2025 September Connections for Web

CONNECTIONS

1075 Collins Lane Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 (502) 223-7601 www.ibcfrankfort.com

To Experience & Express God’s Unconditional Love Volume 4, No. 9 - September 2025

Emily Holladay Senior Pastor emily@ibcfrankfort.com Mac Stivers Minister of Music mac@ibcfrankfort.com Joni Crowe Office Administrator joni@ibcfrankfort.com Jill LeMaster Financial Administrator jill@ibcfrankfort.com Sam Crowe Director of Children and Youth Ministries sam@ibcfrankfort.com Curtis Smoot Facilities Manager

Opportunities at Immanuel

Stewardship Report 2025 Ministry Plan

$509,493.00

Amount Needed Each Week

$9,798.00

Amount Needed Through July

$293,940.00

Undesignated Receipts Through July $223,418.88

Sunday, September 7 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worhip with Communion/ Grandparents’ Day

Wednesday, September 17 6:00 pm Choir Practice

Monday, September 8 6:00 pm Deacons’ Meeting

Sunday, September 21 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

% of Annual Budget Needed

58%

% of Annual Budget Received

44%

Wednesday, September 10 6:00 pm Choir Practice

$204,284.52

Thursday, September 11 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall

CURRENT ASSETS Church Checking Balance Designated Checking Balance

$86,725.74

Total Current Assets

$292,576.73

Prayer List Roger Crittenden

Noland Williams

Glenn Ison

Susan Wolfe

Janet Lewis

Joyce Wood

Ernie Murphy

Family of Jill Lee

Family of Lonnie Turner

Friday, September 12 10:00 am Lydia Greear Baptist

Mission Women

Lunch in Berea 3:00 pm Crafting Saturday, September 13 9:00 am Crafting Sunday, September 14 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

Doug Henley Facilities Manager Gena Woestman Infant Resource Center Director choices2413@gmail.com

Thursday, September 18 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall Our Vision To experience and express God’s unconditional love.

Wednesday, September 24 6:00 pm Choir Practice Thursday, September 25 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall Saturday, September 27 10:00 am Immaneulfest Sunday, September 28 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

Our Kingdom Mission To live like Jesus Christ by unconditionally loving all people, compassionately serving God’s world, openly discussing issues of faith, and intentionally inviting others to grow with us as followers of Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Beginning Year Three: Ministry of Momentum A couple of weeks ago, I did something I have never done before: I dedicated my sermon time in worship to offering a “State of the Church” Address. It was one of the Sundays closest to my church anniversary, and after two years of ministry, it felt fitting to look back on where we have been and celebrate the direction in which we are headed.

Unfortunately, technology did not cooperate with us that Sunday, so we do not have a streamed recording of the service. If you were not able to be there, but would like to hear the sermon, please let the church office know and we should be able to get you a recording on the service on CD. Otherwise, I will also be adding a print version of the sermon to the website for you to be able to read.

During the sermon, I mentioned that the word that stood out to me as I was touring the church 2.5 years ago and meeting with the search committee was: potential. From the building and grounds to the neighborhood and the people I met, I just knew this church had so much going for it. The search committee didn’t “sell” the church to me - in fact, they did the best job possible of making sure I was clear-eyed about IBC’s strengths and areas of growth.

Still, I knew that our ministry together could be one of untapping potential and letting our light shine in new and vibrant ways.

I also noted that it feels like we are at a “precipice moment” in the life of the church. The direction we take in the next few years may indeed be indicative of what the future holds for Immanuel Baptist Church. We have choices to make about where and how we will invest our time and energy, and what choices we make will determine to what extent we allow our potential to flourish.

As we begin year three together, a new word has come to mind: momentum.

Over the course of the last two years, we have built a lot. Our energy has grown and expanded as we have updated the look and feel of our communications platforms. We have significantly increased our ministry with children and youth, reaching out to the community to support more families than have in recent past. This has been a very exciting time in the life of the church.

Continued on Page 7

GLOBAL MINISTRIES

CONTINUED

Zambia Every morning, she rises before the sun. Her heart is full, but her pockets are empty. She’s a mother. A fighter. A woman doing everything she can with almost nothing. Not just surviving, but sacrificing, day after day.

areas with no access to clean, running water, proper sanitation, or privacy.

They go to work with heavy hearts, leaving their infants behind because they have no choice. They raise their children with little to nothing, sometimes without any income at all.

This National Women’s Day, we pause to reflect on the daily struggles faced by women, especially single mothers living in poverty, whose resilience often goes unseen and uncelebrated.

Imagine having to wake up before sunrise, not to meditate, but to carry heavy buckets for miles just to collect water.

Imagine doing that in the dark, terrified of being attacked, raped, or even killed. For far too many women, this is not imagination - it is their reality.

These are not just struggles - these are violations of dignity. These are human rights issues.

Thanks to your generosity and continued support, we’ve distributed 20 bags of mealie meal to single mothers and their children, offering immediate food relief. We have also been able to build 19 houses for single mothers and their families, and we aspire to build even more. They now have a safe space, a place to call their own - a place to call home.

No woman should be forgotten. No woman should be left behind.

In gratitude and hope for your support.

These women live in overcrowded, unsafe

Partners in Development PRAYER AND CARE

Deacon of the Week 9/7/25

The Deacon of the Week is here to support you with any ministry needs or to respond to any prayer concerns. Please feel free to reach out to them any time during the week of their service!

The Pastor’s Column Continued

Tabitha Martin 270-589-2498

9/14/25

Carol O’Connell 502-545-3920

9/21/25

Brent Irvin 859-576-0259

9/28/25

Susie Stivers 502-330-3722

You don’t have to spend very long with the people at IBC to realize that the momentum is shifting.

Even events that used to have 8-12 people attending have now seen dozens of people come. I can’t count the number of times we have had to pull out extra chairs and tables because more people joined a fellowship event than expected. We even had over 30 senior adults join us for our trip to Ricardo’s last month with Faith Baptist Church.

Time and time again, we are showing our eagerness and desire to see this community of faith thrive. We want to be able to “experience and express God’s unconditional love” so that everyone in Frankfort - and beyond will know that the God who created them - the God who took on human form to stand alongside them - loves them unconditionally. We truly believe that God is not done with Immanuel Baptist Church, and we are living like it!

In church leadership circles, a pastor’s third year is often considered to be the year that they “start something.”

Most of the first two years is meant to be consumed with listening and learning, so that any vision-casting or planning can be engaged from a deep knowledge of the congregation -

not from the whims of the pastor.

The past two years have certainly involved a great deal of listening and learning. I believe that job is never done! Now that we are entering year three together, it’s time to let the momentum drive us further. It’s time to see where this potential will take us.

I hope you are as excited as I am about all the possibilities before us.

With God’s help, we can do amazing things! God is already moving us we just have to keep the momentum going. What a future we will have before us if we do!

IMMANUELFEST

ImmanuelFest Volunteers and “Sale” Items Requested Donate: Household items Sports equipment Electronics Children’s Clothing and Toys

ImmanuelFest is a ministry for individuals in our community.

Every year, we are able to offer many free items to members of our community who are in need, and we are ready to re-stock for this year’s event!

Please bring your no longer needed household items, sports equipment, electronics, and children’s clothing and toys to the former church library (first room on the left if you exit the back of the sanctuary and turn left; or last door on the right before the sanctuary if you are walking down the hallway from the choir room) by September 26. We will NOT be collecting adult clothing or books. We need volunteers to help sort items on Friday, September 25 from 3-5 pm at church.

We also needs cases of water bottles, can soft drinks and cookies packed two to a baggie. If you prefer, monetary donations will Volunteers also work.

Contact the following people to help with specific tasks: Free Fair: Jill LeMaster, 502-320-1486 Food: Jennifer True, 502-226-8123 Set up/Take Down: Doug Henley, 502-545-2564 or Steve Dooley, 502-226-0973

We are in need of four pop up tents for the event. Contact Steve Dooley: 502-226-0973 or Doug Henley: 502-545-2564 if you have one we can borrow.

ADULT ACTIVITIES

WITH SYMPATHY

Lydia Greear Baptist Mission Women Lunch Outing

REMEMBERING LONNIE TURNER

Invite a friend to come too!

interests including classic country to classic rock. Lonnie was an amazing man, dedicated husband, father and grandfather!

These lunches are a nice way to fellowship, get to know new people, and deepen relationships with friends, all while exploring a different area or new restaurant! During conversation, the group often also talks about future ways to engage in missions and service together.

On Friday, September 12, the Lydia Greear Baptist Mission Women group will travel to Berea for a lunch at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. You can meet us at church at 10 a.m., to ride share or drive yourself and meet us at the restaurant at 11 a.m.

If you have been considering joining with the BMW group, this is another good opportunity to dive in. It is always a fun time, with women from their 30s to 80s+!

Please call the church office or let Becky Tippett know if you would like to join!

WITH GRATITUDE

Cameroon Africa Greetings beloved in Christ, Thank you for always thinking about us.

to a therapist. They each received $35 and some laundry soap.

The mid year funds gave us an opportunity to support eight internally displaced women. Their houses were burnt in the course of the ongoing war. They escaped and sought refuge in Bamenda center.

May the Almighty God continue to enrich you and replenish your source in Jesus name.

We began psychological first aid after a meeting with them, where we prayed and encourage them from Psalm 30:5, which says weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Two of the victims were sent

Warmest Regards,

Lonnie Turner, 77, passed away on Thursday, August 14, 2025. He was born in Harlan, Kentucky to the late Otis and Alice Turner on June 20, 1948. Lonnie spent his enitre life as a humanitarian, spending 40+ years in Zambia and South Africa. He loved reading a wide variety of books, including political, history, fiction, and philosophy. His music choices were almost as vast as reading

Dear Friends, “Thank you” seems inadequate to express my deep, deep feelings for all the love, support and encouragement you have shown me over the last 40 years.

I appreciate so much your cards, emails and many other expressions of love and support as I finish this chapter.

But we are not going away, and we look forward to more years of friendship and new opportunities for service at Immanuel.

Their work was never about recognition or reward, but about serving others - uplifting the poor, the vulnerable, the overlooked, and the forgotten. It was a calling they embraced wholeheartedly.

After Fran’s passing, Lonnie often recalled her final words to him: “Don’t let my dream die.” He carried those words with him every day, doing all he could to continue her legacy of compassion and service.

Now, Partners in Development will

Lonnie will be laid to rest alongside his beloved Fran at the Field of Hope in Zambia - date to be confirmed. We will also host a celebration of life at IBC at a date to be announced.

Lonnie’s death, less than a year after Mama Fran’s, left us heartbroken. But through the grief, we find strength in their example and remain deeply committed to continuing the mission they began.

To continue supporting Lonnie and Fran’s legacy, please send memorials and gifts to Partners in Development.

You can do this by noting “Partners in Development” on your offering check or offering envelopes, or by giving on the IBC online giving platform and designated your gift to “Partners in Development.”

We will continue our church’s commitment to regularly supporting Partners in Development through our annual budget.

MISSIONS

Eny Bunyui

Sara League

Sara

We, at Immanuel Baptist Church, know Lonnie through the mission work he did with his wife, Fran Turner.

Together, they founded Partners in Development and spent nearly 50 years in Africa to bring her dream to life. From the very beginning, Lonnie stood faithfully by Fran’s side, supporting her mission with unwavering dedication and love, right up until his final breath.

carry forward both of ther legacies, honoring their shared vision and keeping their dream alive.

Infant Resource Center Collecting Magazines Gena, in the Infant Resource Center will be collecting women’s holiday magazines for the IRC clients from September through November. If you have any generic and/or holiday themed magazines, such as Better Homes and Garden, Lifestyle, etc., she would like to add these to their bundles when they pick up baby supplies. This will be a nice way to contribute to the parent’s ability to decompress!

Also, a big thank you to the Baptist Mission Women’s group for the donations of children’s books, books and clothes. The inclusion of these gifts has meant a lot to the parents and children we serve.

Just a little over halfway through the year, we have already served more families than we did in all of 2024!

THRIVING CONGREGATIONS

WORSHIP AND MUSIC

Thriving Traits Sermon Series During the work we did with through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, we learned about five traits that CBF identified as indicative of vibrant, thriving churches. This fall, Pastor Emily is leading us through a sermon series based around the five traits so that we can envision a future built around these ways of strengthening our church.

Rooted Relationships Sunday, August 31 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Faithful Agility Sunday, September 14 Luke 15:1-10

Rooted Relationships are defined by having a life and faith marked by deep, meaningful relationships. These relationships helps us hear and clarify God’s call.

Faithful agility is being flexible and innovative in the face of changes and challenges.

The definitions below come from CBF’s Thriving Congregations Resources.

Holy Tenacity Sunday, September 7 Luke 14:25-33

Compelling Clarity Sunday, August 24 Jeremiah 1:4-10

Holy Tenacity is a persistence that flows from a growing faith; not surrendering in the face of challenges and not merely enduring difficult seasons.

Dynamic collaboration is being connected to, and rooted in, the Kingdom of God beyond one local church in order to see places for partnership and support.

Compelling Clarity is knowing who you are, your giftedness, the importance of your ministry, and being clearly defined by what you are rather than what you are not.

We will be singing “Candles and Carols” by Mark Hayes and Pamela Martin. It is nicely matched with the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love well represented in the cantata, as well as a piece on Christ’s light, which lends itself to the lighting of the Christ Candle.

Come and join us!

Welcome Pat Pennington Following Sara League’s retirement as our church pianist, Pat Pennington has agreed to step into the role, beginning her service on Sunday, September 7. We are excited to welcome Pat, who comes to us with decades of experience as a church pianist. We are looking forward to welcoming her back, as she and her family were members of IBC for many years, and it will be good to see her face among us regularly once again.

Please welcome Pat when you see her!

Please be sure to come to worship or catch up on the sermons in order to learn more about how these traits have and will inform our church life.

REMINDERS

Upcoming Events and Noteworthy Updates

Online Giving Now Available For your convenience, Immanuel is now set up for online giving to the church and its various missions!

Please contact Jill LeMaster at the church office, 502-223-7601, if you have any questions.

If you would like to donate online, go to the church website at: ibcfrankfort.com/give/

*If you are happy with the way you currently give to the church, you do not need to switch to online giving. We added online giving for people who would like to have this option.

You will be asked for your credit card information at that point and whether you wish to cover the processing cost (this is the cost the church has to pay in order to receive donations online).

Christmas Cantata Christmas Cantata Rehearsals will begin on Wednesday, September 17. If you or someone you know would like to sing with us for this year’s cantata, please let Mac know! He would love to offer you or them the “opportunity” to sing with us.

Dynamic Collaboration Sunday, September 21 1 Timothy 2:1-7

STEWARDSHIP

When you get to that screen, click on “Give Online Today” and include the amount and fund(s) to which you wish to give.

Grandparent’s Sunday

Thank you, as always for your support of the church! Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue reaching out to the community and making a difference in each other’s lives and the lives of our neighbors.

ImmanuelFest

Trunks of Treats

ImmanuelFest is coming up on Saturday, September 27, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Invite friends and family! (For more information about volunteering, turn to the next page of the Connections).

We will host Trunks of Treats on October 31. Save the Date! More information to come.

Capital City Pride Festival Once again, IBC will participate in the Capital City Pride Festival on Saturday, October 11. Please let Sam know if you would like to volunteer!

Where’s the Pictoral Directory?

We are working on the directory, and this is a new process for us! We will have dates for pictures and retakes, and the directory will be fully available by the end of the year.

Note: Children’s events, including Sunday School, now require KidCheck registration. All current families should have received a registration link. If you have not, please let Sam know at sam@ibcfrankfort.com.

Visit www.d365.org for daily Back to School devotionals. While these devotionals are written for youth, many adults have shared how much this daily practice has meant to them!

THRIVING CONGREGATIONS

WORSHIP AND MUSIC

Thriving Traits Sermon Series During the work we did with through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, we learned about five traits that CBF identified as indicative of vibrant, thriving churches. This fall, Pastor Emily is leading us through a sermon series based around the five traits so that we can envision a future built around these ways of strengthening our church.

Rooted Relationships Sunday, August 31 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Faithful Agility Sunday, September 14 Luke 15:1-10

Rooted Relationships are defined by having a life and faith marked by deep, meaningful relationships. These relationships helps us hear and clarify God’s call.

Faithful agility is being flexible and innovative in the face of changes and challenges.

The definitions below come from CBF’s Thriving Congregations Resources.

Holy Tenacity Sunday, September 7 Luke 14:25-33

Compelling Clarity Sunday, August 24 Jeremiah 1:4-10

Holy Tenacity is a persistence that flows from a growing faith; not surrendering in the face of challenges and not merely enduring difficult seasons.

Dynamic collaboration is being connected to, and rooted in, the Kingdom of God beyond one local church in order to see places for partnership and support.

Compelling Clarity is knowing who you are, your giftedness, the importance of your ministry, and being clearly defined by what you are rather than what you are not.

We will be singing “Candles and Carols” by Mark Hayes and Pamela Martin. It is nicely matched with the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love well represented in the cantata, as well as a piece on Christ’s light, which lends itself to the lighting of the Christ Candle.

Come and join us!

Welcome Pat Pennington Following Sara League’s retirement as our church pianist, Pat Pennington has agreed to step into the role, beginning her service on Sunday, September 7. We are excited to welcome Pat, who comes to us with decades of experience as a church pianist. We are looking forward to welcoming her back, as she and her family were members of IBC for many years, and it will be good to see her face among us regularly once again.

Please welcome Pat when you see her!

Please be sure to come to worship or catch up on the sermons in order to learn more about how these traits have and will inform our church life.

REMINDERS

Upcoming Events and Noteworthy Updates

Online Giving Now Available For your convenience, Immanuel is now set up for online giving to the church and its various missions!

Please contact Jill LeMaster at the church office, 502-223-7601, if you have any questions.

If you would like to donate online, go to the church website at: ibcfrankfort.com/give/

*If you are happy with the way you currently give to the church, you do not need to switch to online giving. We added online giving for people who would like to have this option.

You will be asked for your credit card information at that point and whether you wish to cover the processing cost (this is the cost the church has to pay in order to receive donations online).

Christmas Cantata Christmas Cantata Rehearsals will begin on Wednesday, September 17. If you or someone you know would like to sing with us for this year’s cantata, please let Mac know! He would love to offer you or them the “opportunity” to sing with us.

Dynamic Collaboration Sunday, September 21 1 Timothy 2:1-7

STEWARDSHIP

When you get to that screen, click on “Give Online Today” and include the amount and fund(s) to which you wish to give.

Grandparent’s Sunday

Thank you, as always for your support of the church! Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue reaching out to the community and making a difference in each other’s lives and the lives of our neighbors.

ImmanuelFest

Trunks of Treats

ImmanuelFest is coming up on Saturday, September 27, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Invite friends and family! (For more information about volunteering, turn to the next page of the Connections).

We will host Trunks of Treats on October 31. Save the Date! More information to come.

Capital City Pride Festival Once again, IBC will participate in the Capital City Pride Festival on Saturday, October 11. Please let Sam know if you would like to volunteer!

Where’s the Pictoral Directory?

We are working on the directory, and this is a new process for us! We will have dates for pictures and retakes, and the directory will be fully available by the end of the year.

Note: Children’s events, including Sunday School, now require KidCheck registration. All current families should have received a registration link. If you have not, please let Sam know at sam@ibcfrankfort.com.

Visit www.d365.org for daily Back to School devotionals. While these devotionals are written for youth, many adults have shared how much this daily practice has meant to them!

ADULT ACTIVITIES

WITH SYMPATHY

Lydia Greear Baptist Mission Women Lunch Outing

REMEMBERING LONNIE TURNER

Invite a friend to come too!

interests including classic country to classic rock. Lonnie was an amazing man, dedicated husband, father and grandfather!

These lunches are a nice way to fellowship, get to know new people, and deepen relationships with friends, all while exploring a different area or new restaurant! During conversation, the group often also talks about future ways to engage in missions and service together.

On Friday, September 12, the Lydia Greear Baptist Mission Women group will travel to Berea for a lunch at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. You can meet us at church at 10 a.m., to ride share or drive yourself and meet us at the restaurant at 11 a.m.

If you have been considering joining with the BMW group, this is another good opportunity to dive in. It is always a fun time, with women from their 30s to 80s+!

Please call the church office or let Becky Tippett know if you would like to join!

WITH GRATITUDE

Cameroon Africa Greetings beloved in Christ, Thank you for always thinking about us.

to a therapist. They each received $35 and some laundry soap.

The mid year funds gave us an opportunity to support eight internally displaced women. Their houses were burnt in the course of the ongoing war. They escaped and sought refuge in Bamenda center.

May the Almighty God continue to enrich you and replenish your source in Jesus name.

We began psychological first aid after a meeting with them, where we prayed and encourage them from Psalm 30:5, which says weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Two of the victims were sent

Warmest Regards,

Lonnie Turner, 77, passed away on Thursday, August 14, 2025. He was born in Harlan, Kentucky to the late Otis and Alice Turner on June 20, 1948. Lonnie spent his enitre life as a humanitarian, spending 40+ years in Zambia and South Africa. He loved reading a wide variety of books, including political, history, fiction, and philosophy. His music choices were almost as vast as reading

Dear Friends, “Thank you” seems inadequate to express my deep, deep feelings for all the love, support and encouragement you have shown me over the last 40 years.

I appreciate so much your cards, emails and many other expressions of love and support as I finish this chapter.

But we are not going away, and we look forward to more years of friendship and new opportunities for service at Immanuel.

Their work was never about recognition or reward, but about serving others - uplifting the poor, the vulnerable, the overlooked, and the forgotten. It was a calling they embraced wholeheartedly.

After Fran’s passing, Lonnie often recalled her final words to him: “Don’t let my dream die.” He carried those words with him every day, doing all he could to continue her legacy of compassion and service.

Now, Partners in Development will

Lonnie will be laid to rest alongside his beloved Fran at the Field of Hope in Zambia - date to be confirmed. We will also host a celebration of life at IBC at a date to be announced.

Lonnie’s death, less than a year after Mama Fran’s, left us heartbroken. But through the grief, we find strength in their example and remain deeply committed to continuing the mission they began.

To continue supporting Lonnie and Fran’s legacy, please send memorials and gifts to Partners in Development.

You can do this by noting “Partners in Development” on your offering check or offering envelopes, or by giving on the IBC online giving platform and designated your gift to “Partners in Development.”

We will continue our church’s commitment to regularly supporting Partners in Development through our annual budget.

MISSIONS

Eny Bunyui

Sara League

Sara

We, at Immanuel Baptist Church, know Lonnie through the mission work he did with his wife, Fran Turner.

Together, they founded Partners in Development and spent nearly 50 years in Africa to bring her dream to life. From the very beginning, Lonnie stood faithfully by Fran’s side, supporting her mission with unwavering dedication and love, right up until his final breath.

carry forward both of ther legacies, honoring their shared vision and keeping their dream alive.

Infant Resource Center Collecting Magazines Gena, in the Infant Resource Center will be collecting women’s holiday magazines for the IRC clients from September through November. If you have any generic and/or holiday themed magazines, such as Better Homes and Garden, Lifestyle, etc., she would like to add these to their bundles when they pick up baby supplies. This will be a nice way to contribute to the parent’s ability to decompress!

Also, a big thank you to the Baptist Mission Women’s group for the donations of children’s books, books and clothes. The inclusion of these gifts has meant a lot to the parents and children we serve.

Just a little over halfway through the year, we have already served more families than we did in all of 2024!

GLOBAL MINISTRIES

CONTINUED

Zambia Every morning, she rises before the sun. Her heart is full, but her pockets are empty. She’s a mother. A fighter. A woman doing everything she can with almost nothing. Not just surviving, but sacrificing, day after day.

areas with no access to clean, running water, proper sanitation, or privacy.

They go to work with heavy hearts, leaving their infants behind because they have no choice. They raise their children with little to nothing, sometimes without any income at all.

This National Women’s Day, we pause to reflect on the daily struggles faced by women, especially single mothers living in poverty, whose resilience often goes unseen and uncelebrated.

Imagine having to wake up before sunrise, not to meditate, but to carry heavy buckets for miles just to collect water.

Imagine doing that in the dark, terrified of being attacked, raped, or even killed. For far too many women, this is not imagination - it is their reality.

These are not just struggles - these are violations of dignity. These are human rights issues.

Thanks to your generosity and continued support, we’ve distributed 20 bags of mealie meal to single mothers and their children, offering immediate food relief. We have also been able to build 19 houses for single mothers and their families, and we aspire to build even more. They now have a safe space, a place to call their own - a place to call home.

No woman should be forgotten. No woman should be left behind.

In gratitude and hope for your support.

These women live in overcrowded, unsafe

Partners in Development PRAYER AND CARE

Deacon of the Week 9/7/25

The Deacon of the Week is here to support you with any ministry needs or to respond to any prayer concerns. Please feel free to reach out to them any time during the week of their service!

The Pastor’s Column Continued

Tabitha Martin 270-589-2498

9/14/25

Carol O’Connell 502-545-3920

9/21/25

Brent Irvin 859-576-0259

9/28/25

Susie Stivers 502-330-3722

You don’t have to spend very long with the people at IBC to realize that the momentum is shifting.

Even events that used to have 8-12 people attending have now seen dozens of people come. I can’t count the number of times we have had to pull out extra chairs and tables because more people joined a fellowship event than expected. We even had over 30 senior adults join us for our trip to Ricardo’s last month with Faith Baptist Church.

Time and time again, we are showing our eagerness and desire to see this community of faith thrive. We want to be able to “experience and express God’s unconditional love” so that everyone in Frankfort - and beyond will know that the God who created them - the God who took on human form to stand alongside them - loves them unconditionally. We truly believe that God is not done with Immanuel Baptist Church, and we are living like it!

In church leadership circles, a pastor’s third year is often considered to be the year that they “start something.”

Most of the first two years is meant to be consumed with listening and learning, so that any vision-casting or planning can be engaged from a deep knowledge of the congregation -

not from the whims of the pastor.

The past two years have certainly involved a great deal of listening and learning. I believe that job is never done! Now that we are entering year three together, it’s time to let the momentum drive us further. It’s time to see where this potential will take us.

I hope you are as excited as I am about all the possibilities before us.

With God’s help, we can do amazing things! God is already moving us we just have to keep the momentum going. What a future we will have before us if we do!

IMMANUELFEST

ImmanuelFest Volunteers and “Sale” Items Requested Donate: Household items Sports equipment Electronics Children’s Clothing and Toys

ImmanuelFest is a ministry for individuals in our community.

Every year, we are able to offer many free items to members of our community who are in need, and we are ready to re-stock for this year’s event!

Please bring your no longer needed household items, sports equipment, electronics, and children’s clothing and toys to the former church library (first room on the left if you exit the back of the sanctuary and turn left; or last door on the right before the sanctuary if you are walking down the hallway from the choir room) by September 26. We will NOT be collecting adult clothing or books. We need volunteers to help sort items on Friday, September 25 from 3-5 pm at church.

We also needs cases of water bottles, can soft drinks and cookies packed two to a baggie. If you prefer, monetary donations will Volunteers also work.

Contact the following people to help with specific tasks: Free Fair: Jill LeMaster, 502-320-1486 Food: Jennifer True, 502-226-8123 Set up/Take Down: Doug Henley, 502-545-2564 or Steve Dooley, 502-226-0973

We are in need of four pop up tents for the event. Contact Steve Dooley: 502-226-0973 or Doug Henley: 502-545-2564 if you have one we can borrow.

CONNECTIONS

1075 Collins Lane Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 (502) 223-7601 www.ibcfrankfort.com

To Experience & Express God’s Unconditional Love Volume 4, No. 9 - September 2025

Emily Holladay Senior Pastor emily@ibcfrankfort.com Mac Stivers Minister of Music mac@ibcfrankfort.com Joni Crowe Office Administrator joni@ibcfrankfort.com Jill LeMaster Financial Administrator jill@ibcfrankfort.com Sam Crowe Director of Children and Youth Ministries sam@ibcfrankfort.com Curtis Smoot Facilities Manager

Opportunities at Immanuel

Stewardship Report 2025 Ministry Plan

$509,493.00

Amount Needed Each Week

$9,798.00

Amount Needed Through July

$293,940.00

Undesignated Receipts Through July $223,418.88

Sunday, September 7 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worhip with Communion/ Grandparents’ Day

Wednesday, September 17 6:00 pm Choir Practice

Monday, September 8 6:00 pm Deacons’ Meeting

Sunday, September 21 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

% of Annual Budget Needed

58%

% of Annual Budget Received

44%

Wednesday, September 10 6:00 pm Choir Practice

$204,284.52

Thursday, September 11 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall

CURRENT ASSETS Church Checking Balance Designated Checking Balance

$86,725.74

Total Current Assets

$292,576.73

Prayer List Roger Crittenden

Noland Williams

Glenn Ison

Susan Wolfe

Janet Lewis

Joyce Wood

Ernie Murphy

Family of Jill Lee

Family of Lonnie Turner

Friday, September 12 10:00 am Lydia Greear Baptist

Mission Women

Lunch in Berea 3:00 pm Crafting Saturday, September 13 9:00 am Crafting Sunday, September 14 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

Doug Henley Facilities Manager Gena Woestman Infant Resource Center Director choices2413@gmail.com

Thursday, September 18 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall Our Vision To experience and express God’s unconditional love.

Wednesday, September 24 6:00 pm Choir Practice Thursday, September 25 1:00 pm Line Dancing in

Fellowship Hall Saturday, September 27 10:00 am Immaneulfest Sunday, September 28 9:30 am Bible Study 10:30 am Worship

Our Kingdom Mission To live like Jesus Christ by unconditionally loving all people, compassionately serving God’s world, openly discussing issues of faith, and intentionally inviting others to grow with us as followers of Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Beginning Year Three: Ministry of Momentum A couple of weeks ago, I did something I have never done before: I dedicated my sermon time in worship to offering a “State of the Church” Address. It was one of the Sundays closest to my church anniversary, and after two years of ministry, it felt fitting to look back on where we have been and celebrate the direction in which we are headed.

Unfortunately, technology did not cooperate with us that Sunday, so we do not have a streamed recording of the service. If you were not able to be there, but would like to hear the sermon, please let the church office know and we should be able to get you a recording on the service on CD. Otherwise, I will also be adding a print version of the sermon to the website for you to be able to read.

During the sermon, I mentioned that the word that stood out to me as I was touring the church 2.5 years ago and meeting with the search committee was: potential. From the building and grounds to the neighborhood and the people I met, I just knew this church had so much going for it. The search committee didn’t “sell” the church to me - in fact, they did the best job possible of making sure I was clear-eyed about IBC’s strengths and areas of growth.

Still, I knew that our ministry together could be one of untapping potential and letting our light shine in new and vibrant ways.

I also noted that it feels like we are at a “precipice moment” in the life of the church. The direction we take in the next few years may indeed be indicative of what the future holds for Immanuel Baptist Church. We have choices to make about where and how we will invest our time and energy, and what choices we make will determine to what extent we allow our potential to flourish.

As we begin year three together, a new word has come to mind: momentum.

Over the course of the last two years, we have built a lot. Our energy has grown and expanded as we have updated the look and feel of our communications platforms. We have significantly increased our ministry with children and youth, reaching out to the community to support more families than have in recent past. This has been a very exciting time in the life of the church.

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