Lamplighter

Vol. 6 Issue 2 February 2013

The

Our Church Staff

Gary Burden
Senior Pastor 919-631-6789

Parents Night Out-Reach Friday, February 8th 6 - 9 PM

More details on page 3 of this issue.

Landon Orr
Assoc. Pastor of Discipleship & Evangelism 919-229-9379

Debbe Langdon
Music Director/Pianist 919-410-0271

Chastity Comeau
Admin. AssistantFinances

Seniors Luncheon Saturday, February 16th 1:00 PM

More details on page 3 of this issue. Love: Real or Plastic?

Pat Baucom
Admin. Assistant - Publications

This Months Highlights

February Highlights Note from the Pastor Note from Landon Announcements Calendar Financials A Note from Debbe Extended Session Birthdays Anniversaries LifeLine Small Group Studies p. 1 p. 1 p. 2 p. 3 P. 4 p. 5 p. 5 p. 5 p. 6 p. 6 P.6

On Valentines Day of 2011 Ken and Barbie officially reunited after a seven-year breakup. The dolls that have been around for five decades (Barbie 1959 & Ken 1961) posted the following message on Facebook and Twitter: We may be plastic, but our love is real. Its a striking phrase for our culture because we too often tragically reverse the sentiment: We may be real, but our love is plastic. Americans are second only to South Africans in verbally affirming their love on a daily basis. In the United States 67% of spouses say, I love you at least once a day. Eleven percent of married couples acknowledge their love weekly or monthly, and 21% cant recall the last time they said it. Of course, making it real takes more than a steady dose of words. But saying it does help prime the pump sometimes. But one way to evaluate our love for others is to take the 1 Corinthians 13 Testyou know, the passage where Paul paints a descriptive word picture of genuine, agape, God-kind-of-love. This is the kind of love He shows us, and its a love only he can produce and show through us. Read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, then take the test. Here it is:
Continued on page 2

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Making Love Personal

1. Substitute the name Jesus for the word love (or for it when it refers to love) as you read the passage. Jesus is the perfect embodiment and fulfillment of genuine love. God is love. 2. Now, knowing that God wants to express the love and life of Jesus through us His people, take a test to see how freely He is doing so today. For example, just taking verses 4-8, substitute your name for love this time (or for it when it refers to love) instead of Jesus as in number one above. Are you ready? ________ is patient, ________ is kind. ________does not envy, ________does not boast, ________ is not proud. ________does not dishonor others, ________is not self-seeking, ________is not easily angered, ________keeps no record of wrongs. ________does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. ________always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ________never fails. So, how did you do? Was it real, or was it plastic? There is plenty of plastic love in the culture of our world. And unfortunately, a lot of it slips into our churches (because it slips in through plastic hearts). But, against the fake backdrop of a plastic world, how great and obvious it is when the real deal shines through Gods real people wherever He places us each day. But its impossible for us to love like that! Oh, so true. Thats why the Lord doesnt expector wantyou to love with your love. Human love is by its very nature plastic (corrupted by sin). All He is asking is this: Keep your heart open to Me, and I will continually pour My love to you and through you. Youre not the producer; you are the vessel and the channel. But let me at least just say it here: God loves you, and I love you! Gary Burden "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28

For those of you who do not know, a couple years ago I was introduced to endurance sports, and now I am hooked. The hour plus long bike rides and runs provide a valuable amount of stress relief, meditation and prayer time (though I dont advise running/biking with closed eyes),and exercise to aid in my mental, physical, and spiritual health. I have come to cherish this exercise, to the point that periods of inactivity cause me to become restless. Right before Christmas, due to a zealous overestimation of my ability (aided by a particularly gorgeous day), I suffered an overuse injury in my right leg. I was distraught. As I hobbled back to my car I prayed that everything would just magically go back to normal. After arriving home, I did what any normal 26 year old injured athlete would do. I iced my leg, pulled up the laptop, got on Youtube, and self diagnosed my injury. I took a few days off, added a stretching regimen, and got right back to running. The pain was still there, but as time went on it subsided and I was able to run like usual, or so I thought. Sitting here today I am fidgety because I have not been able to do any sort of run in just over a week. You see, while I was able to make the symptoms of my problem go away, I suspect I never addressed the root issue. Last week, the pain came back with a vengeance. It snuck up on me, proving that there was probably more going on than I wanted to admit. If I had just taken the time to carefully examine myself, I very well could be healthy and running right now, instead of sitting in my office chair trying to forget that there is a rubbermaid tub of leftover Halloween candy being stored on the other side of my desk. Our Christian walk works the same way. It is very easy for us to make rules or restrictions to temporarily hide the symptoms of our problems, but we will never actually defeat sin in our lives until we are willing to identify our idols and take the time to deal with them. As a congregation, we need to be willing to aid each other in this endeavor if we ever want to see growth as a corporate body. I wanted my leg injury to be healed as quickly as possible, so I did just enough to convince myself that it was healed. I would have saved both time and discomfort if I had just stopped and focused on true healing. Hiding issues is quick, curing issues takes time. Hidden things are always found, truly cured things never come back.

Landon

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2012 LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING

THEME: BE His Heart, His Hands, His Voice

National Goal: $175,000 Million Bethesda Baptist Church Goal: $5,000. Received as of 12/30: $6,421.50

Parents Night Out-Reach Friday, February 8th, 69 PM Age 3 yrs.5th grade

With Valentine's day just around the corner, what better way to reach out to parents in the community than to offer them a night out together sans kiddos! Have neighbors or coworkers who could use the break? Start inviting them so they can make plans to enjoy a night off. We will be providing dinner beginning at 6 PM, followed by exciting Bible studies and games for each age group, and will wrap up with snack and a movie. If you are available to help with this outreach event in any way please call Brigitte at 919-961-0759. It will be an amazing opportunity during this season of love to share the Greatest Love with families in our community! (We do so many wonderfully fun things for the kids of Bethesda! Unless you are helping with the event, or your child is bringing a friend to the event, we would like to keep this Parents Night Out focused on those outside our church family.)

Seniors Luncheon Saturday February 16th 1:00 PM

Ron and Diane Whitman are hosting a Seniors Luncheon on Saturday, February 16th at 1:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. All seniors are invited and asked to sign up on the Seniors Luncheon sheet on the table in the foyer. The Whitmans are planning future events for the seniors. You are encouraged to attend and bring your ideas for future senior projects.

SERVICE CANCELLATION NOTICES will be seen on WRAL TV, on their website WRAL.COM, and on our church website (www.bethesdaclayton.com),

Brigitte

Englewood Baptist Church Rocky Mount, NC Guest Speakers Junior Hill, Clayton Cloer, & Vance Pitman Music by Teddy Johnson Transportation from Bethesda will be provided. Total cost for conference including Saturday lunch: $30.00 (check payable to Bethesda Baptist Church) Submit Registration Form (in church foyer) with payment to Gary Burden by February 24th .

Guys and Gals...Remember that February 14th is Valentines Day. A card , gift or flowers will go a long way in your rela-

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday
1

Friday
2

Saturday

3 Breakfast Fellowship Weekly Sunday Service 10 Weekly Sunday Service

5 Deacons Meeting 7:00 PM

6 AWANA and Weekly Wed. Schedule

Parents Night Out-Reach 6:00 - 9:00 PM

11 Ladies Night Out (Bowling)

12

13 AWANA and Weekly Wed. Schedule

14

15

16

Seniors Luncheon 1:00 PM

21 22 23

17 Weekly Sunday Service

18

19

20

24 Weekly Sunday Service

25

26 iChoose Banquet 6:30 PM Hilton, N. Raleigh

27 AWANA and Weekly Wed. Schedule

28

Sunday Schedule
9:15 am .................................................................... Bible Study Fellowship 10:30 am ........................................................ Morning Worship Celebration 6:00 pm ......................................... LifeLine...Get Connected (Small Groups)

Wednesday Night Schedule

6:30pm........................................................... Awana, Youth Bible Study 6:45 pm ...................................................... Adult Prayer and Bible Study Choir Rehearsal

Student LifeLine SPK CHOIR (Shout Praises Kids) - Grades 1-5

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NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

For "love month", I think I will just let the words of the songs say it for us... Oh how he loves you and me, Oh how he loves you and me. He gave his life, What more could he give? Oh how he loves you, Oh how he loves me, Oh how he loves you and me. Love divine all loves excelling Joy of heaven to earth come down Fix in us Thy humble dwelling All Thy faithful mercies crown Jesus Thou art all compassion Pure unbounded love Thou art Visit us with Thy salvation Enter every trembling heart O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, Because He first loved me. I hope you found yourself humming along as you read the words from these familiar songs! In closing, look around. who needs to hear of this love??? Share His love by telling what the Lord has done for you; Share His love by sharing of your faith; And show the world that Jesus Christ Is real to you ev'ry moment ev'ry day. God bless...

FEBRUARY EXTENDED SESSION AND KIDS CHURCH

Sunday, Feb. 3 - AM Babies: Kathleen McLamb & Cherilyn Murphy 2s: Heather Henry & Tori Smith 3s/4s: Julie Brueggen & Kristen Duncan K-3rd Kids Church Frances Burden & Angel Duncan Sunday, Feb. 3 - PM Sharon Johnson & Sharon Levin Wednesday, Feb. 6 - PM Frances Burden & Louise Gilmore Sunday, Feb. 10 - AM Babies: Brigitte Creech & Jan Culpepper 2s: Tobi & Brandi Sauer 3s/4s: Mandy & Brianna Windham K-3rd Kids Church Nicole & Michael Ritchie Sunday, Feb. 10 - PM Jane & Johnnie Gatlin Wednesday, Feb. 13 Jennifer Harrison & Terry Gatewood 2s: Wendy Beasley & Diane Duncan 3s/4s: Kristol & Nick Flanigan K-3rd Kids Church Will & Leigh Smith Sunday, Feb. 24- PM Bob & Brenda Jones Wednesday, Feb. 27 Christina & Warren Casper Sunday, Feb. 24- AM Babies: Faye Wells & Shalee Sams Sunday, Feb. 17 - AM Babies: Sondra Gatewood & Jane Gatlin 2s: Brittany & Andrew Arant 3s/4 s: Wendy & Chris Gatewood K-3rd Kids Church Terry Gatewood & David Duncan Sunday, Feb. 17 - PM Seth & Nicole Langdon Wednesday, Feb. 20 - PM Ron & Diane Whitman

Debbe
Facts & Figures for December 2012 / January 2013
Date Dec. 23 Dec. 30 Jan. 6 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 Total Avg. S.S. 69 86 86 95 79 415 83 AM Worship 116 135 131 130 149 661 132 Budget Offering 4,428.48 6,300.85 6,436.75 4,898.95 5,025.05 27,090.08 5,418.00 His Vision Our Mission 200.00 3,344.00 1,280.00 1,060.00 890.00 6,774.00 1,355.00

Preschool Regis. Desk Diane Duncan

Average Attendance & Offerings for December 2011 Avg. 120 179 5,734.57 1,013.25

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LIFELINE SMALL GROUP STUDIES

4967 Highway 70 West Business Clayton, NC 27520 Phone: 919-553-7678 Address Service Guaranteed

Were on the web!

www.bethesdaclayton.com

Sunday Nights 6:00 PM Three New Six Session Studies For Men: Sleeping Giant, by Kenny Luck As our culture decays around us...a giant sleepsthe men of your church,This Sleeping Giant mens strategy is a clarion call to action ...encouraging men to awaken, to move from the audience to the army Study Leader: Gary Burden. (Study Book -$11.00) For Women: Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted, by Priscilla Shirer Whether big or small, life is filled with interruptions and detours. How do you navigate your life through it all successfully? This study of Jonah will help provide perspective and encouragement. Study Leader: Leigh Smith. (Study Book - $12.00) Any: Your Role in Others LivesA Biblical Study of Relationships. No study book to purchase. Study Leader: Landon Orr.

February Birthdays
Kendall Beasley Kathleen McLamb Lyde Ellis Brianna Beasley Micah Creech Johnnie Gatlin Vickie Hall Charles Wilson Brandon Beasley Andrew Gatewood Betty Jones Jane Gatlin Chris Gatewood Daniel Gordon Grady Flanigan Betty Lee Ayden Lee Jr. Wendy Beasley Heather Henry Betty Jo Dalton Matthew Henry Stephanie Sasser Jane Rainey Angel Duncan Sharon (s) Johnson Ron Whitman Connor Lee Diane Duncan Anna Lia Ritchie Faye Parrish 3rd 4th 6th 7th 7th 7th 7th 7th 11th 12th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 16th 18th 20th 20th 21st 22nd 22nd 23rd 24th 24th 24th 25th 26th 26th 28th

Wayne & Linda Little Shelby & Carolyn Durham

8th 16th

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Bethesdas Goal: $3000.

5th Annual Love for Life Gala (An iChoose Banquet) Tuesday, February 26, 2013. 6:30-9:00 PM Hilton North Raleigh Keynote Speaker: Abby Johnson, Author of unPLANNED

To register go to: www.iChoosePartners.org