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Wading River Baptist ChurchP.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manor Road, Wading River, NY 11792
(631) 929-3512; 929-6022
www.wrbc.us [email protected]
Biblical SeparationPart 1: The Problem of Worldliness
“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
In a recent informal survey of our WRBC
Lord’s Day evening home Bible study, we
asked the members of the group to indi-
cate the things that were of most concernto them spiritually. We asked them to
share the problems that were causing
them the most trouble in their Christian
lives. The response that was returned
more than any other can be summarized
as “How do I live a godly life in an un-
godly world?” This is a very big ques-
tion, and in fact is the purpose behind
the ministry of God’s Word at our
church. Everything we do is focused on
either introducing unbelievers to the
saving grace of God in Jesus Christ or
teaching believers how to think and livein a godless world according to biblical
principles.
Given the difficult times in which we
are living, however, one issue looms very
large—the issue of separation from the
world. In other words, step one in living
a godly life in a godless world is to put as
much distance between the believer and
the world as possible. In previous gen-
erations, Bible-believing preachers and
Christians were very concerned about
what was called “worldliness.” Worldli-
ness refers to the presence (and accep-
tance) of non-Christian values in the
Christian’s life. Worldly Christians live
like unbelievers. Years ago, sermons
addressing the subject were common as
pastors emphasized to their congrega-
tions that Christians are not to be like
the world. As a young person in the
1960s, I got tired of hearing preaching
on the subject, although I never for a
moment doubted the truth or necessity
of the preachers’ messages.
I recall that soon after my arrival in
Wading River, I preached a sermon in
which I laid out the case against confor-
mity to the world (I think it was an expo-sition of Genesis 19 on Lot and Sodom).
After the service, the late Pastor George
Bogan, who was in the congregation that
Lord’s Day evening, asked me, “Does
anybody use the word ‘worldliness’ any-
more?” (I had used it that evening). In
his recent book, This Little Church Had
None, Pastor Gary Gilley makes the same
point:
‘Worldliness’—now that is a word you won’t often find in ‘rele-
vant’ Christian literature andchurches, except to make fun of ‘prudish’ Christians who still careabout such things. Past generationsof believers saw purity and separa-tion from questionable activities asnot only obedience to God (Rom.12:2), but also a witness to unbeliev-ers. Not that unbelievers necessarily understood or appreciated theChristian’s desire for living a sepa-rated life (another old-fashionedterm you won’t hear in most Chris-tian circles today), but they recog-
nized that in many regards trueChristians lived differently from the way they did (1 Peter 4:3-4). Whilethis repelled and even infuriatedsome, it nevertheless served noticethat Christ transformed the life andlifestyle of those he regenerated”(Gary Gilley, This Little Church Had
None, pp. 103-104).
The situation Gilley describes re-
veals the influence the seeker-sensitive
mentality has had across evangelicalism.
To preach against worldliness is calcu-
lated to offend those who live a world
lifestyle, and initially this was ove
whelmingly unbelievers. If our purpo
is to get as many unbelievers as possibinto the church to hear the Gospel, th
preaching against worldliness wou
defeat the purpose by driving them (
keeping them) away. After a generatio
or so in which worldliness was rarely
ever addressed from the pulpit, th
same spirit of ungodly living began su
tly to manifest itself more openly amon
professing believers.
Today, it is usually hard to tell th
difference between a regenerated Chr
tian and a worldly unbeliever by lookin
at their lifestyles. Here’s Gilley agai“If we are to win unbelievers to the Lo
we must identify with them. We m
show them that we enjoy the same thin
they do. They must be made to reali
that Christians can drink and swear an
dress like them, and can gamble and b
foul and enjoy all the same forms of e
tertainment that non-Christians do. Li
ing in this way, we are told, will be wi
some to the unbeliever, for they will s
in us an authentic life which is transpa
ent and free from hypocrisy and smu
ness—characteristics that the unbeliev
claims to see so universally in Christian
We are, after all, no different from the
except that we believe in Christ” (Th
Little Church Had None, p. 104). Aft
all, “separation” was a mark of a fund
mentalist, and no one wants to be call
a fundamentalist today!
It therefore appears that many cu
rent evangelical believers have no unde
standing of the biblical mandate f
Christians to separate from the worl
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Our generation has done a masterful job
of compartmentalizing life such that the
things concerning the Bible, God, the
Lord Jesus, the church, and the Chris-
tian life have very limited intersection
with the practical concerns of daily life:
morality, ethics, family, education, ca-
reer, money, possessions, business and
commerce, or leisure. Biblical truth no
longer informs the decisions we make on
these issues; at least it is not the primary
controlling factor.
Behavior forbidden to Christians in
the past is now accepted as a matter of
course. As a young person, I was taught
that if a church member went to the
movies, or attended dances, or drank
alcohol of any sort (to name just three
worldly vices), that person’s salvation
was highly suspect. Today, professing
Christians engage in these activities with
impunity. The understanding of church
leaders back then concerning biblical
salvation may have been misguided, but
their understanding of biblical separa-
tion was not!
Today, this non-separated way of
thinking is being transmitted to church
congregations, and particularly to our
young people by youth leaders who are
often still young people themselves. It is
also being communicated to our unsus-
pecting evangelical college students by
their Bible college and Christian univer-
sity professors. However, nothing is as
influential as is the modern media, and
especially contemporary Christian mu-
sic. Through their appearance, their mu-
sical style, and their lifestyle offstage, the
musicians most admired by evangelical
youth (and many adults for that matter)
are frequently and loudly declaring their
friendship with the world.
In light of all these developments, it
is critical that the subject of biblical
separation be frequently addressed in
our churches. It is not a subject that can
be ignored, and that is the purpose of
this brief series of articles. When we
speak of separation from a biblically
Christian viewpoint, there are two sides
of the issue that beg our attention. On
the one hand, there is the question of
personal separation, which concerns the
obligation of a believer to live in a way
that does not conform to the prevailing
standards of the world. On the other
hand, there is also the larger question of
ecclesiastical separation, the responsi-
bility of churches and associations of
churches to break fellowship with those
who have chosen to adhere to apostate
doctrines or practices. Both kinds
separation are important, and both nee
to be understood by our generation
professing evangelicals.
Scripture is bluntly unambiguou
“You [spiritual] adulteresses, do you n
know that friendship with the world
hostility toward God? Therefore wh
ever wishes to be a friend of the wor
makes himself an enemy of God” (Jam
4:4). That is why the Apostle Paul to
what was probably the most worldly
the New Testament churches—that
Corinth—to “come out from their [unb
lievers’] midst and be separate” (2 C
6:17). In our subsequent articles in th
series, we will explore these texts
greater detail, but suffice it to say th
the language of the biblical text leaves
no doubt but that this is an importa
subject. The very survival of Christiani
in the next generation is at stake.
⎯ Pastor Ron Glas
Next Issue:
A Look at Personal Separation
Getting Acquainted with Nora Mendoza Faustinorio
Without a doubt, to know Nora Mendoza
Faustinorio is to be greeted by a “smiley”
face, full of sunshine and laughter that
reflects a deep, passionate love for the
Lord Jesus Christ. Her smiles are conta-gious as she reaches out to everyone. To
characterize Nora with the friendly little
icons that we know so well is to totally
get the point of her personality.
Let us begin with a question that
Nora asked as a young girl: “ Is heaven a
real place and if it is, will I go to
heaven?” Getting the answer to that
question would eventually mold her life
and bring her into a spiritual obedience
that was beyond anything that she could
have imagined. Nora had dreams of be-
ing a nurse and going abroad; but as the
Scripture states in Isaiah 55:8, “For mythoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the
Lord.” The Lord had other plans for
Nora.
Nora was born on June 17, 1955, in
Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City, Philippines. Her
parents, Amador Mendoza, a seaman,
and Aurilia Urdaneta Mendoza, a
housewife, had six children ⎯ four boys
and two girls. Nora was the third from
the youngest among the six children, all
of whom were being raised in a Catholic
home. There in Cebu City, Nora at-tended high school and was very active
in the athletic program. Some of the
competitive sports that Nora partici-
pated in were softball, volleyball, bad-
minton, and track.
As Nora completed high
school in Cebu City, the Mendoza
family moved to Manila, Philippines,
where Nora’s mother became employed.
By July of 1972, after graduating from
high school, Nora joined them in Manila,
the beautiful capital city of the Phili
pines. To Nora’s surprise, the family ⎯
Catholic family ⎯ was now attending t
Sta. Mesa Bible Baptist Church. On t
first Sunday she attended the Sta. Me
Bible Baptist Church, Nora accepted th
Lord as her personal Savior an
by the following Sunday, July
1972, Nora followed the Lo
into the waters of baptism. It was
American missionary from Springfie
Missouri, Pastor Boyd Lyons, who w
very influential in bringing not only No
but also her mother, her siblings, a
her grandmother to the Lord. BecauPastor Lyons was an American, Nora h
a chance to mingle with Americans; th
offered her a taste of other cultural way
After Christ came into Nora’s
life, Nora became very obedient to
God’s will and allowed Him to direct h
life. She began teaching young childr
in Sunday School, teaching extensio
classes every Saturday in remote area
and developing her musical talent b
joining the choir. Nora made a lifetim
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commitment to choir, first singing as a
soprano but later developing an alto
voice. She began soloing, giving
God all the praise for expanding
her talents through her faithfulness to
serve.
Also attending the Sta. Mesa Bible
Baptist Church was a young gentleman
by the name of Noel Faustinorio. Noel
was looking for a partner
who was faithful to the
Lord and musically tal-
ented. Noel found that
woman in Nora, but it took
a bit of time before Noel convinced Nora
of it; at that point, he began to court her
in a Christian fashion.
By December 18, 1979, Nora married
Noel and with a willing heart joined her
husband’s ministry. Becoming a pastor’s
wif e was challenging
but most rewarding as
Nora dealt with thespiritual, emotional,
and physical needs of those involved in
the Faustinorio’s first pioneering work.
Nora felt it was a great privilege to serve
God in such a way that fulfilled God’s
will. During this time, Nora’s spiritual
life continued to grow immensely as she
studied Theology under an American
missionary, Pastor Lloyd Baker, for four
years at the Pasig Bible Baptist College.
Over the next ten years,
Noel & Nora’s family grew.
They were blessed with fourchildren: Joseph, now 30;
Jeceliah, now 28; Jaazeniah, now 24;
and Jewels, now 21. By 1993, through
the encouragement of Noel’s brother, the
family came to the U.S. as immigrants
and settled in New Jersey. By 1997, the
family moved to Long Island; shortly
thereafter, Pastor Noel moved the family
back to the Philippines (where his heart
was) to begin his pioneering of the Hill-
side Baptist Church.
Because of health issues and Noel’s
need for a kidney transplant, Pastor Noel
began seeking medical attention in the
United States; this initiated a history of
the family traveling back and forth from
the Philippines to the U.S. So much time
was being spent here on Long Island that
Nora and the family began searching for
a church they could identify with. Their
Filipino pastor, L. Bacera, who had
moved to California, recommended
WRBC. Once in attendance, they knew
that WRBC was the right choice because
of Pastor Glass’s fundamental preaching
from the Word of God and the conserva-
tive old Gospel music.
At this time, Nora began working in
Sagaponack for Michael Davis, Founder
and CEO of Michael Davis Design and
Construction, a company that specializes
in fine-quality and luxury homes in theHamptons. Nora worked for Mr. Davis
for four years, at which point she re-
signed to return to the ministry with her
husband in the Philippines. But when
Noel had to return to the United States
for medical reasons, Nora came back
with him and her old job was offered to
her by Mr. Davis; Nora resumed em-
ployment this past July 4th. She will con-
tinue to work there until her daughter,
Jewels, finishes her studies as a medical
assistant, likely by September.
Mr. Davis was glad to have Nora back; she continues to cook for them,
handle their marketing, serve as hostess
at times, and care for the Davis’s 18-
year-old special-needs child, among
many other responsibilities. Her sunny
disposition makes her the perfect em-
ployee to have around as she brings effi-
ciency and dedication to her job descrip-
tion.
June 16, 2011, will always b
a day for Nora to remember as she b
came a full-fledged American. Knowi
that she is destined to return to her b
loved Philippines, the WRBC will mi
her; but with her U.S. citizenship, it
comforting to know that she will be r
turning at times to share her beautif
smile with us.
It is not a surprise that one of Nora
favorite things to do is to sing. Ma
times, she brought her musical skills
the WRBC in the form of worship, sha
ing with everyone her passion to worsh
through music. We can only imagithat Nora would be one that would sin
hum, or whistle a tune throughout t
day, whether riding in a car or workin
her way through a day of duties an
chores.
If you don’t know Nora, you need
be touched by her serving heart. She w
not be with the WRBC very much longe
with plans to return to the Philippin
sometime this fall; the influence she h
had on many, however, will remain. S
is an inspiration to everyone as an e
ample to follow God’s will and to serHim as a loving wife, a supporti
mother, and a dedicated pastor’s wif
Our prayers will certainly go with her
she re-enters the mission field back
the Philippines.
⎯ Joan Tyska
Debt and Slavery
“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave” (Proverbs 22:7).Those who follow current events would
have a hard time avoiding the American
“debt ceiling” fight that has been taking
place in Washington DC. Questions
about default, world markets, people's
finances, and credit ratings have been
discussed ad nauseam. For Christians,
this may be a good opportunity to re-
fresh our minds concerning government
and personal debt from a Biblical per-
spective.
By the time you read this, either the
Federal Government “debt limit” will
have been raised, money ⎯ as if by
magic ⎯ will have become available to
avoid a partial default of the government
on August 2nd, or the credit rating agen-
cies will think it is no big deal if pay-
ments are missed as long as the principal
and interest on the national debt gets
paid and there is no permanent loss to
vendors, employees, and recipients of
Federal programs who are owed mone
The supposed political debate surroun
ing the American government debt an
spending seems to be just another ch
rade to convince the public that it wou
be wise to do something that wo
normally be considered insane to avoid
catastrophe.
Do you remember the “Financ
Crises” and “Too Big To Fail?” We we
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would normally be considered criminal
so the whole system didn't collapse.
When enough people were swayed by
fear mongering that this was a good idea
and our lawmakers were able to funnel
money to them on multiple occasions (I
am assuming with some form of kick-
backs), we were told disaster was
averted. Of course, they were delaying a
worse disaster that will pop up when
reality will no longer be suppressed.
Reports say that the Federal Reserve lent
16 trillion dollars during this same time.
We were also told that unemployment
would not go above eight percent, banks
would increase lending to small busi-
nesses, housing prices would rebound,
and foreclosures would decrease. The
proper solution of letting these institu-
tions fail would have been painful in the
short term, but by now we would be well
on our way to real recovery.
To be fair, the debt ceiling dog and
pony show would probably not have
taken place had it not been for the elec-
tion in 2010 of individuals who cam-
paigned on the promise of putting an
end to reckless spending. The debt limit
increase probably would have passed
months ago like usual if it had not been
for the newly elected “teabaggers”. It
seems those that benefit most from gov-
ernment spending are the most willing to
fund candidates. Most politicians want
the money train to keep rolling along
because this is how they get much of their campaign funds to get elected. As
near as I can tell, they think it would be
best to deceive the public into making
them believe they are fighting the enemy
and doing great things while doing noth-
ing but letting their arrangements con-
tinue as before. If they can get the public
to believe it was the other guy's fault,
they care little about what happens as
long as number one is taken care of.
Let's examine this debt issue on a
more personal level. Suppose my family
earns $200,000 per year and I get a bet-ter job that earns an extra $20,000 per
year. Thus, our annual revenue has in-
creased by 10% to $220,000 per year.
However, my spending increases from
$250,000 per year (125% of revenue) to
$390,000 per year (177% of revenue) by
means of some counterfeit money. I tell
my wife and son that we have budget
problems because of my drug addiction
so they will have to “give” more of their
money to reduce our deficit. They move
out; as a result, I am left with a revenue
of $170,000 per year. My plan to cut my
debt consists of cutting my spending by
$50,000 (from $390,000 to $340,000)
now and $70,000 over the next 10 years.
What lender in their right mind
would allow me to decide for myself how
much I will borrow, to pay him back with
some bogus money, and to “cut” spend-
ing by one third of the amount I in-
creased it so my spending is “only” twice
what I take in? Wouldn't the lender say
“enough is enough!” and seize my assets?
If you have been able to follow the gov-
ernment debt talks, you might be able to
see that our government's finances have
become similar to my hypothetical ex-
ample. I think the Office of Management
and Budget future revenue projections
are quite rosy if things stay on their pre-
sent course.
So what will be the end result to allthis debt? If history repeats itself again,
it is probable that our debt will further
dehumanize our culture into some form
of poverty and slavery. God did not want
the nation of Israel to borrow because he
had plans for them to rule over the other
nations. (Deuteronomy 15:6) It seems
that the days of America being the su-
perpower have passed. God is gracious
and merciful but he does not allow real-
ity to be suppressed forever.
Since our politicians and bankers
have spent so much money over the pastfew years with no useful benefit to the
country, options to put our nation back
on solid footing will have increasingly
worse consequences the longer their im-
plementation is put off. If spending is
cut enough to pay back what they stole,
unemployment will most likely skyrocket
resulting in a probable depression. If
spending remains unchecked, our credit
rating will decline, our cost to borrow
will rise and our money will lose value at
a faster rate. Either way, the American
standard of living will decrease as we become slaves of those who lent to us
what we refuse to pay back. "The wicked
borrows and does not pay back, but the
righteous is gracious and gives" (Psalm
37:21).
Does God forbid borrowing? If it is
wrong in all cases to borrow, wouldn't it
be wrong to lend as well because it would
cause the borrower to sin? Why would
Elisha tell a God-fearing widow to bor-
row containers so they could be used
collect oil to be sold if it was wron
(2nd Kings 4:1-7) If an object that
borrowed is used successfully for ga
does it make a difference if the object
borrowed directly or if money is b
rowed to purchase the object? How w
God judge Christian entrepreneurs wh
paid back money they borrowed to sta
successful businesses and used profits
further the kingdom of God? Will the
life's work be burned as rubbish becau
the initial capital was borrowed? (1
Corinthians 3:12-14) What if a potent
entrepreneur has an idea but does n
use it? Is it possible that an idea may
considered a “talent” by God? (Matthe
25:14-29)
If a man buys a house in an area h
does not know without consulting peop
in the area or finding out why prices a
so high and things go poorly, should
conclude that God does not want peop
to borrow? If he did due diligence an
got a mortgage on a good house requi
ing the same monthly payment as t
going rate for rent, why should he p
rent and have nothing to show for it aft
ten years? Is that good stewardship
what God has given him? How mu
more is a man a slave to a lender than
a landlord?
Is it right to borrow for any reaso
Obviously not! Besides not wasti
money on useless things, we have to
careful in the amount we borrow becau we need wiggle room to be able to ke
from sinning. If circumstances at wo
change where the company requires
to do things we know are wrong and w
need to possibly change jobs, we need
be sure we are free enough to do th
The way our health insurance works a
ready makes this difficult for many.
God gave us a brain so we can wo
ship him and seek the truth in all area
We may be powerless to control gover
ment spending but we ought to inves
gate the consequences of governmeinsanity and keep our own houses in o
der. Maybe it is now time to look at wh
people did to fend off some of the effec
of collapsing economies during oth
points in history. “Behold, I send y
out as sheep in the midst of wolves;
be shrewd as serpents and innocent
doves” (Matthew 10:16, NASB).
⎯ Carl Chapman
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Missionaries of the Month – Michael and Debbie Bannon
“The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
5
Michael and Debbie Bannon of World
Venture are our beloved missionaries to
Lithuania. The Re-
public of Lithuania is
a country in Northern
Europe situated alongthe southeastern
shore of the Baltic Sea
with a population of
more than 3 million
people. The country is primarily Roman
Catholic and in great need of hearing the
truth of the written Word and the shar-
ing of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This they have been able to do
through video seminars, Bible studies,
distribution of Christian books and vid-
eos, the showing of the “Jesus” film in its
new children’s version, setting up a
Lithuanian Bible website, and “friend-
ship” picnics to open up relationship
channels with unbelievers.
All this and more the Bannons
shared with WRBC while on home as-
signment as they visited with family andsupporting churches. Since their visit at
WRBC on September 26, 2010, an up-
date on their son’s family was given to
them as a special Christmas greeting.
Their son, Michael, announced there
would be a new Bannon joining the fam-
ily in August, when baby number 4 is
due. So we have a prayer request to pray
for the health of Stephanie and the baby.
As we pray for Michael and Debbie,
continue to pray for all three of their
children, all of whom are now living in
the United States. Pray for their son,
Michael, and his wife, Stephanie, an
also their three children: Grace, Ob
diah, and Mattia (with a fourth child o
the way). Pray for the Bannons’ so
Nathanael, and his wife, Jessica. An
pray for Krista that she would do well the U.S. and that she would be sensiti
to God’s leading.
It is always a concern that our mi
sionaries are financially set for all the
needs, and the Bannons are no exce
tion. The Bannons have a need for add
tional support of $240 a month. Plea
keep them in prayer as they reach out
the many unsaved people of Lithuania.
⎯ Joan Tyska
A Month in Review
Words become scarce in describing the 57th
annual Choir Festival held on July 10,
2011, at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, so we
will use a hymn sung at the festival, “When
in Our Music God is Glorified,” to help
make a point. The second stanza of this
hymn perfectly states the glorification of
the event: “How often, making music, we
have found a new dimension in the world
of sound as worship moved us to a more
profound – Alleluia!”
A 768-member choir began their re-
hearsals in early June to create two hours
of indescribable
music that was
performed at
Ocean Grove’s
Great Audi-
torium. This
Auditorium was built in 1894 in the “Queen
of Religious Resorts,” Ocean Grove, and is
located just a few blocks from the Atlantic
Ocean. Ocean Grove was founded in 1869
by Methodist clergymen as they formed theOcean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
Ocean Grove itself is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and noted for its
abundance of Victorian architecture.
Ocean Grove remains the longest active
camp meeting site in the United States.
The Auditorium has held on to its vin-
tage look and is able to seat over 6,500
people. When one considers that there is
no air conditioning in the building, it is
amazing that the attendance filled the
auditorium on a hot July evening. Among
those attending this amazing display of
some of the most outstanding Christian
musicians from all over were 19 members
of the WRBC.
The WRBC’s bus brought 16 of them
on the 3-hour journey to Ocean Grove,
where we met up with George and Judy
Ehmann and Reeva Bellard. Thanks toDennis Tyska, the designated bus driver,
for taking on the responsibility of the bus,
which included having to park clear across
town and securing a ride back to the Audi-
torium with George Ehmann. During the
closing selections of the Choir Festival,
Dennis was able to acquire transportation
to pick up the bus in the fire chief’s squad
car. With this, the bus was ready to load up
the crew and head for home, arriving back
at the WRBC just 9 minutes later than the
projected arrival time (1:00 AM).
As for the concert, there were eig
conductors leading the choir ⎯ all with im
pressive backgrounds. Each had his ow
individual style in directing as each o
took to the podium to lead. Most ou
standing was Dr. James C. Tramm, Dire
tor of Music Ministries at the Ocean Gro
Camp Meeting Association, as he took
the podium in his tux with tails, long ha
and professional style. He has been hail
by critics and audiences as one of toda
most dynamic young conductors. Geor
Ehmann would suggest that the organ
was most outstanding, but Peter Albrech
comment would be the “best of the res
Peter in his excitement to be at the Cho
Festival stated, “I have never been with
many Christians all at once.”
Another highlight of the trip was t
few hours of free time prior to the conce
for a fellowshipping picnic on the boar
walk along with a walk on the beach
stroll on the boardwalk. Thanks to t
Ehmanns for bringing this wonderful plato the attention of WRBC. The Ehman
are also the ones who initiated the Tacon
State Park trip in the fall. So, what is ne
George and Judy?
July 25th – July 29th were five da
of high-powered soccer as children from
to 12 years of age “ Kicked It for Go
Glory.” Over 60
youngsters from the
community registered
for the 2011 soccer
camp led by Vic Perez,
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continued from page 5
leader of the Christian Youth Soccer
League. Many late nights were spent in the
planning by Maureen Glass not only in the
overall details of the soccer camp but also
in the preparation for the Bible lessons that
Maureen led dramatically in full costume
in a setting appropriate to the lesson for
the day.
6
The pre-kindergarten children ages 3-
4 participated in soccer for a small fraction
of the VBS time because they were under a
special program, PandaMania, led by Mina
Piraino, who was assisted by young teen-
agers gifted with a special love for the 3-
and 4-year-olds.
Not only did the many children benefit
from the activities on the soccer field andteaching of the Bible stories in the class-
rooms, but the church family ⎯ many of
them stepping out of their comfort zone to
serve ⎯ benefited with a deep satisfaction of
serving and connecting with families of the
community. One special group was the
true soccer Moms, forming a special bond
because of their like-mindedness regarding
their Christian faith as well as shared in-
formation on organic healthy recipes and
hints of child-
raising. This
circle of new
friendships will continue
on Facebook.
No soccer camp would be complete
without the snacks, so a team of ladies
from the church shared the responsibility
of keeping the children energized and hy-
drated during their three daily breaks. A
shaded tent set up on the west side of the
church was the food headquarters where
the children headed on their breaks for a
drink of water or juice, a selection of fresh
fruit, as well as a few cookies. The final
snack break on Friday was a bit moreelaborate in the fellowship hall as the chil-
dren had the special treat of sundaes made
with homemade ice-cream supplied by the
“Sweets of the Spoon.”
Final ceremonies on
Friday began in the church
proper as the children as
well as their parents were
able to view slides of the
soccer week in review.
WRBC’s photographer,
Martie Best, had followed
the children around throughout the week
with her camera and obtained some of the
most amazing actions shots to record
2011’s soccer camp. Copies of the slides
are available through Martie Best.
ca
Peter Albrecht continued the closing
ceremonies with a devotional, Vic Perez
distributed awards, and then the group
returned downstairs to the Fellowship Hall
for the closing snack time before saying
good-bye. God was good in answeringprayers for a successful soccer camp. There
were moments of dodging the rain, but
nothing that dampened the spirits of those
involved. Weather-wise, a highlight of the
week was when
God reminded
everyone of His
faithfulness to
answered
prayers with a
beautiful rainbow after a brief thunder-
shower on the second night.
Not to forget the many who supported
the efforts for a successful soccer camp and
Vacation Bible School. There were so
many who quietly donated snacks, money,
and their prayers. We humbly thank you
for your part in making this happen no
matter how small a role you think you
played.
On July 31, 2011, Maureen Glass had
one of those milestone birthdays on which
we learn to forget the number and remem-
ber the person for the way she loves the
Lord. Most special was Maureen having
her son, Geoff, and his family in church
with her on the Lord’s Day. As a special birthday gift from her grandchildren (2-
year-old Abby and 4-year-old Michael), the
two of them sang two
children’s hymns
during the 11:00 ser-
vice in the sweetest,
most precious way.
After the service, everyone gathered
downstairs in the Fellowship Hall for an
indoor picnic/birthday party arranged by
the deaconesses, under the leadership of
Sarah Chapman. The buffet table had so
many homemade dishes accompanying the
heroes that it was
impossible to taste
everything. Vic
Bellard and Dennis
Tyska, first in line
at the table, were
doing their best to sample all the recipes.
Maureen was completely surrounded
with the love of her church as they cele-
brated her birthday with a birthday cake,
ndles, flowers, a gift basket, and a love
gift given to her on behalf of all those that
wanted to show their love for her. To re-
member th
special occasion
family portr
with her husban
son, daughter-i
law, a
grandchildren was taken.
Next on the agenda upstairs in t
church proper was a showing of Mart
Best’s slide show of the 2011 soccer cam
It was a chance for those not involved withe soccer camp directly to see what we
on during the week of VBS. For those th
were involved it was a time of relaxing a
enjoying the fruits of the mission.
One thing that WRBC has learned
do in a mighty fine way is to fellowsh
There is never an event at the WRBC thatlacking a time when the fellowship exten
on and on and on. For this event, t
young people continued out onto the bas
ball field for volleyball and various shar
games. Peter Albrecht always seems
find someone to minister to, as the m
gather with all sorts of stories ⎯ whether
is fishing tales, memories from childhoo
or even at times a Biblical exchange. T
women, too, are exchanging ideas; not on
for the home, but also for the churc
What a blessing it is to be a part of such
wonderful, loving family of Christ. We would like to inform you that the
will not be a newsletter printed for t
month of September due to the scheduli
of a vacation bringing extra responsibiliti
to Peter Albrecht, editor of The Beacon.
will return for the October issue. And
on the lookout for a new sign going up
the north entrance driveway. It will e
courage drivers to only exit on the sou
driveway. Members of the WRBC a
aware of the danger of leaving the chur
by the north entrance; but because o
close encounter that could have been
serious accident during VBS, the need forsign for those leaving the church unawa
of the danger of pulling out onto the ro
via the north driveway has escalated.
This month in review is conclud
with a special picture
one of our ladies of t
church, Ruth Kerr, looki
too beautiful not
acknowledge her with
spot in The Beacon.
⎯ Joan Tysk
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A A uugguusstt 22001111
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 38:00 AM Ladies Prayer
– Joan Tyska (727-5998)
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting
and Exposition of Psalms
4 5 6 Youth Rally
Revival Meetin
Calvary Baptist
Port Jeff. Statio
2:00 – 6:00 P
7 9:45 AM Sunday
School (OT History II;
Dr. Vic Bellard)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
8 9 7:00 PM
Board of
Deacons
Meeting
10 8:00 AM
Ladies Prayer
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting
and Exposition of Psalms
11 12 13
14 9:45 AM Sunday
School (Dr. Vic Bellard)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
15 16 17 8:00 AM
Ladies Prayer
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting
and Exposition of Psalms
18 19 20
21 9:45 AM Sunday
School (Dr. Vic Bellard)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
22 23 24 8:00 AM
Ladies Prayer
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting
and Exposition of Psalms
25 26 27
28 9:45 AM Sunday
School (Dr. Vic Bellard)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service
29 30 31 8:00 AM
Ladies Prayer
7:00 PM Prayer Meeting
A A uugguusstt Bible Quiz Questions
1) Who said, “I stand at the door and knock”?
2) What do the seven lampstands mentioned in the Bible
represent?
3) At which two locations were cursings and blessings,
respectively, pronounced upon the Israelites after crossing
the Jordan into the Promised Land?
4) Who was Magog’s father?
5) Who will come to attack Israel after Christ’s 1000-year
reign?
Bonus: In 1 Corinthians 16:22, what is the Greek word for
“accursed” and what is the Aramaic word for “O Lord come”?
― Felix Acerra
JJuull y y Bible Quiz Answers
1) Four hundred shekels of silver (Genesis 23:15-16).
2) After wrestling with a Man (God) and prevailing
(Genesis 32:28).
3) Hilkiah (2 Kings 22:8; 23:24; 2 Chronicles 34:14).
4) Five books [(1) Psalms 1-41; (2) 42-72; (3) 73-89;
(4) 90-106; (5) 107-150].
5) Psalm 86.
Bonus: (1) Mahlah, (2) Noah, (3) Hoglah, (4) Milcah,
(5) Tirzah (Numbers 27:1-8; Joshua 17:3-6).
Submit the answers and Bible references to: [email protected]
Congratulations to Dr. Virginia Sylvester, sister of Joan
Tyska, for achieving a perfect score on the July Bible Quiz!
TThhee BBiirrtthhddaa y y CCoorrnneerr August 6th – Ray Fitzgerald
August 6th – Doris Healy
August 9th – Bill Jones
August 13th – Marlene Drummon
August 18th – Felix Acerra
August 18th – Marcelle Ritzmann
August 19th – Steve Valentine August 21st – Florence Acerra
August 24th – Chris Glass
August 26th – Sarah Chapman
September 2nd – Diane Pandolfin
September 8th – Lisa Coleman
September 21st – Debbie Bristoll
September 23rd – Harold Cosgrov
TThhee A A nnnnii v v eerrssaarr y y CCoorrnneerr August 6th – Steve & Vicki Valentine
August 15th – Bob & Sue Hart
August 19th – Wally & Lisa Coleman
August 24th – Kevin & Aneta Kenter
September 12th – Felix & Florence Acerra
September 18th – Bob & Debbie Bristoll
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PO Box 438Wading River, NY 11792
Our Purpose
1. To glorify God through sharing
the good news of salvation by God’s
sovereign grace through faith in His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. To nurture believers through a
strong program of Christian educa-
tion, youth ministries, and expository
Biblical preaching.
3. To provide an opportunity for
Biblical worship, service, and fellow-
ship.
4. To extend our ministry through-
out America and around the world
through participation in home and
foreign missions.
WRBC is affiliated with the Conserva-
tive Baptist Association of America
and the Conservative Baptist Mission
to the Northeast.
Wading River Baptist Church
• For the Exaltation of God in All Things
• For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ
• For the Transformation of God’s Peopl e
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