First Baptist Church March 2013
From
the Pastor
Dear
Christian Family, Karen and I continue to be blessed by your expressions of
love and support. I hope that you know we love you as well. Ee could never have
hoped for a church family as wonderful as you. Your prayers and concerns fr
Karen’s mom are just a part of the blessings of YOU!
The
Monday fellowship dinners have gotten off to a gooed start and we hope to see
this grow even more. As I write this. We have had two dinners and attendence
nearly doubled in the second week. The food has been great and the fellowship
warm. The exciting bonus is that already several folks from the community have
joined us as well.
We
have received most of the equipment for the new sound system. (Woo Hoo!) It
should be up and running before long. We have help from Greg Miller and family,
Christopher Fuqua, Phil Riehl, Micah Lapp and others. We all should be hearing
soon.
Please
keep in mind to pray for outreach opportunities. We have the message of Christ,
which is good news. Just because we may have received this message some time
ago, let us not take it for granted. Try to remember when you labored under the
heavy burden of sin, and what joy it was to have that burden lifted.
The
great gift of God we celebrate at Christmas is consummated at Easter. (Yes, it
comes in March this year!) It is this miracle that we preach and share.
Remember that the greatest miracle Jesus came to perform was not to make bad
people good, but to make dead (in their sins) people live.
May
God use each of us and all of us to spread the Good News ~ Pastor Steve
Holy Week Services
Maundy Thursday
Ø
7 PM Thursday, March 28
Easter Sunday, March 31
Ø
7 AM Sunrise Service at
Indian Pines Park
Led by Rev. Sanden
Ø
10 AM Traditional Easter Celebration Service
Wish
These Friends a Happy March
Birthday
1 – Nancy Tharp
11 –
Tammy Miller
2 – Lisa Wood 17
– Meghan Fuqua
4 – Marion Perry 18
– Charlie Miller
8 – Nancy Marion 23
– Richie Taylor
8 – Barbara Stewart 26
– Tom Burke
8 – Sheri Jensen
Lenten Luncheons Continue
into March
The Penn Yan Area Council of Churches invites you to
attend the annual Lenten Luncheons at FBC. The cost is $5.00. This year's theme
will center on “The Qualities of Christ”. As Jesus journeys toward the cross we
observe inspiring qualities of our Savior revealed in Scripture.
Date Meal Message Pastor
Mar. 7 Chicken/bis/gravy “The Last
Supper” Rev. Paul Malles
peas, butterscotch Luke
22:14-27
pudding
Mar. 14 Swedish
meatballs/fettuccini “Jesus' Agony in
the Garden” Rev. Michelle Fischer
spinach bread, strawberry Luke
22:39-46
parfait
Mar. 21
Salisbury steak/gravy/mashed “Jesus
Stands Trial” Rev. Sandi
Perl
potatoes, brussel sprouts, Luke 23:1-12
apple pie
Easter Lilies
It's that time of year again when we decorate our
sanctuary with beautiful Spring Easter Flowers. If you would like to place a
flower in honor and/or in memory of a loved one we ask that you purchase your
own flower and bring it to the church by noon Friday, March 29th.
Please remember to label your plant for easy retrieval on Easter morning. Fill
out the form below and leave it with the church office or call the church
office with the information by Wednesday, March 27th in order for
the information to be printed in the Easter Sunday bulletin.
Given by: ___________________________________________
In Memory of: _______________________________
In Honor of: _________________________________
A message from the Advisory Council
Dear FBC Congregation, During
Sunday worship, you have heard our Pastor tell us that we need to be the light
of Christ; that we need to work to bring people to the Lord and to salvation.
This is the mission of Christians and the real purpose of the church. We cannot
let these words fall on deaf ears. So, in 2013 we want to develop a plan to do
outreach and local mission projects to better connect with the community and to
demonstrate that we are an active, welcoming church.
Each Board and Committee will be brainstorming to come
up with activities to make our church more visible in the community and to help
individuals in need. But this is not a project just for Boards and Committees!
We would like EVERYONE'S input. This
means YOU. So start thinking and think “outside” the box. Any and all ideas are
welcome! We are looking for a variety of activities.
Pass your ideas on to any Board or Committee member or
better yet, bring them directly to an Advisory Council meeting. We have significant memorial funds to assist
us with these projects so don't assume cost would prohibit us from considering
your idea. Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you.
Church Suppers
Please join us on Monday evenings at 5 pm for a church
supper. This is a wonderful opportunity to have a night off from cooking and
enjoy some time to visit over a nice warm meal that will be prepared for us by Carrie & Sean Ahearn
and the Penn Yan Diner. The cost will be $3 per person with a cap of $12 per
family. Invite your family and friends to join you! See you on Mondays!
Investment
Committee Meeting
Committee members please mark the date for the next
meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm. For your information the meetings for
the remainder of the year will be: July 16 and November 19.
Hurray For Us!
The Mary
Martha Circle – with help from many others - has
completed our goal of rolling 200 bandages to send to the Congo. We will continue to roll the strips we have
left to get a start on next year. Thanks to anyone who helped in any way!
Thank You!
I would like to thank my church family for all your
cards, calls and prayers during my recent recovery. I can't tell you how much
it meant and how calming it was to know that you lifted me up in prayer. ~ Eleanor Stiles
Congratulations!
to Calysta Conrad and Kyle Miller for making the PYMS
Honor Roll. Way to go!
Easter Surprise
Hey, let's all surprise our scholarship girl with a
bunch of cards for Easter! Ruth Spencer shared that she had received a letter
from Michelle thanking everyone in the Association for the Christmas cards,
enclosures and little gifts.
Michelle DuMond
700 Health Sciences
Drive
Chapin Apts, C1034CY
Stony Brook,
NY 11790
NYS Baptist Camps
For those of you sincerely and deeply interested in
camping programs for children and youth; Listen
Up!
In 2 more years, ABC/NYS Camps are to be
self-supporting. Those of you planning to leave something to ABC/NYS Camps in
your wills or insurance policies, Don't Wait! The Need
Is Now!!! Do some soul-searching and give generously over the next 2 years.
Memorial
Bulletins
Now is the time to indicate
your preference for Memorial Bulletins for 2013.
This is a special way for you
to honor your loved ones. The cost is $10, and monies raised will go to help
defray some of the church's operating costs.
Printed in the bulletin will be the information you provide below. Send
this form to the church office along with your payment or you may leave it in
the offering plate.
I would like to recognize my
loved one on the date of: _________________________
In memory of:
_______________________________________
In honor of:
_________________________________________
From:
_____________________________________________
The Chuch’s
Mission
Board of Missions Report
u
Thanks for your support – 144 Super Subs
realized $653.75 for Yates
County Habitat for
Humanity.
u
The Penny Project is underway. As of 2/5/13,
$7,833,840 has been collected by ABC/USA Churches. This represents 1 penny for
more than half of the 14 million children and youth living in poverty in the USA.
u
Special Note: do you have a repair project in your
home that you can't afford to do or can't find someone to do for you? Do you
have a friend that is in the same predicament? Please notify a member of the
Board of Mission.
We'll see what we can do to help.
u
We have received a Thank You from Yates Co. Habitat
for $653.75, from Milly's Pantry Weekend Backpack
Program for $48.05, from Green
Lake Conference
Center for $50, and from
our Special Interest Missionary Courtney Crisler for
$75.
u
Your Dollars at Work – we have learned that $230,000
has been given to Haiti
Earthquake Relief thru the One Great Hour of Sharing over the past three years.
The latest projects funded are Spinal Surgery Clinics.
u
Note: for those of you interested in Supporting
Missionaries, there will be a Matching Grant program running from May 1st
to June 30th. Double Your Money!!! Watch
for further information.
United Missionaries
United Mission
supports ABC/NYS which has taken over the Pastoral Search and Supply duties
from ABC/USA. United Mission
allows us to be faithful to God's call to the Church to be a steward of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Missionary News
Roberta Stephens: “They Don't Forget”:
Each year Japanese Baptists, on the first Sunday in February (called Baptist
Day) celebrate why they are Baptist. They also go to locations where early
Baptist Missionaries lived, say prayers, sing hymns, and hear messages about
the missionary who lived at that site. One missionary honored was Jonathan
Goble. He arrived in Japan
in 1840. Goble, a native of Wayne, NY, is know for
inventing the Rickshaw.
Roberta Stephens: “Making Christmas in Japan”
Although not Christmas-cy, Roberta tells of how a 7.0
earthquake in early December, affected the Japanese people.
Tim Long: “Piti Piti Zuazofe Nich
Li”
When Time was working in the Dominican Republic in 1985, he
learned the Haitian Creole saying above. It translates, “Little by Little a
Bird Makes it's Nest” Using this as a theme Tim tells us of how the Mexicali
Baptist Seminary has grown and is still growing.
Kristy Engles: who was one
of our special interest missionaries recently has been promoted. She now has an
expanded role as a regional missionary. She will be working with Iberoamerican and Carribean
countries – that is South American , Central American
and Carribean countries. Please read about what she
will be doing in those countries.
In fact, read about all the missionaries above.
Their journals are on the reading table and bulletin board at the entry to the
Great Room
“Penny Project”
As we are getting into the Penny Project, we think
that you would like to know that the pennies you donated over the past three
years has helped ABC/USA to raise
$7,833,840. This amount represents over 7 million of the 14 million
children and youth who live in homes under the poverty level in the USA.
Super Subs
On February 2nd, 144 subs were made
realizing $653.75 for Yates Co. Habitat for Humanity. Your Bd. of Mission wishes to thank the following
individuals for donating their time and effort:
Rev. Stephen & Karen Sanden, Rev. Don & Kathie
Lawrence, Sheryl Robbins, Karen Rasmussen, Jean Vaughn, Judi Scheel, The Miller Family: Greg, Tammy, Erik and Kyle, Ed
& Rita Castillo, and Oak Hill Bulk Foods for the rolls, meats, vegetables
and especially the use of their electric slicer.