Securing Future Disciples Update

What a great time we had in worship yesterday! A good crowd in the 8:00 service and a packed crowd in the 10:45 service... One profession of faith in the early service... Choir did a great job... We got to meet so many new people...

I love Easter Sunday!

On another subject... Here are the latest Securing Future Disciples numbers: (This is going to be reason to cheer!)

• $181,094 -- Total of One Year Pledges & Initial Offering
• $ 14,000 -- Total Savings from Not Borrowing the Needed Funds
• $195,094 -- Total Available (Assuming 100% of Pledges are Given)

When the savings are included this puts us at 102.7% of our high goal! Even better news is this... After only four weeks, we have collected $93,006.13! That is 51.4% of our new one year pledge total.

We are still praying for a few more commitments to be made and of course for the faithfulness of those who have made commitments, but it is apparent that the Lord has certainly blessed us in this endeavor!

Take a few minutes and thank the Lord in prayer for his gracious provision.

Pastor Noel

Securing Future Disciples

So the question everyone has been asking me today... "How did we do in our Securing Future Disciples campaign?"

In case you did not know, yesterday was commitment day for our campaign to rebuild our preschool ministry facilities. Our church families streamed forward and placed their commitments and their offerings on the altar. It was the culmination of many weeks of hard work by dozens of people in our church. It was the culmination of much fasting and praying and seeking the Lord.

So how did we do?

Well... You don't really think I would break an announcement like that on my blog do you?

No. We're still working. A few more commitment cards came in today. That will likely continue this week as people who were out of town yesterday are able to make it by the church office. I'm sure we will receive a few more on Sunday from others who weren't in our service yesterday.

We are working on a tally....

The plan right now is to share the totals on Sunday, March 28 in our 10:45 service.

Can I at least give a hint?

:) -- Just don't miss the 3/28 service!

(and get those cards in if you were out of town... I'm anxious to see the final numbers...)

Pastor Noel

Have you Struggled in Prayer?

Quick note from something I learned in my quiet time this morning...

Have you struggled in prayer? I don't mean, 'have you struggled to pray' or 'have you struggled to remember to pray' or even 'have you struggled to make time to pray'. I mean have you struggled for someone or something in prayer?

This morning I was reading in Colossians and I came across this verse...

Colossians 2:1 (NLT)
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.

I thought, 'Agonized how?'. When you continue to read and study, you learn that the chief way he agonized for them was in prayer.

Later in the same book, I read this verse...

Colossians 4:12 (NKJV)
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

So in these verses, we see Paul agonizing for the Colossians in prayer, and we see Epaphras laboring fervently for them in prayer.

The questions then are... When was the last time I agonized or labored fervently for someone one in prayer? Are my prayers simply reciting a list of concerns? Are there new things I need to learn about prayer?

Pastor Noel

New Facebook Trend...

As a pastor, I have counseled with a number of couples in the last year with troubled marriages. It is stunning how many of those marriage difficulties have something to do with Facebook or some other social networking site.

Sometimes the trouble has come because friendships gradually crossed the line of appropriate communications. Other times there was just suspicion and distrust.

Thankfully, Donna and I have not faced these difficulties, but every time I sit down with another couple in counseling, I am reminded that the potential is there.

So Donna and I decided to combine our accounts. I simply changed the account name and email on my account by going to the 'account settings' page. And we are in process of getting all her friends to be on my list (or our list).

Once this is done. We will just make her old account inactive.

We've also share our email passwords with each other. We have no secrets in our marriage and I don't want anything to creep in and cause distrust.

I know this won't be something everyone will want to do. That's fine. In fact, just because you take steps to have openness and integrity in your marriage in this area doesn't mean you can't have problems in other areas. But if you think combining your accounts would provide more trust, less possibility of friendships going in wrong directions, or even just a good witness and encouragement to others... then give it a try.

Noel

Kenya Update...

Here is a part of an email I received from our pastor in Kenya about a meeting with the Muslim guardians of the orphans we feed and sponsor in our Christian School...

Yesterday we had a good time with the guardians to lift you, pastor Noel and all the donors in prayer. I wish you could see how wonderful and amazing it was for the community to see Muslim women dressed with their full Muslim dressing praying the Lord Jesus in this matter.

Isn't it great to hear how the Lord is using us to minister to even Muslim families on the other side of the world!

Pastor Noel

Inclement Weather II

Everything is a go this morning!

I drove around the area early this morning and conditions were much better than I expected. I was amazed at the difference in snow accumulation from one area to the next and obviously some roads have been cleared better than others, but all in all I didn't have any problems. Of course everyone should use their own judgment.

The church parking lot is in good shape. The worship center is warm :)...

See you for Connect Groups at 9:30 and worship at 10:45!

Pastor Noel

Inclement Weather

The $64,000 question... will we have church services tomorrow?

The 99 cent answer... sure!

The plan right now at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday is that all morning services will take place as scheduled. I don't anticipate that to change. The parking lots at the church have been cleared. The city is working on the roads. Of course, if you can't safely get out then stay home.

If there is a change, I will post that change here.

By the way, here is our official inclement weather notification plan:

If it becomes necessary to cancel Sunday or mid-week services/meetings due to inclement weather, a cancellation notice will be recorded on our answering machine and will appear on our website at least one hour in advance of the service time. In most cases, a notice will also be aired on our local radio stations WHTH/WNKO and WCLT and posted on their website.

I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday! It is going to be a great day!

Pastor Noel

Brit Hume

Men's Connect Groups -- Part 2

Below is another email I sent out to all of the men in our church for whom we have an email in our system. For some of our men we either don't have an email at all or we have an incorrect email. So, here it is...

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Dear Men of First Heath,

This morning, let me recommend another men's connect group for next semester...

About a year ago I picked up a book someone had recommended to me called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I don't think at that point I had even had heard of Francis Chan. The book was short and easy to read, so it didn't take long to get through, but wow! It turned out to be one of the very best books I've ever read.

Crazy Love is about how much God loves us and how we can be closer to Him. And while that seems like the theme to a hundred thousand books, this book is different. This book is so genuine and so fresh, I promise it will change your outlook and understanding of how much God loves people.

This next Connect Ministry semester, Sam Smith, who I think read the book about the same time I did, will be leading a connect group centered around a study of this book.

This would be a great group for all of our men, young or old, new Christian or long-time Christian.

The group will meet at the church each Monday, at 6:00 a.m..

If you would like just a taste of what the book is about, visit the website www.CrazyLoveBook.com and watch some of the brief videos there.

You can see all of the men's groups on our website: www.FirstBaptistHeath.com. Click on "Love People" and then on the link for our Connect Group Catalogue.

To sign-up for this group or any other group, just visit our website or call our church office (740-522-5245). If you have any questions about the groups that are offered, email our small groups pastor, Pastor Shawn (Shawn@FBCHO.com), and he will be glad to help you.

In Christ,
Pastor Noel

Men's Connect Groups -- Part 1

This is a copy of an email I sent out to all of the men in our church for whom we have an email in our system. For some of our men we either don't have an email at all or we have an incorrect email. So, here it is...

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Dear Men of First Heath,

As you probably know, we are in the process of helping people sign-up for our next semester of small groups. We call these groups Connect Groups.

Last semester we saw a number of new men get connected in groups and we saw these same men really begin to grow stronger in their faith and walk with the Lord. I believe this next semester will be even better.

This semester we are offering seven men's groups. These seven groups will be offered on five different days of the week. There will be morning groups and evening groups... There will be weekend groups and weekday groups... There will be something to fit any man's schedule. Of course, many of you will choose to be in one of the thirteen mixed adult groups instead of specifically a men's group and that is fine, but take a close look at the men's groups that are offered this semester and see what fits best for you.

You can see all of the men's groups on our website: www.FirstBaptistHeath.com. Click on "Love People" and then on the link for our Connect Group Catalogue.

Let me highlight one of our men's groups today. I'll highlight more in emails later in the week.

Apologetics: Surprised By Faith
Group Leader: Dr. Eric Chico
When: Tuesdays, 7:00 a.m.

Have you ever wondered what the evidences or the proofs for our faith were? Have you ever struggled with how you could speak intelligently with an unbeliever or a skeptic about why he should choose Christ? Have you wrestled with some of the criticisms of the Christian faith and wished you could give a better answer either for your own benefit or the benefit of someone else? If so, this would be a great group to be a part of.

Eric has spent his life studying apologetics, the reasons and the arguments behind why we believe what we believe. Eric is uniquely qualified to lead this group.

This would be a great group for men who want to stretch their faith.

To sign-up for this group or any other group, just visit our website or call our church office (740-522-5245). If you have any questions about the groups that are offered, email our small groups pastor, Pastor Shawn (Shawn@FBCHO.com), and he will be glad to help you.

In Christ,
Pastor Noel

Focused on Service

Each week in our Connect Ministry (small groups), our leaders spend some time focusing on encouraging people to be involved in ministry and service. I just had a meeting this morning where we reviewed some of the new sign-ups. It is so encouraging to see so many of our people getting involved!

As an example, in my Tuesday Morning Men's Group, we had eleven in attendance today. Of those eleven men, three signed up to come listen to boys say their AWANA verses on Wednesday nights, two signed up for our weekly soul winning class, and one signed up to serve in our Food Pantry Ministry.

Our leaders are doing such a great job encouraging people to serve... Disciples are being made!

Thankful to Pastor such a Wonderful Church,
Pastor Noel

Letter to the Church...

Below is an email I sent to our church members for whom we have an email address on record...

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Dear Church Family,

I'm in my church study preparing for our weekly staff meeting, and I thought I would send out a quick email to the church and share some good news...

First, I just received an email from a lady in our church that felt convicted to go and share Christ with her 95-year-old, Jehovah's Witness aunt. She took her notes from my sermon on the myth "Dead People Go To A Better Place". Her aunt repented of her sins and professed her faith in Christ. Wow!

Some more good news...

Sunday, September 27, was the first day in our new Connect Ministry semester. We had a record attendance of 419 people for the first week! We were up in every age category we measure. We were very grateful for that incredible number but had braced for the number to drop for week two. Guess what... it didn't drop... it went up! When all of the numbers are in, it looks like the total will be between 440 and 450 in small group attendance.

Tomorrow (10/7) I will begin to focus on 1 & 2 Timothy in my daily quiet time videos. If you would like a little help and accountability with your quiet times, check out MyMornings.blogspot.com to see my daily videos. There is an introductory video you can view here and then just join in with the others who are sharing together in our devotions each morning.

This coming Sunday morning I will be continuing my series on "Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe." We will be focusing on the myth: God Forgets All Our Sins. I am looking forward to the day of worship. I hope you will be here with us.

Pastor Wally, Pastor Shawn, Scott, and I will be meeting early tomorrow morning, as we do each Wednesday, to specifically pray for our church members and our community. If you send an email to info@fbcho.com before 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, I promise we will pray especially for you and your need when we gather together.

Pastor Noel

Thoughts on Last Sunday and the Next...

This past Sunday was a great Sunday of worship...

• We had a great crowd... both on the main floor and in the balcony! (In fact we had some families that had a difficult time finding seats together. I want to remind our regular worship attenders to sit as close to the front as you can get and to scoot to the center of the row you are sitting on. That will help us make things easier and more comfortable for our guests each week.)

• We began the service with baptisms which has become an almost weekly occurrence. I pray this will always be true, and I pray that we never get 'used to it'. We should always marvel at the grace of God that changes lives.

• We had a very good response during our invitation... a number of people and families praying at the altar. We had one young adult lady make a profession of faith and three youth make public that they had made professions of faith over the weekend.

• Sunday night was a blast. We had a real wedding in our evening worship service... Sound strange? It was great! We had a young couple come into our church a few weeks ago. They made a profession of faith and began to allow the grace of God to change their lives. One of the things they wanted to do was to get married and re-start their family the right way. They didn't have the resources to have a wedding so we decided we would just make it a part of our worship service and celebrate the grace of God... How God's grace was changing them and how God's grace is changing all of us. So we had a wedding, a sermon, and a couple of baptisms... Then we had a giant reception. I was so proud of how our church came out to celebrate with the young couple and how they blessed them with money and gifts at the reception... Wow! What a great example of the love of Christ.

This next Sunday is going to be fun as well...

• Our new semester of Connect Groups begins Sunday. We are hoping for a record attendance and involvement in our Connect Ministry beginning this week. If you haven't signed up for a group, there is still a few days left. Go to our website, fill out the form, and choose your group. Some of the groups are closed now, but we will do our best to get you in the group you choose.

• This week we will be continuing our series of messages on 'Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.' This weeks myth is... God Helps Those Who Help Themselves. We will be in Genesis 16.

• Pastor Wally just let me know we have two more baptisms schedule for this Sunday morning!
  

A quick note on our daily Quiet Time encouragements. If you sometimes struggle with having a daily devotional time, take a look at our daily QT Encouragement blog... MyMornings.blogspot.com.

Pastor Noel

New Song for Worship...

Pastor Wally, Pastor Shawn, and Church Administrator Scott are working on doing this little number in an upcoming service...



Pastor Noel

Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe

There are two things on my mind this morning as I do a little studying and praying about what is on the horizon at First Baptist Church of Heath…

First, I am looking forward to our new message series that begins this Sunday. After spending six weeks focusing on just two chapters in the Book of Revelation, now we are going to skip around the Bible for the next six weeks. I am borrowing this series title from a Larry Osborne book I read a while back. As soon as I saw the book title, I thought this would make a great message series if the Lord gave me liberty to preach it. So the title of our upcoming series is “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe”. Larry, in his book, identifies ten of these dumb things. In my message series, I plan to address six. Three of mine are similar to his; three are different. Here is my list…


Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe
• Myth #1: Your Conscience Should Be Your Guide (9/13)

• Myth #2: Dead People Go To A Better Place (9/20)

• Myth #3: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves (9/27)

• Myth #4: God Forgets All Our Sins (10/4)

• Myth #5: God Has A Blueprint For My Life (10/11)

• Myth #6: All Things Work Together For Your Good (10/18)

Invite your friends, family, and co-workers. Let’s see how God’s Word can encourage us as we learn the truth about these myths.

Second, I have received much positive feedback from our on-line quiet time encouragement videos. Tomorrow (9/8) I will begin to focus on the Gospel of John. If you would like to join me for these quiet times for a few weeks, this would be a good place to start.

The best way to begin is to watch the video I made on how to have a quiet time. Then just jump in with the rest of us tomorrow morning!

For the introduction video, click here.

For the daily quiet time videos, click here.

Invite your friends, family, and co-workers to join in. The website is MyMornings.Blogspot.com.

Pastor Noel