CRBA Update July 8, 2026

CRBlogoColor - In This Issue - Updated Tab

Prayer and Praise on the Square - Updated Fyler

August 2026

September 2026 Events

If you are an individual who would like to golf, please contact the office and we will try to help you create a team.

First Baptist Drexel is in need of 4 drawer filing cabinets. If you have one you would like to donate please let Gene Kirby know 704-962-8913

August 2026

Missionary Care Training
Calvary West, 136 Medical Dr, Advance, NC 27006
Thursday, August 27, 2026 Cost: $10/person
Click image for registration. Registration is open now.N.C. Baptist churches currently have over 500 adults serving as missionaries around the world. Join us for a one-day training as we learn best practices for caring for those we send. You will have the opportunity to hear from both church leaders and missionaries.

October 2026

EQUIPPING EVERY PASTOR IN WESTERN N.C.
Biltmore Church – Arden Campus, 35 Clayton Rd, Arden, NC 28704
Saturday, October 10th, 2026
Click the image above for registration information (opens on June 17).Note: Michael Hodge is registered and can take several of you with him!
Others of you may want to carpool as well.

Student Fall Retreat in the Mountains or at the Beach
October 23-25 or November 13-15
Click for more details
N.C. Baptists’ Student Fall Retreats are a chance for students to step away from distractions, focus on Christ and grow in community. Choose to bring your group to the mountains or the beach for for a weekend of worship, biblical teaching, small groups, track times and a space to connect with other students. These weekends are designed to encourage students in their faith and strengthen their walk with Christ.


Photo from El Bethel Baptist July 5 PM Service. From Michael…We had the privilege of worshiping alongside the church family at El Bethel Baptist Church for their 4th of July weekend service. I shared a message entitled, “Freedom is Here.” We are grateful for the partnership of El Bethel with CRBA! Michael & Amanda Hodge with Robby & Sharon SmithWhat a great surprise to be able to sit with Robby & Sharon Smith in the service at El Bethel on July 5. We are so thankful for Robby and Sharon’s ministry at the CRBA! 4th of July Activities We hope all of our CRBA churches had a great weekend as we celebrated the 250th Anniversary of our nation. Here are the CRBA Events Amanda and I had the joy of attending:Enon Baptist Church hosted the community in their parking lot (with ice cream, popcorn, slushies, and more). We watched the Valdese fireworks from there. Sunday – The El Bethel family invited us to return for an ice cream fellowship. Sunday – We then were able to hurry over to Pleasant Hill for a 4th of July weekend picnic (moved inside due to the heat). What a great weekend to enjoy time together with our CRBA churches!	From the Desk of your AMS (Associational Mission Strategist) July 8 – For the Church “For the Church” has become the signature phrase of one of our Southern Baptist seminaries, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As we walked among the exhibit booths at the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this summer, that statement was boldly displayed at the Midwestern booth. While I do not have a personal connection to the school, I have found many of their ministry resources helpful over the years (www.ftc.co). I mention that phrase because it also captures the heart of associational ministry. We are *for the church*. God’s plan for reaching Burke County and the nations is not built around an association, a program, or an event. God’s plan is the local church. The church is where the gospel is proclaimed, disciples are made, leaders are developed, families are strengthened, missionaries are sent, and communities are loved in the name of Jesus. The role of the association is to support and encourage our churches. That is why the Catawba River Baptist Association exists. We are not asking our churches to serve the association. We are here to serve our churches. And here is the joy of our cooperative work: we get to do this work alongside fellow churches and pastors. Across our association, God is using churches of different sizes, settings, histories, and ministry expressions in unique and meaningful ways. Every church has a story of God’s faithfulness. Every pastor is carrying both burdens and blessings. Every congregation has something to offer and something to receive. So, let me encourage you: as God is working in your church, share that story. As you discover helpful ministry ideas, pass them along. As you face challenges, let others walk with you. As you see opportunities, invite others to pray and partner with you. Your association is here to be a connection point for encouragement, equipping, and cooperation. We exist for the church because we believe deeply in the mission God has given to His churches. How can we encourage and equip you today as you seek to engage the lost, make disciples, and serve your community? Let’s thrive in this work together. Seeking to serve, Michael R. Hodge ams@crbanc.org


This is the NEW logo that we will use with all of our LoveBurke promo materials. Step 1 Sign up to feed your nearby school. Step 2 Get creative on how you can introduce your church and upcoming activites/ministries. Include the LoveBurke logo above. Step 3 Prayerfully consider how your will take a NEXT step – continuing this school partnership in 2026-2027. ServeNC We will register ALL our churches who are participating in our LoveBurke initiative as your ServeNC project. If you are also doing another project – be sure to register that with NC Baptists. Register your church’s ServeNC project.	Let’s Start Thinking About LoveBurke Our LoveBurke Back-to-School initiative is a simple way to show and share the love of Christ by supporting our local schools through a generous lunchtime meal. The LoveBurke initiative occurs Aug. 17-21 (the exact day is requested by the school) The simple strategy: Provide a Chick-Fil-A meal for our local school faculty and staff – kicking off a new school year with a generous display of our support. Will your church participate in this August 2026 ServeNC project? Click this link to reserve your spot in this serve project. Let us know the nearest school your church will bless with this meal. Note: Schools for LoveBurke will be available on a first come first serve basis. Challenge to Take a NEXT Step What’s the “rethinking” part of this project? One of the priorities we have is for every church to make a connection with the local school – to let them know you support them and are praying for them. How can we do that? Action Steps for 2026 LoveBurke Initiative1. Visible Communication – We want every lunch served to include a postcard-size quick info for your church. We will even help you create it! The NEW logo on the left is a part of that – we want this to be a visible connection to our CRBA churches. Include this with your promo materials – and find a fun way to encourage them to carry it with them. Watch for creative ways to include your communication card in the lunches in future newsletters. 2. Tangible Next Step – We invite every church to treat this as your first step in serving and loving your local school this upcoming school year. Rather than treating this as an isolated event – consider it an introduction of your church/people to the school. Now it’s time to pray about what your church will do in the upcoming months to build on this opportunity!These are the schools that still need a sponsor as of July 8, 2026: Burke Middle College, East Burke High School, Hallyburton Academy, Hildebran, Liberty Middle, Mountain View Elementary & North Liberty.
If you would like to sponsor a school for LoveBurke please claim your school h ere. Schools for LoveBurke will be available on a first come first serve basis.



Sewing Day @ Pleasant Hill 07.06.2026	The ways we can show and share Christ are truly unlimited! God has uniquely gifted each of us for His glory. On lots of Mondays, the hum of sewing machines can be heard in the basement of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church as ladies from several churches gather to work on stockings that will be given at the 2026 CRBA Toy Store. Would you like to know how you can participate? Reach out to Pleasant Hill and find out more info!

	Our Thursday Pastors Luncheon resumes this week – 07.09.2026 Marty Bess (Grace Baptist) will be leading us on Thursday. We hope you can join us!

	Support our CRBA Armenia Mission Team Our CRBA is currently in a multi-year partnership with Armenia. We have several pastors going on the trip in late September. Would you consider helping sponsor this trip? All funds will assist with the overall cost of the trip. Contact Veronica Klapp in the office to discuss your support of the CRBA Armenia Team. 828-437-0137

Vacation Bible School
VBS at CRBA Churches
Burkemont- July 5-9
Hopewell– July 12-16	Zion– July 12-15
Mount Olive- July 13-17	Abee’s Grove- July 16-18
Mull’s Grove- July 19-22 5:30-8:00PM Nightly meal provided	Brown Mountain- July 20-22
Cross Memorial- July 20-22 from 5:30-7:30pm Ages 3 years old to 8th grade.	Amherst- July 26-30
Bridge 42– July 26- Block Party from 5-8pm. Food, Games and Prize Giveaways VBS- July 27-31	North Laurel –August 8th from 10am-3pm North Laurel invites you to attend their 1 day VBS from 10:00am – 3:00pm. Location: 1942 Laurel St NE, Valdese, NC 28690Phone: For more info: (828) 874-4080
East Valdese- August 2-5	Enon- August 2-5 from 6:00-8:30pm Ages 3 and up
Summit Community- August 3-6	Icard’s Grove- August 1-5 from 9am-3pm
Lakeview- August 10-13

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