I am amazed at what God did at Thaxton Baptist Church last year in 2009. Despite the recession our people gave and continue to give more than was required toward the Building Fund. Several new families joined our church family during the year.
In January 2009 we started an hour long Children’s Worship in the former sanctuary on Sunday mornings called “Power Source.” It was called Power Source because it helps kids connect to the Power of God & each other. I appreciate my wife who has given of her time and talents in leading Children’s Worship. I am grateful to Barbara Catron and her family who every two months would decorate the stage to go along with the Children’s Worship theme. New young families have started coming to our church because of the Children’s Ministry. We have seen Children’s Worship grow from 20 to more than 30 people every Sunday. I am grateful to all the adult volunteers who have rotated turns helping to lead Small Groups to go along with the message, and to all those who helped run the Sound & PowerPoint. It is awesome and on the cutting edge that our church offers a full hour of Children’s Worship on Sunday mornings, not many churches in our area do that. Also in January our church collected money and baby supplies for the Bedford Pregnancy Center. We had a very successful Easter Eggstravaganza, KidsFest, Vacation Bible School and Fall Festival. It was so exciting to see so many of our church members helping out in these outreach events which reached out and ministered to so many people in the community. We formed a Children’s Ministry Team and a Children’s Playground Fundraising Team. The Awana ministry continued.

We converted the old Fellowship Hall into a Youth Worship and Activities Center. We started a Youth worship service with a Youth Praise Band, games and food on Sunday nights called “Outlet.” It is called Outlet because it helps students get connected to God and each other. The youth went on a Mission Trip to Vero Beach, Florida. Josh Knorr left in July 2009 as Student Minister to go help a church start. We formed a Minister of Children & Youth Search Committee which has been meeting every week. I want to thank Sue Saunders, David Norcross, Jackie & Carol Kerr, and J.D. Smith for serving on that committee. Joey Aquafredda became our Interim Student Minister. The youth ministry has grown to about 30 students who come on Sunday nights. We formed a Youth Ministries Team.

In May 2009 we hosted a Job Fair for the community. I want to thank Kelly Harmony for her excellent leadership and hard work at lining up businesses who were hiring to participate. In a year of recession this was a tremendous ministry to help the community!

In May the Ladies Ministry hosted Spring Forward Workshops, and hosted Encouragement Group meetings in people’s homes. Carol Kerr taught “Esther” on Sunday afternoons. The Ladies Ministry went to the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, NC, and had a Scavenger Hunt to collect food for two needy families. The Ladies Ministry sponsored a Christmas Cookie Exchange and many cookies were given to Homebound members and to the Bake Sale for needy families by Debbie Carrico and Shelby Overstreet’s Pre-K – 1st Grade Sunday School Class. Their class raised $400 to help three needy families at Christmas. David Norcross’ class generously provided food and presents for a family during Christmas.

We had the Living Lord’s Supper, and our Adult Choir sang beautiful Easter and Christmas Cantatas. The Hand Bell Choir performed several times. Our church hosted a Gideon Speaker and our church gave an outstanding amount of around $1200 – $1300 to distribute Bibles around the world. We hosted several Blood Drives for the America Red Cross, and I want to thank all those who volunteered in this ministry. The Motorcycle Ministry went on rides, gave rides to kids at KidsFest, had a Bike Show and raised money for the Building Fund, and hosted a Biker Sunday. Donnie & Nancy Slusher, Debbie Carrico & Jennie Link from our church went on a Mission Trip to Kenya. One of our new members, Nolan Scoggins, began teaching a Bible Study on Tuesday nights at the Jail in Moneta, and began collecting used Paperback books for this ministry. He also started a Chronic Pain Support Group. Carol Martin started a Grief Support Group. Another new member, Linda Tolley, began volunteering at the Bedford Christian Ministries Center and started collecting used plastic grocery bags at the church for this ministry. Ethel Beck continued teaching a Bible Study every Thursday morning at Oakwood Manor. Various members volunteered serving at Bedford Ride, Shepherd’s Table, and the Bedford Christian Ministries Center. Randy Krantz taught a series of three Leadership Seminars. More members volunteered on the Media Team, as Nursery workers, and as Ushers and Greeters. Gloria Sloss started a Knitting Crochet Ministry. They made 26 hats for chemo patients, 25 baby hats for Bedford Hospital, and 10 blankets for the Bedford Pregnancy Center and Bedford Social Services. The WMU ladies of our church led in devotions at Oakwood Manor on Friday mornings during April & October. The Wheatland Lizzie McGee WMU Group collected and boxed up nonperishable food and household items and organized a mission trip in October of 14 people from our church to take them to an Appalachian Christian Ministries Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. This same WMU group also organized an Angel Tree with the names of 30 children of jail inmates for whom members of our congregation bought presents.
We started making copies of the DVDs of our worship services every week and members distributed them to Nursing Homes and Homebound members and businesses throughout the community. The deacons were organized in four outreach teams under the word “G.R.O.W.”- each letter stands for a Monday night once a month they go on church visitation. Deacons also ministered in Hospital and Homebound visitation, and ministered to bereaved families. Vicki Masters volunteered to mail a Welcoming Card to guests who visit on Sundays. We completed a new Olan Mills Church Pictorial Directory and I want to thank Teresa Norcross, Trish McGuire, and Carol Kerr for organizing it. Starting last January we ran a front page

“I Go There . . .” Ad every other month in the Bedford Bullet featuring pictures and testimonies of various members of what they enjoy about Thaxton Baptist Church. I want to thank Lisa Rice for organizing this Ad ministry and Jody Hurt for doing the Graphic Design. We started three new Sunday School classes: a Single Adult class taught by Judith Bair, a Couples Class taught by Dr. Jackie Kerr and Troy Rice, and a 3 & 4 year old class taught by Perry & Heather Pinion. In November we held a very successful emphasis on Sunday School High Attendance and Give a Tenth of One Week’s Income Sunday on November 22. We hope & pray that people who tithed and came to Sunday School that day will continue to do so. We began making plans for a big evangelistic Wild Game Dinner on February 20, 2010. I want to thank Wayne Overstreet for leading this Outdoor Ministry. Our worship attendance is consistently around 300 every Sunday. We began the process of developing Strategy Plans of what we sense the Holy Spirit is leading us to do to more effectively fulfill the Great Commission of Christ in the shortest amount of time and for the longest duration. I want to thank Randy Krantz for being our Strategy Planning Coordinator, and David Norcross, E.W. Tibbs, Jackie Kerr, Judith Bair, and Wayne Overstreet for being our Facilitators. There were so many wonderful ministries, forgive me if I accidentally overlooked anyone or any ministry. Our future is exciting – it’s a wonder what God can do when we all pray and work together for Him.

I love you all,
Ridge