HIGHLIGHTS:
Eating Together: Pot Luck Lunch and State of the Church
Address Sunday October 3
Why is it that sharing a meal with family so richly transcends
simply meeting our dietary needs? There is something about
gathering together to partake in food made by the hands of
people who love you to show us in a very basic and primal
way that He is among us. Sharing a meal with family is ordinary
in a very extraordinary way. As we intentionally focus in
October on experiencing and giving grace in and among the
ordinary acts of our lives, it seemed important to share
a meal amongst our church family. Therefore, on Sunday,
October 3 immediately following the 11:00 service we will
share a traditional potluck lunch in the gym and our Pastor
will give our annual State of the Church Address. Please
plan to bring your favorite family dish and enjoy a special
time of fellowship. Think diversity when planning your dish
as we will be serving only what we each bring - green bean
casserole is wonderful but 25 of them and a couple of dessert
items might not be completely filling.
Reading and Reflecting Together : What’s So Amazing About
Grace?
What comes to mind when we think of Grace? God’s favor?
Joy-bringing? Forgiveness? God’s unconditional love and blessings?
Yes! All that! Philip Yancey, in his book, “What’s So Amazing
About Grace?,” opened my eyes to another meaning: If Christians
are God’s dispensers of Grace, how are we doing at that?
Think, that a person who is “down and out” for no fault of
their own, or perhaps from making bad choices, was once someone’s
little boy or girl. There’s so much more, but that thought
tugged at my heart strings! As we look at ways to “Give Grace,”
pray we will be led to lavishly dispense grace at every opportunity,
inside and outside the place we call South Main.
– BobbyeLott, 2010
During October, What’s So Amazing About Grace will be available
for purchase at South Main for $5.00. We will have them
for sale on Sunday, October 3rd at the pot luck lunch after
the 11:00 worship service and we will continue to make them
available throughout the month. Our hope is that you will
read this book in October and discuss it with some small
group in the church: maybe your Sunday School Community wants
to have a book party where you gather together to talk about
it, it might be the November curriculum choice for your South
Main at Home group, or you may just want to have dinner party
to enjoy fellowship and discuss the book.
Worshiping
Together
Each service in the month of October will conclude
with the congregations singing the refrain from Julia H.
Johnston’s hymn “Grace Greater than Our Sin”. The text is,
“Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse
within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater
than all our sin.”
October 3 Worship: Genesis 33:1-17 Healing old wounds with
grace. The Sanctuary Choir will contribute Thomas Coker’s
arrangement of the hymn “Depth of Mercy”. The Charles Wesley
text tells the story of the grace he (Wesley) received through
Christ at conversion. Agape, South Main’s Women’s ensemble,
will offer the African American spiritual “Until I Found
the Lord”.
October 10 Worship: Luke 15:11-32 Come Home. Included with
other worship music in this service will be John Purifoy’s
“American Hymn Sampler”. The Sanctuary Choir and South Main
Brass’ contribution includes the American hymns “Come Thou
Fount”, “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand”, and “My Shepherd
Will Supply My Need”.
October 17 Worship: Luke 15:11-32 The Elder Brother Baptist
Church. This Lord’s Supper Service will find the Men’s Bible
Class Choir singing for the 8:30 worship service and the
Joyful Sound (middle school), Revelation (high school) choirs
with the auditioned ensemble Maranatha taking the lead in
providing worship music for the 11:00 service.
October 24 Worship: Acts 9:26-30 and Acts 11:20-26 The Gospel
that happens to you. The Sanctuary Choir and South Main
Brass return as worship leaders. They will help lead the
congregation with John Ness Beck’s “Thou Art God” in which
the congregation sings the hymns “O God Our Help In Ages
Past”. They will also offer Earlene Rentz Turner’s “Sing
for Joy”, especially written for South Main.
October 31 Worship: Acts 15:36-40 and 2 Timothy 4:11 The
Gospel that happens through you. Concluding the month, the
Sanctuary Choirs with soloists will offer Earlene Rentz Turner’s
“Grace”. The medley makes use of “Grace Greater Than Our
Sins” as well as “Amazing Grace”. One Accord, the fine South
Main men’s ensemble will contribute the spiritual “Go and
Tell John”.
Sharing Scripture Together:
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound
to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that
you need, you will abound in all good works.
In a moment of sincerity and candor, the Psalmist confesses, "I
have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against
you." This October, we as the family of God in this
place, will join with the Psalmist in practicing the ancient
spiritual discipline of Scripture memory. Together we will
try to commit 2 Corinthians 9:8 to memory. By committing
together to gather those sacred words into our heads and
hearts, we invite the Scriptures and Spirit into our inner
life for an ongoing conversation throughout the day. Let
us hear what Christ has to teach us through the word we so
dearly treasure deep within our souls.
Other Events:
KNO/Youth Lock-in, Friday October 15
The October Kid’s Night Out takes on a spiritual focus as
we explore what it means to give and receive the gift of
Grace. A few hours is simply not enough time to dig deep
into their young minds and sweet hearts, so Kids’ Night Out
doesn’t end until the morning. At the same time, the Youth
will be having a lock-in to explore the ritual of baptism:
what it means to us and exploring taking the journey through
the waters for ourselves. Also, the Youth will have a costume
contest and games to kick off the night!
Senior Adult Retreat at Trinity Pines, October 20-22
As You Go....
Give Grace Missions Day, Saturday October 30
Have you ever signed up to be spontaneous? Have you ever
planned for a spur-of-the-moment event? Well this is your
chance! Make plans to join us for our mission day Saturday,
October 30th from 8:30-noon. We will gather in Fellowship
Hall for bagels and blessings and hear our instructions to
go out and put hands and feet to our spiritual emphasis for
October of “Give Grace.” We will divide up into teams when
we gather on Saturday morning or you can bring in your team
already assembled. Come ready to give grace as the spirit
leads (we will explain when you get here!) For more information
contact Erin Conaway (econaway@smbc.org).
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