Tag Archives: March Meeting

Meeting Report (March Meeting 2016)

Brethren,

This past weekend (March 4-6), the Cool Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Danville, GA hosted her annual March Meeting. We are pleased to report that God was once again merciful upon our band, and the weekend will find a lodging place next to so many others as a rich memory of God’s abundant goodness unto us. In the tumultuous world in which we live, the times seem to keep changing and mostly for the worse. However, weekends like this past one are evidences that not only does God exist in a very real and powerful way, but He is not through with His people on earth. Thank God that He is so good to us! Though Satan’s darts are flying all around us, there is still a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God.

Most of the church seemed to be in the midst of a busy season – my own house included. Many of the members talked about the busy-ness of life that made them look forward to the meeting all the more. Then, the week of the meeting, my life got even busier as I received the call that no minister wants on the week of a meeting. The church had invited and planned for Elder Mark Rowell from Fort Worth, TX to be with us. His first granddaughter had other plans though. She decided to arrive a few weeks earlier than expected causing Brother Mark to have to cancel his plans to come and be with us. Since this all happened a mere 2 days away from the meeting’s beginning, my prayer life increased even more! With the Lord’s help, we were supplied even on short notice. Elder Chris Crouse and Elder John Scott agreed to come and preach for us, though the church was still stuck with her pastor on Sunday – bless their hearts!

From the spirit of the meeting as felt through the attendants, all seemed content with the outpouring regardless of the change of arrangements. Elder Scott alluded to this in his sermon while quoting a grandmother in Israel, “The older I get, the less important the messenger is and the more important the message becomes to me.” Amen! Several of our deacons told me throughout, “It’s going to be fine. Everyone’s being fed.” Visitors came and expressed their feelings, “The Lord handled it, and He still takes care of His people.” Being that we had lived through a sudden shift change of arrangements it was interesting and providential that the messages of the meeting seemed to hinge on God’s dealings with His people in the here and now. Though we rejoice greatly to know that we will be with Him ultimately some sweet day, it is the daily benefits and timely deliverances that show us glimpses of His ultimate deliverance for us. Each daily mercy and timely grace is sufficient evidence that what He has promised that we do not yet see is real and unchangeable.

As the meeting came to its close, we felt again the weakness of the flesh and recharging of the spirit. Tears flowed during the day on Sunday, and some still did not want to leave the grounds on Sunday night even though the meeting had ended. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our kindred in Christ that came to visit and worship with us. As always, we are humbled by your labours of love and fellowship. We feel humbled most of all by the love and fellowship of our God who still stoops down to be us and wrap His arms around us. May His house continue among us with our lights burning and our feet shod.

Friday Night

Prayer: Elder Garry Hall
Preaching: Elder Chris Crouse – “God is a God of the Living” Brother Chris expounded from Matthew 22 in Christ’s reply to the Sadducees. Though the resurrection was a farce to them, Christ showed that in and through the resurrection, God is not praised by dead men but by the living and should be praised as such today by those that have been made alive by His power and mercy.
Prayer: Brother Joseph Fletcher

Saturday Morning

Prayer: Elder Dan Bryant
Preaching: Elder Chris Crouse – “God of Our Righteousness” Brother Chris started in Psalm 4 as David petitioned God acknowledging Him as the source of goodness in himself. From there, Brother Chris continued to show that anything worthwhile we have was given to us by God, and our duty is to show and reflect that back to Him in praise and service.
Prayer: Elder Franklin Bryant

Saturday Night

Prayer: Lic. Win Kuck
Preaching: Elder John Scott – “Christ and His Church” Brother John expounded from Ephesians 5 and showed that the marriage between man and woman is a reflection of Christ and His church. While extolling the Master and His bride, Brother John showed how much the Heavenly Husband thinks of His beloved and how special she should be to us as well. Though little esteemed in the eyes of the world, she is prized to Him.
Prayer: Elder Stephen Dyar

Elder Chris Crouse
Elder Chris Crouse (Pastor of Little Union PBC, Lithia FL)
Elder John Scott
Elder John Scott (Pastor of Bethlehem PBC, Statesboro GA)

Sunday Morning

Introduction and Prayer: Lic. Richard James –“Perspective”
Preaching: Elder Philip Conley – “The First and the Last” Brother Philip talked from Revelation 1:8-20 about the Person of Christ and His interaction with His churches. Though things around us change, Christ does not and is the Alpha and Omega. Due to His unchanging nature, His care and affection for His churches remains and endures as well. Though Satan assails, the church will endure, and one day we will all live in harmony together triumphantly with Him.
Prayer: Brother Jacob Davidson

Sunday Night

Prayer: Brother Larry Davidson
Preaching: Elder Philip Conley – “Sanctifying God and Being Ready to Answer” Brother Philip took I Peter 3:14-17 and dwelt mostly on Verse 15 about putting the Lord first and foremost in our hearts. With this mindset and affection, we are prepared to answer others about what we believe, feel, and hope for the future. We fully hope (expect) to live with Him one day with nothing between now and then changing that. We should be ready to answer where our bright hope comes from and why we hold to it. Even if we suffer for it, it is worth holding on to and cherishing.
Prayer: Elder Michael Hataway

The sermons will eventually be uploaded to our website (coolspringspbc.org) for those that would like to listen to them.

In Hope,
Bro Philip

Meeting Report (March Meeting 2015)

Brethren,

This past weekend, Cool Springs PBC was blessed to hold her March Meeting beginning on Friday February 27th, and continuing through Sunday March 1st. While many meetings get a boost in the days and weeks leading to them, we received an added boost for this meeting through the addition of another member to our body. My natural daughter Elisabeth came forward expressing a home in the church on Sunday February 15th, and I was blessed to baptize her on Sunday February 22nd. Having a “lead-in” to the meeting like this indicated that God had great things in store for us. That hope was not disappointed as the meeting was richly blessed from on high.

Elisabeth Conley asks for a home in the church
Elisabeth Conley asks for a home in the church
Elisabeth Conley being baptized by Elder Philip Conley
Elisabeth Conley being baptized by Elder Philip Conley

The Church invited Elder Phil Jones to come and preach this weekend. Brother Phil has laboured and served the Lord’s people in the vicinity of Kansas City for many years. It had been close to 30 years since he had travelled in the state of Georgia, but he and Georgia interacted sweetly. His preaching was both needful and gracious, but the messages this weekend were touchstones of what is needed at this precise time. They were as timely as I have ever seen in recent memory. Brother Phil immensely enjoyed his stay, though he was subjected to the current chaos that accompanies the Conley house with 4 young children. However, Brother Phil’s kind demeanor and grandfatherly deportment was an instant magnet with my children. Our two year old Chloe took to him so quickly that she wanted him to help her put on her boots and other things throughout the weekend.

We were blessed with many visitors from our sister churches and were encouraged by their fellowship and worship. We hope and trust that they were as blessed in our services as we felt to be. Tears of joy were shed throughout the weekend, hearts overflowed from the grace of the gospel of Christ, and spirits were revived for the wonderful cause of Christ that we strive unto. The singing was above average, and we appreciate our brethren and sisters putting forth so much loving effort in worship. One of the main themes throughout the weekend was what real love is and looks like. Another main theme was the fruitfulness of the gospel beyond organized church assembly. Please pray for us that we would take what we have heard this weekend and apply love and the joy of the gospel more and more in our lives. Truly, God is gracious and has been so good to us. It is our desire that we do more for Him. The meeting is already a precious memory from our experience, but we pray that it grows into heavy and mature fruit that glorifies our father in heaven. The sermons will eventually be posted to our website at: http://coolspringspbc.org/.

Elder Phil Jones (Pastor of Pleasant Grove PBC Independence, MO)
Elder Phil Jones (Pastor of Pleasant Grove PBC Independence, MO)

Friday Night
Prayer: Elder Dan Bryant
Preaching: Elder Phil Jones – “The Day Approaching” Brother Phil examined the context of Hebrews 10 leading up to verse 25, which deals with not forsaking the assembly. He then examined several days approaching that we need to keep in mind while we live our lives here.
Prayer: Elder Michael Green

Saturday Morning
Prayer: Elder Jabin James
Preaching: Elder Phil Jones – “David and Abigail” Brother Phil examined the portion of I Samuel 25 that dealt with Abigail keeping David from going down the wrong path and correlated the lesson to us loving one another and helping one another in the family of God.
Prayer: Elder Michael Hataway

Saturday Night
Prayer: Elder Stephen Dyar
Preaching: Elder Phil Jones – “The Kingdom of God” Brother Phil gave a spectrum of experiences in how the kingdom of God may be enjoyed and the possibility of losing wonderful experiences in God’s kingdom.
Prayer: Elder Franklin Bryant

Sunday Morning
Prayer: Elder Philip Conley
Preaching: Elder Phil Jones – “Ruth: Showing Our Love” Brother Phil brought a message of how love can come in unusual and unexpected ways. We should love our Lord as He has loved us, which will be unexpected by worldly standards.
Prayer: Brother Jim Wilkinson

20150301_Congregation1

Congregational Singing on Sunday Morning
Congregational Singing on Sunday Morning
Lunch Time!
Lunch Time!
Elder Phil Jones and Brother Mark Moore listening to “The Engineer” Keith King!
Elder Phil Jones and Brother Mark Moore listening to “The Engineer” Keith King!
Elias Howell was more interested in lunch than the camera
Elias Howell was more interested in lunch than the camera
Sylvie and Elsie Howell (Our Parents insist we dress alike!)
Sylvie and Elsie Howell (Our Parents insist we dress alike!)
Elder Garry Hall (Pastor of Fellowship PBC Byron, GA)
Elder Garry Hall (Pastor of Fellowship PBC Byron, GA)

Sunday Night
Prayer: Licentiate Win Kuck
Preaching: Elder Garry Hall – “Going the Extra Mile” Brother Garry brought out Christ’s command in Matthew 5 to show that attitude and action need to be coupled in kingdom service. Only then can our service reflect our love to God rather than the obligation of our service.
Prayer: Brother Charles White

In Hope,
Bro Philip