Church family, What a blessing Sunday October 18 was! We had four baptisms at 11 am. We'll introduce those new members here in the Beacon and on our Facebook page this week. It's an exciting time to be a part of WBC. Our congregation elected Steven Mercer to serve as an elder with a 93% affirmative vote. Remember to nominate deacons to serve and turn in your deacon nomination form to the church office.  This upcoming Sunday, we'll be looking at Jesus' message to the Church at Sardis, a church who was asleep. One way we can avoid the slumber of compromise is to keep growing in Christlikeness. I would encourage you to read this post and subscribe to my blog . I share weekly articles related to our church and how we can pray weekly. My aim is to lead others to follow Jesus one word at a time. Grace and peace, Pastor Chris

Church family, Thank you for joining us this past weekend for our annual church wide picnic. We had a great turnout even after the rainy weekend and even had a rainbow to close out our time at the picnic. A great thank you goes to our deacons and Madeline Myers for coordinating, preparing the venue, and transporting things back and forth. Thank you to all for bringing food and gathering with church family. Please prayerfully consider who you will nominate to serve as deacons for the term beginning in 2027. Remember October 18 will be a vote on elder candidate Steven Mercer. As we grow alongside one another, look for people in your life to whom you can be accountable. Grace and peace, Pastor Chris

Church family, We need each other. Our mission offering on Sunday, October 4 is to send the gospel through mission partners to places and people where we cannot go. We need mission partners. We need friendships, accountability, and encouragement. We get that through the relationships we have in Sunday school, discipleship groups, Bible studies, and ministry partnerships. If you've not been to your group recently, you are missed. They'd love to see you again. If you attend regularly, don't lose sight of how important you are to others. Join us Sunday, October 11, for our church picnic at the Wilkes Community College Watson Stage at 5 pm. Participate in your group by sharing what you've read and learned this week from God's Word. Grace and peace, Pastor Chris

Church family, Sunday, October 4, is our Mission Offering Sunday. Everything you give this Sunday will go to missions: 25% to the International Mission Board; 25% to the North American Mission Board; 10% to the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center; 10% to the Honduras Mission Trip led by Dr. Joe Pinkerton; 10% to David Easler with Greater Europe Mission; 10% to local benevolence; 10% to Samaritan's Kitchen of Wilkes. Also, on October 4 at 6:30 PM we will have our first "extra" teaching session from the book of Revelation. To complement our series "Word and Witness: Vision of the King from the Book of Revelation," Pastor Chris will be teaching through Revelation 6-22. This is the first of 4 sessions to complete the book (Oct. 25, Nov. 8, and TBA). Here is an encouraging thought: God wants to speak to you today. He wants to have a conversation with you. It is our obligation to pause long enough to listen.

Introducing Elder Candidate Landon House

Church family, Thank you for your participation in our Member Meeting on September 20. You are a big part of how we're growing numerically and spiritually and how we're caring for one another. At the Member Meeting, we approved two motions. The first changes Tad Craig's title to Pastor of Administration and elevates Josh Pinkerton to the Minister of Students role. The second approved a new, part-time, position of Connections Director. We had a great Sunday of worship on September 20 and heard a fantastic message about "The Missionary Heart" from professor and missionary, Dr. Will Brooks. Each Sunday when we gather for worship, we have the privilege of engaging intentionally in worship. Here is a post about how we can worship faithfully . Grace and peace, Pastor Chris

Church family, This Sunday (September 20), we welcome Dr. Will Brooks as a guest speaker. Will shared at our church some ten years ago, as he and his family headed to serve with the International Mission Board. We've prayed for Will and his family as a regular mission partner annually at WBC. He’s now serving as a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. As you listen to Dr. Brooks this Sunday, be prayerful about what God would have you give to our mission offering on Sunday, October 4. We have a Member Meeting at 5:30 PM on September 20 and will be sharing two staffing motions from our Personnel Committee as well as church fostering and church growth updates. As we think about the tensions in the world and remember 9/11 some twenty-five years ago , let's remember our obligation to hold and share the truth of the gospel. Grace and peace, Pastor Chris

Introducing Elder Candidate Steven Mercer

Church family, God is exceedingly good, and we should praise him. With church family suffering and struggling, God is answering prayers-we should praise him. With sinners believing in Christ and being baptized, we should praise him. With God working in our midst, giving us opportunities to trust him-we should praise him. Mark your calendars for the September 20 Member Meeting at 5:30 PM and Sunday, October 4, as our annual mission offering Sunday. For more on praising God, here is a post about saying or singing praise daily .