<p> time to minister to the poor. We will each have Stewartsville Baptistenough time Church to spend with our family. We will 10401 McColl Road , Laurinburg,each have N. C. enough 28352 time to sit down with a lost Phone: 910-277-0077 Fax:person 910-277-8682 and share the Gospel. We will each have Email: [email protected] web address: www.stewartsville.org JANUARY 2009 PASTORAL STAFF Eddy Simmons, Senior Pastor 217- 5724 Lewis F. McLean, Senior Adult Pastor 276- 4603 Garry K. Stuart, Music Minister 277- enough time to sit and cry with a friend, or to just sit 1835 and quietly listen to their hurts. We will all have the Richard T. Boda, Youth Pastor 462- exact same amount of time. May God Himself give 3849 each of us the wisdom to spend it for His glory, for our good, and for the good of others. As the new year begins, we want to say a special “THANK YOU” to our Stewartsville Family. HAPPY NEW YEAR! ONE EXTRA What a blessing you have been to the Simmons SECOND! THANK YOU! Family in our transition to Laurinburg and to our new church home. The show of love at Christmas I like the “atomic clock” system. It gives time has been especially overwhelming. Thank you exact time all of the time. No errors, no missed again for all of the cards, sweets, gifts and visits seconds, etc., well almost. It appears that we will during the Christmas season. We have felt loved, have gotten an extra second of time in 2008. appreciated and blessed by all of the kindnesses Technically, we each will be given a “leap second” that have been shown to us. We also appreciate all in 2008. You were probably asleep when the of the help that members have given us as we are second was added, so I give you permission to transitioning to our new house. We could not have spend the extra second in 2009. How will you gotten the work done without all of the labor and spend it? Scripture is very clear about the brevity expertise. May God richly bless each of you for the of time and how careful we should be with the time kindness that you have shown to our family. We that we are given. Ephesians 5:15-17 states: are blessed!! “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time (redeeming the time), because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” You will want to read the whole chapter to get the full meaning of these verses. ************************ You can also read in the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Job, and James and see that the Bible is very clear about how quickly our lives pass. Time is precious. We all know that, but do we live like it is precious. One second doesn’t January 8, 2009 sound like much, but will be very precious when 6:00pm you come to the time when it will be your last second. Therefore, how will you spend your seconds this year? Will you spend them for self- We will have a traditional New Year’s glory, or for His glory? Will you spend it on stuff or meal of black-eyed peas and collards. on people and relationships? I encourage all of us to take a sober look at how we are spending our Everyone age 55 and up is invited and time and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to spend it welcome! better. We will each have enough time to read His Word cover to cover. We will each have enough Congratulations to John and Kelly Lowe UPCOMING MEETINGS on the birth of their son, Hogan B. Lowe who was born January 4 4:30pm Deacon’s Meeting December 13. Hogan January 11 Business Meeting weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was January 13 9:00am Prayer Breakfast 21” long at birth. Hogan joins his January 19 7:00pm Laborers For Christ big brothers Tanner and Britt. </p><p>PRAYER BREAKFAST MUSIC MINISTRY Please plan to join us for the next prayer breakfast. We meet at 9:00am in the Discipleship building here at the church on the second What a year 2008 has been. The biggest Tuesday of each month. It is open to anyone event was the Adult Choir making their first CD. who would like to attend. Plan now to join us on Lots of practice and paperwork went into that Tuesday, January 13 at 9:00am. venture, but it was well worth all the hard work. By the way, we still have a lot of the CD’s left if you would like to buy one for yourself or for a friend. Our choir member Laborers For Christ recruitment contest was a great success – we January 19 7:00pm now have 8 new members with lots of room for more. We would love to have anyone who loves to sing to come join us each Wednesday We will meet at Nelma Ciarrocca’s night at 8pm for rehearsal. home (7860 Fox Crossing Road). A huge thanks to the choir and the youth drama for their wonderful job with the All women are invited. Christmas musical. Emily and her assistants once again created such complimentary drama for the music, making it a true worship THANK YOU experience. Thanks also to “Bob the Builder” for working magic with his cardboard. From Dear Stewartsville Friends and family, houses to Hummers, Bob can build it with We can’t begin to thank you enough for all cardboard and duck tape! Our Preschool choir the visits, foods, and above all the prayers that and our Children’s choir also did a great job went up for our son and brother during his sickness with their presentations. Thanks Betty and and death. Emily and all those who help with our choirs. Please keep us in your thoughts and I would also like to express my prayers. appreciation to all who sent cards and gifts Prayerfully yours, during this Christmas season. Your Mary Dozier and Janet Wallace thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated, and you are such a blessing to me. I look forward to this next year, serving as your Minister of Music and worshipping with you each week. To Our Church Family, May God bless you and may you have a We just want to say how much we great 2009 serving the Lord. appreciate everything you did for our family during the loss of our Mother. The food, flowers and phone calls, but most of all your prayers meant everything to us. We feel so blessed to have you as our church family. The Mildred Malloy Family (Carolyn Hardin & Kathleen Lemonds) ANGEL FOOD MINISTRY PANTRY In September, this Program was assessed by Pastor Eddy and it was decided we should The children in AWANA have brought a offer this Program for four months – October goodly number of canned foods for the through January, after which a decision would be Pantry and we Praise the Lord for all of made whether to continue it as part of our their help. Outreach at Stewartsville. Working with John and Sherri Cayton at First Baptist, Maxton has been very good for both We can always use jelly, mac and cheese churches. We will be taking orders for the and spaghetti sauce. January menu in the Old Sanctuary from 9 to 12 on January 8 and the food will be delivered on January 17. The menu is on the bulletin board. INASMUCH This is a good food program with excellent food. We are trying to find a way to reach people We continue to provide 416 snack bags who receive food stamps so they can get more each week for the needy children in County and better food with their stamps. This is one of schools. We need help with crackers and Slim the objects of offering this Program. Jims. Buying a box of Angel Food is a good way Here is the good news --- God blessed our to witness to someone you know who is having a efforts with the Shoeboxes and we delivered 250 rough time feeding their family. to 13 schools. Many hours were spent working to At the end of January, a decision will be be sure each box would be a blessing to the child made whether to continue this Program and you receiving it. And we praise God for answering will be advised by the newsletter. our prayer that we could get the Christmas Story into the homes of these children. Nellie Locklear, Ellen Weeks, Brenda CHRISTMAS CHEER Hartis, Gloria Stanley and Maxine Gore, among We chose 11 families (38 persons) from others, worked tirelessly to perfect these boxes Christmas Cheer, which were given to the and be sure they had Christmas wrapping. On th Sunday School classes. These classes provided delivery day, Thursday, December 18 , Dick Britt toys, bikes, clothes, food and household supplies and Jim Coulter showed up with their trucks to for each of these families. In addition, some of deliver the boxes to the schools. And we thank the classes helped other families, including the all of you for helping with this project. children from the Odom Home. What a Mighty God we serve! We heard wonderful, heart-warming stories about God’s blessing as these gifts were Parent-Child Dedication delivered to the homes. But one was special: we Sunday, January 18 – 10:15 a.m. Service had searched for a 10 year old little girl and her mother and finally a carrier at the Post Office led Parent-Child Dedication is a special event at us to their home. There were no lights or bright Stewartsville Baptist Church. This special time of decorations but Yamain, the little girl, had taken a commitment is for parents to dedicate their child to the loving care and keeping of the Lord. In so doing, sheet of lined notebook paper and written in they are committing themselves to the maintenance of pencil, “House of Jesus Christ” and signed her a Christian home where Christ is the center of that and her mother’s names and tacked it to the front home, and the Word of God is part of their daily lives. door and it was a wonderful sight! They are actually dedicating themselves to raise their Thanks to you, this mother and child had a baby for the Lord. If you would like to be a participant wonderful Christmas. in the upcoming dedication service, you can register To God Be the Glory Great Things He Hath by calling the church at 277-0077. Invite your Done in giving us the opportunities to bless so relatives, loved ones, and special friends to share in many of His children. this memorable event of your family’s life.</p>