Happy New Year!

That may sound a little strange, coming in early September, but that’s exactly what we are facing – a new year. September 1 begins the new church year 2007-2008 and a number of new things are in the works at Westmoreland Baptist Church.

Our Nominating Committee has been busy for the past few months with their annual task of finding willing, talented members to serve in various capacities in our church’s ministries. I certainly appreciate the work of that team. Anyone who has ever been a member of that process knows how time consuming and difficult it can be. It requires hard work, much prayer, and a dependence upon the Spirit of God for leadership. They have come up with an excellent group of teachers, officers, and team members to work for the Kingdom Business to which we are called.
A number of transitions are in progress. We will have a new Mother’s Day Out director for the coming year. AWANA will see some new faces in leadership as Randy Spurgeon will be taking on the duties of AWANA Commander. With Randy’s concentration on the important children’s ministries, that leaves more of the load in our middle school and high school student ministries to volunteers like Jim and Cathy Bailey, Tara Lockhart, Angie Morris, Josh Spurgeon and Mindi Bell. Let us not forget to pray for Cheryl and Roger Bledsoe and their family as Cheryl continues to recover from the serious injuries she received in July on the Youth Mission Trip. Cheryl and Roger have been key workers in AWANA, youth ministries, and VBS activities in recent years, and their efforts are greatly appreciated.

September will be kicking off a new Men’s Outdoor Ministry. Rick Dean is helping to put this project together, which will combine outdoor activities for men and boys with a spiritual emphasis and Bible messages. A number of our guys have already made a trip to a huge outdoorsman equipment store in Wheeling. A dove hunt, wild game dinner, turkey hunt, and possible fishing trip are all in the works. We pray that this ministry will bring many of our men closer together in fellowship with one another, and lead into a closer walk with God. Women’s ministries are alive and well also. Julie Wood is leading an 11 week Beth Moore Bible Study called “Living Beyond Yourself” beginning September 4th.

October will see a special evangelistic emphasis with a two day event here at the church featuring John Jacobs Next Generation Power Force. We hope to make an impact for Christ on our community as this team will hold some school assemblies, and minister here at the church on Sunday the 28th and Monday the 29th. This team will use their amazing physical strength as an attention getter – to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We expect our church will be packed on those two evenings, and pray that a large number of people will respond to the Gospel message and accept Christ as their Savior.

Our desire to reach more children and families for Christ is the motivation behind another new ministry that begins this year. We will be sponsoring an “Upward” sports ministry here that will include Christ centered basketball, cheerleading, and soccer teams for children. Dino Dygert and his daughters Ashley and Dina are heading up the basketball and cheerleading work and Jeff Lockhart will lead the ministry in its spring soccer program. Prayer Commissioners, Paul and Betty Clevenger have set up a network of 10 prayer teams with more than 100 people participating in “100 Days of Prayer” seeking God’s blessing upon this ministry and upon Westmoreland Baptist Church. “Upward Sunday” on November 4th will cast the vision for this ministry before our entire congregation.

Mission work will continue through the coming year, with our ongoing work in Wayne, WV, and in the Philippines, through support of church planters Doming Valdez and Joseph Zerna, and through our giving to missions through the SBC’s Cooperative Program. Our young people will also be working toward other mission opportunities.

A new twist will also be evident in our Fifth Sunday Fellowship Dinners as Bob and Becky Moses will be serving in a newly created role as “Fellowship Coordinators”. The “Pot Luck” format of the church dinners will remain the same, with everyone bringing meats and other covered dishes. The difference is that Bob and Becky will be recruiting Sunday School classes and other ministry groups, to take on the duties of “hosting” these dinners (and the few other church wide fellowship times we may have during the year). The classes who volunteer to host one of the events per year will be in charge of setting up, serving, and cleaning up after our fellowship activities.

This change will serve two important purposes. First, it will involve more of our church members in this ministry of serving, and secondly, it will free up the former “Hospitality Committee” to focus on another important ministry that they do so well. They will now be known as the Bereavement Ministry Team, preparing meals for families who have experienced the death of a loved one. This is a vital mission in showing the love of Christ to those who are grieving.

Randy is actively working to increase enrollment in the various music ministries of the church. Several new members have joined the adult choir, and the youth and children’s choirs will be starting up again this month. As always, you can look for several special musical programs coming up at Christmas and Easter.

Newly elected deacons Charley Dygert, Brian Cunningham, Scott Bell, Randy Short, and Joseph Spurgeon will join present active Deacons Steve Howerton, Rick Rakes, and Dino Dygert and their yokefellows in servant ministry.

Lots of activities are planned. But we are not going to be busy just for the sake of staying busy. Each work and ministry of the church is geared around our three goals of “Magnifying God, Making Disciples, and Ministering to Others”. There are places that every member can serve. I hope you will find your place.

“Happy New Year!”