Worship Schedule

Bible Study 9:30 a.m.

Worship Services 8:15 & 10:45 a.m.

MARCH 2012

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 3

Inserts:

* Calendar of Events * Birthdays

* Anniversaries * Preschool Newsletter

Inside this issue:

From the Pastor 2

Easter

Extravaganza 3

Noteworthy 4

Notes for Life 5

Student Stuff 6

F.A.I.T.H.

Riders 7

Food Pantry 7

Women’s

Ministry 8

Stewardship

News 9

GPBC on

Mission 10

Prayers 11

Financial Corner 11

Deacon’s

Corner 11

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering

This Years Theme: “Whatever It Takes”

Our Church Goal: $4,000

Please pray about your part in this offering.

“A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum,

the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers

that there was no room left, no even outside the door, and he preached the word

to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the

crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by

digging through it and then lowered the mat the man

was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to

the paralyzed man, “Son , your sins are forgiven.”

– Mark 2:1-59:36-38 (NIV)

Students

Living

A

Mission

Our theme “Students Living A Mission” deals with the question

“What Does It Mean to Live A Christian Life” The weekend will be

stuffed full of excellent Bible studies taught by awesome youth leaders,

fabulous fun, wild activities and significant time with friends -

all designed to help communicate our purpose in life. It’s our

desire to better live out what Jesus has done for us.

Greetings,

We have had a number of Leadership MeetingsLeadership MeetingsLeadership MeetingsLeadership Meetings this last week for the purposes of

assessing our present space needs in Worship and Bible Study. We came to the

conclusion that we were headed for a disaster in worship, especially on Easter, if we didn't do something to

account for the larger crowds that we will be having. Over the last couple of years, we have typically aver-

aged over a hundred extra visitors on Easter Sunday. We are predicting even more this year due to the fact

that we will be having several thousand people here for Easter Extravaganza the day before Easter on April

7, some of whom will be coming back the next day for Easter Services. With that being said, along with

the fact that our attendances on Sunday have been averaging close to 400 people anyway, we realized that

we were going to have to do something to literally keep from having to turn people away on Easter Sunday

and beyond.

The unanimous decisionThe unanimous decisionThe unanimous decisionThe unanimous decision of our leadership is that we need to do something structurally different to prepare

for Easter and the days ahead. After meeting with the Ministry Team, Worship Team, Staff, and Sunday

School Council, we believe that it is time to go to three services and two Sunday Schools on a "permanent"

basis beginning Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012. The three worship services will meet at 8:15, 9:30, and

10:45 a.m. We have hit a ceiling in our present building space and structure that will require us to either

build a new building or to change the present use of our current space. We will one day soon be building a

new building, but that is obviously not possible quite yet. By going to three services and two Sunday

Schools now, it will almost be like building a new Worship Center and Educational Building. For all prac-

tical purposes this structural change will allow 250 more people to study God's Word in Bible Study (17

class rooms), and will provide space for 200 more people to worship the Lord every Sunday. That's excit-

ing!!!! That is what our Mission Statement is all about.

The Challenge:The Challenge:The Challenge:The Challenge: We need to open up about 120 to 140 seats in our 10:45 a.m. service to accommo-

date those who we believe will be coming to church on Easter and over the weeks and months ahead. The

problem is that we just can't begin a new worship service at 9:30 a.m., on Sundays and expect 120-140

people to attend. Who is going to come? Visitors? Not likely. Most of them will usually attend

the 10:45 a.m. service. How about our main core-group of people? No, they are mostly in Sunday

School during that time. So, what do we do? The solution lies in having two Sunday School times at

both 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. with at least 120 people attending the later Sunday School to give them

the opportunity to attend worship in the new 9:30 a.m. service.

This means that beginning on April 1, we will be having two Sunday School timeswe will be having two Sunday School timeswe will be having two Sunday School timeswe will be having two Sunday School times for which people will be

meeting for Bible Study. Some of our classes will meet at 9:30 a.m. while others will meet at 10:45

a.m. You say, ok, which ones meet when and where? Well, that's what our Sunday School Council

Page 2 Volume 11 Issue 3

Continue ->

Page 3 GPBC Newsletter

worked on this last Saturday as they decided which times would work best for which classes. There are so

many things to be considered. Some class placements were made based on there being inter-connected as

parents and children; others were decided based on what age Sunday School Classes typically attend which

worship services. Everything has to be decided in the best interest of the larger church and Sunday School,

and especially in the best interest of balancing the three worship services. Brent's article in this Newsletter

contains the new structure for our new Sunday School. In it you will see what we have tentatively set forth

as a starting place for this new structural change. Some of the class times are being tweaked as we speak,

but this is where we are at right now. You will be getting constant updates between now and Sunday, April

1st.

Obviously, this is going to mean a changethis is going to mean a changethis is going to mean a changethis is going to mean a change for a number of us. For some it will mean a change of time and

for others a change in location. As Parkies, though, we love change. That's because it almost always means

that we have a greater opportunity to reach and minister to people. This new structure will be like receiving

a new multi-million dollar facility for free as we optimize the maximum usage of our present buildings and

facilities. That's a good thing, even as we prove ourselves to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us

as His people. Please remember, that we will be tweaking many of these decisions as we go along and as

our numbers change. The key is that we must be flexible and committed to what the Lord has led us to

do.

As we approach the launch of doing three worship services and two Sunday Schools, ourourourour success as a success as a success as a success as a

church will greatly depend uponchurch will greatly depend uponchurch will greatly depend uponchurch will greatly depend upon howhowhowhow flexibleflexibleflexibleflexible we are able to be through the process. We have a lot of chal-

lenges before us, to say nothing of a lot of hard work. Things are not going to go perfect and we will have a

number of inconveniences to deal with. Just knowing that God will use all of this to take us to the next

level of where He wants us to be as a church is exciting. God bless us as we begin this new chapter in the

life of our church together.

Blessing Ahead,

Pastor Randy

Easter Extravaganza ~ Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

You won’t want to miss out on all the fun, with 20,000 Eggs, Bounce Houses, Games,

Crafts, Face Painting, Children’s Petting Zoo, & Snacks for both parents and children.

Please feel free to call the church office for more information, at 747-7196.

Last month I told you that “my excitement over new sound equipment went beyond quality and coverage to another level”. Although the tweaking of the new system is ongoing, I still feel that way. I further stated that it extended to, “being humbled by God’s blessings upon our church”. I still feel that way too. Because of those bless-ings, I am now burdened (in a good way) to encourage us all to remember and repeat our mission state-ment, “To Know Christ and Make Him Known”, as a mantra for the days and weeks to come. We will need to do this because our church staff, church leaders, and congregation will be striving to be obedient to both of it’s core values, “To Know Christ and Make Him Known”.

As you no doubt will be reading in other articles in this month’s newsletter, much of the church staff and leadership have already had meetings to decide and affirm that we need three worship services on an ongo-ing basis to provide space to fulfill our mission statement. I have been overwhelmed by the support of eve-ryone involved to stay true to our mission AND the great commission!! Yes, we are changing. Yes, we are growing. Yes, it may be painful. Yes, it will be done in obedience to God’s Word. Our mission statement is only a reflection of God’s commission statement for us:

The most familiar version of the Great Commission is depicted in Matthew 28:16-20:

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Other versions of the Great Commission are found in Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, Acts 1:4-8, and John 20:19-23. All these passages are composed as words of Christ spoken after his resurrection.

Can we afford to stay in our comfort zones as God tries to do a work in and through us at GPBC? Can we say no to different or more work if it means being obedient to His Word? Should we turn away growing numbers for His kingdom? GPBC has been blessed with enough worshippers for Sunday morning services that we must add another service to feed growing numbers and make room for more. If we do not, research shows that we will plateau and decline in a repeated cycle around the current benchmark of 400 in worship. Let’s all join together in a spirit of harmony and flexibility to this exciting new chapter in the life of our church.

In His Service, David

Page 4 Volume 11 Issue 3

Knowing Christ & Making Him Known

I have heard it argued that, “Sunday School is dead; that it’s just too inflexible to function at a high level today and can actually keep you from your mission to grow and make disciples.” My fellow Parkies, I’m here to tell you that not only is our Sunday School department active

and growing, but our Sunday School classes will actually be one of the primary vehicles (structurally & functionally) that will help to lead Grover Park into a three service structure which will enable us to con-tinue to fulfill our mission statement of Knowing Christ & Making Him Known. In a great testament to our Sunday School teachers and leadership, we voted unanimously that this structural shift in going to two Sunday School time slots was vital in allowing our church the space and freedom to continue to grow. We all know that with all things good, there will be a few growing pains along the way that we will discover and adjust to accordingly. But, I have never been a part of a church more united and willing to lay down their comforts to better be the hands and feet of Christ in a community than here at Grover Park. On Palm Sunday, Sunday April 1st (no it’s not a joke), we will adjust our Sunday School class meeting times to the schedule below. In doing so we will open around 120 seats in the 10:45am worship service to provide room for growth and we will also ensure that our 9:30am worship service will be vibrant with over 125 worship-ers present. Our desire is to continue to plant classes and provide every member and visitor of Grover Park Baptist Church the opportunity to know the joys, depth, and fellowship of a Christ centered Sunday School class. This new structure actually allows us the space to plant 17 new Sunday School classes in the next few years ahead! To build such a building would require thousands if not millions of dollars. The only cost this will bring us is perhaps a few growing pains and minor inconveniences for a time. Unquestionably, God is good. If you have any questions concerning our coming Sunday School structure, please don’t hesi-tate to contact myself or our Sunday School Director Jeff Gibson. All Children & Preschool classes will stay on the same schedule with Sunday School at 9:30am and Preschool & Children’s Church at 10:45am 9:30 a.m. Sunday School’s • Adult 6 Class in room 220 • Adult 5 Class in room 210 • Young Couples Class in room 340 • 8 Week Arise Class for adults of all ages in the FLC Room 101

10:45 a.m. Sunday School’s (Note that we did our best to pair the youth classes & the classes that currently have parents of youth together at the same time) • Middle School & High School Classes in The Park • Couples Class in room 330 • Adult 3 Class in room 320 • Wild Bunch Class in the FLC Mobile Screenflex Class 1 • Girlfriends Class in room 310 • Men’s Class in room 200 (tentatively) • Faith Riders Class in the FLC room 101 • Journey College & Career Class in the FLC Room’s 102-103 • Helping Hands Class in room 220 Prayerfully & Joyfully Knowing Christ & Making Him Known, Brent Bullard Jeff Gibson Minister of Youth & Education Sunday School Director

Page 5 Volume 11 Issue 3

Students Living A Mission SLAM Weekend is finally upon us. From March 9th - 11th dozens of students, some of which will have never darkened

a church door before, will invade the homes of five Parkie families. Those homes will be staffed by other Parkies who

love the Lord and want to have a good time sharing Him with students. At dinner time our kids will eat meals pre-

pared or purchased by Parkie Sunday School classes. For our epic Saturday game, Parkies will be giving of their time

and energy to transport the students all across Warrensburg. When we talk about SLAM Weekend, our goal is to help

instill within our students the fact that Jesus Christ has called and commissioned them to live their lives on mission for

Him right now where they are. What’s so neat to me is that SLAM Weekend wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for our

church family who chooses to live on mission to begin with. A great example is the cost. Most churches have to charge

their students $35-75 dollars to be a part of a weekend like this to cover all the costs. Since our church furnishes much

of the leadership, food, and budget to absorb the cost, the price is only a fraction of that. Additionally, many of you

within the church scholarship anyone and everyone who simply desires to come. Grover Park is a church that lives on

mission for the Lord. In our student lessons we will be unpacking 5 Biblical images the New Testament uses in de-

scribing our identity in Christ: sheep to a shepherd, the loyalty of a solider, the determination of a farmer, the heart of

a servant, and the discipline of an athlete. HOW CAN YOU HELP WITH SLAM? More than anything, we need

prayer. Please make a daily commitment to pray: for our leaders and host homes to be healthy and rested, for our

church students to have the courage to invite their peers, for the Spirit of God to be working on the hearts of both un-

believing parents and students alike, and finally for God to receive all glory for the fruit that will be reaped at SLAM

Weekend. By the grace of God may we never cease to be a church on mission.

Page 6 GPBC Newsletter

Key Dates @ The Park:

• Wednesday March 7th: SLAM Kickoff Night from 6:30 - 7:35 p.m. (Meet your leaders & get your t-shirt)

• Friday March 9th - 11th: SLAM Weekend will begin @ 6:00 p.m. from the Park

• Sunday March 11th: No Family Crossfire due to SLAM Weekend

• Monday March 12th: No Memory Monday, rest up from SLAM Weekend

• Sunday March 18th: FREE Youth & Pathfinder Lunch after the worship service

• Friday March 30th: Party @ The Park from 7 - 9 p.m.

• Saturday April 21st: Burg Serve Day from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• June 25th - 29th: Youth Camp for students who have completed 6th - 12th grade

(Put me on your fridge :-)

Weekly Schedule @ The Park:

• Sunday Morning Breakfast w/Jesus @ 9:30 a.m. for middle school & high schoolers. Join us we continue to swim in

the wisdom of Proverbs.

• Sunday Night Family Crossfire @ 6:00 p.m. for all parents/guardians and youth to come worship, laugh, snack, and

learn together.

• Monday after school Memory Monday from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. Represent Christ by becoming a better student and

having a good time doing it.

• Wednesday Night Huddles from 6:30 - 7:40 p.m. Our doors open at 5:15 p.m. for a short time of prayer before

dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. Afterwards hang out and get to know each other before Huddles begin where we

worship together, learn together, & own our faith.

Save Labels for Cash!

Save your Best Choice

Labels and place them

in the Jar in the Foyer on the

Information table and raise money

for our Youth Group! Every label

saved is worth six cents.

F.A.I.T.H. Riders

“Bike Night”

March 22, at 6:00 p.m.

Please feel free to contact

Kevin Colburn for more information,

at 909-9415 or email,

at faithriders2007@yahoo.com

Food Pantry Needs

On Sunday March 18, we will

be collecting Non-Perishable

Food Items, Paper Products, & Cleaning

supplies., for the Food Pantry.

The Food Pantry services an average of 475 families

per month and a high of 545 last November.

The churches, school, businesses and

the University in Johnson County

participate in the effort.

The Food Pantry will be open Sunday, February 5,

from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. to accept donations. The

canned goods can be things other than soup, such

as vegetables, meat, and fruit (any canned foods)

Please remember those in need

in our Community by donating!

Page 7 Volume 11 Issue 3

Nursing Home

Ministry

Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Please feel free to

contact Gene Short, at 429-1214,

for more information.

Hello Grover Park,

The helping hands class is a great success, and we would like to tell you how. First

we would like to say that we have a great gathering of adults and as well as an awe-

some group of team leaders. Before the class started we decided to have a "get to

know you" party and we went bowling at the Union. We had a blast! We ate pizza

and candy bars, and of course, bowled. Everyone did great at bowling, but we would

have to say that Michelle Scott left us in the dust. She claims that she hasn't been bowling for a while,

but after seeing that score, we're not so sure. :) As you know, this class places a heavy emphasizes on

community outreach. We recently made Valentines cards and went to the Crest Ridge nursing home

to pass them out and visit. We all enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the residents. This class is

such a blessing. We would like to thank all of you who prayed about this class coming together and to

everyone who helped set the wheels in motion.

Thanks again!

Gina, Brenda, Kevine, Valerie

Our annual Women’s Spring Retreat Weekend is

April 27-29, 2012.

Faithful Abundant True Three Lives Going Deeper Still

Join Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer in a Women’s Bible Study recorded live.

Kay Arthur teaches from much of the book of Hebrews, which is both an example of God’s faithfulness and a challenge to

believers to be faithful in difficult times.

Priscilla Shirer teaches from Ephesians 3:20-21 on God’s abundance. A fundamental basis for every believer is the

absolute reality that God can do whatever He chooses to do. God’s ability empowers our faithfulness.

Beth Moore teaches on the topic of discernment. In these difficult days, it is absolutely essential that we learn to trust the Holy Spirit

to enable us to determine what is true and what is false.

While these three women each speak on the distinctive topic the Holy Spirit had lead them to teach, the messages result in a marvelous blend. Kay challenges us to faithfulness in difficult days.

Priscilla points to the essential of trust in God’s ability, and Beth teaches on how to discern truth from error in these difficult days.

Cost this year is $90 ~ This includes~

2 nights lodging, All Saturday Meals. Sunday Morning Meal, & Registration Fees

~ Please sign-up and make your $10 deposit when you turn in your registration form (available on information table or in office). Payments should be made in the church office.

~ Space is limited so sign up now! ~

Plug In!

Where do you want to be plugged in at GPBC? Opportunity abounds!

Page 8 Volume 11 Issue 3

Please feel free to contact Melissa Gower, at 238-0212 or pmgower@embarqmail.com, or

Linda Hargenrader, at 747-0777 or hargen95@embarqmail.com if you have any questions,

or are interested in becoming a part of the Women’s Ministry.

Women’sWomen’sWomen’sWomen’s

MinistryMinistryMinistryMinistry

Coming In May!

We will be starting a six week Bible Study by Beth Moore entitled: “James: Mercy Triumphs”.

Stewardship News This month our emphasis extends to the national and international ministry out-reach of the Southern Baptist Convention through the Cooperative Program (CP). The following is excerpted from SBC Cooperative Program sources.

Since its inception in 1845, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has always had one mission—the Great

Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). To fulfill its assigned part of this divine mandate, each SBC entity made special

offering appeals to the churches.

In 1919, the leaders of the SBC proposed the 75 Million Campaign, a five-year pledge campaign that, for the

first time, included everything—the missions and ministries of all the state conventions as well as that of the

Southern Baptist Convention. Though falling short of its goals, a God-given partnership of missions support

was conceived—The Cooperative Program.

How does the program work? Simply put, it begins with you. You give yourself first to God (2 Cor. 8:5). Next, out of gratitude and obedience to God for what He has done, you commit to give back to Him, through your church, a portion of what He provides. Our church decides the next step. Every year our church prayer-fully decides how much of its undesignated gifts will be committed to reaching people in our state and around the world through the Cooperative Program. This amount, nine percent of our budget, is then forwarded to our state Baptist convention.

During the annual meeting of our state convention, messengers from our church and other churches across the state decide what percentage of gifts stays in our state and what percentage is forwarded for North American and international ministries. At the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, messengers from across the country decide how the gifts received from the states will be distributed among SBC entities. People around the world hear the gospel and receive Christ!

Churches in our state work together through our state convention to support a wide array of ministries and mis-sions. Through the International Mission Board (www.imb.org), Southern Baptists support approximately 5,624 missionaries who are engaging 655 people groups worldwide. In North America, new churches number-ing over 1,364 are planted through more than 5,304 missionaries from the North American Mission Board (www.namb.net).

Six Southern Baptist seminaries (Southern, Southeastern, Midwestern, Southwestern, Golden Gate, and New Orleans) educate in excess of 16,000 pastors, missionaries, and future church leaders each year.

To help the Cooperative Program reach its potential, would you please:

• Pray. Pray regularly for Southern Baptist missionaries in our state and around the globe. “Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers.” Matthew 9:38

• Go. Be involved in some sort of missions endeavor. Talk with your pastor about the available opportunities. You are God’s missionary right where you live. “Go...and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19

• Give. Out of love for the Lord, give regularly to Him. If you are not tithing, begin to do so and also discover the blessings of giving beyond the tithe. God is good!

Page 9 Volume 11 Issue 3

GPBC on Mission

Page 10 GPBC Newsletter

“Whatever It Takes”

“Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men. Since they were not able to

bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was,

seeing their faith; Jesus told the paralytic, son, your sings are forgiven.” - Mark 2:1-5

Southern Baptist Missionaries are like those friends holding the mat of the paralytic - willing and

determined to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus. They recognize that those who need

Jesus need more than to be pointed in the right direction - they need someone who will invest

in their lives and who will walk with them (or carry them) to His presence.

But they can’t do it alone. They need our prayers, support and commitment.

The week of prayer for the “Annie Armstrong Easter Offering”

is March 4-11, 2012. Who was “Annie Armstrong”? She was a passionate

advocate for missionaries and their work. Annie Armstrong is one of

Southern Baptist Heroes. She championed missions involvement, and she

gave personally and sacrificially of her time and talents to see the gospel

go forward throughout the world. As founder of the WMU, Annie’s

commitment to doing whatever it takes has created a rich legacy of people who were awakened

and responded to the call of the gospel and the missions mandate to take it throughout the world.

That legacy continues in the lives of modern-day missions champions who pray fervently give generously

and go continuously to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Activities for March feature two work nights, March 15th & 29th. We will meet in the

Family Life Center at 6:30 p.m. Our main focus at these sessions will be making

pillow case dresses. We have 2 Foreign Missions in the works - Peru and Haiti.

Please bring your portable sewing machines, scissors, thread, pins and any trip you have.

We have plenty of pillow cases, we just need the workers.

We will also providing snacks for the BSU students the evening of March 29th.

There will be a sign up sheet available a couple of weeks prior to the event.

April 14th, we will be helping with the weekly game night at the

Kansas City Rescue Center. We are limited to the number of people that

can attend due to the small area they have available. If you are interested

please give Jeannie Campbell a call, at 238-6501.

A Hugh Thank You to everyone that has been involved with our annual Mission Festival.

We are so blessed to have a church that has such mission goals.

There are many plans for the upcoming months that can involve all of you.

Our Dover Date is set for August 19th. Be sure and mark your calendars.

Grover Park Baptist Church

409 N. Mitchell

Warrensburg, MO 64093

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Warrensburg, MO 64093

Permit No. 151

Our Staff…

Dr. Randall S. Neal - Senior Pastor David Robinson - Music Minister

Brent Bullard - Minister of Youth & Education Mark Wigginton - Assistant Youth Pastor, Intern.

Tammy Shirley - Administrative Assistant Debbie Maguffee & Ray Fann - Custodians

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday

Bible Study 9:30 a.m. & Worship 8:15 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.

Shepherd's Place (Children) 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday

Dinner 5:30 p.m., Family Worship Night 6:30 p.m.

Children - R.A.’s / G.A.’s 6:30 p.m.

NEW MEMBERS

Steven Wyatt

Sarah Sheteron