the Martins' Story
Automatically on the Calendar— for Eighteen Years!
Every July for the past eighteen years, the Martin family has set aside a week to participate in Missions Connection Celebration (MC2), formerly known as Family Missions Week. Rebekah and Daniel have grown up going to Eagle Eyrie; they started coming with their mom, Sylvia Anne, when they were preschoolers and have continued to come each summer, moving up through the children’s and youth missions programs. Last year, Rebekah who is 19 now, began teaching in the children’s area, experiencing the joy of serving in the ministry that had blessed her as a child.
Dwayne used to be a “stay-at-home dad” while the rest of the family left for the week. Eight years ago, however, he joined them on the mountain, helping Sylvia Anne with her preschoolers. After that experience, according to Rebekah, he said he was never coming back. But the next year, Dwayne gave it another try - working on a construction worksite where he could do work with his hands, and has loved it ever since. “There’s no better place that I’d like my children to be,” says Dwayne. “You can read all the literature you want to, but till you actually get your hands on and experience it you are not going to really know.”
Don’t miss out on blessings like the Martins have experienced for eighteen years. Mark your family’s calendar now for MC2 next year – July 19-24, 2010!
This Month's Kingdom Vision with John Upton
Listen as John shares a conversation he had with Greg Jones, Dean of the Divinity School at Duke University, regarding a visit to the university by a world-renowned economist. Ponder with John the startling question posed by this economist, “Why has the church in North America lost its nerve?”
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Stewardship Awareness Conferences August 3-14, 2009 During the next few weeks, Don Campbell, Director of Stewardship Development, will be offering a series of free conferences across the state aimed at addressing many of the issues of stewardship and church finances that arise in the local church. |
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iPraise
Weekend
A workshop experience for Contemporary and Alternative Worship Leaders, Praise Team and Praise Band members, and Sound Tech Team Members led by John Ivins, Worship Leader, Woolridge Road Baptist Church. |
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Muslim Background Believers Convention September 4-6, 2009 First Baptist Church, Richmond, VA A gathering of believers with the purpose of providing an opportunity to increase knowledge and understanding between those of Muslim, Christian and Jewish backgrounds and to bridge cultural differences in forms of worship and prayer. |
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OTHER EVENTS: |
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VIEW ALL UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Sunday School Summit (S3): For many churches, Sunday School is not working. Many leaders are frustrated. Does this describe your church? Looking for new ideas? New paradigms often come from outside of the system. Pastor Neil Cole, Director of Church Multiplication Associates, will bring fresh ideas that have been tested and proven. |
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Alma Hunt One dollar doesn’t go very far these days – maybe a plain cup of coffee or a very small soda. But, did you know that your one dollar can send a child to camp, buy a meal for a hungry family, help a woman struggling to put her life together, teach teenagers to play the guitar, build a house, or fix a roof in the Dakotas? A dollar, you’ve got one; the person sitting next to you on Sunday has one – with over 400,000 Virginia Baptists spread across the state, imagine what we can do Today, together with all our dollars! In a few weeks, churches will receive materials about the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions. In these, you’ll see all the ways your dollars have and will continue to bless others in God’s Kingdom. Visit the Alma Hunt website for more information. |
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Change Matters Students across the state have been collecting change all summer to support clean water initiatives here in Virginia and across the globe. By giving the change from their pockets during conferences, camps, and other youth gatherings, they have raised $5,646.08 so far. Dean Miller, VBMB Virginia Missions Coordinator, says, “My initial thought was, 'How great would it be for us to collect enough change to dig one well in Africa to provide a village with clean drinking water?' (approximately $4,500). Now, I am thinking two wells with enough funds to also provide some clean, sanitary water conditions to some homes in the Appalachian region of Southwest Virginia.” Along with the offering is a plan to send a student team to Africa to be a part of the well drilling project. In this way, students not only give funds on this end of the project, but also have a tangible role in seeing the "fruits of their labor." See how your loose change has contributed to the Change Matters initiative. |
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Connect:2009 BGAV Annual Meeting: "A Time for Extravagance" November 17-18, 2009 Fredericksburg, VA Please note that the 186th Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia will be held one week later than usual this year. Mark your calendar now so you won’t miss this annual opportunity to connect with other Virginia Baptists. Packets will be mailed out to churches later this month, so be on the lookout for your information regarding Connect:2009, or check the website for more details. |
A Message about
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Some ministers are record keepers. They have a journal or a notebook or a computer file in which are recorded the numbers: marriages, baptisms, funerals and whatever else seems to be of record keeping significance. Some record all of their sermons: titles, texts, subjects. John Leland, the famous 18th-century Baptist minister, was a record keeper. In 1820 he summarized: “Since I began to preach in 1774 I have traveled distances, which together, would form a girdle nearly sufficient to go round the globe three times. The number of sermons which I have preached is not far from 8,000. The number of persons that I have baptized is 1,278. The number of Baptist ministers whom I have personally known is 962. Those of them whom I have heard preach, in number, make 303. The number that have visited me at my house is 207. The pamphlets which I have written are about 30.” |
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When you follow God’s call, you may find that you’ve been chosen to lead.
The Baptist General Association of Virginia supports the development
and education
of future leaders in a number of ways.
Through Consider Your Call® Sunday, we issue the challenge to potential leaders in the
local church to live out their faith by exploring new opportunities for ministry and service.
Those who have discerned a call and are ready for the next educational steps
will find support through the BGAV Scholarship and Ministerial Educational Funds.
Education for future Virginia Baptist leaders is also supported through our
Cooperative Missions
giving to three college preparatory schools, two colleges and eight seminaries.
Through the combined giving power of over 1,400 BGAV churches to Cooperative Missions,
Virginia Baptists are aiding in the development of emerging leaders who are following
God’s call to advance His Kingdom.
For free downloadable ads for use in your church bulletin,
eNewsletter and/or website, click here.
