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Hess's Headlines
Dear Church,
 As I write this, I'm on a little getaway with Janna and Stone. Janna and I were traveling a few days ago and, on the interstate, there was an interesting traffic jam. I guess it was a normal traffic jam on an interstate; they all are interesting. You just do not expect them, and you know that something up ahead is not right. We could see the start of the traffic jam ahead, but after a few minutes, we could not see the end of the traffic jam behind us. We knew that whatever had happened ahead had shut down the entire south-bound traffic flow.
 Now, why in the world would I be writing you this boring account of an everyday traffic jam? Because a few miles back the GPS on my phone had told me to take a detour. However, in my infinite wisdom I decided not to listen. This failure to heed the warning led to a waiting time on the interstate, followed by a U-turn back to the detour that the GPS had been pointing to the entire time. How many times in life would we have saved time, energy, and reached the destination quicker if we had just taken the time to listen to the Lord? Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."
 My prayer for you is that you would take time to listen to the Lord. He has given you His Word to be a "lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path". You may find yourself in a situation, like mine, where you read the Word of God and realize you should have listened long ago. It would have saved you time, energy, worry, and you would have been a lot farther down the road with God. The good news is, the Lord loves it when we realize our failure, make a U-turn of repentance, and go His way. I encourage you to listen to Him, follow Him, and know that He loves you unconditionally. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He has plans for you. They are better than your own. Enjoy the journey with Him.
Love you all,
Chad
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Thompson's Text
Coming This Fall
Woodmont is planning some facility enhancements for the fall.
1. Children's Floor
- All preschool and children's classrooms will be on the ground floor of the children's building. This will allow better security, drop-off and pick-up of children, and use of our space.
- Two preschool and children check in centers will be created to more easily and effectively process and check in children and reduce congestion in the hallways.
- Painting of many classrooms and the meeting room area to reflect the entire floor as our children floor will be started.
- New signage will be placed outside and inside our facilities to help guests and new members find their way around our facilities.
- A new information/welcome center counter will be placed in the lobby of the worship center.
- Two large TV monitors will also be placed in the lobby that will help communicate church information and events as well as the worship service when it is in progress.
- Additional signage and banners will be placed in the lobby area to assist in providing information and publicizing events.
Some Exciting Events Planned for the Fall Include:
- Church Wide Spiritual Gifts Test available for all members in August.
- Ministry and Missions Fair in September so every member can find a place to serve and minister.
We appreciate the work of the Architectural Review Committee, Children's Ministry Team, and other leadership teams in the work and progress being made on these updates.
Brother Chad is planning on focusing on our Woodmont Baptist motto,
"A Family of Faith on Mission"
as a template for our church and ministries in the days ahead.
Seeking to "Know Him" and "Making Him Known" is what we are all about.
Finding ways to better accomplish this will be paramount in the coming days as we seek to reach out in our community and world with the gospel.
Under His grace,
Steve
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Reese's Pieces
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Praise the Lord, O my soul!
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The year was 1993. I was sitting in a mall food court in Houston, Texas with my friend and church soundman, Gary. Sleep-deprived and bone-weary, we were headed home from a week-long Youth Choir/Mission Trip co-directed by our youth minister and myself.
Over some scrumptious Chinese food-the kind you only find in mall food courts--we commiserated that the majority of the 60--some kids in our charge really had no desire to sing, and getting to them to participate in the musical we'd prepared had been a long, exhausting journey akin to pulling teeth. Out of the blue, Gary said, "You know, we should take the handful of kids who really love to sing and do a concert tour...just turn them loose, let them go, see what God does."
Invigorating tingles began to dance up and down my sore spine as he spoke. I couldn't believe he was expressing the very idea that I had been toying with internally but was not yet confident enough to verbalize. It seemed like divine affirmation. I told him that I had been in a group just like that when I was a teenager, that it was the coolest thing I'd ever done, and that the whole experience had been enormously pivotal in leading me toward a future in music ministry.
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I will sing and make music!
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After a lot more brainstorming, daydreaming, and praying, I set a date the following fall for try outs and made the proclamation that any member of the youth choir who wanted to go deeper with music and ministry should sign up, practice up, and show up. (The youth choir, as a whole, would still work toward putting together a program locally, a project that would eventually become Café Hosanna.)
Long story short, God did an amazing thing that year. He assembled a stellar group of ten young people who loved Jesus with all their hearts and were longing to use the gifts He had given them to make Him known.
The students and I chose the name Steadfast for the group, drawing from Psalm 51:1: "M
y heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music." Our first tour took us high in the beautiful Rockies, and one of the greatest joys of my life was watching these budding vocalists gradually conquer their initial "butterflies" as they sang and testified with ever-growing power in churches, malls, and parks. They absolutely flourished.
Replenished with new voices each year, Steadfast became a force to be reckoned with. The ministry was in the middle of its 10th year when my family pulled up stakes to follow the Lord to Alabama. The absence of Steadfast left such a hole in my heart that it took a couple of years before I dared to try and fill that void. I also wasn't sure if there would be any interest from anyone in our new church...other than my own kids who had watched Mommy and Daddy climb on that bus summer after summer while they got carted off to grandparents in Missouri to dream about the day they could go, too.
But in 2004 Soul Desire was born, and what an awesome group it was! We took our name from Psalm 103: "
Praise the Lord, O my soul...He satisfies my desires..." Many wonderful and talented people have passed through its ranks over the years, and this year is no exception. I am so excited for you to hear them!
In less than two weeks, our thirteenth Soul Desire bunch will make its way to the Big Apple, singing many concerts along the way there and back. Church family, please pray for the hand of the Almighty to continue to be upon this ministry and these individuals: Adaley Burnett, Devin Gregory, Emma Hendrix, Khloe Hendrix, Grayson Johns, Milly Lopez, Caroline Niedergeses, Clayton Sumner, Mollie Vick, Michael and Melanie Vick, Corinne and myself. Based on 23 years of past experience, I have every reason to believe that the name of the Lord will be exalted, His mighty deeds will be made known to many people, hearts will be tenderized, and Jesus will be at the center of it all.
Finally, don't miss our homecoming concert here at Woodmont Sunday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m. Help us fill the place with people, and God will be faithful to fill it with His presence. I am grateful for your support, church!
June 14-22 - Soul Desire Tour
June 25 - Soul Desire Homecoming Concert, 6:30 p.m.
L to R: Milly Lopez, Emma Hendrix, Clayton Sumner, Mollie Vick, Grayson,
Johns, Khloe Hendrix,Devin Gregory, Adaley Burnett, Caroline Niedergeses
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Student Ministry
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
 That God would take human form, be crucified, and raised in order to prove man's forgiveness of an entrance into heaven is an idea FAR TOO SIMPLE, FOOLISH, and HUMBLING for the NATURAL MAN to accept. That one man would die on a piece of wood on what they thought to be an ORDINARY HILL in an ORDINARY PART OF THE WORLD and because of that, determine the destiny of every person who has ever lived, seemed beyond stupid to them. It allows no place for man's merit, man's achievement, man's understanding, or man's pride.
THIS WORD OF THE CROSS is FOOLISHNESS. That word foolishness is where we get the word moron from. It's moronic or absolute nonsense to those who rely on their own wisdom;
THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING. When we rely on our own wisdom and lean on our own understanding we HINDER GOD's work instead of HELPING it.
Prov. 14:12 says: "
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
 One thing that keeps people away from Christ, away from the Bible, and away from salvation is their disagreement with the gospel. IT JUST DOESN'T FIT THEIR WAY OF THINKING. Human wisdom CANNOT understand the cross. Take Peter, for example, he did not understand the cross when he first heard Jesus speak of it. In Matthew 16:22 Peter pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Him, saying "
Heaven forbid Lord, this will never happen to you."
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."
Only after the resurrection was Peter able to understand (Acts 2:23-24; 3:13-15) God's wisdom is always superior to our wisdom. We are not called to reason out the facts, or try to figure out God's will. Instead, we are called to be obedient even when it doesn't make sense to us.
Continue to pray for our mission team as they
are serving in Guatemala.
Click here to watch the day one video.
Deposit of $50 DUE BY JUNE 11TH - Get this deposit made in order to save your spot! Only a limited amount of spots available!
Remainder of Cost $100 DUE BY JULY 5TH.
FUGE Paperwork must be filled out when making your Deposit online. Paperwork can be brought to Bro. Jarod or Faith Carpenter.
FUGE Forms are available on our website
CLICK HERE.
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Woodmont Marriage Retreat
August 18-19
Nelson Place in the Underwood community.
The retreat will begin on Friday night at 6:30 with dinner and end around 9:30. The retreat will resume on Saturday morning at 8:30 with breakfast followed by an exciting couples' activity ending at noon.
Sign up will be limited to the first 40 couples
and will begin on
July 9th.
Belinda
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Singles' Ministry
A church family is truly a treasure. I'm sure that if you have been in this church for very long you would probably agree with me. When I came to Woodmont it was because someone invited me and sat with me. The words shared by the preacher each Sunday morning were just what I needed to hear. The Lord drew me to this place every Sunday and used this church family to nurture me and guide me.
There are so many people outside our walls who have never experienced having a church family. Many do not know what they are missing and we definitely don't need to keep it to ourselves. We should always be willing to share the gospel, of course, but we also should be willing to invite people and share the joy of having a church family.
Singles Beach Retreat - June 7-11
Singles Monthly Covered Dish Lunch- June 25th
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Children's Ministry
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
June 12-16
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
VBS is open to the public for children
4 years old thru (going into) 6th grade.
Babies to 3 years old is for workers children only.
Click
here for registration form.
VBS CHURCH-WIDE FAMILY NIGHT
June 14
at the East Campus
SUPPER & GAMES at 5:00 p.m.
(Bring your lawn chairs.)
Cost: $4.00
Hamburger Plate or 2 Hot Dogs Plate
including chips, cookie & drink
Purchase your hamburger or hot dog tickets
from a VBS child in the worship center lobby,
in the church office, or call the church office to make reservations.
DEADLINE: Noon Wednesday, June 14.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
Begins at 6:00 p.m. in the East Campus Auditorium
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55 and Older Join Us For These Upcoming Events...
We
will no
t have a luncheon in June
due to many of our senior adults working in
VBS.
The Mystery Trip will be Thursday, June 22.
Watch the bulletin for sign up information, cost, and departure time. For a reservation give a check made out to Woodmont to Jim Green or Joyce in the office.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, July 20
for our Monthly Luncheon.
It will be a catered meal and the cost will be $7 each.
Our speaker will be Gary Green, and his topic will focus on our military.
You will not want to miss this interesting and educational program.
Sign up will be in the breezeway and pay the day of the luncheon.
Please remember that if you sign up for a catered meal, or one that costs $5
and do not attend, we ask that you please pay your money to
Jim Green or Frances Moore.
Thanks,
Frances
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New Members
Andy & Jennifer Bryant, Letter Kenzy Butler, Baptism Judy Davis, Baptism
Johnathon Hodges, Statement Chloe Puryear, Baptism Taylor Whitlock, Watchcare
Tyler Wilson, Watchcare
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| 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."
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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
Angela Riddle
Receptionist/Music Secretary
Carla Hamm,
Finance
Marilyn Nelson,
Communications Secretary/Education Secretary
Custodian
Latricia Hensley,
Children's Church
Cindy Ferson,
Children's Church
Jennifer Jones, King's Kids Director
Becky Foster,
Pianist/Orchestra Director
Virginia Moore,
Organist
Jason Staggs,
Technical Director
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