What a Great Time to Be ALIVE!

Here it is, the middle of July, and it is hot, and humid and rainy all this week, but what a great day to be alive and serving the Lord! I trust that you are doing well and all your problems are small and insignificant these days. I pray for you, and for your health problems, and also for the other areas of our lives that press us so hard.
our church family is doing well, most of our sick are home from the hospital, and the biggest problem we are having now is in the summer slump! Vacation, beach, mountains, golf, travel, all sorts of interruptions and our attendance really shows it. But we realize that we all need to get away from time to time for recreation;re-creation.Check that word out, it means a re--creation...a renewal, and that is what recreation is supposed to do for us. But you know, I feel re-created each time I enter the house of the Lord for worship and fellowship. There is something special about being with my church family.
Had a nice interview with a young man and his wife that we are asking to be our new minister of music. He is much in prayer now about this part-time position, and is actively seeking God's will in this matter. Please join the personnel committee in prayer about this need. When we fill that space, we will have a full staff, with senior pastor, min. of education, min. of youth and students, and a minister of music and worship. Surely the Lord is blessing our church and getting us ready for something exciting to happen! I cannot wait to see what the Lord is doing each day here in North. We have so much to offer the North community, with in-depth Bible preaching and teaching,worship services filled with God's music; great buildings and facilities, outstanding leadership, all sorts and types of activities for all ages. And, we have a church family that is eager to see God work here in our place of service. Talk up our church. Invite folks to come and see. Be a witness for our Lord and urge them to come and visit with us.
Don't hestitate to call on anyone in the church family or on the staff for any need that you might have. We care for you, and want only to help you. Please pray faithfully for each member of your church staff that we will be able to do the work that God would have us to do.
And for those who are away and read these words, remember that our thoughts and prayers are with you and know that each time you check into this Web Blog you will be reaching out and touching us in a special way. God loves you, and so do we!

CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE

WOW! Is it really the weekend of July 4th already? What happened to the spring? Now we are here in the hot summer days and anxiously looking ahead to the cooler days of fall. Are we ever satisfied with the weather?

Well, we finished VBS with a good turnout, and now we are looking into the summer activities for our youth and children, and a continuing program for our church family. As I mentioned in the last post, we are in the process of interviewing a prospective minister of music, and are praying that the Lord will send us the right person soon.

We have been having some great discussions in both the Sunday Morning Seminary class which I lead during the Sunday School hour, and also in the Adult Discipleship Training Class which we have on Sunday nights at 6:00PM. Both classes are discussion type programs, and we really teach one another. We have covered all areas such as other denominational beliefs, what we believe as Southern Baptists, the end time prophecies, the rapture, Spiritual Warfare, and on and on. We are especially interested now in the creation account in the Bible, as opposed to the worldly view of evolution. I have been praying that the Lord will lead some of our church members who are not coming to Sunday School of Discipleship Training to come in and join with us, and perhaps we will see some new folks coming in from time to time.

We are living in exciting days! There seems to me to be a sense of impending activity in the spiritual realm, an excitement that the day of the Lord is drawing closer and closer. We can study the Scriptures and make a pretty good case that the Lord is coming soon. I am waiting for the rapture of the church with great anticipation. Looking for that "Blessed Hope." How about you? Are you Ready??

The proof copy of the Church Pictorial Directory is in, and I am asking several of our church family to come, take a look at it, and help correct the inevitable errors and typos that are there. Come by the church office and either Joan or I will show you the book and let you eyeball it. As soon as we finish the corrections and mail it back, the finished directory will be sent to us.I believe that it will be a real treasure and keepsake for our church members, and a historical document as well. The directory is in a loose-leaf notebook format, and we will be adding pages from time to time in order to keep it fairly current.

Ramblin' Road Trip

We are in the midst of VBS this week, and having a great time. We have been having more than 100 students, both children and adult, and enjoying a great time of fellowship and fun.
Time does move right along, doesn't it? Here we are halfway through 2005 and wondering where the time went. Did you realize that it is almost football time again? The season starts in August for some schools, and that is just around the corner.Then our annual rivalry around the church is between the Clemson Tigers and the SC Gamecocks. As always, us SC supporters are hoping that THIS WILL BE THE YEAR!
Joan and I have been busy trying to put the finishing touches on the Church Directory which will be distributed soon. We are making some corrections, adding some pictures, and trying to present a beautiful, as well as historical, document. I think the pictures look very good, and it will be a keepsake for many of our church family. More details later. Each family who sat for the pictures will receive one Directory for free. If you would like to have an extra, they are 5 dollars each, and must be ordered ahead of time. Once we get the Directory, it will be too late to order more. Will have more to say about this in the church bulletin each week.

As many of you know, we are still searching for a part time minister of music. We did have one applicant who called this week, and our Personnel Committee is in the process of setting up an interview, and also having the young man come and work with our choir and lead in the worship services perhaps on the 10th of July. Please be much in prayer for this person, that he will be the man the Lord has prepared for us.

With our new Minister of Students and Youth, our church seems to have a more exciting attitude these days. Our young people are stirred up and eager to go and do and we are eager to help them. We will be having special activities for the younger children also. Our Youth will be leading the missions action at the nearby Santee State Park for one week in July. God is so good to us!!

"PRAYER WORKS....HAVE YOU TRIED IT?"

Good day to all the blogspot readers. Here it is, Friday again, and lots to things going on in North First Baptist Church. We are getting excited about Vacation Bible School which commences Sunday evening at 6:00 PM with a light meal. We have classes for all age groups, and are expecting a good crowd of students. I am teaching the adults again this year. A special thanks to Lori Creech and to Sarah Wannamaker for all the work they have done, and for those willing workers who helped them. You know, VBS has developed into a theme based emphasis, and this year, we are going on a "Rambling Road Trip". So, the fellowship hall and the classrooms are decorated with road signs, travel signs, traffic lights and such, to really give you an impression of going on a trip. Sounds like a fun week each night next week through Thursday.

Pastor Donny and the Youth got away to their conference on Thursday morning. Donny called me from Gainesville, GA in the PM and said the brakes on the church van had gone out, so he was at a Firestone store waiting for them to repair the brakes. He was able to safely deposit the Youth at their motel before the repair job was necessary. Sondra had followed along behind the van on the trip, so they had transportation until the van was repaired. I did not hear back, so I am assuming they were all able to attend the night session of the Youth Conference last night. Now today, according to his schedule, they will spend from 10 AM to 4 PM at Six Flags over Atlanta, and then from 6:30PM until 11:00PM at the Conference again. Tomorrow, Saturday, they will check out of th motel and go to Turner Stadium for the Braves baseball game. Following that, they will be on I-20 heading back to North. I know some folks who are going to be tired out, but won't they have a good time!

We are into the first week of Listening To The Old Testament audio tapes, and having a good time in the Word of God. We will be doing this for six months at 20 minutes each day, but most listeners are already so far ahead of the planned schedule that they will finish much sooner. What a great way to spend 20 minutes each day.

Pastor Larry and wife Brenda are returning from the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville this weekend. We are looking forward to seeing them, and hearing all about the Convention activities.

Well, that is about all I can think of for this post, just a few announcements and thoughts concerning our church and the programs we are trying to enjoy. We are looking ahead to Sunday and the great time of worship we have. I always try to say that "we are God's people, in God's House, doing God's things, in God's way." It all should focus God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Someday, soon perhaps very soon, we will hear the voice and the shout and the trumpet, and we will be changed and raptured? What a day that will be!

GOD IS SO GOOD....ALL THE TIME!

HELLO ALL: I pray that you are having a great day in the Lord and that you are praising the Lord for it. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I just wanted to post a few comments about the activities of the FBC of North and help to keep you informed of the things that are either going on or that are planned. Of course our big interest now is this coming Sunday, which is Father's Day. We are thankful for our Fathers and for the leadership they provide in their Christian homes. I will be preaching the morning sermon in the absence of our pastor, who will be away to the SBC convention in Nashville. The title of the message is "A man is a man. . ." and is using the text of Psalm 8:1-9 to get us started. A man is really a man,and only a REAL man, when he is a man in Christ. For the evening service, Donny will be speaking for his first time as our minister of children and youth. We look forward to that.

Donny will be taking the Youth on a trip to Atlanta this next week, with a Youth Rally in Gainesville, GA, followed by a visit to see the Braves baseball team play, and an exciting day at Six Flags over Georgia. After three days of that, the youth will be ready to come home!

I am still seeking Bible Listeners as we start our Old Testament Listening program on Father's Day, and extend it through the Old Testament at twenty minutes each day until Christmas Day. What a blessing it will be to hear the Old Testament come alive with the narration of skilled and eloquent speakers reading each precious word. I hope that you will participate along with the others who have committed to do this. Let me know if you need to purchase the tapes, or if you have tapes already. Don't wait too long to start, because it will be difficult to catch up.

More later..don't forget to pray for your church family, and remember that God loves you...and so do we!

BUSY SUMMER APPROACHING!

Yes, we are planning an exciting summer of activities for our church family, especially the Youth. Now that Donny is on board, the children and youth can expect a busy summer. Already this month a trip is planned to Atlanta to see the Braves baseball game with the Baltimore Orioles, and then to an all day trip to Six Flags. Of course, there is also a Youth Bible Conference going on that they will spend most of their time attending. Sounds like a great time for all.

Our new roof on the Fellowship hall is still in progress. The shingles should be installed soon, and then the leak problem will be solved, we pray! Plans are to add a storage building to the rear of the Youth building to hold the sports equipment and such.
We are getting ready to start the Faith Comes By Hearing Bible listening program as we listen to the Old Testament each day for six months. The program stretches from Father's Day, June 19th, to December 25th and asks that folks listen to the Bible for 20 minutes each day. We just finished the New Testament, and now we can get deep into the Old Testament. Not as many of our church family are committing to this program, probably because it requires such a long period of time. I try to encourage our listeners to try each day, and not get behind, because it is easy to do. The main interest is in listening every day, at work, at home, on the way to work, etc.

Also, Vacation Bible school is here again, starting June 26 and going through the 30th. We had a great time last year, and pray for an even better VBS this year. If you can come, please do. We have classes for every age, and I will be teaching the Adult VBS section again this year, and am looking forward to it very much.

Please remember to pray for pastor Larry and his wife, Brenda, as they attend the annual Southern Baptist Convention this month in Nashville, TN. In our pastor's absence, I will be preaching the Father's Day sermon and Donny will preach in the evening service. Come and share with us. This will be the first time most of our church family has heard Donny preach.

Thank you for taking the time to read these ramblings from time to time. I just wanted you to be kept fairly up to date about the activities of your church, and remember that as I write these notes, I have you in my mind and heart. You are a grand church family, and I do praise the Lord that I am able to serve you in some way as your staff member. And I do especially want those who are away from North to know that we love you and pray for you. Let us know how you are doing.

By the way, you can leave a comment on any of these pages by clicking on the red star beside the minister of education tag on these pages. Try it and send me a note.

Thanks again, and my God Bless you in special ways.

SUNDAY MEET, GREET AND EAT!

A special notice to all our church members who might check this site from time to time. Next Sunday, June 5, following the morning worship service, we will have a covered dish luncheon in the fellowship hall to celebrate the addition to our church staff of Rev. and Mrs. Donny Royster, our new Minister of Youth. All members are urged to bring covered dishes and we will share in this great time of meeting, greeting and eating! You are urged to attend this important event in the ministry of our church.

Work is coming along very nicely on the new roof building on the fellowship hall. This will be a nice addition to the appearance of the building, plus it will stop the frequent rain leaks we have been having in the building.

As for the covered walkways, the new cement walkway between the church building and the educational building is in, and now we are waiting for the installation of the covered walkway. Soon you will be able to go from building to building and stay out of the rain. There will be a drive-in arrangement also so that a car can drive under the covered walkway and discharge passengers out of the rain.

We do praise the Lord for all that He is doing for the First Baptist Church and the church family.

REVIVAL REPORT

Just a brief note to share with all that the Drawing People to Jesus revival was a great four days of renewal for many of us. Rev. Dan Gardner, and his wife Judy, brought a powerful word picture and also an artistic picture to our meetings and it was outstanding. We had a number of our church family and friends who responded to the public invitation, and I believe that many hearts and lives were touched. I do heartily recommend Bro. Gardner to any church group that is seeking something different.Check out his web page at www.drawingpeopletojesus.com for his schedule and look at some of the pictures he has drawn.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MINISTER OF YOUTH!

It is our joy and privilege to announce that the Reverend Donald P. “Donny” Royster will be added to our church staff beginning on June 1. Donny will be the new Minister of Children and Youth, and will be working in this area full-time.

He has stated that his desire is “to develop and lead a well-organized, high energy, exciting, growing educational program for children and youth at a large church. He offers maturity to lead, yet young enough to get on the floor with the kids, enthusiasm, and modern training to bring about a relevant and cutting edge program.”

Donny has been the bi-vocational pastor of nearby Fellowship Baptist Church for the past eight years, and served the First Baptist Church of Cope for four years prior to that. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and Columbia Biblical Seminary and Graduate School of Missions and has a Master’s degree in Christian Education. His most recent position was on the teaching/administrative staff at the Seminary.

Donny is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Donald R. Royster, and is retired from the US Navy as a Master Chief Petty Officer after 21 years of active service. For most of his early years, he was active in his dad’s churches, working in a number of positions, and while in the Navy was active in the chaplain program.

He and his wife Sondra, live in the Pine Hill community.
Sondra is a teacher in the Edisto Primary School, and has a Master’s Degree in early childhood education. They have two children, Michelle and Rebecca, both of whom live in Cope, and have three grandchildren.

Please add them to your personal prayer list that the Lord may bless our church with Donny’s faithful leadership in the years to come.

A PERSONAL NOTE: As a proud parent, I am thankful and excited about the opportunity to work with my eldest son on the staff here at FBC. What a rich blessing that promises to be.

REVIVAL

Spring means REVIVAL....and it is here, along with Mother's Day! Sunday morning, May 8, we will recognize our mothers in the morning worship service,we will dedicate three babies, and then start our revival in the evening service. The revival will extend each evening from Sunday through Wednesday, with Rev. Dan Gardner, chalk artist and evangelist as our speaker. We are looking forward to having a great time, and urge you to attend if you can, and bring some friends. Casual dress, informal services, and good fellowship.

We are getting ready to begin our Old Testament listening to the Word. The plan is to get all our tapes or CDs ready, and start listening to the entire Old Testament on Father's Day, going through Christmas Day. Six months of listening, at 20 minutes each day will do it. Sounds like a lot, but ask those who did the New Testament for 28 minutes a day how easy it is, and what a blessing it is. If you are not a part of our church family, but would like to participate with us, let me know. Reember, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God. More on this later.

I have been asked to return to a former church on Sunday morning, May 15, for their annual Senior Adult Sunday. What a blessing it is to go back to my former churches and meet with old friends once again. I served as pastor of the Bethany Baptist Church for nearly nine years, and it does seem as if we are going home again. The only thing is that for those years I had the duty of asking old ministers to come and speak, and now I am one of the old ministers!! Time has a way of marching on, doesn't it? I used to be one of the youngest men in the church, and now I am one of the oldest. What happened? All my friends sure do look old now these days. Oh well, God is so good to allow us to live these many years we have.

I notice that a few folks check into this blog each day, according to the counter, and I do appreciate them coming by and checking out these ramblings. We are just trying to make our presence known by this blog, and hopefully to keep our church family computer users informed about church activities.

Pray for us....

Spring means busy around North FBC

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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."

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!!

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.....

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..

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!

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

Our church has been an exciting and interesting place since I posted last. We are busy getting ready for the annual Homecoming Celebration Day, which is day after tomorrow, November 7th. As is always the case, we are looking for a large crowd of members, former members and friends of the church from all over. This church will be celebrating one hundred and eleven years of existence, and has had a great number of folks who will be coming for the fellowship and worship program, to be followed by the dinner-on-the-grounds, which is not on the grounds any longer, but in the large and comfortable fellowship building that has been especially prepared for this great day. Rev. David Laird, former member of this church, and now a retired minister, will be our guest speaker. If you are nearby and can, please come on and join us. If not, please pray for us on this special day.
We are in a state of surprised shock what with the recent resignation of our Minister to the Children and Students. Yes, John and Karla Mew have decided to leave us and we are all so sad, because John has done an outstanding job with our youth and children since his coming on staff. They are a sweet couple, and our love and prayers will surely go with them into their new ventures. That is the problem oftentimes, just when you are getting to know someone, they move away. We really do hate to see them go, but are trusting in our Lord to care for them in the days to come.
Activities picking up now that we are in the fall season, not only Homecoming, but we have had a great Fall Festival for all [planned and led by John Mew] and we will soon be getting ready for Thanksgiving, and then, of course, Christmas time!
Please continue to pray for us as we now are seeking a Minister of Music and Youth, a combined position that we would like to have filled soon. Pray that our Lord has a music and youth staff member picked out for us, and we will have him or her on staff very soon. All the winter programs that have been planned are still on schedule, and the Youth are going snow skiing in early 2005. I believe that Brad and Lori Creech are going to lead that group trip.
Well, guess that is about all for now, just wanted to keep in touch and let you know that the FBC of North is praying for each person that reads these words, especially and I praying for you. Please pray for us, and send us an email from time to time telling us what God is doing in your life, we would be glad to share it with you. fbcnorth@tds.net
Just click on that and write us a note.
Till later, May God bless you and yours, and may we serve Him as never before.

COOL AIR HITS NORTH!

Wow, was it cool this AM when I came to the church. Sweater time, and does it feel good? You bet it does. Sure is nice for a change. Of course, we all know that all this is temporary, because in SC, our weather never stays the same for long.
Several things on my mind today, especially the Sunday activities here at our church. First of all, we are having the monthly Men and Boys Breakfast at 8:00 AM, with Rev. Dr. Kimmett Lott, pastor of nearby Providence Baptist Church as our guest speaker. We try to encourage our men and boys to attend regularly, and have different speakers and programs. It is always good to enjoy the fellowship around the breakfast table.
Sunday afternoon, we are hosting the annual Blood Drive for the American Red Cross. Sign-ups have been very slow this year, but we are praying for a good turnout to provide the needed blood for the Red Cross. I would that folks would turn out to give their blood as well as they did Thursday at the Health Center to get the influenza shot. What a crowd, old and young, lined up to receive the injection. I was one of the several hundred that were lined up at 9 AM. And, was very grateful to be able to get it. The wife and I are both in the elderly category, somewhat past 65 years, so we qualifed, but I am afraid that many will not be able to get the protection they need for this flu season. Please pray for those who may wind up with the flu.
OCTOBER FESTIVAL TIME: We are busy getting ready for the Fall Festival this year, which will be held on Sunday night, October 31st, in the Youth Building. John Mew, our Minister of Students and Children has proposed a great program, with lots of food, fun and games. I trust that all our church family, as well as friends in the community, will come and share with us. More details later.
I wanted to thank all those who worked out the moving and setting up of my new office in the church. For sometime I was in with Joan, our ministry assistant, and it was a bit crowded. I know Joan was glad to see me move down the hallway and around the corner to office space of my own. I share this room with the Sunday School and Discipleship Training general officers on Sunday, but during the week, it is all mine alone! So once I get it arranged as I would like it, I will be very happy. Doesn't take much to make an old preacher happy!!
So long for now, I pray for the readers of these ramblings, and trust that you will feel that someone is praying for you..

A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA

WHAT A GREAT DAY! The week is starting off in a great show of fall colors and falling leaves. It is difficult to believe that the year is going so fast, and that it is the fall in all its glory. Cooler temperatures early in the morning, bright sunshine showing all the details of the landscape, and a touch of nostalgia to an old timer like me! Growing up in Shelby, NC, I remember how great it was to be a young lad in the fall of the year. Football practice, games on Friday nights,leaving school in the afternoon and walking home with the cool air blowing in my face. And then there was the county fair. We lived for the fair, and got so excited that the night before we couldn't sleep. What a thrill to go to the fair. And all the fall activities at the churches, Halloween festivals, Homecomings, Youth trips, and all the emphasis on the weeks leading up to Christmas. Of course, I am talking about sixty years ago for me, back in the days before young people had all the DisneyLands and Six Flags and such to attend. Now the young person has seen it all, and then some, but for the youngster in the early forties, it was an exciting time to be alive, even though the Second World War was starting and gaining speed over all the world. It is difficult to explain to our young couples and teens today, but in spite of the war, those days really were the best days of our lives.
I spoke to a group of children in church yesterday, and told them that in a few short years from now, they would be saying that the early days of the 21st Century would be the best days of their lives! Especially if they give these days to the Lord and begin now to live for Him.
Back to the present, we had a great day for the Lord on Sunday. We had 99 in Sunday School, and a larger number for the morning worship hour. We celebrated the Lord's Supper, and remembered Jesus as we confessed our sins and failures, and asked Him to use us in a special way in the days to come. Our pastor closed out the day with an in-depth look in Revelation. In the afternoon, Mz. Carolyn and I traveled to nearby Fellowship Baptist Church, where our son, Donnie is pastor, as that church celebrated Homecoming with Dinner on the Grounds. It was good to see all our friends there, and to see our children, granddaughters, and our great grands. There is nothing finer than to fellowship with a group of Christian brothers and sisters.
Lots of things going on at FBC, we are hosting a Red Cross blood drive next Sunday. We also have our monthly Men and Boys breakfast, wtih Rev. Kimmett Lott, pastor of Providence Baptist Church as our guest speaker. More later, God Loves YOU...

CURRENT EVENTS AT FBC NORTH

Don't know about you, but I had a great day last Sunday. My youngest son, David, is pastor of the Double Branch Baptist Church in Orangeburg. David was invited to return to a former church in Cross Anchor, SC to preach in the 200th Anniversary, and he asked me to fill in for him in the AM service. We had a great time and the church was filled to overflowing. David is building a great work there, and this makes Daddy very proud. I have preached there several times, and led the Adult Vacation Bible School in the summer. It is a real joy for a pastor/teacher to go to different churches and share the Word of God.
Our pastor, Bro. Larry Shull, added the topping in his evening sermon from Revelation. Do you believe that we are in the last days of God's earthly plan. Signs are on every hand. How exciting it is to see prophecies fulfilled right before our eyes. Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!
Sent most of you a special note today about the Red Cross Blood Drive, which we are hosting on Sunday, October 17 from 1-6 PM. Sign up sheets in the vestibule, or you may call us in the church office, 247-2711 and we will schedule you. We can take two donors per hour. If you drop in, I am sure that you can be worked in. Please pray about this, even if you cannot give, pray that others will be led to give. In my confinement in the hospital with five operations on my knee, I received 5 units of blood, and I appreciate those who gave for me. I needed it..
As I write these notes from time to time, most of the time with my laptop on my lap, I try to picture the faces of those who are on my email list. I want to personally direct these thoughts to you, because are always in my thoughts, in my prayers, and in my heart. I pray that our Father will continue to bless you in countless ways.

Time to stop for now, but remember your church and Christian brethren in your prayers.

The Sound of Music

As you know, we have been searching for a music man [person] for our church, to lead our music program and choir ministry, plus working with the youth and children. So far we have had two applicants, interviewed one, but now we are overjoyed to learn that our former music director is going to continue her ministry with us. Due to her work in our church, as far back as I can remember, the music program has been outstanding. We thought that her health would cause her to retire, but the doctor has given her a clean bill of health, so with some assistance from the choir members,she is back with us again. The Lord sent us the right person for the position, one we had all along, and we rejoice in what has happened. The North church family is an exciting church, and we just praise the Lord for all that He is doing with us.
What is your idea of a theme for our church family? For the first thirty years of my ministry, I used the theme, "Preaching the Old Fashioned Gospel to a New Fashioned World." It worked for me. As I was thinking of the old days, I thought, why not a theme for us? Can you think of something we might use? Email me at fbcnorth@tds.net if you have an idea.Think about it.
Our monthly newsletter, The Messenger, is in the mail for our church members. If you would like to keep up with our church, and not currently on the mailing list, drop us a line, email or snail, and we will add you to the list.

First Baptist Church
PO Box 189
North, SC 29112

So long for now...God loves you, and so do I.

CAN YOU HELP US?

Do you know anyone who might be interested in being a bi-vocational music minister, about 20 hours each week, to work in an exciting church with great music potential. We have recently lost our music director due to health problems and really do need someone to take her place. North FBC is a small town First Baptist church, with about 375 members and budget of about $230,000 and room for growth. We are looking for someone who lives close enough to commute back and forth on Wed. and Sundays for the worship services, working about twenty hours or less each week. With adults and youth and choir practice, etc. Someone in the midlands area of SC would be ideal. We have advertized in the Courier and on-line and with the local state colleges and universities, but so far only have had two replies. Perhaps you know of someone you think would be a suitable candidate. Please join with us in prayer that the Lord will send the right person to meet our music needs.

God Loves YOU and so do I......

Sorry, but I am getting behind in my posting to this blog. Lots of things happening around our church and community, but I just haven't taken time to jot anything down for you. We are in the process of seeking a minister of music, and have been busy interviewing and checking references, etc. Please pray with us that the Lord will send us his music director who will be a rich blessing to our church family. There is a spirit of excitement among our membership, and we are excited about how the Lord is blessing us with these activities and ministries. Our pastor has been feeding us in depth in his preaching these days, and Sunday School and Discipleship training seems to be growing. And of course, John Mew, our minister of youth and children is doing an outstanding job in leading our kids in these different areas. The new Jr. Church Kids children's Church for preschoolers is going extremely well, and we are seeking to encourage young parents to bring their preschoolers on Sunday for this time of worship for the kids, while the parents enjoy the moments of worship and praise.
We have recently elected seven new deacons for the next two years, and have been blessed by having experienced deacons available to serve. So, these are a few of the things I have missed sharing with you, but promise that I will add more to this in the next few days. Support your church, pray for one another, sing praises to the Lord, minister to the lost and disciple the saved, and see what our God has in store for us. For all who read these words, 'remember who loves you, God plus me...
Bye for the moment....

Sad Day at Church last Sunday [tongue in cheek]

Yes, it was a very sad day, as we mourned the loss of our two state football teams, USC and Clemson, and our local team at SC State. For football fans in our community, and all over the state, it was a sad and difficult weekend as they watched these teams fall on the gridiron. So sad, we can only say, wait until the next game....and the next... and so forth. Wonder why we get so wrapped up in sports, especially football, that the losing of a game seems so serious? And wonder how many of those more than 85,000 at each school, Clemson and USC, made it to their local church the following day? And if they did, was there as much enthusiasm in going to God's House to be with God's People, doing God's Things, as there was going to Williams Brice Stadium or Clemson's Death Valley? And considering the cost of tickets to the game, the transportation, the price of food and refreshments, and the general out of pocket expenses, wonder if they gave their tithes and offerings generously [hilariously]to the offering plate as it was passed by the ushers?
We did have a great time of worship last Sunday, with Sunday School attendance of 103, lots of enthusiam in our singing and preaching time, and just plain good fellowship around the church. Our services were full, and we even had a church conference and passed on the Budget for next year, elected seven new deacons, and approved the Nominating Commitee report on new officers for the new church year.
Thanks to all of our church family who make our church an exciting place. We do love and appreciate you and all that you do...

Another Exciting Lord's Day!

Hurricane Frances was heading our way, it was Labor Day weekend, many of our members were away on vacation trips, and yet for those who were here, we had an exciting time in North FBC. We had 82 in Sunday school, which was expected because of the weekend holiday. But the weather was beautiful, Frances was still a ways off, the sun was shining, and everyone seemed to feel an excitement in the air. After all, both Univ. of SC and Clemson won their respective football games, so there was no conflicts between Gamecocks and Tigers. Rev. and Mrs. Charles (Nina) Hoblitz, Baptist missionaries to St. Petersburg, Russia were with us, and led in the Sunday Morning Seminary class by sharing many of their experiences as they minister to Russia.
During the morning service, Rev. Charles Hoblitz spoke to the church family and continued to share many experiences and needs for his field of service. Our church was pleased to share with them, and to share also financially with them in their work. We are surely aware that we should be very grateful to Almighty God that we live as free men and women in this wonderful country of the United States of America. Brother Hoblitz extended an invitation to all of us to come to Russia and visit with them, and spend a week with them in their ministry and in their Bible School. Sounds like an interesting trip, and one that I would like to make. According to reports, the cost round trip to St. Petersburg is about $750. Charles said that if we could pay our airfare, that they would take care of housing and feeding us while we are there. Anyone interested in going? Let me know.
Lots of activities going on this week. We have a special program for the senior adults as we have a lady who has been here before who impersonates "Minnie Pearl." I understand that she is very good. The senior group, called the XYZ Club, will meet on Friday night at 7:00 PM for a covered dish meal, and then entertainment to follow.
John has the youth and children doing many things, and we are proud of our youngsters.
Still searching for a minister of music for our church, and have started advertising in the local area and also in the state Baptist Courier newspaper. Please join us in prayer that the Lord will send the right person for our church.
God bless each reader of these words, and know that you are in our prayers. If our church can be of any help to you, please let us know. Our email address is fbcnorth@tds.net
and we will be very happy to share with you in prayer.

All Tied Up....

I am falling behind in my posts these days. I seem to be all tied up with things to do around the church and the home. So please bear with me, and I will fill in the void when I get back to the office and have a few minutes to spare. We are still having exciting times around the church and there is lots I want to tell you about. Please keep checking this blog, and if you have anything that you think I could use in these pages, send it along. Will b e glad to consider it. In the meantime, remember that God loves you, and so do I.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

We enjoyed another exciting Sunday on the 22nd, with good fellowship, good teaching, and great preaching. The only downer was that the latest edition of our pastor's series of sermons on the book of Revelation did not record on the cassette tape recorder. Guess our adversary was not too happy with the series, and didn't want our shut-ins to hear it.

We copy and send out audio cassettes of the Sunday sermons, and the Sunday school lesson. In this way, we can minister to several groups of our homebound friends. But, sometimes the recorder fails and the process misses a great sermon.

Ice Cream supper on Sunday, August 29th, immediately following the evening worship service. This service will be led by the Truth, our church Youth group, with contemporary music, and a message by John Mew, or Minister to Students and Children. We appreciate the great job that John is doing with our youth.

On Sunday, September 5th, it will be my privilege to preach in both services . Please remember me in prayer as I prepare to preach to the church family. It is always a joy to preach to the fine folk of North FBC, and see your happy faces and hear the good singing.

Also, on that same Sunday, remember that we will pass out a list of our men for you to examine and pray over, then to come on the following Sunday, Sept 12th, to select 7 men of good report to be deacons for the next two years.

We are still praying for a music minister/worship leader to serve our church in a part-time capacity. If you know of anyone in the immediate area who might be interested and available, please have them contact me by phone or email or regular mail.

Today is Wednesday, and we look forward anxiously to another great time of prayer and Bible study in the church sanctuary. We pray for many people, and you are included in our prayers, as we designate a portion of our prayer list to what we call unspoken requests, meaning that we don't name anyone, but we pray for the needs of those who are asking and receiving of God.

See you later here on these pages, and at church, I hope.....God Bless...

DOG DAYS?

The topic of conversation the past several weeks has been the extreme heat we have endured, then the cooling down, and then, back up to 100+ heat index. Some of the old timers, including yours truly, call these times "dog days" of summer. But when asked to explain what we meant, we confessed that we didn't really know. So, with the amazing power of cyber communicating, the good old w.w.w. was consulted, and the following definition was found:

Meaning: Very hot days.

Origin:The ancient Romans noticed that the hottest days of the year, i.e. in late July and early August, co-incided with the Dog Star (aka Sirius, aka The Great Dog) being in the same part of the sky as the Sun. They thought the star contributed to the heat of the day.

I found this in a web site at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/6/messages/229.html


This site is good for finding explanations for all sorts of phrases we use in every day speech. Check it out.

Ready for Sunday

The North FBC family has had a good week here in mid August. And we are ready for another exciting time of Bible study, worship, Bible preaching, dscipleship training on the Lord's Day, prayer and filled with singing the hymns of our faith. Isn't it great to be a Christian? God is so good to His children.
The Messenger, or monthly newsletter, is ready to be mailed and will go out next week. Please notice all the announcements about the many activities of our church. And don't forget to attend as many as you are able.
Have received several new email addresses in response to my requests in the weekly
bulletin and the newsletter. Also am sending out an email Messenger once in a while, and we call it the E-Messenger. As I have said before, I am still learning how to get all this together and out to you. Please share this page address to your friends and ask them to view our writings and pray for our church family.
Happenings next month include:

1. First meeting of the new church year for the Senior Group, the XYZ [Extra Years of Zest] on Friday night, September 10 at 7:00 PM. Our special guest will be "Minnie Pearl," whom you will remember from some time ago. All seniors are urged to attend and bring well filled covered dishes for the fellowship meal.
2. Deacon election: a list of eligible men will be provided to the church in business conference the first Sunday in September, and election will be the following Sunday. Seven deacons will be replaced.
3. Homebound Members Sunday School lesson will be recorded and delivered to each shut-in by the Sunday School each week. The ladies Sunday School class will tape and deliver these lessons on cassette tape.
4. We also have a preaching tape of both services each Sunday that is delivered to our folks who are sick at home, or shut-in.
5. A great number of Children and Youth activities going on in our church. John Mew, our Youth Director is doing a great job.
6. We will start a pre-school children's church the first Sunday in September, also a new Sunday School class for Grades 6-8 for boys and girls will start.

So, thank you for reading these ramblings, and please pray for us. Remember, God loves you, and so do we!

SUNDAY REPORT August 15 2004

Sunday afternoon of a great day of church fellowship and worship. The men and boys started off the day with a good breakfast and a meaningful testimony given by our guest speaker, the Rev. Sam Warwick, newly arrived minister of the North United Methodist Church. We pray that Bro. Sam will be in our commnunity for a long time as pastor of our neighboring church.
Sunday school numbered 97 today, with some of our regulars away for the final trip of the summer. We have a good time in these classes, and urge those who are not in our S.School to come and get involved. There is a class for all ages. We have started two new classes this year, and plan on a new class of 6th-8th graders in the coming year which will begin in October. Also, in the planning, is a pre-school worship service for all the little ones starting soon. If you are interested in helping with these classes, please talk to John Mew. We really do need helpers from the church family.Pastor Larry Shull brought an exciting and thought provoking message from 1 John about seeking to live a perfect life for the Lord. If you are not attending the preaching services, then you are missing a blessing. Pastor Shull is an outstanding preacher who clearly exposes the Word of God for all who are willing to hear.
This is being written on Sunday afternoon and my wife Carolyn and I have just returned from the 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration for Sidney and Mildred Livingston. Sidney is our Chairman of Deacons, and Mildred is one of our faithful leaders. Their children gave them the drop-in reception at the Calhoun County Country Club in St. Matthews, SC. We are very proud of Sidney and Mildred, and wish them many additional years of joy together. And we are very appreciative of their children for sharing this moment with the North church family and Carolyn and me.
Now, we are getting ready for our Discipleship Training Class, and in starting a new
subject of study tonight. We are getting into "Godlessness In The Last Days," based on events as outlined in 1 and 2 Timothy, among others. It is my joy to be a part of that class as we share and discuss biblical ideas and doctrines.
Following that, we will go into the evening worship hour and continue our study of the Great Tribulation events in Revelation, led by our pastor. God is so good to us here in North, SC, as I pray that He is wherever you are.
More chatter later, just know that God loves you, and so do we....
Sincerely, In Christ

THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE!!

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. It is a wonderful day here in beautiful downtown North, SC, and we wish only God's best for all who have come across these writings.
We are always excited here on Wednesdays, as we prepare for the mid-week prayer and Bible study time tonight. Our pastor leads is to consider the prayer needs of our church family and friends, and then shares an insightful time of Bible study. We have a great time, and then the choir remains and practices for the Sunday services.
My hearts desire is to see our church as full on Wednesday night as it is on the Sunday meeting times.
Here is an interesting link for you, if you are concerned about the voting rules and procedures this year. You might have already seen the article in the current Baptist Courier about this. It is an interesting site, just go to www.ivotevalues.com and check it out. Many people are confused as to exactly what we can do, legally, in the matter of public elections.
God Bless and Keep You.....

To rise up with wings of eagles 

GOD IS SO GOOD!

We had another exciting day of worship and praise in the Lord's House last Sunday. Though attendance was a bit down, only 80 in Sunday School, the 'spirit' was there for us as we shared in Sunday School and Worship.
GYM OPEN: please remember that the gym will be open each Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM for basketball [ages 14 and up, including adults.]

PRE-SCHOOL WORSHIP SERVICES: We are planning to start a Preschool Worship Service for our little ones soon. John Mew, our Children's Director, is asking that all who are interested in helping with this new project come to a covered dish luncheon immediately following the services Sunday, Aug 22. Please bring covered dishes, share them with others, and discuss the beginning of this class. Let John know, 247-2711, if you can come.

NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS FOR 6th to 8th graders, starting on September 5th. John Mew will be the lead teacher.
We have started several new Sunday School classes during the past church year, and all seem to be doing very well. Our appreciation to Sarah Wannamaker for her leadership in the Sunday School ministry.

A special invitation to all who check in to this Blog. We need you to be a vital part of our church and urge you to come and share with us in our Sunday School, worship services, and the Discipleship Training class. We have a full ministry in our church, with great programs for all ages, little ones up to us older ones! I especially invite you to drop by the Sunday School class which I lead each Sunday, we call it the Sunday Morning Seminary, and we do have a great time of fellowship, fun, discussion, and even coffee and donuts from time to time. Don't let the title scare you, it is not a demanding class, just discussion and sharing. We talk of various subjects each time. Please come and give us a try if you can.

Reminder...don't forget the Fifth Sunday Ice Cream Fellowship on the 29th of this month. Home churned cream and good fellowship as we enjoy this special treat on warm [hot] summer evening after church. Come and bring a friend.

Our church office is in the process of searching for a new copy machine. Due to the lightning storm several weeks ago, we lost two circuit boards in the old copier. The problem is that they are so old that replacement is not available. So we are taking bids on a new machine. As you can imagine, this is a difficult decison to make, so we ask you to join us in prayer that we will make the right decision. The copy machine is a valuable tool in the ministry of our church and we are seeking one that we feel is the right one. We never consider anything without bathing it in prayer.

Our Youth Group has a new name, TRUTH. You will be seeing that name more and more in our news items and youwill know that it is the name of a faithful group of dedicated youth, led by John and Karla Mew. Please pray for the TRUTH group in our church.
Enough for this time, remember, God loves you, and so do I. Will see you in Sunday School and church. Call your church staff if we can help you in any way...

Another great day of worship and praise in the FBC of North. Attendance was down a bit, which, I suppose, is because so many are taking their last fling at summer vacations and such. Our pastor shared two exciting messages with us, as we considered the wonderful forgiveness which our Lord showers upon us in the words of John in 1 John 1:9. Then, in the evening service, we continued our journey through the book of Revelation. What a blessing to know that the Christian will be spared from the trials and tribulations outlined in the Revelation of Jesus Christ which was given to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos.
Let me know of any email addresses which you would like to be included in the E-Messenger newsletter which we will be sending out from time to time.
To our church family, don't miss the last Sunday of this month as we have An Ice Cream Social following the evening worship hour. Home churned or purchased, there will be ice cream for every taste. Come and invite a friend.
God Bless for now...