I am a Promise!!

I am a promise! I am a possibility! I am a promise, with a capital "P"! I am a great, big bundle of potentiality!! Boy, the kids did such a great job last night!! I remember singing songs like the ones they performed last night when I was in the children's/youth choir. We had so much fun. We are indeed a promise! A promise of God's faithful and undying love for each of us. He has so much in store for us if we just open our hearts and minds to all He has to offer.

Our Sunday School class is continuing with the study of "The Purpose Driven Life". It is certainly making me reflect and think on some areas of my life that need improvement. We are all jars of clay, waiting to be molded into what God wants us to be. Sure, I get frustrated with the things of life. We all do. But we have to remember we have a higher purpose than the trivial things of this world. We have a beautiful home waiting for us with our Lord and Savior. I am thankful to be a part of the family of God!!

We have some exciting things about to take place in our church. Vacation Bible School is about to start. The children and youth have many activities to look forward to. There is something for everyone to enjoy!

Speaking of VBS. It is to begin this Sunday, June 4th @ 6pm. There are classes for everyone. Classes will end each night at 8:30. The last night will be Thursday, June 8th. Come out and bring a friend and enjoy the fun time of food, fellowship, games and crafts. You won't be sorry!!

Youth: remember Sunday evening worship services have begun for you! Please be in the gym at 6:30 and be prepared to worship. Services will end at 8pm.

Children: there will be a summer kick-off party this Saturday, June 3rd. Meet at the church at 1pm to ride on the van. Parents: children will return to the church at 4pm.

Rising 4th, 5th and 6th graders: if you are looking for an adventure, look no further! Camp at White Oak is coming soon. A $25.00 deposit is in order if you would like to attend.

We will be having a guest speaker this Sunday. Please remember to keep him and his family in your prayers. I pray that God's will be done.

There will also be a "Farewell Drop-In" for our pastor and his wife on Sunday, June 11th in the fellowship hall from 3-5pm. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Your presence will be your gift. I know they will be missed. We have truly been blessed to have them and I know God will continue to bless them!

That is all I have for now. If you know of any other activities that I neglected to mention here, please let me know. I hope that each of you will have a blessed week!

Take care and see you next Sunday!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

Memorial Day Weekend

Good Friday evening to each of you. I trust each of you had a good week. Mine was a bit hectic. I am so bogged down, I don't know if I will ever get it all caught up. Course, that's why they call it work, right??!! I try to remember that God doesn't give us any more than we can handle, but sometimes it truly is hard. What should have taken me about an hour to do today, ended up taking about 3-4 (computer problem). Oh well, I am glad to say that with the assistance of a very helpful support person on the other end of the phone, she and I were able to get it corrected! Thank goodness!!

Memorial Day is fast approaching. Soon May will be over. Time just seems to fly by so fast. I encourage each of us to remember those brave men and women who defended our freedom years ago as well as those defending our freedom today. Without them we would not be able to do the things we do (worship freely, come and go as we so desire, etc.). Although it seems as there are many driving forces (Satan's army) trying to discourage us from honoring our Lord and Savior. God is the basis on which this country was founded and it is in God we should most definitely trust. Without Him, NOTHING is possible!!

Here are some activities that will be coming up in the next few weeks. Boy aren't we busy??!! :-)

God's Kids will be presenting "I am a Promise" this Sunday night (May 28th). The children have been working hard on this presentation and I know we will be blessed by their performance (as always). Many thanks to their faithful leader for working with them so hard and helping them to grow in God's love. Come out and join us and bring a friend or two. The service starts at 6pm.

Don't forget about Discipleship training on Sunday evenings at 5pm. We have classes available for everyone and would love to have you join us. We are never too old to learn something new and we always need to be growing in our stewardship.

The children will have a Summer Kick-off Party. This event will take place next Saturday, June 4th. Meet at the church at 1pm (you will return at 4pm).

Vacation Bible School is about to begin. There are classes for everyone. The first day is Sunday, June 4th and ends Thursday, June 8th. Classes begin at 6pm and end at 8:30pm. Come out and bring a friend. It will surely be a blessing!!

"Secret Power", a seminar for teen girls will begin Monday, June 12. The cost is $35.00. This price includes a trip to Fatz cafe Tuesday night. The last session will be held on Wednesday, June 14th. For those that signed up, I am sure you will have lots fun!

The youth will be leaving for Atlanta Fest on Thursday, June 15 and will return Saturday, June 17th.

Children's day camp will start Monday, June 26 and ends Thursday, June 29th.

Children's camp at White Oak is slated for June 30th-July 2nd.

Children and youth: you don't want to miss out on any of the activities scheduled for you! For more information or to sign up for these events, please see our Youth and Children's leader. She will be glad to assist you!!

I hope everyone has a safe and blessed Memorial Day weekend. Take care and God bless!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

It's Not About You

It's not about you. That seems to be the topic as of late. When you ponder that statement and really (and I mean really) begin to think of it in a totally different light, you realize that it is NOT about you. It's about a higher purpose. Something that is bigger than any of us. We all live such consuming lives. It is very easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life. We have to remember, as Christians, to stay focused on the ultimate goal and the rewards to be reaped in the end. We all have a purpose in life.

That brings me to the topic our Sunday School class, the Truthseekers, is currently studying. We are reading 4 chapters each week of "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I am enjoying the reading and the discussions immensely. The first statement in the book is "It isn't about you." I have heard this statment many times over the past week, and indeed it isn't about me or you. Now, this statement can be taken many, many ways. But the ultimate way for it to be taken goes back to my earlier statement..."It's about a higher purpose and God's intent for our lives." We all have to really look at our lives and ask "are we where God wants us to be" or "are we where we want to be?".

This also brings up some of the things the guest speaker at the Men's breakfast mentioned yesterday morning. I am so glad I went to hear her speak. It really touched me. So much of what she had to say reminded me of things in my life I am currently dealing with. The "busy"ness of life. Are we busy doing the things that God would have us to do, or are we busy doing the things we think we are supposed to be doing and missing out on a greater lesson? Often times we find ourselves too busy to take a few minutes to call that person we have been meaning to call or to go and visit that person(s) we have been meaning to visit for a while now. We have to learn to stop and smell the roses and grasp every opportunity that is put in front of us. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, all we can do is live for today.

I also stepped outside of the box yesterday and went to hear the Mass choir at St. Mark's United Methodist Church perform. I was so blessed by this experience. My neighbor invited me to attend and I am glad I went. They were awesome. I felt that the roof of the church was going to be lifted off of it at any moment. That's how we should be as Christians. Overflowing with love and praise for our Lord Jesus and all that He has done for us. We should spread His love to everyone and have His light shining through us so that we "explode" with love for everyone. The best witness we have is to be an example of Christian love to our fellow man/woman. If they don't see Christ through us in our example, we have failed an important test.
We have to walk the walk and talk the talk.

I encourage each of us to "be all we can be". We are part of a grand family, the family of God. I am glad to be a part of that family and I know you are too!

Here are some happenings in our church this week:

We have several young people who graduated or will be graduating this year. My hat is off to each of you for striving forward and I urge you to keep up the good work! This is but a stepping stone in your life and will be one of many. Grasp it and continue to press on towards the goal God has placed before you! Congratulations and best wishes to each of you! You deserve it!!

Youth worship services began last night at 6:30 in the gym. If you are a young person looking for a church home, we would love to have you join us. If you are already part of our youth group and know of someone who is looking for a church home, I encourage you to invite him or her. Everyone is welcome in God's house!

The $25.00 deposit for AtlantaFest is due next Sunday. Don't forget!!

Children's summer kick-off party is next Saturday, June 3rd from 1-4pm. Flyers were mailed out last week. If you have any questions, please contact our children's and youth leader for more details.

Rising 4th, 5th and 6th graders: if you are looking for an adventure, look no further. Camp at White Oak will be coming soon. A deposit of $25.00 is needed if you would like to attend.

Yesterday was the last day for permission slips and money to be turned in for the "Secret Power" seminar for teen girls. A deposit of $35.00 was needed.

If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events for children or youth, please contact our youth and children's leader. She is happy to assist you!!

God's Kids will be presenting their spring musical. It's entitled "I am a Promise" and will portray a message of obedience. This presentation will be next Sunday, May 28th at 6pm. Come and join us and bring a friend!

Please keep our sick, bereaved, our missionaries, world leaders and troops in your prayers.

I hope each of you will have a blessed week. Take care and God bless!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

Weekend Happenings at FBC

Good afternoon! I hope everyone has been having a wonderful week. I wanted to remind everyone of some activities that will be taking place this weekend.

First there will be an XYZ meeting Friday night at 7pm. A picnic meal will be provided!

Children will have gym time this Saturday, May 20th from 2-5pm. Come out and bring a friend!

Don't forget...there will be a special Men's breakfast this Sunday morning. The ladies of the church have been invited to attend. There will be a special guest speaker and breakfast will start at 8am. You don't want to miss the wonderful time of food and fellowship.

Remember to keep our upcoming VBS in your prayers. Please keep not only the time of teaching in your prayers, but those who will be leading and assisting. Everyone is encouraged to be in attendance. There is a class available for all ages! VBS starts Sunday, June 4th.

That's all I have for now. I hope the remainder of your week goes well and will see you on Sunday! God bless!!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

Current Happenings

Hello! I trust everyone had a wonderful Monday. I also hope all the Mother's had a grand Mother's Day.

The sermons yesterday were a blessing indeed. An excellent way to remind us all of the place Mother's have in our lives. They do so much for us and care far more than we can imagine. Thank the good Lord for Mothers!!

Here are some upcoming events happening in our church:

Youth worship services start next Sunday (May 21st) in the gym. They will begin at 6:30 and end at 8pm. All youth are encouraged to attend. If you have a friend or relative that would love to become a part of our youth group, invite him or her to attend. They will receive such a blessing!

Attention teen girls: On Monday June 12th at 3pm and Wednesday June 14 there will be a special study just for you. The donation is $35.00. This price includes the necessary books, meals and even a night out at Fatz cafe in Orangeburg Tuesday, June 13th. Signed permission slips are required and must be returned by May 21st. If you are interested in this study, please contact our faithful youth leader. I know she will be glad to assist you!

Children: there will be a swimming party Saturday, June 3rd. Please meet at the youth building at 1:30 that Saturday. You will return to the church at 4:30 that day. This promises to be lots of fun!! Permission slips are required for this activity as well.

Men's breakfast will be next Sunday (May 21st) at 8am. The ladies of our church have been invited to attend. You don't want to miss this special time of food and fellowship!

Don't forget about our Wednesday night supper this week at 6pm in the fellowship hall. Women on Mission will be meeting this Wednesday at 7pm. All other organizational meetings will be held as well.

I believe that about covers all I have for now. If you have any news you would like posted, please let me know.

Adult choir (old members and those wishing to join us): don't forget about choir practice immediately following the evening worship service. Practice usually starts about 7pm and lasts an hour. If you are thinking of joining us, we are more than happy to have you do so.

Until next time, I hope you have a blessed week!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

A Mother's Love

Good Friday evening to each of you. I hope you had a wonderful week! In just a couple of days it will be time to honor the special ladies in our lives. We shouldn't just confine our gratitude and special thoughts to only one day, we should show our mother's how much they mean to us all year long. After all, don't they give unselfishly of themselves every day??!! The world would be a sad place without Mom. I am thankful for mine each and every day. A mother's love is so vast and strong. It grows and grows throughout the years. I don't know if we could ever repay the thoughtfulness and generosity our mother's exhibit. Remember to take the time this Mother's day (Sunday, May 14th) to let Mom know how much she means to you. It will make her heart swell with pride and love! Thanks Mom for all you do!!

In keeping with the news of our church we have several things happening over the next couple of weeks. For starters, we will have baby dedication tomorrow morning during the worship hour. We will recognize the Mom's as well during the morning worship hour.

Women on Mission will be meeting this Wednesday at 7pm. Don't forget about the Wednesday night supper at 6pm with Prayer Meeting and other organizational meetings immediately following.

Newsletter deadline is this Thursday, May 18th. Please have all information that needs to be in the newsletter into the church office by then!

Youth will be having Gym time tomorrow night, May 13th from 7-10pm. Come on out and bring a friend!

XYZ will be meeting Friday, May 19th at 7pm. A picnic meal will be provided.

Children will be having Gym time next Saturday, May 20th from 2-5pm. You don't want to miss this time of fun and fellowship!

Men's breakfast will be Sunday, May 21st at 8am. If I remember correctly, the women of our church have been invited to attend. You don't want to miss this special occasion!!

Also, if you know of someone who is graduating this year, please notify the church office. We don't want to leave anyone out. Please provide the person(s) full name as you wish for it to appear in the bulletin. Graduation is a special time and graduates deserve that special recognition.

I think that about covers all I have for now. As always, keep on keeping on. God bless!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)

Rainy Day

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone has had a good weekend. I am so thankful to see this rain. We surely need it. God certainly knows when to time things to occur. Always in His perfect plan!

I have a few announcements I want to share with you. This is a busy time of year for our students. Especially for those preparing to graduate. I remember when I graduated from high school and college. It was truly a scary, but memorable stepping stone in my life. My wish for those that will be graduating this year is that you follow God's plan for your life and not let things of this world influence your decisions for your future(s). We have a higher goal than anything this world has to offer. Just remember to keep God in all aspects of your life and you will wind up where you are supposed to be. Always turn to Him for His ever faithful guidance. He will not guide you astray!

If you know of someone who is graduating this year, please call the church office and let them know. Make sure to give the name of how it should appear in the bulletin. We want to be sure to recognize our graduates and don't want to leave anyone out! Congratulations and best wishes to each of you!!

XYZ club: you will be meeting Friday, May 19th at 7pm. A picnic meal will be provided. Be sure to make note of this on your calendars (the old date had been the 12th, but that has been changed in lieu of another event taking place in our fellowship hall that evening).

Speaking of which...remember to pray for our two young people who will be joined in marriage that Saturday (May 13th). The blushing bride and her handsome groom will surely have a life filled with love because it will be based on God and His expectations for them! Congratulations and best wedding wishes to you both!

It is my understanding that the youth raised $312 at the car wash they had a couple of weekends ago. I also understand that amount will be matched. That means that altogether they will have raised $624 to be used towards their summer ministries. Keep up the good work!!

Also, summertime is fast approaching and the grass at the cemetery will be in need of cutting. Donations to maintain the Riverside Cemetery will be helpful, appreciated and they are tax deductible. Please keep this in mind!!

Mother's Day is next Sunday (May 14th). Remember to take the time to let our mother's know how much they mean to us. Mother's contribute so much to our lives. I don't know where I would be without mine!!!! So remember to take a moment to share encouraging words and blessings with those precious women who influence our lives!

Hope you all have a good week. Take care and God bless!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)