|
|
 |
|
Empowering Believers to Impact the
World
| March 2010
| We are called to
Preach the word of God.
Reach
the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Teach believers to be disciples of Jesus Christ. |
Welcome
New Members! Cody Davis & Casey, Kimberly, Serena, and Amberlyn Cagle
| See our new members page to meet the latest additions to our church family! | PASTOR’S POINT
back to top | And
the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Guidance Comes The LORD will
guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered
garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11 From my own experience and from what I have been able to learn
from the Scripture and from others who live in a working relationship with God’s voice, I am led to the following conclusion:
Direction will always be made available to the mature disciple if without it serious harm would befall others involved or
the cause of Christ. I believe the obedient, listening heart, mature in the things of God, will in such a case find the voice
plain and the message clear, as those friends of God in the Bible did. This claim must be tested by experience, and anyone
willing to meet the conditions and learn from failures as well as successes can put it to the test. In every congregation
we need a group of people who, in front of everyone, are explicitly learning and teaching about life in dialog with God.
Pastor Curt | KEVEN'S’S NOTES
back to top | Dear
Riverdale Church Family, The spring is quickly approaching, and I must say I am rather excited! Don’t get me wrong,
I love the snow, but the freshness of spring is a blessing each year. Easter is just around the corner, and the church choir
is working diligently at preparing our musical for this wonderful time. If you would like to join us for this performance,
please join us in choir on Sundays at 4:30. We will begin each rehearsal with our Easter music. What better way to worship
and celebrate the sacrificial gift of Jesus Christ and His resurrection than being a part of our Easter performance. Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17) In Christ, Kevin | DWIGHT SAYS
back to top | Education Director, Dwight
Faircloth
Let me take this time and effort to say something on my mind about a blessing folks at Riverdale may be missing
out on. As I have mentioned in my Sunday School class, Wednesday night may be one of the best kept secrets ever. We start
at 5:30PM with a great time of fellowship and evening meal. Getting to know each other better during this time is fun. There
is no other way to put it. Then we go into prayer meeting time where we share our prayer requests with each other, give praise
reports, and have a wonderful time of bible study. The pastor explains the scripture so even I can understand it. The spirit
is great and moving during this time. When it is over, we can truly say it was good to have been in the house of the Lord.
Wednesday night is what I call a night for refueling our soul and letting the cares of the world go by. Please join us on
Wednesday evenings for what is one of the best kept secrets in Murfreesboro. It is free and refreshing. I hope to see you
next Wednesday evening.
In his care,Dwight FairclothEducation Director
| YOUTH
back to top | YOUTH – A Word from Papa…
Well,
another February, and another Valentine’s Banquet down. From all of the comments & feedback I’ve gotten, I
think it’s safe to say that it was a success! We really appreciate all of the support that we get from you as a church
body, and are so proud to be able to give back. This again, was a HUGE fundraiser for us, bringing in enough money to send
about 3 youth to camp…all in one event! Thank you! We are ready to start off the month of March.Just wait until you
see what we have for March! We will begin it with returning to the 2010 Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC) on March 6th, followed
immediately by Youth Sunday on the 7th. This year’s Youth Sunday will nock your socks off! This year, we will include
a very exciting surprise (can’t tell, it’s a secret)! We will then attend a local youth rally on March 12th, called
Youth United. We then will close the month on Palm Sunday (March 28th) with an amazing, all youth Easter Program! This will
be unlike anything that you have seen from our youth group, and we pray that it will deeply move & impact you.We will
have plenty more right around the corner, so as always; keep an eye on the bulletin for information on upcoming events. On
behalf of all of the youth and youth leaders, thank you all so much for all of your love, prayers, and support! Thank You & God Bless, Matt Downey
a.k.a. “Papa Smurf” | RIVERDALE FAITH SEEKERS
back to top | On February 5, 2010, we met at Riverdale Baptist Church for our get together. We had a covered dish
lunch and we played games. We had 19 present. The food was delicious and we had such a good variety of food. Seniors, if you
missed it this month, try to come next month. We had a good time together. I learned to play a new game. Thanks for coming
and participating. On February 15, we were supposed to have gone to Living Springs. The meeting was cancelled due to the weather.
On March 15th,we will be going to Stones River Baptist Church. The meeting starts at 11:00. If you need a ride, please let
me know and we can work it out. We want everyone to have transportation that wants to go. Hope to see you there. I am working
on a program for March 5th, at 11:00 at the church. We will have another cover dish luncheon and have a guest speaker. Watch
your bulletin. Hope everyone can make it. Hopefully all of the snow will be gone. Seniors, thanks for all that you do for
our church. We appreciate you. May God Bless each one of you as we serve “Our Lord.” Love you, Brenda | JAPANESE FAMILY MINISTRY
back to top | Dear Church Family, The
Japanese Ministry had 2 events so far in February. We had 10 people attend our Sunday Bible Study Class and 8 people attend
our Friday Bible Study Class. We'll have our English and Cooking Lessons on 2/25. Mrs. Brenda Sledge and Tim and Paul
Montgomery helped with childcare this month. I appreciate their help a lot! We will have 3 events in March. Our Sunday Bible
Study Class will meet on the 7th and we will study, "What do Mormons Believe?". Our Friday Bible Study Class will
meet on the 12th and we'll study, "Joseph". Our English and Cooking Lesson will be on the 11th. We'll have
several English lessons, but I'm not sure of the topics, yet. After our English Lessons, we'll make macaroni and cheese.
Thanks for making the Japanese community welcome at Riverdale.
In Christ, Ava Montgomery 1 Thessalonians 2:8 | WOMAN’S MINISTRIES
back to top
| | February
is thought of as the “love month” and that’s what I felt in the room when the Women’s Ministry met.
But I ALWAYS sense love when I am around this group! Our devotional was from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and described the fourteen
ingredients of agape love and how we can apply this love to our lives. We all know the love of Christ in the lives of believers
is what sets them apart from the world. Our mission project this month was to bring linens to restock our kitchen. We collected
25 drying towels, 13 wash cloths, 2 potholders and 2 scouring pads. Our linens get quite a workout in the church kitchen and
we are so glad we could replace some well-worn items. Oh by the way, the Women’s Ministry would like to thank Patty
Beels for the wonderful way she takes care of our kitchen and cheerfully keeps everything in order for each function that
takes place there. We studied about missionaries who are part of the Oral Peoples Strategy Team who translate and teach using
pictures and stories. This is an effective method of sharing the gospel with oral cultures. About 70% of the world’s
population communicates by stories, proverbs, drama, poetry, and chants in face-to-face situations. We had two new people
join us with a total of 18 present. Can we count on you to be with us on the first Wednesday in March? Any lady age 18+ is
welcome to be a part of this group. Barbara Faircloth Women's Ministry Facilitator | THE LEAST OF THESE
back to top | THE LEAST OF THESE
As I prepared to write this entry, I prayed for guidance. My thoughts turned to prison life
and how it would be. I think that the Sunday school lesson for February 14 has much to say to those in prison as it does for
us all. We are to be alert and ready for the coming of the Lord at any time. How does one prepare for the coming of the Lord?
I like to call it "walking the walk," and not just "talking the talk." No matter where you are, you are
being a witness. A good witness, or a bad witness. Philippians 2:15, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons
of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crocked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (KJV)
Once as I attended a BellSouth training class in Dublin, Ohio, I was busy telling the good news about Jesus at every opportunity.
There was one man in particular who was busy telling of all of his sinful exploits. (Bragging about how much he could drink,
and how many girls he could seduce.) After about three days, before the class, he told the teacher to tell me to stop preaching
to him about Jesus. My response was automatic and direct. Please tell him to stop preaching to us about Satan. The teacher
said that I sure had a point. There was nothing more said. I know that I was guided by The Holy Spirit, and it sure made me
feel great. God is so good. I see it every Saturday. There are those who are putting up a front, and those who are truly there
to worship our Lord. Regardless of where we are, or what we are doing, if we are Christian, people are watching us to see
if our walk matches our talk.( Our witness.) Last Saturday there was one lady, who said that she wanted to apologize to the
others for the way she talks. (Profanity) She said that she knows better, and she tries, but she just can’t seem to
stop it. I told her that it might not be easy, but that she could do it. I reminded her of Philippians 4:13, "I can do
all things through Christ, which strengthened me." (KJV) She agreed to try harder, trusting in God. Will she overcome
this temptation? I can’t answer, but I know she will never overcome it unless she tries. God gives us the power to overcome
temptation, but we must do our part. Lord help us to see our own faults, and not the faults of others. 1 John 1:9, "
If we confess our sins, he is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(KJV)
I hope, and I pray that God will guide us all to be better witnesses. We are instructed to watch and pray. We know not when,
but we know that He is coming again. I hope, and pray that you are not in prison when He comes back to claim His bride, the
church. That includes the prison of sin. Be alert, be vigilant, and be ready. He is coming again!
God Bless You All,
Brother Jim Threlkeld | YOUTH MUSIC MINISTRY
back to top | YOUTH MUSIC MINISTRY
This is a congratulatory announcement going out to Halle G, Alexis M(Eric's daughter),
and Bekkah R. These Riverdale young ladies auditioned and won spots in the Tennessee Treble Honor Choir. This choir is made
up of the very best fifth and sixth singers in the state. They will be performing in April at the Nashville Convention Center
for a music teachers conference. This will be a two day event and an introduction to a formal concert setting for our Riverdale
girls. Let's pray for the best experience for our girls as they represent Christiana Middle School!
Your Sister
in Christ, Fonda Grogan | RA'S, GA'S, AND MISSION FRIENDS
back to top | RA'S, GA'S, AND MISSION FRIENDS
Coming Soon!
Wanda Barnett, Suasan Wagoner & Greg Ferran |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|