modernity s ills are caused by its dysfunctional relationship with the sacred. MINISTRY TEAM OPERATIONS & ADMIN TEAM

Transcription

1 First Baptist Rocky Mount N O V E M B E R INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Pastor s Article 2 Church Staff 2 Budget Planning Schedule 3 Thanksgiving Schedule 3 College Ministry Update 4 Uganda Mission Report 4 Advent Schedule 5 Christmas Worship Calendar 6 First Baptist Church 200 S. Church St. Rocky Mount, NC COME, MEET OUR SPECIAL GUESTS FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS: A Perfect Injustice Agape Village Orphanage Bair Foundation Baptist Children s Home Christian Adoption Services Shelter of Love Pray that God would begin to show you how He would have you support and care for children that are orphaned and vulnerable. We will take a benevolence offering at the conclusion of the service, to begin an orphan care fund for FBC families. Church Office Hours: Monday Thursday 8:00 am 5:00 pm Friday 8:00 am 2:30 pm Church Office (252) Fax (252) Website Prayer Room (252) First Baptist Child Care Center (252) We will have a Silent Auction to raise the remaining funds needed for shipping costs.

2 P A G E 2 MINISTRY TEAM Dennis Darville Preaching & Leadership Tim Griffin Education & Discipleship Mike Avery Family Ministries Larry Curtis Pastoral Care Jack Heim Music & Worship Louis Griffin Music & Worship Jonathan Tyndall College Ministries Bob Britt Homebound Visitation OPERATIONS & ADMIN TEAM Beth Thompson Operations Director Jewell Pullen Financial Administration Faye Strickland Facilities Administration Mary Helen Batten Receptionist/Admin. Assistant Kayla Dozier Administrative Assistant Nina Daughtridge Music Assistant Jane Clark Food Service Administration F I R S T B A P T I S T N E W S World View and Its Consequences Rev. Dennis Darville In 2007, Charles Taylor published a book entitled, A Secular Age. It seems to me that this book has become the book with which other writers are interacting. In other words, politicians, theologians, philosophers, sociologists, and others (Christian and non-christian) are writing in such a way that suggest Taylor s thoughts have irrevocably influenced their own. In this thought-provoking, idea challenging, and cultural-impacting book, Taylor argues that the West has undergone what we could generally call three intellectual-epochal-shifts (i.e., three ways of viewing the world). The first is described as pre-enlightenment impossibility of unbelief. The second could be described as post-enlightenment possibility of unbelief. And the third could be understood as late modern impossibility of belief. Take a moment and ponder his claims. In fact, take more than a few moments and consider how these things might have occurred, what the implications of such shifts are, and what might it mean for you/us as we find ourselves square in the middle of this third intellectual-epochalmoment. For a culture to move from the impossibility of unbelief to impossibility of belief is a mind-bending journey to be sure. If you are really daring and ambitious, buy his book and read it. If you do so choose, get ready; it will take some serious mental energy. John Frame, Professor of Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, elaborating on Taylor s observations, writes, After the Enlightenment, Western intellectual conditions changed to make it possible for one not to believe in God. For most of human experience in Western civilization, it has been impossible not to believe in God. That does not mean that everyone was individually Christian or that everyone had experienced conversion and was a regenerate believer. And it does not mean that there were no skeptics or heretics. Before the Enlightenment, however, one could not explain the world without the Bible and its story but this situation changed with the Enlightenment and the availability of alternative worldviews by which one could frame a comprehensive account of the world set over against the Christian...modernity s ills are caused by its dysfunctional relationship with worldview the intellectual conditions of Western culture have now secularized such that it is seemingly impossible for those operating under such conditions to believe in God. the sacred. Bruce Ashford, Provost at SEBTS, in a recent article for the Ethics and Religious Liberties Council (the lobbying group for the SBC in Washington, DC), citing the famous American sociologist Philip Rieff, writes, Rieff argues that modernity s ills are caused by its dysfunctional relationship with the sacred. In particular, they stem from modernity s radical attempt to reorganize society by abolishing the sacred. The problem with such a patently irreligious view, as Rieff notes, is that religion cannot really be abolished. We can no more live without a religious framework than we can communicate without a linguistic framework, or breathe without a pulmonary frame-

3 work. Religion is in man s blood, and attacking overt religiosity only serves to create concealed religiosity. P A G E 3 What all the above writers are keenly observing is the same phenomena the efforts by many, if not most, of America s intelligentsia to silence the voice of the sacred from influencing our shared, public lives in Western culture. The inevitable outcomes of this sweeping, culture-making effort to mold the West into a purely antisacral world has an ominous feel to it, to say the least. What are we to do? Throw in the towel? No! Wring our hands in worry? No! Call it fate? No! Assign it to the inevitable outworking of prophecy? No! I would suggest we get busy praying, thinking, writing, and working from a Christian worldview in all spheres of life to influence the world for Christ and His Kingdom! What then? We should leave the outcomes to a good and all-powerful God. We can trust Him! Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls Troops held their first campout of the year in October, where the girls learned how to cook a cobbler using a Dutch Oven, and the boys learned how to start a fire using flint and steel. Sunday, November 8 With Sunday School at 9:00am Worship Service at 10:30am We will have a special speaker and representatives from Orphan & Foster Care Ministries with us this Sunday. B UDGET PLANNING SCHEDULE November 11 Budget Presentation (no discussion) November 18 Budget Discussion & Quarterly Church Conference November 25 No Meal or PM Activities November 26 Thanksgiving Day November 27 November 29 Life Groups Meet December 6 Affirm Budget during Morning Worship

4 P A G E 4 Abdul and family: 3 sets of bed sheets Reagan and family: Tamale and family: Peter and Family: Emma and family: 1 mattress 1 blanket 3 sets of bed sheets Yazid and family: Patrick and family: 1 mattress 1 set of bed sheets 1 blanket Juma and family: 2 sets of bed sheets chickens Frank and family: 2 sets of bed sheets A building project Matia and family: Bruno and family: Bashir and family: 1 mattress 3 sets of bed sheets Ocoya, Onegi and family: 5 sets of bed sheets Emma and family: Scovia and family: The Bridge just wrapped up our third annual Pumpkin Carving Contest out at Mike and Allison Avery's house. We had 40 students come out and compete to see who could carve the best pumpkins. There were several who could have won, but the students voted and the pumpkin who won was designed to look like The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. It was great. The best part of the night was getting to meet new students who are new to The Bridge. This night was a great way to build relationships with students with the hope of sharing the gospel with them. Continue to pray for us as we have about one month left of the semester. We have two more large group campus meetings with our Turkey Bowl and Feast to close out the semester out at the Schellenberg s. We can't wait! A church is, by definition, a community. God designed us for community. It's engrained into the fabric of our being. We see throughout the Old and New Testament that God's plan for salvation of human beings is meant for a community of people, not just individuals. Not only that, but he actually designed the community of God to be the missional witness in the world. Intentional, lifeon-life community has been a huge hole in our church for as long as I can remember in my 14 years of membership. Finally, our Life Groups are filling that hole. In just the first two months of leading one of these Life Groups, I have witnessed people come alive in community like never before at FBCRM. We are actually learning how to read the Bible together, rather than simply coming to get it spoon-fed to us on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. That is not at all to say that the times of corporate gathering to hear Biblical preaching and teaching aren't necessary, because they are, and they will continue to be crucial to our life as a church, but we will be deficient in our Christian walks if we do not learn how to read the bible together and apply it together. That is exactly what is already happening in my Life Group. We are actually getting into each others' lives and spurring one another toward living out obedience to Christ and the gospel we claim we believe. I have already grown so much deeper in relationship with so many individuals in my Life Group. We spend time together, we eat together, we read the bible together, we pray together, and we apply the Word together. In conclusion, I would say without a doubt that if you are a member of this church and you are not in a Life Group, then you are missing out on the best thing we are doing. We are actually doing church with the belief that church itself is not an event we attend, but rather it is a people to which we belong. Please join God in what He is doing in and through the people of FBCRM. By His grace, we will see Him add to our number and create a community of true worshippers. -Louis Griffin

5 Advent P A G E 5 Beginning Sunday, November 29 through January 3, 2016 our church family will worship together in one Service at 10:30am with Sunday School at 9:00am. To prepare our hearts for worship and the anticipation of the coming Messiah, we will have Advent devotionals and other resources available* in the narthex, beginning Sunday, November 15. *for purchase & free Come, behold the wondrous mystery!

6 P A G E 6 Sundays 8:00 am Televised Morning Worship (WHIG Channel 17) 8:15 am Contemporary Worship Service 9:00 am Church Library open until 10:00 am 9:30 am Bible Study 11:00 am Worship Service 6:00 pm Life Groups (multiple locations/times vary) Mondays 10:45 am Inspiration Singers (Choir suite) 7:00 pm Praise Team Rehearsal Tuesdays 6:30 am Women s Prayer Groups 9:00 am Pastor s meeting Women s Bible Study 10:00 am Women s Prayer Group 1:00 pm Stephen Ministry (1st & 3rd Wks M103) 6:00 pm Handbell Rehearsal 6:30 pm Trail Life USA & American Heritage Girls Wednesdays 3:00 pm Church Library open until 6:00 pm COOL Kids (FMC) 5:00 pm Fellowship Meal 6:00 pm Nursery for Birth 2 yr. (M105) Team KID for 3 yrs. Kindergarten KOGS for 1st 5th Grades X-Change 6th 8th Grades Prayer Meeting for adults (Fell. Hall) 7:10 pm Christmas Musical Rehearsal to 7:45 pm 7:45 Adult Choir Rehearsal Thursdays 6:30 am Men s Prayer Group (Choir room) 12:30 pm Prison Ministry 3:00 pm COOL Kids (FMC) 7:30 pm The Bridge (@ Wesleyan College) November 2015 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 Daylight Saving Time Ends! Operation Christmas Child Packing Party 6 pm in the FMC ORPHAN SUNDAY Combined Worship at 10:30 am & SS at 9 am Deacons Meeting 3 pm 9 Forever Young (11:45 am F.H.) Budget Presentation (without discussion) (6pm F.H.) The Bridge NCWC Tailgate (12 pm RM Sports Complex) Thanksgiving Meal Quarterly Church Conference (budget discussion) (6 pm F.H.) TLUSA/AHG Camping Trip No Meal or Evening Activities 26 Thanksgiving Holiday 27 Thanksgiving Holiday 28 Camping Trip Meals on Wheels 29 1 st Sunday of Advent Combined Worship at 10:30 am & SS at 9 am 30 w w w. f b c r m. o r g