This Sunday - we are very fired up about our Worship Service on Valentine's Day.  If at all possible - please try to be seated in the sanctuary by 10:30am.  Not only will our worship team start playing around 10:15, but we have a powerful skit - "Baggage" - we're doing right after the opening.  You will not want to miss it!  

The message continues our series on Growing in Christ:  "Real World + No Time = More Jesus."  We'll focus on going deeper in our relationships at church and with one another.  It's called:  "Names...and Numbers....are People."  If you want to read ahead, check out:

Mark 3

Matthew 26

Luke 10

Romans 16

Also - on Sunday night - our Youth are now meeting at 5:30pm, at Bellwether in Fondren. There will be worship, a powerful message by Jeff our Youth Leader, and dinner after.  Hope your youth and their friends can B there!

And - Ash Wednesday - 6:30pm - Bellwether Fondren.  We'll have Food, Fellowship, Candlelight service, Communion.  I hope you can be with us and please invite someone who needs to find a community of Christ.  We'll start the Lenten season off together as His Church. 

Have a great weekend and Happy Valentine's Day.  Always know - Jesus Loves You!

John Hugh 

Above all, we give thanks to God - for providing, protecting, and sustaining us along this journey we're on.  As long as we remain humble, and always give Him the glory - He will provide for all our needs - and even more than we could ever imagine!  To Him B the Glory!   

Now - for those of you who are new to Bellwether - or for your friends and/or family who've been visiting with us - or for anyone who wants to know more about our church - this is for you!  

The next 2 Sunday's - January 24th and 31st - immediately after our Sunday Worship Service - we'll have what we're calling "B Up 2 Speed."  This is a luncheon Bellwether is providing for anyone who'd like to know more about our church family:  how we started, our history, vision, ministries of Worship, Family, Youth.  All our staff will be there and you can feel free to ask any questions about Bellwether.  We'll have it there at the Performing Arts Center, right after the service. 

If you want to learn more about Bellwether, get to know us, and plug in deeper to our church family, I hope you'll be there. Again, it's our treat and will be catered by Newks.  And, ifyou are at all considering joining our church family, this is your first step in making that commitment.  

We have two opportunities for you to be at "B Up 2 Speed" - this Sunday the 24th and the 31st.  Please let us know if you plan to be there, so we can have a head count.  

Thanks again for all your prayers and support of yesterday!  It was a wonderful day in many, many ways.  If you weren't there, I hope you can listen to the podcast.  We're excited about how God is leading Bellwether and the future He has for us.  We hope all of you and your families will share and grow in it.  Have a great week and let us know if you need anything.  

In Christ,

John Hugh  

If you are in need of water - we do have several crates of bottled water at our Fondren space.  Let us know or come by and pick some up.  Also, many people in our Bellwether family are opening their homes for showers and washing.  If you need to go somewhere, let me know and I can put you in touch with someone.  

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and relief workers traveling down there.  Another great way to give and serve is through Samaritan's Purse.  You can check out their website to see all they are doing and a way to give - www.samaritan.org.

And, we are worshipping in the Performing Arts Center at Jackson Academy this Sunday. 10:30am.  I hope you can be with us, and please invite any family, friends, and those in need of finding the real Jesus.  It will be a great morning of worship, baptism, and communion.  I'll continue "Vision Anew" with an aptly titled message called "Living Water."  I look forward to seeing you there as we take this next step in our life as a church family.

Finally, it has been an extraordinary blessing to see how God has blessed Bellwether.  He's provided a wonderful place to worship, a great community space in Fondren, a full-time Family and Youth leader.  When you step back to look at it, it is humbling.  However, with all He has given us, I pray we always remained focused on keeping it simple.  That we simply - love Jesus and love people.  We can easily get consumed with spaces, programs, sound, seating, and all that makes a church happen.  Yet, ultimately, we are called to love Jesus, and love people.  That's all there is to it.

I look forward to doing that with you this Sunday, and beyond.  

Call on us if you need water, or anything else.

God bless,

John Hugh  

First, pray for Haiti and for those involved in the rescue efforts.  

It is our prayer that God's hand is on those searching for survivors, 

and that God's peace is with those who have lost loved ones.

Second, give generously to UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on 

Relief.  UMCOR is always among the first on the ground in these 

situations, and the last to leave.  You can donate online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=418325&id=3018760

.  100% of your donation will be used directly for disaster recovery 

efforts and humanitarian aid in Haiti.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers to all those who've been affected by this disaster.  We pray God's Hand gives comfort and strength.  

Also, we are on for this Sunday at the Performing Arts Center at Jackson Academy.  Please continue to pray about our move, and for the Jackson Academy leadership as they deal with the water situation at their school.  

Yet so you know - we will have our worship service - this Sunday - 10:30am at Jackson Academy.  More info will come on that later in the week.  Hope you, your family, friends, andsomeone you know who needs a church home can be there!

It's exciting to look back and see where God has led and how He has blessed Bellwether.  I look forward to Him doing even more in us and through us as we take this next step in our life as a church family. 

Have a great week, and God bless,

John Hugh  

God bless,

John Hugh

Youth Ministry DATES:

January 15-18 - Junior High Breakthru retreat

January 24th - Breakthru Celebration night at the Office Space

January 31st - Kickoff night for youth at the Office Space. Time: 6pm-8pm including sharing a meal at     McAllisters deli

February 7th - Super Bowl Party

1) Sunday Nights

We plan to have our youth gatherings each Sunday night, from 6-8pm in the Office Space at Fondren. 6-7pm, will be a time of games, music, and bible study. From 7-8pm, we plan to eat together at a nearby restaurant! Of course, if students want to hangout a little before bible study starts, we can have some time before 6pm to do that!

2) Small Groups

It is our prayer that, as Bellwether's youth ministry grows, we will be able to form small groups for students. These groups would be led by parents or adult volunteers.

3) Weekly Ministry

It would be great to see Bellwether's students involved in a weekly ministry serving our church in some way: praying for our church, serving on the Sunday morning worship team: media, set-up, family, offering time, etc.

4) Missions

We hope to involved students in local missions on a weekly or monthly basis as well as globally once a year.

4) Retreats

Breakthru Retreat: Bellwether Youth ministry plans to involve students in the yearly Breakthru retreat. This is a local retreat held at Timber Creek Camp in Pulaski, MS (45 minutes from Jackson,MS) for four days. They have four sessions each year. We would chose which of the four sessions is the best fit for Bellwether students. The sessions take place in December, January, and February. Here is their website: http://timbercreekcamp.com/

Summer Retreat: We also hope to have a summer retreat where students can have fun and go deeper in their relationships with Jesus and others.

Other Retreats: We are open to see if God has other type of retreats for our students. Some may be grade related retreats, rite of passage related retreats, etc.

5) Socials

We would love to have parent socials every so often to plan, dream, and pray for our students and the youth ministry. We would also hope to have times each year to have socials for the students.

Personal Note from Jeff Nesbit, Youth Leader

Hello parents and students! My name is Jeff Nesbit and I want to thank you for welcoming me as your new Youth Leader at Bellwether Church! Thank you for welcoming my wife (Whitney) and my two children as well (Kate Gray and Cruz). We already feel a part of the family!

As your Youth Leader, I hope to help real students and real parents find the real Jesus! I plan on sharing life with each of you as we develop our relationship with Christ and with one another! Please feel free to call me at (601) 594.7083 (cell) or email me at jnesbit@bellwetherchurch.org and we'll talk! I look forward to meeting you over the next couple of weeks! You are in my prayers!

Jeff Nesbit

Jeff is a native of Jackson, graduated from Jackson Academy and then Mississippi State.  He went to seminary at Wesley Biblical Seminary & has served in multiple youth ministry roles over the past 5 years as he helped lead the student ministry at Christ United Methodist Church here in Jackson.  It is a blessing to have he and his family at Bellwether.  I hope you'll take time over the next few weeks to greet Jeff and Whitney and welcome them to our church.  

You'll be hearing more about our youth ministry soon as we'll kick it off in the next month.  Please stay tuned to dates & times.  More importantly, pray for Jeff and Whitney as they transition, for Jeff as he leads our youth ministry, and for the students he will impact.  

Also, I hope you get a chance to listen to this morning's sermon on podcast.  I talked about it being a new year and how we all have a tendency to make the annual New Year's resolutions.  Many of which easily turn into "February fabs."  

However, all of us at times struggle in our spiritual walk.  We have the "come to Jesus moment," perhaps we get baptized, and put our faith in Him. And then we become stagnant, or don't grow as we'd like, or simply think there should be more - to Christianity, the Church, or Jesus Himself.  

There is!  And He wants us all to experience it. Today, I highlighted 5 things you can do that I believe - I know - will help you meet, find, or discover anew the real Jesus.  They are - 

1) Personal Devotion/Prayer Time - 20, 30, 40 minutes a day.  "We don't have time."  We've all said that.  We all have time - we just need to rearrange our schedule to what's most important - our relationship with Him.

2) Family Time - We can spend all our time and energy on work and leave out what's most important - the primary relationships in our lives.  Jesus wants to have strong marriages, children, and healthy relationships throughout our families.  We must devote time to make happen.

3) Commit to a Church - having a church family is vital for growth.  Taking the step and saying - "God has called me here.  I want to commit my time, talents, and tithe to what God is doing here."  We are thankful many of you have made such a commitment to Bellwether and hope many more will take that step.  Ultimately though, we want you - and will do all we can to help you - find a church home where you can grow and serve. 

4) Be part of a Group.  We all need a small group of believers to encourage us and hold us accountable.  This doesn't have to be at Bellwether, but I hope you'll think and pray about being part of a group of believers who will love you through thick and thin and that you can share your struggles with. It's essential.

5) Go to others.  All of us know people who need a church, a family, or who simply need to see the love of Christ.  Are we inviting them to church?  Are we showing Him to them?  And, I also believe all of us know people who need to find Christ.  Are we going to them?  Are we loving them?  Going - is a great challenge for all of us in the new year. 

Again, I believe these 5 things - if you commit to them, will help you grow in your walk with the Christ.  I pray you will pray about them and ultimately commit to them.  You will be hearing about them more at Bellwether in weeks and months to come!  

Hope you had a wonderful Sunday, and God bless,

John Hugh 

Tonight - our worship leader Chris Kellum and SonSoul will be playing for Ignite's Rock and Rap.  It will be at the Ice Park on Lakeland Drive from 8-12.  Doors open at 7:30.  Tickets are $15 at the door.  Please come out and support Chris and this ministry Bellwether is partnering with.  

This Sunday Morning - 10:30am - Jackson Academy - Bellwether Worship.  This will be another special Advent service.  We'll have the Advent candle lighting, communion, and our Family Ministry and Worship will partner in a live nativity scene.  We'll continue our Advent series of "Believing is Not Seeing" and look at the Shepherds.  The title of our message will be "What the Shepherds Had to See." 

(Don't forget - still taking gifts to Scott, Meg, and Tim Rambo to give them as a Christmas gift from Bellwether in their preparations for Uganda.  You can give this Sunday.)

December 22nd - free coffee from Bellwether all day at Broad Street & Cups Fondren. Bellwether will do it's annual Act of Advent of giving free cups of coffee to the community.  My hope is we can add a new coffee shop to this every year!  Please go by and have a cup of coffee on us.  We do this hoping people in a small way know the free gift of Jesus.  

December 24th - Christmas Eve service.  We hope you, your family, friends, and the entire community will share this special day with us.  It will be a candlelight service focused on our children and our Greatest Gift.  The message will be - "Our Dream Christmas Wish List."  

December 27th - Bellwether will continue its tradition of not having church services here the Sunday after Christmas.  We do this to give our worship, set-up, media, family, and hospitality teams a break the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's.  Another reason we do this is to say - it's not about us, but about His Kingdom.  So, we hope you will still worship elsewhere with friends or family.   

We'll open the New Year together again at Jackson Academy on January 3rd & launch in the new Performing Arts Center January 17th.  Excited about all God has in store for Bellwether - and YOU in 2010.  

Merry Christmas & God bless us all,
John Hugh  

This Sunday, December 13th - His Heart luncheon at Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Jackson.   We've been collecting $20 to purchase stockings full of candy and toys for children who won't be getting much for Christmas.  At this luncheon they'll be giving them out.  It'll be immediately after church on Sunday.  You can still give $20 at this week's worship service.  For more info or how you can help His Heart, email Kendall Poole at kendallpoole@yahoo.com.

Friday night, December 18th - 8pm-midnight, Chris Kellum, Bellwether's worship leader and SonSoul, will be partnering with Ignite Ministries for "Rock & Rap - A Night at the Park."  Tickets to this concert are $12 Advanced and $15 at the door.  This is a great event for youth & adults.  Please come out to hear Chris and SonSoul!  For more info, contact Chris at ckellum@bellwetherchurch.org.

Tuesday, December 22nd - Bellwether will be giving away free cups of coffee at Broad Street and CUPS in Fondren.  Stop by anytime that day at Broad Street Bakery or Cups beside our Fondren space and have a cup of coffee on us.  As a free gift, we hope people will know the free gift of Christ this Christmas season. 

Christmas Eve Worship Service - 4pm - Christmas Eve - Jackson Academy.  We hope you, your family, and friends, can be with us for this special service as we celebrate the light of Christ entering into our world.

Another way to give - our Christmas collection for Scott, Meg, and Tim Rambo.  They're about to go to Uganda to teach & train pastors there.  You can give any Sunday as they'll be a table and basket for our Christmas present to the Rambo's.  We hope you'll think and pray about giving to this special family who've responded to God's call to go.

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season and will know even more all God has given us in Jesus.  

We'll continue on the Advent Series - Believing is Not Seeing.  This Sunday will be about someone just about everyone knows of or has heard of - Joseph, Jesus' earthly father.  The title of the message is "Upside Down Faith."  

Here are some general directions for you as you come in to worship.    

Enter at the main entrance off Ridgewood Road.  You'll see Bellwether signage where you turn in.  Drive into the campus and turn right into the main parking lot.  

As you get out, walk to the main awning going into the school.  Someone from Bellwether will be there to greet and direct you.  

You'll turn left and walk under the awning (you may have an escort from Bellwether) until you get to the Activities Center entrance.  It will be on your left and there will be a Worship Center sign there.  

For our Parents & Children:  our Family Ministries Area is right across from the Activities Center, on your right.  You'll see the Family sign there, and you'll be able to go right in to check your children in.  We're excited about having our children so close to worship and we hope it will be easier for all our families.  

Once you go into our worship area, as always, we hope you'll make yourself at home, have a cup of coffee, and open up your hearts to hear what Jesus has to say.  

As it's our first Sunday in a new space, we know it will be a learning process.  However, as a new church, we're thankful God has given us a spirit of being able to adapt, change, and move as we grow and learn together. 

Thank you for your commitment, support, and service over these past months at the Ag Museum.  We're excited to take this step and look forward to what God has in store for Bellwether at Jackson Academy.  

Hope to see you Sunday!  God bless,

John Hugh 

We hope you can be with us.  6pm- until at Bellwether's Fondren space beside Cups cafe. We will have food, drinks, and dessert.  Chris and some of our worship team will be playing and leading us in festive music.  And, as we want to be about and support our local community, it will tie in with Fondren After 5.  So you can come early, or later as you make the rounds for shopping, dinner, or going out.  

We are thankful for how God has blessed us.  We want to use our Fondren space (even though it's not fully ready) for our whole church family as often as possible.  We want to be about community and share the love of Christ with you this season.  So please come out!  We hope to see you tomorrow night.  Again, 6pm-until, beside Cups.  Feel free to bring your family, children, and any friends.   

And, most of all, may God bless you and yours this Advent season.  

More importantly though, I give thanks for 3 special people in our church family who led Bellwether to Stewpot and are of more deserving of this award - Stacy Underwood, Jamie Randle, and Cherry Duckworth.  Their passion, love, and dedication in building heARTworks opened the door for Bellwether to partner in what God was already doing at Stewpot.  I give them thanks for continuing to carry the torch every Tuesday morning in being a blessing and light to many of the people down there.  

This shows God is at work down there.  It's also a great opportunity to renew our commitment to heARTworks and Stewpot.  Stacy, Jamie, and Cherry need more help each Tuesday.  They primarily need volunteers to help serve the people and organize the ministry.  It'd be great if we could help them more with their ministry needs.  It is a wonderful way to serve the Kingdom.  If you are interested or able in serving with this mission, please email Stacy Underwood at stacyu@comcast.net.  

Thank you - as a church - for all your prayers, presence, and support for heARTworks ministries and Stewpot. Let's continue to grow and build this mission and relationship for His Kingdom.  

God bless you, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

John Hugh 

At Bellwether, things are moving fast too.  We're officially in our Fondren space and begun work to renovate it.  We'll be moving things from the Airport office this Saturday, getting it ready to go.  Please know you are more than welcome to stop by, check it out, and hang out down there at any time.  We want it to always be an open hub for everyone - whether you go to Bellwether or not. 

Plus, there are only 4 more Sunday's left at the Agriculture Museum.  We'll be at JA on December 6th and open the next chapter in our life as a church.  Please keep this move in your prayers. 

This Sunday, we'll close out the series in Philippians -"What Jesus' House Looks Like."  We'll talk about something I get asked a lot.  It's when someone says - "Okay, I know about Jesus, and I hear about how He brings new life, but what does that look like?  What happens?  What changes in your life?  How should I act?"  

We will deal with these questions this Sunday as we look into Philippians 4.  More importantly, we'll answer the question - What New Life in Christ Looks Like?  I hope you can be with us.  

Also, I hope you'll always invite any friends, family, or neighbors to church.  You never know who needs to hear the uplifting, life-changing Word of God.  And, you never know how God can use YOU and how YOU can make an impact in someone else's life.  My hope is all of you in our Bellwether family know YOU can be a powerful instrument for Christ.  

Have a great rest of the week, enjoy the weather, and be safe.  

God bless,

John Hugh 

Bellwether has a profound opportunity to do so as we move to Jackson Academy and Fondren.  There will be opportunities to reach out to many "real" people - those with families and who appear to have it all together.  Or those who simply don't know Him, who have left church, who could care less about church, or who have given up on any belief.  How will we act towards them?  Will we love them like Jesus loved?  Will we serve them?  Will we humble ourselves to say - "we're not so different...i'm broken too."  Will we be about them or about ourselves?  That seems to be the constant question for Christians, and the Church.  I hope we always choose the latter. 

This Sunday we continue the series in Philippians - What Jesus' House Looks Like.  The message will be out of Chapter 2 and the sermon is titled - "Showing Real People the Real Jesus."  I hope you can be with us to worship and hear God's Word.  We'll continue to meet at the Ag Museum - Sparkman Auditorium at 10:30 through November.  Please consider bringing a friend of family member to church with you.  You never know who might need to meet the real Jesus.   

And, wherever you are in life or in your faith journey, know there is a real person who lived, died, and rose again for you.  Whatever baggage you carry, whatever valleys you go through or addictions you have, He's is saying it's okay and He loves you.  It doesn't mean life may get better or easier.  It does mean He can change the way you look at and live your life now.  

I hope your week is going well.  Please let us at Bellwether know if there is anything we can do or pray about for you.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

God bless,

John Hugh  

I hope you are having a good week and drying out from all this rain.  Feels like Seattle.  Perhaps fall has truly arrived this weekend with cooler weather and clearer skies.  

Bellwether is entering a season of change too with the upcoming moves to Jackson Academy and Fondren.  I'm very excited about where God is leading us and I hope you are too.  

However, in this time, it is vital for us as a church to stay focused on showing and leading people to the real Jesus.  That's why this Sunday I'm starting a new 4 week sermon series called "What Jesus' House Looks Like."  It'll be based out of Philippians and will show us what it looks like to truly be "Jesus' House."  It will also go further to show us what it looks like for us if we truly be a follower of Jesus as well.  And...both may look different than we ever imagined.  I hope you can be with us.

Also, if you want more information about the upcoming moves and any other changes at Bellwether, I hope you'll come and worship with us on Sunday morning.  We'll address all the current goings on at the close of each service and I am available after the service (or anytime during the week) for any questions you may have.  

Two Mission Opportunities you or others you know may be interested in:

Bellwether is selling tickets to an event at Christ United on Sunday November 1st supporting the Society of St. Andrews to fight hunger in Mississippi.  It is called "Empty Bowls."  Each ticket is $15.  You will get a take home hand painted bowl and a soup lunch from Jackson Area restaurants.  We'll have tickets available Sunday at church - or contact me if you'd like one.  

And, we are looking at possibly doing a spring break trip to Honduras for Salt and Light in March 2010.  Please let me know soon if you would be interested.  We will build houses, do medical work, deliver food bags, and visit churches there.  Those of us who've gone before can tell you what a great experience it is.  Please let me know if you are interested - jhate@bellwetherchurch.org.  

Have a great weekend, hope to see you Sunday, and God bless,

John Hugh

Our message is from Luke 24 and the title is:  "Where Do You See Jesus?"

We will also have a video from Scott & Meg Rambo as the update us on their preparations to go to Uganda.  

And, we will announce Bellwether's New Sunday Worship Space & our church's overall Vision and Plan moving forward into 2010 and beyond.  

I hope you can be there to hear the message, support the Rambo's, and see - literally and spiritually - where Bellwether is going.

This Sunday we take the first step into a new season in Bellwether's life.  I can't be more excited about where God is leading us and the opportunities He has provided - to Lead the World to Jesus and His Church, and by doing so - to Raise Leaders, Families, and His Kingdom.

Have a great week.  Hope to see you Sunday.

God bless,

John Hugh  

Have you ever felt stuck, in-between, or simply in a rut in life?  Have you ever dealt with anxiety, depression, or had a serious case of the blues?  

If so, I hope you can be with us for Bellwether's Worship this Sunday.  We'll talk about these very real times in our lives, and look to the Bible for how we can use such days for spiritual growth.  We'll look at Scripture passages in Luke 20, 21, and 22 & the title of the message is:  "A Different Kind of Church."  

And next week - I hope you can to be with us at Timber Creek Camp for Bellwether's Fall Family Retreat.  Here are some important details and schedule for it:  

It is Friday October 2nd and Saturday Oct 3rd.  You don't have to be there for all of it (although you will miss out!).  Simply come for as much as your schedule will allow.

There is no cost to you or your family.  This is Bellwether's gift to our church family.

Timber Creek will provide supper on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday. 

Things you need to bring:  

Toiletries

Bedding - sheets, pillows, sleeping bag, etc.

Towels

2 pairs of shoes

Relaxed clothing - whatever you can run around in

Cards, creature comforts, etc. 

No sandals - ants are ridiculous out there

No swimming trunks - unless you plan on falling off the canoes

Here is our schedule - 

Friday - 

4-5pm - Arrival

5-6pm - Get set-up in cabins, hang out.

6pm - Supper 

7pm - Worship together

8:30pm - Campfire, smores

10pm - Bill Blair leads us in goofy games where kids see adults do crazy stuff

Saturday

8am - Breakfast

9:30am - Team Games

Noon - Lunch

1pm - Worship/Communion

3pm - Depart

Could you please send me an email at jhtate@bellwetherchurch.org if you or your family are planning to attend.  In addition, let me know - how many you will be, and if you will be spending the night.  This will be of great help in our coordination. 

This time is open to all of Bellwether and extended friends.  I hope to see you there!

Have a great rest of the week.
God bless,

John Hugh  

The singles retreat this past weekend went great!  The girls who were on it have been touched, filled and are growing together in great ways.  Please be in prayer for them and their relationships as God continues to grow them, use them, and open their eyes to all He wants to do with their life.  We thank God for all He is doing in and through them.  

A quick note on how God spoke to me recently - I was honored to preach a revival at my home church - a "small, country, church" in Myrtle, MS this past week.  It was a true blessing as I thought back to how that church started my walk with Christ and grew a strong foundation in my life.  It made me think about the foundation we are able to provide for adults, families, and children at Bellwether.  It is an honor that we get to do this.  My hope is for people young and old to one day look back on our church family and say: That church started me on my walk.  That church gave me a strong foundation of Jesus Christ as center of my life.  

That is my prayer as we always move forward in Christ.  

I hope you can worship with us this Sunday.  We'll continue a series on Relationships and the sermon is titled:  "What Comes Before Jesus in Your Life?"  

Have a great rest of the week, and please let us if you need anything.   

God bless,

John Hugh  

To drive there, a group is meeting Sunday morning at the "Red Coffee Bus" in the Highland Village parking lot at 9:15am to follow each other.  If you would like to drive out on your own here are directions:  

Timber Creek is located half-way between Jackson and Meridian.  From Jackson - Take I-20 East to Meridian.  Continue heading east until you reach exit 80 (the second Morton exit).  Exit right and take a right.  Go south on Highway 481 for approximately 3 miles.  Then, take a left on Morton Marathon Road.  Continue east on Morton Marathon Road for approximately 3 miles.  The entrance to Timber Creek Camp will be on your right. 

Please be in prayer for the Singles Retreat this weekend.  The women going on it have led up to this retreat with a 60 day covenant and commitment to spiritual disciplines.  Pray for them, and for the leaders involved in this special time that God will speak, heal, and all will come to know His Love in a deeper and fuller way. 

I hope you have a great rest of your week! 

God bless,

John Hugh 

Also, please keep on your calendar our two dates at Timber Creek camp.  The first is Sunday September 13th for a Bellwether Family Day.  If you need to follow someone out there, a group will meet that Sunday morning at 9:30 at the "Red Coffee Bus" in the Highland Village Parking Lot.  What will we do that Day?  Get out there, worship, eat lunch, and then take the afternoon to do some frisbee golf, canoeing, horse-pool, and climb a rock-climbing wall.  Please invite friends and other family members & we hope you can be with us on this Bellwether Family Sunday.  Also - do go on our website - www.bellwetherchurch.org and RSVP under "going on now" and "events."

Also - keep Friday and Saturday October 2-3rd on your calendar as we will have an overnightBellwether Fall Family retreat at Timber Creek.  Your kids can come!  We'll be talking more about this but we hope you, your family, and friends can be with us.  

Bellwether Youth - there next gathering is Sunday August 30th.  The youth are headed to Brookhaven to see DecembeRodeo.  It'll be from 6-9:30pm that night.  All our youth & their friends are welcome on this road trip.  

Please be in prayer for the singles retreat September 10-13th.  Several young singles made a 60 day covenant together.  Please be praying for them now and leading up to this special weekend.  

Finally, this is an exciting time in the life of Bellwether. The Ag Museum has been great.  Our Bellwether Groups are about to be starting again for the fall.  We're excited about Timber Creek. And, we're looking forward to our next home.  Please keep the church & all our people in your prayers during this time.  Thank you for what you do & may God bless you this week.

In Christ,
John Hugh  

This Sunday, we continuing journeying through Luke and begin a two week series on Money called"Investing for the Long Term."  We'll look what at what Jesus says about wealth in Luke 16.  I hope you can be with us for worship at the Ag Museum - 10:30am - Sparkman Auditorium. And, as always, please bring a friend of family member!

Bellwether Youth kicks off the fall next Tuesday - 6pm with a pizza party at Broad Street bakery!  If you are a youth 6th grade and up, please join us as we eat and hang out.

Finally, please put two dates on your calendar for this fall as Bellwether has family outings at Timber Creek camp.  The first is Sunday, September 13th.  Bellwether will have an all day outing - with worship (hopefully outside) at Timber Creek.  After worship we'll have lunch, and there is frisbee golf, volleyball, rock climbing, canoeing, and trails to explore.  We hope your family can be with us.

Then, Bellwether will have an overnight retreat Friday and Saturday October 2nd & 3rd at Timber Creek.  Your whole family is welcome on this.  Please put these dates on your calendar.  More info will follow on both!  

Have a great week, and hope to see you Sunday!

John Hugh  

Thanks to everyone who made our first service at the Ag Museum go so smoothly!  Even though it's a new space, I think our kids and families enjoyed it all the more for the horses and merry-go-round!  We will continue to make tweaks and changes to help the overall Sunday experience better, but I believe the next couple of months will be great.  

So you know:  our target date for our new space will be the first Sunday in December, which is the first Sunday of Advent.  We are also planning on being chartered by the United Methodist Church that Sunday.  

For this coming Sunday, August 2nd - 2nd - 5th graders will go to large worship with their families.  They will be back in Family Ministry the next Sunday, August 9th.  

We will be taking communion as a church family in worship this Sunday.  I hope you can be with us.  With our move I will continue to preach about Bellwether Basics.  We will focus on ourVision:  To Lead the World to Jesus and His Church.  I will open with a familiar passage fromLuke 10: 38-42, about Mary and Martha.  The title of the message is:  "What Mary Has."  

An important message about Bellwether Youth:  

We are going to have a Youth Outing the week of August 10th.  Chris will be talking to parents this Sunday about a good afternoon/evening to have this event.  You'll be hearing more details about the date, but wanted to give you a heads up about what's in the works.  

We will kick-of Bellwether Youth on Wednesday August 19th at 6pm with a pizza party at Banner Hall.  You will hear more about this too, but please let your youth and friends know about the time, place, and date as Bellwether Youth starts for the fall.  The youth will be meeting on Wednesday's at 6pm for the fall.  

There will be more news to come over the next few weeks.  These changes & moves are an exciting time in the life of Bellwether.  Thank you all for your ongoing prayers and service. 

Have a great week, and God bless,
John Hugh  

Today will be Bellwether's last service at the Lakeland Courthouse Athletic Club, our home for the first year and a half of our life together.  We give thanks to God for providing us a place to worship and grow as a family.  We will continue to pray for the Courthouse as an organization.  We know God will continue to open up doors for our church as we aim to:  Lead the World to Jesus and His Church. 

 The coming months are an exciting time for Bellwether.  We are entering a time of changes, transitions, and growth.  I'm excited about the changes in our space, worship, and overall life as a church.  I'm excited about this newness and the potential for reaching new and different people for Christ it brings.  I'm excited about how these changes will grow and stretch us a church family.    

I'd like to make a request of you.  With these changes, I want our church to be covered in prayer.  In the next 30 days, once a day, every day, that you would lift up a prayer for Bellwether.  We have never done something like this as a church family.  (And even if you don't "go to" Bellwether, or even if you don't live in the Metro Jackson area, you can still be part of our family - we are all one family in Christ.)  But I believe in the Power of Prayer to affect lives, families, communities, and churches.  I want us a larger church family to have 30 days of specific prayer:   that we as a church continue to look to God as our Strength, Guide, Provider, and Leader, to discern His Will, to go where He leads, and to always about reaching new people for Him.  

Please know you don't have to do this. Or, if you can't do it every day, simply one prayer in the next 30 days.  I am challenging our church today to do this today at worship, but I wanted to send it out to our larger family before, to let you know where God is leading us as a church.  Thank you for your support and prayers for Bellwether.  Please let us know if we can help you in any way.  

I'm excited to see what the next 30 days will bring, and beyond. 

God bless you.  Have a great Sunday. 

John Hugh  

This Sunday, we will end with a simple time of worship and communion as a church family.  If you can make it - come prepared - it will look very different.  We have taken everything down except for the stage and chairs.  Our last service will literally be "unplugged!"

For the message, we continue looking at the life of Christ with the truth of - Life with Jesus is Better.  I am preaching from Luke 9 & 10 and will be about who we are called to be as followers of Christ.  The title is:  "Playing it Safe."  

Please remember:  our first Sunday at the MS Agriculture Museum is July 26th.  Worship will continue to be at 10:30.  Our worship service will be in the Sparkman Auditorium (where we had our Christmas Eve and Good Friday service) and our Family Ministry will be in the building directly across from it. 

Other Bellwether News to pray about:  

Please be in prayer and consider supporting Scott and Meg Rambo.  They are Bellwether leaders who are preparing to take their family to Uganda to teach and train local pastors there.  You will be hearing more about them in weeks to come, but you can check out their ministry on facebook.  Go to:  "On the Road with the Rambo's" and sign up to get the email updates.  Do keep them in your prayers and consider supporting their ministry as they are currently in the process of raising support. 

Be in prayer for Bellwether as a church family.  Change and transition is never easy.  However, I believe it's in times of change where there is the most opportunity for growth.  As for me, I don't like to ever be stagnant.  I make the decision to embrace change and uncertainty.  For us at Bellwether, the coming months are a unique opportunity to grow in our faith, and to live out who we truly are as a church family.

We have an opportunity to grow closer as a church in this time, to show the surrounding community who we are - that church isn't about buildings but about relationships.  That we invest in people and not things or programs.  That we won't ever play it safe, but as a church we will follow Jesus as humble servant with child-like faith, and we'll do all we can to Lead the World to Him and His Church.  

I hope you will use this time to connect to our church family and grow closer to Christ.  

Look forward to seeing you Sunday.  God bless,

John Hugh 

Also, this Sunday after church is our Big Take Down.  We're loading everything from the worship area into our trailer for storage - everything except the stage and chairs.  We'd love for you to help if you can.  If you've been on set-up before, or ares simply able to help after church, it would be greatly appreciated.  

Next Sunday, July 19th is our last service at the Courthouse.  We'll have a simple time of worship with communion where we remember how Jesus has led us as a church and our call to go out into the world for Him.  We encourage all our Bellwether family to be there.

And for this Sunday, we continue our summer series - Life with Jesus is Better.  I'll preach out ofLuke 8, picking up from last week to talk about the importance of faith in our individual lives and as a church.  The title is:  "The Richest Soil of All."

I hope you can be with us.  Have a wonderful week and look forward to seeing you soon.

God bless,

John Hugh  

The trip to Honduras with Salt and Light ministries from July 15-22nd has been canceled. Bellwether will be going to Honduras on another trip at some point over the next several months.  There is a strong possibility a team will go for construction, medical, and evangelism around January 2nth to La Ceiba, Honduars.  Please let me know if you might be interested in this trip.

We are all disappointed we cannot go at this time.  However, with the situation in that nation very unstable, we believe it is wise to not go at this time.  We do thought, need to be in prayer for the people of that country, at this time and in the future.  This will undoubtedly provide even more opportunities and missional needs.  Please be in prayer for the people of Honduras.  

Also - 

With our move and transition over the next several months, we are re-emphasizing our website as Bellwether's "Home Base."  We are in the process of updating and making additions to the website which will make it more user friendly, provide even more information about our church, and have more blog posts and communication about what are we doing and where we are heading (both literally and spiritually) as a church family.  There will also be a connection from our website to facebook and twitter.  

So please be checking it regularly for news, information, and feel free to make comments on blog posts if you would like.  

And - 

We have a new blog post.  It is a "Divine Mentor Devotion."  Many of you know we have encouraged our entire church family to do the Divine Mentor Bible readings and journaling.  I hope you will consider it - it will literally change and grow your walk with Christ.  On our blog postings, we now have a "Divine Mentor Post" which follows the Scripture reading in the Divine Mentor - and gives a devotion for it: with a chosen verse from the reading, an observation, application, and prayer.  Feel free to read it, and use it as an example to get you started on your own "Divine Mentor devotion."  

Finally, thank you for your prayers for our mission trip, for the people of Honduras, and for our transition as we get ready to move from the Courthouse.  

God bless,

John Hugh