Michelle Obama.

Happy Birthday To Our

June Birthday Celebrities

Terri Nicholson

Theresa Wilson

Chris Sanders

LaTacha Evans

Mamie Brodie

Amire' Brodie

Tanga Best

Jasper Earl

Jonathan Poole

Tiffany Long

Barbara Cromartie

Dean Jernigan

Adrienne Jernigan

Stephen Smith

Tamecia Daye

Melvin Evans

Montesia Garrett

Tomeka Webb

Caleb Crawley

Best Wishes For Many More!

Mikala Smith celebrates

with her brother following

a dance performance at

her school.

“Building the Church in the

Community and the

Community in the Church”

Congratulations

Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church

Fifty-six Years and Counting

- submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock

Jesus is Love Jesus is Love Conquers All

I thank God for giving His only begotten son,

Jesus who died for our sins at Calvary.

He died for you and me and all humanity!

His love exists now and even then.

It’s not about you or me

But about how Jesus gave us love, and shed his blood.

How he sacrificed his life for us.

(To love one another we must)

Right now He needs our trust.

He loves all of us.

We can stand bold and tall.

He won’t let us fall.

We should love one another regardless of skin color.

We are all sisters and brothers.

The descendents of Adam and Eve.

(I truly do believe)

Black, yellow, red and white.

We are precious in God’s eyesight.

Don’t do it wrong, do it right.

We need to focus on our children of today.

Let’s not let Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s dream

of hope for us fade away.

The answer lies between you and I.

We shouldn’t have a reason to sigh.

Let’s stand up, speak out and be bold for the Lord,

so our successes can unfold.

His love we can all afford.

He don’t lie, He speak truth.

His word won’t come back void.

We must accept and activate Jesus’ love from above.

The fruits of Jesus Spirit, love, peace, joy and much more

will began to gradually fold in our souls.

These will be our measure of treasures.

Our riches and gold will began to behold.

Jesus is Love - Love Conquers All

Let’s have love in our hearts for God.

We need to love here on earth so we can receive our crown of Glory in heaven one day.

We are all one:

God - Father

Jesus - Son

Holy Ghost - Spirit

Body - People

Church - One Denomination

“We need each other to survive.”

Opposites Attract

Negative Positive

Devil God

No Yes

Darkness “The Light”

Hate Love

Back Front

- by Sis. Gloria Manley

Jesus is Love (continued) Down Up

Out In

Blind Can See

Frown Smile

Bad Good

Down Up

A frown is just a smile turned upside down.

Many more can be comprised.

Prayer changes things.

Love lifted me.

I love Jesus because he first loved me.

Jesus put us first.

We need to put Him first.

Put people before ourselves.

We need each other to survive.

Run to the storm.

Don’t run away.

God’s love is here to stay.

Through it all God fought my battle.

If God can’t do it, it can’t be done.

“Can’t nobody do me like Jesus.”

God is about love.

This we should give plenty of.

His love exists now and even then.

We are in His hands. His love is here to stay.

“He was there all the time.”

God had my life in control.

From “the darkness” to “the marvelous light.”

“We fall down but we get up”

Jesus Is Love, Love Conquers All

We all need love.

This we should give plenty of.

We can stand bold and tall.

Positive is stronger than the negative reaction.

With God’s help, we no longer have to be a fraction.

I can see clearly now as a whole.

Things for us are about to unfold.

I can see the great difference God’s love can make in you and me.

Can’t nobody do us like Jesus.

Love lifted me.

There’s no greater love than He.

We need prayer in our homes, on the streets, schools,

work and all over the world.

Prayer and love can change things around.

We can meet the deficit.

“We can fall down but we can get up again.”

Stay in tune to Jesus Christ.

He sacrificed his life and paid the price.

Let’s celebrate Jesus’ love every day and everywhere we go.

Let’s have a hand for God!

June 2012 “Building the Church in the Community and the Community in the Church”

Newsletter photos by Reginald Davis, Jocelyn Campbell and Dean Jernigan

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

10:00am

Trustees Mtg

12:00pm

Women of Faith

3

4

5

6:30pm

Pastor’s Aide

Committee

6

12:00Noon

Hour of Power

6:00pm

Sounds of Joy

6:30pm

Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm

Bible Study

7

8

6:00pm

Praise Team

9

10:00am

Deaconess

Meeting

10

3:00pm

Youth

Missionaries

11

7:00pm

Voices of Praise

12

6:30pm

Health and

Wellness Mtg

13

12:00Noon

Hour of Power

6:30pm

Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm

Bible Study

14

6:00pm

Christian Board

15

6:00pm

Praise Team

7:00pm

Voices of Praise

16

9:00am

Laymen’s

League

12Noon

Male Chorus

17

18

19

20

12:00Noon

Hour of Power

21

22

23

Usher Fun Day

@Lake Gaston

10:00am

Health Fair

2:00pm

Missionary Dept.

24

1:00pm

Usher Training

25

7:00pm

Voices of Praise

26

6:30pm

Computing &

Technology

Committee

27

12:00Noon

Hour of Power

6:30pm

Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm

Bible Study

28

6:00pm

Neighborhood

PAC

6:30pm

YAC Mtg

29

30

To add an event to the church calendar, please contact Sis. Jocelyn

Campbell by calling the church at 688-1886, option 1. You may also

email her at churchcalendar@mylmbc.org.

Please send articles, photos or information for The Testament to

newsletter@mylmbc.org by the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Vacation Bible School Time TBA