September 2017 Volume 28

Begins Wednesday, August 30 at 6:15pm

This 8-week study by John Eldredge will be facilitated by George Skeeters.

God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires

written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and

risk. Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires-aided by a Christianity that feels like

nothing more than pressure to be a "nice guy. It is no wonder that many men avoid church, and

those who go are often passive and bored to death. In this provocative book, Eldredge gives men

permission to be what God designed them to be-dangerous, passionate, alive, and free!

Divinely Designed Women’s Class Begins Wednesday, August 30 at 6:15pm

Join us on Wednesday nights for Divinely Designed: a study discovering

what God made unique about being women, and being intimately His. For

every age and stage of life, His plans are for us to live this life abundantly.

Let's explore together who He created us to be and how we are stronger together. Based on the book Divine

Design by Nancy Leigh Demoss and Mary Kassian.

This 8-week study has no homework and will be facilitated by Carrie Vail. Sign up foyer of the FLC.

One To One Discipling Come and Learn to Be a Discipler!

Begins Sunday, September 10 at 5:30pm One to One Discipleship is a program designed to teach the fundamentals of the faith. It is a nine week study to be used by one person to disciple another. The goal is two-fold: one, teach the basics, and two, develop long-standing relationships between two believers that creates roots in our church/community. We will be offering a class on how to disciple using this program. We want to encourage everyone to attend and learn how to impact the lives of other believers one at a

time and build that firm foundation we all need. The purpose of this class is to teach believers how to disciple others.

This class will be facilitated by Richard & Tina Solomon. Sign up in the foyer of the FLC.

Pastor’s Pen Have you ever possessed a strong burden, desire, eagerness, and enthusiasm to please God or to do something for God? Have you ever felt called or appointed to some specific task for serving God?

When I received the call to preach at age 26, I was quick to go to our Associate Pastor, Bob Kersey, and tell him. I fully expected him to be so excited but his reply really surprised me. He said, "try not to do it with all your heart," and then he paused and just looked at me. I guess he could see my surprise to his words. After what seemed like 10 seconds, he said, "if you can't keep from becoming a pastor, then you truly have a call from God."

When the Spirit of God places a burden on our heart to do something, it is very real. I'm convinced that burden and call should be usual and frequent in our walk with the Lord. The burden and call comes in different forms and fashions, but we know it's real.

It says something about our faith and walk with the Lord if we never or rarely have this burden or call in our daily life. Something is missing! At the heart of what we call faith, something is desperately wrong. When we walk with the Lord, we know he will ask us to eagerly and enthusiastically serve him in some manner that is very personal and real.

The same should carry forward to the life of the church, our community of faith. Our faith is often lived out in, with and through the family of faith. This expression of serving God can be to the church and/or community. A church family should receive a burden and call to do something great for God!

We are praying for such a burden or calling for the life of our church family. We pray for an earnest burden, desire, commitment, eagerness and enthusiasm to do something great for God! The Master Plan Initiative Team has been praying and planning to expand our facilities. We have done a facility and ministry needs study. We have been working with architects and will reveal the first facility rendering to the church on September 17 at 4pm in the Fellowship Hall.

We know such a burden or calling to build facilities is God-sized! We know there must be a great burden, desire, commitment, eagerness and enthusiasm from the whole church family to do some-thing great for God! We know there must be a great vision for the church for such burden or calling to be fulfilled! I look forward to sharing a new vision to the church family on September 17. Building facilities should help support and facilitate the vision that God is giving us. Please mark September 17 on your calendar to come and see the architectural rendering and hear about a new vision. Steve Boyd

New

Sermon

Series

Begins

September 3

Join us on Wednesdays at 10am

in the Fellowship Hall.

Chronological Bible Reading

Plan

September 1 Ezekiel 18-19 September 2 Ezekiel 20-21 September 3 Ezekiel 22-23 September 4 Ezekiel 24-27 September 5 Ezekiel 28-31 September 6 Ezekiel 32-34 September 7 Ezekiel 35-37 September 8 Ezekiel 38-39 September 9 Ezekiel 40-41 September 10 Ezekiel 42-43 September 11 Ezekiel 44-45 September 12 Ezekiel 46-48 September 13 Joel 1-3 September 14 Daniel 1-3 September 15 Daniel 4-6 September 16 Daniel 7-9 September 17 Daniel 10-12 September 18 Ezra 1-3 September 19 Ezra 4-6, Psalm 137 September 20 Haggai 1-2 September 21 Zechariah 1-7 September 22 Zechariah 8-14 September 23 Esther 1-5 September 24 Esther 6-10 September 25 Ezra 7-10 September 26 Nehemiah 1-5 September 27 Nehemiah 6-7 September 28 Nehemiah 8-10 September 29 Neh.11-13, Psalm 126 September 30 Malachi 1-4

Shelby Baptist Association Annual Meeting Held at Mt. Moriah

Baptist Church Sunday, September 17 at 2pm.

If you are a church member and would like to be a messenger to the Association for SBC, please contact

Steve Boyd at 722-5246 ext. 101.

Ladies, you are cordially invited to a Baby Shower for

Taylor Barnette on

Saturday, September 16 11am-1pm

in the Fellowship Hall.

Please come and help us celebrate the upcoming birth of Olivia Ray!

Taylor is registered at Target and Amazon.

The WESTERN RECORDER has

been Kentucky Baptists' primary

communications tool since 1825.

The Western Recorder continues to

expand its role in providing practi-

cal resources for Christian living,

helping Kentucky Baptists "Shine

Like Stars in the World" (Phil 2:15).

The Western Recorder is a tabloid-

format newspaper that is published

every Tuesday 26 times a year.

Print Subscriptions are

$18 per year

E-Subscriptions are $11 per year.

To renew your annual subscrip-

tion or place a new subscription,

please contact the

Western Recorder at:

13420 Eastpoint Center Drive

Louisville KY 40223

502 489-3443

Sunday, September 17 at 4pm

Agenda

Ministry Involvement Team Report #2

Financial Report

Membership Report;

MPIT recommendation on architect fees

MPIT presents architect rendering Our ministry meeting is open to all but

you must be a member in order to vote. We encourage your attendance!

September 1 Cindy Lowe, Gabby

Miller, Gabe Per-kins

2 Kenzie Tingle 3 Lily Duncan,

Veada Metcalf 4 Scott Corn 5 Jason Evans 6 Joseph Harris 7 Elly Glassner, Stacy Griggs,

Tony Thomas, Carrie Vail 8 Sharon Breaux, Becky Straub 9 Susan Fenton, Drew Windhorst 12 Steve Kovaka 14 Jimmy Crawford, Hannah Webb 14 Ellie Cline, Anissa Rogers 15 Carly Vail 16 Hallie Elmore 20 Carrie Schmid, Dwayne Zapata 23 Mike Hammond, Jennifer Miller 24 Karigan & Keegan Tingle 26 Will Cline 27 Natasha Evans, Sharon Hamilton, Jayden Smith 29 Max Glassner 30 Toni Moore, Dixie Taylor

Wednesday Nights Kid’s Worship

6:15pm Held in the Family Life Center

Preschool & Nursery Care

Sunday Night

AWANA 5:30pm

September AWANA Schedule

September 3 No AWANA –Labor Day Weekend

September 10

Missions/Store Night

September 17 Stuffed Animal Night

Bring your favorite stuffed animal!

September 24 Pirate Night

Dress like a pirate!

City on a Hill

What is Adventure Club? It might be different things to dif-

ferent people. Some may call it a preschool while others say

it’s a childcare center. Some may call it their place of em-

ployment while others say it’s a place they attend after

school. The answer will likely depend on who you’re ask-

ing: parent, child, staff, community. While responses will

vary, there is one thing Adventure Club is above all else: a

ministry to children and families. It’s an opportunity to

share the love and hope we have in Jesus with the children

and families of our community. It’s a city on a hill.

In the summer of 1995, at the age of 9, I

moved to Simpsonville with my mother and

older brother. My parents had recently di-

vorced and we were starting a new life, in a

new community. Adventure Club was

founded the same year and I became part of

the first class to attend. My parent’s divorce

was difficult for me, and rather than discuss the feelings

growing inside my heart, I internalized them and withdrew

from others. To the world, I was just a very shy little girl

and no further explanation was needed; but to my mother

and Linda Kerr at Adventure Club, I was a little girl who

needed compassion and understanding. I still remember

Mrs. Kerr greeting me with a smile each day, wrapping me

in a hug, and making me feel accepted just the way I was.

As a child, Adventure Club was a place full of love. It was a

city on a hill.

At 13, I volunteered as a teacher’s aide in the Preschool Pro-

gram where Linda Ashby took me under her wing. As I

watched her lead the children and interact with parents and

staff day after day, she unknowingly led and taught me the

meaning of “you will know them by their fruit.” There was

an undeniable light inside of her; one that gave others reason

to pause and question what it was. She was abundant in

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self-control. Her classroom was an inviting

place for children, parents, and staff alike. It was a city on a

hill.

The summer after I turned 16 I applied for a job with Adven-

ture Club. I was given the opportunity to work in the Sum-

mer Care Program with the elementary age group. My first

day on the job was field trip day and it was a whirlwind of

activity. The children were visibly (and audibly) very excit-

ed, the staff was busily preparing, the phone was ringing, the

bus driver was waiting, and I was overwhelmed and clueless.

If it hadn’t been for the genuine kindness and support of the

experienced staff members, my first day as an Adventure

Club employee might have been my last. Instead, I worked

at Adventure Club for 3 years and developed wonderful

friendships along the way. We not only cared for the chil-

dren, we cared for each other; we shared our lives with one

another and prayed for each other. Adventure Club wasn’t

just where we worked; it was a place of daily fellowship. It was a

city on a hill.

As time passed I became the wife of a wonderful man and the

mother of 2 amazing children. We attended Simpsonville Baptist

Church and our children attended preschool at Adventure Club.

My husband and I both worked full-time, but, in 2012, injuries

and illness led to mounting medical expenses and we struggled

financially. Overtime didn’t always cover the added expenses.

And without a college degree, opportunities for advancement in

my workplace were out of reach. We felt stuck, spinning our

wheels and unable to break free from our financial dilemma. We

ultimately sought help from my mother, who graciously let us

move our family of 4 into her home. Knowing our situation, Cin-

dy Lowe at Adventure Club reached out and encouraged us to

submit a scholarship application. Within weeks, the Adventure

Club Council approved a scholarship that drastically reduced our

fee for a set period of time. With a decrease in expenses, we were

able to pay off our debts and save enough money for me to com-

plete my degree, which opened the door to better career opportu-

nities. But wait, there’s more! Not only did we receive assistance

through the Scholarship Fund, the staff donated Christmas gifts to

our children that year. I will never forget the moment Cindy told

me the news. I’m moved to tears each time I think about it. Their

generosity blessed our family with hope and joy beyond words.

To us, Adventure Club isn’t just a place where children learn and

grow; it’s a place where the love of Christ is alive and working.

It’s a city on a hill.

In 22 years I’ve witnessed the growth of Adventure Club through

the eyes of a child, a volunteer, an employee, and a parent. The

buildings, directors, staff, council members, and programs have

changed, but, the ministry remains the same. To love, serve, and

share the hope of Jesus Christ with the children and families of

our community; to be a city on a hill.

Without the church, the ministry of Adventure Club and the abil-

ity to offer a Scholarship Fund would not be possible. Thank you

for your support of this vital ministry.

-Stephanie Perkins

“You are the light of

the world. A town

built on a hill cannot

be hidden. Neither do

people light a lamp

and put it under a

bowl. Instead they put

it on its stand, and it

gives light to everyone

in the house. In the

same way, let your

light shine before

others, that they may

see your good deeds

and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Begins Thursday, September 7 10am

Fellowship Hall

It’s worship like you grew up with!

This month's message delivered by Andy McDonald.

Classic Worship will meet the first Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall and will incorporate the use of hymnals and a variety of special guest teachers to bring the message.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Twenty-four of our Goodtime

Travelers recently spent the day in historic Berea.

GoodTime Travelers Adult Day Trip WINSTAR FARMS

Lexington, KY

Friday, September 15 at 9am We will be using Miller Transportation for this trip. Our own Gerry Davis will be on hand to give us a tour of the farm,

stables & paddocks. We will have a boxed lunch and picnic at the farm.

Bring a lawn chair!! Sign up in the foyer of the FLC to reserve your seating and

choose your lunch option.

Guest speaker, former missionary

Marilyn Creighton of Coffee Talk in Lexington

Cost is $45 and includes 1 night lodging and 3 meals at

Haven of Rest.

Reservations made to Joyce Scroggs at Haven of Rest 606-298-0520/ jrandjoyscroggs@aol.com.

Checks should be made payable to EKYSONrise.

Drinking from the Well EKY SONrise Ladies Retreat

Sept 14-15 Haven of Rest, Inez, KY

Master Plan Initiative Team

First, a ‘repeat’ from last month….. Can we comprehend that prayer provides us with a direct and personal line/connection with the Creator of all the universe? Can we imagine any greater privilege afforded to us than having a one-on-one network with God, Himself? We have his personal email address and cell number. He’s everyone’s BFF! He’s online every hour of the day and every day of the year. We have unlimited, uninterruptable access to the most powerful and awesome person who ever walked this earth… His son, Jesus Christ. His prayer line is never busy! All this is to say, WE NEED EVERYONE TO BE PRAYING DILIGENTLY for God to be glorified in magnificent ways through planning, funding and building our new worship center. Here’s a prayer list:

Pray that God’s Master Plan be revealed for our church beyond any master plan we prepare.

Pray that unity and harmony reign over our congregation with trust and confidence in nothing more than Christ Jesus, not human understanding, analysis and design.

Pray that our church staff dwell in the Spirit and be bathed in God’s infinite peace and calm.

Pray for our Master Plan Initiative Team to coordinate tasks with vision, and dreams with reality.

Pray for our generous God to speak to the generous and obedient hearts of our congregation. Now, new and added for this month…

Pray that we comprehend what a privilege it is to have a direct connection with our Creator God!

Pray that we comprehend this historical opportunity, this once-in-a-lifetime privilege we have as THE generation to plan, fund and build the new worship center for Simpsonville Baptist Church.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Please add your own prayer requests above, but before you do, let’s ask... Have we been overwhelmed lately? Can we re-member our breath ever being taken away by God revealing an opportunity to us that hasn’t been available for almost 100 years. Our previous church building lasted 93 years; the church building before that one lasted 93 years also. Sometimes I wonder if our church ancestors recognized the privilege they had. I don’t want us to miss this opportunity… this privilege. It will begin whenever each one of us decides to participate.

We will soon see and hear about the floor plan for our new worship center, educational space and gathering area presented with architectural renderings of our new building. However, the privilege to pray everyday for our Master Plan, our staff and our teams working on many aspects of this unique ‘fullness of time’ opportunity exists now… and why wait to pray for the funding of our new building? That opportunity exists now, too. We tore the building down 8 months ago. We know a new worship center is going to be built on that site. Some have already started giving… Everyone needs to be praying ...

During the Ministry Meeting on Sunday, September 17, our Master Plan Initiative Team will present the proposed floor plan from our Building Team and architects. What a privilege this is! Count it all joy!

Lowell Ashby

Joy in the Mourning Widow’s Retreat

November 16-17 Held at Southern Seminary Legacy Hotel

Cost: $75 which includes lodging, snacks, meals and speakers.

Guest Speaker: Sandy Gross of Renewing Me Ministries

Registration: Shelly Johns White, Ed.D., at the KBC, 1-866-489-3570

For additional information on either retreat, please contact Linda Otterback

at 245-8003 or lindaotterback@twc.com.

EKY SONrise Ministries

He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” --Zephaniah 3:17

As our God rejoices over us, His church, so we must be diligent in rejoic-ing in the Lord always! I’m glad to say our Praise Choir provides a ter-rific way for the church to express the joy of the Lord in creative and beautiful ways, and we would love to invite you to be a part of it with us. The Praise Choir resumed rehearsals on August 23 and jumped right into preparations for Christmas Dinner Theater. “What Kind of Throne” is the name of the choir’s music collection, and it will be paired with the chil-dren’s ministry musical “All About That Baby.” After listening to them both for a while now, I’m very excited! It’s not too late to join either group! The adult choir meets on Wednes-day nights at 6:15pm in Room 201, and the children’s choir is practicing the music on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and also Sunday af-ternoons, depending on the level of participation. Even if your child does not have speaking parts in the play, they can be involved through the choir for dinner theater. Those dates are December 1 at 7pm and December 2 at 6pm. You can get more information about the children’s choir from Toni Moore (miketoni@bellsouth.net) or Maureen Bland (mbland1150@gmail.com). Matt Garner

An easy way to get connected at SBC

is to volunteer. We have positions

open in our Nursery ministry and on

our First Impressions Team. Both

teams serve on Sunday mornings.

Our First Impressions Team greets in

the parking lot and at the main doors,

serves in the coffee cove, and hands

out bulletins. If you are interested in

serving once a month on either team,

please contact Angie in the church

office—722-5246 ext. 106 or

angie@simpsonvillebaptist.com.

Our Christmas Toy Store Christmas in July benefit proved to be a tremendous blessing!!

We raised over $3,500 plus received

many toys!

Thank you for your support!

You are invited to

celebrate Marie White’s

99th birthday!

Open House

Amber Oaks Assisted Living Sunday, September 27

2-4pm

See You At The Pole Wednesday, September 27

Meet at your school’s flag pole at 7am.

Since SYATP is all about prayer,

then start praying now! Pray for:

your school’s event starting now, right up to the day of See You

at the Pole™.

the students who are leading and planning your See You at the

Pole™ at your school.

the Christians at your school to show up ready to pray on See

You at the Pole™ day.

the non-Christian students on your campus who will see or hear

about SYATP. Christian students on your campus to make the most of this

unique opportunity to explain what happened on the morning of

See You at the Pole™ and to be a witness for Christ. Saw You At The Pole Rally

will be that evening. More info to come!

We are very excited about our Fellowship Hall remodel and being able to have some dedicated youth space!

A big thank you to everyone that helped paint the walls, redo the switches, and create this beautiful wood

focal wall. This corner area is intended to provide a homey place for quiet conversations.

Student Mid-Week Bible Study Wednesdays at 6:15pm Theology Matters Sundays at 5:30pm

What is sin? What is the atonement?

What are justification and atonement? What is the final judgement?

What is death?

The Les Bailey Library The Bailey family has graciously donated a vast collection of resources from The Great Courses Collection. The Great Courses are uniquely crafted DVD’s for lifelong learners with engaging, immersive learning experiences you can’t get in a lecture hall. Mary Wyatt is serving as our librarian. Each month we will list a portion of the available courses and a complete list is in the foyer of the FLC.

Archeology/Geography

Lost Worlds of South America

Understanding the World’s Greatest Structures

The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey from Athens to Istanbul

The Cathedral

The Barrier Reef and Northeast Australia: A Land of Natural Wonders

The Great Tours: Experiencing Medieval Europe

The African Experience: From “Lucy” to Mandela – Parts 1 to 3

Experiencing Rome: A Visual Exploration of Antiquity’s Greatest Empire

Incredible Monuments of Rome

Who Killed the Maya? The Vanished Civilization

Rome’s Lost City: Amazing Secrets of Herculaneum

Pompeii: Buried Alive

Stonehenge: Secrets of an Ancient Monument

You Are Potential Women’s Conference

We were very excited to have had over 100 women in attendance for our conference featuring author and speaker, Sandy Gross.

A big thank you to the many volunteers who helped up set up and tear down following the conference. Thank you also to Kevin & Taylor

Barnette for leading worship and Matt Garner for running sound. We also had a group of volunteers led by Shelly Noel who created bookmark-ers for each of the attendees. The event was organized by Carrie Schmid and Amy Griggs who worked tirelessly make the conference a blessing to

those who attended.

The You Are Potential Women’s study, held on Monday evenings, currently has 36 women enrolled and attending from SBC and area churches. The class is led by Theresa Skeeters and Marydora Conley who make great efforts to “keep it real” and bring authenticity to the classes.

Economics

China, India and the Unites States:

The Future of Economic Supremacy

Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to

Rational Decision Making

Humor/ Comedy (Books) Dave Barry: I’m Mature When I’m Dead Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So

Far)

O’ For the Life of a Preacher

Books/ Best Sellers Great American Bestsellers: The Books that

Shaped America

Our Women’s Self-Defense Class was well-attended. A big thank you to Sgt. Tim Hurt, of the Simpsonville Police Department for volunteering his time!

Women of Worth Class Sunday, September 10 at

1:30pm Meets in Room 207

Facilitated by MaryDora Conley.

Lesson Title A Co-Dependent Relationship

with Food

Women’s Quilting Ministry Saturday, September 16 at 9am

Meet at the home of Veada Metcalf. 115 Lincoln Station, Simpsonville

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

Women’s Craft Group

Thursday, September 14

Meets in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm.

$10 per person to help pay for supplies.

Bring snacks to share!

Sign up in the FLC foyer. This class limited to 20.

Need more information?

Call Shelly Noel at 937-407-1250

Your donations help us offset the cost of

supplies. Donations of craft paint and brushes can be taken to the church office or the

coffee cove.

Thursday, September 7 at

6:30pm

Sign up in the foyer of the FLC. Bring your friends!

McDonalds in Simpsonville

Fridays, beginning

September 8 8-9:30am.

Hosted by Patti Tocci

Join us for coffee and come and go as you like!

Our first craft group was well attended and the ladies made some

delightful crosses!

Women Supporting Women

Authentic Manhood Retreat

(aka The Big Event!) Held at Country Lake Christian Retreat Center

Designed to create an environment for men to be challenged in their relationship with the Lord at home, in the work-

place, and in their ministry.

Cost: The cost per person is $35 and rooms are double occupancy.

Agenda Friday, November 17

Check-in/arrive at 6pm

Program/speakers 6:30-10pm (snacks and drinks will be provided)

Bonfire 10pm

Agenda Saturday, November 18

Breakfast at 8 a.m. Program/speakers 9:11:30am Checkout 12pm

If you have questions please reach out to Brent Hinton at abhinton@petfirst.com or text/call 502-939-4118.

MENS’S MNISTRY

Saturday, September 2

Meet at Bob Evans in Simpsonville at 7:30am.

Meet at the church to carpool at 6:30am.

Hunt will be at the corner of Harley Thompson Rd & Vigo Rd. in Shelbyville at 11am.

KY licenses are required and can be purchased at WalMart or Rural King.

SIGN UP IN THE FOYER OF THE FLC.

Lowell Ashby, Brent Hinton, Larry Miller, Mike Dugle, Mike Waterman and

Gary Gupton enjoyed a great weekend golfing in Bowling Green.

Saturday, September 23 9am-5pm

Led by Brian Marchesseault Cost: $75 plus $10 range fee.

Please bring your firearm, 50 rounds of factor imitation, cleaning kit, and hearing and eye protection.

Sign up in the foyer of the FLC.

10 Ways Members Kill The Church by Tejado Hanchell (churchleaders.com)

1. Don’t come. One of the biggest church killers is waning attendance. Many people simply can’t find the time to spend an hour or two in the Lord’s

house. We find excuse after excuse as to why we can’t come to church. I wonder what our lives would look like if God only showed

up at our house as often as we showed up at His. The Bible is clear about the importance of assembling or coming together (Hebrews

10:25). I believe in the importance of going to church, which is why I do a weekly Twitter hashtag called #Go2Church. If we don’t

go to church, we just might be playing a part in killing the church.

2. If you do come, make sure it’s late. So many of today’s worshipers (and apparently those of 1959) have a lackadaisical attitude toward worship. We have an “I’ll get

there when I get there” attitude when it comes to church attendance. I wonder, however, if we showed up to our job the way we

show up to our church…how many of us would still be employed? We say that God is an “on time” God, but can He say the same

about us? A lack of punctuality when it comes to worship is a microcosm of our overall view of God. It says that whatever else we

are doing is more important, and God can just wait until we get there. This type of attitude is a major church killer.

3. Only show up when the weather is good. Ever been to church in a driving rainstorm? Neither have most of the other people in your church! Some people only go to church

when the sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky.We have produced a culture of “fair-weather” Christians, who only attend

church when everything is going right in their lives. The moment a storm hits their life, they get mad at God, the pastor and the

church.There are some people who you can tell exactly what’s going on in their lives based upon their church attendance. When

things are great and they have a little money in their pockets, they’re on the front row singing “Amazing Grace,” but as soon as they

get laid off or deal with some sort of difficulty, they’re ready to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). The only thing that dies with that kind

of attitude is the church.

4. Find fault with everything (and/or everyone). Most homicide investigations begin by researching those who had something negative to say about the victim. Similarly, when a

church dies, you can be sure that the fault finders are prime suspects. These are the folks who sit “in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm

1:1).Fault finders can always SPOT a problem, but they never SOLVE a problem. 5. Never accept a leadership role or responsibility.

Many people have a “renters” mentality when it comes to church; they take no ownership. When you rent an apartment, if some-

thing breaks, you call the landlord to fix it. Since you don’t own it, you have no obligation to fix it. There are too many people rent-

ing pews (and some pulpits). It’s far easier to criticize than to mobilize. As Seth Godin says, “No one has ever built a statue to a crit-

ic.” If we want to make a difference, we have to accept the responsibility to lead—whether formally or informally. Leadership is not

about position; it’s about productivity. A congregation full of followers is on life support and is getting ready to die.

6. Get mad if you’re not appointed to a leadership position. So many people in church are focused on titles. They want to be directors, deacons and dignitaries, and when they are not appointed

to a position, they begin to stir up trouble. This is a manifestation of deep-seated pride, and pride is one of the most dangerous killers

of all.

7. Never give your opinion in a meeting…wait until AFTER the meeting. A surefire sign of a church that is on its deathbed is one that has major “meetings-after-the-meeting.” You know, where no one voic-

es their honest opinion or offers useful insight during the official meeting, but are quick to huddle in a corner or the church parking

lot after the meeting to harp on how “it ought to be done.” There are chalk lines all over church parking lots outlining exactly where

the murder took place.

8. Do nothing more than absolutely necessary. Show up, go home, but don’t be an active, engaged member of the church. It’s hard to reach “the least of these” when we’re only

doing the least we can do. The sad reality, however, is that most people who only want to do the least, love to criticize those who are

doing the most! They howl about how the church is being run by a clique, when they never offered or took initiative to get any work

done. They just stand on the sideline and watch the church die. At the very least, they are an accessory to the murder.

9. Hold back on your giving to the Lord. It takes money to do ministry—especially to do mercy ministry for the underserved in our communities. Tim Keller says that “mercy

ministry is expensive.” When we hold back on our giving to the Lord and His work, we are limiting the work that can be done

through the local church. Additionally, since there are operational costs associated with a church or ministry, a lack of giving can

lead to the church being foreclosed, laying off staff and other adverse results. Some people say, “Well, all the church wants is mon-

ey.” The same can be said of Walmart, yet they keep taking their money there! While I do not discount that there have been those

who have abused and misused the church for financial gain, there are thousands of churches serving in their communities who are

dying because of a lack of finances. When we stop giving, we are killing those churches…and the countless lives they touch each day.

10. Don’t reach out to the unchurched. The primary purpose of the church is to introduce people to Jesus. The people in the pews must take ownership of that responsibility

and become “minichurches” that reach out to the unchurched every day of the week and bring them to the house of the Lord to be

discipled.

Churches need regular and consistent “transfusions.” When new people are brought into the church, they bring new life and vibrancy. They ensure that the church doesn’t get stuck in the old way of doing things. They bring fresh perspective,

and they help keep the church alive. Don’t kill your church! Go and bring in some new people today.

September 2017

1

6:30am Men’s

Dove Shoot

2

7:30am Men’s

Breakfast

3

8:30am Sunday School

9:45am Worship

11am Sunday School

1pm Hispanic Worship

No evening activities

4

Labor Day

Church office

closed

5 6

10am Prayer Group

6:15pm Choir

Student Ministry

Children’s Ministry

Discipleship

Classes

7

10am Classic

Worship

6:30pm

Women’s Bunco

8

8am Chic Chat

9

Simpsonville

Fall Festival

10

8:30am Sunday School

9:45am Worship

11am Sunday School

1pm Hispanic Worship

1:30pm Women of

Worth Class

5:30pm AWANA

Theology Matters

One To One Class

Begins

11

6:15pm

You Are

Potential

Women’s Class

12 13

10am Prayer Group

6:15pm Choir

Student Ministry

Children’s Ministry

Discipleship

Classes

14

6:30pm Women’s

Crafts

15

8am Chic Chat

9am Goodtime

Travelers

Adult Day Trip

16

9am Women’s

Quilting Group

11am Taylor

Barnette Baby

Shower

17

8:30am Sunday School

9:45am Worship

11am Sunday School

1pm Hispanic Worship

2pm SBA Annual Mtg

4pm Ministry Meeting

5:30pm AWANA

Theology Matters

One To One Class

18

6:15pm

You Are

Potential

Women’s Class

19 20

10am Prayer Group

6:15pm Choir

Student Ministry

Children’s Ministry

Discipleship

Classes

21 22

8am Chic Chat

23

9am

Conceal Carry

Class

24

8:30am Sunday School

9:45am Worship

11am Sunday School

1pm Hispanic Worship

5:30pm AWANA

Theology Matters

One To One Class

25

6:15pm

You Are

Potential

Women’s Class

26 27

See You At The

Pole

10am Prayer Group

6:15pm Choir

Children’s Ministry

Discipleship

Classes

Saw You At The

Pole Student Event

28 29

8am Chic Chat

30

4pm

Senior Social

Simpsonville Baptist Church PO Box 56 Simpsonville, KY 40067

SENIOR SOCIAL

This year we are returning to the happy days of

“Good TV”!

Saturday, September 30 Meet & Greet at 4pm

Meal Served at 4:30pm Menu

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, dessert and beverage

Devotion given by Marshall Phillips.

Special Performances by your favorite

television personalities.

Gospel Songs by Glory Crown.

This event is our gift to the community. Please join us for

great fellowship and fun!

PLEASE RSVP to Cecil Jones at 722-5482.