Oakland Baptist Church

September 2010

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:01:41 +0000

Time for the rubber to hit the road. Wednesday, September 15, will be a true milestone in the life of Oakland Baptist Church. On this night, the Community Church at Cedar Springs will hold their first church meeting! I am so honored to be a part of a church that takes such a bold “leap of faith.” Though we don’t know how all of this will pan out, we can all be assured that the Lord is faithful and in full control.

As if that is not enough for our church to chew on, September will also be the month during which we may select a new Music Minister for our church. I will be able to announce the candidate’s name soon, but please be in prayer for this person and their family. It has been a real blessing watching the Lord put this together.

On top of the church plant and hiring a new staff member, Oakland will also be entering into a Capital Campaign program in the coming weeks. “Reveal God’s Plan” is a three-year program that will challenge each of us to be focused on praying for the future of our church as well as challenging each of us to make a sacrificial contribution to our Building Fund. So many people within our congregation have put in many hours of prayer and work to get us to this point. Please pray about your involvement in this ministry opportunity for our church and, more importantly, our children within the church!

There is a great temptation to be consumed with “business” but I am trying to refuse! On a personal note, I have the opportunity to coach my son in football – games start this month! Pray for me that I would find the time to be a real presence in my family’s life. I could easily be at the church each night, but I must keep my priorities straight. I want to thank OBC for always supporting me and my family in ministry. Together we can make a difference for the Lord. God bless each of you and may we take the time this month to look around us and see what all the Lord is doing!

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

August 2010

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:01:48 +0000

For you Tidbit readers out there, I ask that you join me in praying for our church. The Lord is leading us to begin a Capital Campaign (raising money for our Christian Life Center) program. More than raising money, I hope to raise awareness of the ministry needs within our congregation. My prayer is that folks would commit to pray about supporting us in this endeavor. Anytime a church goes through a Capital Campaign Program, there are a variety of concerns that come along with it. However, the rewards far outweigh the risks. I assure each of you that I will not become the preacher who always talks about money. Some people probably think I am already that guy, but I am not. I do want to keep the vision in front of us and am willing to be on the front line.

We serve a faithful God that will continue to bless our obedience to Him. Oakland, thank you for being you. Ministry can sometimes be difficult but serving the Lord is always a joy! I have great joy in my heart. I covet your prayers over the next couple of years.

Blessings to you all!

Pastor Tim

July 2010

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:01:07 +0000

There is a good chance that, as you read this article, my family and I are in Alaska! We are usually the Gatlinburg kind of people, so needless to say this will be an adventure. I look forward in meeting up with Brad Sparks, or should I say, Dr. Brad Sparks. Like many of you, I am so proud of Brad. I remember when the Lord allowed me to meet Brad. Jared Madison, who has grown up at Oakland all his life, was a teenager in our youth group in the early 1990s. Jared told me that he was going to invite a friend of his to church and that he didn’t think he was a Christian. I have always said that the best youth ministers out there are the Christian students. I am so glad Jared cared enough about Brad to expose him to the truth of our Lord. Sure enough, Brad started attending church and youth group with Jared. A few weeks after he started coming to church, I was able to share Christ with Brad in my car in the church parking lot. It seems like yesterday. Since then, Brad has invited all of his family, Kenneth and Grace Morehead and all of their family to be part of the church and the Kingdom as well. Though it is the Lord that changes people, it all began with Jared simply inviting his friend to church!

I have such fond memories of my time as youth minister here in the early 1990s – we had a blast. Camps, mission trips and all the events were great, but most special were the times we all just hung out together. I am so proud of those kids. Many of them have grown up, have families of their own and are actively involved in their faith with the Lord. Though I will really enjoy the sights in Alaska, I will be especially thankful to the Lord for saving this young man and using Brad the way He is. It would be an honor to somehow round up the old youth group and capture one more memory with each of them. My life was blessed by all those punks – I am extremely grateful to the Lord for each of them (even Jared!).

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

June 2010

Alice — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:01:41 +0000

As a child I recall how much fun the last day of school was each year. All the days of waking up early, eating an early breakfast and getting beat up by my brother at the bus stop would be behind me for a couple of months. There was a true sense of excitement shared by all the kids at school. I am confident that the same excitement is present among children today.

It is hard to believe summer is upon us. It seems the Lord always blesses us with many faces of new folks over the summer months; I hope this year is no different.

One highlight I always enjoy about summer is camp. Even last year, with my illness, I was able to attend camp. I believe I have gone to camp for more than 30 summers in a row! I love it. Getting to see all the kids meet new friends, learn how worship is a blessing, and simply have fun makes my week away from home worth it. I know Oakland will have about 60 students (children and youth) going to camp this year (and about 12 brave adults!). Join me in praying that the Lord will move in each of our lives this summer.

This year is going to be “extra good” for me this year. My son, Zachary, will be going with me to camp. I have actually looked forward to this for several years now. Though I will be a pastor and a chaperone to the kids at camp, this year I get to be a dad as well. I can’t wait to see what the Lord will do with Zac and how much fun he will have. He is excited because he gets to stay up late each day – we’ll see how his mornings go!

Thank you, Oakland, for supporting our children and youth in their summer camp experience. If you feel led to financially assist a student camper, feel free to contact me at the church office.

Hope everyone has a great summer!

Pastor Tim

May 2010

Alice — Sat, 01 May 2010 05:01:55 +0000

The month of May is going to be bittersweet; we have some staffing transitions that are about to occur. I always hate that part of church work. Pastor Allen, Pastor Jason and our main man Jake will be making some job changes in the near future. Though Allen’s time with us was short, he will be greatly missed. I know they are looking forward to being in California this summer; we wish them well and hope that all goes well with them.

Pastor Jason and Deanna have invested so many years of ministry labor with us. Like you, I am so proud of them answering the call to serve as Missionaries in Hawaii (I should probably go check on them sometime next year!). Jason and Deanna are so loved in our church and will be greatly missed by not only our youth but our entire church.

We are also so proud of Jake and the great ministry he will provide the folks out in Vegas. I know that church will be as blessed as we are by his services.

Oakland will always have a place for these families if and when they return to our area. With the Lord calling them away, we must be prepared to receive the new ministers that the Lord will provide us. I know we will all love and support them and give them an opportunity to leave their mark on this ministry as these guys did.

Oakland has always been very fortunate to have a great support staff to our church. Let us encourage and pray for our personnel committee along with the other committees that will be searching for these positions. Like the old song says, “God will take care of us.” I want to thank once again each of these that will be departing from Oakland. You are greatly loved and will be missed. Good luck and may the Lord continue to use each of you in all you do!

Pastor Tim

April 2010

Alice — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:01:06 +0000

Our son Zachary is 8 years old. We signed him up to play baseball again this year. We will probably win a few games this season because I am not the coach (Praise Jesus!). Soon after we signed Zac up, we learned his practices were going to be on Wednesday nights. This forced us to choose between not having him practice on those nights or finding a different team. Luckily, we were able to get him on a different team.

I am not one of those parents who fuss and argue why they schedule practices or games on Wednesday, or even Sunday for that matter. In fact, if you think about it, why wouldn’t they? Nearly 85,000 in Warren County are not connected to the Lord or His church. It is so sad to think about. Really, my only concern was telling Zachary that he may have to miss out on practice — or even playing — if they couldn’t place him on another team.

When I told him what was going on, his response was, “Dad, I don’t want to miss AWANA.” I hope each of you know that statement meant more to me than any home run or good game he will ever play. I am aware that his answer in the future may not be that clear and correct but for now I am one happy dad. I challenged Zachary and I challenge each of you who have kids playing ball: Let us be a great example to our teammates and coaches. Chances are most of them are not in church. We could be the difference and the witness for Christ this spring at the ballparks. I thank the Lord for a church that offers ministry for our kids that they enjoy so much they are willing to sacrifice their schedule to come be part of it. God is good!

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

March 2010

Alice — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:01:14 +0000

What an honor it is to have our very own Youth Pastor and his wife commit the next two years of their life to the Mission Field. It has been said that church health is much more valuable than church growth. A sign of a healthy church is to see its members surrender to the call of ministry and missions. My heart is so proud knowing that the Lord will be using Jason and Deanna as Mission workers!

Our church has been richly blessed by Pastor Jason and his ministry over the past several years. Many people may not be aware that a staff person in the local church average stay is less than two years. Pastor Jason, for the past five-plus years, has been loving our kids and showing them the truth of Scripture and pointing them in the direction of Jesus. As a part-time staff person he and Deanna have still managed to open up their home and their hearts to our students. Jason began a ministry on the campus of Warren East High School that reached many students for the cause of Christ while still working 50-hour weeks. I don’t know if any of us really understand how stretched Jason has been, yet he never used that as an excuse to do or not do ministry.

How blessed we are to have been able to work alongside Jason. Our church has benefited greatly from his service. The good news is that Oakland Baptist will always be home to Jason and Deanna (Deanna is related to half of our congregation!). It will be exciting to hear updates about their ministry and how the Lord is using them. Maybe they will even let their family keep Jadon for a few weeks at a time; better yet, maybe we can get a few of us rounded up for a road trip to Hawaii – who’s in?

Blessings to you, Pastor Jason and Deanna; we are very proud of you!

Pastor Tim

February 2010

Alice — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:01:31 +0000

February, March and April are hard to beat. Small Mouth Bass and Crappie are in full-swing. I only get to go fishing a few times a year but, as you know, am pretty passionate about it. I love getting on the water when the wind is laying down and enjoy a day on the water when it is in the low 70s. Though I enjoy company, I also love when I am alone. I reflect, pray, day-dream, preach and even sing. I can assure you that you would be entertained if you were a fly on the boat. Everything — except catching fish — usually occurs.

One of the gifts I received at Christmas was a new Cain Pole. It is a 12-foot rod that does not have a reel. You simply put about ten feet of six-pound test line on there and use it to fish for crappie. When a crappie hits, you simply set the hook, raise the rod and that’s it. It has become my favorite way to fish. I have actually, believe it or not, mastered the technique; quick and easy – just the way I like it!

I wish it was that quick to become a fisher of man. Don’t get me wrong; the Lord still allows those Divine Appointments for you to be able to share your faith and win someone to the Lord. But most of the time it is not a quick and easy thing to do. Winning someone to Christ often requires getting to know that person, letting them hear your story, establishing a friendship and trust. Winning someone to Christ may not always be quick but it is always right! Take the time to go fishing this spring. Find a person that needs to be caught for the Lord. Invest your time, energy and love to them. Before you know it, the Lord may put them on your hook. The good news is that when you catch them, the Lord will clean them for you!

Happy Fishing,
Pastor Tim

January 2010

Alice — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:01:21 +0000

What a great year the Lord has in store for us in 2010. Though we don’t know all of the details He has for us, we can trust that they are going to be great! It is hard for me to believe but this is the year of the big “4-0” for me. I was 18 years old when I became the youth minister of this church! Time flies when you’re having fun. Though there were a few years I was at other churches during this time, OBC always remained very dear to my heart.

I anticipate that some of the following events will take place this year:

Some will be saved in 2010; some will recommit their life to the Lord this year. We will see babies born and people die this year. New classes will be offered and new ministries will be formed. We will have some pretty powerful worship services and probably a few duds. New friendships will form and other friendships will strengthen. We will cry together and we will laugh together. We will make fun of Walt and Tommy Walters and we will gather in the fellowship hall to break bread with one another. We will celebrate the dedications of babies and we will weep together at some funerals. 2010 will be a year packed with many opportunities for us to connect and recharge our batteries with our Savior. I truly look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us this year.

Pray for Ginger and I this month. We will once again go to a ministers’ conference in Lexington, KY, together for a couple of days. We always enjoy our time at this conference. At dinner time we will sit with pastors and their spouses across our state and listen to them sometimes “grumble” over their hurts and pains in their churches. We will have a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on but our hearts will be filled with joy knowing that Oakland Baptist is our church family. (We only talk about Walt to them.)

Blessings to each of you and may 2010 be the best year of your life thus far!

Happy New Year!
Pastor Tim

December 2009

Alice — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:02:53 +0000

Merry Christmas Oakland!

The Lord has tremendously blessed our church once again this year. As of the time of this writing we have seen 22 people give their life to the Lord and followed that decision up with Believer’s Baptism; we have also seen a total of 57 people join the fellowship of Oakland Baptist Church.

2009 has been a year of Missions for our church as well. We have sent teams to India, Eastern Kentucky and the streets of Oakland and Smiths Grove. This year our church has also decided to move forward in raising funds to have a Christian Life Center built onto our church campus. No one but the Lord knows all the details that go along with the Life Center, but it is great to know that we are moving forward in our ministry.

Oakland has also been praying about the possibility of planting a church sometime in the future. Again, we don’t know all the details about the church plant but we are confident that the Lord does. Oakland, this year we will again meet our annual budget. More than $500,000 will have been collected this year to reach our ministry needs and budget. We can all agree that the Lord is definitely doing His part to bless our congregation.

Though we should be mindful of and thankful for the ways God is blessing our church, nothing should be more on our minds this month of the Baby Jesus coming to this world to save us! You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within our hearts! Let us share that message this month to our community! I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas. Reach out to your fellow church members this month and bless them!

Ginger and I love each of you and are so grateful that God has allowed us to be part of this wonderful church. Blessings to you all.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Tim