My name is Stephanie R Bingham and I am

24 years old. I was born in Jefferson City, MO in June

of 1991. I only have one older sister, Sarah. When I
was two years old my parents packed us up and
moved to St. James. I lived
there until 2015 and that
is when I moved to Rosati
into my grandfathers farm
house. I had always loved
going out to the farm
house as kids and being in
the country with no neighbors. Not only did the farm
land make me want to live
out there, but the memories from my grandparents made me want to live
there. Evelyn, my three year old daughter, and I have
made our home there along with our two dogs.
Evelyn was born in April of 2012 in Rolla, MO.
The day she was born was the day my life changed
and I knew I had to provide her with the best possible
life I could. No matter where I go I take her with me
and only hope I am providing the best example of a
mother. Evelyn loves being outside with me and our
dogs and she loves going to church. I was unable to
attend church for a period of time due to work, but
thankfully Evelyns babysitter was happy to take her
to church when I was at work. Every time Evelyn went
to church she would have the best attitude and be
one of the happiest little girls.
The world is filled with so many different activities and places to go, but the best place for me to be
is with my daughter or my family. I love spending every moment I can with Evelyn because time has already gone by so quickly and she is growing up too
fast. We also enjoy going fishing and going to the river to swim. I have taught Evelyn how to fish and she
loves going to the river and try to catch minnows. We
both share a passion for horses. Evelyn loves to be

around horses and ride as much as she can. I do not

have too many hobbies except scrapbooking when I
can. Every chance possible, I love to be outside and
see the beauty around us, and teach Evelyn the beauty of nature.
I have always enjoyed math and problem solving. I decided to continue higher education in 2014 to
help my goal of having the best life possible for Evelyn. I started attending DeVry online for my Associates
in Accounting. While working a full time job I proceeded to accomplish my school work. In February of this
year I finished my Associates and will be able to walk
in a graduation ceremony in July. The feeling of
achieving this goal made me realize anything is possible, as long as I put my mind to it.
My mother, Pansy Bingham, was becoming worried about finding someone that could fill her position
and do a good job. I decided that I wanted to put forth
everything that I have learned and work in a better
environment. So I put my application in for the job
and was more than excited to find out that I had been
offered the job. I have big shoes to fill, but I have the
determination and strive to do my best work at being
the Business Administrator. I have only been here for
a couple of weeks, but I already feel like I am at
home. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming
me into this new position and I am excited to see
where the opportunity will take me.
My family is the most important thing to me.
Without my family I do not know where I would be to
this day. In true essence, families are pure. They
share your real joys and sorrows with you. Being related to someone by blood has a real meaning and no
matter what differences might arise, you should always come back home to your family. There are no
lies between family members. You can be yourself
with them. They are a gift from God and therefore, it
is important to keep these true bonds of family love
pure.
Stephanie BIngham

It is no secret that Christianity, the Ten Commandments

and Biblical morality have been under enormous attack for the
past few decades in the United States of America. Why is this?
Lets first look at the history of our country to see what our
Founding Fathers intended.
The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights, adopted in
1789, states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion [Establishment Clause] or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof [Free Exercise Clause]. At the time
this was written, there was unease about the possible establishment of a national church such as many European countries
had implemented or even the inception of state churches. Thus
the Establishment Clause was incorporated to prevent this.
James Madison, who later became Americas fifth president,
wanted to include the word national in front of the word
religion to make this abundantly clear.
However, the Free Exercise Clause was added so that the
government would not be allowed to hinder religious practice
or the living out of ones faith. Notice that Congress should not
prohibit the free exercise thereof. This is more than an individual believing what they want in their heart or a churchs freedom to worship within the church walls, but acting out or implementing ones faith in everyday life and work. (People in North
Korea or China can believe what they want in their hearts, but
they cannot exercise their faith without penalty.) The Free Exercise Clause is vital for us!
What did our early leaders think about religion being

used to influence the government? The day following the adoption of the Bill of Rights, the House of Representatives voted to
call for . . . a day of thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by
acknowledging with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of
Almighty God . . . As M. Stanton Evans declares, Obviously, if
the very people who wrote and adopted the First Amendment
immediately turned around and voted for official sponsorship of
prayer, it is an absurdity to argue that the amendment bars
such sponsorship. Moreover, President George Washington in
his farewell address of 1796 stated, Of all the dispositions
and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. He linked religion and morality to political prosperity. Shouldnt we? As you can see, the
goal of the Founding Fathers was not to keep the influence of
religion out of the government, but to protect individual religious liberty and the church from government coercion.
Why, then, is our culture charged to observe the wall of
separation between Church and State? That phrase is NOT
part of the First Amendment or the Constitution of the United
States as so many Americans believe, but instead, was written
by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 when answering a letter from the
Danbury Baptists about religious freedom. The intent of that
phrase, in context, was to protect the church from the government. However, the phrase separation of Church and State,
though NOT in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, has been
turned upside down and used by the government and anti-

Three words have been running through my mind

for the past week: guard, mortify, and modify.
Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart; it is the
wellspring of life. Here we are to watch out and be
careful what we allow into our heart; things like
vengeance, hatred, bitterness, and the likeguard
against. How are we doing with that?
Next is the word mortify. Just the sound of that
word kind of sends a chill up our spine. But Colossians 3:5 says to mortify the misdeeds of the flesh,
meaning put to death, destroy the power of.
Remember guard? Well, what helps with the
guarding is to mortify those misdeedsput them to
death, get rid of them. We kick hatred, vengeance,

bitterness, etc., out of our heart, and leave them alone.

The last word is modify. Now heres one that if
not especially careful, we can really be tempted with.
Jesus confronted the Pharisees, scribes, and the
teachers of the law many times because they had
modified the law, manipulated it to justify their
thoughts, motives, and actions.
If we are slothful in guarding our heart, then we
will not mortify the misdeeds of our flesh and we will
become proficient in modifying the Scriptures to justify our own thoughts, motives, and actions.
May the Holy Spirit help us each and every day to
guard our heart appropriately, mortify the misdeeds
of our flesh completely, and never modify Gods Word.

(Freedom continued on page 6)

Coming Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. 12 noon, a Ladies Brunch, in the gym at First Assembly of God. In My
Fathers House is the theme and speakers are Wendy Morris and her daughter Katelyn Loftis. Dining tables
will be set by ladies of the church and will have a variety of centerpieces and place-settings. Door prizes will be
given. Registration is required prior to the event and will take place in the church foyer the first three Sundays
of April. Tickets are $2 each. Nursery available for children 0-4 (sign-up at registration). Menu: chicken crepes,
fruit, bread pudding, coffee punch, orange juice, coffee and tea.

For you girls of all ages, its once again time for
the Shine! Conference. On Friday, April 15 at 6pm,
we will open the doors to our tea party with all kinds
of goodies and wonderful teas to select from, then
open the concert doors at 6:30pm. The conference
will begin at 7pm, with a special time of praise and
worship by Beverly Feller and Ashley Harshbarger,
leading into our featured musician and speaker for
the night, Hannah Kerr. She is an amazing artist and
worshipper, with her debut single I Stand Here.
The heart of a worshipper is ageless. Thats
rarely been more evident than when listening to Hannah Kerr. Though only 18-years-old, Kerr has a heart
for worship and a gift for writing songs that usher others into Gods presence. With a strong, distinctive
voice, Kerr makes a profound impression with her
debut single I Stand Here.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Kerr
was raised in a Christian home where
music was a constant. My parents were
worship leaders, so thats where I get
my love for worship, says Kerr. I grew
up in Buffalo, but we moved to Nashville
before my freshman year of high school
which was the best and the worst thing.
It was hard to leave everything that Id
ever known, but looking back now, that
is what really shaped who I am.
Like all young people, she was also greatly influenced by music. Casting
Crowns was my first concert, says Kerr,
who is now being mentored by the

bands leader Mark Hall. I grew up listening to them

along with Steven Curtis Chapman, Mercy Me, and
boy bands like True Vibe. I also listened to my parents, who loved to sing and lead worship. Their worship music has always inspired me. I never imagined
myself being an artist, but I always knew that I loved
to sing. Watching my parents lead worship was the
perfect outpouring of their gift and I think it planted a
seed in my heart.
Kerrs heart for serving others and her gift as a
worship leader blossomed in her home church in Tennessee. I started leading worship for the student
ministry four years ago, Kerr says of her role at
Brentwood Baptist, just south of Nashville. I knew
that I wanted to be involved in worship ministry, but it
wasnt until I actually began leading worship that I
(Shine continued on page 4)

Writing about yourself is a

difficult and challenging task. It is
my prayer that anyone reading
this will see beyond the words of a
mere woman to that of a humble
servant desiring for God alone to
receive recognition.
Three years ago, God set a
course for me to pursue my credentials with the Assemblies of
God. For me, the journey didnt
begin with a burning bush experience. At that time, it was more of
hey can you cover for me experience. Without a
doubt, it is not what I would consider a calling from
God. At that point, it was more like, Girl if you are
going to continue to do this then you need to make it
legit and get your license. So, I enrolled in Global University Berean School of the Bible classes online.
During the interview process, one question I was
asked concerned my calling to the ministry. My calling came during participation in missions trip with our
church. For me, Minden Louisiana Teen Challenge will
forever hold a special corner of my heart because that
is where and when God revealed to me how I was to
be used as His vessel. My calling is to help God
raise up passionate, courageous, bold and confident
women of Christ!
On April 19, I will become a licensed minister
with the Assemblies of God. The achievement of be(Shine continued from page 3)

ing a licensed minister is slowly penetrating reality for

me. Recently, a close friend calling me Reverend
Lawson certainly sharpened the reality. For women
of all ages, let me conclude by encouraging you that
now is not the time for women to be passive participants in the church. Each day offers us a multitude of
opportunities - the question is, will you seize them?
Susan Lawson

Wednesday Morning Ladies Bible Study is a

place to learn GOD'S WORD and apply it to your life.
Allowing GOD'S WORD to become life to you can and
will make all the difference in your life. Ezra devoted
himself to the study and observance of the Law of
the Lord (Ezra 7:10).
David said "I have sought YOUR face with all my
heart." (Psalm 119:58) David also said that "He
would not live in dread or fear of what might happen
for he had settled in his heart JEHOVAH GOD would
take care of him." (Psalm 112:7) Let's learn together
"to trust in the LORD with all of our hearts and not
lean on our own understanding, in all our way lets
acknowledge HIM so that he will direct our path.
(Proverbs 3:5-6) Hope to see you on Wednesday
morning at 9:30.
Blessings, Jan Ragsdell

realized the calling in my life. Ive found my place; Ive found my people. Thats how I felt. God has grown in me a
passion for leading worship through allowing me to lead it for the student ministry, the college ministry, the adult
ministry, and now touring. This album is a perfect opportunity to not only lead worship in church, but to lead worship
for THE church.
Kerr has a warm, evocative voice that exudes both vulnerability and strength as she explores the complexities
of living a faith-filled life. The songs on her debut EP are a powerful collection that deal with a variety of emotions.
Its been really fun to grow as a writer and as an artist, Kerr says. The Lord has given me so much inspiration over
the past few years and I simply have to write it. It would be doing a disservice, I think, to the Lord and His faithfulness to not share what Hes done.
So ladies, invite your girlfriends and come for a great night here at First Assembly, as we worship with
this talented artist.

Why is Womens Ministry so important? It is important for the women of the church to have opportunities for spiritual growth and to establish meaningful
relationships with other women of faith. With a
healthy womens ministry comes events and opportunities that appeal to the different types of women we
attend church with. Some may just be looking for a
night of fellowship with Christian women. Others may
have a deep hurt and are in need of a prayer partner.
Our role is to provide these women with the connections they need and to hold them up in prayer. What
you will find in your Womens Ministry team is 12
women from all backgrounds at different places in
their walk with the Lord. We believe this helps us to
better plan what most women are looking for. Of
course, input from women not on the team is always
welcomed!
This year we have something planned for nearly
every month for all the women in the church 18 and
older. We want each and every woman to feel comfortable and safe attending each event, so that if they
would like to share a personal story or testimony,
they can trust it to an understanding and trustworthy
group of women.
Some of the events we have planned are Ladies Brunch (April), Game Night (May), The Outpour
(June), Ice Cream Social (August), womens shopping
trip (September), Fall Bible Study (September), Fall
Retreat (October), and Craft Night (November). We
are in the midst of developing a quarterly newsletter
to keep all the ladies up to date on the events. This
will contain a mix of the following: calendar of events
for that quarter, an uplifting article, recipe, or scripture study. So if you have not received the newsletter
by Aprils end, please contact me! We are looking forward to a year of fun and growth. We pray you are
blessed and make lasting connections at one or more
of these events.
Blessings to you!
Candace Collins

I recently got a gift from a good friend of mine.

It was a necklace and inside the box it had a beautiful
quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. It said, many people
walk in and out of your life but only true friends leave
footprints on your heart.
How do you find this kind of friendship? One of
the ways is through womens ministry.
As women, it is not unusual to put ourselves last.
Our husbands, our kids, our church, and our friends
all become a priority and we often put ourselves, our
health, physical and spiritual, on the back burner.
Womens ministry gives us all a chance to be ministered to and encouraged by other women. Thats why
womens ministry is so important.
I have been out of the loop for a while due to my
health. But this ministry is still dear to my heart.
Things are changing, and it is encouraging to me to
see some younger women becoming involved and
developing their leadership skills. Titus teaches us, as
older women, to encourage and teach the younger
women. You can make your own ages up. It is time
we pass the baton to the next generation, while
standing beside them, praying, and being the emotional and spiritual support they need.
We still have a lot of work to do for Jesus. We
need all the help we can get. It may seem overwhelming and we cant do it all. But I love what Mother Teresa said: Do what you can! If you cant feed 100 people, then feed just one. We each can reach someone
for Christ.
Annette Whitmire
Womens Ministry Coordinator

Saturday March 5 was the Youth Groups annual

District Fine Arts Festival. The ministry goal of Fine
Arts is to help students discover, develop, and deploy
their ministry gifts. Every year our church sends many
students who desire to participate in this ministry.
This year we had 19 students perform in many different categories. 13 of them advanced to the Nationals
which will be held the first week of August in Louisville, KY.
We are extremely proud of all of our students
who chose to participate in Fine Arts this year and
worked hard to develop their ministry gift. We pray
that this ministry will inspire these students to tell
others about Jesus.
Jason Gibson

As summer rapidly approaches, we are preparing to look at hiring interns for the church again. We
are looking for four people, going into their Senior
year of high school in the fall up through college age,
with open availability for approximately 10 weeks.
We will release applications on Friday, April 29 in the
church office, and they will be due by Friday, May 13.
Applicants will be notified by Friday, May 20 and will
be expected to start Tuesday, May 31. For more information, contact Pastor Brian or Sam Parker.
(Freedom continued from page 2)

Christian organizations to war against any religious influence

whatsoever in the government, specifically against Christian
principles and morality. Thus, instead of protecting religious
freedom, we have observed our government removing the Ten
Commandments or nativity scenes from public places, forbidding the teaching of Biblical Creation in the public schools, or
charging Christian bakers with discrimination if they will not
bake cakes for a gay wedding against their conscience. This
was certainly NOT what Americas founders intended.
What can we as responsible Christian citizens do? Stay
tuned well address that issue next month.
Beverly Flori
References: 1) John Eidsmoe, The Christian Legal
Advisor; 2) M. Stanton Evans, Standing the Constitution on its head: The meaning of the First Amendment, AFA Journal, April, 1988, reprinted from The
Constitution magazine. 3) Attorney David C. Gibbs,
Jr., The Truth About Separation of Church and State,
The Legal Alert, Christian Law Association, February,
2002.

Brandon Tegart (Short Sermon Excellent)

Faith Taylor (Vocal Solo Superior with Invitation)
Dalton Crooks (Short Sermon - Superior with Invitation)
Levi Loughridge (Digital Photography Excellent)
Klayton Garner (Christian Band Excellent, Short Sermon Excellent)
Micah Fisher (Christian Band Excellent, Unconventional Percussion - Superior with Invitation, Short Sermon Excellent)
Megan Brown (Female Vocal Solo Excellent)
Theresa Lauer (Digital Photography Excellent)
Skylar Turner (Spoken Word Excellent, Short Sermon - Superior with Invitation)
Sam Turner (Short Sermon - Superior with Invitation,
Stand-Up Comedy Excellent, First Person Essay
Excellent)
Jonas Taylor (Unconventional Percussion - Superior
with Invitation, Short Sermon Sr - Superior with Invitation, Spoken Word Excellent)
Kianna Garner (Digital Photography Excellent, 3D
Visual Art Excellent, Christian Band Excellent)
Sierra Lauth (Vocal Solo - Superior with Invitation, 2D
Art Excellent, 3D Art Excellent, Christian Band
Excellent)
Braiden Wells (Woodwind Solo - Superior with Invitation, Piano Solo Excellent, Christian Band Excellent, Vocal Solo Classical - Superior with Invitation)
Micah Wells (Christian Band Excellent, Songwriting
- Superior with Invitation, Digital Photography Excellent, Brass Solo Excellent)
Addyson Wells (Songwriting - Superior with Invitation,
Christian Band Excellent, Vocal Solo - Superior with
Invitation, Digital Photography Excellent)
Macey Adams (First Person Essay - Superior with Invitation also received 1st place in our district)
Tristan Lietz (Unconventional Percussion - Superior
with Invitation, Short Sermon Excellent, Vocal Solo
Excellent)
Mackinnon Campbell (2D Art - Superior with Invitation)

OUR PASTORS

Jason Gibson
Youth Pastor

pastorjason@rollafirstassembly.org

Sam Parker

After School &

Missions Director
kcatsc@rollafirstassembly.org

Brian Feller

Childrens Pastor
pastorbrian@rollafirstassembly.org

Ray Cook

Associate Pastor
fireguy@rollafirstassembly.org

Chuck Whitmire
Lead Pastor

pastor_chuck@rollafirstassembly.org

ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS

Karen Turner, Administrative Assistant office@rolla-firstassembly.org
Mark Berry, Facility Manager office@rolla-firstassembly.org
Stephanie Bingham, Business Administrator stephanie@rolla-firstassembly.org
Abby Swearingen, Media Assistant media@rolla-firstassembly.org

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #116
ROLLA, MO

1608 N Oak St
Rolla MO 65401-2342

RAY COOK
Pastors Corner

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Worldview FAQs

WOMEN IN MINISTRY ISSUE

Pages 4 & 5

STEPHANIE BINGHAM
Spotlight Family