Community Thanksgiving Service

The turkey is history, the Christmas decortions are beginning to light up the landscape, but none of this compares to the services we had on Tuesday Nov. 25th at Crain Baptist Church. It was such a blessing to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ from other churches. This night was only a glimpse of what God's people can do and experience when they band together. I firmly believe that we (together) can make a difference in our world, a difference that mankind has not seen since the day of Pentecost. God Bless each and everyone.

A night to remember

Tonight was a night to certainly remember! This is going to be the first year i look at Thanksgiving in a whole new way! I am Thankful for being apart of this church,and for having God in my life! I new the first time i came to this church my life would change! It just took a little while to figure it out.I am so thankful to God for bringing me into this church! You are all loved so much! You are so very dear to my heart! I am thankful to have the honor to have met the Morris family this week! Life has definately got many purposes for each of us! GOD is a wonderful GOD! We all certainly have a purpose for something no matter how great or small! This week has been a heart felt experience from the Morris family to the Thanksgiving service! Have blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Denise

November 25th

Sunday November 23rd 2008

Words cannot describe our services Sunday. Sunday morning the Sunday School lesson "My Heart Healthy Church" was truly a message from the Lord. What was it about? "Church unity is in danger if believers do not patiently love one another no matter their levels of spiritual maturity." I feel that our whole nation is at risk if WE CHRISTIANS don't learn to get along together.  Praise God we have a scheduled service Thanksgiving Service Tuesday evening with three other churches of different denominiatoins!. It is a totally mind boggling when you just stop and consider what God's People Could Do, if they could just get along together! My prayer is that this service will just be the beginning of great things for our local churches.

     Sunday Evening was the highlite of the day as the Morris family, missionaries to South Africa were with us. Bob, Susan, Kristie and Shara shared  with us their ministry and the people that they work with. It gives us all a better perspective of what they face each and every day on the mission field.   Robert their son was not with them because he was flying back to South Africa. Susan and Kristie told us about some of the things they faced as MK (Missionary Kids) and their description of their schooling in South Africa was eye opening.  Would you believe that they feel their education in South Africa was better than what they could have recieved in the states. The most difficult transition they had to make when coming back to the states: Learning to drive on the right side of the road.  We hope and pray that God will continue to bless them as they complete their furlough here in the states and return to South Africa in late December.  Bob, Susan, Kristie and Sarah thank you so much, you have no idea how much you blessed each and every one of us.

  

Community Thanksgiving Service

Community Thanksgiving Service Tuesday, November 25th 2008 Crain Baptist Church.  Special Music and message by "Bro. Robert "Peck" Boyett of Ava Missionary Baptist Church. A special offering will be taken and will be used to supply Holliday Food Baskets for the needy of our area.

     In the spring of 1621, after having landed at Plymouth and survived the first hard winter, the Pilgrims weren’t doing very well. Many people died during the winter. Two Native Americans named Squanto and Samorset, helped the Pilgrims learn how to survive in the new land by showing them farming techniques and by teaching them how to gather certain natural foods from the forest. By the fall things had greatly improved, and the Pilgrims had such an abundance of food that they decided to celebrate with a feast of thanksgiving.

     The Pilgrims celebrated by giving thanks to God for his provisions. Today, Thanksgiving appears to be the only time that some people give God thanks; but the Lord wants us to thank Him each and every day of our lives. At all times and in every situation of life, God wants us to do as Paul said in Ephesians 5:20, in which he declared, “Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
     Think for a moment. Is our thanksgiving rooted in an overwhelming praise to God for our salvation? Or is our thanks rooted in earthly things? Do we rejoice in the God of our salvation as our strength? The question is really this: If the worst thing we could possibly imagine were to become true for us today, could we say “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will give thanks to the God of my salvation?”

Bob and Susan Morris are International Mission Board (Southern Baptist Convention) missionaries to the Xhosa people in South Africa. Bob is from McLeansboro, IL and Susan is from Columbia, SC. Before coming to South Africa in 1989, Bob served as pastor of the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Irving, Texas. Their 3 children are Kristie (born in 1986), Sarah (born in 1989), and Robert (born in 1992). Kristie is currently studying in America while Sarah and Robert are in school in South Africa. They served for 13 years in the former homeland of the Xhosa people (Transkei) which was incorporated into the country of South Africa after the fall of apartheid in 1994. During that time, they started the Zanokhanyo Baptist School in the town of Mt. Ayliff. The school is now under local leadership with a student body of about 350 children from preschool to grade 8. Other work focused on starting new churches and training leaders to lead the new churches as well as the existing ones.

In 2003, they moved to Grahamstown where they now reside still working among the Xhosa speaking people. Their main work is to evangelize, begin churches, and train leaders in Grahamstown and the surrounding areas among the Xhosa speaking people. A new church was started in the town of Alexandria in 2005. New work is beginning in the town of Peddie. Work will begin next year in the town of Someset East.

The Xhosa people primarily live in townships, areas of land they were given by the white apartheid government. Apartheid fell in 1994, but the majority of the Xhosa people continue to live in these townships. Many have come from the rural areas to look for jobs and live in “squatter shacks” in these townships. The unemployment rate in Grahamstown is 70%.

Their Web Address is: xhosa.all.peopleteams.org

Bob and Susan Morris

Don't forget Bob and Susan Morris Foreign Missionaries from McLeansboro, serving in Africa will be with us Sunday Night at 6:30. Finger food fellowship to follow service. An exciting evening is in store for all of us. BE THERE!!!!!!

The Valley of Decision Joshua Ch. 8

     Some Christians get all bent out of shape if their church doesn’t still do everything the way it was done when they were younger. But what is important is not HOW God works, but THAT He works. We want to see Him move and work, Amen? Like Paul said, “To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save sone.” (1 Cor9:22) “We never did it that way before!” That is a rut we need to keep God’s machine out of. He Forgives Sin; He Judges Sin and He LETS US CHOOSE! What's the consequence of the choice we make? See Ya Sunday.

Wednesday Nov. 12th 2008

2 Samuel 13-15.  What a message from God's Word. David saw intrigue, sexual sins, and murder rock his own household, resulting in his isolation from and eventual retreat before Absalom.  We are experiencing the same today. Our nation is racked by sexual sins, murder, deceipt you name it, uncertainty is the norm, but you know what God is still in control.  Our time of prayer was oh so sweet.  The humble, sincere prayers of a few can result in the blessings for many.

Sunday Nov. 9th 2008.

     We had a great day at Ava Missionary Baptist Church Sunday Nov. 9th 2008. Sunday School Attendance: 10; MOrning Worship 30; Family Night Ministry 10. The Lord truly spoke to us Sunday Morning concerning the fact that we must be ready to meet Him every moment of our lives. We know not when the hour, minute, or second He will call us home. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bro. Jim Endsley as he recovers from surgery, and with the Phoenix family over the loss of their loved one.

     On Tuesday as I was sitting in front of Penny's at the Carbondale Mall a gentleman came in and sat down in the chair next to me. At first I did not really notice any thing special about him until I noticed the hat he was wearing. It was an American Legion Hat, and I saw the words Ohaha Beach. A World War II veteran who had participated in the landing of the Allied Forces on D-Day.  What a privilege it was to shake his hand and thank him for the sacrifice that he and so many other made for the freedoms we hold near and dear. Being a veteran myself, (Viet Nam Era) I remember the day I arrived back in the states from Germany and was greeted by a flag waving anti war hippie. As I look back on it I feel bad about my reaction to his protest, but also praise God for the freedom we have to express our opinions with out fear. God Bless the USA and let us never forget those who paid the price.

AMBC Missionary News

The Young's News Letter: October 2008

Dobrý den (hello) from the Czech Republic,

     The month of October marks a year and a half that we have lived in Czech Republic. We are humbled as we think of how God has provided for us and how He has used us to do His work here. As we approach the Christmas season, I’m sure you will hear a lot about the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.

The simple truth is that we couldn’t be here without your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.

     Those gifts are the means by which we devote ourselves to full-time ministry, providing us with a place to call home, food, medical care — even home school supplies for our children. We want to thank you  for faithfully supporting us and other Southern Baptist missionaries all around the world with your generous gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.

     This month, our family has been sick ALL month. Praise God we are all starting to feel better! Please pray for all of us to have good health and renewed energy.

     It has been a wonderful experience for Mike to start teaching English at the seminary in Pehlrimov this  month. Each week, he has the opportunity to teach Czech men who have made many sacrifices to commit  their lives to spreading the gospel and starting new churches here in Czech Republic. We praise God for each of these men and, as some of them graduate at the end of this school year, we look forward to helping them with their ministries. In addition, the seminary is offering English lessons to the public  in Pehlrimov. Mike has enjoyed teaching these classes as well.

     You may be wondering why we are teaching English? It is very important for Czech people to learn  English in order to get a good paying job. So, we have found that this is a good way to get to know people and form friendships. It is almost impossible to share religious beliefs with Czech people until you

have first established a trusting relationship. English is one way that we can break through the cold, untrusting walls that people have built around themselves.

     Next month, we will be working with the seminary to offer free Czech Bibles and the Bible on CD for  Christmas to each person in Pehlrimov. We will be mailing out 6,700 fliers. Anyone who responds to  the flier will receive a Bible and CD before Christmas. The Bibles will be personally delivered to their

apartments during the month of December. Please pray for this ministry that many people will respond  and that as the Bibles are delivered, many people will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus. Pray  that these people will accept Christ as their savior and that they will truly have a reason to celebrate this Christmas.

 mikeyoung394@yahoo.com

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Week Of Prayer For Lottie Moon Christmas Offering:  Nov. 30 - Dec. 7th 2008

Where Does The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Go Once It Leaves Your Church.  100% used to support missionaries. 90% used for direct expenses like: Missionaries Salaries, housing, food, children’s education, and benefits.

Do you realize what a Cup Of Coffee Will Do?

If the coffee aisle at the supermarket beckons you every week, you needn’t explain it to Forrest and Becky Bohlen. They’re missionaries living among Venezuela’s Andes Mountains where coffee is king. Gradually, the Bohlens are introducing coffee growers to the King of kings by giving them copies of the New Testament. The books cost about $1 each and are paid for by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. 

      Forrest isn’t exactly a coffeeholic, but he’s willing to drink it to build friendships with the people he and Becky meet. They’re mostly hard-working farmers who say they’re Roman Catholic. The truth is that they’ve heard only bits and pieces of the Gospel.

    While a full-out Gospel push would be strongly resisted, the people do warm up to it through coffee breaks with them. That, and FUNDASEM, a nonprofit organization started by the Bohlens to help locals improve their farming techniques. The Ag Team designed a special agricultural-looking cover for the New Testaments handed out; more than 10,000 copies were so readily received that the team ordered another 10,000.The classes, the copies and the coffee are drawing people to the Lord. But the Bohlens believe that prayer and Venezuelan nationals trained to grow their own disciples will yield the bigger harvest.

 

 

 

Wednesday Nov. 6th 2008

     What a fantastic night at Ava Missionary Baptist Church. Our adults read from God's Word Psalms 25-29-and 33  about our Dependance on the Lord, The Voice of the Lord, and Praise to the Creator.  How great is it to listen as the Lord Speaks to us.  We had special prayer for the Phoenix Family, Sister Carol Ethington, Ruth Smith and all of those on our prayer list.  Shared our burdens and prayers: What a special time it was. Oh we also found out that Sister Beth Gearhart will be visiting her mother, its her mothers birthday, and that her new teeth are settling in. And guess what she has a deep craving for a HAMBURGER!!!!!. 

     Sister Carolyn and the youth looked at Daniel in the Lions Den.  They may not have had much to say but they were very attenative to the lesson.  

     Our total attendance was 4 adults and 6 youth plus the Lord.  

I am so thankful to be involved in the "Read the Bible Through" commitment. What a blessing during this uncertain time in our nation. It is a daily reminder that all is in God's hands. I have especially enjoyed the Psalms this week. Praise God for this church activity that helps us to grow in the knowledge of the Word. Wanda

Sunday Nov. 2nd Services

     What a day we had at Ava Missionary Baptist Church. Sunday School Attendance: 13; Morning Worship Time: 30, Family Night Ministry:  6. High School Sunday School class began a project which will hopefully produce a Church Calendar and Directory. 

     Ladies At The Well will meet Tuesday Nov. 4th in the educational building.  Next Sunday Nov. 9th we will once again be looking at an Old Familiar Bible story that has many messages for us today. "The Diary of A Lonely Woman"

Brother Jim Endsley

Bro. Jim Endsley is at Marshall Browning Hospital, room 121.  I visited him this am and he is recovering from surgery and appears to be doing quite well. He will be at Marshall Browning for several more days and then home for an extensive recovery period. He wanted to say hello to everyone and to thank all for their prayers.  Talked to Sister Carol and their daughter and they are holding up well and also said to tell everyone hellow and thank you.

Kristy Renee Phoenix

Ava Missionary Baptist Church extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Kristy Renee  Phoenix who passed away sometime Sunday, Nov. 2nd 2008.  There are no words that can be expressed by mankind that answer the questions in our hearts today, comfort can only be found in the name of the Lord:  "Brothers, I tell you this; flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannon inherit incorruption. Listen I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised in corruptible and we will be changed. Because this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. Now when this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility and this mortal is clothed with immortality then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Do death where is thy sting? Now the sting of death is sis, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory thorugh our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:50-57.

Special Prayer

Bro. Jim Endsley is currently in Marshall Browning Hospital, Du Quoin, IL. and is scheduled to be operated on Monday Nov.3rd. Please lift him and his family up in your prayers.