Winn’s Messenger Published for Members and Friends of Winn’s Baptist Church 12320 Winn’s Church Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059 Phone: (804) 798.5512 ● Fax: (804) 752.2401 ● Web: www.winnsbc.org
January 2011
A Word From Our Pastor
Exciting Seasons! Dear Church Family and Friends, Having lived my early years in North Carolina and Virginia, when we moved to Florida I was eight, and one thing I missed was the seasons. In North Florida, it goes from very hot, to not as hot, to a couple of months where some cold is sprinkled in, back to not as hot and very hot! In Virginia we’re blessed with fairly balanced seasons. Each brings its own mixture of blessings, and possibly, things we’re not so excited about. As we move from season to season, we adapt some of what we do and wear for each. The season brings change around us that necessitates change for us. We can lament those changes and mourn the passing of the season, or we can rush excitedly into the next season and embrace all that it holds in store. Church life has seasons too. For six months, we have been laboring and praying towards launching The Church on the Avenue. That was a season. That church is now a reality! Thus begins a new season for Winn’s. Many things will stay the same. Others must necessarily change. God will bless us for our efforts and sacrifices in planting a new church. As we do a little bit of reconfiguring, I expect that God will guide us in such a way that we will be healthy and fit and ready to roll through this new year and the years to follow! These are exciting times! Don‘t let your love for the passing season keep you from embracing and enjoying the coming one. As we march forward in the center of God’s will, great things are on the way! Looking forward to our future, Pastor Jeff
From Our Senior Associate Pastor On November 27 our church held a business meeting in which we voted unanimously to accept the Church on the Avenue Advisory Committee’s plan presented to the congregation a few weeks earlier. The plan includes a three year commitment of prayer, financial support, and cooperative mission effort. It also requires that I move into a part time role at Winn’s effective January 1 so that I can dedicate the time needed to provide pastoral leadership to the Church on the Avenue. In a sense I will now be bi-vocational (part time church plant pastor and part time administrative pastor). I will remain in this role throughout 2012 and in 2013 will relinquish my position at Winn’s as I move full time into the position of Lead Pastor at the new church. In my new part time role at Winn’s I will continue to manage the day to day operations of the church and assist Pastor Brauer from time to time with pastoral care needs. I will no longer have responsibility for the educational ministries (including preschool, elementary and student ministries) or the outreach and mission work of the church (except where there is a joint effort between the churches). Many of you have wondered how all of this will affect Cheryl. Please pray for her as she takes on the dual role of being my help mate to get a new church started while continuing to serve full time as the Director of Children’s Ministries at Winn’s. To help with this the Personnel Committee has granted her one Sunday a month to be at the Church on the Avenue. We know that eventually Cheryl will have to transition out of Winn’s as the new church grows but we are leaving the timing totally up to God. I give our Father the praise and I thank all of you who were at the business meeting for your support. I thank everyone from our church family who has answered the call to start the Church on the Avenue. I thank Pastor Brauer, the Deacons, the Finance Committee, the Personnel Committee and the Missions Committee for their support and help in making it all a reality. We have done this right and we are united. To God be the glory!!! I truly believe God is going to bless Winn’s abundantly for being so supportive. My prayer for Winn’s Baptist Church is summed up beautifully in 2 Corinthians 9:10: “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness (NKJV). Gratefully yours, Pastor Jeff Chadwick
CHILDREN’S CAMP MEETING Sunday, Jan. 22th, 12:15 pm Fellowship Hall If your child is presently in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grades, he or she is eligible to go to “CentriKid” camp this summer. The camp grabs kids’ attention and captures their hearts through worship, interactive Bible study, and lots of fun! Each camper gets the opportunity to choose two organized activities from a huge variety: sports, water games, kitchen chaos, performance tracks, and more! Our church will be boarding Winn’s buses to travel to Eagle Eyre camp (outside of Lynchburg) on Monday, July 9th and will return to Winn’s on Friday, July 13th. Plenty of adults from Winn’s (1 adult for every 5 kids) accompany the children for the week. If you would like more information on camp, please attend this informational meeting, where we will be discussing fundraisers. To receive the discounted price of $299 for camp, you and your child need to attend a camp meeting with your signed paperwork on June 3rd. The cost increases $25 after the June 3rd date. There is a $50 non-refundable deposit due on Sunday, Jan. 22nd to hold your child’s spot for camp. We only have 60 spots for camp, so if your child is planning on attending camp, please get the deposit in by Jan. 22nd. The $50 check should be made out to “Winn’s Baptist Church”, and have “Centri-Kid” written in the memo line. Place your check in a yellow Children’s Ministry envelope (found at the Welcome Centers) or in Mrs. Cheryl’s mailbox by the church office. You do not need to fill out any paperwork at this time; your $50 deposit holds your child’s spot. Camp is a great time for your child to grow closer to Jesus and to church family. We get to see God do great things at camp every year-please prayerfully consider sending your child to camp this summer. If you have any questions, call Mrs. Cheryl at 798-5512, x26.
Women’s Ministry
Our ladies were blessed with beautiful weather and great fellowship as we shared the beauty of fall in Virginia with Pretty and Pastor Mindi at Monticello and Michie Tavern on November 5th. We have planned many activities for 2012 designed for fun, fellowship, and a deeper walk with our Lord. While final details for each event have not been finalized, you can view the dates on the church website. Bible Study: Karen Caskey continues to lead us on Wednesday nights in the book of Luke. There is no homework, so feel free to jump in anytime as we dig deep into God’s Word. We also plan to go through Beth Moore’s study Daniel over the summer. Second Saturday Workshops: Something new beginning in January is a series of informative, hands-on workshops on a variety of interests, such as handmade cards, candy making, quilting, healthy cooking, scrapbooking, etc. These will be held on second Saturdays, usually from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Our first workshop will be held on January 14th as Anita Floyd teaches us how to make handmade cards. If you have a talent you would like to share in a workshop, or if there is something you would like to see us put together, please contact any team member and let us know. Note: The Workshops will not be held every month so watch for details in the bulletin and announcements. Women’s Ministry Sign-Up Notebook: There is a notebook of all 2012 activities in the Welcome Center. The notebook has numbered tabs with a listing of the events in the front of the notebook. If you are interested in signing up, simply find the corresponding tab to the event you want to attend and sign up! This is especially important for the workshops as we need to make sure we have enough materials for everyone in the class. As always, this is a great opportunity to invite friends who do not attend Winn’s. Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Festival of Lights: Mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 28th as the ladies will meet for dinner and then tour the gardens. Watch for details in the bulletin. We are excited about the coming months. It is our hope that Winn’s women will get to know each other better and form lasting friendships while serving the Lord. If you are interested in helping plan or working with us in any of the activities, please let us know. Merry Christmas from the Women’s Ministry Team! Cyndy Brauer, Jenna Brauer, Patty Clark, Anita Floyd, Connie Moneyhan, Cindy Rath, Carolyn Rice, Linda Scott & Shirley Weymouth
Good Morning Church Family! Today is a good day. You may be wondering how I can say that being that since this article was written and printed before today and I couldn’t have known when you were going to read this article, but I can assure you that it is because God loves us and is watching over us. A loving God that desires to have fellowship with us is the biggest blessing that we could ever have. (Psalms 118:24 NKJV) This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. I can’t help but think that we are so lucky to be born in such a time as this. Society is a little less safe today than it was in times past, which is unfortunate, but for the most part our lives have gotten easier. Can you remember a time when there weren’t any microwaves, washers/dryers, refrigerators, cars, airplanes, or computers? How did we ever make it without them? All these things made our lives easier and more enjoyable. They also freed up a lot of our time to do other things. Some of this new found “free-time” has actually led to a more hectic schedule! With the blessing of living in such a time as this comes much responsibility: It is our responsibility to not get carried away with material things and technology, which is really easy to do. But we must not forget what is truly important in life – God and our families. We need to take time and re-evaluate our lives as we enter a new year and see if our lives are too busy for what truly matters. There is an old saying – if you are too busy to stop and read your Bible then you are too busy! That is so true. But I have to admit that it is not easy to “fit it in” our busy lives. That’s why it is so important to MAKE TIME before our day gets started and we get distracted by all our responsibilities. As we start a new year, make it a priority to search out the heart of God in Scripture. What power it holds. What comfort! But we won’t enjoy it without reading it. We have the complete Word of God in our possession and have had it for quite some time. That is a treasure beyond measure! Its pages hold eternal TRUTH from Almighty God! It reveals to us His designs and wisdom and His expectations for mankind. It warns us of the dangers in life and the natural consequences of sin. Yet we for the most part let our multiple copies just sit idle gathering dust on a shelf. Make yourself and God a promise that you will make a point to read God’s Word every day. Start by setting 15 minutes aside each day where you will not be distracted and systematically read through Scripture and pray. I highly recommend starting in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. It’s a great place to start! You will never regret that you did. May God richly bless you as you start your journey with Him in a daily quiet time, Pastor Doug
A New Year! A New Beginning! We are gearing up for the annual Awana Bible Quiz where the clubbers compete against others their age in scripture memorization. This quizzing can be a grueling and intimidating task for the clubbers who participate. Over the next few months, our Awana clubbers are going to be challenged and encouraged in the similar manner that Paul encouraged the Philippians when he penned the following passage Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13 This verse is everywhere. We see it quoted by athletes worldwide. We see it tattooed all over people's bodies. We see it on Facebook status updates. We hear it quoted all the time. Usually when we see this verse quoted, it's in a context where people are implying that they can achieve anything through Christ who gives them strength; that the victory will come by the strength of Christ; that success will be ours because of Him. One thing we value greatly at Winn’s Baptist Church is context. So, I'd like to give you some context to this Scripture. A guy named Paul is writing a letter to a group of down-trodden Christians in the city of Philippi. They're ready to throw in the towel on Christ. They're being pressed on all sides to quit being Christians. We're not totally sure what the Philippians were going through, but it was tough. This letter was written to encourage the Philippians to take up a different attitude; to rejoice, even when suffering. To recognize that this is not the end and their hope is not in comfort, but in Christ. Let me show you what the rest of that passage says around Philippians 4:13. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Paul is taking opportunity to encourage the Philippians about being content in all situations; when things are bad and good, when hungry and full, when in need or in plenty. He says that he(Paul) can do all these things through Christ who gives him strength. Philippians 4:13 isn't about achievement and success. It's about enduring and being content in success and failure, in achievement and setbacks, in the mess of life and the beauty of life, all by the strength of Christ. Just as Paul takes the opportunity of encouraging the Philippians, we need to continue to encourage the leaders, clubbers, and the parents of the clubbers to gain their strength as they are putting Gods word in their heart and facing the onslaught of the enemy. Commander Jerry
Those Seniors never cease to amaze. If you saw “Who Dun Stole the Bride?” on Nov. 22, 2011, you probably thought you were “in the hills”. Bill, the wealthy son of a business tycoon dad and a mother who is a first-rate snob, falls in love with a hillbilly named Katie Sue, who grew up in the Ozarks. The bride’s mom is a likeable woman, though she has no problem telling it like it is. Her pa is a simple man who never went to school, but considers himself a self-taught man. When you mix all this with Bob, the bride’s crazy hillbilly neighbor, who has a secret crush on the bride, there’s laughter in the making. If this is a situation that would make you think “and never the twain shall meet”, think again. Katie Sue gives everyone a lesson on how we’re all to love each other as Christ loved us. The cast was as follows: The groom, Bill Madison played by Chris Lassiter. The bride Katie Sue played by Charlotte Lassiter. The bride’s ma, Eula played by Nancy Bouma; Jasper, the bride’s pa played by Stan Bouma; William, the groom’s father played by Jeff Chadwick; Audrey, the groom’s mother played by Suzie Grimm; Mary Sue, the maid of honor and bride’s sister played by Jean Dorrier; Kimmy Sue, the flower girl and bride’s sister played by Judy Pond; the best man and groom’s brother Sonny played by Tommy Pond; Bob, the bride’s hillbilly neighbor played by Mike Stewart; and Rev. Michael, a great guy and man of the cloth, easily swayed by food, played by Dean Martin. Thanks to all this great cast for a wonderful job and a ton of fun. You don’t know what you missed! Also, a great big thank you to our fabulous, dependable kitchen crew; they never wait to be asked, but are always there to keep the food warm and on the tables, and then to keep the kitchen clean. This is a very important job, which sometimes goes unmentioned. THANKS, KITCHEN CREW.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, we traveled to Fredericksburg to the Riverside Dinner Theatre to see the musical “White Christmas”. We were served a delicious meal, which was served by the cast of the musical, upon arriving. “White Christmas” is an award-winning Broadway rendition of the familiar film story, featuring standards by Irving Berlin and was very well presented and enjoyable. On the way to the theatre, we made a stop at the Russell Stover candy outlet to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. The truth of the matter is, we have a great group with whom to travel and just enjoy being together, laughing and EATING. Our super-driver was Wayne Nash. It’s great to have a group who are cooperative, happy, and fun!! We are truly blessed as one happy bunch who are all God’s children and show it.
Family Christmas Breakfast
Music Ministry Thank you Sanctuary Choir, Musicians, Set Apart Student Worship Team, AV-Team and narrator, Jeff Klaiber, for making “The Night Before Christmas”, such a wonderful, wholesome experience for all who attended! I was blown away but not surprised, with what God accomplished during that very special weekend! Many prayers were answered, lives were changed, and most importantly our Father was glorified. Our goal in the Music Ministry is to always present a Christmas musical that will promote the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas. The musicals are never intended to be a “source of entertainment” over the Christmas holidays, they are, however, intended to be another “source of sharing” the “Good News” of Jesus’ birth, to the saved and unsaved, through song! Our prayer is that this will ASWAYS be accomplished!! May your Christmas and New Year be filled with much love, grace and a peace that passes all understanding!! To think that He uses Me!! Kathy
Items for Operation Christmas Child January (toothpaste) February (toothbrushes) At your next dental appointment ask if they will donate these items. A bin will be located at the Welcome Center for you to drop off the items. Remember, with each shoe box is a “Gospel Opportunity” for children around the world.