Colorado Baptist Association: The Reporter 1515 Briar Lane in Wharton, Tx.

Director of Missions: Barry Barnet Cell Telephone: 903-227-9019

December 2018 Volume 12, Issue 11

Website: www.coloradoba.org

Facebook: Colorado Baptist Association Texas Coastal Plains

Table of Contents for this December Newsletter :

Upcoming Events ………………….. Page 1

Barry’s Devotional Thoughts ………... Page 2

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering …... Page 3

Men’s Ministry News ………………. Page 4

Block-Party Trailer Ministry …………... Page 5

Prayer Requests ………………………… Page 6

CBA Church Celebrations …………..…. Page 7

Biblical Roots of Christian Associations.. Page 8

* For CBA Church Directory and Contact Info.

Go online to coloradoba.org and go to the

Resource tab click and scroll down to the CBA

Church Directory, click and there it is. You will also

find many other resources for our Churches, such

as the Pulpit Supply list, December Newsletter, past

newsletters, and many resources for churches going

through a pastoral leadership transition. All the

important CBA events are on the Website calendar

as well. Checkout all your resources available on the

CBA website.

Merry Christmas ! Barry

UPCOMING EVENTS: 2018 - 2019

* Visit coloradoba.org go to Calendar

Dec. 2-9 Lottie Moon International Missions

Christmas Offering Week of Prayer .

Jan. 13, 2019 Hispanic Companerismo 3 pm.

Jan. 22, 2019 Admin Tm. Mtg.

@ College Heights 10 am. - Lunch

Jan. 29 CBA Exec. Bd. Mtg. @

FBC Ganado. 10:30 am. Min. Tm. Mtgs.

Fellowship Lunch. 12:30 pm. Exec. Bd. Mtg.

* Feb. 15-16, 2019 : Ministerial Staff & Wives’

Retreat at Hilton Garden Inn—Sugarland

March 7, 2019 Missions Banquet 6:30 pm.

April 5-6th, 2019 Men’s Retreat. Details TBA

April 28th, 2019 CBA Youth Rally TBA

May 11, 2019 Equipping Workshop TBA

Dear CBA Churches and fellow believers together in Jesus Christ,

As I have observed this Christmas season unfolding, I have been overwhelmed with how quickly we go

from giving thanks to God and spending time together with family and friends to pursuing material gifts to

give to others and ourselves. The outlet malls are over-run with shoppers and a lack of parking, with persons

wanting to get the best gift for the least amount of money, and willing to fight the crowds to have success. I

am once again reminded that the reason for the Christmas season is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, God

with us in a human body, fully divine holy God and fully man, experiencing all the temptations that we daily

face, yet He was found pure and holy, fully dedicated to obeying His heavenly Father even to the point of

dying on the cross, a horrible sacrificial death in which He paid the price for our sins, selfishness, and rebellion

against God our Creator and Lord.

Why do we give gifts at Christmas ? Have you ever thought about that simple yet profound question ?

Jesus Christ, which means the “ the delivering and redeeming Messiah ” whom God promised from the Old

Testament through the Law, Prophets, and Promises found in the Old Testament, is the divine gift given by

God to redeem a rebellious and sinful creation that chose to reject God and His plan for humanity. Jesus Christ

is the Gift ! Why do we give gifts at Christmas ? Because God first loved us so much that He sent His only

begotten Son to be born a man, live among us, and to communicate God’s grace, truth, and way to return and

be reconciled to our loving all-powerful Creator and Lord of All. Our best gifts fail pitifully in comparison to

the living divine glorious gift which God gave to us, to bring us back to Himself if we would just receive Jesus

Christ into our hearts as our personal Lord and Savior. God is the original gift-giver motivated from His

unconditional love, grace, mercy, pity, desire to forgive and reconcile with His fallen creation. God’s gift,

Jesus Christ, was born humbly in a stable, to a poor young couple, laid to rest in a feed-trough surrounded by

filthy animals and conditions, and he was not wrapped up in fancy glittering wrapping paper or fancy satin

bows and ribbons, but Jesus Christ was and still is the Living gift of God given to us, an undeserving people.

God’s gift was freely given to all who will accept and believe in Jesus Christ surrendering their life and will

to Him. God’s gift last a lot longer than our most costly gifts. God’s gift lasts eternally without end. God’s gift

needs no batteries or software updates. God’s gift to us sinners changes our the whole direction and orientation

of our lives for the better. God’s gift impacts us physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

We give gifts to those we love and appreciate, but God gave us the best and most costliest gift to those who

hated and cursed his name in order to show them His unconditional love and salvation from sin. We cannot out

give God. All He asks of us is to accept His gift, His son Jesus Christ, into our hearts and let Him live through

us in order that others may hear about His gift and choose to accept Jesus Christ as

their own personal Lord and Savior. God’s gift is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

The more we share Jesus Christ, the more deeply we understand and appreciate the

unconditional love and grace of God for sinners. So when you give your gifts this

Christmas, I hope you will reflect upon God’s gift given to you so long ago in

Bethlehem and why we give gifts during this season to others. Share God’s gift with

those around you and you will be blessed as well. My Christmas reflections to you

and your church.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2019,

Your local DOM., serving you and your churches, Barry Barnet

Week of Prayer and Emphasis On International Missions:

December 2-9, 2018

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions

Who is Lottie Moon ?

When she set sail for China, Lottie was 32 years old. She had turned down a marriage proposal and

left her job, home and family to follow God’s lead. Her path wasn’t typical for an educated woman from

a wealthy Southern family. God had gripped her with the Chinese peoples’ need for a Savior. For 39

years Lottie labored, chiefly in Tengchow and P’ingtu. People feared and rejected her, but she refused

to leave. The aroma of fresh-baked cookies drew people to her house. She adopted traditional Chinese

dress, and she learned China’s language and customs. Lottie didn’t just serve the people of China; she

identified with them. Many eventually accepted her and some accepted her Savior.

Lottie wrote letters home detailing China’s hunger for truth and the struggle of so few missionaries

taking the gospel to the 472 million Chinese in her day. She also shared the urgent need for more

workers and for Southern Baptists to support them through prayer and giving. She once wrote home to

the Foreign Mission Board, “Please say to the [new] missionaries they are coming to a life of hardship,

responsibility and constant self-denial.” Disease, turmoil and lack of co-workers threatened to undo

Lottie’s work. However, she gave herself completely to God, helping lay the foundation of what would

become the modern Chinese church, one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world.

Lottie Moon died at 72 — ill and in declining health after decades ministering to her beloved Chinese.

However, today her legacy lives on. In our modern world of today, when support is not growing as

quickly as the number of workers God is calling to the field, her call for sacrificial giving rings with

more urgency than ever. Lottie frequently sent letters back home detailing Chinese culture, missionary

life and the physical and spiritual needs of the Chinese people. Additionally, she challenged Southern

Baptists to go to China or give so that others could go. By 1888, Southern Baptist women had organized

and helped collect $3,315 to send workers needed in China. In 1918, Woman’s Missionary Union

(WMU) named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had

urged them to start it. Her life is a reminder of why we must give to send and support missionaries

serving among unreached peoples in unreached places.

( IMB website: go to imb.org/who-was-lottie-moon for more information. )

Colorado Baptist Association is partnering with you and your church

to impact lostness in our local 5 county-area. Help us to help you !

“ Together in Christ Jesus we can do more than apart ! ”

Brotherhood Ministry Opportunities :

April 5-6 , 2019 > CBA Men’s Retreat . Details TBA.

August 31, 2019 > Brotherhood Rally : FBC Sargent :

Fishing Tournament & Fish Fry

Breakfast 8 am. Devotion and Depart to fish.

2 pm. Weigh in at FBC Sargent

Fish Fry Fellowship

* All churches and men are welcome to come and participate. Bring your pole !

The Brotherhood and Men’s prayer groups continue to meet throughout the Fall of

2018 and continue seeking out ways through which they can minister and serve in their

churches and local communities. They continue serving with a united heart and willing hands.

FBC Bay City : Men’s Prayer Breakfast—Every 1st Saturday of the month in Gym.

FBC Sargent : Men’s Prayer Group and Brotherhood : Every 2nd Saturday monthly.

FBC El Campo: Men’s Prayer Breakfast & Ministry : Every 3rd Saturday monthly.

FBC Columbus : Men’s Prayer Breakfast 7 am. Every Tuesday AM. in the Main Bldg.

God is on the move in Colorado Baptist Association !

In November, we welcomed into our Association 3 new pastors who have begun their new

ministries in our Association: Welcome aboard !

Rev. Donnie Melton, pastor at Magnet Baptist church, south of Wharton.

Rev. Joseph Jones, pastor at FBC Louise.

Rev. Matthew Lee Gore, pastor at FBC Van Vleck.

BLOCK-PARTY TRAILER MINISTRY : VOLUNTEER TEAMS NEEDED

Honestly, we as an association must act and start training and empowering our own church

members and leaders to reach the unreached. The field is ripe unto the harvest, lost souls

abound all around us, but where are the workers? Sadly, the majority of God´s

workers are not working in the fields, but resting at the table with a full plate of food in front

of them. We sit around debating, arguing, and dissecting theological details, while we miss the

desperate cries of the lost and dying all around us. My challenge is for each church, big or

small, to recognize a man, woman, or a couple, and a youth, for the purpose of forming a

Volunteer Ministry Team from each church.

We have a new Block Party trailer ministry and we will be providing training on how to use

it soon. There is some paperwork and guidelines which churches planning on using it must

complete and fill out. The tráiler is being parked at FBC Ganado, and you can call their

church office to reserve it, fill out the necessary paperwork, and arrange training on how to

use it. There will be a required security deposit, ( Which is refundable upon completing paper-

work its successful return. ) and a usage fee to cover supplies and maintanance. We are

blessed to have ithis resource and tool in association, and we want to see it used by every

church accordingly to reach the lost and to build bridges into our local communities.

We must begin focusing upon reaching our associational area for Christ Jesus and planting

new Bible study groups and church plants in our local towns and areas. We have identified at

least 3 areas for starting new work among the Hispanic populations in our association: Lane

City, Blessing, and Garwood. Plus starting student work at Wharton Jr. College. Please call

me or text me with your church´s questions and input. I will follow up on them.

Call or text me at 903-227-9019. Barry

Your association needs YOU ! God has a job for YOU ! God has a ministry for you !

God is moving in our 5 county CBA. Area ! Are you up to the challenge ?

Prayer Requests and Praises:

Continue to pray for Shirley Hurley and family as they pass through the valley of loss and grief.

Pray for College Heights Baptist church as well since they have only known Don as their pastor

over the past 25 years. Pray for Shirley and family as they pass through this time of grieving and

transition in their lives. Pray for College Heights as they too grieve and are transitioning through a

time of leadership change. - Pray for our Mission point pastor Danny Henderson as his mother passed away this past month, lift him and

his family up in your prayers as they have suffered this great loss. Pray for him and his wife as they seek to

faithfully carrying out their ministries at their mission point New Beginnings at Weimar. Pray for him and his

wife, Jaquline to set priorities in their ministries and balance job demands with family and ministry.

- Bro. Danny Henderson also reported that they have received a building structure donated to them, which will

need to be moved on to the church’s property there at Weimar. They are praising God for this answer to their

prayers.

- Pray for our associational misión points in Rock Island and Weimar to experience many opportunities to

grow and share their faith in these new work áreas. Pray for Alberto Cuellar and Danny Henderson as they

lead out in these misión points. Pray for them to not become discouraged, but to be encouraged as they see God

at work in the midst of their congregations.

- Pray for the Rock Island congregation as they have had successful outreaches into the Glidden area and have

made positive impacts into this community’s Hispanic population. Pray for God to direct them in the direction

of finding a local place to meet and worship in Glidden and give them insight into His future plans for them as

they grow. The Rock Island Mission point has carried out several community visitations in the Glidden area

and have received positive responses. They are picking up momentum for growth. The Hispanic work has the

potential to explode in this area. Pastor Alberto and Rosalinda Cuellar are doing a fantastic job leading this

congregation.

- Pray for Pastor Joel Ramirez and his wife Nita as they face health challenges and will be retiring from the

pastorate in December . Pray for Primera Iglesia Bautista in Wharton during this pastoral leadership

transitioning time. Pray for them and the church as they minister to their local community in Wharton.

Pray for Brother Gilbert as he serves and preaches during this transitional time. Pray for a smooth transition as

the church moves into 2019, and faces new challenges in growth and ministry in their local neighborhood.

- Pray for our local identified areas for beginning new work and Bible studies right here in our 5 county area:

Wharton Junior College ( Student work ), and ( Hispanic Ministry ) in Lane City, Blessing, and Garwood areas.

Celebrating Life´s Big moments with you !

December 2018

Happy Birthday

18 Howard Harper, pastor, FBC Matagorda

20 Peggy Sassman, pastor's wife, FBC Lane City

24 Allen Tangler, pastor, FBC Sheridan

28 Maria Maturino, pastor’s wife, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Jerusalem, Columbus

30 Marsha Miller, music minister, FBC Columbus

31 Chris Skinner, music minister, FBC El Campo

Wedding Anniversary

5 Ernesto & Martina Vuiollette, pastor, Living Water Baptist Church Ganado

11 Marsha & John Miller, music minister, FBC Columbus

15 Louis & Rachel Rush, pastor, Trinity Palacios

20 Michael & Lauren Lee, Minister of Discipleship, FBC Bay City

26 Chris & Crystal Ellis, pastor,

New Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Wharton

30 Jim Bo & Tracie Warren, pastor,

Coastal Plains Cowboy Church, Boling

Church Anniversary

1966 Candido Gonzales, pastor, Emmanuel, Bay City

2001 Chris Skinner, music minister, FBC El Campo

2007 Allen Tangler, pastor, FBC Sheridan

2016 Royal Jacobs, pastor, FBC Sargent

Where did “ associations ” come from ?

Where did the idea of associations come from ? Who invented them ? Are they biblical ? In

the Bible, we find the reality of the early church and Christians who actually formed the idea

of the association starting in the book of Acts and going through the New Testament books of

Paul, Peter, James, there is amble source material supporting and justifying the

association as a strategic tool and reality. As Paul wrote in his writings, he repeatedly referred

to a network of fellow servants, evangelists, pastors, apostles, and unnamed Christian

supporters and workers throughout the area of his missionary journeys throughout Europe, and

Asia. Without his network of fellow believers, servants, and ministers he would have been

severely handicapped and limited in his ministry. He would not have reached as far as he did

planting churches and discipling new believers without the assistance and support of his fellow

believers and ministers. He had his association / network of churches that he supported, and

who supported him in his ministry. The association started as a team effort existing and forged

between the Christian churches, and their leaders. Paul needed their prayer, emotional and

spiritual support as well as their financial support to allow him to continue serving the

churches, preaching, teaching, and discipling new believers, as well as developing new leader-

ship to carry the Christian faith forward into the future. Paul’s association was predominantly

established among the Gentile areas, the Greek and Roman people, even reaching into what is

considered Europe today. The churches needed the vision, drive, and strategy of the Apostles.

Peter and James in their writings also show the existence of their own associations. Their

ministries and associations tended to be more focused among reaching the Jewish people, and

revealing to them their Messiah from the Old Testament and how Jesus Christ is that Messiah

sent from God in fulfillment of their own prophecies. We find within the various writings of

Peter and James many references to the existing networks between believers, churches, and

their own missionary endeavors, which would form our modern day associations. The Apostles

had clearly developed their own ministry based networks and fellowships among themselves

and their new believers and the churches that they had planted.

So we can see from reading the book of Acts, and all through the New Testament that

associations were in existence and flourishing. They were vital for sharing the faith, for

supporting evangelists and missionaries as they went out to proclaim the Gospel and plant new

churches. They were vital for sharing the letters of the Apostles and Paul, they were like a

Christian postal service, carrying and sharing the letters of Peter, Paul, and the other apostles

between the newly planted church bodies. In this way they were instrumental in distributing

and promoting Christian discipleship and developing new leaders to serve in the churches

scattered across Asia Minor, Rome, Greece, Africa, and into the future European area. Without

the work and role of the association in the early church period, the spread of the Gospel and

the growth of Christianity would have been severely hampered and limited.

Does the association have any relevance in today’s world ? I would say definitely, “ Yes !”

Why ? Because our world is no different spiritually from the New Testament time. We as

believers still need fellowship, resources, encouragement, and we still have a lost world to

guide to a saving faith and knowledge in Jesus Christ. It is still true that we can accomplish

more together for the kingdom of God than we can apart. Barry Barnet,