Beacon Newsletter Murphy First Baptist Church December 2018 First Baptist Church Loving People to Jesus 517 Hiwassee Street Murphy, NC 28906 828-837-2615 Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth shall have the light of life. John 8:12 Come join us in celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior and experience your very own Journey of Faith : A Christmas Prayer Our 42 nd Annual Singing Christmas Tree, a musical drama SATURDAY DECEMBER 8 TH 4:00 PM SUNDAY DECEMBER 9 TH 7:00 PM MONDAY DECEMBER 10 TH 7:00 PM
WOMEN ON MISSIONS Lottie Moon Post Office is now available. The Post Office will be set up in the Visitors Center. We ask that you place Christmas Cards to people who attend FBC Murphy in the correct location in the box, then donate the money that the cost of postage to Lottie Moon. As you come to church each week please check the mail box for your cards. This is not for cards to people who do not attend FBC Murphy. Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal is $10,000.00. All this money goes directly to the support of missionaries around the world. Pray and ask God what He wants you to give to spread the gospel. Week of Prayer for International Missions is December 2 to December 9. Please be in prayer for all our missionaries that are around the world spreading the gospel. International Mission Study will be December 2 at 6:30 PM during Sunday night worship service. Bro. Al Hood will be teaching the Mission Study. Everyone is invited to come. All Women are invited to a Pajama Party on Monday, December 3 at 6:00 PM at the home of Duronda Hood (245 Skyline Drive in Murphy). This is for all ladies including the Esther Bible Study Group and Women on Missions. Mission project will be white women s underwear (all sizes in original package) and white women s socks (all sizes in original package) and Bibles. These items will be taken to the Cherokee jail female inmates. MEN S PRAYER BREAKFAST Pray for America Prayer Meeting 3rd Thursday of each month December 20t h at 11:59 AM The monthly men s breakfast will be on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at Brother s Restaurant at 9 AM. Please remember to wear your green shirt and bring your bible. Any questions, contact Rob Amsden @ 828.494.9228 Closet needs men s clothing. Please consider donating your gently used items. Thank you for giving to the Lord! PRAYER QUILT MINISTRY This ministry would appreciate contributions to defray the cost of quilts. Contact Peggy 828.633 0059 Are you missing something? We found. Jesus Calling Bible Story Book Brown reading glasses Small brown leather covered Bible/no name, but the name Becky is noted inside it in a few places DEADLINE For January 2019 BEACON submission is: Thursday, December27 th
Who is Lottie Moon, and why is the Christmas Offering named for her? 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LOTTIE MOON: 1.Lottie was born in Virginia on December 12, 1840. 2.Her name was Charlotte Digges Moon, but everyone called her Lottie. 3.She was 4 9 tall. 4.Before she became a Christian while in high school, Lottie missed required chapels 26 times. 5.Lottie loved to pull pranks on others. Once, when what the D stood for in her middle name, she replied, Devil. 6.Lottie was appointed to China as a missionary at age 33 and served there 39 years, primarily in Tengchow and Pingtu. 7.She wore Chinese clothes and lived like her Chinese neighbors. 8.Lottie had several nicknames in China foreign devil, foreign lady teacher, heavenly book visitor, and the cookie maker. (Lottie baked cookies to win the hearts of the children and families who were frightened of her.) Lottie led in the campaign to end the practice of bound feet. The Chinese believed small feet made a woman more beautiful, so girl s feet were bound tightly with cloth. Girls with bound feet could hardly walk, and infections, gangrene, and even death were common side effects of this practice. WHY THE CHRISTMAS OFFERING IS NAMED FOR LOTTIE: While living in China, Lottie wrote letters to the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board) and to Baptist women. She asked for more missionaries and for money to grow her work on the Chinese. Because of Lottie s determination, WMU collected a Christmas Offering to give to the Foreign Mission Board. In 1919, Annie Armstrong suggested that the offering should be named for Lottie Moon. Today, we still give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in honor of her work and sacrifice to keep our missionaries on the field. One hundred percent of the offering goes to the missionaries, none to administration. LOTTIE'S OWN WORDS ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS OFFERING: Need it be said why the week before Christmas is chosen? Is not the festive season, when families and friends exchange gifts in memory of The Gift laid on the altar of the world for the redemption of the human race, the most appropriate time to consecrate a portion from abounding riches and scant poverty to send forth the good tidings of great joy into all the earth? 2018 LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING GOAL The goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for 2018 is $160,000,000.
Month of December Events: CHILDREN S ACTIVITIES REMINDER: Wednesday, December 5 th at 6 pm we will be having our Lottie Moon Bake, Decorate and Sale Party. If you would like to help with cost and bring some decorations for the cookies we would greatly appreciate it. Items Needed: Cake Icing, Sprinkles (Christmas Colors) and Wax Paper All Children will participate in this event and sell to the church afterwards. Sunday, December 16 th at 6:30 PM, Children s Christmas Play, Wednesday, December 19 th, 6:00 PM Children s Department Christmas Party Wednesday, December 26 th and January 2nd NO WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASSES We will no longer be serving a 5:30 pm meal on Wednesday nights for the children, youth and workers. I appreciate the support we have had thus far but due to lack of participation we can no longer continue with this ministry. We will start back with offering hardy snacks in the classrooms during class time. Again, thank you for all the help thus far with these meals. A special thank you to Les and Pat Seal for being present each week to cook for us and Jerry Brackett for providing much of the food served. We had several hard workers with this ministry including Rose Anderson, Glenda Pickelsimer, Chasity Ledford and Karen Johnson and several more who also prepared and purchased groceries for us. This ministry would not have been possible without all of your help! We hope to revisit the possibility of offering this meal again when the need arises. Thank you, Jamie Deren - Children's Director YOUTH ACTIVITIES Hello Everyone!! First off, I would like to thank all the people who helped make the progressive dinner in November a success. We had a wonderful evening of food and fellowship. As the C hristmas season is quickly approaching, I wanted to let you all know about our upcoming events: Wednesday, Dec 5: Lottie Moon C hristmas C ookie Decorating Party @ 6:30 (the youth will be joining the C hildren's department) S aturday, Dec 15: Youth C hristmas Party, 5:00pm @ C ory and Leighton's house (please bring a gift, no more than $5 for our gift exchange ) S aturday, Dec 22: Baptist Boy's Home @ 9:00am
12/2 Robin Jones 12/18 George Ramsey 12/3 Terry Moss 12/21 Michael Bradberry 12/4 Theresa Carson, Abby Dickey 12/22 Beth Decker 12/5 Bob Hatchett, MaryLou Lineberger, 12/24 Flo Gleason Brad Lance, John Peyton Ivie 12/25 Eileen Riemenschneider 12/7 Leighton West Steve Forrister 12/10 Ray Ballard, Penny Johnson 12/26 Pat Ivie 12/12 Deborah Molster 12/30 Richard Atchison, 12/13 Jim Sleeper Martha Bradberry, Tina Hughes 12/15 Jim Claypool, Carol Moss 12/31 Jim Akers 12/17 Oscar Stoney Stone, Richard Davis OCC SHOEBOXES 703 shoeboxes!! Thank you church family and friends for everything you have done to support this ministry. A special thank you to Lucy Fuller for sewing two hundred tote bags for our shoeboxes. We had a wonderful crowd helping with our Shoebox Filling Party. Thank you, each and everyone. Our prayer is that every shoebox recipient experiences the love of God. NURSERY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE PERFORMANCES One person is needed for Saturday, December 8th at 4 PM and two people are needed for Monday, December 10th at 7 PM. Please contact Jamie Deren at 828.361.8658 if you are willing to help.
UPCOMING EVENTS OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD (OCC) OCC Dates: December 6 th Processing Center in Atlanta* *This year we were able to obtain two dates for volunteering at the processing center in Atlanta. The first date was chosen so the youth (who have expressed much interest in this mission work and the date is a holiday for Cherokee county schools) might easily participate. This first date is also available for all interested adults. We will travel by church van or bus; adults may drive separately, if desired. The second date is reserved for any interested persons. There are assorted job/assignments even sit down jobs for those who have physical limitations. We encourage you to joins us for this fun work day. Those who have previously participated have said it was a true blessing. There are limited slots available so contact us soon. For signing up or more details, please contact project leaders Karen or Amy Wayman (361.2465). Expression of Gratitude 10/26/18 Dear First Baptist Church Family, What a joy it was to be with you during your revival meetings. Thank you for the invitation and warm welcome we received. We were blessed by the service and thankful for the opportunity to worship with you. Also, thank you for the generous love gifts. We appreciate your kindness to us and your support of our music ministry. May God richly bless each of you as you seek Him. Rejoicing, ` The Neely Team Patrick & Darlene Jessica, Victoria, Susana, Lauren, Samuel, Bethany, SPECIAL REQUEST Church members are asked to please provide finger food items for the choir and drama departments celebration in the Fellowship Hall after the final performance of the Singing Christmas Tree on Monday, December 10, 2018. Thank you very much!
ROTATION SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 2018 1 ST SUNDAY, December 2, 2018 Nursery/Toddler 11 AM: Edie Spence Children s Church 11 AM: No Children s Church Randy Glass Shawn Johnson Bud Penland, Captain; Dale Allen, Chris Deren, Clay Durrett, Fred Heath, Daniel Ledford Welcome and Prayer: Shawn Johnson Jim Van Winkle Welcome Center Rotation Before AM Service: Clay and Sandy Durrett Welcome Center Rotation After AM Service: Dale and Betty Allen 2 nd SUNDAY, December 9, 2018 Children s Church 11AM: Nursery/Toddler : Deb Hatchett 3-5 Year Olds: Chloe Decker and Savannah Deren 1st 3rd Grade: Susan LaCharitte Otwell Glenda Picklesimer Bud Penland Steve Dickey, Captain; Dan Anderson, Jeff Gooch, John Ivie, Bob Penland, Mike Worley Welcome and Prayer: Tom Leatherwood Larry Parrish Welcome Center Rotation Before AM Service: Millie Crawford and Effie Ridler Welcome Center Rotation After AM Service: Laney Family 3 rd SUNDAY, December 16, 2018 Children s Church 11AM: Nursery/Toddler: Karen Tanner 3-5 Year Olds: Nancy Dickey 1st 3rd Grade: Sonya Decker Steve Hatfield Richard Atchison Ken Lance, Captain; Jim Akers, James Payne, Don Picklesimer, Charlie Spence, Rick Toews Welcome and Prayer: Tom O Day Kenny Lance Welcome Center Rotation Before AM Service: Mary Jackson and Linda Allen Welcome Center Rotation After AM Service: Ken and Ann Lance 4 th SUNDAY, December 23, 2018 Children s Church 11AM: Nursery/Toddler: Shawn and Abigaile Wilson 3-5 Year Olds: Edie Spence 1st 3rd Grade: Shawn and Penny Johnson Rose Anderson Daniel Ledford and Bryan Phillips Richard Atchison, Captain; Kevin Ventura, Richard Pullium, Walker Rowland, Ernie Wilson, James Claypool Welcome and Prayer: Les Seal Larry Parrish Welcome Center Rotation Before AM Service: Richard and Mildred Pullium Welcome Center Rotation After AM Service: Spence Family 5 th SUNDAY, December 30 2018 Children s Church 11AM: Nursery/Toddler: Mary and Mazy Moore 3-5 Year Olds: Glenda Pickelsimer 1st 3rd Grade: Karen Johnson Jimbo Richeson Jeff Gooch and Shawn Johnson Richard Atchison, Captain; Kevin Ventura, Richard Pullium, Walker Rowland, Ernie Wilson, James Claypool Welcome and Prayer: Shawn Wilson Walker Rowland Welcome Center Rotation Before AM Service: Marilyn Hartness and Mildred Pullium Welcome Center Rotation After AM Service: Dana Anderson and Abby Carder
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 A C T I V I T I E S S U N M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T 1 2 7:30 PM - Deacon s mtg. 9 5:30 PM Church Council 7 PM Singing Christmas Tree 3 10 7 PM Singing Christmas Tree 4 5 6 7 8 9AM Men s Breakfast 11 12 13 14 15 4 PM Singing Christmas Tree 16 17 23 30 24 31 18 19 6:30 Business Mtg. 20 11:59 AM Pray for America Courthouse, Room 342 25 26 27 BEACON DEADLINE 5:30 pm 21 22 28 29