This past weekend has been one that I have enjoyed greatly. The family of First Baptist Church Harlingen enjoyed some down time together. We spent Saturday morning at war with each other, a paintball war that is. We had so much fun plastering each other with different colors of paint. Some of us resembled Joseph and his coat of many colors by the time we were through. Some of us, especially the older guys, were a little sore the following day from all the diving and running, not to mention the whelps from the paintballs. Through it all, we laughed, played, and of course ate together. Once again, we experienced the family life found in FBC Harlingen.
On Sunday we enjoyed a special mission report from the Ackerman family about their work in Nepal. We worshipped the Lord together and were blessed to hear a great word from the Lord in our Life Groups and in our worship service.
During the afternoon hours, we participated in our second annual TURKEY BOWL. It was a great afternoon of flag football and hamburgers in Arroyo Park. The "Cogers" beat the "Whippersnappers" in a close game, but fun was had by all. One of the coggers actually had to have small shoulder surgery that night, but overall everything went great.
During all of these events, we saw our church having fun together. People of all ages coming together to love each other and spend quality time together.
Praise God for the sweet fellowship of First Baptist Church Harlingen.
sore but loving it,
Bro. Wade
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Second Saturday - Mission Day
What a blessing today was in my life. Our wonderful church family had the privilege of housing another mission group heading into Mexico. This group was special to me as they were from northeast Arkansas, the association where I first served as pastor. They were so appreciative of our church's desire to bless the many groups that travel through our town to obediently serve in God's kingdom work in the valley and in Mexico.
We also held our intial Second Saturday missions day and I was blessed to join with several members in our church and some who do attend our church to minister to the Warner family again. We continued the remodel process on their home. Allison is improving daily in the Cleveland Clinic. Please continue to pray for her improvement and healing. Please consider ministering to others by participating in the next Second Saturday. We believe this will be a strong ministry in our church for many years to come.
Blessed to be a servant,
Bro. Wade
We also held our intial Second Saturday missions day and I was blessed to join with several members in our church and some who do attend our church to minister to the Warner family again. We continued the remodel process on their home. Allison is improving daily in the Cleveland Clinic. Please continue to pray for her improvement and healing. Please consider ministering to others by participating in the next Second Saturday. We believe this will be a strong ministry in our church for many years to come.
Blessed to be a servant,
Bro. Wade
Friday, November 2, 2007
Staff Appreciation Month
I do not believe that I can express my gratitude enough to those who have loved on our wonderful staff this month (and of course all during the year). During this month, your staff members have experienced a great outpouring of God's love through the membership of First Baptist Church Harlingen. The letters, gifts, words of encouragment, and many other acts of love have touched our hearts and have served to once again remind us of how blessed we are to serve this great church.
Thank you for your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Each of these gifts of the spirit have been shown to my family and to the staff. "Thank you" to our family at FBC Harlingen for allowing the Holy Spirit to live through you.
humbled by your love,
Bro. Wade
Thank you for your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Each of these gifts of the spirit have been shown to my family and to the staff. "Thank you" to our family at FBC Harlingen for allowing the Holy Spirit to live through you.
humbled by your love,
Bro. Wade
Amazing Servants at the Fall Family Festival
Computer problems have kept me away for a while, but I seem to have access again; even if for a short time.
Wednesday evening was a clear evidence of how the Holy Spirit is working in and through First Baptist Church Harlingen. Our Fall Family Festival was such a great success. The wonderful volunteers of FBC once again stepped up to the plate and hit a smashing homerun. Everywhere you looked you could see the love of God evidenced in the lives of those who were serving with a smile. The wonderful people on mission with God volunteered to serve food and clean up in the kitchen, to run the many games, to oversee the bouncers and large games, to stand in the door or in the hall to greet people. Each of them were vessels of God's love and were blessed by how they saw God working through them.
I was overwhelmed with the comments I heard that night and since then. Many said things like, "everybody here is so friendly" or "we are so thankful that you do this each year" or "we have never been to your church, but we feel so welcome here" or "how can we be a part of what is going on here?" So many expressed appreciation and amazement at the kindness experessed to them.
Please allow me to add that I too was amazed once again and I am so thankful to be a part of what God is doing through our wonderful church family.
Please pray for those who made decisions at the festival and accepted Christ or rededicated their lives. Pray for those who will be coming to our church in the next few weeks, seeking the same love and grace they experienced at the Festival.
serving and loving together with you,
Bro. Wade
Wednesday evening was a clear evidence of how the Holy Spirit is working in and through First Baptist Church Harlingen. Our Fall Family Festival was such a great success. The wonderful volunteers of FBC once again stepped up to the plate and hit a smashing homerun. Everywhere you looked you could see the love of God evidenced in the lives of those who were serving with a smile. The wonderful people on mission with God volunteered to serve food and clean up in the kitchen, to run the many games, to oversee the bouncers and large games, to stand in the door or in the hall to greet people. Each of them were vessels of God's love and were blessed by how they saw God working through them.
I was overwhelmed with the comments I heard that night and since then. Many said things like, "everybody here is so friendly" or "we are so thankful that you do this each year" or "we have never been to your church, but we feel so welcome here" or "how can we be a part of what is going on here?" So many expressed appreciation and amazement at the kindness experessed to them.
Please allow me to add that I too was amazed once again and I am so thankful to be a part of what God is doing through our wonderful church family.
Please pray for those who made decisions at the festival and accepted Christ or rededicated their lives. Pray for those who will be coming to our church in the next few weeks, seeking the same love and grace they experienced at the Festival.
serving and loving together with you,
Bro. Wade
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Reaching the World for Christ
What a great night! I was so blessed tonight to be the vessel of God's love to a man who decided this was the night he would ask Christ into his heart. It was such a joy to watch Jesus come into his life and change him completely. Recently, his wife accepted Christ as her Savior and because of the power change that clearly happened in her life, her husband decided he also needed God. Nothing stands as a greater witness than a Changed Life.
In just a few weeks he and his wife will be baptized to testify to the life change that Christ has brought to them both. Please join me in praying for them in their new life.
When I asked about why he had not yet accepted Christ, he shared a common answer - he did not really know how to be saved. I am not sure about you, but I was overwhelmed with a sense of shame. Shame because the church is failing so many people around us every day. We hold the plan of salvation in our minds and hearts and we are blessed to have the privilege of sharing that truth. Remember, not everybody knows how to be saved, and some are simply waiting for us to go and share that truth with them. Will you tell them?
"14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Joining you in telling others the good news,
Bro. Wade
In just a few weeks he and his wife will be baptized to testify to the life change that Christ has brought to them both. Please join me in praying for them in their new life.
When I asked about why he had not yet accepted Christ, he shared a common answer - he did not really know how to be saved. I am not sure about you, but I was overwhelmed with a sense of shame. Shame because the church is failing so many people around us every day. We hold the plan of salvation in our minds and hearts and we are blessed to have the privilege of sharing that truth. Remember, not everybody knows how to be saved, and some are simply waiting for us to go and share that truth with them. Will you tell them?
"14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Joining you in telling others the good news,
Bro. Wade
Sunday, September 16, 2007
New Deacons
Just as in Acts 13 our church expressed a clear mandate from God about the calling of God on the men presented to us for deacon candidates. Each man was affirmed with a very supportive vote from the congregation; nearly unanimous for each. These men will serve our church family for many years to come with a passion for Christ and a love for his people.
Please join me in praying for these men and their families (Ben Carter, Jim Coffman, Mike Davis, and Keith King). We will express our earliest support for them by our prayers and words of encouragement. They will most appreciate your prayers and words, but also remember that as servant leaders they will be thankful to serve alongside of you in ministry.
First Baptist Church Harlingen is blessed to have such godly leadership, especially in our deacons. May we always love and support those that God has placed in leadership in our wonderful church.
Serving the servants of Christ,
Bro. Wade
Please join me in praying for these men and their families (Ben Carter, Jim Coffman, Mike Davis, and Keith King). We will express our earliest support for them by our prayers and words of encouragement. They will most appreciate your prayers and words, but also remember that as servant leaders they will be thankful to serve alongside of you in ministry.
First Baptist Church Harlingen is blessed to have such godly leadership, especially in our deacons. May we always love and support those that God has placed in leadership in our wonderful church.
Serving the servants of Christ,
Bro. Wade
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
WOW Wednesday
The first night of AWANA for the fall semester was great. We were blessed to see so many new faces in our church, both attending and serving. The parking lot filled up and the church was buzzing with the busyness of children, youth, and adults moving from room to room. We had 136 children enrolled in AWANA and we know there will be more to join us soon.
I enjoyed seeing so many volunteers, many of whom had worked hard all day and drove straight to the church to "work" again for hours before going home to rest. The servants at FBC Harlingen are such a great example of faithfulness and love. They embody the love of God for the children and their families every week, and often in times when they are busy, tired, and have concerns for the care of their own families. Yet, they never fail to bless those the Lord has called them to serve.
Please join me in praying for our faithful servants who volunteer their time and labor each week. Please join with me to pray for the children and their families, the word of God is spreading in their hearts and homes and we believe God's word never returns void.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)
"10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Excited about the word spreading,
Bro. Wade
I enjoyed seeing so many volunteers, many of whom had worked hard all day and drove straight to the church to "work" again for hours before going home to rest. The servants at FBC Harlingen are such a great example of faithfulness and love. They embody the love of God for the children and their families every week, and often in times when they are busy, tired, and have concerns for the care of their own families. Yet, they never fail to bless those the Lord has called them to serve.
Please join me in praying for our faithful servants who volunteer their time and labor each week. Please join with me to pray for the children and their families, the word of God is spreading in their hearts and homes and we believe God's word never returns void.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)
"10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Excited about the word spreading,
Bro. Wade
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
