| CRBA UPDATE February 22, 2023 |
    We are excited to announce the creation of a ministry that will bless our business community in Burke County. Through this new (multifaceted) ministry, churches can bless businesses by providing prayer, training, chaplains, food, and much more. To learn how your church can participate, please join us on March 6th at 6 p.m. at our CRBA office (1812 US 70 E., Morganton). This is a great way for your church to bless and reach businesses for Christ.  .jpg?w=1534&ssl=1)  Date%20change.jpg?w=1534&ssl=1)  This is going to be a wonderful opportunity to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Whether you’re a deacon, pastor, teenager, senior adult, etc. we have breakouts for you. Please help us spread the word and feel free to bring someone with you.  Boys and girls come to Baptist Children’s Homes from situations of unimaginable neglect and abuse, causing them to feel alone and forgotten. When you add a global pandemic on top of their already traumatic circumstances, their feelings of hopelessness are amplified. The Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina is in need of grocery store gift cards. We encourage each of our CRBA churches to donate at least $100 in gift cards to help these children in need. Drop off for the gift cards will be at the CRBA office (1812 US HWY 70 E, Morganton, NC 28655) now through April 28th, 2023. Please get in touch with our office at (828) 437-0137 for more information. %202.jpg?w=1534&ssl=1)  OPERATION LIGHT OF THE WORLD Jim Burnett, (Pastor Willow Pointe Church of Hattiesburg, Mississippi) tells the story of how their church purchased over 400 mini spiral 60-watt light bulbs and one by one placed them in plastic bags with the church’s logo on the outside and an informational sheet on the inside. Attached to the bulb was a card that said the following: Jesus is the Light of the World. Just as this bulb will illuminate the dark areas of your home, Jesus brings light and understanding to life. John 8:12-When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” On the back, it said: Jesus Saves. This bulb has the potential to save you $46 a year in energy costs. Jesus promises to save you from your sin and God’s judgment. Romans 6:23 (written out) Jesus Offers Eternal Life. This bulb has a life expectancy of nine years or 10,000 hours. Jesus desires to give you eternal life which never ends. 1 John 5:13 (written out) A two-question survey was conducted as these were distributed in pairs of two: Are you currently involved in a local church? Do you have any specific needs in your life for which we can pray with you? The results were exciting, with 23 prospective families located who are now being prayed for and contacted. I encourage you to give this creative and practical outreach effort a try. CRBA Resource of the Week  It is true that 92% of churches have less than 250 in attendance. It is also true that the normative (median) sized church in the US is 67. While God has not called every church to be large, He does want every church to be a healthy, God-honoring, scripturally sound community of believers who work in the community to make Him known. We know much attention is put on large churches, but we also have the desire to help churches of less than a hundred in attendance. In fact, our convention of churches is made up of small (normative) churches, which comprise a mighty army for Christ. With the help and leadership of pastor Kevin Purcell, we are producing a podcast to help all churches but particularly those with an attendance of less than 100. Go to your favorite podcast outlet (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) and subscribe today. Church News Burkemont Baptist Church invites you to Alive , Forever, Amen, an Easter Drama/Musical on March 31 & April 1 & 2 @ 6:30 pm.  Catawba Valley Baptist Church invites you to Worship in the Valley March 24, 2023 from 6 – 8 pm  Hopewell Baptist is seeking a part-time Music Director. The skill of music reading is a requirement. Please send resumes to: HBCsecretary2016@gmail.com Icard’s Grove Baptist is seeking a bi-vocational Pastor. Walker Road Baptist is hosting GriefShare on Sundays at 6:00 pm. GriefShare is a faith-based course offering support to those who have lost a loved one. For more information, please contact John Riley at 828-514-3173 or e-mail: jriam@charter.net Partner News Saturday One- Day Missions for all ages Baptist Children’s Homes hosts its Saturday “Friends of Children” workdays (FOC) at its statewide locations in the spring and fall. Your church group will be able to directly impact BCH’s boys and girls while seeing the ministry firsthand. It’s the perfect way to make a difference within our North Carolina mission field. A free lunch is served, and tours are available. All types of projects are available. It will be a great day of fellowship, work and food! We also ask individuals to prayer walk the campuses and pray for our children and staff throughout the day. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce others to the exciting work going on at Baptist Children’s Homes. April 15: Cameron Boys Camp, Cameron May 6 : Camp Duncan, Aberdeen May 13: Kennedy Home, Kinston May 20: Odum Home, Pemroke https://www.bchfamily.org/friends-of-childrenIf you would like to participate click HERE to register and choose a day! There is a need for more Guardiam Ad Litems in Burke County. Is God calling you to be the voice for a child? Click HERE for more information. .jpg?resize=400%2C333&ssl=1) Baptist on Mission Region Rallies In February 2023, Baptists on Mission will host a series of Regional Mission Rallies across the state. These rallies (10 of them) will highlight the variety of opportunities NC Baptists have to be involved in missions across our state, nation and world. Featured will be worship, testimonies, mission videos, and a prayer time for missions. These rallies are for anyone in your church who is interested in missions. A main focus of these rallies will be state, national, international partnerships and projects (including Disaster Relief) and the NC Missions Offering The Rally for Region 8 is on Monday February 20, 2023 @ Westport Baptist Church 2372 Lake Shore Rd S Denver, NC 28037 Register for meals HERE The meal is free. NC OPERATION INASMUCH – SAVE THE DATE!  North Carolina Operation Inasmuch-(NCOIAM) is a one-day missions blitz in your community. Imagine your whole church active in missions in your community! Choose the date(s) that best fit your church calendar or participate on APRIL 29 and MAY 6, 2023 with hundreds of churches across North Carolina. Move your church out of their seats and into the streets! For more info and training materials click here CONSTRUCTION TRAINING  Construction Skills Training A great way for your churches to introduce adults and students to some of the basic skills used on a construction mission trip or in a local Handyman Ministry is through hands-on Construction Skills Training. Each one-day event will help volunteers feel more comfortable at a disaster rebuild site, on a Partnership Mission Trip, or doing a project through your local churches in their communities. This training is designed for those who are unfamiliar with construction, so students are very welcome. Cost is only $10 for the day! Participants should be 10 years old and above. We ask that students 10 – 12 years of age be accompanied by a parent or responsible guardian who will stay with that child at a 1 child: 2 student ratio. Students 12-17 should be accompanied by adults at a 4 students: 1 adult ratio. February 25 & October 28, Red Springs Mission Camp March 11 & September 16, Charity Rebuild Center March 25 & October 7, Shelby Mission Camp registration – 8:30 am training 9 am – 3 pm cost: $10 for training, $21 if including an overnight stay on Friday night Register HERE  If you would like to learn more about the Every Child Initiative please check here. Glenwood Baptist Church is seeking a man of God to be our full-time pastor. If interested, please submit your resume to: Glenwood Baptist Church Attn: Pastor Search Committee PO Box 218 Glenwood, NC 28737 or online at glenwoodbaptistchurch@yahoo.com. First Baptist Church of Lincolnton, NC: Wanted: Part-time Facilities Manager who has demonstrated maintenance experience. If interested, please send a resume to First Baptist Church, Attn: Dr. Stanley Spence, 201 Robin Road, Lincolnton, NC 28092, or email Vicki.moore@fbclincolnton.org. Mt. Elam Baptist Church of Roseboro, NC is actively seeking a full time Youth Pastor. Full time is preferred, but bi-vocational could be considered. We believe in reaching and making an impact for future generations. Responsibilities include providing oversight to the youth and children’s ministries, teaching and leading youth on a weekly basis, organizing events, camps, and other outreach opportunities, as well as being involved in the lives of our teenagers. Send resumes to pastorbrandon@mtelam.org by April 30, 2023. |