Imagebearer’s Weblog

Health Kits for Haiti

After speaking with Joe Stillwell, Missions Chair @ 1st Hillsville and other missions team members, we are taking the following action.

First United Methodist Church Hillsville is collecting Health Kits for the Earth Quake Victims in Haiti.

Of course you do not have to be a member of Hillsville Methodist or even be a Christian to help. Bring your kits by the church and we will make sure they are delivered to the right place.

Blessings on you for your gift!

Ronnie

Dear Friends,
As you are all now keenly aware, the earthquake in Haiti on January 12 has had a widespread and devastating effect for the people of that country. In response to the great and immediate need that now exists there, we are collecting Health Kits to be sent to Sager Brown Depot to the people of Haiti. Below you will find the contents necessary for a complete kit. You may feel free to bring either whole kits or
specific items. Whatever you can do to help will be greatly appreciated!

Health Kit Items (all items must be new)

Place these items inside a sealed one‐gallon plastic bag.

􀂃 1 hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″, No kitchen towels)
􀂃 1 washcloth
􀂃 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket‐sized)
􀂃 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
􀂃 1 bath‐size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
􀂃 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child‐size brushes)
􀂃 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
􀂃 $1.00 to purchase toothpaste

(NOTE: UMCOR Sager Brown is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added
to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before
they are sent.)

January 14, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Mission Outreach for Holston Evangelism Conference

January 14, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

4 Ways Blogging Can Change Your Church

Click here for the source

Written by Ken Gosnell

The April 5th issue of Business Week magazine had as their cover topic “Blogs will change your business.” The article was both interesting and thought provoking. The article focused on the trend of blogging and how businesses will need to tap into this tread to stay current.

In case you are not familiar with the term, “blogging” describes websites where people can gather to explore thoughts on any subject that is of interest to them. There are some 9 million blogs out there, with 400,000 new ones popping up each day (including mine today). So as I read the Business Week article my mind began to race and think about how blogging will change the church.

1. Blogging will bring churches closer together as it closes a communication gap
One of the fundamental issues in church life is communicating the vision. Often the vision gets lost for more pressing issues. However, blogs will help the church family stay in constant communication. We will be able to share ideas and thoughts in a timely way and wait for others to respond.

2. Blogging will help to develop sermons and classes
Now, a preacher will be able to post a sermon idea at the beginning of the week and have the congregation respond so that when he delivers the sermon he will have brought many along for the ride. They will be actively engaged in the process and be able to share ideas and thoughts. Soon a preacher that does not blog with his congregation will be out of touch and behind the pack. Just note: blogging will change how preaching is done!

3. Blogging will break down barriers and remove masks
People experience significant freedom to communicate when blogging. This venue allows people time to think about their ideas and how they want to communicate them. In face-to-face communication, many people feel threatened and stifled.

4. Blogging will help the church to engage the culture.
Stephan Baker and Heather Green in the Business Week article say,

Blogs are different. They evolve with every posting, each one tied to a moment. So if a company (or church) can track millions of blogs simultaneously, it gets a heat map of what a growing part of the world is thinking, about, minute by minute. E-mail has carried on billions of conversations over the past decade. But those exchanges were private. Most blogs are open to the world. As the bloggers read each others comments, and link from one page to the next, they create a global conversation. (p. 62-63)

We have the world at our fingertips and we can do a whole new kind of evangelism.

January 14, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

This Day In The Life Of Your Pastor – January 13th, 2010

1. I won 3 out of 5, so Slam about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

2. “When criticism comes and it will. Don’t let that deter you from doing what you know God called you to do”. Ronnie G Collins about 10 hours ago from TwitterBerry

3. sent out 500 e-mails announcing the Holston Evangelism Conference today. Would have sent more but Outlook wouldn’t let me about 10 hours ago from web

4. just finished 3rd February Newsletter article, I am not a late night person but now I am going to plan scrabble slam with my wife,12:03am about 10 hours ago from web

5. Experiencing God Bible Study Starts Feb 10th @ OOTB http://bit.ly/6FxTne about 10 hours ago from web

6. I am in a writing mood, just did 2 articles for the February newsletter @ 1st Hillsville UMC about 10 hours ago from web

7. can’t wait, going to Monster Jam with Mike and the kids on Friday. I can’t wait to see how the little ones react about 10 hours ago from web

8. My blogging story http://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/my-blogging-story/ about 11 hours ago from web

9. John Wesley twittered profusely, only he called it journaling and its still changing lives today about 13 hours ago from TwitterBerry

10. 47 @ Out Of The Box tonight about 14 hours ago from TwitterBerry

11. heading to Out Of The Box, Wing Night and In The Zone about 17 hours ago from web

12. just came out of a great worship planning meeting about 17 hours ago from web

13. In the Zone @ Out of the Box http://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/in-the-zone-out-of-the-box-join-us-tonight-january-13th-2010/ about 20 hours ago from web

14. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Romans 6:15 about 20 hours ago from web

15. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 about 20 hours ago from web

16. Romans 6:10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. about 20 hours ago from web

17. Don’tforget Wing Night Tonight @ Out of the Box, Downtown Hillsville, Main Street about 20 hours ago from web

18. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Colossians 3:13 about 20 hours ago from web

19. I believe studies show people who multi-task have more stress……………….help about 22 hours ago from web

20. New Men’s Bible Study Kick-Off! “In the Dust of the Rabbi” Tue Jan19, 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. We will meet every other Tue) WHERE: Out Of The Box about 22 hours ago from web

21. everybody is so busy these days, including me. My cup is running over but I thank God for that & I am making a commitment to be nice anyway about 20 hours ago from web

22. @ Carroll County Ministerial Association Meeting about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

23. SNL This Week You R Nvited http://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/snl-this-week-january-17th-2010/ about 23 hours ago from web

24. This is my prayer for all my fb friends today, Grace and peace be yours in abundance about 24 hours ago from web

25. Day 13, reading the NT through every 90 days. Reading I Peter 1 & 2 today about 24 hours ago from web

26. Jesus didn’t die on a cross so that we could offer Him something in return…He wants EVERYTHING, Romans 12:1-2 about 24 hours ago from web

27. 29 DAYS Myrtle Beach Marathon, long run coming up Saturday. With the weather we are not training a lot and that is not a good thing about 24 hours ago

January 14, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Day 14-90 Days to read the New Testament (TNIV)

1 Peter 3

¹ Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

⁷ Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For,
“Whoever among you would love life
and see good days
must keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.

¹¹ Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ^[a]

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” ^{[b] 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷ It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ¹⁹ In that state ^[c] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. ^[d] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

1 Peter 4

Living for God

¹ Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin. ² As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴ They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” ^[e]

¹⁹ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

1 Peter 5

To the Elders and the Flock

¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.” ^[f]

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹² With the help of Silas, ^[g] whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

January 14, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment