March 2020 Volume 2, Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Message from the Pastor ........2

Pathways ..................................2

Quiet Servants .........................3

Fruit of the Spirit ....................4

Bible Quiz .................................5

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

• What Faith Means To Me

Sharing Christian Testimonies, Insights, and Information

2020 VISION: A CLEARER PATH OF FAITH

By Rev. Andre Caulton

Now more than ever the believers in Christ need to be a part of the vision of God.

We must never forget that it is not our vision, but God’s vision and if our approach is

that our will be lost in God’s will, it is then, that we can see the plan that God has for

our lives.

Understanding God’s vision has much less to do with what we see, rather it’s more

about what God reveals to us.

Because we are a faith based community of believers, the true followers of Christ have

been called to walk by faith and not by sight.

Although every believer’s purpose in Christ will differ, the relevant vision must be

guided by our faith and trust in God who will supply all of our needs according to His

riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

As Disciples of Christ we can tap into The Vision of God by spending time with God in

prayer, spending time with God in word and elevating our position in worship.

(Continued on page 4)

WHAT FAITH MEANS TO ME

Inspiration from our young adults

My faith is one of the truest forms of comfort for me. When I have an issue in my life I

simply pray and put my faith in God and then it is out of my hands. I know that He

will make it, whatever “it” is, alright. But my faith is both passive and active. By that I

(Continued on page 4)

“Faith is taking God at His Word no matter how bleak the circumstances appear to be.”

A new GPBC ministry, True Vine, was birthed in 2019. The purpose of True Vine

Ministry (TVM) is to serve as a resource for GPBC and the surrounding community

in order to instill hope and educate by providing pathways to spiritual, physical and

emotional well-being. In accordance with that purpose, TVM's aim is to provide

resources and help you connect with professionals who will listen, answer questions

and help you create an action plan for your specific concern. Although the members

of TVM will not serve as your counselor or therapist, we hope to serve as a bridge to

help you get the assistance and resources you need.

Last year TVM conducted a survey to find out the issues important to our Greater

Providence Church Family. Since grief was identified as a top area of interest in the

survey, TVM's first program was an informational session on "Understanding Grief."

As we move forward, in support of your expressed interests, the ministry will be

addressing the subject of addictions and substance use, which was also identified in

the survey as a topic of high interest. In the upcoming weeks, TVM will provide

educational and referral resources to help those affected by addictions and

substance use deal with the issues with which they face.

MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR

PATHWAYS: SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Praise God from whom all blessings

flow!

We must march on till victory is won

and live out our faith in 2020. There

may be more shaking of the founda-

tion of our personal lives and govern-

ment, but I have faith that “all things

work together for good” – Romans

8:28. Faith is the assurance that

something we hope for is going to

happen. It is standing on God’s

Word above all human doubt, criti-

cism or speculation. Faith is taking

God at His Word no matter how bleak

the circumstances appear to be. We

are challenged to live out our faith in

a way that reflects the presence of

Jesus along with a genuine love for

God and a compassionate caring for

others; to live a life enriched and em-

powered by His Holy Spirit in the full

recognition that we cannot do it on

our own.

Living out our faith concedes total

dependence upon God and trust in

His unrestricted abilities. Faith says

‘nothing is impossible with God” –

Luke 1:37. Faith says “I can do all

things through Christ who strength-

ens me” – Philippians 3:13. Faith

upholds us and faith strengthens us

and helps us defeat the enemy. Faith

is hearing God’s Word and then trust-

ing and obeying it. We will not see

the unseen possibilities come to frui-

tion without living our faith.

I see something formulating for many

of our church members. I see change

and relief, so I will keep believing

until it’s done. Greater Providence,

keep living out your faith in 2020.

Keep your hands in God’s hands and

keep your eyes fixed on Him!

Sincerely,

Pastor Fred Gibson

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT HOPE AND FAITH

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is

the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NKJV) But

let us who are of the day be sober,

putting on the breastplate of faith

and love, and as a helmet the

hope of salvation.

Mark 11:24 (NIV) Therefore I tell

you, whatever you ask for in

prayer, believe that you have

received it, and it will be yours.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then

faith comes by hearing, and hear-

ing by the word of God.

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) So Jesus

said to them, "Because of your

unbelief; for assuredly, I say to

you, if you have faith as a mus-

tard seed, you will say to this

mountain, 'Move from here to

there,' and it will move; and noth-

ing will be impossible for you.

2

QUIET SERVANTS

Interview of Brother William (Bill) Caraway

What ministries do you serve in?

Transportation, Room in The Inn, Samson and the Brotherhood Choir.

Which of those gives you the most satisfaction?

Serving in the Transportation Ministry for 11 years was by far the most gratify-

ing because of the fellowship and personal relationships I developed with pa-

rishioners. I felt I was making a positive contribution to each passenger’s

Greater Providence (GP) experience. I was possibly the first and last GP repre-

sentative that each passenger saw on Sundays. If my greeting, demeanor and

presence were not pleasant, I believed it would leave a bad impression and pos-

sibly spoil their Sunday church experience. I really enjoyed listening to and

discussing their concerns and the church sermons on the return trip home after

church. Deacon Hughes and I share a common love for people. I, like him, truly

enjoy driving and interacting with our parishioners. Pastor Gibson would con-

stantly remind us that we were handling “precious cargo.” I tried to always

remember that.

The transportation ministry supports other church functions as well, including

Room in the Inn, off-site youth activities, travel to and from conferences and

other churches, holiday activities, other church ministry activities, and funerals.

The next most satisfying ministry is Room in the Inn (RITI). I was a part of

that ministry as a driver for 14 years until recently when my health no longer

allowed me to continue serving in that capacity. Transportation and RITI work

together. Our guests are picked up each Friday night from Urban Crises and

returned on Saturday morning after a good night’s sleep and a hearty hot

breakfast. I enjoy fellowshipping with the guests. They are always grateful for a

warm place to sleep, a good “home cooked” meal and being treated with re-

spect. It’s good to offer a friendly ear to listen to their stories, provide Christian

fellowship, and let them

know that we are all God’s

creations and that He loves

all of us.

What are the greatest

challenges/rewards you

face?

My greatest challenge is

accepting the fact that I

must adjust my pace as I

age. I am still trying to ap-

proach life as though I am

fifty (50) instead of my true

age. But through it all God

has really blessed me. In the

words of a distant cousin

“I’m still kicking, just not as

high.”

My greatest rewards are

God’s grace and the gift of

life. The support I received

from my love ones, my

church family and friends

during my recent illness was

truly rewarding and greatly

appreciated.

Brother William (Bill) Caraway

3

www.livelifehappy.com

By Deacon Dexter Royal

Galatians 5:22-23 says that the Holy

Spirit works in us to be more like

Christ (Ephesians 4:14-16), and part

of the fruit, or results, of that work is

gentleness. Gentleness also translated

“meekness,” does not mean weak-

ness. Rather, it involves humility and

thankfulness toward God, and polite,

restrained behavior toward others.

The opposites of gentleness are an-

ger, a desire for revenge, and self-

promotion.

God wants us to give Him control of

our lives. Gentleness places our

strength under God’s guidance; it is a

powerful tool for God’s kingdom.

Every person is powerful. We can

speak words that influence others, act

in ways that help or hurt, and choose

what in-

fluences

will form

our words

and ac-

tions.

Gentle-

ness con-

strains

and chan-

nels that

power. To

be gentle

is to rec-

ognize

that God’s

ways and thoughts are high above our

own (Isaiah 55:9). It is to humbly

realize that our worldviews are

shaped by exposure to sin and the

misinterpretation of experience and

accept God’s worldview. (Continued on page 5)

In both Matthew and Luke’s

gospel, Jesus tells His disci-

ples: But when YOU pray, go

into your space, shut the

door and pray to your Father

who is in the secret place

and your Heavenly Father

who sees in secret will re-

ward you openly.

We have been given His

word as a vision of how we

can live out the true purpose

that God has for our lives

and ultimately make our way

home to heaven.

Spending intimate time

reading your bible is like

spending time with Jesus

and to know the vision of

God is truly spending time

with The Lord, He is the

lamp unto our feet and the

light unto our path.

Finally, nothing should ever

stand in the way of our

praise and worship. For God

Himself inhabits the praises

of His people; when God

shows up in our lives, He

will reveal to us all that we

will ever need to know and

see.

Our real 2020 vision is to

keep our eyes on Jesus for

He is truly the author and

2020 VISION: A

CLEARER PATH OF FAITH

(Continued from page 1)

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – GENTLENESS

mean once I put my faith in God, yes it will be taken care of, but also I do what I

can to improve upon my situation further. I do not just sit and wait for all my

problems to go away, but instead try to improve my situations along with hav-

ing God’s grace. Like it says in James 2:26 KJV, “For as the body without the

spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”. My faith is also a confidence

item. When putting my faith in God, it is no longer a matter of whether or not I

will succeed or fail, but instead when that success will come. My faith is simply

believing in His power and knowing in my heart that at the end of the day eve-

rything will be fine. - Chase Dula

Hebrews 11:1 KJV says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the

evidence of things not seen.” To me this means you must believe without see-

ing. Believe in the power of God. Faith to me is also believing in His power, His

healing, and His reassurance even when things seem like they’re going wrong.

As a follower of Christ you must have strong and unmovable faith. As believers,

we have the faith to trust and believe in someone we’ve never seen but His un-

conditional love, grace and mercy is something we feel or experience just about

every day. So we always know He’s there even though we don’t physically see

Him. When I think of being a believer, faith is something we have to have in

order to keep going. When things don’t always look right we must pray and

keep the faith. - A’Myia Dula

(Continued from page 1)

WHAT FAITH MEANS TO ME

4

Deacon Dexter Royal, Sunday School Superintendent

“God is not as concerned with our comfort as He is concerned with our spiritual growth, and He knows how to grow us far better than we do.”

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

1. From which book and verse of the Bible can Greater Providence's church theme for 2020 be found?

2. Who said the following (NIV): "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

3. Please fill in the blanks (NKJV): For we _________ by faith, not by ____________.

4. "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Who was the speaker? Who was the speaker talking to? (NIV)

(Continued on page 6)

It is to our advantage to have a gentle

attitude toward God because He is

omniscient, and we are not. "Where

were you when I laid the foundation

of the earth?" God challenges Job.

"Tell Me, if you have understand-

ing" (Job 38:4). God knows every-

thing of the past, present, and future

(1 John 3:20); we can't even get the

weather forecast right. Like a huffy

teenager to his parents, we may cry

out, "You just don't understand!" but

God does understand, more than we

could possibly know (Psalm 44:21).

Gentleness also means giving up the

right to judge what is best for our-

selves and others. God is not as con-

cerned with our comfort as He is con-

cerned with our spiritual growth, and

He knows how to grow us far better

than we do. Gentleness means that

we accept that the rain falls on the

evil and the just and that God may

use methods we don't like to reach

our hearts and the hearts of others.

Finally, to live in a spirit of gentleness

toward God is to accept His judgment

on people and issues. We tend to

think it is gentle to go easy on people

and try to justify actions that God has

called sin. Or to let someone continue

in sin without speaking the truth. But

Paul says, "If anyone is caught in a

trespass, you who are spiritual re-

store such a one in a spirit of gentle-

ness" (Galatians 6:1). It means to

confront the brother or sister in a

manner that is in line with Scrip-

ture—to be mild, loving, encouraging,

and clear about the holiness that God

calls us to.

Jesus gave us the perfect picture of

gentleness: “See, your king comes to

you, gentle and riding on a don-

key” (Matthew 21:5), and now He

offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we

allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we

will be filled with fruit of gentleness.

(Continued from page 4)

BIBLE QUIZ

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – GENTLENESS

5

This newsletter is dedicated to

sharing testimonies, insights

and information that will com-

fort, support and encourage

Greater Providence Baptist

Church (GPBC) members and

the community at large.

BIBLE QUIZ

Hebrews 11:1. 2. Matthew 17:20. 3. 2 Corinthians 5:7. 4. 1 Timothy 4:12. 5. Romans 10:10. 6. 2

Timothy 4:7. 7. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because

your faith is growing more and more and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

5. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is __________________. (Please complete the rest of the verse-NIV.)

6. Which of the following Bible verses is correct (NIV)?

a. I have kept the faith, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.

b. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

c. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, I have fought the good fight.

7. What does 2 Thessalonians 1:3 say about faith (NIV)?

Bible Quiz Answers

(Continued from page 5)

Greater Providence Baptist Church

2000 Milton Road Charlotte, NC 28215

Mailing Address P.O. Box 44327

Charlotte, NC 28215

Phone: 704-532-6228 E-mail:

newsletter@greaterprovidence.com

The newsletter team welcomes your comments and suggestions. You can give

them to any member of the team --- Sis. Sheila Tillman (Chairperson), Sis.

Terrye Foster, Sis. Gail Brown, Sis. Joyce Isom, Sis. Carol Howie, Sis. Brenda

Meadows, Sis. Carrie Pegues, Sis. Hilda Smith or email them to Sis. Sheila

Tillman at newsletter@greaterprovidence.org.

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