Are You Ready?
Posted December 6, 2018 by Bill Anderson in Advent
We have all been asked, "Are you ready for Christmas?" There are two questions there—one is about the "cultural Christmas" we all take part in and the other about Christmas as celebrating the birth of Jesus. Many of us would respond initially to the "easy" question about preparations for Christmas as a cultural holiday: Is the tree trimmed? Gifts bought and wrapped? Cards mailed? A 2013 Pew…
Reflecting the Past, Looking to the Future
Posted December 5, 2018 by Angie Durand in Advent
On the day after Thanksgiving, we begin our Advent season by emptying our bookcases and shelves and putting out nativity sets. We have nativities that we have been collecting for years. By the end of the weekend our home is Advent-ready—ready for the celebration of our Savior. When Amy and Sally went off to college, I made sure they had a few Christmas ornaments and a small tree for their…
Glory of the Lord
Posted December 4, 2018 by Jason Harper in Advent
One of my favorite ways to recharge is to spend time outdoors at our ranch in central Texas. As the seasons change from fall to winter, dry air occasionally descends upon us from the north in the form of a cold front. One of the great by-products of these fronts is that the amount of water vapor in the air is usually greatly reduced. That scenario, combined with a dark sky nearly untouched by…
Ever-Present Love
Posted December 3, 2018 by Garrett Hohmann in Advent
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14
Prepare
Posted December 2, 2018 by Phyllis Waggoner in Advent
In the fields in which they lived, the shepherds were once again tending their sheep, listening to the familiar bleating sounds their sheep made. As they watched their flock, an angel of the Lord appeared telling them, "Don't be afraid! We are bringing good news that will cause great joy for the entire world." As they told the shepherds of Christ's birth, suddenly beautiful, melodic sounds…
Advent 2018: Foreword
Posted December 1, 2018 by Steve Wells in Advent
Advent is the season in which we wait for—and then celebrate God's gift of Christ and of salvation. But waiting for Christmas morning is different for us than it was for those who awaited the Messiah in ancient times—they did not know when He would come. It's hard to put ourselves in the same mindset as they were when the day we celebrate Christ's coming is actually set on our calendar as…
Mission Focus: Sodzo International
Posted November 7, 2018 by Robbie Matteson in Missions
In September, a group from South Main went on a mission trip to Maua, Kenya, the home of our mission partner, Sodzo International. Many of the participants were first-timers with respect to this particular mission site and, as with any new adventure, they went with a certain picture in their heads of what might come. While we know that image is probably inaccurate, we step into that experience…
Family Ministry Focus: The 527 Tribe
Posted November 6, 2018 by Hannah Rollins in Family Ministry
The 527 Tribe is South Main's "tween" ministry. We are the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders who meet in what used to be the Activities Building. Greg Taylor, Ryan Lane, David Bernal, Cindy Hippel, Lynda McKnight, and Bobbye Kolter are our Sunday School teachers. We split our Sunday School classes into boys and girls, with the boys meeting on the recently converted stage in the gym and the…
All Saints' Day 2018
Posted November 1, 2018 by Steve Wells in Worship, Pastor
All Saints is a somber celebration. We take time to remember those saints whose lives have graced and shaped our own lives and the life of our church. We make space to grieve family members who have gone on to be with the Lord. We pause to remember the great grace of the Gospel spoken by Jesus to Martha by the soon-to-be-empty grave of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever…
Family Ministry Focus: Tribe
Posted October 30, 2018 by Carey Cannon in Family Ministry
Navigating the transition into Middle School can be strenuous at best. The emotional and relational challenges coupled with an increase in academic demands are as heavy as the book-bags our sixth graders carry. On October 5 and 6, Janet and I loaded the car with Caroline to spend 24 hours at Camp Cho-yeh. There, we joined other families as we marked a significant life milestone—adolescence. We…
Family Ministry Focus: Youth
Posted October 28, 2018 by Brandyn Adney in Family Ministry
The word that characterizes the Youth Ministry at South Main is Mobilize. The students grow in their faith and proactively seek to follow Jesus in genuine discipleship as they prepare to make the transition into young adulthood. Each student is nurtured in their faith within the context of intentional relationships in a large group community, a smaller family group gathering, and on an…
A Look Ahead to the Class of 2029
Posted October 15, 2018 by Dolores Rader in Family Ministry
I invite you to look ahead with me to a Sunday morning on May 20th in the year 2029. It's 11:20 and the eleventh toll has just quieted the room to a hush. After a welcome, rousing hymn, and morning prayer, 28 seniors rise and come to the platform... We look over the group of young adults and think back to a similar Sunday in September of 2018, when these kids were just second graders and so…
Sabbatical Reflections by Susan Moore
Posted October 10, 2018 by SMBC in Discipleship
Minister of Administration for Communications is my title at South Main Baptist Church. I, along with my Communications Team, facilitate timely, accurate communication being provided and heard. On a good day, my job supports all other ministries. In addition to my title, my calling to the ministry is all about making connections....connections between congregants and staff, between…
Sodzo Update: Family Strengthening In Kenya
Posted September 28, 2018 by SMBC in Missions
Our recent Kenya adventures led us to the villages of Linjoka, Tiira, and Gekka to hear first hand the stories of success with the family strengthening programs that have begun in these rural villages. The value of the family strengthening program is that it is a prevention method to help keep boys from going to the streets. We learned about the value of table lending, otherwise known as an…
Sodzo Update: Seeing Promise in Kenya
Posted September 11, 2018 by SMBC in Missions
What a difference a year makes in the lives of the Children of Promise at the Watoto Wa Ahadi Rescue Center. The first group of boys have been successfully integrated back into their families, and a new set of boys are now having their lives changed for the best. We visited the farm last month, and saw firsthand how the Rescue Center is positively changing their lives. Each boy is part of a…
Hello, Dolly! Reflections
Posted August 25, 2018 by Carey Cannon in Music, Discipleship
Before I gave the conductor's score one last glance, I turned around to catch a glimpse of who had shown for that evening's performance—and I saw something. I saw two couples sitting next to each other, the Mooneys, longtime members of South Main who now live out of town and the Perrys, who have joined South Main in recent years. They shook hands and began chatting it up. Two couples who didn'…
Alleluia for the Acts
Posted July 19, 2018 by Andrea Hoxie in Worship, Music
Thank you, Andrea Hoxie for the gift of this song to our congregation!
My 527 Tribe Shaw Mission Trip Experience
Posted July 11, 2018 by Kate Arenas in Family Ministry, Missions
I never thought my parents would let me go to Mississippi by myself. But they did and I'm glad they let me go! I learned a lot from the work and people I met in Shaw. When I first got on the bus, I wasn't too excited. I knew it would be a long drive. It turned out to be very fun! When we reached Mississippi, we stopped for dinner in Vicksburg. The food was good, and we were welcomed. Then…
5 Years
Posted June 20, 2018 by Carey Cannon in Worship, Music
In many ministry circles that's an average stint. At South Main, however, it's only a drop in the bucket, as both of my predecessors Thomas Coker and Thad Roberts combined served almost 60 years. What this 5-year recognition offers is a moment to think back to what we've experienced together. We saw the building and installation of a new organ and renovation of a gorgeous Sanctuary building. We…
South Main Summer 2018 Reading List
Posted June 5, 2018 by SMBC in Discipleship, Pastor
Are you looking for some enriching reading for the summer? South Main's Discipleship Committee has polled our ministers and some fellow congregants to collect this terrific list of books for the upcoming vacation season. You'll find all sorts of picks from the spiritually edifying and deeply educational to the pleasantly amusing and simply entertaining. We hope you'll grab a few of these…
