550 pleasant grove road inverness, fl 34452 following god ... · le, alone and dying ... coolman,...

Following God Prayerfully & Passionately

Byron Brown Senior Pastor

John Johnson

Minister of Worship & Eduction

DeAnna Davis Director of Children’s Ministries

Debbie Jolly

Church Secretary

550 Pleasant Grove Road Inverness, FL 34452

Phone: 352-726-1252 Fax: 352-726-0227 www.fbcinverness.com

Facebook: FBC Inverness

The First Baptist Good NewsThe First Baptist Good NewsThe First Baptist Good NewsThe First Baptist Good News

A PUBLICATION OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF INVERNESS

Non Profit Org. U S POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #5 First Baptist Church

Inverness, FL 34452

First Baptist Church of Inverness

550 Pleasant Grove Road

Inverness, FL 34452

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The First Baptist Good News

April 2019 Issue

Following God

Prayerfully &

Passionately

It’s Friday

Jesus is praying

Peter’s a sleeping

Judas is betraying

But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

Pilate’s struggling

The council is conspiring

The crowd is vilifying

They don’t even know

That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

The disciples are running

Like sheep without a shepherd

Mary’s crying

Peter is denying

But they don’t know

That Sunday’s a comin’

It’s Friday

The Romans beat my Jesus

They robe him in scarlet

They crown him with thorns


That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

See Jesus walking to Calvary

His blood dripping

His body stumbling

And his spirit’s burdened

But you see, it’s only Friday

Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

The world’s winning

People are sinning

And evil’s grinning

It’s Friday

The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands to the cross

They nail my Savior’s feet to the cross

And then they raise him up next to criminals

It’s Friday

But let me tell you something

Sunday’s comin’

Continued on Page 2.

FOLLOWING GOD PRAYERFULLY AND PASSIONATELY!

“It’s Friday…” by S.M. Lockridge

It’s Friday

The disciples are ques)oning

What has happened to their King

And the Pharisees are celebra)ng

That their scheming Has been achieved


It’s only Friday

Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

He’s hanging on the cross

Feeling forsaken by his Father

Le, alone and dying

Can nobody save him?

Ooooh It’s Friday

But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday

The earth trembles

The sky grows dark

My King yields his spirit

It’s Friday

Hope is lost

Death has won

Sin has conquered

and Satan’s just a laughin’

It’s Friday

Jesus is buried

A soldier stands guard

And a rock is rolled into place

But it’s Friday

It is only Friday

Sunday is a comin’!

SLOVENIA MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISER

Sunday, April 7th after the Morning Service The Slovenia Mission Trip team will be taking orders for our Slovenia Mission T-shirt & selling baked goods to help raise money for the trip.

Continued from Page 1.

He is Risen!

Pastor Byron

Contact Pastor Byron at [email protected]

Page 11

BIRTHDAYS

Allwood, Debi 4/1

Alford, Sarah 4/2

Hill, Wayne 4/2

Snyder, Jean 4/2

Teegarden, Austin 4/2

Alford, Marcie 4/3

Dolan, April 4/3

Hampton, Frank 4/3

Gibson, Betty 4/4

Kelly, Sara 4/5

Kehr, Noah 4/6

McGahey, Marjorie 4/6

Curtis, Tracy 4/7

Coolman, Sue 4/8

Wear, Lory 4/8

Alford, Pat 4/9

Bowden, Rob 4/9

Rollason, Linda 4/9

Cusack, Katie 4/10

Sculthorpe, Rosie 4/10

Brandon, Brianna 4/12

Carter, Jacob 4/15

Foster, Tim 4/16

Phillips, Mark 4/16

Thomas, Amber 4/16

Wilhelm, Stan 4/17

Marshall, Dan 4/19

White, Larry 4/20

Durrett, Ray 4/21

Winders, Hayley 4/21

Wilson, Matthew 4/22

Butzer, Eileen 4/23

Morelli, Jenny 4/23

Perdue, Helen 4/24

Leslie, Bill 4/25

Boyles, Martha 4/26

Brady, Bailey 4/27

Leith, Barbara 4/27

Allen, JoEllen 4/28

Fricano, Ronda 4/28

Roughgarden, Dave 4/28

Johnson, Elliott 4/30

Pittman, Pam 4/30

LIBRARY

“COFFEE WITH TINA” Meet our very own children’s author, Tina Sell, Saturday, April 13th. We will meet in the church dining room for coffee or tea and refreshments at 10 AM. Tina is a retired reading specialist and elementary school teacher. She spent 32 years reading to children of all ages in Maryland. Tina believes that a good book should transport the reader to unimaginable places. Tina well share with us the how and why a retired teacher becomes a published author. Also, does she have book #2 ready? Where do the ideas come from? Plan your mid-morning coffee break with Tina on Saturday, April 13 at 10 AM. Nursery available for infants thru 5 yrs. Mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, or aunts, books will be available after the program. Mrs. Jones, Rascal and Me will make a great birthday, Christmas, or I love you gift for that special pre- school or kindergartener child. “Coffee With Tina” is hosted by the church library and friends. Tickets are $5.00 and available in the church library or April 7 in the church foyer. No tickets can be purchased April 13th.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

THANK YOU NOTE

Year to Date Giving Through February 2019

Revenue $149,169.51 Expenditures $131,129.81 $ 18,039.70

FINANCIAL UPDATE

First Baptist Inverness will be offering another day of service (i-Serve) on May 11, 2019. Our focus will be on serving Moms with yard work and/or small household projects. We need your help in making personal contact with friends, neighbors and co-workers who may benefit from the services we will provide. We need the Mom's name, email address/phone number and specific information regarding the type of work needed (yard work, cleaning projects, moving furniture, other). Please give this information to Pastor Byron via email ([email protected]) or by calling him in the church office.

I SERVE WEEKEND

Thank you for all the cards and prayers for me during my surgery and convalescence. Kay Harsin

New Members for March 2019

Shane & Natalie Breidenbaugh

Ray Morrison

Jennifer Johnfauno

YARD SALE & CAR WASH

Saturday, May 25th at 8:00 am Proceeds go towards the Israel Trip. If you have any items that you would like to donate, please contact the church office at 352-726-1252 to make

arrangements to drop-off or have items picked up.

Contact DeAnna Davis at [email protected]

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard…

Spring has Sprung and Easter is right around the corner. Head to the stores and you’ll see colorful baskets and eggs, bunnies and peeps, sweet candies; all of which I love, but are our children more excited about the coming of the Easter bunny than about the coming of God’s Kingdom or as Dr. James Dobson says… a bunny who brings candy instead of a Savior who brings life? There’s good news for those who are looking to bring the true significance of Easter to their children. Bunnies, eggs, baskets and more can become tools that parents can use to create a greater

understanding of the true meaning of Easter.

Tell the Story of Easter with Eggs

Instead of merely coloring eggs this Easter, why not use the eggs to tell the story of God's love and forgiveness?

• Before you hide the eggs or put them in baskets, encircle each one with a colored strip of paper (or place the strip inside plastic eggs) that tells one small part of the Easter story. When the eggs have been found, the children must unscramble the story and put it in the right order.

• Instead of decorating the eggs with dye, or in addition to dying them, write one attribute of Jesus on each egg. You can do this by writing on the egg with a crayon before you put it in the dye. If you are using plastic eggs, you can write with a permanent marker or paint pen.

• Send kids on a hunt for the eggs that have Jesus' attributes written on them. Instead of just discovering eggs, they will be discovering the wonderful things that make Jesus so special. If the eggs are plastic, fill them with treats to remember how sweet the life of Jesus really is. • Dye eggs in certain colors and use them to tell the story of salvation.

Visit focusonthefamily.com to find more fun, but meaningful ideas for sharing Easter with your children. Have fun and remember that Easter is the most significant day of the year! Tell of the cross where they nailed Him. Writhing in anguish and pain.

Tell of the grave where they laid Him. And tell how He liveth again. Oh love in this story so tender, clearer than ever I see, stay let me weep while you

whisper, love paid the ransom for me, love paid the ransom for me. Happy Easter with love, Mrs. Dee.

If you have a desire to serve in the nursery, please stop by and see Mrs. Dee. We need a few more volunteers one Sunday each month to best serve our babies. Thank you! Save the Date: Baby Dedication on Mother’s Day

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt

his name together!

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

THE WORSHIPER’S CORNER

“An Open Letter to Those Frustrated by Their Progress in Sanctification”

(Excerpted from David Powlison) Dear friend, I thought I would share this insightful snippet from a book I recently read by David Powlison. Our struggle with sanctification is REAL! And, we are most often our own worst enemy!

As you read this, ask God to reveal the areas of your life that you have capped, shutdown, hidden, packed away... And then allow Him to do the work of restoration and sanctification in your life. Selah, Pastor John _____________________________________________________________________________________ We all love it when life leaps into forward gear and we make all kinds of progress. Problems just seem to fall away. Perhaps in your life you’ve had a season like that, a season when your life seemed to shine and flourish. Maybe it was when you first became a believer or during some period when you were very well nurtured by good community and wise input. Then there are those seasons where things go very slowly. You wonder, “Is this all there is? Why do I keep struggling with the same old things? I keep losing my temper, or feeling anxious, or being clumsy in relationships . . . ” What vision does God give us for what our lives are supposed to look like, especially when we’re dealing with the long, hard struggle part of being a Christian? Let me say two things. First, often when we hear the words sanctification, growth, and transformation, we have an idealized image of what that might look like. Though each of us may picture slightly different things, I doubt for most of us that the image includes three quarters of the book of Psalms which portray life where faith and hope happen in the midst of honest struggles—hard struggle, a sense that “I need God to hear me.” Psalm 28, for example, says, “If you don’t hear me, God, I will die!” It is not unusual for life to be difficult. We bump up against things in the world around us that are intimidating or overwhelming or discouraging. We see things within ourselves that we wish would change, but we keep failing in some way. The Psalms are about that. They’re about struggle with hard things in our world and in ourselves. And the Psalms are a window into the heart of Jesus Christ himself. If sanctification means becoming like Christ, then the way we struggle is as much a part of our sanctification as some idealized image of what we hope that we would become. Struggling honestly, actually needing help, is what the Psalms are about. Second, there are particular kinds of growth and strength that may be happening in our lives that we don’t even see. Jesus’ first four Beatitudes are about needing help: feeling your need, grieving the wrong in the world, submitting to God’s will, hungering for all wrongs to be made right. Living such weakness doesn’t necessarily feel like growth. And the second half of the Beatitudes can also happen in ways that you’re not always aware. The fifth Beatitude says that the merciful are blessed because they’ll receive mercy. In your life—in part because you struggle, in part because you know God’s mercies to you—your heart may be becoming more generous to other people. You have less of a sense of me, me, me, of my rights and prerogatives, what I want to accomplish, that I need to own this piece of turf, need to get credit. You have a growing sense that other people really matter. You can be gracious to them in their shortcomings and their heartaches. Are you gradually decentering off yourself?

Continued on Page 5.

You don’t have to always get your way. Not everybody has to agree with you. You aren’t living for your dreams, and your bucket list. The Lord is enough!

Page 9

MEMORIALS AND HONORS

In Honor of Larry White

For: Missions

From: Karen Givens

In Honor of Jim Johnson &Scott & Hazel Clyde

For: Sound System

From: LaVerne Register

In Memory of Nell Mayberry

For: Youth

From: Beta Sigma Phi

In Memory of Bonnie Steffen

For: Annie Armstrong Offering

From: Ray & Liz Cooper

For: Operation Christmas Child

From: Larry & Sherry White

For: Free To Follow

From: Robin Moffatt

From: Albert & Marilyn Jordan

From: Wayne & Jean Snyder

From: Jackie Mercer

From: Carl Taylor

From: Pat Osborne

From: James & Debby Lucy

From: PIC Class

From: Marey & Julie Scott

From: Bob & Jeannine Turner

From: Dan & Donna Tvenstrup

From: Janet Beal

From: Kat Berg

From: Alan & Gayle Eiler

From: Ron & Jo Beth Drehl

From: Betty Friess

From: Jim & Billie Crouch

From: JoEllen Allen

In Memory of Cecil Jernigan


From: Robin Moffatt




In Memory of Bob Allwood



For: Free To Follow

From: Robin Moffatt

From: Albert & Marilyn Jordan

From: Bob & Jeannine Turner

From: Dan & Donna Tvenstrup

From: JoEllen Allen

For: Missions

From: Wayne & Jean Snyder



In Memory of Evelyn Wilson

For: Music Program

From: Fidelis Class

ISRAEL TRIP

10 DAYS IN THE HOLY LAND

Departing Miami, FL on March 20, 2020 and returning March 29, 2020. $3,798.00 All Inclusive!

Form & Brochure available at the church & at www.fbcinverness.com

MINISTRIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

MINISTRY OF WARMTH

WORSHIP MINISTRY

The Ministry of Warmth meets Thursday at 4:30 pm in the Dining Hall to knit and crochet hats, blankets, lap robes, and other items. These items are sent in the Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes, sent with our missionaries, and also distributed locally. Donations of yarn or cash to buy supplies are also accepted.

We have MANY opportunities available for you to join our Music/ Worship Ministries here at FBCI - RIGHT NOW! If you have been here for only one service, or many times, you know that we are very intentional about our worship. Our services are “Blended” or “Balanced” in nature. This simply means that we blend in worship across the spectrum of musical styles, and do not focus on specific age-group preferences. We are not “contemporary” in that we don’t solely worship with the Top 40 Christian Hits, nor are we solely tied to the traditional Hymnology. We strive to balance both of these worlds in our corporate worship – both relational and doctrinal in nature. There is great value to the worshipper in both “styles” of worship.

Our Kids Choir meets every week on Wednesday evenings (during TeamKID) to learn songs they will perform for Special services. For our Youth and Adults, it all starts with our Worship Choir. Our Choir is very active, and is open to all who wish to join us, and encompasses a wide range of age groups from Middle school-age through those of us in our second childhood! There are no auditions for this part of the Music Ministry. We sing almost every week for our Celebration services. If none of these fit the bill, here is yet ANOTHER way to scratch your musical itch: We have started a Handbell Choir (for special events). They practice Sunday Evenings at 3:30 pm. If you are interested please contact Pastor John!

We are also always looking for vocalists and instrumentalists for our Worship Team. We really are striving to see a multi-generational worship team, so don’t let your age convince you to NOT try! While we do follow a more formal qualification process for these aspects of the ministry, it is as stress-free as we can make it!

Whether your interest and passion is in singing or playing music, we have many opportunities to be a part of our Worship Team (Vocals, Band, Orchestra, and Worship Choir, and now – Handbell choir).

Please contact Pastor John, or any current member of our Worship Team, if you are interested! Contact Pastor John at: [email protected]

Continued from Page 4. And think about the sixth Beatitude, about the pure heart. That means that you go into conversations as less conniving, less fearful, less manipulative, less comparative, less performance oriented. You’re able to simply be truer to what it actually means to care for others. You look out for their interests as well as your own. Or think about being a peacemaker, the seventh Beatitude. You are less prone to leap into conflict, less prone to be defensively self-righteous when someone criticizes you. You may be changing into a more gracious person, and others see it in you more than you see it in yourself. And, finally, consider the final Beatitude, about persevering and having courage in the face of suffering and difficulty. You’re able—in a deep-down way—to say “It’s okay that life is a long, hard road.” You don’t have to always get your way. Not everybody has to agree with you. You aren’t living for your dreams and your bucket list. The Lord is enough! You can go through hard things and not lose your faith. Now none of those things—becoming a more generous-hearted person, having more simplicity in the way you approach people, being the one seeking to solve conflict instead of instigate it, and having courage and perseverance— are splashy transformations. They’re just good, quiet, strong, steady fruits of the Lord working in our lives. I do think that if you add these two things together—realism about the ongoing struggle that makes you actually need the Lord, and then contentment with these quiet, unspectacular graces that are about living a human life that’s worth living—then sanctification can, in fact, go forward even when you’re going through a hard patch in life. _____________________________________________________________________________________ David Powlison (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a teacher, a counselor, and the executive director of

the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. He is also the senior editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling and the author of “Seeing with New Eyes”, “Good and Angry”, and “Speaking Truth in Love”.

Contact Pastor John at: [email protected]

EASTER WEEK SUNDAY, APRIL 14th

Child Care Is Available

9:00 A.M.

Bible, Life & Fellowship Groups

10:30 A.M.

Palm Sunday Worship Service

"Witness the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on a live donkey.”

THURSDAY & FRIDAY

APRIL 18th and 19th

5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

Journey To The Cross

"An immersive pilgrimage experience following Christ's footsteps in His Journey To The Cross of Calvary."

SUNDAY, APRIL 21st

7:00 A.M.

Easter Sunrise Service

On the Church Grounds at the Crosses

10:30 A.M.

Child Care Is Available

Easter Worship Service with Worship and Handbell Choirs presenting Russell Mauldin's Easter Musical "“One Day".


QUILT MINISTRY

SAMARITAN’S PURSE OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

F.A.I.T.H. RIDERS

If you quilt or are interested in learning how to make quilts, we would love for you to join us. We meet once a month on the third Thursday of the month from 9:00 am to around 2:30 pm. We meet in the space between the sanctuary and the choir room. Drive around to the back of the church, to the doors closest to the dumpsters for easier loading and unloading of equipment. We usually order salads

from Joe’s Restaurant for lunch, but you can bring your lunch if you prefer. Please contact Sharon Cignoni at 352-419-6305 for more information.

I want to thank you all for the great items that are being brought in for the Christmas Boxes, the kids are going to love their surprise. Watch the display in the church foyer for more ideas of items to donate. Washcloths and items for older boys are needed this month. Thank you again and know that every box will bring the love of Jesus to a child.

MEETINGS: F.A.I.T.H. Riders meet the 2nd Saturday of each month at 10:00 am in Room 174B. Please contact Shaun Stewart for information about the next meeting. MISSION: 2 Peter 3:9 No One Left Behind

WEEKLY MEN’S BREAKFAST

An open invitation to the men of First Baptist to meet each Tuesday morning at 9:00 am at Joe’s Restaurant. Find out why so many men continue to come each week. You’ll get a spiritual uplift along with great food and fellowship! We hold it to 1 hour maximum so come visit, you’ll be glad you did! Contact Bob Plaisted for more information.

Page 7


WOMEN’S MINISTRY

CITRUS COUNTY BLESSINGS

ABOUT THE FATHER’S BUSINESS

Women’s Breakfast: Women and friends of First Baptist Church are invited to breakfast on April 20th at 9:00 am at B & W Rexall Drugs in Inverness. Breakfast is “Dutch Treat”. Contact Donna Tvenstrup at 352-726-9325 for more information. Hospice House Ministry: Donations are constantly needed. This ministry provides snacks for the families of those in Hospice. Donations of

individually wrapped packages of snack cakes, crackers, chips, etc. can be left in the library or in adult Sunday School rooms in designated baskets. Thank you for your donations.

We continue to collect Peanut Butter and Jelly for the less fortunate students at Inverness Primary and Pleasant Grove Elementary. Please keep the peanut butter and jelly (in plastic containers only please) on your grocery list and continue to keep the children on your prayer list! Thank you for your generosity. Questions, call Marilyn Jordan at 726-1658.

March Totals Cards—44; Phone Calls—40; Volunteers—11; Visits—2; Prayers—Too Many To Count

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Paula Johnson. Volunteers work one Monday, once a month at 6:00 pm. They need people to make visits, make phone calls, bake cookies, send cards, and pray. If you cannot help on Mondays but would still like to help

make visits, other days can be worked out.

“...and (He) said to

them, “Do business

till I come”

Luke 19:13b NKJV

MAILBOX BIBLE CLUB

This ministry provides Bible lessons to those who are incarcerated in jails and prisons around our nation. Bible lessons are mailed to the inmates and the completed lessons are mailed back to the club for grading and encouraging comments. New lessons are mailed back to the student with the graded lesson. The club offers 66 different lessons that lead the student to salvation and discipleship. New students are referred by current students.

The club has more than 400 students located in 7 states. Our Mailbox Bible Club meets weekly on Mondays at 1:30 pm and Tuesdays at 10:30 am. Please contact the church office for more information.

550 pleasant grove road inverness, fl 34452 following god ... · le, alone and dying ... coolman,...

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