Have you ever been forced to make a career change or move to a new community? Have your plans or goals changed due to unforeseeable factors? These were the questions asked by Bluefield Daily Telegraph Publisher Gary Adkisson when he spoke for the Bluefield College Business and Professional
Prayer Breakfast, Wednesday, April 4.
But, more importantly, Adkisson inquired, “how did you respond to those
changes in circumstances?” Better yet, “how should you respond?” The answer,
he said, can be found in God’s word, the Bible, and the answer he shared
during his devotion at BC.
Adkisson was the first of many speakers scheduled to lead Bluefield
College’s new monthly Business and Professional Prayer Breakfast. The
gathering, set for the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 a.m. in BC’s
Shott Hall, includes a full breakfast buffet, fellowship and most
importantly, according to BC’s Mark Oblinger, prayer for the community.
“Our hope is that during this time we can share our concerns and needs,”
said Oblinger, BC’s coordinator of church relations. “This will be a time of
prayer for one another and for our community. This is not a Bluefield
College event. It1s a community event.”
Nearly 30 local business leaders, professionals, pastors and other
guests attended the first prayer breakfast. Adkisson, a member of
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Bluefield, West Virginia, read from the
gospel of Mark the story of Jesus walking on water, calming the stormy sea
and travelling by boat with the disciples to Gennesaret where they healed
and witnessed to multitudes of people. What1s unique about the story,
Adkisson said, is that the disciples set out for Bethsaida, but ended up in
Gennesaret. No mention is made of why their path got changed, and no
reference is made to discouragement about the change in plans.
“Something happened along the way,” Adkisson said. “Whatever happened,
their plans changed, and it’s not important why plans changed, but instead,
how they reacted to the change in plans.”
According to the story, after coming ashore the disciples departed
“straightway” and began healing the sick and performing other acts of love.
They offered no excuses and placed no blame, Adkisson said. “They just
started doing good work.”
“Things change as you go through life,” Adkisson said, “but how do you
respond to those changes? How do you deal with problems or being in what you
think is the wrong place at the right time? My advice to you is simple. Do
what Jesus and the disciples did. Get out of the boat and start doing
wonderful things.”
BC Prayer Breakfast speakers scheduled for future months include: Jack
S. “Chip” Hurley, a local attorney (May 2); Scott Stephenson, owner of SSS,
Inc. (June 6); Harold “Lucky” Goforth, a local dentist (July 11); Dr. Dan
MacMillan, BC president (August 1); Dr. William Hardin, a local physician
(September 5); Don Neal, owner of Bluefield Monument (October 3); Dr. Frank
Johnson, a local physician (November 7); Steve Ferris, a local psychologist
(December 5); and Mary Ann Strong, owner of Mulco Insurance (January 9,
2002).
Area residents are encouraged to attend the monthly gatherings. Those
interested should RSVP by the 25th of each month prior to the breakfasts.
For more information, please call the BC Office of Church Relations at
540-326-4556.
action=”http://go.MailBits.com/Tell.asp?500834.1″>
type=”submit” value=”Press here to tell a friend about this site!”
name=”Submit”>
