Heritage
Bible Church Newsletter From
the Pastor September~ 2010 The
problem with getting older is that you aren't as young as you used to
be. I am shocked that my energy level isn't, my forget meter is
rising, and I consider naps to be recreation. But David, too, got
older and Psalm 71 reveals his attitude toward aging. "In thee,
O Lord, do I put my trust, let me never be put to confusion"
(v1). One terrible fear of older people is that they will become
senile or "be put to confusion." I laughed several years
ago when I saw on Nancy Davis' wall a plaque that said, "I like
my bifocals, my dentures fit me fine. My hearing aid is perfect, but
Lord, how I miss my mind!" David teaches us that it is
appropriate for one who is advancing in age to pray that God would
keep him or her from becoming senile. (Of course, we should do our
part to stay as healthy as we can by eating properly, taking
vitamins, resting, and exercising some.) Security is something we all
need but this is especially true for the elderly. David wrote, "Be
Thou my strong habitation, to which I can continually resort"
(v3). Independence is threatened by a struggle to do daily tasks.
Last summer I heard Mom call out to God to help her install her
contact lenses. God gives security to the elderly. I seems as though
the elderly are especially vulnerable. Besides con artists, there are
family members or "friends" who, often for personal gain,
will take advantage of older folks. David sensed that when he wrote,
"Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the
hand of the unrighteous and cruel person" (v4). God knows how to
raise up protectors. We need to pray to Him for personal protection
but also for those who are older. It may be that God will raise up
you to be one who helps deliver an older person out of the hand of
the cruel person. "Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and
with Thy honor all the day" (v8). Everybody has problems but
probably people over 65 have more problems with fewer resources than
others. Friends and loved ones become ill or die, physical strength
decreases, sight and hearing diminish, health fades, finances become
acute, independence is threatened or removed. It is easy to feel
sorry for yourself and become depressed. God does understand the
situation. Instead of going through your list of laments, it is much
better to praise the Lord, there is something for which you can
praise Him today. "Cast me not off in the time of old age,
forsake me not when my strength fails" (v9). Fear of rejection
or abandonment and loss of strength are very real to older folks.
David had these same concerns when he was old. So he prayed. God will
not cast a person away when he is old. He will give him strength for
the day. Age does not catch God by surprise. He has a purpose for
older folks that is as important as that for younger people. That
means that you are as important to God as you ever were. God promises
to be with you always. Just because you are not as strong as you once
were does not diminish God's love for you. John Quincy Adams, sixth
president of the United States, suffered a stroke at age 79. One day
a friend asked him how he was feeling. His answer is a classic in the
sense that it reveals that he knew that his body belonged to God and
He is in control: "I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement,
battered by the winds and broken by the storms," Adams said.
"And from all I can learn, the Landlord does not intend to
repair."
Dinner
Groups: An
opportunity to get to know one another better! Dinner groups of up to
6 adults are being formed for September, October, and November.
Single adults or couples may join. Each group will meet once a month
for dinner at the monthly host's home or at a chosen restaurant.
Enjoy fellowship with and deepen relationships in our Heritage body
of Christ. If interested, please sign up on the signup sheet on the
foyer or contact Helen Holmes.
"Young@
Heart" Luncheon For
September will be on THURSDAY, Sept. 9th, (Pastor's
Birthday) @ 11:30 @ the Church. Please RSVP to Fran Coyne so we can
save you a seat!
Yard
Work Day, Saturday,
Sept 11th from 9 - 10:30 to trim landscaping/vegetation around the
building as well other places needing trimming. Please bring your
cutting and trimming tools and work gloves!! Kingdom Kids For
September we will meet the 2nd Sunday of the month, September 12th. Men’s
Ministry Dinner Our
September meeting will be the SECOND Tuesday, Sept 14th @ 6:30 p.m.
Our topic This month will be "The Rewards of A Christian."
Sign up on the sheet at church!
Enjoy
A Cruise on Lady Anderson Cynthia
is treating Pastor to the Captain Anderson Gospel Dinner Cruise on
Thursday, Sept 16th to celebrate his 65th Birthday and is inviting
anyone who would like to, to come along and join the fun! Prices are
as follows (if we have 25 or more people): for adults,$34; senior
adult (55), $30; for children age 6 to 11, cost would be $22; age 2
to 5, $14. Boarding is at 6:30pm and the cruise runs from 7:00pm –
9:30pm. Deadline for reservation and payment will be Sunday, Sept
12th. Please sign up on the sheet at church.
Life
Chain 2010 -
is a peaceful gathering of pro-life Christians that happens on the
first Sunday in October every year. It is not a radical protest but a
peaceful and prayerful witnessing to the public and each other. It is
easy to participate, all you do is show up around 2 pm, grab a sign
that expresses the way you feel such as “Lord Forgive Us and
Our Nation” “Adoption the Loving Option” “Life
the First Inalienable Right” and many others. Then pick a spot
with your brothers and sisters to begin the prayer hour. Please join
your fellow Christians at the parking lot near the 23rd street Chick
Fil-A from 2pm till 3pm as we quietly stand up for the unborn.
The
India Connection For years
we have prayed for the Lord to raise up missionaries from our church
& we now have an opportunity to support one of our own. Ford
Seeuws grew up in Heritage Bible Church where he became interested in
missions. At Toccoa Falls (Bible) College his commitment to
missionary work intensified. Ford and Melissa began dating after
meeting each other at Toccoa Falls College, a C&MA College, and
one of the confirming marks of their relationship was their mutual
heart for India. After graduating from Toccoa, they were married and
were blessed with a daughter whom they named "Satya," which
in India's most common language of Hindi means "Truth." In
2009 Ford and Melissa joined Pioneers, a missions organization
dedicated "to glorify[ing] God among unreached peoples by
initiating church-planting movements in partnership with local
churches." Once in India the Seeuws family will seek to emulate
the method God used through Paul in cross-cultural circumstances.
While his model is not normative for the Church in every age, it is
instructive for a place like India. Paul went to the cities to plant
Churches and establish them in the faith, so that the local Church
could then reach out to the surrounding areas. Reaching the cultural
nerve centers of the Greco-Roman world insured that the highways and
byways in between would be affected by the Gospel. The Seeuwses are
committed to carrying this mission out in India, because while
certain groups are making great inroads in the villages, the cultural
nerve centers are still highly unreached. This is a very important
part of establishing God's kingdom in India, but it will take time in
cultural adjustment, language learning, and in learning how to best
communicate Gospel principles in a way that resonates with Indians.
Their departure date is set for January 1, which will mark the
beginning of their long-term ministry in India. If you would like to
learn more and receive newsletter updates please contact them at
vegkorma@securenym.net. They
will be with us on Sept 19th in the evening service to share more
about their ministry and we will have a Finger-Food Fellowship
afterwards, please bring enough for your family & to share!
Finances
as of August 27th For August General
Operating Fund (GOF) Monthly Budget: $ 15,795.00 GOF
Tithes & Offering Received (4 Sundays): $ 19,033.49 General
Operating Fund Weekly Budget: $ 3,645.00 GOF
Avg. Weekly Tithes & Offerings ( 4 Sundays): $ 4,758.37 Building
Addition Fund Receipts: $ 1,426.75 For
Year to Date (based on 8 months and 34 Sundays): General
Operating Funds (GOF)Year to Date Budget(monthly basis): $ 126,360.00 General
Operating Funds (GOF)Year to Date Budget(weekly basis): $ 123,930.00 General
Operating Funds Year to Date Tithes & Offering and other
receipts: $ 121,173.68 GOF
Year to Date Budgeted Disbursements and Transfers to Other Funds: $
(120,416.70) Other
GOF Non-Budgeted & Board Approved Projects: $ (0.00) Receipts
vs Disbursements and Transfers $ (756.98) GOF
Balance as of August 27th (77.8% of monthly budget) $ 12,292.48 Average
Weekly Tithes and Offerings Received: $ 3,563.93 YTD
Avg Weekly GOF Budgeted Disbursements & Transfers: $ (3,541.67) Missions
Receipts and 24% of Tithes and Offerings: $ 35,850.61 Missions
Disbursements: $ (35,079.49) Building
Addition Fund Receipts $ 4,561.94 Building
Addition Kitchen Finances: Estimated
Building Addition Kitchen Cost: $ 30,000.00 Expenditures
on Kitchen Appliances/Cabinets: $ 14,252.44 Building
Addition Fund Balance: $ 6,306.82 Additional
Funds Needed to Complete Kitchen: $ 9,440.74
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