Pittsfi eld, Ill.—“First Baptist is a true

gospel-preaching church and their town

still needs them,” said Michael Nolan as

he announced a recent $15,000 Baptist

Builders Club grant to revitalize the

western Illinois church.

The funds will be given to Columbus

Road Baptist Church, Quincy, Ill., to

sponsor an effort that also includes

the help of Calvary Baptist, Quincy,

Ill.; Faith Baptist, Camp Point, Ill.; and

First Baptist, Littleton, Ill. Together, the

churches had previously raised $18,000

to begin the project. Volunteers have

spent their Saturdays hauling trash,

demolishing interiors, installing drywall

and insulation, and pulling electrical

lines throughout the remodeled building.

Bob Cowman, pastor of Colum-

bus Road Baptist, set an aggressive

schedule to begin holding meetings

in the remodeled church by the end of

November.

“All of our volunteers have put in an

incredible amount of work and are at a

point where it is time for skilled trades-

men to complete the job,” Pastor Cowman

said, explaining how the $15,000 grant

December 2009

Michael Nolan, director of Bap-

tist Builders Club, in concert with Dave

Bosket, director of technology for the

GARBC, have coordinated the redesign

and launch of a new website for the

ministry. With the underlying framework of

the site complete, additional features are

being added and refi ned to improve read-

ers’ experience while browsing. Along with

improved readability, the site provides

featured content, front and center, to keep

you up to date on exciting and important

ministry news and includes a new Daily

Devotions section.

Aid to

mission and

struggling

churches

BUILD UP

Assistance for

Regular Baptist

churches that

experience

catastrophic

destruction

HELP UP

will be used to complete the project.

Michael Nolan, director of Baptist

Builders Club, said that the project was

a perfect fi t for the fund’s purpose to

help struggling and mission churches.

Nolan also noted that Baptist Build-

ers Club has a long history of helping

churches in the Quincy area; Columbus

Road Baptist was started with a $2,000

grant to Calvary Baptist Church in 1960.

“If four GARBC churches are work-

ing together and believe that a strug-

gling church is still viable, we want to do

all we can to help them,” Nolan said.

Early-stage

funding

for church

plants

START UP

Pastor Cowman and Michael Nolan discuss plans for upcoming projects.

www.BaptistBuildersClub.org

Baptist Builders Club • USA

Michael Nolan, Director1300 North Meacham Rd.

Schaumburg, IL 60173-4806(888) 588-1600 ext. 803www.BaptistBuildersClub.org

WebsiteNew Web site

Spotlight BuildUp Spotlight

Michael Michael Nolan,Nolan, Director Director

Corabelle and Carlton Baker—Corabelle fi rst heard of Baptist Builders Club in 1953 when she mar-ried her husband, Carlton. He told her he joined BBC in 1952 as a student at Baptist Bible Seminary in Johnson City, New York.

Corabelle wrote, “Carlton had a real burden for missions and joined Fellowship of Baptists for Home Missions, now Baptist Church Planters.” Carlton and Corabelle served together in rescue works. God used them to bring two rescue works back to full support.

Although Carlton has gone to Glory, Corabelle says in her letter, “I have continued to send some each time a call comes. We knew what a blessing it was when one of the rescue works we served in received help.”

Betty and Ray McDowell—Betty and Ray have not just been supporters of Baptist Builders Club, but in 1997 their church in Grimes, Iowa, was on the receiving end of a grant. Betty wrote, “I was thrilled because we have given to BBC for many years.”

Betty and Ray have moved from the Grimes area, but when in town they visit the church. They have con-tinued to see growth in their former church. Betty told us, “BBC’s grant was used wisely! They are a great, conservative, growing group of believers. They have added on to the originally planned building and are thriving!”

Betty and Ray praise God for all the work BBC does!

I love this time of the year. The foliage turns, the leaves fall, and the cool weather sets in for a while. And then my favorite part—snow. Many northerners in the U.S. complain about the snow, but I still love the way it covers up dirtiness and imperfection. It reminds me of the hymn “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” in reference to our salvation: “O precious is the fl ow / That makes me white as snow.” I am thankful for that reminder each time I see a snowfl ake.

It is natural to want to express thanks in response to God’s blessings, protection, or love. It is a little harder, though, to be thankful when things aren’t going our way. I write to you as a thankful servant who has the privilege to be the director of this ministry for God. Even during a tough fi nancial year, donors going Home to be with the Lord, and more and more requests that I am not sure will be fi lled, I am thankful.

God’s Word tells us to offer thanks for many reasons and in different ways. I want to share a few of these that

I pray you will read during this holiday season and will keep close to you. Offer thanks . . .

• To God (Ps. 50:14)

• To Christ (1 Tim. 1:12)

• Through Christ (Rom. 1:8; Col. 3:17; Heb. 13:15)

• In the name of Christ (Eph. 5:20)

• In private worship (Dan. 6:10)

• In public worship (Ps. 35:18)

• In everything (1 Thess. 5:18)

• On behalf of ministers (2 Cor. 1:11)

• Upon the completion of great undertakings

(Neh. 12:31, 40)

• Before taking food (John 6:11; Acts 27:35)

• Always (Eph. 1:16; 5:20; 1 Thess. 1:2)

• For the reception and effectual working of the Word

of God in others (1 Thess. 2:13)

• For victory over death and the grave (1 Cor. 15:57)

A Note A Note from the Director

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