Volume 69 Week of December 18, 2016 Number 51 Office: Prayer Line:

Transcription

1 First Baptist Church Montgomery Beacon bring them in...build them up...send them out Volume 69 Week of December 18, 2016 Number 51 Office: Prayer Line:

2 CONNECTIONS from your Pastor s Heart The Fabulous Forever Fruit of God s Living Christmas Tree The verdict is in: our 2016 Living Tree produced an extraordinary amount of eternal fruit! Our beloved Ed Cleveland and the 500 person LCT team exalted the Savior, edified the Saints and evangelized many Seekers through our signature event. God graciously answered our fervent prayers. We estimate that over 8,000 people attended which constitutes our largest gathering ever. We hosted thousands of visitors and they not only came from all over our region but they came from many different states and countries. The music drew us into Ed Cleveland and Jay Wolf God s presence as Ed skillfully crafted a moving musical message that took us from Bethlehem s manger to Calvary s cross. 107 dear friends recorded decisions that included 18 precious people committing their lives to Christ and 46 affirmed they were renewing their walk with the Lord! I am convinced that the recorded decisions represent only a small fraction of the Tree s impact for Christ. Plus, the television broadcast will take the gospel message into thousands of additional homes and hearts. The unity, bonding, intercession, gospel witness and synergy created from the Body of Christ working harmoniously together on the Tree produces blessings beyond measure. Thank you for supporting God s work through our Living Tree with your prayers, tithes, invitations and attendance. We are extremely grateful to all of those FBC teammates who worked diligently for months to bless us with this Christ-honoring offering of excellence and love Let s Keep Serving King Jesus Every Day and in Every Way TOGETHER, FBC Faithfulness Sunday, December 11, 2016 ATTENDANCE Bible Fellowship Enrollment 5149 Bible Fellowship Attendance 1934 Weekly Attendance 2469 Discipleship Attendance 596 OFFERING Required Weekly $125, Received Sunday $224, Required To Date $6,274, Received To Date $5,928, Building Fund Sunday $ Building Fund to Date $33, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering $104, Under Budget $345,134.71

3 FBC Holiday Schedule Sunday, December 18 Regular Morning Schedule 5:30 PM \\ Vesper Service & Lord s Supper Wednesday, December 21 No Evening Services or Activities Friday, December 23 Saturday, December 24 3:30 & 5:00 PM \\ Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Sunday, December 25 Merry Christmas! 10:30 AM \\ Christmas Worship Service Monday, December 26 Wednesday, December 28 No Evening Services or Activities Sunday, January 1 Happy New Year! Regular Morning Schedule No Evening Services or Activities Monday, January 2 Ministry Announcements Preschool Ministry Join us as we celebrate our Savior s Birth at a Happy Birthday Jesus Party on Sunday, December 18 at 9:45 am in room B112. All 3, 4 and 5 year olds will be in B112 during the Sunday School hour. For more information, contact Nancie McQueen at or nmcqueen@montgomeryfbc.org. All preschool children are asked to Help Decorate the Christmas Tree that will be at the preschool registration desk. We want to fill it with socks, so please bring a new pair (or bag) of socks to cover our tree. The socks will be donated to the Caring Center to help children keep their feet warm this winter. Please bring your present to your SS Class on or before Sunday, December 18. Children s Ministry Christmas is all about Jesus and on Sunday, December 18, the first through third graders will have a Happy Birthday Jesus Party! Also, this is the day we give presents to families in need at the Caring Center. For more information, contact Glen Leathers at or gleathers@montgomeryfbc.org. GAs and RAs will begin again on Sunday, January 8 at 5:00 pm. Don t miss the opportunity to be a part of these exciting groups. FBC Offering Envelopes are now sent quarterly. The first quarter of 2017 will be mailed in December. Please contact Jill Johnson at or Patti Shoemaker at if you requested envelopes and do not receive them.

4 Bible Drill begins on Sunday, January 8 for all 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. Join us at 6:00 pm in room A311 as we learn the books of the Bible, the location of key scripture passages, and memorize scripture. Student Ministry Save the Date for Disciple Now on Friday, January 13 through Sunday, January 15. Register online at Adult Ministry Join Jay as he continues a new round of his Pastor s Class on Sunday, December 18 at 10:00 am in the main sanctuary. The 13-week class, open to everyone, will be an overview of the Bible. The January Bible Study will take place on Monday, January 23 through Wednesday, January 25 from 10:00 am to Noon in Stakely Sanctuary. The study will be Complacency Exposed, a study of the book of Malachi. Missions Ministry The 2017 Missions Menu is now available! You can pick up your copy in the main sanctuary foyer or visit A special prayer event, Journey of Prayer, will take place on Sunday, January 8 at 5:00 pm in the fellowship hall. This event is your opportunity to start the year in an attitude of worship and intercession. For more information, contact Brian Gay at or briang@montgomeryfbc.org. Save the Date for the Global Impact Celebration (GIC) on Wednesday, February 15 through Sunday, February 19. For more information, visit In preparation for Global Impact Celebration (GIC 2017), we re producing The Purpose Podcast. In this audio podcast you will hear inspiring conversations with guests that will be coming to the GIC from the US and all around the world. Visit to learn more or listen today. FBC Foundation As you review your financial plans at year end, it is a great time to review your estate plans, as well. You may want to consider leaving a lasting legacy to the First Baptist Foundation through your will, trust, or life insurance policies. You can also make a meaningful future gift while generating income, immediate tax savings, and other benefits today. For more details, contact Alissa Parrish at airvin@montgomeryfbc.org or visit Children s Hope New Members By Baptism Mrs. Luisana Guevara Stakely 8378 Longneedle Drive Montgomery, AL By Letter/Statement of Faith Ms. Jan Bartlett 3267 Fairfax Road Montgomery, AL Mrs. Brenda King 304 Donna Drive Montgomery, AL Mrs. Mickie West 3100 Hemon Road Montgomery, AL Our Church Family If you would like to add someone to the prayer list, contact Carolyn Bryan at Sympathy Extended to Mr. & Mrs. Barry Holt (Hope) in the death of her mother Mr. James Blake in the death of his wife, Louise Mrs. Terry Brown (Jean) in the death of her husband; Mr. & Mrs. Sonny Wills (Meredith) in the death of her father; Miss Caroline Brown in the death of her father Ms. Madeline Williams in the death of her sister Family & Friends in the death of Margaret Reynolds Mr. Scott Lamb in the death of his mother, Kathy Oatfield Baptist South Gwen McGriff Pat Stewart Baptist East Frank Wells Jackson John Hendrix Reba Stabler Capitol Hill Healthcare Kathleen Stitt Congratulations Extended to Dr. & Mrs. Rick Dobbs (Charlotte) in the birth of a grandson Become a part of the new Hope Through Education student sponsorship initiative. For $25/month, you can cover the education costs of one of the 930 students

5 Year-End Giving The Church Business Office is here to serve you as we approach the end of the year. All gifts must be postmarked by Saturday, December 31 in order to go toward your 2016 giving record. If you are gifting appreciated assets, please make the business office aware of those gifts and the designation of the gifts. Please contact Patti Shoemaker at or Gwen Keene at for more information. in Children s Hope schools in Haiti. Visit childrens-hope.com/givehope to learn more and become a partner, or contact Jared McCrory at jared@childrens-hope. com for more info. Churchwide News & Events There will be no Churchwide Visitation on Sundays, December 18 or 25. Travel with First Baptist Church on the Ark Encounter Tour, May 29 through June 4, See the full-size replica of Noah s Ark located in Williamstown, Kentucky. This agenda is packed with touring/sightseeing in Chattanooga, Lexington and Nashville. For more information, visit

6 FBC Stewardship Goal: $6,642,000 Pledged to Date :: $6,037, (90.89%) Remember, it s never too late to make your commitment! This week at FBC Montgomery For the complete calendar, visit Sunday, December 18 8:30 Worship Service 9:45 Bible Fellowship Classes 11:00 Worship Service International Worship Service 4:15 Reflections Ensemble 4:30 One Heart & One Voice Choirs 5:30 Lord s Supper Vesper Service 6:30 Single Adult Christmas Caroling Monday, December 19 5:30 Men s Bible Study 6:30 Freedom in Christ Recovery Larry Chapman Foundation Event Tuesday, December 20 5:30 Women s Support Group 6:00 Narcotics Anonymous Wednesday, December 21 No PM Activities or Services Thursday, December 22 10:00 Caregivers Support Group Friday, December 23 Saturday, December 24 Christmas Eve 3:30 Candlelight Worship Service 5:00 Candlelight Worship Service 6:00 Narcotics Anonymous In Home Ministry Member :: Jeanette Martin 404 Daphne Lane Montgomery, Alabama Morning Worship (8:30 & 11:00 am) Lottie Moon Christmas Offering God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Ichthus Ensemble Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee Thomason Bryan Message Jay Wolf Evening Worship (5:30 pm) Lord s Supper Vesper Service CrossRoads Broadcast Schedule for the Living Christmas Tree Watch the sermon at the time below or online at Frazer Channel 13 (Montgomery & Prattville) Brighthouse Channel 122 (Elmore County) Sunday, December 18 1:30 pm & 6:00 pm Tuesday, December 20 7:30 pm Thursday, December 22 9:30 am & 6:00 pm WSFA-TV Channel 12 Sunday, December 18 10:30 am The Beacon (USPS # ) is published and printed weekly by First Baptist Church, 305 South Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama Periodical postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Beacon, 305 South Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama South Perry Street Montgomery, AL FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH montgomery