Acts of Faith
2020
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH We are a family of faith, sharing God’s love in a spirit of hope.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTIVITIES
2019 was a big year for Faith! We started the year with our Coming Home to Faith event in January to remind all our members and friends that whether you are here every week or have been away for a while, you’re always welcome here. We had a great turnout for worship and lunch, and we even took a family portrait!
We resume regular Wednesday Night Activities on January 8 after a couple weeks off. Check out the variety of programs we’re offering at 6: • Children: Miss Amanda's Neighborhood — Amanda Langlands, Children's Classroom • Youth: Friendship — Sharon Felton, Youth Room • Bible Stories for Adults: New Testament* — William Reilly, RA • Men’s Small Group — Jonathan Sands Wise, College Classroom • Yoga — Hollis Dudgeon, Corner Classroom
This year eleven people joined our church family and we baptized two children. We ordained four new deacons. Angela and Amanda both had babies, bringing new energy (and more noise) to the church office. Of course the biggest highlight of the year, which also brought energy (and noise) to the church office, was the calling of William Reilly as Faith’s tenth senior pastor! The gelato truck and trivia competition were a hit at our Fall Kickoff Party and we added new programs on Wednesday nights. Attendance was up on Sundays and Wednesdays this fall, and we’ve had two packed business meetings since we switched to a quarterly schedule (and added a potluck meal). A great deal of time (Continued on page 5)
*This class will only be offered in January. In February, Cynthia Inkso will lead a class on the Enneagram. More information is on page 7. If you’d like to be part of a Wednesday night cooking team this spring, contact Connie Hastings (cwhastingsky@yahoo.com, 859-6199158). Each group will plan, shop, prepare, and clean up. Groceries can be reimbursed.
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CHILDREN’S CORNER The children have had a wonderful year! We have so many things to be thankful for! The year kicked off with our children traveling with Paul as he spread the good news of Christ. In the spring the children presented Unselfie: The Musical that talks about how following Christ means serving others’ needs. The summer saw us learning about Africa at our Vacation Bible School. We welcomed, loved, and fed around 70 children for a week! Much thanks is given to all those volunteers who served by decorating, preparing food, and teaching that week. The fall was filled with games and Bible study that taught our children about caring for God’s beautiful world. Our study was based on Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world belongs to him and everyone in it.” We ended the year with our annual mission project of making pumpkin bread with Ms. Becky and Ms. Joyce for the Thanksgiving Baskets. We made nine loaves of bread. The children also helped lead worship on the first Sunday of Advent by presenting the Christmas Nativity. The Children’s Team is excited about all the new opportunities that God has in store for us this upcoming new year and decade to come! A great BIG thank you to the Children’s Team members who work so hard all year making all this possible: Regan Lookadoo, Carrie Cook, Becky Collins, Tina Rose, Ami Wilcox, Carrie Rashleigh, and Melissa Ward. GODLY PLAY WORKSHOP From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, we will host a free workshop for adults interested in learning more about Godly Play, as well as those who teach or may consider teaching it in the future. If you would like to attend, please let Amanda know.
FAMILY BOWLING
PARENT MEETING
We’re going bowling at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 25! The cost is $12 per person and it covers two hours of bowling, unlimited soft drinks, and one pizza for each lane. Everyone is welcome! Sign up with Sharon or Amanda for this fun, Faith family event!
Immediately following the worship service on Sunday, January 19, we will have a meeting for parents of youth and children in the RA. We will take time to go over the new Safe Sanctuaries policy that was adopted in November and is now being implemented. We will also discuss upcoming events. Please mark your calendars and make every effort to be present.
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YOUTH
COLLEGE
We had a busy and fun December as we celebrated Advent. Winding down our semester with the theme “Shine,” we found ways to let God’s good works shine through us as we prepared Christmas boxes for teens in Appalachia, packed Thanksgiving boxes with our families, and learned about our CBF field personnel and the exploitation of children and families in Madagascar in the mica mines. We discussed how Advent is waiting for the birth of Christ and there are people waiting for us to be Christ in this world.
Our college ministry is reaching out to students in our church and on campus. We had a great Christmas outing at Galvin’s and gave out ten finals care packages. We spent three weeks working on a worship experience with several students leading and working with our youth. Thank you to Cecelia for teaching and leading our college students each Sunday morning and to Hollis for making connections on campus.
We loved being together at our Middle School Christmas Party and our High School Progressive Dinner. Thank you to all the families and adults who opened their homes and provided food and transportation to make the nights a great success! Thank you to Carrie and Jarrod Abner for teaching our middle school Sunday school! Thank you to our intern Cameron Kenner for leading our students and being a great role model for them! UPCOMING EVENTS • Sunday, January 5: We’ll be eating lunch at church immediately after worship and then we’ll spend some time brainstorming and planning for the semester. • Sunday, January 19: Parent meeting after worship in the RA (see page 2) • Monday, January 20: All youth are invited to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march and program (see page 5) • Saturday, January 25: Family Bowling (see page 2)
We can’t wait to see God work in and through our students this spring as we serve and study and grow. Please continue to pray for our students and consider how you can be involved in our students’ lives!
JOY NEWS Welcome January: new month, new year, new opportunities. We kick off the new year with our senior adult potluck lunch on Monday, January 20, at 11 a.m. in the RA.
On Thursday, January 23, we’re going out for lunch! We’ll travel to The Summit at Fritz Farm in Lexington to eat at Honeywood, a modern but charming restaurant serving fresh, Kentucky cuisine. We will leave from the church at 11 a.m. Sign up on the JOY bulletin board. Dear 2020, I know we just met, but I have a feeling we are going to do great things! —Dale
Joni, Gayla, and Dale went up to Cincinnati to give Ruth Snyder her prayer quilt.
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Words from William A new year often brings with it a spirit of “new year, new me.” This resetting of the calendar causes people to evaluate their lives, asking how they want this year to be different. Most often, these changes are as short-lived as they are predictable. By February the gyms have returned to their pre-resolution number of regular patrons and most people have returned to the habits, vices, and lifestyles they so adamantly swore off a month ago. New Year’s resolutions might seem wholly futile, but they do cause us to engage in the healthy practices of self-evaluation, goal setting, and intentionality. The failure of resolutions come not from the principles involved, but because these resolutions are often made individualistically and applied once a year. Luckily, if you are reading this newsletter right now, you are not alone, but have a community in which to pursue your goals. The most common New Year’s resolution involves healthy habits and weight loss. I do not have a lot to contribute in that department. However, the second most common resolution is an increase in spiritual practices. That might be going to church, reading the Bible, or praying more. It might be a more general declaration to grow closer to God or be more intentional about your spiritual life. No matter the wording, our resolutions reveal a true and deep desire to improve or increase our relationship with God. If you happen to be someone making this resolution, or as you read this you think maybe you should, there might be a way I can help. Join with others as we pursue these goals in community through a small group focusing on developing and deepening spiritual practices.
Cynthia Insko and I will lead a small group this spring hoping to do just that. Our time together will include learning about and practicing together some of the classic spiritual practices of our faith such as simplicity, mediation on Scripture, silence, journaling, prayer, and serving others. We will meet once a month on Saturday mornings to focus on a topic that we will put into practice, sharing our experiences and supporting each other along the way. During this time of resolutions, where we imagine what we want our lives to look like, if you desire for your life to reflect a deeper connection with the divine, I encourage you to sign up for this group. The cost for the group is $20 to cover materials and a field trip. Space is limited so make sure you sign up soon. Sign up by contacting me via email at william@familyoffaith.net. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! —William
5 2019 HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED and effort was put into improving our facilities and that work will continue in 2020. A beautiful prayer garden was created and dedicated. We also enhanced our communication with a new website and newsletter format. We loved our neighbors by furnishing an apartment for a single mom, providing food and supplies to local families through the backpack program, helping several people move, and contributing to the Church Benevolent Cooperative. We have put in lots of volunteer hours with community partners like Amen House and Transform Scott County. Many of our adults and youth volunteered at CBFKY’s Extreme Build in June in McCreary County. The success of our reading camp has inspired other churches and organizations around Georgetown to consider doing similar programs. We were a leading presence in the Angela Project and continuing conversations around racial reconciliation in Georgetown. We rounded out the year with a meaningful Advent season and several special events. The initial year-end financial reports indicate we exceeded our budget gift requirement for the year and have a budget surplus! This barely scratches the surface of everything that has transpired this past year and only alludes to all the intangibles like renewed spirits and deeper connections with God and each other. We look back with joy, but also relief at making it through a year full of transition. We are hopeful for what the new year might bring and pray God’s blessings on our family of faith in 2020.
MLK DAY ACTIVITIES The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activities will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Cralle Student Center Lounge at Georgetown College for a meet-and-greet with program speaker Rev. Dr. Aaron Parker, Senior Pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta. Light refreshments will be served. The march is at 4 p.m. and begins on College Street. The program is at 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church and will feature music from the combined choirs of Scott County High School and Great Crossing High School. Transportation from the College to the church is available. The activities are sponsored by the city and county governments, NAACP, and Georgetown College.
CARE BEAR AWARD Bearnabus is going into a short hibernation period after all the excitement from the past two months. Between the instant fame and holiday fun, our award bear is plumb tuckered out! We all know the importance of self-care so we’re honoring this need for rest and we’ll pass the time speculating about who the next award recipient will be! Bearnabus enjoyed play time with some of the Fraleys’ grandchildren!
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January 2020 Sun
5
Mon 6
Wed 1
2
12 PM—Youth Lunch
Jackie Powell
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13
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Lia Cate Wilcox Jack Willett
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9 Wednesday Night Activities Resume!
Cecelia Reilly
Fri
Sat 4
Office closed
Tues 7
Thurs
Gayla Thompson
10
11
11:30 AM— Women of Faith Lunch: MOD Pizza
Piper Ann Gullett Linda Humphrey
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15
12 PM— Deacons’ Meeting
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17
18
24
25
6 PM—Admin Meeting
Clyde McConnaughhay
Brayden Ward
Dwight Lewis
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20 MLK, Jr. Day 21
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23
Office closed 12 PM—Parent Meeting
11 AM—JOY Outing
11 AM—JOY Lunch
9 AM—Godly Play Workshop 2 PM—Family Bowling
4 PM—MLK March 5 PM—MLK Program
Rob Fox Kathryn Pollock
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27
28
Jim Long Cooper Wilcox Emily Wright
Stacey Cruse
Nick McFarland
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30
31
John Blackburn William Rashleigh
Nell Earwood
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SPECIAL WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASS ON THE ENNEAGRAM Looking for ways to grow and develop your best self in 2020? Join us for “An Introduction to the Enneagram.” The Enneagram (any-uh-gram) is a popular personality inventory for understanding ourselves and others better. However, unlike many similar tools, the use of it among followers of Jesus dates back to the 4th century. In a Christian context, the enneagram helps affirm our unique God-given gifts while identifying ways in which we can grow in our love for others, God, and ourselves. Join us for this three-week series led by Cynthia Insko on Wednesday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. in the RA beginning February 5. We will enjoy teaching and discussion around the tables. Invite a friend who may be interested in the topic, but not familiar with Faith Baptist. It’s a great way to get to know ourselves and one another better.
OFFERING ENVELOPES Many of you receive dated, personalized offering envelopes in the mail each quarter. These envelopes are only used by a handful of people, but the cost is significant. Therefore, we have elected to cancel this service and, instead, print envelopes locally beginning in February and only for those who specifically request them. If you would like personalized envelopes, please contact the church office at angela@familyoffaith.net or 502-863-1537. As a reminder, blank offering envelopes are in the sanctuary pew racks for your use.
FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF Senior Pastor William Reilly william@familyoffaith.net Minister of Students Sharon Felton sharon@familyoffaith.net Minister of Children & Education Amanda Langlands amanda@familyoffaith.net Minister to Seniors Dale Stowe dale@familyoffaith.net Choir Director Natalie Tilford-Kopp natalie@familyoffaith.net Office Manager Angela Earwood angela@familyoffaith.net Custodian Linda Johnston Organist Charlotte McFarland Interim Pianist Judith Williams Nursery Workers Suada Derakovic Melisa Custard Church Office M-F, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (502) 863-1537
Faith Baptist Church 116 Pocahontas Trail Georgetown, KY 40324 502.863.1537 familyoffaith@familyoffaith.net www.familyoffaith.net
Greeters January 5—Connie Wiggs, Melissa Ward, Lynn Mayo, Joyce Baird January 12—Joyce Baird, Chris Cutter, Joni Stowe, Betsy Sams January 19—Becky Collins, Molly Sigmon, Sue Wilson, Clyde McConnaughhay January 26—Linda Arehart, Linda Humphrey, JW Humphrey, Jim Land
Greeters are listed in the order of their positions: FLC, Foyer, Foyer, Pocahontas
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