i s s u e 1 1 6 the beacon - first baptist church florala

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

I S S U E 1 1 6

THE BEACON

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

SHOEBOX MI NISTRY 2

MENS MINISTRY 3

THANKSGI VING MEAL 3

TR EASURY REPOR T 3

CALEB ZESSIN - PICS 4

CALEB ZESSIN 5

YOUTH 6

C HRISTMAS BRUNCH 6

C HILDRENS WORSHIP 7

ROTATI NG OCT LISTS 7

LOTTIE MOON 8

PRAYER S WITH FEET 8

NOVEMBER CALENDAR 9

CONTAC T INFO 1 0

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Tonight, while writing this article, my heart is heavy for Mary

Perkins’ pain and the pain that our congregation and com-

munity are feeling as they have said goodbye to Bill. His

death was so unexpected and quick that we are still trying to

wrap our heads around it. As God’s servant, I thought it

would be helpful and, I hope, healing to share what scripture

says about burdens and how we can endure them.

Let me start with this verse: “Weeping may endure the night, but joy comes in the

morning.” This verse is found in Psalms 30:5. If you have ever experienced one of

these nights, it’s hard to believe that morning will ever come. The pain is unbearable,

and the heaviness of sorrow weighs down on you like a ton of bricks. How are we as

Christians to endure sorrow? What do we do with life’s burdens?

First, Galatians 6:5 tells us that there are certain burdens that we must bear on our

own: “For each one must bear his own burdens.” As a unique creation of God, each of

us fulfills a plan, has a life to live and separate destinies to arrive. We, as individuals,

must live out the decisions we have made whether good or bad and even decisions

others have made for us. We are individuals and there are certain burdens that we

must bear on our own.

Second, Galatians 6:2 tells us that we will have burdens that we can only bear if

someone comes along and helps us carry those burdens: “Bear one another’s

burdens and so fulfill the law of God.” We have all experienced those burdens when a

friend comes to our side and shares our sorrow; that someone thought enough about

us, to seek us out and give us a hug or comforting words that lighten the load. The

biblical word “compassion” means to feel the other person’s pain. There are burdens

that we must bear alone. But there are those burdens that come our way that we

need a good friend to come alongside of us and help us carry the pain and sorrow.

Third, there are those burdens that neither you nor a friend can carry and with these

burdens Psalms 5:22 tells us: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain

thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.” God knows our hurts and sees

each tear we shed, and I believe God cries with us and sends His Holy Spirit to

whisper in our heart, “Call upon me and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3) “Come to

me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, take my yoke upon you and learn of me

and I will give you rest unto your soul.”

Burdens and sorrow are part of living. They let us know that we are alive. There are

some that we can and have to bear on our own. There are others that are bearable

because someone has come into our life and shared our burdens. Then, there are

those that we must cast upon the Lord and, in the end, the sun begins to shine, and

we realize that although we may not have overcome the pain and sorrow, we have

made it through the night.

Pastor Charlie

T H E B E A C O N

Find us on the web: www.fbcflorala.com

Our weekly service is recorded then placed on our FaceBook page and

posted on our website for one week. Always on YouTube (FBC Florala).

Sunday, November 17, 2019 is the date set to collect & Pray over our Boxes during the morning worship.

PLEASE PACK FOR A GIRL OR BOY: Ages 2-4, or 5-9, or 10-14. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LABEL YOUR BOX.

PLEASE DO NOT PUT THESE ITEMS IN YOUR BOX:

Do Not Include

Candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures;

chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions;

medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

PLEASE VISIT THE OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE DETAILS:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-shoebox-suggestions/

FBC HAS SET A GOAL OF A 150 BOXES

If you prefer not to shop for gifts and pack a box, please consider giving

a monetary donation. We have to put $9 in each box for shipping costs,

so your gift would definitely be a huge help in covering that cost.

CHRISTMAS SHOE BOX

I S S U E 1 1 6

OPPORTUNITIES

for WORSHIP

SUNDAY:

Sunday School

8:45 am

Worship 10:00 am

WEDNESDAY:

Bible Study for All

6:00-7:00 pm

T I P S F R O M T H E T R E A S U R E R

This is the season of the year when we celebrate

Thanksgiving by giving thanks to God for all the many

blessings he has given each of us and our church,

Florala First Baptist.

We have many ministries within our church that are an

outreach to all of us. The finance committee has been

working on a budget for 2020 that includes these

ministries. Churches need money to function. The

church is a family and every family needs to know its

financial status so they can give and PRAY. Contributions

given to designated funds can only be used for expenses

related to those funds and not to the operating cost of

the church. The proposed budget for 2020 will be

presented to the church in November and voted on in

December. Any member of the finance committee is

always available to answer questions about our church

finances.

I hope each of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving

with your families and friends. I am thankful to all of you,

my church family for allowing me to be your church

treasurer for another year.

Your Church Treasurer,

Mary Perkins

M E N ’ S M I N I S T R Y

There will be NO Men’s Breakfast gatherings during the

months of November and December. Things tend to get

too busy and hectic. Take care of home and family.

We will resume our breakfasts in January!

FOR THIS MEAL, WE WILL CIRCULATE LISTS THROUGHOUT ALL ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES FOR YOU TO

SIGN UP TO BRING CERTAIN THINGS. WE WILL HAVE SUGGESTIONS LISTED SO THAT IT WILL HAVE A MORE

THANKSGIVING LUNCH FEEL, RATHER THAN A REGULAR POTLUCK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

C A L E B

Z E S S I N

P I C S

F R O M

T H A I L A N D

Spooky may be the spirit of the season, but friendship has been the theme. So far, Octo-

ber has been very nice. There has been time to slow down and take account of what’s

happening around me. I’ve made some new friends, and been able to deepen the rela-

tionships I already have.

The last weekend of September, all the teachers from our educational district took a trip

to a lake resort. The lake is actually a huge, man-made feature because of local dam

constructed by our past king. Initially it was supposed to help encourage wildlife and

support local farmers. Now it has also become a wonderful vacation spot.

We swam. We danced. We had fun.

The whole thing was a blast. It was

so good to spend time with my fellow

teachers away from the stresses or

normal school life. The express rea-

son for the excursion, however, was

to honor six faculty who retired this

term. It was sad to say “goodbye”

because I’ve known them for such a

short time, but the love I felt be-

tween the teachers was very cool.

And it was good time spent with

teachers I had never met before.

One teacher in particular is very cool

for me. His name is Tui. You can see

him dressed as the blue power rang-

er. (Take a wild guess at who the

white man is dressed as Captain

America) Khru Tui and I were able to finally become closer. We’ve both been wanting

more time together, but our schedules don’t really allow it.

The second day of the trip, we visited the Temple of the Tiger Cave. It’s an important

sites for Thai and Chinese Buddhists. The teachers were able to spend some time wor-

shiping, and Khru Tui taught me some things about Thai history. We climbed a tower

that had about 10 floors, and elaborate murals on each one. We spent a few moments

at each level discussing past kings and vitals battles fought by past Thai kingdoms.

At the top is a small, gold-mirrored room with many relics of the Buddha. Khru Tui took a

moment to pray there.

Because of the spiritual nature of the area, Khru Tui and I started comparing and con-

trasting things between Buddhism and Christianity. Since then, he and I started jogging

together almost every day. (10 kilometers. PHWEW.) We’ve talked a number of times

about religion, politics, education systems, and also different pieces of our own personal

lives. I thank God for the comfortable dialogue between us.

This article unintentionally became very long, so I’ll wrap us up.

I know there has been some major loss amongst our family in the Florala area. I am

praying and grieving with you. The church family here in Thailand has also experienced a

few deaths this month. It reminds me that the Church (big C) is a body. When one part

hurts, the rest grieves with it. When one part feels joy, the rest celebrates with it.

I’m praying God will bring sweet comfort to you all in His love and compassion.

Grace and Peace

Caleb, Zazu, Pupha

F B C M I S S I O N A R Y - C A L E B Z E S S I N ( P I C S O N P R E V I O U S P A G E )

OPPORTUNITIES

for

WORSHIP

SUNDAY:

Sunday School

8:45 am

Worship 10:00 am

WEDNESDAY:

Dinner 5:30 pm

Bible Study for All

6:00-7:00 pm

T H E B E A C O N

FBC Youth Take Shoeboxes to Atlanta, GA Atlanta Processing Center

Processing Center Location: Atlanta 3960 Dekalb Technology Parkway, Atlanta GA 30340

Wednesday November 27, 2019

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR

IF YOU INTERESTED IN GOING, PLEASE SEE BRO. BRENT

MORE INFORMATION/DETAILS WILL BE COMING SOON.

NOTE: OPEN TO YOUTH & ADULT, BUT YOU MUST BE 13 YEARS OLD

Youth are going Shopping for Christmas Shoe Boxes on Sunday, November 3

after morning worship. We will eat lunch. Youth will need to pay for their meal.

I S S U E 1 1 6

NOVEMBER ROTATING VOLUNTEER LISTS:

DATE FLOWERS GREETERS

11/3 SHEILA ANDERSON DENNIS GOLDEN, MYRON ANDERSON

11/10 FBC CHARLES RUSSELL, GENE LINGLEY

11/17 NYLEAH CLARK DIANE STEVENSON, EDDIE PICKRON

11/24 HEATHER HALL SHEILA ANDERSON, RONNEY ROBBINS

Congrats to the Children’s Worship kids who sang at Homecoming! You all did a great job. We will sing

again for Christmas (watch for date to be announced). We will practice each week during CW but each

child has the choice as to whether they participate or not.

We are planning a fun day out for our CW kids as well. The

date is not yet determined but will be announced as soon

as it is decided. We plan to go to Andalusia for a Candy-

land experience. We will provide tickets for ice skating and

snow tubing. Time will be allowed to visit the houses and

play for a bit. If there’s a movie playing that we want to

see, that is an option for the day as well. We will take the

kids to lunch somewhere during our outing.

I need to know if you prefer Saturday, December 14 or the first or second day of their Christmas school

vacation. Please see me if you haven’t turned in your choice. Parents are invited to meet us there if you’d

like, but if you need a day of taking care of Christmas business, we will have chaperones on hand to help

with the kids.

Thank you so much for allowing your precious children to participate in Children’s Worship. If you are

looking for a place to serve and haven’t yet found your niche, always know that helping hands are

appreciated in our CW group.

In His service and for our kids!

Martha Morgan

Children’s Worship

T H E B E A C O N

OFFICE HOURS

Mon - Wed

8 AM - 4 PM

Office is Closed

Thursday - Sunday

DEACON ON CALL FOR NOVEMBER

GREG TAYLOR 580-974-4094

Monthly Meetings ALL MTGS ARE 6 PM

11/5 COUNCIL MTG

11/11 FIN. MTG

11/18 DEACON MTG

11/18 PWF MTG.

We all consider November and especially Thanksgiving a time of giving thanks for our many blessings. And while

Thanksgiving is a special time with family and friends coming together for food and fellowship, it’s important that

we don’t forget that each day is a blessing.

We have been reminded this past month with the sudden passing of our friend and honorary “frogette”, Bill

Perkins, that tomorrow is not promised, and we should live each day as if it were our last. From Bill we have

learned to not sweat the small stuff...remember what is important and what will not matter tomorrow. We watched

as he found enjoyment in serving others without complaining….he was a faithful worker on food distribution day at

the Christian Service Center. He demonstrated how to embrace friends from all walks of life…..he was never unkind

or judgmental about past lifestyles or mis-steps. We watched as he faithfully served in the background….Bill never

wanted the spotlight on him when he was helping others. We watched as he considered it an honor to be a part of

Cancer Freeze….he always made time to help someone in need. We watched as Bill was a faithful member of his

church…..as a greeter he made sure each person felt welcome and special. As the hub, the rock, the backbone of

his family he showed what unconditional love looked like…..he loved his family and that love was returned tenfold.

So during this month of Thanksgiving, please hold your loved ones a little closer and make sure they know you love

them. And just in case you didn’t know…..Bill was a blessing, he was loved, and he will be sorely missed. Hope you

have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Prayers with Feet

Sheila Anderson

P R A Y E R S W I T H F E E T

During November, you can begin to pray and plan

how much you will give. We will receive the offering

on the first Sunday in December.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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24 25 26 27 28 29 30

I S S U E 1 1 6

Deacons

PWF 6 pm

COUNCIL

MEETING

6 PM

Finance Mtg

6 pm

COG to

David’s Catfish

10:30 am

Shoebox

Collection

Deadline

Thanksgiving

Meal after

service

Office Closed

AND

No Services

Camp Victory

Pancake

Supper

5:00 or 6:30

Veteran’s

Day Service

Youth shop

for Shoebox

Ministry

after church

23593 Fifth Avenue

Florala, AL 36442

Phone: 334-858-3234

E-mail: [email protected]

www.fbcflorala.com

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H

FBC WORSHIP TIMES

SUNDAY

Sunday School 8:45am

Worship 10:00 am

WEDNESDAY

Dinner 5:30 pm

All Studies 6:00pm

(Children, Youth & Adults)

FBC OFFICE HOURS

MONDAY - WEDNESDAY

8:00 AM UNTIL 4:00 PM

STAFF CONTACT INFO:

OFFICE PHONE: 334-858-3234

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

PASTOR: DR. CHARLIE LENNARD YOUTH MINISTER: BRENT ZESSIN

ACTIVE DEACONS: AL BENNETT, CALEB DAVIDSON, WADE FARMER, TOBY MCDANIEL,

BOBBY PHILLIPS, JAMES PICKRON, RICHARD REEVES AND GREG TAYLOR

www.fbcflorala.com ~ Find us on FaceBook also

i s s u e 1 1 6 the beacon - first baptist church florala

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