Senator Fred Smith Visits The Carpenter's Shop Church

This weekend at the Carpenter's Shop Church in Ahoskie, State Senator Fred Smith gave a moving message on his faith in Jesus, and the need for the faithful to be more active in public life.

Fred Smith Delivers A Powerful Testimant On Faith And Being Faithful To Jesus' Word

Senator Smith is frequently mentioned as the Republican Party's top candidate for North Carolina Governor in the next election in 2008. At this point the Senator is continuing to do something that he has done for several years. He visits our churches here in North Carolina to know the wishes of the faithful for our public officials. His message was not about politics though. It was about doing good works and being faithful to Jesus.

Fred Smith Is Thanked Warmly For His Message

Senator Smith was accompanied by Joseph Avery, Chairman of the Republican Party of Johnston County. Joe also spoke, sharing some of his family history and his own belief in our values. He spoke movingly about the need to keep teaching our children the basic values that are still a key part of what made this nation great. He used examples of his son's service to our nation in Iraq and his adopted daughter. His obvious love for his family made the message a strong testimony.

Joe Avery, Senator Fred Smith, Wallace And Joy Phillips

Both messages were powerful and moving. At the conclusion of the service, both men were thanked warmly by the congregation of The Carpenter's Shop Church.

Carpenter's Tools - By Pastor Wallace Phillips

This week’s message: Good News…."It’s Cancelled!"

That’s the word from the American Family Radio network – the new NBC sponsored program, “The Book of Daniel” has plummeted on ratings after only two weeks of programming, lost advertisers, and been the subject of much complaint from the Christian community. Frankly, I’m glad to see Daniel Webster and his crowd out the door.

Webster is a priest who has a drug problem. His son is actively seeking a gay relationship. Another son was having sex with his young girlfriend in her home. The Bishop’s wife has Alzheimer’s, so he finds his fulfillment as an adulterer. And the list goes on and on. In fact, even Jesus encourages the priest to take another pill when he’s facing life’s stresses. I was appalled the very first episode and wondered just how long the Christian community was going to put up with this mockery of our faith.

The Book of Daniel was a look into the life of a ministry community, but was an opportunity for open, blatant sin to be paraded throughout the storyline of this weekly story. Thankfully, this program has been cancelled by NBC.

A Christian life is not a life of perfection, but neither is it the opportunity to abuse the grace of God. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Let him that died to sin live no longer in it” (Romans 6). God is not pleased when we abuse the awesome gift of grace given through the life of His only Son, Jesus. Bye Bye Rev. Webster! To God be the glory!


Have an awesome week and serve the Lord with gladness. Please visit us on the web at http://www.cscministries.com/ or http://www.wallacephillips.org/

Inner Banks Laughter - Political Humor

Two years ago today, Al Gore gave a speech blasting George Bush for contributing to Global Warming. It was the coldest day of 2004 in New York, and almost the coldest day in one hundred years.

Who said God does not have a sense of humor?



Click on the title to read the World Net Daily coverage of the speech.

Gates County Historical Society Produces "Life Goes On"

The annual Gates County Historical Society theatrical production started rehearsals last week. Following up on the success of last year's production of "Miracle on 34th Street", an ambitious undertaking for our Inner Banks area, Edith Seiling of the Gates County Historical Society is once again bringing our area an impressive theatrical event. This year's event is Life Goes On, written by Pamlico County Superior Court Judge James E. Ragan. Dr. Joyce Elliott Brown is directing the play for the Historical Society.

Edith Seiling (Producer), Joyce Elliott Brown (Director), Peggy Lefler (Production Manager) And Earl Spence (Bailiff Melvin With His Back To The Camera)

Life Goes On is a comedy, and will be presented live in the "Godwin Courtroom" of the Old Gates County Courthouse for the purpose of raising funds for renovations to the Old Gates County Courthouse. Life Goes On was written by Judge Ragan during periods he was staying at an Ahoskie Motel while serving on a trial in our area.

Sam Tackett And Mike Lefler (Harriet And Judge George Smith)

Life Goes On opens with Judge George Smith talking with his friends Dr. Herb Witherspoon and Roger Norris about the trio’s recent financial loss in a failed “get-rich-quick” scheme. The scheme is a perpetual preservation system (a new embalming technique that lets you preserve the deceased) and is a good idea with strong research to prove its success (at least with animals); however, the person hired to promote the system ran off with the money.

Bob Bryan And Rene Winslow (Roger And Nellie Norris)

Judge Smith invested his and his wife’s entire life savings in the system, and now he is worried that something will happen to him before his survivor’s benefits vest. As fate would have it, that is just what happens--Judge Smith dies 30 days before his survivor benefits vest, and the judge’s wife Harriet is left penniless.

Garrett Maroney And Peggy Temple (Dr. Herb And Ann Witherspoon)

Thus ensues the harried conspiracy to cover up the judge’s death. Herb and Roger enlist the help of the judge’s office staff—Tillie, the judge’s court reporter; Bee, the judge’s secretary, and Melvin, the judge’s bailiff—to make everyone think that George is alive, but suffered a stroke and cannot speak.

Mike Lefler And Earl Spence (Judge George Smith And Bailif Melvin)

What transpires during the course of the conspiracy will have audiences holding their sides from laughing so hard. At the first reading of Life Goes On, the comedy had the cast laughing at the story, even as they were reading their lines. It is a delightful play that finds comedy in the vagaries of our court system and it's judges!

Many of our local star actors are once again participating, and rehearsal ended with all lining up for a picture to document the occasion.




First Night Rehearsal!

The hilarious cast consists of Bob Bryan as Roger Norris, Robin Hollowell as Tillie, Mike Lefler as Judge George Smith, Garrett Maroney as Herb Witherspoon, Dee-Dee Oakey as Bee, Earl Spence as Bailiff Melvin, Dean Stephens as Judge Hacker, Sam Tackett as Harriett Smith, Peggy Temple as Ann Witherspoon, and Rene Winslow as Nellie Norris.

Robin Hollowell (Tillie) And Sam Tackett (Harriet Smith - Judge George Smith's Wife)

The production dates are Friday and Saturday nights, January 27th and 28th at 8:00 PM, Sunday January 29th at 2:30 PM , the following week on Saturday February 4th at 8:00 PM, and Sunday February 5th at 2:30 PM. Please put it on your calendar and be sure to attend.

Shelbie Palermo (Lawyer Ward), Dee Dee Oakey (Bee), Robin Hollowell (Tillie) And Donna Eckart (Lawyer Stallings)

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any cast member, historical society member, and the Gates County Library. You will love it.

Walter Smith (Reporter), Robin Hollowell (Tillie) And Damien Spence (Reporter)

Carpenter's Tools - By Pastor Wallace Phillips

This week’s message: This is the church….

My mind often wonders back to my childhood days in the local church. I used to sit with my grandma on occasion. As we awaited the inner doors of the sanctuary to open and the choir and Pastor to enter Grandma would clasp her hands and say . . ”This is the church and this is the steeple; open the doors and see all the people.”

The real meaning of Grandma’s little gesture reached my understanding in my adult years. The church is really the people. Paul reminded the Corinthians that “…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you. You are not your own…”. He informed them that they were the real temple. The building is just a place to gather and worship. The true house of God is the people of God who have been changed by his awesome grace.

That makes the worship service begin when you and I arise each day. It’s not an “eleven o’clock” deal. That’s just a by product of our being the temple of God. We get to gather on the Lord’s day to encourage one another and hear God’s man speak to us for instruction and challenge.

Go ahead…put your hands together and go through that little motion. Let the reality of the true house of God come to your mind. You are the church! You are the temple. You are the house of the living God. In the Old Testament God had a temple for His people, but in the New Testament, God has a people for his temple.


Have an awesome week and serve the Lord with gladness. Please visit us on the web at www.cscministries.com or www.wallacephillips.org

Carpenter's Tools - By Pastor Wallace Phillips

This week’s message: A Clean Slate

Wander back in your mind with me to the day of the classroom for you. Remember when the teacher would have the chalkboard filled with assignments and information that was to be carried out on that particular school day? Also…remember when she started putting names on the board of those who were misbehavin’? That was followed by a check or two and then came the discipline.

But…do you remember when the school day came to a close and she called upon a couple of students to clean the board. They would take that huge eraser and move it back and forth across the slate. It would be made clean and the teacher would close the day prepared for another one tomorrow. You got the clean slate. You got a fresh start awaiting you.

That’s what you’re looking at with the close of the year 2005. You will start the new year off with new aspirations, new goals, new dreams and will remember no more the marks of the past. You will face new assignments for your life. And remember…”He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it.”

Go for it. You’ve got a clean slate.


Have an awesome week and visit us on the web at www.cscministries.com or www.wallacephillips.org