january 27, 2011 messenger

First Baptist Church

600 Governors Drive

Huntsville, AL 35801

The MESSENGER (USPS 591-280) is published weekly except the week of Christmas by

First Baptist Church, 600 Governors Drive, Huntsville, AL 35801. Periodical postage

paid at Huntsville, Alabama 31801-5178. POSTMASTER send change of address to THE

MESSENGER, 600 Governors Drive, Huntsville, AL 35801.

office: 256-428-9400

weekend minister on call: 256-428-9457

24-hour prayer line: 256-428-9460

fbchsv.org

The MessengerfirsT bapTisT hunTsville

this sunday

knowing, lov ing, serv ing Christ...together

First thoughts David hull, Pastor

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany

• sermon: “What Does god require?”

Micah 6:1-8

•First Fellowship 8:15 a.m.

• sunday school 9:15 a.m.

• sanctuary Worship 10:30 a.m.

Anthem-”offertory” (Beck)

the Young Musicians will sing

“i Will Praise You, o Lord” (Patterson)

service of Family Dedications

Evening Activities

• Foundations for Life Classes

I am so grateful for the wonderful leaders in our church who give their best thoughts and creative energies to helping our congrega-tion move forward in the accomplishment of God’s mission. Since the beginning of January we have had several groups working hard to develop a recommendation for the church to consider related to our Building Program. Now that we know how much money has been committed to the building, we can formulate a plan of action for the church to discuss and act upon. Let me describe for you the process for this decision and ask for your participation

at a very important meeting.

Here is what has happened so far and what is to come in the near future:

• The Building Committee has been working with the architects to get updated cost estimates for the building program. The use of a construction company to help with these estimates gives us a very realistic picture of what we might expect with our building costs. • The Finance Committee has met to discuss financing options for the construction project. They have been researching the best options that we have through various banks. • The Trustees have reviewed the work of the Building Commit tee and the Finance Committee and offered their input on the best plan for going forward. • On Wednesday night, January 26, the Leadership Council will meet to hear from all of these groups and to develop a recom mendation to present to the church. • The recommendation of the Leadership Council will then go to the Deacons on February 7 for their review. • The entire congregation will have a chance to discuss and vote on the recommendation at a Called Business Meeting on Sunday night, February 20, at 6:15 in the Fellowship Hall. Prior to this meeting there will be information in The Messenger which will prepare you for the meeting.

I encourage you to be praying for these leadership groups as they pre-pare for the next step in our journey toward a new building. I also hope that you will plan to be present for this important meeting on February 20 as we discuss and act on our future.

These are exciting days for First Baptist Church. I look forward to walk-ing through them with you.

Family MattersCHRISTIAN SYMPATHYRichard and Sherri Mayer in the loss of his mother, Marie Mayer.

Billie and Ralph Robertson in the loss of her sister, Betty Clark.

Bob and Teresa Martin, in the loss of his father, William Kells Martin.

eXPeRIeNCeDADULTmINIsTRYmarkseanor,ministertoexperiencedAdults

Laugh with “America’s Funniest Professor”Carl Hurley

Thursday, February 10, 2011 6:30 p.m. F.B.C. Big Band

7:00 p.m. Carl HurleySanctuary of First Baptist Huntsville, AL

$5.00 Tickets Contact the Adult Ministry Department for more information.

Sponsored by The Experienced Adult Ministries of F.B.C.

Living Well F.B.C. Put Life Back in Your Life! Call now to sign-up for a LIVING WELL Workshop, de-signed for adults age 55 and older who want to take charge of their ongoing health problems and learn to manage the effects of chronic illness. A free six-week work-shop will be offered at First Baptist Church on Tuesday from February 11-March 8,

9-11:30. To register or to receive for more information, call the Adult Ministry Office at 256-428-9403

Writing Your Life StoryBetty Carlton Wednesdays, Now-April 27 11-12:30, Room 118

Text: Writing Your Life: An Easy-to Follow Guide to Writing an Autobiography“Memory sparkers” will be discussed on the first day of class as guides for develop-ing each person’s life story. Other resource guides will be presented periodically to enhance the story writing. This course is designed for everyone-you may presentyour legacy by answering specific questions we’ll discuss, or express your life story creatively. Writing, reading, and sharing each week in small and large groups will be a major part of this course.

Fellowship Club

The Fellowship Club has been rescheduled to Friday, February 11 at 10:00 a.m. Myra Haythorn will be speaking on her Ukraine

mission trip. If you are a first-time guest contact Kay Gover for reservations 256-536-8317

Getting to Know You

February 3, 6:00 p.m. Patio Room

Bring a covered dishFor more information call Myra

Haythorn at 256-837-3107

"First Monday" Prayer Meeting with FMBC

At 8:00 am on February 7th, we will hold our monthly joint prayer

meeting with members of First Missionary Baptist. We will no longer

alternate locations, which became somewhat confusing for participants.

Instead, our permanent meeting place will be the FMBC prayer chapel.

We believe that God has raised up this group to not only pray for our two churches, but to help us find ways to minister together to reach Huntsville and beyond. As some of you may

know, members of both churches par-ticipated in a recent medical

mission trip to Haiti led by Dr. Graham, and we're planning to return together

in 2011.

Even if you cannot attend, I hope you will pray for guidance as we seek

to know God's plan for forming this group. For more information, call

Diane Singer (256-461-7955) or email her at [email protected].

DECIDE TO BE GENEROUS

It is easy to have a conversation about generosity. We nod in agreement when we hear plans of an effort to benefit some-one in need. We talk about giving. We say it is the right thing to do. Our friends are likely to sound very much like we do when the subject comes up.

But what about when it actually comes to being generous? An afternoon at home is more appealing than that mission project. A splurge on yourself entices us so much more than that special offering. Being generous may be the right thing to do, but if we are honest with ourselves, it may not be what we feel like doing. How do we reconcile what we know to be right with our tendency to act selfishly?

Because we are born with "me" in our heart instead of "you", we must learn or train to think "you". If we are thrown in the pool without knowing how to swim, the terror of it will keep us out of the water that much longer. By slowly learn-ing how to swim, we become good swimmers. The same holds true with generosity. Begin slowly with your generosity. Learn how your generosity changes you from a "me" to a "you". See how YOU can be so much more to so many other people.

To encourage this “Everyday Generosity” your Stewardship Committee will lead us a year long emphasis of Romans 12:10, taken from The Message, which says, “Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering”. We want to challenge each person to deliberately make at least one effort each week to show someone Christian love with a random act of generosity. You may want to start simply by buying that person next in line at lunch a meal or offering to babysit for a couple or single parent. You could mow a lawn (or shovel some snow!), cook a meal, or offer to help an older adult learn to email. Whatever the act, it would say to someone, “You’ve been touched by a Random Act of Generosity. It costs nothing. But, please pass it on.” We will provide business size cards for you to use if you choose which will say just this, but will also identify First Baptist Church on the card. Now . . .

Friday—February 4Our FBC Students are hosting a Love

Feast for our city’s homeless. In conjunction with some of our local ministries to this people group, we

seek to offer a word of hope and dignity to those that enter our church doors through hospitality. While the Love

Feast is student-led event, all are invited to help and participate.

If you are interested in this ministry event, contact the Student Ministry office

(256-428-9406 or [email protected]).

ministry calendar

rECrEAtioNChris sims, Christian Life Center Coordinator

ChiLDrEN’s MiNistriEsCindy russell, Minister to Children

Wednesday Night Dinner MenuWednesday, Febraury 3

AdultsChickenFriedChickenmashedPotatoes

GreenPeasRolls

Dessert

saladFriedChickensalad

(ReservationsforsaladmustbeturnedinbynoononWednesday.)

stEWArDshiP rEPort

AttENDANCE

sunday schoolPreschool 74Children 93students 117Adults 656Brookdale 16Visitors 31totAL 987

Worship servicesFirstFellowship 226

sanctuaryWorship 624

totAL 860

Blood Profiles

First Baptist is partnering with Huntsville Hospital to offer you the opportunity to have

a blood profile done at a reduced cost. These profiles can give you information

about your general state of health and also be used to recognize potential health condi-tions. The cost starts at $30 for the Execu-tive profile, with an additional PSA test for

$5 and for heart disease at $10.

Forms are now available at the CLC desk. After picking up a form, you may go to a

participating lab to have bloodwork done in February.

Grief Share

A new semester of Grief Share is beginning soon. If you are going through the grief of losing a loved

one, you are invited to attend. When: Tuesday evenings starting on January 18 at 6:30. Where: Patio Room

PARENTS NIGHT OUT – February 11, 2011

Three hours of fun for children from babies – 6th grade AND a time for parents to have an adult night out! Reservations and pre-payment is

required; DEADLINE is February 2, 2011! All children will be in the Main Church building! Cost - $5.00 per child/max - $15.00 per family.)

Tell Children the Values You Want Them to Know

Nearly everything a child hears, sees, and does is stored - at least subconsciously - to be used later in the maturation process. But not all truth can be - or should be - communicated non-verbally. There comes a time when every parent needs to say the words. What to tell your child: • Being in love is not love. Love is not just a feeling or even a state of being. It is not infatuation, or lust. It's an act of the will. It's something you do. Real loves says, "I choose to put you ahead of me." Look to God for an example of love. God's love is perfect. It is not infatuation. He doesn't have a crush on us. He chooses to love us, unconditionally, for our good. • Never quit. There are many times when you will want to quit. If you no longer like the sport or class you signed up for, or you grow weary of a game or a chore, but stick with it, your reward is an inner strength, a knowledge that you could - and did - endure, and finish. • Life isn't fair. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. Nice people suffer and bad people prosper. Life isn't fair, but that does not mean that God isn't fair. By His very nature He is right - even when He appears to be wrong from our viewpoint. Our salvation isn't fair - we certainly don't deserve it, yet it awaits us. You can be fair and remember that two wrongs never make a right. • Take responsibility for your own actions. Passing the blame does nothing to solve a problem; it only adds a layer to it. If you're asked to do something, take responsibility. See that it gets done. People don't want excuses, they want performance. And when something does go wrong, even if it's not your fault, express sorrow for the inconvenience, and make it right. • Cultivate a best friend. Best friendships are between people who can be honest with each other, laugh at each other's faults, and not try to change one another. Best friends are loyal. They care. They can keep confidences. Best friends can argue and disagree and raise their voices at each other without worrying about the future of the relationship. Do all that you can to be a good friend, and seek ways to keep friendships alive through the years and across the miles.

Library hours sunday 9-9:15 AM | 10:10-10:45 AM | 11:40-12:00 PMtuesday 10:00 AM-12:00 PMWednesday 4:00-5:00 PM

MissioNs AND outrEACh Mike Pearce, Minister of Missions and outreach

sunday, Jan. 30FirstFellowship/FH 8:15Am

sundayschool 9:15Am

sanctuaryWorship/sanct. 10:30Am

FamilyDedic.

YouthHandbells/329 4:00Pm

FoundationsforLife/Parlor,

111,114,141 4:00Pm

FoundationsforLife/107,108,229

PastorsClass/FH 5:00Pm

YouthChoir/CR 5:00Pm

Youthsnacks/241 6:00Pm

Monday, Jan. 31LetterWriting/242 9:00Am

HallelujahChoir/CR 10:30Am

LCTReviewTeem/Parlor 11:00Am

HCCA/CR,241.242 4:00Pm

BsFClasses/Parlor,Chapel,

3rdFloor 5:00Pm

CODA/140 6:30Pm

tuesday, Feb. 1Tues.morn.Intercess./242 7:00Am

“PutLifeBack”/118 9:00Am

BethmooreBiblest./342 9:00Am

ministerialstaffmtg/Parlor 9:00Am

Gen.staffmtg/Parlor 10:30Am

musicstaff/Parlor 1:00Pm

Griefshare/CLC 6:00Pm

Forum/118 6:30Pm

BoyscoutTrp.70/343 6:30Pm

AdultHandbells/329 7:00Pm

Wednesday, Feb. 2PreceptBiblest./342 9:00Am

YoungmusiciansHandbells/329 4:15Pm

supper/FH 4:45Pm

m&m/2nd,3rdFloors 5:00Pm

Prayermeeting/FH 5:45Pm

Y.A.m&m/107 5:45Pm

Liftoff/309-310 6:00Pm

sanctuaryChoir/CR 7:00Pm

Finance/Parlor 7:00Pm

thursday, Feb. 3momsinTouch/Parlor 8:00Am

FirstFellowshipBandReh/FH 6:30Pm

ClarionWinds/242 7:30Am

Friday, Feb. 4BsFLeaders/Parlor 4:30Am

studentledLoveFeast/FH 5:00Pm

Our Serving the City Weekend will be earlier this year and will be carried out over the time frame of Wednesday, March 30 through Sunday, April 3. This will allow more participants, some projects that may take more than one day, and the opportunities for families to plan around sports and other activities.

We always like to see if you have ideas for projects that we can take on during STC. Please see Andy Crocker or Mike Pearce if you have questions.

Sign up Sundays for Serving the City will be February 20, 27, March 6 and 13. Mark your calendars now!

We need your help!Drivers are still needed for our guest cart. Serve in one of two shifts: an 8:30 to 9:15 shift or after the Sanctuary Service until 11:50 only once a month.Contact Mike Pearce at 256-428-9448 or [email protected].

Mental Illness & Families of FaithHow Congregations Can RespondMeets Sunday evenings at 4:00 p.m.

Room 141Facilitated by Eugenia Graves and Sherron Culpepper

The magnitude of mental illness in this country is staggering. According to the Sur-geon General, one in every five Americans experiences a mental disorder in any given year and half of all Americans have such disorders at some time in their lives. Nearly every person sitting in our congregations has been touched in some way by mental illness. And yet individuals and families continue to suffer in silence or stop coming to worship because they are not receiving the support they so desperately need. They become detached from their faith community and their spirituality, which can be an important source of healing, wholeness and hope in times of personal darkness.

It is so VERY IMPORTANT for our congregation to have this information. There are many suffering in silence not knowing where to turn. We can all learn how to be a car-ing, knowledgeable help in times for those in need. Please come and tell your friends.

Eugenia Graves RN, Faith Community Nurse

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE 1st Quarter

Ministry PlanOctober - December, FY 2011

YTD Goal YTD ActualMinistry Receipts $ 1,316,280 $ 1,336,979Ministry Expenditures:Vision for Ministry: Worship 19,845 12,943 Evangelism 60,750 46,746 Spiritual Growth 47,964 22,554 Ministry Development 6,025 1,115 Congregational Life 33,915 23,831 Missions 157,954 160,187 Total $ 326,453 $ 267,376

Equipping for Ministry 477,097 462,346Support for Ministry 288,308 229,807

Total Ministry Expenditures $ 1,091,858 $ 959,529Excess $ 224,422 $ 377,451

First Baptist Church has just completed the first quarter of this finan-cial year. Our YTD goal is set by averaging giving over the past seven years. We exceeded that goal by almost $21,000! You have been faith-ful with your financial resources, enabling the ministry of this church to continue in a way we pray is pleasing to God and in keeping with His vision for this church.

In addition to your generous gifts to the ministry budget of this church, we received a total of $1,470,543 toward our Faith Steps To The Future capital campaign. That total represents 30% of the $5,027,000 pledged for this project! Captial campaign consultants predict that churches will receive 40% of the total pledged in the first year. You have already given 30% in the first quarter! Thanks be to God for your generosity and commitment to the vision placed before us. Continue to support the ministry of FBC with your personal involvement, prayers, atten-dance, and financial support as we witness God’s power and grace here in Huntsville and throughout the world.

Pledging our FY 2011 Ministry Budget

Some of you noticed that we did not ask that church members pledge the FY 2011 ministry budget this past fall. With so much emphasis given to pledging in the capital stewardship campaign we felt that another emphasis during this time would have been too much. You have certainly proven with your giving in the first quarter of this fiscal year that you remain faithful to the support of the ministry of this church. It is the committee’s prayer and hope that each of you will consider and commit to continue your faithful giving – in both personal and financial resources.

"The Spiritual Care of the Abused: How to Help and Support Victims of Child Abuse and Family Violence"

Saturday, January 299:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Presented by the Huntsville Assoc. of Pastoral Care's School of

Applied Ministry at Messiah Lutheran Church, 7740 Hwy. 72W, Madison. Presenters: Debra Trumbull, author and Child and Family Advocate, and the Rev. Kerry Holder

Joffrien, Interfaith Mission Service. Cost: $35. CEUs available.

For more information or to register, email or phone the Rev. Carl Malm, [email protected], 256 883-6539.

1/23/11

Year-to-Date goal $1,533,336.00

offering

ThisWeek$38,366.80

YTD$1,521,942.20

Debt retirementThisWeek$442.00

YTD$24,534.00

FaithstepstotheFuture:

ThisWeek$8,327.00

YTD$1,469,828.05

ToDate:$1,656,307.35

ministry calendar

GreenPeasRolls

Dessert

stEWArDshiP rEPort

AttENDANCE

totAL 860

Blood Profiles

Grief Share

sundayschool 9:15Am

FamilyDedic.

111,114,141 4:00Pm

HCCA/CR,241.242 4:00Pm

3rdFloor 5:00Pm

CODA/140 6:30Pm

Forum/118 6:30Pm

supper/FH 4:45Pm

Y.A.m&m/107 5:45Pm

1/23/11

offering

ThisWeek$38,366.80

YTD$1,521,942.20

YTD$24,534.00

ThisWeek$8,327.00

YTD$1,469,828.05

ToDate:$1,656,307.35

ministry calendar

GreenPeasRolls

Dessert

stEWArDshiP rEPort

AttENDANCE

totAL 860

Blood Profiles

Grief Share

sundayschool 9:15Am

FamilyDedic.

111,114,141 4:00Pm

HCCA/CR,241.242 4:00Pm

3rdFloor 5:00Pm

CODA/140 6:30Pm

Forum/118 6:30Pm

supper/FH 4:45Pm

Y.A.m&m/107 5:45Pm

1/23/11

offering

ThisWeek$38,366.80

YTD$1,521,942.20

YTD$24,534.00

ThisWeek$8,327.00

YTD$1,469,828.05

ToDate:$1,656,307.35

600 Governors Drive

office: 256-428-9400

fbchsv.org

this sunday

Micah 6:1-8

Evening Activities

Fellowship Club

Getting to Know You

in 2011.

600 Governors Drive

office: 256-428-9400

fbchsv.org

this sunday

Micah 6:1-8

Evening Activities

Fellowship Club

Getting to Know You

in 2011.

january 27, 2011 messenger

Documents