Ramblings--20090512

CHBC Ramblings

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

This Past Sunday
It was Mother’s Day, of course, and we had a full service--we worshiped our Heavenly Father and honored our earthly mothers. We also had a Parent/Child Dedication time for Aaron and Kristy Kuglin and their firstborn, Caleb. What a joy it was to pronounce a blessing over this young man! Aaron, of course, is our part time Minister of Arts and Youth, and Kristy has been a leader among our young adults for over four years. It has been a pleasure to watch the Lord work in their lives as He first brought them to the place of marriage and now has blessed them with a child.

I also began a Family Series entitled, “Foundations for Families,” and the first message dealt with the Parent/Child relationship and what God says to each. This coming Sunday we will continue this series as we begin looking at marriage in three messages. The first is called, “Marriage: A Leaving.”

By the way, we often have meaningful and significant spiritual decisions made during our services that are shared with us through the use of the Communication Cards. At the right time, those decisions that need to be made public are shared with you, and you see that through a baptism perhaps or by the introduction of new members at the close of a service. We are grateful that so many of our guests use this method to share a prayer request, ask for more information about following Jesus or joining our church, or share decisions that they have made. Please pray for those who indicate spiritual inquiries or make spiritual decisions known through this manner. You also feel free to share with me in this way.

This Sunday is the Vision Banquet
We have been talking about the VISION BANQUET for several weeks, and here it is! I hope that every one of you will make a special effort to be in attendance as we eat together, “pot luck” style (that means bring some food to eat and share), and then spend some time looking at the “BIG PICTURE” of what God calls our church to be.

In the past few years, we have made some significant strides as we seek to join God in His revitalization of our church. We have added families. We have started new Sunday School classes. We have established new teams and committees. We have updated our facilities. All these things are wonderful! But from time to time we need to ask: Now what? Where do we go from here? What does God have for us in the days ahead? During the Vision Banquest, not only will I share some from my heart, but every person in the church will have an opportunity to share hopes and dreams for the future--and other input--both by briefly sharing an idea during the banquet and/or by completing a response sheet that will be available both during Sunday School this coming Sunday and at the Vision Banquet itself that begins at 5:30 p.m. this coming Sunday evening (May 17). Since we will be eating together and sharing, I expect that we will be together for a total of about an hour and a half or two hours--and I think it will be time well spent. The Leadership Team has been looking at the questions we are seeking to answer for several months, and we are anxious to get some feedback from you to help us in our planning for the months and years ahead. Let’s dream together!

Upcoming
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL will have a different look this year: Sunday through Wednesday EVENING, May 31-June 3. And classes will not only be offered for children but for YOUTH and ADULTS as well! We will serve a meal each evening, and I will have the specific times for you next week. Please don’t forget to pray for the workers and those who will attend, and also take every opportunity to invite others to participate.

This coming Sunday, May 17, we will also recognize the graduates who are among us.

On May 24, it is the Sunday before Memorial Day, and most of you know that on this day we have a special time of remembrance for those veterans in our midst who have died since last Memorial Day. All of our veterans are asked to wear their uniforms if able, and they will march in together at the beginning of the service. We are grateful for the sacrificial service of all of our veterans, and we are thankful for Dr. Bill Harris, who conducts this meaningful ceremony for us each year.

A Word about Finances
The past few months have been difficult ones in our economy on practically every level, and most all the churches of which I am aware have struggled along with the economy. We have been no exception. There have been times when our budget giving has been between $30,000 and $40,000 below what is needed to stay on budget. Two things have been helpful to use in managing this: first, we began this year with a surplus. Second, everyone has been doing their best to spend less than the budget. (Since we are not the government, we don’t get to print extra money!)

I am happy to share with you, though, that in the past three weeks we have had some exceptional offerings. Now, we always expect the first Sunday of each month to be the best, and so May 3 was no surprise, but God has blessed us also with better than normal offerings on April 26 and May 10. I am not sure where that places us in the big picture for the budget year yet, but I share this with you to say again that God is faithful, and I thank you, not only for your sacrificial giving in the past, but for your continued generosity in the weeks and months ahead.

Aren’t you excited...
about what the Lord has been doing in our midst? I surely am. And I look forward to sharing with you on Sunday, both in our morning service and in the Vision Banquet. It will encourage me to see you in your place--and to know that you have spoken to someone this week about the Lord and His church.

God bless you,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor

Clairmont Hills Baptist Church

1995 Clairmont Road

Decatur, GA 30033

404.634.6231 Office

404.634.6062 Fax

www.clairmonthills.org