Sha ron Bapt ist Church

published monthly
March, 2009

News & Notes

Learning, and the Leaning into, Lent
The season of Lent begins
INS ID E T HIS on Wednesday, February
ISS UE : 25. It spans the forty
days (excluding Sundays)
Music Matters 2
that lead up to Easter.
The word “Lent” probably
Cuba Connections 3
derives from the Anglo
Youth News 3 Saxon word for spring,
lencten, and calls to mind
Church Finances 3 a time budding with new
hope after a bleak and
Prayer for March 4 barren winter.
Easter is celebrated as
the holiest day of the
Christian year. In it, we
celebrate God’s validation
of all God's work in Jesus'
life, his death and his
resurrection.
In the first century, the
Lenten watch lasted forty
hours, mourning the time
of Jesus' entombment,
and ended with a 3:00
a.m. Easter service. By
the third century, the
Lenten observance
extended through the six
days before Easter known
as “Holy Week.” Then,
the six days grew to 36
days, with 36 being the
tithe, or tenth, of the 365
day year. Finally, by the
eighth century, four more
days were added to
complete forty days in
imitation of Jesus' own
forty day fast in the
wilderness. (This was
also the fasting period of
Moses in Exodus 34:28
and Elijah in 1 Kings
19:18).
Lent is a time of honest
self-examination. As we
pray, fast and reflect, we
come to terms with our
need for God, and confess
our sinful dependence
(continued on page 2)

Mark Your Calendars!

Contact our
Ministry Staff:
• Shana Castleberry
Minister to Students
shana@sharononline.org
• Christopher Ingram
Pastor
christopher@sharononline.org
• Todd Johnson
Music Director/
Organist
todd@sharononline.org
• Debbie Wall
Church Secretary
debbie@sharononline.org
Community Lenten
Worship (Every
Wednesday from
February 25 – April 1)
The Smithfield Area
Ministries group offers
weekly Wednesday
noontime meditation
services at First
Presbyterian Church.
Worship will last one-half
hour followed by a light
lunch provided by First
Presbyterian. Our own
Jeanell Cox will be
preaching on April 1!
World Day of Prayer
Worship Service (7:00
PM, Friday, March 6 @
Asbury UMC)
Youth Dinner & Cake
Auction Fundraiser
(6:00 PM, Saturday,
March 7 in the Fellowship
Hall). Bring some friends,
your appetite and your
checkbooks to this fun
way to help our youth get
to camp this summer.
Tickets are available for
purchase now, but you
can also pay at the door.
Community Unity
Service (6:00 PM Sunday
March 15 @ First Baptist
Church) Join us for this
diverse, multi-cultural,
ecumenical celebration of
the many unique and
gifted congregations in
our community.
The Love of Jesus – a
Holy Week Musical
Celebration by our
Chancel Choir and
friends (Sunday evening,
April 5, time TBD)

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 page 2
Music Matters
We have several exciting
things going on in the
music department at
Sharon. First of all, I’m
“I will sing to thrilled to have my dear
the Lord as friend Gayle Franks
conducting the choir.
long as I live; I
As I shared with you
will sing praise congregation in early
to my God January, I have been
overwhelmed in my role
while I have
as choir director,
being. May my accompanist and tenor
meditation be singer, at least when I
have to do all three at the
pleasing to same time!
him, for I Although I didn’t know it
rejoice in the then, my prayers for relief
Lord.” had already been
answered. Gayle emailed
me one day back in
November and asked if
Psalm 104:33-34
she could participate in
our Christmas music.
Since that time she has
found the people here so
warm and welcoming, and
Learning, and Leaning into, Lent (continued)
on the wrong things. It is
a disciplined effort to
separate from the things
“As we imitate we hold close, sometimes
even closer than God.
the sacrificial
This is why the season is
life of Jesus,
so often associated with
we become the question “What did
you give up for Lent this
united in his
year?” However, “giving
passion to something up” is only part
serve God and of the journey. Some
Christians may take on a
the world in commitment for Lent,
new ways.” such as a new way of
serving, a new habit of
behavior, or a new way of
praying or studying.
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Sharon News and Notes
the music and sermons so
uplifting, that she wants
to stick around. To say
the least, I’m thrilled and
thankful that God has
seen fit to lead her our
way.
Gayle brings many years
of experience in church
music. She and I formerly
served together at
Holland’s United
Methodist Church in
Raleigh, where we did
everything from
Beethoven and Handel to
Southern Gospel. We both
like variety, so that’s
what you can continue to
expect on Sunday
mornings.
We also have a new
sound system, not to
mention a beautiful
cabinet for all the
controls. On behalf of all
of us in the music
Unlike other elements of
church practice, such as
baptism or communion,
there is no Biblical
mandate for Lent. Still,
since earliest times, many
have understood its
importance to disciples
like us.
I believe the season of
confession more fully
prepares us to celebrate
the amazing grace of
Easter. It makes real the
promise of Romans 6:1,
“For, if we have been
united with him a death
like his, we will certainly
department, I want to
express sincere thanks to
Ron Whittington, Shirley
Black and Bill Wilkins for
their splendid work and to
Bill for his coordination of
the overall project.
The choir is gearing up
for The Love of Jesus, a
truly inspirational Easter
musical by Mike Speck.
Since we will be using a
number of guest singers
from other churches, it is
being scheduled for Palm
Sunday evening. You will
not want to miss it.
We have so much to be
thankful for. I’m
privileged to have the
opportunity to express my
gratitude through music.
For God’s Glory,
Todd Johnson
be resurrected with him in
a life like his.” As we
imitate the sacrificial life
of Jesus, we become
united in his passion to
serve God and the world
in new ways – and that
would be the best Easter
sermon of all!
With High Hopes,
 Photos from our Friends in Cuba
The Gethsemane Baptist Church has sent us some photographs to help us get to know and
remember them.

Some of the children and adult members of the church

hold one of the handmade signs that decorate the
sanctuary walls. This one quotes Galatians 6:2 “Bear
one another’s burdens.”

Visiting, praying and singing in the home of

the worship leader, Clara, and her husband (in
the wheelchair).

Merry Christmas! The children in perform a Christmas

pageant in the sanctuary on Nochebuena (Christmas
Eve), with “Mary” and “Joseph” leading the way. You
may just be able to make out the nativity scene set up
on the communion table.

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 Sharon News and Notes page 3

Connecting With Cuba

We are happy to welcome between our churches. among you, even though church, hoping that you
Ned Walsh back from his We recall with pleasure each time our church receive it as a symbol of
recent trip on behalf of the visit that Pastor building is open we our affection, fraternity
our congregation to our Christopher and Todd dedicate a moment of and brotherhood in our
sister church, the Johnson made, as well as prayer for the Sharon Lord and Savior Jesus.
Gethsemane Baptist the correspondence Church. And now that
Hoping to meet again
Church of Cuba. He received where you Brother Ned tells us there
soon…Fraternally,
brought back several gifts wished us a Merry are so many who are sick
from them, along with a Christmas and shared in your church, we are Rafael Almieda Valdés
personal greeting from with us the programs that dedicating even more
the pastor: you were carrying out at time to pray for this
that beautiful time. We situation that affects
“With this letter, we
also carried out similar everyone.
express our thanks for the (Some of the pictures
programs as yours, proof
visit of Brother Edward As a sign of gratitude, we sent by Pastor Rafael are
of this being the photos
‘Ned’ Walsh. We are sending you this small viewable on the back of
that we are sending,
gratefully confirm the piece of pottery that has this month’s calendar.)
which unite us more
bonds of brotherhood and been with us ever since
because it is as if we
camaraderie evident we constituted as a
were physically there

Youth News

Take note of these donate a cake for auction Youth Movie and
upcoming events: or dessert, please make Dinner Night on Friday,
sure you sign up on the March 27 - Youth will
Cake Auction and
sign-up sheet located on meet at the church at 7
Spaghetti Dinner
the bulletin board in the p.m. to head over to
Fundraiser on Saturday,
chapel. Tickets can be CiCi’s Pizza for dinner.
March 7, at 6:00 PM -
purchased from any of Afterward, we will meet
Now is the time to GIVI NG A T A
our youth. If you cannot back at the church and GLANC E
purchase your tickets for
get your tickets before head over to the youth JANUA RY 200 9
this annual youth
the event, you can still room for more fun and
fundraising event.
pay at the door on the fellowship with popcorn
Tickets are only $5, which Monthly Receipts
evening of the event. and a movie. Cost is only
includes a spaghetti
Come out and enjoy a fun $5 per person. Bring a $9,421
dinner and chances at
evening together to friend!
bidding for your favorite Monthly Budget
support our youth Expenses
homemade cakes and Shana Castleberry
ministry!
pies. If you would like to Unavailable
Avg. Weekly
Church Finances Receipts (January)
$2,355
Every penny you uncertainty for many have Thank you for finding Weekly Budget
contribute to support the an impact on our church, creative ways that help Needs
work of Sharon Baptist too. Together, let’s make our church get the job
$3,130
Church is greatly this challenge to our done using your own
appreciated – and church a matter of prayer gifts. Your experience, YTD Budget
conscientiously put to and intentionality so we personal contacts, and Receipts
work. can remain on solid the contribution of many $46,905
footing as we continue to uncompensated “people
Regular giving to our YTD Budget
reach in, reach out and hours” are helping us
budget needs remains Surplus/ (Deficit)
grow in numbers and move forward in
below full subscription. hopefulness.
ministry impact. ($12,573)
These times of economic

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 page 4
Prayer for the Month
S HA R ON
BAP T IST CHUR CH Our God, who calls us on
116 Britt Street this Lenten journey, we
confess that we falter at
Smithfiel d, NC 27577 walking this path to which
Phone: you’ve set our feet,
lacking the singleness of
(919) 934-8845 purpose that compelled
Fax: you to walk it.
(919) 934-8845 (call first)
We confess that we often
fail to take the deliberate
E-Mail: next step that will carry
office@sharononline.org us closer to our
destination, for we are
Web:
uncomfortable with the
www.sharononline.org attire of solitude and self-
denial, sacrifice and
simplicity that we need
for this journey.
We are too easily
distracted by the barkers
on the side of the road
SHARON BAPTIST CHURCH
116 BRITT STREET
SMITHFIELD, NC 27577
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Sharon News and Notes
who draw our attention to Call us again on the
more appealing journey for their sake and
attractions; we eagerly for our own.
allow the tyranny of
activity and business as For only at the end of the
usual to engage us in path to the cross will we
small talk even as other
find again the hope that
Lenten pilgrims pass us
by. sustains us, the grace
that saves us, and the
So help us, we pray, to love that leads to life and
continue on the journey, life abundant.
to walk with those around
us who carry burdens of In the name of your Son,
doubt and uncertainty, Jesus Christ, who walks
who limp along the before us.
Lenten path in their
woundedness, who would Amen.
sit in the middle of the
- by Israel Galindo in Let
road and just give up
Us Pray: Contemporary
because they are weary
Prayers for the Seasons of
from lack of hope.
the Church