See the photo?  This is 750 of the best and brightest among General Baptists.  This photo was taken this past weekend at the GB National Youth Conference.  Wolf Bayou was represented by Heber Springs and Wilburn churches.  This is one high quality event that is worth the time, effort, and money.  If you ever get depressed about the future of General Baptists, you need only attend one of the National Youth Conferences to see that God is at work among our teenagers and our future is bright.

It has finally been published and should be in your home soon.  I'm talking about the new WB newsletter.  Our very first issue was mailed last week and I already received mine.  If you haven't received a copy, check to make sure your name and address was sent in to me in March.   If you would like to see a copy, check out the web page at www.argbchurch.org and you'll find a link to a pdf file.  Wheeeee!

Camp Formosa is having Junior Camp next week and Senior Camp the week following.  These are the biggest events in the Camp year.  First of all, make sure your children (grades 4-7) know about Junior Camp and are ready to go on Sunday afternoon.   The fee for the week is $60, but no concession stand money is needed.  Each camper will receive $5 in Concession Stand credit and the camp will provide snacks at other times.  You can get a permission form on the Camp page of this web site.  Marcus Hutto is the Director and Brent Patchell is the Evangelist.

Senior Camp is for eighth through 08 graduates.  The fee is $60 but they will need to bring concession stand money.  Dewey Williams is the Director.

Pray for these two events for strong attendance and for God to be at work in the lives of the campers and the workers.

Fellowship!  This is a big part of any church, and it is also a big part of our association.  At our annual meeting, we try to set apart some of our time for visiting and catching up with friends.  We also have some opportunities to share our friendship throughout the year.

Seven churches in Cleburne County share in an area fellowship the last Sunday of each Sunday School quarter.  The usual format is for each church to come prepared to provide to songs.  These songs can be solos, ensembles, or congregational.  Afterwards, we get to eat some of the best food General Baptists can provide.

Some of our southern churches (meaning Little Rock area) get together with other churches from Conway (Post Oak Grove Association) on every fifth Sunday.  The host church puts the program together so it varies each time they meet.

Many of our churches do not have this opportunity for additional fellowship and worship together.  If your church does not participate in one of these, you have a couple of options.  1.  Create your own fellowship meeting with other churches in your area.  2.  Join one of these I have mentioned.

It often does not matter what you do as much as that you do something.  Fellowship and friendship are very important to us.  We need it to grow in in our relationship with God and each other.

Congratulations to the Searcy Church and Rev. Jay Bittle.  The church voted on Sunday night to hire Jay as their pastor.  It sounds like both the congregation and Jay are very excited.  Attendance at the church has been increasing quite a bit.  Last Sunday they had 82.

Of course, God has put a few things together to make this happen.  Jay is bi-vocational and works for an electrical supply house.  He spends a good part of the day visiting potential clients and selling them electrical supplies.  Although Jay lives in Greenbrier, and the office is in Conway, nearly all of Jay's accounts are in Searcy.  So he can work his accounts during the morning and do church work in the afternoon and evenings.  Ain't God Good!

Keep Pastor Jay and the Searcy Church in your prayers as they complete this transition and work to build the Kingdom of God!