For the most part we are a people who live in the present. Many are fearful of the future and others are piled-up with the past. The Bible declares that God is an ever-present help in trouble, and I’m glad that He has the future covered. This means that God’s grace goes before me. In every situation of life God is already at work before I get there. He is working creatively, strategically and redemptively for my good and His glory, in order to accomplish His purpose for me as an individual in our church family.
While I may struggle with today’s “stuff,” God is at work providing solutions for the things I’m going to face tomorrow. He’s working in those situations right now; even those which I am yet to face. He is preparing them for me and me for them. I guess we could say: “While I’m living in Tuesday, He’s already in Thursday.”
Are you worried about what will happen to you, your family, our church and the things we’ll face tomorrow. “Chill-out! Don’t sweat it!” God is already there. He’s got it covered. Since God is already in the future we can trust Him today and put our hope in Him for tomorrow, even if and when those trials come our way.
God is going ahead of us, clearing the way, arranging the details of life so that when you get there you can have confidence that God has already been there before you. Nothing in the future will surprise God and that should give us comfort today.
The only way to be filled with
this hope for your future is to experience His forgiveness for your past, and
place your faith in the future presence of our living God who will
never leave or forsake us. May
our faith be in God and not in our own wisdom.
Only then will we be filled with the living-hope for the future.
David
Saturday,
Sept.4,
Fitness at the Outreach Center
Monday,
Sept.6,
Fitness
Tuesday,
September 7, 6 p.m.Mission
Circle Picnic at the Outreach
Center
Thurs.,
Sept.9,
Fitness
Weekend, Sept. 11 & 12, The CECL Committee will be having a booth at the
Westport BBQ. There will be a sign-up sheet for workers in the foyer.
Saturday,
September 11,
Monday,
September 13,
Monday,
September 13,
Thursday,
September 16,
Saturday,
September 18,
Sunday,
Sept. 19,
Friday,
September 24,
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Send a card or take time to tell David and Candy how much you appreciate them. Also, somebody is having a birthday. . . Who can it be???
Saturday, Oct. 2,
Sunday, October
3, Baked Potato Bar immediately
after church, Hot Dogs for the young and young at heart. Freewill offering for the
Sunday, October 3,
Sunday, October 10- Falls of the Ohio State Park, Clarksville,
Wednesday, October 20th--The Decatur County Baptist Women’s Fall Conf. will be held at Union Baptist Church.
Sundays, October 17, 24, 31 & Nov. 7 Sign-up for photo appointments.
King’s Kids Choir practice will begin this month. Watch the bulletin for details.
Sunday Evening Fellowship, ABY, and Choir will meet each Sunday Evening.
We would like to thank everyone again for your help and support during this years “Power of the Past.” Many individuals gave generously of their time toward this project. The organizers were very pleased with the work that both we and the South Decatur adult boosters did with this year’s event.
We are currently developing several ideas for different fundraisers to help raise money for our building project. If you have any ideas or would like to help in any fashion please contact any member of the fundraising team. Stay tuned for future updates and information on upcoming fundraisers.
Thanks,
Rick Cook, Deanna McCullough, and Joane Cunningham
All Deacons Welcome--
Wednesday, September at
The Deacon and His Work, His Mission, His Responsibilities, and His Mentoring
Join us as we study, discuss and learn more about how God can use us within this ministry. –Rick Cook
The
trustees held their monthly meeting.
They have a few small jobs to do. If you can help, please contact
Richard Young
or Clettus Stephen.
The Blessings of Being Still
Psalm 46:10 (NRSV): "Be still, and know that I am God!" Only by being still can we sense God's presence and know him intimately. Experiencing calmness requires taking frequent respites from our feverish lives.
The Church has voted to proceed with the Cornerstone project based on the design developed by Byron Boyd and Associates at the direction of the Church fellowship. We will have a new emergency escape from both the lower level classrooms and the balcony for the safety of the congregation. These new emergency escapes will allow the Church to adhere to building codes as additional classrooms are added on the lower level.
A lift will serve
the sanctuary level and classroom level floors providing improved access to the
church for those with impaired mobility. Four new handicapped access
restrooms will be added with two restrooms on the sanctuary level and two
restrooms on the classroom level. These new restrooms will provide additional
availability and enhanced access for the congregation.
The costs of the project are approximately $350,000. Funding of the
project will come from $150,000 from the treasury, with the balance coming from
donations, grants, offerings, and fund raising activities.
Please thank Michelle Armand, Byron Baltus, Bud Cunningham, Mike Gasper, Royce Dale
McCullough, and Jeff Smiley for all the hard work, flexible scheduling,
selflessness, and creativity. A very special kind of thanks is extended
to Cliff Byard, an original member of the team,
as we remember his contribution and commitment.
This has been a very exciting project with which to be associated.
To see the ribbon of the Spirit of Christ weave through unique individuals to
bind us all together as one has been inspirational. The Church has been
able to work as a cohesive Community of different ideas drawn to and focused
together on the same purpose in the Unity of Christ.
--Submitted by Dan Curtis
Exciting and fun
things are coming up with the
September 7 at
On Sunday, October 3, we will host a baked potato bar immediately after church at the Outreach Center. Hot dogs will be served for the young and young at heart. Salads, pies, cakes, and drinks provided. A free will offering will be taken for the State Project of American Baptist Women’s Ministries of Indiana.
American Baptist
Women’s Ministries Women’s Day will be at First Baptist Church of Indianapolis
on October 9th. Registration
deadline is
Mark your calendar now for Wednesday, October 20th. The Decatur County Baptist Women’s Fall Conference will be held at Union Baptist Church. We are praying for an increase in attendance. The time and program will be announced at a later date. We will be electing County Officers.
President,Carol Theobald
COMING IN NOVEMBER
CHURCH PICTORIAL DIRECTORY
Photo sessions will begin Thanksgiving week at the Outreach Center.
YOU WILL RECEIVE: One FREE copy of the church directory and your choice of one FREE 8”x10” Directory Pose OR NINE (9) wallets of Directory Pose.
Signup will begin mid-October. If you have questions, please contact Pat Benge, Zelpha Byard, Norma Chapman or Betty Harrison.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE TO MAKE THE DIRECTORY COMPLETE.
The 11th
annual choir retreat will be held, Saturday, September 18. Registration will begin at
The Fall anthems
will be lead by Susan Budd, guest clinician beginning at
Lunch will be
served at
After lunch the
choir will preview their Christmas Cantata.
--Deanna McCullough
“Winter is an etching,
spring a watercolor, summer an oil
painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
—Stanley
Horowitz
Friends of God
Sin Fightin’ Frogs
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
Preschool-6th Grade
We hope that
you will be seeing many children wearing green shirts with the Sin Fightin’
FROG on the front and
the church name on the back. Be sure to congratulate these children
because they earned their shirt by
attending FROG at least 7 Sunday evenings out of 10 consecutive Sundays.
We had a small group of 13 that visited the Bartholomew County Landfill Education Center in June. It was very interesting to see and learn about the landfill, as well as explore the wetlands and wildlife there. If you would like to know more just ask one of us what we
found inside a dried fur ball that had been spit up by an owl, or what we found in the water by looking through a microscope. We enjoyed a picnic lunch (after we washed our hands) in a nice shaded yard before we watched a fun movie about recycling and took a little time to play on the recycled playground before departing.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 at
FEEDING FROG – in the foyer will be a sign up list for snacks. It is a double blessing to see the joy that many of you get from feeding FROG and the joy they get from the food – it makes us all happy hoppers! Thank you for ministering in this way!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday, October 10 - Falls of
the Ohio State
Park, Clarksville,
We will need permission forms for all children traveling without a parent. Those will be available at the church or the website and may be turned in anytime before the trip. For more information on what we will see at the park go to www.fallsoftheohio.org.
ACTIVITIES – Dates will be set later for a movie night, game night, and other family activities.
MINISTRIES
Children may bring old eyeglasses that will be donated for missions.
We would like to visit homebound individuals in the community.
We will be watching children for R.A.O.K. (Random Acts Of Kindness).
NEXT LEADER’S MEETING – Wednesday,
November 10 at
Spiritual nourishment
"A quiet time is a time set aside to deepen your knowledge of the Lord, to enrich your own personal relationship with him, to fellowship with him, to love him, to worship him, on a very personal basis. … How much of a calm and gentle spirit you achieve, then, will depend on how regularly and consistently, persistently and obediently, you partake of the Word of God,
your spiritual food." -Shirley
Rice 
A blessing was received by all those who attended Green Lake this summer. The youth presented an outstanding program for the congregation when they returned. Hey kids, we’re proud of you!!! Thank you for sharing with us.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, the
jr./sr./college age kids' gathered at Jeff & Pam Smiley’s house for a pond
party. Fifty-one kids attended from Westport,
Sullivan, and Salem Baptist churches. They were having such a good time
swimming, eating and fellowshipping that the party lasted from
Plans are now in the making for their
fall and winter session. The college age
kids have returned to school. Keep all of
our youth in your prayers
COLLEGE MINISTRY
Our college students are back at school and we need to decide if we are going to continue our College Ministry. Once again we have between 25 and 30 students and if this ministry is to continue we NEED YOUR HELP!!!
WHAT IS THIS MINISTRY?
This is a ministry to keep our church youth connected to Westport Baptist -- to let them know someone in particular is praying for them regularly and it is a way to be a positive influence. Because you keep the same student all year it can be a great opportunity for you to get to know that young adult and be a real influence in their life.
This commitment is from October to April. Once a month you will get a packet with a monthly devotional and a Christian magazine. You will be responsible for picking up your packet in the church foyer, writing a short personal note, and mailing it at a cost of $3.00 - $5.00 depending on what you put in that packet. If you feel inclined, we all know college students love to receive goodies, gas cards, or Wal-Mart cards.
In the past some of the students have not received their packets on time or at all. The point of this ministry is the personal connection to WBC. If the packets aren't sent, it doesn't work. I would like to ask you all to pray about this ministry for our church and to prayerfully consider volunteering to help out. If you are interested in helping with this ministry there is a sign up sheet in
the church foyer or you can call Maribeth at 591-3584 or e-mail at jerrbeth@verizon.net
If we do not have enough volunteers we will discontinue this ministry. Please pray about what our church should do. Thank you.
The Good News Club at South Decatur Elementary will kick-off its 6th year with a carnival on Sept. 20th. The sign-up sheets have gone home. Homeschoolers, see Janet or Greta for slips.
We will be studying “The Life of Moses.” Dates for this semester are: Sept. 20, 27, Oct.4, 11, 18 & 25 (six weeks).
Thank you to all who have helped
us purchase nice Bibles for the children.
We plan to have floats in the
Westport Kiwanis BBQ Parade on Sunday, Sept. 12. Children who plan to ride on
the float should bring their permission slip and be in the parade area by
If you would like to volunteer to help with our after school Bible club this semester, we would be delighted. We can guarantee you will receive a blessing. Call Janet at 591-2210 or email janetteitsort@comcast.net. She’ll fix you right up.
Dear Family Clothes Closet Supporters:
We will be having another public
Family Clothes Closet on Sept. 28, 29, and 30th, (Tuesday,
Wednesday, & Thursday) at the Westport
Baptist Church
Outreach Center,
across the street from the church, on
We really need gently used children’s clothes, especially boys’ clothes. We continue to serve people of all ages and sizes.
In our March Clothes Closet, we were able to help families with bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads, dishes, pans, school supplies, and toys, which have already been donated to the schools.
All items and clothing were free and no personal questions were asked, except, “How many adults and children are you shopping for? This question is asked so we can report to supporting churches and organizations. We do accept voluntary love gifts if a family wishes to donate.
Anyone wishing to make a donation
may call Jerry Renfro at 591-0095. We
will start accepting donations on Monday, September 20th, at
The family Clothes Closet is an
inter-dominational ministry to serve the people of South Central
Decatur County-“Neighbors
Helping Neighbors.”
Any and all volunteers will be
warmly received to help separate, fold, hang-up, and help in other ways. We need to have the Outreach Building
cleaned up and clothing stored away by
--submitted by Jerry Renfro, Chairlady
The JOY Group held their annual Birthday
Bash at Batar on August 25. Gifts were
exchanged and a good time was had by all. Their next get-together will be a
Harvest Hoedown on October 13. It will
be held at the Outreach
Center. A catered meal will be served at
We will gather our items to fill the Samaritan Purse Christmas boxes. I have listed numerous items below. You might want to shop at the Dollar Tree or look for bargains any time you are out. Target always has some inexpensive toys up front. Wal-Mart often puts shirts and other articles of clothing on sale.
GIFT IDEAS
--TOYS
small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump
ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra
batteries), Slinky®, etc.
--SCHOOL SUPPLIES
pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets,
writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
--HYGIENE ITEMS
toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.
--OTHER
Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts,
socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights
(with extra batteries)
--A PERSONAL NOTE
In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of
yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may
write back.)
--DO NOT INCLUDE:
Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military
figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or
vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans
We still have a few cookbooks left, so if
you’re needing a bridal shower gift, birthday, or Christmas gift, see a JOY
group member and let us help you out.
October is Stewardship Month
Various committees are writing the church budget for the coming year. They're placing their trust in God and believing in our members and friends to support the church's ministry. Let us all show our faithfulness with good stewardship through our time, talents and treasures.
Well, once again, school has
started and the "kids" are thrilled to be there. Well maybe not
all of them but I do know one thing. I was always glad when they started
back and I knew they were all being taken care of and I thought,
safe.
We've had some scary things
happen in some of our schools. We need to pray for godly teachers
that will have a caring heart to help those students who are hurting.
Sometimes they, and they only, can make a difference in the life of one of
them.
One thing we can do is pray daily for the leadership there, the teachers and for all of the students, and that they might remember the freedom God has given our country. Also, pray for the leaders of our country too. And God bless America. -- Jean Conwell
How many books are there in the Bible? New Testament? Old Testament?
How many of the authors can you name? Some are easy and some are a little more difficult?
Which books did they write?
What year was the Bible put together as one book with many books inside?
Who had it put together as one book?
Which books are the four gospels and why are they called the gospels?
Why did God wait until Rev. 21 to create a new heaven and a new earth?
--Submitted by Richard Smith
better known as the Golden Link Class:
The class is finishing up the study of Revelation. It has been a very interesting study. We have learned a lot about the Old Testament, and a lot of history of
the Churches, the history of their time periods concerning the church.
We are going to start a study about the HOLY SPIRIT. We will be using a book written by Billy Graham as a study guide.
The class will be placing a “Bbook of Prayers” for listing prayer requests in our classroom. Class members, and anyone in the church, are welcome to put a prayer entry in this book. We do ask that you put a date on the entry. Also when the prayer is answered, try to remember to either put another entry regarding how it was answered, or just put a date it was answered. You may enter an unspoken prayer request as well. We don’t need to know the situation for God already knows it. The class will be praying each week over the prayer entries and thinking about these each day.
--Submitted by Richard Smith
ZUMBA FITNESS
Zumba Fitness is a fun type of exercise that features interval training sessions with fast and slow music. Resistance training is used to tone and sculpt, while the aerobics’ help to burn fat with a Latin flavor. The training will be held at the Westport Baptist Outreach Center Call Michelle Gant 591-0528 or Lizette Bell 591-2042 with questions.
INTRODUCTION TO ZUMBA
Mon. August 30
Thurs. Sept.
Sat. Sept.
Mon. Sept.
Thurs. Sept.
Sat. Sept
Mon. Sept. 13
Thurs. Sept. 16
Help us be dedicated servants for you in our daily lives so we may be more worthy of the life you have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Library News
Don’t
forget to check out the library in
September. We will be adding some new
things..
PRAISE ITEM!!! Melanie came home!!! She had her trach
changed last week and she could talk. That also allowed her to swallow
better and they let her eat. She was staying off the vent all
night. Melanie will keep the Trach, but only needs moisture to add to it
and they have suction to manage any secretions. So many prayers and
Melanie's strength and determination have shown how great HIS love is.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and thoughts, Jim, Pat, and Wilma
OTHERS
Alyssa Allen
Shirley Nott
Jacey Green
Gunner Myers
Kirk Clarkson
Dylan Myers
Melanie Fuhrman
Niki (Redford) Clark
Larry Cunningham
Lavern Fall
Suzanne Gant (surgery)
Mary Proctor
Rose Ann Scranton
Richard Smith (on going back pain)
Lynette Idlewine
Doug Laws, friend of Richard Smith’s
Cynthia Gasper’s parents and sister
Gordon Compton
John Webster (heart attack) friend of Richard and Joyce Smith
Pauline Compton
Jerilyn Manlief
Jeri R., age 90, friend of Jan Conwell, 8 crushed vertebras
Patti Fellows
Kendry Sharp
Billy Brewer
Don Tuttle
Jack Smith (Richard’s brother)
Billie Jean Van Horn and her mother
Anthony Kiefer
Chase Harrison
Greg Duke
Bob Deaton
--to Danielle Schwering and family in the passing of her brother, Nick.
Remember our SPECIAL SENIORS with a visit, card, or phone call this month.
Irene Sutton
Westport,
Laverne Fall
Indianapolis,
Jean Shera
409
Westport,
Wilma Einhaus
Franklin,
Frank Layton
2503 East. Co. R.
Clayton,
Phyllis Anderson #222
Columbus,
Max Shera
c/o Miller's Merry Manor
7440 N. 825 E.
Hope,
Joeva Pyles
c/o Heritage House
410
Greensburg,
If you know of someone who would like to be on this list, please let us know. Thank you for caring.
