Long time - no post / Revival / Bible Institute

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted on this blog. The summer has been unexpectedly busy.

I know our church folks know, but others may not know that several weeks ago our church basement sustained a heavy blow with a flood. The drain lines backed up during some heavy rains and we had 3 to 4 inches of water throughout the whole basement of the church building. It has been a mess ever since. We've been make-shifting Sunday School classes. My wife's class has been meeting in the parsonage living room. The 5th and 6th grade class has been meeting on our front porch and the Helper class (2 yrs.-K) has been using the nursery. Needless to say, this has been taking up much time and work, and has generally been a major headache. The workers are supposed to begin this week restoring the basement.

Our Revival starts Tuesday, August 12th and runs through Friday, August 15th. My pastor, Bro. Bob Lamb, will be preaching each night. The services begin at 7:00 p.m. I'm really looking forward to seeing Bro. Lamb. Though he is retired from pastoring, he's still my pastor and my favorite preacher! Pray with us that the Lord would send REVIVAL - I need it!

Classes will soon begin in our Bible Institute this Fall. I'm excited because we will have five students this semester. For information about our Institute, visit the FRMBI web page.

Summer Youth Camp Report

We had a great time at camp this year. Some of the highlights were great singing, challenging preaching, good fellowship, and exciting competition - like volleyball, big-ball volleyball, blind volleyball (they played a lot of volleyball), kickball, goofy kickball, Frisbee swat and the camp favorite, softball. We also did a "reference relay" where the youth did various relay races. The winners received clues to Scripture references and the team that guessed the Bible reference first won. Once again the Bible quizzing was a main event each day with questions regarding the sermons. The young people did real well.

Thanks to all those who participated; campers, counselors, and especially the kitchen staff - GREAT FOOD!!!!

I'll get pictures up soon.

God's Mercies Are New Every Morning

This morning I woke up not really looking forward to the next few days. Not that I'm not excited about going to camp next week. It's the two weeks before that are so overwhelming. I won't bore you with those details. You wouldn't believe me anyway.
As I was getting going this morning I was listening to Legacy Five's new CD "God's Been Good". The chorus to one song got my attention. Here are the words:

Every morning His mercies are new.
Every morning God is smiling on you.
Give Him glory in everything you do.
This is the day God has made.
Be encouraged He is working His plan
To turn it all around like only He can.
If you think you’ve run out of grace,
He’s got more, more each day you face;
For His mercies are new every morning.

Another song says, "The moment I get up there, I'll forget down here." Wow! What a thought.

The Lord immediately reminded me that all the trials down here will be long forgotten in heaven. Of all that we do down here, only those things that have eternal value will matter up there! Kind of puts things in perspective. With all the water problems we've had at church and the parsonage this past week - and they're not over - I know that the Lord has a purpose for them. He is in control and I know He can - He will turn things around like only He can. There's more grace day after day to get through the trials. He's got more each day we face!

I am so excited about camp next week, but if I'm not careful, I'll let the problems down here (Flat Rock) block all the anticipation of what's going to happen up there (Camp). That's how I applied that to me at this moment.

Whatever you're going through, if you're His child, His mercies are new every morning. Give Him the praise and glory He deserves. He will come through for you.

By His grace and in His grip,

Pastor Hugan

Great VBS!! / Camp Plans in High Gear

We had a great week of Vacation Bible School last week. We had a decent turnout of kids and our VBS staff did a tremendous job all week long!! I'll be getting pictures up as soon as I get them from out church photographer.
Now we move forward to camp. The next few weeks will be completely overwhelming to me. The few weeks before camp always are. Pray for me.

VBS Preparation

Sunday afternoon some of us got together to set up for this week's Vacation Bible School. This year's theme is "The Good News Games".

New Web Site for FRMBC

It's taken some time and effort, but FRMBC now has a brand new web site. Bro. Lentz put in a lot of time getting our web problems straightened out. He not only secured a new web host, he designed and implemented the look that is now the New FRMBC on the web. Many thanks to Bro. Lentz for his excellent work!!

The web address is www.frmbc.com. Be sure and check it out.

Spring Is Here - The Work Moves Ahead

Well, Spring is here, and that means Spring Cleaning. Bro. Lentz mentioned something about this in his Discovery Bible Clubs devotion. Many are doing this in their homes and around their houses. Furthermore, there are also things to be done around the church: broken window to be fixed, bathrooms to be repainted and spruced up, the outside of the building needing to be painted, play set to be stained, and a ditch that needs to be cleared of much wooded-debris.

Even with the material we cannot leave off the spiritual. With VBS, Youth Camp, Revival, and any other summer time ministries, we need to be sure not to put the spiritual down on the priority list because of the material. Both need our attention; and it is when every "joint supplieth" (Eph. 4:16) that the work is made easier for everyone.

So as we get to the spring cleaning and the summer business, let's not forget the needs at church and work together to keep God's house in good shape; physically and spiritually.

Faithfulness - Our Reasonable Service

Yesterday was the day that many people in the "Christian" realm celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. While I have no problem emphasizing Christ's resurrection during this time of year, I believe the Lord's true churches are to celebrate it EVERY Sunday. The Lord's true churches began to worship (not take a Sabbath rest) on the first day of the week right after Christ's resurrection.

I received a few e-mails on the pastors e-mail groups I'm on, mentioning the "CEO" Christians that come out of the wood works. CEO = Christmas and Easter Only. These are people that make such a big deal out of Christmas and Easter, neither of which are really Christian holidays (do your history research - they've been reworked by man to accommodate people), and yet seem to care less about the things of God the rest of the time. These "CEOs" get religious for a few days to make themselves feel good. Then they go about their own merry, often sinful, ways.

Then there are the "CEOVs". These are those believers, and even Baptist church members, who use Christmas and Easter, and other holidays to take a "vacation" from church. These are those who use these occasions as excuses and claim them as legitimate excuses to absent themselves from the normal ministries of the church. I'm not saying it's wrong to take a vacation now and then. However, there are times when these "holidays" come around that you can count on some to "take a rest" from the Lord and the church.

With all that said, I am thankful for those believers who truly love the Lord; who don't use man-made "special days" as excuses to leave God out of their plans. Thank the Lord for God's people who don't see faithfulness as some extra-credit work they do for the Lord; but rather see faithfulness as their Reasonable Service!

Bible Institute News

Even though I posted this on my personal blog, I figured I would place it here as well.

The Bible Institute classes are going very well. Bro. Matt Rowland is progressing in his studies and with just over a year to go, he's earnestly pressing toward the mark. It has been good to have Bro. Tom Cavanaugh taking a class during each semester as well. Last semester he took Bibliology and this semester he's taking the Book of Daniel. I think it's good for Bro. Matt to have another person in class. I like it too.
I'm hoping some of our high school seniors will consider taking some classes next year. I'm prepared to teach a specific "one year" study for high school graduates to attend prior to any secular school they may be planning to attend. I've always believed that even if a graduate is not going to four years of Bible college, they should take one year first, then go to a community college, or the like, for their career. I have the right courses for them to take. I pray they will take advantage of them. The worldly minded would say that would be a waste of time. Truth says, it's a solid investment to help prepare them for what's ahead.
Take a look at the FRMBI information at our web site.

The FRMBI page

Willing Servants Quartet in Jackson

This past Saturday we traveled over to Jackson, MI and spent the afternoon with Pastor Mike Channell and the folks at Faith Baptist Church. Despite the cold and the snow outside, the warmth of sweet fellowship with God's people was wonderful inside!
The guys did a great job ministering in song. They even sang a new song (to them) "He Lifted My Burdens", that talks about how Christ took away our sins and washed us clean. We almost have enough songs to do a recording; maybe in a couple of months.
After the quartet sang, I preached a message on "Being Blessed Believing the Bible" - say that 10 times fast.
After the services the folks from the church took us to Denny's restaurant for a lunch/dinner. Boy was that chicken sandwich good!!!!! If I would have had my camera, I would have taken a picture of it sitting next to those seasoned fries, and put it in this post. Oh well, you'll just have to imagine it going in my mouth... hmmmmmmm good!!!!!! I guess you'll have to settle for this picture taken on my wife's Palm phone. Yes, we forgot the camera.