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...

We enjoyed a great day last Sunday as we gathered to study God’s Word and to worship Him. It was good to have John and Karla Mew unite with our church on transfer of their membership from sister churches. John has been our Minister of Youth and Children for the past several months, and he and Karla were recently married. They wanted to wait until they were married so that they could join the church together. We look forward to having these young folks with us for a long time. John is doing an excellent job as the leader of our children and youth.
I have been trying to collect email addresses from anyone that is even remotely interested in the ministry of the North  First Baptist church, so if you have someone you would like to be on our E-Messenger  e-mail mailing list, please send me a note at
fbcnorth@tds.net      or     royster@aikenelectric.net. 
Also interested in having input to this Blog Page, so if there is anything, within reason, that you would like to see published here, send it along, and I will try to use it. Our plan is to make this a two-way communication tool, and as soon as I learn a bit more, I hope to have a comment section here on the page, so you can leave your message and comments. But, I am still learning….

Sermon titles for Sunday, August 1 are:
AM:  “Did You Know That You Can Be Forgiven For Anything?” 1 John 1:8-10
PM:  “The Day It All Breaks Loose.”    Rev. 9:1-12

You are urged to attend and hear Brother Larry Shull, our pastor, as he preaches the Word to us.
Remember: “Jesus Christ is Lord now and forever! Glory to His Precious Name!

I do appreciate the good reports we have received about this Blog Spot about our church. As I have already said several times, it is still under construction and I have great hopes that we will be able to really communicate with our members and friends. This is the beauty of computing. Just imagine, from this little office, we can publish information that goes around the world in seconds. One of our friends, Bill Courtney,Jr., is in Iraq and will be able to read this there. We pray for you, Bill, and all your buddies there. Thank you and them for your service to your country and to your God.

STILL LOOKING FOR ADDRESSES:
Send me your email addresses of those who are interested in the North Baptist Church activities, and I will add them to the mailing list.

PASTOR CELEBRATES TENTH YEAR:
Bro. Larry Shull has been the pastor of this church for ten years  this month and we have been blessed under his ministry and leadership. What a precious family they are, Larry and Brenda and" little Larry" and how thankful we are to have them. Be sure and greet them and tell them how much you love and appreciate them each Sunday.

YOUTH  AT EDISTO BEACH:
John Mew has had our church youth at the beach all this week and we are anxiously awaiting their return. The purpose of the trip was evangelism, and we a praying that they had many professions of faith for their efforts. We should hear all about it on Sunday.

SEE YOU IN CHURCH?  I pray that we will. God Bless.

 

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood in North, SC. here are a few announcements for the church family to consider.
 
CHURCH DIRECTORY PLANNED FOR 2005
Plans are for our church to have a new Olan Mills directory of all the church family next summer. So in this next year, we would ask that all you camera buffs begin to take pictures of the different activities around the church, and let me have them so that when the time comes we will be able to have a large collection to choose from. I will be around taking pictures also. If you have a digital camera, we can upload the pictures from your camera to the church computer. Let’s try it and see how it works.
 
WILLING WORKERS NEEDED
Our Nominating Committee is busy, so if you are interested in a place of service for the new church year, let me know and I will get your request to the right place. I would like to see us start a new members class on Sunday morning, so if you are a mature and experienced Christian, you can serve the Lord by helping teach the Survival Kit  Program to our new members as they come in this next year. Let me know, please.
 
ICE CREAM  FELLOWSHIP!
Put this on your calendar…August 29, following the evening services, we invite you to join with us by bringing a churn of your favorite ice cream [or some store bought if you cannot churn]. We will have more to say about this as the time approaches. Plan on making this a great summer Sunday treat.
 
DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING  CLASS
We have an exciting time each Sunday evening in the hour prior to the evening worship service. There is a class for the children and youth, and the adults meet in the TEL classroom just off the sanctuary. I would especially like to invite you to attend the adult class. We have just finished an in-depth study of Spiritual Warfare, and will be starting another interesting subject soon. Please come and join with us, we promise an interesting 45 minutes of discussion, laughter and study.

Had a great week of VBS...a fun weekend of fellowship and worship, so I feel 'right good' today. I normally don't go in to the office on Monday, but just enjoy  relaxing at home and watching the morning movies on TCM or AMC, and the Western channel of course. I watch old movies that I remember seeing years ago when they first were shown in the movie theaters. Of course, they all look so ancient now, as do I.
Our VBS had a high attendance of 105, average attendance of 96, and my Adult Class averaged 14. A number of my adults were involved in other classes.  But, sad to say, we had zero professions of faith in Christ. It seems to me that VBS over the past few years had developed into a time of fun and recreation for the children. '
Please pray for our personnel committee as they begin the arduous task of finding our church a Minister of Music. Our current leader, a sweet lady, is having to retire after six years due to health difficulties.
Still looking for email addresses for those who might be interested in receiving
the "E-Messenger" newsletter which I hope to send out frequently. What a great way of keeping some of the church family and friends up to date on happenings around here. Our church is moving and growing and we ask you to keep us in your prayers.

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

Summer is rolling right along these days, with many church activities and meetings and such. I am finding that it is difficult to keep this blog up to date with the church news,but plan to do better [I hope!]
We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School this week, and have been having a great time with the Rickshaw Rally theme for this year. We have had a good crowd of children, willing workers, and food preparers. Our adult class is down somewhat, with only 11 adults involved each night. But, a number of our regulars are involved in helping in other classes.
Highest attendance so far has been 105, total students including staff members, which is great for our church.
I am still trying to learn how to add pictures and links to this page, so bear with me. I plan to also have an ELetter going out to those for whom I have an emailaddress. WE are still trying to develop a church web page, but that will take a bit longer.Let me know if you are willing to add your expertise to keeping all this going in the days to come.
Please join with us in our worship services this Sunday. We will have the church conference and also the Lord's Supper in the AM services. Come and bring a friend.