W. James Ormond, Board of Governors Chair – 2023-2024
james.ormond@ormondlandscape.com
INTERVIEW WITH HENRY KIRBY
CONNECTIONS FELLOWSHIP
On Sunday, September 10, affiliates met following the 10am Service to connect with friends old and new. Following are a few scenes from that day.
Photos courtesy of James Ormond and Robert Sprouse
UPCOMING EVENTS
World Communion Sunday – October 1
Board of Governors Meeting – November 18
Thanksgiving Eve Service – November 22 – 6:00pm
First Sunday of Advent – December 3
REFLECTIONS
Wisdom: Virtue or Vice?
Genesis 3:6
We live in an age of information. Our digital world enables us to have a flood of information at our fingertips. We have so much information that bombards our senses that we have to distinguish between “true information” and “false information” or “misinformation”. So, how do we do that?
First, let us define “wisdom.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines wisdom as the “capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct.” So, how do we “judge rightly” what is true and what is not? The Bible clearly tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight” (Psalm 111:10 HCSB). I put the word “beginning” in italics for emphasis because having a fear of the Lord is just the starting off place to acquire godly wisdom.
To be able to judge rightly, one needs to have a sense of the power and presence of God. Charles H. Spurgeon defined wisdom as “the right use of knowledge.”
The second part of verse 10 tells us that to have “good insight” we must follow God’s instructions. Even Wikipedia defines wisdom as “the ability to contemplate and act productively using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.” So, if we want good insight on how to live and act productively, we need to follow God’s instructions.
Two passages of Scripture that my seminary colleague, Jeff Pinkston used in his sermon on September 10 come to my mind:
First, Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” To walk humbly before God is another aspect of godly wisdom. It is acknowledging that He is greater than you or me and that we need His instructions to live righteously and wisely. As Solomon declares, “with humility comes wisdom” (Prov. 11:2b).
Secondly, I Corinthians 1:18f: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. As Paul goes on to explain when he writes, “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (vv. 23,24).
James reminds us that if we lack wisdom all we have to do is ask God, “who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). And God has given us a whole book of wise sayings (see the prologue to the Book of Proverbs, 1:1-7).
Indeed, we live in an age of information, but not all information is trustworthy or even useful. We need God’s wisdom to discern truth from falsehood, right from wrong, virtue from vice. As the prologue to our Statement of Faith says, “We are all on a journey to know God’s truth.”
So, my prayer for us all (to quote the Apostle Paul) is that God would continue to give us “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. That the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened so we may know the hope we have in Jesus Christ and what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the work of His vast strength (Ephesians 1:17-19). AMEN.
Watch the bulletin for more information about how you can participate in this great work.
KINGDOM CRAFTERS
Kingdom Crafters knit and crochet all year, so we were glad to share some of our Christmas Operation Christmas Child items with the youth group. We gave the youth items listed and they filled 20 boxes!
16 teddy bears
22 washcloths
Eight hats
One pair of wool knitted slippers
We have a pile of things for young teens as well as babies for Lake Waccama Home – just need a delivery person:
22 burp cloths
15 baby hats
Two baby sweaters
One knit baby dress
One crocheted baby afghan
12 fleece blankets for teens
Please contact Julia Pollock (jawp2@me.com) if you would like to drive to Lake Waccama and make the delivery, thanks.
Onslow Pregnancy Center was given 14 baby blankets in August.
Twenty dresses were given to Gala McMillan to take to Charity Mission Center in Rose Hill, NC for the Eastern Baptist Association to give to the Appalachian Christmas Outreach in WV.
We are working toward our goal of 100 washcloths for people to put in their OCC boxes. We currently have 83! We will also have a pile of teddy bears. So, when you pick up your box, don’t forget to pick up a washcloth and/or teddy bear! These are miracle boxes. The stories that come out of this ministry will amaze you. God and the Holy Spirit are definitely at work with these boxes.
Thanks again to all the ladies, and often husbands who help out occasionally.
We are indeed blessed at Emma Anderson Memorial Chapel to have affiliates who are generous in many ways, including financially. As a result of affiliates’ generosity, the Benevolence Committee is able to offer contributions to several local, national and international entities that help spread the Word of God. In this series for our newsletter, local entities that we support as a church will tell us about their mission and activities. Each newsletter will feature a different organization that your Benevolence Committee has prayerfully chosen to support on your behalf.
Pender County Christian Services, Inc (PCCS) was organized by the Pender County Ministerial Association in 1982 to provide food and clothes for the needy in Pender County. The food pantry first opened its doors in June 1982 and operated three days per week. PCCS is governed by a Board of Directors, is led by Executive Director Sandy Harris, and has eight staff members.
A thrift store, the Second Blessings Boutique (now referred to as the Thriftique), was added to the original building in 2008. In 2019, a 930-square-feet space was added and serves as an expansion of the thrift store, which supports the PCCS ministry. The Thriftique is open 9am-3pm Monday through Thursday, until 3:30 on Friday, and the first Saturday of each month 9am-3pm. The food pantry offers on-site food distribution four days a week and scheduled delivery 5 days a week. Food is offered free of charge with a photo ID and clothing is offered free with a voucher (available upon request).
Special dietary supplements (Ensure and Glucerna) and hygienic supplies are available to those who qualify (seniors, cancer patients, diabetics). PCCS is the primary provider in Pender County of these supplements, as well as food, to those in need.
PCCS facilitates the Backpack Program for school-age children that are at risk of going hungry on weekends. With the help of volunteers from community churches, we distribute about 6,000 backpacks (about 30,000 meals) each school year to elementary and middle schools in Pender County. PCCS provides food boxes for high school students.
In 2008, PCCS was selected to be a TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) distribution site by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. In 2019, PCCS was chosen by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC—Wilmington Branch, for the Partner of the Year Excellency Award. Beginning in 2022, PCCS offers curriculum-aligned science programs to students in Pender County, as well as provide a take-home science materials kit. The service expansion has helped fill a gap in informal education opportunities for area students, making them more college-ready and equipped to compete for higher paying careers. PCCS is an accredited Health Service Organization (HSO) in the Healthy Opportunities Pilot network. This program serves Medicaid recipients with weekly food boxes that are curated based on nutritional and medical needs.
PCCS partners with the Pender Long-Term Recovery Group and serves on the Unmet Needs Committee to identify those in need. After Hurricane Florence in 2018, PCCS saw a 20 percent increase in those needing help. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, even more people, including many seniors and children, need help with food, clothing, and other basic necessities. Mrs. Harris and her team work diligently to provide goods and services to those that need help and most importantly, ensure that no one in Pender County goes hungry. PCCS appreciates the ongoing support of EAMC for our efforts to spread God’s Word through outreach to needy citizens of Pender County.
Submitted by: Tommy Newton, MD
MINISTER SELECTION COMMITTEE
The Minister Selection Committee encourages all EAMC affiliates to consider sponsoring a minister for the 2024 church year. Applications are available at the church or by request. The deadline isOctober 18th. If you have any questions please contact Julia or Frank Sherron at 910-690-2595 or 910-690-2194.
Julia and Frank Sherron, Co-Chairs of the Minister Selection Committe8
Emma Anderson Memorial Chapel is a nondenominational church that gathers for worship, the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and Christian fellowship.
Our mission is to glorify God and to proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of all.
