January Bible Study:

The Pursuit:

Chasing Answers

to Life’s Questions

“...encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association, Shawnee, OK Dr. Russell R. Cook, Director of Missions Vol. 15, No. 12 December, 2011

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Next regular meeting will be February 13, 2012

Association

Office

Closed

Monday, Decem-

ber 26 - Monday,

January 2

(Christmas &

New Years

Holidays & Staff

Vacation)

Association Christmas Dinner Friday, December 2

6:30 p.m. First Baptist Church, mcloud

(located at the Corner of 8th and Broadway

Street Address: 109 S. 8th Street, McLoud)

Entertainment - B.J. Hall, Illusionist Catering - Johnny Carino’s (Italian)

If you would like to attend please submit $8 per person with your reservations.

Retired Pastors & Widows are free of charge.

Must RSVP by Tuesday, November 23 Call 405.273.4558.

State Evangelism Conference

January 30-31

Southern Hills Baptist Church,

OKC, OK

For more information visit: www.bgco.org

2011 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering National Goal: $175 Million

State Goal: $5.5 Million Week of Prayer for International Missions

December 4 - 11, 2011

Merry Christmas and a

Blessed New Year

From Your PLBA Staff

“Is „Social Drinking‟ ok?” Proverbs 23

Granted, the Bible does not include a commandment that reads, “Thou shall not consume alcohol!” However, it certainly provides numerous principles and examples of the dangers of alcohol. Warren Wiersle treats this subject in a clear, well presented way in his Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. The Bible warns against Strong Drink. (The concerned father tells his son what evil results will take place in his life if he takes to drinking alcohol:)

I. POVERTY (vv. 20-21; 21:17) A. False advertising. It‟s made to look and sound glamorous when it is just the opposite. B. Neglect of family necessities. It consumes a lot of rent, food and clothing money. C. Lost income. It can result in days lost in the labor force resulting in higher consumer prices for everyone and threatened employment for the drinker.

II. MISERY (vv. 29-32) A. A great deceiver (cf. 20:1). A very unwise decision. B. Drunk driving. Over 55 percent of fatal auto accidents involve drinking drivers. C. Major health problems. Alcoholism is the #3 health problem in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. III. IMMORALITY (vv. 26-28, 33) A. Loss of virtue (for both men and women). Think proms and parties! B. Alcohol is not a stimulant. It is a narcotic (lose in brain control). C. Alcohol is not a food. It is a poison (destroying many vital organs).

IV. INSTABILITY (vv. 34-35) A. Physical instability (staggering drunk) B. Mental instability (unusual thoughts, poor judgment) C. Social instability (public embarrassment)

V. ETERNITY IN HELL (cf. I Corinthians 6:9-10) A. Unrepentant, unsaved drunkards go to hell. B. Once addicted, an alcoholic is very unlikely to be converted.

Often, Jesus‟ miracle of “turning water into wine” (John 2) is used to justify drink-ing alcohol or at least using “real wine” with communion. In Matthew 26:29, fol-lowing the Passover with his disciples, Jesus says, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on...” Sounds like Jesus is a total abstainer! We will save our-selves a lot of pain and judgment if we will take that same position. If we can preach sexual abstinence before marriage, surely we can preach alcohol absti-nence as well. - rrc

Church News Please let us know of any upcoming events or news from your church!

Staff Needed Incorrect information... please call the Associa-tion office, 405.273.4558.

It Might Preach!

JANUARY BIBLE

STUDY

The Pursuit: Chasing Answers to Life‟s Questions, is the January Bible Study, based on the Book of Ecclesi-astes. It can be ordered at www.lifeway.com.

EARLSBORO MISSION had a building Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, October

30, 2011. (Ellis Rolette, Pastor)

FIRST, MAUD is looking for 1991 Versions of the Baptist Hymnal. Please call 405-

630-8348. (Bobby Shatto, Pastor)

HILLSIDE celebrated their 50th Anniversary, Sunday, October 30, 2011. (Tuney

Ropp , Pastor)

PONDEROSA RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTER, PPBA is in need of a camper that will

sleep at least 3 people. Contact Marcus Rawls, Executive Director,

mrawls@visitponderosa.com.

DALE is seeking part-time pianist, blended worship service. Contact Douglas

Parker Jr., Search Committee, 405.401.9010. (Doug Parker, Pastor)

FIRST, MAUD receiving resumes for part-time Music Minister. Please send resume

to PO Box 86, Maud, OK 74854 or call 405.630.8348. (Bobby Shatto, Pastor)

FIRST, MCLOUD receiving resumes for full-time Pastor, part-time Student Minis-

ter and a paid Nursery worker. Please send resume to PO Box 180, McLoud,

OK 74851 or hr@fbcmcloud.org or call 405.964.3344.

FIRST, ST. LOUIS is seeking a part-time Youth Director. Call Pastor Glenn C.

Peck, 405.273.4596 or 405.830.8359 for duties and compensation. Background

check will be performed. (Glenn Peck, Pastor)

HAZEL DELL is seeking a bi-vocational Music Minister. For more information

contact Pastor Lee Witt at 405.964.2042.

Mt. PLEASANT is seeking a bi-vocational Music Minister. Please send resumes to

7101 Kings Rd, Shawnee 74804. For more information call Larry Cargill

405.273.0375, 405.664.0939 or Josh Norton 580.668.0214.

“To the work.. To the work”

Two of Fanny Crosby‟s great old hymns have been all but lost to much of this generation. “To the Work” was a poem written in 1869 as Fanny looked “through blind eyes” (literally) at the poverty and homelessness in New York City. She gave away much more than she ever kept for herself, having an intense interest in several inner-city rescue missions. From this same period and passion for the poor and the lost, she wrote the poem “Rescue the Perishing.” In these days we seem to put lots of emphasis on “praise and worship,” on “crowds and conferences,” and on “world mission in general” to the ne-glect of living and sharing the simple gospel locally. So many of Crosby‟s hymns were used by Ira Sankey when he led revival crusades with D. L. Moody. Consider this contrast:

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, „Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,‟ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:15-17).

And “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Clearly, we are not saved “by the work” but we are saved “to the work.” Just as faith without works is dead, so works without faith is dead. Our mis-sion is to the work of service which includes deeds and proclamation. Our churches have responded to many disasters through deeds of service. But they have also faithfully shared the gospel of hope in Christ. In the words of Fanny Crosby,

“Let us do with our might what our hands find to do, ...while we herald the tidings, „Salvation is free.‟ ”

So with whatever you have left in years of life on this earth... “toil on” and “labor till the Master comes.” Encouragingly Yours, Russell R. Cook

Churches listed in red are Pastorless.

TOTAL CHECKING AND SAVINGS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR Beginning Bal. Income Expenses Ending Bal.

10-1-11 10-31-11 Budget 8,082.87 12,835.39 17,660.53 3,257.73 Designated 183,871.74 156,204.52 Total Monies $191,954.61 $159,462.25

Association Website — www.plba.org

PASTORS CHURCH Oct. „11 YTD Roger Shaw Agra FBC .00 5,606.64 Dwayne Johnson Asher FBC 191.30 1,859.94 Chris Carter Blackburn Chapel 231.21 2,291.70 Mark Davis Carney FBC .00 372.06 Rick Blackwell Chandler, FBC .00 3,887.66 Keith Henley Chandler Southern 132.76 1,322.72 Doug Parker Dale .00 274.62 Mike Mitchell Davenport FBC 486.38 3,147.23 Mike Haines Deer Creek 144.22 1,699.62 Mark Streetman Earlsboro FBC .00 300.00 Ellis Rolette Earlsboro Indian Mission .00 75.00 Wayne Knight Fairview 105.94 1,340.68 Dan Campbell Faith .00 2,881.12 Jeff Bruton Forest .00 139.90 Lee Witt Hazel Dell 385.35 4,514.59 Tuney Ropp Hillside .00 8,843.33 Gary Nickerson Hilltop .00 3,495.65 Bryan Cook Hopewell 72.39 710.95 Don Acker Macomb .00 1,451.27 Mike Hazelwood Mammoth 282.00 2,721.00 Bobby Shatto Maud FBC .00 225.82 Rusty McMullen Maud Trinity 135.10 1,957.35 James Bond McLoud Emmanuel .00 6,320.38 Jerry Gray McLoud Emmaus .00 920.75 ________________ McLoud FBC 403.62 4,584.91 Ron Cherry McLoud Son Rise .00 1,546.47 Joe Jones Meeker FBC 369.99 3,962.73 Bryan Pain Morning Star 1,012.80 3,204.21 John Hancock Mt. Pleasant .00 1,091.04 Mark Patterson Newalla-New Life 571.32 5,925.26 Mike Collyer Pink .00 1,975.16 Jim Morningstar Pioneer .00 328.70 ________________ Pleasant Home 122.73 1,408.74 Tim Emmons Prague FBC 355.25 4,357.66 Richard Zimmer Rock Creek 749.95 8,424.34 Gaspar Reyes Rock Creek Spanish 26.51 229.61 Tony Black Romulus 185.01 1,954.41 Paul Gore Sh-Aydelotte .00 3,114.43 David Henry Sh-Calvary .00 590.57 Ray Miller Sh-First 286.26 3,029.54 Spencer Davis, Int. Sh-First Indian .00 443.38 Anthony Rhone Sh-Galilee .00 .00 Larry Guest/Bob Dawson Sh-Good Shepherd Chapel .00 452.00 Jay Sampson Sh-Heritage .00 3,172.34 Todd Fisher Sh-Immanuel 2,087.31 17,400.41 Tom Hall Sh-New Life 25.00 175.00 John York Sh-Oakland Chapel .00 230.00 Ben Little Sh-Sallateeska .00 .00 Mike Craig Sh-Temple 879.32 9,406.90 Larry Norris Sh-Trinity 200.00 1,818.00 _______________ Sh-University 481.50 3,683.20 _______________ Sh-Wallace Ave. 153.75 1,427.01 Charles Wigington Sparks FBC 60.51 768.12 Glenn Peck St. Louis FBC 258.89 2,642.90 Burl Mackey Stroud FBC 384.81 5,064.75 Tony Peak Tecumseh FBC 794.20 8,933.46 Will Wilson Tecumseh New Hope 50.00 400.00 Bill Haas Tecumseh Riverside .00 .00 Clint Dawkins Tecumseh Sharon 712.46 6,905.67 Bob Fowler Tryon FBC .00 1,714.91 Britt Lesley Wanette FBC 124.36 1,545.63 Bill Howse Wanette, Victory Pointe 20.00 20.00 Russ Houser Wellston Cornerstone .00 .00 Darrell Sullivan Wellston FBC 353.19 3,774.71 Lane Buckley Wellston Trinity .00 990.00 TOTAL 12,835.39 173,056.15

A NUGGET FROM MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY… Sometimes I think the older we get, the more sharpened our perspective on life can become! For instance, when I was about 10, thinking back to things that hap-pened or people I knew when I was five wasn‟t such a big deal, almost an immedi-ate memory. Now that I am in my 6th decade, being a five-year-old is getting further away! But, I now can see how God was using events, places, and people to shape my life. We just made a trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico, to visit my dad‟s cousins. They are about 12-15 years older than I. When I was a little girl, they were some of the “big people” in my life. Now they are more like peers. I have caught up with them in many life experiences. It was wonderful to visit with them as they graciously hosted us for a week in their lovely mountain home. We did a lot of reminiscing and I began to realize they are some of the very few people left on the planet with whom I share certain memories! That served to sharpen the focus of how my life had been shaped by those wonderful early times with extended family. They were also able to fill in some gaps for me, such as telling me they had actually heard my own PaPa (their uncle) preach, which I never did get to do. He was a “lay preacher” and had a secular job. He died when I was 15 and never knew I would marry a preacher and have children grow up to be in ministry (including my son who is a 2nd generational namesake of his), but he greatly helped shape my life and values. As we approach Christmas, Lottie Moon, will be mentioned across the world as we give to THE LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING. This offering supports almost 5000 missionaries around the world every year. We just attended the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma at First Baptist Church in Moore, Oklahoma. While there, we heard many reports of the work of the Coopera-tive Program, the giving “program” used by Southern Baptists to work cooperatively at home, in our state, our nation, and again, across the world year „round. I‟ve re-cently been in frequent contact with some furloughing missionaries who will soon return to another continent to continue to serve. All of those things rolled together impacted me in a single moment while sitting at the Convention. I suddenly thought about how my own life had been impacted by little Miss Lottie Moon, who died in the very early part of the last century. How could that be? 1) I‟ve been taught about her sacrificial work in Asia ever since I was a little girl…by my mother and by other missions leaders. I am now a missionary myself! 2) I‟ve been giving to THE LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING every single Christmas of my life that I can remember! 3) I‟ve attended or been a member of numerous churches, all of whom not only gave to that offering but to the Cooperative Program. I have taught a study a couple of times on the life of Lottie Moon. I did not realize until then that she played a key part in the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is greatly signified by that Program. It dawned upon me that we all have a great debt of gratitude to pay to the Lottie Moon‟s of our rich history. 4) I‟ve always understood how important it was for missionaries to have a chance to come home for a rest and a visit to their families and friends. When I was a girl, they came home for one year every four years or for six months every two years. Little did I know until I taught that study as an adult that Lottie Moon was responsible for the idea of furloughs (now called stateside assignments)! At her impassioned sug-gestion, missionaries were initially allowed to come home once every ten years!!! Prior to that, they never, ever came home. If they did, they were considered an abysmal failure! Lottie Moon didn‟t know me…didn‟t know you…didn‟t know millions of Southern Baptists or other worldwide Christians who know of her. But, she knew the Lord in a way that has affected ALL of our lives. How about you? How about me? What kind of eternal legacy will we leave for people we‟ll never know?

---Marsha Cook, WM&M Leader

State Evangelism Conference, January 30-31. The “Women‟s Emphasis” of the State Evangelism Conference is incorporated into the two days of the conference. Sonja Burpo is a featured speaker in the Monday night general ses-sion and Babbie Mason is performing a concert Monday night. They will have women‟s breakout sessions offered Tuesday morning of the conference and a special women‟s luncheon on Tuesday. For more information for the conference, visit: http://sec.okbaptist.com.

WM&M NEWS PLBA Women’s Missions & Ministries

Budget Receipts

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2 PLBA Christmas Banquet, FBC, McLoud, 6:30 p.m.

3 Hanging of the Green, OBU, 7:30 p.m.

4-11 Lottie Moon International Missions Week of Prayer

7 OBU Christmas Chapel, Raley Chapel, 10:00 a.m.

16 OBU Winter Commencement

26-Jan 2 Association Office CLOSED — Christmas/New Years’ Holidays & Staff Vacation Days

Does Your Church Have a Band?

PLBA Youth ministry will be having a “Battle of the Bands”, Saturday, December 17. Contact Association Youth Minister, Josh Norton for details. jnorton0304@yahoo.com Text or call 580.668.0214.

December Birthdays

3 Mrs. Barbara (Paul) Calmes 2000 N. Broadway Ave. Shawnee, OK 74804 Retired Pastor’s Wife

3 Rev. Bill Mitchell 20622 Hwy 102 Tecumseh, OK 74873 Retired Pastor

4 Rev. Bill Howse, III Rt. 2 Box 339 Wanette, OK 74878 Pastor, Victory Pointe

7 Rev. Lane Buckley 331288 E Hwy 66 Wellston, OK 74881 Pastor, Trinity, Wellston

9 Mrs. Janice Maynard 1934 N. Broadway Shawnee, OK 74804 PLBA Office Manager/Secretary

14 Mrs. Marsha (Russell) Cook 3715 N. Bryan Rd. Shawnee, OK 74804 Director of Mission’s Wife, PLBA

15 Mrs. Connie (Glenn) Peck 18 Comanche Circle Shawnee, OK 74801 Pastor’s Wife, First, St. Louis

16 Mrs. Elsie (Ben) Little 128 North High Street Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor’s Wife, Sallateeska

17 Mrs. Donna (J.D.) Cunningham 3308 North Oklahoma Shawnee, OK 74804 Retired Pastor’s Wife

17 Mrs. Tina (Gary) Nickerson 36720 Moccasin Trail Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor’s Wife, Hilltop

18 Dr. John Hancock 7101 Kings Rd Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor, Mt. Pleasant

18 Mrs. Sally (Mike) Stock 3901 N. Leo Shawnee, OK 74804 Former Pastor’s Wife

21 Mrs. Dimple (Donnie) Bond 7 Coffman Shawnee, OK 74801 Retired Pastor’s Wife 24 Mrs. Mae (Bill) Mitchell 20622 Hwy 102 Tecumseh, OK 74873 Retired Pastor’s Wife

29 Mrs. Shonda (Bryan) Pain 106057 S. 3420 Meeker, OK 74855 Pastor’s Wife, Morning Star

29 Rev. Lee Witt 10702 Hwy 177 McLoud, OK 74851 Pastor, Hazel Dell

Anniversaries

3 Rev. & Mrs. Tuney Ropp Rt. 2 Box 372 McLoud, OK 74851 Pastor, Hillside

18 Rev. & Mrs. Mike Mitchell PO Box 376 Davenport, OK 74026 Pastor, First, Davenport

19 Dr. & Mrs. Russell Cook 3715 N. Bryan Ave. Shawnee, OK 74804 Director of Missions, PLBA

19 Rev. & Mrs. Mark Streetman 300 36th Ave., SW #627 Norman, OK 73027 Pastor, First, Earlsboro

21 Rev. & Mrs. Mark Davis PO Box 596 Carney, OK 74832 Pastor, First, Carney

23 Rev. & Mrs. Jerry Gray 17770 Cedar Brake Choctaw, OK 73020 Pastor, Emmaus

27 Rev. & Mrs. Jimmy Harness 42603 Stout Dr Tecumseh, OK 74873 Retired Pastor

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