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 2013
Dear Church Family, New, new, new! The word stirs up positive thoughts in our minds when we contemplate that which is new. Many folks got new toys for Christmas. A new car has that special smell to it. Cyndy and I are looking forward to a new granddaughter in April. A very special “new” for the believer is the new life we have in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” As we live out the new lives that we have in Christ, He also blesses us with New Year’s. It’s not that we can’t make important decisions about the rest of our lives on any day of the year, it’s just that the changing of the years gives us sort of a built in opportunity for a fresh start. Whether it’s correcting or renewing an effort from the past, or accepting a challenge for the first time, the start of the year is a good time to go after it. As a church, we are beginning the year with an emphasis on Family and Foundation. Long before Jesus brought the church into existence, God ordained the family unit. Though we are blessed to have many single people in our church family, much of our church family is made up of natural families. It seems like much of our culture is orchestrated to weaken or destroy family units. God’s word gives us so much that we can use to counter the destructive forces of our society. Strong families contribute to a strong church, and a strong church can reach many individuals and families for Christ. Let us join hands and hearts as we move into this new year, resolved to do all that we can to move towards strong natural families and a strong church family. We have what the world desperately needs, when we are what God intends for us to be, we are in the best position to share it with them. Excited about the New Year, Pastor Jeff
My Fellow Servants, For the December newsletter article I wrote a little bit about our focus on “Family and Foundation in 2013.” Now it’s time to talk about how we are going to build family and foundation at Winns Baptist Church. We will present more of this vision to the entire congregation soon, but let me give you a taste of some things we will be working towards. As God continues to unify our people, we want to work together to hide God’s word in our hearts. Each month we will select a passage of scripture for all of the adults in the church to memorize together. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” We encourage our young people to memorize scripture in AWANA and the Good News Clubs. Why? The first reason is the one we just noted from Psalm 119. The second reason is so our young people will develop a lifelong habit of scripture memorization. When is the last time you endeavored to memorize a section of scripture? Working toward this as a congregation will set a great example for our young people, and will bear much fruit in our lives. Let’s do this together! I explained in my last article that “We desire to see men leading their families, wives strengthening the home by working diligently beside their husbands, and children being discipled daily in the home. Our vision is to equip families to operate according to the biblical design.” I have seen the desire among many men of the church to fulfill the role as the spiritual leader of the home. I see the desire in our women to pursue biblical womanhood. We care too much for our children to let the world lead them astray. There is a hunger among us. The Church Covenant from our Constitution and Bylaws states, “We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children.” It’s time to bring back family worship! Each week we will distribute a “Daily Worship Guide.” The worship guide will include daily prayer points, a monthly hymn, the monthly scripture passage for memorization, questions and answers to systematically teach theology to the children, and suggestions for daily devotions. More on each of these points will be explained to the congregation. The church is strengthened when families function with a view toward the design that God has laid out in scripture. As Moses was repeating the law for the Israelites in Deuteronomy, he instructed them saying, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deut. 6:6-7) The family is the most basic unit of discipleship- when parents lead family worship; they provide an atmosphere where every ministry of the church will excel. I’ve given you a glimpse of the vision- stay tuned for more! I am so excited to see how God will work in us at Winns Baptist Church as we build “Family and Foundation in 2013.” Looking forward to the days ahead, Caleb
Family Christmas Breakfast A wonderful birthday celebration for our King – Jesus was held on December 8th. Delicious food, crafts, the story of the very first Christmas and beautiful music by our Masterpiece Kids choir were enjoyed by all. It was truly a blessing to see everyone join together to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. A huge THANK YOU to everyone that helped with food, crafts, music and setup for the celebration.
CHILDREN’S CAMP MEETING Sunday, Jan. 20th, 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 8th and will return to Winn’s on Friday, July 12th. 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. 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 2nd. The cost increases $25 after the June 2nd date. There is a $50 non-refundable deposit due on Sunday, Jan. 27th to hold your child’s spot for camp. We have reserved a set number of spots for camp, so if your child is planning on attending camp, please get the deposit in by Jan. 27th. 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. Dana’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 members of their 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. Dana at 798-5512, x26.
Good morning Church! Wow, where has the time gone? As I get older the years are moving much faster. That kind of makes me nervous. I am not fixated on my numerical age, but my children are growing up and I don’t want them to. It doesn’t bother me that I am over 30. It may bother some people, but not me. King David was ruling Israel in his late 20’s and 30’s; and Alexander the Great had conquered the known world by age 33. So I would say this is a great place in life! Timothy, the Apostle Paul’s protégé was around my age when Paul wrote to him in: 1 Timothy 4:12-15, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” That inspires me! To be a man of God and to be an example that others can look to. No one is perfect – only God. I realize that, but we should serve God to the best of our abilities and give Him the lion-share of our strength for His glory. As we turn the page from last year to 2013 let’s make a promise to ourselves that we will be ready and willing in 2013 to be used by God to love people to Christ and show them the joy and peace which comes from serving the Lord and fellowshipping with the local body of Believers. Jesus says it best: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 NKJV) We have received our marching orders Church – it’s time to fulfill them! ______________________________________________________________________________________ American Heritage Girls Troop VA1776 (chartered to Winn's Baptist Church) participated in the annual Ashland Old Time Holiday Parade. They shared the American Heritage Girls Oath as a song while they moved along, "I promise to love God, Cherish my family, Honor my country, and Serve in my community." The Parade took place from 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18, along Thompson, England and Henry streets. The Kiwanis Club of Ashland organizes the annual parade, which draws more than 100 floats, bands, marching units, equestrian teams and car, truck and antique tractor groups and clowns from all over Hanover and Central Virginia. Also participating was the Hanover Christmas Mother, members of Town and County government, and many area civic, youth and church groups. The parade started at the intersection of Thompson and Snead streets and concluded at John Gandy Elementary School. Thousands of spectators lined the 1.5-mile parade path
Youth Christmas Party!
“Rooted and Built Up in Him…” Colossians 2:7a (KJV) By Rev. Tom Lacy, Historian Quoting from my book, The Mysteries in the History of Winn’s Baptist Church ©2005, “The rewriting of the history of Winn’s church (as the fifth known compiler) was prompted by the new addition to our building. As this project started I was content to pull together all the information available through previous historians, and I was content to accept the fact we would never know the answer to the question: Where was the original church located? “This author feels extremely blessed and truly humbled that I found a copy of the original deed to Winn’s Baptist Church particularly since Hanover was a “burn county.” (See historical marker 9th Main Streets, Richmond, VA). This answered forever the whereabouts of our first church, but it also opened other questions. Which John Winn donated the land, and which John Winn was the father of Salley Winn Patmon?” In all, six mysteries presented themselves to me, and as of this writing all have been solved. But, this fact in itself is history. What lies ahead in 2013 and beyond for Winn’s Baptist Church? What will future historians say about what is happening at Winn’s now? It has been said past performance is the best predictor of the future. During the latter weeks of 2012, Pastor Brauer’s sermons have been built upon the Acts of the Apostles. I believe his messages employed the principle of the past predicting the future. But, does our church history support this principle? Personally, I believe it is Divine Providence our church was founded July 4, 1776. From our first historian’s address delivered November 10, 1901, by our then pastor, Rev. J. R. Garlick, D. D., on the occasion of our 125th anniversary, we read, “The church was planted by John Waller, Samuel Harris and James Read.” A notable fact regarding each of these ministers is their incarceration for preaching the Gospel without a license. No, they were not common lawbreakers – they were crusaders. Today, globally, nationally, and locally our freedom of speech and freedom of religion are being challenged from many quarters - even from some who were in the past promoters of these fundamental, sacred rights. The Apostle Paul admonishes in Colossians 2:6-8: As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. From Winn’s history have we ever slid that far from the Truth? Any attempt to answer this question would, of course, be speculative. But read on – an incident could have occurred as noted from my research: “Joseph Hillis Miller, 1923-1925: Joseph Miller was ordained June 17, 1926, after attending Union Theological Seminary (Presbyterian), following his pastorate at Winn’s. “Rev. Miller was pastor of Williamsburg Baptist Church from February 1, 1927 until August 26, 1928. He received a National Council of Churches Fellowship and went to Park Avenue Baptist Church, New York City, N.Y., and became an assistant to Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, June 15, 1928.
“Dr. Fosdick was the center of the liberal-conservative controversy of the 1920s and 1930s. He denied the fundamentals of the Scriptures and was still being shunned by conservatives in the 1940s.” True, I cannot answer my own questions. True also, Rev. Miller took his left turn, theologically speaking, after stepping down as pastor of Winn’s Baptist Church. But could he have sown seeds of liberalism while pastoring Winn’s? Since then we have been a conservative Southern Baptist church. Was this happenstance or Divine Providence? You decide. It is reported it was a prayer of John Winn, Dec. 23, 1751 to Nov. 26, 1824, “…that the Gospel Message would always go out from this plot of land…” he donated for Winn’s Baptist Church. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,” was a message of warning, first to the church at Colosse, and ultimately to Winn’s. Frankly, I think we will get a good report from future historians for what we do in our church today. Our pastoral staff, and those serving under them, are definitely “Not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ…” (Romans 1:16a) In my mind, I often repeat the famous prayer of Rev. Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the U. S. Senate, “Lord, I pray we stand for something lest we fall for anything.” Join me in this prayer as often as it comes to mind.
The Nursery welcomes its newest member, Abigail Marie Seward born December 14th 2012. Parents are Slade and Lisa Seward her big brother is Andrew.
Happy New year everyone!! Starting a new calendar year means we have completed the first half of Awana 2012/2013. Where has the time gone? Everyone has settled in and, as much as possible, every night has established a routine. Puggles and Cubbies are still learning to adapt in a new environment while Sparks and T&T are now old pros. Our leaders have become comfortable in their roles and while it is not a well oiled machine, I can look back on each night and say “GOD is GOOD! The Awana Christmas Store was a huge success as clubbers used their Awana Bucks (earned for handbook progress and bringing visitors) to buy Christmas presents for their family. One Sparkie boy selected a “Thunder Tumbler” (remote controlled toy) that used most of his bucks. Further on in his shopping he found a Bible, and not having enough shares to buy it, he said “I’ve got to put this back” (the toy) and bought the Bible instead. Yes, America, there is hope for the future.
Bible Quiz: Practices start on Sunday, January 6 and continue each Sunday thru January 27. Competition takes place on February 9 at Goodwill Baptist Church. This is for T&T clubbers only. I’ll see you in Awana.
Awana Opportunities Jan. 02 Welcome Back Jan. 06 First Bible Quiz Practice Jan. 08 Richmond PCD Meeting Jan. 09 BACKWARDS NIGHT Jan. 12 Bible Quiz Coaches Meeting Jan. 13, 20, 27 Bible Quiz Practice Jan. 19 Awana Games Coaches Meeting
Our New Year’s Resolution: “To get as MUCH of Gods Word as DEEP in the hearts of as MANY children as we can” (Your
Afraid
Team)
Approved Workmen Are
Not
“THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS” UNER THE DIRECTION OF KATHY RECTOR ACCOMPANIED BY SHARON NUNN THE SANCTUARY CHOIR THE MUSICIANS AND THE SET APART TEAM
Thank you for blessing us with your talents!
Winn’s Baptist Church 12320 Winn’s Church Road Glen Allen, VA 23059 Address Service Request
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Glen Allen, VA 23060 PERMIT #28
During the week of December 24th – 28th 2012 the Church office will be closed. Please feel free to call anyone on staff on their home or cell phone. The main church voice mail will be checked daily for any messages.