Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of Neese, Georgia

By Jonathan Tolbert 

We have just completed our seventh week of Spring Out. So far we have seen over 32 different youth and children visit our church, hear the gospel, and be ministered to. One youth trusted Christ for salvation a few weeks ago. Last Wednesday a young girl trusted in Christ for salvation. Our church has pulled together and reached many families through homework help, recreation and games, meals, and teaching them God’s Word.

One final way we have reached families is through ministry that is difficult to measure but irreplaceable. That is the demonstration of the Lord’s love and care through hugs, smiles, laughter, listening, and just being available. That is something we all can be a part of. Will you come be a part of this important ministry?

By Jonathan Tolbert 

The day after any positive experience can be either disappointing or exciting.   Yesterday, for me was positive: we had a good time of worshipping the Risen Lord, the music was inspiring, the Word of God is always challenging, we praised, we gave, we enjoyed visitors, and we prayed to our heavenly father.  I hope those of you who attended were touched by the Spirit of God.  The sunrise service, although not outside as we normally expect, was a good time to just share an early breakfast together after reflecting on the Resurrection of our savior.

Hopefully, you all got a chance to rest and enjoy family during the evening.  Our family had a really good relaxing time together eating, playing, napping, and visiting with grandparents.

But now, it's the Day After.  It's time to return to normal routines.  How will you celebrate this normal day?  Big celebrations are good and necessary.  But, its the little celebrations that carry us from moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day, struggle to struggle.  Its no secret that God's Word is always one of the best places to start!  The last two weeks we looked at the Crucifixion of Christ and then the Resurrection of Christ.  It seems good to continue on to the 2nd coming of Christ."For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words."

Reflections

The Lord will be coming in person to call all His children.  Just as He came bodily to the earth as a baby, and walked bodily on the earth as a man, and physically went to the cross, then finally physically rose from the grave to encourage all His followers, He will come from heaven to break through into our time and space once more.  It will be so different than His first coming which was quiet, unassuming, humble, lowly, to a family.  This coming will be announced by the voice of an angel, with God's own trumpet call.  There will be priority to the dead in Christ, who will get to rise first.  As we watch them,  we will be anxiously waiting our turn as we join them in the clouds.  We will be meeting 1) the dead in Christ, and 2) the Lord.

The best part is that “we will be with the Lord forever.”

I hope to encourage someone with these words today as the passage tells us.  Who needs to hear this reminder from you?

By Gail Lester

Ladies, plan now to invite your mother, daughter, friend or all three and join us at our annual salad supper banquet. Bring your favorite salad and join us on Tuesday evening, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Our guest speaker for the evening will be Cathy Hemphrey from the Georgia Baptist Developmental Disabilities Ministry.

As a mission project surrounding this event, we will be collecting items between now and the banquet for the Developmental Disabilities Ministries (DDM) Homes. You will be given a handout listing the items needed. Boxes for items to be collected will be available in the back hall.

Also, there is a sign up sheet in the church foyer for the banquet. Please sign your name in the space allowed and only the number of guests attending with you in the number space.

By Jonathan Tolbert

I would like to express big thanks to those who have prepared the meals for our Spring Out! ministry during the month of March. Thank you Black family, Tumlin family, Cromer family, Smith family, Booth family and Green family. The meals have been an excellent ministry to the community as well as our church body.

We have seen new visitors, growing children and youth ministries, and one youth who trusted Christ. We are meeting the parents and families of those attending and we pray that, in time, God would draw them to Christ and be led to grow in their walk with Christ as they participate with our church.

Thank you all for giving faithfully to this ministry with your time, energy, and finances. April 4th we will have an Easter egg hunt for those attending. Let me encourage you to attend Spring Out! if you are not already doing so. Your presence is very encouraging to us and helps us to interact with those visiting during recreation, break times, and the meal. Relationships are essential to people taking the next step in the life of our church!