Ramblings--20090602

CHBC Ramblings

Wednesday, June 2, 2009

Vacation Bible School
As I write this, we are at the half way point of our VBS “Boomerang Express,” and this year we are experimenting with an evening school. Besides having more workers available in the evening, we can also provide classes for adults. We already have 120 enrolled in the first two days with an average attendance of about 100 – and our adult attendance has been between 25 and 30 the two nights in the two classes we are offering for them. The children are enjoying the Australian theme and the study of the life of Peter. Pray for us during these last two nights, as VBS wraps up on Wednesday night. (By the way, Wednesday night meal for “regulars” will start as usual at 5:30. VBS attendees will eat at six. All classes will start at 6:30 on Wednesday this week.) Many thanks to Sue Rother for her leadership and for the dozens she has enlisted to help in VBS.

This Sunday: Foundations for Families continues
I will continue my series on the family with the third and last message on marriage based on Genesis 2.24. The first was Marriage: A Leaving, sharing the principle that marriage is to be the primary relationship of life for those who choose to marry. Last week, the message was titled Marriage: A Cleaving, and we emphasized that marriage is to be a permant relationship for the husband and wife. This coming Sunday, we will note the result of living out these two principles in Marriage: One Flesh – The Sanctity of Sex. In this message, we will celebrate the overall unity that God designed for marriage and the gift of sex that symbolizes that total unity. Too often we see nothing but the world’s view of sex; as the church, we must also share God’s truth about this powerful gift. While the misuse of the sexual relationship causes all kinds of hurt and problems, we will instead concentrate in this message on the blessing it is intended by God to be for those who are married.

While this will be the last marriage message, we will still have three more messages in our family series – two relating to parenting, and a message especially for dads on Father’s Day, June 21.

The Urban Atlanta Impact Initiative (UAII)...
is a partnership that includes the two local Baptist associations (we are part of the Atlanta Metro Baptist Association), the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the North American Mission Board. The mission of UAII is to start healthy, reproducing congregations inside the perimeter of Atlanta. (For more information on the need for this, go to uaii.info.) Currently, I serve as the team leader for the group. It was through this initiative that I traveled to Singapore last fall to observe church starting in multihousing contexts such as condominiums and apartments. For the past two years, our Ministry and Missions Team, under the leadership of Gene Ray, has been considering how our church might be involved in local church planting efforts. I am excited to be part of what God is doing, not only at Clairmont Hills, but throughout the area inside the perimeter. Let’s all pray that God would send a great awakening that will touch our city and beyond.

Aren’t you glad you are here?

God bless you,
Fred O. Pitts