JANUARY 2018 VOLUME 89 ISSUE 21

SUNSET

REFLECTOR A Monthly Publication of

Sunset Avenue Baptist Church www.sabaptist.org

Merry Christmas

To Our Sunset Avenue Family,

We would like to thank you for

the gifts, delicious food, continuous prayers and the support that you have sent our

way at this very special time of the year.

It is a blessing to serve with you.

Merry Christmas from the staff of

Sunset Avenue Baptist Church!!

Robin, Steve, David, Neil, Alberto, Kim,

Carol C., Theresa, Teresa, Carol B.,

Patrick and Jimmy

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Your Gift Transforms Lives

SABC Goal: $60,000 Challenge Goal: $70,000

Total Given as of December 17: $ 37,635.24

The book, “Just Because

You’re Mine” by Sally

Lloyd-Jones has been

dedicated to the Sunset

Avenue Baptist Church

library in honor of Dwight

Lee “Tripp” McKeel, III on

the day of his dedication,

December 3, 2017. Tripp’s

parents are Dee and Lauren

McKeel.

The book, “Let the Whole

Earth Sing Praise” by Tomie

DePaola has been dedicated

to the Sunset Avenue

Baptist Church library in

honor of Maggie Elizabeth

Vick on the day of her

dedication, December 10,

2017. Maggie’s parents are

Brandon and Whitney Vick.

If you love to sing, now is the

time to join a choir!

Our Adult Choir will resume

rehearsals on Wednesday,

January 3 at 7:45 p.m.

Preschool, 1st -3rd Grade

and 4th - 6th Grade Choirs

will resume rehearsals on

Sunday, January 7 at 5:45 p.m. Call the church office

if you would like more information.

The Pastor’s Pen...

Out With the Old, In With the New

As I write this, Christmas is still several days away. Though this is the January newsletter article, I have the ending of the present year on my mind as much as I do the beginning of the new year. So let me speak to both of those themes for a moment as I talk about a couple of pulpit emphases.

First, as we look to the conclusion of 2017, I know that many of you in the church family have had a very tough year. The struggle has taken many different forms for many of you, including sickness, the loss of loved ones and the accompanying grief, broken relationships in your families, depression, struggle in your work and/or studies, and on and on. If this sounds all too familiar to you, I hope you will plan to attend worship on Sunday morning, December 31. I will deal that morning with how we find strength from God for the journey of life when that journey seems unbearably difficult in seasons. Just beginning to prepare this message has been a comfort and encouragement to me; I hope it will be a good word from God for many of you as well.

Then on January 7 we will pivot and consider what lies ahead of us as a church family in 2018. Specifically, I’ll share some things that God has laid on my heart for some time regarding what He would have us to pursue. I’m praying that message will be very intimidating (because God calls us to things bigger than ourselves) and very exciting (in that He has promised to help us in those God-sized tasks so that He gets the glory).

I hope that you can participate in both of those worship encounters with God. I believe He wants to speak to us in many different ways as we say “goodbye” to 2017 and “welcome” to 2018. I hope the remainder of your “holy-day” season brings you spiritual renewal and that the coming year will hold new blessings for us as the body of Christ at SABC. What a joy it is to serve as the Pastor of such a wonderful church family. I love you all.

Yours and His,

Pastor Robin

Prayer Concerns

Teresa Baker ~ David Blackmon ~ Albert & Pat Boone ~ Carlisle Boykin ~ Bobby Britt ~ Doris Brown ~ Millie Bryan ~ Evelyn Carlisle ~ Ben Carpenter ~ Norma Castillo ~ Frances Daughtridge ~ Betty Sue Davis ~ Pam Davis ~ Ivan & Yvonne Dickerson ~ Ambler Dixon ~ Curtis Emigh ~ Jeff Godwin ~ Miguel & Maribel Gonzalez ~ Mary Goodwin ~ Bury & Cathy Hendricks ~ Jamie Henry ~ Anna & Edwin Hernandez ~ Jake Hoggard ~ Craig Johnson ~ Suzette Jones ~ Katy Keeter ~ Plummer Leonard ~ Judy McDaniel ~ Adam McRae ~ Janice Meyer ~ Charles Murray ~ Steve Pernell ~ Howard Phykitt ~ John Powell ~ Cliff Rose ~ Mike Rose ~ Hilda Rosser ~ Teresa Sadlosky ~ Jody Shearon ~ Linda Mae Tyson ~ Fannie Unrue ~ Tom Vick ~ Jackie Walters ~ Garry Ward, Jr. ~ Virginia Ward ~ Georgia Wilson ~ Jeanne Woodley ~ King’s Way Ministry ~ Stone Gate Ministry ~ Boston Partnership ~ South Asia Partnership ~ A Place of Grace Ministry ~ Hispanic Church ~ GriefShare Ministry ~ The Family of Sammy Bass ~ The Family of Gloria Smith ~ The Family of Dwight Belty ~ The Family of Lucille Howell (Nan Upchurch’s mother) ~ The Family of Ann (Rendy) Parker ~ The Family of Benjamin Wayne Tyson

In order to keep our prayer list current, names will remain on the list for four weeks (unless otherwise requested).

ECUADOR

MISSION TRIP OPPORTUNITIES

Teams will be travelling to

Ecuador on the following dates

in 2018: February 20 - February 27

April 24 - May 1 July 24 - July 31

October 23 - October 30

If you are interested in joining one or more of these teams, please contact

Fletcher or Ruby Dickerson, Pastor Alberto or Bob Unrue for details.

DECEMBER SCHEDULE

December 24 No 8:30 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. services

December 27 No Wednesday Evening service

December 31 No 6:00 p.m. service

GriefShare is a biblical, Christ-centered program

that focuses on grief topics associated with the death of

a loved one. Many grieving people find they are only

beginning the work of healing when friends or family

have returned to their daily life routines. Too often

people, including Christians, tend to stuff their grief

instead of allowing it to do the God given work for

which it is intended. Don’t allow fear of what others

may think keep you from what could help you.

Confidentiality is very much a part of this program.

Join us Wednesdays, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. starting January

10th. Contact Libby Bunn or Shari Carter if you need

more information.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE The regular Wednesday night schedule will resume on

January 3, 2018 with the evening meal from 5:30-6:15 p.m. and Bible study at 6:30 p.m.

All other regularly scheduled groups will also meet.

Sunset Avenue Baptist Church NON PROFIT ORG. 3732 Sunset Avenue US POSTAGE PAID Rocky Mount, NC 27804 ROCKY MOUNT NC (252)443-2531 PERMIT 283 Fax-(252)443-2532

www.sabaptist.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, CALENDAR & “THOSE SERVING” SCHEDULE

are now available on the church website sabaptist.org

ROOF FUND PROGRESS WE HAVE SURPASSED OUR GOAL!!!!!

Renovation Cost: $ 82,385.00 Total Given as of December 17: $ 83,420.00

Surplus: [ $ 1,035.00 ]

CHRIST C.A.N.

FIFTH SUNDAY OFFERING

Sunday, December 31

An offering will be received at the conclusion of the

8:30 and 11:00 worship services for Christ C.A.N.

Please make checks payable to Sunset Avenue Baptist

Church and designate C-C.A.N. on your check and

offering envelope.

November 26 - December 17, 2017 Attendance Totals Sunday School 8:30 11:00

26 241 121 222

3 253 106 255

10 249 118 266

17 247 100 259

Membership Additions in 2017 8

By Baptism 4

By Transfer or Statement of Faith 4

November 26 - December 17, 2017 Giving Totals

Offering Received Designated Total Received

26 $ 14,472.50 $ 2,195.00 $ 16,667.50 3 $ 24,091.72 $ 35,845.05 $ 59,936.77 10 $ 17,622.10 $ 15,153.11 $ 32,775.21 17 $ 19,050.72 $ 11,745.99 $ 30,796.71

Year to Date Budget through December 17, 2017

Required Received Difference

$ 1,080,440.10 $ 990,102.35 ${90,337.75}

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER ARTICLES Any information that you wish to have published

in the February newsletter should be emailed to ccollie@sabaptist.org by noon on

Wednesday, January 24.

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