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News & Announcements for Sunday, October 6, 2024
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:00-10:00. We look forward to seeing you!
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7:00PM
The Women’s Bible Study meets next Monday, October 14 at 7 pm. This month we will be studying David and Jonathan, Brothers in Arms from the book, The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. Please read the chapter on David and Jonathan and answer the questions in your workbook. As always, if you don’t have a chance to read and study your lesson, come anyway.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 10:00AM
Please join us on Thursday, October 17 at Mary Wilhelm’s home at 10:00 a.m. as we discuss the book, A Serving of Revenge by R. Morgan Armstrong, who will be joining us as well! We have a great time eating, talking and discussing the book of the month. Whether you’ve read the book or not, plan to join us!
CARE PACKAGES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Mid-terms are coming up and our college students could use some encouragement. We will be collecting items this Sunday and next to fill care packages for our seven NEPC college students. If you’d rather not bring items, we’d also welcome cash donations to cover the cost of shipping (roughly $10 per box for the four out of town students). We’ll also have cards available for you to sign. Please see the October newsletter for a list of our college students, more information about the packages, and ideas of what to include.
ELON RURITAN CLUB – DONATIONS NEEDED
When you start your Fall cleaning, remember: The Elon Ruritan Club is looking for donations for its annual Fall Yard Sale scheduled for November 2. You can call John Oblinger or Barry Tucker to arrange drop off at the Club or pick up (for larger items) at your home.
OCTOBER MISSION FOCUS – CHRISTMAS BASKETS
The October Mission Focus is the Christmas Baskets. Please bring items to help bring a little joy to needy families in our area. Details can be found in the October newsletter.
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October 2024 Pastor’s Corner — Falling Like A Seed
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” — John 12:23-26 ESV
As I’ve been contemplating and praying through this passage recently, something particular stood out to me. This teaching from Jesus is given on Palm Sunday, shortly after the Triumphant Entry. Having seen the festive procession as Jesus entered Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, some Greeks “came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.” (John 12:21-22 ESV) The passage above is Jesus’ response to their request. If you pause for just a moment and think about it, it’s a really, really weird answer. They ask to see Jesus, and Jesus says, “Unless a seed die, it can not bear much fruit.” Ok. Right. Good to know. But can you have a chat with these folks or not?
The entirety of his answer comes in John 12:23-36, with verse 32 explaining and expanding verse 24: “24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit… 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” What was surely confusing to the disciples and the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus is crystal clear to us: In order for the Greeks, or anyone actually, to see see Jesus truly, He first needed to die and rise from the dead. Through the death of the one seed, Jesus Christ, the fruit of the Gospel exploded throughout the world.
There’s a lot to unpack in these short verses, and maybe we’ll do that over the next few months, but for now, consider this. Autumn, for all of its beauty, is a season of dying. The leaves change color because they’ve stopped producing chlorophyll; they’ve started to die. The seeds the trees have been growing all year long fall to the ground. The crops have finished their season of growth and are starting to ripen. The harvest is being gathered in. And yet none of that is an end. All of that is used to begin the process of new life and growth. That new life and growth won’t be evident until months of gestation have passed, but life, and life abundant, will burst forth. Watching the leaves fall it seems like the promise of that new life is an eternity away, but once spring comes ‘round it will be as if a mere moment has passed.
God created the natural world to work the way it does because it illustrates His truth (Psalm 19:1-4). In God’s great redemptive work, nothing is wasted. Even death, that which seems like the ultimate and permanent ending, becomes the seed and soil that nurtures exponentially more life. There is great comfort in knowing that when we die there will be a double blessing: We will be blessed by rising to eternal life with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:52-54) and the Kingdom of God will be blessed as God takes our dying and uses it to glorify Himself and bring forth abundant new life (John 12:27-28).
The future is always scary, because from our finite perspective it’s so uncertain. But it isn’t, really. God is not just God of the past and present, He is God of the future as well. What seems uncertain and constantly changing for us is sure and certain for God. It is because God holds the future in His hands that we can know with absolute certainty nothing that happens will go to waste, not even death. Leaves die and fall and decompose to provide the nutrients that the seeds that fell need in order to give life to much new fruit. What is true in nature is true in us. And what is true in us is true in the Church as well.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. — Rom. 8:22-25 ESV
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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News & Announcements for Sunday, September 29, 2024
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:00-10:00. We look forward to seeing you!
FOLLOWUP TOWN HALL MEETING – WED, OCTOBER 2, 6:30PM
We will have a followup Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm. All active participants and members of the church are encouraged to attend. We will be providing an update on the state of the church and what we see ahead of us. Please be sure to attend.
GLEANING FOR THE WORLD – DONATIONS NEEDED
Gleaning for the World is looking for donations of Bibles, Christian literature and other faith-based materials. For your convenience, you may bring any items you would like to donate to church. More information about what Gleaning is looking for can be found in the flyer outside the sanctuary.
ELON RURITAN CLUB – DONATIONS NEEDED
When you start your Fall cleaning, remember: The Elon Ruritan Club is looking for donations for its annual Fall Yard Sale scheduled for November 2. You can call John Oblinger or Barry Tucker to arrange drop off at the Club or pick up (for larger items) at your home.
CARE PACKAGES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Mid-terms are coming up and our college students could use some encouragement. For the first two Sundays in October (10/6 and 10/13), we will be collecting items to fill care packages for our seven NEPC college students. If you’d rather not bring items, we’d also welcome cash donations to cover the cost of shipping (roughly $10 per box for the four out of town students). We’ll also have cards available for you to sign. Please see the October newsletter for a list of our college students, more information about the packages, and ideas of what to include.
HELPING HANDS OFFERING – THIS MORNING
Each 5th Sunday, any undesignated offerings placed in the collection plates go to Helping Hands, a ministry of churches in the Madison Heights-Elon area of Amherst County to help residents in need. It is administered through Madison Heights Baptist Church. Thank you for helping us meet the needs of those in our community!
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News & Announcements for Sunday, September 22, 2024
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:00-10:00. We look forward to seeing you!
FOLLOWUP TOWN HALL MEETING – WED, OCTOBER 2, 6:30PM
We will have a followup Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm. All active participants and members of the church are encouraged to attend. We will be providing an update on the state of the church and what we see ahead of us. Please be sure to attend.
GLEANING FOR THE WORLD – DONATIONS NEEDED
Gleaning for the World is looking for donations of bibles, Christian literature and other faith-based materials. For your convenience, you may bring any items you would like to donate to church. More information about what Gleaning is looking for can be found in the flyer on the table outside the sanctuary.
ELON RURITAN CLUB – DONATIONS NEEDED
When you start your Fall cleaning, remember: The Elon Ruritan Club is looking for donations for its annual Fall Yard Sale scheduled for November 2. You can call John Oblinger at (434) 941-3412 or Barry Tucker at (434) 610-4178 to arrange drop off at the Club or pick up (for larger items) at your home.
MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: AMHERST COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Our mission focus for the month of September is Amherst County Habitat for Humanity. We have partnered with Amherst County Habitat for Humanity for many years. Recently, we helped fund three houses in Amherst and provided volunteer support for two new homes off Coolwell Road. Learn more about Amherst County Habitat for Humanity in this month’s newsletter. You may make a donation by specifying Habitat for Humanity on your check memo line.
DOWNLOAD THE CHURCH CENTER APP
Search for “Church Center” in your favorite app store to download our app! In the app are the church calendar, small group and volunteer opportunities, the online church directory, and more.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, September 15, 2024
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:00-10:00. We look forward to seeing you!
WEDNESDAY PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
TOWN HALL MEETING TODAY– SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 4PM
The Session has called a Town Hall meeting for Sunday, September 15th at 4 pm. All active participants and members of the church are encouraged to attend. We will be providing an update on the state of the church and what we see ahead of us. Please be sure to attend.
GLEANING FOR THE WORLD – WEDNESDAY @ 8:30 am
Please join us in the parking lot of the church for carpooling. We will return to the church around 11:30 am.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THIS THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 10 AM
Please join us on Thursday, July 18 at Sharon Byrant’s home at 10:00 a.m. as we discuss the book, The Women by Kristin Hannah. We have a great time eating, talking and discussing the book of the month. Be sure to join us on Thursday!
MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: AMHERST COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Our mission focus for the month of September is Amherst County Habitat for Humanity. We have partnered with Amherst County Habitat for Humanity for many years. Recently, we helped fund three houses in Amherst and provided volunteer support for two new homes off Coolwell Road. Learn more about Amherst County Habitat for Humanity in this month’s newsletter. You may make a donation by specifying Habitat for Humanity on your check memo line.
DOWNLOAD THE CHURCH CENTER APP
Search for “Church Center” in your favorite app store to download our app! In the app are the church calendar, small group and volunteer opportunities, the online church directory, and more.
Read more...
