Sandy Sez

July/August 2012 

Have you visited the Open Door Christian Bookstore?

     Our community has had several Christian bookstores over the years, but only one has stood the test of time.  Open Door Christian Bookstore at our Blue Ridge Mall has been the only one that has lasted.  Small local bookstores have to operate on a shoestring.  We need to understand that Christian books, Bibles, and gifts are a ministry of this store.  I encourage each Christian in Henderson County to visit and do business with Open Door Book Store as much as possible.

     I believe that every community needs a Christian Bookstore because:

1. Christian bookstores are a continual witness that God is alive and that He cares for people.  In many communities this is a major outlet for the Gospel of Christ in the marketplace.

2. Christian bookstores can be a melting pot.  Sometimes evangelical Christian people can realize that we have much in common and can pray together, enjoy fellowship together and win lost people to Christ.

3. Christian bookstores display Christian literature and gift items that would not be otherwise offered in the secular marketplace. 

     Open Door Christian Bookstore allows—even encourages—your Association to display a tract rack in front of the store.  Patricia and Roger Myrto have been keeping the rack well organized with new, fresh tracts.  Step in and take a look at the tract rack.  While you are there look inside at the books, Bibles, music and gifts.

     The Open Door also sets up a bookstore and discounts their services at our women’s conference each year.

      Does your church partner with an unreached people group? 

     Fruitland Baptist Church is a strong supporter of the Kurds.  FBC Hendersonville is a supporter of another unreached people group.  

     I would like to have the names of any unreached people groups that our churches have adopted to pray for and/or visit if possible.  Sometimes visiting is difficult but our access to the Father is always available to us.

     Please let us know if your church has adopted an unreached people group so that we as an association can adopt them together. 

Welcome to Our New Staff Member

     Autumn Thompson is our new part time ministry assistant.  Autumn comes to us with a great deal of administrative experience.  She also has a bachelor’s degree from WCU in business management. 

     Her husband, David, works for PSNC Energy and her daughter, Hayden, is in first grade at Atkinson Elementary. 

     They are very active members of Mud Creek Baptist Church where Autumn also teaches part time as a computer instructor in the week day preschool program.

     Stop by the office and welcome Autumn to your association.  We believe the Lord has sent us a most able co-laborer. 

Marriage Protection Comes to North Carolina

     The following is an excerpt from an article written by Jacqueline Schaffer, J.D. entitled Marriage in Society's Moral Crosshairs.  This article is from the Winter 2012 Family North Carolina of the North Carolina Family Policy Council.

     After an eight-year battle to be heard, North Carolinians will finally have a voice on the issue of marriage.  In September 2011, the NC General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a measure to allow the people—not judges, politicians, or a vocal minority—of this State to weigh in on the definition of marriage.  This measure is not a mere opinion poll, however.  The bill, SB 514—Defense of Marriage, is a ballot initiative that grants the citizens of NC the opportunity to vote on whether to enshrine the State’s current law defining marriage into the State Constitution.  The law currently states that:

     [a] valid and sufficient marriage is created by the consent of a male and female person who may lawfully marry, presently to take each other as husband and wife.

     It goes on to clarify that:

     [m] marriages, whether created by common law, contracted, or performed outside of NC, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in NC.

     In the primary election scheduled for May 8, 2012, North Carolinians will be able to take the necessary step of strengthening the State’s stance on marriage by voting on the following proposal:

     Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.

January/February 2012

The Great Commission Church

While recently studying the seven churches in Asia, I was fixed on the words of Rev. 3:15 & 16.  “I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm , and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.”

Wow!  Those are strong words.  Those are the words that the Holy Spirit gave to John in an appraisal of the Laodicean church.  Many believe it is a picture of the last days of the church age—today’s church.

Although this is surely a growing truth in denominations all around us, it does not have to be true of us.  We can rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to give us a holy strategy to encourage all Carolina Baptist churches.  We can become and be Great Commission churches.

There are churches in the Hendersonville area that are languishing in apathy.  I see churches that have turned inward and refuse to be Great Commission churches—with no baptisms for years.  I see churches in fear for their future because the economy is uncertain.  I see pastors worn out and frustrated until they themselves have become afraid. 

I want to shout it out from the roof tops—”Wake up church—you are all children of God.”  “Wake up church—you have been given the perfect word of God to lead, guide and direct you in all His ways.”  “Wake up church—Jesus is alive and well on the planet earth.”  “Wake up church—He is coming again and soon!”  “Wake up church—wake up-wake up!” 

He has given us many tools to make us and keep us Great Commission churches. Our association leadership—our state leadership and our national leadership are equipped to help us.  We cannot force our way in, but, if you would just invite us we can help you on your journey.

I, and many of our Director of Missions are trained in Transformational Leadership and in the Church Health Surveys.  If this process is too long or complicated we can help you with a short consultation. 

Let us work hard together to prevent apathy from sneaking in on us.  Just because the Laodicean church is an overall picture of the end of the church age, we can still be strong, missional churches until the day of our Lord’s appearing.