The Woodmont Word

E-Newsletter

A Family of Faith on Mission 
          June 2018
   


 

Th e new Church Directories are in.
You can pick up your copy, (one per family) in the 
Worship Center Lobby  or in the Church Office. 

Also, you may access the church directory via our website and app. The online directory has some exciting features that you will want to check out.  These features include being able search for a church member by first or last name, then you may call, email, or get directions for them. Just look for the CHURCH DIRECTORY  button on our website or app to be able to access the online directory.  You will need to put in an access code  "wbc18".  Once you have accepted the terms of agreement, you will have access to use the online directory. It will offer you  an application tour. This application tour will provide you with an overview of the features available to you. You can end the tour at anytime. Below is a view from the online directory. 

 
 
Hess's Headlines

Dear Church,
 
Instead of writing out an article for this month's newsletter, I thought it would be appropriate to include portions from Denise Coats' celebration of life service instead. I covet your prayers over the next few months for Denise's family, the church family, and the church staff. Thanks in advance for your prayers and thank you for serving and ministering to the Coats family.
 
To be honest, what has happened has not been completely realized by myself and probably many others here today. Denise was like another mother to me. I know that she loved all people, regardless of who they were, because of how she loved me. She loved me when I was just a poor kid in Kentucky. She loved me when I was just a new college student that had come to Woodmont. She loved me when I was beginning in ministry. She loved me as a co-worker. She loved me as her pastor. She loved people like this because she knew how God had loved her. Just as Romans 5:8 explains, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Her love for Christ and for children was evident and it is because of Christ we can celebrate her life today.

Denise was perhaps best known as a children's minister; but she was also a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, and a grandmother, and carried many other roles and titles as well. First of all, to her family, I cannot tell you how much she loved you. She talked of each of you often. She loved you all deeply. She prayed for you constantly. Even when she was upset with you, it was really a sign of how much she loved you. Over the past several years, you all journeyed with her in love and support. You helped to carry her burdens and she did all she could to carry yours. You were her joy, her strength, and her first ministry. She was so proud of each of her children and absolutely glowed while speaking about her grandchildren. I see Denise's strength and loyalty in Matt Coats. I see her humility, humor, and outgoing nature in Mark. I see her servanthood, passion, and hospitality in Mary Beth. I am praying a Philippians 4 peace that passes all understanding would be evident for each of you even now. Psalm 68:19 says, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Denise wrote after this verse, "I pray for Tony, Mark, and Mary Beth today. Lord you know my heart is heavy for them. I love you Lord."

Mrs. Denise - a servant in every sense of the word; but it is an example that her mom had set before her. Mrs. Carrigan, she learned from you well and followed your example. She was always looking for opportunities to serve in multiple areas and in various ministries around the community. She would go and visit anyone at anytime; sometimes even taking folks goodies she had made like cookies. She would cook for Unite Weekend youth event; and she knew I looked forward to the burrito buffet the most. She would lead opportunities to collect good and materials for various areas: blankets for chemo recipients; food for those with needs in the community; resources for Thanksgiving baskets; paper goods for the food pantry; her work for relay for life; and the list goes on. She served families and children faithfully; many of whom she had the opportunity to lead to the Lord. She wanted children to know the Lord and one of the most humbling things was looking through social media at all the pictures of her with kids preparing to be baptized.

The last several years and her struggle with cancer have been a tough ordeal for her and her family. Denise endured so much. There were days that we would beg her to go home and she would say, "Today, I just want to serve Jesus." There were also days when I would walk down the hall, and she would be in her office, praying. Mrs. Belinda and Denise would often spent time together and prayer walk together; I know she loved many friends here, and Mrs. Belinda was one of her best. She loved to serve the Lord at church, and it is appropriate that she was there when her health began to fail her, surrounded by people she had invested in the most. She persevered, she kept her joy, and now she is healed. She would not want me to take all this time and talk about her, because she would share with you, the strength, the perseverance, the joy, it was from God and not herself. As she wrote in her journal, "I cannot arrive at my life's purpose without looking to God and taking the focus off of me. I was made by God; made for God. It's not about me! How will I remind myself that life is really about living for God and not myself?"
 
She had recently been memorizing Psalm 139:1-3:
 
You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
 
The Lord knew Denise and she knew the Lord. Today, I would disappoint her if I did not give you the opportunity to know the Lord through Jesus Christ. If she could speak to you today, she may tell you to admit to God that you are a sinner, believe in Christ the son, and confess your faith publicly that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Today we know Denise is healed because of her faith in Jesus. Recently someone asked her for her favorite Bible verse and she gave them Luke 8:48,

" 48 Then he said to her, 
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."   

She has gone in peace to heaven, her faith has healed her, and her faith is now in sight as she is face to face with the savior of her soul Jesus Christ.
 

Chad

 
Thompson's Text

Five Types of Church Givers 

I recently ran across the following article written by Eric Geiger, vice president of the Church Resource Division of Lifeway. He has some interesting observations concerning those that give to the church.

"Tithe" means ten percent. And lots of people still believe in the tithe, in giving ten percent of their income. In fact, according to LifeWay Research,  more churchgoers believe tithing is for today than pastors believe it . Some believe tithing was an Old Testament command and in the New Testament we are simply told to be generous because Christ is continually generous to us. Of course, if the law required 10%, would His grace compel us to give less? But not all givers tithe, and not all tithers give their whole tithe to their churches. Here are five types of givers in the church (as Mr. Geiger outlines in his article):

1. Tippers

Just as you only tip a server at a restaurant when you visit that restaurant, tippers are only compelled to give when they attend church. Their income doesn't drive their giving to the church as much as their attendance at church drives it. Their income level doesn't impact how much they tip at a restaurant; it's the quality of the meal and the service they received that does. If they like what the church is doing, that's when they will tip the church.


 

2. Consistent Givers

Consistent givers give regularly and in a disciplined manner. They may set up recurring giving online or give each time they receive a paycheck. They may be giving a percent of their income with the hope to increase that over time, as their incomes increase. Effective and significant ministries have been built through their regular and disciplined giving. Budgets are much easier to plan when large numbers of people regularly and consistently give.


 

3. Not-Only-to-the-Church Tithers

When I was first serving in ministry, nearly twenty-five years ago, when people spoke of tithing, they spoke of what the older preachers I heard called "storehouse tithing," or bringing your tithe to the church. And giving to causes and ministries outside the church was considered to be "giving above the tithe." Today this is less and less true for people in our churches. In fact, only 47% of churchgoers believe tithing is limited to their church. So more than half of those who give 10% of their income spread their giving to multiple sources, including but not limited to their churches. This is a growing reality for ministry leaders and one that has far-reaching implications.


 

4. Church Tithers

There are still, however, those who consistently and regularly give ten percent of their income to the church they attend. Those who watch over the finances of the church know that even though 83% of people believe tithing is a biblical command, not nearly as many practice what they say is a mandate from God.


 

5. Above 10% Givers

Not all people who say, "Tithing isn't for us today," say so because they want to justify giving being beneath ten percent. While they believe "tithing" can be a helpful starting point, they are committed to giving as generously as possible because of Christ's generosity to them. They excel in the grace of giving because their hearts have been overwhelmed with Christ's generosity."

Very interesting. What type of giver would you say you are? 1 Corinthians 9:7 "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for god loves a cheerful giver."


Under His grace,

Steve
 
Reese's Pieces 


Please pray for our youth ensemble, Soul Desire, as they will be St. Louis bound June 13. Be sure to attend their homecoming concert at Woodmont, Sunday, June 24, at 6:30 PM. Picutred left to right: Emma Hendrix, Mollie Vick, Grayson Johns, Amy Raney, Clayton Sumner, Khloe Hendricks, Devin Gregory, Katie Stutts, and Alexis Gomez.


Kevin
 
 Student Ministry

Three weeks from now I have the opportunity to speak at a Junior High Retreat in Mississippi. My former youth pastor asked me months ago if I would come, and I gladly accepted. He asked if I would I come up with a theme for the retreat and a series of four messages to be shared over the weekend. I knew it would be challenging, but I began to pray and seek what God would have me to do. Over the last couple of months I've thought about what to share and what the theme of the whole weekend should be. If I could sum up everything these kids need to know in a weekend, what would I say? How would I approach this? After praying and studying, the Lord has brought me to the theme of the weekend as well as the four messages I believe He wants me to share.
 
I want to share with you just briefly what I asked myself throughout this process. I began to question during prayer and study, what is really important in life? Thinking through this question I came up with the simple theme "What is LIFE all about?" I believe a lot of us go through life confused about what really is important. Sure, we say that Christ is number one in our lives but what do our actions say about what is important to us. I don't care if you are five years or 95 years old, these next four things I will discuss are really what
LIFE is all about!
 
L- Lay down our life
(Romans 10:9-10; Mark 10:17-31); to lay down means to surrender or to give up. This is exactly what the Word of God calls us to do. We are to surrender our lives to Christ, believe that God raised Him from the dead, confess Him as Lord (that is to repent of our sins and turn from them to Him), and trust in Him for our salvation. The story of the rich young ruler is sad because He wanted eternal life but he was not willing to give up what he loved the most, his money and earthly possessions. So, have you really surrendered your all to Jesus, your most precious and prized possessions and put your faith in Him and only Him for your salvation?
 
I- Imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2); to imitate is to follow as a pattern, model, or example; to copy or to appear like. Paul tells us "
Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly beloved children, and walk in love..." (Eph. 5:1,2a). After we trust Christ for salvation we are to imitate God in His character and walk in love, just as Christ modeled for us, from His time on earth. The word love is thrown around quiet often today as a feeling or just a good thought toward someone, but love involves sacrifice and action. Love involves giving ourselves away for the good of another. 1 John 3:18 say, "
Little children we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action". We are not called to feel sorry for people or just talk about doing good things. Good thoughts without action is not love. To imitate God, we must walk in love and "be merciful, just as your father is also merciful" (Luke 6:36).
 
F- Fellowship with God
(1 John 1:5-2:2); fellowship comes from an intimate relationship in which there is a common related factor that draws you together. In this case it is God's love that draws us together into the relationship. We spend time with God because we love Him. In 1 John chapter one and two, John tells us that our sins hinder the fellowship we were meant to have with God. The Bible warns us about this and tells us how we can have that continued fellowship with God. In chapter one and two John contrast walking versus just talking. He tells us to "walk in the light" (to do what is good, pure, true, holy, and reliable) and to also "confess our sin" because when we do "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us". If we are in fellowship with God we will seek to do what pleases Him. That will be our hearts desire. Our lives will back up what our lips are saying. Often time we look at salvation as the end goal, when in fact it is just the beginning. The NT calls the Christian life a "walk" and walking involves progress. Each day our goal should be to continue in fellowship with God, progress in our walk with Him, and pray that our hearts and minds are set on the things that please Him.
 
E- Evangelize the nations
(Mark 16:15-16); evangelize the nations means to share the good news of Christs' salvation with everyone, everywhere. This is what we are called to do. This is not a request, this is our main purpose in life. When Jesus came back that resurrection morning and appeared before the disciples, he gave one command, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. Whoever believes will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned". This is the natural progression for the believer: Lay down your life and follow Christ- salvation, Imitate God- Learn His ways and do His ways, Fellowship with God- Our walk should progress daily as our intimate relationship with the Father grows, and Evangelize the nations- spread the Gospel to all creation!
 
My prayer for our church is that we would realize what is important in  LIFE and do everything for the glory of Christ and make much of His great name!
 
Jarod
 
Singles' Ministry

Photography by Keelan Walker
It's very hard to lose a good friend and co-worker. Denise and I worked together for many years. She was the kind of person who was always willing to help out in any way she could. She was devoted to the ministry to which God had called her. There were many days that she didn't feel well but she persevered in spite of it.

It was so evident that Denise loved kids and she was a kid at heart herself. Many children's lives have been eternally impacted by her ministry. I can hear that infectious laugh now and it makes me smile. I will always remember Denise for her love for the Lord and the many times we prayed together. I take great comfort in knowing she is in the presence of Jesus and that I will see her again someday.

Love you Sis,

Belinda
 
June 9th - YARD SALE for Guatemala Mission Trip
It will be held at the Main Campus downstairs at the entrance to the Children's Department.  Donations are being taken now. 
Please contact Belinda Green if you have items to donate. 256-766-1255 ext. 22

 

Single Parent Family Beach Retreat - July 19-22
Brochures are located in the breezeway. For more details, contact Belinda Green.

 
Soup Kitchen- June 30th 
Contact Latricia Hensley or Rhonda Parrish about how you can help.


Belinda
 
Family Life Ministry


The retreat will start at 6:00 on Friday night and will be over around noon on Saturday morning. Bro. Chad and Janna will be leading 
the retreat this year.   The retreat will be local and we will have more 
details about location and cost  very soon.

 
Children's Ministry 
  
I just wanted to take some time and share some important information with each of you concerning Woodmont Baptist Church. First of all, I have been praying for our staff, our church, and praying that the Lord would comfort, guide, and protect us during these days. I am also praying specifically for the Coats family, and I encourage you to continue to pray for them as well. As we reflect and celebrate what the Lord did in and through Denise Coats' life over the years; we also look ahead to what He is doing in the life of our children at Woodmont Baptist Church. The children's ministry is crucial to the health of a church. It is important that you know how Woodmont's Children's Ministry will continue to love, minister, and make disciples of children in the Shoals community.

Over the past few years, Faith Carpenter has served the Lord in various roles at Woodmont. In April, Faith agreed to the title of Children's Ministry Assistant in order to help assist Denise with the summer projects, programs, and trips. She has met frequently with the leadership team, Denise, and the summer interns to help summer plans be as God-glorifying as possible. With all of this in mind, it makes sense that Faith Carpenter would serve as the Interim Children's Minister throughout the summer months and into the fall. Faith has grown up at Woodmont and surrendered her life to Christ at a young age. She graduated from Shoals Christian School, UNA, and West Alabama. She taught elementary school for eight years and is currently serving as the school guidance counselor at G. W. Trenholm Primary School in Tuscumbia, Alabama.



Alongside Faith, the Lord has provided great interns to help shoulder the load and provide structure and leadership to our children's department. The interns include Becca Bush, Demi Simmons, Corrie West, and Tyler Wilson.

 
55 and Older Join Us For These Upcoming Events...

Game Day is Cancelled for June, July & August!

The June Monthly Luncheon will be Thursday, June 21, in the Gym. Our meal will be a Chicken Salad Croissant with sides and dessert. The cost will be $5 per person to be paid at the luncheon. If you make a reservation and cannot attend, please pay Frances Moore. Our speaker will be Beth Dickerson, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of Florence City Schools. She will share her journey with cancer and insight on how to react and help people who are dealing with Cancer. She has shared her powerful message with many groups. Please sign up in the breeze-way by Sunday, June 17. We hope you join us for this interesting and informative Program.

We WILL NOT t have a luncheon in July due to many of our Primetimers' helping in VBS.



Frances Moore
 
New Members

Corrie West, Letter

Jordan Taylor, Letter
 
Our Mission
Woodmont Baptist Church's
MISSION STATEMENT is:

 

 "To do the Lord's will through prayer, worship, discipleship, service, missions

and evangelism - In His name, by His spirit and for His glory." 

In This Issue
Ministry Quick Links
  
For the Record
  
 Woodmont Calendar 
  
 Newsletter Archive    

Woodmont Staff
Bro. Chad Hess
 Pastor
Rev. Steve Thompson , Assoc. Pastor/Min. of Ed/Admin.
Rev. Kevin Reese, Music Minister
  Jarod Grimes, Student Minister
Denise Coats, Children's Minister
Belinda Green, Singles and Families Minister
  Becky Daughtery & Loretta Young
Personal Ministries Director  
  Joyce Clark,
Pastor/Outreach Secretary    
Carla Hamm,
Finance
Marilyn Nelson,
 Communications Secretary/
Education Secretary  

Quinton Thompson
Building Superintendent 
Chasity Whiteside
Custodian
 
  Latricia Hensley,
Children's Church  
Cindy Ferson,
Children's Church  
Lauren Hodges, King's Kids Director
 
  Becky Foster,
Pianist/Orchestra Director  
Virginia Moore,
Organist  
Jason Staggs,
Technical Director

 
 

 
Ministry Quick Links

Contact Information
Marilyn Nelson, Communications Secretary
256-766-1255, Ext. 25

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