From the Pastor s heart...

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1 APRIL 2014 From the Pastor s heart... > Check out... firstbaptistcumming.org SCRIPTURE OF THE MONTH Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:3-4 KJV QUOTED OF THE MONTH In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. Song, In Christ Alone by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend The first quarter of 2014 is history. Daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly milestones in the year provide opportunities for reflection, repentance, thanksgiving and praise. Join me in some quarterly assessment. The hardest reflection is personal because we understand responsibility and failure. But it is in reflection that I see myself as God sees me and I feel the weight of conviction from God s Holy Spirit. Because God does see, has he seen you in worship regularly the first three months of this year? We often question whether or not God hears our prayers, but in this time of reflection the better question to ask is this: have we been praying prayers for God to hear? Because God wants to communicate with us and has even sent us a personal Word, how much have we opened that Word and read the Bible this year? Those are three good questions for our reflection and should lead to repentance. God, forgive us for neglecting to worship you and you alone. God, forgive us for our poverty of prayer. God, forgive us for leaving your Word closed, for failure to study it regularly and for our failure to obey it fully. God, forgive us for spending so little time listening to you and sharing our heart with you. As I repent, I am led to thanksgiving, because I am reminded of all that he has done for me. God thank you for sustaining my life. Thank you for forgiving my sin. Thank you for the promise of eternal life. Thank you for calling me to partner with you in sharing the gospel to the world. Thank you for providing every resource I need for life and godliness. Thank you for being my Lord and Savior. Thanksgiving leads me to praise. I praise you God, for your sovereignty. I praise you for your omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. I praise you the wonder of your creation and the humbling truth that you created me in your image. I praise you for your grace, mercy, and patience, all three of which I need desperately. Finally, I praise you today for the time you have given me, help me redeem the time in your good and perfect will. After reflection, repentance, thanksgiving and praise comes commitment. Let us not be hearers of the Word only but doers. Here are some things God wants me to do. Tell a friend about Jesus. Invite a friend to church (Easter offers a great time of invitation). Pray for a friend who needs Jesus. Serve a friend in need. Encourage a brother or sister in Christ. Remember this, good quarterly reviews are more apt to happen when we have been keeping up with weekly reviews. This Sunday is a great day for a weekly review. I hope to see you in worship this Sunday. Your Pastor DID YOU KNOW? Groundbreaking plans are being made for our KidsTown project. We have already received & $285,299 toward out Greater Things pledges. Pastor Bob

2 > d i s c i p l e s h i p This month we remember our Lord Jesus s sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection. It s the most significant event in human history! But what significance do you attribute to Jesus s resurrection? Is it simply something you casually say is good or exciting? Is it something you barely even believe? This Easter, ask the risen Lord Jesus to bring both the reality and the significance of His finished work on the cross to a place of prominence in your thinking. As millions of Christians fast, depriving themselves of food or things, we are all in need of increasing our reliance and our delight in the Savior who died and rose for us. The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Matt. 28:5-6 This month, we will NOT meet for Bible Fellowship Groups (BFG s) on Easter Sunday (Apr 20). However, we have exciting new studies starting just after Easter in virtually every BFG! It s a great time to find your BFG! Cole Wilkins Minister of Discipleship & Young Adults Jesus didn t call us to become a Christian, grow in our faith, then get comfortable and keep it to ourselves. INVEST As a church, we re making a significant investment in the next generation of disciples. Our plans to construct more space for our children is evidence of this commitment! But how are YOU committed to teaching the next generation? God s word says: Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth I will tell of the truths of God, which we have heard and known, and our ancestors have told us. We will not keep them from our children, we will tell the next generation about the Lord's power and his great deeds and the wonderful things he has done. (Ps. 78) From preschoolers, children, middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students, young professionals, and young marrieds, there are so many opportunities big and small to INVEST yourself in the lives of the young. > w o r s h i p a r t s Easter is April 20. Our three worship services will be at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM. The Worship Band will lead the first two and the Celebration Choir and Orchestra will lead the third. If you normally attend the 9:30 AM service, you can be a great host to our guests by choosing to attend the 8:00 AM service that Sunday. If you play guitar or bass guitar and want to play in the traditional service, please contact Darel or Gwenn. If you can play drum set, percussion, or tympani, please call. For information about how you can serve in Worship Arts, feel free to call Gwenn Fox or Darel Robertson at the office at for further information or to ask any question. Blessings, Darel Robertson Minister of Music

3 > e v a n g e l is m & m i s s i o n s Throughout March and April, you have the opportunity to make a difference by giving to the Easter Offering for North American Missions. 100% of your gift will go to support church planters and ministries all across North America, including the six church planters who are FBC s strategic partners: Andy Hall (Cumming, GA) Kevin Mansoori (Alpharetta, GA) Mokhles Bekhet (Atlanta, GA) Mitch Corn (Hendersonville, NC): Patrick Thompson (New York City): Justin Anderson (San Francisco): Our church s goal is $45,000. Let s give generously. Let s give joyfully. Let s give to encourage these church planters. Most importantly, let s give because millions of people in North America do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Here are a few ways you can give to the Easter offering: (1) Use the "Annie Armstrong Easter Offering" envelopes found in the back of the chairs in the worship center. (2) Give online at Designate your gift to the "Easter Offering for Missions." Making a Difference Together, Michael O Neal Minister of Evangelism and Missions > m i n i s t e r i a l s t a f f Dr. Robert Jolly, Senior Pastor Robert@firstbaptistcumming.org Dr. Darel Robertson, Minister of Music Darel@firstbaptistcumming.org Dr. Michael O Neal, Minister of Evangelism & Missions Michael@firstbaptistcumming.org Cole Wilkins, Minister of Discipleship & Young Adults Cole@firstbaptistcumming.org Scott Carpenter, Minister of Youth Scott@firstbaptistcumming.org Kyle Connell, Minister of Middle School Kyle@firstbaptistcumming.org Brian Weaver, Minister of Children Brian@firstbaptistcumming.org Edna Bridges, Minister of Preschool Edna@firstbaptistcumming.org Ken Danuser, Director of Senior Adults Ken@firstbaptistcumming.org Tom Hayslip, Church Administrator Tomhayslip@firstbaptistcumming.org Andy Hall, Church Planter Apprentice (NAMB) Andy.hall@firstbaptistcumming.org

4 1597 Sawnee Drive Phone Address Service Requested TOP OF LABEL > o u t r e a c h e v e n t s Sun, Apr 13 at Noon in Atrium Chicken Alfredo, salad, bread & dessert for $5 Proceeds benefit youth mission efforts in Savannah & Malaysia 2014 FBC VBS June 9 13 REGISTER in the Atrium and Online Firstbaptistcumming.org/elementary The ladies of the Ruth Reed WOM would like to thank all those who donated items to our Yard Sale and a special thanks to all those who picked up items, sorted them, and cleaned up after the sale. Our deacons, youth, and generous church members helped make this our most successful Yard Sale ever. We raised $6,500 to help fund our Mission Trip to Lynch, KY next month and other projects. We are truly the church that gives itself away. To God be the glory!

5 Regular Sunday Activities 9:30 AM BFG & Contemporary Worship 11:00 AM BFG & Worship 12:30 PM HS Band Practice 5:00 PM Handbells Rehearsal 5:00 PM Orchestra Rehearsal 6:00 PM Discipleship Classes Regular Wednesday Activities 5:00 PM Family Dinner 5:30 Tutoring 6:15 PM Middle School Dunamis 6:15 PM High School Acts 2:42 6:15 PM Discipleship Classes 6:15 PM AWANA 6:30 PM Pastor s Bible Study 6:30 PM Celebration Choir Rehearsal 7:15 PM Orchestra Rehearsal 7:30 PM Worship Band Rehearsal

6 > ne w m e m b e r s Welcome To The Family Juanita Coley PO Box 1160 Cumming, GA Neal & Amy Matheson Children-Caleb, Carah & Cruz 6125 Water Mark Drive Charlie & Judy Owens 4935 Laurel Ridge Drive Josh Pilkinton Son of Orrin & Melanie Pilkinton 2110 Robin Hood Trail NEW MEMBERS IN 2014 Total - 28 (YTD through Mar 23) By Letter/Statement - 20 By Baptism - 8 BFG avg attendance through Mar > f i n a n c i a l s Figures YTD through Mar 23 Weekly Ministry Budget Needed $ 52,596. Average Weekly Offering $ 46,504. Building Fund $ 3,403. ACTS 1:8 Offering $ 88,771. Greater Things $ 285,299. > s e n i o r a d u l t s Dear Senior Adults, Busy, busy, busy is what has been going on at FBC. In the upcoming 50+ Supper Clubs, we will have Michael and Carrie O Neal, the Sawnee Band, and the Glory Boys. Our attendance has been great (when we don t have ice on the roads) and many are inviting new friends that are coming both to our event and to worship times, too! Here are the events in April: The ladies trio, The Vintage Vocals, will perform at 50+ on Thursday, the 10 th. Come with food and friends. Our trip will be to Berry College in Rome. This will be an all day trip and we leave at 8:45am to be back around 5:30pm. Thursday the 24 th is the date and the cost is $5 seat reserve and $20 fee for meal and tour. Sign up in your BFG class or call the church office. Thank you for your active service at FBC in the name of the Lord. Blessings to you all, Ken Danuser Director of Senior Adults