To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Walking to church Sunday morning I felt ready to see you ALL at church, and prayed as I listened to a sermon on authentic discipleship. Was a joy to cross paths on the way with an old coach, said hi, made a joke, and then felt overwhelmed with love and thankfulness for you as God's people. I love Sunday's, and I MISS YOU ALL!
As elders we are trying to call everyone at least once every two months...and Tim shared with me that not one of those people he has called has been negative. Hurting, yes, negative, no. In fact, this has been the overwhelming experience of those entrusted to serve and care for you, and given we are in a pandemic and can't meet together as a full people, that makes me THANKFUL! Our survey displayed this as well, and we are holding our giving, even as the overall number of people giving is shrinking. We are staying unified, we are still loving our family at CBC, we are gathering online, and we are excited and longing to gather physically again! THANK YOU!
Let Us Be Thankful for our salvation in Christ.
Thankful for our maturity in unity.
Thankful that we get to serve a church like this. Someone emailed me on Sunday, who has been through so much this year personally and pandemically, they shared among other things, "I feel so cared for". That is our goal as a family, and if each of us engages, NO ONE WILL FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS!
Invite One, Encourage Three
I praise God for you, and your hope in Him, loyalty to His church and perseverance in your faith.
I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU, AND OUR FAMILY HERE AT CBC!
Baptism: March 28, 2021...we are having a baptismal service, if you are not baptized as a believer in the Gospel and want to learn more about obedience to Jesus in this, please contact one of our pastors and we will help you to take this step of intimacy and loyalty to Jesus. The overall number will be dependent on what the PHO allows, and creativity around that, and we would love to honour God with you in this way...
Resurrection Sunday Is Coming: We have gently been told we will be able to gather by then, or that at least this is a goal, so let us anticipate this with longing and joy! This is the most important event in history, and remembering it together will actually help us to live lives of love (Ephesians 5:1-2). We have a devotional we would love to read together for this precious week, and if you would like one they are available at the office.
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: Better Together: Encourage One Another
Text: Romans 15:14-21
Review the text....
- Why do you think that we are to treasure the local church?
- How does Paul display this in his love for the Roman church?
- What things in this passage encouraged Paul about these precious people?
- How can you serve the local church while we are physically apart?
- If you take an honest look at your life, have you been a builder of the local church?
- In the next year, what steps can you take so that you are marked by obedience to this text?
Privileged to partner with you in the Gospel,
Pastor Rob
Please check out our online bulletin that is updated every week: Keep Informed
cloverdalebaptistchurch.ca/
Other:
Please help our search committee as they look for the man of God that will help us exalt His name in song and deepen our love for Him as we celebrate His greatness together. We long for God's man for the ministry, and would like this to be sooner than later (our timing), so please pray, and help us to pursue this patiently and in God's POWER! If you know of anyone...please share with them this amazing opportunity and have them apply!
Every Sunday we have CONNECTION CAFÉ: Join us before the service in a time of sharing what God is doing. We need to try significantly harder to stay connected during times like these, so please make this effort to connect!
Sunday School Is On! Pastor Ray and Pastor Thomas are teaching on Radical, starting this Sunday....
How does this work? You go to the link below to watch the teaching time (about 15 mins), then join the Zoom conversation on Sunday morning from 9:30am - 10:00am. Please email Pastor Thomas to get the zoom link: pastorthomas@
Teaching Video Link: (you can review the excellent material here, as well as watch the newest release so that you can join us in this)
https://www.
Kids ministry is seeking to serve you, and help in discipling our children and families even though we are not gathering physically. Please take advantage of this, and continue to make church a priority that your children can see and taste!
Thanks all for staying informed, and for being a family who has a positive impact for God's glory and the good of His church in the world He has sovereignly placed us.
An extra...
TODAY IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY https://
I love Christian history as we stand in a long line of people who served God with passion and loyalty. I have shared this story before, and since it occurred TODAY, want to share it with you today, as a reminder to obey 1 Corinthians 15:58
“Consider—you alone of Caesar’s troops defy him! Think of the disgrace you bring upon your legion. How can you do it?” Governor Agricola was speaking to forty soldiers in the 12th Legion of the Roman army who refused to offer sacrifice to the emperor while they were stationed near Sebaste in modern-day Turkey.
“To disgrace the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is more terrible still, ” replied one of the soldiers.
The governor became exasperated. “Give up this stubborn folly. You have no lord but Caesar! In his name, I promise promotion to the first of you who steps forward and does his duty.”
When that lure did not break their ranks he increased the pressure. “You persist in your rebellion? Then prepare for torture, prison, death!”
The soldiers stood firm. “Nothing you can offer us would replace what we would lose in the next world. As for your threats—we’ve learned to deny our bodies where the welfare of our souls is at stake.”
Agricola ordered them flogged. Guards dragged the men out into the cold where they were stripped and tied to posts. Whips with hooks of iron tore the men’s sides. Unbelievably not one of the forty surrendered. “Chain them in my dungeons!” roared Agricola. He referred their case to Lysias, commander of the 12th Legion, whose coming was soon expected. When Lysias arrived he threatened a sharp penalty if the soldiers continued to disobey.
On this day, 9 March 320, the men remained respectfully defiant. A new torture occurred to Agricola. Nearby was a frozen pond. The March air was sharp. “You will stand naked on the ice until you agree to sacrifice to the gods, ” he said.
The rebel soldiers tore off their own clothes and ran toward the pond in the freezing air. “We are soldiers of the Lord and fear no hardship, ” shouted one. “What is our death but entrance into eternal life?” Striking up a song, they marched onto the frozen pond. Baffled, Agricola posted guards. He had baths of warm water heated as an incentive to the forty to come off the pond.
As dark closed in, the forty prayed, “Lord, there are forty of us engaged in this battle; grant that forty may be crowned and not one be missing from this sacred number.” It appeared their prayer was doomed to disappointment, however. Babbling, one of the forty crawled away from the ice. Guards helped him into a bath but the heat proved too much of a shock to his frozen system. He immediately went into convulsions and died.
However, one of the guards had seen a vision of angels with crowns hovering over the pond. Impressed by the bravery of the remaining thirty-nine, he shucked off his clothes and ran onto the ice. The martyrs numbered forty again!
.......This was shared by Dan Graves