Celebrate our 200th Anniversary with us:

Traditional Tent Revivals
Kick-off the festivities with evenings of praise and worship!
Wednesday, May 31 7-9 p.m.
Thursday, June 1 7-9 p.m.
Friday, June 2 7-10 p.m.
Saturday, June 3 7-9 p.m.

Bicentennial Celebration Day
Bring the whole family to participate in amusement games, food, antique cars, exhibits, live music and food!
Saturday, June 3 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Musical Guests:

Sunday Luncheon
Join our family to bring the community together for a catered Sunday lunch
Sunday, June 4 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$10 a person, reservation required

For tickets or more information, call 410.343.1365
Gunpowder Baptist Church
20074 Middletown Road
Freeland, MD 21053

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Dear Gunpowder Family,

I want to thank all of you for your love and kindness toward me and my family as we dealt with the death of Dana's mom. I do not know what peoiple who have no church family do during times like that. Your cards and flowers were so comforting and meant so much to Dana and her family. It is that family attitude that makes such a difference. In 1 Corinthians 12, PAul tells us that all members of the church are important and that no one is to be overlooked. This means that each person is a uniquely gifted individual that God wants to use to be a blessing to the body.

What is it that God wants to use you to do today? Maybe it is writing a letter or making a phone call. Maybe it is praying for the sick or visiting them. Maybe it is preparing and teaching a lesson. Maybe it is looking for and taking advantage of opportunties to witness. Maybe it is encouraging someone who is down. Whatever it is, seek out the will of God for your life today. That is the way that we can fulfill His will and find our purpose. Let's do it together.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Jack

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Holiday Traditions, Decorating Ideas and Ads for Church Cookbook

We will be selling ads to raise funds to print the Bicentennial Cookbook for Gunpowder Baptist.  The ads are $25 for a half page ad  (4.25” x 2.75”) and $50 for a full page (8.5 x 5.5”) of advertising.  If you know of anyone who may be interested in buying a space, please let Michelle Singleton know.  We will be able to print logos, pictures and text in these advertising spaces.  You can buy a space “in memory” or “in honor” of someone.  You can also split a section with someone else if you’d like to do that.  Our cookbook is an outreach project to the community.  We would like to include a section in the cookbook for testimonies from our church members.  Our goal is to collect 25 testimonies.  This is an awesome way to tell your community about your relationship with Jesus Christ and how He has changed your life.

In addition to a cookbook with recipes for the body and the spirit, we would like to include some surprise recipes for family gifts and traditions.  This section will include things like: holiday traditions, easy gift/crafts to make and give away and decorating ideas.  Our goal is to collect 25 items for this section.

Join us in assembling a cookbook that will express love for food, traditions and Jesus Christ!  The funds raised through ads sold will go toward the printing/binding of the cookbook and toward the 200^th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for the first week in June 2006.  if you have any questions, please call Mary Hamrick or Michelle Singleton.

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Women’s Fall Retreat

Theme: Duty, Destination, Determination
When: November 10 & 11, 2006
Where: Spinners of Hershey, PA
Speaker: Pam Ubanks
Singers: Chord of Three, Elizabeth Rivera

Mark your calendars now. Reserve Friday evening, November 10 and Saturday November 11 for fun and fellowship. Take a closer look at your duty, destination and determination of God’s relationship in your life. Are you allowing God to mold you into what He created you for? Plans are prepared for another wonderful retreat. We need you, your friends, neighbors and family to join us. Sign-up sheet coming out in September.

Cost: $80 for your own bed, $60 to share a bed
Any questions, contact Iris at the church office

Prayerfully yours,
Joan Krebs
Retreat Coordinator

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Social Committee

The Bicentennial Celebration will be here before we know it and we need lots of help. The Social Committee will have a large role in it. As with any Gunpowder celebration, food plays a big part in it.

We will need people to man the fodd and beverage booths, cotton candy machine and popcorn machine from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 3rd. Naturally this will be done in shifts, so we will need a lot of people to cover so a few do not have to do it all the time.

On Sunday morning, June 4th, after the worship service, we will need as many as possible to set-up the tables for the luncheon in a timely fashion.

The lunch which will be catered by Steak & Ale will consist of prime rib or Hawaiian chicken, baked potato or rice pilaf, vegetable medley or green beans, salad, bread or rolls, coffee or ice tea and cake for dessert. Please volunteer to help. If you don't, you may be drafted.

The whole church needs to get involved in this momentous occasion. You will be greatly blessed.

Please remember to RSVP soon and send a check for your ticket to the luncheon on Sunday, June 4th, if you plan to attend after the worship service.

Working for Him,

Ruth Taylor

Social Chairman

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Keenagers

Last month we had an excellent turnout to help get the invitations ready for mailing for the 200th Anniversary of our church. A big thank you to all who helped.

On Thursday, April 27th, we are going on our Mystery Trip. Pastor Jack always has a great place to surprise us.

On Sunday, May 7th, our Keenagers will celebrate Sr Adult Day during the worship service and then we will go out for lunch after the 11:00 a.m. service. We hope all of our Keenagers will join us for a fun day.

On Thursday, May 25th, we are going to Living Waters in Lancaster, PA to see The Psalm Of David. The tickets have already been ordered, so make sure you get your money to Myrtle Gettle if you have signed up to go.

Your Keenager in Christ,

Myrtle Gettle

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Children's Sunday School Department

Welcome Spring!  Welcome flowers and green grass!  Welcome warm air!  So get out of your house, join us for Sunday school.  Our Bible stories in May will be about Jacob and Esau, Abraham and Sarah, Jethro and Moses and the widow and Elisha.  Come and learn about these people.  You mayhave a lot of fun, also.

Our Easter egg hunt was held on April 9^th.  There were 29 children and 16 adults present.  The food was delicious.  You should have seen all those ice cream sundae’s the children made.  I didn’t know  one could hold so much.  Our prize winners were:

Preschool:         1-2-3^rd prize went to Ben Moran

                        Most eggs:  Katlyn Krebs

1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Grades:

                        1^st:  Michael Ivey

                        2^nd: Shannon Moran

                        3^rd:  Paul Franco

                        Most Eggs:  Paul Franco

4^th and 5^th grades:

                        1^st and 2^nd Prize:  Adam McLaughlin

                        3^rd Prize:  Kelsey Anderson

                        Most Eggs:  Adam McLaughlin

Our next event will be August 4^th.  We will go to Sight and Sound in Lancaster, PA.  The time of the show is 1:00 p.m.  Tickets are half price, around $17.00 per person.  We will also go back stage and view how the show is performed.  If interested, see me ASAP.  I must order the tickets soon.  The show to be seen is “Ruth”.  Everyone is welcome to join us.

One more thing!  God is like Tide, He makes us whiter than any other.

His servant,

Joan Krebs

Children’s Director

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Children's Church Schedule

Nursery Worker Schedule

We need more volunteers to help in the baby nursery and 2 & 3 year olds during the 11:00 a.m. worship service. If you can help out, please call Audrey Quick.

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Adult_Sunday_School_Department

The Sunday School business meeting was held on April 2nd with eight attendees. Beginning in May the business meeting will be held on the second Sunday instead of the first Sunday, at 8:30 a.m. This change is due to the fact that the choir sings at the first service on the first and third Sundays and there are several teachers who sing in the choir. The May meeting will be held on May 14. The Adult Sunday School department has elected to participate in a project ministry. Each class will collect funds in containers and pool these monies and send to a ministry organization that purchases farm animals (e.g., cows, chickens, sheep, camels, etc.) for a needy family in a third world country. The family uses the animal’s milk, eggs or cheese for meeting their needs. The first born baby animal will be given to another needy family. Our goal will be $715.00 which will buy a goat, cow and sheep and will feed three needy families. Bill Abbey will be in charge of this ministry, so contact him if you have a question.

Class attendance has been down slightly so we discussed class outreach leaders need to contact absentees in their class after missing two Sundays.  Then if they are absent a third time, provide a FAITH ministry member with a class absentee form located in the back of the attendance folder.

All the classes seem satisfied with their existing curriculum.  The Ladies/Ault III held a combined fellowship at the Jensens on April 1^st.  The Jensens are opening their basement to any class that would like to have a fellowship there. It is a great place for such an occasion.

Adult IV and V filled 29 bags with books, toys and educational materials for children as a part of Union Memorial Hospital’s Tender Loving Care program while Adult I is starting a new study on April 8^th on Creation and Christian Apologetics.  The Ladies class is studying the book of Isaiah.

Meditate upon this: God’s love for poor sinners is very wonderful, but God’s patience with ill-natured saints is a deeper mystery. (Henry Drummond).

In His Service,

Carolyn C. Foster, Director

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FAITH Ministry

The members in FAITH, as usual, have been busy attending Basics or Advanced classes, witnessing to the lost and making ministry visits.

FAITH ministry, consisting of three FAITH teams and an on-site prayer group, is small, but much fruit has been produced by their faithfulness and commitment. Two Sundays ago, I looked around in the church service and coucnted eleven people who are now members of Gunpowder as a result of the visits of FAITH teams. We thank these people who are so dedicated in their love for others and their fervent desire that “none should perish.”

This month members gave out hangers to publicize Vacation Bible School and prayer walks at several different locations.

It is one of the greatest experiences you can have when you run into a FAITH member at the store or elsewhere and hear them say that they can’t wait until Sunday so they can go witnessing, I’m sure God must be pleased.

There are only four more sessions of the Spring semester left. There will be a break and then we will resume the Fall semester. The date to begin has not been set.

During the Fall semester, a new course which follows advanced training will be added to this curriculum. Debbie Copenhaver will teach this class. As you are aware, I’m sure, Debbie and Earl have almost completed a year at The Word of Life Bible College. Needless to say, we are eagerly awaiting their return.

We hope to have some new members for the next session. Won’t you please pray and ask the Lord if He wants you there either as a team participant or a prayer team member?

In His Service,

Carolyn C. Foster - Director

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Prayer Ministry

Watchman Prayer Ministry - “Intercessors”

Dear Church Family,

We have had 18 “Emergency Prayers” so far this year. I say this often and it bears repeating. Please keep in mind when we pray in these situations it brings help and comfort that we may never see. We don’t need to. We know prayer changes things. I stress the importance of all slots being filled on our Prayer Wall. At the end of this article are existing slots that need to be filled. Please seriously pray and ask God where He would have you pray and consider filling these slots. In previous articles I have stressed how important the watchmen were to Jerusalem (please read Isaiah 62:6-7). The same applies today. Satan is an arrogant foe. He tells his demons, don’t worry, they never get enough “prayer warriors” to fill all cracks (slots).

“Facing Challenges in our Prayer Life”. Nowhere does the Bible say that prayer is easy. At times, while still on your knees, Satan will attack, harassing you, causing you to doubt and sending distracting thoughts into your mind. Satan would love for you to feel worthless before God. Scripture plays an important role in our prayer. Use it to encourage your prayer life. When we stand before the Lord, don’t be shy or embarrassed. Proclaim His glory and rejoice. Bow before the Lord, thank Him, tell Him you love Him, we are blessed because we can come to Him in confidence that He hears our petitions. We don’t always like the answers we get; if we get one at all. Jesus will give us what is beneficial. Do not be afraid to ask for something too big. There’s nothing too big for Him to accomplish.

Come boldly, but humbly before His throne – bring Him the impossible. He will answer for your good.

There are still a few opened slots on the prayer wall. They are: 1:30 a.m.-2:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. Call Iris if you would like to fill one of these slots.

Please remember, God loves you and wants to bless you. He wants to bless our church endeavors. Who will pray?

Bob Scheuerman

Prayer Coordinator

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Women's Ministry

Our Ladies’ Ministry hosted a churchwide yard sale on May 6th to raise funds for the summer youth mission trip. Many thanks to the ladies who came on Friday night to set up and on Saturday to work the tables. Also, a special thank you to Dave Dodson for taking the excess yard sale items to the auction and donating the proceeds to our youth mission trip and to their foster son, Brian, for cooking and selling hotdogs during our yard sale effort. We raised over $600 to go toward the youth mission trip. Thank you to everyone who donated items, who worked, and who “shopped”.

We will be taking a rest from ladies activities for the summer months, but will get our events rolling in September with our rescheduled “Untalent Show”. Listed below are the planned events for the 2006-2007 church year. Over the summer months, I will be making phone calls to enlist our church ladies in helping plan and promote these events … If you are interested in a particular event, please let me know – I’ll be glad to “sign you up”.

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Next Ladies Events:

Gunpowder Baptist Church

Ladies Events for 2006-2007

Preliminary Schedule

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May Birthdays & Anniversaries

1 Jesse Forney 2 Darrell Bryant 2 Duane Mummert 5 Ashton Alban 8 Carolyn Foster 11 Carol Hughes 12 Billie Thompson 13 Margaret Hege 14 Don Couch 14 Sam Newton 14 Audrey Quick 14 Francis Rebstad 15 Missy Walker		16 Paul Jensen 18 Karen Danmyer 18 Baill Harn 19 Mike Shemonski 19 Bruce Wisnom 21 Marc Danmyer 25 Joe Schenning 28 Rachel Grant 29 Lauren Bobbitt 30 Gordon Covington 31 Judy Bryant 31 Dale Mummert 31 Peter Wisnom
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Anniversaries 3 Joe & Donna Schenning 5 Brian & Carol Hughes 6 Jack & Pat Biggs 6 Herb & Margaret Bosley 7 Tom & Conchita Whitaker 8 Dezma & Margaret Hege 10 Bob & Terry Becker 10 Phil & Sharon Piermatteo 18 Bill & Betty Hart 22 Steve & Diane McCarty 22 Jeff & Michelle Singleton 27 George & Heather Rebstad 27 Richard & Ruth Taylor 29 Chris & Karna Couch

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Belfry Archive

February, 2005

March, 2005

April, 2005

May, 2005

June, 2005

July & August, 2005

September, 2005

October, 2005

November, 2005

December, 2005

January, 2006

February, 2006

March, 2006

April, 2006