The Gathering CBFNC Newsletter - February 2006

February 2006

Volume 11, Issue 1

NORTH CAROLINA CHURCHES HELP LOUISIANA RESIDENTS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN THE BAYOU

by Courtney Hodges CBF Communications ATLANTA – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina churches reached across racial, religious and geographical lines to express God’s love to hurricane survivors in Southeast Louisiana.

Lloyd Braswell, pastor of Hope Valley Baptist Church in Durham, called and presented the idea of collecting Christmas gifts for Hurricane Katrina survivors to Christopher Ingram, CBF of North Carolina’s volunteer emergency response coordinator. Barbara Rowley of Hope Valley Baptist had expressed interest in putting together shoe boxes of toys for children.

“This project is the seed of her idea that blossomed,” said Ingram, who serves as minister of education at Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh.

Ingram contacted CBF of Louisiana Disaster Response Coordinator Reid Doster and discovered that North Carolina churches could help more Christopher Ingram collects “Bayou Boxes” than just the children of the bayou. donated by 40 CBF of North Carolina churches In December, six collection sites throughout North Carolina received to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. donations of kitchen utensils and cookware, dish towels, ice trays, can openers, coffee pots and cleaning supplies. Churches also donated bedroom items, such as sheets and blankets.

Overall, 40 CBF of North Carolina churches participated, providing 116 “bayou boxes” for kitchens and 157 “bayou boxes” for bedrooms. In addition, Hope Valley Baptist Church collected 38 boxes of items for children. The response exceeded Ingram’s expectations.

“This project tells me that people in North Carolina are eager to serve,” Ingram said. “Churches are eager to become mission engaged, and our churches are looking for ways to continue to be in long-term ministry in this hard hit area.”

(See NC CHURCHES HELP LOUISIANA continued on page 5 and related articles on pages 4 and 5.)

2006 CBFNC General Assembly March 17 - 18 Ardmore Baptist Church 501 Miller Street Winston-Salem, NC • Make plans now to attend • • For details, see page 3 & www.cbfnc.org •

Exploring Preschool and Children’s Sunday School Literature Options A Workshop for Clergy & Laity Tuesday, February 7, 2006 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC Led by • A team of children’s ministers from NC churches and • Janice Haywood (of Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and Campbell University Divinity School) Advance registration required Call (888) 822-1944

February 2006

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CBFNC UPCOMING EVENTS February 7, 2006, 10a.m. - 3p.m Exploring Preschool and Children’s Sunday School Literature Options Ardmore Church, Winston-Salem For details, call (888) 822-1944 or see www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm.

February 20-23, 2006 Youth Ministers’ Retreat North Myrtle Beach, SC with Retreat Leader: John Hendrix For a brochure/registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm. or call (888) 822-1944.

March 10-12, 2006 and March 24-26, 2006 Spring Youth Retreats The Vineyard Camp, Westfield, NC For a brochure and registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/youth.htm March 17-18, 2006 General Assembly Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem

For details and updates, visit www.cbfnc/org/comingevents.htm.

March 31 - April 1, 2006 Youth Choir Festival First Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC For information and registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/youth.htm or call 888-822-1944.

April 28 - 29, 2006 Making Your Good Marriage Better First Baptist Church, Hickory, NC For information and registration form, see www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm June 21-24, 2006 CBF General Assembly Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA. For pre-registration and hotel reservations, see www.thefellowship.info.

Come be a part of these Regional Fellowship Groups Catawba Valley - Hickory North Central - Durham Northeastern - Henderson Raleigh/Cary Shelby/Boiling Springs Triad - Winston-Salem Western - Asheville For details, dates, and contact persons for these regional groups, see www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm or call (888) 822-1944.

JUSTICE, MERCY AND CHRISTMAS - DON HORTON, MODERATOR Justice, mercy and Christmas – what do these words have in common?

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, who taught us by example that we are to live a life of justice (doing what is right) and mercy (charity and grace).

In 1828, Webster defined Christmas as the “Festival of the Christian church observed on the 25th day of December in memory of the birth of Christ, celebrated by a particular church service.” In 1912, Webster adds “and also by special gifts, greetings and hospitality.” Based on the Christmas you experienced in 2005, how would your definition of Christmas differ from the one in 1828?

Apparently, some revised their definition of Christmas in 2005 by removing any reference to “a particular church service”, as some churches canceled worship on the Sabbath because it conflicted with Christmas by intruding on family time. How can we properly teach our children about the importance of Jesus when the leadership of his disciples make such decisions?

It is easy to throw rocks at those who commit errors or sins that we do not commit.

It is more difficult to look at our lives as open books to see how we stack up when we judge ourselves by justice and mercy – righteousness, charity and grace.

If your employer and financial institutions have followed IRS regulations, you have now received your income information forms (W-2, 1099, etc.) for 2005. Since you will be compiling this information for reporting to the IRS, why not take this time to determine your “justice and mercy index.”

Since this is just between you and God, you set the scoring method and let your conscience be your guide as to what weight to apply to each question. You may even delete some of the questions or add additional ones that come to your mind.

To get you started, consider the following questions: 1. Did my family tithe last year?

2. If not, do we have a strategy for reaching that goal in the future? (We often fail because we try to accomplish too much too soon. Set a realistic intermediate goal

that you can reach each year and over time, you can reach the ultimate goal.)

3. Did our family give as much to charity as we gave to each other at Christmas?

4. Do we contribute to those less fortunate than we are?

5. Would we be willing to go into debt to give to God as we did for our family and friends at Christmas?

6. Beyond finances, are we willing to give our time and effort to be on mission for God where we are?

We could list many more questions, but you get the idea. Now that you have your “justice and mercy index,” how do you determine where you stand? Test the results against the scriptures. Daniel Vestal, in his book IT’S TIME! referenced the following scriptures that will head you in the right directions.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ (Micah 6:8, RSV) “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…”

(Matthew 11:28-29, NIV) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV) After reviewing our commitment of time and financial resources, we have a point of reference as to where we are. After reviewing the above and other applicable scripture passages, we know where we should be.

Through prayer and our firm commitment to God, we can begin our journey to do justice and mercy in a manner worthy of the One whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.

FINANCIAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2005 CONTRIBUTIONS CBFNC Budget — $36,337 Other — $19,107 DECEMBER 2005 CONTRIBUTIONS CBFNC Budget — $71,203 Other — $22,112 2005-2006 MONTHLY BUDGET GOAL: $55,455

February 2006

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2006 CBFNC General Assembly March 17 - 18, 2006 Ardmore Baptist Church Winston-Salem, NC Visit www.cbfnc.org for updates.

Reservations for free childcare (grades 6 and under) due February 15.

Reservations for Friday dinner due March 1st.

Friday, March 17 12:00 noon ....................... Registration opens / Exhibits open 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop I 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop II 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop III 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. ............... Dinner Serving Line Open 7:00 p.m. .......................... Worship (Daniel Vestal preaching) 8:30 p.m. .......................... Fellowship Time Saturday, March 18 9:00 a.m. .......................... Simultaneous Services including: * Multicultural Worship with the Winston-Salem Chinese Church * Contemplative Worship with a Labyrinth * Emerging Worship 10:15 - 10:45 a.m. ........... Business Session 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon .. Worship and Communion (Larry Hovis preaching)

Discounted Hotel Rooms When making reservations at the following hotels in WinstonSalem, inform them that you will be attending the CBF of North Carolina General Assembly. Discounts expire in early March for most hotels. Tax will be added to all prices shown.

Comfort Inn Cloverdale 110 Miller Street.

336-721-0220 Rate = $75 0.48 miles from Ardmore

Holiday Inn Hanes Mall 2008 S. Hawthorne Road 336-765-6670 Rate = $72 1.78 miles from Ardmore

Comfort Suites 200 Capitol Lodging Court 336-774-0805 Rate = $69 3.13 miles from Ardmore

Sleep Inn Hanes Mall 1985 Hampton Inn Court 336-774-8020 Rate = $61 3.56 miles from Ardmore

Days Inn Hanes Mall 3330 Silas Creek Parkway 336-760-4770 Rate = $59 2.16 miles from Ardmore

Please complete and return with payment by March 1, 2006, to: CBFNC, 8025 North Point Blvd., Suite 205, Winston-Salem, NC 27106 Questions? Call us at (888) 822-1944.

Name: ________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Church/City you attend: ________________________________________________

Names of Each Reservation (please attach separate list if necessary): _____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Number of Reservations: ____________ @ $10.00 each.

Charge my: ____ VISA

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $_____________ made payable to CBFNC.

____ Mastercard

Card No. ________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date ___________________________________________________ Name on credit card: ____________________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________________

CHILDCARE NEEDED: Name: ________________________________________________________

Birthdate: _____________________

School Grade: _______________________

Name: ________________________________________________________

Birthdate: _____________________

School Grade: _______________________

February 2006

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BLESSINGS RECEIVED IN THE BAYOU - REID DOSTER Rhonda is twenty-seven. She has two children. Her home was destroyed when Katrina’s floodwaters raced up Bayou Lacombe from Lake Ponchartrain and swept away everything she possessed. Rhonda now lives in a mobile home with seventeen other people. Every weekday morning, she waits with her children for the Head Start van, then goes to work at a local fast food restaurant. When we first met Rhonda, she seemed lost and confused. Her look was one of controlled fear.

We helped Rhonda complete an application for replacement housing through Habitat for Humanity’s house-in-a-box program. An anonymous donor gave $2000 to assist Rhonda’s two children. Mary Beth Thomas delivered the gift. It was a private moment. Rhonda was speechless.

Tears welled up.

A few days later, we stopped by with a new bike for each child. Rhonda hid the gifts in an old trailer someone had dragged in that, frankly, looked barely better than the house that had been destroyed. She later put the bikes around the tree.

At about this same time, more blessings arrived. Christopher Ingram, a visionary volunteer with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, delivered on his promise of “Christmas in the Bayou.” Dozens of CBFNC churches organized themselves to collect kitchenware and bedroom linens, wrapped beautifully and accompanied by sweet notes of encouragement.

Christopher sent down a twenty-four foot Ryder truck, packed to the ceiling with these very practical gifts. Within two days, all of the packages were hand-delivered to some of the most needy, neglected and forgotten. Rhonda and her two children were among them.

For Rhonda, these personalized and beautifully wrapped packages were the extra special touch that made Christmas in her bayou a hope-filled event and reinforced the message of God’s unconditional love.

The disaster response mission of CBF Louisiana is to reach across racial, religious and socio-cultural lines to extend the love of Jesus Christ to the most needy, neglected and forgotten, without any expectation of return.

Reid Doster is the Disaster Response Coordinator for CBF of Louisiana.

Rhonda’s house after Katrina

Two residents of LaCombe with Reid Doster

TEACHERS NEEDED FOR BELIZE BIBLE SCHOOL - Bob Lamb Several North Carolina CBF churches are working with Rev. Antolino Flores, the Belize Baptist Executive Secretary-Treasurer, to begin offering a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry on a two-year cycle. The courses will be offered on a modified TEE (Theological Education by Extension) model. Three times a year two teachers will go to Belize to introduce courses on an intensive one-week schedule. The students will then have four months to complete the courses at home with the assistance of tutors before coming back to take exams at the beginning of the next intensive week. I am looking for ministers with a heart for missions, for students and for teaching. The material is simple, but excellent. It is in English and is written from the perspective of African culture. We plan to hold the classes at the comfortable Baptist Training Center.

Jack Watson, Senior Pastor of the Woodhaven Baptist Church in Apex, North Carolina, and I began the school in January 2006. We are looking for teachers for the other weeks in May and September.

Dennis Hipp of the First Baptist Church of Lexington is the Lay Coordinator for the Belize Mission. He plans to continue to offer the week-end pastors’ conferences which have been very successful. I am working with him as coordinator for the School.

If you are interested in teaching one of the weeks of the Belize Bible School, please let me know. I would be happy to tell you more about our plans and to answer your questions. I can also put you into contact with several other CBF ministers who have led in mission trips to Belize and who can describe the needs.

Bob Lamb, 122 Clinton St., Shelby, NC 28152, rlamb@netlink.net, 704-434-9392.

North Carolina Baptists brought them joy.

The smiles say it all.

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February 2006

HOW YOU CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE BAYOU - CHRISTOPHER INGRAM This past Christmas, our CBFNC churches had the opportunity to join together and be the presence of Christ along the Gulf Coast through “Christmas in the Bayou.” This project did not stand alone in our state’s ministry to the hard-hit region; it was a culmination of the relief efforts that many of our churches and supporters had made throughout the fall in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I am proud that so many of our churches have partnered with CBF, NC Baptist Men and others to provide immediate relief to those who could least afford to lose shelter, food and livelihood. Some of those stories have already been shared in our previous newsletters, but I encourage you to keep sharing your mission stories and photos with us. Each and every one of you are important parts of our disaster relief ministries.

I want to offer special thanks to some of the members of our fellowship: • Thank you, Barbara Rowley: To tell the truth, it was really Barbara’s idea. A member of Hope Valley Baptist Church in Durham, she asked her pastor if Christmas boxes could be created for the children of the Gulf. Her pastor called me, and the idea immediately grew into fuller form. Like most of the best ideas in ministry, this one started with a seed of an idea that grows from the ground up.

• Thank you, Ardmore Baptist Church (Winston- Salem), Calvary Baptist Church (Asheville), First Baptist Church (Wilmington), Ridge Road Baptist Church (Raleigh), St. John’s Baptist Church (Charlotte), and The Memorial Baptist Church (Greenville) for serving as collection centers around our state.

• Thank you, Rusty Kent and family: Rusty’s family delivered all our boxes to Louisiana and donated all the time and transportation resources to the cause. Rusty is President of Roofing Tools and Equipment company of Wilson and a member of First Baptist Church of Tarboro.

It is clear that our CBFNC churches are eager to serve, and your partnership makes an increasing number of mission opportunities possible. We will continue to experience growing interest in what our network is doing in North Carolina and around the world in the name of Christ. As we look to 2006 and beyond, there are ongoing opportunities for you to be a part of disaster relief and recovery efforts through CBFNC. • If you are interested in sending a work team to the Gulf Coast contact me, Christopher Ingram, at (919) 7874423 or christopher@rrbch.com.

• Natural disasters in 2005 brought ministry needs around the world in areas like Southeast Asia, Pakistan and elsewhere. This past year also reminds us to maintain a wider perspective on disaster relief. We are interested in helping you or your congregation reach global

destinations as well.

• The office of the North Carolina Baptist Men (www.ncmissions.org) are valuable partners in our disaster relief ministries. If you and your church have been certified by NCBM, then consider this alternative.

• If you are interested in sending a youth team this summer, CBFNC missions partner Missions Connect International (www.missionsconnect.org) is arranging trips for youth throughout the summer months.

Contact Mike Hopkins or Mari Wiles at (866) 412-2669 (toll free).

• Resources are also available to help your congregation with worship resources, congregation-to-congregation contacts and more.

Just because we’ve put a bow on “Christmas in the Bayou” and celebrate all God has done with us in 2005, the relief and recovery needs have not diminished. In fact, even now, CBF is gathering representatives from around the country together to discuss what we have learned in the past year’s disaster relief ministries. Learning from our experiences together, we plan to provide an even more effective Fellowship-wide response going forward.

As we continue to examine our calling as a fellowship, disaster relief will find its place alongside the many other ways our churches will be able to respond to their callings, be on mission, and change the world. I expect the missions journey will change you, too!

Christopher Ingram is CBFNC’s Volunteer Hurricane Response Coordinator and serves as Minister of Education at Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.

NC CHURCHES HELP LOUISIANA, continued from page 1 Doster found Louisiana families who are in the most need to receive the kitchen and bedroom items. The bayou boxes will also help Fellowship workers in Lacombe, La., to build relationships with the community as Bridgewater Community Church, a new church start, has begun its ministry in January 2006 serving West St. Tammany Parish.

“I think the really heartwarming and gratifying aspect of this is that you have Christians in North Carolina who have really connected with folks hundreds of miles away,” Doster said. “The spiritual connectedness among widely dispersed CBF congregations is inspiring.”

In addition to the North Carolina churches, Doster noted that the project received support from CBF of Arkansas and CBF of Louisiana churches, who adopted specific families and continue to offer generous amounts of time, labor and funding to help them rebuild.

“What we’re seeing in the eyes of these displaced souls is a renewed sense of hope. It’s beautiful to behold,” Doster said.

February 2006

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RETIREMENT AND GOODNESS AND MERCY

- RICK JORDAN, CHURCH RESOURCES COORDINATOR

Sometimes I think about what life will be for me after retirement. I don’t think about it often because I love my job and I want to be here a long time. (Can you tell it’s personnel review time?) But sometimes (rarely) I do think of retirement.

What must it be like to have no cares, no responsibilities, to have all the time and money to do what you’ve always wanted to do? I know, I know – that’s not a realistic picture of retirement for most people. As a matter of fact, what I often hear from retired friends is, “I’m busier now than I’ve ever been!” Some of that “busy-ness” involves chasing a little white ball on manicured greens, some of it involves travel, some of it involves taking classes at the community college. And then there are people who spend their retirement helping others on mission trips or in their local community. Serving others is not something they’ve outgrown. And, after many years of getting to know themselves and their gifts, they are comfortable letting those gifts flow into service for others. Like my friend, Mr. Mac. Mr. Mac (M. B. MacLeod) lives in Smithfield, NC where he has been a member of Sharon Baptist Church since 1958.

Mr. Mac (pictured) does a stand-up comic routine for two nursing homes. “I do programs of jokes and funny stories, as they already have several religious programs every week in each of the homes. I do include a few serious thoughts between the jokes and end up with a prayer or serious item,” he says.

When I heard about this, I just had to go see him in action. It was his first visit back to the nursing home since his voice had returned after a surgery that threatened to make him mute,

so he was a bit anxious that he would not be able to be heard or be able to complete the program. As we walked into the nursing home, a sign greeted us, “Today, Mr. Mac is back!”

We walked the halls, inviting persons to come to the assembly room. Later, Mr. Mac would go back to the rooms of those who would like a visit but were unable to travel to his program. He has a separate but similar routine for these individual visits.

During the program, his voice was strong and the twenty or so persons who came to hear him got a real treat. Standing at a lectern with a notebook full of funny stories gleaned from joke books and the internet, Mr. Mac rattled off zinger after zinger. “Never lose the ability to laugh at yourself and you’ll always have plenty of material,” he advised them. But actually, “getting fresh material is the hardest part of this ministry,” he confided with me. Still, “some stories are so funny, I can tell them twenty-five times and they still make us laugh.” The biggest laugh came from this quip: “I don’t want just any old pall bearers. If they wouldn’t take me out when I was alive, then I don’t want them to take me out when I die!” Some more reflective stories are told, too, like, “A man with ragged clothes visited an uptown church one Sunday. The head usher said, ‘You can’t come in here dressed like that. Why don’t you go home to pray and ask God how you should dress to come to this church.’ ‘I already did. God said he’d never been to this church, so He didn’t know.’” As he closed the program, Mr. Mac looked over his wheelchaired audience and pronounced a benediction, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” and I thought how wonderful it is that Mr. Mac is an incarnation of that goodness and mercy. Maybe that’s what my retirement (a long time from now) could be about, too.

SC/NC CBF Clergy & Women of the Church Conference

PRAYER CALENDAR February

March 2-5, 2006

Clergy: Laity:

Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach Speaker: Eileen Campbell-Reed March 2-3 Topic: “What is Sabbath When You Work Every Sunday?”

March 3-5 Topic: “Keeping the Sabbath: Honoring God and Self”

For more information, email Amanda Atkin at atkin@gfbccary.org.

Looking for a special way to show your love to your Valentine?

Bring him/her to CBFNC’s first Marriage Enrichment Retreat . . .

3 11 11 17 20 27

Phil Whisnand, Urban Work, Los Angeles, CA Donald Barnes, Affiliate, China Rick Shaw, work with Albanian people, Macedonia Nancy James, Affiliate, Haiti Amy D. Butler, Affiliate, Washington, DC Lori Myrick, work with Bedouin people, Jordan

“Making Your Good Marriage Better” with Retreat Leaders Bill & Crystal Leathers April 28-29, 2006

Hickory, NC

For a brochure and registration, call (888) 822-1944 or visit www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm.

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February 2006

RINGING IN A NEW YEAR Normally, I spend New Year’s Eve with my family, in front of the television, watching Dick Clark and the revelers in New York’s Times Square ring in the New Year with the dropping of the famous ball in the “crossroads of the world.” This year, our family’s focus was different. We participated in the Watch Night Service at Home Moravian Church in Old Salem. This service began with a concert by a traditional Moravian band at 10:30 p.m., playing hymn tunes, some of which were familiar while others were new to our Baptist ears. The service started at 11 p.m. and included hymn singing, a Lovefeast (complete with buns and sweet coffee, just like Christmas Eve), and a sermon designed to be interrupted at the stroke of midnight with the band striking up a rousing rendition of Now Thank We All Our God. A minister of music friend sitting nearby told me he had always fantasized interrupting a pastor’s sermon with a congregational hymn, but never thought it would actually happen! The entire service was meaningful, but I was struck by the opening words of the pastor: “We have gathered together tonight so that we can spend the last hour of the last day of the old year and the first minutes of the New Year worshipping Almighty God.” The beginning of the year, with a focus on God, inevitably leads to God’s Word. A favorite New Year’s Scripture text comes from the third chapter of Philippians: “…this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13b-14). The new year provides us with an opportunity to look back and evaluate and give thanks and perhaps even repent, but it primarily calls us to look ahead, to “press on toward the goal” of relationship with and service to Christ.

Though we made great progress in CBFNC in 2005, our focus is on the future, not the past. What does 2006 hold for our Fellowship? I don’t have a crystal ball, but here are a few things I am certain will be in focus for CBFNC in the coming year.

New Missions Coordinator – A search committee has been hard at work since last fall seeking a new coordinator for our missions ministries. God has blessed the work of this committee and their search is almost complete. A new coordinator may even be introduced before publication of this article! Missions is at the heart of our fellowship and will be a key focus of our life and work in 2006.

General Assembly – One of the annual highlights for our Fellowship occurs relatively early in the year. It is our General Assembly, our “spiritual family reunion.” This year’s gathering will take place at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. The General Assembly Planning Team is being led by Greg Rogers and Beth Thompson, ministers at Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville, where the highly acclaimed 2005 assembly was held.

Our theme will be “Living Water in a Starbucks World” and will focus on the missional journey for individual Christians and congregations. Please plan on attending and bringing a contingent from your church. I would love to see a thousand CBFers in Winston-Salem, March 17-18.

Expanded Ministries– Due to the continuous growth of CBFNC ministries, and to changes in North Carolina Baptist life,

- LARRY HOVIS, COORDINATOR ministers and churches are increasingly looking toward our Fellowship to provide resources, mission opportunities, and a way to express their Baptist identity. This has been very evident to me informally, in my travels and conversations, and formally, through our Advisory Group process conducted in October 2005. To be honest, our small staff is working very hard and probably overachieving in the short run, but won’t be able to keep up with the demands in the long run. The needs of our Fellowship will require that we expand both paid staff and ministry volunteers. Please pray that we (individuals, churches, and a Fellowship) serve as “faithful and wise stewards” of the resources God has entrusted to us.

Remember our Mission – Above all, as we grow in the scope of our ministries in 2006 and beyond, it is vital that we remain committed to our core values, mission and purpose. The CBFNC Bylaws state that our purpose is to: Bring Baptists of North Carolina for Christ Centered Ministry; Forge Baptists of North Carolina into a fellowship for those who desire to call out God’s gifts in each person in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be spread; Preserve and propagate historic Baptist freedoms and distinctives, including the priesthood of each believer, the acceptance of the authority of the Bible without the aid of creeds, the autonomy of each church, and the separation of church and state in the interest of religious liberty.”

The opening hymn sung in the Moravian Watch Night Service was written by a well-known Baptist preacher for the dedication of a progressive new church in New York City in 1930.

These words of Harry Emerson Fosdick, which most Baptists in North Carolina have sung countless times, serve as my prayer for our Fellowship in 2006.

God of grace and God of glory, On Thy people pour Thy power.

Crown Thine ancient church’s story, Bring her bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, For the facing of this hour, For the facing of this hour.

CBFNC Missions Resource Plan Are you looking for a way for you or your church to fund CBFNC, CBF and cherished NC Baptist ministries by writing just one check?

Contact the CBFNC office at 888-822-1944 to receive a copy of the Missions Resource Plan or to learn more about this giving option.

CBF NORTH CAROLINA 8025 NORTH POINT BLVD., SUITE 205 WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27106

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

A truckload of Christmas in the Bayou gifts from CBFNC churches show God’s love to the Gulf Coast.

Details inside.

CBF North Carolina February 2006 Phone: (888) 822-1944 • (336) 759-3456 Fax: (336) 759-3459 cbfnc@cbfnc.org • www.cbfnc.org Coordinating Council Don Horton, Zebulon Greg Rogers, Greenville Moderator Recorder Tonya Vickery, Cullowhee Roger Gilbert, Mount Airy Moderator-Elect Past-Moderator Boyce Wilson, Winston-Salem Treasurer Glenda Currin, Wrightsville Beach Larry Harper, Raleigh Carolyn Dickens, Raleigh David Hood, Hickory Katie Ethridge, Beaufort Steve Little, Marion Kathryn Hamrick, Shelby Roy Smith, Raleigh

Faith Development Ministry Council Jennifer Baxley, Henderson Bruce Hartgrove, High Point Crystal Leathers, Hickory Karen Metcalf, Raleigh Kristen Muse, Raleigh

Mickie Norman, Leland Jeff Pethel, Rolesville Anita Sayles, Asheville Blythe Taylor, Charlotte Tim Wilson, Hickory

Leadership Development Ministry Council Kitty Amos, Winston-Salem Ron Glover, Monroe Kheresa Harman, Erwin Burke Holland, Belhaven Randall Lolley, Raleigh

Ken Massey, Greensboro Pam Riley, Durham Wayne Wike, Matthews Larry Williams, Louisburg Steve Zimmerman, Mebane

Missions Development Ministry Council Cecelia Beck, Forest City Kendell Cameron, Whiteville Ron Cava, Clinton Raymond Earp, Beaufort David Hailey, Raleigh

Carolyn Hopkins, Cary Bill Jones, Newland Shirley Kool, Sylva Judy LeCroy, Lexington Layne Smith, Hickory

CBF Council Members From NC Sheri Adams, Boiling Springs Gail Coulter, Hendersonville Mary Anne Croom, Ahoskie Irma Duke, Fuquay-Varina

Jack Glasgow, Zebulon Bill Ireland, Winston-Salem Guy Sayles, Asheville

Staff

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID WINSTON-SALEM, NC PERMIT NO. 162

Larry Hovis ....................... Coordinator Rick Jordan ....................... Church Resources Coordinator Nancy Parks ...................... Office Manager Gail McAlister .................. Financial Assistant Beth McGinley .................. Office Assistant