A friend of mine, Kim Hardy, just wrote a witnessing tract, so that was on my mind when I saw this photo. This is an Indiana pastor’s wife, Tami Hubler, skydiving! Take a close look at what’s written on her hands.
“Jesus saves.”
Now, wouldn’t that make a great photo on a witnessing tract???
How would you tie that in?
Actually, I just wanted you to see that photo!
You can also read this article on Baptist Press.
Pupils, Pencils and Prayers
Diana Davis Posted
INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–A new school year begins soon. What an opportune time for a church to encourage students and teachers. Need fresh ideas?
– Pray for students and teachers. An adult Bible class can adopt a youth class to pray for them by name. During worship, a pastor could invite students to kneel at the altar as he or the youth minister prays for them. Or he could invite teachers and school staff (elementary, secondary, college, home school) to stand, then pray and challenge the entire church to pray for them faithfully. After taking children to school the first day, moms can gather for coffee, fellowship and prayer for the kids and teachers.
– Make it easy for kids to invite friends to church. Print a bookmark-size schedule of weekly and special fall events for kids at your church. Order book covers, notebooks, T-shirts or pencils with Scripture, the youth motto, the church website and the church name. Our church teens redecorate their Sunday School classrooms annually, painting murals and Scripture art. Plan a back-to-school party or Christian concert. After school the first day, serve homemade pizza at the church. Work hard to provide relevant, top-quality Bible classes and activities for students.
– Adopt a school. Your church or adult Bible class could help a nearby school. Visit the principal to offer assistance, such as mentoring, office help, reading, crossing guards, scholarship application aid or providing shoes, haircut or school supplies for a child in need. Send encouraging prayer notes to the principal. Deliver a huge basket of snacks for the teacher’s break room with a note from your church. An Indiana church painted the playground and developed a great relationship with the school. Be flexible, and joyfully show God’s love as you respond to requests.
– Prepare for guests. In Sunday’s bulletin, print names of children’s and youth Bible teachers, choir leaders, missions teachers, and so on. Church members can pray for them, and guests will see your commitment to disciple kids. Since families often relocate during summer, purchase a newcomer list for your town, and mail or deliver church invitations before school begins. You could advertise in the local paper to invite all teachers and school faculty in town to worship on Sunday before school begins. Recognize them, pray for them, and give a gift (coffee cup, pen) with a Scripture and promise of prayer.
As our children, youth and teachers return to school as ambassadors for Christ, will you assure them of your church’s love and prayers?
–30–
Diana Davis is the author of “Fresh Ideas,” “Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry” and “Deacon Wives” (B&H Publishing) and the wife of the Indiana Baptist State Convention executive director. Learn more at www.keeponshining.com.
Last Sunday, we worshipped with Calvary Baptist Church in Seymour Indiana. They were celebrating their church’s 50th anniversary, and it was a joyous occasion.
Will your church be ccelebrating an upcoming anniversary? Here are a couple of great ideas they did to make it special:
Pastor David Schrock and the planning team printed and framed a 4X6″ photograph of the church building, with text about 50th anniversary celebration (see photo above). An entire table held hundreds of the framed photos. He announced that each family unit in attendance could pick one up as a momento of the occasion. What a lovely gift!
The Pastor had preached for several weeks on each segment of their church covenant. On anniversary day, they had a covenant renewal service. They printed a large copy of the covenant, and had a wide photo mat prepared. Each member of the church signed the mat before the covenant was beautifully framed for the church entryway.
Isn’t it exciting to celebrate God’s blessings of the past as we look forward to seeing what He has ahead for the future? Happy anniversary, Calvary Baptist.
As I look at some upcoming speaking engagements, I realize how much I depend on my God! I’m no gifted speaker, so I lean hard on Him, and trust Him to use this willing vessel to encourage Christian women. I spend lots of time writing, but God continues to open interesting and challenging speaking opportunities.
[Most of my travel is to accompany my husband, Steve, as he works with the 420 Southern Baptist Churches across Indiana. If you'd like to see what God's doing in Indiana, check out www.scbi.org]
Here are several speaking engagements on my schedule in coming months. Pray for me, and if one is in your area, I hope to see you there:
S. CAROLINA – South Carolina Baptist State Convention’s retreat for Ministers Wives, S.W.A.T., November 5-6 at White Oak Conference Center.
IOWA - Ladies’ Christmas luncheon at Grace Baptist, Waterloo Iowa December 7
TENNESSEE – Ladies retreat at New Heights Baptist, Chatanooga TN April 8-9 2011
OHIO – Southern Ohio’s Scioto Valley Baptist Association’s ladies’ conference May 5 2011, Athens OH.
ALABAMA – Speak for Alabama Baptist Convention’s statewide Pastors, Deacons and Wives Retreat, September 23-24 2011
UKRAINE – Teach seminary class at Kiev Theological Seminary, May 14-22 2011
INDIANA – several events, including
And thanks for your prayers, my friends!
My son married last weekend. It was such a joyful, fabulous day!
So, of course, I observed an idea at the church that I thought you might use in your church. A small closet was designated for wedding items — candelabras, arch, lighters, etc. Does your church provide some materials like that?
Our former church purchased two sets of candleabras and made them available for weddings. It saved lots of money for many brides and grooms, and of course they were allowed to rent if they preferred. A few times, those brides would donate some money in appreciation, and we could reinvest those dollars for another piece we could provide for others. Perhaps some dollars could be designated in the annual church budget to begin stocking a closet like that.
When a father built a beautiful gazebo for his daughter’s wedding, he donated it for use by other weddings as needed, and even stored the large piece in his barn. A woodworker in our church built lovely lattice walls to fit the church’s fellowship hall, and those were available for weddings as well.
Simple idea, yes. But, with the cost of weddings, it can be a kind and thoughtful gift for couples in your church.
[Oh, I really had to work at putting my son and daugher-in-law's photo in this blog! Thanks for understanding! 
]
Need a gift for dads at your church this Father’s Day? Keep reading…
The single most influential person on my life was my dad–a strong, yet tender, lover of God; a role model in daily life as a Christian businessman and husband and daddy; a man joyfully committed to his God first, and to his family and church and friends.
My dad died years ago, but his legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren. As I watch my brothers rear their children, I see Dad’s influence. Dad’s children are all serving God and teaching their childen to follow God. A Christian father impacts daily life. And he impacts eternity.
Will you celebrate and encourage Christian dads in their role as spiritual leader in their homes?
I’ve put my Father’s Day article into a bookmark format, and attached it here for you. (This is a repeat post from last June, but I thought some of you may have missed this idea–a nice gift for Dads at church on Father’s Day.) It’s as simple as 1-2-3, and you’ll have a two-sided bookmark with some simple ideas for Christian dads.
1) Download the bookmark. To download: click HERE and select save as.
If you are using a mac, hold option + click.(It’s also under ”free stuff” on this website.) NOTE: To receive a Word document already formatted with three bookmarks on a page and borders, email me at Jesuslivesindiana@gmail.com and I’ll send it right away.
2) Add your church name, and personalize it with borders, colors, etc.
3) Print bookmarks, using cardstock, and laminate. It’s 2-sided, so watch the lineup.
Recruit a team of children to pass out bookmarks to all male attenders at the entrance to worship on Father’s Day. For example, you could use the fifth grade Bible class.
There’s no charge, of course, and I’d love to hear how you used it. Praying that God will use this bookmark to encourage some of the most important people in the world– Christian dads.
Front of bookmark:
BACK OF BOOKMARK:
“Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified;
do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God
will be with you
wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9, NIV)
Check out my article today at bpnews.org. It’s called “Hot Ideas for Summer Church Fun” and offers lots of summer activities with purpose!
This will only make sense to you ladies who were at the First Baptist Daytona Beach luncheon last Saturday, where I talked about “The Secret Ingredient.” I’d promised to post my favorite chocoholic recipe–Chocolate Trifle Explosion–so here it is! The secret ingredient is the almond extract.
A secret ingredient for Christian living is found in Philippians 2:3-4.
—-
Here’s the recipe:
CHOCOLATE TRIFLE EXPLOSION
Note: You’ve got to have a glass trifle dish for this one. See photo above. And don’t forget the secret ingredient*
INGREDIENTS:
1 Duncan Hines triple chocolate brownie mix. Prepare as directed.
1 Chocolate fudge instant pudding mix. Prepare as directed.
1 large Cool Whip. *Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
12 oz. pkg toffee bits or Heath bits of brickle (find it in baking section near the chocolate chips)
1 container fresh strawberries, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare brownies and pudding. Crumble brownies.
Layer ingredients in this order, spreading each layer to tthe edges of the trifle dish.
- crumbled brownies
- chocolate pudding
- cool whip (almonded)
- brickle bits
- strawberries
Repeat; ending with cool whip.
Garnish with grated chocolate and a strawberry
Here’s an idea you might use for a conference theme. “Fresh Winds of Change”
West Virginia’s ABW state retreat for women’s ministry leaders used that theme for this weekend’s retreat, with this Scripture:
“Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!” (Psalm 51:7b The Message)
The decor included huge colorful banners hung from the ceiling and behind the stage, with fans to create a gentle breeze. They were using my book, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry, to show how to do women’s ministry with an “upward and outward” focus, called LIGHT, so the table decor was all sorts of lanterns and lights.
Each retreat attendee received a soft, colorful scarf as a gift, and their reteat closing sent all 250 women outside, with the scarfs blowing in the breeze. What a lovely visual–rolling West Virginia hills, blossoming trees and flowers all around, and scarves billowing.
It was such a fun weekend, and a great honor for me to get to share with all those ladies. Praying for “fresh winds of change” as they go back to their ministries across that state.
It’s such a treasured time for many Christian teens! My article for next month is one about ways church members can encourage kids going to youth camp (or kids camp, mission trips, etc.) The column is almost complete, but I thought I’d ask if any of you have suggestions.
Have you (or others you know) done anything–small or large–to inspire or encourage or treat those young Christians who are taking a week away at Christian camp?
