Father’s Day provides a nice backdrop for considering family and the role God has for us. No matter how you remember your time with your father, family is where we learn what kind of parents we want to be. Some of us are fortunate to have great biblical examples in our fathers, who taught their children about God, the power of his Word and how to pray. Others may have longed for that kind of time and interaction with their dad, but it was not forthcoming. This often builds determination to take a different path with your own family. Whatever your experience, that has shaped your approach with your children, we are fortunate that our heavenly Father has given us instruction in His Word and has charged us with teaching, loving and correcting our children to build a strong foundation for a faith filled life. My favorite verses on this are Deut 11:18-19 as Moses is instructing Israel on how to use God’s word: “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (NASB 1995) How’s that for clear practical instruction? (Also see Deut 4:10; Deut 6:7; Ps 78:5).

Hello, my name is Steve Pattison, the newest Elder affirmed by Living Hope. My wife Karen and I have been members and have served at Living Hope since 1994. Our four children have always enjoyed attending and worshiping with us: Tracey, Steven, Heather and Kristina. I have been blessed to see three of my children baptized in the church with the fourth firmly on the same path. Karen and I have served together as children’s Sunday school teachers. I have served on and chaired the personnel committee, led and coached small groups, and was ordained as a deacon in 2005, serving as chairman for two years.

My own experience was likely common for many. My mother took me to Sunday School, but I received no teaching at home from God’s word or instruction in prayer. My stepfather pointed to some bad experience as a child with someone from church as his reason/excuse to avoid church and matters of the faith altogether. Fortunately, God’s call to me brought with it a hunger for the Word, and being a skilled reader, I learned a great deal about God’s nature from Old Testament stories. Still I wonder, what mistakes and consequences would I have been spared, had my spiritual walk been fully developed before leaving home.

Without a doubt we all want the best for our children. But often we feel we can only teach up to the limits of our own knowledge and experience. This should certainly drive us to our own personal studies and a desire for a firm understanding of God’s word. However, don’t under estimate the wisdom already present in God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit in you to interpret its meaning. Simply reading God’s word directly to your children carries an innate lesson in every chapter. Learning together with your children is certainly far superior to leaving them to learn on their own, or relegating that responsibility to the church. You may not be able to answer their every question right away. But you have a large church family to lean on for help with those tough questions. I am convinced that God will bless efforts like these mightily, and you will find joy in learning and hearing God’s wisdom come from your own child’s mouth. All it takes from you is time and commitment. That sounds like love to me!

May God bless you and your family richly!

Steve Pattison

God, Grandmothers, and the Great Commission

During spring break of 1983 while I was in high school, I was staying with a friend who attended Living Hope. We were suppose to play baseball that week for the junior varsity team, but we got rained out the entire week. Being young boys, we were obviously full of energy and needed something to do. My friend Scott, whose mother Cheryl has served at Living Hope for a number of years, suggested we might help come and do some cleaning and chores around the church. At the time, the church was what we know as fellowship hall today. We spent most of the day working and getting the church ready for Sunday morning worship. Little did I know at the time that I would have a chance to serve Living Hope in a whole different role.

My name is Greg Morris and my wife Mia, daughter McKenzie and son Max have worshiped at Living Hope since 2003. Our journey began at Living Hope after a request from my daughter to visit where some of her friends from school worshiped. We visited that day and have been here ever since. I have had the privilege and blessing of serving in the children's ministry, on the men's ministry team, and as a deacon. I also was blessed to baptize my daughter McKenzie in 2006.

It has truly been a humbling experience to consider serving as elder of Living Hope.I have spent much time in prayer, studying the Word and talking with others. God spoke to me in a number of different ways. None more that yesterday when after giving my testimony at the 11:00 service a lady met me in the hall and said "I am waiting to see you!". She continued by saying "I have got something we have got to talk about". I must say I don't recall meeting her before, but she had my attention. With my family by my side, she said "I was friends with your grandmother and we used to play golf together. She would have been so proud of you!" My grandmother passed away September 11,2001, not a date that's hard to remember.

As I shared during my time Sunday the passage from Hebrews 12:1-3, I thought about my grandmother. In that passage it says "since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses". The writer is talking about so many examples of those whose past life of faith have been an encouragement to ours. When I read about these witnesses, I think about many examples from scriptures, but I also think about those people in my life who have given me encouragement. When I read that passage Sunday morning before coming to church, I thought about her and remembered back on what she had taught me. Little did I know there would be someone who was connected to one of those witnesses that has encouraged my walk of faith.

I look forward to what God has in store for not only this community, but for the world as the Lord works through us to help other people get to God, grow in Christ and give to others.

"Others"

During the late 1800s, William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army was preparing to send out his annual Christmas message to the workers around the world. At that time communication was by telegraph & you paid by the word. At first his message was a paragraph. When told the cost was prohibitive to send it out to all the workers, he pared the message down to a couple of sentences. Still the cost was too much. Finally, Booth sent out simply one word..."Others". That was the message he wanted his missionaries & workers in the field to remember. That is also the mission of the deacon body here at Living Hope Baptist Church.

Hello, my name is Mike Wilson. My wife Lori & I started attending Living Hope in 1992 & have been here since then. We were married here, have served here & raised & dedicated three children here - Meredith, Josh & Madelyn. Living Hope is more than just our church...it is where our family goes to learn, be refreshed, serve & love.

As deacons at Living Hope, we are simply focused on others. Whether they are sick, infirm, elderly, poor, widowed or simply in need; our deacons are here to serve others. Our deacons go to hospitals to visit & pray with those who are ill. Visitations at funeral homes to comfort those in need of solace. A friendly visit to take a flower or a good word to those in rehab or nursing homes. Helping clear a flower bed for a widow or delivering the only presents some less fortunate children will receive for Christmas. These are some of the activities of your deacons. With almost 40 men currently serving, the deacons at Living Hope are totally service oriented & are always on call along with our pastoral staff to help serve others both within & outside our church. I encourage you to assist us in identifying willing men to join this group of deacons to help continue the mission of focusing on others here at Living Hope. Please feel free to contact our group of deacons with any needs you may have. We are here to pray for you & with you as well as serve in whatever capacity we can. Having been a deacon here for almost ten years, I've had the opportunity to see love in action through the work of the men who are deacons. I've often said & have heard other deacons say as well, that we have often been blessed more than any blessing we may be to those we see. It is truly an honor to represent Living Hope by doing the work Jesus would have us do. To love others even more than ourselves. That is our calling as deacons.

Thank you Living Hope for being such a great congregation to serve with & for.

Mike Wilson
Matthew 7:12

Summer Camp: -)

Jeff Armstrong is the Next Generation Pastor at Living Hope. He oversees birth through high school graduates. His job is to make disciples out of students so that they are capable of living well for Jesus the rest of their life. He is married to Kelly and they have two children Dallas and JT and they have one on the way.

I recently ran across a Top Ten List from David Letterman about Summer camp, here are 5 from the list I thought were worth mentioning:

Top Ten ways to know your kid is having a bad experience at summer Camp:

Have to toast marshmallows by laying them on the exhaust pipe off counselor's Buick.
Camp's Indian name translates to "Land of the Giant Ticks"
When you visit, proudly shows off tunnel he's digging under cabin
“Craft time" is 14 hours of making counterfeit Nikes.
You ask to see picture of his friends -- he sends photo of a stick.

Trust me; our students will not have any of those experiences at the camps we attend. This summer we have three fantastic camps that our next generation ministry will attend. All three camps are top notch and will provide a fun, safe, environment that will enable them to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Camps are unique because they promote separation from a student’s everyday hectic, media filled, fast paced lifestyle. This allows a student to focus on God’s word, because they are saturated with it from the time they wake up, until they go to bed at night. Many first time decisions for Christ, rededications, and calls to full time Christian vocation are made at camp.
On a personal level, I have made serious spiritual decisions at the camps I have attended. Someone the other day asked me how many years I have been going to camp. Since I was 8 years old, I have not had a summer where I did not go to camp as a camper, a counselor, or taking a group to camp. Every summer for 30 years, I have eaten camp food, lost sleep, and pulled pranks, or been targeted with pranks.
Please pray for our camps this summer:
Pray for our students and counselors.
Pray that God will speak to the hearts of our campers.
Pray for Ross Wellman, our interim junior high minister as he attends J Creek, July 13-17th.
Pray for Cindy Starr as she takes our children to Centri Kid the week of July 13-17th.

Finally, as many of us retreat this summer to camps and vacations, pray that we come back from our retreats, and advance….
Advance in our knowledge of Christ.
Advance with a passion to reach the lost that have not heard the gospel.


Jeff Armstrong

Suffering for Jesus?

Dr. Bill Daniel has served as an elder for over seven years at Living Hope. He and his wife Annie are faithful members of the church and participate in small group together. Bill is a teacher, a leader, and regularly serves on foreign soil as a medical missionary.

What am I willing to die for?

What am I willing to suffer pain for?

What am I willing to be imprisoned for ?

These are the deep questions that are answered by the martyrs.


" some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--- of whom the world was not worthy--- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:35b-38


Those are safe questions for me to ponder because in the thirty-five years I have been a Christian I have never had to face such situations. More appropriate for me is...

Am I willing to be socially uncomfortable?

Am I willing to be rejected?

Am I willing to be made fun of?

These are the questions I find most uncomfortable.

Am I willing to risk my shallow and uneasy associations I have with my non-Christian friends for the joy of seeing their salvation?

As Brandon Porter shared with us on Sunday morning in worship, persecution is accompanied by pleasure as we see God at work through us. Or as Jason shared last week - how much do I have to hate some one not to share God's salvation with them.

Giving Them What They Need…

My name is Caroline Millette. My husband Eric and I have been members of Living Hope for 2 ½ years. We are blessed to be involved with several ministries at Living Hope, including small group, mentoring, volunteering with our Burmese/Karen families and Children’s Ministry.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the elevator to our Sunday School class. Our hands were full and one of our “senior saints” kindly held the door for us. After greeting each other, my husband asked the lady, “What floor, please?” The lady answered, “Why I just don’t know? There are so many choices!” He pressed the 3rd floor button as she smiled and laughed. Imagine her surprise when the doors opened! She quickly turned to us and said, “We have a 3rd floor? How long have we had a 3rd floor? And what goes on up here?!”

I thought about her puzzled look and curious questions that week. I kept wondering how many other people don’t know we have a 3rd floor or what goes on “up here?”
“Yes, Virginia, there is a 3rd floor!”

The Children’s Ministry is a vital part of Sunday mornings at Living Hope. On 3 floors, we have hundreds of children who come to learn and grow in Christ. There are many volunteers who serve those children as well, teaching them that God is faithful and holy, a God of mercy and grace.

The 3rd floor is where our 4th and 5th grade children meet. This year they are studying “To Be Like Jesus.” Each week, the kids take home a handout to give to their parents. It lets them know what we have studied for the day and how to focus on the lesson at home during the next week.

Here is a quote from a recent handout: “The world has an agenda for our children and it is well written. Do we have an agenda for our children?”

What are we teaching each Sunday morning, on 3 floors, to hundreds of children? The Word of God!

Do we have an agenda for them? Absolutely…to love and obey God and to become like Jesus as we walk with Him daily.

Jason stated this morning that Stephen didn’t give (the people) what they wanted; he gave them what they needed. (Ref. Acts 7)

The same is true of Sunday mornings on the 3rd floor. We are giving the children the only thing they will ever need…a foundation in Christ Jesus, solidly built on the Word of God. The hope is that they may not only know the Word, but the Word Giver.

I invite you to take a ride or stroll up to the 3rd floor. Come and watch. Listen to the children recite scripture, pray for their lost friends, and sing praise songs to Jesus!

Yes, there is a 3rd floor Living Hope. And we will not be silent! We have an agenda and are ready to share with the world!

Sacrificial Service

My name is Jason Graham. My wife Dwan and I have 3 children Isabel (8), Mattie (4) and Noah (3). Dwan and I have been members of Living Hope for 9 years. We currently serve as small group leaders, work in the children’s ministry and are active in missions. I also currently serve as a deacon. Serving at Living Hope has given me the opportunity to use the gifts God has given me and it is through service that he has shaped much of my life.

The title of today’s message was The Church is Built Through Sacrificial Service. The title is as true of the church in the 21st century as it was in the 1st Century. Ultimately God builds the church, but he does so through the blood, sweat, and tears of followers of Christ. This morning I heard the message at the 8 AM service. Afterwards, I was able to walk through the halls of Living Hope and see that message being lived out in the lives of men and women who have chosen to make service in the name of Christ a part of their Sunday morning.

The great challenge of any sermon is not in listening to the sermon, it is not even in preaching the sermon. The great challenge is in how we actually live the sermon. It is here that we must stop and ask ourselves, are we really allowing the gospel to penetrate us to the very core? Are we living a life of sacrificial service? Are we being poured out as an offering to the Lord? This morning the special song was entitled Alabaster Jar, the interesting thing about an alabaster jar is often in order to get access to the contents of the jar – it had to be broken. 2 Corinthians 4:7 describes the followers of Christ as “earthen vessels” – fragile pots. The verse goes on to say that we are fragile so that the strength and greatness of God may be made known.

We at Living Hope have a wide variety of opportunities to serve both our church body and the surrounding community. We must continually be available to share the gospel with unbelievers. These individuals need their names lifted up before the Lord in prayer. Also, unbelievers need to see the body of Christ in action—loving one another and living sacrificial lives of service. Within Living Hope there are numerous opportunities to serve. The Bible commands us to love one another, encourage one another, build up one another, and comfort one another. Actually that list could be lengthened. In fact the words “one another” occur together approximately 93 times in the New Testament. That means that we are unable to obey a good part of the New Testament if we are not in community with other Christians.

I leave you with these words from Aristides as he describes the early Christians to the Roman emperor Hadrian:

Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.

May Christ be so manifested in the life of our church today! Glory be to God!