From the Pastor's Desk
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
Every year, as we head into the beginning of a new year, I wonder if this might be the year. Could 2024 be the year when Jesus comes again? You have heard me say that I am not one who believes that Jesus will rapture the Church secretly away before he returns in all his glory. I am convinced that the next big event on the Kingdom calendar is the glorious return of Christ. I believe that trumpets will sound the world over, that angels will cry out so that all will hear. Clouds will part and the King of Kings will step forward and we will all meet him in the air. It will be a glorious return. As I read about all that is happening in our world, I am more and more convinced that all the pieces needed are falling into place. Jesus is coming soon. Maranatha!
Now the obvious question; are you ready? Are you prepared to meet the King in the air?
1 John 5:11–12 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Do you have the Son of God? If not, I would be honored to show you what the Bible has to say about that. Give me a call. I will get there as quick as I can.
Happy New Year everyone.
Pastor Jef
Small Groups:
Thursday Morning Small Group continues meeting each week at 10:00 a.m. and is currently researching the attributes of God. If you have not joined a small group at GBC, make 2024 the year you commit to become part of a group and engage in personal growth through exchanging thoughts, asking questions, and delving into the Word of God within the safety and encouragement of a small group.
The West Salem Small Group meets on Thursday evening at the Todd & Tarri Vandeleest home at 6:30 p.m. This group is studying Thessalonians and welcomes any who wish to join them.
2023 In Review:
We kicked off the year with our first quarter member meeting, laying out plans for 2023. In March we hosted Chosen People Ministries “Messiah in the Passover” at a Passover Dinner. This was well attended, and the presentation offered biblical insight into the Jewish Passover feast.
April saw GBC initiate a “summer schedule” with a hot breakfast buffet at 8:30 on Sunday mornings followed by worship. This was enthusiastically received by all who took advantage of a time of food and fellowship before worshipping together each week. The GBC Youth Group activities re-launched in April, leading into a busy, fun-filled eight months of learning, worship, and activity for kids from pre school through high-school ages.
May started with a senior adult event: A group of 14 Senior Adults participated in a day-trip excursion to the Crystal Grande Theater in Wisconsin Dells on Saturday, May 13th to hear great Gospel music.
GBC folks also participated in placing flags in local cemeteries for Memorial Day as well as attending the Law Enforcement Day ceremony. We closed out May with a Worship & Workday, with a lot of folks helping to spruce up the grounds and clean the building. Food and fun enjoyed by all.
GBC launched a “school supply drive” in June to encourage folks to donate supplies for our Back-to School event planned for August.
July started off with a bang! The Youth Group had a fun night on July 2nd with a “water night”. Fun on the church grounds ended up with wet and wild activity on a hot July day. The Zareel Family hosted GBC for a July 4th feast, which was well-attended.
And just like that, August was here! We held a Commissioning Service for GBC Elders on August 6th. August 27th was our Outdoor Worship Service and the Back-to-School Event where we handed out back-packs filled with school supplies to local school kids. Many attended this event, and the kids enjoyed fun games and activities along with great picnic food.
September saw things return to the normal rhythm of school, work, & family life for GBC. We continued the summer schedule of worship time with breakfast each Sunday morning. On the 14th GBC hosted the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Conference meeting. SBC pastors from Southern Wisconsin spent the day at GBC hearing from one another about growth and plans for their congregations. Special speakers made presentations to encourage and challenge those in attendance and provided resources to assist with future planning.
October was GBC Mission Month, filled with special speakers each Sunday and culminating with an All-Church Mission Banquet hosted by the ladies of GBC on October 28th. A full month of celebrating Missions provided GBC folks with a deeper look into local, national, and world-wide missions through the various speakers’ presentations and materials. On the last Sunday of October, a group of GBC folks drove to Madison to encourage Pastor Johnson and attend Shalom Church Service Much demanding work prior to October resulted in a successful month of events.
GBC held its third quarter business meeting in October and the congregation voted to continue hosting breakfast on Sunday mornings, but moved the Worship Service time to 10:00 a.m. Breakfast moved to 9:30 a.m.
November had GBC preparing for Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season. Volunteers from GBC were recruited to help serve at the Ministerial Association Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Sparta American Legion. Some of our folks volunteered and served Sparta on Thanksgiving Day.
A group of ladies along with their spouses and children decorated the church for Christmas, bringing a touch of home into the building for our worship services until the first of the New Year.
December came all too quickly this year! We had our Senior Group Christmas party/lunch on December third at the church.
December 10th GBC held a New Member Class after worship service.
December 24th was a busy, blessed day with morning worship and Christmas Eve Service followed by fellowship, cookies, and beverages.
Coming Events:
January 1, 2024 – Welcome the New Year
January 7 – 1st Quarter 2024 Member Meeting with fellowship meal and the Lord’s Supper (be sure you sign-up to bring a dish to pass; sign-up sheet is in the foyer).
