DeSoto Hills Baptist Church

Rogers is stepping down as our Preschool Director in order to spend more time with her family.  Her insight and organizational skills have been so helpful for this ever-changing area of ministry.  We will miss her in this position, but thankfully she is not going anywhere.  She will still be here to assist as needed.  Laura Montgomery, who has been serving as Erin’s assistant, has already taken over the reins.  We welcome this familiar face to our official staff roster.

There is a wonderful phrase found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians that sets the tone for the announcement I want to make via “the nook” today.  In Galatians 4:4 Paul says: “But in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son.”  KJV or “But when the time was fully come God sent His Son.” NIV Whatever version you happen to read it in, the meaning is the same.  When the time was just Aright, the Father sent Jesus to redeem mankind.  From the beginning of time that was His intent, but in His infinite wisdom He waited until the things were just right.   In that same spirit, I sense in my heart that  “the time has fully come” for DeSoto Hills to make the next big investment in the kingdom by adding a full time Minister of Children to our staff.  It is something we have been praying for and talking about even before we made the move to Getwell, but now the time is right for us to make this a top priority.  I have discussed this move with the staff, the deacons, the Stewardship Team, and the Personnel Management Team.  We are now ready to move forward by bringing together a Staff Search Team for this very purpose.  The deacons are responsible (via our constitution) for recommending the members of this team to the church body.  Pray for them as they seek His face for the individuals who need to serve on this team.  This is a major step for us, but I believe the eternal dividends will far outweigh the sacrifices involved in a decision of this kind.  We are blessed with so many children and we need a staff member whose sole responsibility is to guide families through these formative years. Help wanted, Bro. James P.S. Erin Rogers is stepping down as our Preschool Director in order to spend more time with her family.  Her insight and organizational skills have been so helpful for this ever-changing area of ministry.  We will miss her in this position, but thankfully she is not going anywhere.  She will still be here to assist as needed.  Laura Montgomery, who has been serving as Erin’s assistant, has already taken over the reins.  We welcome this familiar face to our official staff roster.

We have certainly had the “April showers”, so I am now ready for the “May flowers”.  This can mean only one thing- summer is not far behind.  At DeSoto Hills we always kick off the heat with the beat of many feet as we host one of our biggest events of the year – Vacation Bible School.  Our setting for this summer’s Holy Land Adventure will be ancient Rome. Our students are going to step back into some Biblical history where they will hear from the Apostle Paul as he helps them explore God’s love…live God’s love…and feel God’s love.  They will experience a Roman marketplace and discover that EXTOLLO is the Latin word for “praise”, of which we will be doing plenty.  The popular clique “when in Rome” will take on a whole new meaning as we focus on the commitment of those first century Christians who sometimes had go underground, even as they continued to be above board about the message of Jesus Christ.  It is going to be an exciting week, but as always we’ll need many, MANY, MANY volunteers.  A sign up sheet is located at the north entrance to the Grand Hall or you can fill out the visitor’s tab located in the bulletin and indicate you are willing to work in VBS.  Join us as we spread the word about this year’s school and continue to make it a matter of prayer. VBS June 1-5 Completed K-8th Grade There is no place like Rome, Bro. James

Eleven years ago when we moved to Southaven, the folks at Carriage Hills gave us the option of living in their parsonage or buying our own home.  After twenty plus years of living in church housing, it was no contest.  We choose the latter.  They even loaned us the money for our down payment and one year later cancelled that debt as an anniversary gift to us.  It was an astonishing act of generosity.  The task of finding a home was daunting, but Brenda Eubanks hung in there with us.  When we walked in the house at 4833 Henry Drive, both of us sensed we were home.  However, as many of you know, homeownership is not all fun and games.  It requires some work, especially the older your house becomes. Early on, the roof had a leak around the chimney .  We had countless folks look at it and more than once, patch it, but to no avail.   It seemed like everyone had a different opinion about what the problem was and how to fix it.  Some of t heir suggestions seemed simple, while others sounded complicated – which is code for very expensive.  I became frustrated, but let me assure you that ignoring the problem will not make it go away.  We have the watermarks on our ceiling to prove it.  Anyway, I finally made a call to someone who knew someone who knew someone and all those someones suddenly made my problem their top priority.  They came, they assessed, they fixed, they followed up and we are once again protected from the elements.  They offered me hope and the reassurance that they would find the problem.  To borrow a line from the lawn care commercial, “I did not have to call them back, they called me.”  In the scheme of things, my problem was small potatoes to these guys who deal with multimillion dollars projects, but they treated it as if it was the most significant thing they had on their plate.   I want our church to be the somebody that helps folks get to the root of their problems by putting them in contact with the Master Carpenter from Galilee.  Trust me, there is no problem to small or to large for Him to handle. High and dry, Bro. James

It has dominated the local news for weeks now and it seems that everywhere you go someone has an opinion.  Some are sad, some are mad, some are glad while others seem downright bad (harsh) in their assessment of his accomplishments here and his future there.  Of course, I am talking about the recent decision of John Calipari to leave Memphis in order to become the new head basketball coach for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  You all know I am not a big sports fan, but for my part, I wish him well in his new position.  Whatever your opinion, you would have to agree that he did bring some positive notoriety to Memphis and will, no doubt, be missed.  In the flurry of sports media commentary after the decision was made public, I heard someone say, “He was the heart and soul of the team”.  This Easter, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, I am happy to announce that the “heart and soul” of our team is alive and well and still with us.  His final words to the infant church, prior to His ascension, continue to be a source of encouragement: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 Years ago someone told me that if his wife ever left him, he was going with her.  That is exactly how I feel about Kathy and how we should feel about the Lord.  Our divine coach is at work and I pray we are looking for and listening to all his signals. Still in the game, Bro. James P.S.  Congrats to Josh Pastner, the new coach for the Tigers.  I wish him and the team well.  Maybe the “heart and soul” did not move to Kentucky after all.

While recently listening to satellite radio I heard an announcer say that someone had called in requesting that he play some “sing along songs”.  I guess I never thought about it, but some songs and some song writers just seem to fit that category more than others.  Their melodies tell a story or strike a chord that sticks in our head and very often flows from our tongue whenever given the opportunity.   One such pop poet for me was Jim Croce.  Before his tragic death in 1973, he cranked out an astounding number of songs.   Some of these were funny like “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown” (which, by the way, you need to mildly edit before singing along) while others were more reflective of life.  One of my favorites has always been his hit “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In a Song”.  The fact is, sometimes a song just says it best.  Each week we have the opportunity to celebrate the magnitude of our Lord through the avenue of music.  For me it is much more than just something we do right before I preach.  It is an offering of gratitude that we should give Him whether we are participating by just listening or adding our notes to a melody.  This Sunday night, April 5, will be a rich time of celebration as we gather with our adult choir to focus on the victory of our Lord over death and the grave.  Make every effort to be here at 6:00 and bring a friend as we “say it with a song”. Lost in the 70’s, Bro. James