Volume 4 • Issue 1
Eph. 3:17
• March 2014 •
From the Director through what the world calls hopelessness. As all been in situations when things look hopeless. Fear grips us believers, we are never with its ugly talons and holds us captive if we let it. Relationships without hope, because of fail, jobs are lost, finances crumble, the word “cancer” is spoken the love of Christ our Lord and life looks bleak, hopeless. and His sacrifice for us. Yvonne Ward My prayer for all of us is Director of Women’s Ministry Cancer is being spoken in our family right now. It is an that we will “keep our eyes awful word that brings with it images that none of us wants in on Jesus, the source and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). our minds. It is a season through which God is walking with us Thank you for your prayers and encouragement for our and our family. We are finding our family. It is a privilege to serve you in Women’s Ministry at hope in the Word of God, as always. Stevens Street. God bless you. I read again how David found The theme of this issue of VineLife is “Hope.” We have
We find our hope in God’s Word.
Yvonne
himself in hopeless circumstances. He was chased, betrayed,
Inside This Issue
depressed, grieving, yet full of hope. The psalmist speaks of this hope:
2
Notes from Pastor Sam: “Certain Hope” ~ Sam S. Rainer III
“By this I know that You delight in me:
3
“Growing in the Word Under Watchcare”
my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.” Psalm 41:11
Meet This SSBC Woman: ~ Bridget Horner
4
“You are my shelter and my shield;
Parenting Corner: “The Kids Set an Example” ~ Janna Shope
I put my hope in Your word.”
6
Focus: “Our Hope is Built” ~ Beverley Nash
Psalm 119:114
8
Tweets from Ginny Tayes:
“I rise before dawn and cry out for help; I put my hope in Your word.” Psalm 119:147 Within the covers of this issue of VineLife you will find articles from other women about how they have found hope. I pray they will comfort, encourage and lead you on your walk
“Giving Hope through Social Media” 9
Mentoring Message: “Group Mentoring Testimonials” ~ Erin Rainer
10 What SSBC Women Are Doing: “Hospitality Dinner” 11 True Motherhood: “Hope & the Harvest” ~ Jennifer Acuff 12 Prayer & Hopelessness” ~ Michelle Battilla Missions Opportunities
Notes from Pastor Sam: Certain Hope ~ Sam S. Rainer III Feelings and False Hope. Everyone hopes on something. In a general sense, hope
these sit at the table with the King. The Bible drops less-
is that feeling we get when we believe something that we want
than-subtle hints about this
is within our reach. This type of hope is not a certainty. It’s just a
in the Old Testament. It is in
feeling. It’s why we watch the Beverly Hillbillies. We put ourselves
Job, of all places, that we
in Jed’s shoes, hoping a stray shot will bring riches so we can
read:
move from the hollers of Tennessee to the Hills of Beverly. This type of hope is the fuel that feeds the lottery monster. It’s a vicious beast.
What if hope led to something or Someone certain?
“ So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.”
Millions of people hoping together, but just one grabs the prize. I imagine the lottery will go down in history as the biggest cultural buzzkill of humanity. One Drysdale rises on the backs of millions of
Certain hope for the guy who lost everything. Certain hope for the person gambling on one last fix. Certain hope for the destitute turning one more trick. Certain hope for the doctor who knows she can’t defeat death.
One Source of Hope. There’s only one
Clampetts.
place to find certain hope.
Searching for A Greater Hope. But, what if we could hope for something that was truly within our reach? What if our collective hope actually led to
And it’s not in Californy. “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”1
collective praise? What if hope led to something—or Someone— This hope is
certain? In the Scriptures, one doctor recorded such hope—Dr. Luke. Doctors understand dashed hopes. Their calling is to fix
certain. It’s not just a feel-
people. Sometimes they can. Sometimes they can’t. Hope rises.
ing. This hope is collective.
Hope falls. Dr. Luke wrote of a greater hope, one not determined It’s available to all. This hope is infinite. It never in the finite realm of sum zero games. The hope of which he writes has no triage procedures. Everyone is the most urgent
“There is only one place to find certain hope ‘…in Jesus’ blood and righteousness.’”
dies.
case. Scholars call Dr. Luke’s thesis the “Great Reversal.” The last move to first. The least become the greatest. The least of 1
Mote, Edward, circa 1834; Mote’s Hymns of Praise, Edward Mote, London, 1836.
2
Meet This SSBC Woman: Growing in the Word Under Watchcare ~ Bridget Horner Growing Up on The Farm. I grew up in Paris, TN, on a farm, right across the road
I became involved very quickly with church activities and events. Mike
from my grandparents. My parents both worked full-time jobs
and Pat Zachary took me
and then came home to do more work on the farm. We had
under their wings and made
cows; a huge garden every year; apple, pear, plum and cherry
me feel right at home. Pat
trees; grape vines and honey bees. We stayed very busy growing
was the church hostess at
up. My favorite time of year was during harvest, especially work-
the time, and I would help
ing with the apples and honey bees. My grandmother would
make garlic toast on the
peel and halve the apples then place them in salt water. I would
Wednesday nights that we
Bridget Horner
grab as many as she would let me eat. Harvesting the honey took would have lasagna. That’s when the Fellowship Hall was where the youth building is now. all four of us. It took all day, but the final product was delicious! I joined the choir, started teaching a youth class, taught a class for Vacation Bible School (and still do), and even worked
Grasping the Word.
for the church a couple of summers. I signed up to play church
We went to a church that my daddy went to when he was young. Daddy served as a Sunday school teacher and deacon. Momma was the choir director and Sunday
league softball and that is where I met Jason. Our first date was during the Lottie Moon Christmas Auction in 1998. We were married April 7, 2001—13 years this April.
joined Stevens Street in
I joined Raising Our Family. Stevens Street After we started having kids, I was able to stay at home. I it, and am so thankful that God has allowed me to do this. as a student under love We have four children: Will, age 11; Jaylee, age 10; Emma, age 8 and Kara, age 3. Jason takes the kids to school every morning, Watchcare. I pick them up. The kids work on homework as soon as they It was then that and get home, and then it’s play time. I try to have a home-cooked I started really meal every night. Sometimes sports activities can get in the way, but I am glad they are active. grasping and The most rewarding time that I’ve had as a parent is watching two of my kids accept Jesus. I pray for the other two to growing become my sisters-in-Christ. We make time every day to have a in the Word. family devotion. Sometimes it’s hard to have all six of us in the
1996 as a student under
same place, but it is so very special. I am so thankful that God has
Watchcare. That is when I started really grasping and growing in
me right where I need to be at this point in my life.
school teacher. My dad was saved at a young age. My mom and brother came to know Jesus when I was eight. I became a Christian at the age of 17, the summer before my senior year in high school. I graduated and went to Murray State University in Kentucky. I later followed my brother to Tennessee Tech, and
the Word.
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Parenting Corner: The Kids Set an Outreach Example ~ Janna Shope An Idea that Grew. Each year the Women’s Ministry hosts a Hospitality Dinner. The purpose is fun, fellowship with other women, encouragement through a speaker, and outreach to our community. One year ago, we began to toss around the idea of a similar children’s dinner. The young girls wanted so badly to be part of the women’s event, and we wanted something for the kids to call their own. Over the next several months, volun-
Duck Dynasty
teers Beth Farley and Michelle Wright helped organize the
Tommy Toombs They could invite church friends, school friends, sports
event. Tom Toombs,
friends, family, etc. WOW, what a response!! Our kids took this
a Christian children’s
idea and ran with it. The excitement built as the time came
performer was invited
closer. I think I was more excited than they were. Tables were
to speak on the theme, “We Are All Unique In God’s Eyes.”
decorated and the Fellowship Hall became a wonderland of fun and fellowship.
The Kids Reach Out. The purpose for the dinner was outreach. Our kids were
Candy Crush
asked to sign up to sponsor a table of either 6, 8 or 10 kids, decorate the table, and then fill each of the seats.
Despicable Me
There were 16 tables sponsored by the children and several additional tables for any child who just wanted to come.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 4
The most amazing fact is —DRUMROLL PLEASE—we had 130 children. More than 40% (56 children) were visitors. Our kids invited the community! Isn’t that amazing?
Kid’s Hospitality Dinner Best Table Winners
Best Overall “Duck Dynasty” Drew & Delton Dyal Best Outreach “Super Bowl”
Lego City
Fairies
Luke Bragga ( 7 out of 8 kids were visitors) Most Colorful “Candy Crush Candy Shop” Gaylin McCormick & Lydia Burton
The Gospel Was Presented. But that wasn’t even the best part. The best part was that the Gospel was presented and seeds were planted in
Most Fun “Lego City” Hayden Bernhardt & Maddux Hammock
children who may never have heard the Gospel before. All it took was for our kids to be bold and to invite their friends. May we take their example and build on it!
Super Bowl
Most Imaginative “Despicable Me” Jaylee Horner & Josie Griggs Most Unique “Fairies” Emmy Bragga
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Focus: Our Hope Is Built. ~ Beverley Nash My Hope Is Built—The Solid Rock “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Hope does not come automatically. It is built on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ through a relationship with Him.
When Darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
Taking Our Stand. It is easy to feel hopeless in times of great need. You know the kind of need. When it seems like the world is crashing in around you, when sickness, separation, betrayal, death, or the ugliness of sin seems to hide God’s face from your view. I love great hymns that affirm our stance as believers before God. When life is failing, they help us beat back the doors of hell, and shout to Satan that by the grace of God we are safe in His arms. That, no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck us from the hand of Christ, for it is in Him alone that we must take our stand.2” Nothing else comes close, NOTHING else comes close, to matching the power and peace that comes from laying our hopelessness at His
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
feet. It is not always easy, but it is always true.
O may I then in Him be found! Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!
How Can I Have Hope? Edward Mote’s song proclaims that it is
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
Christ’s “oath, His covenant, His blood” that sup-
all other ground is sinking sand;
port us in stormy weather. God’s Word is full of
all other ground is sinking sand.1
solid affirmation of His oaths and promises:
1
Mote, Edward, circa 1834; Mote’s Hymns of Praise,
Edward Mote, London, 1836.
6
2
Ketty, Keith and Townend, Stuart, 2001, Kingsway Music.
“For every one of God's promises is ‘Yes’ in Him (Christ).
build hope through a relationship with
Therefore, the ‘Amen’ is also spoken through Him
Christ. We must relinquish our lives to
by us for God's glory “ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Him. We must work at building our hope in Christ. We must learn to know Him and trust
What about God’s covenant? Over and over again
Him through reading and studying His Word,
throughout Scripture we see God remembering His covenant
through prayer and worship, through
and coming to the aid of His people:
relationships with other believers, by
“So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24).
telling others about the saving grace of Christ, and sometimes by simply leaning on His Word and our Family of Faith. We never know when we will need an extra measure of
“(He) remembered His covenant with them, and relented
hope in our lives. Hopelessness
according to the riches of His faithful love” (Psalm 106:45).
catches us by surprise. The darkness of life on this earth creeps
And, as for His blood, it was through the blood of Christ
up on us. That is why we must be
that God ultimately fulfilled His covenant completely. Through
prepared in advance to put all of
Christ, God provided a lasting, permanent sacrifice. Through
our hope in Christ Jesus. We
Christ, He destroyed Satan’s power over us. Through the risen
must already be clinging to the
Christ, God was able to place His presence—His very Spirit—
Solid Rock when tragedies
within us. Praise God for “His oath, His covenant and His blood
happen. We must be filled with
that support us in the whelming floods” of our lives.
the Truths of His Word.
We never know when we will need an extra measure of Hope.
Then, we must lean like crazy on Christ and His family of
Building Hope?
believers for prayer, support, comfort, encouragement, advice
Though Christ has done everything we need to give us
and love.
hope and assurance in His love, hope does not come automati-
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
cally. Hope is built—it is built on the Solid Rock of Christ. We
all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.
Quotes about Hope "If God can bring blessing from the broken body of Jesus and glory from something that's as obscene as the cross, He can bring blessing from my problems and my pain and my unanswered prayer. I just have to trust Him." Anne Graham Lotz "God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope." Catherine Marshall “The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV) 7
Tweets from Ginny: Giving Hope through Social Media ~ Ginny Tayes encouraged him all the “’For I know the plans I have for you,‘ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
more with a renewed spirit of hope.
plans to give you HOPE and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11(HCSB)
Plans for Hope and A Future. Throughout my son’s life, he has heard this verse a lot. I
Our Plans to
Encourage Others. Have you ever really thought about how
have quoted it to him, texted it, put it in his yearbook, and most
easy it is to encourage
recently, wrote it in my letters to him in military boot camp. It is
someone and to give them
such an encouraging verse to me—full of promise. What I didn’t
hope? I know that somewhere along the way, Jeremiah 29:11 has
Ginny Tayes
realize, was that while all these years I was quoting it to my son,
given my son hope during trials. All it took was my obedience to those plans the Lord had for him were not what I had envisioned. reach out and share it with him. It wasn’t until he had written
When you glorify Him, you give someone hope.
home to tell me that he had prayed to become a Marine, and God had answered his prayers. Then, I realized just how much God was taking care of him and prospering him to a new life. He was giving my son His hope for the future.
Tweets, Email, Instagram, Facebook & Chats. Today, we are overloaded with social media resources that we can use to share the hope of Jesus. I think I have said this before, but sometimes when I think it’s not a particularly meaningful verse I’m posting on Twitter or Facebook, I get comments that it was exactly what someone needed. I’ve used social media to reach people with God’s Word, and He blessed it! With access to such a large audience, I often think of
God’s Plans Were Not My Plans.
how different it would be if we only used words that would give others hope, instead of ones that could harm them, being careful to let God’s Word do the work.
Taylor has always dreamed of being a Marine. Looking
So before your next Facebook post, or Tweet, Instagram,
back at preschool drawings, everything he colored had some-
email, or chat, I challenge you to allow Jesus to be evident some-
thing military somewhere in the scene. Now when I see those
how in the words you write. Get creative! Allow Him to use your
Christmas scenes with camouflage elves, I realize it has been
humor, wit, compassion. Whatever it is that makes you unique
his plan all along. I realized that my plans, once again, were not
can be used to glorify the One who created you. When you glo-
God’s plans, I accepted the peace He offered with the fact
rify Him, you give someone hope.
that He is training my son up for his future. So I
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Mentoring Message: Group Mentoring Testimonials ~ Erin Rainer Group Mentoring Is Happening. We are mid-way through our first sessions of Group Mentoring, and I am so excited about the feedback that we are
“I have learned so much over the years, from godly women who have invested in my life, and who have held me accountable.” - Beverley Nash
hearing. We have three groups of eight-to-ten women who are being mentored. Each group is led by a facilitator who guides the discussion on biblical mentoring in the home of a hostess
“I just have a heart for telling others about Jesus and
who graciously opens her home to the women.
helping them to grow in their walk with the Lord.” - Jeanette Copeland
Testimonials from Participants. At our sign-up session, we asked the women to tell us why they wanted to participate. Here are some of their
Sharing Lives and Our Lord. What a blessing it is to hear other women talk about how much they have benefitted from the counsel of godly
responses: “I have wanted to be mentored for a long time. I just feel that I can learn so much from an older woman who has already been down the road I am on and has more experience.” - Bridget Horner
women who have taken the time to share their lives, and most of all, to share their Lord. In our meetings, we have discussed how we respond to others who may try to give us advice, why we need mentoring, and how mentoring works. Scripture has much to say about the importance of godly counsel:
“I am about to go through a new season of my life as I prepare for retirement. In my job, I mentor younger women every day, but I need to prepare for how God wants me to mentor when I leave the school environment.”
- Teri Anderson “I just need it.
As iron sharpens iron, so one (woman) sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
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I think it is important to get advice from wise, older Christian women.” - Hannah Wood
“Carry one another’s burdens. — Galatians 6:2 “Two are better than one; if one falls down his friend can help him up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Meet together…encourage and spur one another toward love and good deeds.” —Hebrews 10:24-25 If you are interested in being mentored, call the church office and we will connect you with one of our ladies. Or, God may have already shown you someone who you believe would be a good mentor, but you have been reluctant to ask them. I encourage you to pray about this and then follow the Lord’s leading to ask her.
What SSBC Women Are Doing Hospitality Dinner— April 26 Men’s Ministry Volunteers to Serve Us.
Red Carpet Theme.
At this year’s Women’s Hospitality Dinner, we plan to roll The Men’s Ministry has again volunteered to serve out the red carpet for all of our special guests—each of you! dinner, so our hostesses can fellowship with their guests. What a We plan to treat each and every lady who attends as our special treat this has been for us over the years. Thank you in advance, guest on SatURDAY, April 26, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. Men’s Ministry, for honoring us in this way. You won’t want to miss this night filled with encouraging women, great music, lots of laughter, and an inspiring speaker.
Our Speaker. Our speaker this year is Candace Keck, a native Tennessean. Candace is a 1992 graduate of Tennessee Tech University, and a former middle school teacher. In 1999, she moved to Nashville to Candace Keck work as an event planner for Lifeway Christian Resources. While there, she met and married Chad Keck. Chad is now senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Kettering, Ohio. They previously served at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, TX, and Sarasota Baptist Church in Florida. Candace loves teaching a women's Sunday School Class, working in women’s ministry and coaching Upward Sports. She is also an ambassador for Plexus weight-loss products. This year, she accepted a position as kindergarten teacher. The joy of her life is raising their daughter Hadley, age 9, and their son Shepherd, age 6, whom they adopted from China in 2008. “I always want to plug adoption,” she said. In her two-to-three minutes of spare time each week, Candace loves to read (Jane Austen), eat chips and salsa with friends and talk on the phone with her mother, which “always takes longer than two or three minutes!”
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Here’s How the Dinner Works. Any Stevens Street woman may reserve a table for 8 people and decorate it with her own dishes, flatware, glasses, napkins and centerpiece. You may choose china, paper, plastic, whichever is your preference. A white tablecloth will be provided. The hostess of each table invites other women to sit with her. The cost is $10 per person. Each hostess is responsible for purchasing the number of tickets that her table seats and either giving them away or selling the tickets to her guests.
Awards for Best Tables. Be creative with your decorations, there will be Space is limited. prizes awarded for Most CreaHostesses tive, Best Use of Theme and Register Early! Most Beautiful tables. We will also have drawings for door Individual tickets prizes throughout the night. If are also you would like to donate a available. door prize, or know of someone who would be willing to donate, please email us at
[email protected]. Watch the bulletin and screens for future announcements. You will not want to miss this very special event. It is a wonderful opportunity to invite your friends who are not attending church anywhere, and for non-Christian friends and family. The Children’s Ministry showed us by example at their Hospitality Dinner (see page 4) how to reach out to the community. Let’s follow their lead.
True Motherhood: Walking with God Hope & the Harvest ~ Jennifer Acuff Plowing in Hope.
the harvest in the summer. It seems like there is never enough
Our family moved to Middle Tennessee in 2005. Every
light in winter—the cold dark-
spring, for eight years, I have made a well-organized garden
ness of night falls quickly each
plan. It is detailed and includes lists and sketches. I work the
day. The physical world around
ground, prune the branches, and find the best seeds and plants
us can help contribute to a lack
for planting. I plow in hope every year. I hope for a great harvest
of emotional and spiritual nour-
of fresh vegetables and fruits to feed and nourish my family. I
ishment. It can create opportu-
have learned a lot over the years with each garden experience,
nities for us to doubt that spring
but mostly I’ve discovered that I am possibly the worst gardener
will ever come and to doubt that
in Middle Tennessee.
we will ever be joyful again.
Jennifer Acuff
I have never had any success with any of my gardens. A few sad looking vegetables and something resembling a watermelon every other year, but the facts remain that I am a horrible gardener. The results of my attempts have taught me to look for hope in the words of the prophet Habakkuk:
Pruning Our Branches As We Wait. When we are denied the beauty and comforts of the sunshine and warmth of summer, God’s promises can sustain us. Winter can be a wonderful time to work our spiritual ground, prune our branches, and feed our spiritual roots. It is a good
“Though the fig tree does not bud
time to pray with David and the writer of Hebrews:
and there is no fruit on the vines, Though the olive crop fails
“God, create a clean heart for me
and the fields produce no food,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me”.
Though there are no sheep in the pen
(Psalm 51:10).
and no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will triumph in Yahweh;
“I will put my hope in Jesus Christ,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
and rejoice in the God of my salvation.
(Habakkuk 3:17-18)
This hope I will set as an anchor to my soul, both sure and steadfast.” (Hebrews 6:19).
Doubting in Winter. In winter, we all struggle with bouts of cabin fever. It is one of the reasons I enjoy garden planning and dreaming about
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So, will I plant a garden this year? Of course I will, and I will rejoice in whatever harvest is received.
News and Announcements: Prayer & Hopelessness
Opportunities for Missions Will you prayerfully consider
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything,
what involvement God wants you to
by prayer and petition,
have in these missions opportunities?
with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”
Whether prayer, financial support or going yourself, God has a place for you.
(Philippians 4:6).
We know that the best thing we can do when we are feeling hopeless is to take our requests to God, but sometimes it is too hard. It is during those times that we need to reach out to our church family to intercede for us. We need to gather our prayer warriors around us to plead at God’s throne on our behalf. Scripture commands us to pray for one another: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16). I encourage you to seek out godly women with whom you can pray for each other’s needs. Prayer partners are a gift from God within the body of Christ. If you need help finding a prayer partner, the Women’s Ministry Leadership Team will be glad to help you. Contact us through our email. Our address is
India: May 10-20 Cost $2700 estimated. Serving with Indian missionary, MK; Evangelism and discipleship Carson-Newman University: May 25-29 Cost $80 estimated. Serving with mission group, Baptist Builders; light construction/renovation. Haiti: Oct. 18-27 Cost $1000 estimated. Serving with Cockerhams; Constructing new orphanage, children’s ministry. Lighthouse Christian Camp Cost minimal, local—Smithville, TN Ongoing ministry to children and summer boys and girls camps. New York City: May 20-June 6 Cost $800 estimated. Serving with church plant, New City Church; Children’s Bible studies, prayer walking and other church projects. Romania: July 11-19 Cost $2600 est. Serving with mission partner, PIMI. Evangelism, medical clinics & church services.
VineLife is a quarterly newsletter by and for the women of Stevens Street Baptist Church. Yvonne Ward, Director Beverley Nash, Editor Lisa Norsworthy, Layout Stevens Street Baptist Church 327 W. Stevens Street Cookeville, TN 38501 931/526-6398 Email
[email protected] Webpage www.stevensstreet.org/women SSBC Women’s Ministry @SSBC Women’s Ministry Logo and newsletter design, compliments of WDStone & Associates
Panama City, FL: July 13-19 Cost $250 est. Student ministry, Sent Church; Children’s Bible studies, prayer walking, community events.
[email protected], or call the church office at 931/526-6398.
Rwanda, Africa: Oct. 5-18 Cost $1000 est. Serving with Love Alive International, evangelism, children, family ministries. Eph. 3:17
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