West Wind
Westwood Baptist Church Newsletter
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Is Lent For Us Too? For many of us who come from the Protestant tradition, the season of Lent isn’t something we’ve observed with any intentionality. Most of what we know about Lent has to do with what we see from a distance – Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Carnival. But I wonder if there might be aspects of this larger Christian tradition we ought to recapture to help us refocus spiritually as we live and work in an increasingly secular world? Even as Baptists, could Lent be for us too? Originating in the fourth century church, the season of Lent spans forty weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 25, 2009) and concluding the Saturday before Easter (April 11, 2009). Originally Lent was established as a time of preparation for those who were to be baptized on Easter Sunday. Today Lent is generally marked by a time of prayer and preparation looking forward to the celebration of Easter. The forty days of Lent are connected to many biblical events, but particularly the forty days of preparation and testing Jesus spent in the wilderness prior to beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Lent is meant to be a spiritual journey; and journey that I am convinced each of us must be willing to travel if we are to experience the joyous renewal of Easter. 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads, “…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” My challenge to you and to myself for this Lenten Season is that we hear this Old Testament conditional promise on a very personal level. I need to humble MYSELF before God, I need to seek his face, I need to turn from MY wicked ways so I can hear a word from heaven, have MY sins forgiven, and have MY land healed. How do we set out on this personal journey toward renewal? Lent has traditionally been observed through penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Perhaps, as part of your personal journey, there is something in your life God would have you privately sacrifice for the Season as a form of fasting (remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:16-18). Or maybe your focus will be on charitable deeds such as helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or simply the giving of money to charities. But all of us would do well to answer the call to penitential prayer. I suggest that at least once each week during this Lenten season, we stop praying for others as if we were virtuous enough to do so. Let’s take off our robes of righteousness just long enough each week to come before God with a new humility, willing to confess, "Lord, be merciful to ME, a sinner." Let’s fall on our face before God and plead in the words of the old hymn, "Lord, in my hand no price I bring; simply to the cross I cling." That attitude of prayer might very well put us in a position to hear God in new ways; ways we haven’t heard him in a long time. And the Lenten journey will bring us to a place where we can be surprised and delighted by Easter in joyous ways that far transcend new clothes, beautiful flowers and Easter ham. Will you join me in the journey? In His Love, Mike |
| Weekly Activities
Monday Tuesday Wednesday |
| Minister on Call
If you have a ministerial need over the weekend please contact the minister on call: 7th
& 8th Mike Eddinger
14th & 15th Michelle Anderson
21st & 22nd Caroline Allen
28th & 29th Mike Eddinger
*Look
every month in the West Wind for the |
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March Sermon Topics 1st
- Jesus on Choices:
Building for Eternity 8th - The Problem of Spiritual
Complacency 15th - A New Life In Christ 22nd - Backsliding Christians 29th - Why We Come To
The Table
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| Mission Statement A
community of believers |
| March 1 ~ 6:30pm, YAC March 6 ~ High School Hockey, Leave @ 6:00pm and Return @ 10:00pm (Sign up 1st come 1st serve-Westwood youth only-Sign up Deadline: Mar. 1st) March 7 ~ 5:00-7:00pm, Girl’s Basketball Party (Celebration for team members and families! RSVP to Michelle by Mar. 4th) March 8 ~ 6:30pm, YAC March 15 ~ No YAC March 22 ~ 6:30pm, YAC
March 29 ~ 6:30pm, Fun YAC Wednesday Schedule
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Dental Bus Ministry
March 14 The NC Baptist Men’s Dental Bus will be at Westwood on Saturday, March 14th from 8:00am to 4:00pm. We will be providing free dental care and sharing the love of Christ with each patient. Please be in prayer for this important outreach ministry of Westwood
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Attention
Singles We are pleased to announce that starting March 15th Westwood will be offering a new Sunday School class for Singles. We will begin our first study on the book of John. The class will meet in Room 207 and will be led by Jessica Sidgreaves. The class is targeted for young and middle-aged professional singles, although anyone is welcome. Singles are defined as individuals who are divorced, widowed or have never been married. |
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Pinewood Derby
March 6
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CBFNC General Assemblty March 20 & 21 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Fred
Craddock |
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Women's Bible Study April 1st, 6:30 p.m
“Finding Balance: Loving
God with Heart
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| Master's Men in Concert
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West Wind
Westwood Baptist Church Newsletter
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A thank you note has been received from Don McLamb. Please stop by the bulletin board in Hall A to read his words of appreciation.
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Tree of Love and Giving March 29 Deadline Pick an egg from the Tree of Love and Giving located in the foyer with a child’s name, age and gender. Prepare an Easter basket for this specific child and return it to the area around the tree by Sunday, March 29th. Be sure to put the egg tag on the basket. The Tree of Love and Giving brochures located near the tree contain instructions and suggestions for preparing the baskets. The Missions Committee would like to thank the 9th & 10th grade Sunday School class taught by Marilyn Eddinger and Brenda Ballard for their assistance with our Easter Tree. As a special mission project they cut out over 200 eggs and attached ribbons making the eggs ready to hang on the tree. |
| GriefShare March 3 The next GriefShare session starts on Tuesday, March 3 through May 26, 7-9 p.m. in Room 209. GriefShare is a Bible based program to help those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information, contact Jackie Woodcock or check out their website: www.griefshare.org. |
| Barbeque Fundraiser For Belize Trip Friday, March 13, 11am - 7pm We need YOUR help for this
churchwide fundraiser. Please look in your Sunday School classes and
on the Welcome Centers for volunteer sheets. If you can assist, please
check one or more of the areas with which you can assist, include
your contact information, and place your completed form in the box
labeled “Belize” in either Hall A or B. You can also help
by taking a BBQ order form to your work place and collecting lunch
pre-orders and returning the form and money to Michelle by Sunday,
Menu ~ $7 per plate |
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Westwood Mission Groups
Current
Mission Group ~ Wilda Prince Noon
Mission Group ~ Penny Faulkner Monday
Night Mission Group ~ Linda McDaniel |
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Wednesday Evening Pastor's Bible Study
March 4th
March 11th
March 18th
March 25th |
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Easter Services
Maundy
Thursday Service Easter
Drive Thru
Easter Sunday, April 12th
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| Easter Food Basket Drive March 31 Deadline Fraternal Order of Police, this project enables officers to deliver groceries to families in Wake County with immediate needs. Donations will be accepted through the end of March, 2009. Please make checks payable to: Wake County F.O.P. #41. You can bring your donations to the church office and we’ll get them to the F.O.P.
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| First Friday April 3 Getting To The “Heart” Of The
Matter! |
| Easter Drive-Thru
April 10 & 11 Friday, April 10th and |
