Good morning! I hope you are all safe, well and dry. Hopefully we will see the sun by this weekend. Please keep that Jesus smile on your face whether you are getting out or staying in. You are all very important to us. We had two good worship services on Sunday. We started Wednesday night last night. Of course we are still practicing social distancing and having the building clean after Sunday and Wednesday. We are doing our part to keep everyone safe and well. If you choose not to attend yet, we totally understand and do not want you to feel bad. We can wait until you feel safe, but know we miss you and cannot wait to see you. We continue to live stream all of our services and hopefully before long we will be live streaming directly from our website, reedyriverbc.org. We will give you plenty of notice before we start. We appreciate all of your understanding about sound. We continue to work on these issues and hopefully we will be resolving them soon.
As all of you know by now, we had to say goodbye to Mae Edwards on Saturday afternoon. Mae was a very special and wonderful person and we will all miss her very much. You are welcome to attend Mae’s graveside service this Saturday, May 23rd at 2 pm at the Reedy River Baptist Cemetery. We will have no seating and you are to practice social distancing. The service will be live streamed from Howze Mortuary. Donna Horton and Rudy & Doris Jones will not be available for you to express your sympathy. They will be present, but will not leave their cars. At a later date we will have a memorial for Mae in the sanctuary.
With Mae’s passing we have extended Michelle Prince’s hours at the church. With the permission of the Human Resource Team and the Stewardship Team we have given Mae’s responsibility to Michelle and she will now be working from Monday – Thursday; 9 am to 4 pm. The office will now be closed on Fridays. If you normally contacted Mae about reserving some part of the church building or to give her information for the bulletin or newsletter you will now contact Michelle. Michelle is a faithful and wonderful asset to our church and we are glad to extend this position to her.
Finally two Saturdays ago Peggy and I drove up to Canton to see our children and grandchildren. We had a wonderful get together after 8 weeks of being separated. Then last Saturday, Joshua and his two and Caleb and his two came to Greenville. The girls had other things to do, but we got to spend another day with the grandchildren. We played outside and enjoyed the time we had with them. This weekend Foster and Corbin are coming for a few days and we are looking forward to having them without Dad and Mom. They are growing up so much and changing every day. We are glad our grandchildren love coming to see us and we enjoy spending time with them. We have plenty to do and we enjoy spending time outside. The yard and the house look like a war zone after several days, but that is what grandchildren are all about. Last Saturday when Joshua and Caleb got ready to head home, Foster was saying he was staying at our house. Of course he was joking just a little. He Facetimed me this week to tell me he has started helping his Mom and Dad cook a little and told me he wanted to help me make pancakes and bacon on Saturday morning. I told him I would be glad to have his assistance. I think that Saturday afternoon we will make same cookies and he can take them home with him. He was excited. Life is so much fun when you can share it with those you care for and love.
The gathering of our immediate family has got me to Just Thinking! The gathering of our church family is just as important to me. We finally got some of them here last Sunday, but we are still missing some who are not ready to adventure out yet. We the church totally understand you decisions and support you whole heartedly. We can’t wait until you get back and we can all worship together. Yet even though we are back we still seem far away. We are still practicing social distancing and being careful. Some are wearing mask and some are not. We are being careful to limit touches and not passing the offering plates from one person to another. Everyone spread out and we had two very good worship services. It was very emotional and spirit lifting. The Holy Spirit was definitely in our midst. I could not help but to think what it is going to be like when we all get to heaven, as the hymn says. When Peggy invited everyone to sing “I Love You, Lord” on this past Sunday it was like a heavenly choir. The sound just resonated throughout the sanctuary. The more we sang the more you could feel the presence of God. For the six of us who have been present those Sundays we stayed home it was a breath of fresh air. For those who were here it was an exhilarating experience. As the song says it was a day of rejoicing.
It is going to be even better when we “all” get to come back. When we get to shake hands and hug necks. When we get to feel whole again and not afraid. I am praying for that day when we can all know that we are safe and well and can worship our one true God. Let’s continue to pray for that day. For the time when together we can “Shout the victory.”
Dear Lord, thanks for the family time. Thanks for the church family time. We pray that the fear of a virus will quickly vanish and we will be able to worship together without fear of harm. Please comfort your people as we “all” come back together prayerfully sooner than later. Give us the peace of mind that we need to be able to fellowship and worship in spirit and truth. Thanks for the beginnings and help us to be patient for the full helping. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Let’s read the Bible together:
Thursday – 2 Samuel 19-20; 1 Corinthians 9; Proverbs 21
Friday – 2 Samuel 21-22; 1 Corinthians 10; Proverbs 22
Saturday – 2 Samuel 23-24; 1 Corinthians 11; Proverbs 23
Sunday – 1 Kings 1-2; 1 Corinthians 12; Proverbs 24
Monday – 1 Kings 3-4; 1 Corinthians 13; Proverbs 25
Tuesday – 1 Kings 5-6; 1 Corinthians 14; Proverbs 26
Wednesday – 1 Kings 7-8; 1 Corinthians 15; Proverbs 27
This week at the river:
We have begun meeting at 10:30 am and 6 pm on Sundays. We will continue to suspend all other services until we think it is safe to be in close proximity of each other. We are recommending and insisting on social distancing in the sanctuary. Please help us out in this area. Mask are welcome, but not required. We have hand sanitizer at the entrances. We also have hand wipes in individual packages. We are not handing out bulletins or suggesting the use of hymn books. All material is being printed on the screens. Of course we encourage you to bring you Bible. The offering is being taken up in several places. On the communion table and right inside both vestibule doors. The side sanctuary door are being left locked at this time. Please enter through the side office door or the front doors.
We are not having Wednesday evening services at 7 pm. We will not be having youth at the present time. They are welcome to join us in the sanctuary. Also, until further notice we will not be having an adult choir therefore no practicing. Wednesday will consist of prayer and a Bible study by Pastor Josh. Again we will practice social distancing.
Sunday Morning:
“Experiencing God’s Glory!”
Exodus 33:12-23
Josh Slatten
Sunday Evening:
“Spiritual Warfare”
Ezekiel 28
We want to thank you again for your faithfulness to the stewardship of Reedy River Baptist Church. Your gifts are very welcome and we appreciate your interest and support. Your giving during the month of April and at the beginning of May have continued to keep us on solid ground. May God Bless you for your stewardship.
Feed My Sheep ministry continues to go forward. A very special thank you to those who come every Monday morning to help make up the sandwich bags. You few know who you are and we are greatly appreciative. Maybe it will not be long before we can invite you all back to help. To those men who are delivering the bags you are vital to this ministry and I want to say a special thank you to all of you. Keep up the good work.
Delivery Schedule:
Tuesday, May 26th: Ray Batson & David Simmons
Thursday, May 28th: Ray Micke & Gerald Coffin
Birthdays for the week of May 21st – May 27th:
Joseph Mayer – Friday
Holden Duffield – Monday
Madison Chapman – Wednesday
Anniversaries for the week of May 21st – May 27th:
None on our calendar
Praise & Prayer:
Praising God for a good birthday! Praising God for being at church! Praising God for all His many blessings!
Please pray for the following:
Chris Bass – health issues
Roger Bennett – successful eye surgery
Doris Jones – health issues
Rudy Jones – health issues
Bill Keown – saw surgeon and doesn’t have to have surgery. Some arthritic issues, getting better
Mary Micke – Progressing at home.
Jonathan Philips - health
Candy Poindexter – now taking chemo pills, MRI Friday
Mae Edwards Family
Betty Banks – health – sister-in-law of Preston and Ann Golightly
Scott Carpenter – health issues – Karen Batson’s son
Kathy Evans – health – cousin of Preston and Ann Golightly
Carlie Freeman – health issues – Bruce & Jean Freeman’s granddaughter
Landon Hartman – 8 year old with cancer
Kenny Keown – esophageal cancer – Bill Kewon’s brother in Texas
Rose Raines – hospice called in – Larry Simmons’ sister in Morganton, NC
Judy Price – Stage 4 lung cancer – Friend of Linda Ray
Jerry Whaley – liver cancer – friend of Tommy Chandler
John Wooten – prostate cancer, taking radiation – Tammy Davidson’s uncle
Lin & LeeAnna Bradley & boys – Lin is finished at Fort Jackson. He and the family are going to travel to Fort Bragg and then be shipped out overseas.
All Missions and Ministries
All healthcare workers, civil servants, teachers, students, and everyone dealing with this virus in a different way.
Dear Jesus we are so blessed for how you take care of us. We thank you for those many blessings and ask that you help us be a blessing to others. We pray for healing and health to those who are struggling today. We pray for those who need your mercy and grace. We pray that you grant your comfort to those who are grieving. We ask that you will give us a desire to reach the lost with the news of your love and forgiveness. May we grow spiritually so that we can reflect you in everything we do. In the name of the one and only God we pray, Amen.
Have a great weekend and I look to see you in person or on Facebook live on Sunday. God Bless you all!
Love God! Love People!!
David M. Simmons
864-293-2391
Job 13:15
Psalm 100:3
Proverbs 3:5-7
John 10:10
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