Annual Meeting Time

Grace and Peace Be Unto You,

On Tuesday, Sept 11, 2012 (while not forgetting 911), the Big Creek Baptist Association gathered for their 141st Annual Meeting at the Verda Baptist Church. It is a tradition among Baptist churches to belong to an association, to cooperate together in multiple areas of ministry, and to assemble messengers from the member churches to conduct the official business of the association. At this annual meeting of the Big Creek Association, the obligatory reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, the report of the finances, and the adoption of the budget for the coming year were quickly but thoroughly executed. Then, reports were presented. This is an extraordinary time in such annual meetings. The messengers heard reports from associational ministries and from entities of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, such as the Executive Committee, Louisiana College, Louisiana Baptist Children's Home, and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry from a local university.
These reports, as always, included amazing examples of the wonderful ways that God touched the lives of people to bring about His kingdom work locally and across Louisiana. So, business was accomplished simultaneously with testimonies of praise and adoration. It was a reminder to us all that the business of the association (and churches) remains...ministry, evangelism, and missions...not just numbers and procedures.

Fundamentally, these meetings are not only to include times of inspiration and worship, they are to be principally focused on those features... for our Lord, Jesus Christ. In that meeting of the Big Creek Association, fifteen or more churches provided around one hundred messengers to unify voice and heart to sing the praise songs sung in corporate worship and hear the message of God's Word delivered in the Annual Sermon. Wow, what a dynamic event an annual associational meeting can be!

I encourage you to be a part of your association's annual meeting. Here in the central Louisiana area, there are two associations that have upcoming annual meetings: Central Louisiana Baptist Association gathers her messengers on October 14, 2012, seven o'clock in the evening, at the Baptist Temple Church on MacArthur Drive. North Rapides Baptist Association's annual event is on October 21, 2012, with Missions Fair at 5:30 p.m., with the meeting at 6:30 p.m., at Alpine First Baptist Church on Shreveport Highway. Do come, and see for yourself, the amazing kingdom work you participate in through your church, association, and state convention.

Blessings,
Robert Daniel, Director of Missions
Big Creek, Central, and North Rapides Associations

Robert's Sunday Schedule:
September 16: Vick Baptist and Homewood Baptist Churches
September 23: Open
September 30: Vacation
October 7: Vacation
October 14: Central Association Annual Meeting at Baptist Temple
October 21: Wilda Baptist morning service, North Rapides Association Annual Meeting at Alpine in the evening.
October 28: Wilda Baptist AM and PM services. Pastor Joey Rudisill on mission in Philippine Islands.
November 4: Wilda Baptist (see above)
November 11: AM is open, St. Claire Baptist Church, PM, for community Thanksgiving Service.
November 18: Open
November 25: Open
December 2: Open
December 9: Homewood Baptist Church Annual Homecoming Service and Dinner on the Grounds
December 16: Open
December 23: Open
December 30: Open

Note: Open dates will become visits to churches to enjoy a time of worship with congregations around the three associations.