Occasions 11/12/23

Starling Avenue Baptist Church

Occasions This Week at SABC Sunday, November 12 10:00-10:30 a.m.—Sunday School 10:30 a.m.—Choir Rehearsal 11:00 a.m.—Worship Monday, November 13, 2023 5:15 p.m.—CARE Group Tuesday, November 14, 2023 1:30-3:30 p.m.—Jigsaw Puzzle Time Wednesday, November 15, 2023 10:30 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!

Lay Leader, Anne Stultz; Offertory Prayer, Joan Joyce; Christ Candle, Butch Smith; Greeters, Tonie McMillan & Geneva Winn; Open and Close, Billy Spencer.

Friday, November 17, is the last day to place your poinsettia order! They may be placed in honor of or in memory of someone. The cost is $25.00 each (wrapped & delivered to the church). Poinsettia order envelopes are located at both entrances to the church.

SABC Baptist Men’s Breakfast will be on Sunday, November 19, at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

The CARE Group will meet on Monday, November 13, at 5:15, in Room 202. Please remember to bring the items for Martinsville Horizons.

Racetrack Toy Drive: Please bring new unwrapped toys to the church by Sunday, November 26. Bins are located at both entrances of the church.

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.

Remembering in Prayer: Reed Finley, Danny Joyce, Mike Spicer, J. G. McMillan, Susanne Travis, Pete Mabry, Lois Johnson, Airman Cody Minter, USAF, 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.

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 organplayer88@gmail.com or nanthony@starlingavenue.org

Birthdays this week: Anna Elaine Barrow, Elizabeth Frances Barrow, Trish Dickerson & Hannah LaPrade. Happy birthday to everyone celebrating! If you are having a birthday this week, please let Barbara in the church office know.

Grace Network Items for November: boxed dinners (Hamburger Helper), bath soap, toilet paper, toothpaste & individually wrapped toothbrushes. Items can be left in the box located outside the library on the 2nd Floor.

Dear Starling Avenue family, I am so touched and honored by your contribution through CBF to my Moroccan church’s disaster fund following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake of Sept. 8. Thank you for your ongoing prayers for the many victims of this tragedy, for the Moroccan government, and for our church, as we respond to the disaster with the love and hope of Christ.

Karen Zimmerman karen@cbf.net

SCRIPTURE READINGS Psalm 78:1-7 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers.

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors-Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor-lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.

Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord!" Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." The people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT – November 5, 2023 Budget Needs, YTD: $208,152.90 Budget Offerings, YTD: $200,393.43 Budget Needs Each Sunday: $4,625.62 Budget Offerings for 11.05.23: $8,147.00

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