Canaan Baptist Family Blog

 Pressing Towards the Prize

“Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching toward to those things which are ahead.” Phil 3:13

January will be Journey Month at Canaan. Beginning January 10^th each Sunday we’ll focus on one of the steps in our Journey – Loving God on 10^th; Sharing Life on 17^th; Serving Others on 24^th and Showing Jesus on the 31^st. I hope you’ll make your plans to be in attendance each of these Sundays. We will have special music, props, testimonies and sermons to highlight each leg in the Journey. We’ll culminate the month with our Annual Journey Commitment Sunday on the last Sunday in January. Sunday School Shepherd’s please support the effort by contacting absentees weekly.

Sunday, January 3^rd we’ll have our Family Devotional Books ready. These devotionals for January are written by members of our Fellowship to be an encouragement to couples and families. I hope you’ll get you’re copy and spend time together with the Lord. Remember the family that worships (prays) together stays together. This Sunday we’ll celebrate Bro Charles 5^th anniversary at Canaan. This is an important milestone in His Journey here. Please let him, Angie, Briley and Matthew know how much you appreciate them this month!

Sunday, January 17^th we’ll celebrate the arrival of several new additions to our Fellowship. At the beginning of both services we’ll share in a Family/Baby Dedication. God is increasing our number in a multitude of ways. Too Him be the Glory!

Let me close by expressing our gratitude for the many expressions of love during the holidays. Church family you blessed me and Ritta in a number of ways and we are so grateful. We love you!

Your grateful partner in the Journey,

Bro Morgan

“…I will build My Church, And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Jesus, Matthew 16:18

Monday, August 10th we launch our TOUCH Training Camp and again we will be pushing back the very gates of Hell! Every Monday TOUCH night is special but there’s something very captivating about our 7 week camps. Equipped with the empowering Spirit of God and the enlightening Sword of His Word we’re

privileged to penetrate the kingdom of darkness with the marvelous light of His Gospel. In every visit there is a sense that Heaven comes down combating the forces of evil in the ongoing Spiritual warfare for the souls of men. How encouraging it is to Pastor a church that is not content to sit on the sidelines but is eager to bring Hope to those entangled in the web of hopelessness. Jesus remains the answer to the questions that plague contemporary man. If you have not made your commitment for TOUCH it is not too late! Call the office and let us know your desire to be counted as we push back the gates.

I’m looking forward to being back in the pulpit on Sunday, August 9th Lord willing. Please know that your prayers, support and encouragement have been an incredible part of our healing process. Sunday I’ll launch our Fall Sermon Series in Exodus entitled – Our Journey Home. I hope you’ll make plans to join us as we explore the incredible parallel between Israel’s journey to their home in the Promise Land and our journey home to Heaven. As the Father prepared Israel He is preparing us to enjoy Him now and forever as we live for His glory.

Our Annual Sunday School Summit is just a week away – Sunday, August 16th. Your staff is excited about being the faculty this year. It will be a wonderful opportunity to bond with Russ & Michael and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share with our adult teachers. Bro. Charles will be meeting with our Care Group leaders and officers. As always, Sunday evening will be a wonderful Sunday School celebration!

Your grateful partner for the Journey,

Bro Morgan

Ritta and I remain grateful, humbled and blessed by this wonderful Body of Believers. In showering us with your love and support you have lived out Paul’s admonition to the church in Ephesians 4:15-16. The Great Physician has heard you’re prayers bringing us through surgery and placing us ahead of schedule in our recovery. We have received a wonderful “report” from the doctors and the prognosis is encouraging! Every card and visit has encouraged us. The wonderful meals have provided fuel for our healing. Your faithfulness to church in our absence has inspired us. Our love for the “Family of Families” grows with each passing day!

Please remember Bro. Morgan and Ritta, and their boys, in your prayers.  Bro. Morgan will have his partial liver resection surgery tomorrow (Tuesday, July 14) at UAB Downtown at 8:00am.  We will update this blog when we know anything.  If you call the hospital, he will be listed under “Bibb Bailey”.  Thank you!

Here is the previous post for your information:

After Bro. Morgan’s most recent doctor’s appiontment, they have determined that another surgery will be the best strategy for him to be cancer free. The spots on his liver have grown slightly, so on Tuesday, July 14th, Dr. Heslin will perform a liver resection. Two tumors will be cut away from the right lower lobe of the liver. Bro. Morgan will then spend eight to ten days in the hospital recouperating. The surgery will be done at UAB, downtown Birmingham. Please lift Bro. Morgan and Mrs. Ritta up in your prayers. Continue to pray for them along with their family and the hospital staff in the upcoming weeks. To God be the glory, great things He has done……and WILL do!

Michael Gay

Welcome Michael & Whitney Gay to Canaan Baptist Church!

Michael will be serving as our Student Minister.  He has a great heart for students and their families.  He has a real passion for our Lord!  Come and visit with our Student Ministry to see for yourself! 

Email him: mgay@canaanbaptist.net

We had a wonderful week in Vacation Bible School this week.  We topped out our enrollment around 273 with 12 (plus) decisions for salvation.  The joy of seeing lives changed makes a great milestone:

**** Children making decisions

**** A host of volunteers (missionaries) serving from a passionate heart

**** A great Family Night with a lot of connections to new families (without a church home)

Looking forward to VBS follow-up - which has already begun this week!!!

We welcome our new Children’s Minister, Russ Price and family.  He will begin his duties as Children’s Minister on May 31.  Drop him a note of welcome at rprice@canaanbaptist.net

We are so fortunate to welcome our newest staff member, Russ Price.  He and his wife, Angela, come to us from Louisville, KY, where he graduated Boyce College.  They both are natives from Prattville, Alabama, where her dad serves as a pastor. 

Russ will be our full-time Children’s Minister.  Please welcome him on board.

Russ Price: rprice@canaanbaptist.net

We received the following message from the Ukraine Mission team:

It is our last day working in the clinc.  We saw over 75 folks today.  There were 15 decisions made during the day.  There is so much more to share and look foward to share them with you personally.  Everyone is healthy!

www.reachukraine.org

Canaan Baptist Church joined with other churches in the community last night at our “Kick-off” event for the National Day of Prayer.    Our focus continues today as we joined with the people of Bessemer at the 1st Presbyterian Church.  Everyone is invited to attend today at 11:45am.

Canaan Baptist Church’s Young at Heart Choir will be performing.