BlessingsA p u b l i c a t i o n o f B y r o m v i l l e B a p t i s t C h u r c h

In This IssueW ho’s Missing?. . . . . . . p. 2

Christmas events. . . . . . p. 3

Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4

Monthly info. . . . . . . . . . p. 5

Lottie at work. . . . . . . . . p. 5

Christmas in the Park. . . p. 6

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9

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Who's Missing? Whose Mission?"All the nations You have made will come and bow downbefore You, Lord, and will honor Your name." Psalm 86:9,HCSB

God is planning the biggest celebration of all time, invitingpeople of every color, language and culture to gatheraround his throne. But some people still haven't gottentheir invitations.

Who's missing?• Those who live in places that are hard to reach. They livea four-day hike up a mountain trail or a three-day paddledown a jungle river with countless tributaries.

• Those who live where it's hard to live. Homes have noheat in winter, pollution darkens the sky every day andtraffic is so snarled that getting to an appointment acrosstown may take hours. Outsiders have to have a pretty goodreason to go there.

• Those who live where there is little freedom. Thegovernment clamps down on any information outsideofficial channels. Only a select few are allowed to speakon religious matters. The nail that sticks out getshammered down.

• Those who live where government, community orreligious leaders are hostile to outsiders. Even caringleaders may fear someone who might change patterns oflife they feel have worked for generations.

• Those who live where there are no resources sharingGod's invitation. There are no churches, not even housechurches, for hundreds of miles. Their language has neverbeen written down or the Bible's stories translated intotheir language.

Whose mission?What does this have to do with you? Your invitation camewith more than a R.S.V.P. It gave you a mission: to helpdeliver invitations to those still missing - the family livingat the end of the mountain trail as well as the guy livingbetween you and the church.

• You can pray that the invitation will reach "Jin" eventhough his government forbids any distribution of Biblesor Christian materials in his country.

• You can pray that churches in Latin America will sendbelievers to deliver invitations among "Amal's" people,where leaders are hostile to North Americans.

• You can give so someone can paddle down miles ofjungle rivers to deliver the invitations to "Juan" and hisvillage.

• Your church can make a long-term commitment to thecrowded, smog-wreathed city where "Meng" lives and findways to deliver the invitations there.

• Your church can nurture and prepare new missionaries totake the Gospel to "Amalita" and her family, who have noaccess to God's Word, spoken or written.

• You can carry the invitation yourself to "Amalita" andher family.

How will you respond to your mission? Will you pray forthe invitation to slip through where freedom is scarce?Will you give to send those willing to deliver the invitationin hard places? Will you consider packing your bags andhiking to the end of the trail?

You can go to the celebration alone. But wouldn't yourather honor God and fulfill the mission He's given you bybringing along as many new friends as possible?

$2,000

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Christmas 2009

Senior Adult Christmas

Luncheon, Dec. 5, 12 NoonThis annual event is hosted by the GEMS and is for senioradults in our church and community.

Toyland Concert,

Dec. 6, 6:00 p.m. Admission price is a new toy. All toys collected withdistributed to families in our community and DoolyCounty. After the concert, enjoy fellowship in SalibaHall. Members are asked to bring finger foods.

Churchwide Christmas

Breakfast, Dec. 19, 8:00 a.m.This delicious breakfast is hosted by the Brotherhood andeveryone in our church is invited.

Candlelight Communion

Service, Dec. 20, 6:00 p.m.This favorite annual service will include silent communionthis year.

Small Group

Christmas PartiesSee the calendar for Sunday School classes and othersmall group parties.

Christmas gifts for

Pinehill residentsAs is our custom, we will be collecting Christmas gifts forour Pinehill neighbors across the street. There is a list ofsuggested gifts on the bulletin board across from thenursery and on our website. Please be sure to write on theoutside of your gift exactly what is inside including sizeand color. If you would prefer to give a gift to a particularperson, see Mary Greer. She has a list of names you maychoose from. Deadline to bring these gifts is Dec. 22.

DecemberSermonSeries

Christmas Songs from Luke

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Schedule of Volunteers for DecemberPlease remember it is up to you to arrange coverage if you are unable to serve on your scheduled day.

Date Flowers Nursery forSunday School

Nursery forMorning Worship

Deacon of theWeek

Ushers

Dec. 6 FlowerCommittee

Suzy Grantham

Sue ThompsonSharon Thompson

Arthur Roney Frank ThompsonMatthew Youngblood

Dec. 13 FlowerCommittee

Laura Lamberth Katrina WestMary K. Blankenship

Mark Smith Jimmy L. HendrixGeorge Massey

Dec. 20 FlowerCommittee

Mary KathrynBlankenship

Paula/Mark Smith Frank Thompson Monta AverillWilliam Preston

Dec. 27 FlowerCommittee

Jill Brannen Jill BrannenSarah Averill Brannen

Jimmy Lockerman Mark Smith Quint Smith

December Sunday School Stats

Senior Adults 12FBIC 12CIA 5VOC 11Young Adults 9Older Youth 56 , 7 & 8 Graders 0th th th

3 , 4 , & 5 Graders 6rd th th

1 & 2 Graders 6st nd

Older Preschoolers 4Younger Preschoolers 6Nursery 3General Officers 3

TOTAL 82

Muscle-Bound Bible Study

Will Everett* is serious about his workouts at the gym —serious enough that Mongolian weight lifters and bodybuilders come to him for advice. Now some of them areshowing Christian films to remote Mongolian villagerswith the help of $200 iPods® purchased with Lottie MoonChristmas Offering funds.

Many of the questions these big guys posed to Will usedto be about training and vitamin supplements. Now they’re

Financial $ummary

October receiptsGeneral offerings $9,037.57Mail Box Club 129.31Memorials 50.00State Missions 100.00World Hunger 152.71Special–Social/Recreation 225.00Special–Girls in Action 25.00TOTAL 9,719.59

October disbursementsGeneral expenses 5,589.87Mailbox Club 150.00State Missions 150.00Church plant support 100.00Local missions/evangelism 200.00Cooperative Program 1,421.59Houston Baptist Association 546.77TOTAL $8,458.23

about evangelism and church planting. On Sundays, Willteaches these men about God’s power and His gracethrough English-language Bible studies.

Will’s star pupil is Sukh.* When heavy drinking andpicking fights weren’t fun to him anymore, Sukh sank low.To feel better, Sukh started showing up at the gym. He metWill, and it wasn’t long before Sukh accepted Christ. “[Sukh] is the best evangelist,” Will said. “He witnesseseverywhere he goes. You see yourself multiplied so muchmore through someone like him.”

Through God’s strength and Southern Baptist support,Will hopes to teach more gentle giants.

*Names changed.

Byromville Baptist Church713 Patterson Street ` POB 126Byromville, GA 31007www.byromvillebaptistchurch.com478-433-2505Pastor: Andy Blankenship

NONPROFITORGANIZATIONPOSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. 2BYROMVILLE

Blessings is published monthly by Byromville Baptist Church. Send news items and/or comments to Editor Brenda

Lockerman at POB 217, Byromville, GA 31007, email to brendalockerman@windstream.net or call 478-433-2791.

Page 6

Christmas In The ParkDecember 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Groves Park

Entertainment

Concessions

Cake Auction

Come and kick off the ChristmasSeason with your

friends and neighbors.

Kids, get your

picture made

with Santa.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED