If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

Transcription

1 September 2017

2 On July 18th, our FBC Trustees signed the initial paperwork for the selling of The Net building. Murray Convention and Visitors Bureau has entered into a contract to take ownership this Fall. FBC will have use of the building through the month of November. This has been an answer to prayer and the proceeds will help us as we prepare to transition to our new Family Life Center. Furthermore, this historic building will receive significant renovation for future use. On a similar note, preliminary actions are in the works for the demolition of the old fellowship hall. It is our intent to demolish the building in October and prepare the site as a parking lot before cold and inclement weather prohibit the surfacing with asphalt. The opening of our new Family Life Center is scheduled for the month of December. A target date has been set for December 12th. However, it is possible that the actual move in will be a few days later. It is exciting to see how the church has contributed to the three main areas of financial challenge: our budget, our building, and our mission goal. While we are not where we desire to be financially, many of you have given faithfully to support our efforts during this important chapter of FBC life. My hope is that all of us can see the need to practice biblical stewardship and experience the joy of giving. We are investing in the now, the future, and ultimately His Kingdom. Please pray, consider, and ask the Lord to lead you in this spiritual discipline of giving. It is anticipated that at some point in October we will need to be creative with our Wednesday night fellowship meals. Our initial thoughts are to proceed through November 15th in the Welcome Center. We will certainly keep everyone informed and it is very encouraging to see such strong numbers involved in our Mid-week studies and activities. This past Sunday, August 20th, we had our largest regular attendance, 659, (outside of Easter) since August 4, On this date, we flipped our worship services and had 655. Please be aware of our guests and seek to welcome them to First Baptist. May everything we do help us love God, love people, make disciples, and send disciples. Tim Keller on Race, the Gospel, and the Moment: Christians should look at the energized and emboldened white nationalism movement, and at its fascist slogans, and condemn it full stop. No, But on the other hand. The main way most people are responding across the political spectrum is by saying, See? This is what I have been saying all along! This just proves my point. The conservatives are using the events to prove that liberal identity politics is wrong, and liberals are using it to prove that conservatism is inherently racist. We should not do that. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:5,6

3 Lots of excitement around First Baptist Church over the last few weeks. We have all of our college students back in full swing and our NET Sunday Night College Worship service is off to an incredible start. It s been great to see the turnout for our MidWeek programming. From Church Fellowship Supper to all of the classes, there are a lot of new faces here and I have enjoyed talking with so many people. The third floor renovation is finally on the home stretch and it looks absolutely great. I want to say a huge THANKS to Elner Richardson, Alan Burton, and Ken Purcell. These guys have been incredible with the third floor renovation. The number of hours and sweat that they have put in simply can t be appreciated enough. If you see these three, be sure and let them know how much we appreciate them and their willingness to serve. Over the last few weeks, we have gone through the process of selecting a search committee for the Pastor / Director of Children and Activities. That committee has been formed and now we need to pray for them as they begin this journey. I believe this position to be vital to the future growth of FBC and we want to make sure we are lifting up this committee as they lean on the Lord s guidance. The committee members are: Jon Bell, Jonathan Clark, Ruth Ann Drew, Catherine Lanier, and Courtney Vanover. Exciting things are taking place here at FBC. Let s keep praying that the Lord will use FBC to reach this community for Christ. Jeremy

4 Hey church family! School is off to a good start and youth ministry is running 100 mph! We have managed to kick off these programs again: MSM/HSM Midweek Youth Services, LifeGroups, Master-Teacher Sunday School, Imitate (the new mentoring ministry), and welcoming new college interns! Speaking of interns, I would like to introduce the four college students helping me in student ministry this school year: Faith Haley Student Ministr y Assistant Hometown: Benton, KY Cody Dalton Student Ministry Intern Hometown: Paducah, KY Graham Fugate Student Ministry Intern Hometown: Carmel, IN Allie Vititoe Student Ministr y Intern Hometown: Louisville, KY Faith helps me in just about every aspect of youth ministry! She is my only returning staff member in student ministry from last year. She has strong administration and organizational skills, event planning, and logistics. Plus, she is really good at building relationships with the high school girls in our group. Give Faith a high-five next time you see her! Cody is our middle school guys intern! If you hang around Cody at all, it won t take you long to see that he has a contagious personality and desires to invest into 6-8th grade guys! Also, he is our worship leader on Wednesday nights and helps occasionally on Sunday mornings with the praise team. Give Cody a high-five next time you see him! Allie is our middle school girls intern! She has a very sweet disposition and is always smiling! Allie has much experience working with youth as she has worked Crossings Camps and is very involved in her youth ministry at her home church in Louisville. Tell Allie Hi and welcome her to the team! Graham is our high school guys intern! Not only is he a cool guy that loves to hang out with the dudes, but he used to work for Chick-fil-A He was a shift leader and ran that restaurant like a boss! We are proud to use him with his skills in the student ministries of FBC. He also good with social media and helping us think through the details. Give Graham a fist bump next time you see him and welcome him to the team! Jon Kyle

5 Fall Programming has started in Kids First Ministries! We have lots of exciting things happening, and we would LOVE to have you and your family come and be involved with us! If you have any questions, let Melissa know! TeamKID & Highway 45 (Wednesday Nights): -Wednesday, September 6th-Crazy Hat & Crazy Hair Night- Wear a crazy hat or crazy hair and get a surprise at the end of the night! -Saturday, September 16th-Highway 45 Missions Day - We will be taking the 4th & 5th graders to the WMU s CA- Boom! Missions Day Event at Monticello Baptist Church in Morgantown, KY. We will load the bus to leave from FBC at 7:30 a.m. and return by 5:00 p.m., and lunch will be provided. It s sure to be a fun day you re not going to want to miss! If your student is interested in going with us, please Melissa (mcollier@fbcmurray.org) to sign up by September 3rd! More information is on the website (fbcmurray.org/kidsfirst-upcoming-events). Sunday Fun: -Sunday, September 17th-All kids present on this Sunday morning will be participating in the World Missions Kickoff Service by singing He s Got the Whole World in His Hands. We will be practicing this song in the coming weeks on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights during class. That morning, we will meet 10 minutes before each service in the Welcome Center. Please make plans accordingly. September Family Fun Day: -Saturday, September 9th-Family Fun Murray State Football vs. Central Arkansas- Make plans to join us for a Murray State Football game! Kick-off is at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and include general admission to the game AND a concessions pass for a hot dog, soda, and popcorn! We will meet at the game and have a section of bleachers blocked off to sit together. To get tickets, Melissa (mcollier@fbcmurray.org). Money for tickets is due by September 6th. October Family Fun Day: Sunday, October 22nd-FBC Fall Chestnut Park, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.-make plans now to come and invite your friends to join us for our annual Fall Fest at Chestnut Park! Watch for more information about volunteering and donating candy and prizes in the coming weeks. Thank you! Melissa Collier

6 WOW now that the solar eclipse is over, maybe we can get back to life as usual! With the onset of the fall season comes the beginning of rehearsals for our Christmas musical. We are excited about doing Light Out of the Darkness this coming Christmas season! This is a super musical which incorporates some newer contemporary pieces along with some old Christmas standards! We have moved rehearsals to 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoons. We will be moving this again to 4:00 shortly, but for now, we are meeting at 4:30. We have had several new members, and there is room for others. The new rehearsal time should make it a bit easier to attend these rehearsals, and we are looking for several newer members. Even if you would like to join us to sing only in the Christmas musical, we would welcome you to come and be a part of our group. If you feel that God has given you a talent for singing, whether you can read music or not, please consider joining us and using the gift He has given you to help us lead others to worship Him. Thank you again for the opportunity of working with you at FBC to further the Cause of Christ! I am delighted to serve in this capacity! Blessings! M.A.G.I.C. Friends, In case you haven t noticed, there is a lot of excitement here at First Baptist. Our college students and internationals are back and fall programing has begun. That includes our monthly M.A.G.I.C. activities. On Monday, August 28th, we will have our potluck starting at 6:00 pm. We will enjoy some music by St. John Baptist Church choir. I look forward to everyone getting acquainted again. Looking ahead, we will be going to the Casey Jones restaurant for lunch on September 25th. Be sure to call the office by September 20th if you are planning to attend. Bro. Boyd

7 Be encouraged, side by side, with caring hearts, growing together in God s Love. The FBC Mentoring Ministry Team Women s Bible Studies & Women s Mentoring All women are invited to join Friday Friends Women s Bible Study that will start with a kickoff brunch at 10 am on Friday, September 8 at the home of Huong Kelly. Surrender: For God s Glory is a six-week Bible study that will catapult you into the lives of men and women of faith who abandoned themselves to God and brought glory to His name through their surrender. In exploring their devotion to God through the pages of scripture, you will discover the way to a closer, more intimate relationship with Him, and be challenged to forsake self-will and pursue His divine purpose for your own life. Prepare your heart to raise a white flag in submission to the lover of your soul, Jehovah God, our Lord and King. Prepare to surrender for God s glory. The idea of surrender is not a culturally popular idea, but Christianity cuts across the grain of our self-centered society. Pastor Keith highlighted this idea in his sermon on August 6, when he made the point that a successful life is a surrendered life that conquers selfishness with service. Surrender: For God s Glory was written by Regina Steward who led the By Faith women s conference at FBC in May. For more information about this Bible study, contact Huong Kelly at Stronger by Angela Thomas is a 7 week session women s Bible study. Join us at 9:00 am beginning Wednesday, September 13 in room AE310 to discover that God is stronger than every single struggle you will ever face. Every. Single. One. You can overcome spiritual immaturity. You can break life-long patterns of defeat and despair. You can remove paralyzing inner anxiousness and truly live in the peace that surpasses all understanding. You can put an end to the self-focused distractions of striving, comparison, and performance. You can smile at the uncertain future because Christ is stronger than all your problems. This study will guide you into biblical truth, so you can live a confident, transformed, Christ-radiating life marked by His strength. Books are available in the church office for a suggested donation of $13. For more information please contact the church office at You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 Please join us as the FBC Women s Mentoring Ministry presents its fall group study: Singing in the Rain - Finding Joy in Life s Ups and Downs. This six-session study is designed to teach us the truths of Biblical joy, how you can experience it, and how to be joyful in all of life s circumstances. Groups will meet for study, discussion, encouragement, and prayer. Sign Up begins: Sunday August 27th - Welcome Center at the Mentoring table Group study begins: Week of September 10th Group day and time information will be available at the mentoring table

8 FBC Contact Information 203 South 4th Street, Murray, KY (church office) (fax) Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm FBC Library Phone: KEITH INMAN SENIOR PASTOR kinman@fbcmurray.org BOYD SMITH PASTOR OF PRAYER AND CARE bsmith@fbcmurray.org JEREMY HUDGIN ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF FAMILIES jhudgin@fbcmurray.org JON KYLE ALLRED STUDENT PASTOR jallred@fbcmurray.org MIKE ROSE TRADITIONAL WORSHIP LEADER mrose@fbcmurray.org MELISSA COLLIER PRESCHOOL & CHILDREN S DIRECTOR mcollier@fbcmurray.org Visit us at Van Driver for September: Steve Springer New Members Halle Allred Joined Sunday, July 30 by profession of faith and for baptism. She is the 9 year old daughter of Jon Kyle and Jamie Allred. Abigail Mattingly joined Sunday, August 6 by profession of faith and for baptism. She is the 8 year old daughter of Matt and Christy Mattingly. Matt, Christy, Logan, Sara Grace and Caroline joined Sunday, August 6 by letter. Renee Blalock joined First Baptist Church on Sunday, August 6 by statement. Drew Foley joined Sunday, August 13 on profession of faith and for baptism. Drew is the 9 year old son of Andy Foley and Rachel Foley. Nolan Case joined First Baptist Church on Sunday, August 20 by letter. FBC Finances Thank You as of Sunday, August 20, 2017 $ 25, Budget Receipts from 08/20/2017 $ 842, Budgeted YTD $ 716, Budget Expenditures YTD $ 766, Budget Receipts YTD $ 2, WMO Receipts from 08/20/2017 $ 139, WMO 2017 Goal $ 24, WMO Receipts YTD $ 4, Family Life Center Receipts 8/20/2017 $3,460, Family Life Center Goal $1,290, Family Life Center Receipts to Date $1,046, Family Life Center Borrowed to Date Thank you notes have been received from Wilma Beatty, Bill and Debbie Settle, and from Traci Lawrence of the Way of Wellness. Radio/T V Needline Roy and Jeanette Weaver joined First Baptist Church by letter. Our 8:30 am worship service is aired at 11:00 am on WAAJ-FM 89.7 and a taped broadcast is available on Thursday evenings at 8 pm on Murray Electric System s channel 15. There is a collection box located in the Welcome Center for you to drop off nonperishable food items to be donated to Needline. For the month of September, the featured items collected are shampoo and toothpaste. Different food/household items will be collected each month. Attendance Sunday 8:30 11:00 School July August August August Fellowship Supper Wednesday night Fellowship Suppers have resumed at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Adult meals are $4 and children under 12 are $3. To help with set up and food preparation, reservations are required. Please call the church office by noon on Mondays to make your reservation.

9 I am highly excited about our new building and I feel greatly blessed to be a witness of the foundation and conclusion of the church s project. I believe by God s unfailing grace over our lives, the new church project will be a place of worship, a place to find encouragement, reconciliation with God and one another, a place of developing relationships with people around Murray, nation wide and internationally. I see the building reaching people in our community with the gospel, changing lives, changing the eternities of individuals and changing nations by expressing the heart of Jesus. SHALOM!! Emmanuel Ojodoma Apeh Emmanuel is an international student at Murray State University from Nigeria who has become a very active member of our church. Building an authentic, biblical community who engages our city and our world with the love of Jesus.

10 September 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sunday Schedule 8:30 - Worship 9:45 - Sunday School 11:00 - Worship 4:30 - Sanctuary Choir 5:00 Youth Life Groups 8:00 - The Net Mother s Day Out 8:30 am - 2:30 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Wednesday Schedule 5:30pm - Fellowship Supper 6:15 First 6:15pm - Team Kid// Highway 45 6:15pm - MSM / HSM :00 International Student Lunch 4 Labor Day Church Office Closed :00 Friday Friends Bible Study Brunch 9 5:30 Kids First Family Fun MSU Football game 10 12:00 Combined MSU & International Student Lunch 4:00 Missions Ministry Team 5:30 Deacons Meeting 6:30 Youth Intimate Reveal 17 12:00 International Students Lunch 4:00 Missions Ministry Team 5:30 Poland Mission Trip Report 11 6:30 Betty Sledd Group :00 Ladies Bible Study :00 Ladies Bible Study :00 Friday Friends Bible Study 21 2:00 Home Ministry Visitation 22 10:00 Friday Friends Bible Study Lord s Supper Benevolent Offering 12:00 International Students Lunch 5:30 Business Meeting 25 MAGIC Lunch at Casey Jones Village 26 5:30 Sharon Wells Group 27 9:00 Ladies Bible Study :00 Friday Friends Bible Study 30