Sunday, March 14- April 25
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Led by Ted Moore
Sign-up by calling the office.

Beginning Sunday, February 14 through March 7.

The purpose, vision, and values of our church explained.

Sign-up by calling the church office.

For people that are signed up and those who are interested but not sure if they want to take the course.

Classes on Mondays, February 22 – April 12

Wednesdays
Feb. 2 – Mar. 10 or Mar. 17 – Apr. 25
6:00 -7:00 pm
Led by Carol Lueken

Who should attend?
All people that are signed up and those who are interested but not sure if they want to take the class.

How long is the class?
Class will run from February 10-May 12

In the Fullness of Time Devotional

You can join the discussion about our devotions on the Temple Baptist Facebook group.

Teacher: Mary Ann Center
Class Limit: 10
Length: 12 weeks
Dates: Sept. 20 – Dec. 6

Baptist Faith and Message beings Sunday, October 11 at 5:30 pm

Teacher: Ted Moore
Class Limit: 10
Length: 6 weeks
Dates: Oct. 11 – Nov. 15

Students will work independently as well as in class to complete an in-depth analysis of  a Bible passage and a Bible character. Class begins on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:00 pm.

Teacher: Carol Lueken
Class Limit: 10
Length: 4 weeks
Date: Oct. 21-Nov.11

Call the church office to register for the class.

“Who is this man?” People have been asking it for centuries. Even seasoned Christ- followers sometimes come across a statement of Jesus that makes them pause and wonder. This class tackles four difficult to digest passages:

The parable of the dishonest manager, cursing the fig tree, the death of Lazarus, and righteousness greater than a Pharisees. Class begins September 23, 2009.

Teacher: J.D. Huitt
Class Limit: 10
Length: 5 weeks
Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 21

Call the church office to register for this class.

Class begins on Wednesday, October  7 at 6:00 pm

Teacher: Marilynn Wright
Class limit: 10
Length: 10 weeks
Dates: Oct. 7 – Dec. 9

If you want to sign up for a class, simply call the church office. Class size is limited, so your name may be put on a waiting list.

Teacher: Scott Perry
Class Limit: 15
Length: 4 weeks
Dates:
Sept. 23-Oct. 14, Nov. 1-Dec. 2, Wednesday Evening
Oct. 11-Nov. 1, Sunday Evening

Membership 101 is a class designed specifically to communicate the purpose, the vision, and the values of Temple Baptist Church. The class is answer the question “What does it mean to be a member of TBC?” This 4-week course is for new members and seekers considering being a part of our church. We are also encouraging current church members to take this 101 class which will be a prerequisite for other discipleship classes in the future.

Teacher: Craig Tanner
Class Limit: 15
Length: 7 weeks
Dates:
Oct. 21-Dec. 2, Wednesday Evenings
Nov. 8-Dec. 20, Sunday Evenings

Discipleship 201 is a series on the six disciplines for new and growing believers. This study lays the foundation to help believers strengthen their love relationship with Christ, pray in faith, have fellowship with each other, minister and serve on another, and become a witness of Christ in the world.

You have an opportunity to do just that from 6:00 pm on Sunday evenings. Our current study is in the book of Hebrews. Everyone is welcome

Nothing to buy, no offering taken, no extra books, just bring your Bible.

Questions? See Bill Meyer.

The Forums can be used by discipleship classes to continue class discussion throughout the week online. Have to miss a class on Wednesday or Sunday? Check in online to discuss that week’s lesson.

A few things to remember about these forums:

• You must be registered to make to contribute to the discussion. Registering is relatively easy, click the link in the left hand column and follow the directions. Before your account is activated, your account will have to be approved by a forum administrator.
• Though you have to be registered to join the discussion, you do not have to be registered to read and view the discussions. Anyone can read the forums, therefore avoid posting personal information about you or other people while on the forum.
• If you are a discipleship class facilitator and you would like to have a thread for your class please contact the webmaster (tbc@tbcsullivan.com) to have one created.

The forums can be found at http://www.templebaptistonline.com/discipleship/

Enjoy!

• Prayer Life: Walking in Fellowship with God: (12 weeks) Facilitator: Ruby Hoelscher
• Step by Step Through the Old Testament: Respond to God as He Speaks to You Through His Word: (13 weeks) Facilitator: Craig Tanner
• 201: An Introduction to Spiritual Maturity: (3 weeks) Facilitator: Scott Perry
• General Bible Study: Themes and teachers will vary from week to week

Wednesday Evenings, 7:00 pm

• God’s Story: Finding Meaning for Your Life Through Knowing God: (5 eeek women’s study) Facilitator: Marilynn Wright
• Overcoming Adversity: (12 week men’s study) Facilitator: Bill Meyer
• Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Facilitator: Scott Perry

Please sign up for these classes by contacting the church office.

Childcare will be provided and a light meal will be served.

I read an article written by Dwayne Hastings in SBC Life discussing the issues of Christians and Churches in the Electoral Process. The article points out that the biggest fear of churches getting involved in the election process is the loss of their tax-exempt status. I can certainly understand this and have in fact experienced this same fear as I thought about the upcoming election year and what the church could do. We certainly save thousands of dollars each year in purchasing things for the church that are tax-exempt and it comes down to the question; is it really worth risking the tax exempt status of the church to play a role in the electoral process? The good news is that churches do not have to make this difficult decision because we can play a valuable role in the election process and it is perfectly legal.

“Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.” – Billy Graham, Evangelist

The law says that tax-exempt organizations cannot be involved in partisan politics; however there is nothing wrong with taking part in the civic processes of our nation. The main difference between a Christian voter and a non-Christian voter is that for the Christian, our faith dictates our decisions. We don’t separate and segregate our faith from our everyday lives which includes politics. As Southern Baptists it would be wrong for us to set aside our beliefs and place God on the backburner when we come to the voting arena. It is that very faith that should dictate how we vote and it is the U.S. Constitution which guarantees all Americans the freedom to vote in such a manner, including Christians.

“Vote your values instead of your political affiliation or pocketbook. Don’t get stuck on a politician’s label. Look for candidates who promote decency, accountability, and responsibility framed within biblical standards.” - Richard Land, President, ERLC

According to the SBC Life article, “The rules for all tax-exempt organizations are simple: No endorsing candidates. No favoring one candidate over another. Any outreach for voter awareness or voter registration must be broad-based; in other words, you have to make your efforts available to anyone who wants to participate. And when you are addressing the issues, you need to address a wide range of issues. That’s it. There is nothing to be concerned about. The law is on your side, despite what some fanatical state-church separations would like you to believe.”

“Ultimately, our loyalty belongs not to any political party or candidate but to God Almighty. And when the time comes, I believe God may ask each of us about how we voted and why.” – Richard Land, President, ERLC

It is important for Christians to register and to vote. Unfortunately the fear that drives churches into silence causes church members to “fail to see the connection between their faith and their role as citizens.” This causes church members to either not vote at all or to miss the importance of voting in the first place. It is the pastor’s job and obligation to help church members understand the process and to encourage members of their respective congregations to vote.

“No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” – Ronald Reagan, U. S President

“Churches can host nonpartisan voter registration drives, as long as they allow anyone who wants to register to vote to register and those involved in the drive don’t encourage registering so individuals can vote for candidate X over candidate Y. If they chose, churches can distribute a compilation of candidates’ responses to questions on the issues. The compilation, often called a voters’ guide, should contain no editorial opinion, no bias in the reporting of the candidates’ answers or in the questions posed, and cover a wide range of issues.” – Allowing Church members to take a good look at each candidates answers to important questions will help them to make the connection between their own beliefs and faith and the beliefs of each particular candidate. This gives Christian voters the opportunity to vote for the candidate with similar values in life.

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote . . . that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” – Samuel Adams, Founding Father

Fear is the biggest enemy to the electoral process. Many people do not want Bible-believing Americans like Southern Baptists to be a part of the electoral process so their agenda is to scare churches and Christians into not voting at all, or they attempt to trick them into voting outside of their own values.

“Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God. . . . God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.” – Charles Finney, Evangelist

Our faith and values should not only effect how we live our lives, but it should also effect how we vote. That is what Hastings calls “values-based voting.” We must first evaluate our own values, hopefully derived from the Godly values of scripture and then examine the convictions of the candidates. Christians should vote with purpose for those candidates whose positions square with their own scripturally informed ones.

“In the United States of America, you have a choice. You have the right to sit at home on Election Day, or you can exercise your right to vote. As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a choice as well. You can turn your back on society and keep the Light of the Gospel to yourself, or you can stand up and step out and engage the culture with the Truth, especially in the voting booth. It’s your decision.”

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is striving to help churches and individuals better understand their rights under the law. They have created a website called iVoteValues.com which provides excellent resources for churches that appreciate the role they can play in the civic affairs of our nation.

We encourage you to register to vote. There are voter registration cards located throughout the church building and if you would like more information please contact the church office.

Craig Tanner