Advance Notice, January 2007

John V. Upton, Executive Director

Welcome to the latest edition of Advance Notice. We hope that this monthly eNewsletter provides you with relevant, useful information and resources.

All of the contents are for your use. Please feel free to use the information and illustrations in sermons, in newsletters, church bulletins, and on your website. Additionally, you can easily forward it on to your church leaders and members so they can be connected to resources and information that enable the Baptist General Association of Virginia churches to advance the Redeemer’s Kingdom.

“Shining Light in Dark Places”

While traveling back from a meeting out of state, I rented an audio tape containing the testimonies of survivors of World War II. I’m a history lover and the testimonies of French and Cretan resistance soldiers sounded interesting. There was one man’s story that particularly caught my attention. He was Alexander Popaderos, a Cretan resident during the Nazi occupation. He shared his family’s story before a live audience, and his account was recorded on the tape. At the end, he asked if there were any questions, and there was a long silence. Finally, someone from the audience shouted out: “What’s the meaning of life?” The crowd laughed and you could tell everyone was preparing to leave when Popaderos responded: “Wait, I’ll answer your question.”

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Kay Warren and Rick Muchow from Saddleback Church will headline this annual visioning event. Visit the website to learn more about P.E.A.C.E. Registration is now open!

Want to double your Sunday School in two years or less? Don't miss this conference with Josh Hunt on January 16.

Let the music ring out at the annual Handbell Festivals! Two festivals will be offered again this February.

Discover ways to make our witness greater through our lifestyle and teachings, as well as through the witness of our church’s properties and how that affects church attendance.

Senior High weekend is designed for students in grades 9-12 during the 2006-2007 school years. The weekend will include: celebrative worship, morning devotions, special interest conferences (targeted directly to the needs of senior high students), recreation and fellowship.

January is always a month of new beginnings. We post the new year’s calendar which we received as a gift over the holidays. We begin a new appointment and social calendar. We clear out the old and embrace the new. The artist depicts the old year as an old person and the new year as a baby.

New Year’s Day itself should be a national holiday for Baptists! It’s made for them. With all its traditional and natural emphasis on new beginnings and resolutions, why it’s designed for Baptists.

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As always, we want to hear from you with your feedback. How can we better communicate with you? How can we better serve you? Let us know your thoughts by sending an e-mail to Paige Peak at paige.peak@vbmb.org.

In this space we have been featuring many of our ministry partners that are a part of the BGAV. The desire is for more people to know and understand what makes up this entity called the Baptist General Association of Virginia.

Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center

Nestled on top of Locke Mountain, Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center is located on 400 peaceful, wooded acres near the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. Eagle Eyrie celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2006 and continues to be a place of refuge for more than 20,000 guests each year who come to discover, develop, and nurture their spiritual lives.

A premier conference center with 60 hotel rooms and 34 self-contained lodges, Eagle Eyrie can accommodate groups of 10 to 1,000 for any conference, seminar, or retreat. Meeting space consists of a main auditorium, a small prayer chapel, and 36 flexible classrooms, personally arranged and equipped for modern presentations. The newly remodeled Cedar Crest Hotel offers 38 uniquely designed and decorated guest rooms; a glass-enclosed conference room with food service, multi-media capabilities, piano, fountain, and beautiful mountain view; and state-of-the-art technology, including high-speed wired and wireless Internet throughout the hotel.

View Eagle Eyrie's Website.

That the name “Eagle Eyrie” originated when the property belonged to Nicholas Davies, who was known as “The Eagle” during the Revolutionary War? Davies used his secluded mountain estate as a refuge from the British, and hence it acquired the name “Eagle’s Eyrie” (meaning nest), later shortened to “Eagle Eyrie.”
That the remodeled Cedar Crest Hotel is handicapped accessible, with an elevator, handicapped parking and walkway, and four ADA-compliant guest rooms?
That in addition to serving Virginia Baptists, Eagle Eyrie also hosts numerous other non-profit organizations for retreats and conferences?

Know which way to turn next?

The intersections of life make us stop and evaluate the next direction. Whether it’s helping churches chart a new course or helping individuals to know the love of Christ, Virginia Baptists help to provide direction through programs that are supported by the combined giving power of over 1,400 Baptist General Association of Virginia churches to Cooperative Missions.

For free downloadable ads for use in your church bulletin, eNewsletter and/or website, click here.

Each month, we will provide you with downloadable calendars to guide you in reading the Bible through in 2007. This month, we are including both the January and February calendars; each subsequent issue will provide the calendar for the following month. We are strong believers in reading God’s Holy Word, and we pray that these calendars will help you and your church in reading the Bible regularly. Each calendar is provided in two formats (8.5 x 11 and 5.5 x 8.5, the latter designed for bulletin inserts) and may be viewed and downloaded here.

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