January Meeting

Our first meeting for 2009 is Tuesday, January 13. I look forward to seeing you all there as we learn how to honor God with our time through time management.

Passing on a Missions Heritage

Thanks to Shari Edwards for her program about passing on a missions heritage. We were all inspired to teach others who are coming along behind us about the joy of missions. Shari shared the following principles during the program:

1st Principle of Passing on a Missions Heritage:
*Understanding what a missions heritage is-being aware of missions education opportunities-unique to Southern Baptist life.

2nd Principle of Passing on a Missions Heritage:
*Exposing your children to mission opportunites for them
*Encouraging their participation in these opportunities-no options!

3rd Principle of Passing on a Missions Heritage:
*Model the importance of missions in your personal life-show that investing in missions is important. Be "sold out" to share the gospel-your kids will "catch" your passion.

4th Principle of Passing on a Missions Heritage:
*Be creative in living a missional lifestyle. The more you do missions, the more you can't "not" do missions. It gets in your blood.
*Be aware of missions needs around you, and be proactive in challenging your kids. Encourage your kids to recognize the creative ways God has designed them to be used in His Kingdom growth to bring Him glory.

Parties with a Purpose

You will find in this post the ideas that Linda Myles gave us for having Parties with a Purpose at our last meeting. Feel free to comment and share ideas that you have as well.

World Crafts Party

This is a simple but fun way to make a difference in the lives of people all over the world. World Crafts is a project of WMU that allows artisans in other countries to make crafts to sell to people in the US. By hosting a World Crafts party, you are able to help these people make a living from the crafts they sell. Also, this opens doors for missionaries to go in an tell these people about Jesus. The Arkansas Baptist State Convention has a kit you can check out if you are interested in holding a World Crafts party.

Hurricane Party

This is a great ministry party when hurricanes or other natural disasters occur. Invite your friends over and ask them to bring items that those who are affected by these disasters may need such as bottled water, canned food, peanut butter crackers, and lanterns. Party food could consist of lemonade or bottled water, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers and vegetable soup.

Celebrate Your Friends Party

This party is a great idea that Linda does for her friends. She invites them over around Christmas so she can tell them why she considers them such good friends. The food for this party is Mashed Potato Sundaes. Fill cute glasses with mashed potatoes and then have all the fixings you would have for a baked potato. You could even include chicken strips and gravy. Linda made homemade desserts for her friends and put them on plates and dishes she found at flea markets and antique stores. I encourage you to celebrate your friends sometime during the year and let them know how special they are to you.

Harvest Party

Linda read us the book "The Pumpkin Patch Parable" for the Harvest Party. This party is a great evangelistic party if you use the book. Obviously, you just need fall decorations and can have pumpkin dip, ginger snaps, and other fall themed snacks. Invite people over who may not have a personal relationship with Jesus. You can read the book and maybe open the door for discussion. This is a great way to celebrate fall.

September Meeting

Don't forget about the September Connections meeting. It's TOMORROW, September 9th at 6:30 p.m. (A204). Linda Myles will be presenting Parties with a Purpose. Hope to see you there!

May Meeting

I encourage you to join us at our meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30pm in A204. We will be hearing from our new pastor's wife, Judy Shaddox. I look forward to seeing you all there. I hope you will bring a friend to share in the blessing of this meeting.

Celebrate the Call

I enjoyed a great weekend at the Annual Meeting for Arkansas WMU. The theme this year was Celebrate the Call. I was so inspired and amazed by the missionaries that spoke. To hear of their call and being sold out completely to God to do His work is really humbling. I mean, what do I do that is so important for Him and His kingdom? It really has made me start thinking about what God wants from me. One thing I know He wants is for me to love like He does. In 2008-2010, the WMU emphasis is Called to Love. For the next two years we will be challenged as believers to love like God has called us to. He really reinforced this concept to me when I got home from the Annual Meeting. My 5 year old daughter, Elizabeth was in the kitchen when I got home. I was not home more than 5 minutes when she told me she wanted to make cards for the nursing home (or nursery home as she called it). She started to draw pictures of money inside of the card because she thought they were poor and needed money. She was about to write "I will give you money" until I explained that they were not poor, they just needed someone to take care of them all the time. So she wrote " I will give you" and then she sat there awhile and thought about what she could give them. Then she said "I know, I will give you love". About that time I was looking over the new WMU material and noticed the theme Called to Love. I thought, she's got it! I didn't even have to tell her. Oh, the faith of a child! That's all God asks is for us to have a childlike faith to follow Him. This is one example I will never forget.

Promise House Shower Picture

Mary Lou Heard and Dona Boone