COMING SOON… Ladies Day with Mimi Tate (Texas) – April 30 Gospel Meeting with Brad Harrub – June 24-26

• The 67th Annual Carolina Lectures is this weekend, Sunday through Wednesday, April 3 – 6. David and Peggy Pharr will be arriving on Friday to set up the book store. Our keynote preacher, Brother David Sain will be arriving from Fayetteville, Tennessee on Saturday. Others will be arriving Saturday and Sunday in preparation for the lectures. David Pyle and our Service Groups have made plans for a light breakfast and a healthy lunch for us on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the fellowship hall. If you can help with lunch, please see Brother Pyle and sign up on one of the service lists on the bulletin board in the lobby. Even if you can help an hour or two, come and help!


• Some of the finest, most respected gospel preachers in the brotherhood will be here to share the “good news” with us on our theme “What it Means to Preach the Cross of Christ.”


• Our ladies will also have the opportunity to hear Peggy Pharr, Kathy Ferguson, and Cindi Burleson speak at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday respectively. I am very excited about the 1:30 p.m. session. We will have 5 preachers preaching only 9 minutes each on a variety of important subjects. Think they can do it? Of course they can!


• Remember our congregational luncheon following the Sunday morning worship hour. Plan enough food for your family and for our guests. Immediately following the luncheon we will meet back in the auditorium to hear three very special lessons on “Preaching the Cross of Christ to the lost (Haskell Yenny), to the saved (Bill Young), and to the poor (Billy G. Smith). What a grand “Carolina” meeting we will have together!


• Please plan to be here for every session. You will be tremendously blessed. When you arrive for the lectures please register and take a name tag. You only need to register one time. Pick up a free CD that includes most of the lectureship lessons either in outline or manuscript form. Please take one CD for your family and if you would like, one for a friend. We are planning to record an audio of each session and make them available to you on our website at the conclusion of the lectures.


• Thank you to our speakers, the service groups, and our special servants who work so hard behind the scenes to see that everything that needs to be done is done. Thank you to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Brother, our Redeemer, our Savior, and our Friend for every good and perfect gift.


• Remember: On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will meet at 7:00 p.m. for a period of congregational singing. Brother Sain will be speaking each evening at 7:30 p.m.


• NEXT UP: Ladies’ Day 2011! Our Ladies’ Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 30th with our special guest speaker: Mimi Tate from Kaughman, Texas. This is a “ladies only” event, but we do need help from the guys serving lunch to the ladies. If you can help out with lunch, please sign up and show up on Saturday, April 30th. Pick up a flyer from one of the tables in the lobby and give it to a friend with a very special personal invitation to come with you to our ladies’ day.

PRAY FOR JAPAN!
COMING SOON… 67th Annual Carolina Lectureships – April 3-6
Ladies Day with Mimi Tate (Texas) – April 30
Gospel Meeting with Brad Harrub – June 24-26

We’re having a great week in beautiful Columbia, South Carolina! The Men’s Fellowship at Gold Hill Road in Fort Mill last Saturday was fantastic. Nine of us from St. Andrews Road made the trip. We were encouraged by the sermons we heard and edified by the Christian fellowship. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

We had a great Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting on Tuesday. Brother Stewart Schnur did an outstanding job on the topic: “The Work of Faithful Deacons.” We meet for study and fellowship every third Tuesday in the month at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall at St. Andrews Road. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th at 10:00 a.m. Brother Larry Reynolds, preacher for the Leslie church of Christ will present the program on “The Relationship of Faithful Deacons to the Eldership They Serve.” Mark your calendar and make plans to be here for this meeting.

The 67th Annual Carolina Lectures is now on two weeks away, April 3rd through April 6th. If you can help, please sign-up on the bulletin board in the lobby. We need your help! We will have a special meeting at the front of the auditorium immediately following our Sunday morning worship hour this Sunday, March 20th to make assignments and discuss the details of the program. Please make plans to meet with us this Sunday as we discuss this great service opportunity. Also, on the table in the lobby you will see a stack of brochures that detail the Carolina Lectures program. Please pick up as many as you need and get them to anyone who might want to attend. If you would like a copy of the program emailed to you, please email me at mickburleson@yahoo.com and I’ll get a copy to you asap.

Congratulations to McKinsey Wagner! McKinsey has been attending St. Andrews Road for quite some time. She made the trip with our youth group to the SOAR Youth Rally last weekend and responded to the invitation of Jesus Christ at the end of the program. She confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and put Him on in baptism (Acts 8:37, Galatians 3:26-27). Make sure you meet McKinsey and let her know how proud we are of her decision to become a Christian.

This Sunday morning we will have a very special guest preacher with us; Brother Eddie Ridgell. Brother Ridgell preaches for the Lord’s church in Watertown, South Dakota and is very special to us as a brother in Christ, a faithful gospel preacher, and a Carolinian. It will be great to see him and have the privilege of hearing him preach the good news.

Some of you, along with your neighbors will be receiving a very special copy of the “House to House – Heart to Heart” publication in the next few days. We made arrangements to have this fine Christian magazine sent out to about 1800 homes around our facilities at 425 St. Andrews Road introducing the church to the community and at the same time announcing the Carolina Lectures. We ordered addition copies of this publication. As soon as they arrive we will place them on one of the tables in the lobby. Take only one per family please.

We are a busy congregation. I’m glad. It certainly is great to be a Christian!

COMING SOON… 67th Annual Carolina Lectureships – April 3-6
Ladies Day with Mimi Tate (Texas) – April 30
Gospel Meeting with Brad Harrub – June 24-26

Thank you for your positive comments concerning last Sunday lesson on the qualifications of deacons. Thank you also for your patience with me as this particular lesson was a little bit lengthy. In our selection and appointment of additional deacons let us remember the admonition of Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:6; “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against another.” God does not require perfection, only faithfulness.

This Sunday we will look at the Biblical work of faithful deacons. That’s right! Being a deacon requires work. Good work requires consideration, coordination, cooperation, and commitment. We will take a look at a Biblical example of these principles at work in Mark 2:1-15.

Our series on Sunday evening “We Are One Because…” is going well. We have considered unity in terms of one Father, one Source, and one responsibility. This Sunday evening we will conclude this series with a lesson entitled: “We are One Because We Share the Same Future – Goodness and Mercy Now – Then Heaven.” Truly Jesus and the Christian life is the way to all the goodness of life. Jesus and the Christian life is the pathway to mercy every day. Jesus and the Christian life will take us all the way to heaven. David wrote one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible: Psalm 23. I’m pretty sure you can quote it. Can you quote it right now?

Congratulations to our new brother in Christ: Adrian Jenkins! What a joy it was to hear him say the most beautiful words a believer utters just before baptism into Christ: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Immediately following this confession of faith Adrian was baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ. Adrian is a fine young man, highly intelligent with quiet strength. It is an honor to call him my Christian brother.

There are several “sign-up sheets” on the bulletin board in the lobby. Go by and check out all the opportunities that are available to us for service.

The 67th Annual Carolina Lectures are just 3 weeks away. We need your help on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to greet, introduce our speakers, lead singing, time the lessons, serve lunch, and in general be here to hear some of the finest preachers in the Lord’s church. Brother David Sain from Fayetteville, Tennessee will be our keynote preacher for the lectures. He will speak on Sunday at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 6:00 p.m. and then on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. We will meet for a period of singing at 7:00 p.m. each evening. I hope every member of the St. Andrews Road congregation will be here for every session. If you would like to have a PDF copy of the program, email me at mickburleson@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy asap. You can then email a personal invitation to the Carolina Lectures to your friends and family.

The service at Lexington Gardens Retirement Center went very well last Sunday. Brother Bob Ford did an outstanding job letting all his neighbors know about this period of singing and preaching. We had 14 in attendance. We will be sharing the gospel at the retirement center every first Sunday in the month.

COMING SOON… Men’s Fellowship at Gold Hill Road – March 12
67th Annual Carolina Lectureships – April 3-6
Ladies Day with Mimi Tate (Texas) – April 30

The 2011 Statewide Bible Bowl is now history. We had a great day at this year’s Bible Bowl with well over 400 in attendance and 63 teams participating. Thank you to every team for your hard work and dedication. Thank you to every congregation for supporting the Bible Bowl. Thank you to every Christian worker who gave up a beautiful Saturday to help make this year’s Bible Bowl a tremendous success. We are indeed thankful to God for His perfect Word.

Congratulations to our own preteen Bible Bowl team for bringing home a first place finish and to our senior team for finishing second in their division. Our teen team and adult teams represented St. Andrews Road very well. Next year we will be studying from the Old Testament.

Our March lesson series is entitled: “Faithful Deacons.” The authority for deacons in every congregation of the Lord’s church is found in the word of God, the Bible. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14-15; “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” He had just penned a list of the qualifications of elders and deacons.

This Sunday morning we will look at the second lesson in this series: “The Qualifications of Faithful Deacons.” We will focus our attention on God’s qualifications of those who will serve as deacons of the Lord’s church at St. Andrews Road.

Did you know that God has always required those who would serve him to meet certain qualifications?

Take a look at the qualifications of those who were to serve as judges over Israel with Moses: able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness (Exodus 18).

Look at God’s requirements of the one who was to take Judas’ office as an apostle; a man who had accompanied the rest of the apostles all the time that Jesus went in and out among them from His baptism until His ascension (Acts 1:20-26). There were only two of the 120 who were assembled who met these criteria: Justus and Matthias. There are no apostles today because no one can meet these qualifications.

Look at the qualifications of those who were selected to serve the neglected widows in Jerusalem: seven men from among you, men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit (obedient to and guided by the God’s word), and wisdom (Acts 6:1-7). The church selected seven men and the apostles appointed them to serve.

Look at the list of qualifications of those who are to serve the church of Christ as deacons: reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience, tested, blameless, husbands of one wife, ruling their children and houses well, with wives who are reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:8-13).

Come prepared to read, think, consider, and respond. Did you know that God also has qualifications for those who desire to enter heaven? Not everyone will enter in, only those who meet His requirements (Matthew 7:21).

COMING SOON… Men’s Fellowship at Gold Hill Road – March 12
67th Annual Carolina Lectureships – April 3-6
Ladies Day with Mimi Tate (Texas) – April 30

The greatest work in all the world is the work of the church. When we involve ourselves in the work of the Lord, we will find the greatest joy, care, concern, love, and deep satisfaction in knowing that we are doing the will of God. Our lessons over the past two months have been about getting involved in the Lord’s work readying ourselves to defend the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Last Sunday our eldership informed the congregation of the need for additional deacons at St. Andrews Road; men to work alongside the eight faithful deacons who are currently serving in this capacity.

In order for the church to be successful, we must have a strong, loving, faithful eldership. Our elders must care deeply for the will of God and for every member of the body of Christ. They must be good shepherds. We must have deacons who will genuinely serve God by serving others. The word “deacon” in the Bible means servant. Deacons must be qualified men, capable men of integrity, faith, and dedication. We must have a steady, sound, meek, and fearful preaching of the word of God, full of truth and love whether from the pulpit, classroom, or one to one. We must have united committed cooperative members who love the Lord, respect the eldership, and strive to live by God’s word.

In Nehemiah 4:6, Nehemiah achieved success because the people had a mind to work. In Mark 2:1-5 the man who was lame reached Jesus and was healed because he had four friends who did what needed to be done. In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus said that the harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. What was needed then and now is more laborers into the harvest. Solomon said that two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12). Do you remember what Moses was trying to do in Exodus 18:13-27? Jethro told him that he would certainly “wear himself out” and the people too because he was trying to do something that was physically impossible to do. Jethro suggested that Moses choose qualified men to help him. In Acts 6 the church selected and the twelve apostles appointed qualified men to serve certain widows who were being neglected. The apostles were to continue in prayer and the ministry of the word instead of “serving tables.”

With the growth of the church at St. Andrews Road and the details of responsibility multiplying, it is needful for us as a congregation to look among us and select men who will be appointed as additional deacons as we endeavor to reach the lost with the gospel of Christ, restore the erring, and be edified in the most holy faith.

Note our sermon schedule for the next five Sundays, Lord willing and plan to be here for every service.
This Sunday The Biblical Authority for Deacons
March 6 The Biblical Qualifications of Deacons
March 13 The Biblical Work of Deacons
March 20 - Eddie Ridgell from Watertown, South Dakota will be with us
March 27 The Biblical Appointment of Deacons

67th Annual Carolina Lectureships
Sunday through Wednesday - April 3 – 6, 2011
Keynote Speaker: David Sain, Fayetteville, TN