​GREETINGS, EVERYONE, from the campus of SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY, my alma mater!
This weekend is homecoming at SBU, one of your Missouri Baptist colleges. A portion of our church's cooperative giving goes to help fund Southwest Baptist University, Hannibal-Lagrange University, and Missouri Baptist University. Please take this opportunity to pray for the students, faculty, staff, and administration of these and other Christian schools throughout our state, that they would remain faithful to Lord, to His word, and to their Christ-centered mission.

***DISASTER RELIEF***
Teams from Missouri are currently being formed and called out to serve southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The devastation is massive, and your help is needed. You must be at least 18 to go on a disaster relief call-out. You do not need prior certification or experience to serve, although those are helpful. Teams should be ready to do various tasks, including operating mass feeding units (meal preparation) and mobile shower units. Teams for cleanup and mud-out will be forming later. If you are interested in serving, please contact our associational Director of Missions, Bro. Roger Brumley at 816-233-2504 or by email at [email protected] 
TO GIVE TO DISASTER RELIEF electronically, visit modr.org/give. Checks coming to the church marked "Disaster Relief" will be forwarded to MBDR for Hurricane Ian relief.

Operation Christmas Child is underway. Learn more about OCC and how to pack a shoebox by visiting the website here.  If you would like to participate in this ministry, please visit the table in the narthex for more information, or contact Mary Morrow.

THE LORD'S DAY (10/9): 

• Bible Study for All Ages, 9:30 am. Nursery through Senior Adult, we have a group for you!
• Worship Together at 10:40 in the Sanctuary. We will be studying Luke 15:11-32 on The "Lost" Parables of Jesus, Part Three (or Part Two "A"). We will be finishing up the Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son as well as connecting that parable to our observance of the Lord's Supper.
• The Lord's Supper will be observed on Sunday during morning worship. If you have not already done so, take time between now and then to spiritually prepare for that service. Self-examination, confession and repentance of sin, and reconciling with fellow-believers are all part of that preparation. A list of starter questions for self-examination is attached to this email. I have also attached an issue of Free Grace Broadcaster on the subject "Self-Examination", especially p. 35 "Before the Lord's Supper"
• Scriptures for Sunday.  Here are the Scriptures we will be reading that will shape our corporate worship. Take a few moments to read and meditate on them as you prepare for worship tomorrow. Click anywhere on the link to see a printable version of these passages on biblegateway
  • Call to Worship: Psalm 66:1-12
  • Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 66: 18,20
  • Scripture Reading: Exodus; 6:2-13
  • Sermon Text: Luke 15:11-32
  • Benediction: Hebrews 13:20-21
• Baptist Catechism Questions 37, 38, & 39 "On the Benefits of Effectual Calling"

The following three "benefits of effectual calling" could also be accurately called "benefits of salvation":
Question 37: What is justification?
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, by which he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Scripture: Romans 3:24; 5:19; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:16.

Question 38: What is adoption?
Answer: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, by which we are received into the company of God’s children and have a right to all the privileges of his sons.
Scripture: 1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Romans 8:16, 17.

Question 39: What is sanctification?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which we are renewed in the whole person after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 4:23, 24; Romans 6:11.

Source: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-baptist-catechism

• CARRY-IN FELLOWSHIP MEAL will follow morning worship immediately. The church provides table service and drinks, you provide everything else. 
• BI-MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING will be right after the fellowship meal, beginning around 1 pm. Come celebrate what God is doing with us as we here ministry reports, discuss new initiatives, and take care of necessary business. 

MONDAY (10/10)

• Monday "Sunday School" online via ZOOM at 7 pm. See Pastor Kyle to join this virtual Bible study group.  To join Zoom Meeting, follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87573789453?pwd=Zjg5ZWZ2N1h5WklxOEFjM3IrVUt1QT09      Meeting ID: 875 7378 9453       Passcode: 478672 

TUESDAY (10/11)

• The Pregnancy Resource Clinic (PRC) of St. Joseph and Cameron and Willowbrook Women's Center help many women in our area who are dealing with crisis pregnancies. Often, these are abortion-minded women who haven't considered other options. That's when the PRC is there to help. This Tuesday, October 11, the Cameron PRC will host a fundraising dinner at The Pearl at Crawford Farm, just south of Hamilton. We filled a table for ten last year, and with a little effort we can fill two tables this year. This year the meal is covered by sponsors, so there is NO COST to attend. Doors open at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6 pm, program at 6:30. We still have four spots available if you would like to attend. Please call or text me at 479-238-3772 if you are interested in going with us.

WEDNESDAY (10/12)

• Women's ZOOM Bible Study, 9 am (Jan McElwain, 816-449-0424)  To join Zoom Meeting, use this link (different from the one above):  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3665081666?pwd=N21LSEJaYURhUzZVSmRLcFhPdW8zZz09 Meeting ID: 366 508 1666   Passcode: 844160
• Kids' Club , 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm. This is a time of fun focused on the truth of Scripture and reinforced through games, music, and other activities for children K-6. We are enjoying watching this ministry grow!
• WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL, 5:45 pm. See Pastor Kyle if you are interested in participating in the worship team.
• Bible Study and Prayer, 6:30 pm in the Great Room.  We have started studying the book of Exodus to complement our Sunday morning readings. This week, we will be in Exodus 5:1-6:1. We will meet in person or via ZOOM this week (for ZOOM use the above link). Join with other faithful believers around God's word as we lift up prayers of praise, petition, thanksgiving, and confession to the Lord.

THURSDAY (10/13)

• COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CHOIR REHEARSAL, 7 pm in the Sanctuary. We haven't been able to have a choir for a couple of years due to COVID, but CHRISTMAS CHOIR IS BACK! If you love to sing and make melody to the Lord with others, come and join us. This is open to all community members, grade 7 and up. Contact: Pastor Kyle

COMING UP

• Sun., Oct. 23 - Tues., Oct. 25 - Missouri Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in St. Charles. We have four messengers who will be attending this year's annual meeting. Please be in prayer for this cooperative ministry that enables us to do as a church what we wouldn't otherwise be able to.
• Saturday, November 5, Agros Annual Conference, River Bend Bible Church, Atchison, KS. This conference will focus on calling rural and small town churches to commit to the ordinary means of grace (preaching, prayer, fellowship of the brethren). The conference starts at 8 am and goes until 4:30 pm. There is no cost, but please message me if you would like to attend so they can make adequate preparations for food. All are welcome to attend, and you will be blessed if you do! Please let me know if you would like to attend.
• Saturday, November 12, Missions Conference with Nik Ripken, author of The Insanity of God. Frederick Blvd. Baptist will host this missions conference from 8 am to Noon. "Nik" (not his real name) and his family spent a number of years in Africa, countries where it was very dangerous to be a Christian. In the book and the film "The Insanity of God," the Ripkens describe the amazing way they were used of God to bring the Gospel of Christ to extremely difficult places.
  • Insanity of God Theatrical Trailer: https://vimeo.com/265832897     Promo Video: https://vimeo.com/275673021    

    Here is the sign-up link: https://frederickboulevard.com/ministries/frederick-missions-conference.They need confirmed numbers no later than November 7, but preferably by November 2.

ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio on Luke 15:1-10 The "Lost" Parables of Jesus, part two
Other previous messages are archived here.   Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. 

FIGHTER VERSES: Our Fighter Verse this week is Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."


READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website.

BONUS: Some of our sister churches are promoting revival services over the next couple of weeks. Please consider supporting them with you attendance:

• FBC Albany will have services October 9-13 (Sun. - Thurs.) with Jeremy Hostetler, evangelist, and our own Kyle Bridgman, music. Jeremy is pastor of FBC Weaubleau, MO, but many of you may recognize him as son-in-law to Bro. Rodney and Sis. Geneva Dorr.
• FBC Stanberry will have services October 16-19 (Sun. - Wed.) with Duane Williams, evangelist, and Don & Janice Steinhauser, music.

See you in church!



Grace and peace,


Pastor Greg