I love Spring. It is when we celebrate new life. Bulbs start to sprout. Birds start coming back to entertain us with their songs. Trees are budding. The weather is enjoyable. The days are brighter and longer. There is much to enjoy.

But the most important thing to celebrate is Easter. This is when we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead and coming out of the tomb.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This Spring we can have so much hope if we focus on Jesus Christ. The news is discouraging. The world is in chaos. Our government is a mess, but we can have peace if we focus on Jesus.

As I travel around our churches, I am also seeing some spring growth in our churches. Attendance is starting to increase. Small groups are starting to come back. There is an excitement in our churches.

With this excitement we need to do our part and invite people to both come back to church for Easter and invite our unchurched families and friends to church. I have heard it said that most people do not come to church because they have not been invited.

We need to be out sharing the excitement of Jesus with others. One way we can do it is through Vacation Bible School (VBS). We will he having a VBS zoom meeting facilitated by Paul Hill where we can share our ideas and concerns and discuss other issues that we face as we reach out to the children around us.

Also in the Spring we celebrate Administrative Professionals Day. 

Great church administrators are vital to our churches and ministries. I know my administrator Leslie is essential to me at the South Yadkin Baptist Association. She does so much in the background, and she makes me look good by editing my articles and letters.

We have some awesome Church Administrators in the SYBA, and we would like to bless three of them in the month of April. Please nominate your church administrative professionals – whether they work 5 or 40 hours per week. The SYBA will be treating three winners to a $50 gift card to the restaurant of their choice in April to recognize them for their hard work. The deadline for nominations is April 15. Please email Leslie at Lkusek@sybaptist.org or call her at 704-873-4372 ext. 5 to enter them in the drawing.

Rev. Noel Williamson

Executive Director, SYBA

SYBA is planning a luncheon Pastors' Gathering for May 3 at 11:30 am in the fellowship hall at Fairview Baptist Church in Statesville. Boxed lunches from Chick Fil A will be served.

Please email Noel Williamson to RSVP that you will be coming at nwilliamson@sybaptist.org.

SYBA's Front Street Pantry is celebrating our one year anniversary on Saturday, March 27 from 9 am - 12 noon by offering a free food giveaway to the community. No appointment is required for this special event. Please spread the word!

We will continue our drive-thru format, following NC COVID-19 guidelines.

Thank you for supporting this important SYBA ministry! Please contact Mary Jane Hoover with any questions or to donate at 704.873.4372 x 3.

Two training / informational meetings will be held via Zoom to help you learn more about how you or your church can be part of this special outreach. These meetings will be held:

Thursday Apr 15 7-8 pm

Saturday Apr 17 10-11 am

Note: November 11-13, 2021 has been reserved for the delivery of these backpacks.

Want to learn more? Please join us for one of these meetings or contact Mary Jordan at 704-682-3994 or dmmrd@bellsouth.net.

Hosted by Harmony International Mission and other Harmony churches.

March 20 - 9 am to 3pm

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Doug Privette at 704.880.3453.

Please help by donating Food Lion or Walmart gift cards to

The Hope Line is a toll-free number available 7-days a week from 9 am to 9 pm for adults 65+ .

Volunteers are needed! Volunteers can take calls on their phones from their homes- no travel is involved and your number is never revealed to the caller.

Robert Leonard, the South Central Regional Director with NCBAM,

will be offering a volunteer hope line training Thursday, April 22, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

at the SYBA offices (3009 Amity Hill Road, Statesville, N. C. 28677).

We must limit the group to 9 - please register by contacting Robert at 704-699-7519 or email: releonard@bchfamily.org.

There is no obligation if you take the training. Come, listen, learn, and THEN decide!

Please let the SYBA know if your church is involved in any National Day of Prayer gatherings and we will happily help promote it. Our country needs prayer now more than ever.

Please call Noel at 704-873-4372 ext 2 or email nwilliamson@sybaptist.org.

The Baptist Convention of North Carolina is urging NC Baptists to to unite in prayer toward unreached people across our state. They have identified 250 Pockets of Lostness here in North Carolina - areas where a high concentration of unchurched and unsaved people live. Eight pockets of lostness are found right here in the South Yadkin Baptist Association. But before we can truly impact this lostness, we need to bathe it in prayer.

To coordinate our association's efforts, we have divided our SYBA area into three geographic areas. Individuals or churches can sign up to be part of this statewide effort by clicking here. When you sign up, make sure you register as the "Unifour" area to connect you with the SYBA. Click here for resources to help you organize your event or your individual effort.

The days below are suggested by SYBA, but you can choose the day best for you:

Pray & Go Mocksville will take place on March 6 (Past)

Pray & Go Mooresville will take place on April 3

Pray & Go Statesville will take place on May 1

For more information, click here. If you have any questions please call me at 704-873-4372 ext 2 or email me at nwilliamson@sybaptist.org.

Would you and your church like to be on the front lines praying that God put an end to the abortion crisis in America? If your answer is yes, please consider joining a prayer walk with Love Life Charlotte during the week of April 18-24 outside the largest abortion clinic in the southeast.

For those interested in what this will mean for your church family, contact Pastor Tim Brower for more information at 704-880-8133 or email timbrower@hotmail.com.

Click here for a link to the Love Life website where you can read testimonies and hear stories of what God is doing and what is expected from churches that partner for a week.

Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, NC is seeking a Director of Media Ministry. This person will provide technical expertise and team leadership for church media, including broadcast, sound, video, lighting and social media. For a complete job description, please contact the church office at 704-662-9303 or office@trinitybaptist.com. Please submit resumes to: Personnel Committee, Trinity Baptist Church, PO Box 3365, Mooresville, NC 28117 or office@trinitybaptist.com no later than February 23, 2021.

Fallstown Baptist Church is looking for a part time Music Director. Please send a resume to Fallstown Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1035, Troutman NC 28166 or call the church office at 704-528-4512.

Let's reach the area kids for Jesus!

Come with questions, ideas, feedback, and fellowship discussing your upcoming church's upcoming VBS. Paul Hill from Fairview will be the facilitator.

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7043805097

The "TELL 2021" virtual conference will help you reimagine children's ministry through training and online conversations with ministry leaders from across our state. While 2020 caused the church to stop and reconsider what is important, 2021 offers the opportunity to reimagine children's ministry in light of what is important.

Baptists on Mission is now eligible to receive a 5% rebate from Lowe's on any amount spent by a client using a card registered for the rebate program.

This does not affect any discount that the card holder would get themselves (example- they still get their contractors discount or military discount, etc.). This is an additional 5% that Baptists on Mission will get back based on total sales for the year.

Please share this information with people that you know who shop at Lowe’s who might want to support us.

Total 2020/2021 Receipts $92,907.86

(as of February 28, 2021)

Total Budgeted Receipts $92,382.48

Received vs. Budget +$525.38