2012 Deacon Nominees

Here are your 2012 Deacon Nominees! Click here to download a packet with more information on each nominee. We'll be holding a short business meeting on Sunday, September 9 in both worship services to vote!

Barry Carroll & Family

Trevor Garner & Family

Tony Holmes & Family

Tom Mims & Family

Jim Munger & Family

Wayne Weichel & Family

Paul White & Family

Ken Gilbert & Family

Ministering to the Minister's Children

Amy Carroll

Your dad’s up front every Sunday instead of in the pew with his strong arm around you. You feel the weight of the church’s expectations, but you’re just a kid. It sometimes seems like you have to share your parents with a whole steeple-topped building of people. If you’ve ever experienced any of these things, you might have been a preacher’s kid—affectionately known as a PK.

So often we focus on the people up front—the pastors, the praise team, the choir, etc—and those small people back in the nurseries and Sunday school halls get over-looked. Facts and Trends didn’t forget them! In addition to the tips for blessing your pastor and pastor’s wife, they’ve included a list on how to bless your pastors’ children. Pray with me about how you can implement some of these personally as you interact with Cade and our other pastors’ kids.

Ministering to the Minister’s Kids: 

1. Allow your minister to put his family first. Nurturing and building relationships with family takes effort, energy and time. Your minister needs to know that he has permission to be the husband and parent God has called him to be. Allow him to set the standard for the rest of your church. 
2. Treat their dad with love and respect. Most kids think their dad is the greatest! Their relationship with their dad is often the basis for their relationship with their heavenly Father. It's amazing how many ministers' kids become disillusioned with God because of the way the church treated their dad. 
3. Allow your minister's kids to be human. The minister's kids are just like any other kids. They have good days and bad days. They enjoy some things more than others. They want to be treated like the rest of the group. 
4. Offer a helping hand. Have you ever noticed that when your minister is at church he's pretty busy? Have you noticed that during worship your minister's kids might need some extra love? Offer to sit with your minister's family when he's not available. 
5. Offer to be adopted grandparents. Every kid needs to be spoiled rotten by their grandparents, yet many of our ministers' kids live a long way from their extended family and don't get that opportunity. Consider adopting your minister's kids a couple times a year for some VIP treatment. 
6. Give gifts that include your minister's kids. Ministers often receive gifts of appreciation during the year. Consider giving a family-inclusive gift like theme park passes, a zoo membership, gift cards to a local movie theater or tickets to special events in your community. 
7. Recognize the kids' sacrifice to the church. On special occasions, celebrations, milestones and anniversaries, acknowledge the entire family's service and sacrifice. Kids often share their dad during evenings and weekends because of church ministries and needs. Recognize and appreciate their part in their dad's ministry. 
8. Talk with the kids about themselves. Speak to the kids, not just the minister. Resist the urge to always bring up their dad and church stuff. Take the time to discover their interests and have conversations with them about them. Find ways to make them feel special. 
9. Take your minister and his family to lunch. The next time you take your minister and his family for a meal, ask his kids to pick the restaurant. 
10. Make your minister's kids feel valued. Look for opportunities to encourage, congratulate and dote over your minister's kids. Celebrate good grades, recitals, sports games and school achievements. 

Bill Emeott is LifeWay's kids ministry specialist. 
This article is re-printed with permission from Facts and Trends 2012 Summer Edition.

The Dead Church

Charles Kingsley (1819—1875) was an English priest known for such novels as Westward Ho!, for his political essays, his poetry, and his collections of sermons.

Check out this excerpt from one of his poems called "The Dead Church."

Wild wild wind, wilt thou never cease thy sighing?
Dark dark night, wilt thou never wear away?
Cold cold church, in thy death sleep lying,
The Lent is past, thy Passion here, but not thine Easter-day.

Peace, faint heart, though the night be dark and sighing;
Rest, fair corpse, where thy Lord himself hath lain.
Weep, dear Lord, above thy bride low lying;
Thy tears shall wake her frozen limbs to life and health again

I love it! The life-giving power of Easter is here! The power of God is pounding like the surf on the beach, and nothing can hold it back. Let's wake up and live to honor Christ! "Come awake, from sleep arise! You were dead, become alive!"

Handyman Ministry in Shangri-La

Here are some photos of our Handyman Ministry hard at work in Shagri-La today! (If you'd like to get involved in our Handyman Ministry please contact us here!)

Exposing the Dark Work of Abortion

Today is SOHL, but since we were introducing our interim pastor today, Dr. Greg Heisler, we'll be observing SOHL later in February. More info on that coming in the next few weeks.

In the meantime check out this free e-book generously made available by John Piper and Desiring God ministries. It's entitled "Exposing the Dark Work of Abortion" and you definitely want to download and read it!

Pastors on Evolution and Creation

Nathan Stam
Communications/Children's Pastor

Recently, Lifeway Research released research on Protestant Pastors and their views on the Creation account in Genesis. Check out the graphic and the below link for more in depth statistics.

Click here for more in depth analysis and trends.

How about you? Any thoughts or responses?

Why Pastors Should Bless Interracial Marriage

We'll have a few more posts on racial reconciliation in the next few weeks, but first check out this video from John Piper.

Bloodlines

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

Check out this powerful video from Pastor John Piper as he shares his story of growing up in the South. Ask yourself the question, "At ABC, how are we working toward racial reconciliation and diversity?"

FX (Family Experience)

FX (Family Experience) is coming on Saturday, October 29 and we'll be using the blog to keep you updated on what is going on in the FX camp these next few weeks! Here's the first update!

FX Sign-ups Have Begun
We want everyone to “get in the game” and be a part of FX – that way we’ll maximize the blessings, minimize the burdens and have a lot of fun along the way! Sign-up sheets are available on tables near the sanctuary, at the welcome center and online at www.apexbaptist.org/fx. You can serve as life groups, families, or individuals. We’ll try to have a point person at each station to help schedule the team’s workers. In these weekly updates we’ll inform you of other areas to serve as they arise (BTW, we’ll need several ushers for the Faith Force programs).

NEW FOR 2011
* YES!! This year we’re glad to have FAITH FORCE (see below) with us for two programs
* YEEHAAH!! Fairview Grass, (Billy Powell & his blue grass buddies) will be “pickin’ & grinning” with us
* YIDDIE UP!! We’ll have horse rides in the rear lot
* Praise YAHWEH!! Bible Bee Students will dazzle & inspire us with their scripture memorization
* YIPPEE!! The Apex Police will have a 911 Simulation for the kiddies

FAITH FORCE
We’ve been friends with the FAITH FORCE power team since Metamorphosis 2003, and three team members will do two programs during FX. In addition to having incredibly strong physical bodies, they have wonderfully tender hearts. They just got back last week from a 10 day trip in Russia where they saw our Lord work sweetly & powerfully. These guys will do a great job of entertaining, inspiring and clearly communicating the Gospel. You don’t want to miss! The first program will be around 5:30 and the second (longer one) will be at 7. Yes, you’ll be able to view the program in the sanctuary or on the big screen in the fellowship hall. (We’ll aim to close all of the FX activities down just prior to 7).

Pray, Pursue, Persuade
Do all of your friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and classmates know Jesus as Lord? Probably not. Today, begin to pray for these by name that God would stir in their hearts. Next, look for opportunities to “bring up” Jesus and pursue them with the truths of Christ in conversation. Ultimately, you want to persuade them to come to Christ. Persuading them to come to FX and to see the Faith Force Team can play a big part in them coming to Christ! Your guests may even get saved on Saturday night! What an FX experience that would be!
Pray…
* That our many wanted & needed workers will sign up promptly
* That our ABC Family would do a good job of praying, pursuing and persuading in these next 24 days
* That our workers will lovingly & genuinely engage all of our participants & guests
* That our Lord’s love, joy & grace will fall over our campus on that Saturday evening
* That many of our unchurched guests will join us for services on the following Sunday morning
* That souls would be saved on Saturday night and Sunday morning
* That the relationships within our church family will sprout, sweeten & be strengthened as we serve together through this ministry project.
Also
* Sign up to serve by October 16th, and we’ll get you a free FX t-shirt! You also may wear your Fun Fest t shirt from a previous year or dress up in some non- scary fashion.
* Supper (hot dogs & chili) for our workers will be at 3pm in the fellowship hall.
* Our final briefing & prayer will be at 3:30pm in the fellowship hall
* We want to be in position & ready to begin by 3:50
* We’ll have a FAMILY EXPERIENCE Flier attachment for you to forward to your friends & neighbors next week. We’ll have hard copies, too. Remind everyone that it’s all FREE!
* Remember that helping at our Fun Fest is a great way to meet a lot more folks in our ABC family.

Seeds of Mustard Ministry

Today's blog is dedicated to a wonderful new ministry called "Seeds of Mustard." Check it out to see how you can get involved!

Seeds of Mustard is a faith based IRS recognized non-profit ministry. The ministry began in Sept of 2009, following the untimely death of George and Nicolette’s 16 year old son. The ministry is funded by the support of local churches, individual donations and the operation of a thrift store located on Maynard Road in Cary. (For more details on the history of SOM, visit www.seedsofmustard.org.)

The mission of SOM is to bring glory to God by assisting children and families in crisis situations with the hopes of furthering HIS kingdom by serving HIS people. Since its inception, SOM has helped dozen in families in providing clothing, furniture and financial assistance. Currently, SOM is providing support locally to children in low income communities in Cary near the store and abroad in Dominican Republic through Rainbow Families. It has partnered with Freeway Church, Grace Christian School, Haven House, the Cary and Kraft YMCA and Rainbow Families, and is looking for more opportunities to form additional long-term relationships.

SOM needs help. Thrift ‘n Gift is located in 2000 sq ft and is outgrowing its space. God has given us opportunity to double our space and our rent. Currently 100% of our proceeds from the store go straight to the mission field. Expenses including rent, utilities, insurance and our one paid employee have been paid through regular individual contributors to the ministry.

How can ABC and its members help?
ABC can greatly help by spreading the word through church communications. (How will they know if we do not tell them?) and setting up collection boxes for the store several times a year.

Members can:
1. Consider becoming a regular financial contributor to Seeds of Mustard.
2. Shop at Thrift ‘n Gift located at 1381 SE Maynard Road, Cary, www.thriftngift.org
3. Donate gently used items to Thrift ‘n Gift.
4. Donate time by becoming a volunteer. We are in desperate need of Spanish speaking volunteers as well as volunteers to help with Craig’s list items, website, advertising and general store positions.
5. PRAY for Seeds of Mustard and Thrift ‘n Gift. That GOD’s will and ways would be accomplished for HIS name’s sake.

Bylaws and Deacons!

In the coming weeks we will be voting on two important issues in the life of our church. The first of these will be our new deacon nominees. This vote will be held in both worship services on Sunday, August 14th. For the full list of this year's deacon nominees and their bio's you may click here.

Secondly, we will be voting on our new proposed constitution and bylaws in both worship services on Sunday, September 18th. Before our vote we will have discussions on the revisions made at 3:00 pm in the Choir Room on the following dates:

Sunday, August 14th ~ 3:00 pm ~ Choir Room
Sunday, August 21st ~ 3:00 pm ~ Choir Room
Sunday, August 28th ~ 3:00 pm ~ Choir Room

If you didn't receive a copy of the revised, proposed ABC Constitution and Bylaws please email us here and we'll email you a soft copy. Hard copies will also be made available in the church office and at the round window.

Stealing Cookies

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I remember it well. There I was in the middle of the night involved in a nefarious scheme to fill my hungry and growling stomach. The kitchen was quiet and dark, and the storage areas were filled with endless and bountiful provisions. The cookies that I was eating were perfect--not too hard and not too soft. The end result of a baker's labor. I had never felt more guilty in my life. Or more alive. That could possibly have been the result of all the sugar.

Let me rewind. The year was 1997 and I was ending my sophomore campaign at NCSU. I had become involved in Young Life and along with several others traveled up to Lake Saranac, New York for something called "Work Week" where Young Life leaders spent time cleaning up the camp from the winter and getting it ready for the summer.

We worked hard. Cutting down trees with chainsaws, painting, putting out the dock into the lakes in our wetsuits. And we were fed well for our toil. But I hope it's not too hard to believe that one night as we lay down to sleep a friend of mine mentioned he was hungry and my stomach rumbled in response. Our options were limited. We were in the middle of nowhere, did not have the foresight to bring any snacks, and had no hunting equipment.

Fortunately, my friend had an idea, and the means by which to execute said idea. The plan was simple: as our forefathers had done long before, raid and pillage the camp kitchen. The means was also simple: my friend mysteriously had the key.

So that brings us full circle to me munching on cookies in the dead of night in upstate New York. After eating our fill we slipped out as quietly as we came in and retired to our beds with a slight sugar buzz, but feeling much better than before about the next day's work.

It was a fun memory, but every time I read Philippians 3:19 I feel slightly guilty whenever my stomach begins to growl in the middle of the night.