Acts of Faith
2019
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH We are a family of faith, sharing God’s love in a spirit of hope.
SHARE ABUNDANT LIFE!
THANK YOU
I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. —John 10:10
We collected 36 coats for Cuerdas de Amor to distribute at Georgetown Estates Trailer Park!
Share the abundant life of Christ by giving to the Offering for Global Missions. 100% of your gift will send CBF field personnel to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. As a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church, we support long-term field personnel serving in 25 countries, 50 Student.Go interns, and hundreds of short-term mission teams annually. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, our CBF field personnel cultivate beloved community, bear witness to Jesus Christ, and seek transformational development among people and places otherwise forgotten and forsaken. Our field personnel serve alongside congregations within three primary contexts: global poverty, global migration, and the global church. This month we have the opportunity to participate in CBF missions around the world by giving to the Global Missions Offering. Our goal this year is $3,000 to directly support our missionaries. To learn more about CBF field personnel and where our offering goes, we invite you to join us on Sunday, December 15, at 10 a.m. in the RA for a special program focused on missions.
We packed 41 Thanksgiving baskets for families in need at Southern Elementary and Scott County Middle Schools! We provided 30 cans of corn and several volunteers for the Community Thanksgiving Meal at Southern! Thank you for sharing the love of Christ by donating and serving in November!
The season of Advent is here! Check out page 7 for our full Advent schedule and information about some of our special events.
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CHILDREN’S CORNER The children have had fun this fall learning about how important it is that we care for God’s world. The children had the opportunity to earn bracelets from 4Oceans by doing four activities: memorize the Bible verse, bring in recycling, pick up trash, and learn about the Rainforest Alliance. The bracelets they earned are made from plastic pulled out of the ocean and the funds for the bracelet go towards pulling plastic out of the ocean as well!
The children ended the fall by working on their Christmas Nativity program that will be presented on Sunday, December 1, during the worship service. We will start back on Wednesday, January 8, with Ms. Amanda’s Neighborhood! We will be learning about who Jesus was talking about when he said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. And we will also be learning about how we can love our neighbors in real and tangible ways.
YOUTH Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. —Matthew 11:29
Our High School Fall Retreat focused on rest and renewal for our minds, bodies and souls. Teenagers today are so stressed. Their schedules are filled to the brim with so many good things, they often don’t know how to take a break and take care of themselves. Over the two days we retreated to a beautiful home overlooking the Cumberland River, we practiced yoga, went for a walk in the woods, bowled, studied scripture, and played. We have incredible young people who are thoughtful and wise, and yet they feel the pressures that society and social media place on teens these days. They began to think about and practice self-care, to learn that rest doesn’t necessarily mean inactivity, and that God created them to enjoy life, not just get through it. I look forward to seeing how these students lead us in the years to come! Our first joint worship experience with Georgetown College was wonderful! We spent two weeks planning and preparing for the service, which took place on Sunday, November 17. We were able to set up our newly remodeled youth room so that 30 people could join us in worship. The GC students and our youth were so creative and insightful as they planned the service around Isaiah 30:21. The GC students and Faith youth led us in song, creative dance, and personal testimonies. It was a beautiful service and I can’t wait for the next one!
3 Creative dance performed by Faith youth and GC students at the joint worship service
our senior adult Christmas potluck. We’ll enjoy lunch and we’ll sing your favorite carols! Jesus is the light of Christmas, the joy of our hearts, and the hope of the world. —Dale
CARE BEAR AWARD
It’s Christmastime! Contact Sharon for more information about the Christmas parties or if you’d like to provide food for one of them!
Let's be honest, this is the only reason you read the newsletter. This award and its infamous bear are captivating the entire country! "Nobel prize, who cares! I wanna know who won the Faith Baptist Church Care Bear Volunteer of the Month of the Year Award," strangers shout to each other in the streets. The anticipation is over! This month, Bearnabus has been passed to Kathy Fraley. She was selected because of her incredible effort in reestablishing the Corner Class (check them out if you are looking for a Sunday School class), serving as the point person for the Prayers & Squares quilt ministry, being an all-star chair of the Outreach Committee, and as one person put it, "being the nicest human on the planet." Thank you for all that you do, Kathy! Bearnabus cannot wait to spend the holidays with you.
JOY NEWS December: Celebrating the season and being thankful for all of the blessings we have in our lives. We're kicking off the holidays at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 13, with hot chocolate and cookies before boarding the bus to see the Christmas lights. While we’re out, we’ll take our annual candlelight tour of Ward Hall. Tickets are $7. Sign up on the JOY bulletin board! Join us on Monday, December 16, at 11 a.m. for
KATHY FRALEY Care Bear Volunteer of the Month of the Year Award Winner — December 2019
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Words from William The Christmas story might be one of the most well-known parts of the Bible (or the almost Bible). We love stories, and this one has everything. Aside from being integral to our faith, this story has drama, intrigue, hope, action, and a lot of traditions associated with it. Like any other great story, it also has a lot of compelling characters. During worship in December, we will explore these characters. We will consider the example of the shepherds, angels, Joseph, wise men, Herrod, and of course Baby Jesus. Characters are important in part because they invite us to participate in the story. We relate to certain people, ask ourselves how we would respond in certain situations. The Christmas story is no different. Through the characters, we can put ourselves in the story. We can ask ourselves which character we are like. We can consider what our role in the story is. While we all want to be the hero, sometimes we realize that we actually relate more to the bad guy. By considering the characters of the Christmas story, we can ask ourselves who we are and who we are becoming. The characters in the Christmas story are taking part in an exceptional narrative 2000 years ago, but the story is still happening. God is still radically acting to reconcile the world to the kingdom of God and we still have a role to play in the story. Therefore, during this Advent season, I encourage you to take some time and consider who you are in the story. I encourage you to honestly consider if you are like the shepherds, the angels, or even Herrod. Also, consider who you would like to be. What character would you like to emulate in the coming year? Hopefully, by looking at these biblical characters we can better understand our own role!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT PROGRAMS In December we will have special programs at 6 p.m. for three weeks until our activities conclude for the year. We hope you'll join us for our fellowship meal at 5:15 each week and then stay for the programs. Choir rehearsal is at 7:15. On December 4, Brad Hadaway will lead a class in the RA exploring how to personally approach the conversation about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the church. As a reminder, we have a list of books, blogs, podcasts, and videos under “Resources” on our website to help you process a variety of views on this topic. We hope you’ll join us for this thoughtful dialogue with your church family. Upside-Down Christmas is December 11 (see page 7) and Family Caroling is December 18.
Let’s gather as a church family for breakfast!
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STOWE’S BROS BASKETBALL It's basketball season! What started with Stowe’s Bros has grown into a community event. Faith has been teaming up with Club David for lots of basketball action in the FLC on Sunday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. Coach Rodney and Coach Dae from Club David, along with Coach Stowe, help coach and encourage kids from all over the county, from middle school to high school. We have 20 kids who come to play and enjoy Christian fellowship. If you like to play, come join us and bring your friends!
Southern Elementary school, and campers read aloud their paragraphs. It was a special day that emphasized the hard work each camper and volunteer had put in to make Reading Camp a success this year! Some of our campers even got their photo in the News-Graphic!
READING CAMP This month we wrapped up a great fall semester with Reading Camp! Special thanks to everybody who volunteered with us, our special guests Jawanna Herd and the GC Volleyball team, and to Dorothy Butler who purchased reusable water bottles for each of our campers (pictured below)!
Each week at camp, we studied a different children’s book author, and then rotated through art, science, and writing activities related to themes and books by that particular author. During one-on-one reading time between campers and mentors, we focused on books by the week’s featured author. We also learned some hands-on map and geography skills. For our final week, we took a field trip to the library where campers selected their favorite books they read this year, and each wrote a paragraph about the book. On our very last meeting, we hosted a special program at
We will be starting back in the spring, and we could always use more regular volunteers and also substitute volunteers. If that sounds like something you might want to explore, please reach out to Joni Stowe, Gayla Thompson, or Elizabeth Sands Wise. We would love to talk with you about the joy of working with our Reading Camp students.
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6 Sun 1 4 PM— Hope for the Holidays
Mon 2
Tues 3
4 6 PM— LGBTQ Inclusion Class
Carrie Rashleigh
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15
10 AM— Global Missions Program 5-7 PM— Christmas Tradition Home Tours
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16 11 AM— JOY Lunch
Wed
Thurs 5
Brian McFarland
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11 6 PM— Upside-Down Christmas
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24 6 PM— Christmas Eve Service
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Thomas Bryant
12 11:30 AM— Women of Faith Lunch: Wilshire’s
13 6 PM— JOY Christmas Outing
Sat 7 6 PM— Middle School Christmas Party Anna Pryor Baird Fred Meek Melissa Ward Sue Wilson
14 6 PM— High School Christmas Party
Janet Fox
Bryan Langlands
June Williams
18 6 PM— Family Caroling
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20
21
Ross McConnaughhay
Matt Makaveli Mike Niedwick
25 Office Closed
26 Office Closed
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28
22
23
Mary Elizabeth Hamm
Shelby Napier Debbie Tudor
Connie Hastings Chuck Bugg
29 10 AM— After Christmas Breakfast
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31
Chris Cutter
Alyssa Taylor
New Year’s Eve
Fri
Roxana Blevins
December
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HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Join us for this service of remembrance on Sunday, December 1, at 4 p.m. in the sanctuary. This will be an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and hope for those who have lost a loved one during the previous year, and anyone grieving with them.
Hope for the Holidays
UPSIDE-DOWN CHRISTMAS Christmas is without a doubt a super busy season! There is always so much baking, shopping, and so many family gatherings and events to attend that sometimes we can forget or brush over preparing our hearts for Christmas. The hope of this program on Wednesday, December 11, is to create a space where we are able to focus our hearts and our minds on why we celebrate and prepare for the coming of our savior. Everyone is invited to join us for an evening to slow down, be present with one another, pray, and have fun with other activities that help our hearts to focus on Christ our savior.
CHRISTMAS TRADITION HOME TOURS Spend the evening of Sunday, December 15, in your fellow congregants’ homes getting to see their Christmas family traditions. This year you will have the opportunity to travel between four family homes, each offering a different view of Christmas, from 5 to 7 p.m. Come spend time laughing together, eating, and enjoying festive homes. Brochures with directions will be available in the sanctuary foyer starting Sunday, December 8. The Children’s Team is asking for donations of children’s hats, mittens, and books. You can drop these at any of the house locations on the tour. They will be given to children in need by the Scott County Schools resource program.
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Faith Baptist Church 116 Pocahontas Trail Georgetown, KY 40324 502.863.1537 familyoffaith@familyoffaith.net www.familyoffaith.net
GREETERS December 1—Becky Collins, Ben Sargent, Pam Sargent, Mary Hutton December 8—Joyce Baird, Rick Covington, Betty Covington, Jimmy Wilson December 15—Jane Cutter, Kaden McConnaughhay, Darla Botkin, Jim Land
December 22—Linda Arehart, Mattie Katz, Roberta Dodd, Rod Dodd December 29—Pat Blackburn, Connie Hastings, Pat Blackburn, John Blackburn
Greeters are listed in the order of their positions: FLC, Foyer, Foyer, Pocahontas
FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF Senior Pastor William Reilly
Office Manager Angela Earwood
william@familyoffaith.net
angela@familyoffaith.net
Minister of Students Sharon Felton
Custodian Linda Johnston
sharon@familyoffaith.net
Minister of Children & Education Amanda Langlands amanda@familyoffaith.net
Minister to Seniors Dale Stowe dale@familyoffaith.net
Minister of Music Natalie Tilford-Kopp natalie@familyoffaith.net
Organist Charlotte McFarland
Interim Pianist Judith Williams Nursery Workers Suada Derakovic Melisa Custard Office Hours M-F, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.