Grace Memorial Baptist S PIRIT OF G RACE INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Stewardship Report 2 Pastor’s Notes 2 Nursery Schedule 2 Senior Adults News 2 Youth Ministries 3 Church Family News 3 JANUARY 2018 Events & Menus on the January Calendar SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE, 5PM Adult Bible Study led by Jim Magee, And Youth Growth Groups & Youth Bible Drill resume January 7. Children and Preschool Choirs resume January 21. Remember in Prayer… Each week in the bulletin we will give you a member of the Pastor Search Team and a Church Staff member to lift up in prayer as the pastor search continues. Please pray with us as we strive to seek God’s will. Pastor Search Team: Don Carruth, Rhena Coggin, P.J. Graham, David Kessler, Johnny Lewis, JoAnn Pilcher, Andrew Pitman; alternates are Norris Grubbs and Lynda Palao GMBC Church Staff: Jerry Smith, Mike Mohler, Mitch Peltonen, Rick Johnson, Debbie Thomas, Andi Peltonen, Christine Holton, Amy Lutman, Diane Lane, Venita Richards, Tim Gagliano, Brian Palen Also remember to pray for Dr. Phelps as he brings the sermon each Sunday. GMBC TEAM VACANCIES Help needed! We have vacancies on the following Ministry Teams: Community Ministries (Benevolence) Team Decorating Team Food Services Ministry Prayer Ministry Team Preschool Ministry Team Contact the church office if you are interested in serving on one of these teams. CONGRATULATIONS to those of our church family who earned college degrees: Nicholas Zerangue, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, December 15, 2017 Welcome 2018 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 BUSINESS MEETING Sunday, January 21, 6pm, in the Sanctuary The Finance Team will present the proposed budget for 2018. We will vote on the budget on January 28 in the morning service. From all of us... ...to all of you!
Transcript
Grace Memoria l Bapt ist
S P I R I T O F G R AC E
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Stewardship Report 2
Pastor’s Notes 2
Nursery Schedule 2
Senior Adults News 2
Youth Ministries 3
Church Family News 3
JANUARY 2018
Events & Menus on the
January Calendar
SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE, 5PM
Adult Bible Study led by Jim Magee, And Youth Growth Groups &
Youth Bible Drill resume January 7.
Children and Preschool Choirs resume January 21.
Remember in Prayer…
Each week in the bulletin we will give you a member of the Pastor Search Team and a Church Staff member to lift up in prayer as the pastor search continues. Please pray with us as we strive to seek God’s will.
Pastor Search Team: Don Carruth, Rhena Coggin, P.J. Graham, David Kessler, Johnny Lewis, JoAnn Pilcher, Andrew Pitman; alternates are Norris Grubbs and Lynda Palao
GMBC Church Staff: Jerry Smith, Mike Mohler, Mitch Peltonen, Rick Johnson, Debbie Thomas, Andi Peltonen, Christine Holton, Amy Lutman, Diane Lane, Venita Richards, Tim Gagliano, Brian Palen
Also remember to pray for Dr. Phelps as he brings the sermon each Sunday.
GMBC TEAM VACANCIES Help needed! We have vacancies on the
following Ministry Teams:
Community Ministries (Benevolence)
Team
Decorating Team
Food Services Ministry
Prayer Ministry Team
Preschool Ministry Team
Contact the church office if you are
interested in serving on one of these teams.
CONGRATULATIONS to those of our church family who earned college degrees: Nicholas Zerangue, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, December 15, 2017
Welcome 2018
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory
both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
BUSINESS MEETING Sunday, January 21, 6pm, in the Sanctuary The Finance Team will present the proposed budget for 2018.
We will vote on the budget on January 28 in the morning service.
From all of us...
...to all of you!
Page 2
Stewardship—December AVERAGE WEEKLY
Sunday School 254
Morning Worship Service 358
Sunday Night Live 50
Van Ministry 22
G.R.O.W. Outreach 11
Wednesday Family Night 90
Budget Needed Per Week $ 19,415.00
Average Weekly Receipts (Budget) 29,179.74
Average Weekly Receipts (Budget & Designated) 33,110.93
YEAR-TO-DATE
Budget Needs $ 1,029,000.00
Budget Receipts 896,550.70
All Missions 16,965.10
Total Other Designated 170,004.90
Total Deposits: $ 1,083,520.70
Budget Expenditures $ 844,462.97
GVOM Balance $ 838,077.43
New Church Members (Sept. 2017-Aug. 2018) 13
By Baptism (Sept. 2017-Aug. 2018) 13
Welcome New Members—December
SOLET, Hilary, (baptized 12/17), 720 Cedar, Metairie, LA
70001, 985-360-8570
Everyone age 55 and older
is invited to…
B.A.S.I.C. Dinner Meeting
Tuesday, January 16, 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall
ENTERTAINMENT: Bro. Larry McEwen
MENU: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad, Dessert
RESERVATIONS REQUESTED
Sign up on the Sunday bulletin tear-off or call the church office by
noon on Monday, January 15, to make reservations for dinner.
Happy New Year!
WORSHIP SERVICE CHILDCARE SCHEDULE
Childcare is provided during the morning Worship Services
in the Children’s Building for birth thru age 3. Children age 4
thru 3rd grade are dismissed to Children’s Church.
Code 100 on the Worship Center monitor indicates
more workers are needed in the Nursery
Jan. 7 Don and Jennifer Lovett,
Anastasha Wallace, Help Needed
Jan. 14 Darla Mansfield, Tina Tulino, Help Needed
Jan. 21 Mary Jane Smith, Jan DeMeyere, Help Needed
Jan. 28 Elaine Strahan, Help Needed
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!
Contact Elaine Strahan, 290-9619, if you can help,
and be blessed!
2018. Another journey around the sun.
What will it bring? Where will we be
surprised by the grace of God?
Another year offers a fresh start, a new beginning. Some will
make annual resolutions. Some of us will begin with efforts to
lose a few pounds gained during the holiday season.
What about reading through the Bible during this new year?
Old scriptures read many times before can come alive with
deeper insight. New scriptures read for the first time can jump
off the page with life. The larger grasp of God’s work becomes
clearer. There are many plans to help read through the Bible.
Find one that works well for you and begin the adventure. When
you miss a day or fall behind, don’t become discouraged.
Simply pick back up and begin reading again.
The final Sunday of 2017 we received a message from our
own Travis Thompson. God has called him to vocational
ministry. He is a student at the Leavell College of NOBTS. Pray
for him, and thank you for supporting him with your attentive
attendance and encouragement.
Throughout January we will look closely at the significance
of the Baby born in Bethlehem.
Another year filled with hundreds of opportunities. Join me
as we journey together with the Son and seek to make the most
of every opportunity for His Kingdom!
With anticipation and gratitude…
Dennis Phelps Christian sympathy is extended to …
...the family of Mary Cruthirds on her
death.
...Emmett Johnson and family on the death
of his daughter
...the family of Hugh Davis on his death.
...the family of Clyde Robinson on his death.
...Anna Chelette and family on the death of her mother-in-law.
...Tonya Mohler and family on the death of her uncle.
G.R.O.W. Outreach each Monday, 6:00pm
A light meal is served at 5:45pm
MEET IN FELLOWSHIP HALL
You are encouraged to attend each week. Sunday School Classes are assigned one Monday each month to focus on their class. Let the church office know if you will be here for the meal and if you need childcare. Nursery is provided the first Monday of each month.
Page 3
Well another year has bit the dust and you start with a clean slate for 2018. What will this year
hold for you? Hopefully as you look back over last year there were not too many disappointments
or missed opportunities. As a disciple of Jesus you have the potential to live a life of victory every
day. I want to challenge you to not leave it to chance but to be intentional about making this a year
that you can look back on knowing that you were victorious over the world, satan, and sin. How
can you do that? Commit to strengthening your spiritual relationship with Jesus by spending time
with Him in the Bible and prayer. Commit to be involved with fellow believers in Bible Study,
Worship, and other activities. Live out your faith by serving others in the name of Jesus. Stop
putting everything else before Jesus and your spiritual growth. Love your family and friends
enough to tell them about their need for Jesus. In short….STOP LIVING FOR YOU AND
START LIVING FOR HIM!
Love Ya, Bro. Jerry
High School Winter Retreat Fundraiser January 7th after AM Service.
Youth Fellowship January 7th at 6:00 PM
High School Winter Retreat January 12 - 15.
Chick Chat at Pecks January 26th @ 5:30 PM.
Men Of God BBQ January 26th @ 5:30 PM.
Dinner and a Movie January 28th @ 6:00 PM.
MISSIONFUGE CAMP July 9-14 @ University of Mobile.
Youth Huddle Wednesday nights @ 6:30 PM.
Youth Choir Sundays @ 4:00 PM.
Youth Growth Group and Bible Drill Sundays @ 5:00 PM.
Happy New Year from the kid’s wing! Well, let me encourage everyone to make 2018 a year spent pursuing a closer relationship with Jesus. Our kids learn from our example, and what is important to us can influence what is important to them.
Let’s pray every day this year, not just for food, not just the daily “shout out,” but really spend at least a short time in focused prayer. We all struggle with our minds shooting off on tangents; prayer isn’t always easy. But if it was easy it wouldn’t be a discipline! Let’s read the Word every day– not just the verse on the bottom of our devotional page, not just the verses in whatever sermon or podcast you listen to...but actually sit down and read. It doesn’t have to be an hour, it doesn’t even have to be a half hour, but it does need to be done daily. And let’s memorize. (I just heard the church collectively grumble.) “I am not good at it,” you may say, (many of us say this) but it doesn’t mean you have to be extremely successful at it to spend time trying to memorize His Word! How else can we hide His Word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him? Just think how a year spent doing these three things every day, might change your relationship with Him. And if you mess up one day, just start back up the next day. There is nothing magical or special about January 1st. Every day is a good day to start disciplining ourselves for Him. This life for the Lord is described as a race– if we aren’t spending the daily time with these major three things then we are running the race with a massive side ache most days!
YOUTH PARENTS — we need your email address so we can keep you up to date and a part of our online Parent Ministry Site. We would like to have your cell information also so we can text you with reminders and updates. Send that info to me at [email protected] or to Andi Peltonen at [email protected].
A BIG Thank you to all who prayed, sent cards, or came to visit me while I was in the hospital. Having a wonderful church family is one of God’s
