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Vacation Bible School is in full swing across the region! Please continue to pray for churches having VBS in the month of July. Look forward to kingdom advancement stories as a result of VBS volunteers and attendees in the coming months!
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A major victory was handed down from the Supreme Court on Friday, June 24, 2022, as, after nearly fifty years, the ruling in Roe v. Wade was overturned. Sparking unrest and outrage with the landmark decision, the primarily conservative Court sided with life, returning the decision on abortion legislation to the states.
This victory for life stands in response to a court case from Jackson, Mississippi where a health organization tested the Gestational Age Act that made abortion illegal after 15 weeks. The decision from the Supreme Court of the United States proclaims, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives” (Dobbs 1).
Tracie Shellhouse, CEO of New Hope Pregnancy Care Center in Cleveland, Tennessee, said, “For the movement at large, it does underscore the right to life. Personally, I was pleased when the ruling came down.” This excitement and joy is felt across the country in pro-life organizations and circles, but the fight is far from over. States like California are pushing abortion rights to new heights, with a coming vote to put a woman’s right to abortion in the state constitution, making it the first state to do so, putting abortion on the level of, ironically, life, liberty, and safety.
According to Shellhouse, somewhere between 20 and 26 states will, in the coming months, put laws into place to ban or seriously restrict abortive services. North Carolina, at this time, is not one of them. Therefore, though there is much joy in the pro-life movement, there is now an ever-growing mission to reach those facing unplanned pregnancy in any capacity. With our proximity to North Carolina, New Hope's marketing practices will now service those driving through our area on the way to states who will not be tightening the reins on abortion. Expenses and needs at the local level will increase.
Tracie Shellhouse said of New Hope, "We exist to glorify God. Our mission statement never mentions abortion because New Hope is about life." The pro-life movement across the nation is about life and upholding the sanctity of life for all. The case and decision of Dodds v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling of 1973, is only the end of one battle for life.
Sources
“California Constitution :: Article I - Declaration of Rights :: Section 1.” Justia Law, https://law.justia.com/constitution/california/article-i/section-1/#:~:text=All%20people%20are%20by%20nature,safety%2C%20happiness%2C%20and%20privacy.
“DOBBS, STATE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL. v. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION ET AL.” Supremecourt.gov, Supreme Court of the United States, 24 June 2022, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf |
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Operation Christmas Child Upcoming Events
It is once again time to begin preparing for Operation Christmas Child. OCC was founded in 1990 in the U.K. and has since provided Christmas shoeboxes to millions of children in over 100 countries around the world. Several million of those children, through the influence and generosity of Operation Christmas Child, have come to Christ and recognize him as their Lord and Savior.
The 2022 Project Leader workshop will be September 10, 2022, from 10:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. The workshop will be held at Union McMinn Baptist Church, located at 314 Co Rd 316, Niota, TN 37826.
There will also be a “Full Circle” (shoebox recipient) guest speaker in the area in August. Date, time, and location are TBA.
National Collection Week for 2022 is November 14-21.
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AGAPE Seminar Coming Soon to Our Area
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The AGAPE Seminar on Church Safety and Security will be held on July 12, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. at Brainerd Hills Baptist Church. The host will be Richmond Blackwell. Though the event will be held in Hamilton County, it will be a good opportunity for people from across the region to learn about and benefit from church safety. Brainerd Hills Baptist Church is located at 6611 East Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37421, which is on the first exit south of Hamilton Place Mall on I-75. It is recommended to RSVP for the event.
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2022 Regional Worship Summits
This year’s Regional Worship Summits are fast approaching, and registration for them all across the state of Tennessee are now open. The Summit for Southeast Tennessee will be in Hixson at the Dallas Bay Church at 8305 Daisy Dallas Rd on August 6, 2022. It will last from 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., and it open to register at www.worshipsummits.org. There will be another Worship Summit in East Tennessee in Dandridge later in the month of August.
Learn more at the website and on the attached flyer.
This will be an exciting time to learn, worship, and fellowship with other like-minded believers. |
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Mission Trip Opportunities: Nicaragua and EuroConnect Conference
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Though these two trips were originally planned pre-pandemic, the trips to Nicaragua and Europe will now take place in the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023. The trip to Nicaragua is scheduled for October 1-8, 2022, and the EuroConnect Conference is from April 26-May 10, 2023.
These trips are open to people and churches across our region. Tara Waldrop will be leading two interest meetings on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., in the conference room at CrossNet Baptist Network, located at 2707 N Ocoee St. in Cleveland.
For more information, plan to attend one of the meetings or contact Tara at taraonmission@gmail.com.
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Ministry Spotlight: New Hope Pregnancy Care Center
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New Hope Pregnancy Care Center has been serving the community in the fight for life, both physically and spiritually, for the past 36 years. Dedicated to empowering those affected by unplanned pregnancy in the Bradley County area to choose life for their unborn children and eternal life for themselves, New Hope’s staff and volunteers aim to bring the light of Christ to our community. They offer medical-grade pregnancy tests, limited obstetric ultrasounds, pregnancy and parenting education, material aid, post-abortion support, miscarriage support, and other resources. All of their services are professional, confidential, and non-judgmental. New Hope employs a full-time nurse manager under the direction of an M.D. who serves as the volunteer medical director, along with other professionally trained and educated staff members to ensure that clients are provided with up-to-date and top-of-the-line resources. All of this is made possible through the generosity of their supporters in this community.
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Revival- Bellefounte Baptist Church
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Bellefounte Baptist Church is hosting the Revival for Men from July 11-15, 2022. The scheduled speakers are:
11- Keith Boggs
12- Kenny Grant
13- Justin Pratt
14- Matt Alexander
15- JJ Washington
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Approximately 800 volunteers will be on mission with Ocoee Outreach this summer. Volunteers from several of our CrossNet churches will serve alongside volunteers from 29 churches from several states. Teams are available to assist CrossNet churches with canvassing, community outreach and more! If you are interested in us helping your church this summer, please contact our office.
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