Fall 2014

DISCIPLE

WORSHIP SERVICES 9 & 10:30AM SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR KIDS AT 9AM

DAY SUN AY D NES WED

FOUNDATIONS 9AM

Explore the Bible SS Classes 7:45AM & 10:30AM

FOR STUDENTS Gr. 6-12 in the Legacy Chapel

Enter at the North Main Doors

FOR KIDS Age 3 yrs. thru 5th Grade Enter at the North Main Doors Pre-register before September 3, 2014

NURSERY for babies & toddlers at 9AM & 10:30AM

FIND US ON GOOGLE MAPS

You don’t have to be a church member to worship with us.

facebook.com/hopeformacon “Like” us on facebook

@maconfbc “Follow us” on Twitter

youtube.com/user/maconfbc watch MaconFBC Sunday services on youtube 2

THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

Pastor Phil Bray and his family

WHAT ARE YOU

READING?

“Our desire at Macon FBC is to glorify God by making disciples.

Everything we do is geared toward this ultimate goal. Disciples are those who treasure Christ above all else, who genuinely love one another with acts of self-sacrificial service, who seek to grow daily in their knowledge of God, and who seek to evangelize and train others to follow Christ. We hope this publication will provide you with valuable insights and tools for your own spiritual growth as well as direct you toward areas of service and ministry. May the Lord Jesus fill you with His Holy Spirit and use you to be a blessing to this church family as He uses us to be a blessing to you and your family. Thank you for being a part of Macon FBC!”

Reading is a vital part of your spiritual growth. Devote yourself to the reading and study of God’s word. Books are like extended sermons or Sunday School lessons that can deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Bible. There are other avenues of reading that will also prove beneficial to you for your spiritual growth. You can take in the explanation of God’s word at your pace, meditating on the rich truth provided by the author.

Excellent explanation of the character and work of God

A practical and biblical guide to faithful Christian living.

fictional

depiction of a demonic correspondence about the process of temptation and spiritual warfare

JOIN THE BOOK BLOG IN OCTOBER BOOK? The Hole in our Holiness

by Kevin DeYoung

WHEN? Monday mornings Pastor Phil will post a blog on Facebook regarding his thoughts on that week’s chapter.

WHO? Anyone in our church family can follow along with the pastor, a chapter each week, and offer their comments on the chapter on the thread of conversation that Pastor Phil will begin each Monday.

HOPEFORMACON.COM

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AUGUST 8-9

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FATHER SON CAMPOUT

J12 BEGINS @ 6PM

Campout for sons, fathers, men and boys. Sign up by August 6 in Sunday bulletin.

Wednesdays for children ages 3 years up through 5th Grade. Exploring the Bible and building their faith in Christ.

AUGUST 11-15 UNLEASHED

SEPTEMBER 11

Week nights for students Gr. 6-12. 6-9PM each night; Wed. College Nite (parent night); Thurs. Forum; Friday DA MAC concert

LADIES ESTHER BANQUET 6PM

AUGUST 20

IT BEGINS WITH ME with speaker, Rhonda Hufty and music from MaconFBC ladies quartet. $10 per person Tickets available Aug. 31 & Sept. 7 at Welcome Center

CROSSOVER BEGINS @ 6PM

SEPTEMBER 14

Students Grades 6-12 each Wed. Night in the chapel

1000 HILLS ANNUAL MTG & WORSHIP SERVICE

AUGUST 21

3PM Business session; 5PM Dinner & Choir Practice 6:30PM Worship service for all 1000 Hills Associational churches. MaconFBC is part of this association.

WORSHIP ROUND UP Special night for those who serve and lead in WORSHIP—Choir, Praise Team, Sound Techs, Media Team, and Camera Team

AUGUST 28 SENIOR ADULT MISSION NITE W/ STUDENTS Senior adults will enjoy a dinner and also hear from MaconFBC Student Ministry about their summer camp and mission experiences. No cost. RSVP by Aug. 14

AUGUST 31

SEPTEMBER 16 SENIOR ADULT DINNER AT DON’S Dinner together in Huntsville at Don’s Restaurant with music by Matt Carroll. RSVP by Sept. 7

SEPTEMBER 16 KIDS CHOIR BEGINS Kids begin rehearsal for the Kids Choir Christmas Musical. More info to come.

1st ANNUAL LABOR DAY VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

SEPTEMBER 26

Teams of 6-8 with at least 3 females. Sign up as an individual and we’ll put you with a team or as a team. $10 per team.

Steal away for a great evening out with your spouse.

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

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FIND US ON GOOGLE MAPS Macon First Baptist Church 302 North Rutherford Street Macon Missouri 63552

WEEKLY SERVICE TIMES & LOCATION OCTOBER 5 BUILDING A FAMILY LEGACY (SIMULCAST) Dr. James Dobson of FOCUS ON THE FAMILY answers the question, “What will your legacy be?” and challenges us to think about the legacy we are leaving. (6PM)

SUNDAY WORSHIP 9:00 & 10:30AM in main Worship Center FAMILY WORSHIP at 6:00PM

ADULT BIBLE STUDY OCTOBER 17 & 18 MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCK-IN For Grades 6-8. More details coming soon!

OCTOBER 23 SENIOR ADULT GAME NIGHT All senior adults invited for a fun night of games! Bring a finger food. No RSVP necessary.

OCTOBER 31 FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL Activities, games, food and more at MaconFBC.

Explore the Bible Classes at 7;45 and 10:30AM in various rooms. Foundations at 9AM. Check with a greeter as you enter the building for help in finding a small group for you and your family.

KIDS Sunday School at 9AM in Kid’s Cove Children’s Wing & Lower Level. Worship at 10:30AM in Worship Center.

STUDENTS Foundations Bible Study at 9AM on lower level.

Worship at 10:30AM in Worship Center.

CHILDCARE Nursery for children ages birth through 3 years is provided during all Sunday morning and evening worship services.

LEARN MORE DETAILS ABOUT UPCOMING MINISTRY EVENTS AT

HOPEFORMACON.COM/EVENTS HOPEFORMACON.COM

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Paul writes to the church at Philippi with a pastor’s heart, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Phil. 2:1-4

A PASTOR’S HEART

Oh how true these words have become in my own heart of late. If there is any encouragement in Christ – and there is! There is great encouragement in knowing we are not condemned for our sin, that we are declared righteous in Christ. If there is any consolation of love – and there is! How wonderful is the love of God displayed in Christ?! How wonderful is the aroma of love that fills our church family. If there is any fellowship of the Spirit – and there is! The Spirit of God has worked wonderfully through our HomeGroups and Sunday School classes to create genuine fellowship and friendship. If there is any affection and compassion – and there is! Your pastoral staff loves you immensely. We know that you love us immensely. We have been the recipients of your encouragement and compassion,

Pastor Phil Bray

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

your generosity and friendship. There is no place any of us would rather be.

If all of this is true – and it is – then the command of the text is very simple. Make your pastor’s joy complete by being unified in love, spirit, and purpose. When the church is unified then the joy of the pastor overflows with wonder. When the church serves one another with genuine compassion and sacrificial love the joy of a pastor is beyond words. When the church begins putting the needs of one another above their own needs or wants, then the joy of a pastor knows no bounds. My desire is for our unity and growth. My desire is that we stand together intent on the one purpose of making disciples for the glory of our great God. There will be days of tragedy, of suffering, of turmoil, of frustration. There will be days of fear. There will be seasons of siege by the enemy. Yet we are a family. We are the children of God, saved by the grace of God for the glory of God. We have been transformed by the Spirit of God to love one another as He has loved us. May Christ be our example as we walk forward together this next year. May we sacrifice for one another. May we genuinely care for one another. May we humble ourselves and serve one another. May we be a people of remarkable unity and joy as the Spirit of God flows through us and empowers us to walk in His ways. This is my prayer for you, dear brothers and sisters, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident in this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Phil. 1:3-6.

THE

HIFT SIN FINDING INFORMATION This decade has brought on a shift in where many people will go to retrieve information about anything and it is accessible 24/7.

Smartphones, tablets, minicomputers have given us unlimited amounts of information at our fingertips. This shift influences the effective means our church has in sharing news and information to our church family and attendees.

You can find MaconFBC online at several places—our website at HopeForMacon.com, facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The easiest way to find them is to begin at the website— HopeForMacon.com. The Sunday morning announcement sheet will highlight major ministry events, but you’ll find more current details on the website. The website is updated daily and weekly with sermon videos, music, ministry events and more. Don’t wait for Sunday’s announcement sheet to learn what’s happening. Grab your phone or other device to scan this QR code and visit us now.

Have questions about MEMBERSHIP? Go to HopeForMacon.com/Membership -at-maconfbc It’s Biblical Membership Matters because it is biblical.

Scripture teaches that individual Christians make up the body of Christ. He is the head and we are the body. We are united into one family, one entity, the people of God, the bride of Christ, the body of Christ. There is an identity in being part of this group of people who will inherit the earth at the resurrection. Membership in a local body of believers is a visual display of being a member of the universal church comprised of people from different countries, times, and ethnicities. (1 Corinthians 12).

Mutual Accountability Membership Matters because of the importance of committed mutual accountability.

Sin is seductive. Without one another to watch one another’s back we would easily slip into unrepentant sin. We are called by God to hold one another accountable and stimulate one another to faithfulness (1 Corinthians 5; Hebrews 10:23-25)

We are congregational Membership Matters because we are congregational.

We believe that all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. We do have leadership but we make major decisions as a corporate body, trusting that God will lead the church family by His Holy Spirit. Without membership we could not be congregational as there would be no identifiable group who would be qualified to vote.

ONLINE GIVING NOW AVAILABLE

A secure and efficient method for giving

Go to Hopeformacon.com/giving Click “GIVE ONLINE NOW” Click “FIRST TIME” and create a login. By creating a login, you can provide your contact information the first time and not have to re-type it in the future. You can also review and print your giving history at any time and setup recurring giving as you wish.

A second option is “QUICK GIVE.” You can give quickly without creating a login. You won’t have the option to review or print your giving history using QUICK GIVE. HOPEFORMACON.COM

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fostering more close-knit relationships

GET CONNECTED HOMEGROUPS are MaconFBC’s attempt to foster more close-knit relationships within the body of Christ. The simple truth is...it’s easy for people in a church our size to not feel connected. Our vision for HOMEGROUPS is for people to live life together and find that connection. We want them to focus on building relationships, prayer and accountability within their group. We hope for HOMEGROUPS to become beacons of light out in our community and launching pads for evangelism and service. We want reproduction to be part of the DNA of these groups.

After HOMEGROUPS grow to a certain number that group splits and forms two NEW HOMEGROUPS. The growth of individuals participating will bring on a larger number of groups. There are currently 12 HOMEGROUPS meeting on different nights throughout the week. One group has doubled in attendance since starting. Several others have grown. Everyone who is participating is enjoying their group and others have expressed interest in starting more HOMEGROUPS in Atlanta and Bevier. If you have not yet found a HOMEGROUP and would like to visit one, contact one of these HOMEGROUP leaders directly or call the office.

(LEADER: Christian Abernatha) CHRIS & CHARITY CARTER ANDREW & BRIANNE MURPHY MATT & DEBBIE CARROLL MICHAEL & LESLIE KEENEY -

MONDAYS at 6PM MONDAYS at 6PM THURSDAYS at 6PM THURSDAYS at 6PM

If you are interested in hosting and starting a new HOMEGROUP, call Pastor Sam at 660.385.3714 or email at pastorsam@hopeformacon.com.

LADIES MINISTRY THIS FALL

Does God care? Is He fair? Is He even there? God's ways don't always make sense, but He is trustworthy. Come close to Him. Experience unexpected peace despite your heartache. Trust Him more than your feelings. God will reveal Himself to you and fill in your missing pieces.

MONDAYS AT 7PM starting Sept. 8 TUESDAYS AT 9AM starting Sept. 2 8

THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

ESTHER BANQUET THURS., SEPT. 11 @ 6:00PM @ MaconFBC

Tickets are $10 - Visit the Welcome Center on Aug. 31 & Sept. 7 GUEST SPEAKER - Rhonda Hufty MUSIC BY MaconFBC LADIES QT.

n o i t a z i l a it

Rev There is a lot of talk these days about church planting in the Southern Baptist Convention. It has become a major focus of the North American Mission Board. All of this is right and good. In 1990, there was one SBC church for every 3,800 people. Today there is one for every 6,200 people.

We have not birthed new churches at a rate to keep up with our population growth. Add to that the fact that an average of 1,000 SBC churches disappear every year. You can see why there is such an emphasis on church planting.

The leaders have begun to realize that we must also revitalize the existing churches. This has been a reluctant realization on the part of many leaders.

Just a few years ago it was the shared belief that starting a new church was easier than reviving an older plateaued or dying church. So, our Convention and North American Mission Board are now fully encouraging both avenues: church planting and revitalization.

How does all of this apply to us here at MaconFBC? The question is not whether or not we need revitalization or not. All churches need revitalization. All churches, even those newly

planted, have the potential to become self-focused, afraid of change, disengaged from their community. It is our natural, sinful trajectory. How do we avoid the slow decline to “congregational suicide” that so many other churches are on?

1. We must nurture a culture of evaluation. We must always be asking ourselves diagnostic questions. We know that the Word of God does not change. We know that the message of hope in Christ Jesus does not change. We know that our mission of making disciples does not change. But everything else must be available to inspection, examination, revision and exclusion. Calendars, budgets, buildings, personnel, location, times of services, use of technology and programs should all be on the table for discussion all the time. We should be willing to add, change or do away with any of these to more effectively and efficiently fulfil the Great Commission. Many times we are afraid of evaluation. We must, however, embrace evaluation.

Constant evaluation will help us

Pastor Sam Owens

avoid the fog of confusion that can creep up on us. It will help us understand reality as it really is and not allow us to think that we are living in a reality that was true multiple decades ago but no longer exists.

2. We must not be afraid of change. We should not seek change just for change sake. But we cannot live in fear of all change.

Change is normal and natural. To survive, change has to happen.

One illustration of change is the “three-point line” in basketball. It has changed the way the game is coached and played. Players are now encouraged to take an extra step or two out away from the goal so that their shot will count 3 instead of 2. Teams that have embraced the line have been able to put a lot of points on the board.

Players have gotten better and better at the long range shot. Teams have had to change their  HOPEFORMACON.COM

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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN READ

“Reading my Bible through in a year means so much more to me than being a part of the group or even the challenge to accomplish it. Reading God's words each day has become my daily peace and comfort! In the mornings, the words prepare me for the day ahead and at night, after a long day and feeling weary with life, God's Word refreshes my soul. In other words, I love it!”

It has really held me accountable for my daily reading, although I will admit I get behind now and then. It has been great for my husband and me to read together and discuss the day's reading. The best part is reading the chronological way things happened and just how great our God is. His plan for His people is one of grace, mercy, and love...and the reading plan has really helped me to see that promise in my life.

- Michele Jorgenson

- Brianne Murphy

I have a deeper understanding of the scripture. There are stories in the Bible that I had forgot about and now I remember them. It’s also educational. Reading the Bible guides how I live my life more efficiently. I think to myself more, "what would God have me do?" Staying in the Word brings greater meaning to my life.

- Tera Fitzsimmons My daughter, Brooke, and I were excited to begin the chronological Bible reading. I have truly enjoyed reading the Bible chronogically, for the story of God’s love and redemptive plan for us has become more apparent in my reading as time and time again God provides a means of salvation for his chosen people. I am especially enjoying what we are reading now regarding the fall of Israel and Judah and how the prophets are intermingled with the books of the Kings and Chronicles. Brooke and I are each other’s accountability partners with our reading, and even when she is at college we text each other something in our daily reading that we found interesting or something that was inspirational to us. This has been a great way to keep each other on track with our daily reading.

- Brenda Bernhardt 10

THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

DING THE BIBLE

Linda and I are finding the daily reading plan very helpful. I’m using the READER’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE Chronological Reading Plan, by George H. Guthrie from Lifeway as my guide and Linda is using the guide provided by the church. The comments from Pastor Phil and the comments and questions in the Reader’s Guide are very beneficial for increased understanding and context. Using the guides has helped us be consistent.

- Vern & Linda Kincheloe

Daily reading really does focus my mind on the Word of God and embeds that word for retrieval and use during my day. Throughout my day, scripture comes to mind when prompted by any number of triggers, much like a word will trigger a song memory and I begin to sing that song.

- Kyle Dill

blog.georgehguthrie.com/ (click BIBLE READING/AUDIO PLANS) about.esvbible.org/resources/reading/

defenses because of it.

There are a lot of things that could necessitate changes within the life of a church. I am not interested in listing them all here and now. My concern is to encourage us to embrace change instead of fear it.

3. We must pass the faith on to others. There are many churches that are dying because they are not discipling their own kids, as well as not evangelizing their communities. It is simple mathematics! No new converts from without + no discipling of current younger generation + dying of current leaders/ members = the death of the church.

The only question remaining is how long will the process of death take.

We, here at MaconFBC, can be hopeful. It is clear that this church has embraced these points over its 149 year history. The church has embraced change in a thousand different ways as it has grown from meeting in the home of Rev. John Terrill to meeting above a hardware store to meeting in this large multiroomed facility that we now have.

There has clearly been a passing on of the faith since the church has grown from a small gathering in a home to almost 500 regular attendees. At some level there has been evaluation. Over the years, decisions have been made to build on and renovate the existing facilities. There have been changes to programming, personnel, and budgets all because of evaluation processes that helped determine things needed to be adjusted to be more effective.

We are still doing this today. We have recently started 12 home groups to try to build relationships, promote accountability and evangelize our neighborhoods. God has already blessed these groups. They now have an average attendance surpassing our Sunday evening worship services. One particular home group has doubled in size.

There are people that are coming to church now as a direct result of these home groups. We are also trying to be more intentional with our education process by starting “Foundations” during our 9AM hour of Sunday School starting August 31st. We have started prayer walking once a month where we literally go out and walk our streets and pray for our community while seeking to share the Gospel with people.

This process of revitalization will be a continuing one. We must never give up evaluating. We must never become afraid of change. We must continue to pass on our faith.

If we cease doing these things, we will begin the slow but sure decline to congregational death. So while there are many churches literally shutting their doors and padlocking them, let us recommit ourselves to the mission that God has called us to in making disciples here and abroad for His glory.

Additional reference: Go to ISSUU.COM and search for “SOUTHERN SEMINARY SUMMER 2014” open and reference p. 37 “Life Cycles of Churches”

esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.chronological biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan HOPEFORMACON.COM

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Blessed is the TECHNO-SAVVY...

SKILLED TO SERVE

A CALL TO WORSHIP

I am always reading magazine articles, books, and even internet articles that discuss in detail what worship is and what it is not. Most of them are always very helpful and inspiring and very insightful.

But, as I continue to keep fresh, true worship before me I was reminded about the word “surrender” and what that has to do with worship. We often think of worship as something we do within the four walls we meet in every Sunday and yes, we do need to meet continually in these four walls for corporate worship. It encourages continuing on in the faith. It reconfirms who the object of our faith is. It allows us to bring an offering of praise to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It reminds us that worship happens wherever we are and in whatever we are doing as God’s word states in Romans 12, “Therefore I urge you, Brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

That is a wonderful passage and yet what can I give God worthy of receiving? Is there anything that really matters that I can offer? I can sing a little, play some piano and give encouragement to others, try to be a good husband and father. Do those things merit true worship? They are certainly a vehicle I can give

Pastor John Snider

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

Do you have experience in operating a camera or an ear for sound and want to learn more?

Do you have basic to mad computer skills?

We are looking for responsible, dedicated and faithful servants on MEDIA, SOUND and CAMERA teams.

Serve one Sunday per month or less.

USE YOUR SKILL FOR GOD’S GLORY!

Contact Pastor John Snider at pastorjohn@hopeformacon.com

worship in but what does God want untimely from me and what can I give Him? I was re-reading a portion of a book from one of my favorite worship leaders, Travis Cottrell, and I happened to be reading on a chapter about surrender. This is what he said in this portion— “Ultimately, there is only one thing we can offer God, and that offering is the essence of every act of worship. What is that one thing? Ourselves. And that means surrender.”

What is surrender and what does it really look like. For one young girl (Travis mentioned in this portion, as well) it meant giving up a reputation and maybe a fiancé. It meant being made ashamed —looked upon as damaged goods. A great honor, but at the same time, what a cost. How amazing her answers—understanding perhaps the truest form of surrender a resounding...“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Found in Luke1:38. And with that statement she continued to worship the Lord in true surrender and love for her God. I like how Travis puts it “Worship doesn’t depend on easy tasks, ideal circumstances, or perfect lives, but on a surrendered heart.” Oh to be as Mary — surrendered to say to God, “You matter more than anything, whatever You ask of me I am yours. Let me worship You and submit to what You are doing in my life. I trust You because You are God and I am not. “ (also a thought from Travis’s book). Kind of reminds me of another one of God’s faithful servants—Abraham as he surrenders his son to God only to be stopped in a moment for the Lord provided a ram. But, Abraham surrendered—what a total act of worship to God. My prayer is that my worship will be a little more surrendered than it has been and may my heart become an altar of praise to my King who gave His son for me as a ransom to save me. See you in worship!

When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;” Why are we here at this time in history? Why not during the Old Testament or the New Testament and walking with Jesus or since that time up to the 1900’s?

Why not some other country?

Pastor Clark Dobbs Why are you here? God made you!

David tells us in Psalm 139:13-16, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You,

The answer is God has a plan for YOU! How much time will you have left to ask Jesus to be your Savior or to forgive you of your sins and serve Him the rest of your life? David tells us in verse 16 “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Whatever your circumstances, do you start your day with prayer—

thanking the Lord for another day to serve Him? Do you ask Him to give you wisdom. Do you ask the Holy Spirit to guide what you say and do?

Do you take time every day to read at least a chapter of God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through that scripture?

As we continue with in our senior years, Solomon’s God-given wisdom guides us to….

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. “ ~Proverbs 3:5-6

AUGUST 27 - Parent’s meet the J12 team When is J12?

J12 begins September 3 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. each Wednesday. August 27 is an information night for all J12 parents to meet the J12 team.

Parents can also register their kids that night.

What is J12?

WELCOME

KIDS AGE 3YRS (by AUG.1) up to 5TH GRADE

The goal of J12 is Bible absorption and faith-building. It’s designed to work alongside parents in acquainting the next generation with both the mighty acts of God & the words of God. Our mission is for children to know Jesus Christ as the only One who saves and the only One who satisfies the desires of our heart.

A typical J12 night is composed of 3 segments: a Bible lesson; scripture memorization, and game time.

Preschoolers will continue in the Old Testament this year at J12. The exciting events of the Old Testament, told in sequence where God is always the hero, acquaints pre-schoolers with the mighty God whose character never changes. Pre-school kids will memorize a Bible verse each month.

REGIS

TE

R online at HopeF orMac on. com starting Aug. 10

God reveals Himself with clarity and authority through His Word. Grades K-2 will study the message and components of the Bible—books of the Bible, chapters, verses. The goal is for children to treasure & value the Bible and its Author (the One True God). K-2 will memorize a Bible verse each week.

Grades 3-5 will be challenged to stand strong & “fight the good fight” in the battle for faith. This study identifies battlegrounds of temptation and equips children with strategies for fighting against sin. They will be challenged to memorize a “fighter verse” each week.

HOPEFORMACON.COM

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F O U N D A T I O N S

FOUNDATIONS ...is our attempt to be more intentional with Sunday School making available to you the teaching that is foundational to growing as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

FOUNDATION COURSES SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES taught by Kyle Dill SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 1 taught by Pastor Christian Abernatha

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY 1 taught by Vern Kincheloe

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW taught by Pastor Sam Owens

FOUNDATIONS will begin August 31, 2014 during the 9AM hour.

Teachers will rotate every 13 weeks. Over the course of a year, you will be exposed to ALL 4 classes.

Everyone who is planning on participating in FOUNDATIONS will meet Sunday, Aug. 31 at 9:00AM in the Legacy Chapel.

At that time, you’ll be assigned to a respective classroom. In the course of a year, you’ll be exposed to all 4 Foundation Courses. The teachers will rotate and you’ll remain in that same classroom for this year.

HONORING OUR VETERANS All Veterans, both past and present, are very important to us at MaconFBC. We would like to keep our Military Board on campus updated, but need your help to do so. Please take time to e-mail the following information to jorbin@hopeformacon.com.

If currently serving: name, branch of military, rank, and a current mailing address.

If no longer serving: name, branch of military, rank.

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

FALL SERMON SERIES I SAMUEL

The

KING is coming

SUNDAY WORSHIP 9:00AM & 10:30AM sermons podcasts posted weekly at HopeForMacon.com

Are we looking for you?

LIFT YOUR OICE

Do you feel the urge to sing at any given moment? Do you find your singing is not limited to the shower only? Does your heart keep singing even though you stop singing out loud? Well, if you answered YES to any of these questions we might be looking for you. The choir ministry is on a break for the summer and we are looking for people just like you to come and join us this fall in a wonderful ministry we call Sanctuary Choir. There is nothing like having an army of worshippers lead out in passionate worship and to share in great fellowship with other believers involved in this ministry. I would love to meet with you about how you can be a part of this great group. Call the office and set up an appointment with Sarah.

Can’t wait to talk with you so don’t wait —worship round-up is coming and you don’t want to miss out.

See you soon! ~ Pastor John Snider

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T U O D E L CAL

TS from the N E M O M N MISSIO tion Team c u tr s n o C C B MaconF Murdock rry Courtesy of La

What inspires you to participate in the CONSTRUC TION MISSION TRIPS an d how did you get sta rted?

What do you see first at as you arrive on site on cti a constru clean up mission?

During the construction and remodel of our current buildings we had lots of people who came and helped from as far away as Texas. It was a very rewarding time not only for those who came, but for me also. After that I heard about Missouri Baptist Builders and Missouri Disaster Relief Teams and knew, if given the opportunity, I wanted to go and help other churches.

On a construction site you will see the start of a building if it’s a new construction or a current building if it’s being remodeled. A disaster relief call out is entirely different. If it’s a flood, we do mud-out. If it’s a fire, we do ash-out. If a tornado, we do a lot of different jobs. The disaster will dictate what you see.

The goal of Disaster Relief is to provide HELP, HOPE and HEALING to How does meetin g the physical ne those we are serving. Help is obvious. They need help doing a task ed of a community, ch urch or family op that is often too much for them to do and often they do not know what en the door for the go needs to be done or how they can get the job done. Hope is that their spel? lives can get back to normal. Healing is that we pray if they do not know the Lord they can see Him in us as we work and help them and they will want that. Each team that goes is assigned a Chaplin that goes with us. The job of the Chaplin is to talk with the home owner or renter that we are assisting. We are instructed that if a home owner starts talking to you stop working and talk with him as long as they want. We are there to talk to them about the Lord first and do the work second. When we were in Lyons Colorado our first job was at Walter’s home. It had been flooded. When we drove up Walter had on a St. Louis Cardinal tshirt. He and his brother were cleaning out the garage. We told Walter why we were there. He showed us what needed to be done and the work started. Danny and myself were helping in the garage as Charles McCrary took some men to the basement. Working alongside Walter three different times something went wrong and he would us some profanity. The last time he looked at Danny and said, “I guess I should not be talking like that.” Danny replied something like probably not. A short time later, Walter went to the basement. Charles said Walter looked around and immediately left. Thinking something was wrong Charles went upstairs and when he found Walter he was standing outside the garage crying. He could not believe we would drive all the way from Missouri to help him and want nothing in return. Walter was very thankful for our help and had a picture taken with the team and himself beside our DR trailer. We saw Walter two more times before we left Colorado. He brought his wife and son to meet us the next day and the night before we left he came to Longmont to once again thank us for helping. About three weeks later Walter called the church to get our address. Before we leave a job we always give a Bible to the homeowner and pray with them. Walter sent us a framed picture of himself and the team and a check for $400. He and his wife wrote a card to the team. We never got to present the plan of salvation to Walter but we did make a difference in his life and trust that some day he will come to know the Lord as his Lord and Savior.

What is the best part a about participating in construction mission?

The best part about any trip is being able to help someone and see how much they appreciate you being there. It also is great spending time with the team.

All you need is a desire in your heart to help and be wiling to go. It does not take special skills or knowledge. You just need to be willing to be used

by God to bless someone. No specific skills are needed. Some of the work is very strenuous. We sleep on air mattresses or cots, are always fed very well, and normally have showers and laundry on site.

How can someone join the efforts of a construction mission trip?

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

Team sizes will vary. We will have from 3 to 6 from our church go out on any call out. We also have members from Willow Springs, Savannah, Pure Air, Kansas City, Salisbury. They cannot all go each time. Normally we have from 6 to 12 members go on a call out.

The first part of July, our team went into the villages to test water. Rainwater collecting in cisterns is the only water many of the people have.

We joined other workers to gather water samples for testing. The workers living there met many new people and made some new friends while there testing the water. They now have new opportunities to share the Good News with more people. Testing the peoples' water provided a way to introduce them to the Living Water.

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UNLEASHED from the bondage of the past UNLEASHED from being brainwashed by culture UNLEASHED with the backbone to Lead the Church UNLEASHED with the boldness to Serve the World UNLEASHED FOR THE GOSPEL

AUGUST 11-15 6-9PM @ MaconFBC worship center

COLLEGE REP NIGHT (parents are encouraged to attend!)

FORUM NIGHT DA MAC

IN CONCERT

ON WEDNESDAYS - 6PM STARTING AUGUST 20

BIBLE ABSORPTION & FAITH BUILDING

KIDS AGE 3 UP THRU 5TH GRADERS

STUDENTS GRADES 6 THRU 12

EACH WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEGINNING AUG. 20 6:00PM in the chapel