Church News for Thursday, March 1

Published 5:26 pm Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Calvary Independent Baptist

We were blessed to have more visitors for our Sunday services. As always we want to invite them back and everyone who will to come fellowship and worship with us. It is not about us, but rather it is about our Great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Sunday morning service included a message from our Youth Pastor Kevin Shaw on being a better witness for Jesus Christ in our everyday lives. He preached on how sometimes people spend more time each day separating coffee filters than telling someone about Jesus. Sunday night service was family night, which included a song service followed by a short devotional and then a fellowship meal downstairs in honor of this month’s birthdays and anniversaries. Sunday, Mar. 4 in the 10 a.m. worship service our Interim Music Minister Bro. Matthew Brasher will be preaching, come out and support him if you can. Please pray for all the ones in our communities that are sick physically and also for the ones who have spiritual needs.

Christ Independence Methodist

Sunday our church service began and ended with two old hymns, “Calvary Covers It All,” and “Jesus Paid It All.” Both are appropriate for this time of year.

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon title was “Looking for Rainbows,” and his scripture reading was taken from Genesis 9:8-15.

When we see a beautiful rainbow in the sky, it is God’s own visible promise to us that He will never again destroy our earth by flooding it. The story of Noah, following God’s instruction, built a boat called an Ark, and carried his family and a pair of every animal to survive the flooded earth. Every time we see a rainbow today it should be a reminder of God’s covenant.

Sunday was the first Sunday of Lent. We are preparing for the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. These events dwarf the rainbow Noah saw in the sky. John 3:17 tells us “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Our prayer list: Mable Mitchell, Dwight Sammons, Carl Glass, Rev. George Creel, Cathy Lufta, Dr. Mac Stinson, our military, their families, our church, our community, Christians worldwide, Shea Simms, and his family.

Center Hill Baptist

We all have many things to be grateful for this morning. Bro. Jeff and Jackie Champion have been blessed with their first grandchild. Congratulations on the birth of Linc Champion.

We are all blessed if we have the ability to get out of bed each morning. Have you thanked God for that privilege?

CHBC sends their best wishes to the Tim Crist family as they begin their new ministry in Sylacauga.

Another great blessing was the “On Mission Celebration.” First of all, thanks to Bro. Larry Felkins and Judy for all of their hard work in planning this event. They have been working on this for months. Thank you to those in our church that worked behind the scenes, whether you transported missionaries, prayed, gave money, or prepared food—we thank you.

We were so blessed to have three missionaries tell of their ministry and experiences as they serve the Lord.

Michelle Buford shared many interesting customs of the Filipino people, and also of the difficulties that foreign missionaries have in learning new languages.

Keith Ivey, serving in the Georgia Mountain Resort Ministries, told us of all the strategies used to meet with tourists and share the Good News. Their goal is to be present wherever the crowds are and to sow seeds.

Sunday night, Eddie Hancock told of the difficulties of witnessing in Las Vegas. This city is growing rapidly, but the majority of the people do not know Christ.

Thank you so much to all of the missionaries serving through America and the entire world. We may not be able to go, we may not be called, but we can all pray for these men and women.

Friendship Baptist

We had a day filled with missionaries sharing their work. We learned problems face each day. There are language barriers, travel problems, and they are not allowed in some communities to share the Gospel.

We learned how they got in some areas to do the work of The Lord. A lot of people in other areas of the world look as Christianity as an “American thing.”

Upcoming events:

March 4- Kingsmen Quartet, 6 p.m., and roller skating after the evening service.

March 11- University of Montevallo BCM Praise Team at 5 p.m., evening worship following.

April 21- Mother/daughter/friend banquet, “Angels Among Us.” Special guest: Teresa Marcus and Shirley Bright. Shirley is the author of the book, “Mama’s Angels.”

Prayer requests: Jimmy Lykes, Steve Wilson, Pairette family, Jadie Easterling, Jim Staggs, Jay Powell, Glenda Marcus’s sister, and Jerry Fanning.

Mt. Carmel No. 1

Sunday our church united in a day of worship, prayer, and outreach as we welcomed the missionaries for the “On Mission Celebration.”

Katie Ford, IMB, UKRAINE, led our Sunday school hour. Act 4:24 was her text. Morning worship was led by Eddie Hancock, State Director of Missions, City Coordinator of Las Vegas, North American Mission Board. Keith Ivey, NAMB, Evangelism Catalyst resort and Michelle Buford, IMB, East Asia led discipleship training.

We were blessed to have the opportunity to welcome these missionaries to our service. We had a very enjoyable fellowship meal following the morning service. Please keep the missionaries in your prayers.

Thanks to all the prayer warriors and the ones that prayed for the missionaries and the success of this past weekend’s “On Mission Celebration.” Thanks to those who prepared food and served the noon meal.

We extend our prayers and sympathy to the Lovett family and friends in the loss of their loved one. Remember the sick and shut-ins of our church family and community.

Jackson Chapel Church

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Bro. Gary Fant got the morning worship service started off with “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” and Bro. Dennis Smith blessed us with “Help Is On The Way.”  Bro. Dennis’ text came from Matthew 19:16-22 with a message entitled “Today’s Response Effects Tomorrow’s Blessing.”  We as Christians don’t have time to quit on God because what response we give God will affect the blessings we get tomorrow.  We as Christians need to read our bibles everyday to be studied up and prayed up because we never know when the hedge will be dropped from around us because that is when we really find out just how much faith we have in God and how we will handle situations when we are faced with them.  The service ended with people filling the altar to pray for needs in the church.  We are rejoicing because the Lord saved a soul in our morning service and two people came forward to join fellowship with us at Jackson Chapel.  We praise the Lord for what he is doing in our church.

Bro. Gary Fant got the evening service started off with “Love Lifted Me.”  Luke Wilson blessed us with “This Little Light Of Mine,” Hannah Burnett blessed us with “Thank God For Grace,” Bro. Gary Fant blessed us with “Marching On,” Bro. Horace Wyatt blessed us with “The Unseen Hand” and as he was singing people came to the altar to pray, Bro. Dennis Smith, Wanda Chadwick and Angel Bavar blessed us with “God Likes to Work,” Right On Time,” “What A Day That Will Be,” “Child, Child,” “They’re Holding Up The Ladder,” “When My Feet Touch The Streets of Glory,” “That Same Spirit,” “What A Meeting in the Air” and “My Redeemer Lives, Olivia Hughes sang “Did I Mention” and “One Day At A Time.”

Mt. Springs

Services started with Bro. Kenneth Moates leading the church in the following hymns: “This World Is Not My Home,” “In the Garden,” “Getting Ready to Leave this World,” and “The Sweetest Song I Know.”

Bro. Roger Cleckler gave a devotion from Psalms 23:1. The Lord is our shepherd. He will lead us to the paths of righteousness.

After Sunday School, Bro. Kenneth led the church in the hymns “When We All Get to Heaven” and “There’s Power in the Blood.” Sam Ross and Debbie Barnett sang “I Still Have it All” and blessed the church with such a wonderful song.

Bro. Sam Ross preached from Galatians 6:1-10. Christ is our only judge. When our brothers and sisters fall, we as Christians should reach out and help them get back on their feet. Many Christians have past up the opportunities to do God’s will. What have you done with your opportunities for Christ?

Sunday night was our end of the month singing many people sang, wonderful testimonies were given, and we had a great prayer service.

New Salem Baptist

The church was blessed and hearts were encouraged as missionaries shared the message and work of Christ in their area of work.

What a wonderful thought: A young person or couple may have heard the call of God on their lives to serve as missionaries at home or abroad.

We are thankful to our association that sponsors the visits of these misssionaires to our country and churches.

A special invitation is given to attend a benefit singing on Mar. 24, at 6:30 p.m. “Justified,” a gospel group will sing and a special offering will be taken to furnish hymn books for the church.

Rocky Mount UMC

Almost every car you see these days has a GPS in it, either factory installed or mounted on the dashboard.  The reason for this is that the world has grown so much and people don’t always know the directions on how to get to their destination.  Life is just the same, we might know where we want to arrive for our final destination, but sometimes we need help in getting to that place.  We all need some help, sometimes.  While we might need the GPS to get to that big sale or someone’s house, we also need the roadmap to get to Heaven and our special relationship with Jesus Christ.  We have that roadmap at our fingertips…it is called the Holy Bible.  God knew that mankind was going to get lost and He knew that He needed to supply the help.  The Holy Spirit gives us the GPS of life.  God is there, redirecting us when the path of sin is one of total destruction.  Stay on your path by worshipping, attending church, fellowshipping with other Christians, Bible Study, etc.  Sometimes a person such as a parent, teacher, or church official is put there to help direct or redirect us.  Even spiritual leaders sometimes need some redirecting so don’t think you are alone.  If you’ll follow your directional instructions, you’ll get to your destination.  Keep following the signs and instructions.  Jesus knew his final destination and the path he was going to have to take to get there.  Listen to that little voice in your head when you stray from the pathway to the Lord.  Hear it say, “Recalculating” and act accordingly.

Sunday was the first Sunday of Lent.  This is a time to realize the road is not always smooth, but it is passable.  Set your course and keep on track until those roads are the ones paved with gold.