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PAID
Houston, TX
Sagemont Baptist Church
11300 S. Sam Houston Pkwy E.
Houston, TX 77089
Also visit
www.sagemontchurch.org
Or call us at
281.481.8770
M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Vol. 34, No. 8
August 2012
www.facebook.com/SagemontChurch
Schedule
7:00 “He-Man” Breakfast
Featuring White Deer Expert
Dr. Jim Reimer
Tickets: $10 each
8:00
GHCOF Hunt Schedule
Presentation and Sign-up
9:00
Courageous Movie
10:00 Custom Car Display
Popular Choice Awards
KICK-OFF EVENT
Featuring
Coach Bum Phillips & Mike Barber
11:30 Fishing Tournament Awards
Presentation
12:00
Fish Fry & Entertainment
Tickets: $10 each
1:00
Featured Speakers
2:00Autographs
Inside This Issue
Saturday, August 25
7 am - 4 pm
The Hall & Auditorium
Two Stories That
Lead to The Cross:
“The Cross” Builder’s Story
A Soldier’s Story
Displays & Booths
Other Attractions
MOS Guide & IMPACT Distribution
Sign-up for MOS Course: “Resolutions”
Faithful Fathering Inititative - Rick Wertz
Greater Houston Christian Outdoor Fellowship - Jimmy Hassell
WOW - Whitetails Display - Dr. Jim Reimer
PTSD Foundation of America - David Maulsby
Variety of Mounts - Deer, Fish, etc.
New Leadership at the
Lodge at Danbury
ALL
from our pastor...
Like Sheep
K
ing Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, and a
time to every purpose under the sun.” Sagemont Church has never experienced
a greater summer season than the glorious days of June 2, 2012 until the present.
We have “celebrated” opening our new facilities debt free, Vacation Bible School
with 2122 enrolled, life-changing mission trips to Kenya, Israel, Seattle, Honduras,
Zambia, Thailand, Hildago, TX and Ethiopia, construction of the empty tomb, lifechanging camps for our children, and “Æffect” teenagers touching the Third Ward
of Houston with the love of God.
In the first six weeks of summer, we witnessed 246 people receive Christ as Savior,
78 baptisms and 59 fellow believers making Sagemont their church home.
Let’s keep celebrating and praising Jesus!
Your Pastor,
by Mikelle Challenger
I
As our Season of Celebration comes to a close,
it’s time to make some adjustments to our Worship
Service and iCONNECT formats and schedules.
Beginning Sunday, August 26 (Promotion Sunday),
our new Sunday morning schedule will be:
8:00 9:30 11:15
iCONNECT Classes
iCONNECT Classes
iCONNECT Classes
(No Worship Service)
WORSHIP SERVICES:
WORSHIP SERVICES:
Worship Center:
Dr. John Morgan preaching with
music by Bill Cole and the Sagemont
Choir & Orchestra
Worship Center:
Dr. John Morgan preaching with
music by Bill Cole and the Sagemont
Choir & Orchestra
Auditorium:
Wade Owens preaching with
music by Aric Harding and Band
Auditorium:
Wade Owens preaching with
music by Aric Harding and Band
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1
Now more options for worshipping, learning, and serving!
t was the spring of 2009, just days before the official
commissioning of Sagemont Church’s massive one hundred
and seventy foot tall Cross. Two men, wearing harnesses,
climbed high inside the structure until they reached the junction
where the arms of The Cross meet the shaft. There, they prayed
and wrote scriptures on the inside walls. Steve Maricelli, longtime Sagemont church member, as well as the Project Manager
for the construction of the Cross, recalled that special moment
he spent with his son-in-law, Jason Ryan, Sagemont’s Music/
Communications Director. Steve said, “I wrote Isaiah 53:6
(NIV) inside the cross arm. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray,
we have turned each our own way, but the Lord has laid on
him the iniquity of us all.’ It’s a verse that means so much to me
and it reminds me of the sacrifice the Lord made for me and for
everyone. It was also the verse I kept thinking about the whole
time I was working on the Cross project. So when it came time to
commission it, I thought, ‘I’ve got to write it in there.’”
While serving on Sagemont’s Visionary Team, Steve recalled
the night Senior Pastor, Dr. John Morgan, announced that he
had something that God had laid on his heart and wanted to
know what they thought. That night Steve listened as Bro. John
verbalized his idea for a big, tall cross at the edge of the church’s
property. After months of brainstorming and cost studies, it was
unanimously approved by the committee. Steve was asked to
head up the unique project. From its design, to the building of the
amphitheater, fountains and pond, all the way to the elevated
structure, Steve was there. He explains, “I have built a lot of
things, but I have never built anything that gave me the satisfaction
and joy that I have with The Cross. I have been on a number of
mission trips, but the one thing The Cross does is allows me to
be a part of missions right on the Beltway in Houston 24/7!”
Steve was born November 11, 1950 on Veteran’s Day in Ruston,
Louisiana, as the second of ten children. Growing up in Houston,
he was raised in the Catholic faith, but when he graduated from
high school, he immediately stopped going to any church. He
attended a technical school in Dallas, specializing in electronics.
From 1970 to 1973, he served in the Army, where most of his
time was spent in Germany, again working with electronics. After
completing his stint in the military, he
found himself a single man on a blind
date with a woman named Linda. They
married in 1974, and had their first
child, daughter, Emily, two years later,
followed by daughter, Meghan and
then a son, Jesse.
Over his thirty-nine years working in construction, Steve has been
a part of hundreds of building projects. He even co-founded an
engineering and construction company in 1978 which merged
with a larger firm in 2009. Today, Steve continues
to work for this company, but is looking
forward to slowing down in the years to
come. Steve states that he is a builder
by trade and this expertise qualified
him for the job of project manager for
the construction of The Cross, as well
as a major participant serving as a site
manager for Sagemont’s Children’s
Building, which was completed in 2001.
Of all the jobs he has participated
in over the years, Steve admits that
working on the Cross was above and
Steve Maricelli writing Isaiah 53:6 inside the arm of The Cross.
beyond his greatest achievement.
His first interaction with Sagemont
came while he and his wife, Linda,
were living in Pasadena, in 1984, when
the church’s bus ministry had a route
that came through their neighborhood
2
and down their street. Steve recalled, “Fred Saltsman and
Clennis Tyer came down our street faithfully every Saturday.
They knocked on our door and told the kids, ‘Hey, we are going
to come by with the bus and pick you up tomorrow morning if
you want to go to church!’ So Emily started going with a friend
and then later Meghan began going as well. Every Saturday,
religiously, Fred and Clennis would stop by the house and invite
us to go, too, since the kids were going.” Though they allowed
their girls to attend, neither Steve nor his wife was interested in
going to any church.
One morning, Fred and Clennis came by and announced that
their bus route needed to be canceled. Instead, it was going to
be servicing areas closer to the church. Steve remembered their
next words, “We are not going to be able to come by and take
your kids anymore, but it would be a shame for them to not be
able to go to church. Would y’all consider taking them?” Steve
and Linda worked out an alternating schedule with the neighbors
down the street, whose children had also been a part of the bus
ministry. They took turns dropping off and picking up the children
at Sagemont every Sunday morning. Steve remembered the day
that all changed, “For some reason, one Sunday morning, when
it was my turn to take them, I
thought: ‘This is crazy! I ought to
go in there and see what’s going
on. Here I am dropping my kids
off at this place, and I don’t even
know what they are doing to
them!’ So after dropping the girls
off, I went in and heard Bro. John
preach for the first time. I came
back home and told Linda, ‘We
need to go hear these people
because it sounds like something
we need.’“
arteries like the aorta. It ruptured and she had severe internal
bleeding. She wasn’t sick, but she was pregnant with our fourth
child.” Steve found himself, a 36 year-old single man having to
raise his three children, ages 10, 6 and 4, alone. “I lived that
nightmare for a while. I had a real wakeup call! I finally realized
how much Linda did for our family. Before she died, I just worked
and didn’t really get involved with the kids and not that much with
her.”
Sometime later, Sagemont friends, the Bouviers, Patsy Hogg,
Susan Gadd and some well-meaning others, encouraged
Steve to take an interest in widow, Sammie Johnston, who also
attended Sagemont. She had grown up in Houston and married
Tom Johnston in 1970. Together, they had two boys: Devin, born
in 1974 and Daniel, born in 1976. In 1977, while attending
one of Sagemont’s revivals, led by Sam Cathy, she was
convicted during a video about the rapture. Sammie recalled,
“I had basically been raised in the Baptist church…I just figured
everything was okay with me. At the end of the movie, there was
a picture of a superimposed cross on a city street and all the
people and the traffic were going by and Jesus was hanging on
this cross. That’s when it hit me and I realized that was me! I am
daily walking past that cross, and
here, He died for me, and I am
not even acknowledging it! That
was the night I made the decision
to follow Christ and was saved.
I was already participating in
church at the time, but it just didn’t
click with me until then. I realized
how very personal salvation is.
It is not a brief weekly activity…
it comes down to just you and the
Lord.”
In July of 1985, Sammie and her
By the fourth week of attending
husband, Tom, moved back to
Sunday morning services, Steve
the Sagemont area after living in
Steve and Sammie Maricelli
and Linda felt that they needed
east Texas. Just one month later,
to be a part of Sagemont’s
Tom was working as a marine
family. They joined Larry Ball’s Sunday School department and
surveyor assigned to take pictures of an oil rig accident in the
immediately became friends with James and Sharon Bouvier.
Gulf. His boat was caught out in turbulent weather from effects of
Steve smiles as he recalled how their new friends began faithfully
a hurricane. While trying to go out of Matagorda Bay, the high
sharing the message of Christ’s love with them. Even though the
waves flipped their boat. The other two men with him managed
Bouviers “worked on them more” it was a home visit by Fred
to get safely back to shore, but Tom did not make it. Sammie
Saltsman one Saturday night in 1984 when both Steve and Linda
recalled that most difficult time, “The boys were just 11 and 8
prayed the prayer of salvation. Steve stated, “The Lord was
years old then. It was really an awful experience. They looked for
dealing with us! We thought, ‘We can’t put this off any longer!’
Tom for three days! I remember how Bro. John was so sweet and
We both surrendered our lives to the Lord there at our kitchen
very caring towards us. I thank God that we were members at
table. It had a dramatic effect on us because it changed the way
Sagemont Church, because all of our friends were here.” The two
we dealt with each other and it changed our attitude towards
years after Tom’s death were not easy for Sammie as she worked
each other, too. We used to bicker a lot and weren’t content.
and took care of her two young sons. When she heard of Linda
After we were saved, those petty things got put aside and we
Maricelli’s passing, she also grieved for Steve and his children’s
realized that there was something more important than the things
loss, understanding the difficult times they were to face in the
we were doing. We had a lot better relationship after that.”
days to come.
Two years later, while the Maricelli family was playing a game
of Scrabble, Linda died suddenly. Steve said, “We didn’t know
it previously, but she had Marfan’s Syndrome. It’s a connective
tissue disorder that breaks down the strength of the fiber around
3
Sammie said, “I remember the first time Sharon Bouvier brought
up the idea of Steve and I dating and I remember saying to her,
‘You have got to be kidding! He has three kids and I have two
and I don’t want anything to do with that!” Though it was
awkward for both of them
at first, Steve and Sammie
began spending time
together and eventually
fell in love. They were
married in January of
1988 in a ceremony
officiated by Bro. John at
Sagemont Church.
Sammie smiles as she
stated, “We have five
wonderful children who
have chosen God and
have all grown up to be
strong Christians. Steve
and I are so incredibly
proud of them. If anyone
says, ‘You did such a
good job,’ my answer
During their honeymoon,
to them is, ‘No, God did
they discussed their
a good job!’ We made
children at great length.
lots of mistakes, just
Steve said, “We knew
like people do raising
WE were in love, but
kids, but God had His
our kids hardly knew
hand on them and us.
each other! So, how
He took all our mistakes
Maricelli Family: (front, left to right) Canaan Ryan, Gideon Ryan, Mary Ruth Ferris, Shelby Garrett,
are we going to deal
and turned them into
Brooke Johnston, Lacy Garrett. (middle) Adelle Ryan, Emily Ryan, Gavin Maricelli,
with this? We basically
good things.” Steve and
Jacqueline Maricelli, Sammie Maricelli, Meghan Garrett, Becky Johnston, Chrissy Johnston, Devin
agreed that no matter
Sammie are looking
Johnston. (back) Jason Ryan, Jesse Maricelli, Steve Maricelli, Ryan Garrett.
Not pictured: Daniel, Nicole, Madison and Ashley Johnston.
what, we always have to
forward to celebrating
stand with one common
the birth of two more
front and be in one accord. We decided that if we have any
grandchildren this year bringing them a total of 12.
differences of opinion, then we will go talk about it away from
the kids. Of course they pitted each other against us and they
Like those who drive pass The Cross daily, Steve and Sammie’s
jockeyed for position for a while before they realized it wasn’t
lives have also experienced deep valleys. Those times have
going to work. Then, after a while, it all settled down.” The new
caused them to turn and find hope in the knowledge of the
blended family lived in Steve’s home in Pasadena until the school
resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the loss of both of their
year ended and then they sold both homes and moved to a
spouses and pressures of single parenting, they acknowledge
larger home in Pearland. Steve and Sammie’s decision to move
that Jesus never left them during those hard times.
to a new area was made so that they would still live near the
So, the next time you pass by that huge, white Cross, be reminded
church, but all the children would have to attend a new school
of the man who was instrumental in its construction and his heart’s
and they would all have a fresh start.
desire written inside: “We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off
Currently, all the children, now grown and married with children
and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
of their own, attend Sagemont Church with the exception of
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on
Daniel and his family, who live near Panama City, Florida.
him, on him.” Isaiah 53:6 (The Message).
baptism @ the cross
august 12, 2012
7:00 pm
final baptism service @ the cross this summer:
september 30
If you would like to be baptized at The Cross or in the Worship
Center, please call 281.481.8770 or email johnmark.benson@
sagemontchurch.org
4
That
All
May
Hear
by Ericka Brown
Athens, Greece
I
f we counted our most cherished blessings in our country and
our community, what would be the some of the first things to
top your list? Maybe for most, it is family and freedom. Or our
homes, friends and careers might be the things that we are most
thankful for. But, what we may take for granted – what we might
even forget to include first on our lists, is that we at Sagemont
Church, have been taught, ministered to, or at least somehow, at
some time in our lives, been told about the Holy Spirit. We have
heard the name of Jesus.
There are some people, some ethnicities and cultures that have
not heard His name, and within the many populations of our
world who have not been taught about His peace and His
promise, there are those whom God has recently led into one
place awaiting rescue and salvation. They are seeking refuge
from terrorism and corruption. These people are refugees from
Morocco, Sudan, Eritrea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and
Iraq. Jerry Squyres, a mission leader and Sagemont member,
describes these refugees in desperate terms. “Many are hurting.
Many are hungry. Many need more or better clothes, and a
better quality of life. But most importantly, all need eternal life
and Jesus is the only answer.”
Jerry and fellow Sagemont member, Gary Williams went on an
exploratory mission this past March to Greece where thousands
of refugees are stranded. They left their homes in search of peace
and safety and are now stuck in Athens with no way to return
home and no place to go that will grant them asylum. They are
5
required to stay in the first country that they arrive in, according
to European law, and they are unable to obtain work or any
means of steady financial support in Greece.
Jerry is the founder of Innovative Mission Opportunities (IMO),
a non-profit organization located in Pearland, whose goal is
to reach out to every corner of the world so “that all may hear”
God’s Word and know about the truth of salvation through
Jesus Christ. Jerry is dedicated to developing mission trips that
incorporate a wide perspective of enduring possibilities. IMO
focuses on numerous short-term trips with long-term goals, so that
each one builds upon the strategies from the previous mission. “In
every country, every ethnic group and every village, the needs
are different and changing. While the truth of the Gospel never
changes, the strategies and methods must change.”
Jerry has had more than 15 years of experience with missions
in dangerous locations, spanning several continents. He has led
numerous teams to Afghanistan over the past six years, where the
threat of danger is increasingly more prevalent. He instantly saw
the situation in Greece as a chance to minister to refugees in one
safe location with several different people groups all located in
the same place. One of Jerry’s friends with whom he has served
on mission trips told him about the refugees and the opportunity
to reach them. “He told me there were about 100,000 refugees
in Greece, that we could openly share our faith, that there was
no terrorism, and that the people were very receptive to the good
news of Jesus.”
6
they are, in fact, forced to go back to their own countries. “Most
don’t want to go but if they do, we pray they will have Jesus in
their hearts, a smile on their lips, and a desire to share Him with
their family and friends.
A mission trip is planned for August 12-25 and will include an
agenda that focuses on praying and sharing. “In Athens, we
will have teams of four who will go to areas where the refugees
spend time. Two will concentrate on prayer. Two will concentrate
on interacting with the people,” explains Jerry. “Many of
them have already experienced
During their seven-day trip to
‘something special’ that they
Athens, Jerry and Gary were able
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of
cannot explain. They know there
to witness the living conditions of
the refugees and gather information those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, is more and they desire a better
who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, understanding of what they are
on their immediate needs as well
experiencing.”
as the circumstances surrounding
who say to Zion, ‘Your God Reigns.’”
their citizenship concerns. Jerry
Isaiah 52:7
Each refugee who is taught about
explained that their living situations
His promise is much more likely to
are meager at best, and their futures
go and share His Word with someone else. There is no way of
are very uncertain.
knowing how much longer they will be in Greece, or what their
futures will hold. But what is certain is that they are there now in
“Many of the refugees live in apartments in Athens. They may
need of help and healing. Gary explained that we have a very
have multiple families living together, maybe four or five in an
rare opportunity as Christians to lead them to this goal.
apartment that should provide for one family,” explained Jerry.
“Some of the refugees live in an old warehouse in Patras. They
“It is difficult to get the Gospel into predominantly Muslim
live off food that is thrown away by a local food store. They have
countries and it may get worse. This is an opportunity to show a
only the clothes on their backs. They are trying to stow away
very large group of Muslim men the Gospel. They are a mobile
on a ship and get to Italy. Some die trying. Some refugees are
group of people. Some leave every day for other parts of Europe
detained in old military bases that are similar to prisons.”
but they are replaced with people coming in seeking that better
The situation, although dire, provides incredible opportunities
life. Because of where they are, most are open to hearing about
for inspiring a relationship with Jesus within the hearts of a vast
Jesus. Opportunities like this don’t happen often and I believe
number of people. Gary explained that some have already
God has called us to act on it.”
begun that relationship and are now helping missionaries to get
to others who have not.
For more information or to contribute to the mission, please
contact Jerry Squyres at [email protected].
“We met a young man that had asked Jesus into his heart a while
back. He was intent on helping us meet refugees and share the
Gospel with them. He is a refugee himself and as such, was in
danger of arrest anytime he was out publicly. He took us on an
exploratory trip and directly to a large group of refugees living in
an abandoned factory. He immediately connected with them and
helped us initiate contact.”
Jerry asked Gary Williams to accompany him on the exploratory
trip that they took in March. His process for planning future
mission trips is to recruit at least one other person to join him in
researching the project and helping to brainstorm about the best
ways to minister to the people there. “As much as possible, I try to
find another mature believer to go with me,” Jerry said. “It gives
another set of eyes, another heart for Jesus and a lot of time to
talk strategy while we are there.”
Greece is actually pushing for the refugees to leave and most of
the countries where they are trying to seek asylum do not want
them. Jerry says that Afghanistan is actually considering opening
a consulate in Athens so they can register the refugees from their
country, give them passports and try to get them home. However,
Jerry is optimistic about what the refugees will take with them if
7
Wo rk o r Va c a t i on ?
For the New Directors of the Lodge at Danbury, It’s Hard to Tell!
by Kim Lindquist
F
or most of us, a lodge represents a weekend away from
the hustle and bustle of the big city - a time to get back to
nature and appreciate God’s handiwork as we peacefully
listen to the crickets and actually see stars in the sky at night.
How hard it is to come “back to reality” after such a retreat. But
for Mike and Nelda Taylor, the retreat is ongoing and they need
not say goodbye to their safe haven after only a weekend stay.
After residing in League City for the past 15 years, the Taylors
loaded up the truck and moved to Danbury!
As the new directors of Sagemont Church’s Lodge at Danbury,
Mike and Nelda now wake up each morning on lakefront
property just a golf cart ride away from the Lodge.
The Lodge at Danbury, owned and operated by Sagemont
Church, consists of a beautiful main building which houses a
dining hall, a “Great Room” complete with fireplace and a loft,
and a 600-square-foot kitchen facility. Rear doors of the main
building open to 24 hotel-style rooms with oversized twin beds
and a private bathroom, a fire pit, and plenty of areas to sit and
take in the beauty of this little piece of heaven.
The Taylors frequented the Lodge since its beginning both as
patrons and as a host couple. (When a group reserves the
Lodge, members of Sagemont Church may volunteer to be
“hosts” to that group for the duration of their stay.)
“We LOVED it from the beginning,“ Nelda says. They also have
a reunion with their friends there every year, this year being their
ninth year to do so.
It was at their most recent reunion that their new adventure at the
Lodge began. “So, it was our friends’ reunion week in January
2012, and we found out that week that Wade and Kim Owens
(previous directors of the Lodge) were moving,” Nelda explains.
“Several friends kept saying, ‘It’s just a shame you are not
retired…that you can’t do this.’ The church staff was looking for a
retired couple to move out there. We went in the kitchen that night
and looked at each other and said ‘We can both retire.’ It was
on January 26.”
After that revelation, things moved pretty quickly! “We called
our kids that Saturday and had them come out. We prayed, and
they were all supportive,” Mike says.
The Taylors talked with Wade and Kim about their duties as
directors. They’ve been friends with Wade and Kim from the very
beginning and have helped when needed, including stripping
beds to get ready for the next group. After speaking with Buddy
Fortenberry who is over the ministry of the Lodge at Danbury and
8
Executive Pastor Chuck Schneider, the Taylors were interviewed
for the job the next Wednesday night.
After being selected as the new directors, Mike retired on April
12, after working as a
millwright for 47 years; on
April 13, he moved to their
new home on the Danbury
Lodge grounds! Nelda
commuted on weekends
and stayed with their
children on weekdays from
April until June 2, when
she retired from teaching
for 31 years. She had
taught in several school
districts including Galena
Park, Texas City, and Clear
Creek. “So I finally have
my boss out here,” Mike
said.
City. Mike says, ”We will keep in touch with our neighbors. “
Mike and Nelda feel extremely blessed in their new position,
as do their eight grandchildren - Layth, Cody, Taylor, Caleb,
Braeden, Ethan, Kyrie, and Reese. Their grandson Ethan said
upon learning of the
couple’s new home,
“Wow, it sure will be
easier to come see you!”
The three lakes on the
grounds provide fishing for
bass, perch, and catfish.
The grandchildren love
to fish, even the youngest
grandchild who plays
pirate on the trolling boat.
The Taylors came to
Sagemont Church 15
years ago this coming
November and have
served here in different
capacities. They taught
Every time the Taylors
four year olds in Sunday
Lodge at Danbury Directors Nelda and Mike Taylor
visited the Lodge in the
School for a while
past, even before a house
and have been the cowas on the grounds, they would say, “When we get ready to
directors, with Charles Young, of the Special Friends iCONNECT
retire we want Wade and Kim to get a better job and we want
Class for the past seven years. The Special Friends class includes
their job!”
adults with special needs. “They can’t wait to have a party out
here,” Nelda says.
“We just keep worrying someone will tell us vacation is over and
you have to leave now,” Nelda says laughingly. “The kids had
As directors of the Danbury Lodge, the Taylors’ role is one of
a retirement party for us out here last weekend. It’s like a resort
overseeing and “making people happy when they come out,”
out here. We watch eagles, and we watch the squirrels playing
Mike says. “I like to say we make happy people happier,”
outside.”
Nelda adds.
But their new home is actually only 30 to 45 minutes from League
They also act as a liaison between Sagemont Church and the
It’s
Promotion
Time!
August 26
The AdventureLand Ministry is seeking extra-special individuals who will join our team and help us provide living proof of a loving God to
the many children God sends to us each week! Prior teaching experience is not required, but a love for children and a passion for sharing
God’s Word with them is desired. Opportunities are available on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings. Contact
[email protected] if you would like to be a part of this incredible ministry!
9
manager of the Lodge and make sure everything the manager
needs is in place. The manager, a paid employee, handles the
day-to-day workings of the Lodge as well as the bookings for
guests and groups. A cleaning service comes out as needed
before and after guests use the Lodge, and Sagemont Church
volunteers work as the grounds crew and landscapers. “The
groundskeepers are SO faithful. They have a great time and
come out every Tuesday to work,” Mike says. “The average
age of the grounds crew members is about 70.” The Taylors say
that there is ALWAYS a need for more volunteers to help with the
grounds, including flower bed work.
The Lodge is reserved by more than church groups. Groups
such as quilters, and scrapbookers, family reunions, corporate
meetings, school district day meetings, and retreats have been
hosted. “Once a group starts coming out, it’s habit forming for
them,” Nelda says. “You can feel the presence of the Lord when
you come through the gate here.”
The Taylors are enjoying wildlife not usually seen back in League
City such as bobcats, eagles, and raccoons. “We were coming
up the road the other night and there was a family of otters!”
“It’s so quiet that when we first moved out here we really thought
we’d have to turn on the radio to go to sleep, but we’ve gotten
used to the frogs,” Nelda says. “They serenade us every night,”
Mike says with a smile, “and last night there was a raccoon by
the front steps that looked me right in the eyes.”
The Taylors sit on their porch and watch the birds, drink tea
or coffee, have a devotional every morning and enjoy the
perpetual breeze. They feel as if they are on a vacation. And,
of course, the place comes complete with a John Deere tractor
for Mike to use.
And although they are in what some city folk might term “the
boondocks,” they are actually only 10 minutes from the grocery
SHARE JESUS
store, and they and the grounds crew often frequent Filipp’s
Café, which is just down the road.
The Taylors have dreams for the future of the Lodge at Danbury.
With her teaching background, Nelda plans to make science
learning stations for parents and children – boxes that they can
take off a shelf, learn about a part of nature or animals (frogs, for
example) then go out and look at what they just learned about.
She wants to enhance learning about God’s creation.
“I’d like to see more families from Sagemont come out and use
the facilities. They can stay the night during the week or can
come out and fish ($10 per person) on the weekends,” Mike
says. “We’d like to see more Sagemont classes use it when we
have availabilities. When they come out, it’s like adult slumber
parties out here!”
The biggest blessings they reap from their new job is “loving on
people,” Mike says, and “knowing that we’re where God wants
us to be,” Nelda adds. “We think we have the best job in the
world!”
The Taylors definitely have a gift of hospitality, asking that visitors
come to see them at the house. “Come out and see us,” Mike
says, “We’ll drink coffee and fish off the front porch! Our door’s
always open.”
Individuals and families may come to fish and enjoy the grounds
during the week or the weekends, but the use of the main Lodge
and the rooms is only for groups on weekends. When a group
reserves the Lodge, it includes the main building, 23 rooms for
those attending, and one room for the host couple.
The Lodge may be reserved by groups on weekends from 4 p.m.
on Friday until 11 a.m. on Sunday. To make a reservation, please
contact manager Janet Spillers at 979.922.1341.
Soul-Winning Class
Wednesday, August 22 • 7:15 - 8:00 pm • Room 117
There are:
1. Those who talk ABOUT the lost.
2. Those who talk TO the lost.
Which one are you?
“How then, can they call on the one in whom they have not believed? And
how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?”
Romans 10:14
God commands us, as Christians, to be the ones to tell the lost of the
One in whom they can believe. The “SHARE JESUS” monthly meeting is
open to men and women. There will be prayer, sharing, and discussion, led
by Willard Moore, that can change your life. Bring a guest and find that
change so you will become ONE WHO TALKS TO THE LOST.
For information please contact James Birdsong at 281.485.0650 or
713.299.0643. This event is sponsored by the Men of Sagemont.
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Fort Benning in Georgia for Basic Training. It was a tough
environment and the training was a grueling experience. On
September 11, 2001, Elias was in the last phase of his field
training and was in the woods with his company. He remembers
being told by the Army leadership that the United States is at
war, but he and his fellow soldiers all thought it was part of the
training exercise. “It was a week later when we returned from
the woods that we first saw a television and realized this was all
real and that we truly were at war,”
he said.
IF
Only...
During his deployment, Elias did not pray and did not seek God.
He remembers that the peer pressure to do the wrong thing was
tremendous. Since he had grown up in church and had primarily
been around Christians, the environment he was now in,
socializing only with worldly people, was new to him. Although
he was serving in a war, he did not pray or turn to God.
rom the beginning, the cross was meant to be a place of
punishment, a place of humiliation, and a place of agony.
But something changed our perception of the cross. When
the Son of God hung on the cross and died for our sins, the cross
changed from a tool of death to a symbol of life. What once
brought disgrace and shame is now recognized as a place of
salvation, forgiveness, and grace. The cross is now a symbol of
relief from the sin that brings death.
peer pressure as others made fun of him, but he stuck to it and his
peers and others began embracing him as the “preacher.”
When he returned home from his first deployment, he was
shocked that the people he thought had become really good
friends were not really friends at all. “It was tough to have been
under gun and shell fire and back each other up and then get
home and have them just move on with barely a goodbye,” he
said. “It broke my heart.”
So how did the “preacher” come to a place where God used the
cross to lead him back into a relationship with Him? “It started
slowly,” he noted. “My parents began having marital problems
and as a kid behind the preacher’s pulpit, my faith began
wavering as I watched them struggle.”
After his experiences in Iraq, he found it difficult to fit in back
home. He felt he could not really relate to his parents, brother,
or even most of his friends. “It would be very difficult for them
to understand what I was going through. So instead of talking, I
began drinking,” he said.
It is no coincidence, then, that God used the tool of the cross on
Sunday, May 13, to call LT Elias Nogueras back to Him and give
him relief from the burden of walking on the path of destruction.
When Elias was in high school and later in college, his faith
continued to waiver. He began partying with his brother and
submitting to peer-pressure, making many bad choices. He
recalls times when he would feel guilty for his lifestyle choices
and would try to make changes. However, the changes
were short-lived and he could not maintain consistency in his
relationship with Christ. He referred to his life during this time as
a vicious downward cycle.
He walked for a while with one foot in the world and one foot in
the church. He went to church and even played the trombone in
his father’s church. He remembers that he knew the right things to
do and to say, but on the inside, he was empty.
by Teri Fowlé
F
Elias grew up in church; in fact, he grew up as a “preacher’s kid.”
Elias’ father is a minister in Rhode Island. He grew up knowing
the Lord and gave his heart to Jesus for the first time when he was
eight years old while in Sunday School. Elias continued growing
in the Lord and he remembers really feeling the presence of God
in his life as a 12-year-old. “I was known as ‘the preacher’ by
everyone at my school. I was called on to offer public prayer
at football games and took the opportunity to tell others of the
love of God at every opportunity,” he said. At first, he felt the
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Elias was deployed in 2003 to Kirkuk,
Iraq as a civil affairs specialist with
the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion.
His job was to establish civil military
operations and win over the hearts
and minds of the people so they
could effectively help to rebuild
the government buildings, schools,
banking system, water, sewer, and
other necessary systems. “Our primary
job was to reestablish stability in the
government and society,” he stated.
With money running out to pay for college, Elias decided to
enlist in the Army in June, 2001. He felt it was an opportunity to
serve his country and also assist him with the funds he needed
to complete his work on a bachelor’s degree. He went to
During this time, he met his wife, Nexy. He remembers falling headover-heels when he saw her and took her out to dinner that very
day. They moved in together after one week and were married
about three months later. Elias says of this time, “I was crazy when I
look back on that time, now. I was still getting over my deployment
and Nexy was just coming out of a relationship, wow!”
Their first child was born a year later and their second child
about a year-and-a-half after that. After earning his college
degree, Elias attended Officer Candidate School in Virginia
for three months. The time away from his family proved to be
very difficult and the relationship was straining. In 2010, he was
deployed again to Kuwait and Iraq. He remembers how difficult
it was. His marriage was falling apart, yet he was responsible
for 40 soldiers and as an officer, was also responsible to help
them with their issues so he did not deal with his own. It was also
during this time that he began listening
to the voice of the world, the voice that
says, “There is no God.” Doubt and
unbelief now ruled his life. Today, he
can’t believe it went that far.
He returned home from deployment,
his marriage crumbled and he and
Nexy were divorced. He says, “I lost
everything. This was my lowest point.”
Yet, Nexy and Elias were never out
of God’s sight. God began working
on Nexy first. She rededicated her
life to Christ in December 2011 and in
January 2012, Nexy and Elias began
reconciling their marriage.
In May, 2012, Elias came to Houston for training at Ellington
Field on tactical air support integration systems. He was alone
for the first time in a long time. He said, “I couldn’t sleep; I was
fighting with God. I actually went to the VA Clinic because I
thought something was wrong with me.” He finally fell to his
knees and began to pray, asking God to forgive him and change
his life. The next day was Sunday, May 13. He had seen a
church on the highway and downloaded directions to get there
on his phone’s GPS. However, he couldn’t get off the freeway at
the exit for the church. He turned around twice, trying to figure
out how to get to the church and couldn’t get there. Finally, he
thought he would take the exit after the church and turn around.
As he came up over the Beltway 8 overpass, he saw the cross,
large and shining, beckoning him to “come.” He said, “It was like
it was meant to be, I was meant to go to Sagemont Church and
go to the Connection Center and meet Mark.” Elias rededicated
his life to Christ on that day. When he returned home, he and
Nexy were remarried and they are working on their relationship
and their family. “I wish I could tell you I am 100 percent,” Elias
said. “I feel a lot of guilt. I knew God, and knew how sweet
fellowship with Him is. I knew, and I walked away.”
It is easy to feel that reconciliation with God is difficult,
wondering what life could have been, IF ONLY. Yet Peter walked
and talked with Jesus, Peter had the faith to get out of a boat on
a stormy night and walk on water and Peter drew a sword to
protect the Lord. This same Peter denied Jesus three times. Yet,
reconciliation came. Peter humbled himself and served the Lord
and became an example for us all that nothing can separate us
from the love of God. (Romans 8:28-29) God has a plan and
a purpose for all of us and He will see that it is accomplished
according to His will. “If Only” is not in God’s vocabulary.
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REGISTER ONLINE!
August Staff Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following friends and co-workers who celebrate an employment anniversary with
Sagemont Church during the month of August.
FALL 2012 CLASSES
EZEKIEL: WHAT IS YET TO COME
Tuesdays, 9:00 - 11:30 am, August 28 - November 6
Cost: $27 • Worship Center North Wing
Follow the story of Ezekiel from the heartbreak of the fall of
Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity to the inexpressible
joy of worship in the heavenly tabernacle.
ROMANS: FREED FROM SIN’S PENALTY
Tuesdays, 9:00 - 11:30 am OR 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Beginning August 28 • Cost: $37 • Worship Center
North Wing
Romans 1-5 explains the foundational doctrines of our faith original sin, justification, redemption, and propitiation.
Gain an excellent grasp of the doctrine of salvation!
F ishing
T ournament
Rev. Buddy Fortenberry
31 Years
Minister to Senior Adults
AUGUST 1 - 22
Mrs. Kay Bass
18 Years
Assistant to the Administrator
Anyone Can Participate Men, Women, Children
Sagemont Members or Non-Members
Rev. Wes Holloman
15 Years
Associate Pastor/iCONNECT Ministries
This is a fresh and salt water tourney for men, women,
boys, and girls. There are many age groups and many
prizes. Trophies will be presented on Saturday, August
25, during the annual Men of Sagemont Kick-Off in
the Hall. The huge Fishing Tournament Score Board
will be displayed in the Great Room for the duration
of the tournament. Entry forms and information sheets
will be available by the score board in The Hall as well
as in the MOS Office.
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Mr. Josh Box
Seven Years
Helping Hands Intern
Rev. Roy Guel
10 Years
Associate Pastor/Missions
Ms. Courtney Conerly
Three Years
Student Ministry Intern
Mr. Scott Reichling
10 Years
IT Director
Mr. Gary Vander Wiele
Three Years
Student Ministry Intern
Mr. Tony Robinson
Two Years
AdventureLand Ministry Associate
August 15 - Ernie’s
August 1 - Ernie’s
Tuesdays, 9:00 - 11:30 am OR 7:00 - 9:00 pm
August 28 - October 23 • Cost: $21 • Worship
Center North Wing
Learn from Nehemiah’s example of complete reliance on God
as he leads his people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in the
face of strong opposition. Malachi will prepare you for the day
when the Lord opens the windows of heaven and pours out His
blessing.
LORD, I WANT TO KNOW YOU: NAMES OF GOD
Mrs. Diane Burcham
Eight Years
Membership Records Support
Wednesday Night Dinner
NEHEMIAH & MALACHI: TWO SHORT STUDIES
Sundays, 11:15 am - 12:30 pm, September 9 - May 19.
Cost: $16 • WC1319
So much of our confusion, our pain, our indecision, and our
wrong decisions come because we do not know God. 2
Peter urges us to be dilitgent to grow in “the true knowledge
of God.” This study is designed so you can spend two weeks
on each lesson. Register for this study through August 26.
Mrs. Louise Locatelli
Nine Years
AdventureLand Ministry Coordinator
Babies & Ones/Weekday Child Care
Your Choice: Hamburger or 2 Hot Dogs, Chips,
Drink, Ice Cream
Special Price: $5 per meal for everyone
August 8 - Luby’s
Offering music and art lessons
for all ages in a Christian setting
Chopped Steak or Chicken Tetrazzini, Macaroni
& Cheese, Fresh Green Beans, Roll, Salad Bar,
Strawberry Cake
Juicy Pot Roast or Chicken Fried Chicken, Mashed
Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad Bar, Roll, Cobbler
August 22 - Andy’s Hawg Wild Bar-B-Que
Sliced Beef & Sausage, Potato Salad, Pinto Beans,
Banana Pudding
August 29 - Luby’s
Meat Loaf or Oven Roasted Chicken, Mashed
Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans, Salad Bar, Roll,
Strawberry Cake
Classes/lessons begin September 4
Serving lines open 4:15 - 5:50 pm
Register online or pick up a Centre for the Arts brochure and
return with first payment to the Worship & Praise Ministry office.
SAGEMONT LIFE (USPS 585730) is published monthly by Sagemont Baptist Church, 11300 S. Sam Houston Parkway E.,
Houston, Texas. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SAGEMONT LIFE, 11300
S. Sam Houston Parkway E., Houston, TX 77089.
Register today for best selection
of available times and teachers!
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