Friday, September 30, 2011

September Monthly Recap


  • What is the Future of Cross Training?~ Pastor Brock shares what's next for Cross Training, a three-year program with the goal of providing "the training, tools, and encouragement necessary for teens to ground themselves in Bible doctrine and practice."
  • Tribute to Gwen Webber ~ After 10 years of faithful service Gwen Webber retired as church receptionist on August 30. You can watch Pastor Osborne's tribute and read Georgia's tribute.
  • In My Seat - A Pilot's Story from September 10th-11th ~ See a video portraying the testimony of Steve Scheibner, and America Airlines pilot whose life was spared when a more senior pilot bumped him from Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles the morning of Sep 11, 2001.
  • 9/11 - A Foreign Perspective ~ Pastor Brock shares what it was like to hear of the events of 9/11 from such a great distance from the United States

Previous Monthly Recap:








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Ladies' Retreat - Parenting & Prayer Journaling

Join the women of Faith Baptist Church at a ladies’ retreat on Oct. 14 and 15. Costs vary, giving you options. $20 is due at registration. The last day to register is this Sunday, Oct. 2. (Balance due Oct. 9.) The retreat is being held at Camp Gilead, Polk City, Fla.

3 Rs of Parenting


Workshop leader Jill Osborne (pictured above with her family) says, “Of course there are more than just three” Rs of parenting, “but I’m going to talk about only three basic disciplines that if you practice them, God can bless your parenting.”

Jill says the Lord has shown her and her husband (Pastor Osborne) these three Biblical, commonsense principles “that have really worked—not just with our children, but as we’ve observed other people.”

Jill has observed that moms can become uptight about parenting. These 3 Rs will encourage mothers that parenting is not as difficult it might seem. Jill says that grandmothers can benefit from these three principles but that the workshop is geared more toward younger moms because “you develop your parenting style really early, and it determines how your kids turn out.”

Jill has learned these Biblical principles primarily through experience, so Jill will be sharing answers that God has given her along the way. If you’re a young mother, soon to be a mother, or hoping one day to be a mother, plan to attend Jill’s workshop!

Prayer Journaling


Nadine Gentry, an experienced Bible study leader, will lead the workshop on prayer journaling. To find out more about Nadine click HERE.

She says the first time she did prayer journaling—even though she hates writing—was when her children were in high school. Life with three teens was busy, and Nadine quit journaling her prayers for a while.

In 1994, Nadine took a Bible study that encouraged journaling. Based on Philippians 4:6 and 7, she began writing out her prayers and listing her concerns. She has not stopped journaling since.

Nadine says journaling does more than give you a record you can go back to look at. “It helps you focus on prayer, and the Holy Spirit will guide your prayers,” she says. Nadine says three things have contributed to her spiritual growth: prayer journaling, Bible study, and praying facedown. “Prayer journaling is so important to me,” she says. “It increases dependence on God and faithfulness. And when I get discouraged, I can get my prayer journals, look at them, and see where God has answered them or how He has answered them or areas that I’m still struggling with that I struggled with years ago. When you really look at it, there are many things that you don’t realize you’re growing in until you go back and see where you were,” says Nadine.

Come to Nadine’s workshop to be strengthened, challenged, and encouraged!

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ladies' Retreat - Scrapbooking & Encouragement through Card-Making

On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15, 2011, women from Faith Baptist Church will join together at Camp Gilead in Polk City, Fla., for a Ladies’ Retreat. This time away together will include fellowship, recreation, main sessions, workshops, and more! Read more about this retreat and learn how you can sign up to attend.


Scrapbooking


Beth Brown (pictured above with her daughter) was introduced to scrapbooking by friends at the bank where she worked. She says:
“I always enjoyed pictures anyway, but scrapbooking was a really neat way to make it more crafty and more interesting.”
A group of friends and coworkers would scrapbook together, but eventually they lost their meeting space. A couple of years ago, Beth asked permission to hold scrapbooking sessions at church.
“We started meeting, usually one day a month for five or six hours,” says Beth. “Last year we decided that wasn’t enough time, so we started doing it all evening on a Friday and then the next Saturday.”
Beth says it’s nice to be able to leave their stuff out overnight. She says, “We can have anywhere from two people to twelve people, and they come and go as they need to.” These sessions are free and available to all ladies. Beth considers scrapbooking a way to preserve memories and pictures.

She points out that many people have gone digital, but
“I still like the paper books where I can take it to someone and someone can sit down and look at what we’ve done. I like to have something I can present to somebody—whether it’s a gift or something we keep on hand that the kids will take with them,” says Beth.
Beth will be introducing scrapbooking in her workshop at the retreat. She will lead everyone through putting a fall page together that they can take home and add their own photos to. She has already done a lot of the work, with cutting and so forth, to provide the supplies. Beth says, “Even though I’ve cut a lot of the stuff out, everyone’s page will end up looking different. That’s what I’m excited to see.” Come and see for yourself too!


Encouragement


Ruth Wright (pictured at top) and Sue Smith (pictured below) will lead a card-making workshop on encouragement.


Sue Smith made this poster for FX. She used a variety of materials, including "re-purposed" tableware.

Ruth Wright and Sue Smith, relative newcomers to Faith Baptist Church, are leading a workshop on encouragement. Both Sue and Ruth are card makers and will help the ladies who attend the encouragement workshop make cards too. She says,
“When you make something for someone, that lets them know that they’re very special. It’s a part of you that you’re sending them. I think that when people make cards, it sends a special message.”
Ruth has always tried “to say positive things to people, especially when they were going through trials.” She says that making and sending cards
“is one way we can let people know we are thinking of them, especially when they’re going through a trial. When I started making cards, it was simply by making a picture and coloring it in with chalk.”
Sue Smith, designer of this poster, can help you uncover your creativity and discover your ability to make cards and encourage others. Join her and Ruth Wright for the workshop on encouragement through card-making!
Come to the workshop, make cards, and spread encouragement!

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Ladies' Retreat - Workout Time & Bread-Making Workshop


The Women’s Ministries of Faith Baptist Church is sponsoring a Ladies’ Retreat October 14 and 15 at Camp Gilead, Polk City, Florida. The theme is “God gives good gifts." Read more about the retreat and how to register. In this post, learn about two exciting aspects of this upcoming retreat.

Workout Time at Ladies’ Retreat

As women arrive at Camp Gilead, register, and take their stuff to their rooms or cabins, they will have options on how to spend the rest of the afternoon. One of those options is to join Terri Hunter and Kelly Hill in the gym for a workout time. Terri says she has been working out and pursuing fitness since she was a junior in high school,
“where I was first introduced to weightlifting. From there, I learned more about yoga, Pilates, weightlifting, and the different related fields. I really was a guinea pig on myself to find out what are the most efficient ways to get in shape, to be healthy, to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Terri Hunter (pictured above) and Kelly Hill will lead a workout time.
She turned to books, magazines, and athletic friends to learn more about physical fitness. When asked how she, a busy mom of six children, makes time to exercise, Terri says that pursuing fitness has to be a priority.
“For me,” she says, “I feel better—I’m a better wife, I’m a better mother when I feel good. That includes feeling strong and healthy, eating well, controlling what I eat, what I do. I find that you have to plan for it and put it on your schedule. I find that it can’t be at the end of the day unless you have a lot of energy at the end of the day. The earlier you can do it your day, the better. I find it easiest to do it with a buddy. I almost always have an exercise buddy that can help me be accountable. Right now that’s Kelly Hill (and has been for several years). Another thing to make it a priority is to plan on doing a race or some other event.”
Terri ran the Gasparilla, a 15k race. She has six children. During her pregnancies, she gained and lost over 320 pounds! She has successfully lost the weight through determination and hard work. Join her and Kelly Hill in the gym at Camp Gilead for exercise during the Ladies' Retreat.
Terri says that in a good week, she exercises five or six times a week, but in a bad week, two to three. She says it depends on how crazy everything is but that she does not go a week without exercising unless she is physically ill. “It gives me sanity,” says Terri. In addition to the exercise time in the gym, Terri will take five minutes during three main sessions to talk about physical fitness: the importance of moving, diet, and favorite movements. Be sure to stop by the gym to spend time with Terri and Kelly.

Bread-making Workshop

Does a workshop on making bread sound like something for dedicated housewives and homemaking divas only? Do you think, “Bread-making workshop? Un-uh, no way!” Think again!

Workshop leader Eileen Mincey did not get into bread-making because she loves to cook. She is not a Martha Stewart wannabe. She got into bread-making because it offers her a healthy choice of bread, buns, muffins, and even pizza dough to feed her family. Eileen learned through a CD on nutrition about a woman who had had an aggressive form of breast cancer but was healed after she stopped eating processed flour and white sugar.
“This just clicked inside of me,” says Eileen, “because the Old Testament is always talking about grain and flour and wheat and stuff. So I told my husband that I thought we needed to make our own bread. He agreed, and I bought a mill and ordered wheat. I also got a mixer because I didn’t want to be kneading the bread—because I didn’t want to do this, but it seemed the way to go.”
Eileen learned that within three days, ground wheat loses 90 percent of its nutrients through oxidation.
“So the flour you buy at the store,” points out Eileen, “is not as nutritious as when you buy the wheat whole and grind it yourself and then make the bread right then and there.”
To learn more about this healthful choice, be sure to attend Eileen’s workshop!

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Friday, September 23, 2011

The Beatitudes - How Meek Are You? (by Stephen Simpson)


Matthew 6:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
The meek submit. Godly sorrow, over one’s sin, leads, through repentance, to a humble submission to God’s authority and will. Godly sorrow and repentance force us to acknowledge a higher authority outside of ourselves.

The ‘poor in spirit’ look inwardly at themselves while the meek look humbly toward God. The ‘poor in spirit’ has his head down and is afraid and ashamed to look at God. The meek is just beginning to lift his head in humble submission to his creator. One who is meek relinquishes his rights. One who is meek desires that God get all the glory and submits to His holy will.

Again we see the progressive nature of these Beatitudes. Those who are ‘poor in spirit’ recognize their own sinfulness. This drives them into mourning over their sin. Their mourning produces Godly sorrow and causes them to turn to God for forgiveness. They turn to God in meekness with an attitude of submission.

The Promise: They shall inherit the earth. Again, we see the paradox. The one who releases his rights and surrenders his worldly ambitions and picks up divine ambitions will inherit the earth. Even today, we assume that the meek will get trampled upon. The aggressive and the ambitious will inherit the earth. The meek will not inherit anything. Not so, says Jesus. The meek shall inherit the earth.

Are you meek?

Other Posts in 'The Beatitudes' series:
  1. The Secret to True Happiness
  2. Who Was Jesus Speaking to?
  3. How Poor is Your Spirit?
  4. What Makes You Mourn?
  5. How Meek Are You?
  6. Are You Satisfied?
  7. Blessed Are the Merciful
  8. Do You Have Mixed Motives?
  9. Be a Peacemaker - Preach the Gospel!
  10. Happy are Those Who Suffer
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

God Gives Good Gifts: A Ladies' Retreat


On October 14 and 15, dozens of women from Faith will gather at Camp Gilead for a retreat. The whole thing is the brainchild of Lee Dusing.

The Idea for a Retreat—about Talents (Gifts)
Last spring, Lee went with some other women from Faith to a ladies’ retreat sponsored by the Sunshine Baptist Fellowship and held at Camp Sparta in Sebring. She says:
“We had just gone to that retreat at Camp Sparta. I’ve been here almost five years, and I said, ‘Hey, how come we haven’t had a retreat?’”
Lee says that’s when she learned she should have kept her mouth shut—the retreat was her idea, so she was asked to head it up, along with Jill Osborne.

The theme, “God Gives Good Gifts,” came from Lee’s realization that, in her words, “the church is so loaded with talent, it amazes me. I was thinking about what we would do, and that’s when the idea of the talents came up.” She says that a good way to view the retreat is “some to use their talents and gifts in presenting various workshops and presentations, and others to find their talents from those.”

Lee says there are several goals. “Number one,” she says with a smile in her voice, is “for the ladies to get away.” She then points out that many women don’t realize they have talents. They think that if they are not musical or artistic, they don’t have a talent. She hopes women will attend the retreat and “look inside and see where the Lord can put them to work.” She points to herself, saying, “I have to stick to my birds and my computers and loving the Lord” as her talents. Lee does not simply enjoy bird-watching; she has a web-based ministry through which she shares the gospel, God’s Word, and, of course, birds. Lee blogs here on The Fountain as well as at her own website http://leesbird.com/.


In addition to her responsibilities as the retreat’s coordinator, Lee will be leading two workshops, one on bird-watching (no surprise there) and one on E-Sword, a Bible study program.

Lee’s Bird-watching Workshop
Lee previously lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area. She says:
“There were all kinds of birds right by our house—we had a lake. I started seeing them, becoming aware of them. There was a little park nearby. The naturalist there took me under her wings and trained me. She got my interest piqued. I’m not an expert, but I enjoy watching God’s creatures.”


“The main gist” of her bird-watching workshop, she says, “will be making people aware of birds. You can’t be a birdwatcher if you’re not aware of birds. I’m going to show how to use binoculars and give general tips on bird-watching.”


Lee’s E-Sword Workshop
Lee is a fan of E-Sword and recommends it. But she learned from experience that people she recommended it to don’t always know what to do with it past a certain point. So for this workshop she will have her laptop set up, show learners how to load the program, how to download the options, and go from there. E-Sword lets users find Bible words and verses in a variety of translations and provides access to dictionaries, commentaries, and other resources.


Retreat Registration and Costs

The last day to register for the retreat is Sunday, Oct. 2. Twenty dollars ($20) is due at registration, with the balance due on Oct. 9. You can register on Sundays at the Information Desk in the church foyer or simply by sending us your name and which 'plan' you would like to register for. Various plans are available:
  • $65—Cabin accommodation, one night + meetings + 3 meal
  • $45—No overnight accommodations, all meetings + 3 meals
  • $35—Saturday meetings only + 2 meals
  • $20—Friday meetings only + 1 meal

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Monday, September 19, 2011

The Sad Results of Playing the Fool (by Pastor Osborne)

Pastor Osborne recently preached a message entitled The Sad Results of Playing the Fool.  In that message we looked at the life of Saul.  Listen to that message on our website.

In a vulnerable moment Saul uttered what became his epitaph:
"I have played the fool."  (1 Samuel 26:21)

When we look at the life of Saul, it is interesting to compare the death of Saul with the death of Jesus.
  • The death of Saul appeared to signal an end of hope in Israel.
    • The death of Jesus appeared to signal an end of spiritual hope to the disciples.
       
  • The death of Saul had Israel afraid and on the run from her enemies the Philistines.
    • The death of Jesus had the disciples scared to death and on the run for their lives.
       
  • The death of Saul brought to Israel the belief that their enemies had won.
    • The death of Jesus made it seem like the devil had won.
       
  • The death of Saul paved the way for a new and greater king to rise and bring relief to the nation.
    • The death of Jesus led to the resurrection of Christ, the defeat of the devil, the opening of grace, and the glorious beauty of our salvation in Christ.
       
What can we learn from studying the life & death of Saul?
  1. We were created to love, obey, worship and enjoy God forever.  We are here so that our lives and personalities may fulfill His will and accomplish His purpose.  When we obstinately live our lives independently of God, we lose the true meaning and purpose of life.  In greater or lesser degree, we like Saul, play the fool.
      
  2. There is no more sure sign that a man or woman is on the road to ruin than when their hearts or minds are hardened to divine warnings.  When men and women are determined to have their own way, when they will not listen to Biblical counsel, when they think they can manage their own lives better than God can manage them, then there is only one way to deal with them - let them go - to walk the path of life they form with their own hands.  If they do not stop, confess sin, and turn toward God, then they like Saul, will reap the bitter harvest of failure.  This is tragic!
      
  3. If Saul's life teaches us anything, it is that opportunity and talent do not guarantee that you will be a success.  I would encourage you to ask yourself, "What advantages, gifts, and talents has God given me?"  and "What do I need to do to keep my life on God's course?"  Staying on God's course is success.
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Friday, September 16, 2011

More Effective Meetings, Gendercide, the 'Missionary Call,' and more


Here are this month's headlines from around the web.  Enjoy.  Feel free to leave a comment and share a headline that you have recently enjoyed.

  • Seven Rules for More Effective Meetings - have you ever sat through an ineffective meeting?  They are no fun.  In this article, Michael Hyatt shares some valuable information to help us run better meetings. 
       
  • The Inevitability of "Gendercide" and its Other Deadly Effects - John Piper writes "163,000,000 unborn baby girls have been killed in Asia over the last three decades. That’s more than the entire female population of the United States."
      
  • Don't Complicate the "Missionary Call" - Another great article at the Desiring God blog.  It begins "I was never called to be a missionary, nor was I drafted. I volunteered. No special call was needed. I chose to go; I wanted to go; I was compelled to go."
     
  • Introducing Acampamento Elim - Andrew Comings, missionary to Brazil, writes of another exciting Brazilian Camp ministry that is in the initial planning stages.
      
  • New 9marks eJournal - 9marks Ministries has released their latest eJournal.  I always look forward to these.  This edition is titled "The Pastor and his Staff, Part 2."

Past editions of Headlines:

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Greatest Asset of Any Pastor (by Matthew DelValle)


Up to this point in this series I have focused on what R.C. Sproul and John Piper have taught me. The focus has been on teaching, and rightly so. Pastors are teachers (Eph. 4:11). The one skill they must possess is the ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2). So I have rightly focused on these two men’s teaching ministries.

However, I would be remiss if I communicated that the secret to these men’s ministries is their profound giftedness in teaching. I don’t think that’s why their ministries have such depth and breadth. In fact, I don’t believe the key to effective ministry lies within them at all.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 is why I think this way: “We [preachers] are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” If the apostle Paul was not sufficient for such a ministry, what pastor is sufficient for his task?

No pastor can raise the dead. No pastor can impart spiritual life. No pastor can sanctify the saints. It is beyond any man’s reach. John Piper writes,
“A pastor who feels competent in himself to produce eternal fruit—which is the only kind that matters—knows neither God nor himself . . . . We are called to labor for that which is God’s alone to give. The essence of the Christian ministry is that its success is not within our reach.”

So what’s the key then? What makes pastoral ministry effective? What is the greatest asset of any pastor? 

Bold Preachers and Praying Believers

The answer can be found in Acts 4. In this chapter the apostles Peter and John are arrested for preaching in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. About five thousand men had believed the word (vv. 2-4), and the Jewish council inquires of Peter and John, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (v. 7). Peter answers and concludes that there is no other name but Jesus by which we are saved (v. 12). The next verse is key: “But when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished” (v. 13).

This is puzzling. The apostles were bold men; there is no denying that from the text. But why were they so bold? Was it because they were naturally intelligent? Were they so confident in their innate reasoning abilities that they knew they could take on the religious leaders in a debate and win? No, that’s not the reason. The text clearly states that they were uneducated, common men (v. 13). They weren’t naturally intelligent. They didn’t have high IQs. They had no formal education. How then could they be so bold in preaching the word and defending the gospel before the council? Where did their boldness come from?

We see the answer just a few verses later. After Peter and John were released, “They went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them” (v. 23). And how did these other believers respond to the apostles’ report? “And when the friends heard it, they lifted their voices together to God” (v. 24). They prayed. They prayed for Peter and John. The immediate response of the believers was to approach the throne of God.

And what did they pray? After acknowledging God’s providential hand in all things, they make an astonishing request to the Lord: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” (v. 29). What an amazing thing! Grant O God boldness to your servants! Keep them bold in their preaching of Your Word!

This is an incredible prayer by the early believers. They knew something very crucial: Bold preaching is a gift of God. It’s not innate. It’s not inherent. It’s a gift of God. That’s why the believers prayed for it. They knew Peter and John were not innately bold. They needed grace to carry out their ministry. So the believers asked God for the grace of boldness in the apostles’ lives.

What’s incredible is that God immediately answered their prayer: “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness […] And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (vv. 31, 33).

The passage ends exactly as it begins: the apostles preaching boldly about the resurrection of Christ. Only by this point we know why they can do it. It’s not because they’re genius men. It’s because they’re gifted men. They have the gift of the Holy Spirit empowering them to speak the gospel with boldness. Great power is the result of great grace.

The Greatest Asset of Any Pastor

Charles Spurgeon was once asked about the secret to his ministry. His response? “My people pray for me.” Nothing will happen in ministry if God’s people don’t pray. Both the grace to do ministry and the grace that works through ministry come from the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit empowers those who ask for His enablement. This is the greatest asset of any pastor: a praying people.

A.C. Dixon got it exactly right:
“When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.”

May pastors always depend upon the grace of God in the ministry of the Word, and may God’s people pray for God’s power for God’s preachers.

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Monday, September 12, 2011

9/11 - A Foreign Perspective (by Peter Brock)


We can all remember what we were doing and where we were when the events of 9/11/01 took place. My family and I were in the midst of preparing a new (to us) house to move into in the town of Giaveno, Italy. We had moved to Giaveno to begin a new church plant and my father had come from PA to help us with the move and prepare the house. Also visiting us at the time were two young men from our home church in PA that brought with them some tremendous skills to help with the transition into the house.

It was a getting toward 3:30 in the afternoon Italian time and my father and I were busy laying carpet in the upstairs of the house. It was about then when my wife Lisa called with news of the attack. She had been called by a colleague of ours and who had made her aware of the news. I remember her words to me," the Twin Towers fell down". I was sure that she was confused and had misunderstood. In was unfathomable. In fact, we continued to lay the carpet because we hadn't understood the full meaning of the attack.

After several more phone calls, it became a bit clearer what had taken place and we headed to our colleagues home to watch the feed from CNN that the Italian TV stations were carrying. Our reaction was, I'm sure, the same as most people. However, being such a great distance away, it had taken on a surreal quality. However, over time, the scope of what had happened began to sink in.

The week after the attack, the local paper approached me and asked for an interview as they wanted to get the reaction to the attack from an American. My father and I were able to sit down for a lengthy interview and share our thoughts and emotions regarding the attack. I have a copy of the paper tucked away in a memories box.

Perhaps the most emotion we felt after the attack, took place a few days later. The country of Italy declared a moment of silence for the victims of that day. At the time of the attacks, Italian time, the entire country stopped it's activity and fell silent. Lisa was in a grocery store at the time and was moved by the display of respect. Over the following weeks, many Italians approached us and shared their sympathies with us as a nation.

For me, as for all who remember it, the day now known simply as 9/11, will forever be etched in our minds.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Tribute to Gwen Webber



“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.”
(Proverbs 31:30, 31, NKJV)

Pastor Osborne’s message on Sunday morning, August 21, is titled “Seldom Seen Saints Supporting the Savior’s Service.” In it, he mentions several people in the Bible and people at Faith who minister behind the scenes. His message segued into a tribute to Gwendolyn Ann Webber (Gwen), who retired as church receptionist on August 30.  You can watch Pastor Osborne's tribute below.
 

For 10 years, Gwen’s voice on the phone asked, “Faith Baptist Church. How may I direct your call?” Her smile and an encouraging word awaited those who came to the church office. And everyone—from staff, to members, to visitors—appreciated her quiet, cheerful presence.

Georgia Stickney, the executive assistant to the pastor, enumerated the qualities that made Gwen’s presence in the office a blessing:
Gwen truly loves the Lord.
Gwen is a woman of prayer.
Gwen is faithful in her walk with God.
Gwen desires to be used by God, and that desire is reflected in her life.
Gwen has a humble attitude and a sweet disposition.
Gwen has been diligent in her pursuit of her responsibilities, including special projects that were not part of her job description.
She has been methodical in her office procedures, conscientious in her work, and supportive of all of the staff.
Gwen has been empathetic when others were experiencing hard times.
Gwen has persevered through hurricanes, building projects, and the addition of new ministries.
She is definitely a woman of excellence.
Along with the whole church staff, Georgia says, “We love you, and we will miss you.”

Pastor Osborne says: 
“Gwen has served the Lord with gladness. Her work, her attitude, and her spirit were contagiously godly. And we all say to Gwen, Thank you! And a job well done for giving your all to advance the kingdom of God!”
Gwen received a plaque and a Bible as tokens of the church’s appreciation for her service to the Lord and to our church. A reception was held Sunday evening in Gwen’s honor.
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Monday, September 5, 2011

What is the Future of Cross Training?

(Bobby Thompson Jr., Bobby Thompson Sr., Dean Corbett,
Jim Phillips, & Caleb Padgett)
 When asked if, as the new youth pastor, Pastor Brock will continue the Cross Training program, he said he will keep pretty close to the program Pastor Bobby created.
“A lot of the kids have already done it. I want to keep the same scope and sequence. That will stay the same. I may change it a little bit, but that part will remain the same.”

One change may be greater use of the video lecture series that comes with the book Pastor Bobby used. Pastor Pete will use the video for variety, but “not every week,” he says, “because it would get redundant.”
The next Cross Training class will start in the fall for a six-week period. “We set that by which kids are going to be taking it and what works best for them,” explains Pastor Brock. “We try for six consecutive weeks; that doesn’t always happen.” Since the previous three-year cycle has ended, Pastor Pete says they’ll be starting back at the beginning with class 101, which is “The Christian Disciplines” and Scripture memory.

Like Pastor Bobby, Pastor Pete sees the program’s greatest strength/benefit as what it does for “kids who want to be serious about understanding Bible doctrine.” He explains that the Wednesday night youth program doesn’t provide enough time for in-depth study and has a different emphasis. He says:
“Cross Training amounts to a classroom-type situation. You can ask questions. It’s a much more in-depth doctrinal study than what would be possible to do otherwise. And it has worked out very well.”
Pastor Brock is looking forward to carrying on the Cross Training program:
“I’ve not had a chance to teach it because Bobby has done it. I’m looking forward to that opportunity to do that and to be with the kids—to become part of it and help the kids continue through the process.”
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