Merry Christmas

From Your Church Staff

Volume XXXVI, No. 51 The Banner December 18, 2012

DECEMBER 23, 2012

11:00am Worship

Shepherds in the Midst Micah 5:2-5A Luke 1:39-45

2:00pm

Sunshine Basket Delivery

FFrom Your Pastor . . .rom Your Pastor . . .

Dear Church Family, The events of this past week have been indescribable. I too, have searched for words of some kind to reason, explain, offer hope, or describe where God is in this mess. But where is there any sense in how a tortured and broken soul could have even the rudiments of the kind of horror that would cause him to take the life of his own mother, along with those of 20 children and 6 more adults? I do know that our loving God had no part in perpetrating any part of the Newtown, CT tragedy. In fact, I am sure that God was there at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday morning; offering comfort to those who were hiding in fear of their lives; taking the hand of those precious souls to be ushered into God's throne room; giving clarity of mind to those who died trying to protect the most important thing in some parents' life. I also think God was in some fashion trying to dissuade that young man from his grim mission; to no avail. Part of the story is that the freedom of choice that God grants to every human soul is a two-edged sword. While we are free to follow the Christ, whose life was given for us, we are also free to reject completely anything that could be considered holy or healthy. I pray that most of us make the right choice most of the time. The only hope any of us have is that the Christ, the Son of God, was truly born so that we might be able to choose life and light and love; that God through Christ has a plan to set all things right, to dry every tear, to wipe away every sorrow; that God through Christ so obliterates death that all fear would disappear. Let us say with boldness and confidence "Merry Christmas, the Lord God has come for us all!" I can't wait to see you Sunday! Your pastor,

Steven

DECEMBER 30, 2012

11:00am Worship

Jesus: More than Genius Luke 2:41-52

1 Samuel 2:18-20,26

No evening service

Deacon of the Month

DEC—Jason Berry Home (276)676-3773 Cell (276)619-1654 JAN—Mary Russell Home (276)623-8152 Cell (276)608-0952

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SUNDAY SCHOOL Attendance for Sunday, December 16: 135

Greeters Upstairs entrance

Jim Hughes Charles Grogan Downstairs entrance

Louise Blevins Peggy Hughes John Blankenship

Extended Session Workers December 23

Denise Gobble, Charlene Phelps and Nicole Farrar

December 30 Tony and Renee Roberts and Nicole Farrar

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Ushers & Greeters 11:00am

Co-Chairs: Larry Payne, Buddy Carrier, Mike Overstreet

December Greeters:

Chris King Mary Fraysier Janet Lambert

Bert Parsons Brenda Stong Brenda McDiffett

Ushers: Jim Johnson Carl Willis Jerry Culberson Roy Morelock Sheila Willis Diana Johnson

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Worship Technician: George Strong

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Van Drivers Sunday Morning & Evening—December

Ken Russell 623-8152(H), 608-0103(C) Sunday Morning & Evening—January

John Crigger 628-7715(H), 356-2424(C)

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Financial Update December 16, 2012

Budget Funds Weekly Requirement $8,405.85 Received Today $4,975.25 Year-to-date Budget $428,698.35 Year-to-date Receipts $421,626.17

Building Fund To-date $91,736.89

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Goal $10,000.00 To-date $7,199.00

F.Y.I. F.Y.I. . . .. . .

FRIDAY December 21 10:00am Aerobics/Walking

11:00am Children’s Christmas Activity at the home of Jill Harless

SUNDAY December 23 9:45am Sunday School

11:00am Worship

2:00pm Sunshine Basket Delivery

MONDAY December 24 8:00pm Christmas Eve Service-Baptism

~Church Office Closed~

TUESDAY December 25

Christmas Day— Happy Birthday Jesus! ~Church Office Closed~

WEDNESDAY December 26 10:00am Aerobics/Walking

6:00pm Worship

FRIDAY December 28 10:00am Aerobics/Walking

SUNDAY December 30 9:45am Sunday School

11:00am Worship—Vote on 2013 Budget

MONDAY December 31 10:00am Aerobic/Walking

1:30pm Staff Meeting

TUESDAY January 1

New Year’s Day

~Church Office Closed~

WEDNESDAY January 2 10:00am Aerobic/Walking

5:00pm Wednesday Fellowship Supper

Menu/Kids menu:

breakfast

5:30pm Cherubs Mission Friends Children in Action Youth Missions

6:00pm Worship

6:10pm Music for Threes Mission Friends Children’s Choir

7:00pm Sanctuary Choir

HHappy Birthday . . .appy Birthday . . . Monday, December 24

Helen McCall

Hunter Shelton

Tuesday, December 25

Mary Holbrook

Chris King

Sunday, December 30

Marsha Terry

Monday, December 31

Teresa Stephon

Steve Arney

Jennifer Berry

Adryana Counts

Susan Buchanan

Tuesday, January 1

David Millsap

PPrayer Concerns rayer Concerns

Hospital: Johnson Memorial Hospital Marion “Jenkie” Tomlinson Bristol Regional Medical Center

Chuck Callahan Chuck McHugh UVa Medical Center Maxine Benson (Curtis Burkett’s sister) Hobart, Indiana hospital Frances Roop (Marsha Terry’s cousin)

Conway, South Carolina hospital Rita Moore (Opal Salyers’ niece)

St. Mary’s Hospital Huntington, West Virginia

Ann Roach (Sue Rector’s cousin)

Recuperating:

Carol Clifton, Mac Clifton, Ricky Cox, R. W. Hilt, Candy Tignor

Treatments Continuing/Pending: Courtney Berry, Sarah Bowers, James Branstetter, Bobby Bright, Anna Bell Callahan, Chuck Callahan (@ NHC, Bristol), Lois Campbell, Sammy Campbell, Carol Clifton, James Collins, Ricky Cox, Amy Crowder, Dave Dawson, Mary Dennison, John Dixon, Renee’ Dixon, Yvonne Dunn, Mary Fraysier, Bill Gabriel, Allen Garrett, Jim Gunter, Sandy Haney, Ann Hardee, Lucille Heath, Patricia Hensley, Elaine Hiner, Becky Holbrook, Mary Holbrook, Luther Johnson, Jim Jones, Lawrence Keene, Ruth Keith, Kevin King, Linda Kiser, Tommy Linkous, Jeff & Carol McCray, Sharlene Miller, Kevin Perrigan, Ronda Phillips, Garland Pollard, Mary Rickey, Montana Rickey, Jacob Roe, Linda Salyers, Bobby Seymore, Trish Sills, Howard Smith, Rachel Stout, Doris Southerlin, Floyd Sutherland, Beth Sykes, Tom Talley, Bob Taylor, Marsha Terry, John Thomas, Shirley True, Glenn Vance, Howard Webb

Homebound of the Week Sally Stevens

Grand Court, 1 Liberty Pl., Bristol, VA 24201 669-1111

Long Term: Bob Barlow, William “Junior” Blankenship, Curtis Burkett, Mac Clifton, Roger Clifton, Corine Collins, Duke Davis, Clayton Dickens, Frances Dover, Doris Fleenor, Carolyn & Ev Fuqua, Jim & Ann Howard, Paul Jones, Esther Kelly, William F. “Billy” Moore, Mary Pace, David Robinson, Don Salyers, Wesley Smith, Irby Snead, Margaret Sorensen, Joyce Wright

Independent Living/Retirement/Assisted Care & Rehab Facilities: Vivian Anderson, Lola Hutton, Mazie Cook, Vera Rivera, Virginia Smith (608-2214), Genevive McCall, Sally Stevens, Howard Smith, Jean Moore, Lois Maiden, Lydia Collins, Dancey Flanagan, Evelyn Hilt, Virginia Moore, Ruth Noe, Marion “Jenkie” Tomlinson

Homebound: Mary Hunicutt, Luther Johnson, Dolores Lampson, Mae Ledford, Lois Maiden, Jeanette Millsap, Rosa Lee Phelps, Jim Repass, Rosella Reynolds, Virginia Saunders, Coma Tiller, Jake Turner

Sympathy: We extend our Christian love and sympathy to . . .

…Shirley Henderson and family in the death of her brother, …Linda Belisle and family in the death of her cousin-in-law (husband of her cousin, Alicia Berry Smith), John Walker Smith who passed away Friday, December 14.

Thursday, January 3

Sheila Willis

Michael Cullop

Kyra Duncan

Friday, January 4

Gene Compton

GGifts . . .ifts . . . The following people have given to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering… ...Ray and Dana Duncan in honor of The Widows Group ...Don and Opal Salyers in honor of Abingdon Baptist Church Staff/Personnel ...Margaret Roe in memory of Don Roe ...R. W. and Jane Hilt in honor of Rick, Jill, and Miranda Thompson ...Linda Sue Rector in honor of Buddy Carrier ...Jan Derting in memory of Bob Derting ...Joanna Owens Sunday School class in honor of Opal Salyers ...Joanna Owens Sunday School class in honor of Sue Ray ...Don and Opal Salyers in memory of Robert and Melvina Amburgey and Ora and Opal Kiser Salyers ...John Daniels in honor of Rick, Jill, and Miranda Thompson The following people have given to the Alma Hunt State Missions offering… ...The Shalom Circle in memory of Edna McMillen (Peggy Hughes’ sister) The following people have given to the General Fund… ...Virginia Moore in honor of Dr. Steven Pollard, Glenda, Kyle and Rachel ...Virginia Moore in honor of Rev. Parke Deans and Family ...Virginia Moore in honor of the Abingdon Baptist Church Family Linda Sue Rector has given to the DDM Home in honor of Ray and Elizabeth Eskew. The following people have given to the Memorial/Recognition fund… ...Fred Sutherland Jr. in memory of Fred Sutherland Sr. ...James and Georgia Carty in memory of Fred Sutherland Sr. ...David F. Woolwine in memory of Elwood (Woody) Woolwine ...Jennifer, Jason, and Jonathan Berry in memory of Josie Trixie Berry Ray and Dana Duncan have given to the C.H.R.I.S.T. fund in memory of Helen Harris. Nora Millsap has given to the Building fund in memory of Bob Millsap. Millie Willis has given to the Music Ministry in memory of Leonard Willis and Jeffrey Willis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTE: Many thanks for the kitchen equipment that has been donated. We have all that we need and we deeply appreciate your gifts. The ABC Kitchen Committee

Children’s Christmas Activity All children are invited to come and enjoy a fun afternoon

of cookie decorating and craft making! When: Friday, December 21 at 11:00am-2:00pm

Where: Home of Jill Harless Pizza will be served or you may bring a brown bag lunch w/drink

Please call the church office to make a reservation by December 19th.

KKid’s Corner . . .id’s Corner . . .

JJanuary Ushers and Greeters . . .anuary Ushers and Greeters . . . January Greeters: John & Janet Berry January Ushers: Kevin Abel, Louise Crigger, Mary Fraysier, Gene Compton, Barbara VanHuss, and Wayne Hayter

Ministers Entire Congregation

Pastor spollard@abingdonbaptist.org ext. 23 Dr. Steven Pollard

Minister of Music and Worship pdeans@abingdonbaptist.org ext. 24 Rev. Parke Deans

Director of Ministries to Children nfarrar@abingdonbaptist.org ext. 30 Rev. Nicole Farrar

Church Organist Mr. Edward Eller

Church Pianist Mrs. Rose Payne

Church Secretary sbuchanan@abingdonbaptist.org ext. 32 Mrs. Susan Buchanan

Receptionist josborne@abingdonbaptist.org ext. 21 Ms. Judy Osborne

A church with a world mission and a world program in association with the Lebanon Baptist Association, Baptist General Association of Virginia, Southern Baptist Convention, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Baptist World Alliance.

Church office hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm Phone: 276/628-8126

PRAYER LINE: extension 42, FAX: 276/628-5743

WEB Site: WWW.ABINGDONBAPTIST.ORG

During the month of December, the Joanna Owens

S.S. Class is challenged to bring food items for the

Stone Soup Food Pantry. So, please help by bringing

at least one can of food each time you come to church.

Collection baskets are at each entrance.