the Logos

One of our members, Sis. Griffin, received an awesome benefit recently. Sis. Nikki Sanders, who is a member of New Dimensions Fellowship Church (Pastor Wright), is seeking to adopt and did a fundraiser through Both Hands that helps the person adopting as well as a widow with home renovations.   (Click here if you can't see the video) Check out Sis. Nikki Sander's adoption journey . If you'd like to donate to her adoption fund, please go to https://bothhands.org/project/Sanders-389. Our church theme for 2018 is "Maturing in Christ: Growing and Reproducing Spiritually". Since our goal is to mature in Christ, join us for our next Bible Study series, The Gospel Primer, starting on January 3rd at 7pm. You might know things about the Gospel but do you really know the GOSPEL? We will learn how the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our identities and reshapes our lives. This series will help you mature in the Gospel so that it flows naturally out of your

We will not have Elder-led Prayer or Bible Study on Wednesday. Bible Study will resume on 1/3/18 with a new series called the Gospel Primer. We will dig into the Gospel to see how the Good News of Jesus Christ transforms our lives.   Everyone is invited to join us for our New Year's Eve service on next Sunday starting at 10pm. Also, Wolf's Backyard Cuisine food truck will be setup after the service. There are 53 Sundays this year and we had thought that would only be 51 Sundays in 2018 so we were going to end our fiscal year on 12/30. But it turns out that there are a full 52 Sundays in 2018, so we can end our fiscal year on 12/31. So your giving on 12/31 will be counted for 2017. Sorry about any confusion. Have you ever been to a birthday party where you didn't know the person having the birthday. You can enjoy the party and its benefits (cake, dancing, etc) but it's hallow when you don't have a relationship with the birthday person. But when you know the

Thanks to all who attended and participated in yesterday's Holiday Extravaganza. I want to personally thank the hospitality, IT Media, and Ushers ministries for going above and beyond to serve at the event. And a big shout-out to Deaconess Peggy Credle for coordinating the logistics from our side. Today, I had the privilege to dedicate a baby and baptize two boys. Praise God for these young lives. We are taking a break from the book of Mark and will be returning to it in January. This Wednesday will be our last Bible Study for the year. We'll be doing a review of the last volume and have a time of fellowship. Today, we raised a special love offering to help a family at West Cary Middle School that is in need for the Christmas holiday. This family has recently lost their father, whom was the breadwinner, so the mother is trying her best to make ends meet. Let's give generously to be a blessing to this family and show them the love of Christ. Please

We give all praises to God who has saved three individuals over the past two weeks: an adult and two children. Heaven rejoices when just one sinner repents! Soli Deo Gloria! We were also praising God for healing Sis. Francine Thorne. Sis. Thorne shared her testimony about how her cancer returned (for the third time) and she went to Georgia for a second opinion. The doctors there gave her the same diagnosis but when they did a biopsy, the results came back with NO CANCER!! God truly has the final say so. He has more work for Sis. Thorne to do. A couple of years ago, the elders started fellowshipping with our senior members over a meal during the Christmas holiday. We will be doing it again this year.  We don't want to miss anyone, so if we have not contacted you and you're a member age 70 or older who would like to participate, please contact the church office. Everyone is invited to join us for a Holiday Extravaganza on 12/16 at 4 pm at Mt. Zion . This event is co-sponsor

Our Christmas Program, "The Gift", will be held on Saturday, December 9th, at 3:00pm. You don’t want to miss it. Come out and bring a friend. I hope to see you there! Everyone is invited to join us for a Holiday Extravaganza on 12/16 at 4pm at Mt. Zion . This event is co-sponsored by my pastors prayer group (PPT). Our churches will get together for an evening of worship, music, sacred arts, and fellowship. We'll also be collecting items for a Winter Drive. Please bring coats, hats, gloves, socks, blankets, toiletries, etc.  We want to bless those who are in need during the winter.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and the gospel. Thanksgiving didn't end on Thursday. Everyday is a day of thanksgiving when we remember all that God through Jesus has done for us. We have a group that is working hard for our upcoming Christmas Play called "The Gift" on 12/9. Today, they introduced us to three characters: God the Father, Michael, and Gabriel. On 12/16 at 4pm, Pastors Praying Together (PPT) is co-sponsoring a Holiday Extravaganza which will be an evening of worship, music, sacred arts, and fellowship. It will be hosted here at Mt. Zion . We'll also be collecting items for a Winter Drive.

We have a group that is working hard for our upcoming Christmas Play on 12/9. We had a part of the cast to share some lines from the play. Mark your calendar: 12/16 at 4pm, my prayer group called Pastors Praying Together (PPT) is co-sponsoring a Holiday Extravaganza which will be an evening of worship, music, sacred arts, and fellowship. It will be hosted here at Mt. Zion . Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will not be having Elder-led prayer or Bible Study on Wednesday to allow for our teachers, students, deacons, and elders to spend time with family. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.  Family gatherings are a great opportunity to engage in gospel conversations to share the gospel with family and friends who are lost and encourage those who may be struggling.  Happy Thanksgiving!

We all know that tragedy struck last Sunday. A shooter killed 26 people at First Baptist Church in rural Sutherland Springs, Texas . This is the deadliest church shooting surpassing the one in Charleston . "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all". Psalm 34:19 (ESV)  But the Lord didn't deliver these saints in Texas.  Or did He?  For every one who trusted in Christ, God delivered their souls into His presence. We do not have to fear those who can only kill the body but we should fear the One who can kill both the body and soul . Nothing can separate a believer from the love of God.  Not even death ! But today, we are mourning and weeping with our brothers and sisters in Texas.  We know that God is near to the brokenhearted. So we prayed corporately for them and will continue in the months to come. Yesterday was Veteran's Day. We recognized our veterans.  Thanks to all who have served our country. Today we dedica

Yesterday, during a conversation with my kids, my youngest said that she didn't like history (as a school subject).  I was never interested in history much either but I have learned that knowing history is important.  As it's been said "those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it".  The reality is that everything is history. The present is only the current second you're in. After it passes, that time is history.  Another reason history is important is because we must remember what God has done for us.  Don't forget your personal history with God!  Just as we remember that Columbus discovered America is 1492, we should remember when God discovered us!  Just as we remember that July 4, 1776 is the date of our nation's independence, we should remember the time when God set up free!  When I think about what the Lord has done for me (in history), it makes we wanna shout "Hallelujah"! Thanks to all who came out yesterday for our Fall Sp

Congratulations to Bro. Daquon and Sis. Ch'ressa Johnson on the birth of their daughter, Chelsea Renee Johnson, on Thursday, weighing 7 lbs, 7oz, 20 inches long. Baby and parents are doing well. For those who didn't attend yesterday's Theological Seminar, you missed a good one! How wonderful it is to know that when God adopts us into His family, we are His treasured possessions and He delights in us (not because we are good and worthy but because He's a good and gracious Father). I would encourage you to watch the seminar on the church website . And we have some extra handouts at the Welcome Center. We are having our Fall Spruce UP on Saturday, November 4th, from 9:00am to 12:00pm. All are welcome to clean the Lord’s house. Thanks to all the members who stayed after the service to attend our Church Family Meeting.

The next Elder-led Prayer is Wednesday, October 25th, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs. If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can submit them online . After Elder-led Prayer, join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study at 7pm. This Wednesday, we'll look at the fact that we need to set aside our prejudices and priorities in order to join God's mission. It's the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and there's been a lot of celebrations of the 5 Solas , including Sola Fide : we are justified (made right with God) by faith alone. As wonderful as justification is, theologian J.I. Packer says adoption is an even higher privilege than justification. We'll be looking at the doctrine of adoption at our upcoming theological seminar on Saturday, October 28th, from 9:00am to 11:30am. Rev. Eddie Brown , Together in Grace Ministry, will be teaching on "Living by Grace (God’s Adopt

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. This Wednesday, we'll look at the God who sends us on mission to tell the world about the Gospel. What does it mean to live as sons and daughters of God? Do you consider it a privilege that God has adopted us into His family? Theologian J.I. Packer says "Adoption is the highest privilege that the Gospel offers: higher even than justification". Join us for our upcoming theological seminar on Saturday, October 28th, from 9:00am to 11:30am. Rev. Eddie Brown, Together in Grace Ministry, will be teaching on "Living by Grace (God's Adoption of Us)". Come out and learn about this important doctrine. Light refreshments will be served. Please register for the seminar online or use the Connections card. Mark for your calendars for our last Church Family Meeting for the year on Sunday, 10/29, right after the service. We're taking a little break from the Gospel of Mark but we'll be ba

Today was My Hope Sunday.  We have quite a few guest that members invited to join us for church today.  We played a wonderful spoken word piece about the reality of the resurrection of Jesus.   (Click here if you can't see the video) Right before the sermon, the Fine Arts Ministry (FAM) powerfully ministered to O Come to the Altar.   Many came to the altar to praise, pray, and repent. My sermon was on the topic of what makes Christianity so different than all world religions.  What it boils down to is that all the other world religions are about man trying to reach up to God. Christianity is about God reaching down to man.  Other religions are spelled "D-O".  Christianity is spelled "D-O-N-E".  Religion is about what must I DO to be right with God.  Christianity is about what God has already DONE so that we can be right with Him.  Religion says you must EARN your salvation by doing good works and not doing evil.  Christianity says Jesus has EAR

Please pray for the following... Victims of hurricane, earthquakes, and flooding like Puerto Rico  Bereavement: Deaconess Susan Fortenberry (loss of sister); Deacon Hardaway (murder of brother)  Deacon Robert Hunter who fell and fractured both hands  Since we have so much to pray for, everyone is welcome to join us for our Prayer & Testimony service on the first Wednesday of each month starting 10/4 from 6 - 6:45 pm (right before Bible Study). After Prayer & Testimony service, stay for Bible Study at 7 pm. On Wednesday, we start volume 4. Even if you've missed other Bible Studies, it's a great time to start coming. This Wednesday, we'll look at how we should consistently return back to the message of the Gospel. My Hope Sunday is next Sunday! If you have done so yet, invite at least one unbeliever or un-churched person to join you for church on that Sunday. We also have business cards containing scriptures regarding HOPE for the next 7 days that we shoul

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll be wrapping up volume 3 with a time of review and fellowship. The study guides for volume 4 are available for $4 so see Deacon Johnson to get yours today. Please join us for our Prayer & Testimony service on the first Wednesday of each month, starting 10/4, right before Bible Study (6-6:45 pm). Come out and glorify His Name and give thanks! Peace Church in Cary is having a conference called enGendered on 9/30 from 9am to 3pm.  The conference will address God, gender, and sexuality.  Although the culture has changed regarding gender and sexuality, Christians should have their beliefs and actions conform to biblical truth. The speakers will be Rosaria Butterfield and Sam Andreades .  If I wasn't already attending a conference this weekend ( 9Marks ), I would definitely be attending this one. UPDATE: I heard from Peace Church that they are at capacity for the conference and have closed do

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll look at what it means to go together with Christ. Jesus sends us out together in order to make disciples. Being a member of a local church is vitally important for disciples of Christ. I want to encourage you to attend Bible Study or a Life Group but if your schedule does not permit it, you may want to check out Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) as a supplement to what Mt. Zion offers.  Deaconess Tracy Dunn , Sis. Kelly Smith , and Deacon Bobby Dunn gave on brief skit on their involvement with BSF. Please check with one of them if you have questions about BSF. All of our members are asked to commit to inviting at least one unbeliever, un-churched, or de-churched person to join us at church for My Hope on 10/8. During that service, we will share the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Write down the names of those you are committing to invite on a commitment card. We will collect them on 10/1 and pray for th

Let's continue to pray for those impacted by hurricanes especially in light of Hurricane Irma approaching Florida . Currently, we are planning to raise an offering to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. One of our core values is that "The church is God’s plan A, there is no plan B". This means that want to partner with & support churches doing Gospel work. We will be donating to the Harvey Hurricane Relief of Crossover Bible Fellowship Church in Houston, Texas. Next Sunday, the love offering will go to Harvey Relief. If you're ready to give beforehand, give to the love offering with a note saying "Harvey" or "Hurricane". The Fine Arts Worship Ministry is currently offering a free Sign Language Class on 2nd and 4th Saturdays through November 25th. The class is 9:30 am to 11 am in the MPR. All are invited to attend who want to learn the gift of sign language. For more information, please contact Sis. Jackie Bradley . Join u

We all know about the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey is the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the contiguous United States. Harvey has flooded hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues. Texas, particularly Houston, has been impacted the most. We should definitely be praying for those affected. We will also be giving. In a couple of weeks, we'll raise a love offering to help those in need. We're currently investigating a trustworthy ministry to donate to. Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll look at what it means to die with Christ. If we're going to follow Jesus, we must die to self. The Devoted Disciples, our youth ministry, are preparing to train people on scarf making on 9/16 at 1 pm. The scarves will be donated to the homeless. If you are interested in participating in this outreach, please contact Miss. Olivia Sallis or Deaconess Tracy

Thanks to all who attended the Theological Seminar on yesterday. We have some extra the 5 Solas of the Reformation posters at the Welcome Center.  Feel free to grab one while supplies last. Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll examine why Jesus came with to die. Jesus came to suffer and to sacrifice and calls us to do the same. Outreach Opportunity for the ladies: The Deaconess Ministry will be serving dinner to homeless women at the Helen Wright Center in Raleigh on Thursday, August 31st, at 7:00pm. Volunteers are needed to serve and donations are welcome. Please contact Deaconess Tracy Dunn or Deaconess Rhonda Spivey for additional information. Men, join us for our Men's Sunday School class next Sunday at 9am as I'll be teaching on how to study the Bible. Traditional school starts on tomorrow (Monday). We prayed for all of our students, parents, school teachers, school administrators, social workers, janitors, cafeter

Praise Report: Deacon Cliff Hardaway's open-heart surgery was successful. In fact, the aneurysm was worst than originally thought. The doctor said it was so big that Deacon Cliff should have been dead! The aneurysm had already started to rupture. Even the doctor had to acknowledge that it was God that kept him! Continue praying for Deacon Cliff’s recovery and be considerate to the family and Cliff’s rest that we limit visitation. Thanks to all who volunteered and served at our Community Food Distribution on yesterday.  Here's the report from the event: 145 families served  54 volunteers from Mt. Zion (including 5 youth and 1 member of children's church)  24 members from leadership  Remaining food was taken to Dorcas Ministries which will help support 353 other families  Elder Cherry had conversation with lady who is a new Christian. Her family is Albanian Muslim. He encouraged her to visit us.  Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7 pm, we'll be looking at the fact that Jesus came to us. Jesus left heaven and entered our world to be the solution to our primary problem, sin. All youth ages 8-18 are invited to our Youth Explosion on August 18th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. It will be an evening of worship, praise, food, and fellowship. For more details, please contact Deaconess Tracy Dunn . Saturday is our Community Food Distribution beginning at 9 am. This is a great opportunity to serve our community. The community distribution is targeted at supporting families in need of food assistance during difficult economic times. Please spread the word. See Deacon Rufus Credle if you wish to volunteer. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which was the Protestant break from the Roman Catholic Church initiated by Martin Luther. Our next Theological Seminar will consider how the doctrines from the Reformation (Sola Scriptura, S

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll be looking at spreading the Good News. This is part of our mission statement (Worship Christ, Spread the Gospel, Serve the Community). Disciples are sent by Jesus to spread the Gospel with our words and by our lives. Ladies, the Deaconess Ministry is sponsoring a Heart to Heart Women’s Fellowship on Friday, August 11th, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. All ladies are encouraged to join in on this casual getting-to-know-you fellowship social. It's important to know your sisters-in-Christ so that you can support, encourage, and disciple one another. All youth ages 8-18 are invited to our Youth Explosion on August 18th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. It will be an evening of worship, praise, food, and fellowship. Invite your friends!! To register or get more details, click here or contact Deaconess Tracy Dunn . Mt. Zion in conjunction with Zaxby’s and the Food Bank of North Carolina will sponsor a Community Foo

Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll be looking at serving God's kingdom. Disciples serve Jesus by expending time, talents, and resources in His kingdom. Starting next Sunday in August, I will be teaching our Men's Sunday School class on how to lead family devotions and study the Bible. All men (married & single) to join us on first Sundays in Adult Classroom 3.  We'll start with how to lead family devotions. Ladies, the Deaconess Ministry is sponsoring a Heart to Heart Women’s Fellowship on Friday, August 11th, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. All ladies are encouraged to join in on a very casual and relaxing getting-to-know-you fellowship social. We had our Church Family Meeting right after the church service. Thanks to all of the members that attended.   I'll do another post with some of the info that was shared in the meeting. Deaconess Peggy Credle shared her testimony about her faith and trust in God in the midst

The next Elder-led Prayer is this Wednesday from 6 to 7 pm. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs. If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can place them in the prayer requests box on the table at the back of the church, use the Connections card, or submit them online . Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7pm, we'll be looking at the Spirit-filled life. God sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us become the people He created us to be. Our next Church Family Meeting is next Sunday right after the church service. We have a lot of great info to share and also a Board of Directors election. All members are asked to attend. Since our theme is "Make Disciples: Helping Others Follow Jesus", we want to equip you, especially men, to be better at discipling. Starting in August, I will be teaching our Men's Sunday School class on how to lead family devotions and study the Bible. All men

How is your application from last Sunday's sermon going? We are praying for unsaved family members and friends and then taking concrete steps to share the Gospel with them. So even if you didn't do it last week, make an effort this week. I shared the Gospel with some family members via a Facebook post. You can see it here and feel free to use it to share with your family. Deacon Cliff Hardaway went to the hospital last week but he's back at home resting. He's got more tests to take so keep him in your prayers. Sis. Aprile King had been sick but is doing much better and was at church today. Also, pray for Bro. Todd Hayes who recently lost an uncle. And there are others who are still in bereavement. Join us for our Discipleship Journey at Bible Study. On Wednesday at 7 pm, we'll be looking at living in community. The only way to endure the storms of life and thrive as God intended is through community with other believers. Mark your calendar for our next C

We've just started volume 3 of our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study.  Even if you've missed the other volumes, now is a great time to start.  On Wednesday, we'll examine how we're connected to God through prayer.  We'll look at Jesus' most famous prayer, the Lord's Prayer . Mark your calendar for our next Church Family Meeting that will be on 7/30 right after the church service. Today, I preached on "Ministering to an Unbelieving World" from Mark 6:1-13.   Despite His teaching and miracles, Jesus was rejected by His own hometown where He grew up.  Sadly, it's the people who are so familiar with us that they disregard the truth of the message we bring.  Our own family can be the hardest ground to minister in.  It may be tough but we must continue ministering and asking God to change their hearts and save them. To apply God's Word, I challenged everyone this week to think about that family member, friend, or co- worker that is not sa

How do you define God's glory?  Defining it is kinda like defining beauty.  The Hebrew word for "glory" is kabod , which means weight, heaviness.  In other words, there's a weightiness to God's glory.  The glory of God is the weight of all that God is.  John Piper describes the glory of God as the manifest beauty of his holiness.  So if there's a weightiness to God, then there should be a weightiness to the praise and glory that we give Him.  God is deserving of sincere and pure praise (not superficial, half-hearted praise).  To glorify God is to make much of His greatness.  God should be honored and worshipped.  Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone)! The Christian Education Committee would like to thank the Mt. Zion Church family for making the 2017 VBS special and successful.  We are grateful that you allowed God to use you for His glory and growth of His kingdom. We start volume 3 of our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study.  Even if you've misse

Thank you for your prayers during our vacation. We had a lot of fun...I broke a pair of shoes...and my wallet!! Looks like you all had a great time at VBS! Check out some photos... Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 (Community Outreach) Sunday/Food Trucks It's not quite over...everyone is welcome to stay after the service to purchase food from Food Trucks and fellowship. We continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. Now we're looking at the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. On Wednesday, we'll be looking at the Doctrine of the Church. The church is essential in the life of a Christian. The next Elder-led Prayer will be held on Wednesday, June 28th, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs. You can submit your prayer requests in the box on the table at the back of the church, use the Connections card, or submit them online .  As part of VBS, we are doing a mission project to provide clean water in Peru. Pl

Today was our Annual Children's Day service and our children did an AWESOME job presiding, praying, and singing.   Lydia Sallis was our speaker and delivered a wonderful message entitled "Are You A Disciple?" coming from Luke 6:12-16 . We recognized our two High School graduates, Ebony White and Delante Robinson , both graduating from Cary High! We also acknowledged a couple of college graduates, Brittany Jones earning a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Studio Art from UNC at Wilmington, and Tikayla Downing earning a  Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in African Studies UNC at Charlotte. Also Dorian Davis earned his second Master's degree from Indiana University. Registration has started for our VBS that's scheduled from June 21 – June 25, beginning at 6:00pm. On Saturday, 6/24, we'll be doing community outreach. The time will be 1 to 3 pm. Mt Zion will visit nursing homes assigned to each zone. We are asking our members

Let's be in prayer for those affected by yesterday's London terrorist attack .  At least seven people have been killed and 48 injured after the terrorist attacks on London Bridge and at Borough Market. We continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. Now we're looking at the basic doctrines of the Christian faith.  On Wednesday, we'll be looking at the Kingdom of God and how it is "now and not yet".  Also, Deacon Johnson is now taking orders for volume 3's study guide that starts in July. Registration has started for our VBS that's scheduled from June 21 – June 25, beginning at 6:00pm. Come enjoy lively Bible study, food, fun, community outreach on Saturday, and we'll wrap-up with a grand lesson during Sunday School hour on Sunday. Next Sunday, 6/11, is our Annual Youth Day.  Our children will be leading the service, we'll have a child speaker (so we'll take a break from the Gospel of Mark), and we'll be recognizing our High S

I got a message from Cary's Chief of Police, Tony Godwin, about an officer-involved shooting which resulted in the suspected burglar dying. At the time, we didn't have much information but we prayed for the officers involved and the family of the deceased person. Happy Memorial Day. Let's not forget that this holiday is about remembering those who have died in service to our country. So let's pray for those families who have lost loved ones. We continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. Now we're looking at the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. On Wednesday, we'll be looking at the Person and Work of Christ. Also, Deacon Johnson is now taking orders for volume 3's study guide that starts in July. Join us for VBS on June 21 – June 25, beginning at 6:00pm. Come enjoy lively bible study, food, fun, community outreach (on Saturday), and a grand Sunday School lesson (on Sunday). You DO Not want to miss it. Registration has started.

Please be in prayer for a couple of members who are facing recent bereavement: Sis. Staci Torrence (the death of her father) and Sis. Diana Neal (the sudden death of her sister). We continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. Now we're looking at the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. On Wednesday, we'll be looking at the Doctrine of Humanity. The next Elder-led Prayer will be held on Wednesday, May 24th, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs. If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can place them in the prayer requests box on the table at the back of the church, use the Connections card, or submit them online . VBS is approaching! Deacon Bobby and Deaconess Tracy Dunn and Sis. Kelly Smith gave a brief presentation for our Vacation Bible School in June. VBS will be from Wednesday, 6/21, to Sunday, 6/25.  The theme is "Passport to Peru: Discovering God's Good Gifts".  Remember

Our Young Adult Ministry, Chosen, presented this message for Mother's Day... "We are a group of believers consisting of members ranging from ages 18-26. We just recently started to get involved at church and we are excited about the growth of the ministry. Today, we would like to recognize not only Mothers but all of the wonderful women of the church. Each of you are precious and fearfully and wonderfully made. We believe that as women, you have made an impact on someone's life whether you birthed them or not. So we honor you today. Hopefully, you were greeted by 2 members of our ministry at the door and was also given a ribbon by two other members. We have prepared special cupcakes for each of you that will be handed out to all women at the end of service. Please come by the Chosen table outside of the Sanctuary at the closure of service. Again, we appreciate all of the things that you women do for us, we love all of you dearly and we wish each of you a great M

Thanks to all who presented, volunteered, and participated in our first Total Body Fair yesterday. All speakers showed up and everything started and ended on time.  There was a wealth of great info available.  If you missed it, you need to definitely attend next year! Here are the stats: 1 student volunteer (my son, Isaiah)  18 presenters (some brought multiple people) on an array of topics  47 attendees  Grand Total: 66  Healthy snacks for refreshments But MOST SIGNIFICANTLY is the fact that Sis. Karen Gray wiped the floor with Deacon Corey Smith in a game of ‘Jacks’. Not one time, not two times, but THREE times!!! We got a lot of great comments and feedback from presenters and attendees. Many presenters want to come back. There is a quick 4 question survey at the Welcome Center for attendees to please complete and leave there. On Wednesday, we continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. We'll be looking at the fruit of a disciple. Followers of Jesus make d

Everyone is invited to join us for Elder-led Prayer on Wednesday, April 26th, from 6 to 7 pm. If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can place them in the prayer requests box on the table at the back of the church, use the Connections card, or submit them online . Also on Wednesday at 7pm, we continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. We'll be looking the priorities of a disciple. Following Jesus means living a life that reflects His character and priorities. Thanks to all who came out yesterday to our Theological Seminar on the History of the Black Church. If you missed it, I'd definitely encourage you to watch it from our archive or order a CD or DVD . We have extra notes from the seminar at the Welcome Center. Professor Walter Strickland mentioned that he is working on turning this presentation into a book. In addition he is also republishing the book "Plain Theology for Plain People" by 19th-century black pastor and educator Ch

On Wednesday, we continue our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. We'll be looking what did Jesus do. Jesus is worth following because only He can solve our deepest problem (which is spiritual not material). Do you know about the theological influences that helped shape the black faith? The history of black Christianity is a miraculous story that is often overlooked in accounts of the American church. Mt. Zion and LAMP Seminary RDU are co-sponsoring our next Theological Seminar on the History of the Black Church on Saturday, April 22nd from 9:00am to 11:15am. Walter Strickland, SEBTS , will be presenting. This story is not just for black Christians, but for all of God’s people because knowing one another’s stories is an act of love that is the groundwork for reconciliation. Please register for the seminar online at http://bit.ly/blkchurch . Today is Palm Sunday which marks the start of Jesus' last week before His death. As Jews were gathering to celebrate the Passover, J

Mark your calendars for our next Theological Seminar on 4/22 starting at 9am. We have Professor Walter Strickland from SEBTS returning to give us the History of the Black Church. You will not want to miss it! Please register here . On Wednesday, we start volume 2 of our Discipleship Journey in Bible Study. Our first session will look at who is Jesus. When we have a proper understanding of who Jesus is, we'll see that He is worth following. You can purchase your volume 2 book for $4 from Deacon Johnson. Sunday at 4pm, we had an ordination service for Elder Roderick Harrison, Ministers Matt Darby, Rasheeda Oliver, and Evangelist Barry Singleton. Pastor Larry Snead preached the ordination message from Ephesians 4:1-6 on "Walk Worthy of Your Calling". We praise God for these individuals God has called to serve His church. After today, we're going to take a little break from the book of Mark. We'll resume in May. Also, I want to clarify something about the

If you have not done so yet, please pick up your financial contribution statement from the Welcome Center. They will be disposed of after April 15th. Thanks for those who came out on Saturday for our Spring Spruce Up. Everyone was very cheerful, loving, and willing to work.  Here are some stats: 26 total members: 12 members (including one new member) and 14 leadership  All areas of the church were cleaned.  Total hours: 50.05 for a savings of $1,250.00 ($25 per cleaning hour)  Some great comments: “Where do you need me to work?” “I better get to cleaning because I want my windows to be "squeaky clean!”  Join us again on Wednesday at 7 pm for our Bible Study series called the Journey. This Wednesday, we'll wrap up our volume 1 with a time of review and fellowship. You can purchase your volume 2 book for $4 from Deacon Johnson. Sunday afternoon at 4 pm, I preached at New Dimensions Fellowship Church for their 13th church anniversary. I appreciated those who came out

Join us again on Wednesday at 7pm for our Bible Study series called the Journey. This Wednesday, we'll look at Jesus sending His disciples. Christ calls us to take the Gospel to the world. Our Spring Spruce Up is Saturday, 3/25, from 9am to noon.  Please come out to volunteer some time to help us clean and keep our facilities looking good. Next Sunday, 3/26, I'll be preaching at New Dimensions Fellowship Church at 4pm for their 13th church anniversary.  I'd appreciate your support if you can attend and definitely your prayers. So The Shack movie has hit the theaters (based on the best-selling book). It's Christian fiction and I would not even address it (there have been other fictional movies depicting God like Oh, God! and Bruce Almighty ) except for the fact that it's being marketed as something churches should be studying. They have a 5-week campaign and study designed to "help people experience the life-changing goodness, grace, and presence o

We had a wonderful My Hope Sunday. A good number of guests were present. The Gospel was presented throughout the service, a young lady came forward for rededication, and we had a good time of fellowship afterward. All glory to God! The sermon was "The God Who Forgives Sin" from Mark 2:1-12 (as part of our series in Mark). The paralytic along with his friends came in faith to Jesus and received far more than they expected but got exactly what was needed. The paralytic received the full forgiveness of sins. They knew that Jesus could meet their needs, they were just wrong on what their greatest need was. So today, instead of focusing on your circumstances, truly think about your greatest need. Your greatest need is not to have a better spouse or better children. Your greatest need is not a better job with more income. Your greatest need is not more resources, power, or money. Just like this paralytic, your greatest need is for Jesus Himself. Our greatest need is to have ou