INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

Ministry Spotlight 2

Get to know NGBC 3

Finance Matters 4

Church Family News 4

Black History Events 5

Calendar 6

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 V O L . 2 N O . 2

“I wasn’t even living in Maringouin at the time and all my dentists before were White, so there were other reasons I went all the way home to see her.

And the rest shall I say is history!”

“One day he came to see me for dental services. I started questioning him about his relationship, but I didn’t let him know why I was asking. He told me that he and his girl-

friend had broken up, and a month later, he asked me to go to the movies. And the rest is history!”

And after a period of dating, Pastor Bessix popped the question and they were engaged on Christmas Day 2001 and were married February 22, 2003. With an approaching 7 year anniversary, our Pastor and First Lady have some “golden nuggets” to share with other couples:

• No marriage is perfect; however, anything worth having is worth working for.

• Communication is KEY if you want your marriage to last.

• It is important to learn the art of compromise

• Learn the person that you’re with.

• Never leave any issue unresolved.

• As long as God is the main part of the equation, you can work through anything.

Some of the best stories aside from Fairytales, Folktales, and Fables are the stories of how boy meets girl. They never cease to amaze me, for they are all unique—like fingerprints, they are never the same. Love is de-liberate yet accidental, unexpected yet destined to be and to hear how love “happens” to two people are some of the most heart warming experiences to behold. I bring to you now a story of how a preacher met his “Good Thang”. And although, time, space, and other people almost made cupid’s arrow miss the mark, when God is in the midst, everything always works according to His perfect will...

“She was ahead of me, so by the time I got to high school, she was gone; by the time I got to College she was gone, but we always knew each other be-

cause we were from the same hometown…”

“Even though I had a girlfriend at the time, I was sweet on Kim, but she didn’t know it, so I men-tioned to her that I would be preaching a sermon at our home church and suggested that she come.”

“Well it just so happened, I needed to get some “teeth work” done and she had just opened her

first office in Maringouin...and I went to see her.”

“Pastor Bessix and I are from the same hometown, and because of our age difference, I knew of him, but didn’t actually meet him until I saw him preach at his home

church, Mt. Gideon…”

“In March 1999, my Sister in Law invited me to come to her church which happened to be Mt. Gideon. This particular Sunday he was preaching, and while he was preaching, I opened my mouth and said “that’s my husband.” It was NEVER my desire to marry a

preacher, so I knew it was the Holy Spirit that made me utter those words...but after some research I discovered he had a girlfriend… Well I knew God wouldn’t send me a man who was involved already, so I didn’t pursue

it any further.”

P A G E 2

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two

bodies.” ~ Aristotle

Being single and a Christian

can be a real struggle. With so much exposure in the media and feeling the pressure by your friends and family to marry and pro-create, it can really be tough to maintain your composure and we start to view our singleness as more of a curse than a gift. Sin-gleness is a multi-faceted state which consists of several types of people— those who have never married, single parents, and those who are single by experiencing divorce or the loss of a spouse.

The NGBC Single’s Ministry is headed by Minister Sadairea August. It has been “under con-struction” for a while, but it is poised for a triumphant return. When speaking about the minis-try, Minister August encourages us to remember that “people [singles] are not halves looking for a whole, for we are already made whole in Christ.” A misunderstanding by many churches is the belief that the purpose of a single adult ministry is to provide a place for singles to

meet their future mate. Although many single adults do meet and get married—the goal is not to be a match maker; but, rather provide opportunities for per-sonal and spiritual growth.

It is also important to remem-ber that God has not forgotten nor ignored your prayers for partnership. During these times it is important to re-focus our at-tention on strengthening certain areas of our beings:

• Protect your HEART. Psalms 34:4 tells us to “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” In taking care of your heart, you must align your wants with what God wants from you.

• Strengthen your MIND. Romans 12:1-2 asserts that you “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our minds require constant redirection and spiritual strengthening. We have to

remember that we are not “worthless” members of soci-ety— even if we are not mar-ried. By reading God’s word and maintaining good under-standing, the best is yet to come for your life—single or married.

• Renew your BODY. 1 Corinthians 6:18-19 says to “flee from sexual immorality”, “your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit”, and “your body is not your own.” Remember, your body is a vessel by which God uses you to minister to others. In that respect, we must take care of our bodies and use it for the glorification of God. On February 27th, the Single’s

Ministry will show the documen-tary, Soul Mates, at 6p.m. at the Church. Snacks will be provided.

For more information con-cerning the Single’s Ministry, please feel free to contact Minis-ter Sadairea August.

When I was younger I had so many sentiments about Valentine’s Day. If the holiday fell on a school day I could hardly pay attention to the teacher because I was thinking about how many heart shaped lollipops had been placed in my cubby hole. At that time I was all ready to plan my entire wedding ceremony because a boy gave me a plush teddy bear and box of sweetheart candy. I just knew that I was in love!!! Now, after becoming saved I have an understanding of authentic love. Although Valen-tine’s Day seems more focused on couples I wanted to get feedback from NGBC singles on how they feel being saved and single for Valentine’s Day: Lynette Henry: I use Valentine’s Day to love and appreciate myself, I remind myself that I am important because I am a child of God and I don’t need a mate to complete me. Joshua Oliver: As a single person with no significant I usually spend Valentine’s Day sharing love and affection with those dear-est to me, my family and friends. Tina Coleman: I am not against Valentine’s Day since I don’t need a mate to enjoy it. On Valentine’s Day I think it is more important to strengthen your intimate relationship with Christ instead of a partner or spouse. Min. Kedric Green: It is my hope that men, women, boys and girls feel love not only on February 14th but all year long.

As Valentine’s Day approaches let’s not get so caught up in candy, flowers and expensive gifts that we forget that when you are a child of God, everyday is Valentine’s Day. The gifts we receive daily such as grace, mercy and favor should allow us to feel unwavering and unconditional love. Whether you have someone in your life to share that special day with or not, take time out and spend with God. Show appreciation for the love that he shows you despite the love that you show him and give thanks to him for showing you the meaning of TRUE love. Be Blessed!!

P A G E 3 V O L . 2 N O . 2

Leander and Joyce dated for 8 years and have been married for 24 years and 5 months. They met at Zachary High School in Zachary, LA. Some of the factors that keep their rela-tionship strong are worshiping together as a family and praying for one another. They talk openly about family problems and issues and they respect each other’s role in their rela-tionship. They both value the other’s opinion (whether good or bad) and they are always there for each other to lean on in times of trouble. They also still set aside time to date each other regularly! One of the most important things is that they still DREAM and look to the future together!

The Durants have been together for a total of 9 years. They met on the inter-net...Collegeclub.com not E-Harmony! It seemed interesting to the both of them that they were from the same place, but they didn’t meet until there were thousands of miles and ocean between them. In the military, Carlos was stationed off the coast of Spain and Guantis was here in Baton Rouge. After several months, they finally met...and they’re still together. The Durants want you to know that the things that keep them strong are their faith and hope because with so much adversity against marriage today, those are the things that will keep you holding out for better days!

Lionel and Lisa have been married for 15 years. They met in New Orleans at the Bank. Their relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, honesty, and open communication. They realize that they must put God first in all that they do. The best advice that they can offer to other couples is to spend quality time with each other as much as possible. It’s also important to schedule date nights!

This year, Arnold and Linda will be together 20 years. They met at a barbecue at Arnold’s sister’s house and once they hit it off, nothing could come between them. Linda says that the most important thing in a relationship is to be friends first. She and Arnold are best friends and that along with re-spect, communication, and Honesty have kept them together thus far. They also have date night on a regular basis!

P A G E 4 F I N A N C E M A T T E R S

I understand you’ve made resolutions for the new year. Let’s see...lose 10 pounds, join a gym, pay off debts, save a little, etc. If you wrote it down, then you’re committed now to follow through. Hopefully this article will share a few thoughts concerning finances.

Let’s get started...What do you normally do with your tax refund check each year? Let’s think of doing something different with your check this year. For example, say your refund is $5,000. The first thing we all should do is pay our tithes. Write a check for your 10%. $5000 times 10% is $500.00. Remember, if God didn’t bless us with a job all year, would we have a refund check at all?

Malachi 3:10 states, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Now don’t forget, you still have $4500.00 left. Here’s a plan for it. Divide the rest into 3 piles…

• Pile #1 could be for paying off some debt- $1500.00

• Pile #2 could be used for opening a savings account- $1500.00

• Pile #3 will be all yours…$1500.00… to spend any way you want, after all... you deserve it!

Now, how do you feel? Real good, huh? Great! Because you’ve done the right thing and God is definitely pleased!

Interested in making your dollar go a long way?

Pay your TITHES & watch God

work!

Diamond McDonald received an Outstanding Achievement award at Capital Elementary. Garyiana Gurvin, a student at Buchanan Elementary, made the honor roll this nine weeks with

a 3.0 GPA. Taniyah & Tameia Porter, both students at Audubon Elementary, both received recognition for perfect attendance while Taniyah made the Principal’s List and Tameia made the Honor

roll. Katelyn & Kyle Mitchell who are students at BRCVPA, received special honors. Katelyn made

the honor roll while Kyle gained the Awesome Attitude Award. Kayla Scott, a student at Broadmoor High is on her way to being a published poet. Her poem,

“Friendship of Love” will be published in Creative Communications .

The Carver Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library is five years old this year! Come and celebrate during an open house on Tuesday, February 23rd from 10a.m. to Noon. The open house will include information about the flourishing of Old South Baton Rouge and the Oral History Project.. For more information call 225-389-7480.

Have you ever wanted to research your family tree.? The Bluebonnet Branch Library will hold a class that looks into plantation records, Freedman Bank Records, and Federal Records. The class will be held Wednesday, February 24th at 10:30a.m.

Community Volunteer readers will share their favorite African American lit-erature during the African American Read In at libraries in February. Family and friends are invited to share a reading written by or about an African American. For more information on registration or to learn about reading

selections, visit the Library website: www.ebr.lib.la.us.

P A G E 5 V O L . 2 N O . 2 VO ICES OF NEW G IDEON

Black history and culture is such a part of the American fabric that it's difficult to imagine a time when that wasn't so. Established as Negro History Week in the 1920's by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in this month. Extended to a month-long celebration in 1976, Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans. Here are a few events that you and your family can enjoy during the month of February.

Phone: 225-926-4441

Fax: 225-926-4163

Worship Times:

Sundays @ 8:00a.m. &

11:00a.m.

The Lord’s Supper

3rd Sundays @ 8:00a.m. &

11:00a.m.

Mid Week Worship

Thursdays @ 6:30p.m.

The mission of Gideon’s Trumpet is to foster education, empowerment, communication, and fellowship in Christ Jesus through the

written word.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 Mass Choir Rehearsal 7p.m.

10 11 12 NGBC Mass Choir Concert 7p.m.

13

14 Valentine’s Day

15 16 Mass Choir Rehearsal 7p.m. Mardi Gras

17 Ash Wednesday

18 19 20

21 Communion Sunday

22 Pastor & First Lady Bessix’s Anniversary

23 Joyful Noise Rehearsal 7p.m.

24 25 26 27 Extreme Fun Youth Ministry Rehearsals

28 Youth Sunday

February 2010