SGN Scoops November Issue Now Available

We are excited to present the November issue of SGNScoops Magazine! A picture is worth a thousand words, right? The cover this month captures the spirit of this year’s 2013 Creekside Gospel Music Convention! The spirit is certainly the spirit of Joy! The smiles almost tell it all, but catch the details of this year’s event along with a listing of Diamond Award winners in this issue.

Also, this month’s issue is not the typical predominately Southern Gospel Music Magazine. We’re just a bit on the COUNTRY side! This month, we’re shining the spotlight on Christian Country like never before. Don’t miss Rick Kiser’s story, “Christian Country Gives Thanks,” as well as features on Sharron Kay King, Steve Brown, Greg McDougal.

This month also features Providence Quartet and Canaan’s Crossing. Lorraine Walker and Rob Patz put together a fabulous Thanksgiving article allowing the Southern Gospel Community voice their gratitude.

We all need our spirits boosted, so don’t miss encouragement from Sherry Anne and Dr. Jeff Steele, and don’t miss reading Lou Hildreth’s special memories. A story on “Mary Anne Oglesby and The Veranda” is sure to warm hearts of families dealing with Alzheimer’s and we hope will inspire other churches to care for the aged in their congregations.

Award winning Songwriter, Belinda Smith shares her ministry and Ethan Whisnant shares his “Younger Perspective.”
Read about latest music, Christian Fitness, and more in this this well-crafted, beautifully designed online magazine.

Remember, SGNScoops is digital and free! Please share with friends!

Find the magazine here

Give Thanks Today!

Fall in Southern Ontario: watch the sun light up the reds and golds of the leaves in the trees; smell the tangy sent of burning leaves; feel the nip in the air as frost touches the land. Though it portends a cold, desolate winter, the season itself is bright and beautiful as nature splashes her paintbrush once more before slipping it under a blanket of snow.

I let the loveliness of the season wash over me and it helps to break the cycle of the rush of work, the duties of the day, and the cares of life. If you are like me, you need the special season of Thanksgiving as a reminder to stop and be thankful. In everything, we are to give thanks. As I hear the squeal of my brakes, I thank the Lord that car bills mean I have transportation to work. The sound of the rain on the rafters reminds me that I have a roof over my head and means to pay for that roof. I may have paperwork piled up on my desk at work, but I have a meaningful job that gives me a reason to step out of my door every morning.

So often in the Old Testament, we are told to give thanks to God, for ‘His love endures forever’. Enduring Love: Another great thing to be thankful for in this day of short attention spans and diluted commitments of love.

In the New Testament, the writers of the letters to the Church body often say that they give thanks to God ‘for you all’. We need to be reminded to be thankful for our fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus. They are the Body of Christ, our spiritual family, and God has given us a great opportunity to develop relationships with other believers. It is up to us to develop those relationships and to thank God for them.

There are more simple things that come to mind that we often overlook, things we forget to thank the Lord for as we bring to Him our latest laundry list of wants and needs. Family, health, skill and talent, spiritual gifts are all good and perfect blessings from a Father who loves us.

May we all take a moment this Fall to stop and thank our Heavenly Father for what He has given to us. Let us thank Him for what He has done through the gift of His Son. Let us thank Him most of all for Who He is. For His love endures forever.

Reality Check Blog by Lorraine Walker
Also appears on www.sgmradio.com

Gold City News and Thanksgiving Concert Announcement

From Gold City's e-newsletter of November 14, 2012

WEEKEND REWIND

Gold City had four great dates this past weekend. Thursday, we headed to Buhl, AL to sing for the great folks at the First Baptist Church. We sang to a full church of awesome gospel music fans there. We then headed to DeQuincy, LA where we sang at New Hope Baptist Church. Another great time was had with these wonderful folks. Saturday, we went to First Baptist Church of Livingston, TX. Now, you’d think with Gold City being the guests and all, they’d have treated our football team better than what they did. But despite Texas A & M beating our beloved Alabama, we were greeted warmly and helped the folks there raise money for the cancer organization Relay for Life. Sunday, we capped off a full weekend with an afternoon concert at the First Assembly of God in Malvern, AR. It’s because of promoters and pastors who go the extra mile and fans who come out and support this music we love that we can climb on the bus each week and share Jesus with the world by way of the best music ever. Thanks to you for helping us fulfill our calling!

MARK THE CALENDAR

Tomorrow night, we have a special concert coming up at Mill Town Music Hall in Bremen, GA. The day after Thanksgiving, we have a big annual event in Florence, AL with our friends, The Perrys, Jeff and Sheri Easter, and Karen Peck and New River. Speaking of the calendar, new dates are being added on a daily basis to our schedule. For a complete list, visit our webiste, www.goldcityqt.com or the website of our booking agency, www.bsaworld.com.

I GET DOWN

So many of you are letting us know through emails, Facebook, cards, letters, and in person that the song "I Get Down" is speaking to you. The power of prayer is the biggest weapon we have against Satan, the world, problems, fears, trials, ailments, whatever! The song has a fun, playful feel to it, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is a fluffy, feel-good song only. There’s a lot of truth and spiritual depth to the fact that we have the key to victory simply through prayer. Thank you for requesting this song be played on your local radio station. It’s a great reminder for us all that we can ask anything in the will of the Father and He will hear!

COMING UP

Next week, we will be sharing some thoughts of Thanksgiving from the Gold City gang. We have a lot to be thankful for. Blessings are all around us. We hope you take time to count a few of yours.

DANNY’S FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The world is wrong side up. It needs to be turned upside down in order to be right side up." -Billy Sunday

Y'all have a great weekend!!

CONCERTS

For our full schedule or more information, please visit www.bsaworld.com
Thursday, 11/15 Bremen, GA 7pm Mill Town Music Hall 1031 Alabama Ave
Friday, 11/16 Pendergrass, GA 7pm Pond Fork Baptist Church 2615 Pond Fork Church Rd
Saturday, 11/17 Shelby, NC 7pm Elizabeth Baptist Church 301 N Post Rd
Sunday, 11/18 Askewville, NC 10:30am Askewville Bethel Assembly of God 105 Askewville Bryant Rd
Friday, 11/23 Florence, AL 7pm Florence Coliseum 702 Veterans Dr
Saturday, 11/24 Brighton, TN 6pm Brighton Baptist Church 132 East Woodlawn

Mercy's Well News

From Mercy's Well enewsletter November 8, 2012:

Our first weekend in November offered us the opportunity to fellowship with two congregations for the first time. We always enjoy repeat visits and strengthening relationships we've made in the past, but it is also exciting to meet new folks and introduce them to our ministry - and start a new relationship with them!

We were privileged to celebrate 32 years of Pastor and Mrs. Skinner's leadership over Battlefield Baptist Church in Warrenton, VA on Sunday morning. It was a great service, and a testament to God's faithfulness, working through His servants. Sunday night, we served as a "kick-off" concert for revival at Western Heights Baptist Church in Petersburg, VA. Dr. David Wheeler from Liberty University was the speaker, and delivered a challenging message on obedience to God and His Word. A great day all around! Some of you may have heard or seen our social media posts and pictures about our trailer breaking - although it was stressful, we were able to come up with a temporary fix to get through the weekend. Thanks for all of those who checked on us and offered to help and pray!

After a great Thanksgiving feast, plan to take a night off from the cooking and cleaning and join us for a great night of food, fun, and fellowship! There are SEVEN DAYS left to reserve your seat for our "Christmas with Mercy's Well" dinner/concert. The deadline for registration is Thursday, November 15. You can call our office at 336-314-6787 or visit our website at www.mercyswell.com for more information.

Have a great week, and God bless!

In Christ,
Brad, Greg & Kyle
Mercy's Well
THIS WEEK

November 11, 6:00 PM - Faith Baptist Church - Lancaster, SC
For more information: (803) 286-5444

Mercy's Well News

From Mercy's Well e-newsletter of November 1, 2012:

Welcome to November! With harvest parties/festivals nearing their end, our focus turns towards Thanksgiving - which is only three weeks away! It is hard to believe how quickly time passes, but the cooler weather here on the East Coast is a sure indicator that Fall is in full swing, and Winter will be here soon.

We ended our October close to home, singing in Brad's home church where his dad has been the Minister of Music for over 40 years! It was a rare treat for us to worship with them again, and we enjoyed our time of fellowship afterwards.

As this newsletter is being typed, Brad is out in Nashville, TN overseeing the final touches on our Christmas project, BETHLEHEM SKY. We cannot wait to get the finished product into our hands! You could be one of the first to get this project as well: Tickets are now on sale for our 3rd Annual "Christmas with Mercy's Well and Friends" dinner/concert. This year's event (held on Sunday, November 25 in Asheboro, NC) will serve as a release party for the new album! We will be singing songs from our DECEMBER album, as well as debuting songs from BETHLEHEM SKY! Original Mercy's Well member Bobby Marsh will also be with us as our special guest - so you never know what might happen!

We'd love to have you join us. You can call our office at 336-314-6787 or visit our website at www.mercyswell.com for more information. Remember, this special event is only THREE WEEKS AWAY!!! Reservations need to be made at least a week in advance to allow the caterer enough time to prepare the right amount of food, so don't hesitate! Call or go online today!

Have a great week, and may God bless you as you faithfully serve Him!

In Christ,
Brad, Greg & Kyle
Mercy's Well

THIS WEEK

November 4 - 10:00/11:00 AM Battlefield Baptist Church - Warrenton, VA
For more information: (540) 347-5855

November 4 - 5:00 PM Western Heights Baptist Church - Petersburg, VA
For more information: (804) 733-8172

Retro SGM Radio: Thanksgiving in Canada (October 2010)

The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday has traditionally been known as a Celebration of Harvest. Occurring earlier in the year than the United States’ holiday, the Canadian Thanksgiving has been celebrated in my country regularly since 1879. In 1957, it was instituted as a national holiday with the following declaration of Canadian Parliament: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”
The very first Canadian Thanksgiving was held in 1578, 43 years before the pilgrims gave thanks in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Martin Frobisher, an explorer trying to find the illusive Northwest Passage for trade, returned safely to Newfoundland and held a feast to celebrate his homecoming. Prior to this time, the First Nations of Canada held festivals of thanks, and later, French settlers began to share their Thanksgiving Festivals with the First Nations. Thanksgiving has historically been a time of thanks and rejoicing with friends and neighbours.
Traditionally, Canadians make the most of the entire weekend and often family gatherings occur on Saturday or Sunday as well as the statutory Monday holiday. Sunday morning services at churches across Canada are times of praise for the harvest and sanctuaries are often decorated with produce, grains and coloured leaves.
My early memories of Thanksgiving revolve around family, friends and of course, food. A turkey with all the trimmings is the most common meal and of course, pumpkin pie for dessert. For those of us who are not pumpkin-eaters, each family has their own alternatives, but our family usually serves cheesecake!
This year, I had the privilege of sharing a Thanksgiving meal held for the ladies and children at a Women’s Shelter. I was humbled once again by the sheer bounty of food, which mirrored the bounty of gifts given to us by our God. I ate with women who literally have nothing but were able to partake of a wonderful meal with their children because of the generosity of the donors of our Mission. We are so blessed in my Country. As we get more secularized, I pray that the basic traditions of this wonderful holiday are never lost and that somewhere at this time of year, God’s children will be thanking Him for every good and perfect gift.

Written by Lorraine Walker, published on www.sgmradio.com October 2010