Dear Church Family,

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that 2016 is behind us. Another year has come and gone. Some are happy to see it go. Others experienced significant moments or made important decisions in 2016 – many were saved, baptized, and added to our church this past year. These decisions will guide you for the rest of your life. I’m so thankful for all that God has done in 2016 and I can’t wait to see all that He has in store for 2017!

With the advent of each New Year, our mission remains the same. We are called to “go…and make disciples” – to develop fully-devoted followers of Christ who help to make and develop more fully-devoted followers of Christ. Our process is to Connect, Grow, and Serve. We connect by worshipping God faithfully, both corporately and individually. We grow by studying the Word and participating in a Life Group on a regular basis. And we serve one another and our community through ministry within the church and in mission beyond the church.

You may remember, 2014 was “The Year of Connect,” 2015 was the “The Year of Grow,” and 2016 was “The Year of Serve.” This year will be The Year of Impact! Our theme and focus for the year will be to impact our

neighbors and the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me see if I can summarize this emphasis with a simple phrase: the world should be different because we are here. Because Second Baptist Church is here, our city should be different. Because you are here, your neighborhood should be different. Because God has placed us here, our world should be different. I believe we can change the world from Warner Robins, Georgia.

For The Year of Impact, I want to ask you to make one simple decision – find one person at work or school and one family in your neighborhood and make an impact in their lives through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This means sharing your faith on a consistent basis, inviting them to church, and showing love in practical ways. We will only make an impact if we are intentional about living the truth, loving others, and sharing our faith.

Finally, I want to encourage you to start the New Year off right by spending time with God daily, and by studying His Word faithfully. Devotion books for adults and kids are available along with Bible reading plans to help you

New Year’s Day Service Just like Christmas, New Year’s Day is on a Sunday this season as well! We will treat this Sunday very similar to our Christmas Day service. There will be no Life Groups or evening activities on this day. We will all meet in the Main Worship Center at 10:30 AM to worship our Lord together and hear from His Word. No better way to start off the new year than by learning more about Jesus and how we can make a difference for Him. Join us on this first Sunday of 2017!

School of the ArtsIf you are interested in our School of the Arts program, you may register online. This is for NEW STUDENTS only. (Current students who wish to continue should use the Continuing Student Enrollment for Spring 2017 available from their teachers). Lessons begin the week of January 9th and end with Spring Recitals May 15th and 16th. We offer private music instruction on piano, guitar, violin, voice, and most wind instruments. Pick up a brochure at the Welcome Center for more details.

Daniel Crews in Concert Daniel Crews is a fresh voice among Christian vocalists in America. His unique voice blends classical sound with contemporary appeal. Growing up in a Christian home, Daniel has sung in church since he can remember. He graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Vocal Performance in December of 2007. Upon graduation, he launched Daniel Crews Ministries providing him a platform to share the Gospel through song around the country. God has been more than faithful by allowing Daniel to sing in churches, conferences, retreats, revivals, and youth camps. God also blessed Daniel in his recording efforts with five releases. In January 2014, Daniel had the privilege of starting as the Resident Artist at and basing his ministry out of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida with Dr. Mac Brunson. Previously in 2011 to 2013, Daniel served as Resident Artist for First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia with Dr. Charles Stanley, founder of the international InTouch Ministries. Daniel’s wife, Angelia, travels with him everywhere he goes. She runs sound and handles all of the booking and office administration. Daniel and Angelia reside in Starke, Florida with their daughter, Emma Kate, and son, Cooper. Daniel Crews will be with us on Sunday, January 8th. In the 10:30 AM service, he will join us in worship and then at our 6:30 PM service, he will be in concert. Make your plans to attend!

with this important discipline. There are also Sermon Series CDs and other study materials available at the Welcome Center in the Grand Lobby. All of these things are made available for your personal spiritual growth and development.

I’m excited to begin a brand new year with you once again. I can’t wait to see what God will do in 2017. Would you join me in asking God to make this our best year yet!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Jim

New Sunday Morning Sermon Series beginning on January 15th!

GRACE Tables GRACE Tables: Giving Rest and Connecting Everyone. The table is a wonderful place to talk about Jesus and what He’s doing in our lives. A welcoming place for a simple meal and table talk with Christ-centered conversations. A place to connect with the women in your Life Group. Beginning January 2017, we’re inviting you to host a GRACE TABLE with the ladies in your Life Group.

WHAT is a GRACE TABLE? The vision is really simple and is based on Acts 2:46 which says, “…they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”. It’s 6 women + 4 questions + 2 hours, (Acts 2:46). Your challenge is to invite 5 women from your Life Group over for a simple meal and Christ-centered conversation around the table. The questions will be provided for you on our Women’s Ministry website. You may have more than one Grace Table for each Life Group….the more the better, but limit each group to SIX.

WHEN is GRACE TABLE?GRACE TABLES should meet once a month….at a time that works the best for your group. The main thing is to keep the times consistent. For example: the 1st Tuesday night of each month, the 3rd Saturday morning – what works best for you.

WHERE is GRACE TABLE?At YOUR kitchen table! Use paper plates or your “real” dishes….whatever works for you. It’s not about the cooking or how clean or pretty your home is that will make a difference. The focus is hospitality, inviting your Life Group women in, making them a part of your family – our Second Family – by sharing a simple meal around Christ-centered conversation.

We hope to see the ladies in our Second Family come together around tables in our homes and love on one another. We will flourish together as Grace Tables create places to celebrate the joy of community through small group interaction.

Women’s Ministry

Women’s Bible StudiesWhether you are a morning, afternoon, or night person, there is a Bible study opportunity for you! Check out the new studies below, and on the next page, specifically for women. Make a commitment to begin 2017 in the Word of God! Come join one of these classes:

Tuesday morning, January 10th, at 9:30 AMAll Things New, A Study of 2 Corinthians - by Kelly MinterYou will explore the letter of 2 Corinthians, learning about the anchoring truths of bearing treasures in jars of clay, meeting Christ through a pressing thorn, opening wide your heart in the midst of hurtful relationships, and what it means to embrace the lost and lonely as ministers of the new covenant. Each of us has a message to proclaim and live by: Because of Jesus the old has gone, the new has come.

Tasting Grace Tasting Grace is a wonderful mentoring-in-the-kitchen ministry! On Saturday, January 21st, at 10:00 AM we begin our third year of Tasting Grace and we couldn’t be happier. Last year a book was published about this ministry and Tasting Grace ministries are popping up in other churches. The JOY of TG is spreading! Jan Hamil and Jan Morton would love to see you in the kitchen with a word from God for your heart and a delicious menu for your soul. Sweet times and treasured friendships are the result and more confidence in your cooking skills. Women – we need each other – come join in the fun!

Anna’s Banquet Our Anna’s Banquet is a special time where we as a church host a dinner specifically for our widows. We want to love on you and serve you! This year our dinner will be held on Saturday, February 11th, at 4:30 PM. We will meet in the YAC Auditorium. Please sign up in your Life Group, at the Welcome Center, or through our Church Office. If you need a ride, we can pick you up! Just let us know when you sign up.

Our new session of Disciple University classes will begin on Wednesday, January 4th, and Sunday, January 8th. Please come to the Welcome Center to register and to purchase any workbooks you may need.

Wednesday Night Co-Ed ClassMarriage Oneness - by Tim and Lea Lunday, taught by Pastor Jim and Stephanie Perdue. Wednesdays, beginning on January 4th at 6:00 PM, Room A116. Marriage Oneness equips couples to grow in true intimacy, connection, and purpose—and experience closeness for a lifetime. Along with a profile to evaluate and address each couple’s own oneness level, Marriage Oneness includes Circle Up small-group discussions, Oneness Work application exercises to complete together, and a personalized Next Steps Planner. This Study equips couples for closeness in seven key areas: Communication, Conflict Resolution, Money, Spiritual Beliefs, Sexual Intimacy, Roles and Responsibilities, and Family and Friends. Couples study set - $30.00 (includes two books and access to the online oneness profile.)

Wednesday Night Women Only ClassNehemiah – A Heart That Can Break - by Kelly Minter, taught by Debbie Vartenisian. Wednesdays, beginning on January 4th at 6:15 PM, Room A107. Nehemiah’s heart was so broken for those in need that he left the comfort of his Persian palace to help them. This study challenges women to let God break their hearts for a hurting, lost world and move them in compassion to lead people to Jesus. Nehemiah is a 7 week study that includes 7 video sessions and real-life ways to put feet to your faith. Are you ready to let God break your heart for a hurting, lost world and move you in compassion to be the hands and feet of Jesus? Workbook $13.00

Sunday Night Co-Ed ClassesSpiritual Gifts - taught by Charlie Ward. Sundays, beginning on January 8th at 5:15 PM, Room A116. Many believers have questions about the subject of Spiritual Gifts. This class is designed to introduce you to the subject of Spiritual Gifts and to help you understand how they function in a believer’s life. You will learn the difference between a spiritual gift and the fruit of the Spirit, The different ways of finding and viewing spiritual gifts, The purpose of Spiritual gifts and how to discover you spiritual gifts. Join us for this valuable and challenging study. Study Materials provided.

The Teacher I Want To Be - by Danny Akin, taught by Matthew Gibbs. Sundays, beginning on January 8th at 5:15 PM, Room A117. This study is for beginning, intermediate and advanced Bible students and teacher – Anyone who desires a fresh motivation to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and how to share its truths with others. No matter the age you teach or even if you do not teach, you can glean much from learning how to study deeper and share more effectively. This study will open the hearts and minds of all who love the Bible, want to know how to study it with purpose and passion, and teach it effectively. Workbook $9.00

Sunday Night Women Only ClassThe Best Yes - by Lysa TerKeurst, taught by Jan Morton and Patsy Randall. Sundays, beginning on January 8th at 5:15 PM, Room A108. Most of us spend a lot of our lives figuring out when to say yes and how to say no. But we don’t find space for our souls until we learn to step past the yes and no of daily decisions and seek out a third option: The Best Yes. The Best Yes is the choice that shapes all our other choices. It’s what allows us to play our necessary parts in God’s plan, to spend our energy and focus our passion on the assignments that really are ours. Too many of us confuse the command to love with the disease to please. In this Bible study Lysa TerKeurst shares how to make better use of the two most powerful words, yes and no. Using Biblical teaching and practical insights this study will help you be more equipped to discern the best yes answers for your life. Book $10.00

Sunday Night Men Only ClassStepping Up - by Dennis Rainey, taught by Jim Dutcher. Sundays, beginning on January 8th at 5:15 PM, Room A123. Based on his book by the same title, Dennis Rainey, along with other ministry leaders unpack what biblical manhood looks like and what it means to be a godly, courageous man in today’s world. Through engaging stories, expert teaching, humorous vignettes, man-on-the-street interviews, and personal insights, these men’s ministry leaders call every man to become courageous leaders in their own lives, marriages, churches, and communities. Accompanied by small-group discussion and individual follow-up exercises, men of every age will learn action tools for gospel-centered living to empower them to be true heroes in their families and communities. Workbook $15.00

Sanctity of Human Life On January 13, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22nd as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. (January 22, 1973, was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand in all 50 states.) Churches around the United States use the day to celebrate God’s gift of life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and commit themselves to protecting human life at every stage.

This year, the National Sanctity of Human Life Day will be observed on Sunday, January 15th. Here at Second Baptist we are able to support and raise awareness on the importance of human life through two local organizations and our Mission 1:8 ministry. These organizations help educate ladies and couples on pregnancy, abortion, and adoption. These organizations are Caring Solutions, based here and in Macon, and Covenant Care, based out of Macon.

Caring Solutions offers free and confidential services of pregnancy testing, limited ultrasound, nurse consultations, and pregnancy support, to those who are experiencing an unintended pregnancy. They help answer the primary questions clients are facing: “Am I pregnant?” and “What are my options?” Clients are provided with accurate information that often provides the answers they are looking for. Caring Solutions staff love clients unconditionally and are thankful for the opportunity to help them through a very difficult time in their lives. They aim to create a refuge for them in their

Centers and pray they feel loved and valued knowing they are not alone during the pregnancy. Through decision support, clients are able to make an informed decision and are connected with the resources they need if they decide to parent or place for adoption. Clients are treated with the utmost respect as the staff strives to offer HOPE in the midst of unintended pregnancy. They know the decision is the client’s to make and they offer unconditional support throughout their services.

Covenant Care Services is a state-licensed, non-profit Christian adoption and counseling agency founded in 1989 to provide services to birthmothers, children, and families. They are a domestic adoption agency working primarily with birthmothers and families in Georgia. The birthmother caseworkers are strategically located across the state in Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Savannah, Valdosta, and at their state office in Macon. Since their founding, they’ve facilitated over 550 adoptions. They serve birthmothers by equipping them to make a loving and life-affirming plan for their child, whether they choose adoption or parenting. They prepare families for the unique realities of domestic adoption, equipping them to partner with them as they wait to adopt.

As we recognize the Sanctity of Human Life during this month, please be in prayer for both of these facilities as they reach out in love during what can sometimes be a difficult time. Also, continue giving to our Mission 1:8 ministry as it directly supports facilities like these to show the love of Jesus out in the world.

Sunday, January 1st

This Sunday’s childcare team will be Team 1: Donise Woodrich and Blake Randall. The Wednesday night, January 4th, childcare team will be Team 1.

Sunday, January 8th

This Sunday’s childcare team will be Team 2: Lynette Shepherd and Sabrina Comeau. The Wednesday night, January 11th, childcare team will be Team 2.

Sunday, January 15th

This Sunday’s childcare team will be Team 3: Joni New and Kim Layson. The Wednesday night, January 18th, childcare team will be Team 3.

Sunday, January 22nd

This Sunday’s childcare team will be Team 4: Karen Myers. The Wednesday night, January 25th, childcare team will be Team 4.

Sunday, January 29th

This Sunday’s childcare team will be Team 1: Donise Woodrich and Blake Randall. The Wednesday night, February 1st, childcare team will be Team 1.

If you would like to volunteer in the nursery at Second either on Wednesday night or on Sunday, please contact Donise Woodrich in the Church Office. If you would like to volunteer in our Children’s Ministry, contact Pastor Ben Hunley in the Church Office.

JANUARY 2017NURSERY ROTATION

January 1stNew Year’s Day Service 10:30 AMNo Life Groups in the morning and no evening activities.

January 2ndChurch Offices, FLC, & YAC closed

January 3rdXYZ Helping Hands (Men) 8:00 AM

January 4thDisciple University Begins 6:15 PM

January 5thSunday School Mentoring Rally 5:00 PM

January 8thDaniel Crews leading in Worship 10:30 AMDisciple University Begins 5:15 PMDaniel Crews in Concert 6:30 PM

January 12thXYZ Luncheon 11:00 AM

January 14thFCA Day of Champions 7:00 AM

January 15thSanctity of Human Life Day 10:30 AMNo evening activities in honor of MLK, Jr Holiday

January 16thChurch Offices, FLC, & YAC closed

January 19thXYZ Day Trip: Bay Breeze Restaurant

January 21stTasting Grace 10:00 AM

January 26thXYZ Helping Hearts (Ladies) 9:00 AM

UPCOMING DATES TO CONSIDERFebruary 3rdPreteen Fellowship 5:00 PM

February 5thSecond Life Class Luncheon 12:00 PM

February 11thAnna’s Banquet 4:30 PM

IMPORTANT DATES IN JANUARY 2017

Bible Reading PlanWe have our 2017 Bible Reading Plans in the Grand Lobby at our Information Towers. This plan is to guide you as you read through the Bible in one year! The books of the Bible and chapters are organized in semi-chronological order. It takes a Psalm a day and encourages you to pray through the chapter. There are also videos with some of the days on jointhebibleproject.com. Make sure to pick up one before the new year to get started!

Devotion Books Our new 2017 devotion books are now available. Pastor Jim has written a week in the adult devotion book Grace, Hope, and Love. We also have a devotion book for children entitled God’s Blessings Day by Day. This devotion book is specifically designed to use with your children and encourage them to spend time with the Lord each day. Pastor Ben Hunley has written a week in this devotion book! You may purchase the adult devotionals for $15 a piece and the children’s devotionals for $10 a piece. If you would like to purchase them both, you may bundle them for $20. These are available at the Welcome Center and in the Church Office. Make sure to purchase them today and have your plan ready for spending time with the Lord in 2017!

Resources to Kick Off 2017

Sermon SeriesDon’t forget, we have quite a few of Pastor Jim’s sermon series on CD and packaged together! We have Esther, Accidental Pharisee, I Am Second, Song of Solomon series, Elijah, God is Enough, Home Improvement, and Heaven. These are available for purchase at the Welcome Center. If you don’t see the series you would like, please let us know and we will try to make one for you!