Steeple Views Issue 12 March 16, 2011 First Baptist Church Monroe North Carolina Second Sunday Series This Sunday, March 20 5:00-7:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room Supper will be served at 5:00 (no charge) A Conversation about Islam will follow supper facilitated by Shaun Ahmad Time will then be given for questions & answers Reservations are not needed Wednesday, March 23 12:00 noon St. Paul s Episcopal Church Preaching Rev. John Haas First Presbyterian Church Light luncheon served afterwards in their Fellowship Hall The Joy Agape Bible Fellowship Class is forming a team for this year s Relay for Life, which will be held May 6-7 at Sun Valley High School. The team is open to anyone from First Baptist who would like to participate. If you would like to register to be part of the First Baptist team ( The Joy of Living ) and receive a Relay t-shirt, turn in a check for $10.00 (make payable to the American Cancer Society) to Vickie Tuggle, Lisa Davis, or the church office. Checks must be received no later than 12:00 noon this Thursday, March 17. Team registration is due this Friday morning, March 18. Please consider joining the team. It is a wonderful way to honor all of the cancer survivors in our church and our lives. For more information about Relay for Life, visit their website www.relayforlife.org/union.nc.
This Week at FBC Sunday, March 20 8:30 AM Chancel Ringers 9:30 AM Bible Fellowship 10:30 AM Preschool Extended Session 10:45 AM Service of Worship 12:00 PM College Group Lunch/Bible Study Youth Family Lunch/Clip Coupons 5:00 PM Second Sunday Series 7:00 PM Chancel Ringers Monday, March 21 6:00 PM Accidental Art Class 6:30 PM TOPS Tuesday, March 22 9:30 AM Crafters on Mission 6:30 PM Coordinating Committee Wednesday, March 23 12:00 PM Community Lenten Service St. Paul s Episcopal Church 5:30 PM Fellowship Meal Buffet: barbecue, baked beans, marinated slaw, bread, dessert 6:15 PM Child Care Music Time Youth Group Prayer Shawl Ministry Prayer Meeting 6:30 PM Adult Lenten Bible Study Wednesday Night Handbell Group 6:45 PM Children s Missions Rotation 6:55 PM Youth Choir 7:30 PM Chancel Choir Thursday, March 24 11:30 AM Young-at-Heart Lunch at Stone Table Restaurant 5:30 PM Transition Team Friday, March 25 2:30 PM Blood Drive in Multipurpose Room Saturday, March 26 9:00 AM Landscaping Crew Missions-First In March, the Loose Change Offering will benefit HealthQuest, an agency located in Monroe that provides prescription medications for people in need. Spring Party - The Missions Board is sponsoring the Spring Party for the Compensatory Education Classes at South Piedmont Community Colllege on March 31. Robin Pittman is director of the program at South Piedmont. See article on page the back page for how you can help. Want to help with cutting and/or delivering firewood to needy Union County residents? See Tim McBride, Chris Gross or Don Haver to volunteer. Thank you for your support of our FoodPacks ministry. For a list of needed items, please consult the Missions page on the church website. Two of the greatest needs each week are juice boxes and entrees such as Beefaroni, ravioli, spaghetti, etc. Young-at at-heart Lunch Young-at-Heart members will have lunch together at the Stone Table on Thursday, March 24 11:30 a.m. No need to come to the church just meet at the restaurant WMU Annual Meeting This Year s Theme: Easter Women To be held Monday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. Union Baptist Association Resource Center FBC Mission Minded Youth Saturday, March 20 Youth Family Lunch/Clip Coupons Saturday, March 26 Habitat for Humanity Recycling Center Sunday, April 3 Prepare/Serve Lunch at Community Shelter By the Numbers Sunday, March 13, 2011 Bible Fellowship Attendance...98 Worship Attendance...171 Weekly Budget Requirements...$ 10,722 Budget Receipts...$ 7,867 Budget Requirements to Date...$300,216 Budget Receipts to Date...$246,995
The Worship of God March 20, 2011-10:45 a.m. Children Worship and Wonder Children Come to Jesus Anthem by the Chancel Choir God is Our Refuge by Allen Pote Voluntary by Chancel Ringers Andante Maestoso (THAXTED) by Kevin McChesney Sermon by Rev. Gene Derryberry God Listens and Acts Scripture: Psalm 121 Audio CDs of our worship services are available in the church office. Audio recordings of sermons are available at www.monroefirstbaptist.org Committees Bible Fellowship Greeters: Forefront Class Church Office Volunteer: Frances Vaughan Security: Gathering Area Joel Myers Narthex-Jane Hawkins Ushers: Jane Hawkins, Frances Knight, David Lowery Ted Geouge, Chris Gross Offertory: Doris Ramsey, Chris Gross, Max Melton, Nancy Sumrow Preschool Extended Session: Robin Haas, Eleanor O Neill Money Counters: Martha Nance, Pat Turner Wednesday Night Helpers Dean and Angie Baskins, Patti Duncan, Ann Handy Sunday, March 27 at 8:00 a.m. Hilltop Restaurant Reservations are not needed Invite someone to attend with you! Please Note Due to the rising cost of food, permanent Wednesday night dinner reservations that are not canceled by 12:00 noon on Tuesday will be required to be paid for by the following week. Also, if you make weekly reservations and do not attend, you will be required to pay for that meal by the following week. This has always been our policy; however, it has not always been followed. We hope this helps in not having to raise our prices for the Wednesday Fellowship Meal in the near future. First Baptist Family Please remember the following in prayer: Debbie Wall Barbara Siron Jeanette Helms Betty Rogers at Autumn Care Mary Wood Bob Thompson Karen Marossy Gordon Springs Wert Carte, friend of Denise Hopper John Caskey, father of David Caskey Pam Caskey s mother Mark Poindexter, father of Sarah Poindexter Sympathy To Jane Austin and family in the death of her brother-in-law, Mack Barrett Seasons of the Spirit Sunday, March 20 Bold Blessing Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-4, 13-17; John 3:1-17 BLOOD DRIVE Friday, March 25, 2:30-7:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room Pastoral Care Emergencies Minister on Call March 19-26 Paul Sims 704-219-1440
Sewing for Missions... Please remember to support our Crafters on Mission as they make simple children s dresses for girls in Haiti. If you would like to help make the dresses, please see Glenda Poindexter for the pattern. A bin is in the Gathering Area for donations of 1 or more yards of colorful material or bright colored pillowcases. Also needed are children s size flip flops. Many of the young children in Haiti have no shoes and little clothing. Thanks for helping! Volunteers Needed on Thursday, March 31 to help with The Spring Party for the Compensatory Education Classes at South Piedmont Community College We also need volunteers to bring all types of finger foods Sign up in your Bible Fellowship Class, on Wednesday evenings, or call or email the church office to volunteer Mark your calendars for Operation Inasmuch... Saturday, April 16 There is something each of us can do to help with this one-day outreach mission blitz to our community Included will be a breakfast, bake sale and yard sale in the Multipurpose Room as well as construction/home repair, painting projects, yard work, craft projects, child care and more Watch for more details and sign ups as time grows closer Please begin to clean out your closets, attic, garage, etc. for items to donate to the yard sale Operation Inasmuch, held in churches across the United States, shows Christ s love through community mission projects Steeple Views First Baptist Church First Baptist Church 109 Morrow Avenue Monroe NC 28112 704.283.8534 Free and faithful Baptists ministering in the heart of Union County since 1852 Web-site... www.monroefirstbaptist.org Gene Derryberry, Intentional Interim Pastor... gene.derryberry@monroefirstbaptist.org Paul M. Sims, Associate Minister... paul.sims@monroefirstbaptist.org Sara Spahr Stubbs, Associate Minister...sara.stubbs@monroefirstbaptist.org Timothy D. Belflowers, Organist...belflowers@aol.com Susie Echols, Youth Mission Project Coordinator...susie.echols@monroefirstbaptist.org Leslie Gordon, Ministry Intern... leslie.gordon@monroefirstbaptist.org David Mosely, Ministry Intern...david.mosely@monroefirstbaptist.org Taylor Vancil, Ministry Intern...taylor.vancil@monroefirstbaptist.org Marsha Sexton, Business Manager...marsha.sexton@monroefirstbaptist.org Kathy Cole, Ministry Coordinator... kathy.cole@monroefirstbaptist.org Elizabeth Mshar, Weekday Preschool Director...liz.mshar@monroefirstbaptist.org Presorted Non-Profit US POSTAGE PAID Monroe, NC Permit No. 34 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
From the Intentional Interim Minister... Lent is a time of discernment of our commitment of time, prayer, talent, gifts and skills to the Body of Christ in which each of us can live out the Kingdom of God where Jesus calls us to participate. Intentional Interim Ministry is a process that First Baptist church adopted as an integral part of the overall pastoral search process. The congregation will work on discerning, discovering, and clarifying God s will, purpose and direction. Therefore, it is a spiritual discernment process. Ultimately, it is the congregation s responsibility to be good stewards of time, money and talent. And so, during this season of Lent, I am asking your church staff to develop a Survey of Time, Talent, Skills, and Service in order to build a data base that will serve FBC now and provide a future pastor a meaningful awareness of the many gifts within First Baptist Church. This transition time is a unique opportunity for FBC to clarify its identity and mission and to call a pastor who will yoke with you to provide ministry in this community. Your Talents and Service are God s gifts for this church and community. I plan for the survey to include present and past positions you hold in the church; present and past positions of work and service you hold in the community; your talents, skills, gifts, education and interests; positions you would like to be considered for in the church and new ministries you would like for the church to consider. Bless you, Gene Faith in Fiction Book Club Book Club members invite you to join them at their April 7 meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Church Parlor They will review and discuss Rick Bragg s book, The Most They Ever Had Address Matthew Lowery is in basic training for the Marines. We know he would appreciate letters from home. His address is: Rct Lowery, Matthew, D 1 RTBN PLT 1033 CO B PO Box 16145 Parris Island, SC 29905-1002 Last month you donated $11,411.01 worth of coupons that our Mission Minded Youth, with the help of some congregational members, clipped and sorted for military families serving in Italy and Germany. The youth will once again clip and sort coupons this Sunday, March 20. A bin has been placed in the Gathering Area for your donations of coupons. Thank you for helping our Mission Minded Youth touch lives in the name of Christ.
Upcoming Community Events First Baptist to take Part The community events listed below can bring more visibility to First Baptist. Watch the newsletter for information on ways you can help with the events. 3rd Annual Union County Dog Walk, April 2 The Union County Dog Walk is a fundraiser for Union County Smart Start and takes place in downtown Monroe. The route takes walkers past the front of the church. First Baptist will have a booth in this year s walk to promote our worship services and mission projects. Information about our church will be placed in event bags and given out to all participants. Union County MS Walk, April 2 The MS Walk this year begins and ends in our back parking lot. The Outreach Team plans to hand out bottled water to the participants. The Team is in need of donations of 16 to 20 ounce bottles of water. A box will be placed in the Gathering Area for donations. Monroe Art Walk, April 15-16 The Monroe Art Walk is also an event that takes place downtown. One of the scheduled stops will be at First Baptist. Even though this is the weekend for Operation Inasmuch, the Outreach Team feels this is a great opportunity for people in the community to be introduced to our church. It will also, hopefully, bring more shoppers for the yard and bake sale for Inasmuch! ATTENTION ARTISTS: First Baptist is blessed with many talented people and we would like to invite our artists to display their work for the Monroe Art Walk. Types of art can include paintings, pottery, wood crafts, textile art (quilts, cross-stitch, knitting, crochet, etc.), floral art, and photography. The art will be displayed in the sanctuary and volunteers will be on duty throughout the weekend to make sure your pieces are safe. Artwork can be brought to the church on Wednesday, April 13 or Thursday, April 14 and will need to be picked up on Sunday, April 17. Please be sure your name is on the artwork. If you have questions, please contact either Nathan Hopper or Ruby Coffey. Also, we need donations of easels. If you can loan one or more to the church, bring them on April 13 or 14. Be sure your name is on each one. The CBF You ve Got the Time initiative is now in process for the season of Lent. Eighty-six people have undertaken the challenge of listening to the New Testament in 40 days, as well as eight Kidz Bible CDs shared with our children. Some of you have begun the reading plan of the New Testament. If you still want to be part of this education endeavor, the MP3 CDs will remain in the church office. They can be played on any PC, laptop, DVD player, and some newer model car stereos. They can be downloaded to your ipod. Please let us know if you have any technical questions. All donations will be shared with the Faith Comes by Hearing ministry so that the New Testament can be recorded in a language spoken by 31,000 people in Mexico. Please remember to give your donation by this Sunday, March 20. Thanks for sharing together in this project.