Upcoming Events
CAM (Celebration Archery Ministry) continues on Wednesday evenings through July, except for June 19. The ministry begins at 6:30 p.m.
MEGA KIDS CAMP family night is slated for June 5 at 6:30 p.m. The evening will include a Bible lesson, hotdogs, mega banana split, and an egg drop.
CELEBRATION: Senior Adults will have a luncheon on Friday, June 7 at 12 noon. The fish fry event will be held at Mary Kennelly Park pavilion on the campus of Arkansas Health Center. Please bring a lawn/bag chair.
PROMOTION SUNDAY is set for June 9. CELEBRATION: Kids that are eligible to promote up to the next group during Sunday morning Bible Study will do so starting that day.
MICHAEL HIGHT will be the guest speaker on Sunday, June 9. Michael serves as Hispanic Coordinator for the BMA of Arkansas and is also planting a Spanish speaking church in the Cabot-Beebe area.
CHURCH CAMP AT BUDD CREEK is scheduled for June 17-20. Currently 52 kids, students and sponsors are registered to attend the event with Celebration.
SOAR STUDENT CONFERENCE is planned for July 3-5 in Dallas, Texas. The event is for 7th-12th graders. See Justin Huie for details.
RENEWAL RANCH will lead worship at Celebration on Sunday, July 14. Renewal Ranch is an addiction recovery ministry located near Conway. The ministry is faith-based with an exceptional success rate. An offering will be taken for the ministry.
Associational Spotlight
Celebration Baptist Church has been commissioned to make disciples throughout the world (Matthew 28:19-20). But, can CBC do the work alone? The truth is that we AREN’T required to do the work alone!
Following the pattern of New Testament Churches, Celebration Baptist Church has partnered with other churches of similar convictions on three levels – a local association (immediate area), a state association (Arkansas) and a national association (America).
Is there a Biblical basis for an associational structure that included local, state, and national partnerships?
Jeff Swart, in his article published in the April 20, 2023 edition of the Baptist Trumpet wrote, “The New Testament does not use the word ‘association,’ but it does demonstrate the concept of churches working together. In the book of Acts, we read that the church in Jerusalem and the church in Antioch had a close working relationship to maintain doctrinal purity and for the purpose of the propagation of the gospel (Acts 11:19-23; 15:1-4, 22-35). In the New Testament, churches of the Lord Jesus Christ welcomed members of one church who traveled to another church (Rom. 16:1) and pooled their financial resources to assist their brothers and sisters in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30; 24:17; Rom. 15:25-27; I Cor. 16:1-4).
Note, while there is evidence of cooperation between church of similar faith and practices, the New Testament does not specifically identify a formal arrange. Why not? Again, Jeff Swart suggests, “Writing from an American perspective, it was because the churches of Christ underwent periods of great persecution from the time of Jesus Christ until the American Revolution. During these turbulent times, if there were associations of churches, nothing would be written down for fear of the information falling into the hands of the persecutors.
Also, just prior to his ascension back to heaven, Jesus reminded His followers of the soon to be empowering of the Holy Spirit on them as a church collectively. Acts 1:8 (HCSB) reads, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” While Jesus was challenging the congregation concerning the breadth of their witness for Him, He also provided a simple but effective structure for them to partner with other congregations.
Jerusalem was their local ministry. Judea was their province or state. Samaria described neighboring cultures (interstate). Remotest parts included the world (world missions). Again, Jesus was specifically talking about their reach, but this can be applied to organization as well. A local association of churches, a state association of churches, a national association of churches and even a world-wide cooperation of churches would expand the reach of every local body.
Celebration is a part of the BMA of Central Arkansas. There are several churches in the central Arkansas area that make up this group. Celebration is a part of the BMA of Arkansas which includes a few hundred churches across the state of Arkansas. Celebration is a part of the BMA of America which includes approximately 1400 churches through out the U.S.
The primary ministry of the BMA of Central Arkansas is church planting. Collectively, the group of churches has been strong supporters of El Faro Baptist Church (Hispanic) on Baseline Road in Little Rock and another Hispanic congregation in Alexander. El Faro also administers a free health clinic for their neighborhood.
Next month, the BMA of Arkansas will be defined.
https://bmaofarkansas.baptisttrumpet.com
May Stats
- Monthly Budget Needs . . . . $ 15,022.00
- May General Fund . . . . . . . . . $ 20,451.00
- Blessing Box/Food Pantry . . . $ 410.00
- Youth Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . $ 25.00
- Faith Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 150.00
- May Average Attendance . . . 141