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MISSIONS OFFICE NEWSLETTER

Clovis H. Sturdivant, D.O.M.

P. O. Box 966

Winnfield, LA 71483

Office 318-385-0019 FAX 318-259-8127 Home 318-648-1613

Email: missionscenter@bellsouth.net

website: www.jswmissionscenter.org

March 2012

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NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES:"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect and provide."

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."

NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES:

-Churches without pastors (6): Mill Creek (SGA), Harmony Grove (SGA), Crews New Salem (WBA), Laurel Heights (WBA), Southside (JBA), and New Jerusalem (WBA).

-FBC of Winnfield (WBA): FBC of Winnfield Day Care is seeking resumes for the position of Day Care Director. Call Brother Jason Mercer at FBC (628-3544) for an application and any information.

-New Jerusalem (WBA): Brother Doyle McGrew is the interim at New Jerusalem Baptist Church.

-Big Creek (SGA): Brother Jeff Moore invites everyone to their revival, March 7 -10, 7 PM. Brother Jamie Coulter will be the music and preaching evangelist. Brother Jeff also invites everyone to hear the Cooper Family, March 16, 6 PM.

*FYI: "Churches without Pastors" list churches even though they have an interim.

*For a list of building projects ongoing around Louisiana, call this office.

*If your church has an upcoming event, please let us help you advertise it by putting information in this newletter.

IRS business mileage rate for 2012 is 55.5 cents.

VBS CLINIC: Brother Jason Mercer, Minister to Children at FBC of Winnfield is holding a VBS Training Clinic on Thursday, March 22 at FBC of Winnfield. A meal will be served at 5:30 PM, with the rally beginning at 6 PM. Call Brother Jason at 628-3544 for your reservation. This is an excellent opportunity to receive training and view the material.

WBA/WMU MEETING: The Winn Baptist Association WMU will meet, April 19, 6:30 PM at the FBC of Winnfield. There will be a guest speaker. In addition the leadership of the Jackson Baptist Association WMU will attend to talk with the leadership of the WBA about how the ladies might help with the Hunter and Anglers Rally in September.

MISSIONS PULPIT SWAP: May is "Associational Emphasis Month" across the Southern Baptist Convention. In May we are asking our churches and pastors to volunteer to participate in an Exchange of Pulpits during this month. We are asking pastors and churches to volunteer and allow their pastor to speak on a Sunday Morning in another church and have yet another pastor speak in your pastor's place for that one morning in May (date TBA). Why such a program? Our work in the associations is important and the mission's emphasis they promote. The moderators and vice-moderators ONLY will be meeting on Tuesday, February 28, 6:30 PM at the FBC of Dodson to set the swap schedule, date and other items. Each pastor which will participate will be given a brief presentation outline and then they will be asked to preach "your own sermon" on the Great Commission and Missions. This will promote unity between our churches, awareness of associational work and missions, plus allow each church to hear a different preacher on a wonderful subject of following the Lord's instructions on mission work. It is imperative that you call this office and register to participate. Without your call, we will not be able to set a schedule. Please call this office by Tuesday, February 28 at noon. Consider a Special Love Offering (over and above what you have budgeted) for your association during the month of May. Please be watching the newsletter of March for the date of the "Missions Pulpit Swap".

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS: -The Winn Baptist Association will have its Spring Executive Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 PM at the South Winnfield Baptist Church. -The Jackson Baptist Association will have its Spring Executive Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 PM, at the Missions and Ministry Center. A financial report will be given and the Nominating Committee will be presenting the 2012-2013 officers which will come up for final approval in October. If you have other items which need to come before The Board, please call ahead and get it on the agenda.

AMITE MISSION WORK: The Jackson Baptist Association and the JBA/WMU are supporting the Cross Point Baptist Mission in Amite, Louisiana. First Baptist Church of Amite is the sponsoring church. The mission is attempting to begin a Thrift Store similar to the Rolling Hills Thrift Store in Ruston. They are immediately in need of commercial clothes racks and shelving to display the clothing in the store and teams to go sort through the clothes. There is a motel near the location. A mission trip has been scheduled to the mission June 8-15. If you can help by donating such items, the funds to purchase such, want to take a few people and go down over night or want to go on the June trip, please call Brother Randy Lee at 259-8891.

STUDY COMMITTEE: This committee has the assignment of STUDYING the POSSIBILITY or feasibility of merging the associations into one. Here are the names and telephone numbers of each association:

Jackson: Charles Wesley (259-4467), Norris Curry (259-4519), Jack Bond (259-2784), and Charles "Charlie" Hammons (628-7923)

Shady Grove: Bruce Weatherford (419-8214), Billy Prince (715-5140), John Talbert (648-7842), and Randy Robertson (628-3620)

Winn: Jerold McBride (628-6220), Stephen Laughlin (628-3544), Wayne Morrow (259-2162), and Dusty Durbin (628-9997)

If you would like to express your opinion (positive or negative) please contact your representative. The committee will meet Tuesday, March 20, 7 PM at the Missions and MInistry Center.

HUNTER AND ANGLER'S RALLY: The next meeting of the Hunter and Anglers Rally is Tuesday, March 27, 6:30 PM. Try to have a representative from your church. The 2012 Hunter and Angler's Rally has been set for September 29, at the Winnfield Civic Center (the former Forestry Building). Start now collecting door prizes.

IT'S TIME - AWAKEN 2012: Two hundred years ago Baptists heard the voice of God in a new and fresh way that called them to Louisiana. During those two hundred years in Louisiana there has never been a true spiritual awakening, a movement of God that sweeps across the state changing the lives of people. Imagine what could happen if more than half-a-million Louisiana Christians humbled themselves before the face of the Almighty. Awaken 2012 is a movement calling upon all Louisiana Baptists to join in a concentrated effort to prepare, pray and plead with God for a spiritual awakening in our state. However, you cannot plan and schedule such an event! -Commit your church and yourself to participate in 21 Days of Preparation beginning January 2 through January 22. During these 21 days, you will be asked to Fast and Pray for God to make our hearts receptive to an awakening of His Spirit. -Commit to focus on the need for spiritual awakening by addressing the need in sermons, Sunday School lessions, Wednesday night services, make posters, reminders your people can take home with them, etc. -Participate in the 2012 LBC Evangelism Conference which will be held January 23 and 24 at Louisiana College. -Celebrate what God has done in 200 years of ministry in Louisiana on Sunday, April 29. -Participate in various opportunities during the year to focus on the need for an awakening. -Sign up to participate by going to the Louisiana Baptist Convention website or call 1-800-622-6549 and ask for the Evangelism Department. "It's Time! - Awaken 2012"

AWAKEN PRAYER RALLYS: To bring empasis to the "It's Time! - Awaken 2012", there will be two Prayer Rallies with one being in Jackson Parish and one in Winn Parish. Here is the schedule: - March 22, 2012 we will be meeting at 2 PM, at the Veteran's Memorial Park behind the Jackson Parish Court House. -March 22 we will be meeting at 4 PM at the Winn Parish Fair Stage. This is located on Highway 34 towards Atlanta. Everyone is invited and we hope you will promote this in your congregation and try to have a great showing of our people at one of these rallies.

M-JAM: "Fired-Up" (Hebrews 12:1) is the theme for the 2012 LBC "M-Jam". The date is March 10, Ridge Avenue Baptist Church in West Monroe.

DONATIONS FOR BIBLES: If your church or organization would like to make a donation to purchase cases of Bibles, call Mrs. Gayle Moore at the office for prices.

SERVICE TIMES: Please call this office to make sure we have the correct times of all your weekly services.

FBC OF JONESBORO DAY CAMP: FBC of Jonesboro is hosting a "Pine Cove Base Camp" style children's day camp on July 23-27 from 9 AM until 4 PM. The camp is for children 1st grade - going into the 6th grade. Remember, this is NOT an overnight camp! Registration will begin in January and spaces are limited. Call Mary Watkins at 259-4467 to make reservations.

SGA VALENTINE BANQUET: The SGA Valentine Banquet was scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 6:30 PM at the Cross Roads Baptist Church. However, due to lack of participation, the event was cancelled. Mrs. Vera Robertson and family have been faithful for a number of years to provide this to the association and pastors. It is a shame that such events are not supported. When you are asked to call for reservations on any event, please be courteous and call!

CALENDAR

ALL:

-February 28: Missions Pulpit Swap meeting (Moderators and Vice-Moderators only)

-March 4-10: Youth Week

-March 4-11: Week of Prayer for North American Missions / Annie Armstrong Offering

-March 6: Church Building Conference, FBC of Opelousas

-March 8-9: Louisiana Religious Educators Retreat, FBC of Lafayette

-March 10: M-JAM, Ridge Avenue in West Monroe

-March 11: Daylight Savings Time Begins

-March 17 and 24: English as a Second Language Classes, NOBTS

-March 18: Substance Abuse Sunday

-March 22: Associational Prayer Rallys