Desperate Households

Maintaining the appearance of a perfect home, perfect children, or a perfect marriage can make for desperate times. No one can keep it up for long, mainly because we’re all far from perfect.

At Clarksburg Baptist Church, we get that. We’re beginning a new series on how to take our families from “desperate” to “dynamic” and begin to focus on what really matters in life.

Why put energy into a better appearance when you can put it into a better family?

The series begins Sunday, February 3, at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m.

According to the dictionary (I can't believe I actually looked up this word) "fun" is defined as, "a source of enjoyment."

Do we, the residents of Believersville, find our life here fun? Is it something that is a source of enjoyment for us?

To help in that area, Believersville has a Parks and Recreation Department.

Worship with us and stick around for the picnic, Sunday. Find out what fun in Believersville is all about.

What is Starting Point?

Starting Point is a conversational environment where people can explore faith and experience community. Starting Point groups are a safe place for people with questions about faith as well as those who want to learn about the Bible and Christianity. Groups consist of people who are curious and investigating Christianity, those who have recently started a relationship with God, or those who are reconnecting with God after being away from church for a while.

Who is it for?

Seekers - those who are curious about God, Jesus, the Bible, or

ChristianityStarters - those who have just begun a relationship with Jesus

ChristReturners - those who have some church experience, but have been away for a while

Where does it take place?

Starting Point is a small group environment that will meet for 10 weeks, beginning February 10. For more information, or to register, please call 624-6536 and ask for the pastor.

Believersville Picnic

We never claimed that we here, in Believersville, were necessarily normal people. So you shouldn't be surprised that this Sunday, January 27, we are having the 1st Annual Believersville Community Picnic.

Well, we're not completely crazy. The picnic will be indoors in the Judson Center "Picnic Area."

The picnic will start around noon. If you normally come to the first service, I hope you will return for the picnic. If you normally attend the second service, the picnic will be a "continuation" of that service.

Regardless of which service you attend, this picnic is a great way to get to meet new people. People often say they don't know people from the other service. Here's your opportunity to change that.

You don't need to bring anything. Everything is provided. Oh...I guess you could bring a lawn chair is you really wanted to get in the spirit of things.

Hope to see you there!

Worship

To a toddler, possession is everything. In the mind of a toddler, the world revolves around "me!"

- If it mine, it stays mine.
- If it looks like mine, it probably is mine.
- If I played with it, it’s mine.
- If I touched it, it’s mine.
- If I even looked at it, it’s mine.

Believersville operates on an entirely different philosophy.

Come, worship with us, and find out how.

Online Giving

We live in a time when more and more people carry and use debit cards instead of cash and checks. We also live in a time when people pay their phone bill with a credit card so they can receive "airline miles" or "reward points."

Over the past few months, people have told us they would be more consistent in their giving to the church if we would provide a convenient way for them to do it.

We listened.

Starting today, you may now give your tithe and/or offering to Clarksburg Baptist Church via our website. This secure way of giving is made possible through one of the leading and most respected online services...PayPal. Although you may, you are not required to set up a special PayPal account, or any other special account, to participate.

Simply visit http://www.clarksburgbaptistchurch.com/giving.cfm and follow the link and instructions. A FAQ link is also provided to answer some of your questions.

Thank you for your financial partnership in the work of God's Kingdom.

The Call of the Natural Life

http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php

Oswald Chambers

When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— "When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . ."

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."

~C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 1943

Quarterly Meeting

Our Quarterly Meeting and Ministry Celebration will be Wednesday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m., in the sanctuary. Come share what God is doing in your ministry and hear what is going on in others.

Worship

So you have read the City Charter (Romans 12:9-21) and met some of the people of Believersville and this looks like the place for you?

What is the next step?

The next step is becoming a resident.

What do you do to become a resident?

Worship with us, this week, as we look at how to become a resident of Believersville.

Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is an epidemic

www.familyfirst.net

According to Newsweek: “People who drink before they’re 15 are four times as likely to be alcohol-dependent or have alcohol problems when they’re adults.

Even though drinking under the age of 21 is illegal in all 50 states, 41 percent of ninth graders reported drinking in the past month, according to National Institutes of Health literature.”

Underage drinking is a serious problem.

If you think your pre-teen or teen is hitting the bottle, don’t sweep it under the rug. It’s not a rite of passage; it’s a prescription for disaster.

Why is underage drinking more dangerous for girls? Click here!

A Believer's To-Be List

Steps to a fresh start with God.

By Philip Yancey

When I turned 50, I had a complete physical checkup. Doctors poked, prodded, x-rayed, and even cut open parts of my body to assess and repair the damage I had done. At the same time, I scheduled a spiritual checkup, too. I went on a silent retreat led by a wise spiritual director.

Click to continue.

What makes a community a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family? I'm sure a combination of things like schools, city government, taxes, and neighborhoods determine which communities are the best.

What about the Christian community. Some call it the church. We'll call it Believersville.

Join us for worship as we begin a new series...Life in Believersville.

____________

Worship: 9:00 and 11:15 a.m.
Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.

http://www.clarksburgbaptistchurch.com/

Coffee House

Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!...This Friday(1/4/08) we will be having our 2nd Annual "Coffee House Night".

There will be FREE Starbucks Coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, assorted pastries, sandwiches, free Wi-Fi, along with some live music.

The event will start at 7 p.m. in the Monroe Building of the church. This is a great opportunity to get together as a community, hanging out, building relationships.

**DO SOMETHING NOW!**

Do Something Now is an opportunity for us to make a difference in the lives of people in our community, our neighborhood, right now.

What we are asking is for everyone to bring in a hat, pair of gloves, or a scarf to the Coffee House.

We are partnering up with the Clarksburg Mission to collect as many of these items as possible, which will then be distributed to those in our community who are in need. This small action can make a huge impact on many lives.

TIP: Wal-Mart and other stores now have winter items on sale for as little as $1 or $2 each.

See all of you Friday night, at 7 pm. Please remember your hats and gloves!

~ Andy Walker

Happy New Year

Have a happy and healthy 2008!