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MT. OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH www.theolivechurch.org

1533 HWY 52W, Crossett, AR 71635 PH 870.364.4057 FAX 870.304.2979

OCTOBER 2011 Volume 21, Number 10 mobc@theolivechurch.org

ehodge@theolivechurch.org ssasser@theolivechurch.org dtohlen@theolivechurch.org rhodge@theolivechurch.org

Eric page From the PastorFrom the PastorFrom the Pastor "I will set out and go back to my father..." (Luke 15:18)

I often call myself a "positive realist." I admit that I sometimes wonder if both of those things can happen at the same time. Being realistic and being positive? At the same time? Well, in Christ Jesus I think that they can. Jesus dealt head on with the truth and reality right in front of Him. He also truly loved the folks right in front of Him regardless of who they were. I would say that's being realistic and positive at the same time. You will remember the story of the "Prodigal Son." The story tells us that nothing changed for the Prodigal Son until he said, "I will set out and go back to my father, and I will say to him...I have sinned." This young

man's story ends well. Yours can also - but you must...

1. Decide to take control of your life before circumstances or other people do. Every solution in my life and your life begins with you & me. Well, actually it begins with God and me. A new friend, a new job, or a new house or an unexpected influx of money won't cure what's wrong in your life if the cause lies in your own attitudes and actions. Give God control right now...and don't hesitate. We often have 101 excuses & reasons for the way things are right now in our lives. But what are you willing to do to change them? In the scripture, no one came looking to haul the kid home. Not even his father. The son had to do the leg work. He had to do the hard part...which was to CHANGE!

2. Face reality as it is, not as you think it should be. Do I sometimes wish things were just a little bit different? Sure I do! But that's not living in reality. The prodigal had to realize that the rules he rebelled against at home were essential to his peace and happiness, that all the fun he thought was waiting for him out there wasn't...and that he had to acknowledge his mistakes and correct them before he could get his life back on track. Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way...and return to the Lord." God wants to intervene in our lives, but we've still got to do our part. It's often called the "H.O.W." principle – Honesty, Openness, Willingness.

3. Act now...while you still can. The law of evolution says things evolve and improve on their own. Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. But what we know is this...certain things left unattended and uncorrected get worse, not better. That's absolutely true whether it's your health, your marriage, your finances, your children, and even your walk with God.

4. The journey is long...but it will end. Especially as we make the right decisions and choices. Always choose God's Will and Way. You can't go wrong that way. God is always right...and He is never wrong. Think about all the struggles in so many lives of so many people simply because they refuse to heed the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's work in and around their lives.

5. Even when you live right...there will be those that don't agree with you. Some of the unhappiest people on the planet are those that are trying to govern their lives around what other people think; always trying to make other people happy. That didn't' work in the past and it won't work today. Govern your life around what God thinks and says in His Word. If I'm making God happy...then that's really all that matters. The prodigal's older brother didn't like his brother's life and actions. But the young man was making things right. That's what matters. Remember that God always knows our heart and sees our motivations.

Let's always face the reality in front of us and take action while we can. God bless each of you. I'll see you in the halls at church. God bless. In HIM,

The

Lord’s Supper

Sunday Morning, October 2

David page

Hey youth! How’s your focus with your daily BIBLE STUDY? There are ECCENTIAL CONNECTIONS to help keep morning time with God a reality! It goes with our Bible study every Sunday. Pick your magazine up this week and let this devotional keep YOU on the cutting edge with your time with GOD! Soul Surfer will be taught this month during Discipleship Training. We have Regina Hodge and Brandon Jones leading our group through this 4 week study. Join us October 9th

in the youth room.

The 30 HOUR FAMINE challenge will be this month. We get an opportunity to see what it is like to be hungry as we go without food for 30 hours. We will use this event to get sponsors from the church and community to give donations toward helping to stop world hunger in Africa. We will do this October 22-23rd.

To our YOUNG@HEART group, the month is filled with wonderful FALL

opportunities of ministry toward our senior adults. Join us October 3rd for

HOMEBOUND visitation at 9am. We

also need everyone to join us at LOS TAPATIOS Mexican restaurant for our

monthly meeting, October 10th @

11:30am. Our Young @ Heart Choir practice is 2pm, Tuesday, October 25th . The FALL FOLIAGE TRIP is in the last

of October, but we still do not know when the leaves will change, so it is “TBA”

later this month! Let’s talk to people about what the LORD has been doing with us! Give a witness for CHRIST!!

In Christian love,

on the Hamburg Square

Sunday, Oct. 2, 5 PM

sponsored by the Ashley County Baptist Association

Gospel Singing from our ACBA churches Inflatable Games

for the children Bring Lawn Chairs enjoy the fellowship

FREE

Hotdogs

Hamburgers

Chips

Popcorn

Snocones

Soft Drinks

MOBC Evening Services &

Activities Dismissed. Join us for

worship at the Festival.

Regina/Scott page

For His Kids-

Wednesday Nights: New Study- October 5, 12, 19, 26 and November 2, 6:00-7:00 PM. Beloved Disciple is a study of what the Apostle John learned about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit during his lifetime based on the study by Beth Moore.

Sunday Nights in Discipleship Training: Grades 1-6. Bible Skills, Drills, & Thrills! Led by Gina Dodd. Hopefully we will have children participate in the local & state level of Arkansas State Convention Bible Drills in the Spring of 2012.

October 21-22 (Friday-Saturday): J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) Camping at Chemin-A-Haut. Meet at MOBC at 5:15 PM, Friday, Oct. 21. This is for 1st-6th grade kids and also preschool with parents. Cost is $10.

Sunday, October 23: B.U.G.S.- Boys Under God’s Supervision 4-Wheel Ride. 12:00-5:00 PM at the home of Dan & Jennifer Wooten. For boys 1st-6th grade.

Saturday, October 29: Face 2 Face In Your Face Fall Festival! 6:30-8:30 PM, free admission! Highly entertaining, with fun games!

Monday, October 31: The Great Pumpkin Chase! 6:00-7:30 PM, trunk-or-treat, hayride, S'mores, wiener roast, free admission!

Coming Up in November: Time for new STARS & Mentors. Mentors be praying for which MOBC Star you would like to adopt for a year and STARS watch your mailbox or register your STAR card information online. STAR cards need to be completed and returned by November 6. Adoption takes place in November.

Ministry Spotlight: Thanks to all our volunteers who serve in Kid’s Worship on Sunday mornings. This ministry allows parents to participate in Sunday morning Worship and have the peace that their child is safe, loved, and taught the love of God

during this time.

to our OCTOBER Stars! Easton Cooper - 10/8 Andrew Grissom - 10/9 Britney White - 10/13 Matthew Goodwin - 10/31

Our Stewardship Committee will have the 2012 Ministry Budget

Recommendation available for

review on Sunday, October 9. The recommendations will be located in the office and the foyers of the Sanctuary.

Business Meeting

Sunday, October 16, 6 PM

The Regular Business Meeting for October is rescheduled to this date. Presentation

and discussion of our 2012 Ministry

Budget will take place at this meeting.

Special Business

Meeting

Sunday, October 23 following AM Worship

The purpose of this Special Business Meeting is to vote on, with no

discussion, the adoption of our

2012 Ministry Budget.

Calendar page

Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has collected more than 86 million gift filled shoe boxes to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to hurting children around the world. Over the past 18 years, there has been enormous growth in this ministry- a dozen sending countries and territories, more that 130 receiving countries, over 500,000 volunteers,

and a discipleship program that is now offered in 60 countries.

Mt. Olive has had the privilege of being a part of this ministry for many years. Because of your generosity, we have enough items to fill 100 shoe boxes. Come join us on Friday, November 4, 9 AM in the fellowship hall to pack the boxes and pray for those children who will receive them. October 30-November 13, we will be purchasing mission trip tickets, $7 per box, so that our shoe boxes can be shipped to over 130 different countries. You will have the opportunity to be a part of a mission trip without ever leaving Crossett. Our goal is to raise $700 by November 13, which is Shoe Box Dedication Sunday. See Betty Willis, Ruth White, or Vicki in the church office to purchase one or more mission trip tickets.

We have been challenged by our regional OCC coordinator to increase our boxes by 8% this year. Later in October, we will place 10 OCC shoe boxes in the front lobby with an enclosed brochure containing all the details for packing and shipping the

boxes. We would like to encourage individuals or classes to pick up a box, fill it, enclose the $7, and return it to the sanctuary by November 13. The filled boxes will be taken to the local

drop off after Sunday, November 13.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

Lord’s Supper AM

5 PM Fall Festival Hamburg Square

(ACBA)

3

9 AM Young at Heart

Homebound Ministry

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

4

6:30-8:30 PM

Financial Peace Univ.

5 Regular Services

6

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

7

8

9 Regular Services

World Hunger Day

4 PM Deacons

2012 Budget Available

Melissa Jones’ Birthday

10

11:30 PM Young at Heart Los Tapatios

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

11

6:30-8:30 PM Financial

Peace Univ.

12 Regular Services

13

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

14

15

16 Regular Services

PM Business

Meeting 2012 Budget

Presentation & Discussion

17

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

18

4:15 Pm Ashley Assoc. Annual

Meeting @ Meridian 6:00 Meal

6:45 PM 2nd Session

6:30-8:30 PM Financial

Peace Univ.

19 Regular Services

20

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

21

5:15 PM JAM

(Jesus & Me) Camping at Chemin-a-

Haut For Kids

22

23 Regular Services

Special Business

Meeting AM-2012 Budget

Vote 12-5 PM Boys 1st-

6th Grade 4 Wheeler Ride

24 4 PM MOBC Service at Stonegate Villa

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

25 2 PM

Young @ Heart Choir

Practice & Desserts

6:30-8:30 PM Financial Peace

Univ.

26 Regular Services

27

6:30 PM Exercise

Class

28 29

6:30 PM -

8:30 PM

“In Your

Face” Fall

Festival

30

5 PM - 5th

Sunday

Singing &

Potluck

31

6:00 PM -7:30 PM

“Great Pumpkin Chase”

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Hebrews 13:17

Back page

Thank you notes have been received from the following and are on the bulletin board:

Alton Johnson Family John Frank & Margaret Johnston

Amanda Martin Merle Pierce

THANK YOU

CHURCH STAFF ERIC S. HODGE, Pastor

DAVID TOHLEN, Assoc Pastor, Students

SCOTT SASSER, Min. Music / Worship

REGINA HODGE, Min. Children / Preschool

LEAH HENDRIX, Church Secretary

VICKI SHIRLEY, Financial /Asst. Secretary

MELISSA JONES, Building Supervisor

General Officers

Preschoolers

Children

Youth

Adults

New Members

Visitors

TOTAL

WORSHIP TOTAL

DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING

3

17

13

14

81

17

145

186

n/a

4

19

19

22

86

10

160

213

59

4

18

16

22

83

5

148

190

57

3

16

15

18

86

1

2

141

174

57

4 SUNDAY SCHOOL

11 18 25 ENR

3

28

45

51

293

420

VITAL SIGNS/ SEPT

STEWARDSHIP 13,739.97

7,161.77

5,961.95

7,800.04

Receipts on 9/4

Receipts on 9/11

Receipts on 9/18

Receipts on 9/25

Sunday, October 2

NURSERY Toddlers Babies Jacci Brockwell Jessie Farmer Becky Maxwell Margie Gardner

PM Services Dismissed

KID’S WORSHIP

Melissa Bell, Melissa McCone

Sunday, October 9

NURSERY Toddlers Babies Joann Lockwood Jackie Morgan Darryl Lockwood Helen Johns

PM Anita Wilcox, Don Wilcox

KID’S WORSHIP

Melissa McCone, Tammy Parrott

Sunday, October 16

NURSERY Toddlers Babies Melinda Ferguson Anita Wilcox Rhonda Parker Don Wilcox

PM Anita Wilcox, Marjorie Harville

KID’S WORSHIP Tammy Parrott, Carolyn Jeffers

Sunday, October 23

NURSERY Toddlers Babies Anita Wilcox Tina Maxwell Staci Stich Tonya Cooper

PM Anita Wilcox, Joan Chain

KID’S WORSHIP Carolyn Jeffers, Heather Rial

Sunday, October 30

NURSERY Toddlers Babies Trudy Barnett Donna Woods Casey Wilson Bonnie Mathews

PM Services Anita Wilcox, Tina Boykin

KID’S WORSHIP Heather Rial, Tonya Cooper

VOLUNTEERS

SYMPATHY The staff and church family of Mt. Olive Baptist Church expresses sincere and heart felt sympathy to the following:

Alton Johnson Family Dale Johnston Family - John Frank Johnston’s brother Paul Peterson Family - Gayle Tohlen’s uncle Diane Vail Family - Allene Moore’s cousin Harold White Family - Donna Sasser’s sister’s father-in-law

NEW MEMBERS By Baptism

Jessica Murphy