Today s News. First Baptist Church Fuquay-Varina Sunday August 6, th Pastoral Anniversary Celebration. Editor s Note. Page 1.

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1 Today s News Editor s Note All You Need Whenever you find yourself in need of motivation or inspiration, what do you do? It might not seem simple at the time, but there s a solution readily available. I can t get anything past you. Yes, God is the answer. God is love and all you need is love. I was struggling for days getting started on this edition of the newsletter. Writer s block was getting the best of me. But then came the breakthrough. A short yet profound text message from First Lady Eva letting me know that she missed her Sunday hug from me. Bingo! God used her to make me feel loved. A little bit of love goes a long, long way. That s what makes the world go round. I hope readers find some love in this issue. 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9th Pastoral Anniversary Celebration The celebration on June 11th marked Pastor Lowery s 9th year as Shepherd of FBC. Everyone in attendance was generous in their praises for being in fellowship in celebration of the First Family. The morning speaker, Rev. William Hayes, Sr., an associate minister at White Oak Baptist Church in Apex, NC titled his sermon The Ninth Hour, I m Standing on the Wall and I Can t Come Down. Let s just jump straight into it. Nine is a really good thing. The number nine symbolizes divine completeness. It also represents the nine fruits of God s Holy Spirit; faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, joy, kindness, long suffering, love, peace, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Did everyone hear Rev. Hayes say God can help you to get clean hands and a good heart? Psalm 24:4-5 says He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. The Word is true. God can help Pastor Lowery keep his hands clean and his heart pure allowing everything the Pastor touches to be blessed including FBC. Rev. Hayes didn t hold back on his preaching. Thank goodness for the volunteers in the kitchen who refreshed everyone afterwards. They continued to scurry in preparations for the afternoon fellowship up until the last minute. All their hard work paid off. The table settings were elaborate and gorgeous. Everyone had their fill of a full course meal and the head table experienced special attention from the waitstaff. Harriett Wilson Editor Send comments, questions, and articles to Table of Contents Page 3 Bible Study End of Year Gathering Page 4 Youth Highlights Page 5 Student Appreciation Pictures Page 6 Revival July 12th Future Fellowship Opportunity Page 7 VBS Photos Big Hat Luncheon Page 10 Friends and Family Day The associate ministers had one last trick up their sleeves. With the help of First Lady Eva, they surprised Pastor Lowery by securing his nephew Pastor Curtis Friday, Pastor of The Love Church (TLC) of Winston Salem, NC for the afternoon program. Lovingly referred to as Pastor Curt, he answered God s assignment to be in attendance to celebrate his Uncle Reggie and Aunt Eva s milestone. Page 1

2 Anniversary Celebration continued Blessings continued to flow during the afternoon service. Everybody was pumped up by Praise and Worship under the direction of Brandon Thomas. Warren Harris gave a beautiful acapella solo, TLC praise team sang You Made a Way, then dropped the mike, and Zahnya Palmer and Tamecia Thomas mimed like there was no tomorrow. Pastor Curt lived up to all the hype his uncle always says about him. He had the associate ministers high-fiving each other in the pulpit. By the end of his sermon everyone should have been clear on the point that nobody but Jesus gave us the gift of Pastor Lowery. He may get tired, but he doesn t give up on FBC. Our job is not to give up on him making number 10 come to fruition easier. The incredible cooks, decorators, and waitstaff Page 2

3 Bible Study End of Year (EOY) Gathering No Christian Left Behind (NCLB) Another year completed with another year of spiritual studying under our belts. Deacon Randy Wilson takes the NCLB concept seriously. Not just because it s something he came up with, but because teaching and studying is high on his list of priorities. But you shouldn t be intimidated by the acronym. Deacon Wilson always makes a pre testing announcement that starts anxiety. Truthfully, no one is actually afraid because he ultimately makes the testing in teams so much fun. Although I was able to legally skip the test along with First Lady Eva this year to set up the after class fellowship, I have it by good authority that the EOY test was lively. Apprehension came and went and all survived. After the brains were jostled, the feasting began. It s amazing how seamless it is to have a bountiful fellowship when the ladies are in charge and they sign up to bring the food, water, and paper products. Every base was covered and no one went home hungry. Nothing like a little encouragement to hold students over the summer break. Remember to put September on your calendar as the start for fall classes. Star pupils Sis. Kristal Lyons, Deaconess Sandra Dunn, and Sis. Jovita Simons Deacons in the chow line Page 3

4 Youth Highlights With the exception of the Pastor, youthful voices dominate fourth Sunday services. But the program doesn t happen magically. There is someone special working silently behind the scenes. Sister Georgette Prince is the faithful servant that publishes the monthly youth scripts. She uses her talents to write the invocation, morning prayer, and offertory prayer. That may seem like a easy task, but to compose text that emphasizes the importance of the worship service from a youthful perspective is anything but easy. What makes her task even more significant is the humility that its done with. Although she is a full-time working wife, mother, and caretaker for her parents (Deacon Samuel and Deaconess Joan Starks), you don t hear her complain. If you re looking for a dedicated member to model yourself after, I say she s a good one. Are you putting in on the spiritual growth of our youth? Praise and encourage them. Be present and a good example. What we plant and cultivate in on youth will reflect to those in the world that don t know God. Sis. Georgette Prince showing off her personality Visiting youth - permission to use photo given by their grandmother Regina Utley Zariah Burnette and Hezekiah Settles Faithful Jr. Ushers, under the direction of Sis. Denise Bailey. They were spotted gently swaying as cool as they possibly could on their posts to songs during service June 18th. Youth having fun giving out Father s Day donuts under the direction of Sis. Cassaundra McDowell, Youth Ministry Leader Page 4

5 That look Mrs. Harriett gets when it s not a good time. I m trying to work here. They can't even get away in the pantry Student Appreciation Day Page 5

6 Revival July 12th The Battle for Your Soul Record breaking temperatures didn t stand in the way of bible believing christians with a desire to be rejuvenated. What s a little discomfort when it means you get the opportunity to get a spiritual renewal? God directed Rev. Kirby Jones, Pastor of Williams Grove Baptist Church Raleigh, NC to do just that. The Word was so profound that evening. Rev. Jones gave a message that made the little voice in your head sing It s Getting Hot in Here. One of the most direct statements from Rev. Jones was, The devil is not gonna run away from you when you say boo. Preparation is the key to be battle ready to ward him off and fight your way to salvation. We were reminded that Jesus is His name and then asked if we know Him. Self evaluation is required. Does the devil recognize you as God s child? If you are a child of the most High God, then you have been redeemed. Rev. Jones said, Don t let them call you any longer by your street name. Shake that devil off and claim your inheritance to the Father s kingdom. Everyone felt revived by the Word. The devil didn t want the revival to be successful. We give thanks for success gained simply by attending, receiving the Word, and being in the house of the Lord. Rev. Kirby Jones giving it to us good Future Fellowship Opportunity The McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is the longest-running brand owned gospel music tour. The free concert series brings communities hope and inspiration through song and comedy. Members of FBC attended the June 9th production in Raleigh. Gospel superstar and multi-award winner Tye Tribbett joined this year s tour. Christian comedienne Small Fire brought the laughter while radio personality and gospel artist Lonnie Hunter resumed hosting duties. Did I say it was free? Yes, free. Be sure to check later in the year for 2018 dates. Ronald McDonald enjoying a selfie opportunity Page 6

7 Vacation Bible School Assembly duty is ok Why me? Getting psyched for Friday s performance Fearless leaders Sis. Twyla Covington and Sis. Katrina Crosby Saturday was all about fun Big Hat Luncheon There is something about black women and their hats. One could say, They sho-nuff fine, but that would be an understatement when describing the ladies at the Big Hat Luncheon held on July 29th. It was not just a luncheon. It was a production. Those black women dazzled as they strutted to and fro. The headliner of the event was none other than Rev. Dr. Mary Heggie. She may be a member of FBC s sister church, New Providence, but she s more like family. She was the perfect selection to speak truth at the brunch. Rev. Heggie s message from Joshua 6:22 about Rahab s transformation captivated attendees. Lord make me over is what she wanted to convey. Hats may be beautiful, but it s what s under them that matters. Take them off, and while you re at it, wash off the mask to include all that makeup. You have to get rid of it all in order to leave your past behind and step into what God has for you. That s exactly what Rahab did. She went from being a harlot to being listed in God s Hall of Fame of Faith. Yes the struggle is real, but get ready for the change. The doors God open, nobody can close them. continued on page 8 Page 7

8 Big Hat Luncheon continued The depth of Rev. Heggie s message made heads nod. Not a single person left the building unable to relate to what she said. We can t alter what has happened in our lives. We must just move past our past and have an extreme spiritual makeover. I can go on and on about the vendors, women s praise dancing, raffle drawings, and more. But everything about that luncheon can t be captured in this article. I gave it my best shot with the photos. It was an awesome experience. Trust me when I say, everybody left feeling like a winner. Page 8

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10 Family and Friends Day The Women s Fellowship The atmosphere was upbeat and laid back with comfortable, casual dress. Presiding for the first time in the pulpit, Rev. Deborah McClain extended the welcoming to family, friends, and visitors. She said we (FBC) have a big heart and she was throughly loving the current mood. In return visitors from Zebulon, Kinston, and Greensboro, NC and even Ft. Washington, MD responded with warmth. The passing of the peace was a tad bit out of control. There was so much affection to be shared that we went longer than the allotted three minutes given by Pastor Lowery. We thank God for Pastor s patience. Nothing could dampen spirits. Not even Sis. Twyla Covington who was serving as an usher board of one. Instead she just brought her energy to the altar and instructed cheerful givers to bring their offerings up to the Lord. When introducing the speaker, Min. Charlene Mangum referred to her as a Triple A Woman. She described Rev. Dr. Mary Heggie as an anointed, appointed, and approved woman of God. Yes, FBC received a double portion of blessings with a back-to-back encore message from Rev. Heggie. What a message she gave from John 1:46, Oh Come and See. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Even without knowing anything about Jesus, Nathanael had a tainted opinion of Him. Yet it wasn't long before Nathanael and all that came into contact with Jesus discovered that He was the Messiah. Yes, something good came out of Nazareth just like something good can come out of FBC in Fuquay-Varina. Any time you can share the Word of God there is goodness. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, the Good News. Rev. Debra McClain, Min. Mangum, and Rev. Dr. Mary Heggie Page 10