Help us Celebrate our Graduates! LINE STUDYsanfordncfbc.org/TheSentryCalendar/Sentry.pdf · Sandra...
Transcript of Help us Celebrate our Graduates! LINE STUDYsanfordncfbc.org/TheSentryCalendar/Sentry.pdf · Sandra...
Volume XLVI May 20, 2020 No. 11
ON-LINE STUDY How God’s Word helps us
through the COVID-19 virus! Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Led by Cindy Hall and Jacob Peterson
Each class about 45 minutes
Week 3: Economic Anxiety—May 26
Week 4: Anxiety about Isolation—June 2
Week 5: Anxiety when Church can’t meet—June 9
Please sign-up by calling the office 919-774-4220
Feeling homebound from COVID-19
and want to be part of an uplifting
event? Sandra Lamb Lewis invites
you to a “Drive by Birthday” for her
mother, Diane Lamb. If you have quarantine fatigue, we
want to invite you to celebrate the birthday of Diane in a
way that is safe for her and for you! Simply meet in a
carline at Tramway Elementary (360 Center Church
Rd., Sanford, NC 27330) at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May
26. There will be a sheriff’s deputy to escort the carline
from the school to Sandra’s home at 244 Saintsbury
Place, Sanford, 27332. You can decorate your car with
balloons, or honk, wave or drop a card in a basket by the
circular drive. Shhhhh! Mum’s the word.
Help us Celebrate our Graduates! If you have a graduate graduating from high
school or college, please send photos of them to the
secretary through email: [email protected].
You may also drop off pictures at the office, in person,
Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00 or mail them to
FBC, 202 Summit Drive, Sanford, NC, 27330. Please
include a description of the degree obtained along
with any special honors so that as a church we can
share in the joy of your future
plans! All of our graduates need to
know that First Baptist wants to
pray for them now and in the fu-
ture.
We are proud of our graduates
and consider them to be
“survivors.” Read Ephesians 2:10. God
has made a path for you to walk with Him into your
future. Deadline: June 1
Happiness Retreat Cancelled
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Happiness
Retreat for 2020 has been cancelled. Judy Autry will be
getting in touch with all those who signed up.
Virtual Church Services to Continue Church services will continue to be held online
until the green light is given by the government to open
and when church leadership is satisfied that we can
gather safely at church. Please continue to pray for
opening safely. Even when we decide to open our
church doors our virtual church will continue.
Good news! Our YouTube account is 30 days
old. Because we have 100 subscribers now, we have met
the criteria for a custom URL. Our new URL is: http://
youtube.com/c/FBCSanford
New viewer? We invite you to “subscribe” to our
YouTube channel so you can receive notifications from
us! Simple go to the new link and click on the red
“Subscribe” button.
Memorial Day Holiday
The office will be closed
Monday, May 25, in
honor of Memorial Day.
Volume XLVI April 22, 2020 No. 9 202 Summit Drive ● Sanford, North Carolina 27330 ● fbcsanford.org
Church Office (919) 774-4220 ● Family Life Center (919) 776-6137 ● AM radio 1050 WWGP or FM radio 95.1 Sundays, 11:00 a.m.
A Newsletter of the First Baptist Church, Sanford, NC
Reflections from the Pastor Go and Make Disciples
Pandemic Lessons It would be an understatement to say that the pandemic has affected our
lives. Most of us have experienced and still are experiencing great changes in our
daily living. It is easy to be stressed or worried by all of the unknowns. But we don’t
have to panic because we have a God in whom we can trust. However, we should
also follow our local health authorities’ guidelines for precautions. There is a line
between trusting God and testing God to protect us. Jesus refused to recklessly
endanger His life to prove God’s power of protection. (Matthew 4:5-6 “Then the devil took him to the holy city
and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘ If you are the Son of God ’, he said, throw yourself down.”)
As Christians, our choice of response should be one of love for our neighbors, especially those who are more
vulnerable. If we act from love, we will understand that everyone’s response to this pandemic is not the same. Some were
ready to return to normal yesterday, and others are way more cautious. In Christian love, we can accept their views and love
them anyway.
As individuals, we Christians might need to look at how we trust God instead of economics or social gatherings.
We should examine ourselves to see if we love God more than we love going to church. Our best plans get put aside. We
are not in control. But God is in control and he has given us a wonderful promise: Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with
you always, even to the very end of the age.” Hope to see you soon! Love in Christ, Cindy
faMily lifE cENtEr
GOD TO PROTECT US
As Christians we know the command from Jesus found in Matthew
28, “Go and make disciples…” One thing is absolutely clear - we need to
make disciples! What I would like us to think about is this question: What is
a disciple?
During the sermon from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13, I shared a thought
about the nature of discipleship. “[D]iscipleship, at heart, involves
transformation at the deepest levels of our understanding, affection, and will
by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and in relationship with the
people of God” (Putnam and Harrington, DiscipleShift, Five Steps to Help Your
Church Make Disciples Who Make Disciples, 49). While that is a helpful truth
about discipleship, it doesn’t really answer the question of what is a disciple.
Perhaps it helps, though, to think about the difference between
conversion and discipleship. I think a lot of times we confuse the two. Robert Coleman, author of The Master Plan of
Evangelism, writes that, “Conversion is the first step in the discipleship process. A convert is one who turns around.
Meaning, a person is moving in one direction, becomes convicted of sin, turns the other direction, and comes to Christ.
By simple faith, the person receives the gift of salvation. Conversion is the beginning of a journey, whereas discipleship is
ongoing” (emphasis mine). So if you are a Christian, then you have been converted.
Understanding the nature of conversion is a good first step in our inquiry. While it still doesn’t answer my
question, it does help us on our journey together as we seek to understand what it means to be a disciple. I look forward
to continuing our discussion in the weeks and months ahead about Jesus’s command to go and make disciples.
Blessings to you, Sam
An Ongoing Journey
May 24 Preacher: Dr. Sam Roach 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"I Came to Praise the Lord" "All My Hope"
Sung by the Upper Room Band
May 31 Preacher: Dr. Sam Roach
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "Be Thou My Vision" "You Raise Me Up"
Denise Wallace, Horn and Carole Troutman, Piano
"Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me"
arr. K. Lee Scott Duet by April Fleming and Michael Handy
with Camp Price, Clarinet Solo by Sharon Malloy
Worship at First Baptist
We were blessed to be able to spend a few
days with Lu Anne's father and sister in Huntsville, Alabama, last week in what was a "delayed spring
break" trip. God has been gracious to the Handy and Gillespie family in looking after all of us even
though one niece tested positive for the virus. We were interested to observe in other states that many restaurants were remaining limited to drive through in spite of the state granted permission to
open their dining areas. While there, as well as in the office, it's been
great to catch up with most of our senior saints by phone or at their door to deliver monthly literature.
We all certainly have time to read or have someone read to us. As the June materials become available
I'll look forward to making the rounds again where permissible and someday our fine Home-
bound Committee will resume their deliveries.
The service will be livestreamed on YouTube video at 11:00 a.m. Simply go to the website and click on the light blue box which says “Sunday’s 11:00 service on YouTube.” Sunday’s service will be carried live at 11:00 on WWGP AM 1050 or WFJA FM 95.1 You may also visit the WFJA website at www.wfjawwgpradio.com and click on “Listen Live” and the “WWGP stream.”
Thank you for the outreach of support following Odell’s
death through texts, calls, cards, outdoor visits, food and
prayers. It has especially helped and meant so much to me
during this time of isolation. —Patty Baldwin
I would like to say “thank you” to those in her church
family that took time from their busy day to mail my moth-
er, Jo Lane, a happy birthday card for May 3rd. She was
humbled to receive 168 cards for her 90th birthday. Her
Sanford family celebrated with a Zoom meeting from fami-
ly in Asheville, Rock Hill, Durham, Charleston, Pawleys Is-
land, Wilmington, Southport and Charlotte. What a great
day! She says thank you for helping make her day special.
She loves you all… —Donna Parrish
The leadership of the church has been very active in looking
forward to the day when we will be able to gather safely
again. Though a date has not yet been established, a great
deal of planning for that day is being done. Continue to pray
for First Baptist Church as we look forward to the day when we
can safely assemble.
Varga family (and Joan Bland on far left)
Deamer family Bill Hall
Camp and Ruth Price
AT A GLANCE
May 3, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 17,646.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 448.00 Other………………………………………………. 875.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 18,969.00
May 10, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 9,034.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 60.00 Other………………………………………………. 200.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 9,294.00
May 17, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 11,465.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 125.00 Other………………………………………………. 355.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 11,945.00
Christian Sympathy is extended to: Family of Betty Rhyne—Betty passed away peacefully on Monday, May 11. Richard and Rachel Holshouser—in the death of his brother, John David Holshouser, 92, of Myrtle Beach, Saturday, May 16. Glenda Patterson—in the death of her brother-in-law, Johnnie Hunter, Monday, May 18.
Steve and Jackie Cole (son of Betty Rhyne)
1257 Tulah Lambert Road Mebane, North Carolina 27302
As we continue in this time of quarantine, we want to uplift our young people and support
them in their achievements to stay strong in the Lord!