fbcmonroe.com

Vol. 45 Issue 42

First Baptist Monroe

December 20, 2017Newsletter

WARE IT ISDr. Todd WareSenior Pastor

This year has certainly been a transition year for our church. Greg and I continue to work through the Teaching & Senior pastor model while Gordon has assumed new responsibilities

as Associate Pastor. Gloria has helped save the day by committing to serve as our Associate Youth Pastor through the month of May. Our office staff has also experienced significant change with Amy Smeltzer, Lisa Garrett, and Teri Head pursuing new adventures in their lives. Brooke Gouge and Carrol Holman have since been added as new members of the ministry team. Unfortunately, one more significant transition will take place at the end of this coming January. At the beginning of 1988 Liz Young began serving as our church receptionist. Since then she has both witnessed and helped facilitate a great deal of ministry. She has been an invaluable constant through four senior pastors and countless other ministers and support staff. Around four years ago Liz began easing toward retirement as she shortened her work week from five to three days. She now believes it is time for her to fully embrace a life of leisure. Liz’ decision to retire has not been an easy one. She is fond of saying that she is blessed to have two church families - both First Methodist and First Baptist. Of course, that is certainly who she is to us - family. She is one of us. Her personal investment in the life of our congregation has made a tremendous impact in the Kingdom. We have been blessed! Knowing that finding and training someone to serve in her capacity will take time, Liz has agreed to continue serving through the month of January. Between now and then you’ll want to take time to thank her for her 30 years of ministry. As we near the end of her tenure, we’ll give

her a proper send-off for her decades of dedication and exemplary service.

SAFETY & SECURITY NEWS For the past several weeks we have had officers on duty on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Their presence is simply a response to the times in which we are living. We have not experienced any security issues. If you cross paths with an officer, please make them feel welcome. Joe Gregg and other members are working hard to make our campus as safe and secure as possible.

GIVING UPDATE Thank you for your generosity. Our total Christmas giving to FISH M.D. and Walton County foster children totaled $12,461. That’s fantastic! At the same time, our general budget receipts have been very strong. You should receive a year-to-date contribution letter from the office this week. Please let us know if any corrections need to be made before our final letters are sent out in 2018. Also, remember year-end gifts must be received at the church, made online, or postmarked by December 31st in order to be credited to 2017.

-Pastor Todd

ONESUNDAY

December 31, 2017Sunday School at 9:15am

Worship at 10:30amSanctuary

CHARLIE BROWN AND COFFEE CUPSDr. Greg DeLoachTeaching Pastor

Last night as I eased into my corner of the sofa and assumed a posture that cannot be good for long-term bone health I joined the ranks of Americans throughout our land and channel surfed through my cable options.

Soon I landed on the holiday program A Charlie Brown Christmas. Yes it is true the time has long past since little feet shuffled about our house insisting on cartoons. Yes it is true that there were other programs that night directed at viewers in my shared demographic. Be that as it may, the channel surfing ended and I settled into an enjoyable thirty minute traipse of nostalgia. The program was first aired in 1965, six months before I was born, so I was literally raised on this annual Christmas privilege. I have heard many a fine sermon during the Advent season and listened to glorious music for the holidays and witnessed exquisite Christmas trees ornamented and arranged, but nothing is as beautiful as Linus’ reading of the birth of Jesus from Luke chapter two or the tree that Charlie Brown picked out for the pageant.

This morning I groggily went through the routines of the early hours including reaching up in the cabinet above the coffee maker for a mug to hold some of the caffeine I would need to take on the day. I am selective about which mug I will use each morning. This time of year we have quite a variety of holiday mugs, many of which I pass over. But there are a few that are in standing rotation – some that go back to my early years of college and one that was given to me last year.

All year long we crave novelty and innovation, but during Christmas we see what is old and familiar. Christmas is a celebration of past memories and experiences, while giving space for hope for the present. I find many are open to new traditions and music and such, but mostly we like the old because it connects us to a much larger community. We hang on to old, tacky ornaments and sing carols written in archaic English because it belonged to those who have gone before us and we hope that these things will carry on long after us.

In a few days our Sanctuary will be filled to capacity for the Christmas Eve Communion and we will see faces we have not seen for a year. There is this goodness, this abiding, comforting goodness that swaddles our expectations with

the familiar. Wherever you are and whatever you find yourself doing this Christmas, light a candle, sing a carol, speak a prayer and know that you are not alone.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

It is an old story I never tire of hearing and it reminds me that as I face these days ahead I may do so without fear and with great joy. It is your story too.

Amen.

-Pastor Greg

DEACON ORDINATION

PRAYER LISTCharles Autry (Eleanor Queen’s nephew) – cancerHarley Bentley (4 yr old friend of Lori Brown) – ICU EglestonJudy Burrow – Surgery for cancer, 12/20, Eastside HospitalJim Head (son of Joyce and brother of John) - Home with hospiceTraci Ivey (daughter of Steve Leavell) – collapsed lungAnn Jones (Teri Ware’s mother) – Home after knee replacementKaren Knight (Larry Richardson’s niece) leg amputee, healingDillon Lewis (Ginny Gregg’s nephew) – Southern CrescentAngie Shumate – Park PlaceDwayne Wommack (brother-in-law of Kelly Bryan) - CancerSheila Young – Out-patient surgery 12/22, Gwinnett, Duluth

AT HOMEChuck Bradley (son of Carol/Larry), Derrick Brown, Ellie Chambers, Marcy Haymans, Derrick James (Cathy Inabinet’s son-in-law), Lee Malcom, Mike Reddish (Marvin Reddish’s nephew), Gene Wood (Judy Richardson’s brother), Matthew Young (Shannon Dominy’s brother), Audrey Adcock (Wayne’s mother), Larry Bradley, Press Breedlove, Rala Chambers (Ellie’s daughter), Lois Long, Peggy Seymour, Dennis Story, Kathryn Tullar

CHRISTIAN LOVE AND SYMPATHY ARE EXTENDED TO:-Doug and Shari Lax and family at the December 17 death of her father, Leon Besseche.-Arthur & Jeannie Bowick and family at the December 18 death of his brother, Jimmy Bowick. Memorial service & burial at a later date.

BIRTHDAYS - DEC 17-23Melinda Miller Lindsey BrownMadison SmithMiriah SandersHolly MeltonStephen MillsJim BoltonHarold CapeTony SimsTyler HaymansCharlie PowellSherrie BeallJudi BaileySandy MurrayAmy SmithJune WillinghamHank BurneyLee GarrettKyle LaseterGabe McCullersRyleigh ChristieAndy HarkinsJennifer GoodmanLaura BrownLee Potter, JrLynda LeeLinda HurdleTeri HeadKaren BrownLisa Head

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SHUT-IN OF THE WEEKMillice O’KellyCovington Manor4148 Carroll Street, Covington 30015

A thank you note has been received from Cindy Little and the Fish Family for FBC’s hospitality and use of the fellowship hall. This note has been placed on the third floor bulletin board.

GIFTSIn Memory of Charles M.

and Ruth Sanders Walker by the Charles M. Walker

Foundation to the Building Fund

In Memory of Larry Cabaniss

by Tim and Anita Dodsonto the Missions Fund

In Honor of Danny and Lynn Brownby Russell and Vivian Brown

to the Building Fund

LAST WEEKDecember 17, 2017

NEXT WEEK GREETING TEAM10:00am

Barbara PryorGayle SmithTommy & Martha Odum

DEACONS OF THE WEEK - DEC 21-27Adam KimelmanKeith Prather

DEACONS OF THE WEEK - DEC 28-JAN 3Ron SmithRandall Laseter

WEEKLY FINANCIALS Weekly Budget RequiredWeekly Budget Receipts Sunday Offerings Online Giving Stock GiftsBudget Required to DateBudget Received to DateDesignated GiftsGive to Go

$30,141.00

$ 43,641.62 $693.50

$5,424.68$1,537,191.00$1,550,246.77

$16,210.00$88,631.00

SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCEAdultsStudentsChildrenPreschoolTotalAttendance Goal

282684333

426450

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2410:00am Christmas Eve in Sanctuary4:00pm Christmas Eve in Fellowship Hall 6:00pm Christmas Eve in Sanctuary

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27No Wednesday Night Activities

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 319:15am Sunday School10:30am One Sunday Worship in Sanctuary

-NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE P A I D

PERMIT #56

202 McDaniel Street PO Box 351 Monroe, Georgia 30655

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

DR. TODD WARE Senior PastorDR. GREG DELOACH Teaching PastorALEX BOSKOFF 8:30 Worship LeaderGLORIA BRISCOE Associate Student MinisterLYNN BROWN Ministry AssistantCHRIS BRYAN 11:11 Worship LeaderDARLENE CHRISTIE Director of Preschool MinistriesREV. GORDON DAVIDSON Associate PastorBROOKE GOUGE Family Ministry AssistantCARROL HOLMAN Financial SecretaryREV. ROYCE MCNEAL Minister to Senior AdultsREV. CURTIS MURDOCK 11:00 Worship LeaderSHANNON RADOSEVICH Minister to ChildrenELIZABETH YOUNG Ministry Assistant

OFFICE HOURS 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Thursday8:30am-1:00pm FridayOffice 770-267-5904 Fax 770-207-7383