Volume 45 Number 9 March 8, 2017 First Baptist Church Monroe: Family, Friends, Faith

Ware It Is Dr. Todd Ware, Associate Pastor

Remember to

run your clocks

UP one hour before

you go to bed

on Saturday

night!

Wednesday, March 15 Supper 5:00 p.m.

Menu: Beef stew, green beans, rice, salad bar, biscuits, and dessert.

Children: Hog dogs and chips Helpers: Hal and Deborah Breedlove, Leigh Ann Malcom

Last week I spilled the beans on my not be-ing a Master Gardener. I guess I should go ahead and confess that I am no great artist ei-ther. The same is true for my wife Teri. A tour of our home gives us away. You won’t find any original paintings or sculptures we have creat-

ed. The closest thing you’ll run across is a string art piece of a sail-boat I made in VBS as a middle schooler. The artistic genes just did-n’t come our way. While neither of us is very creative, Teri and I are glad to know that the eye of the artist does live within the family. We are amazed at Daniel’s giftedness as a photographer and how he is drawn and driven by the power of art. He reminds us that the ability to capture emotion and life’s themes through objects and images is a gift of God. And while the universal church has not always embraced the arts through such a lens, I am glad that many at First Baptist do. A picture of our church’s love for art begins with our sanctuary. It is a beautiful structure, both inside and out. Beyond the exceptional craftsmanship that constructed it, the building also tells a story of our faith. If you haven’t already, pay attention to the symbolism found in the brickwork. You’ll find four Trinitarian images; two simple triangles and two triangles in circles -- reminders of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And then there’s the stained-glass window of Jesus with His outreached arms. It speaks clearly of God’s love for all of us. During the Lenten season you’ll also notice that our floral commit-tee will use colors and symbols to lead us to Easter. You may have already noticed that the cross on the lawn is draped in purple, and you’ll also find a purple cloth on the communion table. The color pur-ple points to the royalty of Christ and is also a call to repentance as we are reminded that we have all turned our backs on His Lordship. As we journey toward the cross, allow the sights and sounds of the season to speak to you. As creation moves from winter to spring, God longs for us to hear His good news of grace and redemption. And as we consider the symbols and colors of our faith, may we allow ourselves to be called to worship and repentance. For through worship and repentance, we will encounter our risen Lord Who is also the Master Artist. Amen.

Todd

PAGE 2 March 8, 2017 First Baptist Church Monroe: Family, Friends, Faith

Visit FBC online now at www.fbcmonroe.com and follow us on Twitter @FBCMonroeGA

Please contact Shannon at Shannon@fbcmonroe.com

if you would like to help!

March 15 Rivers of Mercy March 22 First Baptist Church March 29 St. Anna’s Catholic Church April 5 First United Methodist Church

The service begins at noon with lunch following at 12:30. An offering for F.I.S.H. will be

accepted.

Family Easter Egg Hunt & Luncheon

Sunday, April 9,

at the McDaniel-Tichenor House

following the 11:11 Worship Hour

Donations of candy-filled eggs are needed! For safety reasons all candy needs to be pre-wrapped. We need eggs for all ages—please mark which age you have chosen. Eggs can also be filled with small toys, stickers, etc. Watch the preschool area for a donation location! Eggs are needed by Sunday, April 2. Also, signup is required for lunch so we know how much pizza to order. You may sign up in the preschool area, call the church office, or e-mail amy@fbcmonroe.com. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, April 2. Please remember to bring your basket to collect the eggs!

Happy

Birthday

12 Cynthia Castleberry 15 Tayla Ogie 12 Tom Kelly 15 Aubrey Gonzalez 12 Shannon Freeland 16 Kristen Taylor 12 Dallas Pettus 16 Chase Bailey 12 Jeff Heffernan 16 Isabel Taylor 13 Ellie Zupko 16 Justin Taylor 13 Lillian Malcom 17 Kenneth Hale 14 Sonny Doster 17 Taylor Harvey 15 Chuck Leathery 18 Deedra Kilburn 15 Wyman Poole 18 Mark Phelps 15 Lovette Ogie

Press Breedlove - Home Nancy Brown (Royce McNeal’s sister) - Home Stephanie Coleman (Angie Shumate’s daughter) - Surgery on 3/6 at Athens Regional Ellen Ellison (Christie & Steve Ellison’s daughter-in-law) - Complications with pregnancy Elizabeth Freeman (Wanda Hickman’s mother) - St. Mary’s with broken arm, and hip surgery

Marcy Haymans - Home Leroy Leonhardt (Elizabeth Cabaniss’ brother) - Brain tumor, NC Amy McCollum (Charlie & Sara Powell’s daughter) - Home, chemo Danny Miller - Home Sally Potter - Home, ruptured eardrum Chuck Pratt (Amy Prine’s father) - Hospital with heart issues Michael Reddish (Marvin and Donna Reddish’s nephew) - Cancer Donna Sable (Dee Thompson’s mother) - Athens Regional Bill Segraves - Home Ben Stephens - Home, following back surgery Shirley Strickland - Home, following knee replacement Ann Towns - Athens Regional Matthew Young (Shannon Dominy’s brother) - Home, cancer

Christian love and sympathy

are extended to . . .

Mrs. Elizabeth Cabiniss at the March 2 death of her nephew,

Cris Putman, of Raleigh, North Carolina.

PAGE 3 First Baptist Church Monroe: Family, Friends, Faith March 8, 2017

Visit FBC online now at www.fbcmonroe.com and follow us on Twitter @FBCMonroeGA

Greg

A Message From Dr. C. Gregory DeLoach,

Interim Preacher

A Three-Week Parent Bible Study

Sundays,

March 5, 12, and 19 in the Chapel at 9:45 a.m.

RSVP to shannon@fbcmonroe.com .

Wayfarers’ Breakfast If you are 55 or older,

please join us for breakfast!

Tuesday, March 14, 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall

$3 per person

Shut-In of the Week

Mary Frances Schnake Park Place Nursing Home, Room C35

1865 Bold Springs Road Monroe, GA 30656

Do You Have Any Bad Habits?

This past Sunday I invited us to reflect on bad habits. Lent tends to be a time when, appropriately or not, many think of breaking bad habits. Mind you, there is virtually nothing theologi-cal about this; it is just that, as we think of fasting from some-thing, some minds often go to those things that on some level are not good and so some choose to “give them up” for Lent. I have known folks who have chosen to fast from eating sweets, chew-ing gum, indulging in fried foods, and even (gasp and gulp!) cof-fee! Do you have any bad habits you would like to give up? Smok-ing…overeating…overindulgence…talking too much? A bad habit I have picked up in the last few years is eating late at night. In spite of the fact that most every evening I enjoy a full supper (with the exception of Wednesday nights and Deacon meetings), I will still forage for ice cream, potato chips, or leftovers right before I head upstairs for bed. My excuse is that it helps with the dreams, but the truth is it is more of a habit, and not too healthy a one at that. Not all habits are bad. Habits can be routines set for good outcomes. Like the habit of writing notes. Every time I receive a kind note I think that I should get into that habit too. Exercise is a good habit. So are random acts of kindness. You get the point. A habit that is healthy can also be reframed as a discipline. Cultivating holy habits is the inspiration behind this sermon series which began last week and will end on Easter. The title of my series is 7 Holy Habits where I will share with you habits to prac-tice and live by. Wisdom, courage, kindness, justice, self-control, faith, and hope are habits to live by and practice. Next week we will examine the holy habit of courage. Regardless of which service you attend — 8:30; 11:00; 11:11; or if you are really ambitious, all three! — I hope that it will build on yet another great habit: worshipping together as God’s people. Peace be with you, Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 NRSV)

Thank you notes

have been received from Wayne and Regina Adcock, and from Scarlett Kitchens and family, and placed on the church bulletin board.

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Friday

Office 770-267-5904 Fax 770-207-7383

Todd Ware ............................................................... Associate Pastor Greg DeLoach ......................................................... Interim Preacher Alex Boskoff ...................................................... 8:30 Worship Leader Lynn Brown ............................................................. Ministry Assistant Chris Bryan ..................................................... 11:11 Worship Leader Darlene Christie ................................ Director of Preschool Ministries Gordon Davidson .............................. Minister to Students & Families Lisa Garrett .......................................................... Financial Secretary Teri Head ................................................................ Ministry Assistant Royce McNeal ............................................ Minister to Senior Adults Curtis Murdock .............................................. 11:00 Worship Leader Shannon Radosevich .......................................... Minister to Children Amy Smeltzer ............................................. Family Ministry Assistant Elizabeth Young...................................................... Ministry Assistant

TIME-SENSITIVE MATERIAL FOR

MARCH 12, 2017

NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D

PERMIT #56

First Baptist Church 202 McDaniel Street PO Box 351 Monroe, Georgia 30655 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Nursery

8:30 Leader - Mary Prather

Babies: Cathy Gleaton Cynthia Walker 3- to 5-Year-Olds: Julie Barker Wanda Satterwhite

11:00 Babies: Volunteer Needed!

Tricia Brown 3- to 5-Year-Olds: Janalyn Waldroup Cassaundra Mercer

SUNDAY SCHOOL

ATTENDANCE

Adults ............................. 289 Students ........................... 53 Children ........................... 59 Preschool ......................... 37 Total: 438 Our Attendance Goal: 450

Last Week at

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

March 5, 2017

Next Week, March 12, at

First Baptist Church

Deacons : Randall Laseter and Ron Smith

GIVING FOR WEEK

Weekly Budget Required .......................... $ 30,141.00 Budget Received ...................................... $ 29,801.98 Designated Gifts ....................................... $ 15,080.00 Budget Required to Date .......................... $ 301,410.00 Budget Received to Date.......................... $ 231,155.51 February Online Budget Giving ................ $ 8,167.00

Give to Go: $31,273.00

Visitors’ Welcome

8:30 Josephine Reynolds Jeff Satterwhite Ellen Hester Chuck Leathery 11:00 Tom & Cynthia Walker Bobby & Judy Burrow

Give to Go In honor of Russ & Pat Bailey given by: Joy Mayo Music Ministry Fund In memory of Delmar & Peggy Murdock given by: Charlie & Sara Powell

Sunday, March 12

Morning Worship ................................................................ 8:30 a.m. Sunday School .................................................................... 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ............................................................... 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship ............................................................... 11:11 a.m.

Wednesday, March 15

Handbells ............................................................................. 5:00 p.m. Supper ................................................................................ 5:00 p.m. Bible Drill (3rd-12th Grades) ............................................... 5:30 p.m. Adult Bible Studies .............................................................. 6:00 p.m. Preschool Activities (3- to 5-Year-Olds).............................. 6:00 p.m. Children’s Activities (1st-6th Grades) ................................. 6:00 p.m. Mid-Week Youth Bible Study (7th-12th Grades) ................ 6:30 p.m. Praise Band ......................................................................... 6:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir ................................................................... 7:15 p.m.

Please join us for a

Team Up Mentoring informational meeting at 5:00 on Sunday at the 301 House.

A meal will be provided.

We are collecting fruit cups for

Team Up Mentoring. Please bring these to church

on Sunday!

Memorials & Honorariums

Received this Week