| - - - - NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2010 - - - - |
First Baptist Church December 2010
Worship Themes & Scriptures for December
5 “Angels & Shepherds”
Luke 2:8-20
12 “Mary & Joseph”
Luke 2:1-7
19 “Jesus, What’s In A Name?”
Matthew 1;15-24
24 “Festival of Lessons & Carols”
Candlelight Service at 7 pm
26 “Making Christmas Last”
Luke 2:22-40
Greeters
5 - Marge Cornell & Kathryn Warren
12 - George Jensen & Paul Nash
19 - Lisa Wood & Brittany Griffin
26 - Fran Morse & Jen Slocum
December Birthdays
1 - Marge Moulton 17 - Paul MacDougall
4 - Kyle Miller 31 - Daryl Johnson
13 - Rev. Richard Burke 31 - Virginia DeLooza
15 - Joyce Slocum
Pastor’s Message
This year for the Advent season, I have chosen “The Cast of Christmas” as my sermon theme. As I was working on it, a poignant, yet inspirational story about the casting of a Christmas play came to mind.
When the call went out for volunteers to be in the play, a man who was a slow learner showed up for the try-outs.
Not wanting to hurt him the director decided to give him the role of the Innkeeper. He only had one line to remember: “There is no room in the inn.” He had the line down in no time.
Then came the night of the play. The auditorium was full. The lights dimmed. A hush moved over the crowd as the curtain opened on scene one. Mary and Joseph entered the stage and walked up to the Inn door.
“Please sir, my wife is not well. Could we have a room for the night?”
The Innkeeper was ready with his line. He had rehearsed it over and over. “There is no…” He hesitated and then started again. “There is no…” He stopped again.
Joseph thought he would improvise and started to walk away toward the stable on stage.
The Innkeeper, seeing Mary and Joseph walking away, with a tear running down his face, called out, “You can have my room!”
“No room, only a manger of hay,
No room, He is a stranger today,
No room, here in His world turned away.”
This Christmas, let us be like the Innkeeper, not the world, and make room for Jesus in our hearts.
Richard Burke - December 2010
News and Information
Let’s Decorate the Church ! Saturday, December 4 @ 9:30 AM
Our whole church family is invited to help with the decorating. If you wish you are invited to bring some morning snacks to share: bagels & cream cheese, donuts & cider, juice, fruit… This will be a fun time so don’t forget to call someone who may not have family to share decorating with, they might like to come and help or just watch but still be a part of the activity. Share the Season !!!
Poinsettias for Christmas
If you would like to place a poinsettia or other plant in the sanctuary for the Christmas Season in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone, please fill out the portion below and place it in the offering plate or you may leave it in the church office. Bring your chosen plant to the church anytime after December 4.
Given by: _______________________________________________
In Memory of: _____________________________________________
In Honor of: _______________________________________________
Penn Yan Community Chorus Christmas Concert – Sunday, December 5 @ 3PM
Here at First Baptist Church - free admission
Peg Patterson, Conductor
Lucinda Loomis, Accompianist
VIVALDI’S GLORIA and CHRISTMAS CANTICLES by Benjamin Harlan
Mary & Martha Circle - December 14
This Mission Minded Ladies Group will be taking their December meeting to the Antique Inn Restaurant. The good news is that ALL ladies of the church are invited to go!! The date is set for Tuesday, December 14 at noon. Please call Erma Mullins at 536-8730 to make your reservation.
Kid’s Club
On Friday, December 17, there will be a holiday event open to kids in K-5th grade. From 6-8 PM kids can come for a dinner, cookie decorating and craft making time. Eileen Modafarri along with volunteers can use your help with donations of cookies for decorating, small pre-wrapped unisex gifts for the kids or a monetary donation of any size. Call Eileen at 716-225-4755 for more information.
Memorial Bulletin Covers ~ all dates are open through the end of the year!
Contact the office to reserve your chosen Sunday for your memorial/honor bulletin. The cost is $10 for one Sunday. In purchasing Memorial Bulletin Covers, you will help defray some of the church’s operating costs and at the same time memorialize or recognize a loved one. Printed in the bulletin will be the information you provide below.
In Memory of _____________________________________________
In Honor of ______________________________________________
Date Preferred _______________ From _______________________
From the Board of Trustees November Meeting
Ÿ The Trustees are considering hiring a bookkeeper to handle day-to-day bookkeeping and accounts and will also have to appoint a treasurer and assistant treasurer to sign checks, reconcile accounts and oversee bookkeeping.
Ÿ Bids have been received to repair the steeple roof. More to come.
Ÿ If you haven’t submitted your pledge card, please do so as soon as possible. This next year will be challenging
A Stewardship Commitment For Our Church Ministry
Name: ________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________
Telephone: ___________________________
With gratitude to God and as an expression of my personal commitment to Jesus Christ and His Church, it is my intention to offer:
1. The equivalent of _____ hours/week for the Lord’s work,
2. my personal talents for __________________________________________
3. and financial support payable as follows:
a. ____ I dedicate in faith a tithe (10%) of all my income for God’s work.
b. ____ I plan to contribute: Weekly $____ Monthly $_____ Annually $____
I wish this to be divided as follows: $ _____ Local Church Budget
$ _____ Mission Budget
$ _____ Building Fund
c. ______ I am making a one-time donation in the amount of $ _________
d. ______ I am unable to pledge at this time.
Please indicate you offering envelope choice: _____ weekly ______ monthly
Signed: _____________________________________ Date: ___________
For my records: I have pledged: $______ weekly $______ monthly $______ annually
Board of Mission report - Good News & Bad News -
Ÿ First of all, we thank all of you who gave so generously to the World Mission Offering. To date, $1086 has come in. This is only $64 short of our goal of $1,150. You are to be commended !!
Ÿ Secondly, you will receive notice of the RETIRED MINISTERS AND MISSIONARIES OFFERING in this newsletter. We will receive the RMMO on Sunday, December 12.
Ÿ The bad news is that during October, we dispersed $1,230 for the UNITED MISSION BASICS and $1064 for the WORLD MISSION OFFERING.
Ÿ Last January, we the congregation of FBC adopted a faith budget of $21,910 with a potential deficit of $2,019.
Ÿ During Nov. and Dec. we need to come up with $4,910 in order to fulfill your budget. The largest part of the budget is $2,460.
Ÿ We know many of you wonder why we budget $1,230 monthly for UMB. UMB is the foundation support for ABC/USA and ABC/NYS.
Ÿ In fact 65% of our contribution comes back to ABC/NYS each month. This is used for salaries for our NY staff among other things. Our field minister, Rev. Bob Shoesmith is serving as consultant to our search committee. He has been instrumental in our getting Rev. Richard Burke a our interim pastor.
Ÿ Field Ministers work to keep Pastors, Associations and Churches connected with each other. Some other uses of the UMB funds is for Educational Training, Camping Ministries and Church Growth and Spiritual Health.
Ÿ On the national level, UMB supports the Office of General Secretary, AB Men, AB Women’s Ministries. AB Information Services, National Ministries, International Ministries, and Colleges. Seminaries, Homes, Hospitals, AB Historical Society and a slew of other agencies.
Ÿ FBC of Penn Yan has always been a MISSION MINDED Church, ranking among the TOP TEN Churches year after year.
Ÿ With your help - by keeping your pledge up-to-date and by giving extra (those who can) we can meet the budget.
Missionary Journals
There is an interesting report from Rick & Mercy Barnes this month. It is called “And They Say It’s Dangerous In Mexico…” They have been moving about the USA and Puerto Rico the past year on Home Assignment. One of the most common questions they get is “How Dangerous is it in Mexico?” They explain that Mexico is a large country with some very dangerous areas just as the USA is a large country with some very dangerous areas.
They also point out that people conclude that once they are in the USA they are automatically safer. It isn’t necessarily so! A few weeks ago, they got a call from their son Joshua’s school. A tragedy involving the school community has occurred. Joshua’s teacher had been shot and killed on the way to work.
Read their journal on the Reader’s Table for the complete story.
Your Board of Mission - December 2010