f ysel h t ow h d, a s o o G t y h to Stud ved un needet ly ro hat d, right t app n ma hame f truth. k r o w as e rd o b o w o t not ing the :15) 2 d i y div oth m i T (2
February 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014 @ 10 a.m.
Free Will Baptist Press 3928 Lee Street • Ayden, NC 28513
• Representatives will be on hand Standard and Group Publishing.
from
• Light refreshments will be provided. • Receive 10% off and free standard freight (to store) on ALL VBS product all season long!
For more information, contact Darren at 1-800-849-3927 (ext. 227) or at darrend@fwbpress.com.
February 2014 Sunday School Ministry Month
This is a calendar of denominational events and regular holidays and special days/seasons of the Christian year.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
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As times/dates may change, you can scan the QR code above for a more complete and up-to-date list.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY 30
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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National Freedom Day
Black History Month
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Valentine’s Day
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VBS Workshop @ FWB Press 10 a.m.
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Matthew Barbee Percussion Faculty Recital @ UMO, 7:30 p.m.
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Lorelle F. Martin Lecture @ UMO, 7:00 p.m.
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What Is Love? By Carla Davenport It’s a Sunday night in January and I am sitting in my living room staring blankly at my laptop. Just a couple days earlier, I had volunteered to write the February issue of this column. I promised my husband, Darren, that I would come up with something inspirational for February, the month of Valentine’s Day. This should prove to be an easy task, after all, most people enjoy this special day. Flower shops are overflowing with roses, balloons, candies, and baskets. Restaurants are taking reservations in anticipation of what will be one of the busiest days of the year. Stores run out of cards and heart-shaped boxes of candies. School children fix little Valentine cards for their teachers and classmates. Jewelry, stuffed animals, professions of love, and even marriage proposals can be found at any given moment on Valentine’s Day— all in the name of love. As I ponder over the meaning of love and its significance in our daily lives, I realize that perhaps writing about love, true love, is not necessarily an easy task. Love. It’s seems like such a simple word. As a noun, it is a thing; an emotion; a
feeling. It is a thing that most people long for at some point in their lives. I have been keeping up with several young and recently engaged couples that I know through Facebook. I enjoy reading their posts about their impending nuptials. Today’s weddings can be rather elaborate with lengthy engagements filled with planning, parties, showers, bridal fittings, trips, exotic locations, honeymoons in a tropical paradise, and some brides even have blogs so that friends and family can keep up with every exciting detail leading up to their wedding day. It truly is a special time in life for these young couples. They are now experiencing love the noun, the thing, the emotion, the feeling. Marriage, on the other hand, requires love in an action form. Love is no longer just a feeling or an emotion, love becomes something you do, willing, lovingly, and committed. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4, “…Love is patient and kind: love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices
with the truth. Love bears ALL things, believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, endures ALL things. Love never ends… so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (esv, emphasis added). First Corinthians 13 is one of my husband’s favorite chapters in the Bible. He has often recited these verses to me during times of stress or difficulty as a reminder that we’ve made a commitment to each other and God. Enduring love requires purposeful action. It is not always easy to be patient or to be humble or without resentment. It requires one to commit themselves to actions of patience, honesty, humility, and sacrifice. Loves means being there for the good and bad, the joyful and painful, the successes and failures, and all that life sends your way. Love is sacrificial! Always be mindful of the ultimate sacrifice God made us, as made known in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Carla is married to Darren Davenport. She has two sons and two grandchildren, and a beagle named Snoop. She is a first grade teacher and is a member of Reedy Branch Church in Winterville, NC. Among other things, she enjoys writing and teaching junior church.
Church & Ministry Positions Available • First Church of Wilson, NC is looking to fill the position of a full-time senior pastor. All interested candidates can send a résumé to: First FWB Church, Attention: Terry Johnson • 4865 Nash St. NW • Wilson, NC 27896. • Ordained Minister (38 years experience) is seeking opportunities to serve. Will fill in for vacations, sickness, interim, or pastoral. Available after May 1. Please contact: Braxton Carter (919) 553-7246 [H] or (919) 868-5923 [M] or at <preacherbrack@aol.com>. 2
February 2014 Volume 132 • Number 2
Managing Editor Darren Davenport Production Manager Jerry Goff jerry@fwbpress.com
FEATURES & COLUMNS
Circulation, Accounts Receivable Amy Stokes
2
Reflections: A Guest Editorial
Accounts Payable Wallie Hargrove
4
Mount Olive College Founders Day
Editorial Assistants Dixie McLawhorn, Carlton Oakley
17
From a Woman’s Heart with Nora Koonce Avery
Graphic Designers Jerry Goff, Nathaniel Ingram, Dixie McLawhorn
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Pondering the Past with Celia Hales
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Women in Ministry with Vicki Parker Medlin
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Lesson Inner View with Adrian Grubbs
32
A Sling and a Stone with Marc Boswell
36
Dr. Pepper’s Book Corner
39
Psalms for the Soul with Linda Herring
amy@fwbpress.com
Production Team Ronnie Jones, Ted Johnston, Joshua Roundtree
www.fwbpress.com President Jeff Daughtry
jeff@fwbpress.com
DENOMINATIONAL MINISTRIES
Vice President Darren Davenport
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Sunday School
24
Foreign Missions
Board of Directors
12
U. of Mount Olive
26
Children’s Home
18
Convention News
29
Cragmont
20
Home Missions
darrend@fwbpress.com
Frank Flowers (Chairman), Central Mike Scott (Vice Chairman), Eastern Royce Reynolds (Secretary), Albemarle Joe Ballance, Cape Fear • Kelley Smart, Central Nancy Hardee, Pee Dee • Mark Hobbs, Central Linda Weathersby, Central • MeLinda Edwards, Western The purpose of this paper is to promote the cause of Christ among Original Free Will Baptists, and we reserve the right to refuse any article or news that is inconsistent with our purpose, programs, or policies, and that does not reflect a spirit of harmony and cooperation with the Free Will Baptist Press Foundation and the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. The contents herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs and policies of the editor or of The Free Will Baptist. The responsibility for each article is given the person whose name appears under the title or to the person submitting said article.
For information on subscription rates, submission and photo guidelines, advertising rates and guidelines, and more, visit <fwbpress.com/tfwb>. © 2014 The Free Will Baptist • All Rights Reserved. The Free Will Baptist is edited and published monthly by the Free Will Baptist Press, P. O. Box 159, 3928 Lee Street, Ayden, North Carolina 28513-0159. Second-class postage paid at Ayden, North Carolina (USPS 2094-4000). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Free Will Baptist Press, P. O. Box 159, Ayden, NC 28513-0159.
ANCILLARY MINISTRIES 30
NCFCM
33
Camp Vandemere
38
Community Connection
34
Youth Convention
ON THE COVER February is Sunday School Ministry Month!
contents
editor@fwbpress.com
Mount Olive College Founders Day November 19, 2013
$6.17! Who would have been foolish enough to even think they could begin a college with $6.17. Yet, in 1951 that is exactly what the NCFWB State Convention, as it was then known, did. The Charter date for MOC was November 27, 1951, and $6.17 was the amount in the Christian Education fund at that time. Why would a small denomination of approximately 38,000 members want to establish a liberal arts college? As I understand history, first and foremost, the founders of this College wanted an educational institution that would provide learning opportunities for the clergy of the Church; however, they also wanted to provide educational opportunities for those in the church who would choose various walks of life. The Convention explicitly wanted a liberal arts college in which the Christian faith was embodied. And today, 62 years later, we celebrate the birth of Mount Olive College by being in this Founders Day service. Everything I share with you today will be based on my understanding of MOC since its beginning. We cannot take one statement I make and make it stand alone. In my understanding it all fits together like the pieces of a puzzle. I have been very intentional in my comments, because this is the way I see MOC—so I ask you to listen intently and let us together make this time valuable and not just be an event to pass the time of day. I hope to help you view MOC through my eyes today. I want to lead into this part of our Founders Day message by sharing with you some of my beliefs: • I believe in a Holy God who created this entire universe and every living thing in it, including us. • I believe that God created us humans in His image. • I believe God gave us the ability to love one another and help one another become all that He created us to be. 4
By Jean F. Ackiss • I believe that God gives to each human the freedom to choose our destiny. • I believe that God has a plan for every human being who is born into this world, and this is where Christian Colleges and Christian higher education come into the picture. MOC has the opportunity to help each student grow, develop and to experience transformation in his/her life, according to God’s plan. This is the foundation on which Mount Olive College was founded in 1951. Founders Day is a time of reflection, a time of appreciation, a time of opportunity and encouragement, and a time of challenge.
A Time of Reflection: Let’s take a few moments to reflect: When the College was moved from Cragmont Assembly to Mount Olive in 1954, it consisted of one city block where MO Family Medical Center is now located. Over the door as you entered the side of that old elementary school building, the words were written: “Enter to learn, depart to serve.” On the corner of that one city block campus was a large sign with the words “Mount Olive Junior College, A Christian College for Men and Women.” The sidewalks on which you walk to class each day were once a cornfield. 1965, before many of you were born, was the year when we moved onto this campus. That year, it was undeveloped and not landscaped, and was literally a field of mud with only two buildings sitting in the middle of approximately 115 acres: Hart, King, and Griffin Dormitory Complex and the Henderson Building.
Today we enjoy a 140-acre campus with multiple buildings and athletic fields that service 20 different athletic teams, and six other locations in eastern North Carolina. Each building on this campus is given a name because someone cared and cared deeply about helping people to become what they were created to be. • Hart, Griffin, and King Dormitory Complex (were named after people who had a major supporting role in the early days of the College. • Henderson Building (Dr. C. C. Henderson who in the early days of the College provided free medical services for each student) • Moye Library was named honoring the Reverend and Mrs. J. C. Moye, who provided the first library endowed fund during the early years of the College. Their great-grandson, Tyler Daniels, is a senior this year. • Grantham Hall—a Men’s Dormitory (provided by a major gift from Leopold T. Grantham, a self-made attorney from New Bern.) • Rodgers Chapel (was provided by a major gift from Sarah Condon Rodgers in memory of her late husband, Will Rodgers. Even though they never had children, they had a heart to help young people.) • Poole Administration Building (was constructed and given by Roy Poole at the request of his daughter Dr. Pepper Poole Worthington, an English professor at MOC) • Lois K. Murphy Regional Center (was provided by a major gift from Wendell Murphy in honor of his mother, Lois K. Murphy.) • Laughinghouse Hall, which houses the music and art departments, was provided by a major gift from Mr. Jesse R. Laughinghouse in Pitt County. • College Hall was later named the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena due to a generous gift from George Kornegay, honoring the memory of his parents. George Kornegay has been one of the most active persons in this community who, in addition to his own support, has given his time and energy to encourage others to support MOC. • Pope Wellness Center (named in honor of the E. J. Pope family for its leadership and support to provide scholarships for our students. Buddy Pope along with George Kornegay has spent numerous hours encouraging others to support this College.) • W. Burkette and Rose M. Raper Hall, was named in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Raper in appreciation for their many years of service, 50 years altogether, At the time of his retirement from the President’s Office, Dr. Raper held the longest tenure (40 years) of any college president in the nation. I believe that record is still unsurpassed. • Communications Building—just waiting for someone who cares to put their name on it • The Jim Coats House, which houses a portion of the Business Office, was named for the many years of service by Dr. James Coats as Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.
• The Annie Mae Whitfield and Everett Edwin Herring Residence Halls were constructed due to a major gift from Otha Herring, a man who grew up in Duplin County, not far from here, who wanted to make a difference in people’s lives through this College. • The J. William and Marvis E. “Marcy” Byrd Apartment Complex and Assembly Hall, was named in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Byrd in appreciation for their service to Mount Olive College. Dr. Byrd served as president for 14 years. • The Inn at MOC—Residence Hall—also waiting for someone who cares to put their name on it There is a story to be told behind the naming of each of the athletic fields and many of the names you see inside each building; however, time will not allow us to name all of them. Each of these was named because someone cared enough to give of themselves and their resources.
Founders Day Is Also a Time of Appreciation: We have so much for which to be thankful… • I’m thankful for our forefathers who had a vision for MOC. • I’m thankful for the people who came before me, who have helped me to become what I am today, and I’m thankful that I’m still learning and growing. Don’t ever stop learning and growing. Life changes—help make those changes for the better. • I’m thankful that I have been allowed to be a part of your lives. It has made my life richer. • MOC did not just appear because the Convention of OFWBs passed a motion to begin a liberal arts college. It was through the toil, sweat, tears, and many, many prayers of people who dedicated their lives to make this College an educational opportunity of excellence for those who seek the kind of education Mount Olive College offers. I am thankful for those who generously gave their time and now we enjoy the fruits of their labors.
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• What are you thankful for today? Every building on this campus is here because someone cared enough to make it possible for you to use it as a learning facility. Are you thankful or do you just take it for granted? These buildings haven’t always been here. We sit here today because someone cared enough about you to build before you arrived. They cared enough for young adults of the future to make a way for those who came behind them. • I’m thankful that they had a vision, and that they followed through on that vision.
Founders Day is a time of opportunity and encouragement: Whatever our role at Mount Olive College (Trustee, professor, administrator, staff, maintenance, food services, or student) we have an opportunity. We all, students included, have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life each day. We can gripe, we can complain, we can curse others… we can build stumbling blocks or we can choose to make a positive difference. Each day the choice is ours… There is no limit to what can be accomplished when we choose to all work together and help one another become our best. It’s very simple. We can all help one another. We can all encourage one another. It really is so simple…we choose each day, which we will do. There are days you will need encouragement and then there will come days when you can be the encourager. Some days you may be the pigeon and then some days you may be the statue. But, I can assure you of this: There will never come a day when we do not need each other.
Founders Day is a time of challenge: Therefore, I want to issue a challenge to each of us: • We stand today with the potential to build upon that foundation and those pillars that were built before we arrived. Faculty, staff, and administration, what will you contribute while enjoying the labors of those who came before us.
Consider what our forefathers accomplished with much less than we have today. Beginning with a treasury of $6.17—today the College has an operating budget of $37 million. Mount Olive College did not arrive when we set foot on this campus. Others prepared the way for us today and it was a GOOD WAY! I believe it is not only our privilege, but it is also our responsibility to prepare the way for those who will come after us. Students, consider the opportunities that have been given to you here at this College. With the tools you are receiving from MOC, what will you do to make your communities, businesses, and churches better? What will you contribute to help someone who comes behind you? • I would say to all of us, God is looking for someone who is willing to be used. I say this in the most positive of ways. Use our talents, use our abilities, use what we have learned to help others. Are we willing to be used by God, our Creator, or are we just looking for a way to pass the time? I challenge each of us to make good use of our time. Do you realize—each person in this auditorium today— that each of us will leave our mark in some way? What kind of mark do you want to leave? Whether we are a student, a trustee, a professor, a VP, an administrator, a staff member, or whatever role we have today, a part of us will always be a part of MOC. What kind of mark will we leave? A black mark, which eventually becomes a stumbling block, or a shining mark that will light the way for those who come after us? The choice is ours…and I trust we will make shining marks. In the words of our President, Dr. Philip Kerstetter, “May God bless you, and May God continue to bless MOC.”
Western District Woman’s Auxiliary Convention Join us for a Morning of R & R! • Renew the Spirit—Restore the Joy! Saturday, April 5, 2014 • 9 a.m.—Lunch Little Rock OFWB Church • 6115 Little Rock Church Road, Lucama, NC • Pat Montgomery, Speaker Pat Montgomery is a retired art educator who believes that God has given her talents in the art field to promote the work of His Kingdom. Pat sings, speaks, and does potter’s wheel, sculptural, and painting demos at conventions, seminars, churches, clubs, and small group settings throughout North Carolina. 6
Mount Olive College / Raper Hall • Mount Olive, North Carolina
Being People of Service in the Church Schedule of Activities
Sunday School Ministry
Friday night, February 28–Saturday, March 1, 2014
P. O. Box 39 • Ayden, NC 28513 • (252) 746.4963 • www.ofwbsundayschool.org
(Formerly the 73rd OFWB Sunday School Institute)
Friday Night, February 28, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Presentation by Greg and Anna Smith
Restore One Ministry, “The Plight of Human Trafficking” Without any education, most Americans assume sex trafficking happens only overseas, in third world countries or just in big cities. However, traces of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation can be found in every U.S. state, city, and town. American youth are much at-risk to become victims of this horrendous crime. Come and learn how you can identify and address the youth within your own community. This is a MUST for our churches today who wish to minister to our youth.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
• 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. • 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. • 9:50 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. • 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon • 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m. • 1:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. • 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. • 3:30 p.m.
Registration, Mix, Mingle, View Displays, and be Refreshed Opening Assembly, Directions for the Day, and Awards in the Auditorium of Raper Hall Workshop Session # 1 Workshop Session # 2 LUNCH—Murphy Center, Dedicated Exhibit time, and Conversations with workshop leaders and vendors Workshop Session # 3 Workshop Session # 4 Good-bye until 2015!
REMEMBER to turn in all evaluations and suggestions for next year. 7
Workshop Session 1 Introduction to the Book of Revelation: This workshop, led by Buddy Sasser, will provide a brief look into the book of Revelation, since parts of it will be covered during the year in the adult Sunday School lessons. Come to the Table: This class, led by Becky Jo Sumner, will introduce a spiritual retreat day that will be provided for our women on May 8, 2014 at Mount Olive College by the Woman’s Auxiliary of OFWB. Events for the retreat day will be described using a devotion entitled “Jesus, the Bread of Life.” This workshop will be very helpful for Woman’s Auxiliary members. It will explain changes being made to the format of the 2014 Woman’s Auxiliary Convention. The workshop will be informative for all women who are searching for a day away from the daily grind where they can be renewed in their commitment and service to our Lord. Introduction to 1 and 2 Samuel: This workshop, led by John Blackwell, will provide a brief look into the two books of Samuel with the understanding that parts of the two books will be used in the adult Sunday School lessons sometime during the year. VBS 2014: Jungle Safari—Where Kids Explore the Nature of God: This workshop, led by Angel Lorton, will give a preview of Standard Publishing Company’s new Super Simple VBS and will teach your children that God is their Creator, Provider, Protector, Saviour, and King. Come and find out all the new resources available and walk away with a lot of practical tips and ideas. Disabilities Ministry 101: This workshop, led by Rebecca Hamilton from Key Ministry out of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, will provide tips and tools for children with disabilities and their families at church. Ms. Hamilton will review disabilities/conditions that can make church difficult for children and families, discuss the effects of these conditions on church involvement, identify God’s design for inclusion ministry, learn some practical strategies for welcoming kids with disabilities, and discuss ways to effectively communicate with parents of kids with disabilities. Restore One Ministry: Without any education, most Americans assume sex trafficking happens only overseas, in third world countries, or just in big cities. Come and learn how sex trafficking happens within our own state and how it relevantly impacts American youth. Participants will become familiar with the common vulnerabilities and risk factors associated with sex trafficked and sexually exploited youth. At the conclusion everyone will leave empowered to apply the knowledge they learned. The seminar, led by Greg and Anna Smith, will use video, PowerPoint, hands on activity, and group work. This is a MUST if we are to minister to the youth in our communities. Bible Bowl and Elizabeth Hansley Award: This workshop, led by Gracie Jones and Wanda Benson, will provide valuable information about the Bible Bowl for 2014 and the criteria for the Elizabeth Hansley Award that is given to youth groups. This workshop is invaluable for youth leaders as they prepare for the upcoming Youth Convention. Introduction to the Heartshaper Curriculum from Standard Publishing Company for Grades 3–4: This workshop, led by Velvet Lozado, will provide the participants with an understanding of the developmental characteristics of the Middle Elementary Child and the application of the Heartshaper program to those needs. This workshop is back by popular demand. Using Social Media in Evangelism: This workshop, led by Terry and Sandy Ellis, will provide valuable information on how to use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and others to spread the gospel. The teenagers, youth workers, and Sunday School teachers would be especially interested in these methods. Caleb’s Dollar Ministry: This workshop, led by Harold and Sandra Jones, will provide information on how a dollar can be used to feed the hungry worldwide. This was begun by Caleb Branch, son of Chuck and Misty Branch. Teenagers and others would benefit from this work. R. E. A. L. – Information to Life Transformation: This workshop, led by Lisa Burney, will provide a basic understanding of this educational philosophy as it relates to Christian Education. 8
Protecting Assets Before an Uncertain Future: Matthew 6:20 tells us to store up treasures in Heaven where they will be safe, which should remind us of how fragile earthly treasures are. What plans can be made now to ensure one’s wishes are carried out at the time of passing? Come and join the discussion led by Ricky Warren of the North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries that will focus on estate planning, wills, medical directives, life insurance, and other plans that could influence the legacy one leaves behind.
Workshop Session 2 Introduction to 1 and 2 Corinthians: This workshop, led by Chris Skinner, will provide a brief look in the church at Corinth and the two books of Corinthians, since parts of these books will be used in the adult Sunday School lessons sometime during the year. The Biblical Basis for Christian Discipleship: Why Discipleship?: This workshop, led by Brad Williamson, will focus on the scriptural evidence of God’s plan for His people to make disciples of all nations. The biblical truth will be revealed as we examine key passages related to this plan. The intent of this session is to lay the biblical foundation for the next 2 sessions on Christian Discipleship. Introduction to Isaiah: This workshop, led by Neal Cox, will provide a brief look in the world of the prophet Isaiah, since parts of this book will be used in the adult Sunday School lessons sometime during the year. Teaching Strategies for Preschoolers: Do you need some new techniques for teaching preschoolers from the toddler age to four years old? Are you tired of doing the same old thing? If so, come to this session, led by Angel Lorton, and discover the developmental characteristics of these ages and how the Heartshaper Curriculum from Standard Publishing Company will assist in meeting those needs. This workshop is back by popular demand. Disabilities Ministry 101: This workshop is a repeat from Session 1 for those who were not able to be present at that time. Restore One Ministry: This session is a repeat from Session 1 for those who could not be present at that time. Youth Ministry on a Shoestring: This workshop, led by Josh Whitfield, will provide a look at how a church can provide a reputable youth ministry with volunteers and a small budget. He will also get into a job description for a youth minister when a church feels it is ready to go forward. Introduction to the Heartshaper Curriculum from Standard Publishing Company for Grades 5–6: This workshop, led by Velvet Lozado, will provide the participants with an understanding of the developmental characteristics of the Pre-Teens and the application of the Heartshaper program to those needs. Also there will be Bonus Material presented for children in Grades 5–6. This workshop is back by popular demand. Using Social Media in Evangelism: This workshop is a repeat from Session 1 for those who could not be present at that time. This is mainly for teenagers, youth workers, and Sunday School teachers of teens. G•NET (Good News Evangelism Team): This workshop, led by Tim Heath, will provide a good program the church could use to set up an evangelistic effort to spread the gospel to the community. Group Publishing VBS: This workshop, led by Lisa Burney, will provide the participants with a look at two VBS programs. One is Group’s Weird Animals Easy VBS and the other is Wilderness Escape, Holyland Adventures VBS. Come and be prepared for an exciting look into the world of VBS. Protecting Assets Before an Uncertain Future: This workshop is a repeat from session 1 for those who could not be present at that time. 9
Workshop Session 3 Introduction to Jeremiah: This workshop, led by David Hines, will provide a brief look into the world of Jeremiah through his writings since parts of this book will be used sometime during the year in adult Sunday School lessons. The Role of Discipleship in Sanctification—The Purpose of Discipleship: This session, led by Brad Williamson, will focus on the biblical teaching of sanctification and how it relates to the concept of discipleship. The intent of this session is to build on the biblical foundation with a theological foundation of a transformational discipleship. Dealing With Bullying From a Child’s Eye: This workshop, led by Matthew Grubbs, will provide the youth with strategies to deal with others who delight in bullying. Teaching Strategies for Pre-K and K plus Early Elementary Children: Do you need some new techniques for teaching the children from ages 5–8? Are you tired of doing the same old thing: If so, come to this session, led by Angel Lorton, and discover the developmental characteristics of these ages and how the Heartshaper Curriculum from Standard Publishing Company will assist in meeting those needs. This workshop is back by popular demand. The leader will also share with you the newsletter from Standard and any extra tips that are provided for your assistance. Tabletop Conversation With Ms. Rebecca Hamilton from Key Ministry: This session is provided so that anyone who wishes to sit and have a conversation with Ms. Hamilton about any particular learning disability can feel free to do so. Tabletop Conversation with Restore One Ministry Leaders: This session is provided so that anyone in need of further information as to how their church might get involved with Restore One Ministry can sit with Greg and Anna Smith for a conversation. Scrapbooking: This session, led by Cathy Crumpler, is designed to assist those who are working or interested in beginning scrapbooking. The participants are asked to bring their own materials so Ms. Crumpler can assist. We will have some limited materials available. Introduction to the Encounter Curriculum from Standard Publishing for the Young Teen: This workshop, led by Velvet Lozado, will provide the participants with an understanding of the developmental characteristics of the young teenager in grades 7–8 and the application of the Encounter program to those needs. Communication With Social Media (Part 1): This workshop, led by Cindy Peele, will provide hands on help for the Sunday School Superintendent, members of the Board of Christian Education, Sunday School Council members, and any other Christian Education leader in the Sunday School as to how to utilize social media for communication. This will include facebook, twitter, tablets, smart phones, and any other type of media that the participants desire. Kids n’ Kits (Part 1): This session is designed for the youth who are present at the Conference to assist in packing the cleaning kits and hygiene kits with the materials that are brought to the Conference. Members from Home Missions and Harvest Connection will be on hand to help. Introduction to Group Publishing Company’s Christian Education Curriculum: In this workshop, led by Lisa Burney, the participants will take a good look at the overall curriculum design by Group, including Faith Weaver and others. In these different approaches, one will find different strategies for meeting the ever-increasing needs of different age levels in the church. Ministry of Caring for Special Needs People: This workshop, led by Carla Williamson, will provide the participants with a look into the world of the caretaker. This is a demanding job and the leader will help us come up with strategies for dealing with the job in a practical way.
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Workshop Session 4 Introduction to Psalms: This workshop, led by Kelley Smart, will provide the participants with a look into the mind of David as he penned the Psalms. Parts of this book will be used sometime during the year in the adult Sunday School lessons. The Practical Examples—The How of Christian Discipleship: This session, led by Brad Williamson, will focus on the historical attempts of the church to make disciples. We will brainstorm a list of practical suggestions which churches might put into practice in an effort to be the type of church God intended. The intent of this session is to culminate the biblical, theological, historical, and practical knowledge in a strategy that will benefit the local church’s ability to make disciples. Adults Dealing With Bullying: This workshop, led by Matthew Grubbs, will help parents, grandparents, and other adults understand what the youth have to overcome while they are away from home. Hopefully, the group can come up with strategies that will help the children deal with this most difficult problem. Kids Serving Kids—Fully Resourced Missions Curriculum: Do your children need to learn to serve? Do you need some ideas for children’s church, youth group, or just another possibility for the future? This Super Simple Mission Kit will help kids discover the basic need of children living in poverty in developing countries. Along the way, they’ll find the answers to these questions: 1) How do I pray?, 2) What can I give?, 3) Where can I go?, 4) Who will I serve? Come and join Angel Lorton as she helps you explore the world of Kids Serving Kids. Outreach Activities for Youth: This workshop, led by Doug Radford, is designed to provide the youth leaders and others who work with youth some different kinds of activities of service and fun. Introduction of the Encounter Curriculum from Standard Publishing for the High School Student: This workshop, led by Velvet Lozado, will provide the participants with an understanding of the developmental characteristics of the older teenager in High School and the application of the Encounter program to those needs. This is a different approach for this age young person. This workshop is back by popular demand. Communication With Social Media (Part 2): This session is a continuation of the workshop from Session 3. The leader provides hands on help with understanding how different forms of social media can be an assist in communication in the church and Sunday School environment. Kids n’ Kits (Part 2): This session is a continuation from Session 3 as young people pack the cleaning and hygiene kits with materials that have been brought to the Conference. Tabletop Conversation With Lisa Burney: This session will give anyone interested a time to consult with the leader to discuss the individual church’s specific needs and how she might help the participants select a Group curriculum that will work best for them. Ministry of Caring for Special Needs People: This workshop, led by Carla Williamson, is a repeat from Session 3 for anyone who could not make it during that time frame. The children, ages 4–12, will gather in the Hennessee Conference Room in Murphy Center when they arrive where they will have a small breakfast followed by study sessions, games, and good arts and crafts focused on God’s Word. They will have different opportunities to discover God’s love through discovery. They will have a day of fun and learning. Bring your children and let them form new friendships with children from all over the denomination. Their day will run from 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Ms. Gail Heath and her daughters will be working with the children as well as others who can volunteer their time. If parents are needed by the children during the day, the instructors will contact Mrs. Dudley and she will get the parents.
Come and Have a Great Day in the Lord! 11
634 Henderson Street • Mount Olive, NC 28365 • 1 (800) 653.0854 • www.moc.edu
University of Mount Olive
Mount Olive College Becomes University of Mount Olive Mount Olive College President Philip P. Kerstetter announced that effective January 1, 2014, the College officially became the University of Mount Olive. The name change was recommended by the administration and approved by the Board of Trustees at their December meeting. The timing is right to take on the title of university,” said Board Chair Darrell Horne. “The elevation from Mount Olive College to the University of Mount Olive acknowledges the continued growth and success of the institution while providing students and graduates additional prominence in today’s competitive job market. We believe the word ‘university’ more accurately reflects the current complexity of our academic programs and ultimately enhances the value of a Mount Olive degree for past, present and future graduates.” University President Philip P. Kerstetter said, “This historic moment prompts time for reflection upon the legacy provided for us by our founding sponsors, the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. As visionary leaders, they saw the need for an educational institution that would serve the region and the church, and we have continued to build upon that vision. As the needs of the students, the region, and the church have evolved, this institution has had the foresight to anticipate those changes and the ability to respond accordingly. Over the past 62 years, we have witnessed the transition from a junior college to a four-year college, and now the transition to a university with an emerging graduate program.” Kerstetter indicated that, despite the rapid growth, the core commitments of the institution remain the same. “The name change marks a logical progression of growth and development for an institution of higher learning,” Kerstetter said. “Although our name will change, we remain a Christian faith-based, valuescentered institution that offers a variety of educational programs that all have their roots in the liberal arts.” According to Kerstetter, becoming a university will
benefit the institution on a number of levels. The new designation will help boost marketing and branding for the school. It will also help the institution with international recruitment efforts. “In many places around the world, the term ‘college’ actually means high school,” Kerstetter explained. “So ‘university’ in our name translates into greater credibility on the international front. It also opens more doors for our students going abroad, and elevates our profile as a destination for students and faculty from across the globe. I also believe that the change of status would enhance our standing within our local area. For example, people in the greater Goldsboro area often talk about ‘the College.’ However, they usually are referring to Wayne Community College, not Mount Olive College. Wayne County is very fortunate to have two outstanding higher educational institutions, and I am confident that a change in our designation will encourage a greater recognition of this. Now, Wayne County has both ‘the College’ and ‘the University.’” Other benefits cited by Kerstetter include facilitating fundraising and foundation opportunities and the future acquisition of grant awards. Kerstetter indicated that although the name will officially change on January 1, the complete roll-out will take several months. “Every aspect of our operations from business cards, to signage, to letterhead, to institutional marketing, to athletic uniforms, etc. will ultimately be changed,” Kerstetter said. “To do it all at once would be an expensive undertaking. We want to be good stewards of the gifts entrusted to the University, so we will transition into our new name over the next several months.” In closing Kerstetter stated, “This is an exciting time in the life of the University of Mount Olive, and all of us who are connected with this institution look forward to the future. We will continue to transform this institution, and we will continue to serve our students, our founding church, and our communities.”
“The name change marks a logical progression of growth and development for an institution of higher learning. Although our name will change, we remain a Christian faith-based, values-centered institution that offers a variety of educational programs that all have their roots in the liberal arts.” — Philip P. Kerstetter, Mount Olive College President — 12
“Senior-Senior” All Set at 61 When Rebecca Moore graduated from Mount Olive College in December she might have appeared to stand out from the rest. While the majority of students in her traditional classes will be heading off to find their feet in the world, she will be bringing an already eventful journey full circle. A self-professed “senior-senior,” Moore is 61 years old and graduated on December 14, with a degree in English, and a minor in creative writing. Moore’s path to college has been a long one, but one with no regrets. Moore’s unwavering faith has been a constant driving force throughout her life including in her educational journey. As a high school student Moore struggled, and her first college attempt ended prematurely. She later went to secretarial school, where she met much more success. Soon afterwards she met and married Alan Phipps, the father of her two children, Jim and Rachel. Six years into the marriage, Alan was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphatic cancer. Moore was only 28, with two young children to raise. During this period, Moore took it upon herself to make the decisions necessary to support her family. “It was during these trying times that I made a life-altering decision. We were facing major financial struggles and a new administration was heading to the White House. We had no idea what kind of changes would take place or how they would affect disability or veterans benefits. Common sense kicked in, since I was able to work and Alan was not, and I applied to Delaware Technical and Community College to attempt getting my LPN. I knew with this training, I’d be able to find a job and take care of my family. It was a wise decision- one that I’ve never regretted. The irony of this- I was accepted into nursing school on the same day that Alan died.” Moore spent years working as a nurse, but found that something was still missing. So, at the age of 58, Moore enrolled at Mount Olive College to obtain her bachelor’s degree in English. “I wanted my college degree,” said Moore. “But not just any
college degree; one that made sense, and one that was me. I write. It’s who I am, and what I do. The English language is so beautiful and complex, and I love it.” Moore chose the small campus at MOC, because as she said, “I wanted an environment where I could have access to the professors. I didn’t want to be a faceless number.” Being in a class where most students were 40 years Moore’s junior was a nerve-racking experience. It was also a barrier that was broken down when she realized that age was simply a label thrown upon people in the same way as race and gender. “There’s 40 years difference between me and my closest friends. But, just like so many other things in life-when there are differences, we ignore labels and accept each other for who we are,” Moore shared. Graduation means celebration time for Moore and her husband of 32 years, David. For the Moore’s, this means a trip to Disney World. Moore is now looking to the future once again and is considering the possibility of graduate school to complete an MFA or MLS. She also hopes to stay involved with the English Society, Sigma Tau Delta, which has been a big part of her life at MOC. She has also devoted a lot of time to the Writing Center, helping fellow students with their own writing. Moore hopes to continue this venture at the College or elsewhere. It has been a long road for Moore, but her story is testament to the real meaning of a college education. It is not just for young people leaving high school, nor is it just for adults seeking career enhancement. It is a journey that can complete even the worldliest person; enhancing their lives, changing their points of view, and challenging them to become more than who they were before. 13
14 Mount Olive College Students Earn Certified Plant Professional Certification Fourteen University of Mount Olive students have earned Certified Plant Professional (CPP) certification from the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association (NCNLA). These students are among only 2,319 CPP’s in North Carolina. “The North Carolina Certified Plant Professional certification recognizes proficiency in the nursery workforce, upgrades the status of the nursery professional, and provides the public with a means of identifying qualified nursery professionals,” said Ross Williams, NCNLA Executive Director. “NCNLA congratulates the Mount Olive College students for demonstrating their commitment to professionalism in the industry.” The CPP exam is an extremely rigorous exam. It consists of both a written examination to demonstrate mastery of nursery and landscape skills and knowledge as well as a plant identification exam which demonstrates not only the ability to identify 300 plants and plant pests, but also to understand their management and utility in the landscape. “The CPP is a component of one of the classes in our agriculture curriculum at Mount Olive College,” stated Dr. Sandy Maddox, director of the
Front (L–R): Kim Ballance, Morgan Messer, Jessica Hogan, Kaitlyn Brock, Jessica Gordon, Hannah Singleton. Back (L–R): Ryan Kovacs, Tyler Adams, Joshua Wisniewski, Cole Watkins, Heath Brittain, Dillon Robinson, Nelson Cashwell. Not pictured: Johnathan Parker.
Agribusiness Center. “Students taking the class learn plant identification skills, and learn proper plant management and plant utilization techniques. Successfully passing the CPP not only verifies their mastery of these practices, but it also designates our students as highly qualified within the nursery and landscape industry. This is a much sought after certification by green industry professionals.” Students receiving certification were: Tyler Adams of Benson (Johnston); Kim Ballance of Elizabeth City (Pasquotank);
Heath Brittain of Catawba (Catawba); Kaitlyn Brock of Mount Olive (Wayne); Nelson Cashwell of Warsaw (Duplin); Jessica Gordon of Staley (Randolph); Jessica Hogan of Mount Olive (Wayne); Ryan Kovacs of Mount Olive (Wayne); Morgan Messer of Rocky Mount (Edgecombe); Johnathan Parker of Benson (Johnston); Dillon Robinson of Norlina (Warren); Hannah Singleton of Goldsboro (Wayne); Cole Watkins of Hillsborough (Orange); and Joshua Wisniewski of Elizabeth City (Pasquotank).
COMING EVENTS at the UNIVERSITY of MOUNT OLIVE • Matthew Barbee Percussion Faculty Recital
February 21, 2014, 7:30 p.m. • Mount Olive Assembly Hall (207 Wooten St.) • Free Admission Matthew Barbee is an experienced soloist and composer. A freelancer based out of Raleigh, he regularly plays with the North Carolina Symphony and the Triangle Brass band. He currently teaches percussion at Johnston Community College and the University of Mount Olive.
• Lorelle F. Martin Lecture
February 25, 2014, 7:00 p.m. • Southern Bank Auditorium • Free Admission Dr. Dudley Anderson, a noted oncologist, will be the speaker at this year’s Martin lecture. During his lecture, Dr. Anderson will recount the challenges and reward of his decision to pursue the profession of medicine and, more specifically, hemotology and oncology. 14
Teresa K. Hines Named Director of Development and Planned Giving at the University of Mount Olive On the same day that Mount Olive College became the University of Mount Olive, Teresa K. Hines became Director of Development and Planned Giving. The entire team in Institutional Advancement is thrilled to count Teresa as both colleague and friend. There is no person more committed to the mission of the University of Mount Olive than Teresa. Her commitment goes back to the day she became a student. The College was willing to take a chance on Teresa right out of high school in spite of the fact that her family did not have the resources to support her college education. Teresa attributes much of her success to the investment that the College made in her. When Teresa tells the University of Mount Olive story, it will be her story, coming from Teresa’s heart and life experience. Originally from Newport and Holly Springs Original Free Will Baptist Church, Teresa attended MOC from 1978–80, earning her associates degree. In 1984, Teresa returned to the College becoming a member of the College’s first baccalaureate class in 1986, earning a B.S. in Business Administration. Teresa served as executive secretary to Dr. Raper from 1989 to 1991. She then worked for Triangle and Triangle East Bank before joining The Little Bank as Vice President, where she worked until 2012. What distinguished Teresa as a banker were her people skills: Teresa’s commitment was to listen to her customers in order to discover their most critical needs and to help them make the best decisions that would serve their long-term interests. Teresa’s professional experience combined with her love of both the University of Mount Olive in general, the Original Free Will Baptist Church, and individual people in particular are what made Teresa Hines the most attractive candidate to serve in the Office of Institutional Advancement. Dr. John
Blackwell, Vice President for Institutional Advancement said, “Our team was unanimous in its desire to have Teresa as an essential member of Team I.A. We know Teresa to be a person of deep, quiet passion, highly organized, a responsible self-starter, uncommonly wise, and completely committed to the mission of the University of Mount Olive. All of us in Institutional Advancement are thrilled to have her as a colleague.” Teresa said, “I’m excited to be working at the University of Mount Olive. It is a homecoming for me as I worked here in the late 1980s. Mount Olive believed in me and made it financially possible for me to obtain my education. I hope to be able to help future students with the necessary financial resources to realize their dreams and secure their futures.” Teresa is married to Dr. David Hines, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. They have one grown daughter, Ashley, an attorney.
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FAFSA Day, Saturday, February 22, 2014: 9 a.m.–noon, Raper Hall on the Mount Olive campus. New and continuing students are invited to attend this important day. Financial aid counselors will be available to help with the review of your information and to help you complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the form college students complete annually based on their/their parents’ income to ascertain eligibility for federal grants and loans. Admitted Student Day, April 12, 2014: High school seniors who have been accepted and have paid their confirmation fee are invited to attend Admitted Student Day to learn more about admissions, financial aid, scholarships, academic programs, and campus life. They will also complete their fall 2014 class schedule. Contact <admissions@moc.edu> or call (800) 653-0854. Planning List for High School Seniors: High school seniors planning to attend the University of Mount Olive in fall 2014 can get a head start on their college admission file by following this list: • Visit <www.moc.edu> and click on admissions to see the admissions requirements. • Click on “apply now” to complete the free online application. College transfers and new freshmen are welcome. • Complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). Go to <www.fafsa.aed.gov> to find the online form. Call MOC at (800) 653-0854 for assistance. It is best to complete your taxes for the calendar year 2013 before completing the FAFSA. • Have high school transcripts sent to Admissions Office, University of Mount Olive, 634 Henderson Street, Mount Olive, NC 28365. • If you have not had a campus tour, complete the “visit request form” or call (800) 653-0854 to arrange for a campus tour and admissions information session. Parents are welcome. • Upon acceptance for admissions, pay confirmation fee. • If already accepted, make plans to attend Admitted Student Day on Saturday, April 12, 2014. The University of Mount Olive is the Number #1 value for adult education with experienced staff and faculty at all locations. One-night-a-week seated classes and online options that fit your work and family schedule are available. Contact us at <admissions@moc.edu> for more information. • Adult students can apply online at <www.moc.edu> and schedule a visit to the location of choice. Complete visit request form on the website or call 855-MOC-GOAL to set up an appointment. Adult programs are available at Mount Olive, at Research Triangle Park in Durham, and in Wilmington, Jacksonville, New Bern and Washington, NC. The University of Mount Olive is also located in Goldsboro on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. • Programs available include associate degree and bachelor degree programs with majors in: Business administration, MIS (online), accounting (online), human resources (online), healthcare administration, criminal justice (online), early childhood, religion, and RN to BSN (online). Classes are available seated (except where specified online) one-night-a-week, from 6–10 p.m., for five weeks per session. • The online MBA program admissions requirements can be reviewed at <www.moc.edu/programs-of-study/online/ mba>. Contact Lesley Seibel, online admissions counselor, anytime at (919) 346-7046 or by e-mail at <lseibel@ moc.edu>.
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with Nora Koonce Avery
GREATER LOVE My jaw dropped when I saw the florist delivery—beautiful red roses from my husband! The love of my life has never been one to spend a lot of money on ephemeral things, which makes getting flowers from him all the more special. The roses were for Valentine’s Day and he had them delivered to me at work. All day I caught glimpses of the arrangement on my desk, and the uplifting feeling I got each time underscored the message the blooms portrayed—I was loved! Of course, flowers, cards, and candy aren’t the only way to show love, but the floral industry and the card and candy manufacturers would like to make you think it is. Any florist will tell you that Valentine’s Day is the biggest day of the year for the flower industry. As much as I like them, if sending me flowers were the only way my husband showed me love, our marriage would be in big trouble. A successful relationship takes work every day of the year. Some days are days of giving, and some are days of being on the receiving end. Loving— or not loving—someone is a choice. There are many different kinds of love. In Luke 10:27, Jesus told the lawyer that asked how to have eternal life, “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” I find it interesting that He added that last phrase. We have no problem comprehending the need to love the Lord, but sometimes we fail miserably when it comes to loving our neighbor. The love that Jesus is talking about is agape love—the kind of love that asks nothing in return. Look for opportunities throughout the week to show this type of love. Start with your own family. Sometimes we fail to show kindness and selflessness to those we care about the most. Living day to day with them, we seem to get in a groove and think everything will always stay the same, but we are not promised even one minute more with our loved ones. They could be taken from us in a matter of seconds. Let them know how important they are to you. The neighbor that Jesus talks about is not necessarily the person who lives next door, although that may be the case. It could be anyone you pass on the street. God may have put you in that very spot to meet that person’s need. It may be financial, a shoulder to cry on, or you may not ever know what the specific
need is, just that there is a necessity in that person’s life at that very moment. We can all whisper a prayer. We may cross paths with the harried mother of a toddler in the grocery store (pray for peace in her life), or see someone on the street in tattered ill-fitting clothes (pray for their physical needs). Maybe you can help someone that doesn’t have quite enough money to pay for all the groceries on the conveyer belt in the checkout line. It doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive, although if God lays it on your heart to meet a necessity of this type, by all means do it. The important thing we as Christians can do is to pray that God uses us to demonstrate His love, and shows us how He wants us to do it. He will put the right people in your path for you to accomplish this task. Not long ago I had a dream that left me feeling as if I had just stepped out of a scene from another world. I was kneeling at the feet of Jesus. In tears, I asked Him, “Why did you do that (die on the cross) for me?” He answered in His sweet, quiet spirit, “Because I love you.” Unlike flowers, that’s a love that will never die.
Nora grew up in Trenton, NC and now resides with her husband, Eddie, in Cove City, NC. They are members of Wintergreen OFWB Church, and she serves as the Woman’s Auxiliary Vice President. She and Eddie have two sons and three grandchildren. Nora enjoys photography and reading.
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Reverends Buddy Seay and Josh Whitfield _____ More than 40 Workshop Opportunities _____ Mission Rally hosted by OFWBI Foreign Missions _____
THE ORIGINAL FREE WILL BAPTIST CONVENTION MAY 21–22, 2014
“BEING PEOPLE OF SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY” Learn how to maximize the laity within your church to best serve the people and places where you live, work, and worship. All activities begin Wednesday morning, May 21, 2014. Registration and Delegate information will be mailed to local churches soon. Call (252) 746-4963 for more information. 18
Thursday Morning Minister’s I.M.P.A.C.T. Breakfast (New Time) _____ Motivational Music
KORNEGAY ARENA ON THE CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE www.ofwb.org
Guidance In The Night At bedtime, I went to sleep easily enough, perhaps surprisingly, because I had had a delicious two-hour nap after lunch. I awoke, not knowing the time, and tossed and turned, fretting over a decision I needed to make. I looked at the clock: 1:50 in large bright blue numbers stared back at me. Inwardly, I groaned. Feverishly and foolishly I tried to consider all aspects of my dilemma, but the sleepy mind doesn’t analyze successfully. I became more and more agitated, and then I settled down and tried prayer. Prayer calmed me a bit, but soon I was back to sorting out the pros and cons of my decision. Finally, I got out of bed and walked into our study, closing the door behind me so as not to disturb my husband. I drank some water and breathed deeply. I looked in the mirror, illumined by a night light, and I looked amazingly
calm. I turned slowly and then walked back into the bedroom and gently eased into bed. Then I did what I should have done an hour previously: I asked for God’s help in solving this problem, this dilemma. I said simply, “Dear God, I need your help in knowing what to do. Please help me now.” Then I relaxed and my stilled mind brought up aspect upon aspect of the problem. Relevant conversations. Relevant reading. My own surmising. A fully formed answer developed out of the quietness of the night. My reverie ended, even, with a sentence of summation that was different from what my frenzied mind had thought it wanted. I felt great calm. And I concluded by saying to God, “Just don’t let me confuse myself again tomorrow. Help me remember this conversation.”
I felt a warmth that I have come to recognize as one of my better moments with God. I don’t remember drifting off to sleep. But I did. And I awoke the next morning five minutes before the clock radio was set to turn on. And, in the morning and, indeed, all through the day, I didn’t obsess. The problem had been solved. And I didn’t look back at my old confusion. Not every problem of mine is so easily solved. But this time I enjoyed a moment of grace. And I learned, anew, the lesson that I ought to go to God first, before wearing myself out in conflict. This all happened a little over a month ago. I put into practice the decision that I reached that night, and I have been blessed with the assurance that all is well. May I remember next time to turn to God first. May we all so remember.
A former religion librarian at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Celia now lives with her husband Paul in Oxford, Mississippi. She was previously employed at both the Free Will Baptist Press and Mount Olive College.
Church & Ministry Positions Available • Saint’s Delight Church, New Bern, NC is seeking a full-time minister due to the resignation of Pastor J. R. Clark. Please send resume to Pulpit Committee, c/o Deborah Arthur, 5868 River Road, Vanceboro, NC 28586 or e-mail to <dhy@coastalnet.com>. 19
2600 W. Vernon Avenue • Kinston, NC 28504 • (252) 526.9908
home missions & evangelism
From our heart to yours…
Thank You
Home Missions and Evangelism would like to extend a very special THANK YOU to our OFWB churches and individuals for supporting Project Kids Kare, a youth evangelism project of Home Missions and Evangelism in which shoebox-size containers are filled with various items for a specific age range and gender. Because of your generosity, many lives have been touched throughout our state and nation with the love of Jesus. Kits donated to Project Kids Kare in 2013 have helped children and blessed parents from many diverse backgrounds. Recipients of Kids Kare kits include—but are certainly not limited to—families devastated by fire, natural disasters, or job loss; families with low income; and the children of migrant workers. During this past holiday season, the Project Kids Kare was able to bless a single mother whose children were able to enjoy Christmas because of the kits she received when she came to The Harvest Connection for assistance. A family from Guatemala and other Hispanic families were helped through the local programs for migrant workers. A family with four children ranging in ages from two to eleven was helped when their home was lost to fire. Whether you shopped for the items, gave a monetary donation, packed the box, wrote a note, or prayed for the child that would receive the kit, THANK YOU for your dedication and support to Project Kids Kare and Home Missions and Evangelism. While the holidays are always a great time to prepare Kids Kare kits, kits are needed year round to help children affected by various situations. February is a month that we not only reflect on our love for one another, but also on Christ’s love for us. Consider sending a “valentine” to share Christ’s love to a child in need by filling a kit for Project Kids Kare. For more information about Project Kids Kare, contact Home Missions and Evangelism at (252) 526-9908.
How to Make a Kids Kare Kit: 1) Choose a gender for your kit: Girl or Boy 2) Choose an age range: 2–4 years old, 5–9 years old, 10–14 years old, 15–18 years old 3) Fill your kit with items such as hygiene items, non-war related toys, school supplies, T-shirts, socks, individually sealed hard candies and gum, etc. 4) Fill it with the Gospel: Put a Bible, children’s Bible storybook, or other biblical booklet in you kit. 5) Enclose a donation for $5 per kit to help cover shipping costs. 6) Attach the appropriate label for the child you chose (gender and age). 7) Pray for the recipient of your box.
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Save the Date! More Info Coming Soon!
Registration begins April 7
When:
Friday, November 7, 2014 @ 7 p.m. Saturday, November 8, 2014 @ 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: La Grange First Free Will Baptist Church La Grange, North Carolina Cost:
Early Registration—$12 per person After October 1, 2014—$18 per person Group rates available
Wheels on Fire for Christ Rev. Scott Broadway Coordinator Erin Broadway, Education Coordinator (252) 268-9097 [mobile] • (252) 526-9908 [office] erin@wheelsonfireforchrist.com scott@wheelsonfireforchrist.com www.wheelsonfireforchrist.com 21
Women Ministry in
with Vicki Parker Medlin
Love Is… Just prior to Christmas in 1970, Paramount Pictures released the movie, “Love Story.” As a high school senior, I remember it well. Prior to the movie release the novel by Eric Segal was released and nearly every young woman I know read it with tearful pleasure. If you saw the movie or read the novel, you can most likely recount at least one of the two most memorable lines. The words, “love means never having to say you are sorry,” is well known to most. For a 17-year-old in love for the first time, the words were simply beautiful. Today we use the word “love” in many ways. We state, “I love chocolate,” “I love this weather,” “and I love the color red.” In addition to loving inanimate objects, we say things like, “I would really love to travel more,” or “I just love to cook.” But just what meaning do we put to the word “love” that comes so easily to our lips? In this time of mega-churches, multiple services, and worship styles that truly stretch the imagination; where is the love? Recently while waiting in line outside a local funeral home, I had the opportunity to talk with a gentleman for quite a while as we waited for our turn to visit with the bereaved family. Our conversation turned to churches. He stated that he attended a very large church in Wake County that now had several satellite locations that practiced various worship styles. I asked him what was his preference and he stated that although he had been in this particular church for many years, he now finds that he knows very few of those who
attend. We talked a few minutes about “team worship”, “cell groups”, and “worship pods”. He stated that his preference was simply a traditional worship service where the word of God was preached and studied and where he knew most of the people in the pews around him. He prefers a church where the pastor knew the members and their families, their needs, and concerns. I truly thank God there are churches that are experiencing the kind of growth, that this gentleman described. Today, as we seek balance between ministry outreach, growth and the maturation of our congregations, I believe that one of the key components is the absence of “love.” Please do not misunderstand me, I know we love God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but do we truly love our houses of worship, or have they become relics of the past that we are at a loss as to how to move them into the 21st century? Do we “love” the programs, literature, worship style, etc. in our churches? Have they become stale and outdated? Although we may not be ready to do a complete overhaul of our worship services, perhaps we can closely evaluate the central face of our church, which is the Sunday Morning Worship Service, and determine if there are needed changes that could breathe refreshing new life into our worship experience so that we can truly say, “I love to go to church.” Perhaps it is time to rethink the wellworn ways of worship and be willing to say, “love may mean saying you are sorry.” Sorry
for allowing our churches to shrink away from their intended community presence, sorry there are needs within our church members and community that we are failing to address. Sorry that the outreach arm of our church has become shortened due to limited resources for home and foreign missions. Sorry that there are few young families in the pews and sorry that we do not hear “I love my church” as much as we heard it in the past. In response to the inquiry by the religious leaders who asked him which was the greatest commandment, Jesus hit it on the head, when he said we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, might, mind, and soul. But he did not stop there, he said, that we are to also love our neighbors. We do not generally have a great deal of problem loving ourselves, but we do tend to have problems loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, particularly if they are different than we are (See Mark 12:30–31). In this February month of love, let us take the time to rekindle our love affair with our churches and seek ways to ensure that every aspect of an individual’s worship experience is laced with the love that Christ has for His church…His people, and then be ready and willing to take that love outside the sanctuary into a very needy world. Ask yourself this question, “If my church was to suddenly vanish from its’ current location, would it be missed?” If the answer is no or you are not sure, there is much work to be done!
Vicki Parker Medlin is a Johnston County native from Clayton. She is married to Preston Medlin, Jr. and is the mother of two daughters, Ami, who is married to Jason Modlin and Keri, who is married to Phil Heath; and they have three granddaughters. She is an alumna of NC Wesleyan College and Mount Olive College and is currently enrolled at Campbell Divinity School pursuing a Master in Divinity. Ordained in 2012, Vicki is currently a teaching minister at Smithfield First FWB Church and continues to work with the NCDHHS in Raleigh. Along with serving as a teaching minister at Smithfield First Free Will Baptist Church, Vicki is the pastor of Covenant Original Free Will Baptist Church in Hope Mills, NC. 22
A deeper look inside this month’s lessons from the OFWB Foundation Curriculum and commentaries based on the International Sunday School Lessons.
The Sunday School lessons this month are from the Epistle of James, as we continue the theme, “Jesus and the Just Reign of God.” The emphasis this month is “Live Justly in the Reign of God.” Previous lessons established that God indeed reigns in our world and that He is just. That is not to say that everything in the world is the way God wants it to be, because half the world still does not recognize or accept the sovereignty of God. But God has acted in a new way by giving us Jesus, who ushered in the reign of God. All who receive Christ as Savior and Lord belong to God’s Kingdom. Our lives changed when Christ came in. Self is no longer the center of our existence; rather, Christ is the matrix from which all our decisions and actions are derived. James offers wise counsel as we struggle to model our lives after Jesus—as we strive to reflect Jesus in us. A good place to begin is to read the entire Epistle before actually beginning this study. The four lessons concentrate on select portions, but we need to study them in context of the whole letter. As you read you will notice some similarities with the book of Proverbs, as
both include axioms having to do with ethics and morals. Indeed, the Epistle of James follows the tradition of wisdom literature in the O. T. James gives us principles for Christian living. You will also note that James repeatedly uses the phrase, “my Brethren.” He writes, not as an outsider or a superior, but as a fellow Christian. He does not talk down to us, but speaks to us as a brother. The Greek phrase, adelphoi mou, although often translated as my brethren, actually refers to both male and female. James is addressing Christians. The reference in the first verse to the “twelve tribes” of the dispersion (or scattered) may at first seem to indicate that the letter was addressed to Jewish Christians. But in Acts 15:9 and the letters of Paul (Romans 10:12, Galatians 3:28) we are told that in Christ there is no difference between Jewish and Gentile believers—we are Christians. So the letter is addressed to those who have a new life in Christ Jesus; it is not intended for unbelievers. And he is writing to fellow Christians, regardless of gender, race, or nationality.
with Adrian Grubbs
The Letter of James may seem to contradict the Letters of Paul regarding faith and works. To Paul salvation comes through faith in Christ Jesus and not by works of the law. James assumes that his readers already have a saving faith in Christ, because he writes to “my brethren.” As he uses the word “faith” he means our profession of faith—what we profess to believe. And he sees that what we claim to believe is sometimes contradicted by our actions (or works). We profess to believe in Jesus, but do we always treat other people the way Jesus did? To James “works” is not seen as a way to achieve salvation; he would agree with Paul that that will not work (pun intended). For James our works is the result of what we believe. He wants us Christians to pay attention to the ways we interact with others and to assure that our actions reflect what we profess. (Correction: In the December issue I incorrectly used the term “Ennunciation” in reference to Gabriel’s announcement to Mary; the proper term is “Annunciation.” I apologize for the error.)
H. Adrian Grubbs, Jr., was born in Dade City, Florida, to the Rev. Herman A. and Lillian Kinard Grubbs. The family moved to Mount Olive, NC, in 1959. Adrian was ordained in the Eastern Conference in 1963 and has served eight churches. After a 30-year pastorate at Deep Run OFWB Church he retired in 2007 because of vocal problems. Grubbs has served the denomination as President of the Sunday School Convention, Moderator of the Eastern Conference, member of the Eastern Conference Ministerial Examining Board, and is currently on the Mount Olive College Board of Trustees. Adrian and Jo Ann have one son, two daughters, and six grandchildren. 23
P. O. Box 39 • Ayden, NC 28513 • (252) 746.4963 • www.ofwbi.org
OFWB International
The Blessing of Helping Others by Harold Jones In early December, we received an appeal from Ella Mae Cuyo, a young lady in the Philippines who we helped with needed surgery many years ago, but this time it was for her 6-year-old neice, Shynne. She has had a congential problem in her hips since birth. The joint on the left leg developed incorrectly as she grew. Her walk was not normal. She was not able to go to school. The family consulted specialist and each one told them that she needed to undergo an operation to correct this while she is young. The operation was very expensive and the family needed assistance. We are so thankful that we were able to respond to this urgent need so she could have this needed surgery. _______________
We recently received a letter of “thanks” from her Father, Wallrus Cuyo, and we wanted to share this with you: Dear Friends, First of all, I would like to thank God for answering my prayer for the successful surgery of my daughter Shynne Yvette. I and my family would like to thank you for your prayers and financial support. It took 11 hours for the surgery. My daughter is in good condition and is now in the healing process. She can smile now after the surgery. It will take three months before she can walk again, after the removal of the cast and stainless rod. Two minor operations will be necessary before the final major surgery in 2 years. After the final surgery, she should be able to walk normally. Again, I and my family would like to thank you for helping us. I would also like to thank my church family, especially Pastor Andrino Segay and his wife, Letty. God bless you all.
Ella Mae Cuyo
Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! Sincererly yours, Wallrus D. Cuyo Your gifts to Foreign Missions bless many people throughout the year. Our main task is to share the Gospel, but through generosity we are also able to provide for special needs like those of Shynne. 24
Shynne Yvette Cuyo
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P. O. Box 249 • Middlesex, NC 27557 • (252) 235.2161 • www.fwbchildrenshome.org
Children’s Home 26
Church Ministry We are already in the second month of 2014 and Christmas 2013 is just a memory. Christmas 2013 was a great time of love and sharing from our special friends. Special thanks goes to all who helped make the memories possible for the children living at the Home. Listed are just a few of the people who helped make these Christmas season more memorable. All residents helped with the Hanging of the Greens on the first Sunday of Advent. Some hung wreaths, some place ornaments on the tree, some placed the poinsettias. Employees from U.S. Cellular joined with us in worship that evening and helped with the program. Afterwards they shared goodies and gifts with the children. Our Christmas pageant, “The Best Christmas Pageant,” adapted from the book written by Barbara Robinson was modified by Beth Bass, of Piney Grove Free Will Baptist Church, Kenly for the Home. Ms. Beth also directed the pageant. Parts were given to all of the children who wanted to participate, and the others helped out by singing carols. It was a great pageant, and it evoked many comments from the children at the Home on how the true meaning of Christmas is not always taught in every family and how good it feels to be able to share with others. Immediately following the pageant, Christmas refreshments were provided by the Woman’s Auxiliary from Piney Grove. Campus Christmas Dinner is a tradition at the Home. Again this year, members of Milbournie FWB Church, along with their pastor Walt Tyndall provided
a delicious home cooked meal for the Home. Heritage Hall was decorated for the season, and the kids could hardly wait for the meal. They always enjoy the meal, especially the home-cooked desserts. Several of the boys had more than one slice of the Hershey bar cake. The meal was great and then to top it all off a special visitor came by to distribute presents to the children. Ms. Renee Price member of Pine Level OFWB Church, and owner of “Renee’s Child Care presented the Home with poinsettias for each cottage. This was just one of the nice things Ms. Renee has done for the children all through the year. Susan Lackey, along with members of Mosley’s Creek near Dover worked together on projects to help make the season brighter for the children at the Home. It was an inter-generational effort, youth, parents and grandparents, along with many other members helped with the projects (one of which was scarves for all of the girls and staff). Peggy Johnson Pendergraph, who grew up in Mt. Zion FWB Church, Wilson Co, decided she wanted to do something for the children. We were so busy at Christmas that Peggy decided to celebrate “Old Christmas” with us. She currently attends McCuller’s Community Baptist Church in Raleigh, and she asked her woman’s group to help with a project. Peggy and two of her friends Jackie and Jill came and delivered gifts for each child. They wanted each child to start continued on page 28
Hanging the Greens
Johnston County Correction Inst.
Rene delivering poinsettias
BB& T sharing at Christmas
Charles Debbie and Group at breakfast
MIlbournie Church members 27
A Note of Thanks from Church Ministry Director Dianne Riley On a personal note, as we get older Christmas becomes different from what we have known as a child, teenager, and even a young adult. For me, the last 10 years of my life have been very different; there have been circumstances and losses that, at times, seemed unbearable, however, my OFWB friends have always been there for me. Over the past three years—and especially this year—watching the kids struggle with so many changes in their young lives, looking at the number that was left with nowhere to go for Christmas morning, and seeing their response to gifts and visitors, it again made me realize how my OFWB friends are always there, not just for me but for others that they don’t even know. These children would not have had the Christmas that they had without you and I would not have had the special Christmas that I experienced watching them hang wreaths, decorate trees, participate in a Christmas program, eat a huge Christmas breakfast, open real packages (the first time for some), etc. without your love and support. You made a wonderful difference in many lives this Christmas. As always, I love and appreciate each of you more than you know. May you have a blessed New Year.
Needs List • Cleaning Supplies • Dish Washing Liquid • 13-gallon Trash Bags • Gallon Zip Lock Bags • Wrapped Valentine Candy
28
A Special Visit In early December the Home was host to a local celebrity. Miss North Carolina, US-2013, Miss Victoria Vesce, came by to speak to the residents. She gave a short speech on her life before and after receiving her title and then gave opportunity for questions. The residents enjoyed meeting Miss Vesce and appreciated the autograph and picture sessions. She presented each resident with a New Testament Bible and candy. Miss Vesce resides in Wilson, NC, and is the granddaughter of Free Will Baptist minister David DeHart and wife Algie. This was a special evening for the resident boys and girls. Church Ministry continued from page 26
the New Year off with new pajamas. No two packages of pajama’s were alike. Each package was beautifully wrapped and included a small stocking filled with candy. It was a great time fellowship, as Peggy shared with the children about her Christmas’s growing up and how blessed they were to have so many people caring about them. On Christmas morning, Charles Hancock, wife Debbie and Nancy Boykin, all from Marsh Swamp FWB Church assisted Dianne Riley with preparing and serving breakfast. Debbie’s father, George T. Sharp, 91 and a WWII Veteran, wanted to do something special for the children at Christmas; he did several things, but also decided to make sure the children who would remain at the Home on Christmas morning would have a “huge” breakfast with all the trimmings. Everyone had a great time eating their fill, and then opening gifts. There were many other Christmas elves who helped to ensure that all of the children at the Home would have a nice Christmas: Free Union Church, Green County; Lanwood Chapel Church, Smithfield; Hopewell Church, Smithfield; Harrrell’s Chapel Church, Snow Hill; Crusaders SS Class and Journey of Faith SS Class from Stoney Creek Church, Goldsboro; Wooten’s Chapel Church, Raleigh; Ruth Sullivan and friend, Jean Bell, from Hopewell Church; Woodman of The World (Bailey, Lucama, Nashville, and Wilson Lodges), and others who provided gifts, food, and fruit.
Crystal Garden
Cragmont acquired several loads of dirt when the area was excavated for the dining room expansion. The question was what to with the dirt. Some of the dirt was used as filler where a dying rhododendron had been removed. The dirt was just dumped in the hole and had the look of newly plowed ground. It was just a space of rough red clay until the frost of winter enhanced it. With each frost and each freezing winter night that section of earth became a miniature crystal forest. I can’t explain the scientific equation that caused the icy spirals
CRAGMONT ASSEMBLY
December and January brought us visitors like the gentle falling of snowflakes. They drifted in and stretched out in front of our fires. They came as families and watched their children play. They came as church retreats and found their spirits renewed and their knowledge increased. They came as individuals in need of a place to stay on their trips to other places and found safety in the midst of chilly breezes and icy rainstorms. Cragmont provided a place away from the familiar that was complete with Christmas decorations for our travelers. “Getting away” to Cragmont is an exciting adventure in any season. The winter gives the mountains an entirely different atmosphere from any other time of year. If you have never enjoyed the winter at Cragmont you have all of February to sample our unique mountain vistas. Make a call, reserve a room and come sit by our fire on a wintry evening with a cup of hot chocolate and maybe even a snowflake or two falling outside. It is a great adventure and you don’t even have to leave your rocking chair unless you want to visit a mountain attraction or go shopping.
but they appeared. It was as if the rich clay of Cragmont had sprouted and grew to beautiful tapered clear glass shafts of ice. The bed of clay was not only covered in lacy frost but with a forest of ice seedlings that rose from the ground with no visible framework but the frozen water. It was as though icicles formed upside down from the ground reaching upward. Needless to say, it was beautiful. This unique little garden by the driveway has repeated itself on several occasions. What a wonderful object lesson illustrating Cragmont. Human clay and form moved from other locations is dumped at Cragmont for camp weeks and weekend retreats. From the rich spiritual soil of this place, gardens of human potential and commitment grow. Amazingly, miraculously, lives assume the beauty of the Master Gardner’s creative hand.
1233 North Fork Road • Black Mountain, NC 28711 • (828) 669.7677 • www.cragmontassembly.com
Winter Visitors
A Christmas Suppose…
Suppose there is a young adult who has waged the daily battle of defeat the dependence on drugs. Suppose this young person is winning the war and staying free from drug use. Suppose this Christmas Day this individual journeys home to find a visit with his son is not allowed and a drunken family member dominates his own home environment. Suppose this young adult has nowhere to go. Suppose, just suppose, this young person does have somewhere to go to escape this pain-filled, hopeless Christmas Day. Suppose he has Cragmont where there is a clean bed, a warm room and Christmas elves cooking breakfast. Suppose this is a true story. Cragmont has reached into the hearts and lives of countless pain-filled, hopeless people through the years and showed them the Christ of Christmas. 29
P. O. Box 210 • Mount Olive, NC 28365-0210 • (919) 658.5250 • admin@ncfcm.org • rwarren@ncfcm.org
NC Foundation for Christian Ministries
Foundation to Host Discussion on Basic Estate Planning To be held Saturday, March 1, 2014 LIFE Conference University of Mount Olive LIFE Conference Session The North Carolina Foundation for Christian Ministries is excited to partner with the Sunday School Board of the Convention of Original Free Will Baptist to offer a discussion on the important issue of basic estate planning. The event will take place on Saturday, March 1 at the LIFE Conference (formerly the Sunday School Institute) held on the main campus of the University of Mount Olive. The discussion, though not intended to imply any legal or tax advice, will provide participants with an opportunity to ask questions and hear how they can get started finding the help they need in the process of sound estate planning. It is not easy to talk about or even think about the subject of what should be done at the time of one’s passing, but without a plan in place, it is likely that one’s wishes regarding their estate will not be fully known or carried out. Plus, planning ahead helps loved ones avoid painful and expensive legal battles and the burden of unpaid debts.
Session Time and Content The discussion will occur in a session entitled “Protecting Assets Before an Uncertain Future” and will focus on wills, advanced medical directives, life insurance, powers of attorney, tax planning, trusts, and other issues. The session will occur twice, first at
9:50 a.m. and then again at 11:00 a.m. Each session will cover the same material and each will include a discussion on how charitable giving can be a part of one’s estate plan.
Who Should Attend Young and old alike are invited to join the discussion. Certainly older adults who are putting their final plans in order should attend but every adult age group can benefit. For those considering retirement, planning for an unexpected death and surviving family members should be a major concern. For those still in their working years, plans need to be made for children’s college and aging parent’s care. The discussion can even be valuable to young adults with no heirs who should think about taking care of unpaid debts without burdening others. Additionally, anyone with life insurance actually has an estate and needs a plan in place. Those interested in leaving a lasting legacy for their church or favorite charity will find the discussion especially meaningful. As a service, the Foundation will provide a summary of the session information to anyone who makes a request.
Conclusion All are encouraged to attend. Contact the Foundation today at (919) 658-5250 for more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss in private a plan to fit your needs. There is no fee or obligation implied.
Seven Common Estate Planning Mistakes 1. Not Having Any Estate Plan 2. Not Having a Plan to Deal With Exhaustive Medical Efforts 3. Ignoring Future Legislation Issues 4. Failure to Anticipate Taxes to One’s Beneficiaries 5. Failure to Gift Appropriate Assets Before Death 6. Not Having Adequate Insurance 7. Not Remembering One’s Church of Other Favorite Charity 30
Source: Adapted from investopedia.com
The Foundation Legacy Society
For those with a plan to leave a lasting legacy for good.
The Foundation gratefully acknowledges these gifts given during November and December of 2013 in honor or memory of those listed here. In Memory of:
In Honor of:
Mr. Adolph Warren
Mrs. Carolyn Jernigan
By Ms. Jennifer Dunn
Mrs. Merle Faircloth
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
Mrs. Sara L. Massey
Rose of Sharon OFWB Church
By Friendly Senior Citizens of Lee’s Chapel FWB Church
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
Mr. Earl Godwin
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
By Friendly Senior Citizens of Lee’s Chapel FWB Church
Mrs. Rose M. Raper Mr. Kevin Johnson
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
Mrs. Agnes Tart Bolling
Mrs. Jean F. Ackiss
By Lee’s Chapel Church Sunday School Class
By Ricky and Angela Warren
Mrs. Delores Jernigan
By Ricky and Angela Warren
Mrs. Rose M. Raper
By Lee’s Chapel Church Sunday School Class
Mrs. Jean F. Ackiss
Mrs. Merle N. Faircloth
Mrs. Judy Tyndall King
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
By Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
Mrs. Rose M. Raper
By Lee’s Chapel OFWB Church Fellowship Class
By Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
Mrs. Delores Jernigan
Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
By Mr. and Mrs. Phil Hodges
The Reverend and Mrs. Fred P. Baker By Pleasant Hill Auxiliary
The Reverend and Mrs. Fred P. Baker By Pleasant Hill OFWB Church
The Reverend and Mrs. Fred P. Baker By Pleasant Hill OFWB Church Crusader Sunday School Class
The Reverend and Mrs. Sam Weeks By Mrs. Joyce S. Brown
Ms. Bertie A. Sanders By Mrs. Rose M. Raper
Mrs. Rose M. Raper
By Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
By Mrs. Gladys Pope
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
Delores and Odell Jernigan
Dr. Michael R. Pelt
Mr. and Mrs. Burke Raper
By Leon and Jewel West
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
By Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
Mr. Adolph Warren
Mrs. Lois Everington
Ricky and Angela Warren
By Ms. Ann P. Warren
Dr. W. Burkette Raper
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Buddin
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
Ms. Barbara Lancaster
By Mrs. Dianne Brown Riley
By Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
Ms. Bertie A. Sanders
By Ricky and Angela Warren
(January 3, 2014)
Annuity Rate 2
Retirement Income Comparison
CD Rate 1
0.23%
5.1%
1. National Average 12-month CD rate (Source: Bankrate.com) 2. Lifetime rate from the Foundation for a person age 70
(At age 70)
31
with Marc Boswell
From Ducks to Camels As I thought about what to write for this column, I had to repeatedly beat back the temptation to compose a response to the uproar around Duck Dynasty and A&E. From Facebook to Twitter, I read the angry rants and disappointed diatribes of Christian adults, young and old, who felt that Uncle Phil’s comments were either homophobic (and racist) or a sterling example of biblical integrity and moral righteousness. Facebook profile pictures changed to images of the bearded Uncle Phil by those who supported his right to “free speech,” which, ironically, was not actually in danger of being taken away, any more so than the rights of the Dixie Chicks after they were boycotted by country music radio some 10 years ago. Being the free-market loving folks that we are, we sometimes forget that the owners of a television network have the freedom of speech to decide what they want to air (or not) in their pursuit of the almighty dollar. (This same pursuit, after all, led A&E to air a Duck Dynasty Christmas marathon even before they reinstated the notorious patriarch.) But, alas, I’m not doing a good job of avoiding the temptation to talk about Duck Dynasty. I promised myself that I wouldn’t because it’s now 2014, and I hoped to be less cantankerous and ornery in the New Year. More peace and
tranquility; fewer arguments and divisive social issues. Anyway, there must be something more important to discuss than the religious views of a multi-millionaire family who rakes in an insane amount of cash by selling, among other things, their logoed trinkets and knick-knacks. From Duck Dynasty devotional books, to coffee mugs, to t-shirts, to blankets, to plush dolls (for a low price of $19.99), to koozies, to cookbooks, to DVDs, to wall calendars, this family is more than happy to take one’s money and to encourage a more-than-healthy bit of consumerism. Paying off the credit card or finding enough scratch for the heating bill may be difficult for many of their viewers this winter, but, hey, at least we can “support” our favorite bearded purveyors of good, clean, Christian, American values. Surely, many Christian young adults will continue to express their support for Uncle Phil. They’ll enjoy watching the loveable, carefully scripted, goofball antics of the rest of the family. They’ll view with suspicion anyone who dares to criticize their particular type of Christianity, carefully noting Uncle Phil’s extraordinarily brief suspension as one more example of how Christians are persecuted by liberals, secularists, and other fire-breathing, sin-spewing demagogues. On the opposite side of
the aisle, and within our very churches, other young adults who do not agree with this particular Christian view of the world will wonder what place, if any, they have within our congregations and denomination. What concerns me is that many of these young adults will walk away not only from our churches, but from the Christian faith, convinced that being a Christian implies sharing the same manner of biblical interpretation as that of Uncle Phil. If they never see any other type of Christianity, they may never know that there are other paths down which they can walk to follow Christ. And if any of them are “different,” and some certainly are, they may be convinced that the way they were born marks them out as being especially broken, deserving the wrath of God right next to those engaged in pederasty or bestiality. Sure, Jesus may have said that it’d be more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, and there was all of that messy business about selling all of our goods and giving the proceeds to the poor, but the Duck Dynasty multi-millionaires won’t have a problem getting to heaven because, well, because there’s no need to be biblical literalists with all of that stuff about money, right? But I digress….
Marc Boswell is from Saratoga, NC, where he grew up as a member of Spring Branch OFWB Church. He is ordained in the Central Conference and currently lives in Richmond, VA, where he is working toward the completion of a Ph.D. in the fields of Theology and American Religious History at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. 32
Greetings from Camp Vandemere Camp Vandemere
hearts and a vision for a ministry here in Vandemere beside the Bay River, an untold number of people would not be able to remember back to this particular place! I remember the first time I heard the song by Ray Boltz, “Thank You.” It was at my brother’s funeral. The chorus of the song goes like this: “Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed, Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave.” Many people have given so that this camp could exist and I just want to make sure we remember those in a way that would please God! I just want to say thanks to everyone that has supported the camp in the past; to those that can recall it being that special place in their lives and will continue that support for generations to come. We are including a financial update on the rebuilding program. I am writing this on January 3, 2014, so hopefully by print time for TFWB, we will have met our goal. In the December 2013 issue, I mentioned that for us to acquire our loan from Church Finance we needed to have $150,000 in a cash account and total pledges from individuals, churches, or others of $250,000 over a period of five years. I reported in December that we had nearly one half of each of these. I can gladly report to you now that we have over $100,000 in the cash account and over $200,000 in pledges! Praise the Lord. God is good—all the time! Please remember to continue with your regular contributions also. We still incur some expenses, although at a very minimum pace, but they add up! We have turned off as many electrical appliances as possible, as much water usage as possible, and all other items that we can until our buildings are built back. We still have insurance, phone, and a few other expenses that we incur no matter what. If, at the end of each month, we have extra monies, we are transferring it to the building account so we can quickly reach our start goal at the end of January! We are a visual people. Stay connected to the emails coming from the OFWB Headquarters to monitor our progress with our monies needed to start rebuilding. In a nutshell, the camp has been blessed! The timeline I am working on for March’s issue will show that Camp Vandemere is on the verge of a major historical event. We started our fundraising at the end of October of 2013 and it has taken us two and one half months to raise the monies we have now. Again, I say, “Praise the Lord!”
215 N 3rd Street • Vandemere, NC 28587 • (252) 745-3171 • www.campvandemereinc.org
Looking out over the river causes me to reflect on this past year and all the great things that have happened toward the ministry of the camp. It makes me look ahead to see all the great possibilities that God has in store for the camp, as well as each of us. I am reminded of God’s greatness and His promise in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you (Camp Vandemere), declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has certainly prospered us and continues to with the outpouring of prayers, workers, and financial blessings realized to this moment. We have seen disaster in the past. We see God’s blessings daily. We are getting closer to the day to start rebuilding. We ask each of you for continued prayer for our manager, our Board of Directors, our Church Finance Association, our Original Free Will Baptist Denomination, and everyone involved in the upcoming rebuilding process of our camp. In the March issue of TFWB, I plan to include a Camp Vandemere timeline. The timeline will include all the major events information that we currently have historical documents to support, from the beginning of the camp until this year, 2014. As I thought about this project, I realized how important it is to remember what has taken place here at the camp. I know that many of the founding fathers of the camp are deceased, but I also know that it is important to remember these people and how God has used people in the past to develop this ministry. What would have happened if there had been no Camp Vandemere? I’m sure there are many different thoughts here; but I think the most important answers would come from those that have accepted Christ at this place. Lots of times, this is what causes everlasting memories for people; they remember exactly where and when they were saved from a burning hell. Most of us should remember that! And when we recall that event in our lives, our mind goes maybe to a chapel, a river, a mountain or some special place that we’ll remember forever! Camp Vandemere has been that quiet place for many people! Maybe you will be able to look at this timeline and input that event for yourself! An important thing, though, is not to forget why the camp exists—for that sole purpose—to give anyone that comes here the opportunity to learn of Jesus and to accept Him into their heart. But, without prior convictions upon people’s
Thank you and may GOD bless you in this upcoming year! Rick Price, Executive Director, (252) 670-9775 • rickeprice@gmail.com Victor Jones, Chairman of the Board, (252) 559-3876 • nonakent@hotmail.com 33
youth convention
Elizabeth Hansley Outstanding Youth Program Award
This award is named in memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Hansley, affectionately known as “Ma Hansley,” who dedicated much of her life to working with the children & youth of our denomination. The main purpose of this award is to encourage youth group leaders and members to plan, implement, and evaluate activities that provide positive spiritual growth for youth in a variety of areas. The secondary purpose is to recognize those groups which reach a certain level of achievement in this process. Recipients of the Award receive either Gold, Silver, or Bronze level recognitions at the Youth Convention in May. Applicants must complete an application documenting activities their Youth Program have completed from May 2013—April 2014 in the following areas: • Development of Individual Youth Members (Christian Leadership; Health & Well-being; Spiritual Growth) • Development of the Total Youth Program (Recruitment; Financing; Denominational Leadership) • Development of the Church (Cooperative Efforts; Facility Maintenance and/or Improvement; Congregational Ministry) • Development of the Community (Community Outreach; Physical Improvement; Citizenship) Complete applications and more information will be distributed with the Youth Convention Registration Packets. Registration Packets will be mailed to Youth Directors listed in the Directory of Churches provided by the Convention Offices. Registration Packets will also be available to pick up at the Church Night Basketball Games at the University of Mount Olive on February 1 and at the LIFE Conference (also at the University of Mount Olive) on February 28—March 1.
Bible Bowl 2014 Friday, April 4* Saturday, April 5 at The University of Mount Olive Times will depend on how many teams sign up! *Friday is reserved depending on how many teams sign up! Deadline to sign up a team:
March 1
________________ To sign up a team from your church, or for more information on Bible Bowl, please contact:
Wanda Benson (919) 553-2994
Gracie Jones (910) 298-3061
Angie Toler (252) 671-1548
Faye Bryant (910) 625-0216
For more information on the Youth Convention or the Commission on Youth & Student Ministry Leadership, contact: Victor Jones, Chair (252) 298-3061 • Alex McCarter (252) 746-3534 Heather McPherson (910) 770-2380 • Marci Rollins-Smart (252) 239-0361 Todd Sutton (252) 341-1093 • Angela Warren (910) 892-3725
34
EACH CHURCH IS ASKED TO SEND AN OFFERING OF AT LEAST $150 TO GO TOWARDS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH PROJECT AND TO FUND THE PACKING OF AT LEAST 10,000 STOP HUNGER NOW MEALS
2014 YOUTH CONVENTION Of Original Free Will Baptists May 16–18, 2014 University of Mount Olive ENJOY GREAT MUSIC, A DYNAMIC SPEAKER, FUN-FILLED WORKSHOPS, INFLATABLES, AND FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN KIDS AND TEENS! FOR ALL AGES PRE-SCHOOL—18 YEARS OLD! Keynote Speaker: Kevin Davis, Minister of Youth, Antioch Baptist Church, Lumberton, NC. Founder of Kevin Davis Creations Ministry. Graduate of Campbell University and Southeastern Baptist Seminary. Find out more about Kevin Davis at: http://kevindaviscreation.com Band: Traditional City (formerly The Noise) www.TraditionalCity.com
Keep an eye out in future issues of The Free Will Baptist for more details! 35
Book reviews in this column are not meant to reflect any theological or political positions.
Max Lucado, Traveling Light Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001. 220 pages. ISBN 978-0-8499-1345-7.
God’s Role in Reducing Life’s Baggage God As Yahweh Max Lucado turns to the Twentythird Psalm to clarify how we might be able to spend our life with less baggage. In his book, Traveling Light, he insists that the weight of baggage is not the heaviness of our packed bags but the burdens in our minds—numerous burdens from discontentment, weariness, guilt, hopelessness, arrogance, shame, loneliness, fear, grief and doubt to homesickness. How do we lighten our burdens? David tells us in the Twentythird Psalm to build our trust in God whom David called Yahweh over other names: El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Elyon (God Most High), El Olam (God the Everlasting) (13). Why did David choose Yahweh? God spoke to Moses and identified His name as Yahweh, which means, “I AM” (14). Lucado notes that I AM is close to the Hebrew verb havah (to be) (14). Lucado observes: “It’s quite possibly a combination of the present tense form (I am) and the causative tense (I cause to be). Yahweh, then, seems to mean ‘I AM’ and ‘I cause.’ God is the ‘One who is’ and the “One who causes’” (14). The presence of God as Yahweh is a presence forever on our trail. Lucado recounts biblical stories of people who could not escape God—Adam and Eve “hiding in the bushes” (145) with God asking where they are, Moses wandering in the desert only to see “a bush blazing” (146), John the Apostle on Patmos where he felt the skies open and the presence of God with him (146), Lazarus three days dead only to hear a voice and rise 36
up (146), the disciples being followed by God in the storm (146), and the unnamed Samaritan woman who heard God (146). Yahweh is. Yahweh exists with us, His rod and staff comforting us, His protection restoring us (5). The secret of traveling light is the secret of Psalm 23: What you have in your Shepherd is greater than what you don’t have in life (32).
Stories That Lighten Burdens In the 18 chapters of Traveling Light, Max Lucado presents an array of stories to emphasize the importance of God’s role in diminishing burdens. He reminds us that David as a boy took care of sheep—not an easy task, because sheep are “woolly, simpleminded and slow” (39). For sheep to sleep, everything has to be right—no predators, no tension, no bugs, no hunger (39). Sometimes oil has to be put on the sheep’s nose to prevent flies from “depositing their eggs into the soft membrane of the sheep’s nose” (126). Sheep can go insane from the “wormlike larvae” (127) in the nose. The “oil-like repellent” (127) can keep “insects at bay and the flock at peace” (127). David knew how important the shepherd was to the sheep’s survival; thus, he begins his Twenty-third Psalm: “The LORD is my shepherd” (5). David’s imagery comes from the reality of his childhood when he as a shepherd found green pastures, a safe location, and a place where he could watch over the sheep. The shepherd was in charge so the sheep could sleep (40). God as man’s Shepherd allows us to “be able to get some sleep” (40).
Lucado tells the story of a cookie party where those who attended had to bring a plate of cookies. Lucado did not cook and found himself without his own plate of cookies until a “saintly sister in the church” (66) gave him a gift of cookies to give him “a place at the table” (67) at the party. God allows us to be present by virtue of His gift of Jesus Christ (67). Another story Lucado spins is his vacation adventure at a small town café where he thought people were looking at him because they recognized him as a writer. What he discovered, however, was that he had blood on his face from shaving and people were frightened (71–72). God found a way to keep Lucado humble. Lucado recalls an “elementary-age boy” (76) who came home and excitedly told his mother that he had a part in the school play. He exclaimed, “I got a part. I’ve been chosen to sit in the audience and clap and cheer!” (76). He was part of a team. Charles Spurgeon trained ministers to think of themselves not as great orators but as humble servants (76). To give his daughters a sense of protection, Lucado pretended he was Shamu the whale who dived with them in the family pool. He would take them to the bottom of the pool and then bring them back up to the top. He notes: “After several plunges they realized they had nothing to fear. They feared no evil. Why? Because I was with them” (85). The story of the death of Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse’s wife is poignant. Barnhouse was driving home with his children after his wife (and their mother) had been buried. A moving van passed his
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car leaving a shadow over Barnhouse’s car. He suddenly asked his children, “Would you rather be run over by a truck or by its shadow?” (94). Then he explained that the “truck of death ran over the Lord Jesus” (94) so that today they might only experience the “shadow” (94). Loneliness is a burden in traveling and Lucado tells the story of an elderly woman who lived alone in an apartment in the Austin, Texas area. She ordered a jug of water each day rather than have city water so that a person would come to her each day (105). God’s intimacy can lighten loneliness. Lucado compares God’s gift of hope to lighten the baggage of life to a childhood memory when as a child he would go down into his grandmother’s cellar in West Texas. He would see how long he could stand the darkness, because “not even a slit of light entered that underground hole” (136). When he couldn’t take the darkness anymore, he “would race up the stairs and throw open the door” (136). At that moment “light would avalanche into the cellar” (136). Lucado stresses: “Just as light poured into the cellar, God’s hope pours” (136) into our lives.
The burden of not feeling at home is also baggage in traveling. Lucado tells the story of the parakeet named Pootsie from Green Bay. One day she escaped and found a new home after Mrs. Gleason adopted her from the humane society. The little bird was happy but one day whispered into Mrs. Gleason’s ear an address—1500 South Oneida Street, Green Bay. Mrs. Gleason took Pootsie to that address and found 79-year-old John Stroobants who had missed his parakeet Pootsie. Lucado writes: “Deep down you know you are not home yet” (153). Why? God has planted “eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Images and Lines of Note in Lucado’s Voice Max Lucado has a way with images in his writing voice. He speaks of “the baggage claim of life” and “the duffel bag of weariness” (38). He talks about the “energy gauge on the dashboard of our forehead” (39) registering empty. He calls worry “the burlap bag of burdens” (47). He sees people wanting to cut “a path through the underbrush of sin and death” (58). He calls Calvary “the compost pile
for guilt” (67). He speaks of the bags of the mind that we carry are loaded with “binges, blowups, and compromises” (66). A man afraid of crowds sweats “like a sumo wrestler in a sauna” (99). He speaks of the “deadly briefcase of envy” (133), of both goodness and mercy as the “celestial escort of God’s flock” (145), of the difficulty of the “languages of disease and death” (153), of miracles around us popping “like fireflies” (162), and of nature being the “gallery” (162) of God. Lines of note in Lucado’s voice are these: 1) “The bow cannot always be bent without fear of breaking” (42). 2) “Ponder your success and count your money in a cemetery” (75). 3) “And the best way to face life is to be honest about death” (84). 4) “Anger lives in sorrow’s house” (91). 5) “We speak of a short life, but compared to eternity, who has a long one?” (92). 6) “A person can be surrounded by a church and still be lonely” (108). 7) “The empty tomb did not erase the crowing rooster” (116). 8) “Aging is God’s idea. It’s one of the ways he keeps us headed homeward” (155).
Pepper Worthington was born in Kinston, NC, and married an OFWB retired minister, Michael Gauker Warning, in 1996. The Rev. Warning served as pastor to Free Union OFWB at Sea Level, NC. She received her B.A. degree cum laude at Meredith College in 1965, her M.L.A. degree at Johns Hopkins University in 1969, and her Ph.D. with Phi Kappa Phi honors at the University of Maryland at College Park in 1976. She has been a professor of English at Mount Olive College since 1979. She is also currently the director of the Mount Olive College Press.
37
community connection
Shown above are those from May’s Chapel Church, Dudley, NC, that visited Cragmont the weekend after Christmas.
May’s Chapel at Cragmont Matthew Daughtry-Grubbs led the teenagers and adults in a four-part study of the book, The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, and Amy Daughtry-Grubbs taught and led the children’s activities. Their leadership and preparation for the weekend resulted in 51 people attending. Other events of the weekend included snow tubing, a game of whiffle ball, a night out for adults while the children participated in Cragmont scavenger
hunts and team activities at Cragmont, a late night run to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, lots of games and rocking around the fire. Before leaving, the group gathered for a picture on the building site of the addition to the dining hall and presented Cragmont with a check for $1,000 to help with the project.
New Sandy Hill News Anderson Barnes, son of Ronnie and Amanda Barnes of Pikeville, NC recently graduated from Mount Olive College with a Bachelor of Science in Religion. He is engaged to marry Miss Danielle Hare of Goldsboro. He was ordained in the Western Conference within a week of his graduation. In September of 2013 he accepted the position as pastor of New Sandy Hill Original Free Will Baptist Church in Bailey, NC. He is already busy working in the church visiting and getting acquainted with the congregation and working in the community spreading the gospel of Jesus. Pastor Barnes has a great desire to see people receive Christ into their lives and wants everyone to know they are welcome in his church. He wants the entire Original Free Will Baptist Denomination to know they are all welcome at New Sandy Hill Church and that it is time for a revival within this denomination. It has been said that any group that ceases to grow and spread is already dying. Standing still is stagnation and sure death. We are expecting great things this year 2014. Join us in praying that revival will begin at New Sandy Hill and throughout our Free Will Baptist Denomination and impact the world. Come! Let us join together and spread true revival throughout our communities and our denomination. 38
Psalms for the Soul with Linda Herring
The Bible speaks to us but the Psalms speak for us. Crying out to God is the response to an urgent need. The problem can be heartbreaking news, a dangerous situation, physical pain, or spiritual confusion. Whatever the cause, we seek immediate relief from God. Like Peter sinking into the sea, we are saying, “Lord save me.” We call out when bad news comes, because we acknowledge that only God has the power to change circumstances. When we are walking obediently with Him, He will respond. He may not alter the situation but He will go with you through it. He will replace fear with courage and confidence. Whether we are sinking in a sea of pain or anxiously seeking a taste of God’s living water, the Lord hears our cries. Psalm 91:15 says, “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” God will never leave us nor forsake us. He promised. Do not let the stresses of the day steal your Psalm.
Linda Herring is married to Vernon Herring. They have two children, Amy and Vernon and three grandchildren, Jenna, Jared, and Noah. Linda is an active member of the White Oak Grove OFWB Church in LaGrange, NC. Linda leads a Bible study group, Circle of Friends. She has been a drama director of two dramas that she wrote, They Called His Name Jesus and The Book of Ruth. She is a resource for the OFWB Woman’s Auxiliary. Her outreach ministry includes this column in TFWB, a radio broadcast by the same name (aired on WAGO 88.7 FM), and a weekly devotional article for the La Grange Weekly Gazette and The Sampson Weekly. She also has a devotion book printed by the Mount Olive College Press.
Jackson Heights Youth Excel The Fellowship Hall of Jackson Heights OFWB Church was recently the setting for an art show, featuring the artwork of a teen church member, Megan Brock. A senior at North Lenoir High School, and a 6-year art student, the art show was Ms. Brock’s Senior Art Project. The artwork included pencil sketching, and oil & acrylic paintings on canvas, wood, and concrete. Light refreshments were served as guests observed the visually aesthetic display. One of Ms. Brock’s paintings was of the Camp Vandemere lighthouse with the Bay River in the background. She donated the painting for a silent auction, which began during the art show and will continue for a couple of weeks. Proceeds from the silent auction will go towards the rebuilding efforts of Camp Vandemere. In September, another of our teens, Mary-Ashlyn Tucker (bottom right picture) competed in the DYW Scholarship Program and became the 2014 Distinguished Young Woman of Lenoir County! Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative
experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. The DYW Scholarship Program begins on the local level, with winners advancing to state and national levels. Ms. Tucker, a senior at North Lenoir High School, will be traveling to Greensboro to compete on the state level. The Jackson Heights Church Family is so proud of all our youth who freely share their talents for His glory! 39
JOIN US FOR THE
NEW LIFE! NEW YOU!
WOMAN’S DAY OF RENEWAL
MARCH 22, 2014
KING’S CROSSROADS OFWB CHURCH 2080 SEVEN PINES ROAD, FOUNTAIN, NC 27829 9:00 AM BREAKFAST (DOUGHNUTS, BAGELS, COFFEE, JUICE) 9:30 AM PROGRAM BEGINS 12:30 PM LUNCH
Guest Speaker: Kerri Kidd Special Music: Made By Mercy Trio Registration: $15 for each auxiliary attending FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MAY PITTMAN AT (252) 756-3517
Sponsored by the Central District Woman’s Auxiliary 40
Standard LESSON
Teacher’s Study Bible A
The Standard Lesson Teacher Study Bible is designed specifically for teachers and serious students alike. Great for Sunday School, adult Bible fellowships, and small groups, this Bible contains a wealth of resources for virtually every Scripture passage on which a lesson would likely be based. Distinctive elements include: KJV text, study notes from the #1 selling Commentary in America, cross references, discussion questions, in-text maps, Bible book introductions, a comprehensive time line, a pronunciation guide, a Concordance, a daily Bible reading plan, and an easy to read 10 point font size.
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Cross & Crown 3928 Lee Street Ayden, NC 28513 252.746.6128 1.800.849.3927
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Vernon Park Mall (beside Belk) Kinston, NC 28504 252.527.2843
Cross & Crown
Glenburnie Plaza (behind Bojangles) New Bern, NC 28562 252.638.6193
Spreading the Word. For Life!
If estate planning looks too complicated,
let the Foundation help. Discussion session to be held on Saturday, March 1 at the Sunday School LIFE Conference on the campus of the University of Mount Olive
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