Missions Monday: Pear Orchard Supports Biblical Counseling Training Ministry. You can visit their website here or their Facebook page here:
BCTM’s goal is to help people explore the wisdom and depth of the Bible and apply its grace-centered message to the problems of daily living. Their mission is to make Christ the central point of any conversation and partner with various churches, to help those churches become equipped to provide wise counsel. Please pray for them!
Thanks be to God who went before us to prepare the way so that the Missions Festival was such a tremendous blessing to our congregation and to our Missions and Ministry Partners! Thank you to all who planned, executed, hosted, volunteered and participated in numerous ways to make this a special week in the life of Christ’s church at POPC. We got off to a great start on our Direct Member Giving Goal of $144,564, as we have received 60 pledges for $86,574 so far! Keep praying about how God would use you to plant the seeds of His love and grace. Will you be one of God’s senders?
Our Family Night Supper will be unique Sunday as we celebrate Betty Jo Palmer's service to the covenant children of our church for over 40 years. We will have many members of her family with us that night, so please bring plenty of extra food to share. The church will provide fried chicken, cake, and ice cream. There will be a slide show of pictures through the years along with all 3 children's choirs singing. Please join us in bringing Glory to God as we honor Betty Jo.
Missions Monday: POPC Supports Bethany Christian Services! Pray for them.
Bethany Christian Services is a global non-profit family preservation and child welfare organization caring for orphans and vulnerable children on five continents. Founded in 1944, our mission calls us to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families around the world.
Communicants class begins tomorrow afternoon! This is a class for children and youth who are considering professing faith in Christ. The class meets for 8 weeks at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. There are applications located around the sanctuary.
Pastor Carl will teach an eight-week class for all those who have visited POPC, are interested in learning more, and are considering membership here. We will meet in Room 127. Please call Jan Duran in the church office and let her know if you plan to attend and if you will have childcare needs.
This coming Sunday morning in our worship services, we will close worship with a second offering, during the final hymn. This will be a time for us all to consider making a pledge for our support of the local, national, and foreign missions commitments of our Church to Christ's Kingdom.
You should have received a pledge card in the mail which you may use. There are additional cards available in the hallway and foyer of the sanctuary building, and in the friendship registry books in the pews.
Please be in prayer regarding how the Savior would have you involved in carrying out His Missionary heart to the ends of the earth. If you will be absent this coming Lord's day, you may make a pledge in the next several weeks during the regular offering, or mail it to the church. Let this be an every member ministry as we labor together to bring the Great Commission to fruition!
Thank you,
Your church officers
You can find the newest Notes From the Orchard (Volume 2, Number 2) here. We include a new feature this month, which we hope to have regularly - an interview of one of our members about how a Biblical worldview informs their life at work. This month, we interview Jason Branning. Here's this issue's lineup:
- Reflections of an Adult MK (Missionary Kid), by Mr. Daniel Borden
- Stewardship and Retirement to the Glory of God: An Interview with Mr. Jason Branning
- Passing the Torch: Our Commitment to Teach the Next Generation the Songs of our Savior, by Mrs. Margaret Sprow
- Life and Theology, by Mr. Alex Wright
Enjoy!
This evening we have a great opportunity to encourage and be encouraged by many of our missionary partners at our Missions Showcase. 48 representatives from 25 ministries will be in our Multipurpose Building from 6:00-7:30. If you signed up for dinner, that starts at 5:30 in the Cafeteria. But even if you're not eating with us, come at 6:00 and spend time learning about God's work around our community, nation, and world.
We have a special evening planned for our children. From 6:00-6:30, they will visit the booths of the various ministries, getting their Mission Passports "stamped" and hearing the prayer needs of each missionary. At 6:30, we will break them into three groups by age, and rotate them through four stations: praying for the missionaries, singing songs from other countries, interviewing Daniel Borden (who grew up as a missionary kid), and learning about a missionary hero of the past. Our youth will be guiding the children from station to station, and will be leading the prayer time and singing. This has been a wonderful experience for the children the past couple years, and we pray that tonight is just as much fun and encouraging.
We hope to see you tonight!
The Missions Festival Team
Pastor Carl will teach an eight-week class for all those who have visited POPC, are interested in learning more, and are considering membership here. We will meet in Room 127. Please call Jan Duran in the church office and let her know if you plan to attend and if you will have childcare needs.
POPC supports African Scholarship Exchange. African Scholarship Exchange was founded in 1997 to educate and equip Africans to be missionaries in their own culture. The purpose of ASE is to equip those with a calling from God to do whatever work God has called them to for His glory, rather than for personal advancement. Let's pray for them! To learn more, visit their website.
Tabitha Circle will not meet in February due to the Missions Festival. Ruth Circle will meet
on Tuesday, February 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Burgers and Blues in Ridgeland. Those attending dinner should let Amy Hatchett know by emailing to amy@hatchettfamily.net.
Our Missions Showcase will take place starting at 6 p.m. after the dinner this Wednesday! We will have several missionaries at their booths in the gym and a wonderful selection of activities for the children! This is a great opportunity for all ages to learn about our missionaries we support. Let's give them a warm welcome by showing up Wednesday evening! Dinner is free of charge at 5:30, but you can also just come to the showcase if you can't make it to dinner beforehand. Nursery will be provided for ages 3 and under so parents can visit with the missionaries and the older children 4 and up can participate in activities. This event is a wonderful way to teach our children the importance of having a heart for missions, as well as a wonderful way for the adults to fellowship with our missionaries. If you need nursery for age 3 and under for the showcase, please register by this evening. Registration for the dinner is also required.
Our February Family Night Supper will very special this month. On February 26, we will be honoring Betty Jo Palmer for over 40 years of service to our church nursery. Betty Jo and her extended family will be our guests that night so we will need plenty of side dishes to go with the chicken and desserts provided by the church.
How you can help:
1. Send any pictures you may have of Betty Jo to Mary Lou Heaney or give them to her and she will scan them and then return the pictures to you. Please get these pictures to her by Feb.13; her email is marylou@pearorchard.org. We would like to display them at Betty Jo's celebration.
2.Write a card or note in which you share special memories of Betty Jo. These may be sent to Mary Lou Heaney at the church: POPC 750 Pear Orchard Road Ridgeland, MS 39157.
3.The church is establishing a fund to assist Betty Jo with any financial needs in the future. You may contribute to this fund either by check (make out to POPC and put Betty Jo Palmer in the memo line) or online by following this link: http://buff.ly/2kM5nVt
Please share this with former POPC members so that they may participate also. Thank you for helping us to honor Betty Jo for being the sweet and gentle servant of the Lord that she is.
Youth: Against the Flow will be March 24-26 at Twin Lakes for Jr. and Sr. High youth. Ande Johnson, RUF campus minister at LSU, will be the speaker for the weekend. The total cost is $120 and will be due on March 1.
We will be having a meeting in the Parlor Sunday, February 12 at 5 p.m., for all those interested in the upcoming mission trip to Trujillo, Peru. Alleen and Hermes Tomas, missionaries in Trujillo with Peru Mission, will be there to talk about God's work there. The only requirements for this trip are that you are older than 16 and ready to serve. Please contact Ford Franklin (jfordfranklin@gmail.com) for more information.
CCS Registration: The enrollment process is completely online. Applications, for new students, and re-enrollment can be completed on the CCS website. POPC funds a scholarship that is available to members who desire a Christ-centered education but need financial assistance. Please contact our Admissions Director, Martha Maxey, or call 601-978-2272 with questions.
Our Music Ministry is looking for volunteers to operate the sound system for the worship services. No special skills are required, only a desire to serve our Lord in worship. We can show you everything you need to know. You would be helping out on a monthly schedule every three to four months. Please contact Rick Goodwin at rick@pearorchard.org or Margaret Sprow at margaret@pearorchard.org if you are interested.
Missionary Monday: Pray for our missionaries, the Bakers! Wes is a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Jami have seven children. Wes serves as a pastor in the Cristo Rey Presbyterian Church in Trujillo, trains pastors and church planters in the seminary, and helps with the mission's strategic planning. The Bakers have been with Peru Mission in Cajamarca and Trujillo for almost fifteen years.
The Sanctuary Choir welcomes church members to come and join us for our Maundy Thursday (April 13) and Easter Sunday (April 16) worship services in which the choir takes a large part. Easter choir begins on February 22. We will be singing a selection of anthems with piano and solo violin that will be excellent heart preparation for the Easter season.