November 2020

Mailing Address: Office Location: PO Box 3117 3018 County Drive Petersburg, Virginia 23805-3117 Petersburg, VA 23803

Phone: (804) 733-2010 Fax: 804 733-8212

E-mail: info@petersburgbaptist.org Website: petersburgbaptist.org

The Gleam Newsletter of The Petersburg Baptist Association

Volume 63 No. 11

PRAYER CONCERNS

Associational Ministries & Churches

Romania Partnership

Those impacted from the Coronavirus

Those affected by Hurricanes & Wildfires

MINISTERS CONFERENCE

We are thankful to have been joined by Marcus, Frankie, and April from Regenesis for our October

conference. We learned a lot about their work with addicted persons, and how our churches can partner in

their recovery. We were also blessed to see some new pastors join us and look forward to getting to know

them better.

Based on survey feedback, we have kept our conferences scheduled for the first Monday of the month at

10:30. All conferences will be held at the Association Office unless otherwise advertised. For the

November 2nd conference, host Tom Williams has invited Chris Riggs of LPL Financial as our guest

presenter to discuss investment strategies.

The schedule for the rest of the year is as follows, with topics and presenters to be announced:

December 7 10:30 AM Host Rev. Michael Fields

January 4, 10:30 AM Host Rev. Fred Adkins

February 1 10:30 AM Host Dr. Mark Hughes

March 1 10:30 AM Host Rev. Lee Woodcock

April 5 10:30 AM Host Rev. Wilson Conwell

May 3 10:30 AM Host Dr. Joe Lewis

We will announce topics and speakers as they confirm. As always, please feel free to email me with sugges-

tions for improving our conference (mike@sappony1773.org).

In Christ,

Mike

RELENTLESS

“But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have

faith and are saved.” Hebrews 10:39 (NIV)

It’s here again! Autumn, my favorite season of the year! I always look forward to the beautiful colors and crisp sunny days of fall. The greens are beginning to fade, and already, leaves are swirling about and gathering on the ground. As much as I would like for them to remain on the trees in their beauty, I understand that in order for the trees to flourish in the new season to come, they must let go of their decayed leaves. Maybe that’s an important lesson for us as well. Just as the trees shed their leaves in preparation for the winter, perhaps there are things in our lives that we need to consider letting go of. When we long to enter into a new season, the old can easily hinder or inhibit the new if we allow it. Don’t let the de-cayed leaves of 2020, or anything else you may be holding on to, gather in your heart. God longs to empower and strengthen us for a new season and a fresh relationship with Him! Ask Him to shine His light on any thoughts, circumstances, habits, or other “decayed leaves” you might be clinging to. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18,19 NIV) Because of COVID-19, the Women's Get Away will not be held at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center this

year. Instead, on November 6th & 7th, “Refresh” will be a VIRTUAL Women’s Conference with events offered via Zoom and Facebook. Visit the WMUV website at WMUV.org for information and to register. This conference will revive, encourage, and equip women to be still, and to be on mission with God, too. The first Monday of November is the Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer. The Day of Prayer pro-gram is translated into well over 80 languages so thousands, upon thousands of Baptist women gather to pray for each other on that special day. Literally, as the world turns, women are praying from the eastern hemisphere all the way around to the west. In this COVID-19 era, be creative in how you might join together with women around the world on this powerful day of prayer – or, pick any day in the month of November! More information is available at https://bwawd.org/day-of-prayer-this-year. IF your church or missions group is planning to host a Missions Prayer Breakfast this year, please let us know. Contact the PBA office as soon as possible to share the details of your event. The PBA WMU Leadership Team will meet on Wednesday, November 4th at 10:00 am at Second Baptist Church in Petersburg.

Tammie Frazier

Association WMU Director

FROM THE DESK OF... INTERIM DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS

Peace in the Midst

NOVEMBER…the month we set aside to give thanks, right? Although as Christians we recognize this

should be a yearlong process we still think of Thanksgiving in a different way.

We think of family gatherings (don’t forget to social distance), we think of sitting around the table for a feast

(don’t forget to wear your mask), we think of home and the memories of past years (although 2020 is a year

most would rather forget). We think of home.

Who can forget Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, clicking her sparkling shoes together, declaring x3: “There’s

no place like home!” Tornado or not, she was desperate to get back to Kansas. Psalm 27:4 says, “…One

thing I ask, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the

Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”

What comes to your mind when you think of home? Where is home for you? Is it the place your family re-

sides? Is it your church? Is it your birthplace? We all have our places where we feel good and comfortable.

Do you feel comfortable in the presence of your God?

I am reminded of a song that says, “Lord, we come into Your presence and kneel before Your throne, You are

worthy of our sacrifice, it is Yours and Yours alone.”

The storms of 2020 have been difficult and challenging but we still need to come home. We dwell in the

home of the Lord and we give thanks. We find refuge. And, when we find that place of refuge in the Lord,

that quiet place of calm in the storm, our lives are complete. The storms of life are real and present in all of

our lives. We are reminded again that there is peace in the midst of the storm.

Take time today to go home. His light is always on; His welcome mat is always out. And His Word is rest.

Jesus says, “Come home. I’ll leave the light on for you.”

Serving HIM by Serving You,

Pastor Fred

P.S. I can’t say thank you enough to Rachel and all the volunteers who helped make our 114th Annual Meet-

ing of the PBA a smooth and blessed event last month. Also a big thank you to our Program Committee for

all their work in planning our meeting.

Petersburg Baptist Association P.O. Box 3117 Petersburg, Virginia 23805-3117

Non-Profit

Organization

U. S. Postage Paid

Petersburg, Virginia

Permit No. 199

ASSOCIATIONAL CALENDAR (NOVEMBER - DECEMBER)

Nov 1 Daylight Savings Ends

Nov 2 10:30 AM Minister’s Conference – Associational Office

Nov 6-8 Women’s Get Away – Virtual

Nov 8 National Disaster Relief Appreciation Day

Nov 10 7:00 PM Missions & Evangelism- Associational Office

Nov 11 Veteran’s Day – Office Closed

Nov 18 9:30 AM Budget & Finance – Associational Office

Nov 26 Thanksgiving - Association Office Closed

Nov 29-Dec 6 Lottie Moon/Week of Prayer for International Missions

Dec 7 10:30 AM Ministers’ Conference – Associational Office

Dec 9 9:30 AM Budget & Finance Meeting – Associational Office

Dec 24 – Jan 3 Christmas - Association Office Closed

KEHUKEE COUNCIL

Since the last article, several very positive things have taken place at Camp Kehukee as follows:

1. October 3, 2020, fundraiser fish fry at Kehukee. Jimmy Tomko and his “cooking family” from PBA

Church Newville cooked and prepared nearly 250 meals that generated $1427 profit. As previously publicized,

all of these funds will be used to enhance security efforts at our camp. Everyone enjoyed an excellent meal

and great fellowship.

2. Thirty-two tandem truck loads of a crushed stone and sand mix for Kehukee roads and parking areas.....all

donated materials and labor. The only cost to us will be reimbursement for fuel costs in loading and hauling.

Many more loads are expected, as well as eventually asphalt millings. At some point we could use assistance

from PBA individuals owning equipment capable of moving and spreading stone or asphalt millings. PLEASE

CONTACT THE PBA OFFICE DIRECTLY IF YOU CAN ASSIST IN THIS NEED!!!!

3. 90% of the Carter Lake Lilly pads have been eradicated, despite too many days of rain that made planned

spraying impossible. The product being used calls for a rain free 24 hour period following spraying. In order

to reach areas beyond what spraying could be done from the lake bank, the rescue boat was loaded and uti-

lized. Hopefully we will see the desired results in the Spring of 2021. Presently that looks promising, for bank

fishing now is much easier from all lake points with hang-ups from Lily pads far less. In fact, fisherman en-

joyed the positive change October 3, before, during and after the fundraiser fish fry meal.

We have several fundraiser options presently being discussed by the Financial Support Team and the Kehukee

Council. As decisions are made, they will be shared with PBA churches through the KEHUKEE COUNCIL

CHURCH REPRESENTATIVES AND PASTORS. Any work dates will be publicized in the same communi-

cations. Your Kehukee Council must have the assistance of Church Reps and Pastors in order to get infor-

mation to PBA congregations and receive active involvement in plans for Camp Kehukee.

“Friends of Kehukee” and inclusion in wills and trusts continue to be valuable options for us to reach a self

sustainable Camp Kehukee. As stated often in recent years, we are slowly getting closer to that goal estab-

lished ten years ago. Please seriously consider these avenues of support and how you personally can help as

together we work towards this goal. WE NEED YOU......THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

Hugh Mumford

Interim Kehukee Council Coordinator

MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM COUNCIL

We have sent $2,500.00 to the BGAV Disaster Relief to aide in hurricane relief effort in the Texas and Louisiana.

We will be discussing further assistance after Delta hit the area again. We are also looking at the best way to send

assistance to the areas in the west affected by wild fires. We thank those that supported the missions through pray-

er and physical aid from the PBA churches.

We had asked all the churches of the Association to collect school supplies and bring them to the association office

for distribution within the Associations’ area schools. We are now distributing those supplies within the PBA area

schools.

We often hear that the Churches are the Association. So when one church or group of churches seeks assistance

from us, we will work with them. Volunteers from any and all churches are welcome to join us in seeking and fol-

lowing GOD's will in moving forward on missions for HIM. Thank you for all your prayers and offerings

In Christ,

Tom