BEULAH ANN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 66 NUMBER 10 OCTOBER 2023
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK…
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31:6
Revival is over, according to the calendar. However, I can’t help but believe it’s still burning in our community. Not everyone we invited attended. Only some of those who promised to come made it out. Still, personal revival, restoration, and salvation are available to whosoever will come. The world needs Jesus. He came for the whole world. But many reject him, even today. We’re so caught up in this “modern” world that we can’t possibly accept the virgin birth or benefit of Jesus’ crucifixion and shed blood for our sins. Even the Resurrection doesn’t mean much to 21st-century men and women.
But Revival has taken hold of Beulah Ann, and I don’t expect it to release its grip anytime soon. We’ve been encouraged to witness to others, to share the love of Christ, and to step outside the walls of the sanctuary to bring in the harvest of souls. Dear friend, as you read this, please know I am praying for you. If you’re lost, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’re backslidden, come home to Jesus. Remember the Prodigal Son; he came home, and the Father rejoiced! If you’ve gotten away from the body of Christ, come back. We need you as much as you need us. Together, we function as the Church. Separately, we’re prey for the devil and his henchmen.
Revival is overflowing! It’s contagious! But, we have a difficult task ahead. We must extend our reach beyond the sanctuary. Visit that lost neighbor. Invite that angry relative. Forgive those who’ve wronged us and encourage them to come to Jesus. Be courageous and unafraid. Be bold in your witness for Jesus Christ! The Lord is with you! ~~ Pastor Greg
SEPT. SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
September 3 95
September 10 121
September 17 138
September 24 138
4) 492 (123 average)
The church is thoroughly cleaned between all services. If you cannot attend, all services are streamed live on these Facebook pages: Beulah Ann Missionary Baptist (church building is the profile pic); Greg Lunsford; and Erin McComas-Carter and broadcast live on FM radio 89.5 which can be heard from the church parking lot. Immediately after services, you can watch on YouTube channel “Beulah Ann Missionary Baptist Church.”
Prayer requests may be sent directly to the prayer line which is maintained by Sharon Chapman at babcprayer@aol.com, or called in to the church at 304-743-5854.
Offerings may be mailed to the church at P. O. Box 247, Ona, WV 25545. Please mail Sunday School Class (and other groups) offerings directly to your class treasurer.
Your attendance is very much welcome at any time. Love to see everybody back!
BIBLE READING PROGRAMS
WVBC ABWM 5-year Bible Reading Plan:
October: I Corinthians
November: II Corinthians
Evangelistic Outreach Bible Reading Calendars give an Old and New Testament selection to read each day of the year. A chronological Bible Reading schedule is also available. All these plans are on the front foyer table.
OVER 80 BIRTHDAYS
Betty “Gail” Wetherholt, Oct. 17, 82 yrs.
Tommy Nance, Oct. 19, 81 yrs.
Alliene Caldwell, Oct. 21, 81 yrs.
Rowena Bonde, Nov. 3, 93 yrs.
Beverly Harshbarger, Nov. 6, 88 yrs.
Cleo “Punkin” Johnson, Nov. 9, 92 yrs.
OVER 50 ANNIVERSARIES
David & Linda Chapman, Oct. 29, 58 yrs.
I am proud to announce that I completed the 1st item on my bucket list. I have the bucket.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEWSLETTER FUND
Thru church treasury $25.00
Gene Caldwell $20.00
Charles Robert Markin $25.00
Beverly Harshbarger $15.00
Nina Nowlin $15.00
Nina writes, “The skies look beautiful everyday because Heaven cannot contain the beauty that you radiate. I miss you.” (Author Unknown). In loving memory of Mommy, the late Maye Nowlin, on her birthday, Oct. 31.
Thank you for your generous support.
MISSION PROJECTS
In September and October, we are getting an early start on shipping costs for Operation Christmas Child Love in a Shoebox.We hope to have between four and five hundred boxes again this year. Each box costs $10.00 to ship. We take ours to a collection center at Lewis Memorial Baptist Church, and from there they are trucked to North Carolina, then by plane all over the world. We have received $1,185 to date. To give, just put Shoebox on the memo line of your check.
The ABWM Community Outreach Project for September was body wash and wipes for the Huntington Hospice House. Thanks to all who gave. In October, we are asking for liquid hand soap, Johnson’s baby wash, baby bottle brushes, and diaper rash cream for Lily’s Place. If you would like to help, place items in the basket in the foyer. Thank you!
For “Socktober,” Youth Ministries is collecting socks and undies for both men and women at the Huntington City Mission. A basket is in the foyer, thanks for your help.
Notice: The 911 Addressing Project has reached the church. Our new address is: 3301 Howell’s Mill Road. Please continue to use PO Box 247, Ona, Wv 25545 for correspondence.
CONGRATULATIONS to Isabella Litteral, daughter of Sammy and Kara Litteral, granddaughter of Sam and Charlene Litteral, who received her white coat on Sept. 22 as she begins the next step in her training as a veterinarian at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF:
JENNY ABBOTT, sister of Donna Clagg, who passed away Sept. 21 at her home in Florida.
WILLIAM HARVEY FOSTER, 87, of Milton, whose funeral was Sept. 23. He was the father of Glen (Maureen) Foster.
NEW MEMBERS
On Sunday, October 1, Ronald and Carolyn Welder presented themselves for church membership by transfer of letter. Carolyn is the half-sister of Ricky Webb. Welcome to this wonderful couple!
THANK YOU all so much for your continued support of our Knight’s Great Hall. Your generosity helps our community so much.
Tracy Urian, CMHS Counselor
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NEWS
First, thank you to the four ladies who have volunteered to help us with the children on Sundays. God Bless you!
Did you hear the Jesus Kids sing on Sept 24th during awards? They sound amazing!! They are singing about their Jesus.
We were so proud of all the kids who said their August & September Bible verses and received an Award.
On October 25th at 7 pm we will have our “LIGHT THE NIGHT WITH JESUS” party and will have different things going on downstairs.
Be sure to invite a friend. Around 8:15 that night will be having our Circle of Treats in the Gym. The kids wear their friendly costumes and the adults treat the kids. Thank you in advance, adults for all the goodies.
The Jesus Kids sang at Paramount Senior Living last Sunday. The kids are a blessing to them. We featured the songs out of the red hymnal and everyone sang along and remembered all the words!!
Jesus Kids are working hard on their Fall Play, “Lost but Now I’m Found.” It will be November 12th at 7 pm.
~~Children’s Ministry Team
CALENDAR
**Sun., Oct. 15,22,29, 6 pm – Jesus Kids Practice.
**Mon., Oct. 16 – Mon., Oct. 30 – Ladies Bible Study, Family Center. The group is using In the Footsteps of the Savior, by Max Lucado. (Books can be purchased on Amazon.) Snacks begin at 5:30 pm, and study begins at 6 pm. See Connie Chapman for more details.
**Tues., Oct.17,24,31, 10 am – Sew Blest, Family Center.
**Oct. 19–20 – WVBC Annual Meeting, South Parkersburg Baptist Church. Our delegates are Pastor Greg Lunsford, Jim and Jo Ross, and Patty Morrison.
**Oct. 21- Oct. 22 – Youth Ministries Retreat, Camp Ona.
**Sun., Oct. 22, 7 pm – ABWM Love Gift Devotion. Please be saving your dollars and coins for the offering, which is a good way to count your blessings and give” over and above” your planned offering and tithes. This offering helps fill in the gaps when there are shortfalls in the WV Baptist Convention budget items, or unanticipated needs arise. Thank you!
**Sun., Oct.22, 8:15 pm – Pastor Appreciation Reception, Family Center.
**Wed., Oct. 25, 7:00 pm – Children’s Ministry “Light the Night with Jesus”, then, Circle of Treats, in the Family Center, following the evening service (8:15 pm).
**Thurs., Oct. 26, 6 pm – In Stitches, Family Center.
**Sat., Oct. 28, 4:30 pm – Wedding of John Hagley and Leigh Blankenship in the sanctuary, with reception following at Camp Ona.
**Sun., Oct. 29, 7:00 pm – 5th Sunday Night Sing with Third Harmony.
**Mon., Oct. 30, 7 pm – The Sanctuary Choir will sing in Revival at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Milton, WV.
**Tues., Oct 31, 5 pm – Caldwell Class Shoebox Preparation, Family Center.
**Nov. 22 – Horn–of-Plenty Service.
**Nov. 30–Dec. 1 – Prepare & Distribute Christmas Baskets.
**Dec. 2, 6 pm – Church Christmas Dinner.
**Dec. 10 – Children’s Ministry Christmas Play.
Little known fact: Before the Addam’s Family “Thing” was an actor, he was a stagehand.
I CAN
On Fri., Sept. 22, a group of about 50 Beulah Anners went to Marquee Cinemas at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington. We were going to watch the movie “I Can” which was directed by our own Tyler Sansom. Tyler, the son of Rick and Debbie Sansom, is currently the lead Pastor at First Capital Christian Church in Corydon, Indiana, and has always had a passion for making movies as well.
He first met the Pavey Family at his church several years ago and eventually convinced them that their story was worth telling, and would make a difference in the lives of others. The Pavey’s had conceived a daughter, Katelyn, out of an affair, and when Katelyn was born, she had one good arm and only part of another. The film addresses the guilt the father feels as he thinks this was a punishment for their sin. However, Katelyn never considers her circumstances as a hindrance, nor a punishment from God. She does face some struggles but never gives up, because she knows she “Can” do and be all God wants for her. She develops into a great softball player and becomes an All-American Softball player in college.
This movie expressly tells the story of what we can do if we simply let go and let God have control. He is not going to punish us, he is going to forgive us if we seek him, then he will bless us through our faith. The movie was enjoyed by all, and is recommended to all if you were not able to attend with us that evening. ~~Debbie Sansom
SEW BLEST AND IN STITCHES
On Sept. 16, the sewing groups were invited to attend a Quilt Retreat at the Faith Freewill Baptist Church in Lavalette, WV. Six ladies attended. We made 65 baby burp cloths and 11 receiving blankets for the Wayne County Needy Mothers charity. Breakfast and a wonderful lunch were provided for us. It was a busy day but we made new friends and enjoyed fellowship with eleven of their sewing members.
Also, on Oct. 5, four ladies of our groups attended the 2023 Mystery Harvest Quilt Shop Hop in Hurricane. We visited four shops, had lunch, and even did some sightseeing in a couple of historical areas. The day was beautiful and we truly appreciated viewing the colorful trees and all of God’s glorious nature. ~~Shirley Frye
GOOD NEWS NUGGETS
J Fall Camp-o-Rama was wonderful as usual. Our campers always have a good time fellowshipping and enjoying God’s creation.
J As of this writing, we are in the midst of Revival! Tommy Reed, Pastor of the Fitzpatrick Baptist Church in Prestonsburg, KY, is our evangelist. We will give you a full report next issue!J On Sunday evening, Oct. 1, we had visit from Mark Edwards, who was a childhood friend of Pastor Greg, and is the son of Pat Edwards. He has been a missionary to Brazil, which is 76% Catholic, and only 3% evangelical, for thirteen years. He and his wife live in the southern part of Brazil, serving three states which are the most unreached area of the country. He preaches, and disciples converts, and teaches leadership development. They need churches to pray for and support them. To learn more, go to https://gpamissions.com.
J Charles Robert Markin came home and paid us a visit on Sunday, Oct. 8. He brought a yellowed, faded copy of a church newsletter from 1958! He thinks it is possibly the second issue. It is a treasure! Thank you so much.
FALL GOLDEN’EERS CONFERENCE
Pat Edwards, Donna Brothers and I attended the Golden’eers Conf. at Parchment Valley Sept. 11-13. Our theme for the three days was “Listen Up!” We stayed in the cabins on the hill. There were approximately 45 campers over age 55 attending. It’s a blessing to see people we have associated with before at meetings of the Golden’eer and on “work trips.” Jerry Losh and his committee had everything planned. Jeff Davenport from Hurricane First Baptist Church led our Bible studies. We had a lot of singing, prayer time, painting, making jewelry, and other crafts, playing games inside and outside. We had Communion on our last meeting together. Our meals were served in the red barn. On our last night we wanted to sit by the fire in the new Whippoorwill building, but it was not comfortable for the older ones so we went to the Sandrock Educational Center for our devotions. We had a wonderful time and plan to go again in the spring, May 6-8, 2024. ~~Alliene Caldwell
The following article was featured in the September issue of the Facing Hunger Foodbank newsletter:
!VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT!
Beulah Ann Missionary Baptist Youth
This month we are delighted to highlight the Beulah Ann Missionary Youth Group! They have consistently volunteered every month since September 2022. To date they have volunteered 161 hours with us! We are thrilled to have such an impactful, consistent volunteer group believing on our mission to fight against hunger.
Beulah Ann Missionary Baptist Church is located in Ona, WV and have been active throughout the community for many years. Mitzi Beckett, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry, has been coordinating the youth group to volunteer on Saturdays over the last year. She has been a nurse for 38 years and has seen firsthand her share of food insecurity throughout our community. Many seniors she tends to have had to make the choice to buy their medication or food. She mentioned that they have food but it’s not adequate and need supplement and protein to thrive. Her being on the frontline of those we serve is the main reason she chose to join the Foodbanks mission and feed souls.
“We want to teach the teens to have a servant’s heart as Christ does for us. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn how to give back. They love coming to Foodbank and have made a friendly competition each time they come on who can stuff the most food boxes. They will try to up that amount each time,” Mitzi stated.
They also love to do any extra projects to help with the Foodbank and last month they brought in cake kits to give to children who maybe have never had a cake to celebrate their birthdays.
We can’t thank Beulah Ann’s Youth group and staff members enough for their time and talents shared with us every month. We can certainly count on them to get the job done and their continuous support in fighting against hunger! Cyndi Kirkhart, our CEO at the Foodbank, speaks volumes about this youth groups dedication. “We are grateful to have the young people from Beulah Ann Baptist Youth Group engage in our work to provide to the communities at the center of our work. That support and donation of time allows us to be able to do more for more people. We recognize that our work is one of service to together and these young people are a great example of what youth with servants’ hearts can do.”
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST – War in Israel! Missionaries to Israel, Simcha and Bella Davidov, who live in Ashdod are close to the war zone. In their most recent e-mail newsletter, they report that they are a 45-minute drive from Gaza. When they hear warning sirens, they have 45 seconds to get into their “safe room,” which is a fortified room in their apartment that also serves as their office. Since the beginning of the conflict, they have been in and out of this room multiple times, as the siren sounds frequently. Pray for the nation Israel and for the Davidov’s.
GBA ANNUAL MEETING
For the first time since 2019 (due to the pandemic) the churches of the GBA met at Camp Ona for an annual meeting. Forty-eight persons representing eleven churches gathered for a hot-dog supper and business meeting. Moderator Tom McComas noted that an anonymous donor had given $44,000 for new blacktop on the camp road. Officer’s terms are two years, so all offices were vacant. Moderator (Greg Lundsford), Vice Moderator (Jim Mitchell), Clerk (Lisa Lewis), and Treasurer (Becky Childers) were nominated from the floor and elected. Then a nominating committee of all the Pastors present was formed to fill all the other offices. We will meet again in two months to complete the election. Our delegates were Pastor Greg, Vera Miller, Patty Morrison, Jim and Jo Ross and Jeanne Lunsford.
GUYANDOTTE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION AMERICAN BAPTIST WOMEN’S MINISTRY
After a long pandemic break, the women of the GBA ABWM met for a Fall Rally for the first time since 2019, here at Beulah Ann. We had twenty-one in attendance, representing four churches. After a lovely meal of a variety of casseroles, we had a short business meeting where were voted to send support from our treasury to Special Project, Scholarship Fund, MOP, Love Gift, and Weirton Christian Center.
Then we had a Zoom meeting with our new young missionary in Japan, Sarah McCloy. (Thank you, Pastor Greg, for setting this up, it worked beautifully.) She is currently in school learning to speak and write Japanese. There are about 300 in the school, and only two Christians. (Japan is about 2% Christian.) She will be in language school for one year, and in Japan for four years before she will get to come home for a while. She told us about her life in Japan, and how she has been able to introduce Christ to many people she encounters daily. For example, a fellow student asked her about Christianity, and he had not heard of Jesus or the Bible, and she was able to discuss salvation with him. Another time, someone noticed she bowed her head before a meal, and that opened a discussion also
She has her own apartment and is enjoying the Japanese food. She likes to try different foods, but when she craves American food, there is a KFC, and hamburgers are popular.
She walks everywhere or rides a train or subway. She lives in Sendai, which is a “small” city of over one million (Tokyo is sixty million.) Other American missionaries, Gordon and Leann Wong are about a 30-minute train ride away, and they have been a huge blessing to her. She has not felt homesick, she is so busy.
Please pray for this wonderful young lady, so dedicated to being a Global Servant.
I bought new shoes with memory foam insoles. No more forgetting why I walked into a room!
The squirrels must be expecting a bad winter. They are gathering more nuts than usual. Yesterday, my sister disappeared.
Beulah Ann Missionary Baptist Church 