Suveyor Spring 2010

Making a Joyful Noise Satisfied in a SunScorched Land A Labor of Love Wonder Does God Give a Flip Flop Calling for Prayer Features page 18 page 20 page 28 page 33 page 52 page 58 Missions Ministry From China with Love Echo the Call Get Onboard with Mercy Ships Restorative Justice Ministry page 31 page 44 page 45 page 47 Green Acres South Campus Help Build the Future Pastor page 37 Its Your Choice Time Change page 4 page 50 Womens Ministry iWorship Kidz Praise Guitar Masters Pops and

Its Your Choice by David O. Dykes T he great lawyer, William Jennings Bryan, once said Destiny is not a matter of chance it is a matter of choice. Life is about choices. The good choices you make will lead to positive consequences. And bad choices will always lead to negative consequences. You maY choose to retreat Go back and starve One option for the lepers was to simply go back to the city. They were suffering from malnutrition and needed food. In the same way, its possible for a person to

That may describe your life right now. For a long time, its been the same ol channel, and youre either too lazy to get up and change it or youve forgotten how Your spiritual life can become a monotony of rituals week after week. You need to ask yourself, Why stay here until I die, when God has so much more in store for me It may be time for you to get up off your spiritual couch and change the channel so you can experience all God wants you to be and do in this life. You maY choose to risk take

We are blessed to have one of the finest worship ministries in the country, but as our church continues to grow, we are faced with a need we still have some empty choir and orchestra seats on Sunday morning. We understand how dramatically our worship environment is impacted by a full choir and orchestra, so I want you to pray earnestly about the possibility of filling those seats, regardless of your musical background. Im excited about what He is doing Y ou have heard me speak about the impor

You do NOT have to singplay in all three services. If you need to slip out after the music to sit with your family...assist with children...attend Bible Study, etc., you are welcome to do so. Rehearsals Celebration Choir Wednesday Night, 700830 P.M. Choir Room Celebration Orchestra Wednesday Night, 700830 P.M. Galilee Room Maybe you havent played your instrument in a while, or you are just starting out in band. We have a group for you as well. The Exaltation Orchestra is a wonderful opportuni

hen its a drizzly winter in Tyler, the people in Monrovia, West Africa are experiencing oppressive heat unlike the hottest Texas summer. But that didnt stop a Childrens Ministry mission team who recently returned to West Africa to help Ricks Institute, a Christian school in this wartorn country. On arrival, team members were thrilled to spot more homes, lights and a slew of cell phone company billboardsall evidence that Liberia is slowly recovering from 14 years of civil war. The first item on t

of His love halfway around the world from Tyler. Another writer, Shelley Wagner, agrees. Teaching children every week at GABC is an incredible blessing of its own, but using that skill to help teach children on the other side of the world was even more incredible For most of the volunteer writers, this was their first attempt at writing their own lessonsand they had the extra challenge of coming up with activities utilizing the limited supplies in Liberia. As writer Boyd Wall explains, The teach

Renovations in the Preschool Building Underway W e are so excited about the possibilities the new renovations after bringing to our growing Preschool Ministry We have vacated the classrooms affected by the construction on the first and second floors, and with a little creative arranging we found a temporary home for everyone. Leigh Evans Director of our Early Education Center and her staff found a solution to relocate some of her classrooms, too. You wouldnt believe how much stuff it takes to

C hristians living a multicultural lifestyle in East Texas have a new avenue for learning Gods Word. De Las Dos Culturas is a new Sunday Morning Bible Study option for second generation Hispanics, blended culture families and multicultural Latino ethnicities. The lessons are taught in Spanish from the same Bible curriculum used in Englishspeaking classes, and the study guides are in English. Many participants use bilingual Bibles to reference Scripture in both languages. Ernesto and Christine

T he same GABC Retreat Center you enjoy with your church friends on the weekends is available for use in a number of creative ways throughout the week. The company you own or work for can reserve the Conference Center up to 40 people or the remodeled Lodge up to 60120 people to enjoy nature and the lakeside view while getting things done. All without breaking the bank Its also the perfect setting for a going away, retirement or special birthday party for employees. On weekdays, our Conference

W hen the Lord says to make a joyful noise unto Him, one particular section of the Worship Center radiates their joy through graceful hands and fingers. In the 1115A.M. worship service, just to Pastor Davids left on the lower section, you can see Sign Language interpreters leading members of our Deaf Ministry in praise. Marian Collins, an Interpreter major at TJC, comments, How graceful and confident the interpreters are when processing the service and music and conveying it through American S

Isaiah 5811 The LORD will guide you always he will satisfy your needs in a sunscorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a wellwatered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. B rad Borders, serving as Chaplain for a Civil Affairs Battalion in Northern Iraq, is far from his back porch in western North Carolina. But he fondly remembers his simple life before he left for his tour of duty. The dogwoods were blooming among brilliant green leaves. The birds in full song bu

Just miles from the Tigris River, Brad is conscious he is walking in the footsteps of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Daniel, Jonah and the Magi. This is where God began his earthly plan for the salvation and restoration of the world, Brad notes. It culminated 500 miles to my West on a hill outside the city of Jerusalem....amazing Even so, Brad cant help but look forward to turkey season in North Carolina and a salmon fishing trip to Alaska this summer. He writes, I dream of a cold November morning in a

Richie Booth, Senior 2010 My life would be completely different if I had not been involved in the One Ten Student Ministry. I have established great friendships with amazing people who have helped me become the person I am today. I am confident they will be lifelong friends. You really build relationships with people when youre riding to Missouri in a church van, serving in a foreign country or nailing a roof beside other Christians for a week. During the summer before 8th grade, I went to Stud

impact noun 1. the strong effect that something or someone has on another influence. Without the One Ten Student Ministry, I dont know where Id be in my relationship with Jesus or even if Id have one. Over the past four years, the Student Center has gone from being just a place where I hang out with friends, to somewhere I love to spend time allowing Christ to teach me in any way. The leaders in the Student Ministry are irreplaceableeach placed by God to influence and guide students down the pa

E ast Texas has a new ministry to share the love of Jesus Christ with race car drivers, pit crews and fans at race events. A little more than a year ago, GABC member, Mike Evans, visited Texas Motor Speedway in the DFW metroplex at the invitation of Dr. Roger Marsh, executive director of both TxARM Texas Alliance of Raceway Ministries and NFRM National Fellowship of Raceway Ministries. Marsh made a personal visit to GABC last summer to recruit volunteers for ministry at Texas Motor Speedway dur

J . p ministry since 1997 aime has served in cam Day Camp counselor She served as a GABC as Assistant Director from 19971998 and ed 20012004 she work from 19992000. From New r at T Bar M Camps in as Leader and Directo GABC Day ime returned to Braunfels. Last year, Ja gree in irector. She has a de Camp as Assistant D dance Science and teaches mily and Consumer Fa mom ime is a wife and busy at DanceNDrill. Ja of two little boys. en he y he should go, and wh Train a child in the wa . from it. Prov

Celebrating Volunteers at Green Acres supplies every week and making the rounds at the church print shop, just as he has every week since around 1980. In fact, if it were not for the faithful service of Ted and hundreds of others of volunteers like him throughout the church, one wonders if the work of the church might not just grind to a halt If people didnt volunteer, the church would go out of business, Ted jokes, when asked why he gives his time to the church. In the old Sanctuary now the Cha

every Friday morning to assemble the bulletins and inserts. Fueled by the promise of chicken biscuits from ChickfilA every other Friday, a team of 1214 can stuff 5,000 bulletins in 30 minutes on a good day. The group shares a special camaraderie. After one of the most faithful senior adult volunteers died, his widow asked if she could take his placea job Louise Johnson heartily does today. But no matter how quickly the volunteers work, they always set aside a stack of bulletins for another speci

G od has a way of forming extraordinary friendships in ordinary, unexpected ways. Ellen Winegeart, who serves as our College Minister, witnessed a special relationship form between three friends who were at opposite ends of lifes journey. One, an eightysixyearold named Jean Brown the other, a pair of college girls just starting to make their way into the world. and Kendall even gave Mrs. Brown a picture of them, which she displays proudly on her table. Emily and I instantly fell in love with h

In Her Own Words Jean Brown came into my life at a very interesting time...a time where compassion was not present, a time where service was nonexistent...a time where visits to the elderly were simply a nuisance or waste of time, if you will. Nevertheless, I embarked on the poinsettia delivery that rainy Sunday morning, mostly to avoid ridicule from my fellow delivers. I mean, no one wants to look like the heartless, grandparenthater, too busy with logarithmic equations to serve those deservin

Wonder Sunflower Annual plants native to the Americas. They possess a flowering head that is actually numerous small flowers crowded together. Silicon Oxide Nanowires Selforganizing nanoparticles that assembled themselves in the shape of a sunflower. 32 32

by Charles R. Gordon, M.D. E xperience teaches us to be suspicious of something for nothing deals. Think about it. When is the last time someone offered you something of real significance for free And, if they did, what was their motive We say things like theres no free lunch and you cant get something for nothing. And really, its pretty much true. The Bible refers to it as the Fall. Scientists refer to it as the second law of thermodynamics. Both speak to the same truth everything tends to ru

U pward, the worlds largest Christian sports program for children, was created with a vision to provide the best sports experience possible for every child. In traditional sports programs, there is often too much emphasis on competition, and less focus on the reasons why families want their children to play sports in the first placeto have fun and to build character. Upward is different. It aims to bring out the winner in every child, regardless of the games score. Brad and Asha Brazeal have se

WEIGHT ROOM ORIENTATION FREE All I had to do was find where God was already working and join Him. Upward Soccer has enabled me to serve God in ways that I cannot imagine. I have the honor of seeing children come to know the Lord through a simple tool like a soccer ball. One of our personal trainers will show you how to use the equipment in the Family Life Center weight room. Call 9035251116 to reserve your spot for April 10 at 1000 A.M. DOG TRAINING Sundays April 11, 18, 25 May 2 at The ROC

ages and experiences, including entrepreneurs and leaders in nonprofit organizations. Green Acres stresses the importance of connecting in a SMBS group because of classes like New Beginnings that demonsrate what a group can accomplish together to teach, lead, support and encourage others in Christ. New Beginnings leaders say, We have had the privilege as a class to minister quietly to the needs of otherswhether at Good Sam, Angel Tree or through personal needs. As a class, we have rung the bells

is on a mission to reach out to the community around them and target those who need a church home andor relationship with Jesus Christ. Pastor Russ Jackson anticipates a huge blessing in store for GABC South Campus as they increase their focus. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to get out of their comfort zone and help with this muchneeded mission project at GABC South Campus, he says. They need both families and individuals who are willing to participate in the Lords work to visit o

L ying on a hospital bed in 2002, Randy Peterson thought about how his life had ended up so far from his expectations. As a young man of 27, an age where most are carving out careers and starting families, hed learned he was in endstage kidney failure. His brother had unsuccessfully donated a kidney. Now it was a year later, and Randy was recovering in the hospital at ETMC from yet another kidney transplant, this time from a cadaver. And he was barely 30 years old. and Kim Herman, stepped in t

Converge SMBS class reached outthis time, not to an unknown family, but to two families of their own When I think about what God has done for me through Converge, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and love. Sharon Cates The class members prayed for both families, wrote encouraging notes and also contributed financial gifts to help offset the costs not covered by insurance during their sixweek stay in Rochester just before Christmas this year. They claimed the verse that says, Be joyful in hope,

T 2010 Mothers and Daughters TripReaching out to ArabicSpeaking Refugees in Richardson his year, our mothersanddaughters as well as grandmothersandgranddaughters have two opportunities to make ministry memories together on these threeday weekend trips June 46 and July 911. The Womens Ministry is partnering with the Christian Arabic Church in Richardson, Texas www.ArabicChurchofDallas.com to minister to Iraqi and other Arabicspeaking refugees arriving daily in the East Dallas area. Well set up o

O A humorous look at a fathers first experience in Upward ur family has four kids, Kacey 10, Tom 8, Nate 5, and Gigi 1. Since the oldest and youngest are girls, we refer to the kids as a boy sandwich. Since neither of the adults in our family are particularly sporty by nature, our initial foray into the sports world came as a response to one of those good parents should... situations. Good parents should teach their kids to eat vegetables. Good parents should help their kids learn trigonometry.

You may have seen Rachel Bitter assisting with Womens discipleship, College Ministry or Singles Ministryshe seems to be everywhere at once But what you might not know is the story of her Leadership Training course in South Africa this past summer and early fall. Many supported Rachel through prayer, encouragement and communication and shared the experience vicariously Were pleased to share her reflections with you L ife will never be the same after living three months with 27 people of all age

as His. I moved between thinking I had learned so much and realizing I had so much more to learn. I spent time crying out before God as He showed me what it meant to surrender my heart to Him. Colorful My skin may be pasty white, but my heart will forever be the colors of the ones with whom I shared three months of my lifeblack, brown, yellow, tancolorful. God has painted my heart with His Kingdom. Our three months were filled with laughter, tears, joy, pain, happiness and frustration each emo

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave... concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 1610 Meet Missionaries from Around the World Hear testimonies from the field Learn how GABC is involved in worldwide missions Find your place in reaching the world for Christ Mark Yo Calend ur ars FALL 2010 The Stephen Ministry is a national ministry GABC has adopted to train ordinary church members to provide an extraordinary and muchneeded resource to hu

F AIM begins organ donation awareness ministry or people whose organs are failing because of disease or injury, donated organs offer patients freedom from machines, or even provide the gift of life itself. In turn, most living donors feel their donation is one of the most positive events in their lives. More than 95,000 people in the U.S. need a kidney transplant, and nearly 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month. Tragically, 17 people die every day while waiting for a tran

living donor if she had someone willing to donate a kidney for someone else. Finally, I was able to do something Pat jokes about her willingness to give one of her kidneys to a stranger if it meant Melissa could be helped. Pat and Melissa were accepted into the program, and Pat was chosen to give a kidney to Michael Miller, whose wife, Robin, would give her kidney to Melissa. By this time, Melissa was on dialysis. My donor was not a perfect match, Melissa says. Her potential donor had a slightly

T he Bethesda Health Clinic is the culmination of the faith, perseverance and focus of many whose vision of a better world begins by serving their less fortunate neighbors in Smith County. By delivering high quality health care to the working uninsured, the Clinic is able to relieve some of the burden on local emergency rooms, while at the same time providing care to a significant, yet neglected segment of our population in a professional environment. At the heart of the Clinic is the tremendo

Contact Sandy Adams at 9035924693 or sandyagcc.org for more CWJC information. I ts almost springare you ready to welcome a new change in your life The spring session of Christian Womens Job Corps began on February 15 and lasts through April 22. Theres still time to volunteer and make a difference in the lives of these women who are trying to begin anew in their lives. Consider these volunteer roles Job CoachesTeacher Aides taking roll, checking homework, assisting teacher with small group dis

Mayfield Building at Fairgrounds, 10, 600 P.M., Catered BarBQ, Dinner, Band and a whole lot of fun. Tickets available at the Real Life Welcome Center and Real Life Office. Childcare reservations at www.gabc.org until April 3. April 10 Round Top, Texas, 160, May 2831. Lee Poe, from GABCs Graceworks Ministry, will be our guest speaker for the weekend Brochures available at the Real Life Welcome Center and Real Life Office. A group from Prestonwood Baptist will be joining us Prayer Makes It Poss

T his is it This is how Im going to die The rapids were holding me under, and I was pinned against a fallen tree, unable to get my head above water. I was calm, ironically, very calm. I came here seeking the Lord, little knowing I was about to see Him in person Nevertheless, I had peace. I prayed for my boys, my parents and even my Sunday school class. It had started as a warm fall day a few years ago on a weekend trip to Broken Bow, Oklahoma. I was going alone to study and seek the Lord for n

leisurely, easy pace toward my destination. I was contemplating life and God when I noticed a fork in the river with a big tree that had fallen upstream. The tree was about 30 feet long, and its dead branches stretched toward me. Being the expert, I knew I needed to go to the right of the tree. I started paddling in that direction, and all I could think was, Do not hit the tree, do not hit the tree, do not... Bamm I hit the tree. My kayak capsized. The life vest that I had never put on, the oar

N ovember 2009 marked the first National Orphan Sunday, and Green Acres Baptist Church was blessed with special guest, Jim Caviezel, star of the blockbuster film The Passion of the Christ. Jim shared his personal story of adopting two Chinese special needs children. In every service, adoptive families wore Im One stickers and were invited to the front of the church for prayer. Jim said in an interview with a local news station, When my life on earth is over, I will likely be remembered as a Hol

Let us help by calling on skilled volunteers from GABC winmail.gabc.org Minor Home Repairs Electrical Plumbing Technical Automobile Mechanical Transportation Heating Air Conditioning Personal Assistance 55

GABC Expands Outreach Center Campus, Provides New Home for Restorative Justice Ministry The Green Acres Baptist Church Outreach Center houses the Good Samaritan ministry and is also the new location for the Restorative Justice Ministry RJM. The Outreach Center is a former redbrick church building located at 200 North Beckham just north of Erwin. RJM will continue all of its current programs with FaithBased Dorms, Bible Studies, Sports Reach, KAIROS and the Story Book Project that focus on those

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