E-Encourager

North Grand River Baptist Association

The Encourager 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Volume 41, Number 3

March, 2017

“Churches working together to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.”“Churches working together to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.”“Churches working together to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.”“Churches working together to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.” Matthew 28:18Matthew 28:18Matthew 28:18Matthew 28:18----20202020

North Grand River Baptist Association’s Purpose- “To mutually and prayerfully support, encourage and challenge one another as churches to exalt Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to edify and equip His disciples to serve him and one another, and to evangelize those who have yet to come to know Him personally.” Matthew 28:19-20

Alpha Edinburg

Gallatin

Galt Jamesport

Laredo

Lineville Medicine Valley

Mercer

Modena Princeton

Ravanna

Rural Dale Salem

Shelburne

Spickard* Tenth Street

Trenton First

Union

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March 12 March 20

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As we move into the month of March we begin to prepare our hearts for giv-

ing to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. I am excited to see how God

uses the churches in our association to help fund our North American Mis-

sionaries. I feel it is very important to help financially support our brothers

and sisters serving as church planters, in inner city missions, and all the wonderful mission en-

deavors taking place throughout our great land. But is it enough? Are we doing all we are

called to do?

I am afraid that our modern mindset has made it all too easy for us to just write a check and

pass the buck (in more ways than one). We often have the thought that a missionary is some-

one who is called and sent to some other region to do God’s work. Often times this is very

true. But we frequently overlook the fact that EVERY Christian is called to be a missionary.

We have a mission field in our homes, our workplaces, the grocery store, the gas station, all

around us. We come in contact everyday with individuals who are lost and in need of the gos-

pel of Jesus Christ. When was the last time you took the opportunity to share the life changing

love of Christ with someone? Giving to missions is wonderful, but failing to be the missionary

God has called you and I to be is unfathomable!

Spurgeon said in a sermon “Every Christian here is either a missionary or an imposter…You ei-

ther try to spread abroad the Kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love Him at all. It cannot

be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about Him.” As you

prepare to give to the Annie Armstrong Offering, ask God to prepare your heart and mind to

be a missionary in your neighborhood. Don’t just pass the buck, share Jesus daily!

Blessings,

Brad Prater

Pastors Prayer & Fellowship Time

at Pizza Hut 2nd Monday

of each month

Pastor’s Fellowship

Monday, March 6, 2017

6:30 pm

Mission Center

Pastor’s please come and join us as we have a devo-tional time, prayer and fellowship together. There will not be food this time. Garret Trunk NGR Pastoral Ministry Director

North Grand River Association Council Meeting– March 20, 2017

7:00 pm at the Mission Center

For all department directors of NGR

Each month we will have an article from a pastor in our association on this page during the

transition time of our association.

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NEW! 52 Bible Verses You Should Have

In Your Heart- $8.50

Bibles– Bible Covers

Just Released “Priceless” DVD

2017 Calendars– 50% off NGR price

Check out other DVD’s that are available Several Children’s DVD’s & CD’s

God and Me Devotions for Girls

“Devotions with Priscilla Shirer” CD- $7.00

Car Accessories-

Window decals beginning at $2.50 Car Visor Clips

Easter Boxed Cards Cross Bookmarks

Easter Story CD- $8.00

NEW! Magnet Bookmarks– including crosses

BEGINNING IN

MARCH

MONTHLY PRAYER

BREAKFAST

FOR MEN & WOMEN

Led by Steve Dennis

NGR Prayer Director

Union (Coon Creek) Baptist Church

Saturday, 8:00 am

March 18, 2016

All Men & Women Invited!

Following Breakfast there will be a devotion followed by a time of prayer for our churches, association and our country. We encourage all men and women to come and join together in a time of prayer and fellowship.

12 Josh Gottman 20 Diann Barnes 25 Deryl & Linda Niffen 28 Cyndy Munday 29 Ron Ratliff

175th NGR Anniversary Clear Cups

$1.00 Available at the

NGR Mission Center

Volunteers Needed!

Medicine Valley Community Ministry needs volun-teers to help with the preparation and distribution of the Food Pantry Ministry

March dates to help with food

distribution at Medicine Valley Community

Ministry March 14– Prepare Boxes at New-town Baptist Chapel– 9 am to noon

March 16th– Food Distribution

RA Congress

April 14-15, 2017

Sedalia Fairgrounds

A missions camping experi-

ence with competitive ac-

tivities for boys grades 1st-

6th.

More Info:

http://mobaptist.org/wmu/ or contact

Teri Broeker

217-779-3396

tbroeker@marktwain.net

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February 2017 Associational WMU Meeting

The group met February 14 at the Mission Center for their monthly meeting on Valentine’s Day so that

we could send out special cups of appreciation to local businesses on that special day. Part of the meet-

ing was spent on preparing the cups.

We opened our meeting with prayer requests and many were offered up. Of special note we prayed for

our government, Dan Wilford on mission in Nicaragua and Medicine Valley Ministry, and Doris Pilcher

who has been ill. A special guest Carolyn Houts, the regional WMU consultant was present and requested healing for

her lungs that had been inflamed and caused her to be on oxygen. Two praises were offered up, Bev and Jim Martin’s

apartment ministry in Jamesport and Shelly Sims’ recent trip to Haiti.

The group decided to make baskets at the March meeting to take to the April Annual Missions celebration in April. The

baskets will be part of a silent auction to benefit the Alberta Gilpen Missionary Fund. The baskets will be fabric, tea

and books, bath and body products or any combination of those. The items needed are sewing notions, cotton fabric at

least 1/3 of a yard, boxed tea, Christian books, bath and body objects and possibly a cute tea pot.

Future events to remember:

March 21, 10:30 am Associational WMU meeting at the mission center.

April 7-8 Annual WMU Mission Celebration in Lebanon Missouri.

Virginia Crumpacker gave the devotional from Isaiah 42 and led the prayer for birthday missionaries.

A carry in lunch was enjoyed by all.

Verse for today, Isaiah 42:10a: Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth!

A sister in Christ

Shelly Sims

Northwest Disaster Relief Training

March 10– March 11, 2017

Pleasant Valley Baptist 1600 N 291 Hwy

Liberty, MO 64068-1012

Trainings offered include: Introduction to Disaster Relief, Chaplaincy (previous callout experience required), Chainsaw, Mud-out, Chil-dren’s Response, Mass Care-Feeding Unit, Communication, Shower, Blue Hat and assess-ment. 1st time registration $40; Cross Training or Re-certification $20. Chaplaincy and Blue Hat train-ing courses are an additional $10. Register online at www.mobaptist.org/dr or call MBC at 800-736-6227 ext 317.

2017 Missions Celebration and

Annual Meeting

First Baptist Church, Lebanon, MO

April 7-8, 2017

Costs: Early Bird Registration: $30 -Before March 24, 2017

Registration Fee: $40 Friday Only: $25 Saturday Only: $20 Students (Grade 7-College): $10 Saturday “To Go Lunch”: $6/person (turkey/cheese hoa-gie, chips, apple, cookie, bottled water)

Registrations are transferable, not refundable.

Events Include: Missionary Speakers, Breakout Ses-sions. WMU Age Level Training, Praise and Worship, On-site Bookstore, Missions Exhibit Hall, Madge Truex Fund Offering, Silent Auction Baskets (Alberta Gilpin Fund)

Free childcare available by reserving a place for your children with Angie Hurd. Contact Angie Hurd at ab-hurd@swbell.net or call Angie at 314-540-2983.

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Hello friends!

This semester has been amazing! We already are preparing for our spring break mission trip to Springfield, Mo to work with Go:61 minis-try. We have several students going.

The Canada mission trip will be here before we know it! We have an informational meeting March 11th @ 2:00 pm. We will need donations like food, game prizes, school supplies, Bibles etc. If you are interested in donating please contact me.

God has really been moving this semester, we have seen the love God on campus.

I already have two confirmed summer missionaries so far. I plan to have three total. If your church has scheduled your VBS and you would like a summer missionary, please contact me by the first of May. It's first come first serve for the summer mis-sions schedule.

I want to thank all of you personally for your prayers for my family.

May God continue to move on this campus!

Thank you,

Christina Boatright

Colossians 1:15-16: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

North Grand River Special Friends VBS April 30th– 3:30-8:00 pm

Coon Creek (Union) Baptist Church

FOR ALL AGES

There will be a light supper, music, Bible Study and activities

MARK YOUR CALENDAR-

NGR VBS Fair Clinic

Monday, April 3, 2017- 6:30 pm

Trenton First Baptist Church

NGR Director:

Dianna Crawford

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Gallatin- The Keenagers will meet at the church on Thursday, March 2nd for our monthly noon luncheon. Pork tenderloin and hash brown casserole will be on the menu. If you have never attended a Keenagers luncheon or have not been to one in a long time, please come and join us for a time of good food, fun, and fellowship!

Servant's of the Most High will be in concert at Gallatin First Baptist Church on Sunday, March 19 at 6 pm.

JOY Youth will have a movie night on Saturday, March 18 from 5 to 7 pm. Our JOY Youth will also be attending a Youth Event hosted by Lake Viking Church at the Cameron YMCA on Saturday, March 25 from 2 to 5 pm, where there will be fellowship, skating and two bands will be performing.

Trenton FBC– Our Children’s and Adult Choir have been busy preparing for Easter services. Both choirs will be doing a special together on Palm Sunday.

The AWANA’s, Area 56 and Youth Ministry have been very busy. The youth went snow tubing on Mon-day, February 20th, even though the temperatures were in the upper 60’s and low 70’s.

On Sunday, February 19th, for WMU Focus Week, awards were presented to the GA’s, RA’s and Mis-sion Friends.

Two of our members went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. We have a team going February 27-28 to Illinois to help with “Love Packages”. They send used literature that will reach over 60 million peo-ple. Plans continue to be made for the mission trips to Canada and Nicaragua.

The Wednesday night Bible Study is on the book of Daniel. The ladies have a Bible Study and Prayer time on Thursday evenings. We invite you to come and join us.

Union- We started back up our Wednesday night Children’s Church at 6:00 pm. Missed them very much.

On Monday, March 6th, the Associational VBS Team will be going to the clinic in Chillicothe this year– Gallactic Starveryor’s.

March 18th we are hosting the Associational Prayer Breakfast.

March 25th we will be holding our Wild Game Supper at 6:00 pm. Our special speaker is David Linn of 9th Hour.

We go to Eastview Nursing Home every 3rd Sunday of the month, plus doing Sunnyview on March 5th.

We serve Celebrate Recovery meal once a month.

We also will be doing the Thrift Store every Friday and Saturday in April. We did the BSU Luncheon on February 22nd as no one had signed up and we will be serving on April 5th.

On April 30th we will be hosting the NGR Special Friends VBS for all ages, from 3:30—8:00 pm. We will have a special guest speaker.

Be praying for VBS and Camp.

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North Grand River Baptist Association

1108 N Main

Trenton, MO 64683 Ministry Assistant

Fax: 660.359.0200 Debbie Dickinson

E-Mail: ngrmission@sbcglobal.net BSU Interim Director

Telephone – 660.359.3897 Christina Boatright

January 2016 Reports

Monthly Inc.

BSU Inc. SS AM PM Weds.

Alpha $ 91.90 $ 25.00 9:30 10:30 6:30 7:00

Edinburg 10:00 11:00 6:00 7:00

Gallatin $ 600.06 $ 50.00 9:30 10:40 6:00 7:00

Galt $ 259.00 $ 50.00 10:00 11:00 6:00 7:00

Jamesport 9:45 10:45 7:00 7:00

Laredo $ 191.00 $ 50.00 9:30 10:30 6:30 6:00

Lineville $ 121.80 $ 25.00 9:45 10:45 6:00 6:00

M. Valley 9:30 10:30 6:00

Mercer $ 125.95 $ 25.00 9:30 10:30 6:30 6:30

Modena $ 85.19 $ 150.00 10:00 10:40 6:00 6:00

Princeton $ 305.34 $ 80.00 9:40 10:40 7:00 6:00

Ravanna $ 106.82 $ 43.78 9:30 10:45

Rural Dale $ 770.42 $ 75.00 9:45 10:45 5:00 6:00

Salem $ 104.23 $ 25.00 10:00 11:00 6:00

Shelburne $ 526.14 $ 75.00 10:00 10:55 6:00 6:30

Spickard $ 25.00 9:30 10:30

Tenth St. 9:30 10:30 6:00 7:00

Trenton FB $ 976.69 $ 97.67 9:30 10:40 6:00 6:00

Union $ 298.48 $ 200.00 10:00 11:00 6:00 6:00

Total $4,588.02 $ 971.45 Join any of these churches in worship

Chilli, FBC $ 45.00

Gilman BC $ 200.00

Milan FBC $ 136.14

Zion $ 25.00

January 2017 NGR Account Beginning Balance $41,226.25 Income $9,536.84 Total $50,763.09 Expenses $12,109.31 Ending Balance $38,653.78

Line Items in NGR Checking NGR Designated Funds $9,875.44 NGR General Fund $20,486.57 BSU Line Item Balance $8,291.77

NGR October 2016-January 2017 (Includes BSU & Designated Funds)

Income $56,885.87 Expenses $46,820.30 Difference $10,065.57

Seminary Checking $144.21 Seminary Savings $2,307.12

Benevolent Savings $794.52

NGR Savings $1,256.40

BSU– January– Income to Expense Beginning Balance $8.049.83 Income $1,579.59 Total $9,629.42 Expenses $1,337.65 Ending Balance $8,291.77 General BSU Fund $7,972.99 Designated BSU Fund– Canada $318.78

NOTE: BSU included in NGR Account below.

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