Occasions 10/15/23

Starling Avenue Baptist Church

Occasions This Week at SABC Sunday, October 15, 2023 10:00-10:30 a.m.—Sunday School 10:30 a.m.—Choir Rehearsal 11:00 a.m.—Worship Tuesday, October 17, 2023 1:30-3:30 p.m.—Jigsaw Puzzle Time, Room 211 Wednesday, October 18, 2023 10:00 a.m.—Midweek Gathering 5:15 p.m. Handbell Choir 6:00 p.m.—Midweek Gathering 7:05 p.m.—Choir Rehearsal Welcome to Starling Avenue Baptist Church!

If this is your first time visiting with us, we sincerely hope that you find meaningful worship and a loving community here. There are guest cards in the pew racks if you’d like to let us know more about yourself. Drop these into the offering plate or the basket in the back of the sanctuary. We’re happy to welcome you as our guest today!

Welcome Rev. Keith Spangenberg as today’s guest minister! Lay Leaders, John Scott & Tommy Wells; Offertory Prayer, Sarah Fain; Christ Candle, Stanley Biggs; Greeters, Dee Smith & Shirley Simmons; Open and Close, Richard Caldwell Rev. Keith Spangenberg graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977. After 20 years of active duty, Keith accepted a call upon his life for fulltime gospel ministry. He served as Associate Pastor to Senior Adults at Tabernacle Baptist Church while attending Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. Villa Heights Baptist Church called him to be their pastor in 2000, where he served for 18 years. Since then, he has served as interim pastor for Broad Street Christian Church and filled the pulpit for several of our HCBA churches.

Rev. Angela Zimmerman will be back in the office on Wednesday, October 18. Please contact your deacon or the church office if a need arises before her return.

There is an immediate need for men’s clothes for clients at the Recovery Center as they go on interviews. Please bring pants (not jeans) sizes 32-40/length 30-34, and collared longsleeve shirts sizes S-XL. These can be gently used and in good condition. Please check your closets . This will continue as an ongoing project through December. Bins will be set up at both entrances.

At the end of this month, Raceway Ministries Martinsville Group will be wrapping up their 32nd year of serving and sharing Jesus at Martinsville Speedway. To help them minister and witness to the race fans, they are in need of donations of individually wrapped snacks. These snacks can be dropped off at the church office or at both entrances to the church by October 24th. Many thanks to you all in advance for your prayers, and support of the Raceway Ministries.

We look forward to celebrating All-Saints Sunday on November 5 as we remember those who have gone on before us. If you have loved ones you would like to remember, please include their names in the basket by the All-Saints Banner in the vestibule and pin a bell on the banner in their memory. If you are unable to come, please call or email the church office (276-638-8861 or church@starlingavenue.org) with the names you would like to remember.

Members or others who are willing to provide transportation to individuals having medical appointments in nearby cities, please provide your name and contact information to Barbara in the church office.

SABC Quarterly Business Meeting will be on Sunday, October 29, following our worship service. We will be voting on the 2024 Budget.

Messengers for this year’s Henry County Baptist Association Annual Meeting: Donna Finley, Joan Joyce, Anne Stultz and Dwight Stultz.

We are putting together a new Church Directory. If your address, phone number or email has changed since the last directory, please call or email Barbara in the church office by Monday, October 16. (276-638-8861 or church@starlingavenue.org) Grace Network’s Pumpkin Patch SABC will be manning the Grace Network Pumpkin Patch on Sunday, October 22, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. If you can help please call or email the church office.

From our Director of Music

It’s not too late to join our Handbell Choir every Wednesday at 5:15 p.m.

New members for the Adult Choir are also welcome. If you would like to join the choir, or if you, or a member of your family, would like to participate musically during the prelude, offertory, or postlude on a Sunday, contact Nolan at nanthony@starlingavenue.org or organplayer88@gmail.com.

Remembering in Prayer: Reed Finley, Danny Joyce, Mike Spicer, J. G. McMillan, Susanne Travis, Pete Mabry & Lois Johnson; Lauren Werner (Linda Pulliam’s granddaughter), Dana Sharon (Shirley Simmons’ daughter), Kaitlyn Smith, Kody & Kasey Redfern (niece & friends of Becky Nance), Karen Gribble & Becky Joyce (friends of Pat McKinster); Our Country; All Those Affected by War & Violence; Our Homebound Members.

Birthdays this week: If you are having a birthday this week, please let Barbara in the church office know.

Grace Network Items for October: boxed dinners (Hamburger Helper), toilet paper, feminine products & deodorant. Items can be left in the box located outside the library on the 2nd Floor.

SCRIPTURE READINGS Exodus 32:1-14 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So, all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.” But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’?

Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people.

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD or declare all his praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. Remember us, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help us when you deliver them, that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that we may glory in your heritage.

Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.

Matthew 22:1-14 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again, he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

STEWARDSHIP REPORT – October 8, 2023

Budget Needs YTD: $189,650.42 Budget Offerings YTD: $181,959.43 Budget Needs Each Sunday: $4,625.62 Budget Offerings for 10.08.23: $5,549.91

Here are current ways to continue to give to the ministry and mission of SABC: -Through USPS to 932 Starling Avenue, Martinsville, VA 24112. Your offering envelopes are already self-addressed. All you need is a stamp and tape to reinforce.

-Drop off your envelopes in the locked mailbox outside of the Church Office.

-Set up an automatic or one-time bank draft through your bank. Simply go to your bank’s bill pay webpage. Set up SABC as the “payee” and have your payments automatically delivered electronically. This is simple and doesn’t cost you or the church any fees.

-Online giving available at www.starlingavenue.org. You can choose “Cover Fees” to slightly increase your gift to pay processing fees.

How to Connect to Sunday Worship & Other Gatherings If you are unable to participate in our live service, you may stream it.

To connect to Worship from your landline (audio): Call 1-844-621-3956 (toll free), Access Code: 132-630-0075## To connect to Worship from your computer, tablet, or smartphone (video): Go to the SABC Facebook page (bit.ly/FacebookSABC) or our YouTube channel (bit.ly/YouTubeSABC).

Closed Captioning is available on YouTube.

Church Office Hours Monday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 pm Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

(276) 638-8861 -- www.starlingavenue.org Pastor: Rev. Angela Zimmerman (azimmerman@starlingavenue.org) cell phone (336) 212-3213 Office Administrator: Barbara Rakes (church@starlingavenue.org) Director of Music: Nolan Anthony (nanthony@starlingavenue.org) Interpreter for the Deaf: Joan Joyce