“...encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association, Shawnee, OK Dr. Russell R. Cook, Director of Missions Vol. 16, No. 10 October, 2012

Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association

82nd Annual Session Tuesday, October 23, 2012 Immanuel Baptist Church, Shawnee, Oklahoma

Afternoon Session 2:00-4:45 p.m. (Meal 5:00—6:00 p.m.)

Evening Session 6:15-8:30 p.m.

☻ Set October 23 on your calendar and lead your church to participate. ☻ Ask your church to elect their maximum number of Messengers. ☻ Make childcare and meal reservations to the Association Office no later than

Tuesday, October 16.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

No meeting due to Annual Mtg.

Next meeting will be February 11, 2013, 6:15 p.m. Wives invited!

ASSOCIATION

OFFICE CLOSED

Monday, October 8

(Columbus Day

Holiday)

Wednesday

October 24

(Comp. Day

Annual Meeting)

Don’t Forget!

October

is

Pastor

Appreciation

Month

Keynote Speaker Dr. Kevin Ezell, President

North American Mission Board

Annual Sermon Will Wilson, Pastor

New Hope Baptist Church Tecumseh, OK

Church News

Please let us know of any upcoming events or news from your church!

Wrestling For A Blessing Genesis 32:24

Jacob is well known in the Old Testament as “the man who wrestled with God.” His entire life had brought him to this turning point. He had left his parents and twin brother after stealing his brother’s birthright and deceiving his father into granting the “first born-blessing” upon him instead of Esau. He had lived the past 20 years with his uncle who’s daughters he took as wives and who’s livestock he had gained by deception. Up to this point Jacob had lived up to his name, “trickster, supplanter, cheat.” But this experience of wrestling with God changed the rest of his life. Whenever we have a serious encounter with God and we respond as Jacob did, we too will gain the blessing of God upon our lives. This is not initially a picture of Jacob wrestling with God. It is, at first, a picture of God wrestling with Jacob. It affirms the truth that “man’s agoniz-ing prayer for solution brings God’s aggressive call for surrender.” Notice some characteristics of this struggle which often occur in God’s struggles with us:

I. God’s struggle with us is ALWAYS INTENTIONAL (v. 24b “… a MAN wrestled with him.”) A. God takes the initiative to get our attention. B. The “Man” is the Angel of the Lord or the pre-incarnate Christ (cf. Hosea 12:4). C. This struggle brought him “face to face” with God (v.30).

II. God’s struggle with us is OFTEN INTENSE (v.24b “…a man WRESTLED with him…”). A. “Wrestled” = “hand to hand combat” (v.24c) B. The Angel touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh...so that it was dislocated” (v.25). C. “We can never win battles with men until God has won the battle with us.”

III. God’s struggle with us SOMETIMES SEEMS INDEFINITE (v.24c “...a man wrestled with him UNTIL DAYBREAK.”) A. This is a picture of travailing and prevailing prayer. B. James 5:16b “...The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” C. Have you had any “until daybreak” encounters with God?

IV. God’s struggle with us is INVALUABLE. A. There must be a time when we take hold of God (v.26). B. Our struggle will result in either submission or further rebellion.

For Jacob, his wrestling match with God resulted in his submission. He surrendered to God’s will for his life and, as a result, God blessed him. And this blessing was far beyond the blessing of Isaac which he received some 20 years earlier. —- rrc

It Might Preach!

We left the PLBA office at 7:00 a.m. Monday, September 17. Clint Dawkins, Mike Hazelwood, Kirk Holloway and I made our way to Colorado Springs. We were there to meet with several Pastors from the churches of Pikes Peak Bap-tist Association, with whom we have a partnership. We traveled through Kansas this time and, as with west Texas, we saw miles and miles of miles and miles. It’s about 600 miles taking about 12 hours. We checked into the Ponderosa Conference Center (Colorado’s State Baptist Encampment) near Monument, CO that evening, had a Mexican dinner and turned in for the night. Tuesday morning we visited the United States Airforce Academy and me and about 10-12 Pastors for a BBQ lunch, visited and networked a couple of hours. We toured some of the churches and parks where our PLBA teams worked during the summer. At around 2:30 we linked up with Pastors and the Associational staff at Heart of the Springs Baptist Church, where the PPBA Annual meeting was conducted from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Mike Hensley was our host Pastor and Kyle Sullivan, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Colorado Springs, served as Moderator. We met many new friends and renewed some previous acquaintances. After a full day we returned to our quarters at the Ponderosa and packed to leave Wednesday, 6:00 a.m. to return to Oklahoma. We traveled through New Mexico and Texas arriving in Shawnee at about 7:00 p.m. (lost an hour from Mountain time).

Continued next column.

October is PASTOR APPRECIATION Month

All across our convention and in many other denominations, churches will observe “Pastor Appreciation” during the month of October. There are many ways this can be done. Usually one or two people will need to take the initiative—maybe a Deacon and wife or Personnel Chair-man or just any member with a love for their Pastor and a heart to serve. These persons need to go to the appropriate committee(s) with a formal and specific recommendation to observe Pastor Appreciation Month. The following are some recommendations made in other churches:

(1) Designate a certain Sunday to have a big public recognition of the Pastor, Ministry Staff and their spouses. Present each of them with a nice gift.

(2) Receive a love offering to be presented to the Pastor at a special service.

(3) Offer to send the Pastor and his wife on an “all expense paid trip” to a nice bed and breakfast or resort... or cruise... or ?

(4) Discover from family, friends or associates what he really has need of and meet that need during the month of October (i.e. auto repairs or replacement, furniture, computer, books, groceries, etc.)

(5) Recommend a raise in salary and benefits for the Pastor. (Most Pas-tors in SBC and especially BGCO churches are grossly underpaid.)

These are merely suggestions. Most Pastors will never ask for them-selves (and that is as it should be), but the Bible says, “The elders (i.e. Pastors) who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, espe-cially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (I Timothy 5:17).

BLACKBURN CHAPEL Ordination Service, October 14 at 2:00 p.m. for Ronnie

Titsworth (Chris Carter, Pastor)

SPARKS, FIRST is having a Revival, October 7-10, 6:30 p.m. nightly. Evangelist

will be Kent Wooster, and Musician will be Ryan Goodrich. (Charles Wigington,

Pastor)

WALLACE AVENUE will have their Fall Revival, October 7-10 Sunday 10:30 am

and 6:00 pm, Monday - Wednesday 6:30 pm. Evangelist will be Ray Sikes,

Pastor at First Baptist Church, Choctaw & Musician will be Curtis Headrick,

Senior at OBU. (Butch Bradley, Pastor)

Staff Needed

Incorrect information... please call the Associa-tion office, 405.273.4558.

DALE is seeking part-time pianist, blended worship service. Contact Douglas

Parker Jr., Search Committee, 405.401.9010. (Doug Parker, Pastor)

FIRST, McLoud is seeking a part-time Choir Director. Send Resumes to the

church, PO Box 180, McLoud, 74851. ~ ~ Taking applications for a paid

nursery worker (must be 18 years or older). Applications can be picked up at

the church or call 964-3344. (Matt Halsted, Pastor)

FIRST, ST. LOUIS is seeking a part-time Youth Director. Call Pastor Glenn C.

Peck, 405.273.4596 or 405.830.8359 for duties and compensation. Back-

ground check will be performed. (Glenn Peck, Pastor)

FIRST, STROUD is seeking a part-time Youth Director. Please send your re-

sume to First Baptist Church Search Committee, PO Box 600, Stroud, OK

74079 or email to fbcstroud@gmail.com (Burl Mackey, Pastor)

FIRST, TRYON is seeking a Youth/Children’s Leader. For more information

please email or call Pastor Bob Fowler at pastorbobfowler@yahoo.com or

405.606.5603. (Bob Fowler, Pastor)

HAZEL DELL is seeking a bi-vocational Music Minister. For more information

contact Pastor Lee Witt at 405.964.2042.

NEW HOPE is seeking a part-time Worship Leader for Sunday mornings and

evenings only. New Hope is 10 miles west of Shawnee. Looking for some-

one to lead a blended worship service. Please send your resume to New

Hope Baptist Church, 37496 New Hope Rd., Tecumseh, OK 74873 or email

to newhopesecretary@gmail.com (Will Wilson, Pastor)

Budget Receipts

Churches listed in red are Pastorless.

PASTORS CHURCH Aug ‘11 YTD

TOTAL CHECKING AND SAVINGS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR Beginning Bal. Income Expenses Ending Bal.

8-1-12 8-31-12 Budget 38,830.57 17,825.87 19,652.50 37,003.94 Designated 152,816.46 153,825.67 Total Monies $191,647.03 $190,829.61

Roger Shaw Agra FBC 573.45 6,040.26 Russell Cook, Int. Asher FBC .00 1,606.03 Chris Carter Blackburn Chapel 214.56 1,906.57 Mark Davis Carney FBC 186.98 1,512.80 Rick Blackwell Chandler, FBC 650.61 6,767.05 Keith Henley Chandler Southern 271.03 1,173.81 Doug Parker Dale .00 190.82 Mike Mitchell Davenport FBC 471.46 2,664.44 Mike Haines Deer Creek 419.93 1,646.35 Mark Streetman Earlsboro FBC 300.00 450.00 Ellis Rolette Earlsboro Indian Mission .00 .00 Wayne Knight Fairview 145.60 1,078.13 Dan Campbell Faith 340.60 2,434.34 Jeff Bruton Forest 147.25 280.92 Lee Witt Hazel Dell 646.09 4,384.06 Tuney Ropp Hillside .00 8,185.48 Gary Nickerson Hilltop .00 3,414.97 Bryan Cook Hopewell .00 459.18 Don Acker Macomb .00 1,065.19 Mike Hazelwood Mammoth 266.00 2,372.00 Bobby Shatto Maud FBC 29.65 228.03 Rusty McMullen Maud Trinity 337.09 2,104.58 James Bond McLoud Emmanuel 763.71 7,602.68 Jerry Gray McLoud Emmaus .00 890.44 Matt Halsted McLoud FBC 540.87 3,777.61 Ron Cherry McLoud Son Rises .00 1,318.38 Joe Jones Meeker FBC 391.63 2,886.21 Jerry Jackson Morning Star 411.39 3,127.82 John Hancock Mt. Pleasant .00 1,034.37 Mark Patterson Newalla New Life 734.04 5,891.58 Ed Moore Newalla Pecan Valley 92.42 756.38 Mike Collyer Pink 242.15 2,284.80 Jim Morningstar Pioneer 193.56 484.38 Nathan Howard Pleasant Home 146.04 1,075.27 Tim Emmons Prague FBC 456.27 3,791.39 Richard Zimmer Rock Creek 897.89 6,974.08 Gaspar Reyes Rock Creek Spanish 51.46 197.16 Tony Black Romulus 300.00 1,728.70 Odus Compton, Int. Sh-Aydelotte 255.69 2,529.62 David Henry Sh-Calvary 62.50 62.50 Ray Miller Sh-First 276.80 2,926.22 Spencer Davis, Int. Sh-First Indian .00 566.22 Anthony Rhone Sh-Galilee .00 100.00 Larry Guest/Bob Dawson Sh-Good Shepherd Chapel .00 454.88 Jay Sampson Sh-Heritage .00 2,710.51 Todd Fisher Sh-Immanuel 1,955.75 15,625.71 Rendon Falls Sh-Karis .00 .00 Tom Hall Sh-New Life 25.00 199.50 John York Sh-Oakland Chapel .00 154.00 Ben Little Sh-Sallateeska 85.00 1,422.00 Mike Craig Sh-Temple 1,104.79 7,877.28 Larry Norris Sh-Trinity 364.32 1,467.42 Steve Dominy Sh-University 381.76 2,862.02 Butch Bradley Sh-Wallace Ave. .00 1,356.96 Charles Wigington Sparks FBC 97.48 843.75 Glenn Peck St. Louis FBC 483.63 2,446.49 Burl Mackey Stroud FBC 408.98 3,910.01 Bill Haas Tecumseh All Nations .00 147.69 Tony Peak Tecumseh FBC 1,023.33 7,377.36 Will Wilson Tecumseh New Hope .00 200.99 Clint Dawkins Tecumseh Sharon .00 5,990.43 Bob Fowler Tryon FBC .00 1,275.96 Britt Lesley Wanette FBC 478.71 1,307.60 Bill Howse Wanette, Victory Pointe .00 20.00 Russ Houser Wellston Cornerstone .00 373.08 Darrell Sullivan Wellston FBC 490.40 3,213.10 Lane Buckley Wellston Trinity 110.00 990.00 Donation .00 2,865.00 TOTAL 17,825.87 165,062.56

Association Website — www.plba.org

P L B A Women POTTAWATOMIE-LINCOLN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION WOMEN

A Nugget From My Spiritual Journey… Wait…trust. Trust, waiting. Trust, waiting with patience. Patiently wait,

trusting. Calmly, patiently wait, trusting. Faith is calmly, patiently waiting, trusting. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

I’ve been down this road before. I want to know in my own heart that I’ve learned enough in the past to “do it better” this time. Trusting and wait-ing, calmly and patiently, is a learned spiritual habit. It is a fuller, more com-plete-feeling act of faith to trust with calm patience, rather than with a list of nervous “what if’s.” For this to become a habit, there have to be times of learning, times to practice it. This is one of those times. This is once again a time for learning, a time to practice.

As we have been waiting for our previous home to sell I have tried to pay more attention to my ability to trust with a sense of calm patience this time than to the amount of attention I have paid to the housing market and economy. From the beginning of this period in our lives, we have been pray-ing for the family who might need our particular home, not just for “any” buyer. We realize that God’s perfect timing involves our lives AND theirs. We realize we only need one buyer, not multiple buyers. When we discover one day who that buyer is, I do believe we will see how God has been saving that home just for that family, who need it at just the right time and right price for them. Lowering the price more than once is likely in answer to their prayers for their need. Yes, our nation’s economy is affecting housing prices and the ability to retain full equity—we know that. Yet, in God’s economy among His family of believers, He has a way of doing that—shifting re-sources around where they are needed and meeting the needs of all per-sons involved in ways we can’t always see up front.

Waiting…calmly, patiently trusting…believing…watching…listening…

praying…Lord, keep my heart on Your path and my eyes on You!

~Marsha Cook, PLBA WOMEN Leader

Save the Dates…BGCO Women calendar for the next year! October 1-2 Missional Ministry Conference“Recalibrate” featuring Jen Hat-maker and Mary Jo Sharp First Baptist Church, Moore November 12 Missions Celebration, First Baptist Church, Moore December 2-9 Week of Prayer, Lottie Moon International Missions Offering January 18-19 Embrace Retreat for Women’s Missions and Ministry Leaders, Sullivant Memorial Retreat Center, Norman January 28-29 State Evangelism Conference featuring luncheon with Lauren Chandler Southern Hills Baptist Church, OKC March 1-2 Ministry Wives’ Weekend March 3-10 Week of Prayer, North American Missions April 19-20 Oklahoma Ladies’ Retreat featuring Lisa Harper, Angie Smith and Jourdan Johnson (Jeff Johnson Band), Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center, Davis August MK Re-Entry Retreat August 24 S.W.E.E.T. Saturday

Word of Encouragement continued… All in all, we had a great trip. We now look forward to receiving Bill Lighty (DOM for PPBA), Kyle Sullivan (Calvary Baptist Church), Bill Gandy (BCM Director, Air Force Academy), and Graham Proudy (Springs Ranch Baptist Church) to our PLBA Weekend and Annual meeting (October 21-24). Please pray for these men and Dr. Kevin Ezell, President of the North American Mis-sion Board who will keynote our Annual meeting on Tuesday night, October 23. Make your plans now to attend at Immanuel, Shawnee, October 23, 2:00

pm and 6:00 p.m. Encouragingly Yours, Russell R. Cook

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Birthdays 1 Mrs. Melonie (Rick) Blackwell 346166 E Hwy 18B Sparks, OK 74869 Pastor’s Wife, First, Chandler

2 Mrs. Rhonda (Bret) Ellard 7 Birdie Lane Shawnee, OK 74804 PLBA Counselor’s Wife

3 Mrs. Sharon (Tim) Emmons 1616 Blue Bell Rd Prague, OK 74864 Pastor’s Wife, First, Prague

7 Mrs. Ann Reynolds 2 Lancet Circle Shawnee, OK 74804 Retired Pastor’s Wife

11 Mrs. Cleo McDow 720 E Jefferson Shawnee, OK 74801 Former Pastor’s Wife

12 Mrs. Peggy (Bill) Donovan 43 Sequoyah Shawnee, OK 74801 Retired Pastor’s Wife

14 Rev. Don Ramsey 105 Hardesty Dr. Shawnee, OK 74804 Retired Pastor

15 Rev. Russ Houser 960955 S. Hwy 102 Wellston, OK 74881 Pastor, Cornerstone

16 Mrs. Rhonda (Richard) Zimmer 17908 Rock Creek Rd. Shawnee, OK 74801 Pastor’s Wife, Rock Creek

17 Mrs. Jan (Mike) Mitchell PO Box 376 Davenport, OK 74026 Pastor’s Wife, First, Davenport

18 Rev. Bob Fowler PO Box 95 Tryon, OK 74875 Pastor, First, Tryon

18 Rev. Glenn Peck 18 Comanche Circle Shawnee, OK 74801 Pastor, First, St. Louis

18 Mrs. Pam (Mark) Streetman 300 36th Ave. SW#627 Norman, OK 73027 Pastor’s Wife, First, Earlsboro

19 Rev. Rick Blackwell 346166 E Hwy 18B Sparks, OK 74869 Pastor, First, Chandler

22 Mrs. Carla (John) York 311 Debbie Lane Tecumseh, OK 74873 Pastor’s Wife, Oakland Chapel

24 Mrs. Martha (Joe) Jones PO Box 431 Meeker, OK 74855 Pastor’s Wife, First, Meeker

27 Mrs. Dornette (David) Henry 803 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Shawnee, OK 74801 Pastor’s Wife, Calvary

Anniversaries 1 Rev & Mrs Chris Carter 36305 Lake Rd Shawnee, OK 74801 Pastor, Blackburn Chapel

1-31 Cooperative Program Emphasis Month

1-2 Missional Ministry Conference, FBC Moore

1-2 Forum at MMC, Eagle Heights Baptist Church, OKC

6 State Disaster Relief Training & Orientation, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Del City First Southern

8 Columbus Day - Assn Office CLOSED

11-12 Chaplain Manual Training, 8:30 am - Fri, Oct, 12, 4:30 pm, BGCO Leadership Center

13 Oklahoma Baptist Historical Society Meeting, 9 am - 12 pm, Nogales Avenue Baptist Church

14 World Hunger Sunday

21 Baptist Village Communities Emphasis Day

23-24 Coaching Qualification Training, BB Chapel

23 PLBA Annual Meeting—Immanuel Baptist Church, 2 pm - 8:30 pm

24 Annual Meeting Comp Day - Assn Office CLOSED

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Pastor

Listening Session

We are hosting a “Pastor Listening Session”

this fall on Monday, November 5, 10:00 a.m. at

PLBA Office. Bob Mayfield, BGCO Sunday

School Specialist will be present to hear from us.

Please mark your calendar and prepare to come

with questions, comments, suggestions, regarding

Sunday School in your church.

Bob wants to partner with us to help improve

our Sunday School - Small Group organizations.

Please let Janice know by October 29 that you’re

coming.

See you there!