Fall is also when we are shifting gears at church. We are thinking "new year" in budgeting and ministry, Sunday School promotions, training, and new teachers, revivals, and, of course, before the first leaves drop to the ground, Christmas preparations are under way to ready our cantata and international missions emphases. Whew!
More

The 2008 SBA Annual Meeting will be at Bedford Baptist on Monday, October 27. Following is the number of elected messengers to which each church is entitled: Beaverdam-10; Bedford 12; Bethel-4; Bethlehem-4; Big Island-8; Diamond Hill-5; Flint Hill-10; Glade Creek-5; Hunting Creek-9; Mentow-10; Morgans-12; Mount Hermon-10; Mount Olivet-10; Mount Zion-8; Mountain View-4; North Bedford-13; Norwood-11; Palestine-10; Pecks-4; Quaker-8; Rainbow Forest-9; Sedalia-5; Shady Grove-9; Suck Spring-6; Thaxton-11; Timber Ridge-9; Trinity-10; Walnut Grove-5.
More

Bedford Hospice Care exists to provide care for terminally ill patients with end stage diseases who desire comfort care. Because of fund raising efforts, services are provided without regard to the patient's ability to pay. Help make living easier for those who are dying by joining Bedford Hospice Care in their 7th Annual Carewalk! The hospice volunteer committee has organized the Hundreds of Feet—Miles of Care Carewalk to be held on Saturday, October 11, 2008, at Bedford Memorial Hospital. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will continue from 8:45 to 11:00 a.m. For more info, call 587.6592.

Confirmed speakers include: Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council; Hon. Bob McDonnell, Attorney General, Virginia; Rev. Jonathan Falwell, Thomas Road Baptist Church; Bishop Harry Jackson, High Impact Leadership Coalition; Hon. Bob McEwen, Former U.S. Congressman, Ohio; Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation of Virginia; Jordan Lorence, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund; Dr. Kenyn Cureton, Vice President for Church Ministries, FRC. The website is www.watchmenevents.org. Contact Todd Childers, 540.587.0202, pastor at Norwood, if you are interested in carpooling.

Eldridge and Jennie Cullum (Thaxton) are proud to announce the birth of their first grandchild. Nolan Phillip Ritz was born August 14, 2008, in Bedford, Texas. He weighed 6 lbs. 15 ozs. and was 18 inches long. Parents are the Cullum's daughter, Stefanie, and her husband, Brian Ritz.

On Wednesday, September 10, Rev. John Boyles, pastor at Mentow, will share a presentation on his experiences as a Chaplain at "ground zero" following the tragedy on September 11, 2001.

Rev. Gary Kingery has been serving as pastor at Mountain View since Sunday, April 6, 2008. He earned a degree from Fredericksburg Bible College and has been in the pastorate for 29 years. Gary is a bivocational pastor who also works with the US Postal Service. He and his wife Patricia make their home in Vinton, and their son Chris serves as a pastor in the Roanoke Valley Association.

North Bedford will have Homecoming on Sunday, September 7, with Rev. Gabe Turner as guest speaker at the morning worship service.

Quaker is in need of an accompanist and people looking to help out with youth. The church is also starting a Cub Scout Pack and is looking for kids from 1st to 5th grade and parents to participate, any interested can find out more by calling Pastor David Timma at 540.875.9729.

There will be a Bedford Community Cook-Out at Trinity on Saturday, September 27, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., following CenterFest. This is a family-oriented cook-out with free food, music and fellowship as we reach out to the people of Bedford. Churches in the association are invited to participate. If you would like to help, please contact Trinity Baptist Church, 586.8010. We are looking for people to sing and provide music, help cook hamburgers & hotdogs, provide desserts or general donations of food and offer up plenty of prayer.

See You at the Pole 2008
Wednesday, September 24
GATHER at your school flagpole.
PRAY for your school, friends, families, and world.
CONNECT. Listen as God speaks to you.

Check with your pastor or youth minister to see what details have been arranged at your local school for this special observance.

Click for September Calendar

For the seventh year, our Association will have booths set up at Bedford's CenterFest where we will be privileged to minister to thousands who will walk the streets of our Jerusalem. Our volunteers serve up free cold water and lemonade; provide a baby changing table for life's little emergencies; minister through puppets, music, and more; and distribute literature. We also encourage churches to put together teams who will mingle among the crowd to meet neighbors, share who we are and what we are about, and spend time prayer walking throughout the day. If you are willing to be a missionary for a day at an SBA booth, pray, or take part in the various street ministries, please contact Julie Arthur at jarthurmves@yahoo.com or the Association office at 540.586.8345 or sba@sbava.org.
More

We had a WHALE of a time at the SBA Summer Music Camp doing the musical "Oh, Jonah!" With an enrollment of 46, this was the largest camp that we have had in the 5 years that it has been offered. We had several new helpers as well as several that returned from previous camps. This camp could NOT happen without the great leaders, helpers, and the support of the SBA. Thanks for the opportunity to provide your children such a fun, musical, learning experience. Hopefully they will take the lessons they learned from Jonah (especially RESPONSIBILITY) with them throughout their lives.
More

WMU Directors, please send your Annual Report to Lois Stevens by September 1. If you need a form, just let her know.

You are Cordially Invited to a Called Meeting of Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia. A special time of worship and celebration for the Election of Laura S. McDaniel as Executive Director/Treasurer Saturday, September 6, 2008, 2 p.m. at Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA 24504. Reception to follow.

The Women's Get-Away will be at Eagle Eyrie, November 7-8 or 8-9, 2008. The theme is "We are Family, I Got all my Sisters with Me!" Featured guests are "Women by Design."

The WMUV Annual Meeting, with the theme: "Called To Love," will be Saturday, 2:00-3:30 p.m.