September 14, 2023
Happy Thursday, everyone. Here’s what you need to know going into this weekend:
Coming Up
This Sunday
Scripture text: Luke 16:19-31
Rejoice
Come Christians, Join to Sing
The Blood of Jesus Speaks for Me
Turn Your Eyes
Upcoming Songs:
September 17 - Come, Christians Join to Sing
September 24 - He Leadeth Me (Multigen Sunday)
October 1 - Washed Away
October 15 - All Sufficient Merit
Worship Ministry Spotlight
Christi Dukes
Orchestra member - saxophone
Hometown:
Warner Robbins, GA and Hillsboro, TN
Kids/grandkids/pets?
8 kids, 13 grandkids, dog and cat
How long have you been at Stevens Street?
14 years
Highschool activity:
Band: marching, concert, and pep Academic clubs: Beta, Spanish, Junior Achievement. That’s all I can remember. That was a very long time ago.
Favorite free time activity:
Spend time with family & friends, read, enjoy outdoor activities like kayaking, white water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, camping, etc.
Dream vacation spot:
Mountains, anywhere that is 500 miles from the nearest light pole.
Favorite breakfast cereal:
I mix my own. Heritage flakes, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, and whole almonds with coconut almond milk.
If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
Guitar-I enjoy the experience of hitting a chord correctly or playing a melody that connects with me. Guitar, or playing music in general, was out of reach in my childhood due to lack of accessibility. I was “allowed to choose” the saxophone in Middle School because the band didn’t have a sax player. I enjoy the sax, but that wasn’t my first choice.
Favorite thing about worship ministry:
Connecting to Jesus corporately through singing songs of worship that reflects His Words to us in scripture. The only thing to me that is more powerful is connecting with Him in individual prayer.
Notes
Be sure to pick up your Christmas 2023 CD in the choir room! If you’d prefer for me to load a flash drive with the tracks, just bring me a thumb drive and I will be happy to do so. Remember, the date for the Christmas worship service will be Sunday evening, December 10 at 5:00p. As usual, we plan on extending the two Wednesday evening rehearsals prior to that service, so rehearsals on Wednesday, Nov 19 and Dec 6 will be from 6-8pm.
Last night we posted our Connect Groups for this year of worship ministry. Remember, these are the people to whom you can pass along prayer requests, and also let them know when you cannot make a Wednesday rehearsal. You can find the updated list here, and you’ll be able to find it each week in these updates.
As I mentioned last night, we have several church families involved in a Homeschool Dramatic Society presentation of “Blessed Assurance: the story of Fanny Crosby.” This is a play that is showing today, tomorrow, and Saturday at several times. Visit homeschooldramaticsociety.com for more information.
Prayer Requests
Curt Ullery (new orchestra member), with a leg infection after surgery.
David Barrett, former choir member, diagnosed with lymphoma in his liver.
Emily Leopold, having an ultrasound today to see if her baby boy is still breech.
Jennifer Ledbetter’s father, Walk, having a risky valve replacement surgery on 9/26.
Brian Ledbetter’s son-in-law, Champion, who fell and hurt his ankle.
Grandma Betty and Vic Speck.
The sister of Grace Dillon, on dialysis right now and looking for a kidney donor. Her mother is also on dialysis.
Reagan Bagci and family (Ali, Michelle).
Pastor Scott, as he prepares to preach the Word on Sunday.
Looking to pray something specific for our church? Pray Ephesians 3:16-19.
An Extra
With all the baptisms we’ve been having lately, this is a great time to brush up on your understanding about what the Bible teaches about baptism. For some, getting baptized is simply an individual’s personal spiritual decision that follows their personal decision to follow Jesus. I’ve heard this view of baptism described as a “spiritual high five”— someone gets saved, we celebrate with them in baptism, and that’s the extent of its significance.
However, Scripture’s teaching on baptism goes beyond simply celebrating someone’s salvation. Baptism has deep connections to a biblical understanding of the local church, the new covenant, church membership, the Lord’s Supper, and sound ecclesiology. It is indeed a celebration, but it is also an extensively corporate act that the church body undertakes as well as the individual.
Baptism is a big deal! So big, in fact, that church denominations have split and formed over it—just think about those who affirm the baptism of infants (paedobaptists like Presbyterians). In fact, some of our early Baptist family members (the Anabaptists) were persecuted and killed (by drowning, ironically) by other Christians who objected to the Baptist view that only professing believers should be baptized, not infants.
Probably my favorite book on baptism from a purely Baptist (and I’d argue, biblical) perspective is Going Public, by Bobby Jamieson. It’s not an overly difficult read if you’re up for a little challenge. If you’d like, check out this collection of great quotes from the book that might serve to whet your appetite for the subject.
Questions?
Respond to the worship ministry text on your phone, or use the form below.
Email Andy: ahammond@stevensstreet.org
Email April: alangford@stevensstreet.org