April 2014 Volume 25 Issue 4 Palm Sunday Musical “Jesus, Only Jesus” Sunday, April 13 at 10:30am Easter Worship Sunday, April 20 at 10:30am
April 2014 Volume 25 Issue 4
Palm Sunday Musical “Jesus, Only Jesus”
Sunday, April 13 at 10:30am
Easter Worship Sunday, April 20 at 10:30am
Pastor’s Pen
How to find mentors…
If you’re reading this, you recognize the importance of having others speak into your life. The challenge then, is actually finding those people!
There is NOT one perfect person out there (potential mentor) who knows everything, can save you from all your bad choices, and organize your life for
you…except for Jesus Christ himself. When we idealize/idolize someone to be our “everything,” we are setting ourselves up for trouble.
What is Spiritual Mentoring? (Adapted from Keith Anderson and Randy
Reese, Spiritual Mentoring, Intervarsity Press, 1999)
Spiritual mentoring is a relationship between mentor, mentee and the Holy Spirit. Through this relationship, the mentee seeks to
discover what God is already doing in his or her life, and thereby grow in friendship with God, identity in God, and awareness of God’s call.
Purposes of this relationship:
To enhance intimacy with God.
To recognize God‘s action in the mentee‘s life.
To develop character.
To discern God‘s direction in decision-making.
To help make life-changing decisions.
What are some characteristics of a mentor?
One who creates a hospitable space of trust and intimacy.
One who is able to discern God‘s action in the mentee.
One who recognizes potential in people.
One who is affirmed by others as having a life worthy of emulation.
One who seeks to live a live of authentic holiness, spiritual maturity, biblical knowledge and wisdom.
One who is familiar with contemplative prayer, listening and other spiritual disciplines.
Who is the mentee?
One who desires spiritual growth and maturity.
One who wants to ask questions about self, life, and God.
One who is vulnerable in sharing intimate issues of life.
One who is responsive and respectful to the directives of the mentor.
Seek multiple mentors? Find someone who is really good with finances and learn from him about money management. Find someone
who is incredible at raising a family and hang out with her. Find a couple whose marriage you admire, and learn from them. Having a team of mentors in your life will help you grow more effectively.
Important questions to ask yourself before finding a mentor:
- What do you want to learn? The more specific you are, the easier it will be to find a mentor.
- Who do you already know that you could learn some life lessons from? - Ask your small group members if they know anyone who is wise and knowledgeable in the areas you want mentoring in.
Where might you find a potential mentor? Keep your eyes and ears open to places where you might be able to find mentors. Here are a few places we think you can start looking:
- Sunday School & Life Groups. Join a group to see if you can find a mentoring relationship.
- Get involved in our Men’s ministry. There will be 3 men’s studies that happen every week early in the morning or in the evenings.
- Get involved in our Women’s ministry. The women are actively involved in many kinds of groups and studies.
- Serve in a ministry of Church that aligns with your passions. If you are passionate about a certain topic, chances are there
is a ministry where you can get involved and learn from the adults involved in that ministry: missions, children, youth, college, etc.
When you meet with a potential mentor: - Ask this person if they would be willing to mentor you in a specific area and request that they pray before answering.
- Tell the potential mentor what you see the season of mentoring to look like (meeting once a week for many months or years is not realistic or sustainable). Come to them at strategic times in your life instead of all the time.
- Respect their time. Keep the meeting in the allotted time, and don’t constantly call, text or try to be their best friend. - Have all your questions written down ahead of time, and be ready to take notes. - Thank them for their time and investment in your life! Continued on next page
What Happens in a Mentoring Relationship? Taken from The Sharpen Guide to Spiritual Mentoring, Sharpen Ministries
Good, Safe Space A good space for mentoring must be safe and confidential. The mentee must feel sure that what he says in your meeting will not go beyond your meeting. Obviously, if someone shares a serious crisis or critical need, you may need to refer him for professional counsel.
Good Listening Listening is an art. Eye contact, body language and all non-verbal signs are central to listening. Listening also involves summarizing, clarifying, para-phrasing or reflecting the thoughts and feel-ings expressed by the speaker. Summarizing what your mentee has said and affirming him during the course of your meeting will build confidence and trust, especially in the early days.
Good Questions The art of asking good questions is as challenging as that of being a good listener.
Ask appropriate questions Consider the depth of commitment and trust within your relationship. Ask questions that are appro-priate to the depth. It will not work to pry too deeply at the beginning. Conversely, if you are asking superficial questions after you have been meeting for a significant time, your meetings will be bland. Try to gently guide the relationship forward in each session. Let your questions slowly grow towards vulnerability and openness.
Ask focused questions Get to the heart of the issue being explored.
Ask open-ended questions Elicit discussion. Questions that simply fill in the blank, or can be answered by yes‘ or no‘, will not lead anywhere.
Ask “moderate” questions Asking for superlatives creates unnecessary anxiety on the mentee. For example, instead of asking ”what was the best, most significant, most meaningful event in your childhood?” ask “what was a good, meaningful, or significant event.”
Ask clarifying questions. Give your mentee the opportunity to restate what he has said so that you might grasp more fully his intent. Encourage him to explain why he thinks what he does, or what brought him to that conclusion.
Good Biblical Counseling Your mentee desires to meet with you, hear your perspective and gain your advice. You may feel that you do not have all the answers and that your life is sometimes out of control. Still, you are a few steps ahead of your mentee. Do not be afraid to coun-sel and advise your mentee. Conversely, beware of inappropriate advice-giving.
Good Study Studying a book together is a long-standing method of mentoring. Choose a book from the Bible, devotional or theological study. Make sure it interests you both and is appropriate for the student‘s knowledge level.
Good Prayer Prayer is essential if the mentoring relationship is to succeed in discerning what God is doing in the life of the mentee. Pray with one another at each meeting and regularly for one another outside the regular meetings.
- Sign up in the church foyer if you would like to be a mentor or if you have been asked to be a mentor.
- For those wanting a mentor, sign up in the church foyer, designating specific areas of mentoring you would like.
- If you would like more information or to discuss mentoring confiden-tially, please call the church office.
- If you are finding your own mentor or mentee, please let us know. We would enjoy being supportive of the relationship.
- For all those desiring to be mentors or have been asked to be mentors, we ask that you attend our training sessions.
- For general spiritual mentoring, we will offer a step-by-step guide for each meeting.
- An informational meeting will be scheduled with resource packets given out.
Don’t see your name? Or your birth-day is incorrectly listed? Let us know
and we will add you. Contact [email protected] or
722-5246 ext.18
Family Meals
Wednesdays 5:45-6:15pm Children: $2 Students & Adults: $3
Families: $10
April 2nd– Spring Break No evening activities.
April 9
Jucy’s BBQ sandwich, French fries, baked beans, beverage
April 16
Mesquite chicken sandwich (nuggets for kids), mashed
potatoes, green beans, beverage
April 23 Sloppy Joe sandwich, French fries,
green beans, beverage
April 30 Ham, mashed potatoes, green
beans, beverage
April Birthdays
21 Alana Ruble, Mary Rudicel
1 Makray Sageser 23 Machell Smith
2 Charles Smith, Lauren Wilkens, Madison Schoenbachler 26 Kim Crick
3 Trenton Bland, Samantha Manna 27 Edith McGowan, Gary McGowan,
4 Steve Kute Jayden Martin
5 Tammy Thomas 29 Kyler Dugle
6 Kathy Mansfield
7 Cheryl Kute, Pat White
8 Carissa Kennedy, Ben Barnett
9 Jam Chhan
10 Ozzie Bradley, Ryan Marchessault, Angela French
11 Hannah Boyd, Martha Delarosa, Wes Crick, Phil Noble
12 David Wentworth, Somethevy Chhan, Tina Ball
13 Howie Harris
14 Kory Hacker, Hannah Renfro, Rich Johnston, Leighton Taylor
15 Donna Ward
16 James Brewer, Clark Jesse, Sovanne Chhan
17 Dom Chhan
18 Faye Hyde, Wayne Stover, Judy Manna
19 Jeanette Lambert, James Minor
20 Johnny White
A note about our Easter Services…..
We are expecting a large attendance for our Easter worship services and need to enlist extra volunteers for children’s church, nursery and kid’s check-in.
For Easter Sunday only, we would like all of our children to go from Sunday School directly to Children’s Church. The reason for this is we will have 100 more seats available for the large Easter attendance. Children’s Church for all age groups will be extended for the full worship service. We will need additional teacher’s helpers in all classrooms. Please contact Shari at ext 15 to volunteer.
Please also remember that we are not supposed to park on the side roads.
Parking is available on the new property (grass lot). We will also have valet
parking for our handicapped and senior adults.
Due to Spring Break there will be no evening activities on Sunday, March 31 or Wednesday, April 2. Our regular
evening activities will resume on Sunday, April 6 at 5:30pm
Deacon/Yokefellow Selection Procedure
Nominations begin April 27 and cease on May18;
Deacon Selection will be on June 8.
Deacon Nominations/Selection
Biblical Requirements: 1 Timothy 3: 8-13 (Vs. 8) Christian character elicits church and public respect. Their character at work is beyond reproach. They
live their life in moderation.
(Vs. 9) Deacon possesses knowledge and practice of God’s word and faith.
(Vs. 10) Deacon is proven in faith and service over time. (Vs. 11) Simpsonville Baptist Church has allowed for differences in translations in the Greek language of this
passage and the history of the Church to include women as deacons. Paul’s original word in the Greek is gunē,
which has a primary meaning of “woman.” Some translations, including the 2011 NIV use “women” here instead of
“wives,” since the latter is seen as interpretive.
(Vs. 12) An issue of multiple wives would be an issue of self-control. It was unheard of in their culture for a woman to have multiple husbands. Deacons must manage their marriage, children and home well.
(Vs. 13) Deacon is actively growing in faith and service for our Lord in church and community.
Church Requirement:
Regular Sunday School and Worship attendance Church member for one year
Financial growth in giving
Commit to working the current deacon ministry plan, primary of which is in-home visits with guest
families.
Regularly attend deacon meetings and deacon ministry events Deacons
currently meet the first Sunday of each month at 4 pm.
Deacons commit to serving a term of three years and then must rotate
off for at least one year. Nomination Requirements:
To be nominated, deacon nominee(s) must be either already ordained or
must have served one year as a yokefellow.
Yokefellows can be nominated according to the above biblical and church requirements.
You will find below a list of ordained deacons within our church.
Because a person is on the list doesn’t mean they meet the biblical or church requirements.
You may not nominate your own family members.
Place your nomination form in the offering plate.
Deacon/Yokefellow Process:
Each deacon nominee will be contacted by the pastor or deacon team leader to accept or decline nomination. An appointment to discuss expectations and calling will be scheduled. Yokefellows who have faithfully served for one year who are eligible for nomination:
Phil Noble, Doug Shelburne, Dixie Taylor, Lowry Miller Deacons Ineligible (currently serving or rotating off for one year)
Lowell Ashby, Mike Dugle, Amy Griggs, Dale Kramer, Cecil Jones, Clark Jesse, Jeff Logue, Rick Mansfield, Chet Miller, Mike Moore, Dale Sanford, Jill Sowder, Ronnie Sowder, Brent White
DEACON MINISTRY
Nomination forms will be available at the Welcome Center.
Parent/Child Dedication
We are excited to partner with parents as you celebrate new life. We want to come alongside you with encouragement and partner with you as you begin the journey with your precious little one. Registration is in the foyer. Family Dedication is a four-step process: Step 1 Learn—Attend the orientation class April 27st at 5:30pm to prepare for the ceremony. At this class you'll also connect with other parents in our church who are beginning this journey with you. Dinner will be provided and childcare is available upon reservation. Step 2 Prepare—We will begin preparing a special family memory book for your child’s faith journey. You may ask grandparents and other family members to give input for this book. Step 3 Celebrate—Participate in the Family Dedication cer-emony on Sunday May 11th. This is your opportunity to commit before God and the congregation that you will raise your children according to God's standards. Step 4 Connect—Join a group with other parents in our church to give and get support. We'll discuss several options during the orientation class.
Sunday, May 11 during worship
Saturday, April 19 at 1pm
Held at Simpsonville Park
For children preschool through 5th grade.
Volunteers are needed to fill eggs! Eggs can be filled with
individually wrapped candy and should be returned by
Sunday, April 13. Eggs can be picked up at the
Welcome Center.
SBC Grand Prix A big thank you goes out to everyone that
helped with this event. The kids (and adults) had
a great time. Thank you also to our race master,
Joe Portman, for sharing his racing expertise,
and decorations.
New Orleans Mission Trip Payments Schedule
Sunday, April 13 $100 Sunday, May 18 Balance
Mulch pickup Saturday, April 12 from
9-11:30am in the SBC front parking area.
MAY 18
Attention Parents of
Graduating Seniors
On Sunday, May 18th, we will recognize all graduating seniors. This will be a great time to
celebrate this milestone in your life. We are asking all graduating seniors to submit 12-15 pictures from birth through graduation for our video and
newsletter. Digital pictures are preferred. Please
turn in all pictures to the church office by
April 27. All pictures will be returned. Please email
digital pictures to [email protected].
On March 23 we had about 70 students attend an
opening weekend screening of the movie God's
Not Dead. We joined with a group from Highland
Baptist Church and bought so many tickets
(98 total) that Carmike StonyBrook added an
additional showing exclusively for us - which we
immediately sold out.
God's Not Dead debuted at #4 in this weekend's
box office sales with over $9 million in ticket
sales (despite only showing on limited screens).
The movie openly shares the Gospel message
(including multiple sharings of the plan of salva-
tion) through a story that centers on a freshman
college student who is forced to defend that God
exists to his atheist Philosophy professor.
In addition to the movie, we will begin a student
study for three weeks (on Sundays at 5:30pm
excluding Easter of course) and will be encourag-
ing students to go see the film again. We encour-
age the church to follow the students lead and
take some friends to go see this movie and then
to go grab coffee, lunch or dinner and to talk to
each other about the film's content.
God’s Not Dead Student Study
Sunday, April 6, 13 & 27
at 5:30pm
Did You Know?
We have 35 students and
chaperones who will be
enjoying a Cincinnati Red’s
game during Spring Break!
Pictorial Worship Directories
Our pictorial worship directories are a great tool to put names to new faces.
Sunday, April 13 immediately following worship
Amy Davis will take family and individual pictures outside Room 201. There is no cost involved.
Pictures will be taken until 12:15pm. Sign ups and appointments are not necessary.
I’m seeing less and less of quite a few people at Simpsonville Baptist Church—and that’s a good thing! I’m referring, of
course, to the folks in our Daniel Plan group. Many began with the optional 10-day detox, and the average initial weight
loss report has been about 5 to 10 lbs. per person. Some of us who started the Daniel Plan at the beginning of the year
are now around the 25 lb. mark and looking to lose more!
Of course, as Rick Warren states in the book The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life, this plan isn’t really about
losing weight; it’s about being healthy in spirit, mind, and body. The great benefit for those of us (such as myself) who
have needed to drop a few pounds is that when we started eating healthy foods and getting exercise, the pounds began to
drop off anyway.
In Daniel 1:8, we read that “...Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by
the king” (NLT). That use of the word defile (Hebrew: gaʾal) shows us that what we put into our bodies is very much a
spiritual issue. The equivalent “king’s food” of today can be found in all of the highly processed food that so many of us
eat without thinking about it. Yes, we’re not under the Old Testament food laws any more, so we have the freedom to
do what we want, but as Paul reminds us, “not everything is good for you...I must not become a slave to anything
(1 Cor 6:12, NLT) and our bodies are “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19).
So in light of that, I want to encourage you to come join us. We continue to have new people with us each week when
we meet. The benefits of the Daniel Plan are immediately apparent when others see those of use who have taken part in
this plan, and it’s been contagious. I keep hearing about spouses and co-workers of our group who have decided to take
part in the plan, too. You know why there’s so much excitement? It’s exciting because the Daniel Plan works, and it’s
good for body, mind and soul. Rick Mansfield
Women’s
Discipleship Class
Gideon Your Weakness,
God’s Strength
Begins Sunday, April 27 at 5:30pm
Cost: $13 for workbook
Ever feel insufficient? Could it be that your weaknesses
are the keys that unlock God's strength? Through a
look at the life of Gideon, you can discover that instead
of ignoring, neglecting, or trying to escape your weak-
nesses, you can see them as the gifts, given specifically
and strategically by God to unlock the door of God’s
strength.
Facilitated by Carrie Vail. Sign up in the foyer.
New Sermon
Series
Jesus,
Name Above
All Names
Begins Sunday,
April 6
MISSIONS
Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North
American Missions Church Goal: $3,000 Giving to date: $521
2nd Annual Operation Care Gala On May 22nd Operation Care will be hosting its second annual Gala to support the Omega House
Women's Center and Mercy Medical Clinic. Part of the evening's events will be a silent auction, in which
local merchants and churches donate goods or services to be auctioned. If your Sunday School class,
Life Group, Prayer or other group would like to help by making a themed basket, please contact Darlene Noble at
502 653-7713. Baskets are due May 1.
Basket suggestions: A Taste of Home (homemade preserves and treats) Car Cleaning (supplies to clean and wash car) Bath Basket(bath pampering supplies) Kentucky Horse Basket (horse memorabilia) Sports Basket (your favorite Kentucky sport). Puppy Paws (items for your “best friend”) The only limiting factor is your imagination!
Brick Ministry Mission Trip
June 22-27 This year we will be assisting Eastside Baptist
Church, Americus, GA in laying brick for a
new sanctuary.
Cost: $35 for the week. Payments and sign-ups are
due Sunday, May 25th. This would be a great
father/son mission trip.
Sign up in the foyer. Contact Bob Gordon at 243-3213 with questions.
Eastern Kentucky
Touched Twice Clinic July 17-19 Inez, KY
We will need many volunteers to help with the
clinic and for service in the community before the clinic.
Save the date!!
Blood Drive
Tuesday, May 6
3-7pm
Tips for a Successful Donation Maintain a healthy iron level in your diet by eating iron rich
foods, such as red meat, fish, poultry, beans, spinach, iron-fortified cereals and raisins.
Get a good night's sleep.
Drink an extra 16 oz. of water or nonalcoholic fluids before the donation.
Eat a healthy meal before your donation. Avoid fatty foods, such as hamburgers, fries or ice cream before donating. (Fatty foods can affect the tests we do on your blood. If there is too much
fat in your blood, your donation cannot be tested for infectious diseases and the blood will not be used for transfusion.)
If you are a platelet donor, remember that your system must be free of aspirin for two days prior to donation.
Remember to bring your donor card, driver's license or two other forms of ID.
It is recommended, but not necessary, that you
sign up for a specific time to make your dona-
tion quicker. Sign up in the foyer.
Please contact Angie at ext 18 if you would
like to volunteer to help from 3-5pm or
5-7pm. We need two people per hour.
Colonial Hall
Easter Egg Hunt
Sunday, April 19 at 2pm
We are in need of
individually wrapped
candy, and chocolate bun-
nies, packages of jelly
beans and Little Debbie
snack cakes for prizes.
Donations can be taken to
the Mission Cove.
Ukraine Mission Trip Update
After much discussion with Ukraine Youth for Christ and advice from others, we decided to cancel the English
Camp we had planned for this summer in Ukraine, in light of the political unrest.
The trip will be scheduled for summer 2015. ... But, Lord-willing, our family will still be on mission to Ukraine. Our plans for ministry while there include:
Teach a Masters of Youth Ministry class at Kiev Theological Seminary (May 17-22)
Speak at Kiev Theological Seminary graduation (May 24) Lead an Evangelistic Trip to Katya's Village (We are hoping
to go with members of our Ukrainian church in Kiev -- Open Hearts Church. It is possible that some of the same people that went last year may be able to go again, so that relationships may continue to be built in this village with-out a church.)
Conduct PhD research with Ukrainian youth ministry teach-ers we trained
Establish an official World Link partnership with Ukraine YFC and Louisville YFC
Please be in prayer for Ukraine and an upcoming trip to Asia where I will be working at the Asia Center for Youth Ministry. Youth leaders from all over the region will be attending two Masters level courses through a program with Youth Ministry International. Mike Manna
APRIL 2014 1 2
No evening activities
3
9:45am
Students at
Red’s Game
4 5
6 Lord’s Supper
9:15am Sunday
School
10:30am Worship
1pm Hispanic
Worship
5:30pm Discipleship
7
8 9
10am Prayer Group
5:45pm Family Meal
6:15pm AWANA
Choir
Student ministry
10 11 12
13 Palm Sunday
musical
9:15am Sunday
School
10:30am Worship
1pm Hispanic
Worship
4pm Deacon Meeting
5:30pm Discipleship
14
15 16
10am Prayer Group
5:45pm Family Meal
6:15pm AWANA
Choir
Student ministry
17 18 19
1pm Easter
Eggsplosion
2pm Colonial Hall
Egg Hunt
20 Easter
9:15am Sunday
School
10:30am Worship
1pm Hispanic
Worship
No evening activities
21
22 23
10am Prayer Group
5:45pm Family Meal
6:15pm AWANA
Choir
Student ministry
24 25
26
27 Deacon
Nominations begin
9:15am Sunday
School
10:30am Worship
1pm Hispanic
Worship
5:30pm Discipleship
Gideon Study begins
Baby Dedication mtg
28
29 30
10am Prayer Group
5:45pm Family Meal
6:15pm AWANA
Choir
Student ministry
Spring Break
Simpsonville Baptist Church PO Box 56 Simpsonville, KY 40067
Tea Party
Sunday, May 4 4pm
For Kindgergarten-2nd grade girls and their moms and grandma’s.
Mom’s Meeting for this event will be Sunday, April 13 at 5:30pm.