Author: Rob Paul

Back in 2015, I started hearing a song on K-Love radio. It had a catchy tune. And it proclaimed an undeniable truth: “God is on the move in many mighty ways!”

With all of the craziness in our world, it’s easy to forget that God is still on the throne… That the gospel is still changing lives… And that God is still working through us to make Jesus known. God is on the move!

Pray & Go

Our next Pray & Go is only a few days away! I hope you will join us this Sunday, April 3rd after the morning worship service as we pray for our neighbors. We will enjoy a great lunch and fellowship around the table before heading into the neighborhood to pray. As usual, we will have an on-campus prayer activity for those who are not able to prayer walk.

There is a quote attributed to Charles H. Spurgeon: “Whenever God determines to do a great work, he first sets his people to pray.” Think about it. We started prayer-walking our neighborhood in January. Since then, we have had an increase in the number of visitors in our worship services. God has also opened some incredible doors for ministry partnerships. But first God set us to pray!

Partnership Updates

Speaking of ministry partners. Last month we announced the addition of two new ministry partners, and the expansion of an existing partner. These partnerships are the very foundation of our desire to reach The Next Generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the next several weeks you will notice a lot of activity as we prepare our campus for these exciting opportunities. We’ve already expanded wireless internet throughout the “A” Building and anticipate updating our outdoor signage in the next few weeks.

By the end of this month Elevate Birmingham, Birmingham Urban Young Life, and Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship will have offices on the third floor of the “A” Building. Also, Banks Academy is moving their athletic offices into our Activities Building in preparation for spring and summer workouts. Please continue to pray for our partnerships!

Easter Invites

As we approach Easter Sunday, April 17th, I hope you will take the opportunity to reach out to church members who have become inactive over the past couple of years. Invite them to join you for Bible study and worship as we celebrate the resurrection!

Coming Soon

• Food Distribution, April 19 @ 11:00 am | Join us as we partner with Kingdom Family to meet the needs of our neighbors
• Baptism Service, April 24 @ 10:30 am | This will be a joint service with Kingdom Family. If you would like to be baptized, please contact the church office to schedule a pre-baptism meeting with a staff member.
• Deacons Meeting, April 24 @ 3:00 pm
• Family Meeting, April 24 @ 4:00 pm
• Spring Fling, May 18 @ 4:00 pm | On this Wednesday evening we and our ministry partners will host students from Huffman High School, Woodlawn High School, Banks Academy, Restoration Academy, and Putnam Middle School for a night of fun, food, and worship.
• Huffman Homecoming, May 22 | Register online or call the office to let us know you are coming. The morning will begin at 9:00 with a time of fellowship in the fellowship hall followed by worship at 10:30. The Homecoming Choir will rehearse at 10:10.

Bible Reading Plan

Here is the reading plan for the month of April:

Week of…

• April 4 | 2 Corinthians 3-7
• April 11 | 2 Corinthians 8-12
• April 18 | 2 Corinthians 13 – Galatians 4
• April 25 | Galatians 5 – Ephesians 3

At the start of 2022 we made a bold commitment to Advance the Gospel without Hindrance in northeast Birmingham. I specifically prayed for God to send us one family from the next generation who could then help us reach more families in our neighborhood.

We are excited to announce that Banks Academy will be relocating to Huffman Baptist Church over the summer and will open school on our campus the first of August! Remember, I prayed for one family. And God said, “Yeah, your prayer is a bit too small!” Instead of one family, he is sending us dozens of families among the students, faculty, and staff of Banks Academy.

In early January, Bill Sears (our interim executive pastor) and I met with Danny Brister, the executive director of Elevate Birmingham, one of our ministry partners currently occupying the old daycare offices in the C Building. Danny is an exceptional young leader in the African American community, and I wanted to hear his thoughts about how to reach young families. Little did I know where that conversation would lead!

Over the past two months, Richard, Bill, and I have met with Danny and a few other young, African American leaders. We have prayed together. Laughed together. And dreamed together about advancing the gospel! One day, Danny made a casual comment about the “hugeness” of our campus. He said it was large enough to house a school. Then he said, “You know Banks Academy is looking for more space.” To which Bill said, “Set up a meeting!”

For those of you who may not know, Banks Academy is a private Christian high school that serves 80 students in grades 9-12. Founded in 2015, they have been meeting on the original Lakewood Baptist Church campus with additional classrooms on the current Lakewood Baptist campus. I encourage you to learn more about Banks Academy by visiting their website at https://banksacademy.org/

After our first meeting, we sensed a kindred spirit with a common desire to advance the gospel to the next generation! Subsequent meetings confirmed our initial impressions. If we were starting a Christian school from scratch, I’m not sure we could improve upon the Banks model.

Pray & Go

What an amazing time we had at our second Pray & Go outreach. The fellowship was fantastic. The food was incredible. And the opportunity to pray for our neighbors was a blessing.

As an added blessing, our friends with the Huffman Neighborhood Association have taken notice. They posted this on their Facebook page. I also received a prayer request from one of our neighbors. God is at work!

We will hold our next Pray & Go on April 3rd following the morning service. Those who are unable to walk will work on a project in preparation for our Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled on Saturday, April 9th.

Sunday School Room Reassignments

I want to thank all of our Sunday School leadership for their amazing cooperative sprit. As of March 6 all of our adult Sunday School classes will be meeting on the second floor. Linda Word’s classroom is in the “O” building next to the choir room. Everyone else will meet in the the A Building. Here are the new classroom assignments:

• Linda Word Class – 203
• Kathy Spenser Class – 211
• Armstrong, Tanner, Worthington Class – 212
• Ed Wright Class – 213
• Auston Young Class – 214
• Jim Dawson Class -215
• Linda Smith Class – 221
• Jack Green Class – 222

We believe this will enhance our fellowship and create a stronger sense of community. Over the past several weeks, our on-campus attendance has increased. Even though we have had as many as 90 people attending each week, it seems smaller when we are spread out over two floors. Plan to arrive a little early on Sunday morning and enjoy some coffee and conversation with friends.

Spring Forward

It’s that time again. Time to move your clock forward at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 13. So, set your alarm. Change your clocks. Then get back to sleep! I’ve always wondered why we lose the hour in the middle of the night. Wouldn’t it be better to spring forward sometime Sunday afternoon? I would gladly give up an hour of leisure time if I could keep that hour of sleep! Oh, well. Don’t forget, or you’ll be late for church!

Daily Bible Reading

• February 28 | Romans 10-14
• March 7 | Romans 15 – 1 Corinthians 3
• March 14 | 1 Corinthians 4-8
• March 21 | 1 Corinthians 9-13
• March 28 | 1 Corinthians 14 – 2 Corinthians 2

This past Sunday I joked from the pulpit about those who were engaging via the Sunday morning livestream of our worship service. “Shame on you,” I said, “for watching in the 70-degree comfort of your living room!” You see, the temperature in the worship center was a chilly 60 degrees!

The truth is that we are incredibly grateful for the technology that allows us to engage with those who can not worship in person. These days it is a welcome and necessary option. Weather. Covid. Out of town. The reasons for not being able to attend in person are varied.

Is online worship the same as in person? Of course not. There is something to be said for being in the room with fellow believers. Lifting our collective voices in praise and prayer. And experiencing the preaching moment with all of the dynamics the room presents. Online worship is not intended to take the place of in-person worship.

But in this ongoing season of Covid and cold weather, I am glad we have online worship. Over the past four Sundays our in-person attendance has varied widely. We’ve had as many as 85 in the room with another 35 joining online. And as few as 65 in the room with another 50 or so joining us online. One thing I am noticing is that our folks are incredibly faithful to engage in worship even when they can’t be in the room!

Tips for a More Meaningful Online Worship Experience

A few days ago, a pastor-friend shared some tips for those who worship online. I hope these are helpful for those times when you can’t gather in person: 

1. Get up (if you are able)! Don’t lay in bed and expect to participate meaningfully in worship.
2. Get ready! Eat some breakfast. Make a cup of coffee. Get a shower. At the very least, brush your teeth and hair. Change out of your pajamas. OK, this one may be asking too much!
3. Gather your family. Meet in the same room together, if possible.
4. Get rid of distractions. Turn off ringers. Put away any unnecessary devices. Be intentional about focusing.
5. Pray! Ask God to bless you and those who will be leading, teaching, and worshiping online with your church family. Pray that God would speak, that we would listen, and that our response would honor Him.
6. Grab a Bible. Whether it is a physical, paper copy or a digital copy, have your bible ready to open and read. Grab a notepad and pen, and be ready to jot down notes and takeaways from the sermon.
7. Participate! Just because you are not in the worship center doesn’t mean you should be silent and inactive. Sing, pray, listen, respond, and even give to your church. You can give online by CLICKING HERE.
8. Let your church know you are there, and invite others to join you. Your church leaders could be very discouraged by not meeting in person. Let them know you are there praying, worshiping, and joining in the service by commenting or messaging on the social media platform or website. Share the link to the service on your social media and invite others to worship with you. You would be surprised to know how many people will watch, simply because you personally invited them!
9. Respond. If you made a decision or have a prayer need, let us know. We will be glad to help you and pray for you. You can complete a Connection Card by CLICKING HERE.
10. Celebrate! Take joy in knowing that the Spirit can speak to you and others through the online service. After the service, share what God has done to encourage and challenge you through this time of worship. This will make you more grateful and ready to gather with your church family again soon. One way to share is to post the link to the livestream on social media with a specific comment about something that impacted you from the service.

 

Happy New Year!

One thing we know for sure is that 2022 will bring change. And some of that change has already been determined. As previously announced, Pat Ray and Faye Mooneyhan are both retiring. On January 2nd, we will hold a reception to honor their 22 years of service at HBC. The reception will take place in the church parlor at 9:30 AM. There will be no Adult Sunday School.

At the conclusion of the morning worship service on January 2nd, we will also recognize Jack Green for his years of service to the Lord and His church. As many of you know, Jack has authored two books in the past three years. His first book chronicles God’s providence in his life from childhood to recent years. It’s a really good read! His second book was just published a few weeks ago and is an explanation of The Life God Designed based on John 1-4. After the service, the first book will be available as Jack’s gift to you as long as supplies last. You will also have an opportunity to order the second book. Note: No books will be sold on Sunday morning.

State of the Church

I am looking forward to delivering the annual State of the Church message on January 9th. In spite of all of the obstacles we have faced over the past two years, God has been faithful to strengthen and guide us. Our focus for the next year will be “Advance the Gospel.” When an army invades new territory, they have two objectives. First, they have to establish a base of operation before they are able to advance. That pattern repeats itself until the army is successful to complete their mission.

For the past two years, I feel like we have been in an “establishing” phase of our work here at Huffman Baptist Church. Now, it is time to Advance! I’ll be sharing some specific information about what that means, so you will not want to miss it!

Global Impact Weekend

Our second annual Global Impact Weekend will take place on Saturday & Sunday, January 15th & 16th. On Saturday morning, we will have a community engagement mission project. Be on the lookout for more information in the next week or so. Then on Sunday morning, we will welcome Dr. Danny Wood, Pastor Emeritus of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, to challenge us to live and to give on mission. We are hopeful that many of our ministry partners, whom we support through The Blessing, will be with us that morning. Thank you for being a church that is committed to making Jesus known across the street and around the world!

The Kingdom of God is at Hand

On January 23rd we will kick off the next chapter in our journey through Matthew’s Gospel. In this next chapter we will follow Jesus through the wilderness of temptation, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and to the mountain where he shared the values of the Kingdom. I am excited about this next chapter and ask that you pray for me as I prepare!

A Few More Changes

With the retirements of Pat and Faye, we are looking forward to welcoming Rev. Bill Sears to serve as Interim Administrative Pastor. Bill comes to us with more than three decades of experience as an education minister and executive pastor. His former churches include Eastside Birmingham; Bethel in Moody; FBC Pleasant Grove; Cottage Hill Mobile; FBC Jackson, MS; and FBC Panama City, FL. Bill’s primary role will be to help us through this transition time as we evaluate and assign the various roles and responsibilities that Pat and Faye fulfilled. Bill will be with us this coming Sunday morning.

As mentioned previously, we are also moving away from our previous church database provided by ACS Technologies. For the past several months, we have been experimenting with Planning Center Online for Wednesday night signups as well as Sunday School attendance. Effective January 1, this will be our only church database.

Online Giving – If you previously used our online giving platform through Abundant, please note that starting January 1st we will transition to giving through Planning Center. We will provide links through the church website. The last date to give using the Abundant platform is December 31st. If you have questions shoot me an email or a text, and I’ll be happy to help you!

Church, it is an absolute blessing to serve as your pastor. On behalf of the entire staff, thank you for an amazing 2021!

 

This time last year we were looking forward to turning the page and leaving 2020 behind. It turns out that 2021 has brought its own challenges. So, once again we enter the final month of the year with anticipation and hope.

Making Jesus Known

December is an excellent time for you to invite someone to church. Studies have shown that most people will attend a worship service if they are invited. And their receptivity increases during the Christmas season. Be praying about the opportunity to invite someone.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we will begin a new series: A Tale of Two Kingdoms from the Gospel of Matthew. Because of the length of Matthew’s Gospel, we will present several mini-series beginning with The Advent of the King from Matthew 1-3. Each week we will explore the themes of Advent – Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love – ending with Christ and a celebration of the Lord’s Supper on December 26^th.

Our worship ministry will present Christmas at Huffman on Sunday afternoon, December 19^th. This will be an afternoon filled with the music of Christmas featuring soloists, the worship team, and our choir. Our friends at Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship will join us. And we might even have a few other surprises.

Across the Street

On Saturday, December 18^th Huffman Baptist Church in partnership with Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship and the Christian Service Mission will bless 100 families in our neighborhood. These are families we have ministered to over the past two years through food distribution. We will invite them to our Recreation Center for a free “shopping” experience. Christian Service Mission is providing thousands of free items including clothing, electronics, health and beauty supplies, bedding, and toys.

There are many ways for you to be involved. First, we are also asking for Sunday School classes to write Christmas cards with gospel messages to include in the give away. But we also need volunteers the week before the Outreach event to help unpack and display the items. Then on Saturday morning, we will need volunteers to greet families, assist them with their shopping, and engage them in prayer and gospel conversations.

This is a fantastic opportunity for us to live out our vision of making Jesus known across the street. For more information and to volunteer, go to our homepage at huffmanbaptist.org.

Around the World 

I am thankful for the vision of my predecessors who saw the need for a unified mission offering, which we call The Blessing. Through God’s blessing and your faithfulness, we have already given $60,000 to The Blessing through the end of October! We want to have a strong finish and surpass our goal of $68,700 so that we can bless our mission partners and continue to make Jesus known.

Deacon Election

Earlier this fall, our church family nominated thirty-two members to be considered for the office of deacon. In accordance with our Policies and Procedures, the Deacon Screening Committee ranked the nominees starting with the member receiving the most nominations. The Committee then reviewed each nominee’s qualifications to serve as stated in Article IV, Sections 4 and 5 of the church by-laws. Those who did not meet the qualifications were removed from the nominated list.

In November, The Deacon Screening Committee presented a list of twelve qualified nominees to the Deacon Council for their approval. These nominees who are willing to serve will be presented to the church for your approval on December 12^th during a called Family Meeting.

Some Changes for 2022

As previously announced, we are moving to a new digital platform in January. For those of you who are “internet savvy,” you may want to go ahead and download the Church Center app for your smartphone. This will give you access to the church calendar and allow you to register for various events and to give online. To access the same information from your computer, visit huffmanbaptist.churchcenter.com/home

As we make this transition, allow me to answer some questions that you may be asking. First, no one has access to your personal information except for you. Staff members and group leaders only have access to your information that is applicable for their ministry assignment. Second, there is absolutely no connection between Church Center and any social media platform. And finally, while we are moving toward a more digital approach, you will still have non-digital options.

Starting in January, The Source will also take on a fresh look and a new primary delivery method. Most of you will receive the monthly newsletter in your email inbox, so it’s important that we have your correct email address. You can verify and update that information in Church Center. Printed copies will also be available for those who do not have an email address.

A few weeks ago, Jack Green asked me where I thought the church would be in two years. It was an interesting question. One which I am asked in one way or another fairly regularly. It is also a question that deserves a thoughtful response.

The truth is that I don’t know where the church will be in two years. On July 14, 2019 I stood before you as a pastoral candidate and laid out the truth about what lay ahead for us, should we choose to embark upon this journey of church revitalization. I said that our situation would likely get worse before it got better. And that was without any knowledge of Covid!

As I look back over the past two years, I am encouraged. And I hope you are, too. No, we haven’t seen net growth. We haven’t baptized anyone. We haven’t reached any young families. Not yet. But here’s what we have seen. In spite of the expected challenges of revitalization and the unexpected challenges of Covid, God has brought new members and regular attenders to our church family. We have become more diverse.

If you had asked me back in 2019 where I thought we would be in 2021, I would have painted a pretty bleak picture. I would have forecasted our attendance numbers to be about where they are now. But I wouldn’t have accounted for those who remain connected via our online presence. When you add those two groups together, we have experienced growth.

I would have also forecasted a sharp decline in our financial stability. The Financial Plan for Ministry that the church approved last Fall for 2021 budgeted for a $100,000 deficit. You read that correctly. We went into this year expecting to use as much as $100,000 from our reserves. But at the end of the third quarter, we had only used $13,000 from our reserves! As one of my seminary professors used to say, “There’s an ancient Greek word for that, WOW!” Our income is up compared to last year, and during the third quarter we exceeded our quarterly giving goals for the first time in more than a decade.

I don’t know where we will be in two years. But I know that God has positioned us, at this very moment, for a purpose. Like Esther in the Old Testament, he has brought us to northeast Birmingham for such a time as this (Esther 4:12-17). Esther risked everything, including her own life, to save the Hebrew people. She risked everything to fulfill God’s plan to deliver the Jews.

Yes, I believe that God has brought us to this place for such a time as this. And it is His good pleasure to use us to make Jesus known in northeast Birmingham. But it’s going to involve risk. We can not play it safe. We’ve got to be willing to leverage everything we have for the sake of the gospel.

The budget that was presented to the church at our Family Meeting in October is a bold step forward. As was the case last year, it will likely involve the use of reserves. But it also leads us to accomplish our mission:

We will be a family of churches who are sending transformed people to make Jesus known across the street and around the world.

It leads us to fulfill our vision:

We desire to be a neighborhood church for northeast Birmingham.

And it provides the financial resources to fuel our strategy:

Gather > Grow > Go >

I don’t know where we will be in two years. But God does. So, let’s stay focused on Him. Committed to living out our mission. Committed to making our vision a reality. And committed to following our strategy.

 

As many of you know, I am a runner. And as I write this, we have been enjoying some really nice mornings for the past week. Temperatures have been mostly in the 50s. Ideal running weather. Fall is in the air! Some seasons of the year are better for running than others. Fall and early Spring are my favorite running seasons. Winter would be next. Yes, it’s cold, but you can dress appropriately. And then there is Summer. Those hot and humid mornings that sap every ounce of energy (and sweat) from your body. Summer is awful for running. But I do it anyway. I press on.

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi encouraging them to press on. Using his own experience he wrote, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). No matter the season. Press on. No matter the obstacles. Press on.

There is a sense of anticipation these past few weeks at Huffman Baptist Church. Fall is in the air. Your staff is praying and planning for 2022. We are actively looking to see where God is working so that we can join him to make Jesus known across the street and around the world. We press on!

2022 Financial Plan for Ministry

The most tangible expressions of our prayers and plans are the church calendar and the church financial plan for ministry (budget). God is under no obligation to resource our plans for his church, but he will spare no expense of heaven to resource his plans for his church. As we have prayed, we have sought his plan. And the financial plan for ministries that we will present to the church at our Quarterly Family Meeting is a reflection of what we believe to be God’s plans for Huffman Baptist Church. I hope you will join us on October 17 at 3:00 pm in the Worship Center.

Community Engagement

During the month of October we will have three opportunities to engage our neighbors in ministry. The first will be on Tuesday, October 5th as we host the runoff election for the City of Birmingham. Once again, we will welcome hundreds of our neighbors onto our campus as they cast their votes for the District 1 representative on the Birmingham City Board of Education. As we did in the general election in August, we will welcome them with bottles of cold water and an offer to pray for them. We will start around 8:30 and continue until we run out of bottles of water. There is no sign up for this event, and you can come anytime for as long as you are able.

The next community engagement opportunity will be on Tuesday, October 12th from 11:00 until Noon. Through our partnership with the Christian Service Mission and Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship, we will distribute 100 boxes of food (dry goods) to families in our neighborhood. There is no sign up for this event.

The third community engagement opportunity will take place on Sunday, October 31st from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. This will be our Fall Festival. There are multiple ways for you to participate in this event. First, you can pray. Pray that God would use our efforts to build relationships with our neighbors that will result in families being transformed by the glorious gospel of Jesus! Second, you can bring bags of individually wrapped candy to the church. Storage bins are located at the three main entrances to the church. And finally, you can volunteer to serve on Sunday afternoon. We need dozens of church members to man the activities. But we also need church members to just mingle with and get to know our neighbors. To sign up, visit https://huffmanbaptist.churchcenter.com/registrations

Eastern Area Christian Ministries (EACM)

For decades Huffman Baptist members have served alongside our neighboring churches to meet the needs of people in our community through the ministry of EACM. We are thankful for each of you who have served over the years, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have made a difference in our community through this ministry. It is with sadness that we report that the EACM Board of Directors have made the decision to cease operations and to transfer all assets to the Lovelady Center as soon as possible.

Deacon Nominations

We will continue to receive nominations for the office of deacon through October 31st. Nomination forms are available at the entrances to the Worship Center, or you can submit your nominations online by visiting https://huffmanbaptist.org/deacons/

When I was a kid, I loved amusement parks. What am I talking about. I still love amusement parks. We went to Disney World when I was a teenager. And we made several trips to Six Flags Over Georgia. But our most frequented amusement park was Miracle Strip at Panama City Beach. And my favorite rides… The roller coasters. The Starliner at Miracle Strip. The Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags. And of course, Space Mountain at Disney.

Amusement park roller coasters are fun. The roller coaster we’ve ridden the past eighteen months… Not so much. In last month’s edition of The Source, the title of my article was “Turning the Page.” Our July attendance was back to pre-Covid levels. We held a successful Vacation Bible School. We even met our budget in July. But for the past five weeks, we have dealt with the latest surge of Covid.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the roller coaster. I want to get off! And yet, our opportunities to make Jesus known have never been greater. Just this week, we served our neighbors as they came to the HBC Rec Center to vote in the Birmingham City Election. We offered voters, poll workers and campaign representatives a bottle of cold water, a friendly smile, and an opportunity for prayer. It was a really good day!

Deacon Nominations

During the months of September and October you have an opportunity to nominate up to twelve church members to serve a one-year term on our Deacon Council. Since all of our deacons serve a one-year term, all of our current deacons are eligible provided they are nominated, meet the qualifications, and agree to serve. Nomination forms can be found on the church website or in the church office.

Click Here to Nominate Online

Please review these biblical qualifications which give requirements for general reputation, spiritual attributes and family relationships.

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3 HCSB).

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And they must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:8-13 HCSB

Each person nominated must also meet the following qualifications and if elected will be held accountable by the Deacon Officers for continuing to meet these qualifications:

1. Be a member of Huffman Baptist Church with two (2) consecutive years of membership.
2. Be at least twenty-five (25) years of age.
3. Exhibit a good report both within and without the church.
4. Regularly attend church services, Deacons’ meetings and business meetings unless providentially hindered.
5. Cooperate in a willing manner with the Senior Pastor, staff and elected church leadership in the execution of the church’s mission, purpose and vision.
6. Be a consistent financial steward, in keeping with biblical qualifications.

I am thankful for our deacons. They serve the Lord and His church faithfully. They support our church staff. And they offer wise leadership.

For the past sixteen months, we have carefully and prayerfully navigated the Covid environment in an effort to keep our membership and our community safe. Thanks to God’s gracious hand of protection and your diligence to follow protocols and to get vaccinated, we are now ready to turn the page and begin the next chapter of Huffman Baptist Church’s story.

In recent weeks, many of us have heard anecdotal reports of Covid outbreaks among some area churches. Understandably, that has caused a level of concern for some of you. After consulting with a physician whom I trust and with our HBC Leadership Team, we do not see any need to alter our plans to return to full operation without Covid restrictions. Although we will not require masks or social distancing, feel free to mask up and/or sit apart from others if it makes you feel more comfortable.

There is a lot of misinformation floating around about the recent rise of Covid infections. The physician whom I consulted reiterated that vaccinated people have little chance of getting infected and an even smaller chance of being seriously ill or passing the virus on to someone else. Please continue to monitor your own health and consult your physician for medical advice. We will continue to offer an online option for Sunday morning worship and Wednesday prayer meeting for those who are not comfortable gathering in person.

Wednesday Relaunch

It has been sixteen months since we last gathered in person on Wednesday evenings for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship around the tables. All of that changes on August 11th! Here is the schedule:

• 4:30 | Prayer and an Encouraging Word
• 5:30 | Wednesday Night Supper (served until 6:15)
• 6:30 | HBC Choir Rehearsal
  • • • KidsBlast Ministries
      • Youth Bible Study
      • Adult Bible Study

Wednesday Night Suppers will require advanced reservations and pre-payment by 9:00 AM on Monday morning. For your convenience, you will be able to register each week by visiting our registration page:

https://huffmanbaptist.churchcenter.com/registrations

For those who are not on the internet, you will be able to sign up on Sunday morning, by leaving a check in the offering plate with a note on the memo line indicating who you are registering. Cost for supper will be $8 for adults, $4 for youth (grades 6-12), and $3 for children.

Family Meeting

Our next quarterly Family Meeting will take place on August 15th at 3:00 PM. In addition to hearing exciting reports about God’s activity in and through HBC, we will also ordain Michael Duvall and Richard Rogers to the deacon ministry. This will be an incredibly special time for these faithful servants and their families, and I hope you will plan now to join us. The Deacons will meet at 2:00 in the Fellowship Hall prior to the Family Meeting.

Huffman Homecoming

Due to planning and some Covid concerns, we have postponed the Homecoming originally scheduled for August 22nd. We look forward to celebrating with past and present members in the Spring of 2022.

Sunday, July 25th is Back to Church Sunday at Huffman Baptist Church! We are so excited. And, yes, I am fully aware that many of us have already returned to in-person church. But for the past year, we have been working on a modified schedule. And this Sunday, we are launching our “new normal.”

To help us get “Back to Church,” I have invited a friend and mentor to be our guest speaker. Dr. Joe McKeever is a pastor, writer and cartoonist. He will bring a word of encouragement during the morning worship service. And as an added treat, he will be on hand in the children’s building to draw children (and their parents) prior to Sunday School.

Kids Blast Children’s Ministry

Right now, we are in the middle of an incredibly exciting time of Vacation Bible School. We have kids from Huffman Baptist, kids from Kingdom Family, and kids from the neighborhood… All learning about Jesus. And we are hoping to keep engaging these children and their families on Sunday morning with the official launch of the combined children’s ministries of Huffman Baptist and Kingdom Family. Welcome to Kids Blast Ministry!

Parents of preschoolers and children will use the Children’s Building entrance. Sunday School will begin at 9:30, and we will have preschool extended session and children’s worship starting at 10:30. All preschoolers, children and youth will meet on the first floor of the “C” Building (this is where the preschoolers and children have been during VBS).

• Babies and Toddlers | 158-C
• Preschool-K5 | 157-C
• Grades 1-3 | 159-C
• Grades 4-6 | 160-C
• Youth Grades 7-12 | Founder’s Room

Adult Sunday School

Covid has created quite the shift in alignment for our Sunday School classes. It has also brought on the permanent departure of our Adult Department Assemblies. Sunday School will continue to start at 9:30, but we are encouraging our classes to enjoy coffee and conversation prior to class. All adult classes will meet on the second and third floors of the “A” Building. Note: the adults met on the first floor of the “A” building during VBS.

• Linda Word | 310-A
• Ed Wright | 320-A (Back left corner room)
• Kathy Spencer | 330-A (Back right corner room)
• Auston Young | 210-A (First room on the left)
• Single Adult 1 | 210-A (Middle Room on the left)
• Armstrong/Tanner/Worthington | 210-A (Back left corner room)
• Jack Green/Hasan Muhammad (temporary combination) | 220-A (Back left corner room)
• Linda Smith | 210-A (back right corner room)

I am super excited about all that God is doing at Huffman Baptist Church. Thank you for being a part of making Huffman a neighborhood church for Northeast Birmingham.