1

Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Baptist Baptist Baptist Baptist ChurchChurchChurchChurch

THE ACORNTHE ACORNTHE ACORNTHE ACORN January January January January 2013201320132013

Located at: 2965 Oakland Church Rd.

Gum Spring, VA 23065

On the web at: www.Oakland-Baptist.com

Office: 804-556-3550

From The Pastor’s Pen... Happy New Year! I like the sound of that! If you are reading this, it means that the world didn’t come to an end as the Mayan’s supposedly said it would! It also means that you “survived” the Christmas season. Imagine such a thing! We’re still here. For well over 2,000 years people like you and me have been expecting Jesus to return just because He said that He would. Yet, the prognosticators of the past have been wrong. Attempts to decipher the end of times have been a waste of time. If they only read further... “no one knows the hour nor the day...” (Mt. 24:36) then they surely would have known. The holiday season is always difficult. Depression, heartache, and precious memories seem to fill our lives. I’m not immune to those feelings as the past month had difficult memorial days for me as we said good-bye to both my parents in December months within the past few years.... but there is reason to not be consumed by the difficulties of days gone by. They are gone... not to be lived again, but rather, to have been used as unforgettable learning experiences. We will never forget the life of Edith Wheedleton as a significant part of our church family. Saying “so-long” to her was difficult. For more than 50 years her presence was known at Oakland. She served in Sunday School, as the church treasurer, and in many other capacities. She will be missed, but I know that she will greet us again one day just as if she were greeting us when we would walk through the doors at Oakland. We will never forget the tragedy in Connecticut as innocent lives fell victim to evil. I listened with intensity to the details on that dark Friday afternoon. I wondered what would cause a young man to disrupt the lives of so many families just 10 days before Christmas. I saw horror on faces, heard gasps of disbelief, and saw tears from the normally stoic news commentators, probably with thoughts of their own children and loved ones. Through it all, as believers, we know that every day is a new day with great opportunities and expectations. God made promises with His people. Promises that were kept. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” My family would like to thank you all for your love shown toward us during the holiday season... I keep telling my peers that “Oakland is a great place to be.” May it continue to be so as we obediently walk through 2013 together.... Enjoy what’s ahead... as we walk in obedience to Him...

It’s a joy to serve Jesus as your Pastor Rev Kev

In this issue: Pastor’s Words 1 Articles 2 Newsletter / Bulletin Deadlines & Notes 2 Database changes Contact info 2 Anniversaries 3 Birthdays 3 What’s up with the Youth these days? 3 Notes & Announcements 4-5 Baptist Buzz 5-6 Assignments 7 Calendar of Events 7 Prayer Reminders 8

YOUR OBC websiteYOUR OBC websiteYOUR OBC websiteYOUR OBC website is constantly being updated. Please check it often for updated information: www.oakland-baptist.com and please click the “contact us” to give us any suggestions on what you’d like to see included. Thank you.

2

Keep in Touch! Lillian Armstrong Dogwood Village of Orange County 120 Dogwood Lane, Orange, VA 22960

Margie Gonzalez, 334.692.4131

162 Jones Road, Newton, Alabama 36352

Tom & Claire Parrish, 804.447.4141 12401 Gayton Road, Room 325, Henrico, VA 23238 Alice Troy, 804.740.2149 Gayton Terrace 12401 Gayton Road, Apt. 442, Richmond, VA 23238 Amanda Alston USC Student Box 83840, 1400 Greene Street Columbia SC 29225-0112

Remember our Nursing Home Members:

Evelyn Grimes, Envoy at The Meadows, 2715 Dogtown Road, Goochland, VA 23063

Ellis Holloway, Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Health Care, 1601 Broad Rock Blvd., Room 108, Richmond, VA 23224

Freeman Walton, Room 209, Golden Living – Elizabeth House, 3590 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060

NEW PROCEDURE: Beginning January 1, 2013

the exterior door to the children’s wing will be

locked at all times. This door will be used as an

“Exit Only” door. Also, the exterior door in the

fellowship hall will be locked before worship.

These procedures come as a recommendation

from our insurance agent.

REFERENCE INFORMATION

Please sure to submit your announcements

or articles for the newsletter, bulletin,

website or Goshen News according to the

schedules listed below. We will only

publish items that are submitted through

the communication@oakland-baptist.com

email. For those of you without email

access, please call or submit your written

request to Sherry Alston.

Deadlines:

Bulletin – 12 noon of each

Thursday

Newsletter – 15th of each

month at noon

Website – 12 noon of

each Thursday

Goshen Newsletter – 15th of

each month

IMPORTANT: New Newsletter Deadline -

the 15th of each month. This change is

necessary because of last submissions.

Notices must be submitted exactly as

you wish them to appear in the

newsletter. Thank you.

NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE #, BIRTHDAY

& ANNIVERSARY CHANGES:

Please notify YOUR DEACON with ANY

CHANGES to your personal information;

name, address, phone # changes, new

births, deaths, weddings and divorce

information for name changes or

anniversary deletions to keep the church

database updated for newsletter & other

mailings to members & non-members.

When we don’t have your correct mailing

address, your mail is returned to the post

office & the church is charged return

postage.

HOME ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER:

Kevin & Danette Moen

P.O. Box 1342

Bowling Green, VA 22427

804-633-2873 – home

804.366.5672 – Kevin’s cell phone

Kevin’s email: pastor@oakland-baptist.com

If you would like to receive information by

e-mail from Kevin, our pastor, email him to

be added and you will be added to his

Oakland Church list.

3

Shannon Fields 1/1 Amanda Brooking 1/3 David Hodges 1/3 Karen Nicely 1/3 Julia Strebel 1/4 Adam Alford 1/5 Stewart Hicks 1/5 Sophie Summitt 1/5 Melissa Heffinger 1/7 Judy Bailey 1/8 Linda Smith 1/8 Missy Bowmaster 1/9 Patrick Hodges 1/9 Rhiannon Sherrill 1/9 Ricky Harper 1/10 Kenny Southall 1/10 Jason Snead 1/11 Trish Wise 1/11 Crystal Kirkines 1/12 Nancy Walton 1/14 Katherine Murphy 1/15 Amy Gordon 1/16 Charles Atkins, Jr. 1/17 Gregory Comstock 1/17 Robert Parrish 1/18 Jenny Summitt 1/18 Liz Alford 1/19 Frank Erdt 1/19 Rebecca England 1/19 Mabel Pleasants 1/19 Jessica Osborne 1/22 Frank Smith 1/22 Hallie Hicks 1/23 Kyndall Bradshaw 1/25 Robert Gammon 1/25 Alice Troy 1/25 Peter Carrasco 1/28 Jennifer Parkerson 1/29 Patricia Gammon 1/29 Kim Groome 1/29 Josie Summitt 1/29 Jennifer Walsh 1/29 Mike Dillon 1/30 Tammy Price 1/30 Bernard Hawk 1/31 Beth Willis 1/31

WWWHHHAAATTT’’’SSS UUUPPP WWWIIITTTHHH TTTHHHEEE YYYOOOUUUTTTHHH

TTTHHHEEESSSEEE DDDAAAYYYSSS???

Wednesday Night Dinner hosted by OBCY -

- January 23, 2012 at 6pm - - The Oakland

Baptist Youth will be hosting a Wednesday

dinner. Please come out and show your

support. Money will be put toward their

summer mission.

MFuge commitment letters and deposits

due for camp on Wednesday, January 30,

2012.

Souper Bowl 2013 - - February 3, 2013 at

12:15pm - - OBC will be battling it out again

for the best soup/chili champion. Bring your

best recipe to be voted on by the

congregation. Votes by money donation.

Money raised will be put toward the youth

summer mission trip.

Dan & Carol Summitt 1/1 Grayson & Barbara Atkinson 1/9 Frank & Mary Southall 1/9 Stewart & Hallie Hicks 1/23 Tony & Kathy Wade 1/27

FISH FRY AUCTION – MARCH 2, 2013 - Remember the Fun we had last year? Well it’s time to get ready for 2013. We are now accepting items for our auction; antiques, new items, Gift Certificates, collectibles, Jewelry, may be left in the basement. Any

questions see David Hawk.

4

NOTES, MISSION OPPORTUNTIES and ANNOUNCEMENTS

What is Not a Fan? Well honestly, it’s a number of things. On the most basic level, it’s a 6-episode, video-driven small group bible study, centered around the calling of every Christian to truly follow Jesus Christ. But beyond that…It’s an opportunity, a time where you can be open to what Christ would have to say about your thoughts, feelings, and the motivations of your heart. It’s a challenge, a call to look at your relationship with Jesus with fresh eyes, and see whether it’s really everything that it could be. It’s a journey, one that will deepen your relationship with Jesus while deepening your relationships with the members of your small group. And it’s a movement, a gathering force of Christ followers who

have truly given themselves over to following Jesus, who are leading lives of radical love and service in his

name. Join us on Monday nights at 7pm beginning January 7, 2013 for this 6 week journey!

MORE THAN NETS

Virginia Baptists have entered into a 2 year agreement with the Ghana Baptist

Convention to complete the “More Than Nets” project. Our goals are simple

yet significant. We want to significantly reduce the cases of malaria in a

northern region of Ghana known as Yendi. We will do so by distributing

100,000 chemically treated mosquito nets within the Yendi municipality. We

will also provide vital education for the proper use of the mosquito net as well

as additional education on health, awareness and prevention of malaria.

At the same time we will assist the Ghana Baptist Convention in meeting one of their visions by planting a

church in each village in the Yendi municipality. There are approximately 454 communities in Yendi with

145 already have a church so we would need to plant 309 new churches.

For the low cost of $10, you can provide an entire family safety from deadly malaria and help plant

churches. We will be collecting during the month of January. For more information, please see the

Goshen November newsletter or speak with any WOM member. May God bless this ministry.

5

NOTES, MISSION OPPORTUNTIES and ANNOUNCEMENTS – continued

We had a wonderful day for our 3 annual “Breakfast with Santa” event this year. I lot of kids, young and old got a chance

to meet and sit with Santa. There were piles of pancakes prepared by our kitchen crew, no one left hungry for sure.

Santa sat for hours talking with the kids while hundreds of pictures were taken by the families and our photography

specialist. This was fantastic and if you have been to the mall to visit Santa and felt how commercial it has become you

can appreciate why we love our Santa here at Oakland so much and our volunteers so much.

We wanted to do something extra this year to make sure everyone sees Christ at this ministry, and wow did it happen.

Jesus was everywhere.

We set up crafts for the kids and several stations around the fellowship hall. We had tables set up for coloring Christian

holiday pictures with a team of Oakland’s volunteers. To my surprise most of the pictures colored were by the adult, still

kids at heart. We started out with a bare Christmas tree with only lights. The kids wrote their names and decorated

Christmas balls. The made paper chains wrapped them around our tree and decorated with the ornaments they had

designed with the help of another of Oakland’s teams.

We were given unstuffed animals from the consignment ministry to use as a craft also. Our ladies helped the kid’s stuff,

even our resident nurse helped out with the stitches. We wanted these to go to the Louisa county Sheriff’s department.

These would be given to kids from an officer when he goes on a call and there is a child to comfort. As you most of the

kids wanted to keep the animals they had just stuffed. As the ladies helped the kids they explained where these would

be used, if any child wanted to keep it they could. A young boy told the group that he had received one from an officer a

couple years earlier and I think everyone at the table had tears in their eyes. Then all of the stuffed animals went under

our tree to be given to the Sheriff’s department except one. One little boy ask if he could give his to a friend that is in

the hospital and is very sick. The sick child was Marty Hart’s grandson our local fire chief.

Dannett did the real Christmas story telling the kids about the birth of Jesus. The group that went to hear the story was,

how can I explain this, some of the most hyper kids I know. I thought, oh no, this isn’t going to be good. I went back to

check and you could hear a pin drop in her room. Every child was sitting as still as could be and listening to every word.

Every group that went back was the same way; they all wanted to hear the story.

We are already thinking about next year, how we can improve. Everyone had

a great time and the kids really wanted to learn about Jesus. Thanks everyone

who helped out. I wanted to personally thank Kim Rosson, Sherry Alston,

Denise Brooking, Sandy Harper, Danette Moen, and Stewart Hicks. Without

you this event wouldn’t have happen, ya’ll are the best, thanks you.

I truly believe we got the blessing from the kids and if you weren’t there

please come next year, you will be truly blest.

In Chris Love, Ricky

Harper

6

Baptist BuzzBaptist BuzzBaptist BuzzBaptist Buzz

Excerpts from

News from the WMU, Goshen Baptist Association, & Virginia Baptist

RuraLove Ministry Update During the past month RuraLove helped churches minister to:

19 families with financial help 9 families with household needs

17 families with clothing 3 families with a whole house

2 families with a layette 3 families with food

6 families with a medical item

RuraLove - A ministry of Goshen Association to local families in crisis ~ 540.894.8440

URGENT: small kitchenettes, dressers, TWIN, FULL, Queen mattresses (separates or

sets – we’ll match), bed frames, pots and pans, electric stoves, washing machines,

dryers, refrigerators, good vehicles, etc. Please make sure all donations work properly and are clean.

We also NEED VOLUNTEERS for pick-ups and deliveries, and to help sort Tues. or Wed. mornings or another

day by appointment. REMINDER: Requests should come from the church to help meet the needs in the

community in the name of Jesus. Thus our motto “Neighbor Helping Neighbor” - meeting physical needs,

developing trust through relationships and ministering spiritually. PLEASE make sure to FOLLOW UP with

families after they have been helped. This is key to making the most of opportunities to minister spiritually

to families in crisis.

URGENT NEED: RuraLove has an urgent need for brown paper grocery bags. We are currently out. We use

these bags for brown bag sales. Bring and drop off at Goshen Ministry Center, Monday – Thursday 9-1 or at the

RuraLove warehouse on Wednesdays 9-1.

What is Operation Inasmuch? Operation Inasmuch is a national nonprofit that employs proven models to motivate, train, and equip churches to move more congregants out of the sanctuary seats and into the streets to serve the neediest in their communities. Operation Inasmuch is also a movement of churches across America, a Compassion Revolution. Over 1600

churches in 21 states have joined the Revolution. 405 of these churches reported that they collectively sent out more than 22,000 volunteers in 2011 to minister to 116,000 people in their communities, representing $3M in labor hours and material costs. Lives within and without these churches changed! What Operation Inasmuch - Virginia? Operation Inasmuch - Virginia is a statewide hands-on missions opportunity sponsored by the Virginia Network of Associational Workers. The goal is for 80% of Associations to have 80% of their churches committed to involving 80% of their average Sunday School attendance across Virginia. These Inasmuch Day events will serve more than 300,000 people in need. When Is It Happening? Between September 13 and October 11, 2014 How does my church get involved? Contact the Goshen Ministry Center at 540 894-8440 or by email at goshenba@nexet.net. We can help you maximize your potential to impact your community as the hands and feet of Jesus. Is training available? A training session for an Inasmuch Day will be held on April 27, 2013 from 9:00 am to Noon. Location: Oakland Baptist Church, 2965 Oakland Church Road, Gum Spring, VA. 23065, Telephone: 804 556-3550 Where can I learn more? To learn more about the ministry and models of Operation Inasmuch, go to www.operationinasmuch.org. To learn more about Inasmuch United Virginia, go to http://operationinasmuch.org/churches/inasmuch-united-virginia/.

7

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS – JANUARY 2013

Date Deacon of the Week Greeter Extended Session Kid’s Korner

06 Sandy Harper Marie Nester

Not Available

Kathy Wade

13 Bobby Fields Pat Sheets Bill Groome

20 Hazel Morgan Shirley Shelton Sharon Kincaid

27 Lesley Alford Peggy Bartley Shirley Bath

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

7pm Church Council

4 5

6

9:45am-Sunday School

11am Worship

12:30pm Deacons Meeting

7

8

9

6pm WNS 7pm Quarterly

Business Meeting

10

7:15pm WOM

11

12

13

9:45am-Sunday School

11am Worship

14

10:00am WOM Morning Group

15

16

6pm WNS 7pm & Bible study 8pm Choir Practice

17

18

19

20

9:45am-Sunday School

11am Worship

11:15 Children’s Worship

21

22

23

6pm WNS 7pm & Bible study 8pm Choir Practice

24

25

26

27

8:30 am Men’s Breakfast

9:45am-Sunday School

11am Worship

28

29 30

6pm WNS 7pm & Bible study 8pm Choir Practice

31

Joshua 24:15 - New International Version (NIV) 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for

yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land

you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

8

The Acorn

P.O. Box 99 Gum Spring, VA 23065

Church Office: 804-556-3550 (please leave a message)

web address: Return Service Requested

www.Oakland-Baptist.com

Remembered in our hearts and prayers:

Lillian Armstrong Brian Beckley, Jr. Pam Bryant Ruth Coleman Kelly Cooke Virginia Dorey Alex Dockum Marie Durrett Gabe Edwards & Family Darlene Facer Velma Goodwin Harold Gordon Terry Griffith (Jerri’s daughter) Sandy Harper’s Parents Peggy Harding Mabel Pleasants Dot Lear Danette Moen’s Sister Judy Nielsen Tammy Price Judy Schaeffer

Alice Troy Kathy Wade Freeman Walton Jim Winkler GMS Teacher, Faculty & Students Sandy Hook Elementary & Community

Our Christian Love & Sympathy: The Family of Larry Green

The Family of Edith Wheedleton

Remember our Nursing Home

Members. Their names and addresses are listed under

“Keep in Touch” section.

Remember our Servicemen & Their Families:

Joey Berlin-Afghanistan Chris Durham, Stateside

Gabe Edwards, Stateside Sully Edwards, Out on Deployment

Sgt. Allen Gordon (Deployed) Daniel Gregory, Army - Stateside Chris Humphrey–Stateside

Ethan Payne, USMC Stateside Going forward, the prayer concern list will be completely revised monthly through mentioned prayer concerns, website submissions, email (communication@oakland-baptist.com) or by contacting Sherry Alston BY the 15th of each month.

PRESORTED STANDARD Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid Gum Spring, VA

Permit No. 1