Proclaiming Christ's Excellencies

In the text last Sunday the congregation learned that they are called out by God to "proclaim the Excellencies of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light." At the end of the sermon the people of Wyatt were invited to participate in an immediate opportunity to obey this verse and proclaim Christ's excellencies to our community.

The Salvation Army gave Wyatt the opportunity to bless the children of this community by providing school supplies for them. Backpacks were purchased and lists were placed in them of the various supplies needed at various schools. One hundred of these backpacks were placed at the front of the auditorium. It was a blessing to see person after person pick up these packs until they were all quickly claimed. This Thursday night at the Salvation Army boys and girls will receive this small blessing that will hopefully inspire them in their education efforts. It is a great blessing when the church sets up an opportunity such as this to proclaim Christ to our community. However, a greater blessing is members constantly looking around in their neighborhoods, schools, or jobs for special opportunities to proclaim the excellencies of the King who bought them. This is what can truly bring the knowledge of Christ to a community. Let's be that kind of church!

Community Groups Are Underway

Be part of a Summer Community Group that is meeting in your area each Wednesday evening this Summer.  This is a great opportunity to grow together as you build relationships with other church members.  This Summer's study, "Don't Waste Your Life," will challenge you to evaluate your lifestyle in light of the gospel.  Be sure to purchase your copy of the book and study guide for a total of $10 in the Wyatt Bookstore.  To find a group meeting in a home near you, please call the church office.

Thank You, Lord

Father, we thank you for your continued grace in our congregation.  You have been merciful to us in our sin and gracious to us in your blessings. 

We praise you for the righteousness you have given us in Christ.  By His blood alone we are saved.

We thank you for the ministry you have created for us.  We find our greatest joy in serving you as we serve others.

We exalt you for your work among the nations.  It is our honor to join with missionaries around the world in proclaiming your name.

Finally, we thank you for each other.  You have knitted our congregation together for your purpose.  Every time we gather together, we are reminded of our dependency upon you.

Online Auction Was a Success!

Auction bidding has closed after raising between $6,000 - $7,000 for missions! This summer we will be sending mission teams to Chicagoland, New Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ukraine. The money raised during this online auction will go directly toward sending our teams on these trips. Click here to view the auction and learn more about the Missions Ministry of Wyatt Baptist Church. Thank you for bidding! You may also read articles and view pictures from previous mission trips by clicking on our missions link.

Job Skills Seminar A Success

On March 31, Wyatt hosted a "Job Skills Seminar" in conjunction with the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce and South Arkansas Workforce Development. The seminar speakers presented tips on writing resumes, preparing for job interviews, and continuing education.

Participants were able to collaborate with church volunteers in order to create and print resumes at special computer stations setup in the church lobby. At the same time, several local businesses took applications for employment during the event. Informational tables were set up by local institutions to answer questions about continuing education and financial changes respectively.

The seminar provided a great opportunity for unemployed residents to connect with potential employers, prepare for interviews, sharpen job-search skills, and learn about education opportunities. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to serve our community and make the "Job Skills Seminar" a success.

Wyatt To Host Job Skills Seminar

On Tuesday March 31, Wyatt will host a Job Skills Seminar from 1-5pm.  The event will provide help and information for unemployed individuals in our community.  Sessions will include tips for resume writing, improving interview skills, learning about training opportunities, understanding retirement roll-overs, and finding insurance for children.  If you are unemployed, or know someone who is unemployed, please invite them to this event.  To see a brochure for the event, click here.

Wyatt Hosts International Students

By: Vicki Harmon

Thanks to all who participated as host homes for the SAU students during their Thanksgiving break. It was truly a blessing to be around these young people who are new to our country; culture; and in most cases, religion. There were sixteen students who were housed by fourteen Wyatt families. They were thrilled at the love and attention they received. One young man said that he was "unexpectedly surprised at the fun he had" while staying in El Dorado and traveling with his host family. The Bible urges us to, "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers..." It is our prayer that God was glorified by the love shown to these students. It has been said that El Dorado is conveniently located two hours away from anything! We now know that this is not true. There is a foreign mission field only 30 minutes from our church. SAU enrolls students from over 30 countries. What a unique opportunity we have to share Christ with students from various religious backgrounds in our own homes. Please join together as a church praying that people of all nations will see Christ in our lives as we demonstrate his love through hospitality. If anyone would like to host a student during the Christmas holidays, please see Mark Harmon or Jennifer Philips. Could there be a more perfect way to honor our Lord than by giving of ourselves during the season celebrating his birth?

Baby Dedication Was Uplifting

New Ministry at Salvation Army

By: Jenna Tucker

Wyatt is once again partnering with the Salvation Army for another exiting ministry opportunity.  "God's Leading Ladies" is a weekly Bible Study for girls ages 12-18 held on Thursday nights at the Salvation Army.  The meetings are led by Kathy Sullivan, Tara Morgan, Angie Joiner, and Jenna Tucker.

After witnessing the success of the Basketball Ministry, both Kathy and Tara were convicted about beginning a ministry for teenage girls.  A meeting over the summer with Salvation Army Captain Paulette Marvels confirmed that there was a need for such a ministry, and plans were made to begin in the fall.  Angie and Jenna joined the ministry after hearing Kathy and Tara speak of it during summer community group meetings.

God has already blessed this ministry in so many ways!  There are new faces almost every week, and the girls have been very receptive to the Bible lessons presented.  The girls are given a weekly scripture verse to memorize; and those who can recite their verse the following week are entered into a drawing for a small prize.  The discipline of scripture memorization has been a blessing to both students and leaders.  "We are all memorizing scriptures with the girls and I have accountability through them as well," says Angie Joiner.  "They depend on us to bring them God's Word each week and I have enjoyed studying with them."

It is our prayer that God will use the relationships being formed to lead those who are lost to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  For those who already know Christ, the weekly meetings serve as a great encouragement to walk daily in our faith.  "This ministry has been a blessing to me and I feel the relationships that are formed will be lifelong relationships," says Kathy Sullivan. "I am looking forward to lives being changed and commitments being made to God."

Basketball Sunday Was Great!

Wyatt was blessed with additional visitors Sunday as several guys from the Monday night basketball ministry were in attendance for our first ever "Basketball Sunday."  The morning service highlighted how God has worked through the basketball ministry and how it has been utilized to spread the Gospel.  The service included video interviews and testimonies from those involved with the ministry. Those who stayed for the fellowship afterward enjoyed great food and a skills competition.  Several members helped prepare the food and fixings which included around 160 grilled hamburgers and a grand supply of picture perfect desserts.  The skills competition soon followed and included a three-point contest. Bro. Scott and Bro. Adam highlighted the event with some fierce competition that ultimately ended in a tie, one point lower than Tara Morgan's score. Other participants, including a few deacons, also posted high scores only to be outdone by a Monday night regular. Congratulations to "Tell" who won the event!   Thanks to everyone who prepared food and worked to serve others on this special day!

Skeet & Bow Shoot Outreach

Eight teams made up of over 25 men participated in Wyatt's first ever pre-season hunting competition.  Over 1,250 rounds were shot in the skeet competition.  Much more skeet survived than we care to admit.  The members of the winning skeet shoot team were:  Chris Whidden (highest individual score),  Jonathan Loftin, and T.J. Thurlkill.  Three teams also participated  in a walk-through-the-woods bow shoot where each person shot 16 arrows at various 3D animal targets.  The members of the winning bow shoot team were:  Keith Joiner (highest individual score), Dwayne  Warren, and Joseph Austin.  The fellowship was great and we got to enjoy meeting many family and friends of our church members.  A big thank you to the Hall family who opened their property to us and did an amazing job at setting up the competitions.  Happy hunting to all our outdoor enthusiasts.  Keep your eyes open for information on our Post-Season Beast Feast.

Gustav Offers Ministry Opportunities

Tuesday, September 2nd marked the start of a new twist on our ministry to the Salvation Army, as one of our summer community groups planned to serve a meal to an expected 50 people who regularly eat dinner there. However, God had a different plan in mind!

With Hurricane Gustav threatening the coastline, the Salvation Army hosted over 40 evacuees in addition to their regular residents. With the additional people, the number anticipated for the meal almost doubled with only a days' notice. With an "all hands needed on deck" call to Wyatt members, over 35 people responded and helped by recruiting and organizing volunteers, preparing food, donating needed funds, food, and supplies, serving the meal, visiting with and ministering to the people there, washing dishes and cleaning up. Not only were we able to help the evacuees and residents, we also aided the Salvation Army staff because we gave the kitchen staff (who had been working long hours to accommodate the extra people) a night off. What an awesome blessing to see our church members work shoulder to shoulder to be like Christ's "hands and feet" in serving our neighbors in need. Thank you to everyone who had a part in helping.

This aspect of ministry is not over, though. The Salvation Army has invited us to prepare and serve a meal once a month. Would you be willing to help with this ministry? If you would be interested in being on a Salvation Army Meal Team, please contact the church office.

Solace Found Concert

By Katie Sandifer

Local Christian band, Solace Found, presented a concert at Wyatt on Friday, August 15. The band performed songs from their debut album, Perfect Mystery, as well as some other contemporary worship melodies. Several hundred people of all ages attended the event and experienced a great time of worship! With the new school year approaching, worship leader, Aaron Williams, challenged students and adults alike to live a life of worship, glorifying Christ and spreading the gospel at every opportunity.  A love offering was taken to benefit a BMA family serving this next year as missionaries to China. The new CD, Perfect Mystery, is available for download on iTunes and amazon.com. CDs may be purchased at cdbaby.com.

Christmas Ministries

There were 401 coats distributed by our Care Coat volunteers on Saturday, December 5.  The Ryan's parking lot was filled with people waiting to receive a free coat as the truck arrived.  The temperature was in the low 30's and some people had arrived as early as 7:00 AM.  One Care Coat volunteer commented:  "I just started crying when all the people got out of their cars and lined up as the truck pulled in.  To think there are that many people in need right here in El Dorado."

On Saturday, December 12, the Food Pantry volunteers distributed 56 Angel Food boxes to the residents of the Bradley Woods Apartment Complex.  This complex is a HUD housing authority for low income families.  The Angel Food boxes contain enough nutritionally balanced food to feed a family of four for one week.

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with these events, as well as, those who donated coats and money to fund these ministries.  "...Truly, I say unto you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."  Matthew 25:40

Salvation Army Bible Study Fellowship

On Tuesday, August 5^th, thirty-five women from the Salvation Amy Bible study group enjoyed a festive evening in the fellowship hall of our church.  The theme for the evening was "God-given "Purse"sonalities."  Each table was decorated with different purses and accessories.  One table was decorated especially for the Salvation Army.

Two community groups, Goodwin Heights and Oak Manor, worked together to purchase and prepare a delicious meal consisting of chicken Continental, green beans, white rice, salad, and many luscious desserts.  Severs from our church took drink orders, served the meal plates, and served desserts using a dessert cart.  The ladies said that this made the evening even more special. 

From the sounds of laughter and applause, the Salvation Army ladies had a wonderful time.  The community groups certainly had a great time of fellowship while working together preparing and serving the ladies in Jesus' name.  What a blessing!!!

Students Attend Two Conferences

The last couple of weeks have been busy for our Student Ministries.  We have had the opportunity to attend two wonderful conferences in Texas.
            The first conference we attended was the "Do Hard Things Conference" in Dallas, which was attended by 15 of our parents and students.  This conference was put on by a ministry called "The Rebelution".  The name of this ministry comes from their desire to see teenagers rebel against low expectations.  A unique aspect of this conference is that it is organized by two teenage twin brothers named Alex and Brett Harris.  The Harris twins teach that, rather than using the teenage years to goof off, our young people should prepare themselves by attempting hard things for God NOW!  This was truly a challenging conference for our young people and their parents.  Please pray that they will rise to that challenge.  We have the material presented at the conference in DVD form in our library.  We encourage students and parents to take advantage of these.
            The second conference our students attended was SOAR in San Antonio.  We were very excited about taking 30 people, our largest group ever.  The theme for SOAR this year was Worship.  We learned that we should be worshipping God with every minute we have.  We learned that God has equipped each one of us uniquely to worship Him.  We saw an array of people using their gifts for Christ, from pastors and missionaries to musical artists and painters. We learned that worship doesn't fit neatly into a box.  It involves our whole life.  One of the highlights was seeing our very own Brittney Harmon stand before the crowd and share what she learned while overseas.  God truly blessed our students and sponsors at SOAR 2008.
            Please keep our students and parents in your prayers.  They live in a challenging world, but I have never been more convinced that no other generation of Christians has been as ready as this one is to meet those challenges.  As great as these conferences were, nothing is more beneficial to these students and parents as a local congregation of all ages helping them fight for the Kingdom.  Please continue to be that congregation!
 

Community Picnic Was A Success!

We hosted our second annual Community-Wide Picnic on June 1st, and the turnout was great! The main goal of the picnic each year is to reach out to the surrounding community, especially those in the neighborhoods around the church. Sometimes a church can get caught up in all of the great things that go on there and forget to reach out to the close neighbors. We don't want that! We really want those living close by the church to know that they are welcome here, and that we have a place here for them at Wyatt Baptist Church.

At the close of the picnic, our choir presented the musical entitled "3:16," which also included a personal testimony by a young man whose life was dramatically changed forever by God.  Many visitors and members enjoyed this unique presentation of the power of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

All of the houses in the area were canvassed prior to the picnic and given information about the picnic and musical. A bonus in attendance was the Monday night basketball group hosted by the Salvation Army. It was a great time to meet, mingle and fellowship with new and familiar faces. Everyone had a great time and were immensely blessed by being there. Our prayer is that visitors will come again - and again and again - to worship with us at Wyatt!

Watch the Mother's Day Video

Gospel is Taught Through Egg Hunt

On March 16, our children enjoyed their annual egg hunt. This year's activity began with fun games in the gym and a lunch in the fellowship hall.

After lunch, Melissa Rogers presented a "science project" devotional describing how Christ cleanses us from sin. Starting with a vase full of colored water, she poured bleach in the water to make it clean.

Next, Donna McHenry read "The Easter Story" describing the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Without Christ's sacrifice, she explained, there would be no reason to celebrate.

The activities concluded with an exciting egg hunt consisting of 420 eggs! To see all the pictures from the event, click here.

Block Party Was Success

On June 9 Wyatt hosted a block party at Bradley Street Apartments. Almost 100 residents participated in the games, contests, fellowship and food. Soon, a Bible Study will be launched in the apartment lounge area. Thanks to everyone who helped make the party a success. Pictures of the block party are available in the photo section or by clicking here.

Welcome to the United States!

Recently, Ukrainian minister Dennis Zaulin visited our church. It was his first trip to the United States.

The journey began as his plane touched down in Chicago. Dennis and Pastor Scott met at O'hare airport and attended the "Gospel Coalition" conference at Trinity University in nearby Deerfield, IL.

After the conference, Dennis and Scott traveled to El Dorado where members of last year's Ukraine mission team welcomed them. During his time in El Dorado, Dennis was able to meet this year's Ukraine team, play church-league softball, shoot several guns (for the first time!), shop at Walmart, and share in our church service.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible for Dennis. Not only was it a blessing to him, but to our church and the future mission work in Ukraine.

Pioneer Missionary Speaks To Wyatt

Missionary Paul Robinson was our guest speaker this Sunday morning, March 11. His visit was in conjunction with our team training for the upcoming Espabel, Nicaragua trip later this month. He spoke on the subject "A Brief History of Nicaraguan Missions."

Robinson and his family served in Nicaragua from 1964 through 1979 when they were rushed out of the country due to the Sandinista government's takeover. During their ministry, God laid the foundation for a multiplying ministry of discipleship and church planting that is currently led by national pastors.

In 15 Years...

Our "State of the Church" service is approaching. It is a time for looking back on how God has worked through our church in the past year and looking forward to what He has in store for us in the coming year. As I began thinking about the "State of the Church," my imagination took me 15 years into the future. Will you go there with me for a moment? To read the rest of this article from our monthly newsletter, click here.

Seven New Deacons Elected

Seven men were elected to the office of Deacon on Sunday morning, December 17. Mark Stringer, Jay Glass, Adam Williams, Jason Hardy, Tim Fleming, Mike Brown, and John Dolden will join our existing deacons in serving our church. Soon, we will observe an ordination service for these men. Thank you Lord for your goodness!

A Date With Dad...

On Friday night, November 17, Wyatt's student ministry sponsored a "Father Daughter Date Night." According to Student Minister Adam Thomas, the event was an effort to build relationships between fathers and daughters. In addition, the event purposed to teach young ladies to set high standards in their future relationships. To see pictures from the date night, click here

A Fabulous Fall Festival!

The annual Fall Festival entertained children and parents on October 31. Dozens of Wyatt volunteers worked to make sure each child enjoyed games, food, costumes, and contests. The evening ended with a balloon drop containing candy and toys. The annual festival is one of Wyatt's community-wide events.  To see pictures from the festival, click here.

Parents Conference Was Excellent

The Parents Conference this weekend was a huge success. Over forty people attended the conference. Keynote speaker Aaron Wilson began Friday night with a charge from Psalm 78 to raise children who hope in God. Next, Donny and Lori Hymer challenged parents to create family traditions that point our children to God and create lasting memories. The conference continued on Saturday as Aaron taught how to teach and discipline our children. Aaron's wife, Anita, taught the ladies about the high calling of motherhood. Roger Dunlap challenged fathers to take charge of their homes and lead them towards Christ. The conference ended with a very thought-provoking and biblical presentation on how to seek the conversion of our children. Pray that the lessons learned at this conference will be a blessing to the next generations, and that God will be glorified in our homes.

To see pictures from the conference, click here.

To hear audio messages from the conference, click here.