Acts of Faith
APR
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH We are a family of faith, sharing God’s love in a spirit of hope.
Our whole faith is built on Jesus’ death and resurrection. So, it makes sense that every year we make a big deal remembering and celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection and what it means for our lives during Easter and Holy Week. This involves special worship services, fun traditions, and lots of being together as a community. Here’s a rundown of what Holy Week and Easter will look like this year.
Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday. During morning worship the children will process in with palms to remind us of Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem when the people greeted him as a king with palm branches and coats.
We will gather around tables and remember what God has done throughout history and in our lives. We’ll tell stories, participate in ritual practices, and eat a meal together, similar to how Jesus spent his last night with his disciples before he was arrested.
Several local churches are joining together for a service based on the seven last words of Jesus before he was crucified. This time of worship will feature pastors from at least seven different churches offering short reflections, music, prayer, and communion.
together as a family. We’ll have coffee and donuts and invite you to bring your favorite breakfast dish or item to share. We’ll celebrate Jesus’ resurrection in worship with song, flowers, prayer, scripture, and reflection. You’re invited to bring a flower from your garden to add to the flower cross before worship. Also, bring a bell to ring every time someone says “alleluia.” Easter lilies will be part of the processional and sanctuary décor so don’t forget to order yours today. (Order forms are available in the foyer and bulletin; the deadline to order is Monday, April 11.)
The Missions Committee is thanking you in advance for your response to our Easter Global Missions Offering. All money gifted to this appeal will be split evenly among Elizabeth’s Village, White Flag Ministry, and Oleg Turlac’s World Wide Word. Recently Cecelia shared with us in worship about the work of Elizabeth’s Village and their goal to build an emergency shelter in Georgetown for victims of domestic abuse. Your money will support that. On Sunday, March 20, Scarlette Jasper shared with us about the goal of White Flag Ministry to help the homeless in southern Kentucky, first by sheltering them on cold nights and then by building relationships that lead them off the streets and into more stable situations. Your money will support that.
Faith and Cuerdas de Amor, a Methodist church plant, are coming together to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection at sunrise, the time his empty tomb was discovered. This simple service will feature scripture, music, prayer, and devotional. Bring your own chair.
Oleg Turlac is no stranger to Faith, having been a member here while a student at Georgetown College and visiting with us regularly. His World Wide Word mission in Moldova (next door to Ukraine) is currently involved day-to-day in helping to care for the influx of refugees from Ukraine. Your money will support that.
Instead of Sunday School, we will eat breakfast
Thank you for your prayers and thank you for your gifts!
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The children are collecting pocket change the month of April for Watering Malawi, a missions organization sponsored by PASSPORT, Inc. 785 million people globally do not have access to at least basic water service and more than 884 million people do not have safe water to drink, according to UNICEF. The people of Malawi are included in this number. In Kids On Mission, the children are learning about the country of Malawi and how clean water is a resource many people do not have access to. Many women and girls have to spend hours of their day walking to get water for their families, and many times the water they get is filled with germs and bacteria. God has given us so much and wants us to share what we have with a world that is in need. Join us in raising money to help build wells for the people of Malawi. You will find a water jug in the lobby of the church each Sunday morning in April to put any spare change you may have to go toward this important ministry. We’re going to Little Wing Hollow on Sunday, April 24, from 12 to 6 p.m. Sign up with Amanda or Sharon. The cost is $35 per family plus money for meals. The planning for our Summer Children’s Adventure is underway. Pastor Amanda will be traveling the beautiful country of Italy in June for her sabbatical and the children are going to follow along. For four Wednesdays in June the children will experience a VBS-like adventure and discover the ancient travels of Paul as they explore the beautiful country of Italy. Mark your calendars for June 8, 15, 22, and 29. All the fun will take place between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. with lunch included! Get the word out—you won’t want to miss this! (Look for a registration link on our website and in the Faith File in April.) You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey is a lovely tale of how we are a part of God’s beautiful creation. From the hair on our heads to the tip of our toes, we are all connected in a beautiful tapestry of God’s love.
THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who had a part in making the first ever Project Prom Dress Give-A-Way a huge success! We partnered with the AMEN house on this event and we are thrilled with how well it went. Prom can be such a special time for high school students, but the cost, particularly of a dress, can keep this milestone memory out of reach. We were able to help 96 young women from 32 different schools feel extremely special and loved! Everyone who donated items, brought food, served food, helped with set up and cleaning and personal shopping, did alterations, and even fixed the thermostats are the reason so many young women are now excited to go to prom!
3 Thank you to Jeff Stone and all the youth for a wonderful Wednesday night meal and program! Thank you to all those who made amazing desserts and all who purchased amazing desserts at this year’s Dessert Auction! We are well on our way to sending our youth to New Mexico and Passport! Look for more ways you can support our youth and partner with us financially and most importantly through prayer. I am so thankful for a congregation that empowers teenagers to serve! Need some work done around your house or yard? The youth are ready to work and raise money for their summer trips. Contact Nate Dean at 502-370-6881 and we'll get a group lined up to come over and work. Our Faith Family Retreat at Little Wing Hollow is Sunday, April 24, from noon to 6! Sign up with Amanda or Sharon. The cost is $35 per family plus money for meals. If you know someone graduating this spring, please let Sharon or the church office know as soon as possible. College and graduate school recognition will be May 1 during worship, and high school recognition will be May 22 during worship with a potluck lunch afterwards honoring the graduates and their families.
The JOY group and the youth got together for an intergenerational game night in March! They played Telestrations, Pass the Pig, and Dominoes. They had fun and learned a lot from each other. They also enjoyed good food and conversation.
April, the fourth month of the year is the first month of Spring. We are seeing flowers begin to stand tall and show their beauty. April is also a significant month as we as Christians celebrate Easter and the events leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection. As we begin our study of Christ’s journey, may we wonder and reflect on this upcoming Holy Week and the amazing the amazing thing that Jesus did for us. Our monthly JOY lunch will be on Monday, April 19, at 11 a.m. in the RA. We’re having meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. You are invited to bring a dish to share if you are able. Pastor We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at William will be our JOY lunch in March. Teresa our speaker Haggard and Molly Sigmon dressed and will teach up for the festivities! us about Jesus’ life between his resurrection and ascension. On Friday, April 22, we’ll head to Midway for an outing of shopping and strolling in downtown. We’ll eat lunch at the delightful Darlin’ Jean’s Apple Cobbler Café. Meet at the church at 10 a.m. The cost is $5. Beginning this month, we will have a movie night on the first Friday of each month. Join us on Friday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the RA to watch Encanto. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. Another new thing we’re doing in April is a Craft Day! Molly Sigmon has a fun idea for us so bring a sack lunch and join us in the RA on Thursday, April 28, at 11 a.m. The cost is $5. I hope you and your entire family have a blessed Easter! —Rick
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Words from William On Transform Scott County Ending our Relationship In February, Nathaniel Price and the Transform Scott County (TSC) board of directors informed me that Faith is no longer able to work with TSC and by proxy, the Church Benevolent Cooperative (CBC), due to the Statement of Welcome we adopted at our November business meeting. Our statement is out of line with the organizational theology of TSC and the CBC in a way that they do not believe allows us to effectively work together anymore. I must stress that while I am disappointed they feel this way, I have no animosity toward TSC or Nathaniel because of this decision. To emphasize a line from our statement, "As Christians in the Baptist tradition, we commit to love each other despite our differences. No member's full participation in our community binds anyone else's conscience on an issue about which they may differ." I truly believe that sentiment based on the principles of the priesthood of all believers and church autonomy, so I will not condemn them for doing what they believe is right and necessary for their organization, however misguided I think it might be. It is Easter season so this should not be surprising, but the death of this relationship has led new life. First, TSC allowed us to fully take over administering the Helping Hands Payday Loan Program. In turn, First Christian Church has agreed to help us with it by providing several volunteers! Also, we have redirected our monthly benevolence offering to support the Financial Assistance Program at AMEN House that helps people pay rent and utility bills. In both of these cases we have been able to deepen relationships in meaningful ways with other groups seeking God’s will while doing the same kingdom work we have been doing in Scott County. So, let’s celebrate the meaningful things we were able to do with Transform Scott County and also the powerful things we are and will continue to do through Helping Hands, AMEN House, and all of our other community partners. Commonwealth Credit Union provided swag bags to the attendees of Biscuits and Budgets on March 26! Their bankers presented information on how to create a budget and reach financial goals at this community event we held in the RA. We love partnering with others to provide resources to those in our community!
Reading Camp is going strong this spring! In case you’re not familiar with this program, we partner with Southern Elementary to provide an after-school reading program for 2nd-4th graders each semester for 8 weeks and a week-long camp in the summer. Gayla Thompson, Joni Stowe, and Elizabeth Sands Wise run the program with the help of lots of wonderful Faith volunteers. They all do an exceptional job of keeping the students engaged after a long day of school and making sure the students feel valued and special. We are so proud of this program!
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This might be an audacious thing to say after a 30degree week, but it's nearly summer and we're so excited! You'll get the full summer calendar in next month's newsletter, but here's a taste of what you can start looking forward to. This summer will include youth trips, JOY movie nights, children’s adventure days, backyard worships, a book study, and lots of opportunities to have fun and learn with your family of faith. There's also something we need your help with. Would you like to host a Summer Fun Day? Summer Fun Days are opportunities for people in the church to get to know each other better around common interests and activities. Hosts will pick something they would already be going to or doing (e.g. kayaking, hiking, fishing, attending a concert or parade) and let us invite people in the church to join them. It needs to be something that doesn't need a specific number of people and you would already be doing anyway. In the next few weeks we'll begin asking for hosts, so start thinking about if you want to host a Summer Fun Day.
All are welcome to join Prayers & Squares on the second Tuesday of each month in the church basement at 6:30 p.m. to work on prayer quilts. No quilting or sewing experience is necessary; there are plenty of jobs! Contact Kathy Fraley with questions. Greg Earwood recently received one of our quilts for his heart problems and upcoming surgery. He wrote the following note of thanks to the church: “Thank you for the lovely quilt as a reminder of your love and prayers. I touch it everyday and wrap in it regularly. In a special way the tag says it all. During our long journey together of 27 years, I have valued the “ministers” (all of you) of this congregation. Your support and prayers means so much for the process of discernment for the timing of the next step. Nell and I love you!”
We have had some interesting speakers on Wednesday nights recently, including Mark Elliot who helped us better understand the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and our own Lindsey Apple who taught us about critical thinking.
There's a place for you in the choir! We welcome singers to join us for rehearsal on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8 in the sanctuary. Contact Natalie if you have any questions. We hope to see you!
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Linda Richardson
Natasha Miller Ryan Oster
Darlene Drake
Erica Malicote
Ava Langlands
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Mina McEuen
Sarah Glenn Insko
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10 Palm Sunday 11
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Easter 18
Cynthia Insko Pamela Sargent
Connie Wiggs
Shannon Gullett
Courtney Baird Eleri Hadaway
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Kathleen Mook
Diane Bugg
Isaac Dean
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Ron Dodd
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Lauren Oster Steve Phipps
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Kathy Fraley
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Logan Lookadoo
Earth Day 23
Joyce Baird Daniel Gaeddert Bailey McFarland
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Brad Hadaway Regan Lookadoo
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FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF PASTOR William Reilly william@familyoffaith.net ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF STUDENTS Sharon Felton sharon@familyoffaith.net
We are basing our meeting around the story of Jesus healing the blind man at Bethsaida. When Jesus touches him the first time, he says he can see people, but they look like trees walking. It is only with the second touch that his focus is clarified, and he sees people for who they are. Many of us are waiting for that second touch from Jesus. A vision that allows us to live fully and recognize God and other people not as objects in our lives but as partners in loving relationship. CBFKY will spend this new year examining and evaluating our work together and focus our thinking not on maintaining our institution but helping us see people as Jesus sees them and serving them with sacrificial love.
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
Breakout Sessions: Extreme Build, Morocco, Disaster Response
CUSTODIAN Linda Johnston
Guest Preachers: Meredith Stone, Dr. Jim Cobban
ORGANIST Charlotte McFarland
Registration: Register online at cbfky.org/spring-gathering-2022 Childcare is available.
—John & Pat Blackburn —Melissa Ward, Lynn Mayo — Chris Cutter, Dale Stowe —Molly Sigmon
PIANIST Judith Williams 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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