Church News

Published Friday, October 24, 2008

Christ Independent Methodist Church

One could not but feel blessed to be able to be up and about on a day like we enjoyed today. Invigorating is a good word to describe it.

Dr. Mac Stinson read from Thessalonians Chapter 1 verses 1 through 5. Paul, Silas and Timothy often traveled to Thessalonica as well as corresponding by letter which Paul was often wont to do to keep in touch with his widely scattered churches. The church at Thessalonica was one of Paul’s favorite churches. At a time when that area was rife with idol worshippers, we have to admire Paul’s faith to build a Christian church there, but Paul was a man of faith. Toady Thessalonica is the second largest city in Greece located on an inlet in the northern most part of the county. Dr. Mac preached on faith today and how the early Christians preserved the faith for us. We are so indebted to those early Christian martyrs who were burned at the stake, fed to the lions, and tortured in many horrific ways, but kept their religious fervor and never wavered in the faith. What would Paul say about us today?

We still have those on our prayer list whom we ask you to remember: Sarah McEwen is now at Shelby Ridge Nursing Home, Harold Williams spent some time at Shelby Hospital due to heart pains, and Betty Sue Payton is nursing a broken ankle and other effects of a very hard fall. Laurel Lee Adams is bravely attending church following painful foot surgery, our friend Ken Osborne is getting better. Continue to pray for Randall Miller, Joe Laird, Mary Ann Carden and Charlie Hawkins.

Women from CIMC will meet at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant Tuesday night.

CIMC youth and chaperones will spend Friday night at the church in a Youth Lock-In from 6-8 a.m.

Sunday afternoon, October 26th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., there will be a meeting in the Fellowship Hall at CIMC to give information on an upcoming trip to Israel and Egypt hosted by Dr. Mac Stinson and wife, Glenda. We invite you to come and hear out plans to visit where Jesus was born, where He lived, where He died and rose again, where He prayed and where He will appear when He returns.

Have a blessed week.

Pates Chapel Church

Our brand new 26-passenger bus arrived this week. Sure looked great in the parade Saturday. Thanks to the committee for all they did. Great job folks. We’re going to have to keep on praying and paying until it’s paid off. Congratulations to all the pretty Swedish fest girls and our own queen, beautiful Miss Elizabeth Alstott. Vester and Lucille Robinson celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sunday afternoon in their home. Congratulations to them. They are both homebound now, but have always been a great blessing to our church. Remember both with prayers, cards and visits as well as all our homebound and nursing home folks. Show them they are not forgotten.

The children enjoyed a trip to the Pumpkin Patch after church Sunday.

The older AWANA kids joined the Awanas at FBC Calera Sunday night.

WOW/Women’s ministry is publishing a new cookbook. We need your favorite recipes. Drop them in the mailbox outside the secretary’s office or see Lanelle Smith.

WMU needs yard sale items. Please bring them to FSH. Clean out the closets and garages and donate.

Harvest Fest is Sunday Night. Help is needed with booths, food and games. Please call or see Bro. Clint Or Lanelle to help. More bags of candy are needed also.

YAH Seniors, mark your calendars. Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. - Thanksgiving Lunch will be hosted by Katrina Hayes. Dec. 11 - Christmas at the Zoo will be hosted by Donnie Hayes.

Please pray for all on our prayer list. Our men and women in service are Nick Eggers, Katie Robinson, Chris Horton, Michael Mims, Tyler Jackson, Drew Edwards, Cameron Gunn and Keith Lance. Remember them and all others.

Make the upcoming election a priority in your prayers. Our nation was founded on Christian principals and more than ever we need God’s help and blessings for the USA. He promised if my people who are called by my name, ask in my name, they shall receive. So please ask for Christian leadership.

Lime Springs United Methodist Church

Our Sunday school lesson focused on Revelation 19. Bro. Shannon brought the morning message from I Corinthians 15:54-57 on the blessing of Adam. He reminded us that God blessed Adam with dominion over all the Earth. In other words, God gave Adam control of his life. Adam, by the very nature of sin, threw his blessing away and gave it to Satan. Jesus became flesh, second Adam, to take back the blessing First Adam threw away. The difference lies in the spiritual life of Christ. Whereas the blessing of Adam gave him control of his Earthly surroundings, it is the blessing of Second Adam (Jesus) that offers us complete control of our Earthly lives and spiritual lives. Bro. Shannon ended his message with an urge plea to come to Jesus before it is too late. He also invited those, who like the Prodigal Son, have walked away from the blessing of Adam to return back to the Father.

We held our annual Charge Conference following the morning service.

We invite everyone to join us for worship at Lime Springs. Our Sunday school starts at 9:30 a.m.; morning worship at 11 a.m.; evening Bible study at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday prayer meeting at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, please call 755-4950 or 755-6356.

Mt. Carmel No. 1

Sunday morning, Bro. Ricky preached from the Matthew 7:21-23. His sermon was titled “Not Everyone.” The focus of his sermon was on Verse 23. I ask you to read this verse and do some soul searching. Sunday night, Bro. Ricky preached from Psalms 121 “Lift up our lives to Christ.” We focused on Verse 1. The adult choir special was “Rock of Ages” and Bro. Ricky sang “The Lighthouse.”

Please keep Eric and Tiffany Cleckley in your prayers over the death of Eric’s stepfather, Joe Melgosa.

The Outreach Ministry classes will have the last class Sunday, Oct. 26. This is a great opportunity to serve the Lord. Pray and obey.

Pastor’s Appreciation Day will be the Sunday. Bring you lunch baskets for lunch immediately after the morning service.

The youth will have a trip to Judgment house at Union Grove on October 29. We will have a hayride and Trick or Treat in the neighborhood on October 31. Please bring bags of candy for the youth and children to “treat our community.”

We praise God for answering our prayers for people that are sick. We welcome Cindy Foshee and Dorothy Bowman back in the house of the Lord. Please continue to pray for Hermus and Wayne Campbell, Cecil Franklin, and others on our prayer list. Remember to come to our Wednesday night prayer service. Our prayers focus on our nation and the upcoming election. Our church joined with Cedar Grove last week for a special night of prayer.

Calvary’s Hill Church of God

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” I John 5:12

Bro. Willard brought his message from Ezekiel 9:9 and talked about the four visions Ezekiel saw: 1. Idols being brought back into the house of God. Churches today are allowing ungodly things into the sanctuary. 2. Pictures of snakes and idols on the wall. What things do we have at home God wouldn’t be pleased with? 3. People worshipping a woman who could die and bring herself back to life. Only God has this power. 4. Twenty-five men who turned their backs of God. It’s our choice who we serve - God and live or Satan and die. We go through trials and tribulations, but it makes us stronger. Jesus willingly gave his all for us; we should give our all for him.

Bro. Ricky Cleckley brought the message Sunday evening from Matthew 7:7. God will supply our needs, but he wants us to ask, seek and knock. Sometimes we limit and doubt what God can do by our lack of faith and, even the though the answer might not come right then, it will come in God’s time. He is our refuge, our joy, our strength, and he deserves our praise and worship. Not for what he can do but for who he is.

Please pray for Joe Chandler, who is in the hospital, and Ricky Thomas, who has pneumonia. Also, remember our leaders, military, pastors, the lost, and the election. If you don’t have a home church, come join us. Sunday school starts at 10 a.m.; worship at 10:45 a.m., Sunday school at 5 p.m. and Wednesday night at 7 p.m. followed by a soup supper. The church is located on Ala. Hwy 191, two miles outside Jemison.

Mount Bethel Baptist Church

We had a great time of worship and fellowship with our Lord. It started with a song of praise followed by prayer, after which we went into our classes for Bible study.

The lesson for today was about David and the friendship he had with Jonathan, Saul’s son. Both David and Jonathan were led by God’s Spirit. Through God’s leadership Jonathan helped David escape from the hands of Saul who wanted to kill him. Jonathan was not only loyal to David but to God.

Rev. Jim Burnett brought our morning message scripture from Ephesians 6:11-12. The message was the world is in trouble. The devil has taken control of people’s lives. People listen to him rather than God. We may think sin began in the Garden of Eden, but it began in heaven when Satan rebelled against God. God cast him out and so should we. In the name of Jesus we can cast him out of our lives. The world is in trouble because we have turned away from God and the only way to fit it is to turn to God.

Our evening service started with discipleship training and the lesson was “Peace That Passes Understanding.” The only true peace comes from a right relationship with God. When in times of trouble we can call on Him any time day or night through prayer. Letting God take control of the situation gives you a peace the world cannot understand.

Bro. Cleckler’s sermon came from Psalm 106:1-9. The psalmist talks of Israel’s reoccurring rebellion against God and God had forgiven them numerous times. He cannot give God enough praise for what He has done. God is good and gracious and merciful. He forgives and restores us back to a right relationship with Him. He promises that we will be blessed if we do well and keep His righteousness. Sometimes we may think He has forsaken us but we must remember Him first. Then He will show His favor on us. The Psalmist is saying if you can remember Israel remember me. The Psalmist confesses his sins that was, the first step in drawing closer to God.

We want to wish a happy birthday to Robert Bland, Sherry Easterling, Don Miller and Brenda Hucks.

We invite you to join us for worship and fellowship with our Lord. Sunday school is at 10 a.m.; morning worship at 11 a.m.; discipleship training at 5 p.m. and evening worship at 6 p.m.

Bethsalem Baptist Church

Bro. Cleve Mallory, our Minister of Music and Students, delivered the message Sunday from Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 18:18-26. The message was entitled, “The Greatest of These is Love.”

Lunch for the Golden Agers was served by Darlene Rice. We say thanks again to those who helped.

For our evening message, “Forgiveness for Free,” Bro. Cleve preached from Luke 15:11-32.

Prayer list: Gilbert Green, Christy Harmon, Kim Hicks, Lois Blalock, Joyce Moore, Meade Bryant, Susan McCary, Arthur Cooedy, Cleo Pack, Andrea Deneke, Paul Powell, Vera Franches, Bertha Headley, Brandon Ward, Mary Ann Messer, Jennifer Gray, James Thomas, Chad Glipson, T.J. Cox, Peggy Nelson.

Wednesday night is family supper at 5:45 followed by Mission Night and adult choir practice.

Everyone have a blessed week. Remember, God is so good. Share Jesus with someone this week.

Faith Tabernacle Church

This is the first column presented by Faith Tabernacle Church located in the old Cotton Mill community. My purpose in this first article is to present the mission of this small church and encourage believers of all faiths to consider worshiping with us. The main mission of any body of believers, of course, is to preach the Gospel in order to get people to put their faith in Jesus and turn their lives over to Him. Being a Christian, simply put, is ethical living. If a church is not in the process of saving souls, it is no church at all. But I want you to know that there is a church in Clanton, Ala. whose aim is to focus on answering Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for unity of the saints. You would think all believers in Christ would be able to fellowship one another in love and accept one another’s differences of opinion without condemning them. But such is not the case. Christ’s body is fragmented into warring factions over the traditions handed down by our forefathers within the various denominations. Can there be unity among believers? I believe the answer is, Yes! The apostle Paul pleaded with the Christians at Ephesus to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Faith Tabernacle Church is doing its part to reach this goal. The church is easy to find. Go past Rolling Oaks Apartments on the right. Turn left on 14th Avenue (three blocks). Then turn left on Rollan Street. The church is on the left. Bible study and worship are at 10 and 11 a.m. each Sunday. For questions or prayer, call Randy Strattis at 755-7571. Everyone is welcome.

Center Hill Baptist Church

The choir and congregation opened in worship with “I Saw the Light” and “I’ll Fly Away.” Tracy Cobb led the weekly altar prayer call, and Bro. David Warren gave a short children’s sermon on flashlights and how the children (and we) need to remember that the light doesn’t work without the battery, and that Jesus is our source of power like the battery is to the flashlight. The children were then led in Children’s Church time by Amanda Varden and Devin Haynes. Bro. David delivered a sermon on how Jesus was rejected and His teachings ignored in His own hometown because of the people’s unbelief at who He was because He had grown up there. He pointed out the truth that at all times, Jesus is looking to refine us and do things in our lives, but we hinder Him just like His hometown did, because of our unbelief of His power and authority. May we not think ourselves so familiar with the story of Jesus that we dismiss the power of Jesus.

Walnut Creek United Methodist Church

Bro. Tony began the service by just holding a hymnal. During children’s time, he explained how God makes things work out, and with love number one, love makes music.

Bro. Tony recalled some of his early years in the ministry. He said, “There is a lot of difference in reading a sermon and bringing a message from God. What you have been hankering for, God has been hankering in your heart to begin with.”

His message was from Joshua 4:1-7. God told Joshua to take the 12 men he had chosen, one from each of the tribes of Israel, and tell them to each take a stone to the shore where they had been camped. They were collectively reminded for the people to remember his power on their behalf, just as we should be reminded that the hand of God should be remembered and we will be made better and richer for it.

Take time to experience with God; no time is as important as is the Sabbath, especially this day and time when we do everything as any other day, and call it a necessity of modern times. We need to take some time apart from the ordinary. Keep this day holy and rest. And, of course, we want you to worship.

Love creates love. Remember, we are called to be Christ in the world. Love causes us to remember, very selectively; those precious memories.

Give your heart to God. He will remind you personally who you are.

Also, Sharon Gilbert, regional extension agent of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, brought a very impressive presentation on identity theft Oct. 15 at the church to Chilton County Low Vision Support Group. She explained by PowerPoint the different types of identity theft, ways to protect yourself from identity theft and what to do if you become a victim.

Our friend, Mrs. Myrtis Enfinger, said the November meeting will be a meet-and-eat session at Kountry Kitchen, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.

Bethany Baptist Church

We were glad to have our visitors in Sunday morning services. Bro. Aubry’s Sunday morning sermon was taken from Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. He compared this with the theme of the soap opera “As the sands in the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” Solomon reminds us in this scripture in Ecclesiastes to remember how short our lives are and that these days are times of choosing. We need to make the important choices to, first of all, accept the Lord as our Savior, and then to serve the Lord while we can. How well we prepare in this life will determine where and how we will spend eternity. Sunday night, Bro. Aubry began his series in the Gospel of John. His text was the first five verses. This scripture established the deity of Christ, and affirms that Jesus created all things. We look forward to this study in the book of John.

Church members, please remember our Thanksgiving Missions Offering goal this year is $1500. Nov. 23 is our final offering.

Please remember to pray for those on our prayer list. Don’t forget to pray for our nation, especially our upcoming election, that God’s will would be accomplished.

See you Sunday!

Oak Grove Church of God

Bro. Northcutt’s text was from Genesis 14:17-24, and he took for his title “Journey of Faith.”

When Abraham returned from battle after freeing these people from captivity he was confronted by the King of Sodom who suggested that Abraham keep all the spoils from the battle. All the King of Sodom wanted was the people that Abraham had set free from captivity. He was offering Abraham great riches in exchange for these people. This King of Sodom’s, whose name was “Bera” which is the imperfect tense of the verb meaning “Evil”, was interested in these people only as slaves. These people represented souls and today the ‘Prince of The Air”, “Satan”, offers us great riches in exchange for our “souls.” This exchange will make us slaves to sin with no eternal reward. Abraham chose not to accept this King of Evil’s offer, not because it would not afford him great riches but because he recognized that he would be selling out these people that he had fought to free. These riches would not be eternal and he deemed the saving of these “souls” from slavery was not worth the price.

We want to wish a happy birthday to F.E. Harris and Patricia Taylor (Oct. 24) and Chris Smith (Oct. 26).

We are so blessed of God at Oak Grove and we had several new people come join us in our Sunday worship services and we welcome them to be with us often. Oak Grove is a growing church as we have received twenty-three new members in the last three months. To God be the Glory! We thank God for them and want them to know that we love them and welcome them into the fellowship of our church.

If you do not have a church home we invite you to come worship God with us and be a part of our church family at Oak Grove. Service times are: Sunday School at 10 a.m., worship service at 10:45, Sunday evening service at 5:30 and Wednesday night service at 7. We also have children’s church each Sunday.

Our church is easy to find. When you leave Clanton heading south on US 31 turn left at Peach Park and follow the signs to Oak Grove Church of God.

Jackson Chapel

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Bro Dennis’ text Sunday came from Matthew 7:13-14. We as Christians make thousands of choices everyday and we have to fight against things and unload the burdens in our life if we want to make it to Heaven. If Satan has us bound up Jesus is the only one that can loose those things so can’t understand why people want to go around so burdened down that they can’t enjoy life when all you have to do is call on Jesus and he is always right on time. We also need to choose if we are going to live for Jesus or the devil but we need to remember that the choices we make in live determine where we will spend eternity.

Sunday evening, Bro. Dennis’ text came from Matthew 13:24-33 and 44-50. When we as Christians make it to the other side we will have no more pain or no more sickness but there are things we’re going to have to go through in order to make it to Heaven. If we could just get it in our mind just how heaven will be then we would get in a little more of a hurry to get there. The service with several coming to pray.

Happy anniversary to Billy and Shirley Burnett on Oct. 20.

Please remember these as you pray this week: James and Marie Johnson, Janice Williams, Devaughn Welcher, Janie Smitherman, Kathy York, Tammy Harmon, Todd Chambers, Romie Bavar , Betty and Virgil Smitherman and our service men and women.

We are located at 4020 Yellowleaf Road in Clanton. Our service times are as follows: Sunday School at 10, morning worship at 11, evening worship at 6, and Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study at 7. We also have Kid’s Club on Wednesday nights at 7 for grades 1-6.