Tharptown Baptist Church

Praise the Lord for New Beginnings!

2009-09-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today is a day filled with newness! You begin a new journey with a new pastor. My family and I begin our new life in a new place. And, as is often the case, there is an air of excitement and anticipation around our new beginnings. And I can't think of a better way to propel ourselves toward accomplishing future goals than by re-focusing ourselves on our common denominators. That is why I am so excited about this new series called Forward through the Basics.

Over the next few months we'll celebrate and rejoice around the great doctrines of our faith. These are the basics that we all hold common: the Deity of Jesus Christ, the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, and many others. But, as we move forward through these basics, we'll grow united under a common banner...which will ultimately propel us forward to years of faithful ministry for the glory of God!

I am convinced that, as we preach and proclaim these great truths, we will grow to love one another with the love of Christ...and ultimately desire to make Christ's love known to our community, nation, and world.

So join the staff and I as we celebrate the great doctrines of our faith and move Forward through the Basics!

Pastor Josh

A Letter from the Missions Committee

2009-07-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

We are actively looking for short and long term Missionaries from our church. If you feel the call of God for missionary service, please see any member if the Missions Committee for further direction. We would like to discuss your plans and help you pray for God’s direction. You will be given an opportunity to share God’s plan for you with the church. Upon approval of the Missions Committee, you will be reimbursed up to fifty percent of your travel and lodging expenses.

As always, every church member is invited to attend our Missions meetings. We have an announced meeting at least once a month.

For more information see Glenn.

Don't Miss the Wednesday Night Children's Class this Summer!

2009-06-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Parents,
We are having a great time learning this summer in our Wednesday night class. This is a class for anyone AWANA age, although we are all together. We meet each Wed. night in the children's wing in the basement. We have a theme this summer. The children know that when I ask "Is honesty the best policy?" they answer "No, it is God's ONLY policy"

The whole summer we are talking about subjects relating to honesty. This week it was GOSSIP. Last week was INTEGRITY and the week before was LYING. This week we will be talking about the Golden Rule and why we need to be honest with others.

After our lesson, we have about 25 minutes of singing. We sing fun songs and will start this week on some new worship songs. Some of the singing have movements and the kids LOVE this! Please bring your child and be a part of our Wed. night group! We plan pretty soon to sing a song during a worship service and would love for them to join us!

Samantha Montgomery

No AWANA Until August

2009-05-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the people who helped during the year with AWANA, and with the AWANA fun night we had to end the year with. All the help is greatly appreciated! Please be in prayer about your role in AWANA during the next year. For those of you who do know, we need teachers and assistants for children ages 2-5th grade. We will also need game time leaders and other volunteers to help out for special events like parties or special programs. There is a place for anyone and everyone!

Starting Wednesday night, June 3, we will have a children's summer program start during the regular worship service. We will start at 6:15 and end when church is over. We will have a devotion, or lesson, and then we will sing. This will take place of choir on Sunday nights for summer. You do not have to be a member of children's choir to be here, this is for any child! Please, let's don't get our children to thinking that church stops when AWANA stops!

Thanks to all in advance!
Samantha Montgomery

Easter at Tharptown High School?

2009-04-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

That’s right. We’re trading our pews for bleachers and our pulpit for a basketball court. For the first time in history (or at least in my lifetime), we will be taking our worship service to the community instead of asking the community to come to us.

Easter is a special day. As a church, we worship the risen Savior. Even lost people in our community know that there is some “spiritual aspect” to the day, but I fear that many do not know the true gospel and the true meaning of Easter. They will not, for whatever reason, come into these doors at TBC and sit with us on our pews and hear the gospel.

My prayer is that this change of venue will remove a barrier for those people. Maybe some will come because of your personal invitation. Some may come because of curiosity. Whatever the reason, may the Holy Spirit work in the hearts of the lost sitting in the bleachers so that they will have a desire to hear the gospel preached. And may the risen Savior be glorified as we “raise the roof” in that gym on Easter Sunday morning!

Bro. Jamie

Fireproof Your Marriage... Is it possible?

2009-02-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

Fireproof Your Marriage. Is it possible? Yes, come tonight for dinner and a movie to see how. I’ve seen the movie and look forward to seeing it again this evening. I won’t spoil it here for those of you who haven’t seen it, but here’s a teaser: One of the characters has preached at Tharptown!

For the last several weeks the idea of thinking biblically and applying scripture to everyday situations has been on my mind. I suppose the catalyst has been my disgust at how “me oriented” our society is. Many, many times I see secular advice being doled out with little regard to what the bible has to say.

So, the Truth Matters Sunday School class started a short study titled “Thinking Biblically in Everyday Situations” today. We began today in James 1 and we’re going to spend the next several weeks studying this topic.

If you’re not enrolled in one of our small groups here at TBC, we’d love to have you come and study God’s word with us. And here’s a promise for visitors: You won’t be called on to read, pray, or answer questions in class. So come on!

God Bless,

Bro. Ken

Biblical Families/Fireproof

2009-02-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

It seems the focus lately here at Tharptown has been on the family. And that is a good thing! There has never been a time in history when the biblical family has been under such assault. It seems that everywhere you turn, there is someone telling of the demise of another family. We have all been impacted by family failures in the past. Church family, take heart! There is hope for our families and that hope is found only in Jesus Christ. Come join us as we as a church family journey towards being biblical families at home. Bro Paul Washer is leading us through a powerful series of sermons focused on our families. The young couples Sunday school class has just begun a study on how to have a biblical family. And next Sunday night there will be a special emphasis on the family as we host a viewing of the movie Fireproof. Invite your family as well as those in our community for this special evening. Biblical families are foundational for biblical churches. May God be glorified in our families and in our church!

-Jody Kiel

Visitation Start-up

2009-01-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

The Visitation Program will start back at the end of January 2009. All deacons, teachers, staff and church members are encourage to attend on Monday nights at 6:00 PM. If you can’t come on this night you can come by the church and get a name to visit. This program will be similar to what we have done in the past.

-The Deacons

Christmas Drama ‘Tis the Season on December 21st

2008-12-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas is our favorite time of the year. It’s a season of family, friends, peace on earth, and goodwill to men. For an instant it seems the world lays aside its collective fears and sorrows, and believes…believes that just maybe there is hope, a ray of light for our ever darkening world. And it is a time of Christmas carols, gift giving, sidewalk Santas, and the living Nativity. The living Nativity is the basis for ‘Tis the Season. This play includes Santa Claus, a few eccentric characters, and a plot twist or two. As the characters of ‘Tis the Season discover, we believe God desires us to experience the gift of His Son just the way we are, without the costumes, tinsel, or the glittering lights. Like the season, we hope this play is full of laughter and joy. And, perhaps, a gentle reminder of God’s grace and mercy. After all, ‘tis the season to celebrate His marvelous gift, and to offer His gift of hope and peace to the world around us.

Merry Christmas

TBC Drama Team

Children’s Christmas Musical

2008-12-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

This Sunday morning, the children will be performing two songs from the Christmas musical called Free Gift.

The truth that the most valuable gift on earth, salvation, is absolutely free, yet some people still refuse to accept it, is the basis of tonight’s Christmas musical. Watch as two angels, disguised as department store clerks, try to get the filthy rich Van Smythe sisters, the frantic Ms. Ima Rush and the busy company president Mr. Bigginton to accept a free Christmas present.

Asia Missions Update (Part 2)

2008-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of a report from a missionary we support here at TBC who is serving in Asia. Read over her testimony prayerfully and remember her in prayer often.

Here is what Willinliu reports from her recent ministry activities:

Sister P and her family are now aware that Christ died for sinners like us and they show eagerness to learn more about it. Sister B has decided to become a true Christian. Three families in P, one family in P and another three families in K are very much interested in knowing the Gospel. Brother B has now come to realize the beauty of Christianity.

And one event that has been remarkable for me is the invitation of Brother V to visit his sister S who has been suffering from an unknown disease. But when we all sat down and prayed for her, there was a sign of improvement. And they are all happy with the miracle of the Lord. I praise God, for He has blessed me with another 8 sisters in the border area. As I am continuing to visit to them, they are interested in coming to attend our fellowship in my room, which consists of 6-8 persons on every Saturday evening. Moreover, our fellowship in P on Sundays is also going in full swing. Let us continue to pray to expand beyond our measures; also, let the believers increase.

Yours in His Service,
Willinliu N

We take many things for granted here in the U.S. Let's not forget the trials that our missionaries face in other countries.

Asia Missions Update (Part 1)

2008-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

For several months, now, Willinliu has been trying to gain residence in interior of the country where she is a missionary. One lady promised her that she would give her accommodations and protection at her house provided she could afford to pay a certain amount of money. After Willinliu agreed to the price, the woman changed her mind and increased the price by a 166 percent. Willinliu then started doubting her and decided to remain where she was and wait upon the Lord.

For more than a year, Willinliu has been working by herself to plant a church. On the most recent trip to Asia, a contact spoke with her about the need for a gifted and called man to take leadership of the ministry in order to provide Biblical leadership to the church planting efforts. Willinliu was in full agreement and strongly desires for this to happen. She is continuing her pioneering efforts to plant a church and is praying for the Lord to provide Biblical male leadership.

Freely and Generously Given

2008-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

During these weeks since Brother Chip was called to church planting ministry in Colorado, the most repeated comment from our guest speakers has been related to the height of our pulpit. We’ve known for some time that it was taller than a normal pulpit, but Chip didn’t mind so altering it has not been a priority.

But a couple of weeks ago I asked my friend Dale Spain if he would mind looking at it. Dale manages Premier Mantles in Florence and owns Signature Cabinetry & Doors; so Dale knows wood.

To make a long story short, Dale picked up our old pulpit on Monday and delivered it back on Saturday along with the new one that you see today. He was vague from the start about what the charges would be, but assured me that he would be reasonable.

As he started to leave Saturday, I insisted that he not delay in giving me a bill. But as he hopped into his truck he told me that I already had the only bill we’d ever see. With that, he drove away as I stood in our parking lot empty handed and dumbfounded. So, the pulpit you see today is a gift from a brother in Christ who knows the joy of generous giving.

What is Your Role in Revival?

2008-10-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday, Tharptown Baptist Church will hold a special “Day of Revival”. Dr. Ed Newton will be preaching in the morning and evening services. Bro. Ed is well known in the Shoals area for his ministry at “The Well”, a popular worship service for college students at Highland Baptist Church in Florence. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children and reside in Lakeland, TN.

Shane Baker will be leading in praise and worship in both services. Shane leads worship at the early worship service each week at First Methodist Church in Sheffield and at Faith Church in Florence.

These men will do their part next week in bringing revival to Tharptown. They will preach and lead us in worship. But for God to send revival to Tharptown, we must do our part too. I believe this quote best describes the church member’s role in revival.

“Oh! men and brethren, what would this heart feel if I could but believe that there were some among you who would go home and pray for a revival…that God would appear among us and do wondrous things here, as in the times of former generations.” C. H. Spurgeon

Our role in revival is to make consistent and persistent intercession before God, the Great Revivalist. Let us all do our part this week to bring revival to Tharptown.

Restless at Home

2008-10-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Maybe it’s just me, but I sense that some folks are beginning to get just a little bit restless about our who our next pastor might be. So, let me reassure you if I may. Your Pastor Search Team is hard at work, diligently searching for God’s man to fill our pulpit. These things take time and we are trying to be very deliberate, discerning, and most of all biblical in the process.

On the bright side, we do think we are making progress. Saturday before last, all seven of us took a road trip and spent about four hours conducting a second interview with a potential candidate. Is he the one? I don’t know, but we are prayerfully considering him at present.

And that touches on what I want to stress today. Please be in prayer for your search team, the candidate we are considering, his family and our church. I am as anxious as anyone to move forward, but we must move prayerfully and only as God leads because this is a momentous decision for all concerned.

The Old Testament is filled with heart breaking trials that Israel suffered because of their impatience. So, lets all commit to prayerfully and expectantly wait on the Lord to fill His pulpit here at Tharptown.

God Bless,
Bro. Ken

Tharptown Community Picnic

2008-09-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Tharptown Community Picnic on October 25 will present a unique opportunity for TBC to minister in our community. Until now, the majority of our community focus has centered around our church facilities and attempting to draw people from surrounding areas to us. This event will allow us to engage the community in their own environment.

Meeting people where they live and work was a common theme of Christ’s ministry too. Although Christ often met and taught the “religious” in their synagogues, it was in the community that Christ did the majority of his evangelistic work and ministry. His interaction with others took place in their homes, on the streets, at a community well, at a friend’s grave, on a mountain, and from a boat. Wherever there were people, that’s where Jesus would be ministering.

Tharptown School now has over 500 students. Each of those students represents a family. These families come in to our community daily for academic needs, sporting events and practices, and for social interaction. May the light of the gospel shine brightly as we minister to those in the community as Jesus would—with purposeful interaction in their own environment.

Jamie Kiel

Peru Missions Report

2008-09-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Most everyone knows that I’ve just returned from a short term mission trip to Peru. I was part of a team of seven people invited to preach and teach at a church conference. The other team members were from The Shoals, Kentucky, and the Dominican Republic. We were actually able to visit three different churches (from big cities to remote jungles) and given numerous opportunities for individual evangelism.

Much of our time was spent with missionaries and in churches founded, funded and supported by HeartCry Missionary Society. These are the same folks we partner with at TBC for our Asian missions work.

My hope is that the church will allow me to share slides and a narrative of the trip one day soon. I have never experienced anything quite like it. Their desire for truth reminded me of the Bereans; searching scripture daily. God confirmed one truth in my heart for sure; that joy comes from the Lord, not possessions.

I want to thank the church family for supporting the trip. TBC paid for half of my international airfare and a TBC church member paid for my domestic air travel that was required once we got to Peru. More importantly though, many of you remembered me in prayer while I was away, and I am most grateful for that.

To God be the glory.

Bro. Ken

Guest Speaker Don Currin

2008-08-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Don Currin is our guest preacher today. Don is a full time evangelist and has conducted over 700 local church meetings, retreats, and conferences across North America. His preaching ministry has taken him to five continents. He has been a full time itinerant preacher for 27 years and has been in the ministry for 33 years.

He is also serving as Coordinator for Eastern Europe with HeartCry Missionary Society in Muscle Shoals, AL. His ministry includes organizing Bible conferences for missionary training and corresponding with the HeartCry missionaries in Romania, Serbia, Moldova, and the Ukraine.

Don’s wife of 31 years is Cindy and they have four children: Nathan, Aaron, Hannah, and Rachel.

Please make the Currin’s welcome today as they minister at Tharptown Baptist Church.

Good Morning, Lord

2008-08-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

This past week my dad sent me an email entitled “Holy Humor.” One of the jokes stated, “Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good morning, Lord,’ and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good Lord, it’s morning.’”

I have heard it that there are two different kinds of people in the world but never in a way such as this. Although it is funny in some sense, it causes me to ask a question: How do I wake up in the morning? Better yet, how do you wake up in the morning?

I would dare say that even this morning there were some who woke up saying, “Good Lord, it’s morning.” I know there are days during the week that I think such things as I crawl out of bed. But what if everyday we could wake up saying, “Good morning, Lord.”

There is a book I have been reading entitled 10 Things Every Minister Needs to Know by Ronnie Floyd. The first chapter of his book is entitled “The Power of One Hour” and within that chapter Floyd talks about the power we can gain from spending one hour a day with God. Later in the book, Floyd goes on to say that he wakes up every morning by 4:00 am to spend an hour with God and an hour exercising before he goes to work. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Is it worth it?

This challenges me. What does it do for you? Some would say there is no sense in doing this because you can have a quiet time whenever you want to. I would guess that most of us don’t have a quiet time at all but what if you disciplined yourself to wake up every morning saying, “Good morning, Lord”? Sometimes we wonder why our day goes so bad and perhaps it is because we haven’t talked to God all day because He’s not worth waking up for. As Jody stated last Sunday night, maybe we don’t know God or even see a need to spend time with him. It’s a hard thought to digest but our churches are full of people who think like this. It always humbles me to remember that I didn’t do God a favor by being saved. We owe him our lives, our sleep, everything that we have. Can you give Him just one hour?

I challenge you to spend time with God daily. Even more so I challenge you to spend time with him in the morning before your day even gets started. Don’t depend on the church or some preacher to give you enough theology to last you all week. As I told the youth last week during Sunday school, Christianity is a thinking faith. If you’re not asking questions then you are not thinking and if you’re not seeking and answer you’re not pursuing God. We should never be able to get enough of him. See if you can discover the power of one hour by saying, “Good morning, Lord.”

Because He lives,
Bro. Jared

Update from Willinliu

2008-08-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I recently received an update from Willinliu, our missionary in Bhutan. She is doing well, and steadfast in her conviction and calling as a missionary. But her work is not without trials. Her landlord recently started the rumor that she was past due on her rent. The accusation caused her much grief, but since then, the landlord has recanted. After his confession, Willinliu says “my joy knows no bounds.”

Willinliu has begun a home Bible study. Recently she had six people coming to hear her share from the Bible. She has been fearful that they would quit coming because she didn’t have chairs for them, but they come anyway and sit on the floor to hear the word. I wonder if we are as hungry and eager to hear God’s word?

In every letter, Willinliu asks for our continued prayers. We have the capacity to overwhelm her with money, but what she desires and covets is our prayers. Pray that God’s name would be magnified through her witness in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

We couldn’t sustain a viable ministry effort in Asia without a partner. That partner is HeartCry Missionary Society. Next week, Matt Glass will be preaching both services here at Tharptown. Matt is the Asian Missions Coordinator for HeartCry and our primary link with Willinliu. Take time to pray for Matt as God prepares him to bring us His word.

-Ken Askew

It's AWANA time!

2008-07-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Something big is about to happen in the lives of the children of our church and community. It's AWANA time! AWANA, which stands for "Approved workmen are not ashamed" will be starting on August 13, 2008 at 6:00. This year it will be for children 2 (potty trained only) up to the seventh grade. This will be with the addition of 2 extra classes this year. One is the Puggles class which will be for 2 and 3 year olds, and the Trek class for the 6th and 7th graders.

While I am very excited about this, I am also nervous. This is a weakness of mine, nervousness. It shows that I am not having faith in God to meet all our needs for teachers. I am still needing several, however, I do know that God will put the right teachers in the right places and all will be good.

I will be at the church Sunday night (August 3rd) at 5:00 in the blue Truth Matters room down by the fellowship hall. If you are interested in teaching or want to know more about AWANA and how you can help, please be there with me. I will be there to answer questions, go over how to do the points each week, and talk about some new ideas. I will also have another "training session" if there is an interest for this. Please let me know of any any ideas you have or any concerns. There will be a few changes this year, so please try to make this meeting!!

Love in Christ
Samantha Montgomery

TBC Choir

2008-07-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

The members of the TBC Choir are a group of believers who work together to sing music in the worship service that glorifies God. Singing in the worship service is not a show or a performance, but an outward expression of the love and devotion that we have for Jesus Christ. We strive to do everything we do with excellence and in a way that will please our Heavenly Father.

Many people think that they do not “qualify” to sing in the choir because they do not have a musical background or cannot “read” music. Neither of these attributes is a requirement for joining the TBC Choir. The requirements are actually pretty simple:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt 22:37 ESV).
Attend the worship services and a weekly small group Bible study at TBC (Heb 10:25).
Attend weekly choir rehearsal on Wednesday at 6PM.

If you meet these three criteria, then you are qualified as a choir member. If you are interested in joining this group, then simply speak with Bro Jamie or you can attend a choir rehearsal to find out more about this ministry.

Your "Sermon"

2008-07-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

What if I was to get up this morning to make the announcements and after I got finished I said, “Today I want to introduce to you the person who will bringing our sermon today.” And after completing that sentence I said your name. Yes, you.

Someone once said, “A Christian is a living sermon, whether or not he preaches a word.” Although I have only been preaching for a few years, I have heard many comments about various sermons including some of my own. Some always say the sermon was great while others may ridicule what was said. I wonder, however, how often we listen to our own “sermons.” How often do we take a look at our own lives and examine what kind of message we are spreading. I dare say that the reason many people do not want anything to do with the church is because they are tired of seeing bad “sermons.”

It has been said that “you can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” People may not come to church to hear with the preacher has to say, but they do watch the “sermon” that you live out everyday.

One of the struggles that I have had to deal with before is practicing what I preach. It is my guess that many church members deal with the same thing. We say things such as, “You should read your Bible,” “You should pray,” “You should help others,” but then we never see anyone give us an example of how to do it. Who will be the example?

You will never hear this come out of a preacher’s mouth again, but I say this to you: Do not listen to the preacher this Sunday, watch him. And as you do remember that as you walk out of the doors people will be watching you to hear what your sermon is all about. Remember that although you may not be officially preaching the sermon to the church today, you are preaching a sermon to the world.

Whatever it takes….for Jesus’ glory,
Jared

Missions Update

2008-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19

Allow me to give you a snapshot of what our congregation is doing to fill The Great Commission.

In 2007 we gave almost $40,000 to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. I asked them for an accounting of that money; a copy of their report is available in the vestibule for you to pick up. In addition, we also gave some money directly to the International Mission Board and $5,000 directly to the Franklin County Baptist Association.

One way we reach out to our local community is by supporting a Hispanic Church plant ($2,000 per month). Most of you know the pastor, Emilio Gaspar. What you may not know is that he occasionally borrows our church to perform baptisms! Please pray for Emilio as he grows his church into a self supporting congregation.

Internationally, we have partnered with Heart Cry Missionary Society to support missionary work in India. At present, we are sending $400 per month to fully support one missionary and to provide educational support for other missionaries in training.

And we have many opportunities during the year to reach out. We paid for Marge Butler (Vermont minister’s wife) to attend a women’s conference. We supported a Happy Feet trip to Central America. We helped Ryan Akers begin a Campus Outreach ministry at Samford University. And last Fall we sponsored events at Tharptown High School; just to name a few.

God Bless,

Bro. Ken

“Big Sins” vs. “Small Sins”

2008-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

In my circle of friends, the subject has come up several times of “big sins” vs. “small sins”. A sin is something that separates us from God, so how can one be bigger than the other?

This reminds me of a story about a woman and her three children. The girl was practicing piano with her teacher, the boys were going upstairs. The first boy was running, the second was walking slowly with his head down. The mother asked what he was doing and he replied “praying”. She asked about what and he said he could not tell her because she would be mad. She said she would not and he told her it was about a problem he had with his mind. Quite curious now about what type problem a 7 year old could have with his mind, she convinced him she would not be mad. He said “Every time I see my piano teacher, my head tells my tongue to stick out.” As she tried not to laugh, she told him that God could indeed help him with both his mind and his tongue.

I, too, have trouble with my tongue sometimes. Maybe not with sticking it out, but with bitter or hurtful words. Gossip. Anger. I’m sure some of you may know what I’m talking about. I’m thankful to have a God that will take time to listen to all my prayers, whether they may be great or small.

Love in Christ
Samantha Montgomery