Hear Ye! Hear Ye! VBS begins soon!

Transcription

1 July - August 2017 First Baptist Church 157 W. Jackson St. Virden, IL Rev. John Parrish Pastor Church PH: Cell Ph: Debbie Kershaw, Editor messenger@virdenfirstbaptist.org Hear Ye! Hear Ye! VBS begins soon! Vacation Bible School will be held on Sunday, July 23 - Thursday, July 27. As we have for nearly 25 years, 6 area churches will join as one to present an exciting and fun filled program from 6 PM - 8:30 PM for Pre-K through Grade 6 (based on the past school year). At Mighty Fortress, kids learn that God is their refuge and strength, and His kingdom endures forever! Each evening the kids will gather first at the First United Methodist Church on the corner of Church and Green Streets that is also where the students will gather to be picked up after VBS ends each night. Pre-K stays there, while the Kindergarten (both this fall and last) will walk a block west to the Church of the Brethren. Grades 1 & 2 will trek a couple blocks north to the Presbyterian Church, while grades 3 & 4 cross the street to the First Christian Church. The oldest group of Fifth & Sixth graders get the most exercise as they meet in Pitman Hall at our church! At Mighty Fortress kids will learn that life is a battle sometimes. Friends may fail them. They may not ace their next test or make the team, but God promises to be their rock and their salvation their fortress and sure defense. So raise your banner! Hold it high. The battle is done. In Jesus, the Victory Is Won! If you would like to help in any way with VBS please see Debbie Kershaw soon. Use the registration form on page 5 to sign up your child for VBS extra copies will be located at the rear of the sanctuary on the table near the sound system. Please use one form per child, and be sure to include an emergency phone contact. Sign up your children or grandchildren, your nieces, nephews, and your neighborhood kids. Come one, Come ALL! North Mac Moms continues to support local moms The North Mac Moms is again hosting a mom friendly tent complete with a changing table and a private nursing area for mom s, and a play area for toddlers at local festivals. This important ministry begins during the American Legion s 4 th of July festivities on the square July 1, 3, and 4. If you can spend some time at the tent, or donate some water, fruit or cereal snacks, juice boxes, or baby wipes please see Pam Hawkins today! Wednesday night activities will not be held during the month of July and the first part of August. But we re still here if you need us! Pastor John will be keeping summer office hours and you can always call the church if you re in need at Wednesday Kids Club and SWAT resumes on August 16!

2 2 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 American Legion Fourth - begins Roger & Gloria Smith 2 Communion Sunday American Legion American Legion Fourth continues Fourth ends Activities Business Mtg 7:00 pm Deaconate Meets following church Dale & Betty Mullen Activities Debbie Liles Audrey Price 15 VBS POOL PARTY 6-8 pm Activities Linda Gerson Sharon Crawford 23 VBS BEGINS 30 VBS Closing Program on the square 10 AM Senior Adult Day 31 Mighty Fortress VBS - 6:00-8:30 LSBC - 9 am Debbie Klocke VBS Kicks off with a free pool party! Bring the whole family to the VBS Pool party on Saturday, July 15 from 6-8 pm. There will be hot dogs, chips and cookies for everyone. What a terrific way to kick off a special week at Mighty Fortress Kids, be sure to invite your friends to join you! (This is a week earlier than usual so be sure to mark your calendar!) Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy God s air conditioning on Sunday, July 30, as we Worship in the Park for the closing of VBS, at 10 AM. In the event of extreme weather, it will be moved to the Christian Church. Come enjoy the children, the music, the puppets, and the fun. As the kids present a victory celebration of Mighty Fortress!

3 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 activities Macie Brown Jay Turner 6 Communion Sunday 7 8 Lonnie & Sharon Crawford 9 activities Kim Liles Back to Mac School Supply disburse 9-11 KC 13 Church LSBC 12:30-4:00 14 Steve Kershaw 15 Tim Snodgrass 16 Supper 6 PM Kid s Club Bible Study 6:30 Ray & Libby Klocke 17 Drew Hawkins 18 Linda Liles Aiden Brown Libby Klocke Breighyn Schwehr Justin Buzick 23 Supper 6 PM Kid s Club Bible Study 6: Supper 6 PM Kid s Club Bible Study 6:30 31 Alex Walters 26 Amanda Clark Justin & Allison Buzick Tracy Lewis Birds in general symbolize God s presence. Sparrows represent God s concern and care even for those thought insignificant. In Jesus words, Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father s care.. So don t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29, 31, NIV). This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in. Theodore Roosevelt

4 4 Friends, As I sit out at the camp and enjoy a day with no campers and just a few staff walking around, it is very quiet and it becomes very easy to take in all of God s creation. While watching the deer cross through my backyard, it is like clockwork as one follows the other to the honeysuckle, which they eat, and then down to the creek to drink. But there is definitely a system, one leader and the rest follow. That is an example we see throughout our world isn t it? We see a leader who takes charge and either verbalizes direction or leads by example. In our daily lives we will be exposed to many leaders who have much to offer, and we have a choice to make on whom it is we will follow. Our lives are important to us, and so this isn t a decision we should make lightly. When Jesus calls us to follow in His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5-7, He is calling us to leave the other leaders in our lives behind and choose only Him! Matthew 6:33 says it best, Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you! When we seek to follow God first then the Kingdom of God is our reward. But the scripture is clear we must seek God first! Who do you seek first in your life? Do you seek to find Jesus first thing in the morning? Do you seek Him first in the decisions you make daily? Are you committed to following Jesus daily with your life, or have you chosen to follow a different leader: self, someone else, career, etc.? Next week a small group of high school students will be coming to the camp for a weekend retreat. Our theme is Follow. The students will be encouraged to learn that in order to follow they must first recognize who it is they want to follow, then choose to follow, then finally submit to following. When it comes to us church and serving Jesus, do you recognize that He is the only leader with your best interests in mind? Will you choose to follow Him, and His plans for your life? Lastly, will you submit daily to His will and His direction in and over your life? Just the other day I heard Peyton teaching Paisley this song, We re following the leader, the leader, the leader, and we re following the leader, wherever she may go! So church, are you following THE LEADER, and will you follow Him where He may lead you? Blessings, Know your target A college religion teacher set up a cardboard target in his classroom. Draw someone who has upset you, he instructed. Students sketched ex-boyfriends or -girlfriends, coworkers who d mistreated them, childhood bullies. Each, in turn, then placed their drawing over the bull s-eye and took aim with a bow and arrow. Afterward, the bull s-eye was riddled with holes. The students congratulated one another until the teacher pulled back the target, revealing Jesus scarred, torn face. Silence fell as he read: Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me (Matthew 25:40). In choosing actions no matter the human target remember who else will be struck by your arrows. Let s take aim with love, not hurt.

5 5 There will be an installation service for Patty Bilyeu, our new Area II and Area IV minister on Sunday, 9/17 at First Baptist Church in Greenville at 4 PM. Patty takes the place of Area II interim, John Grisham. Update on camp and the Parrishes! Lake Springfield Baptist Camp is in full swing! Five separate camps ranging from one 7 hours of Day Camp for the younger campers to 3-day and week long adventures filled the month of June. There are still opportunities for kids of all ages including a new Sr. High Mini Camp July 6-8, and a Jr. High 7-day camp from 7/9-7/15. There s also a week long Sr. High camp July 16-22, a 3-day for Grades 1-4 on July 23-26, and even an overnight 24 hour Elementary Camp on July that will give the littlest campers a taste of the big kid camp! Please, pray for Pastor John and Kelsey as they now serve as the Resident managers of LSBC. They ve settled into the home that is provided for them right on the grounds. It s a demanding job, especially as they struggle to bring the camp to its full potential. The camp board has enlisted the help of Kim Runkle who is doing a great job as the business and marketing manager. And Dave Holland has put in countless hours as the Maintenance Manager. From our own church, Debbie Kershaw and Jill Hawkins directed a June day camp that hosted 35 youngsters. Jason Turner and Cody Stiltz helped serve as counselors. Kelsey and Becky Long took on the Grade 4-6 six day camp. Pastor John Parrish & Zach Mareno will lead the Sr. High weekend on July 6-8 and then JP as the campers call him, and Kathy Hutchins will co-direct the Senior High Camp on July Volunteers are encouraged and welcomed to help at any of the camps, but must have a background check prior to working with the youth, so please see Pastor John if you are interested. This is such an important ministry for our church and for the youth of Area II. Please think about how you can help sponsor a young person attending camp. Donations can be made directly to the Camp Fund by entering that in the memo section of your check. Thank you for providing this opportunity for our young people, and please pray daily for Lake Springfield Baptist Camp, and everyone who steps on the grounds whether to work, play, or camp! May God be glorified and lives be changed forever. Book bag Third Grade Supply List Composition Notebooks (4) (see picture) Crayons (1 box ~ 24 count) Dry erase markers (1 package) Liquid School Glue (1 bottle) Facial tissues (2 boxes) Folders with pockets (4) Glue sticks (4 large) Highlighter (1) Watercolors (1) Markers (1 package) Notebook paper wide ruled (1 package) Pencil box (for crayons, scissors, and markers) Pencils (12 Plain no mechanical pencils) Pencil Cap Erasers (1 package) Post-it notes (1 package) Scissors (1 pair) Back 2 Mac set You can help send every child Back 2 Mac with new school supplies! Our church and a dozen more in the North Mac district are joining together on Saturday, August 12 to help. We will be serving the third grade students with the supplies listed below. As soon as you see these items on sale, pick some up and bring them to the church. We ll have more definite numbers as the event nears. Thanks for helping! Pack of Construction Paper (1) 3-prong pocket folder for music White sock (1) to use as eraser

6 6 Save those bottle caps! Libby Klocke volunteers regularly at the Macoupin County Historical Society. This organization is collecting plastic bottle caps that will be recycled into park benches and used at the MCHS site in Carlinville. Most recycling projects encourage the recycling of the bottles, but don t want the caps. Now recycling companies have found a way to use those caps that might otherwise end up in a landfill. It takes about 400 pounds of bottle caps to make one park bench but what a great way to save and beautify the environment at the same time!! Libby already has a few other places that are collecting for her already.so, let s start doing the same right here at First Baptist Church. Just how many can we collect? Everyone is invited to an all-church picnic on Sunday, August 13 at Lake Springfield Baptist Camp. Bring your favorite pot-luck picnic dish to share and we ll take advantage of the great facilities at the camp. Even if it rains, there will be plenty of room for us all. We ll begin around 12:30 which should give most of us a chance to get home from morning worship, and then make our way to Chatham. We ll eat around 1 PM, and if the weather is good, we ll play some outdoor games or just enjoy sitting around watching OTHERS play some outdoor games!! Kids, bring your parents even if they don t usually attend on Sundays this event is for EVERYONE! First Baptist Church 157 W. Jackson St. Virden, IL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Sunday, July 23 - Thursday, July 27