November WMS Thank Supper features special guest

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1 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 157 W. JACKSON ST. VIRDEN, IL REV. Diane DeSmidt, PASTOR CHURCH PHONE: PARSONAGE PHONE: DEBBIE KERSHAW, EDITOR November 2007 WMS Thank Supper features special guest This year s Thanksgiving Supper will be held on Sunday, November 11 at 5:30 PM in Pitman Hall. Following the supper, you are invited to enjoy Jerold Dowding, as he performs Christian music with antique style Native American and Celtic flutes. All of his instruments are individually hand crafted by Mr. Dowding himself, and accompanied by contemporary music that he arranges and produces from his Wind Valley Recording Studio. Jerold plays Christian music in styles of Jazz, Celtic, Blues, Bluegrass, Country, Calypso and other unique styles. His enchanting music arrangements also include what Jerold calls God s Orchestra the refreshing sounds of nature with birds, wolves, rain, thunder, oceans waves and other sounds, all incorporated into full background orchestra accompaniment. Jerold is recognized as a World Master in the art of Native American Flutes and his recordings are This year s Christmas cantata will be a collection of some old favorites that the choir has performed over the years. Choir members plan to write the narration and be accompanied not by tape, but on the piano. For Janis to be able to direct, the choir has enlisted the help of a piano accompanist for this year s Christmas cantata. Betty Schien of Virden, will be attending Wednesday evening practices throughout November and will play for the choir on the morning of the Cantata, December 16. We are pleased to have Betty s talents and encourage all choir members to be faithful in their attendance to the rehearsals each week. played in nations around the world. In 2002 Jerold was presented with the ancient award of the prestigious Order of The Golden Eagle for his contributions in the preservation and promotion of the Native American music culture. Jerold s great-grandfather, an immigrant from Ireland to the United States, was married to a Comanche Indian maiden. His grandfather was also married to a mixed Irish and Comanche Indian descendant. In 1985 Jerold retired from the united States Air Force. His experience in world travel is expressed in his many international and cultural styles of music. His hand made wood flutes have allowed many doors to open while performing and sharing his original music arrangements. Plan to attend the concert beginning at 7:00 PM in the church sanctuary, even if you can t attend the supper, you won t want to miss the program. The annual Thank offering will be collected by the WMS that evening as well. The Thank Offering is used to fund and support many of the mission projects that the WMS is involved in throughout the year. Everyone is welcome, so plan now to invite your friends and family!

2 2 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30 AM Bible Supper and Kids Club from 6-7 PM Business Mtg 7 PM Choir 8 PM 8 9 Carol Paisley WMS Thank Supper & Offering 5:30 PM Wind Valley 7: Deaconate Meeting 7:00 PM 14 9:30 AM Bible Supper and Kids Club 6:00 Choir 8 PM Mary Payne NO Wednesday activities Thanksgiving Day Gloria Smith 25 Church Decorating 5 PM Tom Mullen Trustee & Finance Committee 7:00 PM 28 9:30 AM Bible Supper and Kids Club 6:00 Choir 8 PM VAAC Country Christmas Lighted Parade Recently our church was notified about needs in the Virden Food Pantry. The Food Pantry is a service run by an independent group for the benefit of the Virden community. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance with food, you are eligible. This can be because of a long-term need or because of a temporary setback. The Food Pantry is open from 2-3 pm every Tuesday and is accessible through the east side of the Virden Church of the Brethren. You will need a food voucher to receive service. Vouchers can be obtained through Pastor Diane. The Food Pantry is also looking for volunteers to help with stocking shelves and passing out grocery bags. If you would like to volunteer your time, please contact Verna Scharfenberg at On the third Sunday of each month we will have a dedication of our food pantry donations. They will be brought to the Food Pantry the following Tuesday. This is a good opportunity to show your loving care for your community. Items currently needed by the food pantry are: Campbell s canned soups, saltine crackers, boxes of cereal (not bags), jelly or jam, peanut butter (creamy), boxes of macaroni and cheese mix, granulated sugar, canned chili, canned meats (Spam, tuna, chicken, beef, ham, etc.), beef stew. Other desirable items are: cake mixes, frosting, canned evaporated milk, boxed meal mixes (Hamburger Helper, etc.), instant potato flakes Ramen noodles are NOT needed. Remember, do not bring perishable food items.

3 3 How about a float in the Christmas parade? How can we share the real reason behind the Christmas season? The Christmas parade would be a great way to highlight both our Church s involvement in the community AND the good news of Christ s birth. Be thinking of some ideas to put together a float for the electrical Christmas parade on Friday, November 30, during the VAAC Country Christmas. Let s come up with something that highlights Jesus as the real reason for the season. Kid s Club news Wednesday night Kid s club will continue to meet each week from 6:00-7:45 PM. As a reminder, there will be no Wednesday night activities on November 21, the night before Thanksgiving. We will however begin working on this year s Christmas program Broadcasting Christmas! The children will help create the atmosphere of a 1940s radio broadcast from WJOY radio. Younger children will play the part of the nativity, while others will be the sound effects technicians! Traditional Christmas music and one new song - Santa s Coming is part of this delightful musical. It is important that those children involved with the Christmas program attend each Wednesday as rehearsals begin. The youth program is tentatively planned to be performed on Sunday evening, Come help decorate our church for the Christmas season on Sunday, November 25 at 5:00 PM Bringing attention to FBC At a recent evangelism meeting an idea was hatched to help the public become aware of our church and our mission to Virden. How? We will be serving hot chocolate on the corner for FREE! Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1 is the Virden Country Christmas on the square. If you are willing to give someone a cup of hot cocoa and an invitation to join us for worship on Sunday morning, then we want your help. Watch your bulletin for more details. Is your light growing dim? Albert Schweitzer, the gifted physician, scientist, musician and missionary, said that at times our own light seems to go out. Sometimes we feel rather dim or washed out. Know the experience? Schweitzer suggested that our light can be rekindled by another person whose light is still strong and whose presence can increase the power of our own light. Our light can be increased as we live in relationship with the light of the world. In John 8:12, Jesus says: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness (NRSV). In Jesus light, we find that the light in our own life is increased. St. Paul told how Christ s light should affect us: In the Lord you are light. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8, NRSV). Great time of fellowship and fun!

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5 5 Dear Church Family, November begins the festive holiday season that will take us into the new year. The first event for First Baptist Church is our annual Thanksgiving Dinner presented by the American Baptist Women s Ministries, then the community Thanksgiving service, presented this year on Sunday, November 18, by Prairie Temple, and of course, Thanksgiving with our families; the Community Christmas Sing on Sunday, December 2, and events in our own church, including a children s program, a choir presentation, and of course, Christmas Eve. The busyness of the season sometimes causes us to forget what these events are really about. We worry more about who will bring the pumpkin pie than what it is we are thankful for. We worry more about what theme we are to use in the decorating of our Christmas trees and what to give to Aunt Minnie than the humility of that first Christmas and what it means to us. As we approach this season, make it a point to set aside time for God. Every time you plan your Thanksgiving activities, whip up a batch of cookies, sit down to ponder your Christmas list, look at your Christmas cards, or wrap packages, set aside a few minutes to quietly sit in the presence of the One who deserves our thanks and became human for our sakes. Let this holiday season be a season not only of family and friends but of getting to know the Savior. For the praise of His glory, Thoughts for Veterans Day This month our mission tithe goes to Kids Hope United s office in Centralia (formerly Hudelson Baptist Children s Home). Here is just one of the stories that our contributions make possible: Growing up, Melanie experienced a childhood unimaginable to most. Because of her history of being severely abused by her biological mother, Melanie was not stable enough to enter foster care when removed from her mother s custody. Instead, Melanie entered the Kids Hope United Residential Treatment Facility in Centralia, Ill. Upon entering the program, Melanie displayed severe behavioral, mental and emotional problems. She tried running away and had a very tough time adjusting. But with time and the dedicated care of KHU staff, Melanie came to identify her self-worth and potential. Eventually, Melanie was able to transfer to a transitional living program, where she has more freedom and responsibilities, preparing her for adulthood and a successful future full of hope. Abraham Lincoln gave his second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, as the Civil War was raging. He said, Fondly do we hope - fervently do we pray - that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Lincoln s next paragraph is especially appropriate for Veterans Day: With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations. When President Lincoln finished his classic oration, he reportedly kissed the bible and left the platform. He was assassinated the next month.

6 6 Bible Study schedule for November Wednesday morning Adult Bible Study meets each week at 9:30 AM. Join us as we continue the study in Judges as follows: Wed, Nov 14 - Judges 11:1-14, 28, 12:7 - Conquering the Pain of your Past Wed, Nov 21 - No Bible Study (Thanksgiving Eve) Wed, Nov 28 - Judges Why Morality Matters Bible Study will take a break for the month of December and resume in January. Routinely grateful When a national day of thanksgiving was established on the fourth Thursday in November, it was not because that was a particularly thankful day. It was intentionally chosen precisely because of its arbitrariness to remind us to say thanks on a daily basis for the bounties God has heaped upon our lives. For Christians, every Sunday is a Thanksgiving feast day. Every Sunday at worship, we give thanks for the greatest event ever to hit planet Earth, the greatest opening in human history the open tomb, testifying to Jesus resurrection. Every Sunday is Thanksgiving Sunday. Every Sunday dinner is Thanksgiving dinner. Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive. ---Bumper sticker First Baptist Church 157 W. Jackson St. Virden, IL ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED