Boys and Their Toys | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on July 9, 2019:

On the first Saturday of every month, the House of Prayer on FM 515 serves a great breakfast in their Family Life Center beginning at 9:00 am. There is a donation jar to help cover expenses, but other than that, that is no charge, and the event is open to the public. The turnout is usually pretty small, but the event is very popular with a number of the Senior Center regulars. The members of the church are gracious hosts and good cooks, and it’s another opportunity to visit with friends.

We met Bill and Susan a year or so ago when they began attending Believers’ Baptist Church. They lived about thirty minutes away but were planning to relocate to Emory once they found the right property. While they attended Sunday Morning Worship regularly, they didn’t get too involved in the community until recently when they found the perfect location. Now they live in their RV while they supervise the building of their new home. The wet weather has slowed progress to a crawl, so they have free time to explore what Emory has to offer.

Since Bill and Susan had already found a church home, David’s first recommendation was the Senior Center. They began coming for lunch a few weeks ago, and like most of us, they have found it an enjoyable place to take a midday break and catch up on the local gossip. It’s also a good place to learn more about people you previously only saw in their Sunday best. The first thing David noticed was that Bill has almost as large an assortment of Mopar T-shirts as David has of Harley shirts.

Images of Moms | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on May 7, 2019:

Last month, I participated in a photo challenge with some of my Facebook family and friends. We were given a topic for each day of the month and were supposed to post a picture related to that topic. It was especially challenging for me since I usually think in verbal images rather than visual ones. Some of my pictures were just something to check off the list, some were pretty good, and a few were almost inspired. It was fun, but it was also a bit of relief when it was over. I guess I’m still thinking in visual images, though. Sunday morning I saw the perfect image for the topic “mom.”

We have a number of young couples in our church and lots of children. In fact, you have to be careful in the halls not to step on a little one or knock over a toddler who’s just getting his legs under him. I’m way out of that circle, but based on Facebook posts and other evidence, I think there are lots of play dates and sleepovers among our kids. There’s also a lot of seat swapping in church – you never know which kids will be sitting with which family.

Hug Smudges | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on February 14, 2017:

Because I’m the church secretary, I’m sometimes a few minutes late to Sunday School after I make a stop in my office to pick up a form I need someone to fill out or an envelope the treasurer has asked me to deliver. Then, it’s not unusual for someone to stop me before I make it to class to ask me to correct an address or to check the lost and found for a Bible. To tell the truth, I kind of like being one of the last ones to arrive. As I walk down the hall toward the Fellowship Hall where the adults meet, I can hear the sound of funny stories about the work week being told, of concerns for friends and family being exchanged, of lives being shared. It sounds a lot like love.

Appreciating the Pastor| by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on October 18, 2016:

Pastor Appreciation Day was the second Sunday in this month, and we honored Pastor Jason with cards, notes, and hugs. We didn’t have a big celebration, but I hope we let him know throughout the year how much we appreciate him.

David and I first met Pastor Jason in early 2011 when we moved to Emory and began our search for a church home. We visited several local churches, and while all of them were wonderful places to worship, we were drawn to Believers’ Baptist and returned there several times. One Sunday morning, Jason and his wife Stacy invited us to join them for lunch after church, and we realized how gracious and friendly they were and how deeply committed to his family he is.

Why do they volunteer? by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on September 27, 2016:

If you drove north on Highway 19 last week, you probably noticed some unusual commotion going on around Believers’ Baptist Church. Actually, the activity started several weeks ago when ground was broken and a foundation was prepared for a new building dedicated to our youth and children’s ministries. Last Monday, however, the work began in earnest when a crew from Volunteer Christian Builders arrived.

The Church Kitchen | by Linda Brendle

The SISTAs group held its monthly meeting Sunday evening, and as frequently happens, the meeting took place in and around the church kitchen. SISTAs, or Sisters in Spirit and Truth Always, is the name of the women’s ministry group at Believers’ Baptist, and a lot of our ministry projects involve food in some way.

Family, Football, and Chili Cook-Offs | by Linda Brendle

I wrote this late Sunday night or very early Monday morning according to the clock. It had been a long day, but a good one. My church held its Third Annual Chili Cook-Off Sunday after the morning service. It was lots of fun, and it was a lot like the family reunions I attended as a child.

Planning for the event began several weeks–or even months–in advance. People who don’t normally consider themselves cooks pulled out their recipe folders, and if they didn’t have recipe folders of their own, they consulted Mom or Grandma or Uncle Joe who always made the best chili in the world. Discussions were heard in the hallways and parking lot about which cut of meat was best, which secret ingredient was sure to capture the taste buds of the judges, and of course, whether real chili should have beans or not. There was also a little bit of friendly trash talk going on, but it was all in fun.