Yes, spring does mean we begin to get busy around our church. Summer plans are being made for Vacation Bible School, children's activities, Youth trips, a revival meeting in early May, and just so much to do with so little time to do it!
Well, not that busy, but it is keeping us going.
We are in the interview process of seeking a Minister of Music and Youth, as you know from reading the past posts on this page. We have had a large number of applications, but so many have failed to respond to our emails and phone calls. Nevertheless, we have had successful interviews with some good prospects, and we are waiting for the Lord to direct the right one to us, and us to him/her.
Our church directory is in the final production process, and we should have the completed Directory back within the next few months. I do appreciate all who took time to get their photos taken, and for those who helped in the directory program.
A special thanks also to those who participated in the Faith Cometh by Hearing program which we completed on Easter Sunday. We are blessed that a good number of our people committed to listening to the New Testament for 28 minutes a day for 40 days. BUT NOW....soon I will be asking you to listen to the Old Testament! I don't have the details yet, but this promises to be a great time of Bible Listening as you hear the Word of God spoken by the outstanding narrators on these tapes. And for those who choose the dramatic versions, it is just like being on the scene in Bible times. Will have more details later.
In our services this next Sunday, May 1, we will have a Gideon speaker in the morning service, and I will be speaking for the evening. Our pastor will be away that weekend performing a wedding for former church members.
REVIVAL: On Mother's Day evening at 7 PM, we will begin a three day revival with a bit of a different method of preaching the Gospel. We will have Rev. Dan Gardner, a chalk artist, who will be speaking and drawing. Using colored chalk on a large chalkboard, and using blacklighting techniques, the message is presented in a powerful way. Please plan on coming, bring some friends, and enjoying this time of revival. May 8-11 at 7 PM each evening.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
ANOTHER HAPPY EASTER AT NORTH FBC
What a great day for the Lord! Though it was raining very heavily, windy and cold, we had a wonderful time of Easter Sunrise services, followed by a very filling breakfast, and then by our Sunday school classes, and finished up with a powerful Easter message from our pastor. The fellowship of several different churches and the sharing around the tables gave us all a sense of Christian love and fellowship. It is especially wonderful to see the little children and how they enjoy being with all these people.
Our worship services were filled and all were stirred by the moving of the Holy Spirit as Mr.Will Richardson responded to the invitation by receiving Christ as his Savior, and asking to be baptized and become a member of the church. Of course the vote to accept Will was unanimous.
Reminder:Next Sunday, April 3rd, will be the time change as we set our clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Please do this, or you will be late for the morning activities. Also, our evening service times will revert to the summer schedule, as we begin Discipleship Training at 6 PM, and evening worship services at 7 PM. The days are getting longer, and we are rapidly approaching the long daylight of summer.
Please remember to pray for me as I go to Fellowship Baptist Church for both services next Sunday. As you know, my oldest son, Donny, is pastor there, and he and his wife are taking a weekend off to travel to Florida, so he has asked Daddy to preach for him, which I am always happy to do. The Fellowship family is a sweet group of people that I was privileged to work with for about six months a few years ago.
So, that is all for now. Thanks for reading these ramblings, and please pray for our church at North First Baptist.
God bless,
Bro. Don
Our worship services were filled and all were stirred by the moving of the Holy Spirit as Mr.Will Richardson responded to the invitation by receiving Christ as his Savior, and asking to be baptized and become a member of the church. Of course the vote to accept Will was unanimous.
Reminder:Next Sunday, April 3rd, will be the time change as we set our clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Please do this, or you will be late for the morning activities. Also, our evening service times will revert to the summer schedule, as we begin Discipleship Training at 6 PM, and evening worship services at 7 PM. The days are getting longer, and we are rapidly approaching the long daylight of summer.
Please remember to pray for me as I go to Fellowship Baptist Church for both services next Sunday. As you know, my oldest son, Donny, is pastor there, and he and his wife are taking a weekend off to travel to Florida, so he has asked Daddy to preach for him, which I am always happy to do. The Fellowship family is a sweet group of people that I was privileged to work with for about six months a few years ago.
So, that is all for now. Thanks for reading these ramblings, and please pray for our church at North First Baptist.
God bless,
Bro. Don
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND ALL IS WELL!
Well, it was a beautiful day last Sunday, the first day of spring, and we had a great time of fellowship, Bible teaching and preaching, and just being together. There is something wonderful in Christian fellowship. I cannot imagine how much greater it will be in heaven when all this is over.
Now we are looking ahead to Easter Sunday, with the sunrise service, a fellowship breakfast, then the regular services moved up one hour. Remember, Sunrise service at 7:00 AM with Rev. Sam Warwick as guest speaker, breakfast to follow, and then at 9:00 AM we will go to Sunday school, followed at 10:00 AM by the morning worship hour. And, there will be NO evening services on Sunday night, so that you can enjoy being with your family and friends that afternoon. Sounds like a great day, huh?
The 40 Days of Faith cometh by Hearing listening finishes up this Easter Sunday. I am so proud of all who participated in listening to the New Testament Bible tapes for at least 28 minutes each day for 40 days. I have heard nothing but good reports from many who did this program, and I know they have been blessed by hearing the Word of God. Some time later on we will challenge you to listen to the Old Testament for a period of time. And, if you would like to go back to the beginning of the New Testament tapes and do it all over again, you will certainly be blessed. Consider it "spiritual" exercise for the soul.
Time changes the first Sunday in April, the 3rd, and since it is the spring of the year, you must "spring" your clocks and watches ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night, April 2nd. Here is where we lose that hour we gained last fall!
Don't forget to do this, or your Sunday morning schedule will be dramatically altered.
Prayer needs are many in our church family. Don't fail to pray daily for the situations that surround us each day. There are so many needs, so many to help, and about all that most of us can do is pray. You would be surprised at the number of calls and visits we receive at the church office each day from people hunting for financial help. It burdens our hearts to turn them away, but that is all that we can do, that and prayer.
We are still searching for a minister of music and youth, and a summer youth worker.Keep on praying that the Lord will send us the right person soon.
Remember that you are loved....God loves you, and so do I...
Bro. Don
Now we are looking ahead to Easter Sunday, with the sunrise service, a fellowship breakfast, then the regular services moved up one hour. Remember, Sunrise service at 7:00 AM with Rev. Sam Warwick as guest speaker, breakfast to follow, and then at 9:00 AM we will go to Sunday school, followed at 10:00 AM by the morning worship hour. And, there will be NO evening services on Sunday night, so that you can enjoy being with your family and friends that afternoon. Sounds like a great day, huh?
The 40 Days of Faith cometh by Hearing listening finishes up this Easter Sunday. I am so proud of all who participated in listening to the New Testament Bible tapes for at least 28 minutes each day for 40 days. I have heard nothing but good reports from many who did this program, and I know they have been blessed by hearing the Word of God. Some time later on we will challenge you to listen to the Old Testament for a period of time. And, if you would like to go back to the beginning of the New Testament tapes and do it all over again, you will certainly be blessed. Consider it "spiritual" exercise for the soul.
Time changes the first Sunday in April, the 3rd, and since it is the spring of the year, you must "spring" your clocks and watches ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night, April 2nd. Here is where we lose that hour we gained last fall!
Don't forget to do this, or your Sunday morning schedule will be dramatically altered.
Prayer needs are many in our church family. Don't fail to pray daily for the situations that surround us each day. There are so many needs, so many to help, and about all that most of us can do is pray. You would be surprised at the number of calls and visits we receive at the church office each day from people hunting for financial help. It burdens our hearts to turn them away, but that is all that we can do, that and prayer.
We are still searching for a minister of music and youth, and a summer youth worker.Keep on praying that the Lord will send us the right person soon.
Remember that you are loved....God loves you, and so do I...
Bro. Don
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Finally, A picture inserted!
Well, after trying for a good while, I finally got a picture inserted in the blog. The picture is of me, in the center, left is eldest son, Donny, pastor of Fellowship Baptist in North, and on the right is David, my youngest son, who is pastor of the Double Branch Baptist church in Orangeburg. The Lord has blessed us in His work, and I also have my daughter, Susan, who is a teacher in Fairfax, SC. Now that I can do this, I will begin to add church pictures from time to time.Stay tuned! Also, check out the attack cat.
Bro. Don
Bro. Don
ANOTHER EXCITING DAY IN NORTH!
Good morning dear readers, church members and friends,
I trust that the Lord is blessing you in every way these days, and that you are being faithful to Him and to His church each week.
We are still in the hunt for a minister of music and youth for our church, and are having a difficult time of it. We have received a number of applications, but none has worked out. I think that some of the resumes are old, because when we contact the applicant, they have already taken a new position with another church. But, we are keeping on, and trust that you will be much in prayer for FBC North in the staff search. We are also looking for a summer intern for our children and youth, someone to come and lead them for the two months of summer activities.
We have been busy these past few weeks working on the new church directory. Now we are in the process of getting all out snapshots organized and ready for the publisher. I believe that we will have a great directory with lots of pictures, with each family picture included, and the roster of names and addresses. And, since the directory will be loose leaf, we can add additional pages as the days go by to keep it current.
I am still trying to figure out this blogging business! I have downloaded a new program which will allow me to include photos in these pages, but am not exactly sure yet how to use it. So, one of these days, we will possibly have a picture of the church and of some of the members who don't mind being on the WWW. The new photo program is Picasso, and I recommend it highly for the novice like me. It seems to be user friendly, and I have installed it on all my computers and now here on this computer in my office. With a good color printer and photo quality paper, I have been able to print great pictures. The editing features are easy to use.
Another new program I am trying is the Opera web browser. I really do like it, it is faster in Internet Explorer, smaller in size, and has lots of neat features. It is a free download, and will, I think, replace IE on my computers. The free version has some limited amounts of ads, but the purchased one is clean. It also will block all popups very effectively. Try it at www.opera.com and see what you think. You can always remove it.
Our church activities include the monthly Men and Boys breakfast next Sunday morning, March 20th at 8:00AM. Rev. Ashton Feagin, pastor of the nearby North PH church will be our guest speaker.
We are looking forward to Easter Sunday, March 27th, and will have the annual Sunrise Service here at our church at 7:00 AM that morning, followed by breakfast, and then Sunday School at 9:00 AM, and the worship service at 10:00 AM. There will be NO EVENING SERVICES ON EASTER SUNDAY so that families may enjoy the afternoon and evening together.
Our commitment to Listening Through the New Testament ends on Easter Sunday, with the final tape of Revelation. We have had 45 persons who have agreed to do this, and all reports are that they have all been very blessed. Soon we will do this for the Old Testament tapes.
Guess that is about all for the moment, please remember us here at the church office in your prayers each day. We all have been having some physical difficulties for which we need your prayerful intervention.
God bless you all,
Bro. Don
I trust that the Lord is blessing you in every way these days, and that you are being faithful to Him and to His church each week.
We are still in the hunt for a minister of music and youth for our church, and are having a difficult time of it. We have received a number of applications, but none has worked out. I think that some of the resumes are old, because when we contact the applicant, they have already taken a new position with another church. But, we are keeping on, and trust that you will be much in prayer for FBC North in the staff search. We are also looking for a summer intern for our children and youth, someone to come and lead them for the two months of summer activities.
We have been busy these past few weeks working on the new church directory. Now we are in the process of getting all out snapshots organized and ready for the publisher. I believe that we will have a great directory with lots of pictures, with each family picture included, and the roster of names and addresses. And, since the directory will be loose leaf, we can add additional pages as the days go by to keep it current.
I am still trying to figure out this blogging business! I have downloaded a new program which will allow me to include photos in these pages, but am not exactly sure yet how to use it. So, one of these days, we will possibly have a picture of the church and of some of the members who don't mind being on the WWW. The new photo program is Picasso, and I recommend it highly for the novice like me. It seems to be user friendly, and I have installed it on all my computers and now here on this computer in my office. With a good color printer and photo quality paper, I have been able to print great pictures. The editing features are easy to use.
Another new program I am trying is the Opera web browser. I really do like it, it is faster in Internet Explorer, smaller in size, and has lots of neat features. It is a free download, and will, I think, replace IE on my computers. The free version has some limited amounts of ads, but the purchased one is clean. It also will block all popups very effectively. Try it at www.opera.com and see what you think. You can always remove it.
Our church activities include the monthly Men and Boys breakfast next Sunday morning, March 20th at 8:00AM. Rev. Ashton Feagin, pastor of the nearby North PH church will be our guest speaker.
We are looking forward to Easter Sunday, March 27th, and will have the annual Sunrise Service here at our church at 7:00 AM that morning, followed by breakfast, and then Sunday School at 9:00 AM, and the worship service at 10:00 AM. There will be NO EVENING SERVICES ON EASTER SUNDAY so that families may enjoy the afternoon and evening together.
Our commitment to Listening Through the New Testament ends on Easter Sunday, with the final tape of Revelation. We have had 45 persons who have agreed to do this, and all reports are that they have all been very blessed. Soon we will do this for the Old Testament tapes.
Guess that is about all for the moment, please remember us here at the church office in your prayers each day. We all have been having some physical difficulties for which we need your prayerful intervention.
God bless you all,
Bro. Don
Thursday, March 03, 2005
MARCH COMES ROARING IN!
The winds are blowing and it is cold here in mid-South Carolina. But spring is just around the corner, and we are excitied about all the activities which will be taking place in North FBC this spring and summer. As for now, I am especially happy that the Church Directory photo taking session is over! We only had 79 family sittings, but nearly 1500 different pictures were taken. It is no easy task to schedule and maintain some semblance of order for three days of intensive activity as families came and waited their turn to be photographed. But we are all finished with that, and now all that the office has to do is gather the snapshots of various departments and programs and add them to a series of five color pages. I really believe the Church Pictorial Directory will be a blessing. It should be returned fully completed within the next two months. So, that is finished.
One exciting program going on now is the listening to the Word of God for 28 minutes each day. We started that on Valentine's Day, and will end this particular series on Easter Sunday. Of course, we can always be listening to the Bible, and develop our own program.
Coming up on March 27 is Easter Sunday, and this year we will host the North UMC for Easter Sunrise Services, followed by a breakfast. This is always a great time of worship and fellowship. The service will be inside our church, and will begin at 7:00 AM. If you are close enough, we urge you to come and be a part of this service.
Another of our dear saints has gone to be with the Lord. Mrs. Maggie Fogle Crim was 99 years old, and if she had lived until April, would have made the century mark. But now she can celebrate her beginning of her eternity with Christ. What a joy it will be when we all see Jesus!
I hope you are all praying about the Ten Commandments case which the Supreme Court is considering now. May God grant these 9 judges the wisdom which they sorely need to render the right decision for God's people.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue the search for a Minister of Music and Youth. We have several resumes which look very good, and we are in the process now of setting up appointments for interviews.
Okay, so much for today, will report from time to time in these pages, but I encourage you to keep up with the church activities by reading your church bulletin and the monthly newsletter, the Messenger, and you can also contact us at any time by email at the fbcnorth@tds.net address. I would be most happy to hear from you.
God bless you for now and ever,
Love, In Christ...
Bro. Don Royster
One exciting program going on now is the listening to the Word of God for 28 minutes each day. We started that on Valentine's Day, and will end this particular series on Easter Sunday. Of course, we can always be listening to the Bible, and develop our own program.
Coming up on March 27 is Easter Sunday, and this year we will host the North UMC for Easter Sunrise Services, followed by a breakfast. This is always a great time of worship and fellowship. The service will be inside our church, and will begin at 7:00 AM. If you are close enough, we urge you to come and be a part of this service.
Another of our dear saints has gone to be with the Lord. Mrs. Maggie Fogle Crim was 99 years old, and if she had lived until April, would have made the century mark. But now she can celebrate her beginning of her eternity with Christ. What a joy it will be when we all see Jesus!
I hope you are all praying about the Ten Commandments case which the Supreme Court is considering now. May God grant these 9 judges the wisdom which they sorely need to render the right decision for God's people.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue the search for a Minister of Music and Youth. We have several resumes which look very good, and we are in the process now of setting up appointments for interviews.
Okay, so much for today, will report from time to time in these pages, but I encourage you to keep up with the church activities by reading your church bulletin and the monthly newsletter, the Messenger, and you can also contact us at any time by email at the fbcnorth@tds.net address. I would be most happy to hear from you.
God bless you for now and ever,
Love, In Christ...
Bro. Don Royster
Friday, February 18, 2005
North Report
Good morning again to all who peruse these pages of the First Baptist Church of the lovely little town of North, South Carolina, the jewel of the midlands. All the activities of the church are on schedule, and we are being blessed as we serve the Lord here in the North community.
Here is an excerpt from the latest bulletin just to give you an idea of what is happening.
MEN AND BOYS BREAKFAST! Next Sunday morning, Feb 20 at 8:00 AM for breakfast and fellowship. Our guest speaker will be the mayor of North, Mr. Earl Jeffcoat. Come and enjoy, let us have a good crowd. PLEASE REMIND ALL MEN AND BOYS OF THIS MEETING!
FAITH COMETH BY HEARING TAPES: The tapes and/or cds are in and you can pick them up from Bro. Don today. Remember, the official listening dates begin tomorrow, Monday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and extends through Easter Sunday, Mar 23rd. A listening plan for you to use is inserted in this bulletin, to help you stay on schedule. If you have not made a commitment to listen and would like to, please let Bro. Don know and he will get you into the program. It is never too late to start listening to the Word of God!
[Note: We are now in the process of Hearing the New Testament through the forty day period, and I have heard several good testimonies of how it is blessing our church family.
The 2005 Church Directory:
PICTURES: SUNDAY, FEB 27, MONDAY, FEB 28, AND TUESDAY, MARCH 1.
We have sent the appointments into the First Choice company, so if you would like to make an appointment, please call Bro. Don, and he will call the First Choice and add your name to the list. We have 2 spaces available on Monday afternoon, and 14 spaces available on Tuesday.
HELP NEEDED:
We will need a number of people to come and spend an hour or so with us and help in checking in those who have appointments. If you will have some free time on any of those days, please see Bro. Don so he can add you to the list of helpers.
WE REJOICE AT RECEIVING A NEW MEMBER: Brother Eric Goodman has come on his profession of faith in Christ, and wants to become a part of the family of God here at North. We expect to baptize him soon. How grateful we are to have Eric join with us.
So, those are just a few notes regarding our church and its ministry. We are still searching for a Minister of Music and Youth, and I must say it is going slow. But we are convinced the Lord will send us the right person at the right time! So be it, Lord!
Here is an excerpt from the latest bulletin just to give you an idea of what is happening.
MEN AND BOYS BREAKFAST! Next Sunday morning, Feb 20 at 8:00 AM for breakfast and fellowship. Our guest speaker will be the mayor of North, Mr. Earl Jeffcoat. Come and enjoy, let us have a good crowd. PLEASE REMIND ALL MEN AND BOYS OF THIS MEETING!
FAITH COMETH BY HEARING TAPES: The tapes and/or cds are in and you can pick them up from Bro. Don today. Remember, the official listening dates begin tomorrow, Monday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and extends through Easter Sunday, Mar 23rd. A listening plan for you to use is inserted in this bulletin, to help you stay on schedule. If you have not made a commitment to listen and would like to, please let Bro. Don know and he will get you into the program. It is never too late to start listening to the Word of God!
[Note: We are now in the process of Hearing the New Testament through the forty day period, and I have heard several good testimonies of how it is blessing our church family.
The 2005 Church Directory:
PICTURES: SUNDAY, FEB 27, MONDAY, FEB 28, AND TUESDAY, MARCH 1.
We have sent the appointments into the First Choice company, so if you would like to make an appointment, please call Bro. Don, and he will call the First Choice and add your name to the list. We have 2 spaces available on Monday afternoon, and 14 spaces available on Tuesday.
HELP NEEDED:
We will need a number of people to come and spend an hour or so with us and help in checking in those who have appointments. If you will have some free time on any of those days, please see Bro. Don so he can add you to the list of helpers.
WE REJOICE AT RECEIVING A NEW MEMBER: Brother Eric Goodman has come on his profession of faith in Christ, and wants to become a part of the family of God here at North. We expect to baptize him soon. How grateful we are to have Eric join with us.
So, those are just a few notes regarding our church and its ministry. We are still searching for a Minister of Music and Youth, and I must say it is going slow. But we are convinced the Lord will send us the right person at the right time! So be it, Lord!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
NORTH REPORT
My dear church family, and friends of the church that are interested in what is going on in the lovely little town of North, SC, and of what might be happening in the First Baptist Church. All things are well, and the biggest difficulty the past weekend was the icy cold weather, and today, the rain is falling. A good day to stay home and enjoy the warmth and comforts of life.
Church services on Sunday were great, but lots of folks couldn't make it due to the ice and cold. I did have a good group in the Sunday Morning Seminary Class, and also had 16 in the Discipleship Training Class on Sunday evening, for which I am very grateful. In both classes we just discuss the Bible verses, and have a good time listening to others ideas and opinions. Very informal. I do appreciate the fellowship I have enjoyed as I have tried to teach the Word of God to different groups in the church. And even though Bro. Larry, our pastor, and I do not confer on sermons or lessons, it seems as if what I teach in classes, he confirms in sermon, and vice-versa. I do really believe the Lord has something exciting coming along for not only this church, but for all churches who believe in, and teach, the precious Word of God.
Our Faith Cometh By Hearing Bible listening program is about to get off the ground. The tapes of the New Testament are in the hands of the committed, and starting on Valentine's Day, we will be listening to the New Testament for 28 minutes each day. One of our ladies who drives 30 minutes to and 30 minutes back from work plans on doubling up her listening pleasure, which I promised her would bless her very much. This is a private commitment between the listener and the Lord.
Our search for a minister of music and youth has slowed down. I have several letters out to prospects, but have not had any reply from them yet. I have sent them complete information regarding the position, and the salary and benefits compensation plan, and should be hearing from someone soon. Continue to pray is my request for you, and let me know if you hear of someone who can do the combined job of Music leader and Youth/Children minister.
So for now, let me sign off by using two terms used by ham radio operators when they finish a contact, such as 73, which means best regards, and 88's, which means love and kisses. And, of course, my favorite term is "God loves you, and so do I."
Church services on Sunday were great, but lots of folks couldn't make it due to the ice and cold. I did have a good group in the Sunday Morning Seminary Class, and also had 16 in the Discipleship Training Class on Sunday evening, for which I am very grateful. In both classes we just discuss the Bible verses, and have a good time listening to others ideas and opinions. Very informal. I do appreciate the fellowship I have enjoyed as I have tried to teach the Word of God to different groups in the church. And even though Bro. Larry, our pastor, and I do not confer on sermons or lessons, it seems as if what I teach in classes, he confirms in sermon, and vice-versa. I do really believe the Lord has something exciting coming along for not only this church, but for all churches who believe in, and teach, the precious Word of God.
Our Faith Cometh By Hearing Bible listening program is about to get off the ground. The tapes of the New Testament are in the hands of the committed, and starting on Valentine's Day, we will be listening to the New Testament for 28 minutes each day. One of our ladies who drives 30 minutes to and 30 minutes back from work plans on doubling up her listening pleasure, which I promised her would bless her very much. This is a private commitment between the listener and the Lord.
Our search for a minister of music and youth has slowed down. I have several letters out to prospects, but have not had any reply from them yet. I have sent them complete information regarding the position, and the salary and benefits compensation plan, and should be hearing from someone soon. Continue to pray is my request for you, and let me know if you hear of someone who can do the combined job of Music leader and Youth/Children minister.
So for now, let me sign off by using two terms used by ham radio operators when they finish a contact, such as 73, which means best regards, and 88's, which means love and kisses. And, of course, my favorite term is "God loves you, and so do I."
Friday, January 28, 2005
FRIDAY UPDATE
Friday in North, cold, windy, threats of rain or possibly sleet and ice for the weekend. What better place could we be to celebrate the winter season, than here in this beautiful little town in western wrongfully county, in the lovely state of South Carolina.
We are sad around the community today, as the Lord has called another of His dear saints home to be with him. Bro. John Jeffcoat, faithful member of our church for many years, died last night in the Orangeburg Hospital, after a difficult illness. We will miss John and his humor and quick wit, and will be much in prayer for his wife and children and other family members. Funeral services are planned here in the church for Sunday at 3:00 PM, and burial in the Sardis Baptist Church cemetery in Swansea. Our pastor, Rev. Larry Shull, will lead in the funeral service.
Our next emphasis is on the "Faith Cometh by Hearing" commitments that many of our church members have made as we commit to listen to the audio New Testament for 28 minutes each day for the 40 day period starting on Valentine's Day, February 14, and extending through Easter Sunday, March 27. A number of our listeners purchased special audio versions of the New Testament, and others already have them. Some of us plan on listening through the computer each day, and have discovered that there are many web sites that provide not only the audio reading of the Bible, but sermons also. Oh, the wonders of the cyberworld around us!
As already mentioned in previous posts, we are also emphasizing the Church Directory photo sessions that we have scheduled for Sunday - Tuesday, Feb. 27-Mar 1. So far we have Sunday and Monday completely filled, and are working on Tuesday. We hope to have a good response and have the new directories before Mother's Day.
An update of the search for the Minister of Music and Youth states that we had another prospect that had just taken a church in central Illinois. At the moment, we are dealing by e-mail with a young man on the staff of the North Greenville College. We have other feelers out, and ask that you continue to pray for God's man to show up and minister to our church family.
Keep looking up!! God loves you and so do I!!
We are sad around the community today, as the Lord has called another of His dear saints home to be with him. Bro. John Jeffcoat, faithful member of our church for many years, died last night in the Orangeburg Hospital, after a difficult illness. We will miss John and his humor and quick wit, and will be much in prayer for his wife and children and other family members. Funeral services are planned here in the church for Sunday at 3:00 PM, and burial in the Sardis Baptist Church cemetery in Swansea. Our pastor, Rev. Larry Shull, will lead in the funeral service.
Our next emphasis is on the "Faith Cometh by Hearing" commitments that many of our church members have made as we commit to listen to the audio New Testament for 28 minutes each day for the 40 day period starting on Valentine's Day, February 14, and extending through Easter Sunday, March 27. A number of our listeners purchased special audio versions of the New Testament, and others already have them. Some of us plan on listening through the computer each day, and have discovered that there are many web sites that provide not only the audio reading of the Bible, but sermons also. Oh, the wonders of the cyberworld around us!
As already mentioned in previous posts, we are also emphasizing the Church Directory photo sessions that we have scheduled for Sunday - Tuesday, Feb. 27-Mar 1. So far we have Sunday and Monday completely filled, and are working on Tuesday. We hope to have a good response and have the new directories before Mother's Day.
An update of the search for the Minister of Music and Youth states that we had another prospect that had just taken a church in central Illinois. At the moment, we are dealing by e-mail with a young man on the staff of the North Greenville College. We have other feelers out, and ask that you continue to pray for God's man to show up and minister to our church family.
Keep looking up!! God loves you and so do I!!
Friday, January 14, 2005
COMING EVENTS AT FBC
Some of our activities are included here for your consideration. These items are from the weekly bulletin which will be presented on Sunday, Jan 16th.
WELCOME TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER: It is our pleasure to have Mr. Justin Mcguire as our guest speaker today. Justin is from Irmo, SC, was an all star high school football player, and played for the USC Gamecocks from 1999 to 2003. We welcome this young man to our services today.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND OUR CHURCH
We are busy these days with lots of activities, and trust that you will participate in those that will bless you. Here is a listing of some of the events which are before us:
TIME CHANGE FOR EVENING SERVICES: We voted last Sunday in church conference to change the time for Discipleship Training and Evening Worship. So, starting tonight, the schedule will be: 5:00 PM Discipleship Training
6:00 PM Evening Worship
This will be our schedule during the winter months, until the time changes back to Daylight Savings time on April 3rd.
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY: Looking ahead to Sunday, February 6th which is the day of the football Super Bowl, we will be asking you to contribute one dollar as you leave the church that morning to the Soup bowl which will be at the door. This is a great way to show our support for local missions, as all the monies received will go to our local Cooperative Ministries here in North.
FROM THE BUILDING/GROUNDS COMMITTEE:
The committee recently purchased a new Kirby vacuum cleaner for the church and reports that a great price was given to the church by Mr. Steve Schmidt, of the Kirby Co., 1712 Neeses Highway, Orangeburg. We do certainly thank Mr. Schmidt for his generosity, and pray that our Lord will bless him in many ways as he seeks to help people in their housework. If you are interested, Mr. Schmidt will come and demonstrate the Kirby in your home and will vacuum one room for you as a demonstration of the capabilities of this machine. If you are thinking about the purchase of a new machine, please contact him at 803-535-4335. He may be working the North area in the near future.
REPORT ON CHURCH DIRECTORY: We got off to a good start by totally filling up the Sunday reservations page, and then we began to work on Monday. Due to a misunderstanding, we started scheduling on Monday too early and must rearrange the list. Instead of starting at 9 AM, the photographers will start at 2:00 PM. Our registration will continue this morning and we ask you to stop by and help straighten out the list. If you haven’t registered, please do so. We want all our church family, friends, neighbors, just anyone who would like to be in the directory to participate. There will be no charge for your directory picture. If you decide to order a packages of pictures, there are various packages and prices, which you will be given when you view the pictures.
Also, as a matter of information, the pictures will be taken and you will be able to view them immediately afterwards, so there will not be any need to return to view the pictures.
We pray that this will be a rich blessing to our church, and to the history of our church in the days to come.
Thank you for participating in this worthy effort.
LOOKING FOR SNAPSHOTS FOR THE DIRECTORY:
Let us use your pictures for the color pages.
Also, the shut-ins who cannot come to church need to have their picture taken by someone and we can include them in the black and white page of the directory.
MAMMOGRAM VAN HERE AT OUR CHURCH: Attention ladies, the Palmetto Baptist Hospital Mammogram unit will be at our church on February 7, 2005 starting at 8:00 AM to offer this important medical examination. If you or anyone you know is interested please pick up a registration form and choose an appointment time as soon as possible. The forms are at the front of the church. For details, please see Brenda Shull.
MINISTRY LEADERS NEEDED: If you are looking for a ministry that is exciting and filled with lots of youthful exuberance, please consider helping in being a leader of the Jr. Kid’s Church from time to time. These are the preschoolers who leave the church and go to their own church each Sunday morning.
See Michael Ann Bolin to signup for this important job. The possibilities are endless.
We do appreciate all the prayer support which we receive through the news distribution in this blog. Always say a prayer for the entire church family each time you think of the church or see the blogs on your computer screen.
WELCOME TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER: It is our pleasure to have Mr. Justin Mcguire as our guest speaker today. Justin is from Irmo, SC, was an all star high school football player, and played for the USC Gamecocks from 1999 to 2003. We welcome this young man to our services today.
------
WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND OUR CHURCH
We are busy these days with lots of activities, and trust that you will participate in those that will bless you. Here is a listing of some of the events which are before us:
TIME CHANGE FOR EVENING SERVICES: We voted last Sunday in church conference to change the time for Discipleship Training and Evening Worship. So, starting tonight, the schedule will be: 5:00 PM Discipleship Training
6:00 PM Evening Worship
This will be our schedule during the winter months, until the time changes back to Daylight Savings time on April 3rd.
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY: Looking ahead to Sunday, February 6th which is the day of the football Super Bowl, we will be asking you to contribute one dollar as you leave the church that morning to the Soup bowl which will be at the door. This is a great way to show our support for local missions, as all the monies received will go to our local Cooperative Ministries here in North.
FROM THE BUILDING/GROUNDS COMMITTEE:
The committee recently purchased a new Kirby vacuum cleaner for the church and reports that a great price was given to the church by Mr. Steve Schmidt, of the Kirby Co., 1712 Neeses Highway, Orangeburg. We do certainly thank Mr. Schmidt for his generosity, and pray that our Lord will bless him in many ways as he seeks to help people in their housework. If you are interested, Mr. Schmidt will come and demonstrate the Kirby in your home and will vacuum one room for you as a demonstration of the capabilities of this machine. If you are thinking about the purchase of a new machine, please contact him at 803-535-4335. He may be working the North area in the near future.
REPORT ON CHURCH DIRECTORY: We got off to a good start by totally filling up the Sunday reservations page, and then we began to work on Monday. Due to a misunderstanding, we started scheduling on Monday too early and must rearrange the list. Instead of starting at 9 AM, the photographers will start at 2:00 PM. Our registration will continue this morning and we ask you to stop by and help straighten out the list. If you haven’t registered, please do so. We want all our church family, friends, neighbors, just anyone who would like to be in the directory to participate. There will be no charge for your directory picture. If you decide to order a packages of pictures, there are various packages and prices, which you will be given when you view the pictures.
Also, as a matter of information, the pictures will be taken and you will be able to view them immediately afterwards, so there will not be any need to return to view the pictures.
We pray that this will be a rich blessing to our church, and to the history of our church in the days to come.
Thank you for participating in this worthy effort.
LOOKING FOR SNAPSHOTS FOR THE DIRECTORY:
Let us use your pictures for the color pages.
Also, the shut-ins who cannot come to church need to have their picture taken by someone and we can include them in the black and white page of the directory.
MAMMOGRAM VAN HERE AT OUR CHURCH: Attention ladies, the Palmetto Baptist Hospital Mammogram unit will be at our church on February 7, 2005 starting at 8:00 AM to offer this important medical examination. If you or anyone you know is interested please pick up a registration form and choose an appointment time as soon as possible. The forms are at the front of the church. For details, please see Brenda Shull.
MINISTRY LEADERS NEEDED: If you are looking for a ministry that is exciting and filled with lots of youthful exuberance, please consider helping in being a leader of the Jr. Kid’s Church from time to time. These are the preschoolers who leave the church and go to their own church each Sunday morning.
See Michael Ann Bolin to signup for this important job. The possibilities are endless.
We do appreciate all the prayer support which we receive through the news distribution in this blog. Always say a prayer for the entire church family each time you think of the church or see the blogs on your computer screen.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
SUNDAY BULLETIN INSERT
EDUCATION/ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
MINISTER OF MUSIC /YOUTH DECIDES NOT TO COME
It is my sorrow to announce that Stephen Sims called Thursday and said that he after much prayer and consideration had decided not to come to North FBC. So we are back to the beginning of our search for a music and youth minister. I do appreciate all the preparations and plans that were made to welcome Stephen to our church today, and ask that you will continue to pray that the Lord will direct someone to us who really feels led to come to North.
CHURCH DIRECTORY:
It’s that time! We are starting today to take reservations so that you can be included in this historical document. The Sunday Morning Seminary Sunday School Class has taken this on as a class project, and invites everyone to participate. This time we will schedule the appointments for a Sunday and Monday. Today you can sign up as you leave the church services by stopping at the table in the vestibule and filling in the time you desire. More details as time goes by.
WE NEED PICTURES. If you have snapshots of our church, can we use them? We will have 5 color pages to fill, so we need your input.
NEXT SUNDAY IS BAPTIST MEN’S DAY!
Our annual Baptist Men’s Day will be held next Sunday, January 16th, starting with breakfast for the men and boys, at 8:00 AM. The guest speaker will be Mr. Justin McGuire, former member the USC football team in 2000. He will also be our guest speaker for the church services Sunday morning.
MEN’S CHOIR NEXT SUNDAY
OUR MEN ARE REMINDED THAT THEY WILL FILL THE CHOIR AND ARE URGED TO REMAIN AFTER THE BREAKFAST TO PRACTICE A SPECIAL HYMN TO SING.
YOUTH TO PIZZA NEXT SUNDAY NIGHT JAN 16TH AFTER CHURCH
CHURCH CONFERENCE THIS MORNING
Today we conduct the business of the church. You are urged to pray for the activities of you church, the financial affairs, and the various concerns which we face in doing God’s Business each day. He has truly blessed FBC and we need to praise and thank Him every time we pray for His Son, Our Salvation, and His Church, of which we are a vital part as we serve, work, give, pray, and go.
“SOUPER” BOWL SUNDAY: You will be asked to participate in the annual ‘souper” bowl fund-raising drive on Sunday, February 6, 2005. Each person is asked to drop at least one dollar into the soup bowls as you leave the church on that Sunday. This money is collected and distributed to local needs, in our case, the Cooperative Ministries. This is one special offering where ALL the money stays in the community.
PRAYER LIST
We are grateful for the privilege of prayer, and have all seen evidence of God’s answers to our prayers in these past months. As we pray, we need to remember that when God answers prayers for those names on our prayer list, we should remove them and claim the victory of healing and blessing. We need your help in keeping the Prayer List up-to-date, so if you know of those on the prayer list that are doing well, please let the office know so that we can remove their names.
BULLETINS AND NEWSLETTERS
It is the privilege of the office staff to prepare and distribute the weekly bulletins and the monthly Messenger newsletters. We feel that it is a great ministry of the written word about our church ministries. We do appreciate comments, critiques, and suggestions on improving the product. We want to do the best job for you that we can do, but you must realize that changes are made from time to time, and errors happen. Please be patient with us as Jesus is.
Love to you all, In Christ, Bro. Don
NOTE: In the church conference, the church voted to:
1. change the evening activities schedule time from 6 PM for Discipleship Training and 7 PM for evening worship to 5 PM for Discipleship Training and 6 PM for evening worship services.
2.To purchase an interface for the new digital copier for the office to allow the church computers to connect directly to the copier, in a sense making it a hard drive and a printer.
3. Approve the plans for the new church directory, with photographs to be taken on Sunday and Monday, February 26 and 27.
Your prayers are encouraged for our church and the ministry for Christ that we have in the North community. Remember, we are the church that really loves....and the church that really prays.... and, for those who read these blogs from time to time that are some distance from our church, we do want you to know that we do love and appreciate you and all that you are doing in His ministry, wherever you are, so is He.
MINISTER OF MUSIC /YOUTH DECIDES NOT TO COME
It is my sorrow to announce that Stephen Sims called Thursday and said that he after much prayer and consideration had decided not to come to North FBC. So we are back to the beginning of our search for a music and youth minister. I do appreciate all the preparations and plans that were made to welcome Stephen to our church today, and ask that you will continue to pray that the Lord will direct someone to us who really feels led to come to North.
CHURCH DIRECTORY:
It’s that time! We are starting today to take reservations so that you can be included in this historical document. The Sunday Morning Seminary Sunday School Class has taken this on as a class project, and invites everyone to participate. This time we will schedule the appointments for a Sunday and Monday. Today you can sign up as you leave the church services by stopping at the table in the vestibule and filling in the time you desire. More details as time goes by.
WE NEED PICTURES. If you have snapshots of our church, can we use them? We will have 5 color pages to fill, so we need your input.
NEXT SUNDAY IS BAPTIST MEN’S DAY!
Our annual Baptist Men’s Day will be held next Sunday, January 16th, starting with breakfast for the men and boys, at 8:00 AM. The guest speaker will be Mr. Justin McGuire, former member the USC football team in 2000. He will also be our guest speaker for the church services Sunday morning.
MEN’S CHOIR NEXT SUNDAY
OUR MEN ARE REMINDED THAT THEY WILL FILL THE CHOIR AND ARE URGED TO REMAIN AFTER THE BREAKFAST TO PRACTICE A SPECIAL HYMN TO SING.
YOUTH TO PIZZA NEXT SUNDAY NIGHT JAN 16TH AFTER CHURCH
CHURCH CONFERENCE THIS MORNING
Today we conduct the business of the church. You are urged to pray for the activities of you church, the financial affairs, and the various concerns which we face in doing God’s Business each day. He has truly blessed FBC and we need to praise and thank Him every time we pray for His Son, Our Salvation, and His Church, of which we are a vital part as we serve, work, give, pray, and go.
“SOUPER” BOWL SUNDAY: You will be asked to participate in the annual ‘souper” bowl fund-raising drive on Sunday, February 6, 2005. Each person is asked to drop at least one dollar into the soup bowls as you leave the church on that Sunday. This money is collected and distributed to local needs, in our case, the Cooperative Ministries. This is one special offering where ALL the money stays in the community.
PRAYER LIST
We are grateful for the privilege of prayer, and have all seen evidence of God’s answers to our prayers in these past months. As we pray, we need to remember that when God answers prayers for those names on our prayer list, we should remove them and claim the victory of healing and blessing. We need your help in keeping the Prayer List up-to-date, so if you know of those on the prayer list that are doing well, please let the office know so that we can remove their names.
BULLETINS AND NEWSLETTERS
It is the privilege of the office staff to prepare and distribute the weekly bulletins and the monthly Messenger newsletters. We feel that it is a great ministry of the written word about our church ministries. We do appreciate comments, critiques, and suggestions on improving the product. We want to do the best job for you that we can do, but you must realize that changes are made from time to time, and errors happen. Please be patient with us as Jesus is.
Love to you all, In Christ, Bro. Don
NOTE: In the church conference, the church voted to:
1. change the evening activities schedule time from 6 PM for Discipleship Training and 7 PM for evening worship to 5 PM for Discipleship Training and 6 PM for evening worship services.
2.To purchase an interface for the new digital copier for the office to allow the church computers to connect directly to the copier, in a sense making it a hard drive and a printer.
3. Approve the plans for the new church directory, with photographs to be taken on Sunday and Monday, February 26 and 27.
Your prayers are encouraged for our church and the ministry for Christ that we have in the North community. Remember, we are the church that really loves....and the church that really prays.... and, for those who read these blogs from time to time that are some distance from our church, we do want you to know that we do love and appreciate you and all that you are doing in His ministry, wherever you are, so is He.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
CHURCH ACTIVITIES BOOMING!
The new year is here, and we are excited around FBC. Everyone seemed to have a great Christmas season, with lots of family members coming and sharing around the tables and in the fellowship of the church. Our biggest concern was that the true meaning of Christmas not be overshadowed by the 'holiday sales' and such. We appreciate our pastor for sharing a number of great messages that reminded us of the birth of our Savior and what He means to us. Now if we can really get excited about Jesus in this new year of 2005, we might see great things happen here in our church and community.
We are especially excited about he visit we are having this weekend from a prospective minister of music and youth/children. Bro. Stephen Sims will be traveling from near Louisville, KY and will arrive on Friday evening. We have a full weekend planned for him as he will meet with the Personnel Committee, the leaders of the church, and will lead in the worship hour on Sunday. Stephen is a Dec. 2003 graduate with a Master of Church Music degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has worked as choir director and youth director in his first years of ministry. His undergraduate work was at Campbellsville College, Campbellsville, KY. He is unmarried, and is in his late 20's. We pray for God's leadership in this important matter of calling a full-time minister of music and youth. This is a giant step for our church, and one that we have looked forward to for a long time. This church truly is an exciting church!
We are especially excited about he visit we are having this weekend from a prospective minister of music and youth/children. Bro. Stephen Sims will be traveling from near Louisville, KY and will arrive on Friday evening. We have a full weekend planned for him as he will meet with the Personnel Committee, the leaders of the church, and will lead in the worship hour on Sunday. Stephen is a Dec. 2003 graduate with a Master of Church Music degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has worked as choir director and youth director in his first years of ministry. His undergraduate work was at Campbellsville College, Campbellsville, KY. He is unmarried, and is in his late 20's. We pray for God's leadership in this important matter of calling a full-time minister of music and youth. This is a giant step for our church, and one that we have looked forward to for a long time. This church truly is an exciting church!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
2005 Is Almost Here!
My Dear Church Family and Church Friends: I trust that Christmas was a very happy time for you and your family, and sincerely desire that 2005 will be a great blessing for you! I still have a difficult time just realizing that it will be 2005. But it will come, and perhaps this will be the year that the Lord Jesus returns for us in the Rapture. But, we need to continue to serve Him in every way until the fullness of time occurs.
Our hearts are heavy these days, especially in view of the disaster in Asia, with the tsunami waves and the death toll of more that 70,000 people. Thank the Lord that we, the USA, can and will help in this terrible time. These are nations of Islam, and it could be that there will be an opportunity to witness for Jesus.
We cannot forget that we are still at war in Irag, and need to remember our troops over there each time we pray. The future looks mighty bleak in Iraq, but we all know that God is still in control.
Our church was iced in for a bit last Sunday, and we had to cancel all Sunday morning activities, with a special worship service held at 5 PM Sunday afternoon, and no night services. The ice storm was beautiful, and transformed the landscape in North into a beautiful Christmas card scene. We were all very thankful that very few lost electrical power, so we were not cold or hungry. Most just stayed home and enjoyed the family fellowship, along with the leftover Christmas cookies and treats.
Things are going well at North FBC, and we encourage you to pray for this church and the ministry that God has called it to do. Attend if you can, and pray always for God's will to be done.
Please don't hesitate to call or email me here at fbcnorth@tds.net if I can help you in any way, the pastor and staff are here to serve the members of this church.
Best wishes for 2005 for you...
Bro. Don
Our hearts are heavy these days, especially in view of the disaster in Asia, with the tsunami waves and the death toll of more that 70,000 people. Thank the Lord that we, the USA, can and will help in this terrible time. These are nations of Islam, and it could be that there will be an opportunity to witness for Jesus.
We cannot forget that we are still at war in Irag, and need to remember our troops over there each time we pray. The future looks mighty bleak in Iraq, but we all know that God is still in control.
Our church was iced in for a bit last Sunday, and we had to cancel all Sunday morning activities, with a special worship service held at 5 PM Sunday afternoon, and no night services. The ice storm was beautiful, and transformed the landscape in North into a beautiful Christmas card scene. We were all very thankful that very few lost electrical power, so we were not cold or hungry. Most just stayed home and enjoyed the family fellowship, along with the leftover Christmas cookies and treats.
Things are going well at North FBC, and we encourage you to pray for this church and the ministry that God has called it to do. Attend if you can, and pray always for God's will to be done.
Please don't hesitate to call or email me here at fbcnorth@tds.net if I can help you in any way, the pastor and staff are here to serve the members of this church.
Best wishes for 2005 for you...
Bro. Don
Monday, December 20, 2004
ANOTHER GREAT GRAND!!
Excuse this old great-grandpop while I share with you that Carolyn and I now have another great-granddaughter, born early this morning at 4 AM to Charles and Michelle Edgemon, and who is named Charley Paris Edgemon , after her father and my father. We are excited, and will tell you that she is a beautiful child!! Aren't they all! This gives us three children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
We had a great choral presentation last evening, as our choir presented the musical program called "Color It Christmas." A large turnout was on hand, even though it was a very cold negative.
Our appreciation to all our choir and the children and youth who made this program a success.
Speaking of Sunday events, our men and boys met at 8 am for our monthly breakfast. The guest speaker was Rev. Benjamin Smoak, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church. A large word of praise for our men who turn out so early on a cold Sunday morning, and especially thse me who did the cooking for us. It was a great breakfast meal, and a great program.
And while we are talking about eating, don't miss the Church Wide Covered Dish Fellowship Meal on Wednesday night, Dec 22nd, at 7 PM. Please come, and invite a friend to come along.
We had a great choral presentation last evening, as our choir presented the musical program called "Color It Christmas." A large turnout was on hand, even though it was a very cold negative.
Our appreciation to all our choir and the children and youth who made this program a success.
Speaking of Sunday events, our men and boys met at 8 am for our monthly breakfast. The guest speaker was Rev. Benjamin Smoak, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church. A large word of praise for our men who turn out so early on a cold Sunday morning, and especially thse me who did the cooking for us. It was a great breakfast meal, and a great program.
And while we are talking about eating, don't miss the Church Wide Covered Dish Fellowship Meal on Wednesday night, Dec 22nd, at 7 PM. Please come, and invite a friend to come along.
Friday, December 17, 2004
CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS
The following article taken from the latest issue of the Baptist Courier is reprinted here for our reading. Bro. Tony Beam is thinking along the same lines as are many of us as we see the secular world seeking very diligently to render Christmas null and void.
Christmas from a Christian worldview
By Tony Beam
Merry Christmas … and I mean Merry Christmas. Not "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Merry Kwanzaa." This is the Christmas season. It is the time of year when we celebrate the fact that God was born a man in a manger. We rejoice because, in the words of the heavenly host, "today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11, NASV).
I mean no disrespect, and I have no wish to conjure up images of the Grinch, but if you see me on the street and you greet me with anything less than "Merry Christmas" you will get an earful of what I think about the all-out assault that is being leveled against the real meaning of Christmas. It has been building for several years, but this year, in particular, it seems that many people are becoming equal-opportunity offenders of the rights of Christians to celebrate the birth of our Savior.According to a recent Newsweek poll, 67 percent of Americans believe in the virgin birth. But from New York to California and everywhere in between, Christmas is being systematically removed from the public square. If you think I am exaggerating, consider the following examples:
In South Orange, N.J., even musical scores that have anything to do with religion will not be allowed. That means not only are the lyrics of songs offensive to the politically-correct crowd, but also any music which might cause someone to think about the lyrics. (Can anybody say "thought police"?)
In Colorado, the Elbert County Charter School is being sued by the ACLU because the principal refuses to censor Christmas. The ACLU alleges, presumably with a straight face, that any reference to Christmas during the Christmas season amounts to anti-Semitism.
Kindergartners at a public school in Oregon were invited to bring cards to a Christmas party, but a teacher barred one student from distributing his holiday greeting because it mentioned the reason for the season — Jesus Christ.
And finally, in Sacramento, Calif., teachers are being told that they are not allowed to say the word Christmas or to mention anything in relation to the Christmas season. One of the teachers said, "I don’t know if I want to go on teaching. People need to stand up to all these wackos." I couldn’t have said it any better. A lot of "somebodies" who understand that Christmas does not exist apart from Christ need to raise their voices against this anti-Christian madness. A distinctly Christian worldview demands that we refuse to join the innkeeper in Bethlehem who relegated the King of kings to a cave. We must keep Christ in Christmas so the world will know what Christmas is really all about.
Beam is director of the Christian Worldview Center at North Greenville College.
To read other interesting articles and Christian news, click on the Baptist Courier link in the right hand column.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
There is a movement across the land to remove Christmas from the Christmas season! Did you ever notice in the newspapers that Merry Christmas is seldom mentioned, but Happy Holidays and some such is replacing it? A few years ago, we all complained that XMas was leaving Christ out of Christmas, but what is our society doing now, but changing totally the Christmas season. No longer do we have Christmas trees, Christmas joy, Christmas presents, Christmas programs; no, now we have rules and regulations that limit the Christ in Christmas, and we Christians are supposed to calmly agree because after all, it might offend someone if we say Merry Christmas to them. Well, let's make a promise to say Merry Christmas as often as we can during this Christmas Season, when we celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior, and enjoy Christmas activities, parties, dinners, programs, presents, and all normal expressions of Christmas! So here I say: MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! We thank God for CHRISTmas!!
We are still in the process of seeking a minister of music and youth, and have several good resumes which our personnel committee is evaluating. Of course, we are dealing with them one at a time, and will have as a guest in January a young man from Kentucky who will come and share with the committee and the church family. He will arrive on January 7 and spend the weekend with us. His name is Stephen W. Sims, and he is coming from Bardstown, KY. So please pray for our church as we seek God's man for our church. Stephen is single, and a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is experienced in music and youth/children ministries.
Our schedule for this week includes the monthly men and boys breakfast on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 8:00 AM. Rev. Benjamin Smoak, the co-pastor of Calvary Baptist Church will be the guest speaker. All our men and boys are urged to attend.
On Sunday night, our Adult Choir will present the Christmas Music Program to the church family and friends. Program will start at 7:00 PM.
And, next Wednesday night, Dec. 22, at 7:00 PM, we will have our Christmas Covered Dish Supper for the church family and friends. Church families are urged to bring well filled covered dishes which we might share around the tables. Christmas is a time of good eats, and diets go by the board. We can always start back on our diet after the first of January, 2005, can't we? That's about it for this time, don't forget to do at least two things:
1. Say Merry Christmas as often as you can.
2. Always pray in the name of Jesus.
Love you all, IN Christ.... drr
We are still in the process of seeking a minister of music and youth, and have several good resumes which our personnel committee is evaluating. Of course, we are dealing with them one at a time, and will have as a guest in January a young man from Kentucky who will come and share with the committee and the church family. He will arrive on January 7 and spend the weekend with us. His name is Stephen W. Sims, and he is coming from Bardstown, KY. So please pray for our church as we seek God's man for our church. Stephen is single, and a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is experienced in music and youth/children ministries.
Our schedule for this week includes the monthly men and boys breakfast on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 8:00 AM. Rev. Benjamin Smoak, the co-pastor of Calvary Baptist Church will be the guest speaker. All our men and boys are urged to attend.
On Sunday night, our Adult Choir will present the Christmas Music Program to the church family and friends. Program will start at 7:00 PM.
And, next Wednesday night, Dec. 22, at 7:00 PM, we will have our Christmas Covered Dish Supper for the church family and friends. Church families are urged to bring well filled covered dishes which we might share around the tables. Christmas is a time of good eats, and diets go by the board. We can always start back on our diet after the first of January, 2005, can't we? That's about it for this time, don't forget to do at least two things:
1. Say Merry Christmas as often as you can.
2. Always pray in the name of Jesus.
Love you all, IN Christ.... drr
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Christmas Season of Joy and Blessing!
Here it is December 9th already and Christmas activities are beginning to peak. Even though we know when Christmas is due, it still seems to sneak up on many of us. We are busy around the church and community, what with Christmas parades and parties. The children seem to get more excited each day, and are anxiously awaiting the big day.
We are planning a special Christmas Covered Dishes Supper at the church on Wednesday night, December 22nd at 7 PM. This will be a great time of fellowship and fun and food, of course. We Baptists know that we cannot have a church fellowship meeting without plenty of food!
We are still in the process of searching for a full-time minister of music and youth. Several promising resumes have been received, and the Personnel committee is busy evaluating and praying for the right person.
You are asked to pray for us in this matter, that our Lord is even now preparing the right person for this important staff position.
I am sorry to have to announce that brother Ray Gunter, faithful member of our church and a friend to all, has died and gone home to the Lord. Ray was a terrific man, a dear friend to me, and will be sorely missed. He was 78 years old. We have lost several dear friends in the past few months, and mourn their loss, even knowing that as born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are now with the Lord. But we do miss them very much. Please pray for their family in these difficult days of bereavement.
Some one has reported on TV that there is a movement to get people to stop saying Merry Christmas and say something like Happy Holidays or such. Don't do it. Do not ever feel embarrassed to say Merry Christmas to all! Just who do they think they are, those who would set themselves up to tell us not to mention the name of Christ at Christmas. And I trust that when you pray, you always pray in the name of Jesus, after all, it is not a prayer unless it is in His Name. One person can get offended by the name of Jesus, and our government then tells us that we must stop using His name. Can you imagine? Are we not truly in the last days just prior to the Rapture of the body of Christ? I believe we are. So let us keep on looking for that blessed hope, the return of our Lord.
God Bless One and All, Remember who loves you.....
We are planning a special Christmas Covered Dishes Supper at the church on Wednesday night, December 22nd at 7 PM. This will be a great time of fellowship and fun and food, of course. We Baptists know that we cannot have a church fellowship meeting without plenty of food!
We are still in the process of searching for a full-time minister of music and youth. Several promising resumes have been received, and the Personnel committee is busy evaluating and praying for the right person.
You are asked to pray for us in this matter, that our Lord is even now preparing the right person for this important staff position.
I am sorry to have to announce that brother Ray Gunter, faithful member of our church and a friend to all, has died and gone home to the Lord. Ray was a terrific man, a dear friend to me, and will be sorely missed. He was 78 years old. We have lost several dear friends in the past few months, and mourn their loss, even knowing that as born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are now with the Lord. But we do miss them very much. Please pray for their family in these difficult days of bereavement.
Some one has reported on TV that there is a movement to get people to stop saying Merry Christmas and say something like Happy Holidays or such. Don't do it. Do not ever feel embarrassed to say Merry Christmas to all! Just who do they think they are, those who would set themselves up to tell us not to mention the name of Christ at Christmas. And I trust that when you pray, you always pray in the name of Jesus, after all, it is not a prayer unless it is in His Name. One person can get offended by the name of Jesus, and our government then tells us that we must stop using His name. Can you imagine? Are we not truly in the last days just prior to the Rapture of the body of Christ? I believe we are. So let us keep on looking for that blessed hope, the return of our Lord.
God Bless One and All, Remember who loves you.....
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
THANKSGIVING EVE 2004
The older I get, the faster these holidays come around. I find it very difficult to comprehend that we are swiftly closing out the year of 2004 and will soon be in 2005. Can you imagine? 2005 years. Who would have thought that we would have lived in two different centuries and still be pressing on the 'upward way'!
I pray that you all will have a great holiday season this year. We in the church office wish you the best as you prepare to enjoy a day of thanksgiving tomorrow, and then to be caught up in the Christmas rush. It is still exciting to me to feel the spirit of Christmas. It reminds me when I was a little boy back in the late 30's and was enthralled by all the Christmas decorations, the fancy toys, the good eats, and the little bag of fruit and candy that my church would give out at the annual church Christmas party. We have so much more these days, but I was very proud to get the little bag of fruit, such as an apple, a banana, some nuts, and a candy cane. And often, there would be a little toy of some sort. Exciting days. I wish that we could all recapture those feelings now, here nearly 70 years later. Something has happend over the years, we have been accustomed to too much of a material nature, and our children will never have that feeling which we had. Today it is too much, too often, and very seldom truly appreciated. But, I do appreciate knowing you, and hope that these ramblings will show you that we are seeking to have an 'exciting church, where people really do love one another.'
Come regularly to our services if you are nearby, and if you are some distance away, when you go to your church to enjoy the Lord's Day, remember to say a little prayer for us at FBC North.
God loves you, and so do WE..
I pray that you all will have a great holiday season this year. We in the church office wish you the best as you prepare to enjoy a day of thanksgiving tomorrow, and then to be caught up in the Christmas rush. It is still exciting to me to feel the spirit of Christmas. It reminds me when I was a little boy back in the late 30's and was enthralled by all the Christmas decorations, the fancy toys, the good eats, and the little bag of fruit and candy that my church would give out at the annual church Christmas party. We have so much more these days, but I was very proud to get the little bag of fruit, such as an apple, a banana, some nuts, and a candy cane. And often, there would be a little toy of some sort. Exciting days. I wish that we could all recapture those feelings now, here nearly 70 years later. Something has happend over the years, we have been accustomed to too much of a material nature, and our children will never have that feeling which we had. Today it is too much, too often, and very seldom truly appreciated. But, I do appreciate knowing you, and hope that these ramblings will show you that we are seeking to have an 'exciting church, where people really do love one another.'
Come regularly to our services if you are nearby, and if you are some distance away, when you go to your church to enjoy the Lord's Day, remember to say a little prayer for us at FBC North.
God loves you, and so do WE..
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Thanksgiving Week is Here!
Welcome once again to our Web Log page. We are happily anticipating the big Turkey Day this coming Thursday. As one of our little children told me in church a few Sundays ago when I asked him what he was most thankful for during this season, "TURKEY"! I suppose we all are very thankful for the food that we eat and the clothes that we wear, and the great time of family fellowship around the Thanksgiving Day meal. But we should most of all be thankful for our Heavenly Father, who has given to us eternal life through Jesus Christ, His precious Son, and our precious savior. Now when this great week is over, Christmas is just ahead. Shall we be thankful and grateful for all that this season means.
Even with the situation in the Middle East, we can still trust in God to do what is right. Life goes on, and we are still challenged with the commission to tell others about Jesus.
Our church is an exciting place these days. Everyone seems to be fairly well satisfied, and only a few complaints from time to time about mostly insignificant happenings. We have rejoiced in the going home of our good friend and church member, Brother Windred Bolin. Words cannot express how much we admired him, and how much we shall miss him. We ask your prayers for his precious wife, Violet, and for the family members who are bereaved.
We are now in the process of searching for a Minister of Music and Youth for our church. This will be a full-time staff position, and we are going through a number of resumes that have been sent in response to our putting out the word. Will you join us in prayer that the right man will soon become available?
So, I pray that you will have a happy Thanksgiving Day celebration around your home and don't eat too much of that bird. As for me, I am looking forward to the ham!
Even with the situation in the Middle East, we can still trust in God to do what is right. Life goes on, and we are still challenged with the commission to tell others about Jesus.
Our church is an exciting place these days. Everyone seems to be fairly well satisfied, and only a few complaints from time to time about mostly insignificant happenings. We have rejoiced in the going home of our good friend and church member, Brother Windred Bolin. Words cannot express how much we admired him, and how much we shall miss him. We ask your prayers for his precious wife, Violet, and for the family members who are bereaved.
We are now in the process of searching for a Minister of Music and Youth for our church. This will be a full-time staff position, and we are going through a number of resumes that have been sent in response to our putting out the word. Will you join us in prayer that the right man will soon become available?
So, I pray that you will have a happy Thanksgiving Day celebration around your home and don't eat too much of that bird. As for me, I am looking forward to the ham!
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
THANKSGIVING MONTH
Well, good day to you all, and I trust that you are praising the Lord from whom all blessings really and truly do flow.
Last post I talked about the Homecoming, and now I can report that we had a great time of fellowship, preaching, food, and had a beautiful day for it all. A very large crowd attended, and the food line was out the door into the yard! Rev. David Laird did an outstanding sermon, and we enjoyed having him back. Just think, this church has been busy for one hundred and eleven years of service to the community and for the Lord
Since our Youth Minister resigned, I have been busy calling and writing to Baptist schools to see if we can get a new staff position of Minister of Music and Youth filled. So far we have received more than a dozen resumes from all over, and all seem to be well qualified for the job that have here. Now the personnel committee will have to sort them out, have them come for interviews, etc., and see which one the Lord has for us. We decided to combine the position of minister of music with the minister of youth into one full-time position, and will offer a fairly reasonable salary, along with a nice home, just behind the church. Please join us in prayer that this position will be filled very quickly. And pray for the Personnel Committee in their deliberations over the resumes.
A dear church member and friend has gone to be with the Lord. Brother Windred Bolin died Sunday, and will be buried on Thursday, Nov. 18th. Windred was a precious soul, a great man, and a good friend. He and his wife, Vi, were a blessing to our church. Now we need to remember Vi and the children in our prayers in the days to come.
Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving Day celebration around your home next week. We have so many things to be thankful for, especially for our Lord and Saviour. Would you believe that my sweet wife already has our Christmas tree up and decorated! There is something special about this season of the year.
Until next time, may God be with you in every way,
Sincerely Bro. Don
Last post I talked about the Homecoming, and now I can report that we had a great time of fellowship, preaching, food, and had a beautiful day for it all. A very large crowd attended, and the food line was out the door into the yard! Rev. David Laird did an outstanding sermon, and we enjoyed having him back. Just think, this church has been busy for one hundred and eleven years of service to the community and for the Lord
Since our Youth Minister resigned, I have been busy calling and writing to Baptist schools to see if we can get a new staff position of Minister of Music and Youth filled. So far we have received more than a dozen resumes from all over, and all seem to be well qualified for the job that have here. Now the personnel committee will have to sort them out, have them come for interviews, etc., and see which one the Lord has for us. We decided to combine the position of minister of music with the minister of youth into one full-time position, and will offer a fairly reasonable salary, along with a nice home, just behind the church. Please join us in prayer that this position will be filled very quickly. And pray for the Personnel Committee in their deliberations over the resumes.
A dear church member and friend has gone to be with the Lord. Brother Windred Bolin died Sunday, and will be buried on Thursday, Nov. 18th. Windred was a precious soul, a great man, and a good friend. He and his wife, Vi, were a blessing to our church. Now we need to remember Vi and the children in our prayers in the days to come.
Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving Day celebration around your home next week. We have so many things to be thankful for, especially for our Lord and Saviour. Would you believe that my sweet wife already has our Christmas tree up and decorated! There is something special about this season of the year.
Until next time, may God be with you in every way,
Sincerely Bro. Don
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