May Memorial Messenger July 20, 2015
From The Pastor...Beer, Healthcare, Church Discipline, and Hare Krishnas
In the summer of 2009 Beverley and I visited the Hare
Krishna temple in Hillsboro, NC as a part of a doctoral seminar
I was taking at Columbia Seminary. While we were there we
observed their time of singing, prayers, and meditation. They
took us on a tour of the facility which included a self-sustained
farm with a beautiful vegetable garden, goats, cows, and chick-
ens. After the time of prayer they invited us to their evening
meal, and Beverley and I sat with two ladies and had a very
interesting conversation.
One of the ladies began to tell us her story of faith, and I
thought it was very telling. She grew up in Winston-Salem,
and as a child she belonged to a Baptist Church. Her dad was a
deacon and her mom was a Sunday School teacher. One day
her dad left her mom for another woman, and he turned his (Continued on page 3)
Life Together This Summer
Summer
Wednesday
Nights
Haiti Mission Trip Presentation by Chris Wondree
Church Fellowship Hall– 7/29
Understanding Jordan by Bob Talbert
Church Fellowship Hall August 12
Wild Goose Prayer Meeting
Church Sanctuary August 26
Youth and Children
We will begin our Sunday mornings
at 9:45 in the Sanc-tuary for a praise
song with Miss Debbie!
Afterwards Youth
will head to the Youth House and the children will go with their Sunday School
teachers.
Special Called
Business Meeting
Sunday, July 26, following worship, for the matter of
approving upgrades to the sanctuary’s
audio visual equipment.
The youth are at Passport Camp this week
Please pray for them!
Campers: Wade Buckner, Owen Buckner, Hannah Crump,
Rebekah Crump, Jonathan Davis, Ashton Daniels, Josh Deal,
Anna Edwards, Anne Gillespie
Chaperones: Constance Deal, Gwen Hagen, Chris Wondree
Please be sure to join us as our Youth step up to lead
worship in new and exciting ways!
PRAYER REQUESTS 7/20/2015
*FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
Wilson Denoon, son of Snead Denoon
Freddie Boatwright—Amy Potter’s father
Dr. Bill Torres-son-in-law of Jackie & Paul Lindsey
Jimmy Conner-Esther Fitch’s brother-in-law
Jon Smith—Cousin of Sandy Shelton
Jan Cole—friend of Judy Boelt
Douglas Barnett-family of Dwight Atkins
Larry Thompson-friend of the Howard’s, had a stroke , do-ing well, send notes to 525 Holman Mill Road, Farmville, 23901
Kaye Edwards-mother of Michael Edwards
Kenneth Dalton-friend of Frances Shelton
Libby Gregg, daughter of Carol Gregg
MILITARY:
Hash, Johnny Danny Myers Templeton, Brent Walls, Jay Scudder, Ben Sutton, Quint Newman, Stephen Newman, Lewis
CHURCH FAMILY: Diana Brown Tom Buckner Jesse Green Jim Gregg Donnie Hatcher Audrey Johnston Bill Karnolt
Bill Painter Judy Potter Nita Porterfield James Simpson Moe Stoll Anna Turley Karen Utt
HOMEBOUND: Audrey Johnston The Laurels 9101 Bon Air Crossings Dr Richmond, VA 23235
Nita Porterfield 2017 Rocky Ford Road Frances Tilman 3904 Old Buckingham Road Anna Turley 1520 Mill Quarter Road
VBS Group Picture
Attendance & Offerings Weekly Amount Needed $6,989.00
Sunday July 19, 2015
Attendance: Sunday School 88 Worship 153
General Fund $ 6,160.32
A Time to Build 25.00
Scholarships 200.00
Total Giving For Period: $ 6,385.32
Scholarships
Snead DeNoon in Memory of Gail DeNoon
This Week at May Memorial
Monday, July 20
Youth head to Passport Camp
Wednesday, July 22
10:30 a.m. Centering Prayer Group
Upcoming Activities
Sunday, July 26 12:00 p.m. Special Called Business Meeting
Wednesday, July 29
6:30 p.m. Haiti Mission Trip Presentation
7:30 p.m. Choir rehearsal
Sunday, August 2
3:00 p.m. Church Council Meeting
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Ushers: Jeff Osborne, Lee Howard, Bob Wood, Ewell Flippo, David Deal Deacons of the Month: Gerald Hagen, Nancy Wood, Maryvel Firda
back on his children and never was a part of their lives. Her mom was desperate to provide for her children, working
part time jobs and piecing it together as best she could until one day she was given a job at the local brewery. It was a
very good job. It paid well, and she even had health insurance for her family. It was a tremendous blessing.
A couple of months passed before the pastor and a deacon from the church showed up at their home and they told
her that because she was working at the brewery that she was going to be placed under church discipline. The mother
told the church leaders that she didn’t want any problems, so she was just going to withdraw her membership. “Oh
no,” they told her, “this is going to go before the church even if you withdraw your membership.”
The mother kept her job, the church brought her membership status up at the next business meeting, and the lady
that Beverley and I ate with that night never returned to a Baptist or Christian Church of any kind. She found love and
acceptance as a Hare Krishna and still carried a resentment about Christians, especially Baptists.
I understand that I heard one side of a two sided story, I get that. I also understand that as Christians and church
members people will do hurtful things and we must work to remain faithful to God and find a way to be a part of
God’s people even when they disappoint us. But my heart ached for this lady who was hurt by this church and there-
fore was missing Jesus.
I can’t help but wonder what the outcome would have been if that church had responded differently to this lady
and her children? What if the key word was not discipline but love? I cannot know how it would have turned out dif-
ferently, but I know that my desire is always to err on the side of grace and love and forgiveness, because that is where
I see Jesus.
From The Pastor...
(Continued from page 1)
Better Than Ever Fifty Plus Retreat
October 19-21 2015
Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference
Center in Lynchburg
Centering
Prayer Group Meeting each Wednesday
at 10:30 a.m. In the Esther
Sunday School Classroom
Everyone is invited!
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage Paid
Powhatan, VA 23139
Permit 10
Visit our website at maymemorialchurch.org May Memorial Baptist Church
3922 Old Buckingham Rd. PO Box 56
Powhatan, VA 23139, Office (804) 598-3098
ay
emorial
essenger
Michael K. Edwards, Pastor 804-922-0101 (cell) [email protected] Debbie Thompson, Minister of Music 804-502-9521 (cell) [email protected] Sheri Jordan, Minister of Children 804-439-1219 (cell) [email protected] Chris Wondree, Minister of Youth 540-847-4674 (cell) [email protected] Linda Pulliam, Financial Secretary 804-598-3098 (office) [email protected] Diana Schmitz, Church Secretary 804-598-3098 (office) [email protected] Gerald Hagen, Deacon Chairperson 804-356-1319 (cell)
Kathy Cline—July 21 Marisa Claud—July 21
Constance Deal—July 22 Lauren Wilkinson-July 22 Harry Wheeler—July 24 Joshua Boelt—July 24 Frances Tilman-July 25
Sandra Morrison—July 25 Debbie Chiles—July 25
Bill Ketron—July 25 Kathryn Duncan—July 26
Julie Seaman—July 26 Ryan Samuel—July 27 Piper Osborne—July 27
Deacons: Gerald Hagen, Doug Bradbury, Maryvel Firda, Nancy Wood, Russ Martin, Jeff O’Donnell, Ashley Osborne,
Paul Hollandsworth, Chris Shust.
Music Ministry
Notes This week through worship and music we:
Encountered God:
while listening to Anna Edwards beautiful violin prelude based on Psalm 62; while hearing Sharon Samuel Labons' gorgeous solo ~ " Once Upon a Tree"; while experiencing Irma Alvis' lovely service music on the organ; while hearing our choir call us to worship by singing ~ "To God Be the Glory".
Embodied Community:
while corporately singing hymns and a cho-rus of praise together to give honor and glo-ry to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; while meeting as a choir together before worship to rehearse and prepare to lead the con-gregation in worship; by watching some of our children lead a
praise chorus in the service.
to then Embrace the World:
after having been transformed by the message and music be-cause we really do have "MORE THAN PLENTY" to go out this
week into the world of people around and beyond us..
SUMMER CHOIR REHEARSALS:
W- July 29-7:30 pm (after Haiti Mission Presentation);
W- August 19-6:30 pm; W-August 26 7:30 pm
(following Wild Goose Prayer Meeting); W-September 2 6:30pm;
WEDNESDAY--SEPTEMBER 9
REGULAR MUSIC SCHEDULE RESUMES:
We welcome any new members! Children's Choir (K--5th) 5:30-6 pm;
Youth/Adult Aged Handbells-6:30-7:15 pm; Adult Choir- 7:30--8:45 pm
May Memorial Book Club Book: The Book of Forgiving
by Desmond
Tutu and Mpho Tutu When: Sunday, August 23,
6:30 pm Where: Jeff and Lisa
O’Donnell’s home,
3589 Pals Drive RSVP Jeff at
Visit our website at maymemorialchurch.org