The Memorial Baptist Church G r e e n v i l l e , N C

Volume 43 Issue 1 January 2018

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2:00 PM—9:00 pm SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 10:00 AM—5:00 pm

Thankful for You and for Next Steps Words fall short in explaining how Jamie and I have felt over these past several weeks of being blessed by your outpouring of love, kind gestures, and gifts of appreciation. Thank you for your cards, for each token of gratitude, for each Christmas gift, and for all of the wonderful goodies. TMBC is made of wonderful people! Thank you for loving me, for loving my family, and for allowing me to be your friend and pastor, which is one of the greatest opportunities I hold near and dear to my heart. As we move into a new year, let me remind you that we do so with a FULL staff—a staff who has been hard at work planning a schedule FULL of events, projects, emphases, and endeavors that are designed to challenge, transform and move TMBC toward the next step God has for us. As your ministers, we promise to continue to remind you of God’s great love for us, His desire for us to grow, and how, as a church, we should strive for excellence in ALL that we do. I truly believe God is rolling up His sleeves and about to do some AMAZING things at TMBC. Knowing this, I am looking forward to 2018 and all that it has in store for us and all that we as a faith family have in store for it. Remember, The Best is Yet to Be! Yours in Christ, Brad

Dear church family, From the time we are young, our parents begin teaching us that it is better to give than to receive. While this lesson takes time for us to learn as children, once taken to heart it changes our lives. You, my faith family of TMBC, have lived out this meaning of Christmas in extraordinary ways this season, and I can only pray it has changed your life as much as it has mine. From 5,010 Christmas cards for sailors, 118 shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse, 30 food boxes for Thanksgiving, and food donations to the Anchor House to serving 30 families and 90 children through the Angel Shop and providing exam care packages for our college students and CBSF and Christmas survival kits for the staff of Eastern Elementary, you all have outdone yourselves. In addition to all these endeavors, you gave extra time and efforts through the Live Nativity, Hanging of the Green service, Christmas Cantata, caroling, and numerous Christmas parties. When I came to TMBC, I was told this church wanted to be more missional. At the beginning of the year our pastor, Brad, and I planned, prayed and dreamed of the #ByFaith mission we wanted to see our church journey on in 2017 to become that missional church. I have been blessed and overwhelmed by the ways in which you all have shown up and served this year. While this season has sounded exhausting and even at times felt that way to some, it has been everything and more of who we are called to be as God’s people in our world. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ. Thank you for stepping up to make things happen and happen well. And thank you for making it such a joy to serve alongside you all as your Associate Pastor. I cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for all of us. (But in the meantime, save your Christmas cards and stock up on those on sale so that we can get started again on our cards for the naval ship and keep your ears and eyes open for new mission opportunities coming very soon.) As always, it is my honor and joy to serve. In Christ’s cheerful service, Rev. Abbi Mullens

Dave Taylor January 21—27

756-0289

Bill Brown January 28—February 3

756-1564

Sherry Dendy January 14—20

746-4818

Welcome New Member!

Jacob Quinn rejoined TMBC on December 3 by transfer of letter from Swansboro First Baptist Church.

Ed Porter January 7—13

341-5482

Bob Speight December 31—January 6

321-8364

Join a Choir in January! January is the perfect time to join with others in one of TMBC’s music ministry groups. Simply attend a rehearsal to join!

Preschool and children’s groups resume on Wednesday, January 10, 6:00 pm.

Music Friends (3 yrs.-K) meet in the Music Studio (handbell room). Music Makers/Young Musicians (1st-5th graders) meet in the Choir Room.

MM/YM will prepare throughout the semester to present the musical, The Lost Boy¸ on Sunday, May 6!

Chancel Choir (adults and youth) will resume rehearsals on Wednesday, January 10, 7:30 pm.

Chancel Choir will rehearse and share in worship nearly every week. It will also prepare a cantata for Holy Week to be presented with chamber orchestra on Maundy Thursday, March 29—Tapestry of Darkness by Ruth Elaine Schram—followed by a joyous Easter celebration on Sunday, April 1, including choral music with brass choir.

Later in 2018, Chancel Choir members have been invited to be a part of the premier of a new Christmas work by Pepper Choplin to be performed in Carnegie Hall. Individuals who choose to participate will bear the cost of the trip. The trip will be open to Chancel Choir members and their immediate family members.

Youth Worship Arts opportunities for middle and high school students will launch soon! Stay tuned for details.

Chancel Handbells will resume rehearsals on Sunday, January 28, at 5:30 pm.

This group rings four octaves of Schulmerich bells dedicated to the glory of God and to the worship life of the church. Anyone who would like to know more about joining this group should contact Andy Roby by calling the church office or sending an email to music@tmbc.org).

Sunday, January 21

10:55 am

TMBC Children to Present The Lost Boy on May 6

It’s time to begin preparing for our spring musical! We will introduce the musical during choir time on Wednesday, January 10, at 6:00 pm. Those who are interested in speaking parts or solos will audition during choir time on Wednesday, January 17. Rehearsals will be held on each Wednesday at 6:00 pm and on some Sunday afternoons (speaking parts). The dress rehearsal will be on Saturday, May 5, at 4:30 pm, and the presentation will be during Sunday morning worship on May 6.

We are excited to provide this wonderful opportunity for spiritual and musical growth for children! If you know of children in grades 1-5 who are not involved in choir, we hope you will share this opportunity with them.

Nov 15

December Attendance

Dec 3 Dec 10 Dec 17 Dec 24

Sunday School

155 173 142 —

Worship 180 385 175 182

Hanging of the Green

100

Christmas

Eve

315

MEMORIAL MATTERS!

In Our Prayers A new prayer list begins the first of each month. Call the church office if you would like to add or remove someone from the list.

Mandy Messerli Susan Ingram Lois Cleaton Bea Clark (Charlene Boyd’s

mother) Jean Holley Beverly Dickens Betty Hanks Dot Simpson Nat Brackenhoff Doris Nicholson, Sue Appel, and

Judy Bryant Diane Brady’s friends)

Cassie Earley (Coral Whichard’s niece)

Pat Stansell

Blaine Denius Pam Cooke Demi Mack Bill Gooding Kathleen Richey (Pat Tesh’s

aunt) Holly Hill (Jane Morris’s cousin) Alan Burne Homebound/Shut-Ins Iva Edwards Mary Mann Norman Little Linda Parker Carrie Clark

January Staff Birthdays

Misael Marriaga—January 2

Martha Huggins—January 10

Kay Godwin—January 19

Happy Anniversary

Fran Wilson

January 1

Twenty-Eight Years at TMBC

WMU Monthly Meeting

WMU will meet at The Memorial Baptist Church in the conference room on Tuesday, January 9, 10:00 am . All ladies of TMBC are invited to attend.

The 2017 Christmas Cantata was attended by almost 400 people.

Angel Shop Gift Wrapping Making Christmas Cards for Sailors

Budget Update 12.20.2017

Act Receipts YTD as of 12.20.17 $585,149

Budgeted Receipts as of YTD 12.20.17 $613,271

Difference-Over/(Short) ($28,122)

Act Receipts - Dec 2017 YTD $585,149

Act Receipts - Dec 2016 YTD $598,232

Difference-Over/(Short) ($13,083)

Act Receipts- Dec 2017 YTD $585,149

Estimated Disbursements - Dec 2017 YTD $582,235

Difference-Over/(Short) $2,914

Wednesday Night Schedule

Resumes January 10 5:30 pm Fellowship Meal

6:00—6:45 pm Children’s Choirs

6:15—6:30 pm Adult Prayer Time 6:30—7:30 pm Adult Bible Study/Youth 6:45—7:30 pm GLOW Kids

Mission Possible Kids 7:30—8:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal

January 10

Bring your best chili and/or cornbread. There is no cost for this meal and no sign-up.

January Dates to Remember January 1 Church Office Closed

January 3 No Wednesday Night Activities

January 7 Epiphany Sunday with Deacon Ordination and Installation 2:30 pm Deacon Transition Meeting Youth Activity

January 10 5:30 pm Chili/Cornbread Cook-Off followed by 2018 Budget Discussion

January 14 10:55 am Baptism During Service

January 15 Church Office Closed

January 21 10:55 am Parent/Child Dedication

January 20—23 Youth Ski Trip

January 27 Family Outing to Captain Jack’s

January 28 10:55 am State of the Church 12:00 pm Youth Family Meeting 4:00 pm Church Conference