From your missionary page 2 Ebenezer is 185! page 3 More church news page 3 Newsbriefs page 4 Calendar & birthdays page 4 VBS dates page 4 Children’s Camps page 5 Men’s Fish Fry page 5 Real-life discipleship page 5
Georgia Baptist Convention President John Waters and quite a few HBA pastors enjoyed good fellowship as well as a Chick fil A lunch on April 8 at Houston Baptist Center at their monthly meeting.
National Day of Prayer page 6
See more photos on our website & Facebook page.
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From your missionary Every year we have a week in May where there is an Associational emphasis that focuses on praying for the Association and making people aware of the benefits of being a part of an association. This year the emphasis will be May 19th – th Gary Leutzinger 25 . There will be a prayer guide that will come to all of our churches for people to use during the week to pray for the different areas of the Association. This prayer guide will also be on our Website and Facebook page for people to access to pray each day! It is my conviction and always has been that the Association is vital in reaching people with the Gospel. I also believe that we have associations because we can do more together in reaching people than we can be ourselves. I would like to share with you in this article why your church should support the Association. 1. Our association is our association. Churches make up an association; our association is our churches acting cooperatively. The mission of an association is an extension of the mission of the churches that make up the association. Therefore, our association assists our churches in proclaiming the gospel to the lost, discipiling the saved, and ministering to persons in Christ’s name. 2. An association is a group of churches doing missions. Churches can do collectively through the association what no one church can do by itself. An association involves churches in varied mission ministries. Churches can better serve the total geographical area cooperatively through the association. 3. An association promotes teamwork. An association gives churches an opportunity to work together on local projects, thus helping each other to accomplish common mission responsibilities. 4. An association is an open door to world mission outreach. The world has come to us. Internationals visit and reside in our association. An association plans strategies and assist churches in proclaiming the gospel to internationals and ministering to them in Christ’s name.
5. An association trains church leaders. An association helps train and develop church leaders and other members by involving them in leadership and service responsibilities. Also an association provides conferences, seminars, and workshops each year that are designed to train church leaders to do a more effective job in their position of leadership. An association exists to supply information, resources, and training to equip lay leaders in local churches to develop believers, witness to the lost, and minister to the hurting. 6. An association gives personal assistance to churches. An associational missionary and other staff members assist churches to more effectively do their work within the church body and to meet the needs of people in their respective communities. 7. An association provides opportunities for fellowship. An association provides pastors and other local church leaders with opportunities for fellowship. As fellowship is developed and experienced, church leaders realize that they are not alone in seeking to serve the Lord in their local setting. 8. An association is a link between churches and the denomination. An association provides a two-way channel of communication from the churches to the denomination, and from the denomination to the churches. 9. Churches are an association’s primary source of financing. The expansion of associational missions and ministries depends on the commitment of the local churches to meet opportunities that are growing in number each year. If churches support an association adequately, the association can do the needed mission and ministry task.
(GBC brochure: Why should our church support our association?) I am grateful to serve this association and I believe there are greater days ahead. This will be determined by each church supporting and being involved in the association. As we focus on our association, pray and ask God how your church can take a vital role in supporting and cooperating with 41 churches to reach lost people in our communities and around the world with the Gospel. Let us unite together and accomplish the mission the Lord has given to us! Bro. Gary
Page 3 Church news
Ebenezer to celebrate 185 years!
Penia Church is seeking a part time youth minister. Call 229-322-9165 for more information.
Ebenezer Church will observe its 185th anniversary and homecoming Sunday, May 5, 2013. The day begins with Sunday School at 9:30a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. A meal in the fellowship hall will immediately follow.
A recent study covering the years of 2009--2012 to determine the Georgia Baptist Convention's fastest growing churches based on Sunday School/Small Groups revealed Northern Heights Church to be 19th in the intermediate category of the fastest growing churches in the GBC.
Local author and former member Nancy Gibbs will be the guest speaker. Annette Rowland Brown, Nell Hitchcock Tallant and Eula Jo Wright Sheffield, a popular trio from years past, will sing. World Alexander Popov class violinist from Moldova, Alexander Popov, will be in concert at 6:00 p.m.
Undesignated church contributions January 1 thru April 24, 2013 from our 41 churches
Rev. Fred Jones and all the members of Ebenezer Baptist Church invite all friends and former members to join in this celebration. For more information call 229-322-8286. Ebenezer Church is located at 118 Crisp Academy Drive, Cordele.
Harmony Church is hosting the Ugandan Thunder Children’s Choir in concert on May 26 at 11:00 a.m. Covered dish lunch will follow in fellowship hall.
Pictured above is a scene from Northern Heights Church’s Worship and Praise Rally on April 13 at the Lions Club Fairgrounds in Cordele. Strength Team from Americus performed as well as shared the Gospel. Christian bands Thorns Deep and Crossing 47 also performed. Almost 200 people enjoyed worship, Christian music, fun, games and food from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Photo by Becky Crissman)
Antioch.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600.00 Arabi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 925.02 Bethel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252.00 Byromville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,235.60 Drayton.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600.00 Ebenezer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,609.89 Filadelphia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.91 First Cordele.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,890.24 First Unadilla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750.00 First Vienna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,456.79 First Warwick.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 969.90 Harmony.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,217.00 Hatley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900.00 Lake Blackshear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200.00 Lakeshore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400.00 Liberty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,092.24 Mars Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.00 Morningside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191.86 Mt. Vernon.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120.00 New Harvest.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204.67 Northern Heights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,319.00 Omar Heights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129.00 Penia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,233.24 Pinecrest.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,592.93 Pleasant Grove. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 741.39 Riverview.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400.00 Sharon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495.89 Smyrna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,656.34 Tippettville.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.00 Wenona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.00 Zion Hill.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447.40 TOTAL.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45,369.31
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NEWSBRIEFS Please pray for these
Opportunities coming up Houston Baptist Association events are printed in bold type. HBC is an abbreviation for Houston Baptist Center .
Associational Missionary Gary Leutzinger Lauralyn & Troy Drew Happi Keenan Bo Patrick Kenneth Tukes Phil Streetman Nominating committee as they seek people for associational leadership positions for next year Unity in our churches and unity among our churches Upcoming associational and church events All our churches and particularly those without pastors–Acorn Pond, Arabi, Mars Hill, Morningside, Oakfield, Pinehurst, Rock Hill, Warwick First.
May 2 May 5
National Day of Prayer Senior Adult Sunday
May 6
Men’s Ministries Fish Fry, 6:30pm Georgia Veterans Memorial Park Children’s Home Day Mother’s Day
Get the scoop early
Have you ordered your promotional materials for Children’s Home Day?
Don’t wait for your Houston Herald to come in the mail which may take as much as a week after it is completed. We post it on our website as soon as it is finished–even before it is copied, folded and mailed. Like our Facebook page and/or send us your email, and you will be provided a link to the new issue. We will still send you a copy in the mail you can share with your household and friends.
May 12 May 13
Minister’s Monthly Fellowship, 10:30am, HBC May 19 Pentecost May 19-25 Associational Emphasis Week May 20 May 27
Ex. Committee Mtg. 7pm, HBC Memorial Day (HBC closed)
June 1
Open House Camp Houston, 3-5pm
May 12 is Children’s Home Day. For 141 years, Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes have equipped children and families looking for hope the tools to build a new life. For more information about Children's Home Offering Day and how your church can help, call 770.463.3800 or send an email to shammonds@gbchfm.org to order Children's Home Offering Day materials.
Mission trip opportunity in July The mission trip to the West Virginia area is scheduled for July 20-26 this year. Information has been mailed to all the churches and is also available on our website www.houstonbaptist.org.
May 1 May 8 May 12 May 17 May 19 May 20 May 25 May 27
James Gauthier Phil Streetman Nancy Gibbs Ronnie Duncan Merle Sheffield Pam Garrett Gary Leutzinger Chuck Keenan John Smith
Known dates for Vacation Bible Schools 2013 Byromville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 17-21 Cordele First. . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 10-14 Ebenezer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 7-9 Harmony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 14-16 Northern Heights. . . . . . . . . . . . June 2-7 Penia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 19-24 Pinecrest.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 24-28 Pinehurst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 3-5 Sharon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 3-7 Smyrna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 2-7 Unadilla First.. . . . . . . . . . . . . June 17-21
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Camp applications may be obtained through your church, Houston Baptist Center, and downloaded from www.houstonbaptist.org.
This has become an annual event of our Men’s Ministries. Evangelist Daryel O'Barr will be the guest speaker so bring your lost and unchurched friends with you. Car pooling is highly recommended for this event since the park fee is $5 per vehicle. (Associational funds will cover this.) The event will be at Group Daryel O’Barr Shelter Two, which is the first structure on the left across from the Welcome Center.
At Camp Houston, children will grow closer to God through age appropriate Bible study and worship mixed with times of recreation and just plain fun.
Please call 229-273-4127 to let us know how many will be attending from your church.
Camp Houston is a ministry of the churches of Houston Baptist Association. The beautiful wooded ten-acre campus is located at 779 Story Road, Arabi, approximately 12 miles south of Cordele.
May Ministers’ Fellowship to focus on real-life discipleship
Open House at the camp is scheduled for June 1 from 3:00–5:00 p.m. at which time there will be a brief dedication service for the renovated director’s cottage in memory Lutrelle Davis.
Are you looking for a fresh approach to effective discipleship? Would you like to see your church body thrive and grow in numbers and maturity? If so, be sure to attend the Ministers’ Fellowship on May 13 at 10:30 a.m. Matt Stephens and Ray Sullivan will share about what they gleaned from a recent real-life discipleship conference they attended. Lunch will follow at a local restaurant. New Harvest Church is in need of a kitchen stove in good working order. If you have one you would like to donate call 229-273-4127.
Page 6 The upcoming 62nd annual National Day of Prayer, May 2, 2013, will have profound significance for our country. We have an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest as citizens are called to humbly come before His throne. The 2013 theme is Pray for America, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight the theme, Matthew 12:21 was chosen as this year’s Scripture: “In His name the nations will put their hope.” Meet for prayer at noon at one these locations: Arabi Byromville Cordele Lilly Pinehurst Unadilla Vienna Warwick
City Hall Groves Park Court House Fire Station City Hall Veterans Park On The Square City Park
Houston Herald is published m onthly by Houston Baptist Association.
Send news and/or com m ents to P O Box 1274, Cordele, GA 31010, em ail to secretary@ houstonbaptist.org or call 229-273-4127.
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Hous on Baptist Association 2116 Hwy 41 ^ P O Box 1274 ^ Cordele, GA 31010 www.houstonbaptist.org 229-273-4127 (phone); 229-273-0626 (fax) Associational Missionary: Gary Leutzinger a.m @ houstonbaptist.org
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 35 VIENNA GA 31092
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