For the Journey – February 2024

Our new year is fully underway. There is excitement as we think about where we will go and what we will do. God is exalted through the faithfulness of Trinity Baptist Church. I hope you are allowing our simultaneous Scripture reading to be a blessing to your day. I have heard more than just a few share how God is blessing this time as couples and families are reading God’s Word consistently. It is amazing how much the word for the day intersects the circumstances of the day in  positive ways. If you have not begun to read along with us, it is not too late. Pick up a Daily Bible Reading Plan 2024 and begin reading from the present date. God is honored when we put His Word in our lives.
 
The Victor is in full rehearsal swing. The Victor Choir is rehearsing and the Victor Drama groups will begin blocking scenes and memorizing lines. This is truly our gift to our community. What a blessing to see so many of our members taking on responsibilities of   telling the greatest story ever told.
 
This year I am hoping that we will add one more emphasis for the Victor. That emphasis is prayer. Prayer that those who have yet to    believe in Jesus will come to a performance with one of our members. We are praying now, and will continue to pray, that a spiritual    conversation would develop and lead to a   gospel presentation. We will share more of the details as they develop, but we are hoping to have what we used to call “cottage prayer meetings” as we get closer to our presentations. We will also be offering some evangelism training on sharing our faith prior to the Victor. God is so good to allow us to strategically plan for Holy Spirit encounters.
 
May we continue to be a reproducing community of authentic disciples being equipped as missionaries and sent by God to proclaim His Kingdom in our world. Milfred Minatrea’s definition of what it means to be missional has influenced my life for over 15 years. As I write this article today, I am anticipating a call with Milfred Minatrea in hopes of bringing him to Kerrville to fill our pulpit some Sunday. Oh, to move beyond what we have known and attempt that which will transform us. To God be the glory!
 
In Christ,

Pastor John

 

 


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Genesis 1 – February 2024

by Janice Francis
 
Genesis 1 is a ministry of Trinity Baptist Church. It is open to people of all ages who like to hike and enjoy God’s beautiful creation.
 
Our goal is to have fun, fellowship, and exercise by visiting one of Texas’ state parks each month (except June, July, and August because of the heat). We try to choose trails that are easy to moderate walking, avoiding steep grades. The trails usually are 2 to 4 miles round trip and we make sure to stop and look at unusual plants and rocks. We bring a sack lunch when the park has a nice picnic area. When they do not, we stop at a local restaurant for a Dutch treat lunch.
 
In 2023 we visited South Llano State Park. It has nice hiking trails with bird blinds to watch from. Enchanted Rock State Park has very pretty rock formations. At Inks Lake State Park, we walked through fields of bluebonnets. We hiked Schreiner’s Park and in May went to Longhorn Caverns State Park and had a two-hour private tour of the caverns. It was beautiful!
 
In 2024 we are planning to repeat some of our favorite hikes. They include Enchanted Rock, South Llano, and Inks Lake State Parks. If you like beauty and fields of flowers, these are must do hikes! We are also planning a trip to Guadalupe State Park which has some very nice hiking trails.
 

We usually have a group from 9 to 25 and have a great time of fellowship and enjoying God’s great creation. If you are interested, please join us on one of our hikes. Call the church office to sign up.

 

 


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Discipleship

 
The word standing by itself doesn’t seem very exciting. It may sound overwhelming to some. What does it even mean? “-ship” means the state or condition of something; so, the state or situation of being a disciple. In New Testament times, it implied a teacher/learner relationship. For Jesus and His disciples, it represented doing life together with formation of a spiritual relationship. Pastor and author Bill Hull describes discipleship as “a way of life for all of life”.
 
When we look at Jesus’ life, discipleship happened in many places. The synagogue where He read from Isaiah, the temple where He overturned merchant tables and commented on a  widow giving her meager offering, homes and public venues in which He healed broken lives.
 
Where and when will discipleship happen in your life? For your family, it ought to include the patterns outlined in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (the Message) “Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.”
 

Trinity U is just one way to weave the fabric of discipleship into your life. Our upcoming Sunday night Bible reading series will equip you personally as a parent or grandparent.  MasterLife and The Disciple’s Prayer Life are two proven disciple-making formats for adults. These opportunities don’t have to be limited to Sunday evenings. You won’t regret the time and energy invested in discipleship for yourself or others!

 

 


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Children’s Ministry – January 2024

by Kellee Parish

Tres & I are so blessed to get to serve here at Trinity!  We have amazing Preschool & Children’s teachers and shepherds that we are privileged to minister alongside.  Our teachers do a wonderful job of sharing God’s word.  We are so grateful for our terrific Children’s Team!
 
Thank you, parents, for allowing us to be a part of your kid’s lives.  We are grateful to get to be involved with all these precious kids! 
 
If your child is in Kinder thru 5th grade, we’re back to “Lunch with Mrs. Kellee” this Spring.  Please email me at kparish@tbck.org to schedule a day for me to come to your child’s school and have lunch.  What a joy to get to spend time with our Trinity Kids.
 

 


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Crossroads Class – January 2024

by Lanie Ebelt
 
The Crossroads Class of Trinity Baptist Church is awesome.  We are a Bible learning class with great teachers.  We are a larger class, but have a very loving and giving spirit.  Most importantly, we truly believe in the power of prayer.  We have a prayer request line that is always open. 
 
Many members of our class leave following the lesson because we believe in the needs of our church and go and serve in other areas. 
 
Our main teacher is Gary Anderson and we do not use a lesson guide.  Gary teaches what the Lord has put on his heart.  When he is absent, he has a number of replacements who fill in.
 
As the director of the class, I want you to know you are welcome to come and check us out any time.  I believe you should try all of the classes and “plant” where you are fed.  We would love to have you come and give us a try.  Our class meets in the Family Life Center which is easy to find and access is great. 
 

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Student Ministry – January 2024

by Wes Henson

2023 was a phenomenal year. We saw several highlights through the year. We continue to see numerical growth. We have more and more adults who are volunteering to invest in the lives of students. We had several students make decisions at camp, and are seeing fruit from many others.
 
And the best is yet to come.
 
I’m constantly amazed by the newness of God’s working in our lives. No matter how often we think we’ve seen Him do something we couldn’t imagine, he moves in an “only God” kind of way again. And, for that, I am perpetually grateful.
 
I’m looking forward to what 2024 has to offer as we host a Disciple Now weekend, take an even larger group to the Dominican Republic, celebrate a great group of Seniors (again!), continue to build relationships and get to know new faces, and watch as God works in a way only He can work. It’s going to be a great year!
 
As we kickoff the New Year, join me in praying for God to continue to move, and for our students to learn what it means to respond to God’s working in our lives. Pray for our adults as they seek to build relationships that point students to Christ.

Thank You, Trinity family, for all of your support in 2023 and the coming support of 2024.

 

 


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The Bridge Bible Study Class

by Keith & Debbie Williams
 
Welcome to “The Bridge,” a new Bible Study class beginning January 7, 2023 at 9:45 am.
 
We will have an initial Meet & Greet on January 7 to have fellowship with anyone interested in joining us in this Bible Study journey and to share our purpose, mission, and content of the class and the lessons.
 
Obviously, our desire is to have in depth study of the Bible with life applications. Some series will be on books of the Bible and others will be topical in nature – applying Scripture to the issues of the day.
 
We plan to create a lively and positive atmosphere in our studies, which will hopefully strengthen our faith, our abilities to defend that which we believe, and better enable us, through fixing our eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:2), to not conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through Christ; so that we may learn from Him – God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives. Romans 12:2
 

Initial studies will include 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Revelation, The Pursuit of Holiness, Transforming Grace, and more.

 

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For the Journey – January 2024

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down to worship Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  –Matthew 2:11
 
I love the Christmas story, all of it. The obedience of Mary and the obedience of Joseph are examples for us all. The devotion of the shepherds to go and see for themselves what was declared in the fields. The offering of travel from the East by the wise men who brought with them gifts for the newborn king. There are so many things that seem to compete with the real story of Christmas, but none of them offer the greatest gift of all.

 

Every character of Christmas has something to teach us; from obedience to worship, from worship to sacrifice. Once a year is not enough for us to grasp the great love God has poured out for us at Christmas. Remember, as we put up our nativity and carefully wrap the characters of Christmas, we remain on display all year for the world to see what difference the Christmas story makes in our lives. Because of Christmas, we live different lives. As a result of the resurrection, Christmas matters greatly.
 
We have been blessed in 2023 and are anticipating great things for 2024. We are a year closer to the LORD’s return. There are still people who need to know about Jesus, but we can never share what we do not have.
 
In 2024, Trinity Baptist Church is being asked to journey together as we read through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. There will be a reading schedule for each day. We will do our best to get into your hands this schedule as often as it is needed. Our prayer is that there will be a plethora of members who have journeyed together at the end of 2024.
 
We rejoice in the assembling for almost a year now of our new space. It is a blessing to see how many times and in how many ways we are sitting together and sharing with one another. New Adult education space and student space is being used and we are seeing the fruit of new people almost weekly.
 
As we begin a new year together, I am reminded of a camp song from years back. “Yes, LORD, yes, to Your will and to Your way. Yes, LORD, yes, I will trust you and obey. What the Spirit speaks to me with my whole heart I’ll agree. And my answer will be yes, LORD, yes.” I am thankful there are so many who follow the LORD and who have said, “yes” even before they know the question. May we sense God’s direction and provision as we walk together.
 
In Christ,

Pastor John

 

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Joyseekers Class

by Deborah Stern
 
Happy New Year 2024!  With the new year comes an opportunity for a fresh start and new resolutions.  If your resolutions include delving deeper into God’s Word, please consider checking out the Joyseekers Bible study class on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am.
 
Joyseekers is a group of warm and welcoming people, who have a desire to read God’s Word and dig deeper into the scripture passages by asking questions and engaging in an interactive  discussion.  We have three wonderful teachers, David Sprouse, Jack Hayslip and Wayne Uecker, who rotate teaching responsibilities.  The class utilizes the Explore the Bible study guide that is published by Lifeway.  The quarterly studies alternate between Old Testament and New Testament books of the Bible.
 
The class just completed a study of Mark where we walked with Jesus and his disciples through Jesus’ ministry and the final days leading to his crucifixion and resurrection.  Starting in December and over the next three months, we will be studying the book of Genesis.  Discussions over Genesis chapters 1 and 2 have been very active and so this promises to be another wonderful study.
 
In addition to the study, each Sunday begins with a time of praise and prayer requests.  Kathleen Cook does a wonderful job of capturing these requests and publishing a weekly email so we can pray for our class members and others throughout the week.   
 

If you are looking for a Bible study class, we would love to have you join us any Sunday morning.  As a fairly new member myself, I can assure you the  welcome will be warm and no pressure applied.  Whether you choose to sit back and observe or jump into the discussion, either is welcome.

 

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