Next Meeting: Oct. 12 Park Street Baptist - St. Petersburg

Park Street is looking forward to hosting the October FBBF meeting on Monday October 12.

We have three excellent speakers lined up that will be a blessing to you. 

Monty Trammel is a 1980 graduate of Baptist Bible College.  Monty pastored in Ohio for many years and has recently moved to Merritt Island where he is the pastor of Orsino Baptist Church. 

Phillip Housley is the pastor of Park Crest Baptist in Springfield Mo.  He is down for the week with a young man from his church who is interested in starting a church in Florida.  They are scoping out an area in the Orlando area.  Phil is a graduate of Baptist Bible College.

Tom Hunter has been at Plantation Baptist since 2006 and God has been doing some phenomenal things.  A graduate of Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, Pastor Hunter moved to South Florida in 1994 and served for eleven years as Youth Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Coconut Creek, FL. In 2005, God had moved in the heart of Pastor Hunter to accept a call to Plantation Baptist Church and transitioned to Senior Pastor in 2006. God has been using him mightily in seeing many souls come to Christ.

Not only do we have an excellent line up of speakers but we will have a nice lunch as well as a time of fellowship.  If we stay on schedule we will be done by 2:30 PM

Directions:  We are located at 3901 Park St N St Petersburg.  You can follow your GPS although it will not take you the easiest way.  Once you are on 275 take the 54^th Ave Exit and go WEST.  It will dead end into Park Street.  Turn left and the church will down about half a mile on the left.  

A Note from Russell Johnson

A Family Moves Into Town Looking for a Church…

During the months of September & October, our church is working through the Joshua Harris’ book entitled “Stop Dating the Church” or now released as “Why Church Matters.”  It’s been a good read for everyone and has opened up many conversations that were worth having.

In Chapter 5, Harris gives a “Must-Have” list for everyone seeking a new Church.  I wonder how each of our churches would fare if a family came into our Church with this list in hand:

1. Is this a church where God’s Word is faithfully taught?  - 2 Timothy 3:16

2. Is this a church where sound doctrine matters? - 2 Timothy 4:2-5

3. Is this a church in which the gospel is cherished and clearly proclaimed?

            1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:1-9

4. Is this a church committed to reaching non-Christians with the gospel?

            Mark 16:15; Hosea 11:4; Acts 15:19

5. Is this a church whose leaders are characterized by humility and integrity?

            1 Timothy 3:2-7; Matthew 20:25-28

6. Is this a church where people strive to live by God’s Word? - James 1:22-25

7. Is this a church where I can find and cultivate godly relationships?

            Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25

8. Is this a church where members are challenged to serve?

            1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 4:11-16

9. Is this a church that is willing to kick me out?

            Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5 & 2 Corinthians 2

10. Is this a church I’m willing to join “as is” with enthusiasm and faith in God?

It might be worth the time for each of us, as Pastors, to examine our Church in the light of these questions.  It might be interesting (and scary) to have our people evaluate our Church by the same scale.

May we all strive to have Churches that God could trust with His chosen people!