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The new Children’s Department will be commissioned, as part of our Church Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, February 5, 2017. Johnson Fellowship Hall will debut as meeting place for Wednesday Night Meals and Adult Bible Study on Wednesday, January 4. Clara Jackson’s ordination is scheduled for Sunday, February 19 (potluck lunch, followed by service at 1:30 PM). The renovated Memorial Chapel will be the location. This will be the first event held in this special place. The Window Bible Study Class will begin meeting in Memorial Chapel Sunday, February 26. Audio and visual improvements to sanctuary should be installed early in February. Ewing Chapel continues to serve as excellent meeting space for Adult Sunday School. In addition, Ewing will now serve as space for new member orientation. Folks who join our church community will receive resource materials and information concerning discipleship, missions and fellowship in Ewing Chapel. History Hall will be renamed in honor of Betty James. Betty will be recognized and honored during Church Anniversary Celebration, Sunday, February 5. The above facility improvements will assist our ability to reach out effectively to our church and community. However, the same component always applies in days of feast or famine concerning facilities and budgets—it’s the relationships.

From the pastor:

2017: An Update on Facilities & Fellowship

Continued on page two

Painting is underway in the new Children’s Department.

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Please take a moment to view our new members, who have decided to join our commu-nity in the past few weeks. The wide variety of background and stories. Friends, you are gazing at a beautiful tapestry of faith.

Not pictured: Marvel Johnson and Peggy Ramos

At this point in Third’s story—God has placed us at a crossroads where many cultures, colors and backgrounds grace our sacred space. Yes, this makes for challenging work. There are few things that “come easy” for churches located in our corner of the world. However, is there any other place you’d rather be? Living life and faith on the front lines. Knowing we are needed in Saint Louis as a component of our city’s spiritual and emotional health.

Third, thank you for continuing your faithfulness in giving, your love of the stranger and a stubborn faith—remaining in the City for Good!

Blessings, Tommy

Caitlyn Brashears Grace Workman Dishay Dantzler with Shanti and Cortez

Alice Worrell

Samuel Governor Eric & Tina Schneider Vindhaya Kakarala

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Ordination of Clara Jackson as Deacon Chair

Sunday, February 19

Following worship, there will be a Potluck Luncheon in Johnson Fellowship Hall

The Ordination Service will be at 1:30 PM in

Memorial Chapel

Facility Updates Beginning Wednesday, January 4, the Fellowship Meal and Adult Bible Study will be held in Johnson Fellowship Hall. Beginning Sunday, January 8, Doughnut & Coffee Fellowship will be held in Johnson Fellowship Hall.

Holiday Schedule On Sunday, January 1, there will be no Doughnut Fellowship, Sunday School or Fellowship following worship. Join us for worship at 11:00 AM. The church office will be closed on Monday, January 2 in observance of New Year’s Day.

Directory Photographs Lifetouch will be taking photographs for a new church directory February 12 –15 from 2:00 PM until 9:00 PM each day. Sign-up sheets for appointments will be available soon.

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Service of Celebration and Hope: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 5:00 pm

Third Baptist Church of Saint Louis

Speaker: Pastor F. Delano R. Benson, Jr.

Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church Sponsored by

Second Baptist, Antioch Baptist, Southern Union Missionary Baptist & Third Baptist

A dessert fellowship will follow.

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Goodbye 2016!

What a ride this year has been! We have had some truly good times! We played laser tag, climbed rock walls, total failed to Escape the Room filled with riddles and puzzles, played crazy games at Lake Springfield Baptist Camp, travelled to exotic lands like Tennessee, host-ed a mob of teenagers from across the region via the American Baptist Youth weekend, and grew like crazy!

We also had a lot of rough times. Our kids lost a lot of family members, we had to cancel trips because I injured my back, many youth kids suffered serious injuries that kept them from participating in activities, we had to say goodbye to friends moving away from St Louis or moving forward to adult life, and transitions from Jr High to High School or from Elementary to Youth have led to some difficult times filled with difficult decisions. But we are still here! And God has blessed us tremendously. Our group is getting stronger not just in growing numbers (leading to good problems like transportation for Wednesdays and trips!), but also in individual maturity and group bonding. This marks a full two years as the youth leader here at Third Baptist and I can confidently say I cannot believe just how awesome our kids have become. From a crew rowdy, out of control kids to a collection of teens asking hard life questions and filled with the desire to be more like Christ… I could not be more proud.

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the adults who have made this program possible. While many have contributed via time invested during our Saturday Socials or funding activities, there are a few people who deserve a special shout out for putting up with an insane amount of change, challenges and drama. So a huge thanks to Maria Stinnett for helping me publicize and organize our bigger events. Thanks to Natalie Thiems for helping us navigating difficult decisions and adopting massive responsibilities when camp or ABY got a bit crazier than expected. Thanks to Kia Moore for helping us re-vamp and revitalize our Sunday School program to ensure it proves meaningful and applica-ble for our diverse youth group! Without these three women, I would have gone crazy and this group would not have experienced anywhere close to the same potential as we have reached in 2016. Through the good times and the bad, I am proud to be a part of Third Baptist Youth group and look forward to many more years of tears and cheers to come.

Travis

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Birthdays

2 Clara Jackson

3 Rosalind Brown

4 William Shoemake, Darion Stewart

5 Leslie Davis, Terrance Hackney

7 Margaret Warmann

8 Jimmie Miller

9 Ann Rogers

10 Calvin Fletcher

12 Kia Moore

14 Sarah Brown

16 Derek Knight

18 Deborah Murphy

20 Matthew Watson

21 James Sodon

22 Charles Sherwin

26 Thomas Pushe, Jr., Jane Rainey, Betty Swyers

27 Charlotte Wilkerson

30 Ruthenia Grundy, Mike Thiems, Gabriel Thiems

Global Missions Celebration

Join us after the service on January 8 from 12:30 PM—2:00 PM for a time of food, stories and reflections as we take a look at all the things our global missions efforts have accomplished in 2016 while also looking forward to exciting new opportunities for 2017. Speakers for the lunch shall include Travis Adams, Maria Stinnett, and Judy Parham who shall be sharing pictures and stories from their missionary journeys in eastern Europe. Third Baptist plans to pick up the bill for the main course, so church members need only provide sides and desserts for the potluck luncheon. Hope to see you there!

Annual Cooperative Baptist College Retreat “Narratives”

Who: A collection of Baptist college students and ministers from across Missouri What: A retreat for college students centered on worship, fellowship and spiritually challenging conversations When: February 10-12 Where: Windermere Baptist Conference Center - 1650 Koehler Drive, Roach, MO 65787 Why: To better enhance our ability to know one another’s stories and share our own narratives for the sake of sharing the love, mercy, peace and justice of Christ in the midst of currently turbulent and divided times across our nation and local communities. How: Contact Travis Adams to sign up! tadams@third-baptist.org

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1 No Doughnut Fellowship

No Sunday School Worship

2 Church Offices Closed

3 Staff Meeting WMS Bible Study and Luncheon

4 Friendship International

Regular Wednesday Schedule

8 Regular Sunday Schedule

Global Missions Celebration

10 Staff Meeting

WMS Mission Projects

11 Friendship International

Regular Wednesday Schedule

15 Regular Sunday Schedule

Service of Hope

17 Staff Meeting

18 Friendship International

Regular Wednesday Schedule

20 Friday Pipes

21 Food Pantry

Crossover

22 Regular Sunday Schedule

24 Staff Meeting

WMS Mission Projects

25 Friendship International

Regular Wednesday Schedule

28 Crossover

29 Regular Sunday Schedule

Church Council Meeting

31 Staff Meeting

Sunday Schedule

9:30 AM Doughnut & Coffee Fellowship 9:45 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Worship, Sanctuary

Wednesday Schedule

5:00 PM Fellowship Dinner 6:00 PM Adult Bible Study, Children’s Activities, Youth Activities 7:00 PM Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal

Janu

ary 2017

In the city for good!

620 North Grand, St. Louis, MO 63103

Church Office: 314.533.7340

third-baptist.org

Dr. Tommy Simons PASTOR

Rev. Travis Adams ASSOCIATE PASTOR FOR STUDENTS & MISSIONS

Rev. Maria Stinnett ASSOCIATE PASTOR FOR

CHILDREN & COMMUNICATIONS

Philip Barnes INTERIM DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Ella Banks RECEPTIONIST/ASSISTANT

Byron Greer BUILDING SUPERVISOR

Timothy Harrison CUSTODIAN

Betty James & Karen Stewart

CHURCH HISTORIANS

Brent Johnson ORGANIST

Tom Kurtz BUSINESS MANAGER

Lansin Lim Kimler PIANIST

Christine McCarthy FINANCE

Raymond Murphy CUSTODIAN

Sally Stevenson PARISH NURSE

Staff