Encourager

I am thankful our Lord has brought me here to the El Bethel family to
serve Him as interim minister of music. Debbie and I feel blessed to be with you.
You have graciously welcomed us.
Allow me to share my testimony with you. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
I gave my heart to Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord when I was 8 years old.
I was baptized in my home church of Reisterstown Baptist Church in Reisterstown
Maryland in 1973. I sensed the calling of God to ministry when I was a teenager.
He led me to be equipped in music at Carson-Newman University in 1987.
I have served churches in North and South Carolina in several music combination
positions. In ministry I “press on toward the mark of the high prize of the calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
My wife, Debbie, is a retired teacher. She retired last year after serving most recently at Hildebran Elementary School. She is originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
We have two children. Elizabeth is 26 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree in
music from Gardner-Webb University and is pursuing a master’s degree at University of North Carolina in Charlotte in Counseling. She lives in Concord. Andrew is 24 years old. He has a Business degree from Gardner-Webb University. Andrew works at Samaritan’s Purse in North Wilkesboro. We are proud of our children and their faithful walk with Jesus Christ.
Again, Debbie and I feel privileged to be with the El Bethel church family.
We love singing His praises with you all. We love how you sing out and sing for joy to the Lord!! We look forward to the wonderful things God has in store for us!
– John
I am a Pro-Life Advocate. I believe that ALL humans, including the unborn, have a right to life. … I believe that an unborn baby has life as soon as it has been conceived and I believe that every stage of life is important and valued by God our creator. Sunday, was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday at our church. We take this special day to honor LIFE. Sanctity means the state or quality of being holy, sacred. Sanctity doesn’t mean perfect but it does mean that the Holy God created you in his image and therefore you are holy…set apart for his purpose. So, my being pro-life doesn’t just mean for the awesome creation of babies, it also means for those whose minds are stuck in the grip of dementia, those who’s hearts are trapped in depression, those who lay helpless in a hospital bed holding on to their last minutes of life, those who are young and full of life, those who are lonely and isolated and my list could go on. You see, I have been in a room where life was just beginning, where the rhythm of a heartbeat was like music to my soul. I have also been in a room where life was escaping and the rhythm of a fading heartbeat made my heart ache in grief. Each life just as important as the other. I believe that God decides when to give life and that God decides when to take life away. However, I also believe that in between time we are to live as and treat others as- important and valued by God the creator of LIFE! So, today say a prayer for that young girl who is faced with the decision to have an abortion, pray she chooses life. Say a prayer for that one who is contemplating suicide, pray they choose life. Say a prayer for that family member who has pushed aside an aging loved one, pray they see the value of that life. Say a prayer for our government, doctors, nurses, churches, schools…pray that we can CHOOSE LIFE.

– Joanna

Tonight our Awana Kids learned that Jesus has Authority over everything including our fears. Each child had the opportunity to write their fears on a cup and smash it with their foot as they said, “Jesus has authority over______” . Some of their fears were simple, and some were very adult fears.
What fear would you write on your cup? What fear in your life do you need to turn over to Jesus?
I would never try to speak on something that I hadn’t struggled with, and if you have been present through a church service this year then you know that my 3 year old has struggled with being a part of the worship service. Some would say that the simple solution is to leave our preschoolers in the nursery. There have certainly been Sundays that I have wanted to put him back in the nursery, but if you have spent any time around a 3 year old lately then you know what I have been marveling about all year.

THEY ARE SPONGES.

They will soak up whatever knowledge and emphasis we put in front of them.

And

THEY ARE GROWING into little people.

Because these little people will be adults one day, my hope for our children is that they are not just learning to BEHAVE during worship, but they are learning to BELONG.

Worship is our offering to God. Taking part in worship is acknowledging our Creator and that he is worthy to be praised. The best way for our little sponges to absorb the beauty found in worship is for our children to see us, their parents, their grandparents, and their AWANA teachers actively and unashamedly participating in worship. Studies show that children who worship regularly alongside their parents and role models at a young age are more likely to do so as an adult – because we have cultivated a sense of belonging in a child who has been encouraged to participate in a Sunday morning service.

SO

Let them sing off key and off lyric!
Let them wiggle and clap to the music!
Let them pray! Even if it’s “God is great God is good…”
Let them put the offering in the plate!
Let them know it’s important to behave, but let them know we all belong in God’s House!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

-Miranda
Several years ago my mom came across letters from war that my grandfather had written.  Hand scripted by a man that on this side of Heaven I would never get to know.  The letters were written from a young man who had grown up on a cotton farm who had yet to meet his wife or have 2 little girls of his own.  In each of his letters he wanted word of his other brothers that were in battle, asking if they  were ok, had they written of their location or current condition.  A certain fear coated each letter, not just a fear of the war that raged around him, but a fear of what might happen to his siblings in the war as well.
Did you know there’s a war going on around us, a battle between life and death?  Are we concerned for the condition of our brothers?  Do we have a fear for our homes?  Are we fighting for the eternal life of our loved ones, friends, co-workers and neighbors? 
Jesus fought the ULTIMATE battle.  He took on SIN…our sin, the dumb stuff we do that doesn’t bring him honor.  He took it, bore it on a cross and died.  Willingly.  For each of us.  Then rose from the grave in VICTORY!  He WON the war!  
So, this Veteran’s Day, thank a Veteran who has fought or is currently fighting for our country’s continued FREEDOM.  Take time and remember your loved ones and their sacrifice.
 It’s also a good day to do a little battle yourself.  Find your WAR ROOM.  Get on your hands and knees in prayer and go to battle for someone you love who doesn’t know Jesus!
Thank you United States Veteran’s we live in FREEDOM today because of your fight! 

– Joanna Cunningham
There are many reasons why participate in Operation Christmas Child, but mainly it is that I believe O.C.C. is a “God Thing”.  I believe that if we pray for guidance, God will direct us in our shopping and our packing.  I keep reading about the way  God directs each shoebox to a particular child.  Each gift-filled box has at least one item that the child needs or that is an answer to prayer. For example, school supplies or perhaps a new pair of shoes mean that a child can now go to school;  a plastic shoebox and water bottle make it easier to carry water from its source back to the home; and  a flashlight makes it easier to go outside at night where there may be snakes or other dangers. 
The shoeboxes go to over 100 countries.  In some of these areas, people have  never even heard the name of Jesus.  Every shoebox recipient is given a copy of a booklet, The Greatest Gift, in his own language.  Also, the children are invited back to attend a 12-session seminar called The Greatest Journey.  Students learn about Jesus and how to share the gospel with their family and friends.  This has resulted in many souls saved and new churches formed.
 
— Alice Ayers
Ever NOT know what to pray? I struggle myself sometimes. I have some good news for you that really helped me out! Check out Romans 8:26-27. It’s worth looking up!
I also have a prayer request concerning our Revival services starting this Sunday.
Try this acronym:
P – Praise: Take a few minutes to praise God for Who He is and what He has done.
R – Repent: Made any mistakes lately? Ask God to forgive you. Make it a point to change with His help.
A – Ask: Present your requests to the Lord. He’s your good, good Father. He wants to give you great things!
Y – Yield: God often will lay on your heart to do things. Yield to His will.
I use this acronym often. It reminds me of the important parts of my prayer. With revival coming up, the word “Yield” got me. I don’t want to yield. Oh sure, it sounds good to say we yield to God’s will. But typically the “ask” part of my prayer is all about my will. What if God says “no” to my requests? Then I must yield. What if God tells me to wait? Then I must yield. Yield is this stubborn brat relinquishing my desires for what God, my good, good Father has for me. It’s not about what’s best. I know God’s plan is best. It’s about control. I want to be in control.
Yielding is acknowledging God is in control and seeking to do His will. With Revival on its way, let’s yield. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what God’s will is,” (Romans 12:1-2).
-Pastor Justin
Close to 100 families will pour into our church parking lot looking for treats this month in a small 2 hour window on a Sunday afternoon. Honestly, they will probably venture to several churches looking for a safe environment to allow their kids to participate in trick or treating.

What if we could offer them more?

What are we doing to take advantage of this 2 hour opportunity to spread the gospel?

What are YOU doing?


In alignment with our Church goals found in Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Our goal this year with our typical Trunk or Treat event is to REACH –

Reach our neighbors.
Reach our friends.
Reach our community.

Not with candy, but with the gospel.

I don’t want our trunks to just be handing out candy. I want our trunks to be handing out TRUTH. We will be partnering with Group Publishing’s Zoofari Fall Festival Event guide to do that.

Several of our trunks will have small safari-esque games that will allow the host to communicate that –

God Rules
We Sinned
God Provided
Jesus Gave
We Respond

Members, if you feel God calling you to reach our community for Christ, but you have no idea where to start be a part of our Zoofari Fall Festival this month! It is a 2 hour sacrifice, but an eternal opportunity to reach our community like never before.

– Miranda
I had just been to the gynecologist for my yearly physical and the doctor had done my breast exam. Everything was good! But two months later…there I stood with a lump. Frozen with fear is the best way I can explain how I felt that night. My dad was currently in his second round of chemotherapy. I had just had my second baby and was only 30 years old… but, I had found a lump. Unwilling to wait it out, I called my doctor who saw me immediately. He too agreed it was a lump, not there two months ago. Unwilling to wait in urgency he got me into a radiologist who performed a mammogram and ultrasound. The radiologist confirmed…lump. Unwilling to wait we scheduled the surgery. A surgeon performed the excisional biopsy and removed the lump. Pathology was done and confirmed that I had a benign phyllodes tumor. BENIGN!!!
Maybe you too have heard the word lump. Perhaps you too have found a lump and been frozen in fear. Or maybe you’ve never had a mammogram. Be UNWILLING to wait! My phyllodes tumor was rare, accounting for 1% of all breast tumors. Since the night that I found my tumor I have had four mammograms. They don’t hurt, there’s nothing to be afraid of! So, from one woman to another, from one mom to another…DON’T WAIT! Join us at El Bethel Baptist Church Saturday, October 5th 9am-1pm- Invision Diagnostics “Pink Bus” will be here doing 3D mammograms! It’s a private setting with trained professionals who want to insure you have positive experience! Not only that, but it’s at my church! What better place to join in with other ladies and share the love of Christ together! So, go ahead, sign up, invite your girl friends to sign up; join us and lets fight breast cancer together one mammogram at a time! Scholarship opportunities are available!
-Joanna

Churches today seem to be so divided at times over the style of worship they prefer. Some are clinging to the hymns of our Baptist heritage as if it was a life-ring and the ship is going down! Others invite the newest praise songs as if it was the answer to any and all church problems. Some want all hymns, some want all praise songs. What do we as believers in Jesus Christ need in our worship, what is the best style of worship for us at El Bethel? The answer is simple, but not easy. The answer is we need both styles. We need the hymns of our Baptist heritage to remind us from whence we have come. Most of the hymns speak of our response to God’s love, grace, and mercy. It is horizontal in that it is people talking about God and what He means to them. Many of us love the hymns because we relate so well with the lyrics written by someone with who we agree. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like ME!” But, we also need the praise songs, because most of them are speak not about God, but to God! When we sing “I Worship You Almighty God,” we are expressing our love vertically up to Him. Worship must be two things: it must be celebratory and it must be reflective. Too much celebration and we leave church happy but unchanged. Too much reflection and we leave church convicted, but not victorious. We can have both and blend it in a style that is distinctly El Bethel. Hymns can be played a little differently than we are used to and praise songs can be used to move us to deep reflection. Both are important to worship. Remember every old hymn we treasure was once a new song. So, it’s not the hymns we honor. It’s Him that we honor in worship regardless of the style. “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.” Ps. 149:1

– Ken
Hello Church family, this is your resident interim youth pastor Braxton coming to you this week to highlight the See You At The Pole (SYATP) event that our kids will be taking part in next week.
September 23-27 has been named the week of student prayer.
This event began in 1990 with ten students and now sees millions of students around the world gather around the flagpole at their schools to pray.
This event is something I remember attending a few times while in school
at Freedom and WJMS respectably.
It was so cool to come together with both students and teachers and pray for the school, community and our nation.
Now why bring this to the church’s attention?
Well I have an answer for you! To the youth this is a reminder for you that this will be going on the morning of September 25th and we will be attending the SYATP rally during youth that night.
Adults that are reading this, if you have a child in youth that is a reminder, or and
announcement of it, for you.
Members of the church that do not fall into these categories, I would like to challenge you with two things.
First that you are hand in hand with our students this week in and in prayer for courage and safety as these kids gather in front of their peers to pray and claim the name of Jesus at their schools.
Second, I challenge you to step up to the plate and maybe try and organize something similar to this at your place of employment, or at least incorporate prayer into your work day at least this week, if not forever.
This event is a great chance for our youth to step up and step out and show their faith to their peers, so adults, I know you do not like to be outdone, step up as well!
Have a great rest of your week and God Bless!
Yesterday was Grandparent’s Day, and as the Children’s Ministry Director at El Bethel, I would just like to stress the importance of this role in our families, in our church, and in fulfilling the great commission.
Deuteronomy 4:9 says, “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them”
Your wisdom and your experience are invaluable to us! Here are 3 reasons why we LOVE and NEED our Grandparents and those who fill in the gap.
1. My generation and younger have grown up in a world of broken marriages and broken homes. Many of our Grandparents are the only biblical example of healthy and steadfast love we have to model. Continue to be that beacon of truth in what marriage is and what marriage is not in a world that has blurred the lines.
2. Because of the world’s brokenness, many of you “adopt” grandchildren who are not biologically yours OR are raising grandchildren in your home. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” We are called to stand in the gap for those who have not yet found salvation. THANK YOU to those who open their hearts and their homes to an orphaned world.
3. You have the best advice on how to deal with a teething baby, you calm us new parents when we sweat the small stuff, you give the best hugs, and children truly delight in your presence. You have been there and God has seen you through!

The church works best in multi-generational circumstances. Like the verse above, be careful not to forget your value and your calling in passing on your testimony and your wisdom to future generations. We LOVE YOU and we NEED YOU!
-Miranda
Church Family,
in light of all we are enduring this week with the loss of some dear friends, I encourage you to look to the Lord. He is good and loves us greatly. It’s His faithfulness to His promises that gives us hope to know we will see our loved ones again. All three of the saints that left us this week professed Christ and lived lives that backed their words. We know that when they left us, they went immediately to be in the presence of our Lord! This week as we reflect and mourn, let us not forget to hold tightly to the hope we have in Christ. Remember, Jesus conquered death for us and brought us hope for a future with Him!

I encourage you to read through Psalm 111:1-10 attached below and spend some time with the Lord this week. Say a prayer for the families and our church family.

In Christ,

Pastor Justin

“Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
‭‭Psalm 111:1-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬