November - FBC Blairsville

First Baptist Church of Blairsville
The Blairsville Beacon
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
·
NO Services
Wednesday,
November 25
·
Thanksgiving Day
November 26
church office closed
·
November 27
church office closed
·
Feed the Hungry
12/5 @ 9:00 am
·
FBC Christmas
Presentation
12/5 @ 2:00 pm
12/6 @ 4:00 pm
·
No Evening Services Sunday 12/6
·
Vogel Tree Lighting
12/12
“Before the
mountains were
brought forth, or
ever You had
formed the earth
and the world, even
from everlasting to
everlasting,
You are God.”
Psalm 90:2 NKJV
VOLUME 27, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Reaping What We Sow... Dr. Fred Lodge
There are times I just have
to share something with you
in its entirety that has impacted me. The following
was written by Steven Levy
and recited by him on CBS
Sunday Morning Commentary in July of this year.
I don't like getting pushed
around for being a Jew, and
I don't think Christians like
getting pushed around for
being Christians. I think
people who believe in God
are sick and tired of getting
pushed around, period! I
have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist
country. I can't find it in the
Constitution and I don't like
it being shoved down my
throat!
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the
idea come from that we
should worship celebrities
and we aren't allowed to
worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a
sign that I'm getting old,
too. But there are a lot of us
who are wondering where
these celebrities came from
and where the America we
knew went to.
In light of the many jokes
we send to one another for a
laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to
be a joke; it's not funny, it's
intended to get you thinking.
In light of recent events...
terrorists attack, school
shootings, etc., I think it
started when Madeleine
Murray O'Hare (she was
murdered, her body found a
few years ago) complained
she didn't want prayer in our
schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you
better not read the Bible in
school. The Bible says thou
shalt not kill; thou shalt not
steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said
OK.
Then Dr. Steven Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when
they misbehave, because
their little personalities
would be warped and we
might damage their selfesteem (Dr. Spock's son
committed suicide by the
way). We said, “An expert
should know what he's talking about.” And we said
OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children
have no conscience, why
they don't know right from
wrong, and why it doesn't
bother them to kill
strangers, their classmates,
and themselves.
[email protected]
Probably, if we think
about it long and hard
enough, we can figure it
out. I think it has a great
deal to do with “we reap
what we sow.”
Funny how simple it is for
people to trash God and
then wonder why the
world's going to hell.
Funny how we believe
what the newspapers say,
but question what the Bible
says.
Funny how you can send
“jokes” through e-mail and
they spread like wildfire,
but when you start sending
messages regarding the
Lord, people think twice
about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude,
vulgar and obscene articles
pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion
of God is suppressed in the
school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
I’m not! I’m crying! Here
a Jewish believer has made
a public outcry for all who
would believe in the God of
the Bible. In a time where
so little makes sense, this
man has a message that
makes total sense! And it is
not funny!
P AG E
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Thanksgiving Beatitudes
Be thankful that you don’t
already have everything
you desire. If you did,
what would there be to
look forward to?
Be thankful when you
don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult
times. During those times
you grow.
build your strength and
character.
Be thankful for your misBe thankful for your limita- takes. They will teach you
tions, because they give you valuable lessons.
opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful when you’re
tired and weary, because it
Be thankful for each new
means you’ve made a difchallenge, because it will
ference.
As we remember America’s veterans on November 11, we would do well to read
again the third stanza of Katherine Lee Bates’ America the Beautiful:
“If the only prayer
you say in your life
is “Thank You,”
that would be
enough.”
-Meister Eckhart
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self
Their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!
The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of
life. It turns what we have into
enough, and more. It turns denial
into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity. It can turn a
meal into a feast, a house into a
home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our
T HE
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past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
-Melody Beattie
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Tammy Allan
Director of Children’s Ministries
[email protected]
A huge thanks to all who volunteered at our Fall Festival! We
could not have done it without
you! Our kitchen team prepared
600 hot dogs, our popcorn poppers popped 1 and ½ cases of
popcorn, our lemonade servers
served up gallons and gallons of
lemonade and the corn on the
cob disappeared faster than we
could count! I saw lots of little
ones munching on corn and candy! We had over 200 gallons of
candy to hand out! Our new
games were a big hit and kids
were excited to see some of
their old favorites as well. The
hay-ride kept Pastor Fred busy
all night and we are so very
grateful to McClure’s Deer processing for the loan of their tractor, trailer and hay. It was great
to hear parents talking to other
parents and inviting them to our
children’s activities and it was
great to see our boys and girls
telling visiting boys and girls what
they enjoy most about our
church!
In partnership with Union General Hospital, the fruits of our
recent fundraising project will be
donated to the local Alzheimer’s
support group to provide funding
for safe alert bracelets designed
to assist in the location and safe
return of local Alzheimer’s patients who become lost or disoriented.
We have a need for teachers in
our 2 year Sunday School Class
as we say farewell to Bobby and
Bonnie Sapp who are moving to
Mississippi. If you have a heart
for toddlers, please contact me
or Teresa McGraw. We are almost finished with the first 3
months of The Gospel Project
and I pray that your family is
continuing the conversation at
home each week. Our teachers
are doing a great job of using the
materials to connect Old Testament lessons to Christ each
week and our boys and girls are
seeing more and more of the big
picture. We continue to have
both local and out of area visitors each Sunday and our challenge is to encourage local visitors to come and connect with
Sunday School – parents as you
worship look around for those
you can invite to join you in Sunday School and make them welcome!
Our Wednesday Night Activities
continue to grow as well.
Choirs are preparing for their
parts in the Christmas program,
mission groups are looking forward to the International Mission
Study. This year we are learning
about Indonesia and our churchwide study will take place on December 9, with families gathering
in the Fellowship Hall to learn
through tasting, touching, playing
games, and other activities
planned by Tina Van Pelt. After
the Mission Study boys and girls
will go to choir for their final
preparations for the Pre-School
and Children’s Choir concert to
be held on December 16.
Our GA’s have been busy helping out at Feed the Hungry – 3rd
and 4th Grade GA’s made some
soft and cozy neck scarves to
distribute in November. Our
RA’s are now looking forward to
their annual Okefenokee Swamp
Camping Trip leaving on December 18th. Letters
have been sent
Teaching,
home, so check
with your RA
Reaching,
Leader if you have
any questions.
And
Permission slips
are required for
Involving
adults as well as
Next
boys who participate. If you do
not have an annual generations!
permission form
on file with the
All-Aboard!
church for 2015
please pick up a form at the
Check In Desk at your convenience.
I continue to ask for your prayers regarding my cancer. The
recent treatments have overwhelmed my system and we are
suspending all treatments until
my body is able to recover. We
will then re-assess the options
and make choices based on the
best information available. I am
grateful for those who have
come forward to help with KIDZ
Own Worship and other needs
while I recover my strength and
energy.
P AG E
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P AG E
December Birthdays
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
Amid the work and
chaos of preparing
the outward
celebration of
Thanksgiving, help
me take time,
Lord, for inward
calm and
7
8
9
gratitude.
Faye Foster
Donna Grimsley
Janice Higgs
Fred Woodward
Jacob Mullis
Walt Rowsey
Shirley Bateman
Bailey Brown
Melisa Fair
Pat Smith
Brooks Patterson
John Smith
Liz Starrett
Joyce Aman
Jimmie Benfield
Jaden Lee
Glen McCullers
Melton Callahan
Jerry Chastain
Annette Freer
Catherine Hamby
Whitney Herrara
Stephen Mullis
Ron Woodward
Betty Andress
Barbara Griffin
Mason McCombs
Danny Cope
Aaron Harrison
Diane Bagley
Jean Bryant
Leon Davenport
Robert Gross
Charles Jenkins
Norma Norris
Mignon Tucker
10 Allison Colwell
Debbie Lachmiller
Gehrig Patterson
11 Max Cochran
Al MacKenzie
Barbara Taylor
12 Rachel Cosner
Joshua Croft
Wes Kight
Neal Moon
Lori Watson
13 Morgan Bentley
Leah Cosner
Rick Lindvig
Thomas Schaad
14 Bruce Alexander
Linda Thompson
Joyce Jordan
15 Jack Cook
Rhonda Glazier
Ray Leasure
16 Lois Andrews
Linda Nelson
17 Owen Callaway
Andelin Hill
Kyle Huneycutt
19 LaVon Bennett
Kayla Bowman
Olivia Cox
Kevin Davis
Jamey Dockrey
Frances Partin
20 Dylan Oliver
21 Katie Baumeister
22
23
24
24
26
27
28
29
30
31
Financial New$
October 1-October 31
$163,000.00 Budget Requirement
140,612.26 Budget Received
16,094.18 Miscellaneous/Designated
$157,056.44 Total October Receipts
YEAR TO DATE JAN-OCT
$1,651,322.00
1,736,857.15
192,620.46
Budget Requirement
Budget Receipts
Average Sunday
Attendance
October
Sunday School 433
Miscellaneous Receipts
$1,928,977.61 Total Receipts Year to Date
T HE
Reid Baumeister
Ed Hobson
Mitch Thomspon
Melissa Clark
Luke Colwell
Annalyse Kiernan
Prestono Sudduth
Tsali Bentley
Shirley Seidel
Linda Roberts
Loralei Skinner
Anne Vought
Frank Kimmel
Susan Beserock
James Bryson
Kristy Kumler
Richard Plowmaker
Patty Potter
Eunice Routon
Lynda Haight
Manson Justice
Claire Sanders
Allison Burkhead
Sandra Hogsed
Billy Johnson
Chris Miller
Elaine Todd
Jim Grantham
Emily Hamilton
Ron Nickolson
Barbara Cone
Pat Morales
Charity Shepherd
Worship Service 781
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V OLUME
Chris Miller
ISSUE
Youth Minister
[email protected]
The Big Reveal Party for the
Summer 16’ Mission Trip was
Sunday night November 15th.
We are headed to Mission
Arlington (Texas). Our students will combine efforts on
this trip by involving the student choir in evangelistic opportunities along with Day
Camp work for all students.
The combined effort we feel
will have really good results
for the Kingdom. Prayerfully
watch over the student ministry as you always have!
Our students are involved
heavily in programs at school.
Eric Purser
27,
The Fine Arts building has become a second home to some
of our students.
The Cross Country team finished 6th and 10th in the state!
Lance Underwood placed 7th
in state!
Our football team is 9-1 for
the season.
The Band is awesome and
scoring best in their competitions.
Basketball is just a few days
away.
MACA’s Cross Country finished 1st in state! Great job
Austin Urban & Kyle Jones!
Wednesday nights are filled with
anticipation! Keep us in your prayers. We were able to see a student give her life to Christ just last
week! Keep your students coming
and stop by their friend’s house
and bring them along!
Associate Minister of Music
[email protected]
Christmas is Coming! Each year
it seems that Christmas comes
before we realize it, and just as
quickly it has moved on. Christmas is often times busy in our
lives, our family’s lives, and within our church family. While we
often have fun during Christmas,
we can also become dulled to
the reason we are celebrating
Christmas in the first place.
This year, the music department
is combining the KIDZ Choirs,
Student Choir, and Sanctuary
Choir, as we present Christmas
is Coming, Sing for Joy! Our performances are Saturday, December 5, at 2 PM and Sunday, December 6, at 4 PM.
Through the performance of
this high-energy presentation,
we hope that you will “Let the
Spirit find you, wherever you
have been, and bring you to the
Child who makes us children
once again.” It is our hope that
this presentation will be a reminder of hope in Christ for the
believer and a conversation
starter that attracts and leads
people to Christ, but we need
your help and attendance to accomplish this goal.
How can you help? First, please
surround this effort with prayer.
Pray that God will accomplish
His purposes through this musical. Secondly, as mentioned be-
fore, please come and invite
friends. We want this to be a
community event. Use this as an
opportunity to begin a discussion with your friends (saved
and unsaved) about who Christ
is. Thirdly, don’t just come and
listen. Take the message of the
musical – the message of the
birth of Christ and God’s redemptive plan – outside the
church and share it with others.
Allow this to be a kickoff to a
Christmas season where we
work hard in the Spirit in the
prayer and hope that He works
through us to make more children of God. John 1:12-13
11
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Your gifts provide salaries and
living expenses for missionaries,
education for their children,
language training and funds for
their ministries, enabling them
to work and live in global cities
and extreme places.
Your gifts help missionaries
raise up and equip local believers to become effective leaders.
Training in biblical churchplanting strategy leads them to
become church planters among
their own people—and the nations.
Your gifts help missionaries
show the love of Jesus by caring
for the physical needs of people—just as Jesus did Himself.
Human needs ministries provide
a holistic witness to those without Christ.
100%
Your gifts help missionaries
share the gospel in many ways.
Often they can distribute Bibles
and witness openly. Sometimes
the gospel is transmitted
through electronic devices or
distributed on DVDs.
7
FBC Goal for Lottie Moon Christmas Offering:
$40,000
of your gifts are
used to support missionaries
and their ministries.
Your gifts provide physical and
spiritual care to missionary families—many of whom live in difficult, remote and unsafe places—and allow you to join them
in God’s call to make disciples
and multiply churches for the
glory of God.
P AG E
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As autumn settles
in, You surround us
with warmth and
tenderness, like a
parent cuddling a
child. Thanks for
your protection
and love, Lord.
T HE
Beacon Team News
The month of October was
a busy one for the Beacon
Team. There was a team of
twelve Beacon Team members that went to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home
in Palmetto, Georgia, October 12th – 16th. The Georgia Baptist Children’s Home
in Palmetto serves children
and youth in the metroAtlanta area. In addition to
offering residential care
ministry, this campus also
has a maternity home for
unwed teen mothers, services for children with behavior needs, and a counseling center open to children
and youth in the community. Our team helped the
Children’s Home complete
several projects from replacing windows to painting
benches, window trim, and
picnic tables. We hope
the Beacon Team can continue working with the Children’s Home in the future.
Keith Ivey, Director of
Georgia Mountain Resort
Ministries, had a family comfort station at the Sorghum
Festival. The station is set
up every year at the Sorghum Festival. It is used as
an outreach for those families that attend the festival.
This station includes a baby
changing station and volunteers to share Jesus with
those that visit the tent.
Bob and Shelby McPherson
helped with the station at
BLA IRSV ILLE
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the Sorghum Festival the
weekend of October 10th –
11th. The First Baptist Student Choir sang at the Sorghum Festival on the afternoon of Sunday, October
11th, the students help take
down the station and
transport all of the items
and tents to be hauled away.
The Beacon Team thanks
the Student Choir and Eric
Purser for their help.
First Baptist Church had
their annual Fall Festival Saturday, October 31st. There
were many Beacon Team
members that helped with
the different games and giving candy out to the children who came for the fun.
We also had volunteers to
help with food preparation
and give the food out to
those families that were
there. Special thanks goes
to Tammy Allan and Stephanie Gore for putting this
event together for our community.
We have an ongoing project
where teams go every
month to the Copper Basin
Crisis Center in Copper
Basis, Tennessee. Al and
Margaret Patterson run the
Crisis Center. They are the
parents of Chris Patterson
(FBC church member).
These teams help the center
with filling food bags for
their clients, organize clothing, organize personal need
items, and make room for
more supplies. With Christmas approaching the Center
is getting ready for Christmas time. The Center’s
needs have increased, so
there are teams going every
Monday and Tuesday and
the Friday after our Team
meeting (3rd Monday of the
month). If you would like
to participate in this local
mission project, please call
Larry Tomlinson. Sunday
School class may want to
help out as well.
The Beacon Mission Team is
a servant group called by
God to serve where He
leads to advance the Kingdom of God. This is our
Mission statement. We
would love for you to join
us at the next Beacon Team
meeting. We meet the third
Monday of each month.
Bring your own snack dinner. Your drink and dessert
will be provided. The meeting begins at 5:30pm. If you
want to get involved in a
mission group that does a
variety of different mission
projects we would love to
have you join our team.
There are opportunities to
work and serve people in
our own church and locally,
in Georgia and other states,
and internationally. All that
the Beacon Team does is
for God’s glory!
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P AG E
Penny Benfield, Director
We had such a nice crowd for
our Thanksgiving meal! The
youth did a great job singing and
serving. We took up a love offering for their mission trip next
summer. We are very thankful
to have all the youth in our
church and a special thank you
to the ministers who work with
them.
Please put on your schedule our Christmas Celebrators party to be held
on Tuesday, December
15th at 12:00 noon in the
fellowship hall. We will be
asking everyone to sign up and
bring a dessert and an unwrapped toy. We will be partnering with our local Police Department to collect toys for local families in need.
The Big Cheese will cater our
meal with pizza and salad. We
will be takin donations to help
cover some of the cost.
You don’t want to miss our
Celebration Choir singing for
us. Please sign up to come and
receive a blessing at this special
time of year as we celebrate our
Savior’s birth.
It is truly a blessing to be able to
share time with you this Christmas. May we always remember
the reason for this wonderful
time of year.
December Flowers for Sanctuary
6 Al & Jean Bryant
7 Al & Jean Bryant
20 Horace & Nancy Parker
27 Open
When you are down to nothing,
God is up to something!
9
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From the Crowenest
Bob Crowe
Minister of Education
[email protected]
Preparing for the Christmas Sunday School Gathering …
Sometimes we need reminders. I am sure you remember … Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday in our culture. You are in charge of the party.
Who are you inviting?
Personal Christmas Parties: Have you thought about inviting prospects to your
home for a Christmas party, perhaps along with some of your friends (who happen to be in your class)? This can be the beginning of relationships that lead
the prospect to attending class and perhaps to that person befriending Jesus.
Sunday School Class Parties: Who will be your guests
for your class Christmas party/fellowship? It is easy to
turn inward and just have people from your class at
the gathering. It can be a great opportunity to invite
prospects to have fun with you, get to know you, and
learn about the Christmas story. Encourage your class to
bring prospects to your party. If there is a cost, pay their
way. Give them gifts. Laugh. Have fun.
For your countless
Special Christmas Services: Who are you inviting to
Sunday School and worship at Christmas this year? Invite prospects. Many are more open to attending with
you around Christmas and Resurrection Sunday. Some
are waiting for your invitation. Pray and invite them
today. Offer to pick them up. When they show up, treat
them special. Take time to get to know them (without
acting nosey). Be a friend. Plan to eat lunch with your
blessings, God, we
thank you. May
we always use
them to bless
others.
guests.
Other Ideas: Challenge your class to invite guests and sit together at the
Christmas music this year (Dec. 5&6). Or plan a ministry project and invite
prospects to participate with you. Give class attendees postcards to send out or
deliver to prospects at work, school, next door, etc. Plan a dessert fellowship after
a program or a ministry project.
I think Jesus would be happy that you invited people for whom He died to His
party! Jesus always seemed to enjoy a party with tax collectors and sinners.
Pray. Plan. Invite. Watch what happens!
I’ll see you in Sunday School!
T HE
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Activity Page
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Ministerial/Director Staff
Dr. Fred Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Pastor
Chris Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth Minister
Bob Crowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minister of Education
Tammy Allan . . . . . . . . . Director of Children’s Ministries
Eric Purser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Minister of Music
Media Staff
Buddy Sachs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performing Arts Director
Wayne Blackmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technical Arts Director
296 Blue Ridge Street
PO Box 2058
Blairsville, Georgia 30514
Support Staff
Howard Wells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrator
Lauren Cummings . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative Assistant
Lisa Urban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ministry Assistant
Su Kralj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Financial Secretary
Kim Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Food Service Director
Daniel Skinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maintenance
Stacy Raper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Housekeeping
Brian Spratlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custodian
Music Staff
Jackie Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pianist
Rita Hooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organist
Phone: 706-745-2469
Email: [email protected]
We’re on the Web
www.fbcvision.com