March 2017 Pastor Mark s Moment 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. It s been a difficult couple of weeks in the Billington household. Not only did Valerie chip her ankle and tear some ligaments, I ve been dealing with the crud that s going around and actually had to call in reinforcements this past Sunday (thank you Delmar and Gene!). The crud has now officially taken root in my sinuses, so I m on an antibiotic once again and hoping for the best. Unfortunately I ve had to deal with sinus issues for a long time. For the past 25 years I ve had trouble breathing, sinus pain, migraine headaches, and various assorted maladies associated with my problem. I ve seen specialists, had surgery, tried allergy shots, and I currently use a neti pot, aromatherapy, vitamins, and was about to try something entirely new until I saw some pictures of people who have developed argyria! Up next is probably another CT scan and a visit with a new specialist. Why the litany? Just to whine? No, it s because of a passage like 2 Cor 12:9. Most of the time I realize that there are people out there that are much worse off than I am, but I still wish my issues would go away. And I don t have the attitude that Paul expresses here. It s true that he does ask the Lord to take away his thorn in the flesh that I can understand. But essentially being thankful for the thing that is causing him pain? That s not so easy. In fact, when you re in pain (emotional or physical), it can be especially difficult to feel spiritual, or to engage in prayer, study, reflection and praise. Is Paul simply talking about the God help me cry that comes to our lips in distress, or is there more to it than that? I think the key is in understanding what the power of Christ is in this verse. And it s even more interesting that Christ s power isn t felt through healing. It s felt through acceptance. It s felt through faith. It s felt through grace. Grace? Grace in pain? Yes. Grace to accept. Grace to believe. Grace to persevere. Grace to trust. Grace to hope. In a loving God. In a brighter future. In a better world. Something that we would not desire, we would not long for, we would not need, if it weren t for pain in this world. So, it turns out I can be thankful for my pain, because it causes me not only to lean on God, but also to look forward to a different world and a brighter future. Inside ~ BRIDGES bicycle program ~ Compassion Committee activities Set your clocks ahead Saturday, March 11th Women s Retreat May 16-18 Mackinac Island Grand Hotel Find a room-mate & spend time getting to know other women You will leave feeling pampered. (details inside) Join the fun!
50 PLUS Wednesday, March 8th @ Noon. Enjoy food, fellowship & program. Our speaker will be Tom Turriff who will be presenting a photo portfolio he took in Alaska. He has titled it "Alaska - The Columbia Glacier and Denali". Suggested donation $5/meal. WOMEN S MINISTRY TEAM The Women s Ministry Team is sponsoring monthly Scrapbooking/ Craft Events. The next one is scheduled for Friday/Saturday, March 17 & 18. Friday they work from 2 to 9 PM & Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. Bring your work (fun) and accomplish a new project while having fun building relationships with other women. You may request to join The Crafty Scrappers@First Baptist on Facebook for current information & plans for food, etc. SINGLES OVER 50 SO50 will be eating together Sunday, March 19th ~ following worship at White Gull Inn in Fish Creek. A sign-up sheet to reserve your place at the table will be available at the Welcome Center C HECK IT OUT!!! For those of you who would like a change from the genre that has been the norm, there are a few new additions that are different. Here are two of them. The Gabon Virus by Paul McCusker & Walt Larimore In 1666, a horrible disease took the lives of almost every person in Eyam, England. Three centuries later the disease has returned, more virulent that ever. A bioteam, Time Scene Investigators, studies history to find clues for modern diseases. A race against time and continents to find a frightened boy who is carrying and spreading the disease wherever he goes. The team needs to find the connection between a great tragedy of the past and potential catastrophe of the present. Just a note about the publisher. There purpose is to: Increase faith in the hearts of growing Christians; Inspire holiness in the lives of believers; Instill hope in the hearts of struggling people everywhere. Excitement continues at the church in Krasnopolya following a very successful time with the youth group during Christmas. A Youth Winter Camp (separate from Grace Camp) was held on January 2,3,4 &5 at the church. There were 16 youths (5 th thru 9 th grade) in attendance and as usual the camp was a mixture of games, crafts, food and Bible study. It was well received by both the youth and parents. A separate event for teens was held at a local sliding hill on the evening of January 5 th starting at 5PM. There were 8 kids in attendance including one first time girl who has continued to come to meetings since. They used pieces of used greenhouse poly covering to slide on. Great fun, including some food around a bonfire with sausages and soup. Time was allotted for questions and answers about dating and friendship from a Christian perspective. The leaders are Tanya and her husband Igor who have been active with the youth program for the past year. Everyone said when can we do this again? The Turning by Davis Bunn A voice. And five dissimilar people knew they were summoned to obey which resulted in a challenge to the cultural direction of the nation and wage war against the most powerful and influential industry in North America. It asks for a new realm of moral responsibility and hope, How will the group be able to stand against the swelling powers of darkness and greed vying to crush there message of hope. You ll Get Through This by Max Lucado You fear you won t make it through. You fear that the depression will never lift, the yelling will never stop, the pain will never leave. Will this load ever lighten? Yes! Deliverance in the bible is bold, brassy, and everywhere. God is in the business of redeeming the broken. He was in the Old Testament and He is still. You ll get through this. It won t be painless. It won t be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In his usual colorful style Max will provide comfort in troubled times. Alexy is excited about these programs and the sincere interest of the youth. He asks for prayer for the continued mission outreach for the Church and the Nation. Also include in your prayers the needs of these youth leaders in the church. He and his wife have been visiting local churches with words of hope and encouragement as the nation continues in political turmoil. An Easter visit to Ukraine is in the planning stages. Please contact Bogdan or John if you would like to go along. A Few Statistics Date 10:30 S.S. Offering January 29 122 22 $ 3,941.00 February 5 101 20 $ 8,352.00 February 12 112 21 $ 1,427.00 February 19 115 20 $ 4,284.00 $ 18,004.00
BRIDGES Friendship with International Students One of the things BRIDGES does for the international students is offer them the use of a bicycle for the three months that they are in Door County. This is a benefit to the employer as well as to the student, as it enables the students to get to and from their places of work. When bicycles were first offered in the late 90 s, there were only seven bikes. Now there are 200 in the barn, all donated by people who no longer use them. Ken Hollenbeck was the first Bike Man. He serviced the bikes, cleaned them up and made sure they were in good working order. He delivered them early in the summer, and collected them in the fall, with the help of a few other men. In 2009 Ken retired from this position due to health concerns and the need to care for his wife. There was great concern over how to find his replacement. We needn t have worried. God provided the most perfect answer the Sister Bay Lions Club, who needed an international project. Al Strack, Clint Robison, John Hansen and Bob Tidball carried this activity for seven years, along with fourteen other men who helped work on the bikes and transport them to and from the students. Last year the Lions Club had to withdraw from this activity. Once again, Ken Hollenbeck came to the rescue. With his wife in a nursing home, he has renewed energy and time to indulge his love of bicycles and bicycle maintenance on behalf of BRIDGES. He had a business card printed and gave it to all the employers of international students when he personally visited them to tell them about the bike program changes. He collected the bikes that had been used, brought them to the barn, and refurbished them. He has had new bicycle labels printed and has reported that all the bikes are ready to go for this season. All 200 of them! This is truly amazing! Now the bikes will be able to be delivered in a timely manner. Ken has continued to cultivate friendships with international students who work at the Piggly Wiggly, frequently inviting them into his home to play ping pong. We praise God for the ministry of friendship and service which Ken gives to the international students. THANK YOU, KEN! Woodview Birthday Parties In 2011, to honor her father Willard Kramer s 90th birthday, Kathy Springer brought cakes to Woodview to share with the Woodview residents. That event turned into an ongoing monthly birthday celebration activity of the Compassion ministry to honor residents birthdays once a month. In fact as late as November 2014, the staff at Woodview were identifying the event on their activity board as Willard s Birthday Brigade. The birthday celebration continues to happen the second Tuesday of each month. From June through November Kathy continues to bake cakes and with the assistance of other Compassion Ministry team members serves cake slices to the Woodview residents and presents birthday cards to residents who have birthdays that month. Musicians were recruited to help lead the Happy Birthday song. In time, Lloyd Michalsen of the Cowboy Church became the main provider of music during the dinner hour and he often brought other musician friends with him. Sometimes the residents were invited to join in singing several other songs. Kathy now spends winter months in Florida but she recruited Judith Erickson to bake cakes and to take the lead with the birthday celebrations during the winter months. This past December during the dinner hour, Alysanne Burkhardt played beautiful Christmas music on the piano. Following the birthday cake and birthday song, residents were given written words of selected Christmas carols. Paul and Janice Burgess led the residents in singing these carols. The residents really enjoyed the opportunity to sing and the warmth of joyful fellowship that evening. For January Lloyd Michalsen recruited Cristy Christiansen and John Iverson, who played their guitars and sang folk songs for the residents. Cristy and John plus one more person returned for February. The February evening proved to be a busy birthday evening for the residents because it was Valentine s Day and one resident was celebrating with all of us in the birth of a great grandson. Celebrating the birthdays the second Tuesday of the month can be accomplished by one person; however, having one or more persons volunteering to assist with serving the cake slices to the residents makes the event that much more pleasant for the residents. As you are reading this and you think this is something you would like to be involved in one or more months, Kathy Springer is the contact person for June through November and Judith Erickson is the contact person for December through May. A big thank you is extended to all the individuals who have helped Kathy or Judith in this ongoing ministry. Next month find out what an oil can, grease, wheels, hammer and nails have to do with the Compassion ministry. Judith A. Erickson, 608-780-8795 P. O. Box 753, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
12 - Daylight Savings Begins 24 25 26 F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H C A L E N D A R March 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 Lord s Supper 19 SO50 Lunch @ White Gull 26 4 PM CHIP - Immunizations 27 28 6 7 13 14 20 21 27 28 8 Noon 50 PLUS 15 22 29 NO Adventure Club NO Elevate Youth Group 9 16 23 30 10 11 17 2-9 PM 18 31 1 9 AM - 2 PM Scrapbook/Craft Week-end
Women s Retreat Tuesday, May 16 - Thursday, May 18 Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island Winsome Women Retreat Special Speakers Dr. Erwin Lutzer & Sheila Walsh & music by Steve Green Cost $438/person includes room, meals & ferry to & from the Island. Registration begins March 4th on the website For additional information go to wswretreats.org Community Vacation Bible School June 12-16 ~ 9 AM to Noon each day This is for children ages 4 through 6th grade. This years Bible stories are The Exodus The planning for this year s week of Christian Education for children is beginning. If you are willing to help in any area, talk to Mary or Winnie Jackson & let your wishes be known. There are people needed both during the week & preparation leading up to the week and cleanup following the event. COMMUNITY HEALTH INFORMATION PROGRAM Sunday, March 19th ~ 4 PM Immunization: Myths & Realities presented by Wisconsin Immunization Program Taylor Larson, BS: HPV Outreach Specialist & Kailynn Mitchell, BS: Immunization Outreach Specialist Immunizations, Vaccines the past decade has seen an increase in controversy surrounding these topics. Two health information specialists from UW-Madison will present information and answer your questions on this timely topic. Don t miss this opportunity to receive accurate information. Sponsored by Northern Door Health & Wellness Held in the Gathering Room @ First Baptist If you wish to be added to the email distribution list send an note to firstbaptistsisterbay@gmail.com. BIRTHDAYS 1st: Verena Tesnow 2nd: Betsy Olsen 7th: Pat Fagerstrom 9th: Ron Holden Laura Moegenburg 10th: Joyce Stevens 11th: Madalyn Jackson 13th: Kayin Jackson 14th: Dennis Lonstine 15th: Dave Detert 19th: John Grochowski 22nd: Joyce Detert 24th: Roger Erickson 25th: Lisa Hartmann 27th: Tom Stark 31st: Judy Miller ANNIVERSARIES 9th: John & Joanne Clove 38 years Barry & Pam Olsen 12 years 10th: Gary & Cindy Lundquist 44 years
First Baptist Church 2622 S. Bay Shore Dr. Sister Bay, WI 54234 920.854.2544 www.firstbaptistsisterbay.com firstbaptistsisterbay@gmail.com F R O M O U R G L O B A L M I N I S T R Y Eric & Janet Johnson - Converge WW - Mexico Eric and Janet have been in Monterrey, Mexico for the last eight years helping the congregation at the Iglesia Bautista Gracias de Dios church. Their goal is to implement the Re- Tool kit which is designed to produce and reproduce healthy disciples, leaders, and congregations. Recently pastors and wives attended a local edition of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. They were encouraged, challenged, and very grateful for the opportunity to attend this conference. Recently Janet and Eric started 4 new pilot groups to learn leadership skills. On January 18th, Monterrey was stunned by a school shooting just 5 miles from their home; a teacher and 3 students were wounded before the shooter took his own life. There has been recent violence and looting in response to a 20% gas hike. After much prayer, things have calmed down, but a sense of insecurity and unrest persists because of this recent shooting, revelation of more corruption among political leaders, and the discovery of a massive grave in the Monterrey area. Prayer requests: For recovery of the victims of the Monterrey shooting and for comfort of the parents who lost their son. For God to place His messengers of hope in the lives of those who have been affected by so many acts of violence. For God to bring the people he knows who need to be in the leadership groups. One of the co-leaders who was unjustly fired will be able to find another job; his wife is a-stay-at-home mom with 2 daughters, 1 has health issues and in Mexico there are no unemployment benefits or food stamps Eric has been having health issues for several months. The doctors were treating him for the chronic prostatitis that he has had for years. On February 16th, they found out the results of a biopsy, and he has an aggressive tumor in his prostate. There will be a CAT scan done to see if the cancer has spread. And next week the final results of the biopsy will be ready to indicate what type of cancer it is and what the best treatment will be. Their hearts are sad, and are uncertain of what the future holds. But they do know who holds the future.