Easter Holy Week Services

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1 OUR VISION: We live to be disciples of Christ who exalt God, prepare people, and share Christ. THIS MONTH at FBC 03 Good Friday Tenebrae Service 05 Easter Sunrise Service and Easter Worship Services 06 Office Closed 12 Deacon s Meeting 19 SS Teacher Training (K-6 Grade) 20 Church Council Meeting 24 Movie Night 26 Brazil Mission Team Training Session Easter Holy Week Services Holy week is an extra special time at FBC-Morehead and we invite you and your family to be a part of it. Join us as we reflect on the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and celebrate His resurrection with special Easter services. Good Friday Service April 7:30pm We will gather on the evening of Good Friday to enter into the dramatic narrative of Jesus betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, and to reflect on God s wondrous love. Easter Sunrise Services April 6:45am Will be held at the Jaycee Park on the Morehead City Waterfront in front of Harborview. (Remember to dress for the weather In case of rain, service will be held at First Baptist Church.) VOLUME MMXV, ISSUE IV INSIDE THIS ISSUE APRIL 2015 Baptist Children s Home 3 Births 7 Church Staff Contact Information 8 Church Family Softball League 4 Easter Week Services 1 Family Movie Night 3 FBC Calendar April 7 Graduation Recognition Form 6 Looking Ahead 8 Memorials & Honorariums February 6 National Day of Prayer 8 Offering/Tithing Envelopes 7 Online Giving 7 Parent-Child Dedication Service Form 6 Pastor s Corner 2 Sanctuary Flowers 7 Scholarship Opportunities 6 Senior Happenings 4 Senior S-T-R-E-T-C-H 8 Thank You s 6 Vacation Bible School 5 Volunteer Schedule 7 Website Information 8 Wednesday Night Meal Menu 7 Youth Connect 4 Easter Worship Services April 5 The 8:30am service will be held in the Sanctuary and the 11:00am service in the FLC. You are invited to participate in decorating the wooden cross in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday morning by providing a fresh flower cutting or two from your yard or a purchased flower. Upon entering the sanctuary at 8:30am, or the Family Life Center at 11:00am, you may place your flower upon the cross. A decorating committee member will be there to assist as needed. Extra flowers will be available for those unable to bring a flower.

2 Page 2 Behold, your If I may, let me draw your attention once more to the third word from the cross. I myself have returned to this passage time and time again during this season of Lent. May the Word of the Lord and the devotion that follows draw us all nearer to the heart of God....but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son! Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:25-27 (ESV) In these few words and simple act, I believe Jesus teaches us how we are to love one another. You might say he teaches us what it means to be the church. Here we see that the love and care Jesus has for his mother Mary, one who is by blood his own, is transferred to the one who is his disciple. John would have held no responsibility for the care of Mary, but because Mary is bound to Christ and because John is bound to Christ, now, Mary and John are bound to each other. This relationship that Jesus establishes between John and Mary exemplifies the kind of relationship we are to have with each other and the way in which we are to love those whom Jesus loves. Here on display is what it means to love as Christ loved, to see those who are not your own as your own and to love them accordingly. This attitude must begin here, with us, with those who call themselves the church. Paul said in Acts 20:28 that Christ "purchased the church of God with his own blood." We are not kin, you and I, according to the blood in our veins but we are kin by the blood of the lamb. It is this blood relation, this bond, this new covenant made between us and God through Christ that makes us one and makes us strong and makes us family the family of God, the church. And it is this kinship that cannot be broken by the hardships of life or the doorway of death. No, this family, purchased by the blood of Christ, will hold us in this life and the life to come. It is to this eternal bond, to this joyful fellowship, to this Christ-centered family, that we invite the lost and the least of these. So let us not be ashamed, church, to offer that invitation. May it be that we hear and obey the call to love those who are not our own as our own. This is the call of Christ upon us, for we are the disciples whom he loves. May it be that we look upon the widow and hear God say, behold, your mother. May it be that we see the widower and hear God speak, behold, your father. May it be that when we meet the lonely friend or downtrodden stranger and hear the Lord say, behold, your brother, behold your sister. May we stand with the orphan child and hear our adoptive Father in heaven say, behold, your son. Behold, your daughter. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. When he does, may he find us busy filling seats around the table with brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters from every tribe and every tongue and every nation, that it may be on Earth as it is in heaven. Your servant for His sake, Pastor Nate

3 Page 3 Baptist Children s Home 2015 Food Roundup For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you took me in... Matthew 25:35 (NIV) The words of Jesus from Matthew always remind us of our churches and how you faithfully feed our boys and girls through the Food Roundup each April. You may not know the names and faces of the children Baptist Children s Homes serves, but you still care for them in Christ s name. And when they see food you give, they know without any doubt you care about them unconditionally. While food is what we think of when we think of Food Drive, we asked the person who is in charge of the food if there is something they need that would help that is not normally given. We were told that expenditures for cleaning supplies such as Laundry Detergent, Dryer Sheets, Bleach, Fabric Softener, Dish Soap, Dishwasher Soap, Cleanser, Glass Cleaner, Dusting & Disinfectant sprays is very large. Buddy Gurganus told us that cleaning supplies are a big expense and that they can use any kind of cleaning supplies. If you would still like to donate food or other items, that will be OK too. A complete list of items needed has been posted on the bulletin board in the central hallway as well as a box for your donations. All items donated will go to the Kennedy Baptist Children s Home in Kinston, NC on May 2. A POWERFUL MOVIE ABOUT FOOTBALL AND PERSEVERANCE THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL ENJOY

4 Page 4 During spring break on April 8 we are going to Wilmington to an indoor trampoline park called DEFY GRAVITY along with lunch and shopping at the mall. We ll play trampoline dodgeball and jump in huge foam pits and do lots of bouncing! Cost to each student is $10 plus lunch. We will cover the rest of the DG fee and fast food supper. Be on the bus at K-mart ready to leave at 8:30am. We ll return around 7:30pm. The $10 must be paid in advance or by cash or check that day. On Sunday, April 19, we are having FRIEND DAY, focusing on inviting as many friends as you can get to come to Sunday School on Sunday morning. After worship we ll go to Mexico Plaza for lunch, you pay. So reach out to your friends and get them to join us! On May 8 and 9 we are planning to have separate guy/girl Pure Freedom retreats, focusing on God s perfect plan for sex. It is so important that we address this subject openly and honestly with our young people and teach them what scripture says. If there are any adults (especially those who are not youth parents) who would be interested in helping with these retreats or sharing a testimony please see Deborah. We ve divided our youth into groups of 4 or 5 and now have prayer warriors, mostly parents, praying specifically and regularly for each of the youth in their group. Please, church family, remember our youth in your prayers regularly as they face daily challenges to their faith in our culture. C HURCH F AMILY S OFTBALL L EAGUE Come join the fun as we play softball in the Havelock Church Softball League sponsored by the Havelock-Cherry Point Ministerial Association. This will be a league for the entire family ages 10 years old or older, women, men, and senior adults. Games will be played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Havelock Parks and Recreation field from May 6 through June 27. There will be a $15 charge per player to offset the league entry fee. Please contact Tony Maynard at either: anthony_magic@yahoo.com. We re taking a group to the Atlantic Baptist Associational Senior Adult Rally on April 14 at FBC in New Bern. We ll leave around 9:30am and do a pick-up at K-mart. Cost for the meal is $5. Please sign up by April 8. Due to the low number of people who signed up for the trip Washington D.C. trip, we have canceled it and are instead looking at Springtime Jubilee in Myrtle Beach from April 27-29, the same week we had planned to go to DC. If there is enough interest we will put a trip together. It is a wonderful 2 night, 3 day trip filled with gospel music by singers Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris, Wayne Watson, Guy Penrod, other gospel groups, a Christian comedian, and great preaching from Johnny Hunt and Herb Reavis. There are also shopping and wonderful dining experiences. The cost is around $220/person for double occupancy, $320 for a single room. Please let me know immediately if you are interested. I must move quickly on obtaining tickets, so come go with us! Contact me (Deborah Lockey) at On May 4 we are planning to take a group to hear the NC Baptist Singers at FBC in Kinston. Details to come!

5 Page 5 Discover God s Everlasting Love! Incredible Faithful Invincible Unconditional Real There are few, if any, experiences as exciting as the day your child first enters this world or the day that you get the call that the child you have been waiting to adopt is finally available. There is no gift that can ever match that tremendous gift from God! We hold our new baby in our arms and a thousand thoughts begin rushing through our minds. What will he/she want to be when he/she becomes an adult? What will he/she look like? What will his/her talents be? Who does the baby look like? Won t we have a good time playing together as the years go by? Where will the child want to go to school? The list goes on and on. We begin thinking of all of the things that we want to give to our child throughout his/her life. Will we be able to afford all that we want to give to him/her? However, the most important thing that we can give to our children is the gift of FAITH. We must teach them about God through teaching and by example. Our children will learn very quickly if God is important in our own lives by observing our actions. The saying that actions speak louder than words is very true! Do they see us reading our Bible? Do we pray with them? There is not one of us that will not face difficult times in our lives. It may be today, it may be next week, or it may be years from now. But, we will face difficult times! Knowing that God is with us and carrying us through the valleys of our lives is such a comfort. We are never by ourselves. Don t we want our children to know the comfort and peace that we have when we know that God is there with us? We must equip our children with the necessary tools to survive in the world. The most important tool for them to have is faith in our Lord and Jesus Christ. We can lose material items but our faith can never be taken from us. Isn t that a wonderful gift to give to our children? Vacation Bible School is one way we can teach our children about God. One week in VBS is the same as attending Sunday School for four months without ever missing a Sunday! Our theme this year is Bible Blast to the Past Discover God s Everlasting Love! The daily lessons are designed to bring children closer to God by experiencing His everlasting love and discovering what it means to us. The lessons will help the teachers take the children into a relationship with Jesus Christ inspiring them to a lifetime of service. Our natural response to God s INCREDIBLE, FAITHFUL, INVINCIBLE, UNCONDITIONAL, and REAL love and grace is to serve Him gratefully and we can do that most effectively by serving those around us. Our mission outreach this year will be Martha s Mission. Each VBS Department will visit the mission, learn about what the mission does, and deliver can goods that have been brought from home. All of our offering collected during VBS will be given to Martha s Mission. The children will learn that they can be missionaries right here in Carteret County. Our VBS IS making a difference in our community! Workers are still needed! It is NOT too late to volunteer! No experience is necessary! Please pray for God s guidance as to how He would use you in VBS! We still need workers for several departments! We also need youth to help in several departments! Please keep our VBS in your prayers! We have many workers preparing Bible stories, crafts, music, and snacks to get ready for this most important week! Make it a priority in your summer schedule to have your child in VBS! It will be one of the greatest gifts you can give to your child this year! Make it a priority in your summer schedule to HELP in VBS! It will be one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself this year! Mark your calendars now! June 15 19, :00 am 12:00 noon Rising 4 Year Olds Rising 6 th Graders Nursery for workers children: Birth 3 Year Olds

6 Page 6 The John Tillery Scholarship forms are now available to high school graduates and college students. Applications can be picked up in the church office, at any high school, Carteret Community College, or at St. Luke's Baptist Church. Applications need to be turned in to the office by April 15. If you have questions, please call Mary Jo Hull at Privette Scholarship Worthy students seeking to study for the ministry are able to receive financial help through this scholarship established in memory of Rev. H. A. Privette, who served the Atlantic Baptist Association as Director of Missions from , and his wife Polly Privette. If you are a member of an Associational church and are studying for a career in missions or ministry, please write a brief written essay on your sense of call as well as your thoughts on Cooperative Missions. Please include your contact information and the name of the institution being applied to. The deadline for applications to be received at the Association office is Friday, July 17. Dear Church Family, How does one express fully the love and support of my church family? The cards, visits, flowers, my prayer shawl, which is never far from my side, the walker bag and especially all your prayers. I have been told I have many years of therapy ahead. My love for Nate and Darrell and many others will give me the encouragement to press on. Amber Dear First Baptist Church Family, My family and I thank you so much for the prayers, visits, phone calls, cards and delicious food which always seemed to come at the perfect moment. My fall on December 22nd and fractures followed by surgery and then rehab at Harborview and home has stopped me and made me realize I must get back to my old job of looking after those in need as you have done for me. I have received God s care through you thank you, thank you, thank you. In Christ, Dot & Ed Johnson & Family FEBRUARY 2015 MEMORIALS & HONORARIUMS To the Prayer Shawl Ministry in memory of Carol Taylor By Dorothy Dorsett; RC & Susan Boyd; Charlene Havens; Betty Clonts; Sally Coughlin; William & Diane Robinson III; Nancy & Jeffrey Wilson; Carolyn & Tommy Farmer and family; Alison & Bill Lehman; Nancy & Doug Windes; Her friends in the Prayer Shawl ministry; Jim & Wanda White; Carolyn & Edgar Taylor; Mary Ann & Ben Holland; Frank & Hunter Heavenly To the General Budget in memory of Carol Taylor By Ann & Wayne Stanley To the JOY-Maker s Choir in memory of Carol Taylor By Footprints Sunday School Class; Catherine & Garry Baptist; Carolyn & Edgar Taylor; Carolyn & Tommy Farmer and family; Sally Coughlin; Charlene Havens; Helen & Terence Taylor; Jacquelyn & Gus Davis First Baptist Church Graduation Recognition On Sunday, May 31, 2015, we will be honoring our high school and college students who are graduating this year. If you are graduating or have a family member who is a member of FBC graduating this year, please fill out the information below and return it to the office with a photo by Tuesday, May 19 th so that we can recognize the graduate in our June Newsletter. Full Name: Address: Phone No: Graduating From: College Degree Acquired: Parents Name: Future Plans: School/Employer: Degree/Career Goal: Please return my photo to the above address. I will be participating in the Worship Services. You may the information and photo to vlewis@fbcmhc.org. First Baptist Church Child/Family Dedication Sunday, May 10, 2015 Join us on Mother s Day for a special Child/Family Dedication time! If you have a child or children that you would like to have dedicated please fill out the following information and return this form to the church office by Monday, May 4, Parents Name: Address: Phone: Name and Birth Date of Child/Children: Check which service time you prefer: 8:30am 11:00am

7 Page 7 FBC APRIL 2015 CALENDAR W EEKLY S CHE D ULE Sunday 8:30am Worship Service 9:45am Bible Study for All Ages 11:00am Worship Service 5:00pm Youth Ensemble 6:00pm Youth F6 Tuesday 7:00am Men s Cox s 9:30am Senior S-T-R-E-T-C-H Wednesday (Note: No Activities 1 st & 8 th ) 10:00am Prayer Shawl Ministry 5:30pm Family Meal 6:00pm Children s Choirs 6:15pm Youth Worship Band 6:30pm Discipleship University 6:45pm Children s Mission Studies 7:00pm Youth G-Force 7:30pm Handbell Choir 7:30pm Worship Team Practice Thursday Choir Rehearsals 10:30am JOY-Makers Choir 7:00pm Sanctuary Choir M ONTHLY S C H E D U L E & SP E C IAL E V E N T S Fri 03 7:30pm Good Friday Service Sat 04 8:30am Help with Morehead City Easter Egg Hunt Sun 05 6:45am Easter Sunrise Service Mon 06 OFFICE CLOSED Easter Holiday Wed 08 8:30am Youth Spring Breakaway Sun 12 6:00pm Deacon s Meeting Mon 13 7:00pm BMG Meeting Tue 14 9:30am Senior Adult Spring Rally New Bern 7:00pm Budget & Finance Committee Meeting Sun 19 Youth Friend Day/Lunch Mon 20 7:00pm Church Council Meeting Fri 24 6:00pm Movie Night Sun 26 3:30pm Brazil Mission Team Training Session Mon 27 Senior Adult Myrtle Beach Trip Wednesday Family Meals April Call the church office or sign up online at fbcmhc.org/wednesday_meal by Tuesday at Noon to make your reservation each week. Cost: Adults & Youth $5, Children Age 4-11 $3, Children 3 & Under Free Adults & Youth Age 12 & Up _ Children Age 11 & Under 15 Barbecued Chicken Chicken Nuggets 22 Hamburgers/Hot Dogs Hamburger/Hot Dogs 29 Pizza & Salad Bar Pizza & Salad Bar No Meals 1 st & 8 th Easter Holiday (All meals with Sides, Bread, & Dessert Coffee, Tea, or Water) Now available at Donations Tithes Offerings FRONT DOOR GREETERS 8:10 8:30 am 10:40 11:00 am 05 Fletcher & Kate Noe Mack & Glenda Baker 12 Bruce & Yvonne Howard Blair & Valerie Blankenship 19 Carroll Rice Mary Jo Hull 26 Carol Gartman Carole Pelletier SUNDAY SCHOOL GREETERS Pre-School Suite Sanctuary Stairs 05 Amy Nelson Bev Kannan 12 Pattie Eaton Roger Latham 19 Vivian Marshall Mike Marshall 26 Dana Luettich Rick Luettich CHILDREN S CHURCH POST GREETERS 05 Deb Banks 9:30am Patricia Latham 12 Sandra Phillips 12 Noon Faye Ballou 19 Sam Chapoton 26 Beth Davis Harborview: Lighthouse ABF (12) WEDNESDAY NIGHT NURSERY 01 No Activities 22 Sandi Kelly 08 No Activities 29 Diane Herring 15 Gina Sanderson WORSHIP CARE 05 Mark Knight, Barrett & Beth Davis, Warren & Andrea Benton 12 Melodie Daniels, Suellen Leonard, Ashley Snipes, Joe & Connie Carraway 19 Debbie Butler, Judy White, Martza Majstoravich, Deb Banks, Bo Kot 26 Scott Foley, Chris & Vicki Bouler, Jon & Jennifer Lewis Congratulations on the birth of Cooper Davies Compton March 15, 2015 Parents: Matt & Carole Compton Grandparents: Chris & Brenda Davies Sanctuary Flowers If you would like to put flowers in the Sanctuary on a specific Sunday morning in memory or in honor of someone or for a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday, please call Vonne Lewis in the church office to make arrangements or sign up on the Communication Card. Available 2015 dates are: Sept. 6; Oct. 11 & 18 Christian Sympathy is extended to the families of Carol Wylie Taylor January 25, 2015 Sophia Barefoot Patterson March 1, 2015 OFFERING/TITHING ENVELOPES We are in the process of placing our yearly order for Offering/Tithing Envelopes for the 2016 year. To help us with this order, we need to know who would like to continue using the envelopes, or if you are not using envelopes, would like to do so. If you do plan to use the envelopes, you may also choose to have them dated weekly as they are now or dated monthly. If you are currently using envelopes but plan to switch to online giving through the FBC website or online banking-bill pay through your bank, you do not need envelopes. To help us with our order, please contact Carol in the church office with your preference.

8 810 Bridges Street Morehead City, NC Phone: (252) Fax: (252) Website: SUNDAY SERVICES 8:30am Traditional Worship 9:45am Bible Study for all Ages 11:00am Blended Worship Office Hours Monday Friday: 8:00am 5:00pm Church Staff Dr. Nate Leonard - Senior Pastor nleonard@fbcmhc.org Rev. Darrell Williams - Associate Pastor dwilliams@fbcmhc.org Deborah Lockey - Director of Youth & Senior Adults Ministries dlockey@fbcmhc.org Diane Hawkins - Music Director & Organist dhawkins@fbcmhc.org Lori Muns - Pianist lorimuns@yahoo.com Vonne Lewis - Ministry Assistant vlewis@fbcmhc.org Carol Reed - Financial Secretary creed@fbcmhc.org Fran Welch - Head Custodian Sabrina Juarez Custodian NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER The 64th annual National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015, will have profound significance for our country. It is an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord s healing and renewing power made manifest as we call on citizens to humbly come before His throne. Our theme for 2015 is Lord, Hear Our Cry, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight our theme, we ve chosen I Kings 8:28 as our Scripture for this year: Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. At this crucial time for our nation we can do nothing more important than pray. Will you make this spiritual discipline a personal priority and encourage others to join you? The church will be open from 8 am to 6 pm for those who are able to enter our sanctuary and present petitions before our Lord. He can move His mighty hand across our country in exciting ways. Look for more details on other opportunities you can participate in this year leading up to National Day of Prayer. Senior S-T-R-E-T-C-H Tuesdays, 9:30am Family Life Center Led by Phyli ss Adcock Devotion Senior-friendly Exercise Great Fellowship Looking Ahead May Kennedy Home Workday 03 Quarterly Business Conference & Deacons Meeting 04 Senior Adult Trip/Kinston, NC Baptist Singers 07 National Day of Prayer 08 Youth Sleepover & Campout 13 Last Wednesday Night of Meals/End of Year Program 17 Choral Dinner Show Fundraiser 26 Office Closed Memorial Day Holiday 27 JOY Club Meeting & Lunch 31 Graduate Brunch & Recognition Check out our website Event Photos Online Giving Church News FBC Member Directory Bible Reading & Study Tools Ministry Opportunities Sermons You May Have Missed Monthly Newsletter Church Calendar of Events Devotions DVD s ($5) and CD s ($3) of the various church activities and Sermons are available. DVD copies of the Easter Cantata It Is Finished and 11am Easter Sunday Worship Service are available in the church office. Photos Recently added: Children s Easter Egg Hunt