HERE’S WHAT’S NEW

Pastor's Pen

Bro. Richard Piles, Pastor

I want to highlight multiple ministry opportunities for your consideration in 2021.

First, our prayer room ministry kicked-off in January 2020 and suffered a small setback due to COVID. However, it is fully open again, and I hope we can fill all 36 one-hour time slots Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM each day.  
Currently, we have 17 open time slots.  If you’re retired, work from home or have a flexible schedule that allows you to come and pray, please consider this ministry.  
 

Second, EBC’s 2020 World Mission Fund collected over $50,000 that was sent around the world to help share the gospel with the hope of seeing more people go to heaven and less people go to hell. In 2021, I am asking for 40 families to make this commitment of $25 per week for 52 weeks.  That $1,300 total can be given weekly, monthly, or in one annual payment.  If I can count on you for this ministry, please let me know by phone, text, email, or in passing.
 

Third, we need more volunteers for our Sunday Morning Nursery. This ministry takes place during our 10:30 AM worship service. We hope to have enough volunteers to serve once every other month. This is such a blessing for young families who are able to attentively worship while faithful adults care over their children. Talk to Dena Westmoreland to volunteer.
 

Finally, Bobby and Dena Westmoreland are stepping down from leading Back Pack Buddies, and we need new leaders. Talk to them or Bro. Richard for more information or to take over this ministry…                

Matthew 9:37-38.

Choir Corner with Chris

Bro. Chris Henderson, Minister of Music and Senior Adults

Just like that, January has passed and February is here. With it, we have some important information regarding our Sunday morning worship service live-streams. On February 7th, Emory Baptist Church will be migrating our Sunday morning live-streams from Facebook Live to YouTube. In order access these streams, all you need to do is go to youtube.com and search for Emory Baptist Church, and click the channel with our church logo. Additionally, if you have a Google account, you can sign in to YouTube and subscribe to the YouTube channel (think of it as liking our Facebook page) in order to get notifications whenever we go live. We are enacting this move as we believe it will provide a better livestreaming experience for our members.

In other news, the Celebration Choir has begun practicing our Easter Musical Presentation entitled Living Hope. We were scheduled to present this last April but were unable to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are hoping to be able to have a full choir to put on this presentation this Easter season. If you are a choir member who has been waiting to come back, I encourage you to join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 to rehearse. We are still social distancing in the pews during this time. 
 

If you have a student in 3rd through 6th grade, the Joyful Noise Ukulele Choir is  currently down to two students taking private ukulele lessons. If you or your student is interested in participating of EBC’s Music Ministry, this is the place for them. Just visit with me, or come at 4:45 on Wednesday afternoon. 

Student Ministry Spot

Ronnie Witt, Minister of Youth & Education

I was given three names at birth. I was named after my “Uncle” Ron, my Great Uncle Ira, and my father’s unbroken line of Witts. 

My “Uncle” Ron isn't really my uncle. He is a life-long friend my dad met in college. My dad actually shared the Gospel with him as they snacked on sardines and crackers in Uncle Ron’s dorm. My father extended an invitation for Ron to accept Christ and Ron responded. He became one of the greatest examples of Christian servant-heartedness that I have ever known. When my Uncle Ron passed away in November, I have no doubt that he went to be with the Lord.
 

My Great Uncle Ira is my mother’s uncle and my grandfather’s brother. I have no memory of Uncle Ira whatsoever. He died before I was born. For a long time, I was embarrassed by my middle name. I thought it was weird. Nobody else had that name. But eventually, I embraced my middle name. Incidentally, I have used it almost exclusively with my online presence; “irawitt” is almost a brand for me. Uncle Ira and I are two strangers connected by a name unique to each of us that we’ve defined in our own ways.
 

My father gave me the name Witt, and his father before him for generations. I have shared it not only with my wife of 21 years, but also with our three boys. They have embraced it as much as they have embraced me. It brings us together, something we all share. Since my father passed away, I carry these names forward alone.
 

Christians bear the name of Christ. Bearing the name connects us to people that we know and people we’ve never known, but who have been called by the same name. Still, we all share the same mission. Let us carry the name well, because for some, we may be the only Christians they ever know.

Nursery Rhymes

Dena Westmoreland, Preschool Ministry Coordinator

February is here and that means VALENTINES DAY! Traditional gifts are candy, flowers, etc., but I am thinking of   ways to share the love that Jesus has for us with our preschoolers. That thought reminds me of the song “Jesus Loves Me.” Like most Christians, this was the first church song I learned as a child. We think of it as a “kids” song, but it really isn’t. It is a song that we all should know by heart.  Not just the words to sing but to know deep down in our hearts. Jesus truly loves us. 

Thinking of this song reminded me of our precious preschoolers at Emory Baptist.  They fill my heart with joy with their waves, smiles, and hugs. Even when they pout when I leave to go to “Big Church” makes me smile. I pray that our little ones know that I love them. I pray that they know they are loved by the Sunday School teachers and the volunteers that willingly give of their time in the nursery each Sunday morning. I pray that each child in EBC knows they are loved by this church family. I’ll leave you with our theme song for February.

​

Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so. 
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but HE is strong.
Yes, Jesus Loves me.
Yes, Jesus Loves me.
Yes, Jesus Loves me.
The Bible tells me so!

Sonbeam Day School

Sonbeam Director

…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Luke 10:27

Monthly Bible Lesson
The Good Samaritan-Love Your Neighbor 

One of my favorite songs growing up was sung by several different Southern Gospel groups, but JD Sumner and The Stamps were my favorite group to sing it. The song is called “Dig A Little Deeper” and it goes like this…

“Let my light shine
In love divine
Well, I wanna dig a little deeper in the store house
Of His love, of His love
Well, I wanna dig, dig a little deeper in His love
I wanna dig, dig a little deeper in His love
I wanna dig, dig a little deeper in the store house
Of His love, of His love
Lord, I wanna walk, walk a little more like my Jesus would
I wanna talk a little more like a Christian should
I wanna dig a little deeper in the store house
Of His love, of His love”

Please continue to pray for this ministry this school year!