1. Prayerfully

2. Physically

3. Financially

It is my prayer that we will increase our work in missions and evangelism. Soon initiatives in these areas will be introduced.

Make plans to come to our Executive Committee Meeting January 24 at 7:00p.m. We need you!

In Christ,

David Rhew

Associational WMU Meeting on January 26^th at 7pm at the HBA office.

Church Secretary’s Luncheon is Monday, January 16, 2012 at Noon at the Blue Rooster.

Pastor Ricky Mason of First Baptist Church of Maggie Valley will be leading another pilgrimage to Israel March 4-13, 2012.  This will be his 4^th consecutive pilgrimage to this very special country. If you are interested in going and would like more information, contact him at 734-9446 or at rickymasonfbmv@gmail.com.

SAVE THE DATE!!! March 23-24, 2012 Every woman needs a Love Relationship, and every woman can have One.  Restore My Heart Isaiah 62:5b Antioch Baptist Church hosting Denise Glenn www.antiochwnc.org/wow

Solid Rock One Day event is scheduled for January 28^th. Guest speakers are Jeff Cairnes and Brody Holloway with Worship Leader Brandon Gilliam. This event will be a three session event consisting of worship and teaching for each session. Each session will be broken by a fifteen minute break. The second and third session will be broken by a meal provided by Chik Fil A. The theme for this event will be “Living the Life of Transformation”. Pre-registration is required and cost is to be determined. Please call 734-0602 or email jeff@antiochwnc.org

Night of Worship led by Brandon Gilliam at Antioch Baptist Church is scheduled for January 29^th at 6:30 pm. For more information call the church office at 627-1200 or visit www.antiochwnc.org or www.brandongilliam.com

February 2 BREAKFAST IS FREE!  If you are a man and you like to eat you are going to love this! Check out the website www.HaywoodMensBreakfast.com Haywood Men’s Breakfast… all churches, or even if you do not attend a church. Bring a friend! Come enjoy some great food and meet some new friends… You will be encouraged!  The Haywood Men’s Breakfast meets at The Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska Conference Center.  Breakfast buffet to include the following:  Fluffy Scrambled Eggs, Sausage and Crisp Bacon, Southern Grits, Sawmill Gravy, Golden Toast, Fresh Biscuits, Assorted Juices, Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee.  The Haywood Men’s Breakfast meets the FIRST Thursday of each month at 7:00am Mark your calendars! Questions? Call (828) 216-5009 or email michael@haywoodmensbreakfast.com

February 7 Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Supper at 6pm at the HBA office. Bring a covered dish!

February 17-18 All-Star Sunday School Training at First Baptist Church, Indian Trail, NC Register online at http://fbcit.org/life-group

Threads – Personalized Advice for Young Adult Ministry at Crosspointe Baptist Church, Concord, NC. Register by email: pcardwell@ncbaptist.org

National Sunday School Conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC. July 20-23. Register by phone: (800) 588-7222.

Calvary Road Baptist Church, a conservative Southern Baptist Church with a membership of 615 is seeking a fulltime Youth Minister/Associate Pastor. CRBC is located in Waynesville, NC. If led by God to pursue, please send resumé to 149 Red Swanger Road, Waynesville, NC 28786. Additional information concerning Clavary Road Baptist Church and its ministries can be found on our website www.crbcnc.org . Resumés and references will be accepted until February 1, 2012.

Canton First Baptist Church is seeking a part-time Church Office Assistant. 25 hours per week, Reception & Publishing. The qualified applicant should be Proficient in Publisher, Word & Excel, internet and computer skills. Knowledge of Photoshop, Bulk Direct Mail, Mail merge, good communication and written language skills. Email your resume with references by December 15 to cantonfirst@gmail.com

Rock Springs Baptist Church is seeking a paid piano player and a paid youth director. Contact Charlie Simpson 421-1339

January 2… Caleb Burchfield – Junaluska 1^st Youth

January 9… Joe Dillon – IMB

January 16… Mark Golden – James Chapel

January 23… Matt Rhea – Bethel Youth

January 30…Lester Evans – Associational Partnership

February 6…Dennis Ruff – North Canton Music

February 13…John Swanger – Calvary Road

February 20…Roy Kilby – Bethel

February 27…Mike Shipman – Missionary

Just thought I’d share some things you might find interesting, and hopefully, with concern. The info comes from R.J. Krejcir (Francis A. Shaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development). Part of this comes from research they distilled from Barna, Focus on the Family, and Fuller Seminary.

• 1500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• 50% of pastor’s marriages will end in divorce.
• 80% of pastors feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• 80% of seminary and Bible School graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• 70% said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons (this is key).

Many say statistically, that 60% to 80% of those who enter the ministry will not still be in it 10 years later, and only a fraction will stay in it as a lifetime career.

Krejcir goes on to say that perhaps “over 90%…gets derailed, lose their passion and love for the call.”

We don’t talk about how frustrating it is for our pastor’s ministry among us, but it’s true none-the-less. Church leaders tie up his hands by making power decisions that negate his spiritual input. His biblical counsel is more often refused than taken, thus making him the church fireman putting out fires of disobedient believers rather than leading the church to win the lost.

Churches call a pastor to be their spiritual advisor, then overwhelm his time schedule with foolish non-essentials that deny his call to “study to show himself a workman who needs not be ashamed but rightly dividing the word of truth.” God does not call a man to be a spiritual referee for church fights. Is it any wonder that the afore-mentioned pastoral statistics are not only true, but alarming! If churches continue to polish their fighting image they will soon find there are no pastors left who will take on their need of a pastor.

Vance Havner wrote a book entitled, “Why Not Just Be Christians?” In view of what goes on in churches, the book’s title is self-explanatory. Find it and read it. I promise you won’t be the same afterwards.

Am I writing to an “empty chair?” No! I believe the choir is all in place. I will write, you will decide. It’s that simple. I write out of forty-two years’ experience in the ministry; thirty-five as a pastor. I’ve seen most all the worst and nothing shocks me about church anymore. Never once has a drunk (or anyone else) came in off the street and disrupted a business meeting; but many a church member has. A church treasurer once withheld my salary for weeks without the church’s knowledge, merely out of contempt for the office of pastor. My life was once threatened by disgruntled leadership, of which one said, “The only charge we have against the pastor is he preaches the Word and we don’t like it!” I was present when he stated it. One church had those who accused me of “not being competent enough to lead their church as pastor!”

These are enough random samplings to let you know I fit in several of the previous statistics of pastors. So does your pastor. Go ahead, ask him. But be open-minded enough for his response.

The only way to have a better Association is to have better churches. It takes better Christians to have better churches. So it’s up to us. If we’re going to talk it, let’s make sure we walk it.

Blessed to be in

the King’s service,

Jack Holland

Phone: (828) 452-4746

Email: haywoodbaptist @ bellsouth.net

Canton First has a new website!!! www.canton-fbc.org

If your church issues a newsletter, please send your HBA office a copy.  This will assist your DOM as he attempts to visit at church functions other than regular worship services.

East Fork Baptist Church has called Rev. Larry Sprinkle to serve as interim pastor.

Pleasant Balsam Baptist Church has given a $600.00 donation to the Relief Center Food Pantry – Thank you!

Rock Springs Baptist Church is seeking a paid piano player and a paid youth director. Contact Charlie Simpson 421-1339.

West Canton Baptist Church is currently seeking a paid youth director. If interested, please call the church office 648-5561

Woodland Baptist Church has a 1985 Ford conversion van that is no longer needed by the church. Bids on it are being accepted. If interested, please contact Mark Hicks at 646-1935.