Good Sunday afternoon to each of you. I hope that you are having a wonderful day of fellowship, rest and relaxation. This is another time of year when things really pick up around our church. Our pastor is bringing messages to us about prayer and Jesus among other gods. The messages on prayer are in the morning and the ones on "Jesus and other gods" are in the evening. Both promise to be rewarding and educational. Our Sunday School class has discussed from time to time other beliefs and it will be interesting to hear what the messages will teach us as the Lord speaks through our pastor to enrich and enlighten us. I encourage everyone to be in attendance. Am sure each person will be blessed.

The First Baptist Chamber Orchestra made their debut this morning. Admist a nervous group and leader, everyone did a fabulous job! It takes a great amount of courage to commit to such a group. Especially if you have never played an instrument or it has been a while since playing. Hats off to each and everyone who participated. We look forward to hearing you play again! It is for God's glory and His alone that we sing, play, teach and preach!

Some other items on the agenda that will be coming up in the weeks to follow are:

There will be a Children's Committee Meeting today at 4pm and a Youth Committee meeting at 4:30pm in the gym.

The Orangeburg-Calhoun Baptist Association will be holding revival on Oct. 22-25th beginning at 7pm. Revival will be held at St. George Baptist Church in Orangeburg. There will be a guest evangelist coming from Rock Springs Baptist Church of Easley, SC.

North FBC will host the Associational Fall Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26th. The choir of FBC will minister in music before and during the evening service. The fellowship meal will begin at 6pm. If anyone would like to take part in the fellowship meal, please contact the church office no later than noon on Friday, Oct. 13th. The Celebration Service begins at 7pm.

The annual Fall Festival will be Tuesday, Oct. 31st at FBC from 6:30-8pm. Activites of pumpkin carving, cake walk, games and candy will be in order. There will be a special area for toddlers/preschoolers.

Mark your calendars and remember to tell past and present members that Homecoming is Sunday, November 5th. Our former pastor and his wife will be in attendance, as he will be the guest speaker that day. Remember to bring your best dishes and come and join in the time of worship and fellowship!

The 9th Annual North Day of Prayer is slated for Sunday, Nov. 12 from 3-4:30pm. It will be hosted by North FBC. Everyone is invited to attend. The Master of Ceremonies will be our own church moderator!

Living Proof Live featuring Beth Moore (a Christian writer) will be held at the Colonial Center in Columbia, Friday, April 13th from 7-9:30pm and Sat. 14th from 8:30am-12pm. If you or someone you know is interested in attending, please refer to your church newsletter for the contact info. The cost to attend is $55.00/ticket for both days. I haven't heard Mrs. Moore personally, but a friend of mine has, and she thoroughly enjoyed her lecture/presentation. I am getting ready to start reading a couple of her books and am looking forward to the journey.

Also, don't forget about the projects the WOM have going on. If you know of anyone who is new to the area, please let the church office know so that the appropriate parties can be made aware. Remember to bring your baskets to be filled! The WOM is also collecting school supplies. Items that are needed are pencils, markers, colored pencils and three ring binders.

On Wed. nights, there will be a collection point to collect canned goods to help meet some of the needs of others in our community. Please remember to bring your canned goods and know that they will be greatly appreciated!

There is a new flower calendar posted outside the counting room. This is for those that wish to put fresh flowers in the church. If you want to participate, please sign up as soon as possible!

Whew, that's a lot of stuff! As I said before, we have a lot that will be coming up in the next few weeks or so. Please remember to refer to your church newsletter, bulletin or this website to help keep you posted.

Let's remember to keep those who are sick, bereaved; missionaries, etc. in our prayers. When we aren't able to do anything else, prayer is always a good thing. It is a very powerful tool and has been given to us along with the love of a Savior who would do anything and has done anything for us. It may seem like a weak statement when someone says, "I will keep them in my prayers." But for those that know the power of prayer, we know how strong those words can be and that the outcome will be the design of our Lord. He always knows what's best for us even when we don't understand it ourselves! Thank heavens for that!!

Until next time, keep on pressing toward the upward way. God loves you and so do I!

Love in Christ,

Tina :-)