We're continuing to offer the following Worship Service options for you:
• In the Sanctuary . . .
• In your Home or on your Phone . . . through Facebook Live & YouTube
• In the Sanctuary . . .
• In your Home or on your Phone . . . through Facebook Live & YouTube
A brief overview of the announcements
appearing in our January 19 worship bulletin:
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Good Lord Willing & the Creek Don’t Rise
Sunday Services 9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship Service —11am Children’s Church 6pm Evening Service Wednesday Services ...Midweek at the Creek....................... 5:30pm Fellowship Meal 6pm Bible Study Groups —2 Groups for Children —1 Group for Youth —2 Groups for Adults |
• January 19/Sun (2pm) Kaylee Murray (& Randall Nolen)
Bridal Shower • January 23/Thu (6:30pm) Christian Women Connection [Pam Bost Residence] • January 24/Fri (6pm) Youth Ministries Game Night [Fellowship Hall] • February 2/Sun (3:30pm) Ministries Council Meeting • February 2/Sun (4:30pm) Board of Trustees Meeting • February 12/Wed (5:30pm) JOY (Just Older Youth) Mentoring Club Gathering • February 14/Fri (3:30pm) Youth Ministries Strawberry Fundraiser [LEC] • February 20/Thu (6:30pm) Christian Women Connection • February 22/Sat (11am) Youth Ministries Bowling [Murray, KY] • March 2/Sun (3:30pm) Ministries Council Meeting • March 2/Sun (4:30pm) Board of Trustees Meeting • March 6-8/Thu-Sat (6pm) Spirit of One Youth Services [First Church of the Nazarene] • March 8/Sat (TBD) Camp Overton Workday • March 12/Wed (5:30pm) JOY (Just Older Youth) Mentoring Club Gathering • March 13-16/Thu-Sun—Tennessee State Youth Convention [Gatlinburg: Park Vista] • {March 19/Wed—NO Midweek at the Creek due to Spring Break} • March 26/Wed (5:30pm) JOY (Just Older Youth) Mentoring Club Gathering • March 27/Thu (6:30pm) Christian Women Connection |
Have you noticed our “Tithes & Offerings” receptacle in the entrance hallway? (On the left wall as you enter—by the nursery door?) Please feel free to drop in your contribution! Plus, we now have a program through which you can now contribute your tithes and offerings to the church online! All you have to do is click on the Tithe.ly Online Giving link; a Dyers Creek First Church of God window will open through which you can designate an amount and the account from which you’d like to give. (You can even set up a recurring gift, if you so choose.) Where might you find this link? One place is toward the end of your Preview of the Creek and This Week at the Creek emails. Another is on our Facebook pages (both The Church at Dyers Creek and Dyers Creek First Church of God), where the link is pinned to the top of each page. And a third way is on our website (www.dyerscreek.com) through the “Give” button toward the bottom of each page. But whatever manner you choose to give, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving to the work of God’s church!
We’ve been blessed during this season to add to our support of the Family Olalde Mission so that they were able to purchase food and gifts and toys for some 230 children—and to hold six Christmas festivals in six different locales—in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, where some of the hardest-to-reach people of Native American descent live. Charlie Olalde, while extending his deepest gratitude to our church for pouring into the family’s mission work, was reduced to tears. He told our Rhonda Hendrickson that no one helps the mission like our church does and that we could have no idea of the impact we’re making not only on his family’s lives but also on the lives of all the people they’re able to reach with the gospel. In an email message thanking the church, Charlie explained that “when we arrived at the first festival, we saw more than double the children and families than we expected. That made me a little nervous because I thought we would not have enough for everyone. So I prayed asking the Lord, ‘If you multiplied the loaves and the fishes, please multiply the food and gifts and toys for the children; they need it so much.’ I felt peace that it was all in God’s hands and that He would do his work. When the time came to distribute the food and gifts and toys, there was enough for everyone in abundance! When we were finished and I put the leftover presents in our truck, I could not close the door! It seemed that instead of distributing, we now had so much more to give! We had planned on three festivals, but we ended up having six! And after that, we still had a bag of toys that we handed out at a Christian school. It was all such a great blessing! And we give all the glory to God!”
Our Evening Service is a great way to wrap up your weekend! On Sundays at 6:00 in the sanctuary, this is a more open and familiar service—a time to share testimonies and prayer requests and sing some of your favorite hymns together as a congregation. Plus, you still get to hear a message from one of our pastors! And tonight, like most first Sundays of the month, the service will close with our sharing in communion.
We’ve received numerous thank-you notes from the ministries we’ve been blessed to help over the past few months—especially from the victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The full messages are on our entrance hallway bulletin board, but here are snippets of the gratitude we have received… From the First Church of God in Elizabethton, Tennessee: “Thank you for your most generous donation. You have helped to bless many in our community. There have been sixteen campers donated, and with help from God’s people like you, they are stocked with food and clothes and generators giving them a place to stay until they can return home.” From the Horse Creek Church of God in Chuckey, Tennessee: “Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness during our time of crisis. Because of the kindness of people like you, we are able to supply many needs that families throughout our area are having at this time. May God bless you abundantly more than you can think or ask.” From the First Church of God in Newport, Tennessee: “What a blessing to receive such a generous gift! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. Combined with your gift and others, we were able to help provide food water, cleaning supplies, monetary help, and much more to flood victims.” From the staff and students at Augusta University in Georgia: “Seeing the huge impact this has had on our community of students has been nothing short of amazing. You have been a blessing to many!”; “From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted to say thank you for your token of love. I can’t even convey in words how much this donation means to me. Thank you once again for your generosity”; “Thank you so much for the grocery card. The hurricane was a major hiccup for me financially, so this couldn’t have come at a better time. This is truly a blessing.” From the Chambers Family Ministry: “We have delivered sausage and bacon to Head Start students and filled up the empty meat section food pantries at the Good Samaritan Center in Dover plus pork chops and roasts to the Tennessee Baptist Ranch in Millington and the Dream Center for Women in Jackson. Couldn’t have done all this without you!” And from CASA of the Highland Rim: “Thank you so much for your generous donation to 2024 Champions for Children. Because of your donation, our organization will continue to train, support, and appoint Court Appointed Special Advocates for children who have experienced abuse and neglect in Stewart County.” {December 29, 2024}
We’ve got one more extravaganza to merry up your Christmas season, and it’s coming up tonight at 6:00! It is our annual (but kind of new and expanded) Candles & Carols service! You’ll have the opportunity to listen to some of your favorite songs of the season performed by our own and other local polished vocalists along with some talented local bands! Plus, you’ll get to join together to sing a few of your favorite Christmas carols and hymns as well—all of which highlight the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ—the true reason for the season. And following the service, you’re invited to join in for maybe three more “Cs,” that being Christmas cookies and cocoa and coffee! (If you can, bring along some of your homemade or even favorite store-bought cookies for us to munch on as we share in this Christmas fellowship together.) We sure would love to see you there! {December 22, 2024}
Are the pressures of life starting to steal your holiday spirit? Then do we have a solution for you! Coming up tonight is our Heaven Bound Creative Ministries Christmas Presentation of “A Christmas Hallelujah.” It all begins at 6:00 in the Life Enhancement Center. These full-fledged performances will feature black-light puppets, comedy skits, dramas, as well as performances by the Nazarene Creative Ministry Team and singing by several of our own vocalists—all guaranteed to reenergize your Christmas spirit! You’ll be reminded that the spirit of Christmas is found in our hearts—with our love for Jesus and for one another. Come on out and be inspired! {December 15, 2024}
If you have the heart for giving this Christmas season, here are a few ministries you might consider supporting: Chambers Family Ministries gives each child in Head Start a necessities gift bag along with a winter coat and several pounds of meat; our Christmas Community Assistance fund provides gifts for underprivileged children at our two elementary schools; Family Olalde Mission takes the Gospel and gifts to the hardest to reach people of Native American descent in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico; Clarksville Hope Pregnancy Center provides assistance and education to expectant mothers and their families; and our Nursing Home Ministries provides gifts and other much needed materials to the patients of the Dover Care Center. To donate, simply write a check to the church and designate any one of these ministries on the “FOR” line. {December 15, 2024}
Looking to boost your holiday spirit now that it’s December? You need look no farther than these three wonderful presentations coming up at Dyers Creek! Our Drive-Through Live Nativity portrays a variety of scenes (with live people and animals) of the birth and life of Jesus in a most moving way. These multiple staged biblical settings take place over two nights next weekend: the Saturday and Sunday nights of December 7th and 8th from 6:00 to 8:30. On the Sunday night of December 15th (at 6:00 in the Life Enhancement Center) is our Heaven Bound Creative Ministries Christmas Presentation involving many of our children and youth—guaranteed to reenergize your Christmas spirit. On the following Sunday evening of December 22nd at 6:00 is our Candles & Carols in which we share testimonials, read about the reason for the season, listen to some talented vocalists, and of course, join as a heavenly host together to sing some of our favorite Christmas carols and hymns. Plan now to come out and join in the celebration of the birth of the Christ child! {December 8, 2024}
This afternoon is our church’s big Thanksgiving Supper! The festivities begin at 4:30pm in the Life Enhancement Center. We’re asking that each family—if possible—bring either a side dish of vegetables or fruit or a casserole, a dessert, and a drink to contribute to our meal together. A few of you experts out there have already been enlisted to prepare your specialty plates of dressing or to bring some chicken dumplings! And the church will provide the hams and turkeys. (And if some of you have the time, we’d love to have a few volunteers arrive early at 3:30 to help carve those turkeys and hams.) Most importantly, come hungry to join in both the thanksgiving and the fellowship! (Our Thanksgiving Supper will be in lieu of Evening Service.) {November 24, 2024}
We have plenty of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes on hand in the entrance hallway as we join thousands of other churches in the preparation and collection of these boxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other small gifts, which will then be distributed in more than a hundred countries to impoverished children. Once your box is packed, you can place it on the platform in front of the sanctuary (where a few boxes already are). Today is the final day to bring in the boxes. For after that, all the boxes will be taken to shipment locations on their way to Samaritan’s Purse, which is an international Christian relief agency providing aid to people in physical need. Please know that we are also collecting funds to assemble Christmas boxes for our Family Olalde Missionaries, who work in the mountains around Oaxaca, Mexico, taking the Gospel to some of the hardest to reach people of Native American descent. In addition to their vast amount of year-round social work, each December they collect funds to purchase and distribute gifts to the poor children of these remote locales, where they hold a Christmas Festival celebrating the birth of Jesus and sharing openly with them about the love of God. (The mission will receive some sixty boxes from Samaritan’s Purse, but they will need at least a hundred more to make sure every child they minister to there receives a gift box.) To donate, simply write a check to the church and designate “Mexico Mission” on the “FOR” line. {November 24, 2024}
A presentation of Dyers Creek Creative Ministries in conjunction with Nazarene Creative Ministries, “Final Judgment” is a walk-through drama that presents the truth of people’s choices versus the consequences of those decisions in this life and the next. Taking place over two nights, the event is spread across the buildings and grounds of the church. Though it is free to the public, reservations must be made to be included in a group that be led to each of the different scenes of this soul-stirring story. The walk-through periods are at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 on Saturday evening (November 2) and at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 on Sunday evening (November 3). To reserve your date and time slot, text Lorri Threatt at 931-627-3329. (Note that this performance is targeted for middle school and high school youth—as well as adults—and is not appropriate for children under twelve years of age.) {October 27, 2024}
This afternoon, we’re going to gather down at the Pavilion on the other side of the creek for our Harvest Time Wiener Roast! All the fun kicks off at 5:00! There’ll be a bonfire to roast your hot dogs and marshmallows (bring a package or two with you—buns and condiments will be provided), some tables set up for chips and drinks and desserts (bring some of these too if you can), a horseshoe pit for honing your tossing skills (in a fairly mildly competitive fashion), and most likely a football passing and a frizbee or two sailing across the valley field. Also, be sure to bring along your best roasting sticks as well as your most comfortable camp chair! But the main thing is us getting together! For the fellowship just can’t be beat! We sure would love to see you there! {October 13, 2024}
Within a world so full of needs, Christian Women Connection (CWC) has been inspired to meet many of them through various ministries. This group of ladies of all ages meets once a month for Bible study and to equip each other to serve the church and community. The gathering itself is a vital time of sharing light appetizers, discussing concerns, and praying together as well. There’s a strong emphasis on missions support, whether that be local, state, national, or global (through Church of God Ministries and beyond). As such, these ladies work in partnership to provide multiple resources for other ministries. Tomorrow night (September 30) is their next meeting, which will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Contact Laura Gonzalez for more information. {September 29, 2024}
Our CreekWeb Internet Ministry is an excellent way to stay connected to the church with lots of online ways to keep in touch! You can get the complete text of the pastor’s message on Sundays (This Week at the Creek) or our emailed announcements on Fridays (Preview of the Creek), by sending an email to [email protected] and typing “Subscribe” in the subject line. Plus, we’ve got social media pages on Facebook (especially The Church at Dyers Creek) where you can check out our various posts and even watch—or view a recording of—the Sunday service. We’ve also uploaded a YouTube channel (The Church at Dyers Creek) as well, yet another place where you can watch—or view a recording of—the Sunday service. And yes, we do have a website (www.DyersCreek.com) where you can read the Worship Service message, catch up on announcements, and view an assortment of photos. So how about going online sometime this week and checking in with us?
This coming Wednesday night (September 11), Jonathan and Beth Todd will be sharing with us about their mission work in Brazil. Working with Brazilian leaders to help train new pastors both theologically and spiritually, the Todds teach at Boa Terra Amazônia, the Church of God seminary in Itaituba. In addition to their other work, they are serving alongside established pastors and local congregations to support church-planting initiatives, as well as providing pastoral support to these geographically distant ministers. They also act as a liaison between the North Brazil assembly and Global Strategy. (The Todds are one of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, each of whom will have joined us over the span of six weeks. Bobby and Jenny Mihsill, who serve in Côte d’Ivoire, shared with us on August 11; Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala, who serve in Belize, shared with us on August 28.) Though we will still be having our Fellowship Meal at 5:30, we will not be having our Bible studies following the meal due to this Global Missions Service. {September 8, 2024}
Do you find yourself wondering how you can help our pastors? One of the best ways to help them and their wives is to pray for them! There will be a calendar for each month posted on the bulletin board in the entrance hall. All you need to do is sign up for a day and commit to praying for Jeff and Jill Wallace and Verlon (Bubba) and Janis Pritchett on that day. It may not seem like much, but covering them in prayer daily is the number one way we can love and support them. There is so much more to ministry than preparing sermons and lessons. They would so very much appreciate prayers for guidance, wisdom, time management, endurance, and any other way you feel led to pray for them. Our hope is that knowing they are covered in prayer every day will help to uplift them. It is even a great way we can share in their ministry. (If you attend church online only and would like to sign up for a day of prayer, you can send a message to Laura Gonzalez via text at 931-627-1524 or email at [email protected].)
This coming Wednesday night (August 28), Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala will be sharing with us about their mission work in Belize. Providing medical relief and ongoing health education to schools and rural communities in Belize, the Ayalas are also diligently preparing future Christian leaders for these communities through scholarships granted to low-income high school students. In addition to their other work, they're also pastoring a growing church there. We sure would love to see you here as we welcome them to our church! (The Ayalas are one of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, each of whom have joined or will be joining us over the span of six weeks. Bobby and Jenny Mihsill, who serve in Côte d’Ivoire, shared with us on August 11. Jonathan and Beth Todd, who serve in Brazil, will be sharing with us on Wednesday, September 18—so go ahead and get that date on your calendar!) Though we will still be having our Fellowship Meal at 5:30, we will not be having our Bible studies following the meal due to this Global Missions Service.
Our Annual Business Meeting is coming up this Wednesday evening (August 21) at 6:00. As we gather for this meeting, we will be looking over the church’s past fiscal year and looking toward the new fiscal year that begins September 1. Next year’s budget proposal of $270,783, which represents a $11,850—or a 4.57 percent—increase over the past year, is posted on the entrance hallway bulletin board and will be voted on at Wednesday’s meeting. In addition to this item on the evening’s agenda, there will also be a vote to ratify a second three-year term for one member of the church’s Board of Trustees (Terry Bailey) and a first three-year term for three members (Laura Gonzalez, Jane Link, and Mike Miller. We sure would love to see you there as we talk about and make decisions toward our part in building up the Kingdom of God! (There will be no Midweek at the Creek Fellowship Meal or Bible Study Groups due to the Annual Business Meeting.)
For our Evening Service tonight (August 11), Bobby and Jenny Mihsill will be sharing with us about their mission work in Cote d’Ivoire. Bobby and Jenny work throughout this West African coastal nation alongside the Church of God, teaching at IBAO (West Africa Bible Institute) and helping develop the national church. They have also partnered with the church to implement and train leaders for the Children of Promise program. Yet another of their ministry responsibilities is to help coordinate and host mission teams. We sure would love to see you there as we welcome the Mihsill family to our church! (By the way, the Mihsills are one of a total of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, and all three couples will be joining us over the next couple of months, including Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala, who serve in Belize, on Wednesday, August 28, and Jonathan and Beth Todd, who serve in Brazil, on Wednesday, September 18. So please go ahead and get these dates on your calendar!)
Our Midweek at the Creek is designed to help you recharge your batteries and refuel your tank spiritually on those hump-day evenings throughout the year. First up on Wednesdays is our simple everybody-together Fellowship Meal at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. (Our regular plans are to serve pizza on the first Wednesday of each month, fried chicken on the second, pasta on the third, hotdogs and chili plus soup on the fourth, and sub sandwiches on the fifth. And we’ll still be in need of a few side dishes and desserts from time to time. So if you’re interested in volunteering to help serve or to bring in some of these extras [vegetables, bread, or dessert], it sure would be appreciated.) After the meal, we break up into age-appropriate groups for Bible study at 6:00—two groups of children, one group of youth, and two groups of adults. So how about joining us for the fellowship and the discipleship studies? We sure would love to see you there!
Throughout the month of July—and perhaps even beyond—the church is holding a food drive to benefit Good Samaritans of Stewart County. Though the ministry helps both the spiritually and physically needy of our community, it is the physical needs that are the most obvious side of this ministry—providing food, clothing, household items, and even housing assistance for the less fortunate. So let’s help this great ministry bolster its food bank during these difficult days of summer! Donations will be accepted any time the church is open. Just place your nonperishable foodstuffs underneath the entrance hallway table. Also, if you prefer to donate money, make your check out to the church and include the words “Food Drive” on the “For” line; for cash donations, please place the money in an envelope designated “Food Drive.” All monetary donations can be dropped into the “Tithes & Offerings” box in the entrance hallway. (The ministry will use these monetary gifts to purchase perishable food such as bread, meat, and fresh vegetables.) Just so you’ll know when scanning your kitchen cabinets or the grocery store shelves, the wish list for nonperishables include canned meats, spaghetti, tuna, Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese, dry beans, peanut butter, jelly, instant potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, pop tarts, flour, cornmeal, and canned soup, fruit, and vegetables. (Basically all nonperishable food items are needed; the pantry is low due to a recent increase in need.) And thank you so much for generously helping out our local Good Samaritans, a nondenominational Christian ministry that our church has supported with both financial and personnel assistance since it opened its doors back in 1992. For more information on how you can help, contact Susie Williams. If you would like to donate other items directly to the Good Samaritans store, keep in mind that more good, clean usable items are needed; please do not donate poor quality or dirty items. In essence, donate items that you would want to use. Also note that the store no longer accepts furniture, appliances, or books. Plus, if you would like to volunteer at Good Samaritans, contact either William Gray (931-237-3856) or Carol Suiter (931-627-2657). The store, located at 303 Donelson Parkway in Dover, is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
This summer’s Vacation Bible School with classes available for pre-kindergarten kids through teens is now less than two months away. Going with the weeknight format again this year, VBS will be on the five consecutive evenings of July 22-26 with each session beginning at 5:45 and wrapping up at 8:30. But wait! There will also be a VBS Kickoff on Sunday, July 21, from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon—complete with a dual-lane slide into a pool and a tropical slip ‘n slide to go along with food and getting the kids registered! And yes, we still most definitely need volunteers! Most especially, we need teachers! After all, teaching kids about how the Bible reveals the extent of the way Jesus loves us is the ultimate purpose of VBS! So if you could help the kids get an in-depth crash course on some of the Bible’s most applicable passages—all while making use of fun, crafts, activities, and music—let this year’s director, Lorri Threatt, know you’ll be on the team! (A sign-up sheet is on the entrance hallway table.) This year’s VBS is themed “Breaker Rock Beach” and will challenge kids to discover that God’s truth never changes, that everyone needs Jesus, and how to speak the truth in love! Adventure awaits each day as kids explore tide pools, spot orcas, fly kites, and watch the mighty waves crash up against the immovable Breaker Rock! Plus, there’s the worship rally kicking off each night when our kids will experience music, skits, dramas, and other exciting celebrations! Make plans now to be a part of this huge July event for our kids!
Tonight (Sunday, June 30, at 5:00pm) is our Fifth Sunday Summer FellowshipFest, and this one will be a Homemade Ice Cream Social! What a great time for us to get together and talk and even play games! Of course, what we’re going to need is for some of you with ice cream makers—either electric or the old-fashioned cranking kind—to make your favorite recipe to share with others in the Life Enhancement Center. And for those who cannot, maybe you could contribute some of your favorite toppings. We’re asking that you park in the upper parking lot so that kids with trikes and bikes can ride and play in the lower parking lot. And bring your lawn chairs if you’d like to sit outside with the kids. (We hope to enlist a golf cart for those needing a ride to the lower lot.) Feel free to bring board games too for the fellowship. If you can bring ice cream to the FellowshipFest or if you need more information, feel free to contact Jill Wallace.
Children’s Church is a shortened worship service designed for kids three to eight years old that meets in the Fellowship Hall midway through the Sunday morning Worship Service. The children learn a vital Bible lesson all while participating in roleplay, handouts, puppets, crafts, music, and directed instruction. And yes, we are much in need of volunteers who could lead Children’s Church on different Sundays throughout the quarter! So if this is a ministry you might be interested in—or maybe that’s tailor-made for you—please feel free to add your name to the list (on the entrance hallway table) for an upcoming Sunday or contact Sharon Williams for more information.
Our church has been designated as one of Stewart County’s Safe Shelter Centers when there is a heightened threat of damaging severe storms. Twice already this year, we have opened up our Fellowship Hall for those living in nearby trailer parks or in homes with no basement where a severe storm could not only cause property damage but could also be a risk to life. During these times of safe-sheltering, we typically put out snacks and water for those staying at the church and keep them informed of current weather conditions as well as upcoming patterns, especially by keeping the television on an informative weather channel during their hours long—or even overnight—stay in the Fellowship Hall. What we need are more church volunteers to remain in the church to check in on and watch over those seeking safe-sheltering during these severe storms. Men are especially needed, but they could certainly be accompanied by their wives and families. Even families of the church who may have a need for safe-sheltering themselves would be most welcomed as volunteers. If you would be interested or would like to know more about volunteering, feel free to contact Pastor Jeff.
Few people within our community need the kind of direct and personal contact that is needed by the residents of our local nursing home. We realize that several of our church members regularly visit the nursing home on their own, but we’ve also developed and financially support a Nursing Home Ministry at the Dover Care Center, where we sponsor and serve at some monthly birthday parties. The next party we’re helping with is coming up Wednesday (on May 22). What a great ministry to get up close and personal with those who will cherish your tender loving care! If you would like to know more, feel free to contact Joy Gaston.
Our Children’s Ministries Easter Egg Hunt is coming up next week (Sunday, March 24, right after the morning Worship Service), so make plans now to come out and join the fun with your whole family! In addition to the traditional hunt for eggs, there’ll be an onsite visit from the Easter Bunny himself! So kids, don’t forget to bring an empty basket for storing all those eggs you’ll find! (But we could use a lot help with the candy supply. So we’ve placed a small crate-box on the entrance hallway table where you can drop off bags of bite size candies or small toy items and stickers—just small enough to fit into the plastic eggs that’ll be hidden for the hunt. Thank you so much!)
We’re approaching our last big push toward gearing back up our JOY (Just Older Youth) Mentoring Club soon! What is it? It’s when one of our very special young people is paired with one of our very special mature Christians so that they can meet periodically to talk about and grow together in their faith. There’s a sign-up sheet on the table in the entrance hallway where you can enlist yourself as either a mentor or a mentee. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact Laura Gonzalez.
The infamous Tax Day is now just six weeks away (April 15). If you’re already at work on getting your last year’s return prepared, you may need an Annual Charitable Contribution Statement for 2023. That being the case, please feel free to add your name to the list on the entrance hallway table (or request one from our treasurer, Angel Wallace, or the pastor), and we’ll be sure that you get the needed statement as soon as possible. And thank you again for giving to the work of God’s church!
With great gratitude to Mike Miller for compiling and creating it, we are happy to present the 2023 Year in Review video showing pictures of so many of the church’s highlights from the year just past. And if you would like to see a complete playlist of Mike’s Year in Review church slideshows from 2016 to 2023, simply scan the QR code in this week's bulletin (January 21).
We’ve been blessed during this season to add to our support of the Family Olalde Mission so that they were able to purchase food and gifts and toys for some 230 children—and to hold six Christmas festivals in six different locales—in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, where some of the hardest-to-reach people of Native American descent live. Charlie Olalde, while extending his deepest gratitude to our church for pouring into the family’s mission work, was reduced to tears. He told our Rhonda Hendrickson that no one helps the mission like our church does and that we could have no idea of the impact we’re making not only on his family’s lives but also on the lives of all the people they’re able to reach with the gospel. In an email message thanking the church, Charlie explained that “when we arrived at the first festival, we saw more than double the children and families than we expected. That made me a little nervous because I thought we would not have enough for everyone. So I prayed asking the Lord, ‘If you multiplied the loaves and the fishes, please multiply the food and gifts and toys for the children; they need it so much.’ I felt peace that it was all in God’s hands and that He would do his work. When the time came to distribute the food and gifts and toys, there was enough for everyone in abundance! When we were finished and I put the leftover presents in our truck, I could not close the door! It seemed that instead of distributing, we now had so much more to give! We had planned on three festivals, but we ended up having six! And after that, we still had a bag of toys that we handed out at a Christian school. It was all such a great blessing! And we give all the glory to God!”
Our Evening Service is a great way to wrap up your weekend! On Sundays at 6:00 in the sanctuary, this is a more open and familiar service—a time to share testimonies and prayer requests and sing some of your favorite hymns together as a congregation. Plus, you still get to hear a message from one of our pastors! And tonight, like most first Sundays of the month, the service will close with our sharing in communion.
We’ve received numerous thank-you notes from the ministries we’ve been blessed to help over the past few months—especially from the victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The full messages are on our entrance hallway bulletin board, but here are snippets of the gratitude we have received… From the First Church of God in Elizabethton, Tennessee: “Thank you for your most generous donation. You have helped to bless many in our community. There have been sixteen campers donated, and with help from God’s people like you, they are stocked with food and clothes and generators giving them a place to stay until they can return home.” From the Horse Creek Church of God in Chuckey, Tennessee: “Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness during our time of crisis. Because of the kindness of people like you, we are able to supply many needs that families throughout our area are having at this time. May God bless you abundantly more than you can think or ask.” From the First Church of God in Newport, Tennessee: “What a blessing to receive such a generous gift! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. Combined with your gift and others, we were able to help provide food water, cleaning supplies, monetary help, and much more to flood victims.” From the staff and students at Augusta University in Georgia: “Seeing the huge impact this has had on our community of students has been nothing short of amazing. You have been a blessing to many!”; “From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted to say thank you for your token of love. I can’t even convey in words how much this donation means to me. Thank you once again for your generosity”; “Thank you so much for the grocery card. The hurricane was a major hiccup for me financially, so this couldn’t have come at a better time. This is truly a blessing.” From the Chambers Family Ministry: “We have delivered sausage and bacon to Head Start students and filled up the empty meat section food pantries at the Good Samaritan Center in Dover plus pork chops and roasts to the Tennessee Baptist Ranch in Millington and the Dream Center for Women in Jackson. Couldn’t have done all this without you!” And from CASA of the Highland Rim: “Thank you so much for your generous donation to 2024 Champions for Children. Because of your donation, our organization will continue to train, support, and appoint Court Appointed Special Advocates for children who have experienced abuse and neglect in Stewart County.” {December 29, 2024}
We’ve got one more extravaganza to merry up your Christmas season, and it’s coming up tonight at 6:00! It is our annual (but kind of new and expanded) Candles & Carols service! You’ll have the opportunity to listen to some of your favorite songs of the season performed by our own and other local polished vocalists along with some talented local bands! Plus, you’ll get to join together to sing a few of your favorite Christmas carols and hymns as well—all of which highlight the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ—the true reason for the season. And following the service, you’re invited to join in for maybe three more “Cs,” that being Christmas cookies and cocoa and coffee! (If you can, bring along some of your homemade or even favorite store-bought cookies for us to munch on as we share in this Christmas fellowship together.) We sure would love to see you there! {December 22, 2024}
Are the pressures of life starting to steal your holiday spirit? Then do we have a solution for you! Coming up tonight is our Heaven Bound Creative Ministries Christmas Presentation of “A Christmas Hallelujah.” It all begins at 6:00 in the Life Enhancement Center. These full-fledged performances will feature black-light puppets, comedy skits, dramas, as well as performances by the Nazarene Creative Ministry Team and singing by several of our own vocalists—all guaranteed to reenergize your Christmas spirit! You’ll be reminded that the spirit of Christmas is found in our hearts—with our love for Jesus and for one another. Come on out and be inspired! {December 15, 2024}
If you have the heart for giving this Christmas season, here are a few ministries you might consider supporting: Chambers Family Ministries gives each child in Head Start a necessities gift bag along with a winter coat and several pounds of meat; our Christmas Community Assistance fund provides gifts for underprivileged children at our two elementary schools; Family Olalde Mission takes the Gospel and gifts to the hardest to reach people of Native American descent in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico; Clarksville Hope Pregnancy Center provides assistance and education to expectant mothers and their families; and our Nursing Home Ministries provides gifts and other much needed materials to the patients of the Dover Care Center. To donate, simply write a check to the church and designate any one of these ministries on the “FOR” line. {December 15, 2024}
Looking to boost your holiday spirit now that it’s December? You need look no farther than these three wonderful presentations coming up at Dyers Creek! Our Drive-Through Live Nativity portrays a variety of scenes (with live people and animals) of the birth and life of Jesus in a most moving way. These multiple staged biblical settings take place over two nights next weekend: the Saturday and Sunday nights of December 7th and 8th from 6:00 to 8:30. On the Sunday night of December 15th (at 6:00 in the Life Enhancement Center) is our Heaven Bound Creative Ministries Christmas Presentation involving many of our children and youth—guaranteed to reenergize your Christmas spirit. On the following Sunday evening of December 22nd at 6:00 is our Candles & Carols in which we share testimonials, read about the reason for the season, listen to some talented vocalists, and of course, join as a heavenly host together to sing some of our favorite Christmas carols and hymns. Plan now to come out and join in the celebration of the birth of the Christ child! {December 8, 2024}
This afternoon is our church’s big Thanksgiving Supper! The festivities begin at 4:30pm in the Life Enhancement Center. We’re asking that each family—if possible—bring either a side dish of vegetables or fruit or a casserole, a dessert, and a drink to contribute to our meal together. A few of you experts out there have already been enlisted to prepare your specialty plates of dressing or to bring some chicken dumplings! And the church will provide the hams and turkeys. (And if some of you have the time, we’d love to have a few volunteers arrive early at 3:30 to help carve those turkeys and hams.) Most importantly, come hungry to join in both the thanksgiving and the fellowship! (Our Thanksgiving Supper will be in lieu of Evening Service.) {November 24, 2024}
We have plenty of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes on hand in the entrance hallway as we join thousands of other churches in the preparation and collection of these boxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other small gifts, which will then be distributed in more than a hundred countries to impoverished children. Once your box is packed, you can place it on the platform in front of the sanctuary (where a few boxes already are). Today is the final day to bring in the boxes. For after that, all the boxes will be taken to shipment locations on their way to Samaritan’s Purse, which is an international Christian relief agency providing aid to people in physical need. Please know that we are also collecting funds to assemble Christmas boxes for our Family Olalde Missionaries, who work in the mountains around Oaxaca, Mexico, taking the Gospel to some of the hardest to reach people of Native American descent. In addition to their vast amount of year-round social work, each December they collect funds to purchase and distribute gifts to the poor children of these remote locales, where they hold a Christmas Festival celebrating the birth of Jesus and sharing openly with them about the love of God. (The mission will receive some sixty boxes from Samaritan’s Purse, but they will need at least a hundred more to make sure every child they minister to there receives a gift box.) To donate, simply write a check to the church and designate “Mexico Mission” on the “FOR” line. {November 24, 2024}
A presentation of Dyers Creek Creative Ministries in conjunction with Nazarene Creative Ministries, “Final Judgment” is a walk-through drama that presents the truth of people’s choices versus the consequences of those decisions in this life and the next. Taking place over two nights, the event is spread across the buildings and grounds of the church. Though it is free to the public, reservations must be made to be included in a group that be led to each of the different scenes of this soul-stirring story. The walk-through periods are at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 on Saturday evening (November 2) and at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 on Sunday evening (November 3). To reserve your date and time slot, text Lorri Threatt at 931-627-3329. (Note that this performance is targeted for middle school and high school youth—as well as adults—and is not appropriate for children under twelve years of age.) {October 27, 2024}
This afternoon, we’re going to gather down at the Pavilion on the other side of the creek for our Harvest Time Wiener Roast! All the fun kicks off at 5:00! There’ll be a bonfire to roast your hot dogs and marshmallows (bring a package or two with you—buns and condiments will be provided), some tables set up for chips and drinks and desserts (bring some of these too if you can), a horseshoe pit for honing your tossing skills (in a fairly mildly competitive fashion), and most likely a football passing and a frizbee or two sailing across the valley field. Also, be sure to bring along your best roasting sticks as well as your most comfortable camp chair! But the main thing is us getting together! For the fellowship just can’t be beat! We sure would love to see you there! {October 13, 2024}
Within a world so full of needs, Christian Women Connection (CWC) has been inspired to meet many of them through various ministries. This group of ladies of all ages meets once a month for Bible study and to equip each other to serve the church and community. The gathering itself is a vital time of sharing light appetizers, discussing concerns, and praying together as well. There’s a strong emphasis on missions support, whether that be local, state, national, or global (through Church of God Ministries and beyond). As such, these ladies work in partnership to provide multiple resources for other ministries. Tomorrow night (September 30) is their next meeting, which will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Contact Laura Gonzalez for more information. {September 29, 2024}
Our CreekWeb Internet Ministry is an excellent way to stay connected to the church with lots of online ways to keep in touch! You can get the complete text of the pastor’s message on Sundays (This Week at the Creek) or our emailed announcements on Fridays (Preview of the Creek), by sending an email to [email protected] and typing “Subscribe” in the subject line. Plus, we’ve got social media pages on Facebook (especially The Church at Dyers Creek) where you can check out our various posts and even watch—or view a recording of—the Sunday service. We’ve also uploaded a YouTube channel (The Church at Dyers Creek) as well, yet another place where you can watch—or view a recording of—the Sunday service. And yes, we do have a website (www.DyersCreek.com) where you can read the Worship Service message, catch up on announcements, and view an assortment of photos. So how about going online sometime this week and checking in with us?
This coming Wednesday night (September 11), Jonathan and Beth Todd will be sharing with us about their mission work in Brazil. Working with Brazilian leaders to help train new pastors both theologically and spiritually, the Todds teach at Boa Terra Amazônia, the Church of God seminary in Itaituba. In addition to their other work, they are serving alongside established pastors and local congregations to support church-planting initiatives, as well as providing pastoral support to these geographically distant ministers. They also act as a liaison between the North Brazil assembly and Global Strategy. (The Todds are one of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, each of whom will have joined us over the span of six weeks. Bobby and Jenny Mihsill, who serve in Côte d’Ivoire, shared with us on August 11; Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala, who serve in Belize, shared with us on August 28.) Though we will still be having our Fellowship Meal at 5:30, we will not be having our Bible studies following the meal due to this Global Missions Service. {September 8, 2024}
Do you find yourself wondering how you can help our pastors? One of the best ways to help them and their wives is to pray for them! There will be a calendar for each month posted on the bulletin board in the entrance hall. All you need to do is sign up for a day and commit to praying for Jeff and Jill Wallace and Verlon (Bubba) and Janis Pritchett on that day. It may not seem like much, but covering them in prayer daily is the number one way we can love and support them. There is so much more to ministry than preparing sermons and lessons. They would so very much appreciate prayers for guidance, wisdom, time management, endurance, and any other way you feel led to pray for them. Our hope is that knowing they are covered in prayer every day will help to uplift them. It is even a great way we can share in their ministry. (If you attend church online only and would like to sign up for a day of prayer, you can send a message to Laura Gonzalez via text at 931-627-1524 or email at [email protected].)
This coming Wednesday night (August 28), Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala will be sharing with us about their mission work in Belize. Providing medical relief and ongoing health education to schools and rural communities in Belize, the Ayalas are also diligently preparing future Christian leaders for these communities through scholarships granted to low-income high school students. In addition to their other work, they're also pastoring a growing church there. We sure would love to see you here as we welcome them to our church! (The Ayalas are one of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, each of whom have joined or will be joining us over the span of six weeks. Bobby and Jenny Mihsill, who serve in Côte d’Ivoire, shared with us on August 11. Jonathan and Beth Todd, who serve in Brazil, will be sharing with us on Wednesday, September 18—so go ahead and get that date on your calendar!) Though we will still be having our Fellowship Meal at 5:30, we will not be having our Bible studies following the meal due to this Global Missions Service.
Our Annual Business Meeting is coming up this Wednesday evening (August 21) at 6:00. As we gather for this meeting, we will be looking over the church’s past fiscal year and looking toward the new fiscal year that begins September 1. Next year’s budget proposal of $270,783, which represents a $11,850—or a 4.57 percent—increase over the past year, is posted on the entrance hallway bulletin board and will be voted on at Wednesday’s meeting. In addition to this item on the evening’s agenda, there will also be a vote to ratify a second three-year term for one member of the church’s Board of Trustees (Terry Bailey) and a first three-year term for three members (Laura Gonzalez, Jane Link, and Mike Miller. We sure would love to see you there as we talk about and make decisions toward our part in building up the Kingdom of God! (There will be no Midweek at the Creek Fellowship Meal or Bible Study Groups due to the Annual Business Meeting.)
For our Evening Service tonight (August 11), Bobby and Jenny Mihsill will be sharing with us about their mission work in Cote d’Ivoire. Bobby and Jenny work throughout this West African coastal nation alongside the Church of God, teaching at IBAO (West Africa Bible Institute) and helping develop the national church. They have also partnered with the church to implement and train leaders for the Children of Promise program. Yet another of their ministry responsibilities is to help coordinate and host mission teams. We sure would love to see you there as we welcome the Mihsill family to our church! (By the way, the Mihsills are one of a total of three career Church of God missionary couples we support through Global Missions, and all three couples will be joining us over the next couple of months, including Alfonso and Elizabeth Ayala, who serve in Belize, on Wednesday, August 28, and Jonathan and Beth Todd, who serve in Brazil, on Wednesday, September 18. So please go ahead and get these dates on your calendar!)
Our Midweek at the Creek is designed to help you recharge your batteries and refuel your tank spiritually on those hump-day evenings throughout the year. First up on Wednesdays is our simple everybody-together Fellowship Meal at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. (Our regular plans are to serve pizza on the first Wednesday of each month, fried chicken on the second, pasta on the third, hotdogs and chili plus soup on the fourth, and sub sandwiches on the fifth. And we’ll still be in need of a few side dishes and desserts from time to time. So if you’re interested in volunteering to help serve or to bring in some of these extras [vegetables, bread, or dessert], it sure would be appreciated.) After the meal, we break up into age-appropriate groups for Bible study at 6:00—two groups of children, one group of youth, and two groups of adults. So how about joining us for the fellowship and the discipleship studies? We sure would love to see you there!
Throughout the month of July—and perhaps even beyond—the church is holding a food drive to benefit Good Samaritans of Stewart County. Though the ministry helps both the spiritually and physically needy of our community, it is the physical needs that are the most obvious side of this ministry—providing food, clothing, household items, and even housing assistance for the less fortunate. So let’s help this great ministry bolster its food bank during these difficult days of summer! Donations will be accepted any time the church is open. Just place your nonperishable foodstuffs underneath the entrance hallway table. Also, if you prefer to donate money, make your check out to the church and include the words “Food Drive” on the “For” line; for cash donations, please place the money in an envelope designated “Food Drive.” All monetary donations can be dropped into the “Tithes & Offerings” box in the entrance hallway. (The ministry will use these monetary gifts to purchase perishable food such as bread, meat, and fresh vegetables.) Just so you’ll know when scanning your kitchen cabinets or the grocery store shelves, the wish list for nonperishables include canned meats, spaghetti, tuna, Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese, dry beans, peanut butter, jelly, instant potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, pop tarts, flour, cornmeal, and canned soup, fruit, and vegetables. (Basically all nonperishable food items are needed; the pantry is low due to a recent increase in need.) And thank you so much for generously helping out our local Good Samaritans, a nondenominational Christian ministry that our church has supported with both financial and personnel assistance since it opened its doors back in 1992. For more information on how you can help, contact Susie Williams. If you would like to donate other items directly to the Good Samaritans store, keep in mind that more good, clean usable items are needed; please do not donate poor quality or dirty items. In essence, donate items that you would want to use. Also note that the store no longer accepts furniture, appliances, or books. Plus, if you would like to volunteer at Good Samaritans, contact either William Gray (931-237-3856) or Carol Suiter (931-627-2657). The store, located at 303 Donelson Parkway in Dover, is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
This summer’s Vacation Bible School with classes available for pre-kindergarten kids through teens is now less than two months away. Going with the weeknight format again this year, VBS will be on the five consecutive evenings of July 22-26 with each session beginning at 5:45 and wrapping up at 8:30. But wait! There will also be a VBS Kickoff on Sunday, July 21, from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon—complete with a dual-lane slide into a pool and a tropical slip ‘n slide to go along with food and getting the kids registered! And yes, we still most definitely need volunteers! Most especially, we need teachers! After all, teaching kids about how the Bible reveals the extent of the way Jesus loves us is the ultimate purpose of VBS! So if you could help the kids get an in-depth crash course on some of the Bible’s most applicable passages—all while making use of fun, crafts, activities, and music—let this year’s director, Lorri Threatt, know you’ll be on the team! (A sign-up sheet is on the entrance hallway table.) This year’s VBS is themed “Breaker Rock Beach” and will challenge kids to discover that God’s truth never changes, that everyone needs Jesus, and how to speak the truth in love! Adventure awaits each day as kids explore tide pools, spot orcas, fly kites, and watch the mighty waves crash up against the immovable Breaker Rock! Plus, there’s the worship rally kicking off each night when our kids will experience music, skits, dramas, and other exciting celebrations! Make plans now to be a part of this huge July event for our kids!
Tonight (Sunday, June 30, at 5:00pm) is our Fifth Sunday Summer FellowshipFest, and this one will be a Homemade Ice Cream Social! What a great time for us to get together and talk and even play games! Of course, what we’re going to need is for some of you with ice cream makers—either electric or the old-fashioned cranking kind—to make your favorite recipe to share with others in the Life Enhancement Center. And for those who cannot, maybe you could contribute some of your favorite toppings. We’re asking that you park in the upper parking lot so that kids with trikes and bikes can ride and play in the lower parking lot. And bring your lawn chairs if you’d like to sit outside with the kids. (We hope to enlist a golf cart for those needing a ride to the lower lot.) Feel free to bring board games too for the fellowship. If you can bring ice cream to the FellowshipFest or if you need more information, feel free to contact Jill Wallace.
Children’s Church is a shortened worship service designed for kids three to eight years old that meets in the Fellowship Hall midway through the Sunday morning Worship Service. The children learn a vital Bible lesson all while participating in roleplay, handouts, puppets, crafts, music, and directed instruction. And yes, we are much in need of volunteers who could lead Children’s Church on different Sundays throughout the quarter! So if this is a ministry you might be interested in—or maybe that’s tailor-made for you—please feel free to add your name to the list (on the entrance hallway table) for an upcoming Sunday or contact Sharon Williams for more information.
Our church has been designated as one of Stewart County’s Safe Shelter Centers when there is a heightened threat of damaging severe storms. Twice already this year, we have opened up our Fellowship Hall for those living in nearby trailer parks or in homes with no basement where a severe storm could not only cause property damage but could also be a risk to life. During these times of safe-sheltering, we typically put out snacks and water for those staying at the church and keep them informed of current weather conditions as well as upcoming patterns, especially by keeping the television on an informative weather channel during their hours long—or even overnight—stay in the Fellowship Hall. What we need are more church volunteers to remain in the church to check in on and watch over those seeking safe-sheltering during these severe storms. Men are especially needed, but they could certainly be accompanied by their wives and families. Even families of the church who may have a need for safe-sheltering themselves would be most welcomed as volunteers. If you would be interested or would like to know more about volunteering, feel free to contact Pastor Jeff.
Few people within our community need the kind of direct and personal contact that is needed by the residents of our local nursing home. We realize that several of our church members regularly visit the nursing home on their own, but we’ve also developed and financially support a Nursing Home Ministry at the Dover Care Center, where we sponsor and serve at some monthly birthday parties. The next party we’re helping with is coming up Wednesday (on May 22). What a great ministry to get up close and personal with those who will cherish your tender loving care! If you would like to know more, feel free to contact Joy Gaston.
Our Children’s Ministries Easter Egg Hunt is coming up next week (Sunday, March 24, right after the morning Worship Service), so make plans now to come out and join the fun with your whole family! In addition to the traditional hunt for eggs, there’ll be an onsite visit from the Easter Bunny himself! So kids, don’t forget to bring an empty basket for storing all those eggs you’ll find! (But we could use a lot help with the candy supply. So we’ve placed a small crate-box on the entrance hallway table where you can drop off bags of bite size candies or small toy items and stickers—just small enough to fit into the plastic eggs that’ll be hidden for the hunt. Thank you so much!)
We’re approaching our last big push toward gearing back up our JOY (Just Older Youth) Mentoring Club soon! What is it? It’s when one of our very special young people is paired with one of our very special mature Christians so that they can meet periodically to talk about and grow together in their faith. There’s a sign-up sheet on the table in the entrance hallway where you can enlist yourself as either a mentor or a mentee. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact Laura Gonzalez.
The infamous Tax Day is now just six weeks away (April 15). If you’re already at work on getting your last year’s return prepared, you may need an Annual Charitable Contribution Statement for 2023. That being the case, please feel free to add your name to the list on the entrance hallway table (or request one from our treasurer, Angel Wallace, or the pastor), and we’ll be sure that you get the needed statement as soon as possible. And thank you again for giving to the work of God’s church!
With great gratitude to Mike Miller for compiling and creating it, we are happy to present the 2023 Year in Review video showing pictures of so many of the church’s highlights from the year just past. And if you would like to see a complete playlist of Mike’s Year in Review church slideshows from 2016 to 2023, simply scan the QR code in this week's bulletin (January 21).
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And thank you ever so much for giving to God's work!
