Bible Baptist Church

YDC Christmas Dinner

2011-12-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

Three saved this year at the annual Christmas dinner held at the youth detention center. Praise the Lord!

Ecclesiastes 7:3

2011-12-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

"Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the coutenance the heart is made better."

This is a tough verse to understand, let alone live. Today our church family has experienced profound sorrow. Rebekah Jane and Rachel Elisabeth, infants, opened their eyes for the first time and the Savior was the first thing they saw. They will be greatly missed. What a blessed comfort to know that they will be reunited with their family one day. Please, continue to lift their parents up in prayer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time set aside to give thanks. Any day is a good day to give thanks, but we set aside this special day to pause and reflect on what God has done. We have so much to be thankful for and this past Sunday proved just that. We had a service of testimonies and singing praise to God. There was truly a spirit of thanksgiving that night! He is worthy of our praise!

Bro. Sam Gipp

2011-01-29T14:42:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday ended our meeting with Bro. Sam Gipp. He delivered straight to the heart messages. He targeted on Bible reading, surrendering to God, thanking God for what He has done, and the one word that changed the world- Jesus. God is good to care about His people and give them what they need just when they need it. Thank you, Bro. Gipp, for truly being "A Friend to Churches."

For more information on Bro. Gipp or his upcoming meetings, visit the website at http://www.samgipp.com/.

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

2010-12-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! It has been a busy season. We participated in several Christmas activities including services at the nursing homes, Christmas dinner at the detention center, Patch the Pirate Christmas party, and our first ever Christmas cantata. Featured below is Pastor Baker playing a banjo medley.

Caroling at the nursing home

Bro. Seth preaching at the nursing home

Patch club Christmas party

2010-10-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Brisk fall air and a beautiful skyline were the setting for our church picnic this year. Unfortunately due to the burn ban we were unable to have our traditional bonfire. Instead we roasted marshmallows and had smores around an open charcoal grill.

2010-10-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning service Pastor Baker preached on what to do with giants in our lives and illustrated it with a chalk drawing.

Kart Kountry Outing

2010-09-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

Coming soon...

Sunday Cookout

2010-07-25T20:24:00.001-07:00

Food, Fellowship and HEAT

Many thanks to the Perkins for keeping the grounds at church looking great. Enjoy yourselves, since because of you, so can everyone else!

Classic game of wiffle ball

Who put the "wiff" in wiffle ball??

Not quite sure who invited this guy...

Good ole summer fun

The Young Ladies singing "Victory in Jesus"

2010-07-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2010-07-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

Armed Forces Medley

The 4th of July is a day we set aside to celebrate our nation's independence and to remember the One in whom true freedom is found. It is also a day to remember those who have served or are presently serving our country.

Welcome Selah!

Sunday, June 27

2010-06-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day at Bible Baptist- one joined the church this morning (welcome Tommy), the ladies had a baby shower for Kara in the afternoon, and evangelist Phil Schipper preached the evening service.

Grill out after Sunday evening service

2010-06-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ladies Summer Tea Party

2010-06-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Brother Matt Allen Update

2010-04-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to video of the maiden flight of the airplane purchased by the Allens in Papua New Guinea. If you browse the website, you can get some more information and updates on what he is doing over there as well as pictures and more video.

http://www.thattheymayknow.com/matt-and-beck-allen-missionaries-to-papua-new-guinea/video-from-png-first-missionary-flights.shtml

Sunday with Evangelist Brian Delgrande

2010-04-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

stay tuned for a full post and pics!

Sweetheart Banquet 2010

2010-02-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 12, we had our annual sweetheart banquet. This year we catered Boston Market, and, by all accounts, it was the right choice. The men actually won the "Battle of the Sexes" game this year, breaking a 2 year losing streak. Bro. Jeremy McDowell brought a tremendous message on how much Christ loved us, which was a great ending to a great banquet. Thanks to all those who came and to all those who planned all the details! It was a tremendous success!

Church Baptistm

2010-02-07T05:54:00.001-08:00

We were privileged to see Mr. Chaz Dunaway get baptized last Sunday morning, and, both he and Ms. Chelsey Colwell decided to join the church. We are honored to have you both as members and we look forward to being a blessing to you both!

Winter 2009-2010 Update

2010-01-20T20:22:00.001-08:00

I do apologize for the lack of posts, but I have had a lot going on in my family and have been unable to post on a regular basis. Since the last post, we had a great revival with Evangelist Phil Schipper, a new family join the church (Russell and Joan Perkins), some folks get saved on visitation, visit church, and get baptized! Mark and Allyson Maynard also welcomed the arrival of Grace Noelle Maynard on December 7, 2009! The Lord did some great things in our church in 2009 and we look forward in anticipation into 2010! We look forward to more souls being saved and church growth! We even have a few more babies on the way!

Church Picnic 2009

2009-10-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

It seems that everyone forgot their cameras, so we have no pictures of the church picnic. Still, everyone had a great time of food and fellowship. We played some rousing games of basketball and wiffle ball, ate some good food, and had a great time fellowshipping and talking about the Lord around the bonfire that night! Can't wait until next year's picnic! Hope to see you there!

Missionary Matt Allen Radio Interview

2009-10-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to an interview that Bro. Matt Allen, our missionary to Papua New Guinea did with World Evangelism Radio.

http://www.thattheymayknow.com/bm/video-and-photos-of-the-people-and-work-in-png/matt-allen-radio-interview-with-pastor-austin-gard.shtml

Farewell, Bro. Leon

2009-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Weather Alert for Central Florida--Spiritual Sunshine is headed your way!

It was a sad day today at Bible Baptist Church as we said goodbye to an irreplaceable member of our congregation--Brother Leon Richardson. He and his wife will be leaving on October 5 for central Florida. Words cannot express the blessing, encouragement, and inspiration that he has been to our church in the years that he has been a member. We will always remember his constant smile and words of encouragement and exhortation, as well as the many specials that he has sung over the years. He has inspired many young Christians to grow and has given older Christians the encouragement and exhortation to go on. The Lord sent him to our church providentially at a time in which we needed it and has now chosen to call him to another place of service. May the Lord bless him in his endeavors and we look forward to seeing him again soon! Godspeed, Brother Leon, we will "meet you in the morning" or in the air!

Bro. Leon preaching at the Nursing Home

Happy Birthday, Pastor Baker!

2009-09-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Pastor Baker! Thanks for all you do!

Graduation Service

2009-06-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Graduates!! Bible Baptist recognized our high school and college graduates. They were presented with a gift from the church, a charge from Bro. Baker, and of course food afterwards. It's exciting to think of what may lie ahead and how God can use these graduates in the future.

Teen Retreat 2009

2009-06-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

On June 19-20, the teens went on their annual retreat--this time to Louisville, KY. They arrived in Louisville around 3:30 p.m. at the home of Steve and Debbie Maynard, brother and sister-in-law to Bro. Mark Maynard. They had graciously offered their home for the retreat which was a real blessing. After a grill out and some basketball and cornhole, we headed off downtown to Louisville Slugger Field to see a Louisville Bats game. The Bats are the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Following the game , there was a pretty cool fireworks show. Afterwards, we headed back to Steve and Debbie's house for some snacks and a Looney Toons movie. Saturday morning began with breakfast from Burger King and a devotional charge from II Timothy and then it was on to Kart Kountry. IT WAS HOT!!!! And I don't mean just regular hot--it was Ohio Valley sticky hot! However, despite the heat, everyone survived and had a great time. We rode go-karts and played miniature golf and some trampoline basketball. Some of the go-kart races got pretty competitive, including one of teens bumping the Youth Director from behind, causing him to spin out and lose the race! We also had a chance to see a street preacher on the corner just up the street from the Track which was pretty neat as well. On the way home we stopped at Kingfish, a nice seafood restaurant down on the Ohio River and enjoyed some really good food. Thanks to all those who came and I am sure we are all looking forward to next year!

Are we there yet?

The boys hanging out at the game

Kelsey and Caroline--all smiles!

A nice shot of the fireworks

Group shot after the game

Saturday morning devotional

Caroline following along

Ready to race!

Pretty self-explanatory...

I think he's checking the wind, but he may just need "MORE POWER!!"

"Tiger, for par..."

Mark and Allyson Maynard

Ross, Caleb, and Joshua

Kelsey and Caroline

Kingfish on the Ohio River

A Special Sunday Service

2009-06-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today may have seemed like any other Sunday service at Bible Baptist Church, but there was something that made it very, very special. For the longest time, we at Bible Baptist Church have not been able to financially support our pastor full time. In order for us to be able to continue supporting all of the missionaries that we currently support, Pastor Baker took on a full time job working construction. It has always been his desire to be able to do the work that a full time pastorate requires. With much prayer and the Lord's help, on June 1, 2009, Pastor Baker has cut back to part time at EGC Construction and we are now able to support him as our full time pastor, allowing him to do the work that God has called him to do. Today was his first Sunday back as our full time pastor, and, according to Bonnie Morgan, he "knocked it out of the park!" He did a chalk talk on the faith of Noah this morning and preached a very practical Christian life message this evening. Keep up the good work, Pastor Baker! We know that great things are ahead!

Pastor Baker's chalk drawing from this morning

Spring Revival

2009-05-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

We had our Spring Revival with Bro. Phil Gabbard from May 15-17. It was the first time we have had Bro. Gabbard come and preach and he truly was a blessing. He did a lighted chalk drawing on Saturday night and sang and played his guitar on all three nights. During the Sunday morning service, one young lady walked the aisle and got saved! Praise the Lord! Following the morning service, we had dinner on the grounds followed by and early afternoon service. Bro. Gabbard truly was a great blessing and we look forward with anticipation for the next time the Lord allows him to come back!

Sunday School Promotion

2009-05-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Over the past several weeks, we have been having a Sunday School promotion in order to bring in more kids for classes on Sunday mornings. We used an old West round-up theme, complete with General Store, Bible Baptist Bank (featuring Baker Bucks), and a sheriff (played hilariously by Bro. Gary Elam) and an outlaw (played by Bro. Mark Maynard) who would steal Baker Bucks from the kids (more on that in a bit). The kids could earn Baker Bucks by bringing their Bibles to church, bringing visitors, and saying their memory verses in front the church. They could take their bucks to the General Store and buy various items that were available. All in all, it went very well, and we saw several new kids come during this time. Now, back to the sheriff and outlaw. After the kids would say their verses, an outlaw would run in from the back and try to steal their bucks (sometimes successfully, sometimes not). The sheriff would come running in just as the outlaw was running away in an attempt to arrest him. This played out for several weeks until finally the outlaw was caught. He was thrown in jail and ultimately brought out before the judge to be sentenced for his crimes. Because "the wages of sin is death," he was sentenced to be hanged from a tree for his sins. Just as he was about to be hauled away, the judge's son came running in from the back and offered to be a substitute for the outlaw and take his place. The outlaw was set free and the judges son was hauled away to be executed. Afterwards, the sheriff took a couple of minutes and explained what the skit meant and gave the plan of salvation to the kids. Overall, the promotion went very well, and, hopefully, we will have several new kids who consistently come to Sunday School. Thanks to all those who put all of their effort into this promotion--Jim and Nancy Bradley, Dave and Jeni Ervin, Natalie Bradley, Gary Elam, Mark Maynard, and all of the Sunday School teachers. All of your work was greatly appreciated and did not go unnoticed!

The Sheriff reading off the charges before the Judge

The Outlaw awaiting his sentence

The Judge pronouncing sentence

Memorial Day Service

2009-05-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have several things to catch you up on so let's start with our Memorial Day service. Bro. Baker preached Sunday morning on memorials and remembering what it means to be a Christian soldier. On Sunday night, Bro. Baker asked Bro. Leon Richardson, a naval Korean War veteran, to preach. He preached on how to become a soldier (volunteer or recruited), promotions as a soldier (our heavenly rewards), and getting out one day (looking for our heavenly home). It is always a blessing to hear Bro. Leon preach on a subject that he holds so dear to his heart. He is a very active member of the DAV and is very passionate about the care of welfare of our nations veterans.

Bro. Leon explaining the red, white, and blue in the flag

Recent Activities

2009-04-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

I do apologize to any frequent visitors of the blog for not updating the blog as I should have. Please check back for revised and new updates soon! Thanks.

Nursing Home Caroling

2008-12-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

There will be full posts on the teen Christmas party and Sunday's caroling at the nursing homes within the next couple of days. Sorry for the delay but schedules are busy this time of year! Stay tuned for full updates!

Teen Christmas Party

2008-12-13T18:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all those who came to the Christmas party! It was a great time! I will update with pics and details in the next few days!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Psalm 26:7 "That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."

For most people, today is a day to get together with family and friends and have a big meal and celebrate family traditions that have gone on for years and years. But, let us not forget, Thanksgiving is first and foremost a day for giving thanks to God for all the wonderful things that he has done and will do for us. Let us remember that Thanksgiving started with a group of people whom God had protected and provided for as they endeavored to start a new life and spread the Gospel in a new and dangerous world. With that being said, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and may the Lord bless you as we endeavor to spread the Gospel throughout the world!

Don't forget--it's the little things that bring the most joy!

Union Corn Maze and Bonfire 2008

2008-11-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 1, we took our second trip to Union, KY, to the same corn maze that we went to last year. This year, we more than doubled the number of people who went from last year. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the corn maze, going on a hayride, paddle boating, feeding some farm animals, and just having good fun and fellowship. Afterwards, we all met up at church for a cookout and bonfire. This year's activity was even better than last year's. We had good food, played a rousing game of wiffle ball, and shared some heart-felt testimonies around the fire. We also shared in an incident involving a bolo, the church van, a hose, and large piece of PVC pipe, a tree, Gary van-surfing, and Cheryl's brute strength. For more information, please see Gary and Cheryl or use your imagination on the pictures below. All in all, everyone had a great time and we are very much looking forward to next year's festivities. Thank you to all those who were involved and participated in the activity and a special thank you to Jim and Nancy Bradley for the organization and food preparation. If you didn't come this year, please come out next year! You will not be disappointed!

Joey riding the pony

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course..."

Feeding the animals

That's right--we know exactly where we are!

I hope this is the right way!

Out for a cruise

Enjoying the hayride

Cheryl's favorite part

It began like any other church picnic...

We were all eating and having great fellowship...

We played a rousing game of wiffle ball...

What in the world is Wayne doing?...

Oh! There's something stuck in the tree! I have an idea...

Let's put Gary on top of the van?...What?!!! This can't be good...

O, by the way, we're driving on sand...

Problem solved...back to what we were doing...

Let's give Gary a giant piece of PVC pipe and see what happens...

Eventually we did get it down, with the help of Cheryl, who eventually grew tired of all the male chauvinism and pulled down half the tree with her bare hands--what could be referred to as a "reverse Samson" moment...

This is where you get to use your imagination...

Afterwards we shared some testimonies around the fire...the Lord has truly blessed us!

Old Fashioned Service and Baptism

2008-09-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a long time since anything was updated on this blog. As the "keeper of the blog", the fault is entirely my own and I apologize to all those who are and were regular readers. Setting all that aside, Bible Baptist Church celebrated its first annual (we hope) Old Fashioned Day. It was a time to reflect upon "the old paths" and get back to the way that things used to be, complete with old fashioned attire (somewhat) and dinner on the grounds. We also held our first ever baptistmal service in our own baptistry, which, thanks to several men of the church and all of their dedication and hard work, is finally in working order. The Holy Spirit moved during the service and one man walked the aisle during the song service and got saved. Another young lady got saved after the service. It was also a wonderful blessing to see Bro. Manuel and Sister Bernice Colwell be baptized along with Hope Whitson's son, who made a decision to be baptized during the invitation. Bro. Jim Bradley preached a great message during Sunday School on the old landmarks and was followed during the main service by Bro. Leon Richardson, who preached on the old paths. The Lord truly blessed the day and he deserves all the honor and glory for what went on! May we see many more days like today at Bible Baptist Church! Praise the Lord!

A few of our more "vintage" members

Bro. Jim Bradley preaching on "The Ancient Landmarks"

Bro. Leon Richardson preaching on "The Old Paths"

What a blessing to see Bro. Colwell get baptized!

Bro. Colwell--always smiling!

What a looker!

Bible Baptist Church 15th Anniversary Service

2008-04-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years may seem like a long time for a church to be around, but, for one reason or another, some churches don't make it that long. But, by the grace of God, we the fine people of Bible Baptist Church celebrated our 15th anniversary today. This was our second attempt at an anniversary service (the first had been cancelled due to the snow) and it was not without its "hiccups." On Friday night Brother Phil Gabbard, the guest speaker, had called and said that he was very sick and would be unable to come and preach on Sunday. In light of this, the preaching duties were turned over to Brother Jim Bradley, our long-time deacon and "go-to guy." Pastor Baker preached a great message on "Why We Are Bible Believers" for the morning service. Following the morning service we had a pot-luck lunch provided by our "in-house catering service." (Thanks to all the ladies for the wonderful food!) The afternoon service began with a congregational hymn followed by a slide show of various pictures of the church and its members taken throughout the years. We had several music specials and a time of testimonies before the preaching including a rousing rendition of 'Ship Ahoy" by our resident troubadour Brother Leon Richardson. Brother Jim preached a rousing, heart-felt charge to the church about moving forward and what it will take for us to grow and be fruitful and effective as a body. It was obvious why God had allowed him to preach today. The Lord certainly knows what he was doing! All in all, it was a memorable day for those of us at Bible Baptist Church. We look forward to many more years of serving the Lord in our community and hopefully watching our church grow into a great light in this dark world.

Some of our fine young people

Wayne Curry doing what Wayne Curry does best

The food and the fellowship were both excellent

Professional rascal and aisle runner Preston Ervin

A rare picture of Wayne NOT eating

"Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me!"

"Take Me In Your Lifeboat"

"I Want To Know More"

"Ship Ahoy" by Brother Leon Richardson, our "spiritual sunshine" and Master's champion

Sweetheart Banquet

2008-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 15, 2008, we celebrated Valentine's Day with our annual Sweetheart Banquet. Each banquet we have had has been very entertaining and this year proved to be no exception. The night began around 6:30 with good conversation over chips and homemade salsa (thank you Mrs. Baker). At 7:00 we began the main course of chicken or beef fajitas and salad. Following the main course was to be a video of Christian comedian Jeff Allen, but it was postponed due to "technical difficulties." Instead we went directly to the "Me, Him, Me, Her" game in which three couples answered a series of questions about who is more likely to do this, or who is better at this, or who doesn't do this. What followed was nothing short of hilarious! Despite some "controversies," all marriages remained intact. Thanks to Brother Gary Elam, we were able to get the video up and running through the projector. Everyone enjoyed the comedic anecdotes about marriage--"Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?"--"Happy Wife, Happy Life!" Following the video was the Battle of the Sexes where three men were asked questions regarding feminine things and three ladies were asked questions regarding more masculine things. Although the men were thoroughly defeated, it was encouraging to know that the men knew nothing about anything feminine, and the ladies knew what kind of fuel that a two-stroke engine took. At the end of the evening, Pastor Doug Rea brought a tremendous message on marriage from the book of Malachi. Thank you to all those who were involved in the planning of this event as well as to Pastor Rea and his wife for both their presence and participation.

The food and fellowship were excellent

Pastor Baker and his wife seemed to be on the same page...

Brandon and Suzy came in last :)

Our resident experts on all things female

The ladies were extremely good guessers

Pastor Rea bringing the message

Various other attendees

Caroling at the Nursing Home

2008-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

A group of us went to the Nursing Home on Sunday, December 23, 2007 and sang some Christmas carols for the elderly folks there. We had a great time! It was a joy to see their faces light up as we sang and to watch them sing along with us! Afterwards, Bro. Leon Richardson preached about the C-H-R-I-S-T in Christmas! There were a few visitors there that got to hear the Gospel as well as all of the regular attenders. Thanks to Brother Leon for his faithfulness and all of his hard work he puts into the Nursing Home ministry!

There were many who came out to sing--it was a blessing!

Many of the folks sang along and enjoyed themselves very much!

Brother Leon has been the right man for this job!

Christmas With The Elams

2007-12-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

As everyone agreed, it did sound like a prime time ABC Christmas special. However, it turned out to be a great time of fellowship for everyone. It was a great evening to stay inside and out of the nasty weather! There's nothing better than good Christian fellowship when it is accompanied by hot food and a roaring fire! Throw in a game of Imaginiff... and you have yourself Christmas With The Elams! Thanks to Gary and Naomi for their hospitality!

Gary and Naomi, our gracious hosts

Pastor Baker and Micah

Jeni and Dave seem to be having a good time

Jean preparing to answer a question

Caleb Baker revealing his answer (Gary is confirming it in the background)

The soon-to-be-wed Mr. Seth E. Bradley and Miss Natalie R. Smallwood :)

Jim and Nancy Bradley seem to agree on their answer

Ross looks very confident in his decision

Imaginiff...

Teen Christmas Party

2007-12-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Brother Mark took the teens ice skating for a couple of hours before the Christmas Party at the Northern Kentucky Ice Rink. It was a blast! They spent the afternoon flying around the ice playing tag, taking out old ladies and little kids (ask Ross Elam and Caleb Baker), and causing chaos and havoc in general! It was also an experience trying to teach Gaby Cabrera to skate. Let's just say she got better as the day went on. Afterwards they went to the home of Brandon and Suzy Ervin for tacos, games, and presents. They also had some fun "editing" the day's pictures on the Wii! All in all, it was a great day!

The whole crew

Just the guys

Caleb preparing to body-check Ross

Smile, Kelsey!

Gaby made it around a few times

Of course they are laughing at the ones who wiped out!

Gaby trying to make it (she did just fine)

The gang at the party (what a fine-lookin' bunch!)

Gaby, Kelsey, Beth and Alicia--four fine young ladies!

Mark and Caleb, the red-eyed reindeer!

Brandon and Suzy, our gracious hosts for the evening

Mark singing one the mad libs entitled "I'll Be Crunchy for Christmas"

Patch the Pirate Club Goes Glo-Golfing

2007-12-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Allyson Maynard and Missy Fancher took their Patch the Pirate Club kids (along with Allyson's husband Mark, who, incidentally, was told he was too "old" to be in the Patch the Pirate Club) to the Florence Mall to experience their new Glo Golf course. This is an 18-hole golf course that is lit completely with black lights. It was interesting trying to explain to the kids what a "black light" was and how exactly it functioned. Despite the science lesson, everyone had a great time. Afterwards the kids went with Mark and blew every dollar they had on toys while Allyson and Missy got to do a little Christmas shopping. According to Joshua Baker, after the outing was over, "Nobody had any money left, but at least I still had some 'sense'!" That evening, the Patch the Pirate Club sang two songs (accompanied by a snazzy dance routine by Joshua Baker) and Mark preached the service. It was a fun but exhausting day!

Behold, the miracle of black lights

Mark and Joshua as you have never seen them before

John "The Golden Bear" Fancher for par

Conner Ervin, half Tiger Woods, half Tony Hawk

Allyson Maynard and Missy Fancher, captains of the club

Mark and Allyson Maynard enjoying their afternoon

The Captains and their crew

The club singing one of their two songs of the night

Mark preaching the message on Sunday evening

Youth 4 Christ YMCA Overnighter

2007-11-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

On Friday, November 9, 2007, the teens attended the Youth 4 Christ YMCA Overnighter sponsored by First Baptist Church of Milford, Ohio and Brother Doug Baker. We began the night at the church with a preaching service by Pastor Jonathan Gordon. Several teens were saved during the invitation--Praise the Lord! Afterwards, we made the trek up to Lebanon, Ohio, home of the nation's largest YMCA. There we participated in basketball, racquetball, rock climbing, and just good, Christian fellowship. We had all the food and drink we cared to eat as well! We had a great time! Sorry for the quality of the pictures. Most were taken on a cell phone camera.

An interesting take on "Beach Volleyball"

Pastor Jonathan Gordon

The night began with mass quantities of this...

Racquetball ensued(do not believe any reports of Brother Mark getting hit in the face with a racquetball)...

This is not one our young people, but this was not an uncommon sight!

Climbing the walls while totally hopped up on caffeine--what a teenager's life is all about!

Happy Reformation Day!

2007-10-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Martin Luther and all those who were involved in the Protestant Reformation. For those who don't know, it was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to church door in Wittenberg, Germany. These theses were in protest to the Catholic church's selling of indulgences. Indulgences were sold by the church in order to decrease the amount of time your loved one would spend in Purgatory. This idea appalled and angered Luther, so much so that he wrote the theses and nailed them to the local church door, where the news of the day was generally posted. This bold act was the flash point of what became known as the Protestant Reformation, a movement which eventually led to translation and printing of the King James Version of the Bible in 1611.

"Tracting" the Bengals game

2007-10-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

II Corinthians 4:4--"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Nowhere is this more apparent than in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday afternoon when the Bengals are in town. Today a group of men went downtown before the game and passed out a tract called "Earning Their Stripes", a Bengal-themed tract written by church deacon Jim Bradley. Although there was a hindering spirit present, we presented the Gospel to approximately 2,000 people, including 4 Cincinnati police officers (kudos to Caleb Baker). It was good to see the men of the church come together with purpose and zeal. Hopefully this is the first day of many more to come. Thanks to all those who prayed and participated! The Word of God will not return void!

Please forgive the look on Pastor Baker's face--he really does enjoy doing this!

Union Corn Maze

2007-10-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today was our first church activity in quite some time that involved the both the adults and the teenagers. We went to a corn maze in Union, KY on a family-run beef cattle farm. There were a lot of different things to do besides the maze, including a hay ride (ask Natalie about feeding corn to the cows), a petting zoo, a log cabin "tour", corn hole, and even a ride in a genuine 1924 Ford Model T. It was a pretty amazing place! Everyone enjoyed themselves quite a bit, despite the dreary weather conditions. Afterwards, we went back to church and grilled some hot dogs and sat around the fire, singing songs and sharing testimonies of things that the Lord had done for us. It was an exhausting yet very enjoyable day!