Vol 34 No 9 September 2018 200 E. Parkway N. Memphis, TN 38112-5414 901-454-1131 www.fbcmemphis.org Bear One Another s Burdens REV. DR. DAVID BRECKENRIDGE, PASTOR Bear one another s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Galatians 6:2 Recently I came upon two members before Sunday School in the welcome center, and one of the two was visibly crying as they told the other about a struggle in their life. It was somewhat awkward for others around the two, but actually, it was beautiful. Here in REMINDERS Sunday, September 2, 9 am Join us in the Welcome Center for our monthly First Cup Gathering. Sunday, September 16, 11 am Youth Sunday: join us for worship planned and led entirely by our Youth. Saturday, September 8 MIFA CommUNITY Days The Church office will be closed Monday, September 3 in observance of Labor Day. We have more Meetup opportunities! Learn more on page 4. Learn more on page 2 about our staff transitions. the gathering place of the community, one member was letting another member help carry their burden in a significant way. Was it the place? Was it the person listening? Who knows? But in that moment the Spirit moved and a burden was shared and Christ s law was fulfilled. I thought, too, of how reaching out to help someone carry a burden seems to be something of a lost art. Maybe we fear we don t know exactly what to say. Maybe we fear we won t know what to say/do if someone actually unpacks their burden with us. Maybe no one has taken us up on such an offer before and we think it s us, that we re just not good at it. Or maybe we ve offered so many times and nothing has come of it and we feel frustrated. Maybe in this age of digital communication, we ve lost the gift of sitting with someone and hearing concerns that may take more than 240 characters. I don t know exactly, but it does seem to me that rather than approaching someone who is hurting and struggling, I see some almost avoiding such folk. We know how to celebrate and play together, but we re not sure how to struggle together, how to carry one another s burdens. I have this image (I don t know why) of how a football team tends to avoid a field goal kicker after a miss. You ever notice that? That sort of thing. Instead of approaching that person, we just move down to the other end of the bench and leave them alone. But scripture teaches us that we are to bear one another s burdens because that is what Christ did for us. And, there are no qualifications there that I can see. We are to help our brother or sister bear their burdens, as best we can the easy and the hard, the simple and the complex, the one s we understand and those we don t. But how do we do that? A few thoughts others have taught me over the years: (1) Don t worry about knowing exactly what to say. If that s how you feel, begin with, Listen, I m not sure what to say or how I can help, but I know you are hurting (2) Don t feel rejected that someone doesn t respond as you imagine. We all deal with struggles in different ways. Know that your offer makes a difference. It will be remembered and appreciated. Continued on page 6
FBC Letter to the Congregation from Rev. Mary Kaylor MARY IS JOINING THE STAFF OF CBF NC First Baptist Family, When I delivered my first sermon here I confessed that while I hated reading growing up, I love books now! I love the worlds I travel to when I open a book. I love the people I meet and the stories they tell. I love that I become emotionally involved in what happens. I love that life lessons can be conveyed in ways never thought of before. I love how a piece of literature can beautifully say something I struggle to communicate. A special friend recently gave me a copy of The Invisible String and it says more clearly than I ever could my feelings for this place, my experience here and each of you. The Invisible String is the story of twins Jeremy and Liza who are awakened in fear during a thunderstorm. They seek comfort from their mother. She tells them not to worry, to go back to bed, and that no matter what they are always together. This confused the kids. How could they be together if they weren t in the same room? This is when their mother tells them about the invisible string. Lifting her hands as if she is holding something, the mother says, this is the invisible string and it is how we are always together no matter what. Of course, the children reply that they don t see a string. Mom says, You don t need to see the Invisible String. People who love each other are always connected by a very special String made of love. One of the kids asks, if you can t see it then how do you know it s there? Mom replies, Even though you can t see it with your eyes, you can feel it with your heart and know that you are always connected to everyone you love. And this string reaches far and wide. Even as far as Memphis to Winston- Salem, NC. I love each one of you and am so thankful for the time we have shared together. Thank you for allowing me to grow as a person but more importantly as a pastor. You have each been an important part of that journey. And our relationships do not end here! I want to hear from you. Call, text, write, email me what s new in your lives, what plays you re performing at school, which teams you re playing on, and the ways I can keep you in my prayers. And I promise to let you know how I am doing, too. Like it or not, we will always be connected by that invisible string! Love and Peace, Rev. Mary Thomas Kaylor marythomaskaylor@gmail.com 533 Rivertree Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 FBDS Holly LaBarreare resigns as Director of First Baptist Day School DIRECTOR SEARCH IS UNDERWAY On July 25, Holly LaBarreare turned in her letter of resignation as Director of First Baptist Day School, effective August 10, to take the position of Assistant Director at St. George s Independent School in Germantown. In her resignation letter, and in conversations with church staff, she expressed sadness in leaving and great appreciation for the opportunity she was given to serve as director at FBDS. During the past 12 years, Holly has guided the Day School as it has grown in numerous ways adding classrooms, technology, staff, and programs all the while helping it to maintain its reputation as one of the top Day Schools in Memphis. We will miss her, but wish her well as she accepts this new position. Assistant Director Kristen Zapien, who served as temporary director during Holly s maternity leave in 2016, has agreed to be the Interim Director at FBDS. Pray for her and the Day School staff during this interim, as well as the Personnel and Day School Committees as they move forward with a search process to fill the Day School Director s position. 2
Sunday Night Bible Study SUNDAYS, 5-7 PM Below is our Sunday night Bible study for the month. Sept. 2: No Bible Study Sept. 9: Prepare for Youth Sunday Sept. 16: Celebrating Youth Sunday Sept. 23: The Spine-tingler (Fear) Sept. 30: The Heart-Breaker (Love) Emotions are a large part of our everyday lives and can sometimes feel like they move from high to low in an instant. We will examine some common emotions we all feel and look at what our faith has to teach us as we seek to deal with these emotions. Youth Sunday SEPTEMBER 16, 11 AM Join us for worship planned and led entirely by our youth on Sunday, September 16. Youth Parent Meeting SEPTEMBER 23, 6-7 PM Join us as we eat together, meet to talk about the events coming up in the fall, and welcome our new 6th graders parents. Youth Sunday Nights DINNERS ARE STILL NEEDED There are still slots available to sign up to bring dinner for our youth on Sunday nights. We eat at 6:00 and would love to have church members spend time with us. You can sign up to bring dinner by contacting Brittany (bstillwell@fbcmemphis.org) or by signing up at https:// www.signupgenius.com/ go/20f0948adab2ca4fa7-spring1 BRANDING Coming Soon! NEW WEBSITE TO LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 1 BRANDING New Day School Logo Complete Our branding company, Faith Lab, has been hard at work designing our new website. We are excited to announce that this website will go live September 1. This new website will feature our new logo and a fresh new design. The website utilizes many professional photos of our people and our space, is easy to use, and is exciting to look at. It is a mobile compatible platform allowing you to access consistent content on your cell phone, tablet, and computer. Our website has links to our events calendar, sermons, newsletters, information for visitors and more. We also have a new online giving platform that will allow you to pay online, charge your offering to your credit card, and set up recurring payments. (Please contact Lisa at lbutts@fbcmemphis for more information.) We are excited to have a fresh, new web presence. Check it out at www.fbcmemphis.org. Please consider sharing our website on social media and help us spread the word about the exciting things happening here at the corner of Poplar and Parkway! Check out the new logo for the First Baptist Day School! This logo borrows from the design of our church logo, utilizing primary colors and a kidfriendly font. The Day School website has been updated as well, to reflect this new design. 3
CHURCH September Meet Ups YOU RE ALL INVITED! Modeled after the app, Meet Up, we will have activities throughout the month for 3 different interest groups: food and thought, art, and a book club. Choose a group (or two or three!) that interest you and join us as we connect our faith with our hobbies. and foster dialogue. So put what interests you on your calendar and join us when you can! Please do not think these Meet Ups are not for you. These gatherings provide a chance to consider how you might turn your hobbies into an act of prayer and reflection. You do not have to attend all of the Meet Up dates listed in each category in order to be a part of the group. Our hope is that these can be a fun, meaningful way to build community 4
CHURCH-WIDE MISSIONS Church-wide Missions Opportunity AUGUST 26, 9:30 AM On Sunday August 26 during Sunday School, FBC gathered in the Fellowship Hall for a Mission Service Project for the Binghamption neighborhood. Classes worked together to pack and distribute sack lunches for the hungry in our neighborhood. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice Service, Hospitality, and Community. Special thanks to our Missions Committee for organizing this event. GIVING New Giving Options Available CONTACT FINANCE OFFICE FOR DETAILS Great news! New giving options are now available! You can now have automatic recurring offering withdrawals set up from either your bank account or credit card. Do you have trouble remembering your checkbook on Sundays? Don t write checks anymore but want to give an offering to FBC? Have you been wanting to charge your offering to your credit card? Recurring payments can be set up weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. We can help! Contact Lisa in the finance office (454-1131 or lbutts@ fbcmemphis.org) and she ll explain the process and help you get started. BAPTIST WOMEN Baptist Women Meeting SEPTEMBER 11, 10:30 AM Baptist Women will gather for a meeting Tuesday, September 11. Coffee will be avaiable beginning at 10:30 am in the Parlor. Journeys of Paul will be presented by Carol and Greer Richardson, about their travels in Greece. Bring a sack lunch and join us for lunch following the program in the Welcome Center. Coffee, drinks and desserts will be provided. COMMUNITY MIFA CommUNITY Day SEPTEMBER 8 As part of MIFA s 50th anniversary we will join with Lifeline to a Dying World Congregation and Greater Lewis Street Missionary Baptist Church in a city-wide celebration to unite the community through service. We will gather at the Libertas School in Frayser (3777 Edenburg Drive) at 9 am Saturday, Sept. 8 to setup new playground equipment and help with landscape gardening. Please dress accordingly and bring work gloves and tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, etc.). 5
First Memphis 200 E. Parkway N. Memphis, TN 38112-5414 901-454-1131 www.fbcmemphis.org Published Monthly by First Baptist Church 200 E Parkway N Memphis TN 38112 Please send address changes to: TOGETHER 200 E Parkway N Memphis TN 38112-5414 Email: bellis@fbcmemphis.org a different way to be Baptist Another s Burden, Continued from page 1 Folks remember those who reach out to them when they are struggling. (3) You don t have to agree with everything a person has done or is to reach out to them. Even if a person has brought a piece of their struggle on themselves, you can still reach out without condoning what they have done. That s what Christ has done for us. Right? We all have needed second chances, and, boy, do we remember those that offer such to us. (4) Remember that you are a part of a team. You may not get a response, nor may the next person. But the third person may reap the result of the cumulative outreach of all who have reached out before. I have a hunch that is what happened in welcome center that morning. But whatever the case, let us keep being family to one another, FBC. The fact that that scene happened in our welcome center is a tribute to who this church has been and is. Let no one struggle alone. Keep reaching out offering a word of comfort, a shoulder to lean on. Let us bear one another s burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Grace, David CHOIR No Choir Rehearsal WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Choir members, please note that we will not have Choir Rehearsal, Wednesday, September 12. Rehearsals will resume the next Wednesday, September 19. MEMORIALS In memory of Celeste Reese by Terry Hansard and Lynn Estalote HONORARIA In honor of Maggie Jordan by Dr. & Mrs. John McCall 6