‘Great is thy faithfulness’

Lamentations 3:23

From The Pastor

Dear Gunpowder Family,

Are you enjoying God today? The doctrinal statement that, “The whole duty of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” gives us a strong foundation upon which to live our lives. The first half of the statement (to glorify God) is the one that is most often quoted. But we are not able to really glorify Him until we are able to enjoy Him. A friend is truly a friend because he wants to be, not because he HAS to be.

Are you serving God because you want to or because you have to? Let’s do it together.

Your servant in Christ ,

Pastor Jack

________________________________________

From the Associate Pastor

Honorable Students,

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Pastor Jack in Teen Time challenged us with Paul’s charge to young Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”

I have only one question! “Is it in you?”

Honored,

Rob

________________________________________

Dear GBC Ministry Leaders,

The Nominating Committee is holding a series of meetings in February to provide ministry leaders and department directors with an opportunity to discuss your vision, plans, mentoring / succession planning, concerns and issues in a small group setting . As a committee, we want to help you take your ministry to the next level. Meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in accordance with the schedule noted below. If you can’t make it on the evening that your group is scheduled to attend, please feel free to come on one of the other evenings. Please let Steve McCarty know if you can not attend any of the scheduled meetings. If you hold more than one ministry position, there is no need for you to attend more than one meeting, unless you would like to do so.

1 st Meeting – Tuesday, February 6 th – Children and Youth Department Directors

2 nd Meeting – Tuesday, February 13 th – Adult Ministries and Missions Organizations

3 rd Meeting – Tuesday, February 20 th – Music Ministry (all leaders)

4 th Meeting – Tuesday, February 27 th – All other ministry leaders*

*Includes the following: Moderator, Church Clerk, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Trustee Chairman, Website Communications Coordinator, Usher Captain, Baptismal Preparation, Sanctuary Flower Décor, Social Committee Co-Chairs, Bulletin Boards, Public Relations Coordinator, New Member Welcoming Rep, Blood Drive Coordinator, Children’s Videos, Pantry Ministry, Crisis Closet, Dinnertime Ministry, Bereavement Ministry and Church Sign Ministry.

Please begin to think and pray about the various aspects of your ministry that you would like to share and discuss with the Nominating Committee and other ministry leaders.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Steve McCarty.

Sincerely,

GBC 2006-07 Nominating Committee

Barbara Bobbitt, Larry & Gloria Elligson,

Steve & Diane McCarty and Pastor Jack Newton

________________________________________

CHECK IT OUT

Good changes are being made in the church building and the chapel building over the next couple of months. You will want to check them out.

The new partitions will soon be going up between the Sunday school classrooms in the church building. This will help with the noise level between the classrooms.

Pastor Rob’s office is completed and looks very nice. Pastor Jack is still working on his office upstairs in the Chapel but it is almost completely and he will soon be able to move in.

There will be a new look to the Belfry, prayer sheet and bulletin as we will begin to print them on white paper instead of the colored paper. The white paper is not as expensive and will help us take care of God’s money. In the next couple of months you will see a change in the bulletins as they will also be on plain paper and hopefully with a picture of the church and chapel on the front cover.

____

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

Dear Gunpowder Baptist Family,

Thank you for your prayers and meals during these trying times with Kathryn’s dad, Frank Paraska. Because of your love and support, we have been able to care for him as we believe God has led us. Please continue to pray for him as he re covers from his stroke. We are truly blessed to have a church family like you.

Your family in Christ,

Tim, Kathryn, Jenna and Adam McLaughlin

___

Raymond DiPaola went home with the Lord on January 13th.

Our Christian sympathy goes out to his wife, Gloria and their family. Ray will be missed by all who knew him.

___

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – 2007

Vacation Bible School will be here before we know it. We will soon begin to ask you to help us out this year again. Please be in prayer and ask God where He wants you to serve. If you already know where God wants you to be, please call Barbara Bobbitt or Iris Singleton. The dates will be in June but the days have not been determined yet.

_____

WE’RE ON THE “NET”

In the next few months we will have cable internet service installed in the church offices in the Chapel. In an effort to save money on postage, paper and printing, we would like to send the newsletter out via e-mail. We need your help to do this. Please fill out the form in the February belfry with your complete and correct email address and your correct home address, and return to Iris by March 1, 2007.

We also recognize that some folks do not have email or will not want to receive their newsletter in this manner. If you would like to continue to receive a printed copy of The Baptist Belfry there is a line that you must complete, also due March 1, 2007.

In addition, if your Belfry is being mailed to you via USPS, we need an update of your address. Please contact the church office between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at 410.343.1365 or mail the completed form to the church office at 20074 Middletown Road, Freeland, MD 21053. We will also need this by March 1, 2007.

If you do not reply we will assume that you are accessing the Belfry through our web page, www.gunpowderbaptist.org and you prefer not to receive a printed copy of The Gunpowder Baptist Belfry any longer.

Please place this form in Iris Singleton’s mailbox in the church hallway or by mail or contact her directly at 410.343.1365. If you get the answering machine, you may leave your message and we will get it as soon as possible.

____

NEEDED ITEMS FOR MANY HOMELESS FAMILIES MOVING INTO APARTMENTS

(Preferably lightweight items for delivery in jeep or van)

Bedroom dressers

Small bookcases, children’s books, bedside tables and lamps

Kitchen or dinette tables and chairs, desks, coffee tables, end tables, rocking chairs

Any sturdy wicker furniture

Curtain rods and curtains

Decorative items (pictures, knic knacs, clocks, etc)

Baby swings

Cleaning supplies (powder type for safety), Ajax cleaner, detergent, buckets, sponges, trash cans, laundry baskets, drying racks

Quality toothbrushes (adult and children)

Manpower help with deliveries greatly appreciated.

Beverly Jensen, RN, Baltimore County Health Department

Public Health Nurse for the Homeless (02/07)

________________________________________

Snow Emergency Plan

We do not plan to cancel any of our Worship Services but in the event of an ice storm or heavy snow, we may be forced to miss a service.

Since it is not practical for us to call you, you may call any one of our Deacons after 7:00 a.m. or look on this website's homepage. The decision should be made by then.

In other years, we have had ice storms leaving the driveway and parking lot hazardous. Therefore, we had to cancel all services. On some occasions after a snowstorm, we get the driveway opened only in time for the 11:00 church service. On the decision concerning Sunday School you may call Pastor Newton.

________________________________________

Keenagers

We had a great time at our soup, salad and sandwich luncheon on January 9th. Listening to June Naylor sing was just great, as usual. We also had a nice surprise when Judy Bull joined us in song with June and as a soloist. Thank you June and Judy for a wonderful time. Also thank you Marvin Naylor for being a great operator of the music for them.

We were supposed to go to the Martin Guitar Factory on Wednesday, January 24th but when we found out how many hours it was going to take to drive there, a change was made. On Thursday, January 25th, sixteen of us went to Herr’s Snack Factory outlet in Nottingham, PA. They gave us a tour of the factory and also hot potato chips fresh from the fryer. If you have never had warm potato chips, you are really missing something. It was very interesting how they got started and to see how they have grown since that time. It is a family run business and even those giving the tours are part of the family. We had the granddaughter of the man that started Herr’s Potato Chip Factory as our tour guide. After the tour, we went out to eat and then back home. Thank you, Ed Almony, for driving the van.

In February we will have our Valentine luncheon on February 13th and then on February 22nd we will have another trip. The place is to be determined later this month. You are invited to join us at any time for the luncheons or the trips. We do have a lot of fun.

Your Keenager in Christ,

^^^Back To Top^^^

________________________________________

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

Everyone is invited – Parents, Grandparents, Friends

March 9, 2007 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Everything is provided. Free popcorn, candy, soft pretzels and soda.

The movie title will be revealed in next month’s Belfry. Please make plans to attend. I guarantee it will be an exciting Christian film that everyone will enjoy. Children bring our blankets to sit on the floor. Hope to see you then.

God’s blessings,

Joan Krebs

Children’s Department Director

________________________________________

Children's Sunday School Department

The Children’s Department is growing. Attendance each week has been great. This month we will be learning about the “Miracle Worker”. Of course, that is Jesus. We will learn about Jesus walking on water, Jesus feeding the people, Jesus healing a man born blind, and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Please bring your children to Sunday school so they can learn all about ‘The Miracle Worker”. Let’s fill our classes. We have lots more seats available.

The Snowflake Dinner and Show went very well. We had 58 people in attendance. The dinner was delicious. A huge thank you to Barbara Bobbitt, Donna Franco, Dana Newton and Iris Singleton for their delicious soups. A big thank you to Judy and Bert Dausinger for their delicious cookies. Everyone loved them! Thank you Betty Herbernar for your waitresses, Judy Bryant, Chelsey Bryant, Ken and Myrtle Gettle, Iris Singleton, Barbara and Lauren Bobbitt, Conchita Whitaker and Raymond Krebs. Karl DeVos did a great job on the sound system. Our special speaker was Rob Bourcier. He did an outstanding job sharing God’s Word with us.

I would especially like to thank the children for their outstanding performances. They all did a great job. A big thank you to everyone who came and shared the evening with us. Without you our dinner and show would not have been a success.

Our February 9th event has been cancelled. Please mark your calendars for March 9th, which is “Family Movie Night”. More information in the next Belfry about this. Please make plans to attend.

Please continue to pray for our department. Pray for our teachers continued guidance and love from god. Pray for our children’s willingness to learn all they can and to follow God’s plan for their lives. Pray for more children to attend our classes and have a personal relationship with our awesome God. Please just keep praying, especially with your children.

God’s servant,

Joan Krebs

Director

________________________________________

Children's Church Schedule

Nursery Worker Schedule

^^^Back To Top^^

________________________________________

Adult_Sunday_School_Department

Go NUTS! Welcome to the 2006-2007 Sunday School year. I would like for all of you to bring your friends to Sunday School so they can be introduced to Christ and learn about the love letter that God wrote us, in His Word, the Bible. So beginning the Sunday AFTER the Football Super Bowl Sunday and ending the Sunday PRIOR to the Opening Day of Baseball, Gunpowder Baptist Church is having a contest. The rules will be outlined in a future Sunday School News Flash, but I need you to make your list and start beating the bushel baskets to find some new friends. Since Baseball games typically have peanuts, the measurement on the bulletin board will be in peanuts, so GO NUTS! The nuttiest class, and I’m defining that as the class with the most visitors from February 11 through April 1, will receive a surprise. Good luck, and again, GO NUTS! Your S-3 Cheerleader! Ginny Thompson Sunday School Superintendent “When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul.” Proverbs 2:10

________________________________________

Prayer Ministry

Watchman Prayer Ministry - “Intercessors”

Dear Church Family,

I want to thank each of you who have made a commitment and can be counted on to pray for those on the prayer wall. I am going to mention areas of prayer we must be conscious of. If you are not a member of the prayer wall, please consider joining as there are several slots that need to be filled. I have mentioned in the past, apart from prayer, nothing gets accomplished and we truly have nuch to pray about.

Every aspect of Gunpowder's ministries should be focused on prayer. If we are having trouble with not having people to pray for church activities, is it any wonder we can not stop any of the atrocities that are in our lives? (abortion same-sex marriages, partial birth abortions) I am sure you get the idea.

Some helpful insights to prayer:

1. Place - Have a regular place where you can feel in-tune with God.
2. Practice - Develop the regular practice of prayer. It helps to have the habit.
3. Privacy - There are times for group prayer, but personal growth usually comes from being alone with God.
4. Posture - Pray in any position, but remember that kneeling to pray helps develop humility.
5. Purpose - Forget self, seek God's Will.
6. Price - Be ready to go through the process of emptying yourself of negatives so god can come with His love and power.

Nowhere does the Bible say that prayer is easy. At times, while you are still on your knees. Satan will attack, harrassing you with doubt and sending distracting thoughts into your mind. Do not worry about praying for something too large. There is nothing too big for God to accomplish. We do not always like the answers God gives. He promises in Matthew 7:11 that everything He gives is good for us.

It would be wise for all of us to ask God with a humbled Spirit what areas of our lives are offensive to Him. Failure to pray leaves peopl vulnerable on the battlefiled. Nehemiah 4. When we do what we are supposed to do, God is faithful to do His. We will pray as we should, until we see it as a necessity. Henry Blackaby "only through prayer can we know tha heart of God."

Prayerfully,

Bob Scheuerman

Prayer Coordinator

^^^Back To Top^^^

________________________________________

Women's Ministry

Community-Wide Ladies’ Event

Gunpowder Baptist Church Fellowship Hall

Mission Project – Learn to Knit and hear about an organization called “Stitches of Love” which will give you more motivation to learn how to knit

WOMEN’S MISSION KNITTING NOTES

“Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one; am I doing this right?” This has been the conversation heard from our class room the past few knitting lesson nights. However, we are doing well.

Just take a look at the hallway bulletin board and check out the Preamie caps we have completed so far.

We have chosen a name for our knitters. We are the “GBC Knit Wits”. We invite you to join us. It is never too late to be a “knit wit”. For more information, please call Pat Elligson or Iris Singleton

Please sign up on the sheet provided in the church lobby, or by calling Mary Hamrick at 410.357.0658 or Conchita Whitaker at 410-218-4131.

Stitches of Love is a community outreach program that provides for infants, and young children where babies are born into difficult circumstance or born prematurely, including those families where tragic, early termination takes place. Stitches of Love also strives to meet the needs where other means are not accessible by providing:

Afghans, quilts and blankets for newborns, Matching caps, Toddler or sibling blankets, Burial clothing for preemies too weak to sustain life or stillborn babies, Fetal bereavement clothing, Layettes, Isolette Covers,

Sweaters, Dolls, Chemo caps

All items are provided at no cost to the recipients. Stitches of Love presently support 45 hospitals, pregnancy centers and safe houses located in several states.

________________________________________

Next Ladies Events:

WOMEN’S MINISTRY

INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR A

BRING-YOUR-SWEETY BANQUET

When: Saturday, February 17, 2007

5:30 p.m. – Meet at Restaurant

Where: Meet at Restaurant at 5:30 p.m.

Rib ‘N Reef Steak and Seafood Restaurant

22 W. Padonia Road

Timonium, MD 21093

410-560-0905

Who: Anyone may sign up to attend. You may bring your spouse, friend, child. It’s a “bring-your-sweety” party, so you decide which “sweety” you would like to bring.

Cost: $27.95 per person plus tax and 18% gratuity.

Deadline: RSVP by February 10 th by signing up on sign-up sheet (sign up is required so that we can turn in the head count on February 10 th.) We have reserved space for 60 people (30 sets of two). When signing up, please make your dinner selection choice so that the restaurant can have adequate food supplies on hand.

Dinner Selections

(All selections include a house or Caesar salad, potato, vegetable of the day, beverage, mini French baguette with whipped butter and a choice of specialty dessert)

Angus Prime Rib – Slow roasted Black Angus Prime Rib of Beef served with Au Jus

Single Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – 8 oz Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

Roughy Zakynthos – Cold water orange roughy broiled and crowned with spinach and feta, finished with imperial sauce

Seafood Scampi – Shrimp, scallops and jumbo lump crab meat in a garlic Beurre Blanc over penne pasta

Imperial Stuffed Chicken Breast – Skinless boneless chicken breast charbroiled and topped with jumbo lump crab imperial

________________________________________

Gunpowder Baptist Church

Ladies Events for 2006-2007

Schedule

^^^Back To Top^^^

________________________________________

Women’s Fall Retreat

Friday and Saturday

November 9-10, 2007

Spinners of Hershey

Hershey, PA

Cost: $60 to share a bed

$80 for your own bed

Theme: Soaring Like Eagles

Details are being finalized for the Women’s Fall Retreat. Special music, speaker, testimony, meals will be uplifted to God in prayer for His will to be fulfilled. Please make plans to attend. God would love for you to join us! Let’s celebrate God’s blessings, love, comfit and even strength with each other, especially with Him. Let us all “Soar Like Eagles”.

More information in August. Sign up sheet in September. I pray you will join us for a time of fun, fellowship and spiritual uplifting.

Prayerfully yours,

Joan Krebs

Retreat Coordinator

________________________________________

February Birthdays & Anniversaries

Anniversaries 1 Otis and Billie Thompson

^^^Back To Top^^^

________________________________________

Belfry Archive