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
May 2013
Dear Church Family and Friends, As I write this, the news about the bombing of the Boston Marathon is fresh on my mind. Once again, the cowardly, hateful, actions of a few do untold damage to innocent people. Such is the twisted logic of the wayward carnal mind. As they writhe in their own misery, they believe that inflicting pain on others somehow makes them feel better. As the sun continues to set on our nation and the world, unfortunately, evil men will wax worse, as the old King James Version of the bible says. As we continue to receive bad news, what we need is some good news. Well, we have it! The reason it is called good news is not simply because it is favorable to us, or pleasant to hear. What makes it really Good News is that it actually counters the bad news! It is the antidote for the death poison, sin. As long as we are on this sin cursed earth, we will experience sadness, pain, and heartache. But for those of us who respond to the Good News, we have victory in Jesus while we’re here, rising above the evil, and we get to live in a sinfree place called Heaven for eternity. Though we may feel overwhelmed by evil in our hearts and minds from time-to-time, the truth is that evil can NEVER actually overcome the Good News. Wow, that really is good news! So, when what you’re hearing on the TV begins to drag you down, turn it off and open the blessed word of God! Today’s news is news today and maybe for a season. The Good News is good news today and for eternity! Jesus says in John 16: 33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." AMEN! Of Good Cheer, Pastor Jeff
The Story Behind the Hymn of the Month… 1758 “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” (Taken from “Then Sings My Soul” Greatest Hymn Stories by Robert J. Morgan) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 “Robert Robinson had a rough beginning. His father died when he was young, and his mother, unable to control him, sent him to London to learn barbering. What he learned instead was drinking and gang-life. When he was 17, he and his friends reportedly visited a fortune-teller. Relaxed by alcohol, they laughed as she tried to tell their futures. But something about the encounter bothered Robert, and that evening he suggested to his buddies they attend the evangelistic meeting being held by George Whitefield. Whitefield was one of history’s greatest preachers, with a voice that was part foghorn and part violin. That night he preached from Matthew 3:7: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Bursting into tears, Whitefield exclaimed, “Oh, my hearers! The wrath to come! The wrath to come!” Robert immediately sobered up and sensed Whitefield was preaching directly to him. The preacher’s words haunted him for nearly three years, until December 10, 1755, when he gave his heart to Christ. Robert soon entered the ministry, and three years later at age 23, while serving Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, he wrote a hymn for his sermon on Pentecost Sunday. It was a prayer that the Holy Spirit flood into our hearts with His streams of mercy, enabling us to sing God’s praises and remain faithful to Him. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” has been a favorite of the church since that day. Robinson continued working for the Lord until 1790, when he was invited to Birmingham, England, to preach for Dr. Joseph Priestly, a noted Unitarian. There, on the morning of June 8, he was found dead at age 54, having passed away quietly during the night. Take a few moments to offer this hymn as a personal prayer, especially remembering those last insightful lines:”
“Come, Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise: Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love. Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home: Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood. O, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter; bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander; Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”
Many of our hymns use words that we are not familiar with today, making it sometimes difficult to know and understand the message within the song. Below are a few of those words with definitions to help you understand a little more of what you are singing: Ebenezer - simply mean “stone of help” (see Enhanced…, 1995). When Robinson wrote his lyrics, he followed the word Ebenezer with the phrase, “Here by Thy great help I’ve come.” An Ebenezer, then, is simply a monumental stone set up to signify the great help that God granted the one raising the stone. In Robinson’s hymn, it figuratively meant that the writer—and all who subsequently sing the song—acknowledge God’s bountiful blessings and help in their lives. (Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (1995), Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) Interposed - to place or insert between one thing and another; intervene between parties (Merriam -Webster) Fetter - a shackle or chain attached to the ankles, used as a restraint (Webster’s New Basic Dictionary) May the message be a little clearer the next time you sing, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”! To think that He uses me! Kathy
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Nursery News! Welcome Maddie Leigh Brauer Born Sunday, March 31st
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Twelve years ago, when Pastor Brauer baptized me and shortly after united my husband and I in matrimony, I would have never imagined that in 2013 I would be part of his team at Winn’s Baptist Church. I am very humbled and honored that God would put me in the hearts of the leadership of this church to invite me to be the Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry. I firmly believe that God used these 12 years to prepare my family and me to be at Winn’s at such a time as this. But if I am to be really honest, I never feel equipped enough to do what God is calling me to do. Praise Him for His faithfulness in doing the calling and the equipping. I would like to thank my church, Winn’s Baptist, for the warm welcome into the children’s department. Thank you for your patience as I transition and adapt to the many tasks. I want you to know ahead of time that I am not perfect, I will make mistakes, but we are all commanded to repent and forgive one another. Thank you, Dana Osborne, for putting your arms around me and being my greatest encourager. Thank you, Sandy Hahn, for introducing me to 21st century technology and for being my “mama hen”. Thank you, Linda Duke, for the warm hugs every Sunday. If any of you do not know who this little lady is, just look around and see who is hugging everybody and speaking comforting words. Thank you, Karen Caskey, for helping me see the Word of God in a new light. What you do in the women’s Bible study on Wednesday night is amazing. You played a very important role in our decision to come to Winn’s. I can never thank Annette Reeder enough for opening my eyes for a healthier way of living. I encourage my church family to get to know this lady and the work she does behind the scenes to help the body of Christ become healthier both spiritually and physically. Thank you all my Serving Hands. You are all amazing. My job would not be possible if it wasn’t for you. Know that I am here to help, support, and encourage you as you deliver God’s message to our precious children. I share the pastor’s vision of preventing our youth from walking away from the Lord after high school. The Serving Hands are in the front lines of the battle as they sow Christ into the lives of our children. Thank you, Pam Williams, for being my true friend. Thank you, Commander Russ White, for stretching my faith through music and motion for AWANA. Last, but not least, thank you Michael Buchanan, the love of my life. I could not perform this job without you. I could not have asked for a better person to share my life with. Your sister in Christ, Tatiana Buchanan
Gideon’s 300 and the Birth of Maddie Brauer God reserves the right to act in spectacular ways. God called Gideon to be a mighty leader, but had to first convince him that he was indeed a “mighty man of valor.” Gideon’s clan was the weakest in Manasseh and he was the least in his Father’s house. When Gideon was assembling his soldiers, God cut the amount of men down to only 300. The series of events that unfolds surrounding Gideon’s story in the book of Judges is legendary. God gave Gideon victory over the Midianites with this small regiment. God displayed His power through these events in such a way that no one could have conceived of victory through any means aside from Him. It was obvious that God alone had delivered His people. On March 31st, my wife Jenna woke me up to let me know that it was time to go to the hospital. We had been eagerly awaiting the birth of our fourth child, Maddie, and now it was time! We quickly dressed and grabbed our bags, then made the short journey to the hospital. Jenna thought that her water had broken and we were quickly admitted. A few days earlier, we had come in for a “false alarm” and waited through an extremely long process of being admitted. The fact that we had gone through that made it where we could be quickly admitted the second time. This is significant. Jenna was taken to her room and they began to monitor her. God blessed us with an amazing nurse who quickly realized that something was not right. Suddenly Jenna began to lose blood at an alarming rate. I watched the nurses scurry around while my heart beat profusely. One of the nurses gave me some scrubs to put on and explained that they were going to have to do an emergency cesarean section. I would be allowed to come into the operating room unless they had to “put her under.” The doctor and anesthesiologist swiftly rolled her bed toward the door and I began to follow. The anesthesiologist instructed me to stay behind- they were going to have to put her under. Time was of the essence. Amidst the turmoil, Jenna’s countenance was like an angel- complete peace. She later told me that at the time she didn’t understand why she was so peaceful. God was with her. I watched as the team led away my two girls. One was in the bed and one in the hatch- both in a tight spot. I stood alone in the quiet room that was the center of frantic activity just moments before. Here I prayed and paced, asking God to deliver my bride and my baby safely. I was forced to ask myself as I had done at other times, “what will my reaction be if the news is not good?” I asked God to give me the strength to praise Him in any circumstance. God is good. After a seemingly interminable amount of time, a nurse opened the door and told me that Jenna and the baby were safe. “It was fast and furious for a while, but they made it through ok,” the nurse explained. All I could do was thank God. The next day the doctor who had performed the surgery came to visit us. She reiterated the gravity of the circumstances from the previous day. When the baby was born, there was barely any blood left in the umbilical cord. Jenna had lost a lot of blood. If there had been a delay of any kind, it could have been devastating to mother and baby in a number of ways. The nurse was experienced and observant, quickly making note of the problem and calling for the team to be assembled. The on-call doctor was already at the hospital when we came in. The on-call anesthesiologist was already there. She further explained that the anesthesiologist that was there was the best possible one to have on hand because of his particular experience with situations such as these. Just as in the story of Gideon, God orchestrated the events of that night so that we were left with no possible explanation other than that God had delivered us. To God be the glory for delivering His people from the Midianites, and Maddie Leigh Brauer from the womb. Look for the extraordinary in your life, and praise God for being spectacular! Indeed each day is another amazing series of miracles that we call life. Thankful for my new arrow, Caleb
VBS MEETING Thursday, May 9th 7pm Family Fishin’ Day Saturday, May 18th 10am-1pm Terrific Tuesday: 6/18, 7/2, 7/16, 7/30, 8/13 8/20 (Reward Day) WOW Session 1: June, 12th, 19th, 26th WOW Session 2: July, 3rd, 17th, 24th WOW Session 3: July 31st, August 14th, 21st Centri-Kid Camp July 8th-12th June 2nd Kids Camp Meeting 7:15pm Vacation Bible School “Colossal Coaster World” Facing Fear, Trusting God Monday August 5th- Friday August 9th
“WOW” (Winn’s on Wednesday’s) is coming soon!!! Starting Wednesday June 12, 2013
Do you have a hobby, gift, or talent you would like to share with kid’s grades 1 st-7th? How about spending 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES for three consecutive Wednesday nights this summer in “WOW”? (THAT’S ONLY 4 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES FOR A 3 WEEK SESSION!) It can be anything – things like sports, art, music, cooking, crafting—kids love it all. Don’t miss this chance to have lots of fun sharing the gifts God has given you with the next generation. We will also have a class for two and three year olds, a class for four and five year olds and a class for children who have just completed kindergarten. We need teachers and assistants for each of these classes. If you cannot commit for the whole summer, please consider serving for a month. Nursery will be provided for children of teachers and for anyone that will be attending a Wednesday night class. This is a great opportunity for those who can’t serve during the school year to spend time with the kids and allow our school-year Preschool, Children’s and Student Ministry leaders a chance to take some adult classes. If you are willing to give of your time this summer to teach our little ones, please let us know as soon as possible. I know a lot of times we feel we need a break over the summer months, but we will not be able to offer these classes for our children if we do not have enough volunteers. Remember God NEVER takes a break over the summer months and we should not either. Please call Tatiana Buchanan at 955-0938 or e-mail tbuchanan@winnsbc.org if you are interested in helping with nursery – Kindergarten. For more information, or if you are interested in sharing a talent with students that have completed grades 1st-7th, call Dana Osborne at 347-5229 or e-mail dosborne@winnsbc.org Take the time to invest in a child’s future.
Good Morning Church Family! I can’t believe how time is just flying by. My kids seem to be growing like weeds and it’s already getting close to the end of the school year. Before you know it, it will be summer time and the College students will be home. That’s when our College ministry really gets its feet under it. We have local students year round, but in the summer we have the entire crowd and we can do a lot more stuff together. As we continue with our Family & Foundation theme, the things that sticks out to me, is our church needs to polish up on our Biblical 1st Principles. What are they you ask? They are 3 basic common characteristics each church should have while seeking to represent Jesus well to the world:
1. Faith – trusting God with your life (all of it) Proverbs 3:5-10 NKJV Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. ** Trusting God with everything – He will take care of you and you will be blessed tremendously in the process.
2. Christian Love Jesus says in John 13:34-35 (NKJV) we are known by our love for one another, that should be our trademark. 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." ** Notice first that it’s a command not a divine suggestion. Jesus said our love for each other should mirror His love for us! So not just love, but love 100%.
3. Putting our faith in action = serving Jesus (James 1:27 NKJV) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (Galatians 6:9-10 NKJV) And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
One way we can serve Jesus is helping out with Caritas. We will be hosting 40 women in our fellowship May 25 – June 1. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer to bring food or help with food preparation, which is very important. But actually coming down one evening and being the face of Jesus to these ladies by sitting with them, sharing a meal, sharing your faith or just encouraging them is a huge opportunity! …one you don’t want to miss! As we continue in our Christian walk we need to realize that it is high time to put our faith into action! James 2 talks a lot about that. Our faith should be evident to others. We need to take the time to love one another properly. Is there anyone you haven’t seen recently in church or Sunday school? Don’t let them fall through the cracks – check on them. Seek to develop friendships with other believers, and look for ways to get plugged into serving Jesus. We are all a team here at Winn’s and let’s live out Jesus’ command for us to love each other like He loves us. Grace & Peace, Pastor Doug _____________________________________________________________________
Men’s Shoot Out Saturday, May 4th 1:00 pm - ? For More Information please contact Wayne Pase.
HELPING FAMILIES IN NEED Winn’s has accepted the opportunity to host 40 women who are trying to better themselves and make a difference in their lives. We will need to provide meals starting with supper Saturday night, May 27th through breakfast Saturday morning, June 1st. We need people willing to spend the night to act as a liaison between CARITAS Ministry and the Church, "all are welcome to help in this wonderful mission in being the face of Jesus to those who are less fortunate." Personal Items Needed (40 of each/trial size) Tooth Brushes Tooth Paste Shampoo Soap Feminine products
Lotion Deodorant Chap Stick Bottle water (need cases)
We will be collecting furniture and household items from May 25th - June 2nd for CARITAS. The CARITAS Furniture Bank is a nonprofit organization that utilizes donations of clean, usable furniture and household items to meet the goal of helping individuals exiting homelessness or housing crisis. Nearly 800 families are served through The CARITAS Furniture Bank each year. Winn's Baptist Church members, friends, and neighbors are invited to help CARITAS assist families who need furniture and household items such as dressers, beds, sofas, kitchen tables, pots & pans, utensils, and towels. We ask you to look through your home and give to those who are in need. Please visit the website www.caritasva.org for additional information.
For more information please contact: Danny Worrell 804-241-2092 worreld@gmail.com Bruce Bingham – 752-6695 BruceBinVA@aol.com Melissa or David Martin – 798-5303 mmartin@goibs.com
Youth News: Summer Camp is coming up soon we have 15 going as of now. It’s not too late to add a friend. Remember the balance of your camp money is due May 1st. We are also planning our monthly Youth fellowships – I will be getting with the Youth Leadership Team to put some on the calendar. I will let you know in Youth as soon as we have our dates coordinated. If you are interested in going to King’s Dominion as a group let me know. It can be pricey, but season passes may be a good way to go. They are usually the cost of around two day’s admissions so plan ahead. We just finished our 6 week series on Jesus’ last week on earth before the Cross, The trial and Crucifixion, the resurrection, and the 40 days of infallible proof of Jesus appearing after His resurrection, including the restoration of Peter. It was great! The series was a harmonization of the 4 Gospel accounts and focused specifically on what details were unique to just one author. It really laid out a fully continuous event of what Jesus did for us. It was exciting to see the lights come on in our Youth’s eyes as they began to connect the dots and really personalize their faith. That is what our focus has been this school year in Youth group: The importance of having a personal faith. The next series that I feel led of the Spirit to add to this foundation: The importance of having a personal “Living Faith”. We have focused over the past 6 months on how to develop a personal faith and how to put it into practice in our own lives, and now it’s time to go from putting our faith into practice to putting it into action in a tangible way! I think it is important for you to know about my philosophy as I lead your students. I take my job very seriously. I will have to stand before the Lord one day and give an account for just how I carry out my responsibilities here in ministry. That is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. My goal is to Biblically prepare our young people for a life that will result in hearing from God: “Well done thou good and faithful servant”. My sermons are developed not from any curriculum, but rather straight from the Word of God. I want Christians to be Biblically literate and able to express their faith naturally and faithfully, and I believe that God’s Word is the only source that can do that! I want God’s Words, not man’s words. I also want you to know that I seek to give our Youth and their visitors’ opportunities to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and give them the opportunity to accept Jesus as Savior during an invitation time after evangelistic messages. We have had approximately 6 alter calls this school year and have had 7 people respond to the Gospel. Many of those are visitors that do not come on Sunday mornings but I am working on that. I think it is important to know that you have an evangelistic Youth Pastor. I am NOT “Calvinistic” in case you were wondering or if that is important to you. I believe that Jesus died for all and that it is our responsibility to share our faith verbally, not just behaviorally. If you have any questions I am very approachable please don’t hesitate to seek me out. I want to thank you for the continued privilege of serving our Lord here at Winn’s as I pour into our Youth and College students/singles. I love what I do! And I am excited to see the spiritual development of our young people. It’s like planting a garden – the fruit doesn’t sprout the same day that you cultivate the ground and plant and water the seed. It takes time; but oh how satisfying it is to see the increase. It’s like I am seeing 1 Corinthians 15:58 be fulfilled before my very eyes, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Pastor Doug Winn’s Baptist Church
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Mother’s Day Children’s Church The Elementary Children’s Church (Grades 1-5) Invites Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, And any other female relative to join Their children for a very special Mother’s Day Children’s Church, Sunday, May 9th at 11:00am Please join us to experience worship with your child .