Occasions 10/22/23

Starling Avenue Baptist Church

Occasions This Week at SABC Sunday, October 22, 2023 10:00-10:30 a.m.—Sunday School 10:30 a.m.—Choir Rehearsal 11:00 a.m.—Worship 1:00-5:00 p.m.—Grace Network Pumpkin Patch Tuesday, October 24, 2023 1:30-3:30 p.m.—Jigsaw Puzzle Time, Room 211 Wednesday, October 25, 2023 10:30 a.m.—Midweek Gathering 12:30 p.m.—Worship Committee, Room 202 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!

Lay Leader, Margaret Caldwell; Offertory Prayer, John Scott; Christ Candle, Donna Wells; Greeters, Joyce Poindexter & Linda Pulliam; Open and Close, Susan & Jeff Franklin.

Please help! SABC will be manning the Grace Network Pumpkin Patch today from 1:005:00 p.m. Please donate an hour or two of your time to help us with this special mission.

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

Please bring vegetables, fruits or salads for our side dishes.

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 Tuesday, October 24th. Many thanks to you all in advance for your prayers, and support of the Raceway Ministries.

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.

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.

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.

You are invited to place a poinsettia in the sanctuary for Christmas. They may be placed in honor of or in memory of someone. Orders need to be in the church office by Friday, November 17. The cost is $25.00 each (wrapped & delivered to the church). Poinsettia order envelopes are located at both entrances to the church.

Remembering in Prayer: Reed Finley, Danny Joyce, Mike Spicer, J. G. McMillan, Susanne Travis, Pete Mabry & Lois Johnson; Pam VanNutt & family, Myron Richardson (Richard Caldwell’s brother-in-law, 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: Linda Moore. Happy birthday Linda! 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.

On October 2nd a Surprise Birthday Party was held for Patty Barnett. It was her 80th birthday!

We had plenty of croissants, birthday cake, pictures being taken, and overall fun for everyone.

Patty didn’t know she had so many good friends.

Patty Barnett

SCRIPTURE READINGS Exodus 33:12-23 Moses said to the Lord, "See, you have said to me, "Bring up this people'; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." He said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And he said to him, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth." The Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." Moses said, "Show me your glory, I pray." And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, "The Lord'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live." And the Lord continued, "See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Matthew 22:15-22 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT – October 15, 2023 Budget Needs, YTD: $194276.04 Budget Offerings, YTD: $183,754.43 Budget Needs Each Sunday: $4,625.62 Budget Offerings for 10.15.23: $1,795.00

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