The Vision of Sulphur FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Connecting with others to Experience & Express the love of Jesus Christ! Vol. 31 - No. 3 - March 17 www.fbcsulphur.org Table of Contents: 3 Administration, 4 First Kids, 5 Students/Women s Ministry, 6 Family, 7 Saints Alive, Agin Cajuns
Change or die. That s the final word from Thom Rainer, President of Lifeway, when it comes to revitalizing churches. According to Lifeway, 90% of all churches are declining or growing slower than the community around them. FBC Sulphur is squarely in that number. Growth is no longer easy, and numbers in the building doesn t equal church health. The question then becomes, What are we going to do about it? We have to decide if we really want to live. To live means to change. So, do we really want to change? There isn t a program or an activity we can plug in that will magically fix everything. Revitalizing our church will take hard work and harder decisions. The first step is deciding if we really want to live. We must realize that survival is not the same as living. Some churches are content to merely survive, but make no progress and have no positive effect on the community. There was a time, due to cultural Christianity and generational Christians, a church could survive for 50 years with little to no outreach or ministry and simply a y all come attitude. No longer. A church can be gone, doors shut, in as little five years, with most closing their doors in 10. Change is not an option. We must, as a church members and leadership put aside our personal preferences and desires. It doesn t matter you or I want, it only matters what will reach the lost most effectively in our context. We ll have to ask hard questions: Are we willing to pay the price? Are we willing to lose members? Are we willing to become a brand new church? What would we do if we could start over from scratch? Are we willing to start over? Revitalization will inevitably bring conflict there s no way around it. But will we forge ahead, make the hard decisions, handle conflict when it comes, and change? Or will we die? The choice really is that stark. Some of the changes are simple: invite someone to church and meet them at the door when they come. Eight in ten people would come to church if invited AND ESCORTED to church. Some changes will be more difficult. We ve begun some of those: shifting of ministerial responsibilities and positions by calling a Minister to Families and temporarily making the Minister to Youth a part-time position; updating our website, because, in today s culture, it is the front door of our church; increasing online and digital opportunities to give, register, and find information. Some seem irrelevant, but for young adults today, it s huge. Much more sweeping and broad-based changes will occur in the coming months, and they must. Again, quoting Thom Rainer, Every church, every day, should act like it s a new church in the community. That will require change from you and me: a change of mind, a change of vision, and a change of heart. I m excited to see what God has in store for FBC Sulphur, and I am blessed to be your pastor. Michael Easter Cross Witness Signs $10.00 each Limited supply Available at Connection Center and Church office. 2 - FBCS - The Vision
FBCS Family - Thanks to the ladies who prepared the wonderful meal for mom s funeral. From the decorations to the desserts, it was 1st class! We love all of you. - John, Wes & Steve Bridges FBCS Family - Thanks so much for prayers, cards and food. It is so nice to be a member of such a caring church. God bless all of you - Steve & Sue Flenniken Church Family - The prayer grams mean the world to me. I look at all the names on the gram and feel sure most everyone has been impacted by cancer in one way or another during their life time. Cancer has a way of connecting and bringing people together like nothing else I have experienced. I pray for you and your families as you pray for mine. Much gratitude to God and to all of you. - Sandy & Jim McNeill FBCS Family - We want to send a huge thanks to Rosalie and the Bereavement committee for the food served before Carroll s service. We would also like to thank the rest of the church family for everything that was provided for our family during this time: the Upper Room SS class for food provided at the funeral home and the plant and the Magel SS class for providing a meal. Carroll loved his church family. Thank you so much for your continued love, prayers and support. Also, thanks again to the Upper Room SS for the plant that was sent to us when my dad, James Bishop, passed away. - Sharon Dailey, Wally and Kelly Butler and family If you have a thank you note to share, please e-mail hcain@fbcsulphur.org or call 527-5231. memorials/honorariums - 1/1/17-3/31/17 Memorial/Honorarium gifts are received by FBCS in thoughtful tribute to the memory or honor of a relative, friend or loved one. Names of deceased/honored persons are printed in all caps followed by the names of those making gifts to FBCS. In addition to being summarized below, families are mailed an acknowledgement of gifts. (M) CHARLES HAMMOND - Ruth Sunday School Class (M) CHARLES HAMMOND - Billy & Betty Landry (M) VIRGINA LAMAR - Mark & Vida Robertson (M) PATSY GRABOWSKI - Ed Grabowski (M) THOMAS & MARGARET LAMONT - Margaret Williams (M) LEROY & ADELIA ADAMS - Margaret Lamont (M) LEITA BRIDGES - Mark & Vida Robertson (M) LEITA BRIDGES - Bill & Betty Landry (M) LEITA BRIDGES - Jean Goodwin (M) LEITA BRIDGES - Dr. Charles Smith (M) LEITA BRIDGES - Irma S. Jones (M) DOROTHY DILL - Lydia Sunday School Class (M) PEGGY SMITH - Lydia Sunday School Class Wor$hip through giving Budget Total Needed Weekly - $16,470.97 Budget Total Needed Monthly - $71,374.18 March 05, 2017...$20,913.12 March 12, 2017...$ 9,921.00 March 19, 2017...$17,549.25 March 26, 2017...$19,160.01 Total Received March 2017...$67,543.48 Sunday School Attendance Enrolled Present March 05, 2017...341...161 March 12, 2017...341...150 March 19, 2017...341...171 March 26, 2017...345...178 3 - FBCS - The Vision
Preschool/Children s Ministries Register for First Kids ministries at the Connection Center or the Church Office. APRIL Noodle Night Beach Night Children s Choir Tuesdays @ 3:00 PM No Awana Store Night 4 - FBCS - The Vision
Student Ministry 5 - FBCS - The Vision
Family April 28 th April & 2928 th & 29 May 1 st & May 2 nd 1 & 2 First Learning Center Wanted @ www.fbcsulphur.org / Connection Center / Church Office Apply online @ www.fbcsulphur.org or at church office First Learning Center End of Year Commencment May 8 th & 9 th 6 - FBCS - The Vision
Music Ministry Our Worship Choir and Orchestra will present special music on Palm Sunday, April 9, in the morning service. Easter Sunday will be a unique presentation given by Pastor Michael and our Praise Team. In the months to come we will begin working on our Patriotic music to be presented on July 2nd. Please say a special prayer that our choir will attract new members and especially tenors. At the present time we only have 4 and two of them have to work 2 Sundays a month. April 30 th we will have another special service utilizing our Tuneful Tuesday Choir, Youth Praise Team, Worship Choir and Orchestra, in a combined worship experience. The Agin Cajuns are our Sr. Adult Choir. This is a choir for those 50 and above. We meet on Monday morning, 10:00am. They are such a fun group who just loves to sing. We go on road trips, tours, and sing anywhere someone would like us to share. We will be singing for Houston River Baptist Church on May 9. Please come pass a good time with us. Saints Alive Senior Adult Ministry high hope ministry Thursday, April 27-3:00pm We meet at High Hope for an hour of singing and a short message. Antique City & Strawberry Festival April 6 Departing @ 7:30 AM America s Antique City is the name given to Ponchatoula s Downtown Historic Antique District. Originally founded in 1820 and later incorporated HANDBELLS, ANYONE? Judy Bredehoeft and I have some great ideas for organizing a new handbell choir in the near future. We are looking to have handbells on Monday s at 11:30am. Many years ago we offered this opportunity for those stay home moms who would love to have a few hours of adult conversation and fellowship, in the process of learning to be a bell ringer. We still need around 5 more participants. Please contact Judy at 527-8523 or Donald at 274-2226. Friday, April 21 5:30pm Bring a friend and covered dish. Saints Alive Council Monday, April 3 9:15am Dry Creek Fish Fry Thursday, April 20 Vans leave FBCS @ 10:15am Vans return to FBCS @ 2pm Cost: $12.00 per person 7 - FBCS - The Vision
Our Staff Pastor Michael B. Linton Minister of Praise Worship & Senior Adults Donald Dukes 274-2226 Minister of Youth Jordan LaBry Minister of Children and Discipleship Amy Bruce 802-0894 Sunday 8:30 a.m. Prayer Time 9:15 a.m. Bible Study* 10:30 a.m. Blended Worship* 6:00 p.m. Evening Worship* First Baptist Church 401 S. Huntington St. Sulphur, LA 70663-4499 Wednesday Night Connection 5:45 p.m. Tower Youth Service 6:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study* 7:00 p.m. Worship Choir *Childcare provided. NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sulphur, LA 70663 Permit No. 51 Contact Numbers Church Office: (337) 527-5231 Fax: (337) 527-0297 First Learning Center: (337) 527-5534 Visit us on the web at fbcsulphur.org COMING SOON... APR. 20 17 this month... 2 Student Committee Meeting 7 Widow/Widower s Banquet 10 Deacon s Meeting 14 Office Closed 21 3F Game Night 23 Church Picnic 23 High Hope Ministry 28-29 Life Touch 30 Business Meeting MAY 20 17 a glance forward... 8 - FBCS - The Vision 1-2 Life Touch 7 Graduate Recognition 8 Deacons Meeting 10 Awana Awards 14 Mother s Day / No Evening Service 19 3F Game Night 21 Business Meeting 25 High Hope Ministry 29 Office Closed