Mission Partner Spotlight – House of Tiny Treasures
Posted January 30, 2024 by J Hill in Missions
Some math is hard. Don’t get me wrong, math is important. But some math is just hard, y’all. Here’s what I mean. Forty-six Thanksgiving lunches plus more than 90 children’s books donated. Add that to four Christmas presents x 36 kids = 144 presents purchased and wrapped by five Adult Bible Communities, 15 Tribers and 20 Youth. Take all of this and add 30 handmade Christmas ornaments made by 30…
Monday Over Coffee: "Bring a Friend"
Posted January 29, 2024 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Nate Bargatze is one of the most gifted performers on the American comedy scene today. With my wife and friends, I’ve enjoyed his shows at local venues three or four times now. The subject of a 2021 article in The Atlantic entitled, “The Nicest Man in Stand-up,” Bargatze’s family-friendly cable tv specials (Full Time Magic, The Tennessee Kid, The Greatest Average American, Hello World) were all…
Family Ministry MLK Weekend Trips
Posted January 23, 2024 by Amy Brown, Alyssa Carter, and Lane Craig in Family Ministry
Over MLK weekend, our Family Ministry ventured outside of Houston for some much needed respite and fun for all of our 3rd through 12th graders. All of the groups had such a wonderful time and meaningful time fellowshipping together!
Monday Over Coffee: "Tears"
Posted January 22, 2024 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
When was the last time you cried? What caused it? More generally, what is it that tends to make you cry? A recent study looking at how much we cry found the average person in the United States cries about 40 times a year. The average American woman cries 64 times a year; the average American man, 17. Interestingly, just about everyone participating in this study underestimated how much they wept…
South Main's RFP
Posted January 17, 2024 by Campus Master Plan Task Force in All Articles
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a document that is sent to potential advisors or suppliers to describe a particular need or project and request input from those advisors or suppliers on how they would address that need or project, and what their proposed timeline, staffing and costs to do this work is. In an effort to provide as much as information as possible throughout the Campus Master…
Miroslav Volf
Posted January 16, 2024 by Trey Medley in Discipleship
Miroslav Volf is considered one of the greatest living theologians whose breakout work, Exclusion and Embrace, is easily among the most influential works of theology in the last fifty years. Volf, currently the director for the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University, is equally at home with evangelicals, among mainline churches, and in academic theology.
Monday Over Coffee: "Outside"
Posted January 15, 2024 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Mrs. Hestilow was a terrific math teacher in elementary school, but what I remember most about her was that she was open—every once in a while—to accede to her students’ pleas to hold class outside. Of course, as soon as we got a taste of this, Mrs. Hestilow began to receive the request regularly and had to refuse, pointing out quite rightly and reasonably that whenever we went outdoors we’d get…
2023 in Review
Posted January 9, 2024 by Steve Wells in Pastor
Before we move very far into 2024, I’d like to take a minute to remember some highlights from 2023. In a number of ways, 2023 was a year in which God was making all things new. We head into 2024 with some real challenges and some incredible opportunities. As I look at the year ahead, I am mindful that the same God who blessed us in so many different ways and through so many different people is…
Monday Over Coffee: "A Duty to Hope"
Posted January 8, 2024 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
It’s easy to entertain, even embrace the notion that things are bad in the world and only getting worse. Good news, on the other hand, must sometimes be sought out. This is where the Gapminder Foundation comes in. Gapminder is a non-profit organization, which—having recognized what they call a “terrible market failure” related to the imbalance between bad and good news in our lives—has created an…
Comfort in Hope
Posted January 2, 2024 by SMBC in Worship
In January and into February during our Sunday morning worship services, we’ll be focused on receiving the divine comfort that hope in a faithful God places on offer to us. God is a comforter. God is a giver of hope. As we explore the book of Isaiah each week and the beautiful words God gave to the prophet—"Comfort, comfort, my people"—we'll be encouraged to embrace hope in a God who's not only…
Once Upon a Family...
Posted December 25, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Christmas is a time for families. We delight in watching children experiencing all that the season brings. Is there anything more joyful than a child at Christmas? Of seeing their anticipation for what’s in store? We travel to be with parents or children knowing that when we’re with family, we catch afresh the wonder of the season and the promise that there is a place for us. It’s no accident…
Peace Sunday
Posted December 24, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
The Greek word for “peace” (pronounced as “eirene”) is rooted in the Hebrew concept of shalom. The Hebrew word “Shalom” (peace in English) means to bring completeness or to restore. Israel as a nation was chosen by God to be the harbingers of God’s shalom throughout all of creation. God called the people of Israel were called restoration and hope as they stood as a testament to God's reconciling…
Silent Night
Posted December 23, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
First performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 in a small town in Austria, Silent Night (Stille Nacht) is a staple of the Advent season. Peaceful, serene, and awe-inducing, this carol provides a glimpse into a quiet night when God’s gift to humanity was realized. A woman gave birth to her firstborn, and Christ became flesh to dwell among us.
Christmas Tradition
Posted December 22, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Loving Humility
Posted December 21, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Growing up, my immediate family celebrated a rather traditional Christmas. We gleefully tore open packages and gifts on December 25 and ate the traditional Christmas spread of foods. With extended family, however, Christmas looked a bit different.
Papa's Cinnamon Rolls
Posted December 20, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
My Papa (maternal grandfather) was, among many things, a baker. All year long, but especially when we were visiting at Christmas, we were treated to his pancakes, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls. In later years, he became unable to bake, so while the family had all the recipes, his pancakes (or hot cakes) were the easiest to make.
End-of-Year Need to Meet the Budget
Posted December 19, 2023 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
Your year-end giving really does make a difference. In 2023, forty-seven people joined South Main after either making a profession of faith in Christ or discovering a new church home with us. Eight baptisms grew out of the nurturing work of our Family Ministry. Think about that—young people, some who have been at South Main since being on the cradle roll and others who made their own way as…
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Posted December 19, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fidelis), likely written in the mid-eighteenth century, is a triumphal carol that urges us to gather close to Christ for the sole purpose of adoring Him. We are urged to come first to Bethlehem, Christ’s birthplace, where the angels sing in exultation on the happy (Christmas) morning.
Christmas Present
Posted December 18, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
What is the best present you've ever given someone?
Monday Over Coffee: "The Shark is Broken"
Posted December 18, 2023 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
The Shark is Broken is a captivating play about the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded during the much-troubled filming of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster 1975 movie, Jaws. The play premiered in London’s West End in 2021 before coming to Toronto, then Broadway this past fall.
