Ushers: Ray Everett, Mike O’Neil, Don Jett, Jack Holt

Offertory Prayer: Ray Everett

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Reader:

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love god•love people•make disciples

Vol. 68 Friday, February 16, 2018 no. 7

Financials from 2-11-18

Sunday School Attendance Worship Attendance

99 141

$10,030.53

$8,327.50

Designated Offering Total Capital Improvement Music Ministry Church Van Club 180

$550.00 $50.00

$300.00 $100.00 $100.00

Overall Total for Week $10,580.53

Budget Received for the Year Budget Required for the Year (week 6) +Over/<Under> for the Year

$50,981.33 $49,965.00

$1,016.33

$300.00 $9,310.00

FEBRUARY

Capital Improvement (year to date giving) Church Van (year to date)

Budget Received (includes $200 IMO Wayne Kirk and $200 IMO Bill Housley) Budget Requirement for week]

February 18 — Ralph Onks

Sunday AM, February 18 — 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

“Meeting Him at His Table”

Wednesday PM, February 21 —

How to Study the Bible: Inductive Bible Study, Part 1

Prayer Concerns:

Prayer Line— Call Bob Lay at 938-9466 Terry Lynn, Bill Roberts, Donnie Beeler, Etta Sands, Rhonda Cecchin, Allen

Hutchison, Nancy Matlock, Catherine Smalls, Jack Bohanan, Harold Bryson,

Bonnie Reeser, Mary Ann Moser, Paul Caton, Mike Bundon, Jim and Lula Mar-

tin, Janet Fluri, family of Todd Gillen, Ron McDonald, family of Geraldine

Trimble, José Garcia, family of Howard Boring, family of Betty Knight, Darryl

Nicely, John Nelson, family of Patricia Appeld, family of Nola Mae Bounds

Rush, family of Louise Brogan, Ralph Pratt.

Schedule for Sunday, February 18, 2018

This Week at Smithwood:

Sunday, February 18, 2018 8:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting—Conference Room 9:00 a.m. Library Opens 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:45 a.m. Morning Worship Service and Communion

4:45 p.m. Trustees Meeting 6:00 p.m. Business Meeting 6:30 p.m. Chili Cook-off Monday, February 19, 2018 7:00 p.m. Deacons Meeting

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 5:30 p.m. JustLead Children’s Activities 6:00 p.m. Bible Study 6:30 p.m. Assembly (Youth Bible Study) 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal

Our sympathy to the family of Louise Brogan, who passed away on February 9th. Louise was a member of Smithwood for over 67 years.

FROM YOUR PASTOR…..

This week we will have our quarterly business meeting. To be honest busi-

ness meetings are not the most exciting thing that we do as a church. In fact,

the more exciting meetings are usually not the best ones! We may be tempt-

ed to skip out on these occasions thinking that our time can be used better

elsewhere. However, even though they are not always enjoyable, business

meetings are important. I want to give you three reasons to attend the busi-

ness meetings at Smithwood Baptist Church.

First, church membership is important. Historically, voting on membership

issues has been the main function of business meetings in Baptist churches.

Most of our churches have gotten away from this, but this is still an im-

portant component of our meetings at Smithwood. We need to know the

people who are joining our congregation, to be sure that they have embraced

the gospel, and to officially vote them in as members of our fellowship. We

also need to be aware when others move their membership to sister Baptist

churches so that we can lovingly send them off. Finally, at times we have to

remove people from our membership rolls. This act can be difficult, but

should always be done with love. The primary actions regarding church

membership take place in our business meetings. Therefore, we should be

present and participate because church membership matters.

Second, you stay in the loop. At my former church, I often had people ask

me why certain things were done in a certain way. Often they mentioned

several ways that they thought things could have been done more effectively.

I often found myself holding my tongue. I wanted to say, “Well…you

should have been at the business meeting.” There are certain things dis-

cussed at business meetings that are not normally discussed in other places.

The pastors and committees often give updates and reports on their different

areas of ministry. If you are not there you will not know about everything

that is going on. Attending business meetings will keep you in the loop.

Third, you have a responsibility. As a Baptist church, we are a congrega-

tional church. In other words, the final human authority in our church is the

congregation itself. This is why Baptist churches vote on so many things. In

the New Testament, we see the congregation choose its own deacons in Acts

6:1-6. Also, Jesus and Paul show that the entire congregation is responsible

for matters of church membership in Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians

5:1-5. We extend congregational responsibility to financial stewardship as

well. Because we are a congregational church and therefore an autonomous

church, we do not have a denominational hierarchy looking over our shoul-

der. Under the Lordship of Christ, congregational churches can choose who

their leaders will be, who they will and will not bring into membership, and

how they will spend their money. This is a great privilege but it is also a

great responsibility. As members of a congregational church, we all have a

responsibility.

As a member of Smithwood Baptist Church I hope that you will make plans

to attend our business meeting this Sunday. This meeting may not be the

most exciting thing that you do this week, but it is an important part of our

congregational life. By the way, here is another reason to come to our busi-

ness meeting this week. It will be followed by our Chili Cook-off!

Grace and Peace,

Jeff

Women on Mission

For the next few weeks Women on Mission will be collecting soup and other canned goods for the pan-tries at Montgomery Village and Western Heights Baptist Centers. Collection bins are located in the Welcome Center and at the elevator entrance. This Sunday, February 18th, is the last day for collection. Thank you.

There will be a business meeting on Sunday, February 18th at 6:00 p.m. After the meeting, we will be holding a chili cook-off, so be sure to make plans to attend!

Ladies AND gentlemen, dust off your crockpots, pots and pans, or whatever, and get your spices ready! It’s time once again for Smith-wood’s not-quite-world-famous Chili Cook-off! We invite all you ex-pert and not-so-expert chili chefs to prepare your own special chili and bring it to our cook-off. The tastin’ and judgin’ will take place on this Sunday, February 18th, immediately after our 6:00 p.m. business meeting. So come one, come all, and support your favorite chili chef!

There will be a benevolence offering this Sunday . Please give as you feel led and help us to assist the less fortunate of our community. Thank you.

Pastor Jeff prepares to speak to our women’s mission group. Women

on Mission meets monthly and all women are invited to attend.

Watch your newsletter for details on the next meeting!