A Child Is Born!

Our congratulations to Philip and Bethany on the safe arrival of William Caleb Sutherland.  He was born on Thursday, December 4, at 9:54AM.  William weighed 7lb. 15oz. and measured 21 inches long.  Mom and baby are both home and doing well.

Celebrate the New Year!

People celebrate the coming of a new year in many ways.  Our church family likes to spend the evening enjoying fellowship, food, games, and then use the last moments of the year for a time of sharing and prayer.  Bring your favorite board games, leftover holiday snacks, and take part.  Starts at 7PM on December 31.  Ends at 12:05AM on January 1.

Candlelight Carols

Next Sunday evening is our Annual Candlelight Carols.  This is an evening filled with the music of Christmas.  Come join us at 6PM.  Stay for a time of refreshments and fellowship following the service.

Ministry and Dentistry

Steve and Ruth Porter (and Julie), our SIM missionaries, will return to Nigeria on December 28.  Pray for safe travels and a smooth transition back into ministry.  They will have much to do restarting the dental clinic, distributing grain to widows in Miango, and discipling young leaders for the church in Nigeria.

Invest in Eternally Significant Things!

Anna Matheny will be doing an internship in Kenya from January through July of 2015.  She is currently raising funds for her time of ministry.  The organization is called Choose to Invest.  You can participate by going online at choosetoinvest.cloverdonations.com/trip-participant/ or by marking your gift through Open Door to “Anna-Kenya.”

AWANA

Our AWANA Club began in 1982.  It's a weekly club for young people from preschool through high school, meeting on Sunday evenings during the school year.  We are thankful for the many faithful leaders who give of their time to make it successful and meaningful.  AWANA resumes on January 4, 2015, at 5:30PM.

LeaderTreks Serving Our Midtown Community

The current issue of Vollintine-Evergreen News, our neighborhood’s publication, features a page and a half of stories and photos of the work LeaderTreks did over the summer.  We are proud of their hard work and of the strong testimony they had while serving our community!  Great job Sarah, Amanda, and crew.

Thanksgiving Feast

Our Annual Thanksgiving Feast is Sunday evening, November 23, starting at 5PM.  The main course is provided.  Bring traditional sides, breads, and desserts to share.  The program of the evening is mainly your testimony of God's great goodness in your life.  Always a blessed time!

AWANA Clubs

AWANA is our program for children from preschool through high school.  Come enjoy a great night of games and learning.  Starts at 5:30PM.  Ends at 7PM.

Understanding Islam

Sunday evenings at 6PM, we are doing a study entitled Understanding Islam.  What are the origins of Islam?  What do Muslims do?  How can we better communicate the message of grace to our Muslim friends?  We meet from 6-& 7PM while AWANA is happening.

Couples Fellowship -- October 24th

Meeting at the home of Jason and Bethany Henry, our group will enjoy a Mexican theme dinner.  Sign up at PerfectPotluck.com to bring food, or call the church office.  We will discuss chapter seven of Tim Keller's The Meaning of Marriage.

Early Voting Has Begun!

Be sure to vote!

FALL FESTIVAL

Our Fall Festival is Sunday, October 26, 5:30PM.  Everyone is welcome.  Games, prizes, candy, cakewalk, fire pit, candy maze, refreshments, and lots of fun!  Please avoid occult themes.  Bring contributions of candy and baked goods for the cakewalk to the church office between now and then.

COMMUNITY BIBLE CLASS

Everyone is welcome to the Community Bible Class.  People from a variety of local churches take part.  It meets each Wednesday at 10:45AM in Helen Wilson Hall (our fellowship hall).  A new series on The Seven Churches of Revelation begins September 10.  Refreshments are served at 10:30AM, so come early.

Sermons Online

You can listen online or download sermons right here at odbcmemphis.com .  Go to the "Resources" tab and click on "Audio."

Ladies Tuesday Night Bible Study

The Ladies Tuesday Night Bible Study Group will resume meeting on September 23.  
This fall, they will meet at the church each Tuesday evening as they complete 
Beth Moore’s study on spiritual warfare entitled When Godly People Do Ungodly 
Things.  If you would like to be included, talk to Donna LaCroix today or call the church office (901.278.4311)

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

Our Sunday evening time together has begun a new series.  If you are not involved in AWANA, join us in the auditorium as we seek to understand Islam's origin, beliefs, practices, and worldview.  You will be better equipped to share the love of Jesus with your Muslim friends as a result!

AWANA is BACK!

Our AWANA Club is for young people from preschool through high school.  September 7 marks the beginning another exciting year.  Club begins at 5:30PM each Sunday evening and ends at 7PM.  Invite children to come be a part of this time.  Our goal is to bring discipleship, friendships, and fun together for God's glory.

LABOR DAY PICNIC

Our Annual Labor Day Picnic at the home of John and Jean Parish will begin at noon.  Bring enough food for your family and some guests.  We will eat at 1PM, then the afternoon is free for swimming, volleyball, and other activities.  Drinks, plates, and utensils are provided.  Labor Day is September 1.

Ladies Fun Night Out

Friday, August 22, 6:30PM, is the time for a Ladies Fun Night Out at the church.  Bring a dish to share for dinner and plan to help out with some sewing and craft projects.  Talk with Bethany Henry for more information.  This is for ladies age 19 and up.

LeaderTreks Winding Up a Great Summer

On August 9, the 12th LeaderTreks group will round out our year of ministering together in 2014.  A dozen youth groups from around the US and beyond have been trained in leadership skills and Bible knowledge, completed numerous work projects in our community, done outreach, and brought life and light to Midtown Memphis.  Lots of laughter, good times of fellowship at the weekly cookouts, and opportunities to get to know some special people make this partnership a big win for all concerned.  They will be back next spring!

COMMUNITY BIBLE CLASS

The Wednesday morning Community Bible Class takes the month of August off.  It will begin with a new study on September 10 at 10:45AM.

CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATE

We will publish an updated Church Directory in early September.  Let us know of any changes.  If you have not been included in the past but would like to be, fill out an update form soon.

Ladies Retreat

Our Ladies Tuesday Night Bible Study is on retreat July 18-20 at Greer’s Ferry 
Lake in Arkansas.

Camp CoBeAc

Our young people had a great week at Camp CoBeAc in Houghton Lake, Michigan.  
Thank you to all who contributed to make this trip possible.  You can check out 
some photos on the bulletin board.  Come to the LeaderTreks Cookout at Open Door on Thursday, July 24, for Camp Night to hear more.

Bible Study Hour News

Micah Ehmke is currently teaching Ephesians during the Bible Study Hour.  The 
class meets in room 3, Sundays at 9:30 AM.

Couples Fellowship

Couples Fellowship will meet this Friday, June 27, 7PM, at the home of Michael 
and Shirl LaVoice.  It is Freestyle Hot Dog Night (which hopefully does not involve

skateboarding).  Sign up at perfectpotluck.com or call the church office.  The group will discuss chapter six in Tim Keller’s book The Meaning of Marriage.

LeaderTreks

The third of nine LeaderTreks groups is with us this week.  Bring children entering grades 1-8 on Wednesdays from 2-4PM for Bible Club.  Everyone is invited to come on Thursdays at 5:30PM for a cookout.  Please call the church to sign up if you plan to attend!

Summertime Thursdays—Cookout Time!

Every Thursday night, you are invited to join us in the parking lot of church for a cookout provided by LeaderTreks.  Each week will feature a variety of activities from games to talent shows to softball to short programs.  Everyone is welcome!

SUPER SUMMER BIBLE CLUB!

Young people in kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to attend our Summer Bible Club each Wednesday afternoon from 2--4PM.  They meet at Overton Park near the Memphis Zoo.  Join the Open Door family and the LeaderTreks young people for these great times together.

Youth Car Wash

Does your car need a good washing?  Come by on Saturday, May 31, between 10AM and 2PM, and 
let the DoorKeepers do it as they raise money for camp.

GRACE UNPLUGGED MOVIE NIGHT

Mark your calendars for Friday, June 13.  We will be having a church-wide film 
night showing Grace Unplugged.  Having just turned 18, Grace Trey aspires to 
more than just singing at her church, yet with each rung of the ladder she 
climbs, Grace feels more and more pressure to compromise her values, further 
straining her relationship with her parents. Will everything she experiences 
lead her to reject her faith … or rediscover it?

John & Mandy's Wedding

With their parents, John Michael Amagliani and Amanda Gail Knapp invite you to share in their joy as they exchange wedding vows on Saturday, the seventh of June, two thousand fourteen at five o’clock p.m. at Open Door Bible Church.

Anna's Kenya Internship

Our own Anna Matheny, a student at Mississippi State University, is doing a 10-week missions internship in Kenya this summer.  Pray for her to learn much and to be used greatly for God's glory.

YOUTH SUNDAY

Youth Sunday was amazing! Our young people sang songs about servanthood together, shared individually about how God is working in their lives, recited (long!) passages of Scripture, and prayed. Cassidy Blackburn sang for us, and Micah Ehmke challenged us with things learned during his recent mission trip to Indonesia. Then the group demonstrated servanthood by serving up a delicious meal for the church family. Could not be more proud of them! God is pleased, too.

Coming Soon: Sunday Morning Messages Online

Check out the Resources Link!  We are in the process of adding online access to sermons.

Celebrate the Resurrection!

Easter Sunday is April 20.  Join us for breakfast at 8:30AM followed by a 
combined Bible Study Hour (Junior High and up) and a musical presentation by our 
choir in the main service.  Sign up to attend the breakfast.  Nothing to bring 
but your appetite!

iNight Fun and Games -- Friday, April 18

Our next Adult Game Night will be iNight held on Friday, April 18. For dinner, bring a dish made from an internet recipe 
(think Pinterest or cooks.com).  Theme is all-American, down-home cooking. The 
activity is for everyone age 19 and up.

YOUTH SUNDAY -- April 6

April 6 is Youth Sunday at Open Door.  Come prepared to be blessed by the ministry of our 
young people, and plan to stay for a Mexican lunch served by our young people.  
Please sign up so we know how many to cook for.  Donations will be taken to defray the cost of lunch and then to benefit the summer camp 
scholarship fund.

LeaderTreks Are Here!

We are hosting three different youth groups during this spring break season.  The first group, from the Orlando area, has been busy building a back deck for a family, distributing bread in the church neighborhood, working with Streets Ministry, studying the hard sayings of the Bible, and training in discipleship.  Group #2 came all the way from Coral Gables, Florida (south of Miami!).

Micah's Mission

Micah Ehmke will be in Indonesia until the end of March.  This mission trip with Downline Ministries will focus on training pastors and ministry leaders in discipleship.  Pray for eternal results to abound.

COUPLES FELLOWSHIP

Couples Fellowship is March 28.  We will gather at the home of Daniel and Brandy Jones in Hernando.  Starts at 7PM with dinner.  Bring something from the Open Door Recipe book, Food: The Definitive Work.  If you don't have a copy, talk with Bethany Henry.  Or just bring something good.  We will be discussing chapter five of Tim Keller's The Meaning of Marriage.

Grace Unplugged -- YOUTH MOVIE NIGHT

Friday, March 7, students grades 7-12 are invited to a free showing of the movie Grace Unplugged.  Join us from 6-9PM at Open Door.

CHURCH WORKDAY, SATURDAY, MARCH 8

Come at 9AM and join in the fun as we clean, repair, rearrange, etc.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME THIS WEEKEND

Remember to "spring forward" an hour Saturday night, March 8, before heading to bed.  Daylight Savings begins.  Join us at 9:30AM for Bible Study Hour.

No AWANA & No Evening Service March 2

Due to the forecast of freezing rain, we will not have AWANA or the evening service tonight, Sunday, March 2.

LeaderTreks

LeaderTreks is coming!  We will be partnering with them for three weeks during the spring break season.  Group 1 arrives Sunday evening, March 16; Group 2 on March 23; and Group 3 on April 6.  Pray for ministry and service opportunities to be effective in our community.

WHO IS JESUS? Building a Comprehensive Case

Del Tackett of The Truth Project teaches this 10 lesson series designed to discover the truth about Jesus.  What exactly should we celebrate this Easter?  How accurate is “the motion picture event of the year” that was just released?  Are you equipped to defend your faith and become a world changer in an increasingly hostile culture.  Join us Sunday nights at 6PM!

CEF CENTRAL ASIAN EVENING

Child Evangelism Fellowship invites you to a Special Central Asian Evening on Thursday, April 3.  Learn firsthand what God is doing in Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.  Thousands of Muslims have come to Christ.  Ahat Manserov, CEF Country Coordinator for Kazahkstan, will speak.  Admission is free; an offering will be taken.  Reservations are required.  Email cefmemphis@bellsouth.net or call 901.726.9084 with the number attending.

TruthScripts Scripture Memory

Join the rest of the church family in memorizing the TruthScripts passage for 
2014.  Our Scripture Memory Challenge is James 1:2-12.  You have until the AWANA 
Awards Banquet in May to completely memorize the passage. We will read the 
passage together in the morning service once per month until then to help you 
learn it.

Downline Women's Summit

The Downline Women’s Summit is coming up soon.  Sign up at downlinesummit.com 
for the Friday night and Saturday conference.  It will be February 28 and March 
1 at Highpoint Church.

Church Workday -- March 8

Be a servant!  Join us for a Church Workday on Saturday, March 8, beginning at 
9AM.  We will have lots of projects inside and out for anyone from highly 
skilled to novice.  Talk with Vinnie Fasano for more information.
 

Men's Chili Cook Off

The Annual Chili Cook Off was great fun.  We had a good crowd and some stiff 
competition.  Congratulations to Lamar Matheny and Nathaniel Henry for winning 
the coveted Silver Spike Award.  We also enjoyed hearing how the missions 
program of Open Door has changed our own lives in very significant ways.  And 
Frank Duffy did a wonderful job sharing the gospel clearly and effectively.

Valentines Banquet

Come join in the fun on Valentines Day in Wilson Hall (Friday, February 14, 7PM).  The banquet will be served by our young people.  Guests--singles and couples--age 19 and up are invited.  There is no charge, but you will have the opportunity to make a donation to the Summer Camp Scholarship Fund for our servers.  Childcare is provided for those age 12 and under.  A snack will be provided, but they should eat before they come.  Please RSVP for reservations to odbc@shelbyweb.com including your menu choice of lasagna or chicken alfredo and childcare needs for # of 1-4 year olds and # of 5-12 year olds by Sunday, February 9.

Annual Congregational Meeting

Sunday evening, January 26, we met for dinner and our Annual Meeting.  We talked from Titus 2:11-15 about first things:  Our Simple Faith; Our Pilgrim Character; Our Blessed Hope.  John Parish and David Mills were added to our Board of Elders (with Bill Moss, Steve Dee, and Gary Starbuck continuing terms).  Vinnie Fasano, Jason Henry, Harvey Matheny, and Daniel Jones, Jr. joined John Amagliani on the Board of Deacons.  We talked about ways we want to do God's business in better ways during 2014, and we shared concerns.  The meeting ended with a time of prayer and fresh commitment to serving God who always provides. 

Let the Smack Talk Begin! Men's Chili Cook Off Coming

MEN!  The coveted "You Nailed It! Award" is up for grabs once again.  Sunday evening, February 9, 5:30PM, is the deadline to have your best efforts at the best chili ever sitting on the judges table in Wilson Hall.  The Annual Men's Chili Cook Off is the big event of the winter.  Ladies, you can help by bringing foods that go well with chili.

Tennessee Legislative Briefing

David Fowler of Family Action Counsel of Tennessee invites you to a State 
Legislative Briefing on Thursday, January 30, 7PM, at The Great Hall, 1900 
Germantown Road.  Significant issues of moral concern will be a part of the 
upcoming legislative session in Nashville.  Be informed citizens.

It's Game On!

Friday, January 10, is game night for those aged 19 and up.  Come out for a good time of

fellowship around the tables in Wilson Hall.  Bring something for dinner on a Mexican theme.

The fun starts at 7PM and ends when you are ready to head home.

Sunday Nights: Laws of the Harvest

We start 2014 with a Sunday night study of seven biblical laws related to seeing a spiritual harvest in our lives.  This series is based on the book Down to Earth by John W. 
Lawrence, pastor of Open Door from 1966 to 1973.

Annual Congregational Meeting & Dinner

Our Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 26, 6PM, in Wilson Hall.  A covered-dish dinner will start the evening.  Copies of the proposed budget and nominations for elders and deacons are available to church members in anticipation of the meeting.  Articles for the Annual Meeting should be submitted (electronically if possible) to the church office by January 20.

Downline Summits

The Men's Summit is January31-February 1 (Friday evening & all day Saturday).  The Women's Summit is February 28-March 1.  Contact the church office to get a special rate on tickets.

AWANA Is Back!

Our AWANA Club begins the New Year on Sunday, January 5.  From 5:30-7PM, young people from preschool through high school will enjoy games and Bible-based learning under the supervision of the best leaders around.  Do you know a child who needs to be a part of this special time?