Mission Trailer Ministry Volunteers,

Unfortunately, we are moving into a time of the year when tornados and storms hit our area and our state. I wanted to go ahead and update you all before anything potentially happens. 

This year, we are much more prepared than last year. Here are a few points in case of an emergency.

1. Any response within the first hour to 8 hours of a disaster is handled by emergency first-responders such as fire/rescue and police. Any decisions you make to go help at that point will be up to you. Your best action will be to check on your property and help your next-door neighbors and family as needed. 
2. This is the basic line of priority for preparation. Your Home, Then Our County, Then Our State, Then The Remainder Of The Country. I will be communicating with Randy Young, who will in turn be communicating with Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Disaster Relief.
3. Most everything we will be doing will either be through MBCBDR or in cooperation with them. We do not have to be officially dispatched by MBCBDR to work in our own county, but it is helpful for us and them if we cooperate with them. All jobs out of county are ONLY done with MBCBDR if they call us out.
4. If you plan to help on any upcoming disasters in our county, please check your tools and saws now, as well as to make sure you have a pair of gloves, proper clothing, and boots. If your chainsaws have been sitting all winter, it is recommended to go ahead and get them out THIS AFTERNOON to sharpen them and run them for a little while. The mission trailer has a polesaw, chainsaw, chainsaw chaps, hand tools, and pre-mixed fuel; but you may want to bring your own fuel.
5. Just FYI: There will be another training for Disaster Relief on April 6th in Grenada, MS.

If a disaster happens in Pontotoc,

-Please text or call Casey Russell (662-419-4859) to report any needs that come up. These may be your family, our church family, or other people in the community. 

-Other Mission Trailer Leadership Team Members to contact in case of a report are David White, Joseph Maher, or J.P. Davis. 

-As reports come in, they will be sent out to everyone through the main text communication like normal Mission Trailer Job alerts. 

If the disaster happens outside of Pontotoc,

-We will be under the command of Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Disaster Relief and will only go if called out by them.

-If you do not have certification from MBCBDR (a badge), you will not be able to help in any efforts for at least the first week or two of a disaster recovery. Emergency personnel typically have check points and posts set up that require credentials to get in the zone.

-Lastly, we will not be sending any collected items (clothing, food, water) to the disaster zone unless requested by the MBCBDR. The state convention always request that money is sent instead of goods. If a disaster hits, a link will be sent out to send money to the State Convention that would be used directly for relief efforts. You will also be able to give in our church office. Our training has taught us not to send a bunch of collected items to the affected area because it gets in the way and goes to waste. 

Hello, West Heights Family!

We want to remind you to sign up for a Love Pontotoc Ministry this Sunday in the hallway across from the Welcome Center Coffee Shop. There are several options still open.

It is important to sign up ahead of time to get our leaders the correct information and to get you a Love Pontotoc t-shirt.

The ministries that are most in need of volunteers are:

1. Helping at Mill Creek Children’s Home- One Day VBS
2. Sharing the gospel at the grocery store-This group will give away loaves of bread as they share the gospel with people at the grocery store.

We would love for our entire church to be involved in sharing God’s Love in a special way on Saturday, April 27.

The church is currently accepting application & resumes for two (2) part-time ministry assistants. We are currently looking to fill the roles for:
1. Receptionist Ministry Assistant
2.Discipleship Ministry Assistant.
Both positions will be 20 hours per week. For more information & to submit an online application before the March 20, 2024 deadline, please click the following link: MORE INFORMATION

Short history of our interviews:

One of the requirements for Super Summer is to share your testimony in front of the youth group. We decided that it would be more like a gospel conversation if we switched this requirement to an on-stage interview between me and 4 or 5 of them at a time. I felt like this would help the student share their faith to their peers. The change has worked really well. CLI students then requested to be included, so we began scheduling them alongside the Super Summer students.

Here’s the schedule for our interviews in 2024. These are all set, but if a student or parent cannot be at one, we can shift things around as the dates draw near. I also try to video these interviews and send out a link to parents with the footage.

March 13

Emma Ritchie

Shiloh Brown

Kye Webb

Alex Boyette

Hunter Luby

April 10

Landon Russell

Dayn Wilson

Carter Vineyard

Colton Farley

Olivia Hamblin

May 1

Jack Tutor

Garrett Weeks

RG Suggs

Meredith Farley

Sadie Luby

Three Reminders for this week:

1. This Thursday, February 29th, we will be leaving at 4:00 pm to attend WinterJam 2024. No sign up needed. We will take the church van. (you are welcome to join us there at the Cadence Center) Have your student there before 4 to ride van. Cost is $15.00 cash at the door. Once in building, food and souvenirs are cashless (card only). They do not post an end time but it usually last several hours. It begins at 6 pm.

2. Next Sunday, March 3, the youth will be going to Pontotoc Health and Rehab at 2 PM (nursing home behind the skating rink). We are working toward making this a monthly visit. Parents are welcome to go with us. Allen will be giving a devotion to the Residents, then we will spend some time visiting, playing games, and possibly painting fingernails for those interested. This will be led by Allen Maxey, Casey Russell, and Amber Waits. We will meet at nursing home at 2 pm.

1. For black light nerf war, don’t forget to bring your own gun if you want to play. (NO BATTERY POWERED ONES). We will have extra bullets.
2. Bring a can of food for the food drive for Pontotoc Association Food Pantry. We will be turning them in as we enter the ag center.
3. There will also be an offering given this weekend if you want to participate. It will only be through Venmo or Cash app. Proceeds also go to the Association Food Pantry.
4. If you haven’t turned in a waiver, be sure to have it notarized when you bring it. We will have a notary there if you forget or are unable to get to one tomorrow.
5. Gym opens at 4:30 pm. SEE YOU THERE

Song 1: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Verse 1: What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Chorus: Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Verse 2: O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Verse 3: What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
I have peace complete with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Song 2: Standing on the Promises

Verse 1: Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus: Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.

Verse 2: Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Verse 3: Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Verse 4: Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Song 3: He Hideth My Soul

Verse 1: A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus: He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

Verse 2: A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

Verse 4: When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

Song 4: Blessed Assurance

Verse 1: Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Chorus: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Verse 2: Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Verse 3: Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Tornado season is approaching fast (April-May) and last year it was very eventful. If something happens in Pontotoc County, we do not have to have any credentials or be a part of a Mississippi Baptist team to to help out with Disaster Relief. We live here. We can just go help our neighbors and loved ones.

This is not the case for anywhere else in the state or country.

When a natural disaster hits, authorities begin to shut off roads into the area and only let personnel in that have the proper credentials. For instance, last year, several wanted to go to Amory to help, but it was a while before you could get in that area to help.

If you desire to help this year across the state or country with any disaster relief efforts, you must go through the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief training to receive a badge that gives you credentials to go into the disaster areas.

As of right now, WHBC has about 8 people that are approved through the proper training and credentials.

The next training that is fairly close is March 23 in Columbus MS.

Contact Casey Russell if you are interested in attending that training or any other training sessions.

Here’s all the training sessions coming up.

Parents and youth,

Here’s a couple updates for this week.

1. I will be collecting notarized waivers for 2024 for students prior to Dnow. Everyone needs an updated one for this year.

2. Mary Margaret will be sitting outside the youth room this Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm to notarize the waivers.

3. All Dnow fees are due the Friday of Dnow (Feb 2). As we get closer to time, I will send out reminders about waivers and fees.

4. We will send out more info about the details and schedule of Dnow as we get closer to time.

5. Lastly, on February 14, we will be going to first Baptist for a FCA rally/night of worship. I will release more info in the weeks to come. It starts at 7 pm.