God’s Awesome Word

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 7:00 p.m.

Immanuel Baptist, Tickets may be purchased at the door

Secretary/Clerk’s Luncheon T hursday, April 7

T he Home of Marsha Cook 1313 Castle Creek Street, Shawnee

RSVP by March 31

April, 2016

“...encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association, Shawnee, OK ~ Dr. Russell R. Cook, Director of Missions Vol. 20, No. 4

EXECUTIVE

BOARD

Next meeting is

May 9

6:00 p.m.

Special program…

Ray Gilder “Uniquely

Bivocational”

Support Services

4:00 p.m.

Mission Partnership

5:00 p.m.

Dinner

6:00 p.m.

Meeting

6:45 p.m.

RSVP to the

Association Office

Association

Website

www.plba.org

Matthew 14:30-31

All forms and money are due at the PLBA office by Monday, May 9th.

For Children from 3rd - 6th Grades

PLBA Associational Children’s Camp 2016

Pre-Camp Meeting: PLBA Office Tuesday, April 12th @ 7:00 p.m.

Anyone interested in attending camp with PLBA is encouraged to attend. All forms will be available at the meeting. Please RSVP at (405) 273-4558.

Money Breakdown $40 ACC Program Fees

$35 PLBA Fees

Happy Administrative Professionals

Day! April 27

PLBA Children’s Ministry Workshop/VBS Clinic

Saturday, April 2

10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

First Baptist Church, Meeker

PLBA WOMEN

“BIBLE REVIVAL” Acts 12:1-17

There were two basic ingredients that resulted in Peter’s release from prison. These same two ingredients are also necessary for lost persons to be released from their “spiritual prison.” Implementing these two ingredients along with the clear proclamation of the gospel can result in Bible Revival in the church.

I. God’s PEOPLE IN PRAYER (v. 5 “So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”) A. They prayed SPECIFICALLY (“for him”) B. They prayed CONTINUALLY (“was being made” -imperfect tense) C. They prayed FERVENTLY (“fervently”) D. They prayed CORPORATELY (“by the church”) E. They prayed GODWARDLY (“to God”) II. God’s POWER IN PLACE (vv. 7-10) A. This is a SUPERNATURAL POWER (v. 7 “An angel of the Lord appeared…”) 1. It happened SUDDENLY (“suddenly”) 2. It happened GLORIOUSLY (“a light shone in the cell”) 3. It happened SHOCKINGLY (“he struck Peter’s side and woke him up…”) B. This is an INVESTED POWER (v. 8) - requires personal response: 1. “gird yourself…” (cf. Eph. 6:14) 2. “put on your sandals…” (cf. Eph 6:15) 3. “wrap your cloak around you” (cf. I Peter 5:5) 4. “follow me” (cf. Luke 9:23) C. This is a DEMONSTRATED POWER 1. A power against HUMAN BEINGS (i.e. “guards”) 2. A power against NATURAL FORCES (i.e. “chains” and “gates”)

When the church exercises fervent prayer, experiences divine power and extends a gospel presentation (preaching), she can know Bible Revival.

-rrc

It Might Preach!

Word of Encouragement I recently attended a conference at Falls Creek. One of the speakers was Ray Gilder. Ray is the National Coordinator of the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network. He lives in Nashville. He has written a book entitled Uniquely Bivocational, Understanding the Life of a Pastor who has a Second Job. This book– and his conference– was extremely enlightening:

“Some question whether over half of the pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention are out of God’s will be-cause they are bivocational. In many parts of North America, churches with two hundred in attendance are considered to be large. Many small and rural communi-ties in the country are thankful for a man who will work another job so they can have a pastor” (p.9). (check out www.bscln.net/uniquelybivocational)

Thirty-five of the sixty-six pastors in PLBA are considered bi-vocational. This means that the pastor must have a second job to supplement his in-come. The number would be higher than thirty-five if some of the “full-time” pastors had no income from their wife’s job. All this is to say we need to pray faithfully and do all we can to support our bi-vocational pastors. These men of God are making great sacrifices to pastor their churches. The churches should mutually sacrifice to support their pastor and his family. The Bible says, “...the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel” (I Cor. 9:14). Yet even Paul, the great missionary to the Gentiles, was at times bi-vocational “because he was of the same trade...for by trade they were tent-makers” (Acts 18:3). Whatever status your pastor may have, please pray for him and support him as generously as pos-sible. He will be blessed and your church will be the better for it!

Encouragingly yours, Russell Cook

1st-3rd grade

1st Caleb Nichols-Heritage

2nd Maegan Thompson-Hillside

3rd Jacob James-Heritage

4th-6th grade

1st Erin Thompson-Hillside

2nd Waylon Swenson-Hazel Dell

3rd Corinna Ropp- Hillside

Congratulations to all the winners!

A Nugget From My Spiritual Journey… How many of us truly “get it” when it comes to understanding…defining…sharing…experiencing…true LOVE? Hollywood is famous for throwing at us various examples of so-called love, but it is usually a cheapened version, coming nowhere near matching true love. Currently there is a highly visible political candidate who throws the word “love” around in his speeches to fill in the vacuous blanks with prolific abandon. We profess to love things as simple as hot dogs or as majestic as a snow-capped mountain. We exclaim how much we love a beautiful wedding gown or a newborn baby. The English language does not give us much help in fine-tuning the definition of love. So, where do we go to find out the meaning of true love? We go to the Source. We go to the One who not only gave us the capac-ity to love but Who IS love: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God IS love” (1 John 4:8). He not only defines love for us, He is the very essence of love. Think of it with an equal sign…God=love. If we do not truly know Him, we will never know how to truly love. In the Greek, God’s love is called AGAPE’…the kind of love that doesn’t say, “I love you because of you,” but which says, “I love you in spite of you!” I may not love what you do or say but I will sacrificially love you, in spite of that. Is LOVE just some abstract feeling or is there tangible substance to lov-ing, to being loved? I just watched a video clip of the Christian songwriter, Rory Feek, beautifully speaking at the memorial service for his wife, Joey, who recently died after a long bout with cancer. The testimony of their journey has blessed many. If you watch this video, it will bless you, too. Go to SouthernGospelVideos.com and look up the March 13 video. Rory quotes from 1 Corinthians 13, where God gives us all very specific instruc-tion on what LOVE looks like in real life. Just about every day of my life, I personally come under conviction of how I am doing in letting God love others that way through me. I have a long ways to go...how about you?

Marsha Cook, Director

BGCO WOMEN’S

RETREAT

April 22-23 ~ Falls Creek Conference Center

$85 ~ Final deadline is April 4

Keynote Speakers: Lisa Harper & Liz Curtis Higgs

Worship Leader: Doug Matlock

Register today at http://www.bgcowomen.org/

Association Website — www.plba.org

Budget Receipts Churches listed in red are Pastorless

PASTORS CHURCH Feb. ‘16 YTD Roger Shaw Agra, FBC 383.90 938.30 Dale Griffin, Int. Asher, FBC 184.00 358.41 Larry Sparks Blackburn Chapel 324.62 751.72 Albert May Carney, FBC 151.62 151.62 Rick Blackwell Chandler, FBC 1,004.52 2,154.98 Keith Henley Chandler Southern 286.87 560.23 Doug Parker Dale 30.01 59.89 Mike Mitchell Davenport, FBC 334.67 1,019.47 Mike Haines Deer Creek 259.73 477.23 Mark Streetman Earlsboro, FBC .00 300.00 Galen Greenwalt Earlsboro Indian .00 218.72 Wayne Knight Fairview 134.13 265.71 Dan Campbell Faith 379.62 683.53 Jeff Bruton Forest .00 .00 Lee Witt Hazel Dell 431.80 841.68 Tuney Ropp Hillside 1,214.02 2,358.49 Gary Nickerson Hilltop .00 471.63 Bryan Cook Hopewell 45.00 81.84 Billy Benson Macomb 116.00 346.00 Mike Hazelwood Mammoth 421.00 657.00 Bobby Shatto Maud, FBC .00 .00 Butch Bradley Maud, Trinity 135.52 265.54 Shawn Crawley McLoud, Covenant Hope 232.50 393.75 Doug Henson McLoud, Emmanuel 589.65 1,183.63 Jerry Gray McLoud, Emmaus 161.44 263.47 Matt Halsted McLoud, FBC 92.71 186.16 Joe Jones Meeker, FBC 300.98 560.65 Jerry Jackson Morning Star .00 .00 R.J. Stokes Mt. Pleasant .00 .00 Rick Ham, Int. Newalla, New Life .00 452.46 Ed Moore Newalla, Pecan Valley 76.12 76.12 Mike Collyer Pink 349.19 596.94 Jim Morningstar Pioneer .00 302.28 Nathan Howard Pleasant Home 170.97 346.12 Tim Emmons Prague, FBC 510.47 1,036.50 Danny Napier Rock Creek 680.51 1,555.17 Gaspar Reyes Rock Creek Hispanic 45.65 67.21 Tony Black Romulus 176.93 399.83 Monte Dean Sh-Aydelotte 640.19 1,061.22 David Henry Sh-Calvary .00 .00 Ray Miller Sh-First 237.51 908.87 Spencer Davis, Int. Sh-First Indian .00 200.92 Anthony Rhone Sh-Galilee 75.00 150.00 Bob Dawson Sh-Good Shepherd Chapel .00 99.86 Jay Sampson Sh-Heritage .00 1,019.91 Todd Fisher Sh-Immanuel 1,917.52 5,712.00 _______________ Sh-Karis .00 .00 John York Sh-Oakland Chapel 34.70 34.70 _______________ Sh-Sallateeska 130.00 130.00 Mike Craig Sh-Temple 1,292.73 2,259.33 Larry Norris Sh-Trinity 166.53 311.69 Steve Dominy Sh-University 362.91 856.10 Kent Wooster Sh-Wallace Ave. .00 .00 Perry Tripp Sparks, FBC 31.82 83.05 Brandon Leslie St. Louis, FBC 669.02 669.02 Ben Little Stroud, Disciple’s Way 6.23 8.91 James Bond Stroud, FBC 556.39 1,508.92 Tony Peak Tecumseh, FBC 1,107.00 2,609.86 Will Wilson Tecumseh, New Hope 50.00 100.00 Clint Dawkins Tecumseh, Sharon .00 696.58 Bob Fowler Tryon, FBC 235.47 426.63 Britt Lesley Wanette, FBC .00 .00 Bill Howse Wanette, Victory Pointe .00 .00 Russ Houser Wellston, Cornerstone .00 .00 Darrell Sullivan Wellston, FBC 977.90 1,797.07 Lane Buckley Wellston, Trinity 110.00 220.00 TOTAL $17,825.07 $41,246.92

TOTAL CHECKING AND SAVINGS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR Beginning Bal. Income Expenses Ending Bal. 2-1-16 2-29-16 Budget 38,653.16 17,825.07 18,285.20 38,193.03 Designated 174,732.86 178,528.16 Total Monies $213,386.02 216,721.19

~

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church is hosting Empowered to Connect Simulcast

Equipping you to bring hope and healing to adopted and foster children.

Free to the general public ~ $25 to obtain CEU Credits

To register email crissy.stokes@gmail.com

Uniquely Bivocational

Evening Board Meeting

Monday, May 9

6:00 p.m.

With a video presentation from

Ray Gilder, author of the book

Uniquely Bivocational.

Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m.

RSVP to the Association Office

Meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m.

Pastors, especially bi-vocational pastors, are encour-

aged to bring a key leader from their church with

them.

Staff Needed Incorrect information...

please call the Association office, 405.273.4558.

Church News Please let us know of any upcoming events or news

from your church!

BLACKBURN CHAPEL is taking resumes for a part time youth minis- ter. Please call the church at 405-273-6763. (Larry Sparks, Pastor) FIRST, SPARKS is taking resumes for bi-vocational music minister for blended services. Please send resumes to: Sparks FBC, c/o Earl Hall, 349117 E 980 Rd, Sparks, OK 74869, or email to: lori.foley@ymail.com. (Perry Tripp, Pastor)

FIRST, TRYON is taking resumes for bi-vocational youth minister, a small salary is included. Please send resumes to: Tryon FBC, P.O. Box 95, Tryon, OK 74875 or call 405-606-5621. (Bob Fowler, Pastor)

KARIS MINISTRIES is taking resumes for a F/T or Bi-vocational pas-tor. Please send your resumes to Pastor Search Committee , 219 E. Jefferson, Tecumseh, OK 74873

SALLATEESKA, SHAWNEE is prayerfully seeking a Bi-Vocational pastor. Please send resumes to Sallateeska Baptist Church, Attn. Pulpit Committee, P.O. Box 1842, Shawnee, OK 74802.

UNIVERSITY, SHAWNEE is seeking applicants for a part time Minis-ter to Youth. Email resume to Personnel Committee, University Bap-tist Church or steve.dominy@gmail.com. (Steve Dominy, Pastor)

Director of Missions ...............................................Dr. Russell Cook, 405.273.4558 Moderator ................................................................... David Henry, 405.275.3450 Vice Moderator ............................................................. Will Wilson, 405-598-6430 Treasurer ...................................................................Clint Dawkins, 405.273.5502 Clerk & Office Manager ......................................... Janice Maynard, 405.273.4558 Media Manager .......................................................... Tanya Bruton, 405.273.4558 Discipleship Director .............................................. Mike Hazelwood, 405.279.2451 Family Director ....................................................... Shawn Crawley, 405.229.5813 Worship Director ....................................................... Jason Henson, 405.273.2105 Missions Director ........................................................Kirk Holloway, 405.258.0175 Support Director ...................................................Dr. Russell Cook, 405.273.4558 Youth Minister ............................................................ Chris Groves, 405.760.5444 Licensed Counselor ....................................................... Brett Ellard, 405.275.2222 Licensed Counselor ....................................................Larry Roberts, 405.275.2222

3 Rev. Tony Black 40255 State Hwy 59B Macomb, OK 74852 Pastor, Romulus

5 Mrs. Regina (Tony) Black 40255 State Hwy 59B Macomb, OK 74852 Pastor’s Wife, Romulus

9 Rev. Mike Mitchell PO Box 376 Davenport, OK 74026 Pastor, First, Davenport

9 Rev. Larry Norris 1208 Monroe Dr. Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor, Trinity, Shawnee

11 Rev. Ray Miller 1827 N. Union Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor, First, Shawnee

14 Mrs. Sandra (Butch) Bradley PO Box 816 Maud, OK 74854 Pastor’s Wife, Trinity, Maud

23 Mrs. Sarah (Ray) Miller 1827 N. Union Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor’s Wife, First, Shawnee

26 Rev. Will Wilson 1930 River Birch Dr. Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor, New Hope

28 Mrs. Lisa (Bryan) Cook 1006 W. Federal Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor’s Wife, Hopewell

29 Mrs. Kari (Billy) Benson 31230 Old Hwy 18 Macomb, OK 74852 Pastor’s Wife, Macomb

4 Rev. & Mrs. Mike Haines 355960 E. 960 Rd. Stroud, OK 74079 Pastor, Deer Creek

4 Rev. & Mrs. Jim Morningstar 609 S Dewey Ave Chandler, OK 74834 Pastor, Pioneer, Chandler

8 Rev. & Mrs. Roger Shaw 13900 River Ridge Rd Perkins, OK 74059 Pastor, First, Agra

22 Rev. & Mrs. Wayne Knight 48504 Hwy 3E Earlsboro, OK 74840 Pastor, Fairview

23 Dr. & Mrs. Steve Dominy 4514 Gracelann Shawnee, OK 74804 Pastor, University

FIRST, ST. LOUIS has called Brandon Leslie as their Pastor. God bless you and your ministry. (Brandon Leslie, Pastor)

1 God’s Awesome Word-Immanuel, Shawnee at 7:00 p.m.

2 Children’s Ministry Workshop-FBC, Meeker at 10:00 a.m.

7 PLBA Secretary/Clerk’s Luncheon-The Cook’s at 12:00 p.m.

12 Pre-Camp Meeting-PLBA at 7:00

22-23 BGCO Women’s Retreat-Falls Creek

27 Administrative Professionals’ Day

29-30 BGCO Men’s Retreat-Falls Creek

Christian Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Carla Gierhart

Carla was the secretary for PLBA from 1969-1976. She then became the secretary to the pastor at Im-manuel, Shawnee where she was a long standing member.

Please pray for all of the following PLBA

churches who will be having spring Re-

vivals: Blackburn Chapel, Faith, Macomb,

Mammoth and Trinity, Wellston.