2010 - A New Year For TRBA

It is still early in the New Year - a new decade. As we enter 2010, TRBA also begins full implementation of its policies and procedures under the "new" ByLaws that were approved by the association. I am grateful for all the hard work that has been done to prepare for the implementation. I am excited as I see how God will use these efforts to help us go forward in the new decade.

By now, you should have experienced our enhanced efforts to communicate the life and work of the Association. We have established both a FaceBook Group and Fan Page. We will use these pages (and the services offered through FaceBook) to communicate to the many members of Tar River that daily use FaceBook. We will advertise TRBA events (inviting you to RSVP to the various events) and also invite you to participate in discussion topics as well.

One very important feature on the FaceBook is that YOU - any member of the group - can send out messages to all other members. This way, you can get the news out to all our member churches regarding activities in your church and community.

We will expand our use of e-zines. Pastors should be receiving a weekly e-zine entitled THE NAVIGATOR. Everyone on our "Constant Contact" list should receive THE MID-STREAM around the 15th of each month. These detail important information to our members and we would appreciate your sharing them with your church family. If you are not receiving these, please email us at tarriverbaptist@hotmail.com and ask to be added to the e-zine lists.

Third, we are also expanding the use of TellBlast. You should have received the first mass effort to get the word out about the Sunday School training on January 30th. We will utilize this a great deal more during 2010 to get information to you in a timely manner.

Fourth, we will utilize both TRBA blogs (one for general membership and the second for pastors) to communicate ideas and discussions about major changes taking place in the life and work of the association. Please participate.

Finally (in the arena of communication) we will also be altering our monthly newsletter, THE CURRENTS OF THE TAR, pretty soon. It is our hope that any changes we make will enhance our communication efforts to our member churches.

There are a LOT of quality events coming forward in the next few weeks:

January 19 - 7 PM: Treasures IRS Update (TRBA Center)
January 23 - 9 AM: Pastors' Families Fellowship Breakfast (Ephesus Church)
January 25 - 6 PM: Associational Council Meeting (TRBA Large Conference Room)
Janaury 25 - 7 PM: Quarterly Executive Board Meeting (TRBA Large Conference Room)
January 30 - 8 AM: Sunday School Training (Pearce Church)
Feb 16 -10 AM: Monthly Ministers' Fellowship (TRBA Large Conference Room)
March 6/7 (TBA): "Life Is A Mission Trip" Training (Duke Memorial)

One final announcement for this post: EVERY MONDAY at 9 AM your TRBA Associational Staff gathers for prayer. All persons in the building will be invited to join us in the small conference room for a season of prayer. During 2010 there will be invitations for all to join in prayer for the ministry that is before us.

Next week's post will be a brief update of efforts regarding the CURRENTS OF THE TAR and some of the particular training events for 2010. We will begin to share our goals as an association in our weekly (hopefully) blog posts. Please join me in praying for the life and work of our member churches as we work together to accomplish the work God has called us to do together.

Niger, West Africa

Yesterday I received an email from the Islamic Assistant Coach of the team we played while in Niger. On the last night of our trip, he and the head coach had come to tell us goodbye and thank us for our efforts in working with them over the past few days. The head coach is a believer. The assistant coach was, as stated, Muslim, and was participating in the fasting of Ramadan.

But please get the picture -- he had traveled to tell a group of 5 Baptist Men goodbye in a Christian setting. Throughout the week, he and I had developed a strong relationship. We discussed his beliefs. We discussed my beliefs. We shared a great deal. I was privileged to present the Gospel message to a group of young girls as he sat and listened - so, I KNOW he heard.

As we walked hand-in-hand through the compound that night so they could connect with a taxi, we continued to talk of our faith. The time of fasting had ended and we had shared a coke and a piece of Zuchinni bread (the night before, we had shared Niger ice cream before we caught our taxi). When we got to the main road and the taxi came, we stopped; he hugged and kissed me; I hugged and kissed him; and I said, "Listen to Coach S********." He said, "I will." I said back to him, "I'm not just talking about ******(the sport they coached), I'm talking about what he has to say about Jesus." He said, "I know and I will." I kissed him again, and he left.

Yes, you heard me right. A black man and a white man/a Christian and a Muslim/walked together down the streets of a city and in the compound, hand-in-hand and kissed one another good-bye. When I received his email, I REJOICED!!!! It meant that God was giving me more opportunity to share the Good News with him. I am convinced, the seeds planted will produce fruit/that there will be a harvest.

I have shared more about our trip in the newlsetter this month and will share more later as well. Suffice it to say, God is not through with TRBA in Niger. Every report from our local missionaries is reporting back results from the seeds planted. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

THANK YOU for an EXCELLENT Meeting

It has been a while since I wrote in the blog. It is more difficult to keep current with such things and do everything else that one is called upon to do in ministry. I can not see how many guys can devote so much time to "blogging." I do hope to write more consistently so I can share with you my heart, but it is difficult.

For now I want to say THANK YOU to all those that made our annual fall meeting such a success. I tried to express my gratitude on the night of the meeting and have done so to many individually as well, but I am so grateful to the members and member churches of the Tar River Association as it is a blessing to serve such a wonderful group of people.

I will write more later, but for now--please accept my heartfelt gratitude for such a good meeting. Please pray for us in the days ahead as we will be getting a LOT of information to you as members in TRBA churches. Pray for all those that will be working diligently to prepare the policy and procedure manual that the new By-laws require.

God Bless!