Community Chapel

A Letter From Our Pastor

2012-03-01T00:23:00.001-06:00

Dear Church Family,

It feels like spring is already here and Easter is right around the corner. Soon we will be transitioning from winter clothes to our nine months of usual short sleeves, tee shirts and shorts. As we get ready to move into what is normal for most of us who live in Mississippi, it is important that we take time to reflect. Let us take a little time from our normal everyday lives and focus our attention on the event that changed everything, Easter! You see, His death was like winter and had the appearance of lifelessness--the whole time spring was coming bringing with it new life. That is exactly what Christ did on the cross--He gave us life. So, as the flowers bloom and the grass greens up, take a few minutes to reflect on the gift of life given to us by the death, burial and resurrection of our living Christ.

Remember to focus on the reason for the season and not on eggs, candies, etc. that the world seems to think is important.

We are a very busy church. I want to remind you to check out our calendar for events and activities.

Thank you so much for being such a loving and good church and remember to keep Brother Steve's family in your prayers.

In Christ's Love,

Brother Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2012-02-08T23:44:00.002-06:00

Dear Church Family,

The holidays are over and things seem to be getting back to normal, if there is such a thing. Well, as normal as our busy lives allow. The kids are back in school and the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, visiting, etc. is over. It’s time to take a deep breath and thank God for giving us the blessing of living in this country and more importantly, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. I think it’s important that we take our “normal times” to stop and reflect on the two wonderful gifts I just mentioned. You see, so often the only time we think about giving thanks is during Thanksgiving. The only time we consider Gods greatest gift is during Christmas.

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 Gods blessings that we are allowed to live in a country where these things are covered in our rights to worship.

Let me close by saying how much I appreciate each of you and your prayers for this church, its ministry and me and my family. I love each and every one of you.

God Bless,

Brother Bo.

P.S. We are a busy church. Please check out our calendar of events.

Bits From Bo

2011-12-28T13:46:00.003-06:00

Dear Church Family,

Where has the year gone? Twelve months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. No matter how you say it, it’s gone. What did you do? Were you able to keep your resolutions? Would you define it as a good year personally? In the life of this church, this year was very difficult. With Bro. Steve’s illness and passing, it has been a hard year. I know each and every one of you have suffered or mourned with the loss of our Pastor, Teacher, and Friend. Even with the trials of this past year, God continues to bless us. Our attendance is good. Sixteen people were baptized this year. Bro. Steve would be very proud of you and your response to the adversity of this year. The way you respond to events in your life usually dictate your attitude and your opinion on whether the year was good or bad. Setting realistic goals and having a positive attitude no matter what your circumstances will allow you to have a successful upcoming year. That being said, I am excited about some upcoming events. We will be having a LSU vs Alabama Championship Game Party and we are also planning a singspiration for fifth Sunday.

Let me close by saying thank you for all of your hard work and support for Bro. Steve’s family and our church family. I’m looking forward to a great upcoming year!

Love you all,

Yours in Christ,

Bro. Bo

Bits from Bo

2011-10-20T12:30:00.002-05:00

Dear Church Family,

The weather is finally cooling off. The days are getting a little shorter. Those of us who love the holidays, football, and hunting it’s a great time. So far this fall, things have gone well for me because LSU is playing well, and one of my favorite holidays is coming up,
“Thanksgiving”.

I was asked the other day about Christian holidays and I listed Thanksgiving with Christmas and Easter. The reason why is because it is a time to reflect on all the blessings God has given us individually and as a nation. Although I know that each of us should give thanks everyday, this is a time when we as a
Christian nation (And by the way, we were established as a Christian nation) take a day to say thank you for all that you have given us. So let me remind you, to give God thanks everyday for all that you have been given and to treat Thanksgiving as a religious holiday and make it a special event for you and your family.

Just a reminder, check our calendar for activities and events that are taking place in the church and as often as possible include yourself in those. Remember to vote on November 8th and vote “YES” on Amendment 26 which states that life begins at the moment of conception. For more info, go to yeson26.net.

Let me close by saying, I love each and every one of you and thank you for all that you are doing and are going to do to expand God’s kingdom.

Yours In Christ,

Bro. Bo

2011-06-23T13:02:00.001-05:00

Bits From Bo

Dear Church Family,

At the writing of this letter, we just experienced the first day of summer. And after two long months with almost no rain, I picked up nearly an inch at the house. Aint God good. It ‘s been so dry that many of the trees are losing limbs and dropping leaves. Have you ever noticed that there are times when we experience spiritual droughts and after we call out to God for help he sends showers of blessings. Now I know that sounds pretty deep, but nature screams out that there is a Creator and just like he cares for this Earth, he cares so much more for us. In those times, when we are really at the end of our rope he carries us and sends us spiritual nourishment. The rain for me was just a reminder that God is always on time.

I guess we need to get down to business. July is a busy month. So as a busy month, we will be returning from our camping trip from the Buffalo River on July 3rd and then heading to Philadelphia for Adventure Camp. The dates for this camp are July 5th though the 8th. July 11th through the 15th we will be hosting Aim Natchez, which is a group of Assembly of God teams that will be doing mission work here. July 18th through 22nd is our Junior High Camp , the cost for our camp is $175 and it is not too late to register. Last, but not least, July 25th through the 29th we will be having our Vacation Bible School. If you are interested, in having your children or youth involved in any of these activities feel free to contact me at 601-597-2566 or April Swilley at the church at 601-442-8215. Let me close by saying, praise God for all the blessings that he gives us and remember droughts make us appreciate the rain. Thank you for all you do for our children and youth,.

Love you all,

Yours In Christ

Bro. Bo

2011-06-23T12:58:00.001-05:00

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Congregation and Friends,

Greetings!

I had a wonderful experience at the Mississippi State Camp Meeting at Dixon. The committee asked me to preach on the subject of “receiving”. It was a great opportunity to share several simple truths from God’s Word. I used the illustration of Elijah sharing bread with the widow and her only son and how the bread never ran out. God provided for them and god has provided for me and my family. I thank the Camp Meeting for the very generous love offering that was given at the end of the service. Thank you so much.

I have been amazed at God’s provision. It has been the true miracle of my sickness. I am grateful to God and his people and my many friends for all that has been given. This experience has deepened my faith and shown me that God truly owns everything.

This week I continue my chemotherapy and look forward to seeing what the results are in a few months. It’s been a hard hill to climb but I fully expect to reach the other side in the next few months.

A big thank-you to everyone who keeps the church moving forward. Every little thing you do is meaningful and adds up. So keep on giving of your time and your talent for they are deeply appreciated.

With much love

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

P.S.

I also had a great visit with my parents in mobile. My mom is slowly improving. I had a great visit with my Dad and I wish him many blessings for last Father’s Day. He is a great father! It was great to spend time with my brother Chris and my sister Sherry. I have the most awesome family!

Bits from Bo

2011-06-01T12:44:00.002-05:00

Dear Church Family,

At the writing of this letter I am nine days away from performing a wedding for my baby boy, Seth, and his beautiful bride elect, April Roberts. I’m so proud of them and especially thankful that they asked me to do the ceremony. While I’m flattered for them to want me to do the wedding at our house, I’m very tired of the cleaning, power washing, and staining that seems to go with having a wedding. I had no idea! To all of those of you well wishers and gift givers, thank you so much for loving my children. Continue to pray for them as they start a new life together.

Bro. Steve and I had lunch today and he seems to be feeling better. Continue to pray for him, Bobbie, and the kids, that his illness will soon be over. On that same note of prayer, pray for all the folks that have been affected by the tornados, wildfires, and floods that have been affecting the south.

On to our calendar. Senior High Camp starts June 6th and ends on June 10th. Camp Meeting is June 13th through the 15th, Bro. Steve will be preaching there. Adventure camp happens July 5th through the 8th. Junior High Camp is July 18th through the 22nd. Camp is an important time in the life of our youth, so please try to send your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc., to camp. It can be a life changing experience.

As I close, let me say thank you for your prayers and to continue to lift our church up each and every day. Thanks again!

Love you all,

Bro. Bo

A Letter from Our Pastor

2011-06-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Congregation and Friends,

Greetings!

As of the writing of this article, I can report to you that my optimism about the future of my health is growing and more positive. Every indication is that we are winning the fight against my liver cancer. Your continued prayers are appreciated as we take on these final treatments. Let me say again how much I appreciate the kindness to me and to my family you have shown. We could not have done this without you and I praise God for you all, here, there, and everywhere!

I’ve been asked to speak at the Camp Meeting at Camp Dixon on Monday night June 13th at 7:00 pm, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend.

As my health improves, I hope to be able to resume the many ministries I enjoy. I can’t wait to get healthy and busy again. You’ve been very patient with me and again, THANK YOU!

We have a busy summer ahead and I hope that you will take advantage of our wonderful youth camps, our Mississippi State Camp Meeting, and our National Camp Meeting in Anderson, Indiana.

If you haven’t checked out our website lately, please do so. We have many interesting features, such as pastor’s articles, pictures of events, like the Christmas party and those being baptized, the calendar of church events, and many other things. The church website is www.communitychapelnatchez.com. Any suggestions or additions to our website, such as calendar events, please call our church secretary, Tonya, at 601-442-8215.

It is very difficult for me to tell you how much I love you and appreciate you. So let me say, I REALLY DO!

Sincerely your pastor,

Steve Pearson

Bits From Bo

2011-04-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Church Family,

I guess now that Easter’s over, we are officially in summer, of course that’s on the Mississippi calendar. When average daytime highs approach 90 and the kids are getting out of school, it’s summer, I don’t care what the calendar says about June 21. And so with the official start of our Mississippi summer our minds turn to camps and trips. This is your final reminder that if you have a young person that wants to go to camp, they begin June 6 for Senior High Camp, July 5 for Adventure Camp, and June 18 for Junior High Camp. Just thought I needed to give you another heads up.

Back our regular activities in May. We are having a good number of kids turn out on Wednesday nights with number ranges between 25 and 40, depending on the night. These youth come from a variety of backgrounds racially, economically, and spiritually. We’d love to see as many of you as possible hanging out with these young people. Just talking to them and being visible. Many of them are unsure about church and friendly concerned faces may solidify their attendance and most importantly their acceptance of Jesus Christ. So if you have an opportunity, spend time with them.

We have three major events going on in May. On May 5 we have the National Day of Prayer from 11 to 3 in Memorial Park behind St. Mary’s Basilica. Friday May 6, Relay for Life in Vidalia 4 pm to 10 pm. Please come and support our relay team as we help fight cancer. May 8 is Mother’s Day and we have some special guest speakers. Shawn and Jerome King, proball players, who are part of the John Jacobs Next Generation Power Force team.

As you can see the first part of May if very busy with not much going on in the second half of May and this is by design. For my baby boy Seth and April Roberts are getting married on the 21st. My wife has me more than a little busy getting our house ready for the wedding. You see, they are getting married in my front yard. Lots of cleaning, mowing, painting, staining, etc. Not to mention moving all my furniture off of the porch so they can bring somebody elses better furniture.

Continue to remember Bro. Steve. Our church family and staff in your prayers.

Sincerely Yours In Christ,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2011-04-27T15:24:00.000-05:00

Dear Church Family & Friends,

Greetings! As we face the month of May, we have baby dedications, graduation parties, and weddings planned. I look forward to celebrating Mother’s Day, I’m thankful that the Lord spared my own mother, and I’m grateful that she’s doing much better. I love you Mom!

I look forward to the National Day of Prayer where Christians all over our country will lift up their voices to God in the hope that he will spare our great nation from the wrath of judgment.

Relay of Life is this month and we are supporting them with our gifts and fund raisers. Cancer research is so important and anything we can do to support them may help bring about a cure of this terrible disease.

We have been very busy and God has been blessing our church in so many ways. I thank you all for the many things that you do. Please keep up the good work and be sure and express your appreciation to Bro. Bo for the many good things that he does for us.

Most Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

Bits From Bo

2011-04-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Church Family,

At the writing of this article the last of our out-of-town guest are here serving in Natchez. So far we have housed students from Boston University and Hamilton University from New York State, James Madison from Virginia, Northwestern from Chicago, and last, but not least, our favorite folks Don and Cynthia Shaffer from Camptown Missions in Indiana. A big thank you to all of these groups for their willingness to serve in many different areas around Natchez and Adams County. Also, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you church for being so flexible and in helping feed and minister to these folks while they were here. I know that each group left overwhelmed by your hospitality and just general kindness to them on their visit.

It would appear that our cold days are behind us and things are heating up, not just in the weather, but with the amount of activities and events we have going on. I’d like to remind all of our parents and youth of some of the activities that are coming up and the deadlines attached to them. Our youth camps this summer will begin with Senior High Camp (completed 9-12 grades), June 6-10. Junior High Camp (completed 6-8 grades), July 18-22. Adventure Camp (completed 3-5 grades), July 5-8. The reason I talk to you about camps first is because it saves you money to get your registration in as soon as possible.

Now back to April. We have a Jews for Jesus Passover Presentation Thursday the 14th. This take place of our Wednesday night class. A reminder to all of our youth, I will not be here Wednesday evening. Movie night is Wednesday the 20th at 5:45 pm. Bring a friend. This is a good time to introduce your friend or family member to this church and hopefully to Jesus Christ. Our Easter egg hunt will be April 23rd from 10 am to 12 pm. Any youth that would like to help with this would be appreciated. Also, those of you who need community service hours, here’s your opportunity to get some. April 29th we’ll have Stonewater here in concert at 7 pm. It should be an awesome concert. We have a lot of things going on in May, June, and July. There will be more on those later. The only event in those months that need your attention now is the beach retreat. I’m not sure of the date. I know it will be this summer and I’m hoping to keep the cost, food, and everything below $200. Start saving your money now! Junior High and High Schoolers only!

Continue to pray for Bro. Steve and Ms. Bobbie and thanks to all of you for the ministry you do for them and our youth.

In Christ Love,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2011-04-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

Dear Congregation and Friends,

Good news! Good news! The doctor reports that I am winning against this cancer. I hope to regain my full health soon. I still have a lot of treatments and tests to reach my goal of being in remission. I’d like to thank everybody for your continuous love and support. There is no way we could have done this without you. As we enter this Easter season let’s remember three things. First, that our salvation is not free. It cost Jesus his life. He suffered, bled, and died that we might be set free from our sins. We should thank him everyday for his willing sacrifice for us and we should never forget that our freedom and our forgiveness came at his horrible sacrifice. Secondly, let’s remember during this time the resurrection that all life truly comes from God, both physical and spiritual. Remember that without God’s son rising from the dead our spiritual life would not exist. The resurrection sealed once and for all our place in eternity. Because he lives, we live and we praise him for rising from the tomb on the third day. Thirdly, remember that the world does not care about our Lord and our faith because they do not have spiritual eyes to see the truth. But we have seen Jesus and have experienced the miracle of his forgiveness and love and are eternally committed to serve him. Let us be strong believers who will serve him to the very end. Commit with me right now to become the most faithful and dependable Christians that you can be, for he deserves our very best.

For all that you do, thank you.

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

Paul Christmas 2010

2011-04-05T15:22:00.002-05:00

Pam Christmas 2010

2011-04-05T15:21:00.002-05:00

Dwayne Christmas 2010

2011-04-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

Shan Christmas 2010

2011-04-05T15:19:00.002-05:00

Terry Christmas 2010

2011-04-05T15:18:00.002-05:00

Dan, Marion, & Milton Christmas 2010

2011-03-08T11:07:00.002-06:00

Chris & Shan Christmas 2010

2011-03-08T11:06:00.003-06:00

Connie, Keith, & Dani Christmas 2010

2011-03-08T11:05:00.004-06:00

Terry, Debra, & Ronnie Christmas 2010

2011-03-08T11:04:00.001-06:00

Bits From Bo

2011-03-08T10:52:00.000-06:00

Dear Church Family,

Spring is right around the corner. Where has the year gone? We are kind of back on schedule with doing one event a month for our children and youth. This month is a Third Day/Tenth Avenue North Concert in Monroe. At the writing of this article we have 53 people signed up to go. Praise God! That’s more than the bus and the van together will hold. This is sure to be an awesome worship experience and it is my prayer that God uses this time to draw those of us who are saved closer to him and more importantly that those that are lost get saved. Help me by being in prayer for the artists and their ministry, and also that God will soften hearts.

On to a few other things that are out of the ordinary. Starting March 5th we will be hosting different universities from around the country for an alternative spring break. These young people come to Natchez to serve this community instead of going somewhere to party. Be in prayer for their safety and let this be a life changing experience for them. The groups that you will see over the next three weeks will be James Madison from Virginia, Boston University, Hamilton College from New York, and Northwestern University from Chicago. In April, Don and Cynthia Schafer will be bringing a group from Indiana with Camptown Missions.

Outside of all of this activity please remember our Wednesday night service for our kids along with movie night on the 16th and our youth night service on the 27th.

Continue to pray for Bro. Steve and the ministries of this church. I love all of you. Thank you for what you do for the kingdom.

Sincerely,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2011-03-08T10:51:00.000-06:00

Dear Congregation & Friends,

Thank you for keeping me alive these last few months with your generous gifts, prayers, and support. I am very grateful for all that you do. I got a good doctors report last Thursday and I hope that we are winning this battle. I’m still taking chemo, which is pretty rough, but I’m making it one day at a time.

It’s time for spring cleaning and I can think of several things that we need to throw away. First is unforgiveness. It’s just taking up space, so if there’s somebody in your life that you’re harboring ill feelings for, forgive them. Next, get rid of anger. Nothing is ever solved with an angry spirit, so don’t even go there. Anger is the loss of self-control and Jesus said don’t let the sun set on your anger. Last, get rid of that sin that does so easily hold you back and move out of the way and let God help you with the temptation to sin.

Put on a smiling face, positive attitude, a kind spirit, and a giving heart. Remember that if you love others they will also love you.

See you in church next Sunday. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

Bits From Bo

2011-02-01T11:26:00.000-06:00

Dear Church Family,

At the time of the writing of this letter we are in the middle of cooking chickens for Bro. Steve. Response has been awesome with 850 tickets sold and more people just wanting to pick up any that are left over. Thank you for all your hard work.

On the same note, we will have another benefit in February. We’d love to have an even greater response to help Bro. Steve and his battle with cancer. I’d like to encourage each one of you to involve yourself in whatever way God enables you to, whether it be physically, financially, or, lastly and most importantly, spiritually through your prayers. Thank you for all that you’ve done for him in the past and will do in the future. I know that he’s been overwhelmed by your love.

Now onto a little business. In the month of February we will be starting a new Bible study for our men with an indepth study of the Bible itself, how it was written, and a complete breakdown of the books of poetry, laws, etc. I hope this study will give our men a better understanding of God’s word. Also, on the same note, we are going to start a ladies Bible study/fellowship on Monday nights. A babysitter will be available on request for this two hour time of food, fellowship, study, and prayer. It is my hope and prayer that our ladies will enjoy their time together as much as our men do. Look for further information and/or any changes to this event. The rest of February will be pretty much normal with Wednesday nights for our youth and Sunday mornings and Sunday nights as usual. But, March on the other hand is going to be busy. We will be going to a Third Day Concert March 17th and possibly a trip to either Branson or Tennessee. This trip is still in the planning stages, further details later.

Love all of you. Thank you for everything you are doing for Bro. Steve, our youth, and especially the kingdom of God.

In Christ,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2011-02-01T11:25:00.000-06:00

Dear Congregation and Friends,

As you know Bro. Steve is battling cancer for the second time in the last year. Many efforts have been made and are being made to help him with the cost of treatments and operations he needs now and in the future. I would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you in your efforts to help and support him during this time of great need. I know he greatly appreciates it and loves each and every one of you. Here is an excerpt from the local newspaper that I thought all of you might want to read:

Two area churches are joining together to help the Rev. Steve Pearson of Community Chapel Church of God in his ongoing battle with cancer.

Danny Freeman, Cliff Temple Baptist Church and Community Chapel Church Relay for Life team leader, has organized a barbecue chicken dinner fundraiser to help Pearson meet the costs of treatments for liver cancer.

This is not Pearson’s first experience with cancer. His congregation rallied to help him with the cost of treatments when he had colon cancer. After doctors confirmed the colon cancer was gone, Pearson was diagnosed with liver cancer.

The $8 plates will be available for pick up between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday at Community Chapel on Morgantown Road.

Almost 900 tickets were printed for the fundraiser, and there are only a few left. Freeman said this is a testament to the positive impact Pearson has had on the community.

“Steve gives 100 percent to the community, but now he needs a little help,” Freeman said. “So this is our chance to give back to him.”

Freeman is heading up the effort because cancer has had a personal impact on his own life. He lost his wife to breast cancer a few years ago.

“If you need Bro. Steve for anything, he will be there for you,” Freeman said. “This is a chance to be there for him. Natchez has always been good about pulling together to help each other. We have good people here.”

Parkway Baptist Church is also pitching in on the fundraising effort.

To purchase a ticket or for more information call Freeman at 601-431-1535.

As you can see he is much loved and cared about. At the end of next month another chicken dinner fundraiser will be done to help Bro. Steve with his continuing medical bills. To find out where you can purchase a ticket please contact Community Chapel at 601-442-8215.

And remember...PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY, HE NEEDS THEM EVERYDAY!

With much love,

Tonya Karabelen

Community Chapel Secretary

Debra & Ronnie Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T10:52:00.005-06:00

Steve & Dani Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T10:52:00.001-06:00

Terri & Randy Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T10:51:00.001-06:00

Romona & Paul Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T10:50:00.001-06:00

Bro. Bo & Traci Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T10:49:00.000-06:00

Bits From Bo

2010-12-28T11:55:00.000-06:00

Dear Church Family,

It’s just days before Christmas and I only have a few gifts left to buy. Just a couple for Traci, because she has taken care of everybody else. I thank God everyday for my wife.

By the time you get the Contact, Christmas will be over, but I am wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous Happy New Year.

As usual, the holiday season is busy (The Holy Days) and January, thankfully, will be a little slower. So far we’ve had a great December, with parties, time together with family and friends, and just an all around good time.

As I said before, January will be a little slower, but things will be picking up in February with our first big youth event being 30 Hour Famine. We are going to join with a couple of local churches in hopes of increasing the amount of money raised to feed the hungry in the U.S. and abroad. This year we will partner with World Vision, because they seem to do the best job giving the money directly to those in need. Only 7% of each dollar goes to administration. The other 93% goes to direct aid. If only our government would do such a thing, then we could all pay 10% tax, which by the way is all God requires. Maybe the problem is, they suffer from illusions of grandeur in the thought that they are gods. That’s why term limits are important. Before I go to far, that’s a whole other sermon.

Love you all & Happy New Year!

In Christ,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2010-12-28T11:53:00.000-06:00

Dear Congregation and Friends,

Happy New Year! We made it to 2011! What will you do with this year? Will you use it wisely or will you squander it on petty unimportant things? Life is precious, spend every minute of every day trying to be a better person. Whatever problem you have that’s causing you or your family trouble, it’s time for you to man up (or woman up) and deal with it. How long are you going to let anger control your life? How long are you going to let those broken relationships haunt your family? How long are you going to continue to be selfish, self-centered, and self-serving?

The world that we live in has gotten efficient at ignoring it’s problems. I tell you that we don’t have time to keep being bad. It’s time to get down to business for God. Chose this year the following things: (1) chose to make God the most important person in your life, (2) chose to make your wife or your husband priceless and invaluable in all that you think and do, (3) honor your children and your friends (children honor your parents) and learn to be humble, submissive, and obedient.

If you want to see a bad example of how to live, just look west to Hollywood where you will see some of the sorriest and most disgusting examples of human behavior that the world has ever known, and we put these people on a pedestal and look up to them, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why. It’s time for the Christian people of this world to say, “I’m going to do what’s right”. In the old testament Joshua said, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. So what I want to say to you now, is that whatever nasty mindset or polluted attitude or disgusting secrets you may harbor in your life, it’s time to surrender it to Jesus. Stop being such a jerk and do what’s right. I believe that one of the problems in our world today is that we don’t know how to say what’s right and what’s wrong. 2011 is an opportunity to start fresh and new and to be committed to Jesus Christ and this church. Stop thinking about it and just do it!

Now a word about my health. I continue to take the chemo and will have new results from PET scans soon. I am completely astonished at the generosity of my family and friends and my fellow church members and thank God for that. Fighting for my life!

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

Bits From Bo

2010-12-07T13:59:00.000-06:00

Dear Church Family,

At the time of the writing of this letter to you we are two days away from State Youth Convention. I am praying that it goes well and that God uses this event to change lives of our young people. To all those of you who have helped, thank you so much.

The holiday season is here and I love it! When I was little I couldn’t wait. A week out of school for Thanksgiving and all the homemade candy, ham, turkey, and dressing to eat. Thank you to my parents and grandparents for making Thanksgiving and Christmas such a wonderful time in the life of a child. While I still enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas for those very reasons, I now love them for the real reasons we celebrate them. Thanksgiving, for the bounty of this country and the opportunity to live here (I thank God for all that he gives me and mine everyday) and Christmas, of course for the birth of our Savior. Again, thank you God, what an awesome and wonderful Father, Creator you are to send a part of yourself in your son Jesus Christ so that through him we can have salvation and a relationship with you. I would like to remind each of you, never miss an opportunity to thank God for his son and for the prosperity we have in this great nation.

Here’s wishing you a safe and happy holiday season. May your Thanksgiving and Christmas be filled with family and friends and a time of remembrance of all the blessings we have.

Love you all,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor

2010-12-07T13:53:00.001-06:00

Dear Congregation & Friends,

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are excited about the Christmas season. The last Sunday in November was the first Sunday in Advent and we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have always loved Christmas because Christmas is about family and love and giving and real good food. My family is full of good cooks and big eaters and long livers.

This Christmas season please fight the Ebenezer Scrooge syndrome which says, “bah-humbug”! Find peace and joy this year in your heart and let the love of God and the love of life give you true happiness.

As we prepare for January 1st, the New Year, let us be thinking about our renewal and recommitment to the Lord. New beginnings are refreshing and it’s always good to have another chance to finally get it right.

I’m so proud of the church and all of your efforts to assist Bobbie and me in paying for our outrageously expensive medical bills. Your love and gifts of kindness are most deeply appreciated! We love you very, very much. We continue to fight for life everyday.

Most Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

Don Gallagher being baptized on November 28, 2010

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Lillie Seyfarth being dedicated on November 28, 2010

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Jeanine Evans being baptized by Bro. Steve on August 15, 2010

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Bruce Bell, Sr., being baptized by Bro. Steve on July 25, 2010

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Bits From Bo 11/1/10

2010-11-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

Dear Church Family,

At the writing of this article we are busy preparing for Fall Festival. To all those who donated items and helped work, a big THANK YOU. This is always a popular event in our community and a good, safe alternative to Halloween. Thank you for investing in this ministry.

It’s hard to believe it’s November already. Election day is November 2nd. Let’s be in prayer that Godly men and women will be elected across our country.

November is a busy month with several events taking place. We have boys night/airsoft war at my house November 5th and 6th. We have girls night at my house on the 12th and 13th. That will be the night that I stay at the hunting camp. It’s the only way to have piece and quiet.

November 13th there will be a suicide walk at the Riverfront in Vidalia. Registration is from 9 am to 10 am, with speaking starting at 10:30, and the walk following.

November 17th is our children and youth Thanksgiving party with fried turkeys/chicken, dressing, and all the fixings. We will also be watching a video on Thanksgiving and why it’s a significant Christian holiday.

November 19th, 20th, and 21st, we have our State Youth Convention. The cost is $150, $100 if you’re not staying at the Grand Hotel.

Let me close by saying, thank you for supporting our children and youth through your prayers, donations, and time. I love you, each and every one.

Yours In Christ,

Bro. Bo

A Letter From Our Pastor 11/1/10

2010-11-02T11:55:00.002-05:00

Dear Congregation and Friends,

Greetings to you all! Let’s begin with the latest on my health. You may remember in the last newsletter that I was uneasy about the results of the PET scan that I had taken. I just had a bad feeling, and those feelings were confirmed with a couple of tumors in my liver. I went to Jackson for an MRI and liver biopsy, which confirmed that the cancer had spread. So last Wednesday I started a new aggressive type of chemotherapy which will last at least four months, and when the tumors are shrunk I’ll have surgery to remove them. That’s the bad news, but the good news is, that I’m still here and have every hope and expectation of living. I found a scripture that spoke to me. It says, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” Acts 20:24. Another scripture I’m hanging onto is, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9.

I am going to do my best to work and continue pastoring. I know that there will be good weeks and bad weeks. This is our busy time of the year and we will all give it our best.

With all my heart, I thank you for your continued love and support. It means a lot to me to see you at church on Sunday mornings. So I’ll see you there.

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Pearson

I promise it won't be this long next time

2010-10-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

"In the beginning was the word..." - John 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..." Genesis. 1:1

Welcome to the beginning.

Beginnings are often the hardest things to get right. They provide the foundation for what comes afterward. This is one of the things that makes them so hard. If you start wrong you won't finish well. There are two beginnings I want to talk about today. The first is this blog. A blog is a place to write down your thoughts and feelings or different ideas about almost anything. It could be about the food you eat for a year, the weather, politics, whatever you want. So at the start we probably need to provide some focus for this particular blog or else it will get messy in a hurry. We don't have to pare it down to one particular thing that we will always and forever talk about, but some guidelines might be nice. Since this is the blog for our church, Community Chapel, we'll of course discuss the Bible. We could do this in many different ways such as a devotional thought (which is kind of where I'm going with this particular post by the way) a discussion of all things church (from the completely practical right on over to the so-far-out-there-why-would-this-ever-matter), and even into personal thoughts from me about my life. This will give you guys a glimpse into what it's like to see the world as I see it (hopefully). The reason this is all really important is that I want to know about you. I want you to tell me what you're thinking. This is not just my blog, it's open to you guys to comment on posts, give me feedback, tell me what you're thinking. That's really important to me because it's one of the reasons Community Chapel exists. We are here to know and be known by each other and through that to come to a fuller understanding of who God is.

   With that said, I find us back at the beginning. Up above, you'll see two verses I've picked out. One is from the very beginning of the Bible (makes sense) and the other is from the beginning of one of the gospels about Jesus (specifically John). Like I said before, I think it's crucially important to get beginnings right. If you don't understand the beginning, you won't get the ending right at all. This is more true in the Bible than almost anywhere else. So let's get started.
   There have been theories, many and varied, over the years that try to explain the beginning of the Bible to us. There have been some theories which try to account for dinosaurs, some which try to explain the first chapter as describing geological eras, even some who say that between verses 1 and 2 Satan and his angels fell and the earth was recreated (I'm not a big fan of this one - it's called the Gap Theory). I'm going to take a bit of a different approach to this chapter. You see, I find more and more that how I understand this first chapter influences my whole understanding of the Bible (I'll provide some examples for that in a second). But first, let's talk about what the first chapter of Genesis is saying. You see, the Bible has a story to tell. Two things to keep in mind while reading the Bible are that it is true and that it is a story focused on one thing: The crazy love of God for His people. This leads to a long story about how this God is trying to redeem his people. Now, we can argue back and forth about this point but this is the lens through which I view the entire Bible and I think it's a good one. Why? Because that seems to be the message of the Bible from the beginning to the end. From Genesis in the garden all the way to the New Jerusalem in Revelation we find a God with this crazy desire to dwell among us. In fact, you can track that theme all the way from Genesis in the garden, to the Israelites in the desert with God dwelling in a tent among his people who were dwelling in tents, then to a temple in Jerusalem when this people finally settled in Palestine. In the New Testament, Hebrews speaks of a God who dwells (the word there could also be translated "tabernacled") among us through His Spirit. This God is also preparing the New Jerusalem to once again bring Christians who have chosen to dwell with Him back to Him where we will dwell forever. Sorry about dragging you guys through the whole Bible in about a paragraph but like I said beginnings are important. Now that we've laid the groundwork for the first chapter let's take a look at the verses themselves.
   Ever wondered about that first chapter of Genesis? Ever stopped and taken a good long look at it? If you ever had you'll know that there are some weird things going on in that first chapter. Take a look at these verses (v. 4 - v.5):

"And God said, 'Let there be light and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night."

So far so good right? Well check out verse 14 and verse 16:

"And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night."

"And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars."

Ok if you're paying attention it's time to do a double take. Here we go >_> >_> (My impression of a double take). Alright so check this out. God creates the light and the darkness on the first day.... then on the fourth day he creates the SUN and the MOON. Anyone else a little confused right now? I know I was when someone first pointed this out to me so I had to go get some answers. So I chased down my Old Testament professor and asked her about it. The answer she gave me blew me away because it makes perfect sense. Now, most of you have probably grown up thinking that this chapter describes 7 literal 24-hour days. But you see that's not how the Hebrews thought back then. They weren't concerned so much with the order of events as they were with why events were important. Do you see the difference? One (the order of events) is concerned completely with the time of the events. When did this happen? Ok, then this happened and then this happened... that kind of thing. You following me? I hope so because it's important. Describing something by talking about the importance of events is completely different. You do this every day you just don't think about it. You'll skip large blocks of time and sometimes even put things out of order so you can talk about the important things you want to say. You're not going to discuss that run to the grocery store to pick up snacks while you're telling them about the big game you were watching. It just doesn't matter enough to worry about it. The same thing is going on here in Genesis 1. The writer has a purpose and he's not particularly concerned with the specific time in which the world was created. This helps because if you believe that this chapter is talking about the literal creation of the world you've got some explaining to do. How did the light and the darkness get there when we know that light comes from the sun and the darkness from the turning of the earth? Tough question if you think Moses cared about depicting a scientific, time-oriented creation. So what was the writer's purpose?
   Let's flip this upside down for a second and think about it as if it wasn't written to 21st century Americans. Let's assume instead that it was written to a bunch of slaves who had just been rescued from the terrible rule of a tyrannical Pharaoh. All they've known their whole lives has been bricks. Make this many, in this amount of time or else I'm going to beat the snot out of you kind of ruler. Not much time for anything else other than brick making I would think. So they come to Mt. Sinai (This is the book of Exodus by the way if you don't know what's going on) and Moses goes up to speak with God. The Israelites actually spend a year there while Moses chats with God about all kinds of things from a political system, to an economic system, all the way to the creation of the world. Now, from this perspective does Moses (or God for that matter) care about the specific scientific order of the universe? Is that what God is trying to communicate to Moses? I wouldn't think so. Instead, starting with Genesis 1, God is putting together a picture for Moses and the people of Israel about how the world works. And it starts with giving the Israelites a picture of mankind that is about how they are worth more than just brick makers. Hop back to Genesis chapter one with me for a second and check this out. This chapter is set up very deliberately. First, God explains what controls what, or better what rules over what. If you organized what God created on what day and put it in side by side lists it would look something like this:

Day One - Light and Darkness
Day Two - Sky and Ocean
Day Three - Earth and Plants
Ok, now let's look at the last three days -

Day Four - Sun, Moon, and Stars
Day Five - Birds and Fish
Day Six (a) - Animals
Very interesting.... Do you see it? God is giving the Israelites a way to view the world. It may be simplistic to us today but it's accurate (And scientifically correct if that's your cup of tea) Sun, Moon, and Stars rule over Light and Darkness, Birds and Fish rule over the Sky and the Ocean, and Animals rule over the Earth and Plants. So why does this matter to the Israelites? Or for that matter to us today? Because at the end of the sixth day God creates the pinnacle of His creation. And what is that pinnacle? Let's read verse 26 -

"Then (bold added) God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth"

God makes man the pinnacle of his creation. Incidentally, man stands for the whole human race (Men and women, see v. 27). Do you understand what this does for the Hebrew slave coming out of Egypt? It gives him worth. God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth just declared him more than a brick maker. He is created in the very image of God. Do you see why this matters for you? You are made in the very image of God and no matter who you are, you have worth to God. He cares about you. God is not trying to communicate the scientific process through this chapter, He's communicating something much more important. He's telling you He loves you and that no matter how circumstances or even other people may try to define you, you can know that you are created in the image of the invisible God, the One who on the seventh day rested and put Himself as ruler over all creation. You are made like Him. Amazing.