Online 2023 Mother's Day Program

The 6th Sunday Of Easter

The Reverend Charlie Maddox Worship Leader

Doxology CallToWorship

Occasion

SisterDianeThrasher

BrotherFrankThrasher

SisterAnnieIngram

Dance Presentation –

Sister Lea Christianna Nelson

Presentations & Memorials –

Brother H. V. Brown

Song Of Praise –

Brother Bruce & Sister Tonya Haygood

Scripture – John 10: 11-21

Brother D.R. Green

Song Of Praise –

Brother Bruce & Sister Tonya Haygood

Message – The Reverend Marben Bland

“I Am The Good Shepherd.”

Invitation To Discipleship

#430 Faith Of Our Mothers

Benediction

Call To Worship

A Celebration Of Mothers, God’s Good Shepherds.

Leader: Today we celebrate our mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and all the women who have loved us. Today we celebrate all the women who have been good shepherds.

People: Thank you God for giving us mothers. Thank you, God, for giving us good shepherds.

Leader: Today we remember with deep gratitude all the ways they demonstrated their love for us, all the ways they were good shepherds.

People: Sometimes we did not understand them, but we know that God understood, because God sent these women to us to be good shepherds.

Leader: Today we take time to remember our mothers because a mother's love is most like God's love. A mother’s love is like the love of a good shepherd.

People: Today we thank the Lord for the faith of our mothers. We thank the Lord for their tears, for their hugs, for their wisdom, for their unfailing trust in our abilities, we give thanks today to our mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and all the women who have been our good shepherds.

#430 Faith of Our Mothers

A. B. Patten/Henri F. Hemy/James G. Walton

1. Faith of our mothers, living still In cradle song and bedtime prayer; In nursery lore and fireside love, Thy presence still pervades the air. Faith of our mothers, living faith, We will be true to thee till death.

2. Faith of our mothers, loving faith, Fount of our childhood’s trust and grace, Oh, may thy consecration prove Source of a finer, nobler race; Faith of our mothers, loving faith, We will be true to thee till death.

3. Faith of our mothers, guiding faith, For youthful longing, youthful doubt, How blurred our vision, blind our way, Thy providential care without. Faith of our mothers, guiding faith, We will be true to thee till death.

4. Faith of our mothers, Christian faith, In truth beyond our stumbling creeds, Still serve the home and save the Church, And breathe thy spirit through our deeds; Faith of our mothers, Christian faith, We will be true to thee till death.

11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.

14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”

Black History Moment

Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.

The Mother Of The Civil Rights Movement

I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me.

“These aren’t the words of a crazy man. Can a ‘crazy man’ open blind eyes?”

Dr. Melanie James

Principal, Alps Road Elementary School

Speaker

BTrivia ibleStudy

TestyourBibleknowledgebyansweringtheBibleStudytrivia question.StudythepassagethenemailyouranswertoSister TonyaHaygoodbibletrivia316@gmail.comormessageyour answertotheGreaterBethelFacebookpage

www.Facebook.com/GBAAthens. Onewinnerwillbedrawn eachweekfromthecorrectanswersandwillbeannounced onThursday7:00PMETduringBibleStudy.

Armell Stroud

The The LeaderOf LeaderOf TheBand TheBand

Psalm 100 reminds us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, serving God with gladness and coming before his presence with singing. Armell Stroud, educator, entrepreneur, entertainer, and man of faith was the embodiment of Psalm 100, a leader of the band.

Through it all Brother Stroud was a man of God holding firmly to Jesus.He led the band in Psalm 100 fashion giving freely of his musical gifts, playing, singing, teaching, and serving with gladness for many churches in Athens and beyond. Including our church, The Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church where he played for us until God called him home.

A renaissance man Brother Stroud led the band with excellence. As an educator, he led the band as an innovator in the classroom exposing students to art, beauty, and culture. As an entrepreneur, he led the band furthering his father’s legacy by successfully operating night clubs, apartment houses, and other businesses. As an entertainer, he led the band performing with alltime Jazz greats thrilling audiences worldwide with his talents.

As we mourn the passing of this leader of the band let us take solace in these lyrics from the singer, songwriter Dan Fogelberg:

“The leader of the band is tired And his eyes are growing old But his blood runs through My instrument And his song is in my soul My life has been a poor attempt To imitate the man I'm just a living legacy

To the leader of the band.”

Father God, thank you for Brother Armell Stroud, a Godly leader of the band.