Acts of Faith
FEB
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH We are a family of faith, sharing God’s love in a spirit of hope.
Last month, we suspended Wednesday night meals and choir rehearsals because of the high number of COVID cases in our community and your feedback on a survey about your comfort level with gathering at that time. If anything, the numbers have gotten worse and we had very low participation at the in-person activities we were offering on Wednesday nights. Because of all these factors, we will not be having any in-person activities on Wednesday nights until Ash Wednesday, March 2. On Wednesday nights in February, we will offer a virtual Bible study on Facebook Live at 6 p.m. Each week a panel of ministers and congregants will discuss a passage from the book of James. You are invited to participate in the conversation by commenting with your thoughts and questions that will be read in real time. An audio recording of the discussion will be released as a podcast later in the week.
The current COVID situation is making finding childcare extremely difficult. Therefore, to help our staff meet their family’s needs, the office will be closed on Mondays in February. Pastoral staff will still be working and available via cell and email, and the building will still be available for meeting use, but you won’t be able to call or drop in to the office. Hopefully COVID will once again subside allowing us to resume our regular five day schedule for the office.
The church staff is extra busy during December so they got together to celebrate at an Epiphany Party in January!
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Happy February! We started the year in a big way by exploring how being more like a tree can draw us closer to God. All the children received Yarn Trees to create a beautiful sculpture! If your child was unable to be there during the study but would still like one, let me know as I have several extra! Unfortunately, due to illness and the current coronavirus surge, we will not gather until March, but I hope your child is able to join us for a fun mystery and Lenten exploration when we gather again! Kids on Mission will take place on Sunday, February 27, right after church until 1:45. All children are invited to bring a sack lunch and learn about the country of Malawi!
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman
Check out this beautiful journey of a little girl who wants to change the world for the better and encourages her friends and readers to come along.
“Because I’m the change I want to see.”
We have two exciting trips planned for this summer! In June, we’ll head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a mission trip working alongside Del Sol Church as they minister to their community. The youth and parents who go on this trip will be leading children's camps, possibly working with a homeless shelter, and learning about the beautiful Native American Culture.
contribution. Information about fundraising efforts for these trips will be coming out soon! Our youth are spending the next few weeks going through Old Testament stories in Bible study on Sunday mornings! I love hearing their questions and insights. These stories are often difficult and strange, but they are great ways to see God’s faithfulness in hard and confusing times.
In July, we will attend camp just up the road at Berea College. Passport has revealed their 2022 camp theme: BIG! I can’t wait to spend the week unpacking all that means for us as a youth group! Make sure to let Sharon know if you plan on attending camp this year.
If you would like to make a donation to help our youth attend our missions trip to New Mexico or Passport, please see Sharon or put a note in the memo of your
Simon Hatch was baptized in January! We can’t wait to see Simon continue to grow in his faith and, just as we pledged on his baptism Sunday, we will support him in his journey as a Christ follower.
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This special ministry provides much needed love and comfort for people going through hard times. We know this because we regularly get thank you notes from prayer quilt recipients. Last month we received a beautiful and moving letter of thanks from Gail Lynn, a friend of Kim Kindrick’s, who received a quilt from us following a devastating tornado that destroyed her home in December. The full letter is posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway. Here is an excerpt:
February comes from the Latin word februa, which means “to cleanse.” The month was named after the Roman Februalia, which was a month-long festival of purification and atonement that took place this time of year. The February flower is violets, which bloom in cold weather. Observing its bright petals on the snow is an image of inspiration and hope. Its fragrance is sweet and has been used for centuries as a key ingredient for perfumes to help awaken love. Hoping you have a loving and beautiful February! —Rick All JOY events canceled for February. Let’s take care of each other and please reach out if you or someone you know could use a call or visit.
The Bylaws Committee has been working on updating the bylaws and is seeking feedback on their proposed changes before officially submitting them to the church for a vote. The committee will conduct a meeting to discuss their proposal at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 13. A copy of the proposed changes will be sent via email the week prior to the meeting.
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We are still overjoyed with our new signage! We are so thankful for the hard work of our Branding Committee and Trustees on this project!
All are welcome to join Prayers & Squares on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the church basement to work on prayer quilts. No quilting or sewing experience is necessary; there are plenty of jobs! Contact Kathy Fraley with questions.
Nate, Mary Mac, & Winn Dyer are so grateful for the quilt sent them after their home in Princeton, KY, was destroyed by a tornado. Mary Mac said “This [quilt] will always hold a special place in our hearts and I can’t wait to take it to our future home one day.”
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Words from William I might have mentioned this a time or two, but I’m not good at journaling. I understand the importance of reflection and appreciate how journaling helps us discover insights into what God is doing in our lives; I’m just not good at it. I never know what to write, so I don’t keep the practice going very long after I start. However, with a new year comes a new attempt at this important act of paying attention. I hope to be better at journaling because I genuinely believe it is good for our souls. I have a new journaling strategy I want to share in the hopes that it might also encourage or inspire my other non-journaling friends out there. First, I’m only doing this on workdays. I leave the journal on top of my desk in my office, because if I took it home, I’d lose it. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s a start. Every morning when I arrive, at the top of the page I write two things that I am particularly thankful for that morning. This normally takes less than a minute but allows me to feel some gratitude early in my day. Then, below that I’ll jot down notes of things that stood out to me throughout the day. It could be important events, seemingly profound thoughts, or interactions that stuck with me. Finally, at the end of the day right before I go home at the bottom of the page, I write something from the day that made me feel most connected with God. If I’m not having a particularly spiritual day, I’ll write the part of the day that I feel the most gratitude for. Some days I forget to write anything down during the day but will jot down some notes as I think through my day to answer the last prompt. All-in-all this takes about five minutes out of my entire day, and because it sits on my desk, I normally remember to do it. I’m making no guarantees that this journaling technique will last, but for now, it helps me have gratitude and notice the things God is doing in my life. I’ve already been able to look back and remember ways that I’ve felt close to God over the past month, which has been really helpful on stressful days. If you don’t have a journaling practice, I invite you to try this one with me and let me know how it goes. Of all people, I know that journaling isn’t for everyone, so if you’re looking for another way to create a habit of reflection and pause in your life, let me know. Luckily, there are lots of practices we can use to connect with God.
Last month the ordination council unanimously approved Hollis for ordination. All are welcome to attend this special service. We are excited to be part of Hollis' journey as she follows her call to ministry.
Our new small group, Just Sundays, is off to a great start! If you are looking for a place to share what is on your heart or just be with friends (and enjoy coffee and donuts), join us. There is no prep needed, just you!
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Great News! Thanks to your generosity, we are happy to report that that our December Offering for Global Missions exceeded our $4000 goal by over $3500. That’s right! You gave over $7500 dollars—money that is already on its way to assure the presence of God in the world where it is needed most. Thank you! We are working on a series of short informational introductions to the local organizations that we have partnered with in order to maximize our reach and effectiveness in the community. Over the next few months, look forward to hearing how these partner organizations use our help to achieve our common goals in Georgetown and Scott County. As I write this, we have just today implemented plans with one of our partner institutions, Southern Elementary School, to assist their teachers as they devise and implement new ways to reach students in the midst of COVID school closures. Please pray daily for the teachers and professors who face the task of educating our children in and through this pandemic.
Volunteers helped teachers at Southern Elementary prepare packets for students that will be used on Temporary Remote Instruction days. We also provided lunch for staff and teachers one day.
More good news! Volunteers from Faith assisted two applicants last month in applying for a Helping Hand loan to replace and pay off an onerous payday loan. You may remember that Transform Scott County came to us late last year and asked if we could assume a larger role in this program due to their lack of volunteer staffing. Pastor Sharon has taken a lead role in this program and has streamlined the process, making it much faster and more user friendly. Using round figures from our program, the Helping Hand loan through Commonwealth Credit Union (CCU) can replace a $500 loan costing $91/month with a Helping Hand loan costing only $15/year (3% simple interest). Applicants accepted into the program are guaranteed a loan from CCU because of the generosity of Faith Baptist and others in assembling a loan guarantee fund that CCU uses as collateral. Thank you again for your generosity and for your prayers that this program may be transformative for the families that we are able to help. Let us know if you would like to volunteer! Thank you all for your caring and giving hearts. We are a family of Faith, sharing God’s love in a spirit of hope!
It’s been a while since we’ve updates the pictures we have on file for individuals and families. To give you an idea of how long it’s been, check out the most recent pictures we have of the McConnaughhays and Stones! Pat Blackburn is taking on the project of getting new pictures with the hopes of having an accurate photo directory that we can provide to new and current members. If you are willing to have your photo included, email a high-resolution picture of you or your family to photos@familyoffaith.net. If you need technical help, contact the church office.
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changing regularly, our plans also change. The best way to
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get the most current information is by joining our email list. Sign up for the Faith File on our website.
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Lynn Mayo
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Valentine’s 15 Day Church office closed
Carter Felton Bruce Mook
Katie Taylor
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Presidents’ 22 Day Church office closed
Jim TerBeest
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Lee Insko
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Elaine Fultz Mark Roszkowski
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Jimmy Wiggs
Nina Belle Durr
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Evan Fox Sladen Vitale-Arehart
Emily Cain
William Reilly
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Jill Davila Colin Tilford
Randy Napier Mark Taylor
Deadline to sign up for NM Mission Trip
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FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF PASTOR William Reilly william@familyoffaith.net The second annual Faith Winter Olympics have begun! The first challenge was to make a video of something that would look awesome when played in reverse and the Langlands took home first place! We had lots of good entries and there are still three challenges left so who knows who will be our 2022 champion!
ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF STUDENTS Sharon Felton sharon@familyoffaith.net ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF CHILDREN & EDUCATION Amanda Langlands amanda@familyoffaith.net MINISTER TO SENIOR ADULTS Rick Hawthorne rick@familyoffaith.net CHOIR DIRECTOR Natalie Tilford-Kopp natalie@familyoffaith.net OFFICE MANAGER Angela Earwood angela@familyoffaith.net CUSTODIAN Linda Johnston ORGANIST Charlotte McFarland
PIANIST Judith Williams
—Mary Hutton, Pat Blackburn —Lee Ann & Randy Napier —Darla Botkin, Linda Humphrey —Linda Arehart, Becky Collins
NURSERY WORKERS Suada Derakovic Melisa Custard Church Office: (502) 863-1537 M-F, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
116 Pocahontas Trail Georgetown, KY 40324 502.863.1537 www.familyoffaith.net
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