Pastorgraph - HOME - Garden City Baptist Church€¦ · Katelyn Nix, Christopher Owens, Nora Pierce, Braeden Pridgeon, and Kayla Thompson. We will miss all of you! Rehearsals will

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June 2016

Monthly Publication of

Garden City Baptist Church

Volume 29 Number 6

Pastorgraph . . .

In the Summer-Time we think of Vacations, Leisure and Family Events. I’m

sharing some lines from a thesis I did while working on my doctorate.

In the early centuries of the Christian Church work was spiritualized. The chief aim

in life was salvation or the “other life”. The first thing was to “save one’s soul” or to

bring it closer to God. The work that was important was the “work” of the Lord.

In the monastic system work served various purposes. In particular it became an

instrument of self-purification, of repentance, or of helping others in charity.

When eschatology in the sense of Christ’s return was not realized, the organization

of Christians on earth became a necessity. Work and the “here and now” received

fuller consideration from learned men. Augustine stated that the best work was that

which did not distract the worker from God. The indication was that big business too

easily leads to forgetting God.

Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologia depicted his age in this way. He placed

religious activity above secular activity, but he elevated contemplation above all

else. He believed work to be a necessary part of nature, but he felt that work was

too confining. The worker only experienced a small piece of the world.

Contemplation enabled man to see God in the Cosmos.

May we see God this Summer!

CHURCH EVENTS FOR JUNE

1---RA/GA Recognition 6:30 pm 5---Church-wide Breakfast 8:30 am 5—Puppet Program 6 pm 6---Church Council Meeting 7 pm 7---Summer Children’s Program 6 pm (page 4) 10-11—WM Retreat (page 3)

13—Finance Committee 5 pm 13—Deacons Meeting 6 pm 28—Sport Camp (page 1)

Groups not meeting this month JOY FELLOWSHIP

WMU

LADIES CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

CHURCH CONFERENCE

SPORTS CAMP

June 28-July 1 9-11 a.m.

Free camp for children 5K through 6th grade

Limited space & it’s filling up fast

Basketball at Seaside Elementary School &

Cheerleading/Interpretative Movement at the church. On

Friday there will be certificate presentations and lunch with

the parents in the Fellowship Hall.

Must register by June 26. Forms are available at

www.gardencitybaptistchurch.com/sports-camp-registration/

and in the church office.

SOUTH STRAND MOBILE MEALS

June 27 – July 1

To volunteer contact Esther

Holland or Phyllis Melton

Deliver a hot meal to people who

can’t provide for themselves.

Remember Flag Day!

News from the AP . . .

JUNE BIRTHDAY LIST

1 – Abigail Schlueter

2 – Nathan Schlueter

4 – Barbara Green

7 – George Richardson

7 – Juanita Henderson

7 – Jack Ramsey

9 – Yvonne Marcum

9 – Roy Turner

10 – David Sloan

10 – John Henderson

10 – Kathy Holloway

11 – Dorothy Collins

11 – Barbara Bayer

12 – Carolyn Roddey

12 – Nancy Rook

13 – Lee Ware

13 – Toby Waddell

14 – Barbara Weedon

14 – Terry Lonas

14 – Ron Taverno

15 – Jim Pigate

16 – Connie Miller

17 – Bobby Jordan

17 – Warren Wing

18 – Brenda Litaker

18 – Alice Bowman

18 – Ollie Paul

18 – Jean Beelendorf

19 – Rey Branton

21 – Bob Brown

21 – Peggy Waddell

21 – Cam Crawford

23 – David Finn

23 – Janice Johnson

23 – Barbara Tyner

24 – Dennis Johnson

25 – Bonnie Archer

25 – Heather Crawford

25 – Marvin Faine

26 – Glenda Tompkins

27 – Bernice Burgin

27 – Kay Cravens

27 – Erma Mundy

28 – Jason Carroll

29 – Jennifer Pierce

30 – Chris McSwain

Varina’s ♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

JOYFUL PRAISE KIDS (Kindergarten – 5th grade)

The following six singers were awarded certificates for their participation in Joyful Praise Kids and were promoted to Youth: Lorelai Menard, Katelyn Nix, Christopher Owens, Nora Pierce, Braeden Pridgeon, and Kayla Thompson. We will miss all of you!

Rehearsals will resume Wednesday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m. JOYFUL SOUNDS (Open to all who are interested in visiting our

homebound members and nursing homes)

Will not meet during June, July, and August. CHANCEL CHOIR (High School – Adults)

A small ensemble, from Chancel Choir, will sing at Surfside First Baptist Church on Sunday, June 26 at 6:00 p.m.

If you are interested in joining Chancel Choir, please check the bulletin for summer rehearsal schedule.

Please pray for the choir as we lead worship each week. ADULT PRAISE TEAM

Please check Messenger for rehearsal schedule.

Please be tuned and ready to rehearse each Sunday morning at 9:15 a.m.

MUSIC COMMITTEE

Will meet, after choir rehearsal, on Wednesday, June 1.

The Charity Sunday School Class adds a rose bush to the Memorial Garden each time a member or a

close relative of a member dies. The most recent rose planted is in memory of Joan Smith. The Memorial

Garden is the strip of ground by the white fence on the side of the big parking lot.

In churches that I have served previously, the summer seems to be a time to take a break. It is a little different here at Garden City Baptist Church. We have several events upcoming in the near future that I hope you will support. 1. For the month of June, we are having a “steps” competition. It is an easy contest to take part in. All you do is COUNT YOUR STEPS! Whoever has the most steps by the end of June, wins! The winner of the contest will receive a $25 gift card to Texas Roadhouse. 2. Sport’s Camp is June 28th - July 1. We are partnering with Devlin Plumbing to make this a great event. The basketball portion of the camp will be at Seaside Elementary and the Christian dance/interpretative movement will be in the youth building. We need volunteers for several things. In the next several weeks, please check your bulletin for more details. 3. VBS is July 26 - July 29. This is a great way to love on our community by inviting them to a bible study, food, games, and a lot of FUN. Over the last several weeks, we have been finalizing our plans for our “Olympic” themed Vacation Bible School. If you are interested in helping in any way, please call the church office or email me. Please pray for these events. The sport’s camp and Vacation Bible School are great ways to show our community and the next generation that we care. Serving Him, Jordan

WOMEN’S MINISTRY

Women’s Retreat

When Life gives you

lemons…make LEMONADE!

June 10 - 11, 2016

Friday, June 10

6:00 pm – Dinner

7:00 pm – Bible Session

8:30 -10 pm – Games

Saturday, June 11

9:00 am – Bible Session

10:00 am – Craft

11:00 am – Lunch

12:00 pm – Bible Study

1:00 -2:00 pm – Music

Cost: $10 which includes

dinner, lunch

and your lemon packet.

Last day to register is

Sunday, June 5

Guest Speaker:

Mary Ann Skolek-Perez

Life testimonies by women of

the church

Bible study is linked to

speakers

Sign-up sheets are in the front

foyer & side hall.

Need a little zest in your life? Our Lemonade women’s gathering will be a time of encouragement and laughter, and it includes a fun and easy craft. Plus, we’ll have delicious lemony treats to enjoy.

SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT

By: Tim Hutto, Sunday School Director

This is the time of year many of us have gardens and lawns. If we are not careful weeds will take over. If we

are not feeding our spiritual lives, weeds will grow and take over with missed quiet time, missed Sunday

School and worship attendance. 1 Peter 5:8 gives us this reminder “Be alert and of sober mind your enemy

the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” It is even harder to stay disciplined

during the summer months. Protect your spiritual life against those weeds.

LADIES CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

By: Yvonne Marcum

Time has come to take a quick break for the summer! There will be

no Circle of Friends for the months of June and July! Thanks to all

who participated in our events and I hope that you enjoyed each one.

Our last event was a Bingo game with prizes won by several ladies.

There were 18 ladies in attendance and I hope everyone had a good

time.

Gospel Body will still continue through the summer, starting at 9 am

on June 6. So, if it is too hot to walk outside, come and join us inside

for a quick walk. And even better than that, the fellowship we have! I

hope you can join us.

.

WIDOW'S MINISTRY We will be celebrating two birthdays in June—Kaye Cravens and Barbara Weedon, Sunday, June 12, we are going to California Dreaming. Please meet down front after the service to carpool. If you have any questions or suggestions please call Pat Hample 843-748-0163 or 704-460-4056. And as always we give God all the glory and praise for all he is doing through this ministry. .

WALK THRU THE NEW TESTAMENT: Come join us for an adventure that is fun, dynamic, and easy. In only a few memorable hours, understand like never before 77 peoples, places and events that can change your life forever. Most of all, you'll develop a deeper connection with the God who wants you to know Him and will never stop pursuing your heart. The more you understand His story, the more His words will change your life. LOCATION: Garden City Baptist Church Sanctuary DATE & TIME: Friday, July 22 - 6:30 - 9:00 PM Saturday, July 23 - 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon COST: $20 per person $70 for a family of 4 or more To sign up contact: Barbara Rocke (540-548-8641) or Sue Gelman (843-957-6374). Watch Sunday's Bulletin for dates and times we will be selling tickets in the side hall near the office.

VENDOR CRAFT FAIR at Oceanside Village Community Center

October 22 from 2-6 p.m. Women’s Ministry is hosting. They are

looking for vendors. For more information, contact Joan Brewer at

803-476-4464 or [email protected]. Cost is $25 for a table,

additional tables at $20 each. Setup at 1 p.m.; teardown at 6 p.m.

Pick up an application from the tables in the foyer and side hall.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY PROGRAMS

SUMMER PROGRAM based on Candy Bars Starts June 8th

Meets Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m.

Children 3k thru rising 6th grade.

Includes a Bible lesson, memory verse, games,

and even candy

Learn that nothing is sweeter than God’s love.

We need your help

1. We need volunteers who have a heart for

working with children.

2. We need lots and lots of the following fun

size candy bars: Snickers, M&Ms,

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit-Kat,

Reese’s Pieces, Milky Way, Twix, Crunch, Butterfinger, Three Musketeers,

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, & Almond Joy.

Caring Hearts . . . Caring

for those who care for

others. Caring Hearts is

working—caregivers have

been receiving some much

needed relief, but more men

are needed. Men are needed

to sit with other men, to

provide transportation or to

visit with the family. A short

visit to a home can mean a lot.

You can volunteer when your

schedule permits. With

several people volunteering

you might only be needed

once a month or so.

Prayerfully consider taking on

this worthwhile opportunity for

a blessing.

Contact Shirley Oesterle at

843-748-0465 if you can join

the Caring Hearts team.

LADIES LUNCHEON

LOCATION: Rustic Table in Pawleys Island DATE: Friday, June 24 TIME: Leave the church at 11:15 am Last day to sign up is June 19--Sign-up sheets will be in the foyer and side hall of the church.

It’s time to start planning for our Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection in November. In preparation for a packing party in October, please contribute monetary donations so items for the boxes can be purchased. As we donate, for each $25 donated, $7 will be set aside for shipping to the final destination and items for the box will be purchased with the remaining money. All donations are appreciated. This isn’t to replace our own personalized boxes that we build each year!

A special Wednesday night

WEDNESDAY EVENING AT CHURCH

June 1 at 6 pm starts with the RA/GA RECOGNITION

PROGRAM in the sanctuary. The GA’s have written a short play

for us. Then we go to the Fellowship Hall for an ICE CREAM

SOCIAL followed by a great presentation by the UNIQUELY HIS

PUPPETEERS. Their program is entitled “Beacon of Hope” and

is full of songs and skits.

Church Blog Writing Opportunity

For those of you who use the internet and social media sites such as Facebook, you know that blog posts and articles

are very common in today’s information space. We read blogs almost daily, often responding to them or sharing them

with friends. Much like op-eds in newspapers, blogs are the sites in which opinions, stories, quotes, facts, and more

are shared on the World Wide Web, with potentially millions of subscribers. So what do blogs have to do with the

ministry of our church?

God has blessed us in this day and age with the potential to do ministry through technology and the internet space.

We currently use our website, Facebook page, and app to connect with those in our church body, current and potential

visitors, and our community. We use these tools to share information about events and programs that we have here at

Garden City Baptist Church, in hopes that others will want to be a part of how God is working in this body of believers.

But our presence on the internet has so much more potential than just as a medium for the communication of

information. Through blogs, many churches, pastors, and ministries have done much more than that by providing

devotionals, words of encouragement, and posts that can help to foster spiritual growth in the lives of their congregates,

blog subscribers, or anyone who may happen to come across the blog on Facebook. Our church has the potential to

do the same- for both the encouragement of one another within the body, and the ability to reach, encourage, and

share the love and truth of the gospel with those beyond our walls.

So how can you be a part of this opportunity? I am looking to put together a team of people to write posts for a church

blog. Subjects would include devotions, short stories, testimonies, etc. and a new blog post would be written and

published to our app, Facebook page, website, etc. around once a week (with different authors each week). If you have

a passion for writing, please consider this opportunity to use gifts for God’s glory and His kingdom. As it says in 1 Peter

4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in

its various forms.” For more information, please contact me (Elizabeth Turner) at 843-798-0384 or by email at

[email protected].

SOLID GROUND STUDENT MINISTRY

Happy summer! We are so excited that school is finally out! Here are a few things going

on in student ministry this month and later on this summer:

June 8th, 6:00 p.m. - Summer Kick-off Party

June 18th & 25th, 11:00 a.m.– Realtor Summer Food Collection – Students will be

helping serve our community on these two Saturdays by picking up canned goods

donated to South Strand Helping Hand by clients of realtor offices in our area

July 13th - 17th (Evenings, Time TBA) – Youth Week – Dinner, Bible Study, Evening

Activities (such as beach volleyball, miniature golf, games and more)

July 24th (Time TBA) – Ground Zero Summer Concert at MB

On Wednesday nights this summer, we will be going through a series of lessons from

the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. We have already started

on Galatians and have been primarily studying and discussing the book’s great theme, “By Faith Alone”. We are looking

forward to what God has to show us from both this book and others that we will be studying later on this year.

New Members

PURSER, Bucky & Linda

RIVES, Susan “Sue”

APPALACHIAN UPDATE – From Eric & Sissy Rutherford on mission in Lynch, Kentucky

Before we moved here someone warned me, “Eric, I know people who have served in that area and you are not

going to be able to change the economy.” I told them that we did not expect to change the economy, but that we had

already seen God affect lives here, one at a time, and that is what we hoped to be a part of. “Helping people and

sharing Christ” is the simple mission statement we were given when I asked what our responsibilities here would

include. We really don’t have a specific agenda. We look for opportunities to build relationships; loving our neighbors

and sharing our faith.

One such opportunity resulted in us spending time with a local family that we met at the coffee shop. They were not

going to any church, but ultimately allowed us to bring our Bibles into their home. Over the last two years we have

become close friends and I am excited to report that not only have they all been to church with us, but that the dad

recently prayed with me in his driveway, giving his heart to the Lord, and he has asked to be baptized. It was truly a

blessing that God has allowed us to take part in their lives and His activity in them.

Another local, a young lady and regular on the Tri-City Trolley bus, joined us for church at Community Christian

Center. (You may recall the Trolley is the old bus that Garden City Baptist donated to Meridzo Center.) She refers to

Sissy and Vickie, another missionary here who runs the new Black Mountain Exchange store with her husband Jim,

as her “new moms”. That in itself is a pretty big deal considering she lost her real mom’s attention at a young age to

drug addiction. She was ultimately raised by her grandmother who has since passed away, leaving her with virtually

no one. After church Sunday she told us she had renewed her commitment to Jesus and that she too wants to be

baptized.

Community Christian Center will be holding our service at the ministry’s Shekinah Village on May 22. We will have a

church picnic and baptize in the lake. Both of our friends above face many personal challenges, but will no longer

have to face them alone. Please join us in rejoicing for these lives that are now changed forever; and, in prayer for

their fragile hearts as they begin their new lives in Christ.

Another of our Tri-Trolley riders made us aware of a young couple that just moved into one of the apartments (not-

so-affectionately known locally as ‘the projects’) above

her house. The husband is out of work and his wife is

three months pregnant. They had no food. (Can you

even imagine?) Lamp House Coffee keeps a supply of

boil-in-a-bag meals provided by our friends at Feed the

Hunger. We gathered several of those and added an

assortment of other food items from the coffee shop

along with some groceries from the Black Mountain

Exchange. I rode with Jim (Vickie’s husband referenced

above) to meet with the couple. We delivered the goods

in Jesus’ name and were able to pray with them on their

doorstep. Please remember them in your prayers as

well.

South Stand Helping Hand (SSHH)

As much as we would like more space, the monetary cost is just too high to purchase the units next door at our

location. We can stay we are and continue providing great service.

We were recently contacted by Combat Vets. They help vets with electric and rent. Also, they help with food drives

at local food store. One day they were outside a grocery store collecting food. They introduce themselves as

people enter and receive their food as they depart. One man came out with a large shopping cart and a small

bag. When they reached for the bag he said “no, you get the cart, the bag’s mine”.

Please continue to bring food. You can buy a little extra when you do your shopping and bring it to the church on

Sunday. SSHH needs food every day they are open.