Melbourne Heights Baptist Church 3728 Taylorsville Rd. Louisville, KY 40220 Melbourne Heights Baptist Church is an Accepting, Caring People Sharing Christ News from Melbourne Heights for February 2015 In this edition Upcoming Events From the Pastor by Adam Schell  From the Pastor  Sermon Series  Spotlight Event  Bible Studies  Youth News  Senior Adults  Habitat for Humanity  Women’s Ministry  Kids News  Looking Ahead  Birthdays A few years ago, we added an element to our worship services during the season of Lent to help draw us into the message and meaning of this season. We began collecting tangible offerings to donate to local charities. Last year we donated items like laundry detergent and soap to the Cabbage Patch House.  Upcoming Events (continued on page 2) As February begins, we are in the middle of the season of Epiphany. This means that as we gather for worship and for Bible studies, we will continue to explore who Jesus is by focusing on different aspects of his life and his ministry. But on February 18 our focus will change. We will enter into the season of Lent - a time of preparation and renewal leading up to Easter. So our attention will turn from stories of Jesus' ministry and miracles, and we will begin to look toward the cross. 3728 Taylorsville Rd. Louisville, KY 40220 | Phone: (502) 454-4681 | Fax: (502) 454-4842 | www.melbourneheights.org | Office Hours: Mon thru Thu 8am—4pm February Bible Studies Youth News Senior Adults Women’s Ministry Update by Joe Noland Sunday Nights | On Sunday nights at 6:00pm, we will continue studying Adam Hamilton’s The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus. In February we will focus on the story of Jesus calming the storm, Jesus' relationship with sinners, outcasts, and the poor, as well as the final week leading to the cross. By retracing these stories of Jesus' life and ministry, we will learn how to follow the way of Jesus today. 2015 is shaping up to be an amazing year with our youth. In February we will wrap up our study on the Armor of God, and begin a series of studies that will lead up to camp this summer. This new series will begin with a lesson on failure. While failure is not usually thought of as a positive thing, we will explore why failure can be a good thing and, even in our failures, God continues with us. Next our youth will begin exploring their relationship with God and how to be closer to Him. Together, we will learn how to talk with God, how to study the Bible, and how to make God a priority in our lives. From there, our youth will begin to learn who God is in their lives and finally, we will begin to see how doing so will give us courage to speak out our faith to any who would listen. The MHBC Youth would like to invite you to a Wednesday Nights | We will begin February by concluding our study on the prayer life of Jesus, but as we enter into the season of Lent, on February 18, we will turn our attention in another direction. The world has changed a lot since Jesus walked this earth 2,000 year ago. As you read the morning paper or flip on the nightly news, have you ever wondered what Jesus would say to us today? On Wednesday nights in February we will explore what Jesus might say to us today by studying what Jesus did say during his life and ministry. Valentine’s Breakfast on Sunday, February 15 beginning at 8:30am The Valentine’s Breakfast is Free, but any donations will benefit our Youth Camp Fund. On Tuesday, February 10, Brenda Butler, our church pianist, will meet with our Senior Adults and share her testimony and give a miniconcert of some of her favorite hymns along with a few of her favorite arrangements. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet Brenda on an informal basis and enjoy some gospel music at the same time. Mark your calendar for February 10 and invite your friends to join us for a fun and uplifting time. The meeting begins at 10:00am and we will go to Cattleman's Restaurant for lunch following the program. Habitat for Humanity We want to begin this update by thanking the women of our church for your generous donations to the Cabbage Patch House. Last month we delivered four bags full of greatly needed and appreciated items. And please continue to pray for and donate to these young women in need. Our Women's Ministry also wants to extend an invitation to every woman at Melbourne Heights to come join us for a fun night of planning, fellowship and snacks on February 12 at 6:00pm. If you've been wondering what the Women's Ministry is planning for the coming year or want to be a part of the planning...you won't want to miss this gathering as we continue to grow together to be who God wants us to be and plan the work Kid's News by Michelle Cloud We will soon be participating in the 21st annual Baptist Build for Habitat for Humanity. As always, we will be scheduling a work day at this year's build, and you're invited to come out and lend a hand. Details about our workday will be available in next month's newsletter. As part of our commitment to the Baptist Build, we also pledge to financially support the construction of this new home. We have pledged $3,000 to this year's build, and we need your help to reach this goal. Throughout the month of February, you're encouraged to donate to this year's build by designating "Habitat for Humanity" on your check or envelope. Have you ever noticed that the church is filled with symbols? There's lilies at Easter, poinsettias at Christmas, and even a great big "bathtub" in the front of the sanctuary. You may chuckle at that last one, but that is only because you have learned what the baptistry is. During our Children's Sermons this year, we want to teach our kids about the symbols of our faith and help them better understand these things that they may know nothing about. As our kids begin understanding these symbols, they will also feel more comfortable in our sanctuary and more included in our church. Children’s Worship will also resume this month. From the Pastor February’s Spotlight Event Looking Ahead February’s Birthdays (continued from page 1) This year, we will once again be collecting items to donate to a local charity. We will be working with South East Associated Ministries (also known as SEAM). SEAM provides emergency assistance —like food and school supplies— to people throughout the 40220 and 40218 zip codes of Louisville. On February 20 and 21, we will be hosting a mini-retreat for married couples. Prior to the retreat, each couple will complete an assessment that identifies relationship strengths and weaknesses across key areas, including: In the coming weeks, we will provide you with additional information about who SEAM is and the work that they do, as well as ask you to bring in specific items each week during Lent to donate to this worthy organization.     February’s Sermon Series Our retreat will be held at the church and begin with dinner on Friday night at 6:00pm. Following dinner there will be a 90 minute session introducing the Couples Check Up and discovering the strengths of each couple's relationship. The evening will conclude by 9:00pm. As February begins, we are still in the midst of the season of Epiphany. So far this season we have encountered a hodgepodge collection of stories from Jesus' life, teaching, and miracles covering everything from the wise men's visit, to Jesus baptism, to the calling of Jesus' first disciples. But even a month into this season, we continue to wonder how these stories related, and what they can teach us about our God. In February we will conclude our sermon series on the Puzzle of Epiphany, and begin piecing these stories together so we may better know God. Communication Conflict Resolution Financial Management And More At 9:00am on February 21, we will meet back at the church for breakfast and 2 additional sessions. Our first session will focus on the most important skill for maintaining healthy relationships: Communication. Our second session will focus on a common area of growth that our couples share. The retreat will end by noon on Saturday. The cost of the retreat is $40 per couple - including the assessment, meals, and refreshments. And there will be a brief meeting for all couples prior to the retreat to provide instruction on completing the relationship assessment. Sign up for the retreat at the Welcome Center. Last August, we began a campaign to repave our church parking lot. It will cost the church $45,000 to do this work, so we set a goal raise all of the needed funds for this project by March 1, 2015. As of last Sunday, January 18, we have received $28,716 in donations to our Parking Lot Fund. February 7 | Jim Spillman February 8 | Charlotte Stopher February 9 | Barbara Orr Parking Lot Fund February 11 | Hope Crawford February 12 | Helen Tinsley Total Received = $28,716 February 14 | Michelle Cloud as of January 18, 2015 February 14 | Ray Howard February 14 | Shirley Park Still Needed = $16,284 February 16 | Sondra Elliot by March 1, 2015 This means that we have raised nearly 2/3 of our total goal, and we still have another month to go to raise the remaining $16,284 we need to fund this project. But in order for us to reach our goal, we will need everyone who made a pledge to contribute to this fund to fulfill their pledge in the coming month...and we'll also need anyone who can to go the extra mile and pitch in a little more to put us over the top. Just remember to designate your gift to our "Parking Lot Fund" on your check or envelope. We fully believe we will reach our goal. And we look forward to beginning the work on our parking lot later this Spring. Subscribe to Our e-Newsletter If you like the news and updates you’ve received in this newsletter, we encourage you to subscribe to our e-newsletter. Our e-newsletter includes all of the same information sent directly to your inbox. You can also sign up to receive weekly updates on the Top Things happening at MHBC, or to receive inclement weather alerts from the church. If you would like to subscribe to any or all of our electronic publications, simply visit http:// eepurl.com/8VbzT to sign up.