First Baptist Church of Commerce

VBS News

Lee — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:18:38 +0000

We still have more volunteer positions to fill for Vacation Bible School June 10-14, 6:00-8:30pm. Please see sign up online on the church website (fbc-commerce.org and click on the “Want to Help” button at the bottom of the home page), call the church office at 706.335.4083, or see me. We would love to have you be a part of this week in which the children in our community experience true Christian fellowship while learning about Jesus.

For parents of VBS participants we have online registration. This will save you time and effort on the first day of VBS. On that first day you will be able to just walk in, tell us your child’s name, and avoid all paperwork! Go to the church website at fbc-commerce.org and click on the “Register Now” button at the bottom of the page. Remember VBS is June 10-14, 6:00-8:30pm and all children Pre-K through 5^th grade are welcome! We can’t wait to see your children experience soaring with God!

Lee

The Times They Are A’ Changing (At Least, They Are On Wednesday Nights)

Carlton — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:17:01 +0000

As school winds down and we enter the summer months we adjust our Wednesday night schedule. At the deacons’ meeting this past Sunday it was requested that we move the Wednesday night Prayer Meeting time to 5:30 pm. Last year we began at 6:00 pm and choir began at 7:00 pm.

Since we serve supper during the school year at 5:30, most of our adults who eat are used to coming at that time. In addition the earlier start will allow those who sing in the choir to get home with some daylight still left in the day. Some of our elderly members prefer to get home earlier anyway.

Todd and Lee have agreed to the earlier start. Lee will detail the change in times for youth activities. Choir practice will now begin at 6:30 p m.

Let me remind you once again that Prayer Meeting will be held in the Friendly 57 class for the summer. Since we are not serving meals, we can save money by cooling that smaller area for the summer months.

Some things, of course, do not change. We will still meet to go over the prayer list and pray for those who are mentioned. Please let us know of any who are in need of prayer. Also let us know when folks have cause to celebrate and give thanks to God for blessings as we would like to celebrate and give thanks with them. We will also continue our Wednesday night Bible studies. We have a couple of more weeks in our current study series entitled “New Testament Characters”. We are discovering biblical truths through the lives of those whose stories are told in scripture. I hope you will plan to join us each Wednesday at 5:30.

Carlton

VBS Volunteer Registration

Jason — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:28:43 +0000

Soaring To New Heights

Lee — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:21:00 +0000

We will be soaring to new heights this summer with Vacation Bible School which will be held June 10-14 from 6:00-8:30pm each night. All Pre-K-5^th grade children are invited. This year’s theme is Sky: Everything is Possible with God! We will be learning to trust God no matter what comes our way. Please consider how you might serve during VBS. We are in need of nursery workers, preschool leaders, crew leaders (to lead the children) and helpers, actors, game leaders, experiment leaders, cooks, help with registration, and people behind the scenes to help decorate for this big week. If you are able to help in any way please contact me or the church office at 706.335.4083. Please consider serving these children this week so they may experience God in a new way.

Lee

Vacation Bible School!

Jason — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:10:37 +0000

Pre-K through 5th Grade kids, you are invited to Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church!

June 10-14, 6:00-8:30pm

Help kids discover God’s Word in a fun and unforgettable way! Each day, kids learn a single Bible Point that is reinforced with a Bible verse and Bible story. Kids really do learn best through interactive experiences–and that’s why they’ll love VBS! Each day, the kids will rotate through activity stations with their Flight Crews (small groups)–which are designed to reinforce the Bible Point of that day in a hands-on, fun way that will keep even your 5th grade boys engaged!

Make sure to mark your calendar and invite your friends!

A Primer on the Holy Spirit

Carlton — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:03:43 +0000

This coming Sunday I will begin a four-part series on the Holy Spirit entitled “A Primer on the Holy Spirit.” Many people today are confused about the “third part of the Trinity.” Some tell us that the spirit exists to prod people into ecstatic utterances or movements that seem to have meaning only to the one so moved. Some claim the spirit gives them special knowledge of events and details in the lives of other people. While the spirit may manifest itself in such ways, none of these seems to be a primary function of the spirit as it is described in scripture. We want to explore what scripture does say about the spirit and its purpose.

This Sunday, May 13^th we will explore the way the spirit goes where we are wary of going and leads us to do things we might not do on our own. Given the focus of the sermon, I’m not sure if it is ironic or simply appropriate that this Sunday is also Mothers’ Day. We will examine what some call “the Gentile Pentecost” in Acts 10: 44 – 48.

On May 20^th we will look at the beginning of Acts (1: 15 – 17; 21 – 26) as we explore how the spirit helps us bear witness. We will talk about how God’s spirit helps us tell others what we know about God.

On May 27^th we will hear a representative of the Gideons. Each year we invite a Gideon to our pulpit and take the opportunity to support the work they do in placing copies of scripture around the world. This too is a work of the Holy Spirit.

Our series will continue on June 3^rd as we explore the ways the spirit communicates with God on our behalf. Our passage (Romans 8: 22 – 27) happens to include my favorite verse in the bible, Romans 8: 26.

The series will conclude on June 10^th as we learn how the spirit reminds us of our identity as children of God. We’ll back-track in the book of Romans for this message as we look at Romans 8: 12 – 17.

I hope you will be present for this series. The Holy Spirit is a vital part of our lives as Christians, yet I think we often ignore its potential. Perhaps that’s because, too often in today’s church, we focus on more obscure and less important functions of this manifestation of God’s presence in our lives. Being “filled with the spirit” has far more to do with God strengthening and preparing us to do work that will benefit the church as a whole rather than that which only benefit certain individuals. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

VBS 2012 Registration Form

Jason — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:55:18 +0000

To Greater Heights

Lee — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:21:16 +0000

This Sunday we will celebrate our high school graduates during worship. This is an important day as it symbolizes their journey to adulthood. They have been cared for and loved by their families and our church, they have learned right from wrong, they have asked questions and sought answers all under the watchful eyes of those who have their best interests at heart. And now they stand at the threshold of a new beginning, leaving the nest. Please pray for Paige McCannon and Etta Yaughn as they strive to finish all of their requirements for school and as they await college. They have hopes and dreams along the path that God has for them. They have fears and doubts about what this next step will look like and how they will succeed. Pray that they will reach greater heights of insight and closeness to God on their path.

On a separate note we will be soaring to new heights this summer with Vacation Bible School which will be held June 10-14 from 6:00-8:30pm each night. All Pre-K -5^th grade children are invited. This year’s theme is Sky: Everything is Possible with God! We will be learning to trust God no matter what comes our way. Please consider how you might serve during VBS. We are in need of nursery workers, preschool leaders, crew leaders (to lead the children) and helpers, actors, games leaders, experiment leaders, cooks, help with registration, and people behind the scenes to help decorate for this big week. If you are able to help in any way please contact me or the church office at 706.335.4083. Please consider serving these children this week so they may experience God in a new way.

Lee

Celebrating Our Heritage, Our Future And Our Response To A Challenge

Carlton — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:19:59 +0000

This week’s column is somewhat of a mixed bag so the most difficult part of writing it was coming up with a title. I do think what I eventually came up with is appropriate and I hope you find the information that follows to be cause for celebration.

First of all, this coming Sunday will be a day of celebration. We will celebrate Baptist Identity Sunday with our pulpit guest Dr. Dock Hollingsworth of the McAfee School of Theology. This is a day to reflect upon and celebrate our heritage and all that is good about being Baptists. We understand that we are no more perfect than any other folks but, in an age in which many Baptist churches are choosing to leave “Baptist” out of their names, we affirm and celebrate our Baptist distinctives. We cherish the autonomy of the local church and the priesthood of all believers. We stand firm in our commitment to sharing the message of the Gospel as well as ministering to people in the name of Christ. We honor believers’ baptism and the right of each individual to stand before God on his or her own. Don’t forget that following the worship service we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a covered-dish lunch. The church will provide the meat and the tea and we ask you to bring side-dishes, salads and dessert. During lunch, Dock will share with us some exciting news regarding the McAfee School of Theology.

Sunday is also our Graduate Recognition Day. We have two high school graduates this year, Paige McCannon and Etta Yaughn. Donna and I will host them for breakfast Sunday morning and then, in the worship service, we will recognize them and present them with gifts from the church. Paige and Etta have also asked to participate in worship leadership Sunday. I can’t think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the future, not only of our local church, but the wider Church in the world.

Finally, I want to commend you for your faithful and generous response to a challenge. For the past couple of weeks we have taken up a love offering for Kris Angelov to help him cover the costs of his graduate degree. I have previously shared in this space our connections with Kris and some of the circumstances regarding his need. I am excited to share with you that we have sent Kris $3,651.00 toward the $6,000 he needed to raise. In addition we have learned that FBC Gainesville has sent $2,000 and $500 was raised and sent from the McAfee School of Theology. I am amazed, not only at your faithfulness and generosity but also at the way God pulls his church together and helps us work side-by-side to meet needs. That is, indeed cause for celebration.

I look forward to celebrating with you this coming Sunday.

Carlton

A Cappella Concert

Jason — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:22:40 +0000

A men’s a cappella group from Shorter University will be performing at FBC Commerce Wednesday, May 2 beginning at 6:15pm. The group consists of eleven singers and is a mixture of music majors and non-music majors. They will be performing popular sacred and secular music such as “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,” “At the cross,” ”I Heard it through the grapevine,” and “The run around.” Two of the students are former Jackson County High School students, Wes Braselton and Wesley Henson. The concert will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour. CDs will be for sale after the performance.