Victory Sunday

I Corinthians 15:57-58

On December 10 Baptist Temple reached 102 years of ministry to our community. This past weekend we celebrated both our rich past and the bright future created by God's grace and the generosity of His people.

As of this point we have received $330,874 in pledges for our Heartstong for CHRIST campaign. Our first fruit offering was $44,477.83 plus an additional gift of stock valued at over $8000. More first fruit offering and pledge cards are coming in.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

This is a time for thanksgiving. I thank God for these buildings. Each one represents the faith of those who sacrificed time and treasure. Each represents hope for the future because churches never build according to current need. Each represents an answer to prayer that God would provide resources so His people might do His work.

God told King David, “You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name.” 1 Kings 8:18

Those that came before us did well to build Baptist Temple to lift up Jesus name. Today would not be possible if not been for those who went before us. We are building on their achievements and sacrifices.

I thank God for His people. God's people serve; following the example of our Lord who came to serve rather than to be served. God's people share; showing hospitality to the family of churches and non-profits that make their home on our campus and expand our ministry. God's people give. I thank God for generations of generosity at Baptist Temple.

This is a time of rejoicing; not only for what God has done in the past but for what He is doing in our day through our generation. Some had already written off Baptist Temple. They believed that the 100^th anniversary was going to be a funeral service. Some were unsure that we would reach 100 years so a 95^th anniversary was celebrated, just in case. Like so many churches around us BT was in decline.

I rejoice that God was not finished with us. These facilities were not built to be temporary. They were built to last into the future. They were remodeled for continued use. God sent partners, workers and money to make our campus buzz with activity all week. Baptisms and new members are filling our ranks and people outside our walls rejoice with us.

I rejoice that we listened to God, and stepped forward in faith. We did it together. This has been a time of growing closer together. During this campaign our older folk worked next to the younger ones; newer members worked alongside longtime members.

We stood firm and did not allow ourselves to be distracted by the Enemy's schemes. We resisted the Devil and he did flee from us. Instead, we gave ourselves fully to the work.

This is a time of anticipation. I can hardly wait to see what God is going to do through us in the future. God has given us the victory. Many will be blessed by your giving. Many more people will be fed and clothed. Many more children will learn about Jesus. Many people will be led to Christ. Heaven will join us in rejoicing!

God has allowed us to bless the future. The amount of money pledged will enable us to take the big leap forward we needed to stay on top of needed remodeling and repairs. It will enhance our current ministries and ensure ministry long into the future. If our Lord tarries I can see a new generation at our 150^th anniversary stand up and call you blessed.

This is a day of thanksgiving for God's provision, of rejoicing for our obedience and of anticipation for what lies ahead.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Build a Bridge for that Young Person Who Will Follow Us

Guest Blog by Louise Dudley

When I was growing up, my family and our community taught me…by their example … how to give generously to the Lord. I never actually saw their “Sunday offering” ... I didn’t need to … I saw their example … I saw them give of their time, their talent, their treasure. And when it was time to build a new church building I saw one person buy cinder blocks, another drive to Houston for a truck load of sheetrock and others provide the necessary labor. Everyone gave of themselves. Their example of sacrifice and stewardship is one that remains with me to this very day.

As a child, each week I eagerly gave my offering at church and with that offering, I worshiped God. However, that offering was not mine to give. It came from my parents. It was never mine until I had my first “paying job.”

And that happened in 1960 when I entered an internship with the Baptist Hospital and received a stipend of $25.00 a month! Not exactly big bucks, but … it was my very first … my very own “earned” income. Then I was able to give a portion back to God of what He had given to me. By giving a tithe, I was trusting God, and … God was trusting me to obey. It was a “win-win” situation.

Elton and I have been married for over 50 years. Sure, there have been times when giving our tithes and offerings was difficult. We are no different than any of the rest of you. Things happen…people get sick, they work on commission, they lose their jobs, they take on unforeseen responsibilities … the list goes on and on. Sometimes it just isn’t easy, but God honors our obedience to Him. I know that the tithe belongs to the Lord. I have always known that. But it is the offerings we give above and beyond the tithe that we give joyfully. This is when that we give out of grace.

In our fellowship hall is the “Cloud of Witnesses” painting by Shawn Kingston Bridges. In it I see the faces of many people from Baptist Temple during the 70’s and 80’s. But, I am also reminded of that great “cloud of witnesses” at Baptist Temple who had struggled through the depression of the 30’s, were facing a second world war and yet they built this very sanctuary, not just for themselves but for us and the generations to come. Everywhere we look, in every building we have, we are surrounded by tangible evidence of their sacrifice and stewardship.

I am reminded of a poem … “The Bridge Builder.” It tells of an old man walking a lonely highway who came to a deep chasm filled with rushing water. He crossed it without fear and immediately turned to build a bridge. An observer asked him, “Why? Why would you bother to build a bridge here? You are old. You are never going to pass this way again.” The man replied, “A young person will follow me someday and this chasm may prove to be too difficult. I’m building this bridge for him.”

Our campaign is about continuing ministry for future generations. I think of it as “building a bridge for that young person who will follow us.” We are prepared to make sacrifices to make that happen.

I challenge you to be a “bridge builder”, too. Please pray about your participation in our “Heartstrong for CHRIST” campaign.

We want to be Heartstrong for CHRIST

Guest Blog by Clinton Shull

Janet and I haven’t been members of Baptist Temple for very long but we saw God working through His people in Baptist Temple. The members' involvement in ministry and outreach to the community are some of the things that God used to draw us to Baptist Temple.

We believe that God uses His people to support the local church, people like Janet and I, and people like you.

We want to be Heartstrong for CHRIST. As God continues to bless Janet and I; we make a commitment to give above our tithe to support what God started here at Baptist Temple. We do this in order that Baptist Temple can continue to minister to its members and to the community into the future or until Christ comes for His church.

Down through the ages God’s people have always had to make the decision for commitment to Him. God will raise up individuals to support His work, Janet and I want to be part of that group of individuals that God raises up to meet the challenges of the future. We have made the decision to get on board; to step out by faith.

We are excited to see God work in our lives and are grateful to be counted worthy to participate in this endeavor. Put God to the test and watch Him accomplish in you far above anything you can imagine.

God bless Baptist Temple, you and those in our community.

Honoring the Legacy of Past Sacrifices

Guest blog Steve Grinnell

Baptist Temple Church has given me so much. Our Baptist Temple ancestors gave wholeheartedly to build this church on this corner so we (who were not even born) could study God’s Word and hear His voice of truth. For the past 100 years, members of this church family have faithfully given to make sure that future generations have a beautiful place to worship and a functional place to do ministry and bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Linda and I joined Baptist Temple in January of 1982; I actually joined the choir before we joined the church. It wasn’t long before we were teaching children’s Sunday school, helping with VBS, and going on mission trips. I’ve learned much from this church family:

When life seemed like giant waves were about to crash down on me, Jerry Beauchamp taught me that God will carry me through. When I was saddled with a responsibility that I knew I didn’t have time or expertise to accomplish, Bill McCoy and Elton Dudley just showed up, quietly guided me through, and taught me to not give up. When I faced opposition that made me feel like I was battling a giant with only a handful of rocks, Woody Woodall said “stand your ground and fight fair.” Boyd White taught me to pray, and when I was finished, to pray some more. Max Brunnemann taught me to stay faithful and pay attention to the preacher because he is the man God has sent to lead us.

The former plant superintendent, Jim Fancher, guided me through this entire campus and gave instructions on maintaining the systems to peak efficiency so that people can study God’s Word and worship Him without the distraction of something that is broken. I learned to show up on work days to honor God. I am putting into practice the things I have learned here at Baptist Temple, and I continually praise God for the people of faith who taught me to listen for God’s voice.

I have been taught to tithe and to give beyond my tithe so that God’s voice can be heard into the next century. So I want to give wholeheartedly of my time, talent and treasure to the Lord. I want to be Heartstrong for CHRIST. That is the theme of our new stewardship campaign. I believe in this stewardship enrichment campaign and am fully committed to it. Linda and I have been praying about how we can honor God with our gifts, and I’ve been praying every day for all of you, by name.

When we hear God’s voice and follow in faith those crashing waves of doubt become ripples in a pond. When we follow his leading, that handful of rocks are perfect for slaying the giants that attack us and keep telling us that we can’t do this. When we follow God faithfully our consistent gifts honor Him and become more than enough to accomplish His will.

For such a time as this God has called us to be strong and do His work. We are instructed to not be discouraged or afraid for God is with us. The Bible also tells us to obey Him and to pass on our inheritance to our descendants forever.

These buildings are a part of our inheritance, built on a solid foundation, and we need to keep them up and not allow them to crumble. It is my heart’s desire to step out in faith and give beyond our tithe so that this church will continue to be a lighthouse in the community – leading people to Christ well into the future.

Heartstrong for CHRIST!

We are experiencing some of the most exciting, challenging and promising times in Baptist Temple's history. We have been blessed with resources provided to us by the grace of Lord and the sacrifices of His people. We have been good stewards of these resources both in their upkeep and their use to further God's Kingdom.

Our facilities are well-built and among the finest in San Antonio. Furthermore, past and present remodeling have kept our church on the cutting edge of ministry. There are churches around us whose buildings are so far gone that it is too late to reverse the damage but not ours. The faithfulness of the ones who built these structures and the ones who, later, remodeled them left a legacy that made today's ministry possible.

Over the years we have continued to maintain and upgrade our campus through projects large and small but now we must make some major repairs and enhancements so we may continue to expand our ministries. These ministries include weekday education for 400 children from crib to 8^th grade, providing groceries to over 300 families per month, four Sunday worship services leading to an average of 20 baptisms a year and more.

It is our turn to honor the sacrifice and prayers of those who came before us. The cost could run over $500,000 but God will provide as He always has. Our predecessors believed that God would be using these buildings to His glory far into the future and so so do I.

The time has come to prepare our campus for ministry into the next century. I am convinced that God will use Baptist Temple to share His love with our community well into the future as he has done in the past and continues to do so today. I urge you begin to pray now for God's blessing on our church.