16 in 32, giving us 20 in 12

There are 32 more weeks of 2012.  I had a goal for our church to see 20 decisions and baptisms this year.  We have had 4 to date, leaving us 16 to go.  That means we need to average a baptism every other week through the rest of the year.  Out of the norm?  Improbable?  Yes to both, but not impossible!  Bro. Kim has put together a schedule for the rest of the year that has me excited.  Watch for more details about the next '16 weeks of preparation' leading up to the 16th of September when we will begin '16 weeks of harvest and celebration'.  September 16th is National Back to Church Sunday, and, if we have the volunteers, ... the Sunday we start dual services!  Our best days are yet ahead of us!

Teen Challenge Visit

Teen Challenge came and shared their ministry with us yesterday morning and "Wow! What a great day!"  Last night our service consisted of a time of testimony and sharing about the morning service and the feelings it stirred in each of us.  There was a clear theme among the testimonies.  People were reminded of how gracious God had been to them.  This generated a renew appreciation and desire to serve.  Experiencing the presence of God is always a humbling time.  Hitts Chapel was very blessed to have had the men's choir from the Cape Girardeau facilities of Teen Challenge USA.  May God continue to bless this great ministry!

Teen Challenge

The men's choir from Teen Challenge will be presenting their ministry to us this Sunday morning.  Each year we invite the men from the Cape Girardeau, Mo facility to come sing, give us an update,  and share some personal testimonies.  It is always a great service that proves to be one of the highlights of our year.  You don't want to miss this Sunday.  We will be having a potluck meal with them after the service.
Teen Challenge USA has been offering hope and healing for those with life-controlling problems since 1958.  They have over 200 residential centers nationwide.  To learn more about them checkout www.teenchallengeusa.com.  We are proud to be monthly supporters of this wonderful ministry.

The Love Month

Hearts, candy, and cupid.  February.  Seems like a logical decision to do a sermon series on relationships this month.  So, Bro. Kim got us started last week with a message on Loving One Another-relationships inside the church.  Next week, Bro. Mark Book will bring a message Loving Your Sweetheart.  The following week, Bro. Shawn Parker will preach to us about Loving Our Children.  Then I will wrap it up the series with a sermon on Loving Your Neighbor-looking outside the church.  I look forward to my turn in this series.  I'm excited to get to share my vision for our church this year.

On a side note.  While doing research for this sermon series I learned that as long as records of the divorce rate have been kept, Arkansas has always ranked among the top five.  For the last ten years, we have been 2nd only to Nevada, and rarely by more than a few tenths of a percent.  Relationships need to be a major focus for churches across our state.

Church Growth

Bearing new fruit is rarely as hard as pruning the existing vines!