It is hard to believe that in just two days it will be Christmas. Where has the time gone?! My mom always told me the years start flying by after you reach a certain age....I'm beginning to think it's true. Which leads me to say that we need to cherish each and every moment we have with the ones we love. Not just during the holidays, but every day.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Mary & Joseph all those years ago? Holding little baby Jesus in their hands. What a feeling that must have been!! Christmas is such a special time. Society has a tendency to get all caught up in the commercialism of the season, but it is imperative that we remember the true reason for the season. Of how an ever powerful God came to us in human form to save us from our sins so that we might live with Him for eternity. What a love that is! I am so thankful that we have a Savior who loves us so much!

Just a few things to remind you of as we close out one year and begin a new one. The church office will be closed Thursday, Dec. 23rd and will reopen Wed. Dec. 29th.

Attention Youth: Disciple Now will soon be here January 14th-16th. The deposit is $5.00 with the sign up slip being due no later than Wed., Dec. 29th. Your info packet will be mailed to you. If you have any questions about this event, please see our Minister of Students.

There will be a special New Year's Eve service on Fri., Dec. 31st. I am excited to see what the new year has in store.

I apologize for not making a post before now. I was sick recently with a terrible kidney infection and viral infection, but am doing much better now.

Let's remember to lift up the men & women serving our country in prayer....as they are separate from their friends & family this holiday season. Freedom is never free. It comes at a very high price. When others are willing to lay down their lives in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we have, they deserve to be honored, remembered and prayed for. Just as our Savior gave His life so that we may have life more abundantly.

I pray that you and your families will have a very Merry & blessed Christmas and the hope for a prosperous and healthy New Year!

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

October Happenings

Hello! What a beautiful Sunday we are having here in North, SC. I wanted to take a few minutes to remind each of you some things taking place in our church over the next few weeks.

The ladies will begin a new Beth Moore Bible study tomorrow night (Oct. 11th) at 6:30pm. I thoroughly enjoy Beth Moore's studies and have a few books written by her that I intend to read. You are sure to receive a magnificent blessing if you are participating in this new Bible study!

Men's breakfast will be held on Sunday, Oct. 17th in the fellowship hall. Come out and bring a friend and join in the fellowship, food and worship time with the men of FBC!

Children's Moments will take place during the morning worship hour on Sunday, Oct. 17th.

The youth will travel to Columbia on Fri., Oct. 22nd to the State Fair and to see the David Crowder Band in concert. Please see our Minister of Students for more information or if you wish to attend this outing.

The annual FBC Fall Festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 31st beginning at 5pm. Everyone is invited to attend this fun time of games, food and fellowship!

North FBC's annual Homecoming will take place on Sunday, Nov. 7th. As always, there will be lots of delicious food, reminiscing with folks who have moved away and come to visit, desserts of every choosing and a wonderful time of learning in Sunday School and worship hour.

I hope everyone will enjoy this beautiful day. Take care and until next time, God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

Hello everyone! Hope September has been a good month for each of you. The holidays will be here before we know it!

I wanted to take a few minutes to update you on some things taking place in our church.

Children's Moments will take place Sunday, Sept. 19th.

There will be a covered dish meal following the morning worship hour on Sunday, Sept. 28th in the fellowship hall to honor Pastor Bill and his wife, Sharon.

The youth will have a lock-in Saturday, Sept. 25th-Sunday, Sept. 26th from 8pm-12pm.

There are many who are in need of prayer. Please remember to lift them up during your prayer time. We may not know them all, but God does.

And don't forget...Homecoming will soon be here. It will be taking place on the first Sunday of November. Homecoming is always a fun time of food, fellowship and music. You won't want to miss it!

May God continue to bless each of you. Take care and until next time, God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

Hello & good Saturday morning to each of you! It's hard to believe that school is back in session and fall will soon be here. I know I will be thankful for cooler temperatures! I hope everyone's school year has gotten off to a great start and make it memorable! I remember Friday night's of football games and friends. Watching my brother play at Swansea was so much fun! Good memories.

I wanted to take a moment to remind you of an upcoming event at our church on Sunday, Aug. 29th at 6pm. Beth Greer will be in concert during the evening worship hour. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Beth is a native South Carolinian who grew up in Brazil, South America, where her parents served as Southern Baptist Missionaries. She is a graduate of Columbia College in Columbia, SC where she majored in Spanish. Beth is a gifted Bible teacher, speaker and worship leader and finds great joy in serving in the Lord. She is committed to the truths of God's word as a wife and mother and is passionate about teaching and equipping the Body of Christ. Beth has a passion for seeing those who are not lost come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. She ministers under the umbrella of Life and Godliness Ministries, a Bible teaching ministry that believes Christ has provided, by example and commission, "Everything pertaining to life and godliness." Beth is also a 4 and 5 year old preschool teacher at a local church. She is married to Tom Greer and lives in Lexington, SC, with their two teenage daughters, Blake and Jordan. She is a member of First Baptist Church, Columbia, SC, where she is active in the music and women's ministries. As many of you may remember, Beth was the guest speaker for last year's women's retreat at FBC North. It is always wonderful when a servant of the Lord comes to share their testimony with other believers. I am sure you will receive a blessing this Sunday night as well. Won't you come?

The youth will venture out for a weekend rafting trip Friday-Sunday, September 3rd-5th. For more information on this event, please see our Minister of Students. He will be happy to assist you!

FBC will host a Labor Day Cookout Sunday, September 5th at 6pm. Everyone is invited to come and join in the fun, food, festivities and fellowship!

Family Movie Night Saturday, September 18th. Lots of fun to be had for all!

Hope everyone will enjoy this wonderful weekend! Until next time, take care and God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

Happenings for July

Hello! Here we are in the middle of July with very warm temps and a lot going on in our church. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for! Not to mention this wonderful rain that He has been blessing us with. We need it terribly!!

I wanted to take a few moments to update you on some things you might want to participate in over the next few weeks.

First off I want to mention that our Children's Group is Santee State Park this week (July 11-17) for their annual mission trip. I know the Lord is doing wonderful things in and through them! Let's remember to keep them close in thought and prayer as they strive to do the Lord's work at Santee State Park!!

Sunday, July 18th: Men's breakfast will be held this Sunday at 8am in the fellowship hall. All the men of the church are invited and encouraged to attend! Come out for a fun time of food, fellowship and worship. You'll be glad you did!

Sunday evening (July 18th) will hold a special treat for everyone. Amick Junction will be presenting a musical program at our church at 6pm. This group has a "big band" sound and plays traditional bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and country music. Amick Junction is the current edition of a band that originated as a family band of parents and children (The Amicks). Bruce & Bobbie Amick from Leesville, SC have been singing around SC, NC and Ga. for decades. The group features the primary vocals of Bruce & Bobbie Amick backed by band members Grady Lindler, Don Jones, Dave Holder and Jonathan Anderson. Everyone is invited to come and join us for this special program. A light meal will be served in the fellowship hall at 5pm prior to the service. For additional information, please call the church office at 247-2711.

Children's Day Camp will be held July 26th-30th at North FBC. For information regarding this event, please see our Minister of Students.

There will be a "Day at the Beach" for our youth on Saturday, July 24th. If you have any questions or are a youth wishing to attend this outing, please contact our Minister of Students.

I hope everyone is doing well and that you are staying as cool as you possibly can. Remember to keep fresh water available and lots of shade for your outdoor pets!

Until next time, take care and God bless!!

Love,

Tina :-)

Vacation Bible School

Hello! Hope everyone has been enjoying the beautiful days we have been having.....along with the rain. Rain is needed to help those crops grow, so let's be thankful for it when we get it!

I wanted to take a minute to update you on Vacation Bible School. It will be taking place the week of June 13-17th. Each night will begin at 6pm in the fellowship hall. Classes are available for all ages, children through adults. Everyone is invited to attend in the crafts, recreation and fellowship. VBS will end each night at 8:30pm. So saddle on up and join in the fun at "Saddle Ridge Ranch: Roundin' up Questions and Drivin' Home Answers". Remember to bring a friend!!

Hope everyone will have a blessing-filled week. Take care and God bless!

Tina :-)

May Happenings...........

Hello! Hope this finds each of you doing well. It's hard to believe we are already in the month of May. It seems like 2010 just started, yet here we are fast approaching the middle of year! Time goes by so fast.

I wanted to take a moment to update you on some things taking place in and around our church. There is a lot going on during the month of May, so remember to post your calendar in a special place so you won't forget anything that's happening.

Muffins for Moms is Sunday, May 9th at 9am. All moms are invited and encouraged to attend in this time of fellowship. Child care will be provided in order that you might have a few peaceful moments to yourself. Moms know how hard it is to get time to yourself. :-) But without our mothers, family just wouldn't be the same. Some are even experiencing the difficulty of not having mom here with us any more. Just know that she is resting in heaven with our Lord and Savior and is looking down on us all with love. Please remember to let mom know how special she is to you, not just on Mother's Day, but every day!

Women on Mission will be meeting Wed., May 12th. All ladies are welcome to join the group!

Our faithful Ministry Assistant, Joan, will be heading to a state meeting May 13th & 14th. Please remember to keep her in your prayers for a safe journey to and from and that she will receive many blessings during the meeting. May she return rejuvenated and filled with a peace that only God can give!

The XYZ group will be heading to Charlotte, NC on Friday, May 14th. They will be going to the Billy Graham Library. If you are planning on going on this trip, it is very important that you sign up on the sign up sheet in the vestibule. Be on the lookout for further details regarding this outing!

The youth with have a Progressive Scavenger Hunt Dinner Sat., May 15th. For more information about this, please see our Minister of Students.

There will be a Children's Committee Meeting Sunday, May 15th at 3pm.

Men's breakfast will be held on Sunday, May 16th at 8am. All the men are invited. Come and enjoy a good meal and a time of fellowship!

Children's Sermon will be held on Sunday, May 16th at 8am.

The youth are also planning to head to Summersalt the week of June 21st-25th. During the month of July, the youth and children will go to Santee each day during the week of July 12th-17th. Then two weeks later, the youth will be hosting a day camp for children in 1st-5th grades. There's a lot going on with our youth and children. But if you have any questions, Ryan will be happy to assist you!!

FYI..........recently a fund was designated for new tables and chairs in the fellowship halls. If you have any questions regarding this, please speak with someone on the fellowship committee. As always, donations are appreciated!

There will be a Memorial Day cookout Sunday, May 30th at 6pm. You don't want to miss out on this time of fun, food and fellowship. We have a lot to be thankful for and taking the time to remember those who have served in our Armed Forces and gone on before us, is an expression of that appreciation. Especially when it is done in love and brings honor and glory to God!

I hope each of you will find something to take part in with all of the things that we have going on in our church. May God continue to bless you each and every day!

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

Children's Program

Hello! Hope this finds each of you doing well. I wanted to remind you of an upcoming event taking place at our church this Sunday, May 2nd. The children are having a musical in the sanctuary starting at 6pm. It is entitled "Arkeology". It's about the animals on Noah's Ark. An inside source tells me it is going to be very cute!! A must see for the whole family. Come on out and bring the children for a fun-filled hour of praise, worship and remembering how much our Lord & Savior loves us!

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)

Spring Is Here!

Hello everyone! Hope this finds you all doing well. I wanted to take a moment to update you on some things taking place in and around our church.

Spring brings a lot of joy and happiness to folks with the warmer weather and bright sunshine. I love hearing the birds chirp and sing. Seeing the flowers in bloom. All the beautiful pastel colors that are displayed. None of this would happen if it weren't for our precious Lord. It is all at His hand and He commands them to happen. He has so richly blessed us and we need to be thankful. This time of year also reminds us that Jesus rose from the grave. And praise God that He did! Many years ago, people thought that He would be dead and buried. But no truer words were spoken than the ones Jesus spoke in that He would tear down the temple and then rebuild it again in 3 days. Every words that He ever spoke has come true and will come true. We can rest in the knowledge that when He said He would return for us, He will. O, what blessed assurance. No one will ever love us more and want what's best for us than our Savior. I am thankful for a Savior who loves me so much.

Here are some things that we can participate in during the month of April:

The children will have an Easter Celebration on Sat., April 3rd from 12:30om-3pm. There will be food, games and an Easter egg hunt!

A Community Easter Sunrise Service will take place on Sunday, April at 7am at North United Methodist Church. Pastor Robbie Parnell will be the guest speaker. We have regular Sunday morning services at FBC with partaking of the Lord's Supper during the 11am worship hour. There will be no evening service.

On Sunday, April 11th, there will be a Deacon's Meeting at 8am. That afternoon there will be a Youth Committee Meeting at 3pm followed by a Children's Committee Meeting at 4pm.

Summer Camp deposits are due on Wed., April 7th. If you are planning to attend summer camp, please have your deposit of $25.00 turned in order to reserve your spot. Due to the number of youth planning to attend, 2 other adults are needed to chaperone (1 male & 1 female) the week of June 21st-25th. Please see our Minister of Students for more information.

XYZ will meet on Friday, April 16th. Be ready for a fun time of fellowship and bingo!!

Men's breakfast will be held on Sunday, April 18th at 8am. There will also be a special church conference during the morning worship hour.

Our youth will be participating in a Service Project in North on Sat., April 24th. Please see our Minister of Students for more information.

As you can see, there will be lots going on. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. I pray that everyone will have a blessed week!

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Tina :-)

February Happenings

Hello! Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful sunshine our Lord has sent our way. While we need the rain, it is a blessing to see the sun shining brightly!

I wanted to take a few minutes to update everyone on some things happening in our church over the next few weeks.

The children will be making a trip to Orangeburg Nursing Home on Sat., Feb. 13th. They will leave the church at 11:30am and will arrive back at the church at 4:30pm.

The youth will be hosting a Valentine's Banquet fundraiser next Sunday, Feb. 14th. Dinner will be served in the fellowship hall at 6pm.

Women on Mission will be meeting on Wed., Feb. 16th immediately following Wednesday night supper. All ladies are invited and encouraged to attend.

Our youth will be heading to Winter Jam on Friday, Feb. 19th. Money ($10.00) is needed for dinner. The van will leave the church at 4:30pm and the group is scheduled to arrive back at the church at 11:30pm. This is always an exciting event for all to enjoy!!

Sunday, Feb. 21st will be Men's Day. The day will begin with Men's Breakfast being served in the fellowship hall at 8am. Invite someone to join you for the fun, food and fellowship.

Summer Camp: the youth will once again be heading to SummerSalt at White Oak Conference Center the week of June 21st-June 25th. Youth: in order to secure your spot, you will need to turn in a deposit of $25.00 by Wed., March 3rd. If you did not receive a letter pertaining to this trip, please see our Minister of Students for more information.

Attention Ladies: the annual Women's Retreat dates have changed. Instead of the previously announced weekend of Feb. 26th & 27th, it will be held on Friday, March 5th & Sat., March 6th. Please contact the church office for more information or if you wish to sign up for this retreat. They would like to have a head count by the end of Feb. Cost is still $20.00 per person. Invite a friend or two to you for this wonderful event. You are sure to receive a blessing.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful and blessed week. Take care and God bless!

In His Love,

Tina :-)

Hello! Hope this finds you all doing well. We made through another year. As I get older, they seem to go by faster and faster. Reminds us to enjoy the present even more because you never know what will happen next.

I wanted to take a moment to update you on some happenings around our church.

First of all, Cathy Jo Ward has come to us as of Jan. 3rd as Interim Minister of Music/Worship. She previously served in the same ministry position at First Baptist Church of Denmark. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Church Music from Charleston Southern University. Cathy has served in several churches in the Orangeburg-Calhoun Baptist Association since completing her degree in 1993. We welcome Cathy with open arms and hearts and are so thankful God placed her with us as part of our church family.

Many thanks to Lori Creech for her years of service as Minister of Music/Worship. Lori took the reigns over several years ago and has been a blessing as choir leader and Minister of Music. God has richly blessed her with a wonderful gift for song. Our hearts are overflowing with love and appreciation for her dedication and service!

Men's breakfast will be held Sunday, Jan. 17th at 8am in the fellowship hall. All First Baptist men are invited and encouraged to attend. Come on out and bring a friend!

Children's Sermon will be held during the morning service on Sunday, Jan. 17th. It is always such a joy to see the little ones gather to learn more about our Lord & Savior.

Attention Youth: Jan. 22nd-24th marks the Disciple Now Weekend. Remember, money is due on Jan. 17th.

Attention Ladies: Mark your calendars for the 2nd annual FBC Women's Retreat being held Friday, Feb. 26th and Saturday, Feb. 27th. Beth Greer will be our worship leader/speaker. Beth is a native of South Carolina and she grew up in Brazil, South America, where her parents served as missionaries. She graduated from Columbia College when she returned to the US with a major in Spanish. Beth currently teaches four year olds at a local preschool. Beth has been to our church in the past. Many of you may remember her being in the group "One Purpose". She is a member of First Baptist Church of Columbia. The cost for the retreat is $20.00 per person. Snacks, continental breakfast, lunch & Bible study materials are included in the fee. Please contact the church office for a registration or for any questions you may have regarding this event. You may also contact Jan Creech for more information. Invite some of your lady friends to join you for this event. Everyone is sure to receive a blessing.

That's all I have for now. I hope everyone is staying warm. May God continue to bless each of you in the days to come.

Until next time, take care and God bless!

Love,

Tina :-)