December 10, 2015 Volume LII No. 12-a

Christmas Memorial Service

December 13, 2015 5:00 p.m.

First Baptist Sanctuary

We invite you to bring your donations to worship; during the children's sermon at each service,

our children and youth will gather the donations from the congregation.

This Week. . . Sunday, December 13 8:45 Early Worship

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship—“Festival of Carols”

presented by the Sanctuary

Choir

5:00 Christmas Memorial Service

Monday, December 14

9:00 Staff Meeting

5:30 Friends of Jesus Christmas

Party

Wednesday, December 16 5:00 Youth Progressive Dinner 6:00 Chapel Service

Saturday, December 19 10:00 Community Café hosted by

Young Adult Couples

For the Record

Needed per week ....... $14,903.85

Received 12/6/2015 ..... $19,882.43

Need to date .............. $730,288.46

Received to date ........ $649,448.77

Over (Under) Budget .... ($80,839.69)

CBF NC Missions & Ministry

Offering Goal ............. $10,000.00

Received to date ........... $1,885.00

Children’s Christmas Party

Goal.............................. $8,000.00

Received to date ........... $3,787.50

Friends of Jesus Christmas Party

Goal.............................. $4,000.00

Received to date ........... $2,112.50

The Memorial Service for those who lost loved ones this year is

this Sunday night. The important thing to remember is this is

your opportunity to be present for your fellow congregants, your

brothers and sisters in Christ, members of your church family

who are grieving. This is a chance to be there for someone who is

hurting during this season, and you can do so by just showing up.

The Children’s Christmas Party is this Saturday morning. This is an

opportunity to provide love to a child that is likely struggling, while at

the same time teaching teenagers to think beyond themselves. You can

do so by volunteering to help at Walmart or here at the church, or you

can sponsor a child by being generous with your donation.

The Friends of Jesus Christmas Party is Monday night at 5:00. This is

an opportunity to help loving, innocent people who have dealt with

disabilities and difficulties in their lives that we can’t fathom. You can

bring joy to them either by volunteering or donating.

If the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future were to visit you

this year, scenes from any of these three gatherings would be

appropriate. For those who choose to ignore those in need this year,

perhaps a visit from a Jacob Marley type would do you well.

To quote Marley: Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again.

"Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and

benevolence, were, all, my business. The deals of my trade were but a

drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Perhaps you are enduring a private personal burden this year and the

weight is too heavy to bear alone. Come to the Memorial Service, you

are needed there. Sometimes it takes the hurting to truly understand

and care for the mourning.

Sometimes “the least of these” you intend to help are who end up

saving you from your own pain. There will be much laughter from

both the children and from Jesus’ friends. Again from Dickens: “It is a

fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is

infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so

irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

Have a blessed Advent! Live, love, and share. Have a Merry

Christmas as well. I’m sure the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Doug

The Friends of Jesus Class will sing for the Adult Classes on

Sunday, December 20th during the Sunday School Hour.

Please bring refreshments.

Youth Progressive Dinner December 16, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

Chapel Service December 16, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

Candlelight Communion December 24, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

First Baptist Sanctuary

Combined Worship Service December 27, 2015 at 11:00

First Baptist Sanctuary

Welcome New Members!

Wilton & Miriam Edwards

Joined December 6, 2015

Birthday Party for Jesus—December 2, 2015

Preparing for Sunday. . .

“Fruits of Repentance”

Luke 3:7-18

John the Baptist exemplified the courage that grows from a life

of devotion and obedience. He was an eccentric personality, but

his message of repentance and forgiveness is important for

everyone who desires a relationship with God. In this week’s

text John tells the crowds to bear fruits worthy of repentance and

when they ask “what shall we do?” he tells them to give their

surplus coats and foods to those who have none. John is saying

that repentance is more than a personal matter. It involves living

in a way that relieves the suffering of others. We grow the Fruits

of Repentance and, in turn, Fear Not! when our faith relieves the

suffering of our neighbors in need.

Person of the Week

Marguerite Branch

Woodhaven Room #1611

1150 Pine Run Dr.

Lumberton, NC 28358

Send a card, letter, or other remembrance to

our special person this week.

Servants this Sunday, December 13, 2015

ETC—8:45 a.m.—Maegan

Hamilton & Libby Devine

11:00 a.m.—Maegan Hamilton,

Judith Watts & Sara Benson

Welcoming—Everett & Ann Davis,

Tim Hobbs

Collection—Wayne Stevens &

Craig Britt

Entrance Greeters

Children’s Building—Mickey &

Johnny Johnson

Walnut Street—Shirley Hickman

6th Street—Jeff & Karon Prince

Senior Entrance—Jim Driscoll

Security Monitor—Malcolm

McLean

Sound—Greg Gibson

Video— Nate Cribb

CHURCH STAFF

Contact us at 739Contact us at 739Contact us at 739---4336 or daphnefletcher@fbclumbertonnc.org 4336 or daphnefletcher@fbclumbertonnc.org 4336 or daphnefletcher@fbclumbertonnc.org www.fbclumbertonnc.orgwww.fbclumbertonnc.orgwww.fbclumbertonnc.org

Mrs. Nancy Bass Mrs. Nancy Bass Mrs. Nancy Bass ———Financial Coordinator Financial Coordinator Financial Coordinator

Rev. Erin CollierRev. Erin CollierRev. Erin Collier———Minister to ChildrenMinister to ChildrenMinister to Children

Dr. David ElksDr. David ElksDr. David Elks———PastorPastorPastor

Mrs. Daphne Fletcher Mrs. Daphne Fletcher Mrs. Daphne Fletcher ——— Church SecretaryChurch SecretaryChurch Secretary

Ms. Dorothy HuntMs. Dorothy HuntMs. Dorothy Hunt———Building SuperintendentBuilding SuperintendentBuilding Superintendent

Rev. Tim LittleRev. Tim LittleRev. Tim Little———Minister of MusicMinister of MusicMinister of Music

Mrs. Kandace RamseyMrs. Kandace RamseyMrs. Kandace Ramsey———ReceptionistReceptionistReceptionist

Rev. Doug ReedyRev. Doug ReedyRev. Doug Reedy———Minister of YouthMinister of YouthMinister of Youth

Holiday Notes: If you would like to be reimbursed for purchases

made for the Friends of Jesus Christmas Party,

Children’s Christmas Party, Youth Progressive

Dinner, or any other church-related function, your

receipts need to be turned in no later than December

31st.

Contributions to the 2015 budget also need to be

received or postmarked by December 31st.

A devotional service will be held in the Chapel on

December 16th at 6:00 p.m. Family Night Supper,

Choirs and activities will not take place. There will

be no services on December 23rd or December 30th.

Church offices will be closed on December 23rd-

25th for Christmas, and on January 1st in celebration

of the New Year.

We will worship together in a combined service on

December 27th at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

Merry Christmas! Senior Adults are invited to

lunch out on January 12, 2016

at the Todd House

in Tabor City. Sign up in the

church office and pay $4.00 for

transportation.

January 23, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.

Cherry Fellowship Hall

Bring your favorite wild game dish to share.