The "Chest of Joash"

I am humbled by God's precious gifts to our church "Homecoming Day" this January 22, 2012. We set a goal to raise $30,000.00 "Homecoming Day" to pay toward our debt retirement. The last Wednesday in December 2011 we sat a chest on the table in our vestibule. This was our "Chest of Joash" displaying our hope in Jesus to meet our needs. The first few weeks we collected around $4,500.00 in the "Chest of Joash" and then "Homecoming" God showed up and gave us $31,000.00 plus. The total offering through Homecoming was $35,673.25! We have one more week to collect gifts through the "Chest of Joash". We are praying we can reach a total of $40,000.00 by the week end. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! We are working toward getting a lower interest rate at First Reliance Bank and paying them hopefully $40,000.00 toward the debt retirement this month.

Thanks to a great church family that gives when it is needed. I'm so blessed to be your pastor. I love you much!

Help From The Hills

(Psalms 121:1-2) "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

During life we all have struggles. Some weeks we have very little to purchase food with. Through God's Grace He provides for us each day. Some people are just in need all the time. It is our responsibility to help those God allows to cross our paths. We are to go the second mile to help those who have needs. Our church provides a food pantry for anyone who is hungry. Because we give, we are able to hand out two or three bags a food per week. This past year we gave out food bags to 106 families in our city. I just want to thank our people at SFBC for caring.

We are having the "Souper Bowl" this year on February 5. We are asking you to replenish our food pantry so we can continue to give to those with needs. Love you all in Jesus.

Howard and Nancy

Be Faithful to the Church

(Heb 10:25) "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." NIV

We should not neglect meeting with other believers, not even for a brief time. We are to assemble together for these reasons:

1. worship
2. prayer
3. bible study
4. witnessing
5. fellowship

Jesus went to church. (Luke 4:16)
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read".KJV

I encourage you to attend church more in 2012. Let's make going to church a habit. Don't miss unless you are sick or have to work.

Christmas Day @ SFBC

I was so blessed this morning with our church service. We had a great attendance with 196 present. Every song was just beautiful and fit right in with the flow of our service. Miriam and Jennifer were awesome as usual. June did an outstanding job playing the piano. All ten of our deacons were present to participate in the Communion Service. I'm so proud of our deacons and wives.Dave did a god job putting all the songs in the right place for the service. We also met our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal of $4,000.00. There was a sweet spirit flowing today in the worship service.

Wednesday night we will have our annual business meeting. The new budget will be adopted. We will make plans for the new year. I will try to cast a vision for 2012. Let's get ready for a super year in 2012.

Check out these photos:

Christmas 2011 @ The Allens

2012 Evangelism Conference February 22-24

Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church, Florence, SC will Host the 2012 South Carolina Baptist Evangelism Conference. For more information please contact Melanie Ratcliffe @ melanieratcliffe@scbaptist.org or call 800-723-7242 ext. 3022.

Conference Schedule: Morning Sessions:      9:30 AM
                                    Afternoon Sessions:    1:30 PM
                                    Evening Sessions :      6:30 PM

Guest Speakers:   Junior Hill
                             Jeff Laborg
                             Rick Corum
                             David Gallamore
                             Ernie Perkins
                             Jim Austin
                             Phil Hoskins
                             Randall Jones

Singers:   Charles Billingsley in Concert
                  The Old Paths

Going to be a great conference!
               

Christmas Services At SFBC

What a wonderful day we had at SFBC. It was awesome at both services today. Dave Cyphert, our Minister of Music did an outstanding job The choir members showed out and did an excellent job singing. All the talent we have was shining today for our Lord. Each person who had a solo was awesome and sung with perfection. I was so proud of all the choir and musicians. The sound guys did a good job as well as the light guys.Thanks for doing your part in this worship service.

Bridgette Godbold, Troi Gasque, Linda Sauls, put together a superb Children's Christmas Play. The children were so precious and did an outstanding job singing. The youth and children had parts in the play and did very good playing their roles. I was so impressed with what I saw and heard tonight. Gary and Laura Miller were dressed as Mary and Joseph. I thought Allen Henderson did well with his role in the play. Everyone was special and did a good work during this play. Here are so photos of the play:

Deacons and Wives Christmas Dinner

Thanks to Adam and Paula Baker for hosting the annual South Florence Baptist Church Deacons and Wives Christmas Dinner. The meal was delicious and the tables were beautifully set. It was a time of bonding and enjoying fellowship with each other.Thanks for the gifts you gave to me and my sweet wife. You do a great work for our Lord and His church. We are a great church because of couples like you. I'm honored to be your pastor and blessed beyond measure by our growing congregation. I'm grateful for the work so many of our members do to keep our church strong and maturing in the faith. Our church will only be as strong as our deacons and leaders. Keep praying and believing God for great numbers in the future. Love you all in Jesus.

Who I'm I?

Job 8:11


Do I only serve God when I am in good company, or when religion is profitable and respectable? Do I love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received from His hands? If so I am a base hypocrite, and like the withering rush, I shall perish when death deprives me of outward joys. But can I honestly assert that when bodily comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been rather adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still held fast my integrity? then have I hope that there is genuine vital godliness in me. The rush cannot grow without mire, but plants of the Lord's right hand planting can and do flourish even in the year of drought. A godly man often grows best when his worldly circumstances decay. He who follows Christ for his bag is a Judas; they who follow for loaves and fishes are children of the devil; but they who attend Him out of love to Himself are His own beloved ones. Lord, let me find my life in Thee, and not in the mire of this world's favour or gain.

(from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, PC Study Bible )

Alford Melton's Funeral

Stoudenmire and Dowling Funeral Home, Florence, SC / Wednesday, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Receiving Friends

South Florence Baptist Church, Florence, SC / Funeral @ 2:00 p.m.

Clinton Joseph Gaskin Funeral Arrangements

Clinton Gaskin was the son in law of Oliver & Debra Smith. He was in an accident Wednesday going to work. Here are the Funeral arrangements:

Saturday December 10, 2011 @ Stoudenmire and Dowling Funeral Home from 6:00 p.m. til 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 11, 2011 @ Stoudenmire and Dowling Funeral Chapel @ 2:00 p.m. (Funeral Service)

Homecoming @ South Florence Baptist Church 2012

SFBC will have her annual Homecoming January 22,2012. Rev. Richie Hicks will be our guest preacher. Worship service begins at 10:00 a.m. and dinner will follow the morning worship service. All tithes and offerings will go toward paying our church debt off. We owe around 2.1 million dollars. I'm trusting God to bless us with $30,000 in gifts on this homecoming day. Please be much in prayer concerning this special day.

Timmy Wise & Yvonne's Oyster Roast

Timmy and Yvonne invited us to have an oyster roast with them tonight. Nancy was able to go and fellowship with them. She had some frog more stew and we enjoyed the meal. Here are some photos of tonights gathering.

My USC Gamecocks Christmas Tree

A gift from some precious friends at church. Thank you.

Deanna & Jesse Parrot's Wedding Day

                                           Deanna Parrot

                                           Beverly & Tedderboy

                                        Joyce, Brooks & Sally Wilson

                                           Brooks & her  daddy

                                           Timothy Tedder

Tigers Are Going Down!

Showdown in Columbia,SC tonight with the Mighty Gamecocks taking on the Wimpy Clemson Tigers. Game time at 7:45 p.m. Some are calling this game the State Championship Game. GooooooGamecocks!

Deanna Tedder & Jesse Parrot Wedding Rehearsal

One of my preacher boys daughter is getting married Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Coward Baptist Church, Coward, SC. She is marrying Jesse Parrot. It's a blessing seeing children grow into adulthood. Craig Tedder and Beverly Tedder have raised some good children.

Craig started out in a store front with about 18 people 12 years ago in Coward, SC. The church grew and expanded into a new sanctuary and family life center. They now have about 140 in worship on any given Sunday morning. What a blessing to the Lord's Kingdom!

Here are so photos of Coward Baptist Church: Rev. Craig Tedder & Timothy Tedder (son)

The Allen's Thanksgiving

Today was a good time of fellowshipl with our boys and their families. The Lord blessed Nancy with good health these last few days. She was able to cook and prepare a meal for this Thanksgiving Day. Jeffery cooked a turkey. Nancy cooked a ham with dressing. All the girls baked some pies and cakes. The grandboys played most the day outside and in the woods out back. The grandgirls stayed inside talking with the ladies. The men watched some football. We had plenty to eat. It was a great day with the family.

I went with Adrian to Lamar, SC for the lightening of the town Christmas tree at 6:00 p.m. The community gathered for some prayer and singing Christmas carols. Adrian was introduced as the new pastor at First Baptist Lamar. It was a warm spirit among the towns people.Santa Claus came up on the city fire truck.He sat and talked with the group of children. A good day was spent with my family.

Thank you Jesus for loving us. Your Mercy endures forever.

Thanksgiving at Creekside Apartments, Florence, SC

Mary Lynn Kleinknecht led our church family to minister to some lovely people at Creekside. They were served a Thanksgiving meal.

Rev. Adrian Allen and Family Called to Lamar First Baptist Church

Excitng times in the church family at Lamar, SC. New pastor and family have moved in to serve the Lord  and the church fellowship. I'm so proud of my son and his family as they minister to the people of Lamar, SC.