T h e v i s i o n

April 20, 2021

VBS Registration for Morningside Families Begins this Sunday!

Vacation School will be June 7-11 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Students will visit Mystery Island, where they will search for clues to learn about the One True God.

Vacation Bible School will be open to the public for ages K5 through high school. We will have a Preschool class, but it will only be open to our Morningside families.

I urge all of our church families to get your kids registered for VBS before we open registration to the public. Registration forms are available in the Worship Center lobby near the Mystery Island display, as well as at the nursery check-in desks and the kid’s and youth Sunday School classes. Parents, please register your kids for VBS this Sunday.

Wednesday Night Activities Are Back!

All of our 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night activities resume next Wednesday, April 28! Those activities include the following:

 Nursery for kids birth through age 3 who are not potty trained  Mission Friends for potty trained 3 years olds through kindergarten  Venture Club for kids in grades 1 – 5  Safe Harbor Youth Service for students in grades 6 – 12  Chancel Choir rehearsal  In-person Worship Service

Facemasks are WELCOME at all activities, but they are NOT REQUIRED at any activity.

These are exciting times to serve the Lord! More things in our church and our world are returning to normalcy. With Wednesday night activities resuming, smaller age-graded Sunday School classes returning soon, Vacation Bible School, and the South Georgia Bible Conference, the coming months are sure to be full of God’s blessings.

Brother John

Guest Speakers

Gerald Harris Herman Parker Matt Peek Josh Saefkow

Mike Stone Barry Snapp Al Wright

Guest Musicians

Jack Price The Mylon Hayes Family

Rachel and her mom, Nancy Hiers, would like to express appreciation to the church for their support, prayers, cards, phone calls, and other forms of outreach during the loss of Rachel’s sister, Laura Knight.

WelcomeWelcome NewNew MembersMembers

Jayden Cornwell - Joseph Cornwell - Baptism

O CHURCH, ARISE Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend

O Church, arise, and put your armor on; hear the call of Christ our captain.

For now the weak can say that they are strong in the strength that God has given. With shield of faith and belt of truth, we’ll stand against the devil’s lies. An army bold, whose battle cry is Love, Reaching out to those in darkness. David Tew Minister of Music Our call to war, to love the captive soul, but to rage against the captor;

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole, we will fight with faith and valor.

When faced with trials on every side, we know the outcome is secure. And Christ will have the prize for which He died: An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross, where love and mercy meet, as the Son of God is stricken; Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet, for the Conqueror has risen!

And as the stone is rolled away, and Christ emerges from the grave,

This victory march continues till the day ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride; give grace for every hurdle, That we may run with faith to win the prize of a servant good and faithful. As saints of old, still line the way, Retelling triumphs of His grace, we hear their calls,

And hunger for the day when with Christ we stand in Glory.

This truly could be a hymn written for today and the situation we find ourselves in as face more and more opposition to things of the Lord. We are warned in the Bible that we will face more and more difficult times before Christ’ return. But as children of God, we are called to face the battle with boldness and courage. We must fight with love and dignity.

If you do not know this hymn or any other song that we sing at Morningside, I encourage you to look up the song on the internet and seek to learn a new song. It is a joy for me to lead in music and watch my family engage in worship through music. Let’s arise, church, and prepare for the battle we will surely face.

Because He Lives, Brother David

In my prior profession I always thought I had the toughest customers in the world. I now realize that God used those tough customers to prepare me for this ministry and the really tough customers – teenagers!! And although I cared deeply for my old customers and made many friendships, these teenage customers I love and find myself constantly thinking how to reach them for the cause of Christ.

I also find myself not wanting to taint the ministry by turning to worldly gimmicks and tricks to “Nipper” entertain our students instead of discipling them. It is with that thought in mind that I selected John Nitschke our current Wednesday night teaching curriculum. For its introduction I teased the Youth with a Youth Director riddle: Everybody wants it, but each may define it differently. They look all over for it, but most have been told where to find it. Books, movies and songs have all been created about our search for it. What is it?? The Good Life.

We each may define the “good life” differently but when it all boils down, for the most part, there are three commonalties that describe our “good life:” (1) We want to be reasonably happy, (2) We want our life to have meaning, (3) and with meaning comes purpose – a life purpose.

I gave an illustration about a businessman and a fisherman. Both had goals in life. Both had different views on how to achieve those goals. I asked the students who was right? Who was wrong? Is there an answer?

We could probably debate endlessly who had the correct answer, but the reason I shared the story was to simply illustrate that different people interpret the path to the “good life” in different ways. They have different views of how to obtain the good life.

So “The Good Life” is the title of our current teaching series and last week we started it with a brief introduction and backgrounder. The big takeaway is that life is viewed through two contrasting lenses or views: there is the worldview and the Christian worldview. We learned that the Christian worldview is seen through the life, experiences and teachings of , of what His Word says and how the directs and guides us. For example:

The world says: Jesus Says: • Personal success leads to the good life • Dependency leads to the good life • Having the perfect external image leads to the good life • Having a Christ-like heart leads to the good life • Romance leads to the good life • True love leads to the good life • Getting more “stuff” leads to the good life • Sacrifice and contentment lead to the good life

We closed our discussion by looking at Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Engage your student by asking them what they think are some ways that that a Christian’s worldview is different from a non-Christian’s?

Keep the Faith!! Brother Nipper

Graduation Recognition Baby Dedication Sunday, May 23 Sunday, May 9 5:00 PM 10:30 AM We will recognize the graduates from high school, If you would like to have your baby/child dedicated Tech schools, College & Universities. contact the church office at 229-242-1426. Contact the church office at 229-242-1426.

Church Records April 18, 2021

Worship Service Sunday School

8:15 AM Morning Worship ...... 103 Attendance:

10:30 AM Morning Worship ...... 207 Preschool...... 11 Nursery ...... 7 Children ...... 25 Total 317 Youth ...... 18 College & Career ...... 20 Evening Worship ...... 170 Adults ...... 129 Nursery ...... 2 Total 203 Total 172

Contacts ...... 378

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