Shots From Shotwell

Come celebrate in October at Ash Creek Baptist Church!

Everyone likes a celebration. As believers we have much to celebrate. We celebrate the life that we have in Christ. We celebrate the relationships that we have with other believers in the church. We celebrate how the Lord is working throughus to touch the lives of people. So, it is most appropriate for us to set aside some time to rejoice together.

October is Celebration month at Ash Creek. Every Sunday in Sunday School and worship we will celebrate the goodness of God and the joy of salvation. The last Sunday in the month, October 29, will be lebeled "Clebration Sunday". It will be high attendance day in Sunday School. We also want to set a goal of having 200 people in the early worship service and 400 people in the late worship service.

We will have special emphases throughout the month that will help us build toward Celebration Sunday. I hope that you will plan to be here every Sunday in October so that we can all celebrate together.

May God Bless you this Week.

Shots from Shotwell

The Long Range Planning Committee has been at work. This committee’s task is to lead the church in strategic planning for the future. Committee chairperson Helen Short wisely reminded us last Sunday that it is not the committee’s job to come up with a plan for the church, but to work with the church in helping all of us discover God’s plan for the future.

This Sunday, March 5, you will receive a survey in Sunday School that will help the Long Range Planning Committee do its job. This survey is the first step in receiving input from church members as to the direction they think the Holy Spirit is leading this church. Later, the committee will utilize focus groups and a town hall meeting to receive further input.

This information will be used to help review our mission statement; develop a vision for the future; identify our core values; and establish priorities. The church body will be asked to think about and discuss these things and then come to consensus about the direction the Lord is leading us. Then the committee will seek further input from you about specific goals and strategies we can use in the future to accomplish what God is leading us to do.

This is an exciting process and I hope that you will be serious about your involvement in the process. Your input is very important if we are to discover God’s will for our church.

May God Bless You this Week,

Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

I am already slipping on some of my New Year’s Resolutions. I didn’t make very many resolutions, but the few I did make are already being pushed aside by a lack of time and a lapse in willpower. I would list my resolutions, but I don’t want anyone looking over my shoulder at the restaurant to see what I am eating. If I don’t tell you what I resolved, then you can’t hold me accountable for eating that double meat hamburger with fries.

I know that none of you have trouble accomplishing your resolutions. I already know some people who are newly devoted to the new fitness gym. I have full confidence that in August and September you will be equally committed. But you have more willpower than I have.

However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to make some church related resolutions. I hope that we will stay committed to them. Here are some I thought about:

Focus on Bible Study. Let’s resolve to be committed to do whatever it takes to excel in our Sunday School program. Teachers should have a new commitment to leading dynamic Bible studies and all of us should seek to reach new people and minister to class members.
Worship with intensity. Worship is vitally important to the spiritual well being of God’s people. If you have not been attending worship I hope you will renew your commitment.
Serve people in Christ’s name. We will provide opportunities during the year for you to be involved in serving others. Let’s resolve to get involved this year.
Be good stewards. It is imperative that we use the resources that God has provided for the work of the Kingdom. The church Finance Committee and the staff pledge to be good stewards of your tithes and offerings, but it is also important for individuals to be resolved to be good stewards with resources.
Pray more.
Reach people for Christ and lead them to baptism and church membership.

These are just a few things that I thought about. I bet you can think of others. Will you be resolved this year?


May God Bless you this Week,

Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

The waiting is almost over. It never fails that every year around Thanksgiving my children begin to ask the inevitable question: “How long ‘til Christmas? How many days are left?” It is a question that I suspect is motivated more by materialistic desire than spiritual sensitivity. Nevertheless, I am always struck by the spiritual appropriateness of the question.

In fact, as a Christian community we have been asking, “How many days until Christmas?” That is what Advent has been about. Every week we have been lighting Advent candles during worship anticipating the coming of the Lord. The symbolism of the candles has reminded us that we have waited with bright eyed hope as we anticipate the fulfillment of prophecy. We have anticipated peace, knowing that the Prince of Peace was on the way. We await his coming with joy, looking forward to the joy that only Jesus brings. We have wallowed in his love; awestruck that God would come to this world to save us from sin. Now, the waiting is almost over. We have prepared the way. The King is coming.

Come celebrate the coming of the Lord with us this week. Saturday evening we will observe the traditional Christmas Eve service at 6:00. Sunday morning we will worship at 10:45. Bring your family members with you. There is no more appropriate place to be on Christmas Sunday morning than at church.

On a personal note, many of your have expressed your Christmas wishes to me and my family. You have given us gifts and sent cards. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. Each and every card and gift has been received with gratitude and has served as a remarkable reminder of how blessed we are to be a part of this wonderful church.

May God Bless You this Week, and May you have a Merry Christmas!

Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

Again this year the sights and sounds of the Christmas season inundate us. From the ringing of the Salvation Army bell at the store entrance to the strains of Christmas music on the radio we are surrounded by the traditions of Christmas. Although our culture has embraced Christmas as an economic opportunity, we know that this season is really a celebration of the incarnation of Christ. The Advent wreath reminds us to be prepared. After all, the Lord is coming!

The Preschool and Children’s choirs helped us in our Christmas preparations this past Sunday evening. They presented a wonderful program under the direction of Karen Mooney and Kathy Reed. My heart is always blessed when the children lead us in worship.

This week provides another opportunity to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. The Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra are leading us in worship this week. On Saturday evening they will perform for people in the community. It is a great time to invite friends and family who will not be able to be here on Sunday morning. It is also a great time to invite unchurched people who may not normally attend church on Sunday. Then in both worship services Sunday morning the Choir and Orchestra will lead us again.

There are, of course, other traditions in the church that remind us of the coming of the Lord. There are Sunday School class parties, caroling, and the Christmas Eve service that we will enjoy. All of these things are for the purpose of preparing for Christ.

I hope that you will be present for these events. Some of them are fun, others are solemn; but these traditions serve a purpose in our faith. They remind us to get ready. After all, the Lord is coming!

May God Bless you during this Season,

Shots from Shotwell

We are entering the season of Advent. The word “Advent” means “coming or appearing,” therefore, the Advent season is the time set aside by the Church to look forward to the coming of the Lord. It is a season of anticipation. Perhaps children understand anticipation better than adults. Children are always looking forward to Christmas, though perhaps not always from a theological perspective! Yet the sense of anticipation is a vital part of the Advent season. We are looking forward to the coming of the Lord!

During Advent we consider the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The first Sunday of Advent focuses on the Hope that we have for the future and traditionally looks forward to the Second Coming of the Lord. The other Sundays of Advent will look back to the first coming of the Lord as we anticipate Christmas.

There will, of course, be many activities during the next few weeks that help us anticipate the Lord’s coming into the world. Sunday School departments will have parties, there will be a Christmas parade down Main Street, and our Children’s Choirs will lead us with a Christmas program the evening of December 4th. On December 10th our Sanctuary Choir will present a Christmas Cantata for our community and it will be repeated for our church in both worship services on Sunday morning December 11th. All of these things will contribute to our anticipation the Lord’s arrival.

Each week as we come to worship we will celebrate Advent with the lighting of Advent candles. This brief ceremony should serve to remind all of us to be looking for the Lord’s arrival. I hope that you will have a great sense of anticipation this year. After all, the Lord is Coming!

May God Bless You this Week,


Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

Every year I think that our church-wide Thanksgiving Dinner could not get any better. Then the next year it is better! This past Sunday night was one of the finest Thanksgiving feasts we have enjoyed together in the Ash Creek family. Various groups in our church provided turkey, vegetables, and dessert. The Fellowship Committee led by Jane Slape did a great job, as usual. The entertainment was wonderful as we enjoyed Voices Unlimited and the Metro Praise Orchestra. As close as we can count, we think we fed about five hundred people. It was just a great night. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it a great success.

In fact, it has been a great couple of weeks! Sunday School High Attendance Day was a “Great Family Gathering” bringing 602 people to Bible Study! Never in the 134 year history of Ash Creek Baptist Church have so many people gathered for Bible Study on a Sunday morning.

The annual Fall Fest was a great success as well. We are estimating that between 700-800 people were here. It was a wonderful opportunity to be a positive witness to our community. It is a great time to be a part of this church.

This Sunday we will be concentrating on stewardship. It is perhaps the most important aspect of being a follower of Jesus. Jesus talked more about material possessions than any other subject. Being a good steward is the most rewarding aspect of the Christian life. Members of Ash Creek will receive a letter this week explaining how we are going to observe this emphasis.

Thank you for your faithfulness to the church and to the Lord. You are making a difference.

May God Bless You this Week,


Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

It is an important time of year for ministry and missions at Ash Creek Baptist Church. There will be two events in the next week that give us great opportunity to reach people for Christ. These events may or may not have immediate observable results, but they are both important in building the ongoing ministry programs of our church.

First, Sunday, October 30 is the Fall Sunday School High Attendance emphasis. This year we are calling it “A Great Family Gathering.” I hope that you will make special plans to be here Sunday morning for Sunday School and that you will invite someone to come with you. High attendance days are not so that we can pat ourselves on the back about how many people show up, but they do give us opportunity to form relationships with new people. High attendance reminds us that one of our desires is to help more people study the Bible. Furthermore, your presence on high attendance day is an encouragement to the whole church body because it generates excitement about the continued working of the Lord. So come gather with your church family this week!

Monday, October 31, is the night when our church will sponsor the annual Fall Fest. Rhonda Bagby is leading the charge again this year, organizing this event that reaches hundreds of families in our community. Many of the people who will be here do not have a church home and do not know the Lord. I know that Rhonda would appreciate more volunteers on Monday night. Your presence will help make this event successful, and a successful event will communicate the love of our church to Azle. Thanks Rhonda for your good work.

These events help our church fulfill its mission of “glorifying God through service, obedience, and worship.” I hope that you will be a part of these exciting days at Ash Creek.

May God Bless You this Week,


Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

Several years ago, before I became pastor of Ash Creek Baptist Church, I happened to be traveling alone between Dallas and Nashville, Tennessee. I had been to the funeral of my former pastor who had mentored me in ministry while I was in College. I was traveling along I-30 somewhere in Arkansas on a Sunday morning and as the 11 o’clock hour approached I decided that I would stop and go to church. I pulled into the parking lot, parked the car, and slipped on a sports coat.

The people were still in Sunday School so I ambled into the sanctuary where a few non-Sunday School folks were beginning to gather and the instrumentalists were preparing for worship. No one had much to say to me, so I just found the end of a pew and sat down hoping that I wasn’t in someone’s sacred pew that they had been sitting in for fifty years. As the people began to enter the sanctuary from Sunday School, a few folks nodded with a friendly hello before finding a seat elsewhere. I figured I must have been in their pew.

Then an elderly gentleman stood beside me and asked if he could sit with me. I agreed, of course, and he sat down and told me about himself and asked about me. He showed real concern about my travels and expressed his sympathy about the death of my friend. When worship began we shared a hymnal and he pointed out things of interest in the bulletin. When worship was over he introduced me to others and then walked me out to my car and asked the Lord’s blessing upon the rest of my journey. I left the church that day knowing I had been in the house of the Lord because one person made a difference.

You can be that one person who makes a difference in the life of someone. It does take more than a friendly nod of the head. It takes the effort of a relationship. The people that come to our church need you. If you see someone you don’t know at church this week, don’t let the day get away without beginning a relationship with them. Sit with them in church. Tell them about yourself and get to know them. And when the time for worship is concluded, give them your blessing.

The power of one person can make all the difference. Will you be that one?

May God Bless You as You Journey this Week.

Wesley

Shots from Shotwell

Needless to say, in the last few weeks our nation and our state have been challenged to respond to human need. I have been proud to be a Texan. Our state has opened its arms to people caught in catastrophe. Our state’s political leaders have stepped up to the plate and responded to an unprecedented crisis.

The churches of Texas have made me proud in the ways that they have responded in ministry to serve people who were the most vulnerable of society. Every denomination has made an effort to minister to people. Texas Baptists are no different. After hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged our shores, several of the camps in Texas have taken in evacuees, and one Texas Baptist ministry in particular responded by caring for scores of children and adults with special needs who are the most dependent and vulnerable. Texas Baptist Men have responded by feeding people through Disaster Relief Teams. The Baptist General Convention of Texas donated $1,000,000 to relief efforts. Churches all over the state have made themselves available as relief shelters. The ministries of our churches have been a tremendous witness to thousands of people. Through relief ministry people have seen the hand of Christ.

But I want to thank the people of Ash Creek Baptist Church. You have responded with compassion and generosity. Shortly after Katrina hit the shores of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, one of our members, David Johnson, was on the scene with a Texas Baptist Disaster Relief team. He served for a week. This week our Minister of Youth, Luke Riley is working in Mississippi helping with relief efforts. Last week on of our Sunday School departments provided bunk beds and mattresses for a Katrina victim that has moved to our community. So far, you have given over $10,000 through our church to relief efforts. Furthermore, your gifts to the Mary Hill Davis offering for State Missions will provide continuing ministry to people throughout our state. Your sacrifice and generosity is being used by God to minister to untold thousands of people in the name of Christ.

I hope we never see these kinds of disasters again. However, I suspect we will. It is good to be a part of a church that responds with compassion and generosity. It is making all the difference in the world. Thankyou.


May God Bless you this Week,


Wesley