Encourager March 12, 2000

A weekly source of encouragement & news from:
Family Bible Church & Biblical Family Soulcare

Sid Galloway, Teaching pastor, N.W.J (Nothing Without Jesus)
church@soulcare.org www.soulcare.org

"[We] bow [our] knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named."
Ephesians 3:14-15

Church Meets in March at the Stahl's

Covenant Courtship
vs.
Trial & Error Dating

Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife, finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD."
Proverbs 19:13 "Houses and riches are the inheritance of fathers, but a virtuous wife is from the LORD."

Questions:
How do most Christians in modern America find a marriage partner?
Why do they do it that way?
Have they carefully examined the process and found the evidence worthy of trust?
Or are they just following the rest of the world like sheep?
When you look around our society, do you think it works well?
What does God our Father say about the process in the Bible - His counsel?
How did God's people find a marriage partner back in history?
What are the dangers associated with the modern way of trial and error dating?
What is Covenant Courtship and why is it safer than dating?
How should parents and church elders avoid becoming too rigid and controlling?
When is a person ready for courtship and marriage?
Can you list practical principles for courtship in our day and age?

What do you want for your children, when it's their turn to find a spouse?

The subject of courtship vs. dating is very important for everyone and for some it is a highly emotional issue. As with all issues, there are unbiblical extremes on both ends of the human spectrum, yet a beautiful balance is presented by our Father in His Word. Our job as believers is to humbly study to learn and apply His principles. Over the next few weeks, I'll be including bits and pieces from a booklet that I'm preparing on this vital subject. Please be in prayer for me as I write, not only for this pamphlet, but also for the many other ongoing writing projects. Thanks!

Ladies' Titus 2 Ministry: March 11 Saturday, 9 AM at Peggy Bate's - Training one another to love your husband s & children. Men, pray for your wives, encourage them to attend, and do something special with the kids that morning. Linda's Ladies Titus 2 Suggestions

Finances:
"Physical" Life-blood of any church or ministry.
God is so good!

I received a phone call from an old friend from another state Monday morning, who we haven't seen in years. She wanted to tell me how much Soulcare had ministered to her. She said, "please don't ever step out of ministry even to work part-time". And without knowing our need, she said, "I'll be sending some funds to help your family personally".

Coincidence? I don't think so.
Our Father knows how to encourage, just when you need it most!
If only I was as faithful as He always is.

Family Bible Church Plans & Procedures for Training -
I'll be preparing a final list of materials and flexibly structured plans for the equipping of:

New Believers
New Members
Elders (Potential & New)
Deacons (Potential & New)
Ladies (Titus 2 Ministers)
(Please let us know of any books or materials you would like us to consider including.)

Your Preparation for Sunday Worship: Thanks again, men, for your active participation.
1 Corinthians 14 - God is a God of order not chaos. Spirit-led worship can and should be flexibly scheduled.
Priorities: Praise (10:00-10:20), Prayer (10:20-10:40), Lord's Supper (10:40-11:00)
Guidelines: As the Lord leads, bring a praise report, suggest a song or hymn, read a Scripture, pray, etc..
Keep your inputs few & brief so the other men can participate.
Keep children reasonably quite & still, & remove them for effective discipline when they will not.

Sunday Afternoon Practical Study: "Peacemaker", by Ken Sande (www.HisPeace.org)
The church will provide one booklet to each head of household. If you desire more for other members of your family, you can order more booklets directly from Peacemakers. 406-256-1583

Biblical Discipleship Counseling 101: (BDC 101 - The Principles)
** For heads of household, pastors, counselors, barbers, etc.....
Men, if its not convenient for your wife to take it with you,
then you teach it to her later.
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM every Tuesday - Starting March 14th
Place: CC's Coffee House Registration Deadline = March 10th

Thanks!! Your brother and fellow servant of the Lord,

Sid Galloway, N.W.J. (Nothing Without Jesus)