Holiday Reminders

This Thursday we will be meeting at Douglas Elementary at 5pm for our Christmas Outreach. Please see the last post for a reminder of the details.

Sunday (the 20th) is our SMBS Breakfast Social. Please bring a dish to class for fun and fellowship.

Christmas Giving

Bentley SMBS has committed to serving the Boys and Girls Club members at Douglas Elementary this holiday season. On Thursday December 17 from 5pm until 6pm we will celebrate with these children in the cafeteria at the school. We will provide pizza, cookies, drinks and gifts. The children's families are invited and our children are also invited. If you have signed up to bring something for the party that is listed below. If you are sponsoring a child, please bring a plastic "shoebox" type container filled with $25-30 worth of items. Please keep it within this price range so that the gifts are even. They are asking for socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other toiletries, books and fun cheap toys. They asked to maintain a $10 limit on the toys. Joan and Amy are trying to order small Bibles for all of the boxes. Please wrap your plastic box and bring it with you. The list of who is being sponsored is below. There is one child left. If you would like to sponsor her, please let Amy know.

Party Items:

Pizza - Bentley and Magill

Drinks - Bogue, Atwood, Kincade, Phillips

Napkins and Plates - Evans, Allen

Cookies - (2 dozen each) Freeman, Willis, Jones, Ogletree

Children:

GIRLS:

A'Maya, 5 - Freeman

Angela, 6 - Willis

Yohana, 6 - Jones

Karen, 7 - Ogletree

Shirley, 7 - Rowan

Chloe, 8 - Kincade

JarDian, 8 - NOT TAKEN

Jessica, 9 - Ogletree

Yelitza, 9 - Evans

Ashley, 10 - Bogue

Evelyn, 10 - Atwood

LaDayiza, 10 - Denson

BOYS:

Juan, 5 - Freeman

Javiar, 7 - Phillips

Jose, 7 - Leisch

LeTebreon, 7 - Fender

Tommy, 7 - Holman

Alexis, 8 - Holman

Jason, 8 - Gillen

Anthony, 9 - Allen

Johnathon, 9 - Faulks

KeDavien, 9 - Magill

Leonardo,9 - Bentley

Salomon, 9 - Bentley

Emanuel, 11 - Phillips

Upcoming Events

Here are a couple of pictures from our Holiday Party two weeks ago. There are many more to be uploaded. There are also several SMBS events coming up.

Men's Fellowship meets Tuesday night at 6:30 at Matt Kincade's office

Ladies Coffee Night is Thursday at 8pm at Starbucks on Broadway and Rice

Friday Night is Family Night Out at GABC. Sign up for childcare and have a night out with your spouse. Some couples from our class may be going to dinner that evening.

Outreach

Today in SMBS we discussed our Outreach Project for December. Amy has been in contact with several organizations to discover their needs for the holidays. Boys and Girls Club has given us an opportunity to take gifts to the kids in the after school program at Douglas Elementary. We can take our children with us and have a pizza party with the kids and their families. Not only would we be blessing others, we have the chance to meet the children and their parents. The date we are looking at is Thursday December 17 from 5pm until 6pm. If you have a conflict with the date please e-mail Amy. In SMBS, we continued I John and discussed Chapter Four today. We wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

The Holidays are Here!

These pictures are from the Ladies Lunch this week. We have several more from that lunch and we will get a lot of pictures tonight at the Holiday Party at the Bentley's.

Today in SMBS Clay from Family Legacy Missions (the group that Erin and Chris are working with on Selah's house) gave us an amazing presentation on the work that the group is doing in Zambia. Clay asked that we pray specifically for electricity for the homes being built by them and for the kids that Chris and Erin know from their personal work in Zambia.

Upcoming Events:
The men are meeting on Tuesday night at Matt Kincade's office at 6:30 to start a new book.
Our class holiday party is tonight at Joan and Andrew's.

Prayer:

Clay asked that we pray this prayer for a week:

Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see everything I've been missing. Give me your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken hearted the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the ones forgotten. Give me your eyes so I can see.

Sign Up!

Our Holiday Party is Sunday - a week from today! It will be from 6 until 9 at the Bentley's home. It is adults only. Turkey and drinks will be provided. Please sign up by leaving a comment on this post for a dish you would like to bring. So far, people are bringing:

Dressing, cranberry sauce, rolls (two people), salad, sweet potato casserole, green beans, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, bundt cake, cheeseball and crackers and a Thanksgiving dessert

Other Reminders:
The ladies are meeting for lunch tomorrow (Monday the 9th) for Angela Kincade's birthday. It is at Joseph's at 11:30. Come if you can!

The ladies met for coffee on Thursday and had a great time. They have decided to meet the first Thursday of every month at 8pm at the Starbucks on Broadway and Rice. Join us any time you can! The next one will be December 3.

We are working on coming up with options for our December Class Outreach. Calls have been made to local organizations to see what the needs are. We will discuss it in SMBS and decide on a Ministry.

Class Schedule:
We finished 1John 2 today. We will do Chapter 3 next week.

Please Pray

There were many prayer requests in SMBS this morning:

1. Drew's aunt is suffering from severe mental problems and his mother is in Austin helping both his aunt and his grandmother

2. Jessica's mother passed away yesterday. She is in Louisiana with Amelia and Brooks and is working on the funeral arrangements.

3. Amelia Waddell, a friend of the Freemans and Magills, is back in the hospital. She is 22 weeks pregnant and is leaking amniotic fluid. She will likely be hospitalized until her baby is born.

4. Paul Limb, a GABC member, has an 8th grade daughter named Monica who has a large tumor in her abdomen. Treatment is likely to begin with chemotherapy and radiation.

5. Jennifer's dad is still very ill and now also has pneumonia.

6. Jason's grandmother is in poor health in Oklahoma City. His uncle is caring for her.

7. Matt Kincade has a friend going through a difficult time.

Upcoming Events:

This Thursday at 8pm, the Bentley SMBS ladies are meeting at the Starbucks on Broadway at Rice Road for coffee and fellowship.

There has been a change to the Men's Bible Study Schedule. They will next meet on Tuesday November 17 and will begin Wild at Heart.

Class Schedule:

We discussed the first part of I John 2 today. We will finish that chapter next Sunday.

Upcoming Events

Today at SMBS, we added lots of items to our group calendar. There will be many opportunities to get together in the next few months, so take advantage of them as you can. Here is a summary. Reminders and more details will be posted closer to the dates of the events.

SMBS Events:
November 5 - Ladies are meeting for 'Coffee Night' at the Starbucks on Broadway & Rice at 8pm

November 15 - Holiday Party. We are combining Thanksgiving and Christmas into one Holiday Party this year. It will be a Potluck at the Bentley's home (without kids). More details will follow, but mark your calendars. Instead of doing a Christmas Party in December, we will be focusing on an Outreach Ministry during the month of December. Stay tuned for more information.

December 4 - This is a Friday night and child care is being offered at the church. If you want to take advantage of that, some couples will be going to dinner. Plans will be finalized as the date draws near.

December 20 - Breakfast during SMBS. Bring a dish!

Men's Bible Study:
The Men are continuing to meet every other week. They will be meeting on November 9 and November 23 and will be starting a new book.

Donut Schedule:
We signed up for 'Donut Duty' for November and December. The calendar on this blog will be updated soon with who is bringing each week.

SMBS Class Schedule:
Today we went over I John Chapter 1. There was a lot of discussion and it was a good study. Next week we will be doing Chapter 2.

Prayer Requests:
Please continue to pray for Jennifer Denson's father

Guest Speaker

The Bentleys are out of town this weekend, so in SMBS today we listened to a Podcast of Andy Stanley speaking on the story of Pilate and our human desire to be in control. It was very good. Next week we should be getting into I John.

Get Togethers

Our class joined other GABC SMBS classes yesterday in a Work Day to benefit PATH. It was a gorgeous day and a wonderful way to join up and give back to our community. As far as future get-togethers go, Angela Kincade and Jacquelyn Evans are working on a calendar of events. Also, the men will be starting a new book in their meetings in November. Matt Kincade has more details on this.

Prayer Requests

The Ogletree twins have the Swine Flu

Update on Previous Requests

Amelia received a good report. She is on limited bed rest.

Jason's Boards are over and he will receive the results in January

The Sutton family is healthy

Singing Sunday

We had a wonderful time of fellowship this morning in SMBS. We had lots of great food, fellowship and worship!

Upcoming Events:

PATH Outreach this Saturday. Details will be sent via e-mail if you are interested in participating.

SMBS Schedule:

We will start I John next week. That will continue through November and then we will move into Mark.

Prayer Requests:

1. Jason has his Pediatric Board Exam Monday

2. Megan Magill's friend Amelia Wydell was taken to the hospital this morning at 19 weeks pregnant with fears that the baby is coming early

3. Jennifer's dad's health is ailing. Please pray for Jennifer, her father and their family

4. Andrew's friend's wife, Marsha, has been in ICU all week with a lung condition

5. Pray for the health of all of us, our families and our unborn children.

Rainy Sunday

It was great to see everyone who made it out to SMBS today despite the weather. For those of you who didn't, here are some updates.

Group Fellowship Opportunities:

We went to Jason's Deli as a class this morning. It was a nice time of fellowship. On Saturday October 17 is an outreach for PATH (People Attempting to Help) . It will be two or three hours of helping those in need. There will be more details this Sunday for anyone interested.

What's Going on in Class:

We finished watching a parenting video today at SMBS and got a lot of great information out of it. Next week, Andrew will summarize some of the points with scripture. Don't forget! Next Sunday we will have breakfast in class and do some singing and praising the Lord. Please bring a dish to share. The following Sunday (the 18th), we will return to Psalms.




PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Erin's friend's 6-year-old daughter, Cody, has been treated for bone cancer and is having a repeat bone scan tomorrow. Please pray for the results of that scan.
2. Erin's friend's 6 1/2-month-old son, Walker Raney, has a stomach tumor and is undergoing chemotherapy.
3. Brooks Sutton has the flu.

October Birthdays and Anniversaries:

1 - Jamie Willis

2 - Joan Bentley

6 - The Bentleys

7 - Jeff Denson

11 - Michael Freeman

(Please send your birthdays, children's birthdays and anniversaries to Sara for inclusion on our class list.)

Short SMBS Updates

We had such a great time at the Shrimp Boil last night at the Freemans'! We'll be posting pictures from it for weeks to come - we have too many to add to one post.

We are going to be updating the Blog every week after Sunday School, so start checking the Blog on Monday mornings for a summary of the day before, prayer requests and upcoming events. We have a lot of things coming up!

Speaking of things coming up: don't forget that this Sunday we will be meeting at Jason's Deli for lunch after SMBS. We hope to see a lot of folks there!

This week at SMBS we took a break from Psalms and watched a parenting video which we will continue next week. There is a lot of good information in it. See everyone Sunday!

Shrimp Time!

Hey guys,
It is TIME for a social. We are having a shrimp boil at the Freeman's next Sunday, September 27th. 5:00 p.m. Kids are optional!! Mine will be there! Do not worry about bringing anything, just come and hang.
Also, please click on the calendar link for all other upcoming events!
Thanks,
amy

Don't Miss!!!

Hey friends! Don't miss Sunday Morning Bible Study this Sunday, July 12th!!!
Erin and Chris Phillips will share their amazing experience about their recent mission trip to Africa. We will have a potluck breakfast and share in what the Lord has done in the Phillip's life and the vision that He has placed in there hearts! Please bring a friend and be there!

"Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead".
brooke fraser

Summertime

This summer is flying by! I can't believe June is almost over! I know everyone is so busy, but try to make time for the men's/women's bible study and for Sunday Morning Bible Study. It's always worth it! We had such a fun cookout at the Allen's and will plan another social for the end of July or August (when it's really HOT)!

Let's continue to to pray for all of the needs of those in our class.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" james 5:16

Love, Love, Love!

Big Babies and Volleyball!

Hey friends,
Congratulations are in order for the Spillman's and the Allen's.....
Lilah Marie Spillman was born on March 4th weighing 7 lb 15 oz, and Aaron Robert Allen was born on March 11th weighing 9 lbs 8 oz. I guess all those sunday morning donuts and kolaches have paid off! j.k.
Also, calling all volleyball lovers!!! A couple of ladies that I used to play with (we are not good anymore) are trying to get a team together to play in the church league. It will be on thurs. nights probably just a few weeks long. The first game is April 2nd! Please let me know ASAP if you want to play. We need some more people on our team and we can do just women or if I hear back from any guys, we'll do co-ed!
One more thing, I put all of the spillman meals on the calendar so please check the date on there to make sure your meal shows up! See ya sunday!

THIS SUNDAY!!!!

Hey friends,
Here is the deal with sunday, Feb. 22nd! We are having a breakfast and the Magill's are performing as special guests. PLEASE take this opportunity to invite a friend to church. It will be very laid back and the perfect chance for friends to meet others. Here's what we need to bring to make the breakfast happen! Just pick a breakfast item ( if you want to)
and make a comment to let everyone know what you are bringing. We don't need much! I am thinking 4 or 5 different things will be plenty. Here are some ideas...egg casserole, monkey bread, fruit, sweet rolls, kolaches etc....
freeman - beverages
gillen - plates, utinsels, napkins

p.s. to make a comment, comment below and if you don't have a google i.d., just set one up with your email and password! very easy!

The Magill's

Okay friends, get excited because we are having a concert in our class on February 22nd!!

Megan and Matt Magill are coming as special guests to minister to us and share their music.

Megan is from Tyler, but they currently live in New York City and travel all over the country to share the gospel through their country / gospel music!!! You don't want to miss this day. Also, this is a great time to invite friends to come to something fun and different. Below is the link to their website if you would like some more info!

www.themagills.org

Fun Stuff!

Just wanted to remind you guys about some upcoming events!
Jan. 30th - Andrew Bentley's Birthday
Feb. 5th - 7:00 p.m. Ladies night mani's and pedi's at Nails La belle
Feb. 4th - Lindsay Gillen's Birthday
Feb. 5th - Heather Spillman's Birthday

The Allen's and the Spillman's are also preparing for their little ones coming in early March!
We are also planning a big family social for early march at the Freeman's. We'll let you know details soon!
Hope everyone has a blessed week and see you sunday!

Back in Action!

hey friends! It has been way too long since I posted and maybe even longer since michael and I have been at church together! Hope everyone is doing well and have recovered from the holidays. We are excited to settle down and jump back into sunday school. I think this will be an exciting year of growth for our class. March will be 1 year! The Lord has truly blessed this group with willing hearts and open minds. I hope all of you will make a commitment to be present and involved in our class and please remember to invite friends! Look forward to seeing you sunday!