Pleasant View News and Views Published monthly by Pleasant View Baptist Church P.O. Box 13063 Anderson, SC 29624 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Anderson, SC 29621 Permit # 223
Issue 6
News and Views
1st - 5th grade: Marian Gerrard, Sarah Galloway
2015
Pleasant View Baptist Church
June 7 - Group 2 Babies - K5: Margaret Ingle, Mary McMichael, Cathy Taylor
June
2511 Dobbins Bridge Rd., Anderson, South Carolina 29626 864.226.1248 / www.pvbcministries.org
PM Service: Freda Mitchell, Terri Taylor When True Christianity Is Able to Thrive June 14 - Group 3 Babies - K5: Denise McAlister, Rebecca Edney, Anna Grace McAlister 1st - 5th grade: Steve & Sharon Royals PM Service: No Evening Service June 21 - Group 4 Babies - K5: Lynn Butler, Teresa Griffin, Cindy Hudson 1st - 5th grade: Annette Fowler, Brittany Standridge PM Service: No Evening Service June 28 - Group 5 Babies - K5: Brandi Perez, Beverly Woodruff, Kin Gray 1st - 5th grade: Kathy Fields, A. C. Perez PM Service: Teresa Griffin, Cindy Hudson
With the Southern Baptist Convention being this month, that reminded me of an article that I had read by Russell Moore, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He wrote about how many people are noting the decline of Christianity in America. That so-called decline may not be as bad as it first appears as noted in these excerpts from his article: [Research] indicates that the number of Americans who identify as Christians has reached an all-time low, and is falling. [Though] this is perhaps bad news for America, it is good news for the church. … Bible belt near-Christianity is teetering. I say let it fall. For much of the twentieth century, especially in the South and parts of the Midwest, one had to at least claim to be a Christian to be “normal.” During the Cold War, that meant distinguishing oneself from atheistic Communism. At other times, it has meant seeing churchgoing as a way to be seen as a good parent, a good neighbor, and a regular person. It took courage to be an atheist, because explicit unbelief meant social marginalization. Rising rates of secularization, along with individualism, means that those days are over—and good riddance to them. … Secularization in America means that we have fewer incognito atheists. Those who don’t believe can say so—and still find spouses, get jobs, volunteer with the PTA, and even run for office. This is good news because the kind of “Christianity” that is a means to an end—even if that end is “traditional family values”—is what J. Gresham Machen rightly called “liberalism,” and it is an entirely different religion from the apostolic faith handed down by Jesus Christ. Now, what some will say is that the decline in self-identified Christians is a sign that the church should jettison its more unpopular teachings. [But we need to remember that …] Christianity isn’t a political party, dependent on crafting ideologies to suit the masses. We received this gospel (Gal. 1:11-12); we didn’t invent it. … Christianity isn’t normal anymore, and that’s good news. The Book of Acts, like the Gospels before it, shows us that the Christianity thrives when it is, as Kierkegaard put it, a sign of contradiction. Only a strange gospel can differentiate itself from the worlds we construct. But the strange, freakish, foolish old gospel is what God uses to save people and to resurrect churches (1 Cor. 1:20-22). We do not have more atheists in America. We have more honest atheists in America. Again, that’s good news. The gospel comes to sinners, not to the righteous. It is easier to speak a gospel to the lost than it is to speak a gospel to the kind-ofsaved. And what those honest atheists grapple with, is what every sinner grapples with, burdened consciences that point to judgment. Our calling is to bear witness. I pray for us all to have the courage to lovingly stand for biblical Christianity. I pray that we will take advantage of the truelife.org cards to give answers to a culture that is increasingly hostile to the things of God. I pray that we will become more established in our own faith in Jesus Christ and in so doing stand out more from the rest of a culture which does not really embrace biblical Christianity. I pray that we will see the value in reading good books along with the Bible to be established more in our faith. I pray that we will take advantage of sermons and Bible studies offered through our church to strengthen us in our faith. I pray that we will love people enough, Christians and non-Christians alike, to use our relationships with them to invite them to church to become one with us as true believers in the one true God. Serving Christ together, Pastor Glenn PS Just in case you missed it in the closing of the article above, I want to challenge you to use your existing relationships to continue to invite people to your church. Also, continue to give out the truelife.org cards. We will keep them available to you either in the church vestibule or in the secretary’s office.
Golden Ambassadors Meeting Tuesday, June 9, at 5:30pm in the fellowship hall.
june Sermon Schedule June 7 AM "What Our Faith in God Must Be" Psalm 53:1-4 PM "The Solution to a Broken Heart" John 141-6 June 14 AM PM
To Be Announced No services or activities
June 7 - Matthias Wentzky, Steve Royals June 14 - Gene Galloway, Ty Standridge June 21 - Don Buck, Steve Mitchell June 28 - Steve Hammond, Zeke Gerrard
Sign-up sheets are outside the church office and in the vestibule.
PM
Father's Day: "Traits Fathers Need Today" I Thessalonians 2:1-7 No services or activities
June Birthdays
Student Ministry Notes
June 28 AM PM
"Conditions that Lead to Judgment" Isaiah 9:18-21 "What to Do with the Different Types of Anger" Proverbs 9:11, Ephesians 4:26
June 12 Lynn butler
June 7 Earl Bramlett, Henry Dyar, Zeke Gerrard, Rick Gray, Raymond Hudson, Jerry Williams June 14 Phil Gunter, Gary McAlister, Claridge Norryce, Ty Standridge, George Wilkie June 21 Tim Barbare, Dana Cook, Roger Fortner, Bruce Gerrard, Steve Hammond, Pete McCollum June 28 Ben Bryant, Buddy Butler, Sonny Fouts, Noah McAlister, Steve Mitchell, Matthias Wentzky
Pleasant View Baptist Church Based on the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20, we believe it is our church’s mission to:
Reach them with the Gospel message of forgiveness and life Assimilate them into a local church fellowship Cultivate them in order to help them grow Equip them for fruitful ministry
Please join us for K.F.C. (Kids for Christ – ages 3 yrs old – 5th grade) on Wednesday evenings, during the summer, from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm, starting Wednesday, June 3rd.
We want to be a church that stands for, is motivated by, and demonstrates G.R.A.C.E. In doing so we will be carrying out the evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship functions of a New Testament church.
June 12 Gene Galloway June 13 Courtlyn Fields June 15 Sarah Williams
Ushers for June
Every Sunday evening Youth Bible Study @ 6:30 pm.
June 6 Jerry Thrasher June 8 Tonja Davis
of
Go into the world seeking to build bridges with the lost
Every Sunday Morning Youth Sunday School @ 10:00 am. June 21 AM
MISSION STATEMENT
June 16 Lewis (Buddy) Butler June 17 Raymond Hudson June 18 Dave Woodruff June 26 Austin Cooley June 28 Missy Cooley
Happy Father's Day God It started as an idea of surmountable proportions. A plan so unimaginable it has never been done before. A creation so glorious, so enormous, and amazing that after the pattern was cut, it looked to be quite a chore. But God of the universe, unique and powerful in every way decided to create with his own hands a Man in seven days. Of course, this would be no ordinary man that he would be like you and I. This particular man was fashioned to live but really was born to die. He would not have the pleasure of becoming a father, for God had something else in mind, his name would be on the lips of many, his life an open book widely read; for this special man God creates will become our loving Christ instead. He would be like steel and velvet all rolled into one, soft but never overpowering as he expressed his love for us, the sinful ones. Christ walked amongst men gentle and meek, as crowds of people listened intrigued by the Kingdom words he would speak. Amazed by signs, wonders, and healing, people would soon realize he would be the Christ they would meet. His name is Jesus, God and man in one; Savior of the world who did what could not be done. He laid down his life so that we might live, a ransom from heaven in a Son that only God could give. So on this Father’s Day, we say thank you Father for loving us so deeply, forgiving a debt we owed to you, repayment we in no way can give. You gave your Son, your only Son to death, so that we might continue to live. God, you are a merciful Father who through your Son, Jesus Christ, you have established what it means to give the very best—a Savior of the world in whom your children can rest. God, Happy Father’s Day.
Happy Father’s Day !!!! House and Grounds Meeting Wednesday, June 10 at 8pm
Women on Missions Under His Wings - Tuesday, June 2 Meet at the church at 6:30 p.m. or at the home at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Annette Fowler if you have any questions.
Because of Christ, Matt Student Ministry Summer Camp News For Children: Camp Longridge, 2015 - Kids Week 4 July 20 – 24, 2015 For Youth: SummerSalt @ White Oak, July 6 -10, 2015. If you child or youth is signed up for camp, please turn in your $50.00 deposit asap. We still need 1 chaperone for the children’s camp. If interested in going as a chaperone with our children, please see Mr. Matt. Our Children/Youth Ministry Summer Activity Program is now out; if you have not received one, please see Mr. Matt. Children’s Ministry
Welcome Committee for June June 7 - Lynn Butler & Michelle King June 14 - Ritchie & Rebecca Edney June 21 - Norma Buck & Marian Gerrard June 28 - Kathy Fields & Ruby McCollum
WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL! If you aren’t available July 27 - July 31, 6:00 – 8:00pm, we can still use your help in preparation for that week. Please contact Sharon Royals by email:
[email protected] or phone/text: 864-376-8498.
Thursday June 11th – Bible lesson, activity, games, & snacks. Here at the church. 9:00am – 12:00pm Thursday June 18th – Hartwell Dam tour & lunch. We have space for 14 spots, so please sign up outside the church office. Closed-toe shoes only; no sandals or flip flops. 9:00am – 1:30pm Thursday June 25th – Critter Keeper – Here at the church; lunch to be provided. 9:00am – 12:00pm
Youth Ministry Saturday June 13th – Join us for a night of baseball with the Greenville Drive. We have reserved 25 tickets, and there is a sign-up sheet outside the Church office. Tickets are $4.00 on a first come first served basis, and as always, adults are welcome to join us for any of our events. Saturday June 20th – Bible study fellowship & game night at the church from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. Thursday June 25th – Critter Keeper – Here at the church; lunch to be provided - 9:00am –12:00pm.