A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

On September 20th we celebrated National Back to Church Sunday.  We had 200 in attendance!  Children played games, enjoyed the space jumps and movies, youth played in a basketball tournament and enjoyed the spaces jumps as well.  In the Fellowship Hall, adults played free bingo games and won prizes.  The most exciting part of the day for me were the salvations and rededications that happened during the morning service.

I’ve been asked on several different occasions why I focus on numbers when it comes to church attendance.  The answer is very simple; if people come to church, they hear God’s word.  Scripture tells us in Isaiah 55:11 - “so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  So you see, when you invite the unchurched and they come to hear God’s word, lives will be changed and souls will be saved.  That’s why I urge all of you to share your faith with others.  

I want to remind everyone about “Unite To Ignite” (a community-wide worship service). It will be held on Saturday, October 24th at 4:00 p.m. at Abundant Life Church, located on 147 Lower Woodville Road.  I would like a good representation of our church to attend this service.

October, November and December are very busy and important months in our church.  We have Fall Festival on Saturday, October 31st  from 6 until 9 p.m., the Thanksgiving Service and Fellowship Dinner on Sunday, November 22nd and last but not least, our Christmas Service on Sunday, December 20th.  There will be no fellowship dinner in December, but we will have our Christmas  parties on various dates.  What an exciting time of the year! 

Let me remind you to check your calendars and attend as many events as you can and be in church every time the doors are open.  Scripture tell us in Hebrews 10:25 -  “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Thank you for your faithfulness and all that you do for the Kingdom.

Love you all,

Pastor Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

It’s that time of year again!  Our annual “Fall Festival” will be on Saturday, October 31^st from 6:00 – 9:00pm.  We’ll have all of the usual activities (cake walk, concession stand, jumpers, silent auction, and booths).  As done in the past, a basket will be set up in the foyer just outside of the old sanctuary for your wrapped candy donations.  We will also have a list of food items needed for the concession stand on a clipboard in the back of the sanctuary.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  As you know, our “Fall Festival” provides a fun and safe alternative for the children in our community as well as helps support our youth ministry.  Please invite everyone that you can to this fun-filled evening.

State Youth Convention will be November 20^th – 22^nd at Camp Dixon.  The cost to attend is $100.  The theme this year is “The Choice is Yours” and is taken from Joshua 24:15 – “…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Registration forms will be sent out soon.  Please be in prayer regarding this statewide youth event.

Finally, our new church year started in September and this year is an International Youth Convention year!  International Youth Convention (IYC2016) in San Antonio, TX is “a four-day, biennial gathering of high school students and adult leaders for a moment of life change.”  It is the largest event that we attend as a youth group.  Therefore, my plan again this year is to treat this event as a reward for those students who are sincerely striving to grow in Christ, who have displayed consistency in both deed and action in regards to their profession of faith, and who are faithful in church attendance.  As we did for IYC2014 in Nashville, we will also be tracking youth attendance for the months leading up to IYC2016.  We started September 3^rd and will continue through June 29, 2016.  There are roughly 173 services (Sunday school, morning worship, evening worship, and Wednesday night) between 9/3 and 6/29.  In order to qualify, we are requiring your attendance to 86 or 50% of the services.  We are also asking that you attend State Youth Convention as well as meet fundraising goals.  Early Bird Registration ends December 10^th.  We will be sending additional information home soon.

I want to close by telling you all how much I love and appreciate you.  There’s no way that we could pull this off without your help!  You all are always so faithful to give, volunteer, and partner with us as we minister to our children and youth.  God bless you guys. 

In Christ,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

Let me start by thanking all of you for your prayers, kindness of food, cutting grass, etc. during my time of recovery.  I’m happy to say that I’m feeling better each and every day, praise God for continued healing!

Since the last newsletter went out, these United States have changed radically.  What the Bible describes as sin is now law of the land due to our Supreme Court decision on gay marriage.  Should this change our response to this sin?  Certainly not, sin is sin!  Homosexuality is listed as sin along with other sins.  1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God”. Notice that it is listed with other sins, some of which you may have been involved in.  As Christians, we need to love those people just as we love all sinners.  We should not leave them in their sin but guide them to repentance and to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. 

Let’s remember that each and every one of us are commanded by Jesus to share the gospel with every person we come in contact with.  Matthew 28:19-20 states: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”. That being said, remember that we need to share our faith constantly.

Let me close by reminding you that September is Back to Church Sunday month and I encourage you to invite non-churched people for a day of worship, fellowship, food and fun.  But remember, you don’t have to wait until that date to share the gospel. 

I thank God for each and every one of you and pray for His blessings on your life.

Love you all,

Brother Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

I would like to open by saying thank you to everyone involved with our Vacation Bible School.  We had a great turnout again this year and are grateful for your hard work and dedication to our children’s ministry.  As we’ve been saying and will continue to say, there was absolutely no way it could have been pulled off without you all.  Thank you so much for investing in our children!  We love and appreciate you guys!

August means the end of summer break and the start of another school year.  I would ask that you please remember our students and teachers in prayer as they begin a new year.  Pray for protection, wisdom, discernment, and courage to take a stand for Christ.  Also, pray that our students remain in-tune with the Holy Spirit.

September is the start of our new church year.  We are expecting great things this year!  We will be starting the year off with a focus on National Back to Church Sunday on Sunday, September 20.  Please make every effort to invite friends and family and bring them to church with you on that day.  We are planning on a fun filled afternoon following the service.  Stay tuned for additional information and announcements regarding this exciting opportunity.  Let’s try to pack out the church this year!

Let me close by telling you all again how much we love and appreciate you and all that you do for our children and youth ministries!

In Christ,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

Let me begin by saying how much I appreciate all of you for your prayers, thoughtfulness and donations of your time and efforts during my absence for back surgery.  Thank you taking care of the church and taking care of those in need. I especially appreciate Brother Robert for stepping up to the pulpit and continuing to deliver God’s message while I was out.  God has blessed Traci and myself with a wonderful church family.  I could never ask for more than all of you!

Always remember to be vigilant in sharing the gospel and good news of Christ, not just with our words, but by our actions each and every day.  Let us look outside of ourselves and our walls and search for those that have never been saved. We live in a world that is very self-centered and with a “what’s in it for me” attitude.  While this may be okay for the world, it is not okay for us.  We are commanded to serve and spread the gospel. 

Speaking of spreading the gospel, Mr. Lester Smith stepped down at the end of May as one of our exceptional team of teachers.  He has led his Sunday School class at Community Chapel for 11 faithful years.  All in all, he has taught Sunday School for about 50 years. That is quite an accomplishment! We can all learn from his example and his willingness to share the gospel to help expand God’s kingdom.  Let us all show our love and appreciation for him  and all of our  teachers!  I greatly appreciate everyone for all that is done in any capacity to help out at the church.  I encourage more of you to get involved and do the same.

Just a couple of reminders:  Father’s Day is June 21^st, so let’s not forget our dads!  Vacation Bible School takes place July 6^th through July 10^th.  We are in need of volunteers.  Please contact Brother Robert or Mrs. April if you would like to help out.  I also urge you to bring your children and grandchildren to participate in this wonderful learning experience.     

Love you all,

Brother Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

Where has the year gone?  School is out for everyone and summer officially begins in a few short weeks.  With that said, our children and youth ministries are about to get extremely busy!

May was graduation month for three of our students!  We honored Brooke Daniels, Trey Jackson, and Chandler Adams during the Sunday morning service on May 31^st.  We are so proud of you all!  Congratulations on your hard work and many accomplishments!

June is camp month!  Adventure Camp for students who have completed 3^rd – 5^th grades was Tuesday, June 2^nd through Friday, June 5^th.  Junior High Camp for students who have completed 6^th – 8^th grades was Monday, June 8^th through Friday, June 12^th.  Senior High Camp for students who have completed 9^th through 12^th grades will be Monday, June 22^nd through Friday, June 26^th.  The cost is $150.  Registration forms are in my office.

July means Vacation Bible School (VBS)!  Our dates for VBS are July 6^th – 10^th from 9:00am to 12:00pm for ages 4-11yrs.  Our theme this year is “Everest – Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power.”  Like we did last year, we will have a pre-registration table set up in the back of the church.  Come by, check us out, and get your children pre-registered!   If you have any questions, please contact the office at 601-442-8215 or my cell at 601-870-2802.

Let me close by telling you all again how much we love and appreciate you and all that you do for our children and youth ministries!

In Christ,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

What an exciting time of year this is!  Winter is almost over and Spring is on it's way.  While I'm not a big fan of Summer (with the heat and humidity, mosquitoes, wasps, etc.), I am a fan of Spring.  The grass is already greening up, flowers are blooming and new life is beginning.  This serves as a reminder to us that even when things seem dark, gloomy and dead, God is just waiting to do something new in our lives.  He will take the apparently dead and lifeless and give it new life.  Let us all strive to grow to our full potential and  allow God to work in our lives fully to bring about change in this old dark and dying world. 

As we go into this Easter season, let us take this as an opportunity to invite people to church so that they can hear the gospel and be saved.  This is what we have been commanded to do.  Matthew 28:19-22 tells us to go to all nations and share the gospel.

Let me take this time to highlight some upcoming events:  our foot washing service will be on Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 pm; our Easter egg hunt will be on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. until 1:00 pm; Sunrise Service will be on Sunday, April 5 at 7:00 am (followed by breakfast) and don’t forget all the delicious desserts and tasty treats at the Benevolent Committee Easter Bake Sale before and after regular morning service and remember, no evening service that day; National Day of Prayer is coming up on Thursday, May 7; Ladies PJ Party (ages 20 & up) at my house on Friday, May 8 at 6:30 pm; and last but certainly not least, Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10. Please take the time to let your mom know how special she is and how much she means to you.

Let me close by saying that I love each and every one of you and thank you for all that you do.

In Christ's love,

Pastor Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

We have survived the Youth Lock-In and Airsoft War!  It was a fantastic time with our youth and an awesome outreach event!  We talked about becoming men and women of God at the Lock-In and discussed spiritual warfare at the Airsoft War.  We were also able to fellowship with our dear friends, Marshall and Ashton Trisler and also spend time with their youth group from Crossroads Church in Ocean Springs.  And in so doing, we made new friendships with other brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!

March will be rather quiet as we prepare for next month’s Easter events!  Our annual Easter egg hunt will be Saturday, April 4^th from 10:00am to 1:00pm for infants through age nine.  I mention it now since Easter is so early next month!  Similar to last year, we will be sending the children out in three separate age groups to hunt eggs in three predetermined areas based on their ages.  This is done for safety and to allow each child a fair shot at finding eggs.  It also allows for ample opportunity for pictures!  Please have your child bring a basket and twelve candy-filled eggs.

And Church, if you are able, please start helping now by bringing plastic eggs and wrapped candy.  We will set up a basket in the back of the sanctuary for your donations.  Also, we will start a food donation list for the lunch that will be provided for the children after the Easter egg hunt.  Please keep an eye out for this.

Let me close by telling you all how much I love and appreciate you and everything that you do for our church and for our children and youth ministries.  May God bless you!

Love you guys!

In Christ,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

Let me start off by saying that I’m grateful for each one of you.  So many of you do amazing things for the kingdom of God.  That being said, I don’t want us to ever stop growing or reaching outside our doors.  So often, a church fellowship of believers will get comfortable with what they have, where they are and with whom they worship.  This is the first step to a dying church.  We are not called to status quo, we are called to reach the lost wherever they are.  Jesus himself in Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to go and make disciples of all nations (preach to the lost).  This is not a suggestion, but a command.  So as this year progresses, let us all seek after the lost in whatever way God enables you. 

Also, let me encourage you to take every day, at least for a little while and focus on the goodness of our God and the greatness of His gift of Jesus Christ.  It’s only through God’s blessings that we are allowed to live in a country where these things are covered in our rights to worship. 

As each  of you move about your daily lives, don’t forget to check out our church website. This will keep you informed of activities and opportunities to participate in fun and fellowship with each other.  The weekly Sunday Bulletin, monthly Contact and Calendars are all great resources and are all available online. They are updated as changes occur.

Love you all,

Brother Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

It’s that time of year again, time for our annual lock-in and Airsoft War!  This is such a fun experience for our students and for many of them, a highlight event of the year.  This year, we will have special guests participating with us.  Our dear friends, Marshall and Ashton Trisler, and the youth group from Crossroads Church in Ocean Springs will be joining us.  We are so excited about this opportunity. 

The lock-in will be Friday, February 20^th at the church.  Please be here at 6:00pm.  There will be pizza, games, breakout sessions, and an ending group session just before lights-out at 2:00am.  The Airsoft War (Cross-Com 2015) will be the following day, Saturday, February 21^st.  We will be leaving the church at 9:30am after breakfast and will take the vans out to Brother Bo’s house for the war.  There will be a short devotion at 10:00am with the war starting soon after!  We will break for lunch between battles around 1:30pm.  Saturday’s events should be over by 5:30pm.

We are praying for a great turnout as we take advantage of this unique opportunity to share Christ.  Please join us in prayer for these events.  Pray for traveling mercies for Marshall and Ashton and their group.  Pray for our leaders as we share Christ.  And pray for our students.

Thank you for being a church that loves our youth and supports our ministry.

Love you guys!

In Christ,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

Our holidays are over and what a wonderful time we had as a church spending time together, the parties, Christmas songs, etc. Everything that goes along with Advent; the birth of Christ and His expected second coming are truly reasons to celebrate. We should celebrate Christ each day and share the good news with everyone we come in contact with.  In doing this, we continue to give gifts throughout the year. You see, so often the only time we think about giving thanks is during Thanksgiving and the only time we consider God’s greatest gift is during Christmas.

I encourage each of you to take time each day, at least for a little while and focus on the goodness of our God and the greatness of His gift of Jesus Christ. As we begin the new year, let us consider the talents that God has given each of us and how we can use those talents in some form of ministry for our church.  

Let me close by say that I’m looking forward to Spring and Easter and the opportunity to celebrate a risen Savior.  Let us all keep our eyes fixed on Him and be busy about the work of sharing the gospel.  It was Saint Francis who said that we should share the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.

I love each and every one of you.

God Bless,

Brother Bo.

P.S. As we begin to plan for the new year, please be sure to check our online calendars for the coming months.  Information, events, activities, etc. will be updated as plans develop or change.

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

Happy New Year!  Can you believe that we are already starting a new year?  Last year absolutely flew by!  I can’t wait to see how God moves this year in the lives of our children and youth and how He uses our church to impact our community.

January will be a rather slow month which should give us all some much needed rest.  Make sure to take advantage of this down time by drawing closer to God.  Spend extra time with Him during your quiet times.  Take more time to read and study and especially to pray.  Let’s start 2015 off on the right track by making it a priority to spend quiet time with God.

During these quiet times with the Lord, pray specifically for our community and for ways that we as a church can engage it.  Just look around our city!  I’m reminded of Matthew 9:38 - “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Pray for ways in which we can engage our community and lead people to Christ. Also, ask God to reveal areas where you can get plugged in to the church and begin serving here.  Ask Him to reveal a ministry to you or to confirm what He’s already asked you to do.  Ask for wisdom and discernment.  Then, serve Him wholeheartedly!  If you are already faithfully serving, ask God to raise up workers to help you. 

Let’s commit to spending more time in prayer, in study, and in service this new year and let’s impact our community for Christ!

Pray continually, pray for revival, seek hard after God.

Love you guys,

Robert

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Church Family,

We just finished a really good Fall Festival and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which I am looking forward to.  This is truly my favorite time of the year.  Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter are all holy days.  For a Christian, this is meant to be an exciting and anticipated time. Let me encourage all of you to treat Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter with the proper amount of reverence.  Let us truly thank God for His goodness and provision by celebrating the birth of our Savior.  We need to keep the focus on Christ and not on the commercialized secular aspect.

As we go into the holiday season, let’s also remember to tell our family and friends how thankful we are to have them in our lives.  When you have an opportunity, spend time with the special people in your life.

Let me close by thanking each and every one that helped with Fall Festival.  It is a very important ministry for our church.  Also, I would like to thank you for the thoughtful cards, gifts and kind words that I received this past month for pastor appreciation month.  I felt very loved and appreciated.  Again, thank you and love you all.

Happy Holidays,

Brother Bo

A Letter From Our Associate Pastor Of Youth

Dear Church Family,

It’s hard to believe that November is here already.  I absolutely love this time of year:  cold weather, deer season, championship football, and Thanksgiving!

And since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I wanted to open by telling you all how grateful I am for each and every one of you.  April and the kids and I feel so much love from you all.  Thank you for the Pastor Appreciation gifts last month.  It’s very encouraging and yet humbling to know that you are loved and appreciated!

I also want to say thank you for all of your help with our annual Fall Festival!  As a result of your hard work, donations, time, and giving, our Fall Festival was once again a huge success!  As you may or may not know, it is our largest fundraiser of the year and you have now made it possible for most of our students to attend State Youth Convention, Summer Camp, and other smaller events throughout the year.  You have paved the way for them to hear the Gospel and experience God in very unique ways and for that, I am eternally grateful!  Thank you for investing in them.

In closing, I want to encourage you to please continue to pray for and reach out to our students.

With much love,

Robert