OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD It’s time! September and October are the months set aside for our family to pack and fill OCC shoeboxes. Our church fellowship provides plastic shoe boxes with snap lids and those boxes are available in sanctuary and the foyers. Our shoebox dedication Sunday will be held on October 29th and our collective children’s ministry for OCC will pack boxes the first two weeks of November. Your absolute last day to drop off a box will be Wednesday Nov. 15th. Check out www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child to discover more.

DEACON NOMINATION LISTING The official Deacon Ballot will be in your mailbox this week. The ballots are also available in your Bible Study classrooms and on the foyer tables. The signed ballot is due back in the office by the close of the Family Forum scheduled for September 24th.

A JOURNEY THROUGH PSALMS Our study in the Book of Psalms holds great news for you. The Psalms speak to those who may be soaring on the heights of spiritual growth and to those who are in the depths of spiritual weakness. You may understand those who sought God’s hand against their persecutors and those seeking forgiveness for being in the wrong against another. This journey through the Psalms is for you.

WORSHIP TEAM BANQUET This Wednesday night, September 6th the choir, instrumentalists, technicians and their guests will gather for a banquet and night of inspiration at Garrison Gardens. The regular Wednesday night schedule will apply to the Preschool, AWANA, Youth and Adult Bible Study.

DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS Our fellowship will be partnering with Trinity Baptist Church of Dayton, TX assisting them with restoration and reconstruction. We are waiting on instructions from their pastor, Mike Blackburn, who indicates they need two weeks to dry out. If you would like to donate to relief efforts through our church fellowship, we are asking you to choose one of two ways: The SBC Disaster Relief teams are at shelters throughout Texas and the Texas Baptist Men (TBM) is the Texas division we seek to support. Our own HPBC National Mission monies are being used and the need to supplement these funds will also become a need. Give generously to the relief efforts in any way you choose. If you choose to give through our church, simply mark any envelope or check memo line with TBM or HPBC Missions.

Wednesday night meal: Pizza and Salad! Join us! 5:20 - 6:15 pm

Our upcoming Sunday services will include Bible Study covering Psalms 78:5-8, 32-29 entitled "The Past". For our worship time Chuck has selected some good ole hymns and our choir will be singing "New Jerusalem". Our Operation Christmas Child campaign begins on Sunday. The shoeboxes will be ready for you to pick up that morning. Now a note from our pastor: Dear Family - Here's a long e-mail, but please read! The last couple weeks the atmosphere within our Bible Study and worship services have truly been one of joyous praise, celebration and revival. I was so delighted to see many faces back and a packed house last week. I know it is a holiday weekend, but I encourage each of you to be here Sunday as we continue in the Paths of Righteousness study of Psalms. I'll be sharing from the second stanza of the 119th Psalm. Now, and update on the disaster relief: Our family partnered with another church and Tommy Huggins, to deliver a 45' trailer load of bottled water on pallets to the Police and Fire Department of Beaumont, TX yesterday. It was greatly appreciated. Tommy and his crew drove through 3 feet of water in order to get the water delivered. Beaumont is probably the most critical area for emergency response today. We were also able to help stock tractor trailer loads of cleaning and mop up supplies being directed to the downtown area of Houston. Mayo Manufacturing took the lead in the Texarkana area with goods and the use of their trucks, trailers, and drivers. Due to the manner our church sets aside money for national missions, we were able to join in the effort providing complete pallets of supplies on short notice. Our continued needs: Monetarily - We have two needs. I have already encouraged you to donate God's resources at your disposal to the organization you deem most appropriate. However, for our church fellowship, I encourage two main monetary gift options. 1. The Texas Baptist Men's Disaster Unit or TBM will be on site at shelters for the long haul. I foresee months. Our crews provide laundry, shower, water, and food! Presently a lot of individual donated items are on site and they are sorting these donations. However, money to order in bulk, to prioritize their ongoing needs, and to keep the equipment running will be the greatest help. I'm asking our family to give to our already organized Disaster Relief Team; the TBM. 2. Secondly, our own HPBC National Mission money could use a boost, especially after we were able to get more and more personally involved this week. Donations of money, will allow us to continue to buy pallet sized items, as we did yesterday, and be much more efficient than packing and shipping individual items. If adding one or two items to your weekly grocery list is the best way for you to help, don't neglect that gift. We will continue to deliver truckloads to the Ft. Worth distribution center weekly. Additionally, we will be partnering with Pastor Mike Blackburn and Trinity Baptist Church of Dayton, TX. There is a member of this church who grew up in Highland Park. He and I spoke last night and the best plan for our family will be to help with restoration and reconstruction. He has asked us to wait about 2 weeks to actually go there to help. They have been able to tear out the damage to their church, the parsonage, and most of their member's' homes, without our planned trip of next week. However, it is simply too wet to fix anything. He will outline the needs and time frame for us so we will know exactly how we are needed to help. I will update our plans as they formalize and he will be able to give us a 4-5 day notice. Money will be needed for our future team's trips and for us to help with materials, supplies etc. I also foresee us making multiple trips over the coming months and really connecting with the community of Dayton. They are only 15 miles from the chemical plant in Crosby, so continue to pray for the water to recede there - and everywhere. Walter Jackson, a former pastor of this fellowship, is the current Director of Missions for the Victoria, TX area and is onsite in Rockport, TX which has basically been destroyed. From Rockport, up the coast all the way to Port O'Conner and Port Lavaca there are many needs. He will be our point person if we can assist in that area, however, our call seems to be Dayton, TX. Please give generously to whomever you choose. If you would like to donate through our church fellowship, simply mark any envelope or check memo line with TBM or HPBC Missions. Shelters: Manpower is the greatest call for our both of our conventions Disaster relief. You will need the "yellow card", a proof of training, and those trainings are ongoing. Simply contact me if you'd be interested in training. Little Rock and Dallas day trips will be involved. I am pleased to update that all of the families located in the storm ravaged areas directly connected to our fellowship are safe. Most have limited damage and we praise our Lord for their protection. Many are in the medical or utility industries and have been instrumental in serving their fellow man. For our families connected to them, I would appreciate an update as you have time so we may help meet their needs as well. Kevin E. Myers

WORSHIP TEAM BANQUET Wednesday night, September 6th the choir, instrumentalists, technicians and their guests will gather for a banquet and night of inspiration at Garrison Gardens. The regular Wednesday night schedule will apply to the Preschool, AWANA, Youth and Adult Bible Study.

DEACON NOMINATION LISTING Tuesday marks the last day to help us make and corrections on the Deacon Nomination List. We have already noted the membership eligibility date was incorrectly listed on the nomination review form as August 31, 2015, when it should have been 2016. Please forgive our error. If you notice a needed addition, correction or have a deletion request, please call Sandy in the church office by Tuesday. The official Deacon ballot will be mailed out the end of this week and will be due back in the office by September 24th.

AWANA NEWS The new AWANA year began last Wednesday evening. Every Wednesday our K-6th graders can check in beginning at 6:00 pm and join in the fun, worship, and learning AWANA offers.

A JOURNEY THROUGH PSALMS Our study in the Book of Psalms holds great news for you. A psalmist has likely written about whatever feelings you might be presently experiencing. The Psalms speak to those who may be soaring on the heights of spiritual growth and to those who are in the depths of spiritual weakness. You may understand those who sought God’s hand against their persecutors and those seeking forgiveness for being in the wrong against another. This journey through the Psalms is for you. As is true of all God’s word, if you earnestly apply its lessons, Psalms will benefit you and those around you.

Our Upcoming Sunday Morning Bible Studies September 3rd – Psalms 78:5-8, 32-39 September 10th – Psalms 23: 1-6