Worship God Equip Believers Build Community Share Christ Volume 119 Number 6 March 18, 2015 Lord s Supper The Kneeling Christian Notes of Appreciation Men s Breakfast This Sunday, March 22 8:15 & 10:50 Services The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for y o u ; d o t h i s i n remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Come join us as we gather together in remembrance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In This Issue Bible Study Fellowship Mission Focus: Annie Armstrong Benevolence Offering Sunday Calendar of Events Dear Church Family, From Our Pastor I would like to encourage you to begin preparing for the great opportunity Easter Sunday gives us. It is the one Sunday that many people commit to attending worship when most other Sundays they don t. Notice I used the word commit. The Easter attender doesn t wake up on Easter Sunday and then decide to attend services somewhere; that decision has already been made. The only question for many of them is where? That is where you come in. I want to encourage you to take the opportunity you have to help them answer that question. The Easter season is an easy one to speak to a perfect stranger about their church attendance. It is also an easy opportunity to bring up the subject of attending church to someone who is not a perfect stranger: co-worker, fellow student, friend, family member. And, remember, inviting someone to attend church where you do does not have to be a lead-in to a deep, profound theological discussion. It can simply be a straightforward, enthusiastic and genuine invitation to consider attending services at a particular church. Are you willing to pray about this? I hope so, because the Sunday morning that Christians all over the world acknowledge that Jesus Christ is alive is right around the corner! The Sunday morning that seems to have an extra sense of exuberance and vitality is April 5! Will you commit now to influencing someone to be present that Sunday at First Baptist Church? Easter Sunday Movie Event Easter Sunday, April 5 6:00 pm Come see the film The Heart of Texas that our Valentine Banquet speaker, Grove Norwood, talked about and experienced! It s a true story of amazing love, forgiveness, and grace in the face of tragedy in a small Texas community. First Baptist Church, 2321 Avenue F, Bay City, TX 77414 Website: www.fbc-baycity.org
Worship Ministry Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, April 2, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary with music from the King s Ringers & Celebration Choir Easter Sunday Services Sunday, April 5, 8:15 & 10:50 am, Sanctuary with music from the Ladies Ensemble as well as Agnus Dei, presented by our Combined Choir (Music Makers, Young Musicians, Journey with Christ, Celebration Choir, & Jubilaires) All Choirs Special Rehearsal Saturday, March 28, 11a-12p Music Makers, Young Musicians, JwC, Celebration Choir, and Jubilaires will join to rehearse Agnus Dei for the Easter Sunday services. This will be a great opportunity not only to rehearse together in the sanctuary but also to go over logistics, including where the choirs will stand & when to move into place. First Kids Children's Ministry Wenesday, March 25 is BE A LIGHT NIGHT at AWANA! The kids can earn a flashlight for every 5 new verses they say! So practice! Practice! Practice! And remember Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed! See you Wednesday! No Children s Church on Easter Sunday, but be sure your family stops by the first pew on Easter Sunday morning because Ms. Jordan will have special Easter surprises for the kids! AND Centrikid sign-up is in full swing! CentriKid Camp: Faith in Training THE Camp for Kids 3rd-6th grade July 6-10 Cost: $200 $50 deposit due to sign up For CentriKid 2015, we will explore spiritual practices that help us grow in our faith. The theme is FIT: Faith in Training. Our key verse is Jeremiah 29:13: You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (HCSB) Deep & Wide Student Ministry Patchwork of Life Conference Patchwork of Life Community Christian Women s Conference & Bay Area Pottery Exhibition Saturday, April 11 Christian Life Center 200 Welch St., Palacios 8:30am 3:00pm The Potter s Hand Featuring Rachel Norris Rachel has led a life worthy of an adventure movie. Raised in Shaghai, China, Rachel is gifted in demonstrating through her pottery how each of us is uniquely shaped by The Potter s Hand. The Pottery Exhibition will feature 4,000 year old potsherd fragments of Holy Land pottery, discovered by archaeologists, as well as pottery from Texas and the Southwest. Tickets $15 for conference, exhibition & lunch Free Childcare (ages birth age 5) with advance registration Call church office to sign up for conference PowerPlus Youth Camp at Pineywoods Baptist Camp in Woodlake, TX July 20-24 NOW: $50 deposit to reserve a spot MAY 31: $95 second deposit JULY 5: $100 balance due TOTAL: $245 (Talk to Chris about scholarships.) Youth Ministry Committee March 22 Our meeting is scheduled at 4:00pm in PMH. Acquire the Fire Houston May 15-16 Sign up in the Youth Room or FBC Office. Registration is $40. Youth Mission Trip Thank you, FBC family, for your continued support as we prepare for World Changers in PR. We invite you to INVEST in our mission trip by purchasing STOCK CERTIFICATES. Donors will get an invitation to a Shareholders Banquet this spring, a prayer reminder quarter, and a post card from Puerto Rico. Pray for Puerto Rico! Iglesia Bautistia El Mesías (Messiah Baptist Church) will work with World Changers this summer. Their ladies provided lunches. Students from El Mesías help as translators. Their praise band leads worship for us. Please pray for all our leaders.
The Kneeling Christian By an unknown Christian before 1930... Oh, how great must God s wonder be today! For how few there are among us who know what prevailing prayer really is! Every one of us would confess that we believe in prayer, yet how many of us truly believe in the power of prayer? Now before we go a step further may the writer most earnestly implore you not to read hurriedly what is contained in these chapters. Very much depends on the way in which every reader receives what is recorded here. For everything depends upon prayer. Why are many Christians often defeated? Because they pray so little. Why are many church workers often discouraged and disheartened? Because they pray so little. Why do most men see so few brought out of darkness into light by their ministry? Because they pray so little. Why are our churches simply not on fire for God? Because there is so little real prayer. The Lord Jesus is as powerful today as ever before. The Lord Jesus is as anxious for men to be saved as ever before. His arm is not shortened that it cannot save, but He cannot stretch forth His arm unless we pray more a lot more. We may be assured of this, that the secret of all failure is our failure to engage in secret prayer Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray. We can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything that God can do! When we pray, God works. All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer of the worker s prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf. We all know how to pray, but perhaps many of us need to cry, as the disciples of old did, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1). The Kneeling Christian; unknown author; printed in USA copyright 2013 by Whitaker House of New Kensington, PA 15068; p. 10, 16. Notes of Appreciation Dear Church Family, Thank you so much for all the cards and calls that we received from you during Allen s hospitalization and recovery. We are so blessed to be part of a congregation that touches one another s lives. Your faithful prayers have sustained us. We know that God s hand was upon us and guided Allen and the doctors through the successful emergency surgery. Allen is improving each day and expects to be playing racquetball and riding his bike soon. Dear First Baptist Church, Love, Allen and Janet Cumbie The Women s Pregnancy Center volunteers and board would like to thank you for your continued support of our center. Your donations of baby items are helping to supply our Earn While You Learn Baby Bucks program. Because of your help, we are speading Christ s love throughout our community! Carlisa Krenek, Director On-the-Road to Washington on the Brazos and Independence, TX Tuesday, March 24 We leave on the bus at 8:00 am Bring a sack lunch. Snacks on the bus are provided. On the way home, we ll stop for supper! For more information, call Carolyn at 245-5109 Bible Study Opportunity Bible study draws us closer to God and helps us better understand Him, His Word and His love. Through a stronger relationship with God, members have discovered how to build better and stronger relationships with others at home, work, school and in our communities. Bible Study Fellowship is an in-depth, interdenominational Bible study that helps people know God and equips them to effectively serve the Church throughout the world. Currently BSF is studying the life of Moses and soon will be studying the book of Revelation. A new evening BSF group is forming in Bay City, so if you are interested in finding out more, contact Gwen Pennington at 979-479-1580, Jean Story at 979-244-5046 or Kelly Winters at 979-240-0232. Benevolence Offering Sunday Thank you for donating to the benevolence ministry of FBC! Because of your generosity, FBC is able to help many people in need in our community. Sunday, March 29 is your opportunity to support our Benevolence Ministry. Donations are greatly appreciated and very necessary for the continuation of this ministry. Please give so we may continue to meet the needs of people in Jesus name. Please mark your check or envelope Benevolence
March Mission Focus: North American Missions Annie Armstrong Easter Offering FBC Offering Goal: $5,000 Given to Date: $2,750 Monies given beyond the offering goal will be given to support the Youth Mission Trip to Puerto Rico. Each year, gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering support missionary salaries and training, church planting, and evangelism efforts in North America. While you may have heard of the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, how much do you actually know about this incredible woman? Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) was a remarkable advocate and supporter of missions. She lived in Baltimore, Maryland, during her 88 years of life. Influenced by her pastor and women important to her, Annie developed a passion for helping others in Jesus' name. Here are a few other facts: She was involved in ministries to children, poor, and sick people but also felt burdened that the church should do more to evangelize the world. In one year, Annie wrote 18,000 letters encouraging people to give to missions. Annie used her hands to write those letters, and she also used her hands to hold her Bible and learn more about how God wanted her to show His love to others. She also folded her hands to pray for people who needed to know about Jesus. We honor and imitate Annie's love for lost people when we give to the offering named for her. With Heartfelt Sympathy The FBC Family extends sympathy to the following member and her family in the loss of her loved one: Jenny Murry Grandmother Information Center Sunday School Report Date Enroll Attend March 8 632 161 March 15 628 195 Average Sunday School Att. YTD = 218 (through Week 30) Tithes & Offerings Report Date Given March 8 $16,595.52 March 15 $32,244.00 YTD 2015 Needed: $191,941.97 YTD 2015 Given: $181,214.03 Designated Gifts Benevolence Annie Armstrong Game 7 Ministry Cowboy Church Youth Mission Trip to Puerto Rico Special Gifts In Memory Of: Robbins Odom Annie Armstrong Memorial Church Family Suppers Each week: Extreme Salad Bar, Fruit, Dessert & Drinks March 25 Dorito Chicken & Cheese Casserole, Pinto Beans and Golden Bars Serving: Cindy Lopez & Monica Torres Cleaning: Wendy Duminski, Jack Higgins, Pat Matthes & James Post April 1 Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread and Cinnamon Rolls Serving: Cathy Davis & Barbara Moore Cleaning: John Cerceo, Paul & Sheila Hanna & Wayne Witte Keeping up with FBC Online Thinking of You and Sharing in Your Sorrow Men s Breakfast Bring a friend and your appetite and come enjoy the fellowship! To listen to Bro. Mike s sermons online, to see a detailed schedule of weekly opportunities for ministry and spiritual growth, and to keep up with other information about FBC, like family supper menus, etc., check out our website: www.fbc-baycity.org And Like Our Pages First Baptist Church, Bay City FBC Bay City Student Ministry First Baptist Children s Ministry
Sunday, March 22 Lord s Supper 4:00 pm Youth Ministry Committee PMH 3 4:00 pm Youth Praise Band Youth Room 5:00 pm JwC Youth Choir Choir Room 6:00 pm Adult Discipleship PMH 6:00 pm Youth Girls Group 4112 Heatherglen 6:00 pm Youth Barn Brothers 3800 Bucks Bayou 6:00 pm Children s Choirs CB 201, 203, 205 Monday, March 23 5:00 pm Praise Band Sanctuary 6:00 pm Ladies Bible Study PMH Tuesday, March 24 8:00 am Out of Town Independence 9:30 am Ladies Bible Study PMH 5:00 pm Ladies Ensemble Choir Room 5:45 pm King s Ringers B 106 Wednesday, March 25 10:00 am CDC Chapel PMH 5:00 pm Church Family Supper Gym 6:00 pm AWANA Gym 6:00 pm Encounter Youth Room 6:00 pm Intercessory Prayer PMH 6:45 pm Celebration Choir Choir Room Thursday, March 26 9:30 am Jubilaires Choir Room 6:30 pm Game 7 Ministry Gym Tuesday, March 31 9:30 am Ladies Bible Study PMH 5:00 pm Ladies Ensemble Choir Room 5:45 pm King s Ringers B 106 Wednesday, April 1 10:00 am CDC Chapel PMH 5:00 pm Church Family Supper Gym 6:00 pm AWANA Gym 6:00 pm Encounter Youth Room 6:00 pm Intercessory Prayer PMH 6:45 pm Celebration Choir Choir Room Thursday, April 2 9:30 am Jubilaires Choir Room 10:30 am Jubilaires Ministry Bay Villa 1:30 pm Game Day & Fellowship PMH 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Service Sanctuary Friday, April 3 - Good Friday FBC Office & CDC Closed Saturday, April 4 7:30 am Men s Breakfast Gym Sunday, April 5 - Easter Sunday 6:00 pm Movie - The Heart Of Texas Sanctuary Friday, March 27 6:00 pm Texas Baptist Men Training PMH Saturday, March 28 9:00 am Texas Baptist Men Training PMH Sunday, March 29 4:00 pm Youth Praise Band Youth Room 5:00 pm JwC Youth Choir Choir Room 6:00 pm Adult Discipleship PMH 6:00 pm Youth Girls Group 4112 Heatherglen 6:00 pm Youth Barn Brothers 3800 Bucks Bayou 6:00 pm Children s Choirs CB 201, 203, 205 Monday, March 30 5:00 pm Praise Band Sanctuary 6:00 pm Ladies Bible Study PMH 7:00 pm Personnel Committee Conference Room