Whitesburg APRIL/MAY 2015
PAGE 2
THE ONE WHO never changes
PAGE 10
my “small” mother’s day PAGE 26
GAP Ministry
College Grads & Young Professionals
Making it easier for families to be intentional at home. At Whitesburg Baptist, families are of the utmost importance. We have free resources and team members who can help.
WhitesburgBaptist.org/HomePoint
WHITESBURG BAPTIST CHURCH HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
Inside
Whitesburg APRIL/MAY 2015
PAGE 4 Because He Lives
2 The One Who Never Changes By Dr. Jimmy Jackson
4 Because He Lives By Harold Fanning
8 Empty Tomb Cookies A special Easter recipe!
10 My “small” Mother’s Day By Melissa Romine 13 My Amazing Mom Kids answer questions about their moms.
PAGE 13 My Amazing Mom
17 Kid’s Space Sudoku! 18 The Box By Grier Tiner 22 New Beginnings By L.A. Frank-Brandau
Whitesburg magazine is a publication by Whitesburg Baptist Church, 6806 Whitesburg Dr., Huntsville, AL 35802-2299. (Permit No. 446) Publisher: Whitesburg Baptist Church Editor-in-Chief: Rev. David Dye Graphics & Publishing: Melissa Schuster, Ron Snyder Editorial Assistants: Karen Tidwell, Beverly Dishman, Katie O’Boyle
26 GAP Ministry for College Graduates and Young Professionals By Jena Rowe and Anna Luttrell
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PAGE 22 New Beginnings April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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ONE Never
The Who
Changes by Dr. Jimmy Jackson
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God’s Word declares in
Hebrews 13:8 that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” That revelation does not seem so remarkable unless we pause to think intentionally on it. Unlike the world He created, God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are unchanging and unchangeable. Everything else is in constant flux. Change is inevitable in a world of time and space. It is normal. It can be good, helpful and profitable, but it can also be bad, hurtful and unprofitable. We are coming into a time of the year when many major changes take place. Weddings, graduations, and family holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming our way at an all too rapid pace. When they come in bunches, we can be overwhelmed and discouraged. The absence of a loved one by death or a broken relationship seems more painful during what should be some of the happiest changes in our lives. So what is the point? It is very important to know God and to be able to trust in His unchanging love, grace , holiness, righteousness, and sovereignty.
He loves every person on this earth, and that certainly includes you and your loved ones. He gave His only Son, Jesus as a substitute to die on the cross to take upon Himself all of our sins. He did that because He cares so deeply about each of us. When we face the fact that we have broken God’s laws, and that we cannot know Him until we confess our sins and trust Him to change us, we will be saved. Having the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Master will give us peace, courage, strength and hope whatever else may be happening around us. He is unchanging and unchangeable. You will never regret knowing and following Him. If you want to have more information or counseling about your relationship with Christ, please contact the Whitesburg Baptist Church office at 256-8810952. Through the good changes and the bad ones, and all of those in between, He will be with you forever. Dr. Jimmy Jackson
is the Senior Pastor of Whitesburg Baptist Church in Huntsville, AL.
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Because
HE LIVES by Harold Fanning
Growing up in rural North
Alabama during the 1960s was a fun time. Easter Sunday was no exception. It was a time when most everyone attended church. The little sanctuary would be packed with people decked out in an ocean of pink, yellow, and blue. Women usually wore a new dress, white gloves up to their elbows, a pearl necklace and their best high-heeled shoes. The girls were dressed in their patent leather shoes and frilly dresses with a matching Easter bonnet. Likewise, the men sported their best Sunday attire. Easter lilies adorned the pulpit area and filled the room with their aroma. Easter was always a special
family time at my grandparents’ house. There would be an egg hunt after Sunday dinner in which all the children longed for the prize egg. The prize usually consisted of jelly beans and a shiny quarter! Then there were the chocolate bunnies, and marshmallow Peeps®, fruit and cream filled eggs that every kid yearned for. Of course, there were always the dyed and decorated eggs, placed in woven baskets with green and yellow colored “straw” cushions. There is certainly nothing wrong with fun family and church activities. However, we can never allow these to delude the true meaning of the Easter April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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BECAUSE HE LIVES season. When our focus is taken off of Christ and His resurrection and placed upon other things it reduces this tremendous event to nothing more than just another holiday. Bill and Gloria Gaither captured the essence of Easter when they penned the words to one of the most heart-felt hymns ever written…. Because He lives I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, just because He lives.1
Easter marks the time when we remember Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When mankind had no hope, Jesus took our sins upon Himself – and arose three days later, thus confirming Himself as the Son of God. He is Lord, He is God incarnate, and He is our redeemer and living Savior! What does His death and resurrection mean to us? It means that Jesus loved us so much that He willingly laid down His life for us. It means Jesus intentionally planned for His own sacrifice on our behalf. It means that the Lord actually 6
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planted and blessed the very tree of which His cross would be constructed. It means that He placed the iron ore in the earth of which the spikes in his hands and feet would be cast. It means that God allowed Pilate, the Roman governor that handed Him over to be crucified, to grow to full term within his mother’s womb. It means He permitted the Roman government that sentenced Him to death to survive. But it also means something else – it means that there is no limit to which God will go to bring all of us to Himself. This Easter our Whitesburg Baptist Church family prays that you find the ultimate prize, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as your own personal Savior. 1971 Gaither Music Company (ASCAP) ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management.
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Harold Fanning has
been married to his wife Debbie for 41 years. He is a retired pastor who currently serves as a Hospice Chaplain. Harold speaks each Wednesday night at the Prayer Meeting service and is a hotrod enthusiast.
Luke 24: 1-6
NKJV
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!�
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EMPTY TOMB Do you have special Easter traditions? For some it is new clothes to wear to church on Easter Sunday, or maybe you have the most epic Easter egg hunt imaginable. For others reverence is the top priority with observations of the Lord’s Supper and Scripture readings taking center stage.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans, in a plastic baggie 1 teaspoon vinegar 3 egg whites 1 pinch salt 1 cup sugar Gather a cooking mallet, masking tape and a Bible.
Directions:
1. Saturday Night Before Easter Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 2. Read John 19:1-3. “Jesus was beaten for our sins”; beat the nuts in the baggie with the mallet; set aside. 8
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If your family is looking for a new way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter, try the recipe below. It brings the family together to walk through the Easter story on Saturday evening and then wake up to celebrate the greatest event in human history with a fun treat that is full of symbolism. 3. Read John 19:28-30. “Jesus drank something like vinegar (gall)”, sniff and taste it; place the vinegar in a mixing bowl.
4. Read John 10:10-11. Egg whites symbolize Jesus’ holy, innocent life; add whites to the bowl with the vinegar.
5. Read Luke 23:27. The bitter tears of the women; taste the salt, remember your own sins; add the salt to the bowl. 6. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16. Sweet salvation! Taste the sugar and add to the bowl.
7. Crank up the mixer and let it mix for 12-15 minutes while you read from Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3; the mixture needs to end up very stiff!
8. Read Matthew 27:57-61. Fold the nuts into the egg/sugar mixture; this symbolizes the rocks in the garden. 9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (linen cloths) and use a scoop or spoon to drop into mounds (to resemble a rocky tomb); put into the preheated oven and turn it off! 10. Read Matthew 27:65-66. The tomb is sealed; use two pieces of masking tape to symbolically “seal� the oven door edges.
11. Read John 16:20 & 22. Consider these passages, then go to bed!
12. Easter Sunday Morning Read Matthew 28:1-9. Jesus is risen! Behold, the empty tomb! Unseal the oven door, take out the cookies, and break or bite one in half. It should be hollow (empty) inside just like the Tomb! He is risen! Hallelujah!
No matter what your traditions are, I pray that you have a beautiful Easter season and celebrate in the truth of the traditional Easter greeting: Christ the Lord is risen, He is risen indeed! April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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my “small ” mother’s day by Melissa Romine
May. Mother’s Day. I’ve
been celebrating Mother’s Day all my life. After all, I do have a mother. This year, though, I will celebrate my 23rd Mother’s Day as a mother. I have three sons. Don’t immediately follow that with “God bless you.” He already has. There aren’t any big Mother’s Day stories. I don’t have a year that my boys royally messed up and failed to get me a card or gift. I also don’t have a story about the time they went “all out” and surprised me with a trip to Hawaii. We celebrate Mother’s Day by going to church and out to lunch – usually my choice – which isn’t very different than most Sundays. They do buy me a gift and always get the best cards – one time complete with music and flashing lights. I have no complaints about celebrating Mother’s Day in this way because
they celebrate me in other ways all year long. This January I was reading one of my daily devotionals and I came across an idea that profoundly affected me. “Life is a whole lot of ‘small.’ Have you noticed? Mostly minutiae and details and ordinariness, punctuated by some drama here and there.”1 These two sentences sum up my life as a mom. Believe me, we have had some drama with three boys. Broken arms. Bloody noses. Lost homework. Gum in the laundry. Dirty socks in all the wrong places. But over the last 23 years, God has taught me that the “small” is so important, that I can look to the small and find great blessing from what I have and how we live as a family. What are some of the small things that make me look at my days as a mom and feel blessed April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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MY SMALL MOTHER’S DAY in the midst of chaos? When my oldest son comes home from college and the arms that one time reached for me with the words “hold you” hug me and lift me off of the floor, I know I am blessed. When my middle son always seeks me out just to give me a hug before he leaves the house or goes to bed or “just because,” I know I am blessed. When my youngest son holds the door not only for me, but also for the lady behind me, I am thankful for what his daddy has taught him and I know that I am blessed. When I reach out during prayer time around the dinner table to hold the hands of my sons that completely engulf mine, I am reminded of all the times I held and guided those hands when they were little and I know I am blessed. When all of my boys WANT to go to dinner and trivia
with us and our family friends, I realize how special it is that they want to spend time with me, and I know I am blessed. It’s these day-to-day things that make the gifts and cards on Mother’s Day all the more special. They are backed up by the small, day in, day out events that mean so much if I choose to recognize them as blessings. I don’t need to wait for the “big” or the “grandiose” because I have what I need in the “small.” I would not, however, turn down that trip to Hawaii! 1
Quote from Praying the Promises of God,
Cheri Fuller and Jennifer Kennedy Dean
Melissa Romine is
is a stay-at-home wife and mom. She enjoys teaching Spanish, watching football, singing, reading, and spending time with her family.
Vacation
Bible School
at Whitesburg Baptist
June 1 - 5
from 9 am - Noon For kids ages 4 (by 9-1-14) through 5th grade 12
WhitesburgBaptist.org
My
Amazing Mom
In preparation for Mother’s Day, we asked children in Whitesburg’s Sunday morning KidsLife Groups to answer questions about their moms. Here are some of their adorable answers!
I love my Mom because... “...she helps people.”
“...she feeds me, she cleans my clothes, she loves me.”
“...she loves me and she has Christ in her heart.” “...she’s nice and a forgiver. She cooks and cleans every day.”
“...she helps me in my school work and she is loving to me. And she takes me to church.”
“...she helps me with my school and cooks for me. Because she loves me.” April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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MyA My Mom and I like to... “...eat out, go to movies and play: SlapJacks, Bluff, War, Go Fish, and UNO.” “...go to fun places together and talk about stuff.”
“...shop, play, and come to church!”
“...run, go to church, eat, go shopping, walk and bike on the Greenway.” “...play with family.”
“...go skating and play games!”
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Amazing Mom If my Mom had time, she would love to... “...clean, watch TV, sleep.”
“...spend time with her mom, and look all day on Pinterest. And then make crafts with me.” “...put on makeup!!!” “...hug me a lot.”
“...scrapbook about special times me and my brother have had together or alone.” “...go fun places with me.” “...sit down and relax.”
“...play a game of tennis.”
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MyAmazing Mom My favorite thing about my Mom is... “...when she tucks me in at night and tickles me.” “...she likes to snuggle with me.”
“...she teaches me and taught me what is now my favorite hobby, Astronomy.”
“...she clothes me and gives me a roof over my head. She lets me play sports and she lets me have fun and go crazy sometimes.” “...my Mom helps me when I am sick. My Mom is kind. (Make that very kind!)”
“...she is a Christian. She loves my family.” “...she helps me with my homework. She loves me so much too.” “...she’s a nurse so she knows what to do when I’m sick. She’s kind. She plays board games
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with me. She’s fun. She’s happy. She’s smart. We love each other.”
“...she’s nice. She’s pretty. She’s loving.” “...she knows me too well.”
KID’S SPACE
Sudoku! How to play:
Each row (across) must contain the numbers 1 through 9. Each column (up and down) must contain the numbers 1 through 9. Each square box must contain the numbers 1 through 9.
9
2
8
6
4
1
8
7
5
6 2
8
7
5
3
2
4
9
7
1
3 1
6
4
8 7
6
8
9
3
1
6
7 9
2 6
1
5 2
1
5
3
1
6 8
9
5
3 9
7
8
6
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the box by Grier Tiner
It was the wedding day of our youngest child and only son Ret. It was a hot August day in South Georgia among the pine trees where the wedding was to take place. All week I had been reminiscing about his life with our family. As everyone was busy with those final wedding preparations I found myself thinking back to those earlier years when my husband Bobby and I had four girls, ages three to eleven, and we wanted a boy in our family. With Bobby having been adopted himself, we knew that we wanted to adopt a son as well. Soon the cutest little boy with dark hair and dark eyes was identified as available for adoption. It only 18
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took one night with him to know that we wanted Ret to be a part of our family; instantly we were in love. We were fortunate enough to adopt Ret when he was only three months old, and we took him home to love. Ret was a sweet child, but not nearly as talkative as his sisters. From an early age we referred to him as a man of few words. Early on he preferred the solitude of hunting and fishing. He brought home all kinds of animals for us to keep and raise, including an alligator. When he went off to college, it was no surprise that he majored in Forestry and received a Master’s in Forestry Management.
Ret was a man of few words and a career surrounded by the trees and wildlife he loved was the perfect match. All through his six years of college, I would tuck notes of encouragement in his suitcase. It might be written on a sticky note or on a torn piece of paper. He never made any mention of the notes; nevertheless, I just continued to stuff little notes in his bags. Now here we were just minutes before the wedding was to begin. How had it all happened in what seemed like such a short time? Ret
came up to me and handed me a wooden box with his name, his bride’s name, and the wedding date printed on the front of the box. When I opened it, there were all the notes I had written him in the six years he was in college. I couldn’t believe that he had kept all those notes for all those years. A mother’s notes with a few words had touched the heart of a son of few words.
Grier Tiner lives in Blakeley,
Georgia with her husband and oldest daughter. She is an aunt of David Dye, Communications Pastor at Whitesburg Baptist Church. April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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She is clothed with
STRENGTH AND DIGNITY she can laugh at the days to come.
SHE SPEAKS WITH WISDOM, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness. HER CHILDREN ARISE AND CALL HER BLESSED;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” CHARM IS DECEPTIVE, AND BEAUTY IS FLEETING but a woman who fears the Lord
IS TO BE PRAISED. PROVERBS 31:25-30 NIV
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NEW
BEGINNINGS by L.A. Frank-Brandau
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Graduation day at Legacy
Christian University (LCU) this May 16th will be an incredibly memorable event, marking the 30th anniversary of our first graduating class, and new beginnings in the lives of many students. Lord willing that I survive Hebrew II and finish my thesis I, too, will stand on the graduation stage in the august company of Larry Davidson, Pastor of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, and Jeremy Hudgins, Pastor of Kirkland Baptist. It was because of God’s urging
that I found myself attending an Open House/Alumni gathering several years ago. I’d heard about classes for a Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) being offered right here at WBC, and, though I could feel God prompting me to investigate, my response to Him was on the order of “At my age? Are you kidding?” Nevertheless, I was soon enrolled in the MAR program, up to my ears in homework, more than a little intimidated, but passionately pursuing this new beginning. Not long after that Lee Barnett (then Provost, now LCU’s President) noted that I hold a M.Ed. in English, and asked if I’d be interested in teaching an English Comp class. (Yes indeed I would!) Having hung up my public school April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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NEW BEGINNINGS spurs several years before, I was eager to get back into the classroom as an instructor, and began enthusiastically preparing my curriculum. Another new beginning! Just a month after starting to write the curriculum, my husband of 34 years was diagnosed with cancer, and died a scant five months later, in October of 2012. Unexpectedly widowed at 58, I faced yet another new beginning. The compassion of my Heavenly Father did not fail me, and He embraced me anew each morning working my pain and loss for good. Though a bit fuzzyaround-the-edges and somewhat on auto-pilot, I began teaching the intended English Comp class in January of 2013, and continued work on my MAR. God held my hand through the stages of grief, forcing me to exercise my brain, divert my melancholic thoughts, and focus on others as opposed to dwelling on my emptiness. My responsibilities both as a student and as an instructor were His prescription for healing. Since then there have been other new beginnings in my life, 24
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one of which has been to assist the accreditation process at LCU. Some of you need an update with the latest news on this front: LCU was founded as Heritage Bible Institute in 1979 by Dr. Lee Hudson. It became Heritage Bible College two years later, and graduated a dozen students in 1985. In the fall of 2001 Heritage Bible College merged with Whitesburg Bible Institute to become Whitesburg Heritage Bible College (WHBC), as a ministry of Whitesburg Baptist Church. As the first of many steps in the accreditation process, complete autonomy from the church must be established, thus prompting the return to the original name. Last year, with the addition of three new schools, the Board of Trustees voted to rename the college, and it formally became Legacy Christian University. LCU currently consists of The Hudson School of Theology, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Arts and Sciences. Our sole reason for existence remains the same as when it was founded: “To
L.A. Brandau is an
Associate Professor of English and Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Legacy Christian University. A recent New Beginning for her was God’s generous gift of a second love and marriage to widower Steve Brandau.
July 13 - 17 Cost $189
For kids who have completed grades 1 - 6.
Join us for an incredible day camp that offers something for everyone! Location: Whitesburg Baptist Church South Campus April/May 2015 | Whitesburg 7300 Whitesburg Drive 25
WhitesburgBaptist.org/kidsevents
educate students to be kingdomfocused leaders who impact their communities for Christ.� Since 2002, the University has graduated over 150 degreedstudents, and awarded close to 100 certificates in Bible. Our alumni are serving as pastors, staff members, and church leaders here in Jerusalem (Huntsville) and across the South in various denominations, and as missionaries to Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. (Reference: Acts 1:8) I urge you to join us this May 16th and celebrate New Beginnings with us as God allows us to graduate our 30th class for His glory.
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
GAP Ministry for College Graduates and Young Professionals by Jena Rowe and Anna Luttrell 26
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If you Google how the retail store GAP® describes their style, this is what you’ll find: “Optimism is our attitude. Casual style is our aesthetic... Our collections are a modern interpretation of our denim roots and signature pieces that are a staple for every wardrobe. Gap embraces a youthful, infectious spirit and the freedom to express individual style.” While they may be talking about popular fashion styles, the description pretty well fits the Graduate And Young Professionals Ministry at Whitesburg Baptist Church. In our LIFE Groups and midweek Bible Studies, we strive to welcome people with a casual style while not forgetting our “denim roots” in our studies. For the Gappers, these roots are founded in the truth of Jesus Christ and the staple of His unconditional love. “The midweek Bible Studies take reading and studying Scripture further for me,” said one Gapper. “It’s good to get some perspective on the things that I’m navigating in this stage and to know that I’m not the only one.”
Being a young professional is difficult. People expect you to know things or not know things. You’re faced with questions like, Do I rent or buy a house?; Am I really going to be able to afford living on my own?; What if I don’t get along with my boss?; Is he/ she really THE One?!; and before you know it, you are planning for retirement and you just started your first job. Being a Christian young professional doesn’t give you a pass on these doubts and fears, nor does it make things any less exciting. Most local churches have ministries that have been clearly set apart to serve a particular age group: Children’s Ministry, Middle School Ministry, Youth Ministry and College Ministry. What happens when you no longer have a designated group? This is where we invite people to step into the GAP. I asked two Gappers why they were involved in the GAP ministry at Whitesburg and why they enjoyed it. These were their answers. “It’s an opportunity for me to be with people who are my own age, in the same somewhat awkward stage of life, and who have similar interests as me.” The other said, “I love that the GAP community isn’t just Sundays. April/May 2015 | Whitesburg
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GAP MINISTRY
We are involved with each other throughout the week and are investing in one another and the kingdom.” As much as young professionals like to think we have it all figured out, we don’t. We still need community and good leadership to turn our attention back to the Gospel and walk alongside of us as we grow up in the Lord. The way we do things may not look like the traditions we were raised on as children, and we may champion “individual style,” however we Jena Rowe’s favorite word is joy. She has a passion for the Church as a body, not a building. Jena plans to write a book one day and thinks that high fives are better than fist bumps. 28
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need the local church. We need to be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses so that we can continue to persevere in a world that brings pressures from every side. The GAP ministry offers LIFE Groups at 9:30 and 11:00 am on Sunday mornings, and has midweek in-home Bible studies for young women on Thursdays at 7:00 pm and for young men on Thursdays at 8:00 pm. If you are a young professional looking for your place, we’re welcoming you to step into our GAP. Anna Luttrell has
never met a stranger. Her favorite thing about doing ministry is the people. She loves marriage and laughing. Brazil will always have more of her than the two years she spent there.
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
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BAPTIST CHURCH
WHITESBURG
LIFE Groups 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am Blended Traditional Service 9:30 am Contemporary Service 11:00 am Evening Service 6:15 pm
Come worship with us on Sundays! 6806 Whitesburg Drive Huntsville, AL 35802
Whitesburg Baptist Church
PAID
Huntsville, AL Permit 446
Non-Profit Organization US Postage