First Baptist Church 301 E. Elm St.

(309)647-7241 www.cantonfbc.org Fbc Canton

Monroe Bailey………………….. Pastor

Beth Kelly………………………. Office Manager

Gretchen Thum…………………. Director of Children’s Ministry

Tony Henderson…...…………… Food & Safety Coordinator

Gretchen Thum………………… Worship Leader

David Bell………………………. Board Chair

Kevin Brooks.…………………... Vice Chair

Dianna McKinney……………… Secretary

Joyce Nebergall………………… Deacon of Finance

Phebe Hardin...…………………. Deacon of Membership

Mary Helen Henderson…………. Deacon of Children

Cheryl Wabel…………………… Deacon of Youth

Julie Henderson………………… Deacon of Evangelism

Joyce Stanko...………………….. Deacon of Worship Services

………………………………….. Deacon of Missions

Ray Thum………………………. Deacon of Property

Jeff Ashwood…………………… Deacon of Adult & Family Volume 20 Number 9 October 2020

PATHWAYS

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

PATHWAYS

I recently met a young woman. This beautiful young woman was in a season of new beginnings. Newly married, she’d moved away from friends and family. As we spoke, it was so evident she loved God, loved the church and loved His Word. She desperately wanted to please God, and yet, she found herself frozen by confusion. She wasn’t sure if she was hearing God’s voice, her own, or — even worse — the voice of the enemy. She summed up all her questions and fears with one phrase: “I’m afraid I will miss God.”

On the surface, this fear of “missing God” sounds noble, but time has taught me that the enemy uses it to entrap people.

It changes the focus from His ability to lead, to our ability to follow.

This makes our Christian walk fear-driven rather than love- and faith-based. Satan perverts our godly desire to follow God’s leading by questioning every move we make until confusion traps us in inaction. The enemy freezes us with the fear of making a wrong move. He knows we can’t follow if we’re immobilized.

Listen, Jesus is not trying to trick you. He would not tell us to follow if it was impossible. He will make His way known.

I actually believe that if your heart is pure, it is impossible to miss God. Why do I think this?

He is just too big of a target.

Where can you aim and not come in contact with Him? Where can you reach and not touch something that declares His existence? Where can you look and not see the finger-prints of His majesty?

Look up, and discover His wonder in the stars. Look down, and see His glory in a flower.

The mountains’ heights remind us He is our Rock of refuge. The ocean’s roar declares His undeniable might. The wind awakens our souls to His unseen presence as it whispers, “There is more.”

No moment or place exists without His presence; there has never been a space void of Him — not in your past, present or future.

King David reveled in the wonder of God’s intimate presence in Psalm 139:5-7:

“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?”

If you are afraid of missing God, you don’t

need to be. He’s way bigger than your fear.

Just fix your aim on Him, and start moving.

Trust His ability to lead you. A good shepherd

knows how to lead His sheep even when they

aren’t sure where they are going.

(Excerpt from Proverbs 31 devotion 8/25/20)

Don’t Be Afraid Of Missing God

Area Services The Health & Wellness Connection of

Fulton County wants to get the word out

that they can help with medications,

counseling, vision care, dental care,

chiropractic care, etc.

Please call for an appointment to talk with

them about your need. They are located at:

103 S. Main St., Suite A, Canton.

Phone: 309-649-0048

Central Illinois Agency on Aging, Inc. Benefit Access/Medicare Program

Are you 65 or older or disabled? If so you can

call this agency to apply for a discount on

license plates. The application is good for 2

years.

Income limits:

$33,562 for one (1) person,

$44,533 for (2) persons,

$55,500 for three (3) persons

Call 309-674-2071 or 1-877-777-2422

9:00 am to 3:45 pm.

Watch FBC Services Online!

Not comfortable getting out of the house

much yet? We livestream our Sunday morning

service and Wednesday night Bible study

each week on the church Facebook page,

Fbc Canton.

Tune in:

10:15am Sunday

6:00pm Wednesday

Paul & Sandy Schaller (Gretchen’s folks!)

watch each Sunday morning. They said this:

We have enjoyed watching the services online

and look forward to the worship and

children’s time each week! We’ve had

challenges with the sound quality at times but

the messages are always good, interesting and

entertaining! Pastor always get the point

across and is able to draw us in; we enjoy

getting the message in “everyday terms”.

East Elm Apartments East Elm Apartments needs a couple of

FBC members to be on their board. They

meet once a year, usually in July. If

interested please contact Beth in the

church office.

First Baptist Church Fellowship Fund

The Fellowship Fund is an outreach of FBC. The

fund exists to meet many different financial needs:

rent, medicine, utilities, water, transportation, fuel,

etc. The applicants for assistance go through a

screening process to help protect us. If you would

like to support this ministry there are Fellowship

Fund envelopes in the pews on Sunday mornings or

mail your check in with ’Fellowship Fund’ written in

the memo section. Thank you for all you do for this

church and community!

Sympathies... ...to Ella and Jason Payne, Reno and Adrian, family and friends in the passing of Ella’s father, Syarief Damopolii. ...to Talona Kelly’s sons in the passing of their sister, Colleen Taff.

Congratulations to

Joe & Jamie Davison on

the birth of their daughter,

Jocelyn!

1 - Brad Anderson

- Patty Reid

3 - Sandy Fales

4 - Frank Saunders

5 - Kennedy Wilder

7 - Scott Hughes

8 - Jaxon Davison

12 - Selena Helms

15 - Irene Schoonover

18 - Rick Green

- Dottie Smith

19 - Jessica Lee

29 - Art Lingenfelter

Birthdays 3 - Tony & Julie Henderson

6 - Kent & Kelli Canevit

11 - Robert & Shirley Canevit

12 - Mike & Cheryl Wabel

18 - Jim & Sandy VanHouten

25 - Jeff & Janice Ashwood

- Deon & Ann Cockerham

Anniversaries

Please let the office know if we need to add your birthday or anniversary.

Mission Highlight A newsletter from missionary Nancy Kinsel, who serves in Papua New Guinea. Nancy is from Canton , daughter of Chuck & Brenda Kinsel.

Dear Friends,

The other night it rained and rained and rained in the Eastern Highlands Province. This came as a total answer to prayer,

because here we’re in the middle of dry season. All the houses on the missionary center, Ukarumpa, have huge water tanks

that collect water from rain that falls on the roofs. My roommates and I have been praying for rain because our tank was

running quite low and we were in full water conservation mode: wash and rinse dishes in buckets, shower every other day while

turning the water off inbetween rinses, and using hand sanitizer instead of soap and water. With all that rain our tank is now

half-full, placing us out of the danger zone. God is always there to provide for the needs of His kids!

This day and age is a good time to remember that God cares for us deeply and

that He answers prayer with compassion. For most of the year, PNG has held steady at 8 confirmed cases of COVID, and now

we’re up to 361 in a matter of weeks. Please pray for PNG and that the spread of the virus would be stopped; pray for the health

of PNGians & ex-pats.

I am going to Wewak in the East Sepik Province at the end of the month to help with an Oral Bible Translation workshop. I will be there for 4 weeks and will help teach

the participants how to use a computer for the very first time, how to use a translation program, and cook for the participants

under COVID protocols. I am so excited for both a change of scenery and to gain new experiences, particularly to see how Oral

BT is done. Please pray for all involved - leading a first-time workshop under the stress of a pandemic is difficult!

I want to thank you all for being so faithful

in both your prayers for me and your financial partnership; even though times are tough, I haven’t lost a single partner!

Thank you!

Because of hope,

Nancy Kinsel

Pen Pals The Loft would like to find people willing to be PenPals with some of the residents. We have 3 members of our church there: Joyce Cannon, Dick Harkness and Marian Paul. Would you be interested in writing a note once a month? Please contact the Loft or send your letter addressed to the person you’ve chosen, 2081 N. Main St., Canton.

Have you ever thought about how we get all

the food for the Food Pantry? It takes a lot of

drivers and people and hours to make it all

happen! We have local businesses who donate

surplus food every day: HyVee, Jimmy Johns,

Aldis & Walmart. John Grant, Gary & Sarah

Smart and Slick & Don DeRenzy make the

rounds, sometimes a couple of times a day,

every day!, to pick up what is available for

the Food Pantry that day.

We have drivers on Monday who deliver to the

apartments here in town: Ed Smith, Gary Smart

and Marlin Livers.

Then there are Food Pantry drivers that go

weekly and monthly to Midwest Food Bank

in Peoria and River Bend Foodbank in

Davenport: Jeff Ashwood & John Reed, Ed

Smith & Dottie & Gary Smart.

Thanks so much to each one of you!! You

spend hours of your time every week of the

year to ensure food for our guests!

There are many more Food Pantry volunteers

and we’ll recognize them over the next few

months. But what they all have in common is

that they’ve plugged into this ministry and

made it their own! What’s your passion?

Where would you like to help? During this

season where we’re shut in what is a way

YOU can help? We welcome any ideas!

October is Pastor Appreciation month! Because of the pandemic we are

not able to hold a reception this year. Let’s shower Pastor Money and

Anita with cards and let them know how much they’re appreciated and

how much we love them!

October Challenge! Take a

moment and ask yourself… Do I have a heart of worship? Do you experience God in your sitting and standing, in your coming and going, in your words and in your silence? Do you take the time to praise and thank Him for everything that He does each day? If you’re like me, you’ll have to come to terms with the answer being no; not nearly like I should! But God is ready and waiting for us to turn that around!

The result of truthful worship is experiencing God in everything and at all times… He is always there and it is for us to open our hearts and minds to fully allow Him to work in every aspect of our lives; to fully expect His presence! Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Let’s take this challenge today; let’s really see the living God at work in every area of our lives and experience the joy and love that He is offering us! Gretchen Thum

Worship

Office Hours The church office is open:

Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 3:00

Friday 9:00 - 2:00

If you need to see any of our staff outside

these hours, please call the office to make

an appointment.

__________________________________

Brag On Your Kids! We want to know what your kids are doing

so we can highlight them in the Pathways!

Have they been recognized for an

achievement? Participated in an event?

Let’s get the word out! Write up a brief

paragraph and give it to Beth in the office.

F Y I Spoon River Pregnancy Center - Advocates Needed! Our advocates are trained to come along side our clients to help them make life-affirming choices in unplanned pregnancies, relationships, family matters and even personally. If you are interested or have questions, please call 309-435-7130. Bible Study will be streamed live on

Facebook every Wednesday at 6:00pm.

Tune in to watch!

Hospital Admitting: If you are admitted to

Graham Hospital, please have a

family member let the church

know. Even though the hospital

asks about your church affiliation, they

do not call the church.

October

Upcoming Dates

October 6 - Men’s Group, 6:30pm

October 13 - Sisters in Christ, 5:30pm

October 20 - Men’s Group, 6:30pm

October 27 - Sisters in Christ, 5:30pm

Social distancing guidelines will

be followed.

We are busy planning different, fun, exciting and SAFE ways to bring our kids together again for our Mid-week groups… would you like to be a part of that team? If you love kids, we’d love to have you join us! We are looking for Volunteers that would love to serve in our Children and Youth groups in various ways. Please see Gretchen Thum or stop by the church office if you’re interested!

Kent and I have been greatly blessed by the opportunity to work with the First Baptist Church Youth but after a lot of prayer we have decided to step down from our position. We want to thank First Baptist for allowing us to be placed in a position to help teach and shape the minds of young people for Jesus. We not only were we able to bring Jesus and the stories of the bible to them every Wednesday but also it brought learning to us about the Bible and the challenges of today’s youth. We enjoyed teaching the youth, games, corn mazes, scavenger hunts, FOOD and most of all the talks with the youth. God greatly blessed us in ways that we cannot express on paper.

Please continue to pray for our youth and a leader for them. Remember if you don’t think your qualified for the job talk with Pastor Bailey, I thought the same thing too! God will take care of what you think you are lacking and fill you with everything you need to be a leader for the youth. Thank you again, Kent and Kelli Canevit

Children and Youth

Kids Fall Fest is October 28th! All kids and their families are invited to join in for a night of safe, fun fall activities including a costume parade, Trunk or Treat and bingo with fall snacks! Forms will soon be available to fill out the number of people attending so we can maintain the health and safety of everyone.

** Trunk or Treat Volunteers WANTED! ** Let’s come together to make this a fun event for our kids! We want to encourage you to decorate your vehicle “trunk” and hand out a treat to the kids during the evening of the Fall Fest. Contact Gretchen Thum or the Church office to reserve your spot! Prizes will be rewarded! ** We have candy available for you to hand out so you can concentrate on your trunk decorations! Please state that you would like some candy when you reserve your spot. **