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A Note From Greg

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of them that bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation. Those who say “Your God Reigns” Isaiah 52:7.

I want to say a great big thanks to those who helped with the Fall Festival. You were the hands and feet of Christ. You were able to tell people about your church, but better than that, each person participated with the Gospel at least 5 times. One time the complete plan of salvation was presented as the children put together little test-tubes of candy. The families were able to see what we do in Music, R.A.s, G.A.s, Mission Friends, our Daycare, Men’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry. Our church put our best foot forward and it showed. I can not tell you how many people commented on how friendly everyone was.

I want to say a great big thanks to Dan Harrison and Keith Pate. I also want to say thanks to Chad Royal. Make sure you let him know how much you appreciate all he does. Also Joe Bruner is a part of everything that happens at the church so be sure and tell him thank you. Our youth and youth teachers were amazing. They filled in spots and helped where ever they were needed. They helped set up and take down, especially Stephen Gosselin, Parker Roach, James and Alexis MacCarthy and Jared Spires who stayed all day helping to set up, working in various places and helping to clean up. Thanks to our Hostess committee and the Inmans for cooking, serving and taking care of all the food and popcorn.

Now we start the outreach. After all, outreach is what it is all about. Now it’s time to reach out to these families, to let them know that we are here for them. We will be writing letters to all of those who indicated that they would like more information about our church. We will also be visiting those who indicated that they do not attend church anywhere. It is going to take all of us to grow our church. We

can not just hope that it is going to happen. We all agree that we need to reach young families and grow our children and youth departments, but it doesn’t “just happen”. It takes intentional actions from all of us. Not just the ministers, not just the Sunday School teachers and leadership, not just our Senior Adults or Young Adults, it takes all of us. We will never grow a church by saying things like, “I have done my time” or “I really don’t want to” and “I don’t have time.” We are going to have to go the second mile and do more than we usually do, all of us.

Eastern Hills Baptist Church is a loving, friendly, and welcoming church. We just need to get the word out and let people know that there is an amazing church at the top of the hill and we would love for them to be here. God has big plans for this church and He always has. He has touched the lives for thousands of people through our church and He is going to touch thousands more. It is going to be fun and exciting to see what He will do!

I also want to mention the Marriage Retreat this past weekend. All the couples had a spectacular time and their lives, marriages and families were strengthed because of it. Hats off to Dan Harrison, Trey Higbe and Sandy Noah for a job well done.

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FOCUSED

One of the casualties of aging to which I find myself a victim is the dimming of the eyes.  Ecclesiastes 12 counsels the young person to remember God, their Creator, in their youth before the aging process takes over and various faculties, as listed in verses 1-7, are diminished.

Clear eyesight when we are young may be something we take for granted. However, as we age the realization that our vision is not as sharp as it once was takes hold. “Readers” become standard fare for all intricate tasks. Our once keen laser sharp focus is now blurry and in need of help to restore its youthfulness. That restoration is found through glasses or some sort of rejuvenating surgery. Especially in the early stages of this degenerative eye problem we may be able to fake it and get by, but eventually we must relent and do something to correct the problem.

There is a parallel between physical and spiritual vision. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” was written in the early 20th century. The hymn writer, Helen Lemmel, was strongly influenced by the artist and later little-known missionary, Lilias Trotter. Miss Trotter started off as an aspiring artist but early on felt a call from God to reach the lost. She began her ministry by rescuing prostitutes from the streets of London. Later she went to Africa, without missionary funding, and served for over forty years. While there she penned a poem that would greatly influence the writing of the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  The poem was entitled “Focused: A Story and Song.” 

The poem centers around focusing one’s attentions fully and completely upon God. She writes that Satan knows that if a person uses all their powers of concentration on being led by God’s Spirit, they will have a great intensity and impact upon those to whom they are called to minister. Lilias Trotter, writing in a more formal use of the English language than we are accustomed, shares some timeless insights which could very easily have been written today but with a different accent. She writes: “Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the ‘good’ hiding the ‘best’ even more effectually than it could be hidden downright frivolity with its smothered heartache at its own emptiness.”

The “good” hiding the “best” leads us to emptiness.  Could this be true of us today especially as American Christians? Have we sought the “good” while missing the “best”? The chorus of the hymn, which we will be singing in worship this Sunday, says it best.

                Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,                                                                                                                                        And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Keith Pate

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