The word is Third

Third Baptist Church makes an appearance in this city alphabet game created by the Post-Dispatch. Can you recognize the letter "h" from our sign?

April Environmental Tip

Each month the TBC Environmental Ministry Team recommends small steps you can take to be a better steward of God's creation, with the hope that we can all work together to responsibly manage the resources with which we have been blessed.

Save money while being environmentally friendly. This year (2010), federal tax credits for energy efficient products are available. See www.energystar.gov for more information.

Missouri also offers a Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday on certain energy efficient appliances. This year's tax holiday runs from April 19 - April 25. Search on the preceding name for more information or contact your appliance dealer.

Living Testimony

Our youth participated in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri General Assembly this past weekend by working at two of the service project sites. We began the day at a local elementary school where some of the guys were busy spreading mulch and painting while the girls were given the job of changing out the bulletin boards. After about an hour there, we were moved to the Kids Against Hunger site.

Kids Against Hunger is a humanitarian food-aid organization whose mission is to significantly reduce the number of hungry children in the U.S. and to feed starving children throughout the world. Six of our youth and five of our adults joined a larger group of people from the Springfield area to help package over 11,000 highly nutritious, vitamin-fortified soy-rice casseroles in 2 hours. Most of these meals will be sent to Haiti.

After the service projects, we had a bit of fun, and expended a LOT of energy at Big Rock Climbing Gym. We also were led in a couple of Bible Studies by Allyn Dault and Terrell Carter. These dealt with being real followers of Christ.

Easter festivities

The Third Baptist kids went on an Easter egg hunt after Sunday School. They hunted eggs in the park next door to the church.

Harris-Dault Engagement

(By Allyn Dault, choir director -- with help from Jennifer)

For the three of you who didn't see this coming -- and you three won't read the blog anyway, so for those of you who are here -- it's official.


(By Jennifer Harris, Web site editor -- with help from Allyn)
In case you didn't understand Allyn's version, we are engaged. To be married. To each other. Yes, really.

We met at Third Baptist Church two and a half years ago when I (Jennifer) interviewed Allyn for a Word&Way story. He proposed today in the room where we met (Room 2).

A Lenten Challenge

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has issued a challenge to listen to the Bible during the season of Lent."We will be transformed by listening to God's Word, reflecting on it, discussing it, and sharing it with others," Daniel Vestal, CBF's executive coordinator, told the Associated Baptist Press. "It will create greater desire to study and share Scripture as we open ourselves to the Spirit by hearing the Word of God."

In partnership with Faith Comes By Hearing, CBF is offering free mp3 copies of the New Testament and a "Kidz Bible" for children. Visit the CBF site to listen to the audio files.

Listen to Daniel Vestal's description of the "You've Got the Time" challenge.

What's in a shoe?

Third Baptist is once again participating in a Lenten "Shoes for Orphan Souls" drive. We are looking for new shoes -- the variety that light up are particularly popular -- that would be appropriate for children from birth through high school. Our church has a goal of 500 pairs of shoes. The WMS is challenging groups to bring more pairs than they do. If you'd like to step up to their challenge, gather your Sunday School class, CDI group, ministry team or Sunday morning crew to set a goal. 

Below, you'll find a video that shows the journey of a shoe to learn a little bit more about the impact of a pair of shoes. You can also talk to one of the members of last year's Peru team to hear about their experience in giving these shoes to kids.