Church Blog (Page 10)

One of the books that I am starting out the year reading is by Mark MacDonald and it is titled, Be Known for Something. It is a book to challenge churches to embrace an intentional church-specific approach to reconnecting with their communities. I am looking forward to the insights gained from the reading but, as I begin the journey of its pages, I am thankful that Poplar Springs Baptist Church is known for its love and care for others! On…

The Scripture calls on us to “be still” and draw our attention to knowing God (Psalm 46:10). Just a couple of Psalms later, we also read, “O God, we meditate on your unfailing love” (Psalm 48:9). The worship song by Chris Tomlin encourages us in this way as well singing, “In the secret, in the quiet place. In the stillness, you are there. In the secret, in the quiet hour, I wait, only for you, ‘cause I want to know…

Our prayer for you and your family is that you will have a wonderful Christmas holiday time remembering together the birth of Jesus and the impact his coming into our world has made upon your lives. As our Sanctuary Choir encouraged us to do this past Sunday, let’s be sure to “Sing Noel” wherever we find ourselves and thus share the good news of Jesus’ love and grace with folks we meet. Merry Christmas! While it is uncertain how the…

A couple of weeks ago at the latest Deacons meeting, Janet McSwain brought the devotional encouragement to the gathering. Her meditation included the idea that while we get a lot done by working down our “to do” lists we should also be intentional to keep a “to be” list close by. Her reflections were very encouraging. God calls us “to be” his children and “to be” followers of Jesus as we go about our daily tasks and check off the…

This past Sunday, The Master Ringers, our Poplar Springs handbell choir, served out at the Broad River Greenway to encourage our community with songs of Christmas. As I walked down the road toward the cabin at the Greenway, I could hear the melodic sounds of the bells lilting clearly through the trees long before I was able to see where our bell tables were located. All the folks from the community who were waiting in line at the cabin to…

Charlotte Diggs Moon, better known as “Lottie,” was born in December of 1840 in Virginia and she died in China in December 1912. For 39 years, Lottie Moon served in China to share the good news of Jesus with her Chinese neighbors. She identified herself with them taking on the practice of traditional dress and learning to speak to them in their heart language. Across her career of missionary service, Lottie labored faithfully so that the people group that held…

These words made up the chorus of the anthem sung by the choir at last Sunday evening’s Community Thanksgiving Service at Crestview Baptist Church. The song echoes Paul’s word to the church at Thessaloniki, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes. 5:18). That being so, during this week of Thanksgiving, we find ourselves listing in our minds and hearts, and perhaps voicing around our Thanksgiving tables, the many ways we…

This past Sunday was a blessing for our congregation as women of Poplar Springs Baptist Church led the worship service. I was thankful for all the messages of the day! As the women of the adult choir sang, I noted in my heart the “meanwhile” note that we are able to sing as we journey in search of our next pastor: “In His light, I’ll not stumble or fall…For in Him all my hopes are secure.” Sure enough, for our…

Well, this put an end to “Daylight Savings Time” for another year. The change in the time by just one hour makes a difference, doesn’t it? Students don’t have to wait on the school buses in the dark – a good thing. When you look out the window at 6 PM, you can feel like it’s time for bed – not always a good thing! Often Benjamin Franklin is accused of coming up with the idea of “time change.” He…

An All-Saints Day Reflection Today, Tuesday, November 1, 2022, is All Saints Day on the Christian calendar. It is a day to remind us, following all the fear of death that comes with “all hallows eve,” that God’s resurrection power stands in victorious opposition to the struggles of life and the fear of death. That being so, I have thought again about the significance of this day! God has dealt with, and continues to deal with, our struggles! Struggle! Oh,…