Inside this issue: Letters from Laura. A Christmas Carol. Prayers& Birthdays. Praise Prayers & Pies. Ham Giveaway 6. Day Light Savings Time

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1 Sunday Worship Time: 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:15 a.m. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 123 S TREMONT ST. KEWANEE, IL Return Service Requested NAME ADDRESS 1 ADDRESS 2 CITY STATE ZIP Welcome! To all who are weary and need rest; to all who are depressed and need encouragement; to all who are sick and need healing; to all who are sinful and need a savior; to all who are blessed and desire to give thanks, this church opens wide its doors and says... Inside this issue: Letters from Laura A Christmas Carol Prayers& Birthdays Praise Prayers & Pies 2 4 Ham Giveaway 6 Day Light Savings Time FBC Financial Report FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 123 S TREMONT ST. KEWANEE, IL Worshiping Jesus, Walking with Jesus, Working for Jesus to God s glory Our Pastor s Paragraphs Thanksgiving for the Reformation and our Liberty in America This last week of October 2017 we celebrated the 500 th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. This is no side note to human history this is one of the most important moments in Western history. I would like to share just a little of what it meant and how it influences us today in America. When Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, 500 years ago this week, he unleashed forces that would change the world. The Protestant Reformation was the 16thcentury religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church s ability to define Christian practice. They argued for a religious and political redistribution of power into the hands of Bible- and pamphletreading pastors and princes. The key ideas of the Reformation a call to purify the church and a belief that the Bible, not tradition, should be the sole source of spiritual authority were not themselves novel. However, Luther and the other reformers became the first to skillfully use the power of the printing press to give their ideas a wide audience. November 2017 From the Desk of Senior Pastor Jon Vincent Martin Luther ( ) was an Augustinian monk and university lecturer in Wittenberg when he composed his 95 Theses, which protested the pope s sale of reprieves from penance, or indulgences. Although he had hoped to spur renewal from within the church, in 1521 he was summoned before the Diet of Worms and excommunicated. Continued on page 3...

2 Page 2 Page 11 Letters From Laura Laura s Prayer Requests Thank the Lord that Andy is doing well with his new kidney! Praise the Lord for my teaching trip to the US in July. It was such a blessing to teach, and to spend time with friends! Thank the Lord with me for my family s visit! Praise the Lord for the salvation of José and Patty s son José David! Thank you for praying for spiritual growth for both he and his brother Diego Andrés. Adriana and I have finished going through the book Shame Interrupted. She grew much! Praise the Lord! Please pray for her as she takes an intensive course to complete her high school studies from now through November of next year. Please pray that we will learn practical things for future ministry in our Women Serving Women course Sept 25-Oct 2. Thank you for praying for the US, Peruvian and Ecuadorian teams, and for the results of the Wheels for the World outreach Oct in Peru. To view the online photo album copy and paste URL address to your browser: /media/set/?set=a &type=1&l=67 d90414d1 Postal address: (letters only, no packages please) Laura Fouser Casilla Quito, ECUADOR Serving with: ABWE P.O. Box 8585 Harrisburg, PA C F R F O General Off - $16, Mission Tithing - $1, Total Offering - $18, Approx. Expenses: $13, Sunday School - $ Fellowship off. - $0.00 Dividends - $0.00 Designated Ministry - $ Coffee / Pop - $0.00 Boss Center - $ Special Programs Fund- $2.02 Oct. Sun. Worship Sun. School 1st th th nd th Special Interest Fund - Youth Fund - $0.81 College Fund - $0.82 C F FINANCIAL REPORT Year-To-Date Total 2017 Budget $294, Income General Offering $167, Initial Offering $ Gas for Vehicle $0.00 Now Acct Interest $ /2 Merritt Dividend $22.43 Use of Building $ Boss Comm. Center $5, Total Income $173, Expenses Mission Tithe $12, Payroll $96, Payroll Benefits $10, Trustee Board $38, Deacon & Deaconess Bd. $7, Mission Board $ Music Committee $3, Decoration Committee $ Social Committee $ Dues $35.00 Boss Comm. Center $12, Total Expenses $181, $4.46

3 NOVEMBER Sun Communion Sunday Youth Group 12. *Coffee Fellowship 5:00 - Deacon 5:30 - Mission/ Deaconess/ Trustee 6:00 - Youth Group 6:30 - Advisory 19. Popcorn Days 1:00-4:00 pm Youth Group 26. Youth Group 6. Page 10 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Hannah Circle Meeting 6:30pm Ladie s Bible Study 6:30 pm *Ladies Bible Study Cancelled Dinner 5:30pm Bible Study :00 pm Bible Study Last Before Break 2. Women s Club 1:30pm 9. Girl Scouts College Girl Scouts College Group 16. Girl Scouts 4:00 pm College Group 23. Happy Thanksgiving! Office Closed 30. Girl Scouts Cubs Ladies Team Decorating 1:00 p.m Salvation Army Bell Ringing 9:00-9:00 pm 11. Happy Veteran's Day Praise, Prayers & Pies Event 2: Margaret Donaldson s 100th Birthday! 2:00 - Pastor s Paragraphs Continued... Sheltered by Friedrich, elector of Saxony, Luther translated the Bible into German and continued his output of pamphlets in the peoples common language. When German peasants, inspired in part by Luther s empowering priesthood of all believers, revolted in 1524, Luther sided with Germany s princes. By the Reformation s end, Lutheranism had become the state religion throughout much of Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltics. A C C Page 3 Don t miss a live radio show of Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol adapted for radio by Philip Grecian. Experience the ghosts, Cratchit family and the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge before your very eyes! The Swiss Reformation began in 1519 with the sermons of Ulrich Zwingli, whose teachings largely paralleled Luther s. In 1541 John Calvin, a French Protestant who had spent the previous decade in exile writing his Institutes of the Christian Religion, was invited to settle in Geneva and put his Reformed doctrine which stressed God s power and humanity s predestined fate into practice. The result was a theocratic regime of enforced, strict morality. Calvin s Geneva became a hotbed for Protestant exiles, and his doctrines quickly spread to Show times are: December 8th at 7:00 p.m. & December 9th at 4:00 p.m. Scotland, France, Transylvania and the Low Countries, where Dutch Calvinism became a religious and economic force for the next 400 years. In England, the Reformation began with Henry VIII s quest for a male heir. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry s marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could remarry, the English king declared in 1534 that he alone should be the final authority in matters relating to the English church. Continued on page 7...

4 Remember In Prayer Page 4 Page 9 First Baptist Margaret Donaldson, Peggy Schmelzer, Susannah Talbot, Millie Cagle, Linda Roller, Buck Fleming, Sherry Flack Penny Millslagle - Ida Hadsall, Shirley Robbins Dorothy Hotchkiss, Rollie Omanson, Don Currier, Tom Pease, Evelyn Basham Joan Herrick L Senior Pastor Jon, Youth Pastor Luke Kockler, Pastor Dan, and Church Staff, FBC Boards and Committees, Sunday School Teachers / Officers November Birthdays Nov. 1st - Sophie Raes Nov. 14th - Richard Spiegel Nov. 25th - Margaret Donaldson O E P Nov. 2nd - Chris Ratliff Nov. 3rd - Chad Winter Nov. 15th - Bob Arnold Nov. 15th - David Herrick Nov. 25th - Corbin Hodge Nov. 28th - Mary Medley : B C Nov. 4th - Ruth Kubinsky Nov. 5th - Darrel Moon Nov. 6th - Erin Blucker Nov. 15th - Bev Stoner Nov. 21st - Dean Rogula Nov. 22nd - Dustin Allen Nov. 29th - Nick Humphrey 2 4:00 7: :00. Nov. 9th - John Gruszeczka Nov. 24th - Jeff Finney Nov. 10th - Lucas Winter Nov. 24th - Pastor Luke Kockler

5 Page 8 Page 5 The History of Daylight Savings Time... The creation of Day Light Savings Time is usually credited to George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand artist and amateur bug collector who first proposed the idea in an 1895 paper, but 100 years earlier, Benjamin Franklin, inventor of all things useful, pondered a similar question in a letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris: I looked at my watch, which goes very well, and found that it was but six o clock; and still thinking it something extraordinary that the sun should rise so early, I looked into the almanac, where I found it to be the hour given for his rising on that day. I looked forward, too, and found he was to rise still earlier every day till towards the end of June; and that at no time in the year he retarded his rising so long as till eight o clock. Your readers, who with me have never seen any signs of sunshine before noon, and seldom regard the astronomical part of the almanac, will be as much astonished as I was, when they hear of his rising so early; and especially when I assure them, that he gives light as soon as he rises. I am convinced of this. I am certain of my fact. One cannot be more certain of any fact. I saw it with my own eyes. And, having repeated this observation the three following mornings, I found always precisely the same result. Adjusting to a new system of sleeping and waking, based not on clocks but on the sun itself, Franklin, argued, would be simple: All the difficulty will be in the first two or three days; after which the reformation will be as natural and easy as the present irregularity; for, ce n est que le premier pas qui coûte. Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is more than probable he will go willingly to bed at eight in the evening; and, having had eight hours sleep, he will rise more willingly at four in the morning following. What s more, he claimed, the people of France would save hundreds of francs a year on candlesif they slept when it was dark and woke when it was light, artificial illumination would no longer be a necessity. Franklin was prepared to give his idea to the world for a low, low fee: I demand neither place, pension, exclusive privilege, nor any other reward whatever. I expect only to have the honour of it. This article is from the Smithsonian website...if you would like to read more copy and paste the link below to your browser: Ladies of all Ages Join us for our Praise Prayers and Pies Event When my girls were little, each night as we prepared for bedtime I sat with them and asked each of them to share about something good that had happened that day. It was to help them learn to be thankful everyday for at least one thing, even if the day hadn t gone so well. As they got older, on Thanksgiving we started having them list 5 things they were thankful for. I remember one year increasing the list to 10 things they were thankful for. Believe it or not they did it! They each were able to find 10 things to be thankful for. It was a wonderful time of reflection, praise, thanksgiving and tears welling up in our eyes as we spoke about the goodness that the Lord brought to us. Ladies, we hope that you can join us for a short time together as we seek to change our focus and look for the blessings that He brings to our lives each day. On November 11 th from 2-4pm we will meet in the Fellowship Hall for a time of coffee and refreshments sitting around the table focusing on the blessings that God has given to us. We will look through scriptures, share stories and spend time in prayers of praise and thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord. Following our time spent in giving thanks to the Lord, we will gather together to learn the art of pie making. Rebecca Kull will teach us from start to finish, making pastry, rolling it out, making our filling and topping our pies off. If you have ever wanted to learn or just want to join us for a time of fun and laughter we hope to see you. If you are a pro at pie making, we would love to have your assistance at a pie making station. Don t forget to bring your donation to our focused mission project helping women and children in need. If you are unable to attend, please bring your donation to one of the Women s Ministry team members. Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

6 Page 6 Page 7 Thanksgiving Give Away! For the past couple years, the Mission Board has been so BLESSED by an anonymous donation of turkeys and food boxes just before Thanksgiving to distribute in the Kewanee as we saw fit no strings attached. Therefore, we chose to use them to draw others into the Church for a Sunday Morning Worship Service, where they would sign up and later pick up their turkey and food box. This year, we have broadened our approach. We are giving away 20 hams (instead of turkeys) to go with the 20 food boxes, and have opened up the possible recipients to include the entire Church Family as well as the Kewanee. A sign-up sheet is available at the Welcome Center desk throughout the week (during normal business hours) and every Sunday from now until Sunday, November 12 th. Winners will be drawn November 12 th and notified shortly thereafter. Hams and Food Boxes will need to be picked up after Sunday Morning Worship on November 19 th. So please sign up for your chance to win!!! And more importantly, TELL ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS to sign up any time for their chance to win!! Limit 1 entry per household. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Pastor s Paragraphs Continued Henry dissolved England s monasteries to confiscate their wealth and worked to place the Bible in the hands of the people. Beginning in 1536, every parish was required to have a copy. After Henry s death, England tilted toward Calvinist-infused Protestantism during Edward VI s six-year reign and then endured five years of reactionary Catholicism under Mary I. In 1559 Elizabeth I took the throne and, during her 44-year reign, cast the Church of England as a middle way between Calvinism and Catholicism, with worship in the peoples tongue and a revised Book of Common Prayer. In fact, the Reformation started by Luther set in motion an awakening that stimulated an unusual concentration of human genius and extraordinary wisdom that would culminate in the birth of a new nation -- one unprecedented in human history, dedicated to upholding its citizens' unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. If there had been no Reformation, there would be no United States as we know it today. American history from the very beginning -- with the Anglicans settling Virginia, the Puritans and Presbyterians settling in New England, the Reformed Dutch settling in New York, and the Quakers settling Pennsylvania to name a few -- is inextricably linked to the Protestant Reformation. After the American colonies won the war of independence from Britain, the real work of forming an effective government for the United States began with the Constitutional Convention of That was no easy task for the 55 delegates who convened in the midst of a depressed economy, rampant inflation of the Continental dollar, territorial threats, and even talk of secession by New England. By today s standards, it was nothing short of a miracle that the convention delegates could muster the tolerance and big-mindedness to agree on substantive terms of the new Constitution in just four months. But as good as that Constitution was (and is), it had to be ratified by the states to become the law of the land. Fear of corruption and abuse of power from a central government caused several key states to withhold support until the Constitution was amended with a Bill of Rights starting with the all-important First Amendment of protecting and tolerating freedom of speech, press and religion. So as free people in the greatest nations on the planet we can thank our God in this Thanksgiving season for the fire he had set in the hearts of his people. May the flames of Liberty never burn dim and may the passion for our God burn hot and hotter as the days march on. Liberty still calls to her people and I for one will take with unfailing hands the challenge to pass its torch on to the next generation. May the God of the Bible and his Son the Lord Jesus Christ continue to be our Sovereign to him we bow so we can spread his glory throughout all the earth. - First Baptist Church Mission Board Some information adapted from americanthinker.com/articles/2017/10/the 500 th anniversary of the reformation and what it means today.