Sunday, October 4, 2009

Wow, October ALREADY! Many of us can't believe how quickly time goes by, but I think it goes quicker the older we get. I have a theory as to why that is, but I won't get into it here. Unless your first name is "Ein" and last name is "Stein," you may not understand! Oh, it is such a privilege to be in such elite academic company! Baloney! I almost sound like the Gnostics that I have been castigating in our Sunday morning series from First John, but more on that later.

I didn't get this note out last week due to my attendance at the "Council on Dispensational Hermenuetics" at Baptist Bible Seminary in PA. It was a time of stretching and learning, and was good to be in the academic setting once again, even if I did only understand half of what they were talking about!

This Sunday we continue with all our classes for kids and teens as well as four Adult Bible Fellowships at 9:30 AM. Bible learning and fellowship are partners together for you if you attend. If you don't know which one to attend, we can direct you, so just come and look forward to God's blessing.

In our 10:45 AM Worship Service we sing in praise to God and then give to Him because it is what is right and proper. We will continue our look through First John by returning to 1:5 - 2:2 as we consider that "Our Personal Righteousness" is Foundational to Our Faith. Come and find out what that is and what it is not, and how it should make a difference in our daily lives. We began it last Sunday and will build on it this week.

Our 6:00 PM service for Adults and Teens will be our Communion Service. This is always a time of blessing as we sing and share in testimony of God's working in our lives recently. That is all possible because of the impact that Christ's sacrifice for us has made in our lives. I hope you will come prepared to participate and to share - and if so, you will leave fulfilled. Also during this time our AWANA ministry for children will go on, and I believe this Sunday will feature double bonus shares for sections learned!! Wow!!! (note for adults: we will return to our video series the next Sunday evening.)

Here are some reminders of events for this month:

Oct. 10 at 10:00 AM will be the Akron Area Women's Missionary Fellowship at Graham Road Baptist Church in Cuyahoga Falls. Sign up to go is on the lobby table, car pooling should be available.

Oct. 12 at 7:00 PM is our own Women's Ministry Meeting here at church. See Debbie Mace for details.

Oct. 15 at 5:30 PM is our church board meeting. Any agenda items should be directed to me. I don't remember what we are doing for the supper for our guys, but I think something is in the "works." If you would like to minister in this way to help, let me know.

Oct. 19 and 20 will be the Annual Conference of the Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches at Northfield Baptist. This is not very far away from us, and I really encourage you to try to attend as much of it as you can since it is this close. It will help you get a better "feel" for our church association across the state. Dr. Michael Loftis, president of ABWE will be the featured speaker and the whole conference will have a missions theme.

Oct. 25 in our combined ABF's and then our Morning Service we will hear from Dr. Doug Combs, president of Outreach to Asia Nationals. This is a new appointment for our friend, Doug, but is really a continuation of his ongoing ministry in China, India, Myranmar and other places in that area of the world. This will be a great follow up to the OARBC missions emphasis.

Oct. 31 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM will be our annual "Trunk or Treat" community outreach event. I believe Bill Mace will be asking you to bring your candy to give away now, so I am telling you today so that you can surprise him when he gives the announcement this Sunday. Shhh .... suprise Bill by getting a head start on it, he won't know how to take it!

Now you have no excuse to miss any of the events for October coming up. Please keep all these in your prayers and plan to participate.

Reminder: the Streetsboro Quilt Guild Show is going on here in our building today through Saturday. If you see all the cars, or need to stop by the building for something, please be aware. And pray that we can touch some of the hundreds of people who will be coming through our building this weekend.

As you "Look Toward Sunday" with me, let us meditate on God's Word to us from 1 John 1:7 - "but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Pastor Don Workman http://www.faithbaptiststreetsboro.org/