Connections - April 2014 Newsletter

APRIL 2014 // www.fbcgso.org // 336.274.3286

first baptist church greensboro Holy Week

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Emphasizing worship, spiritual development, fellowship, and ministry to our city and our world.

Moved with Compassion a Lenten Exhibit p5 Bust of Christ Janos Farkas

www.fbcgso.org // 336.274.3286 1000 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro, NC 27401

April2014 3 Insight | by Alan Sherouse

May Connections Deadline: April 22 Email news to kelly@fbcgso.org or bring it to the church office.

Kelly Stephens, Managing Editor Communications Director kelly@fbcgso.org / x223 Gloria Koster, Design Manager Administrative Assistant: Learning gloria@fbcgso.org / x288 Steve Sumerel, Supervising Editor Associate Pastor: Adult Learning steves@fbcgso.org / x233 Teresa Allen, Media Library Director teresaa@fbcgso.org / x229 Ginny Carpenter, Weekday School Director ginny@fbcgso.org / x240 Steve Cothran, Associate Pastor: Students and Family Life stevec@fbcgso.org / x235 Dolores Donahue, Administrative Assistant: Finance dolores@fbcgso.org / x226 Jane Anne Hayber, Administrative Assistant: Music and Worship / janeanne@fbcgso.org / x239 Monica Hix, Pastoral Assistant monica@fbcgso.org / x231 Marty Kellam, Food Services Director marty@fbcgso.org / x245 Rosemary Kellam, Operations Director rosemary@fbcgso.org / x225 Kate Kitchen, Homebound Ministry Director katek@fbcgso.org / 202-5757 Scott North, Church Administrator scott@fbcgso.org / x222 Steve Pressley, Associate Pastor stevep@fbcgso.org / x231 Kim Priddy, Assistant Pastor: Missions kim@fbcgso.org / x295 Virginia Reynolds, Assistant Pastor: Children and Families / virginia@fbcgso.org / x241 Alan Sherouse, Senior Pastor alan@fbcgso.org / x231 Marion Smith, Facilities Supervisor, x243 Doug Vancil, Associate Pastor: Music and Worship doug@fbcgso.org / x237 Terri Vancil, Assistant Pastor: Music and Worship terri@fbcgso.org / x238 2 | Connections

4 Connect through Worship & Missions –High School Choir Mission Tour to Romania –Church Under The Bridge

5 Connect through Worship –Holy Week Schedule –“Moved with Compassion”: A Lenten Exhibit –“The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass”

6 Connect & Grow –And All the People Said –Sunday Evening Bible Study –FRONT: The Spring Mini-Semester –Adult Access Classes

7 Connect with Adults –50-Year Member Luncheon –April PrimeTime Program –Church Acquires “Urn Pall” for Funeral Services

8-9 Connect with Children and Youth –“Following Christ” Workshop –Easter Egg Hunt, Celebration & Hot Dog Dinner –New Library Books –BIBLE Camp 2014 –Middle School Mission Trip –Unidiversity 2014 –High School Youth Choir Yard Sale –2014 Bible Drill Team

10 Connect with Business –March Church Conference Update –February 2014 Financial Update –April Community Lunch & Church Conference

Connect with One Another

11 April Calendar –Fellowship Meals –Looking Ahead to May

12 Connect with Missions –We! Shelter Ministry: Looking Back on the 2013-14 Season

BY ALAN SHEROUSE

A

s some of you know, this spring I have had the opportunity to teach a course on The Church and The City at my alma mater, WFU Divinity School.

The centerpiece of the course was a mid-March pilgrimage to New York City, where 14 divinity school students (including our own Jason Knight) and I spent a week visiting various houses of worship, communities of faith, and institutions of service throughout NYC. It was my first trip to New York since our move to Greensboro last September.

While I remembered all I love about life and ministry there, the trip also made me even more excited about our life and ministry here, especially considering how much the work in that city relates to our work in this one. As “urbanization” continues to trend in the U.S. (just look at the recent and projected development in Downtown Greensboro), “urban ministry” is no longer just the work of metropolitan churches, but also of downtown churches like ours, who are orienting themselves towards all that surrounds them outside their walls.

As such, I want to use this article to reflect on my recent trip and share some inspiring characteristics of “City Churches”…wherever they might be.

City Churches Maximize Their Space. Again and again the churches we toured talked about the multifaceted use of their property. With space at such a premium in New York, active communities of faith find ways to utilize their space throughout the week. Sanctuaries that serve as reverent spaces of worship on Sunday become tutoring classrooms on Tuesday, rehearsal halls on Wednesday, and the list goes on.

City Churches Know Their Neighborhoods. Loving our neighbors starts with knowing our neighbors. Several churches we visited knew intimately the needs and the struggles of their surrounding neighborhoods. They fashion worship and programs considering the particular realities of their local culture. You could see this engagement with the local culture in the art on the walls, the language in the bulletin, or the programs on the weekday schedule.

City Churches Use Their Imaginations. Drawing on the energy of the city that houses them, many of the institutions we visited referenced the importance of experimentation and risk in their work – whether in worship planning, social services, or program development.

We encountered a willingness to try new things, to fail at times, and then to try something new.

City Churches Seek Justice. Many churches we visited referenced their attempts to combine charity, empowerment, and justice in their work. As one minister explained, we can give a fish (charity), we can teach someone to fish (empowerment), BUT we also have to ask about the “fishing conditions” (justice). With so much visible poverty surrounding them, City Churches do not simply supply immediate needs, but also ask about the underlying issues and structures that lead to such needs.

City Churches Rely on the Spirit of God. With often limited resources and always urgent needs, many of the pastors and leaders to whom we spoke confessed the challenges of their constant work, often without measurable results. “I’m really 24, I just look 60,” joked one pastor in reference to the demands of his job. Something more than energy and skill sustains the work of City Churches, and they know it to be the Spirit of God. Across the street from my former church sits The Dwelling Place – a 14-bed women’s shelter run for the last 34 years by Sister Nancy.

“When we started this, we didn’t feel competent,” she said, “but we felt called. And we knew it would be of God.” Amidst the trends and development in our culture – even in smaller cities like ours – one urban theologian has said, “If you don’t go to the city, sooner or later the city is going to come to you.” As such, we at First Baptist must continue to proactively consider what it means for us to be a “City Church” seeking the welfare of our city, as the prophet Jeremiah once charged.

“For in its welfare [we] find [our] own” (Jeremiah 29:7).

April 2014 | 3

Connect through Worship & Missions “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news...” Romans 10.15

High School Choir Mission Tour to Romania Group Participants: Saturday, d April 12 - Monday, April 21

Pray for safe travel and our witness to the Roma people during the Choir Mission Tour.

Ministry events include: • Seven concerts/services in Romanian and Roma churches, city cultural centers, and schools in Bucharest and Northeastern Romania • Rallies/Fellowships/Conversational Exchange with Romanian and Roma Youth • Day Camp for Roma Children of the Ruth School • Tour of Transylvania

Caroline Austin, Megan Barlow, Margaret Barnes, Emily Bennett, Gracen Blake, Ryenne Blake, Joshua Childs, Robyn Cothran, Leah Frost, Kendall Gooding, Zach Isom, Jonathan Kalish, Lindsey Kalish, Kelly Kennedy, Matthew Kennedy, Lucy King, Mason Lewis, Virginia Little, Samuel Messick, Fridin Mihindou, Daniel Perry, Lilly Persinger, Trent Philpott, Joshua Reynolds, Stephen Rich, Lindley Sample, Bryce Starnes, Jilien Steelman, Anna Stephens, Erin Stephens, Miller Townes, Susannah Townes, Logan Trotter, Tommy Vancil, Wilson Vo, John Weeks, Margaret Wells, Caleb Wilson, Jaret Wood, Austin Worsley, Lindsay Worsley Adult Leaders: Nancy Cothran, Steve Cothran, Angela Perry, Margaret Petty, Tom Petty, Doug Vancil, Terri Vancil, Wendy Weeks Traveling Along: Clare Johnson, Roxana Johnson

Romania

Church Under The Bridge

F

BY KIM PRIDDY

irst Baptist Church was host to Church Under the Bridge on Saturday evening, March 22. Church Under the Bridge meets each Saturday night at 300 Spring Garden Street (parking lot under Eugene Street bridge) at 6 pm for worship through music, prayer and a message. A message from the story of the Good Samaritan was provided

by Alan and music was played by Bob Faub and the Jazz Band from Caldwell Academy, and Teena and Alex Hauselman. Over 250 people were served dinner (pimento cheese sandwiches, Brunswick stew, and chocolate cookies) and received donated clothes, blankets and toiletries.

Sunday School classes (A Gathering Community and Connections), youth and numerous volunteers from FBC (75+) gave of their time to help create a meaningful evening for all that were present. Be on the lookout, we hope to participate again in October 2014.

Thank you so much to those who came and joined me for lunch at Panera in March. I enjoyed the fellowship and look forward to dreaming more about ministry. Let’s do it again in May…details to follow.

4 | Connections

April 30 – 6:15 pm High School Choir Mission Tour Report

Connect through Worship

HolyWeek

April 13 – Palm Sunday

Gather before Worship (weather permitting) on the front steps and process into the Sanctuary with palms, 10:30 am.

April 16 – No Wednesday night activities.

April 17 – Maundy Thursday Communion Service and Soup Meal, 6:30 pm.

April 18 – Good Friday Service Story of Joseph of Arimathaea and his family – presented by Scripture and Stage, 7:30 pm.

April 20 – Easter Sunday Celebrate our Risen Lord! Bring a bell from home to ring each time the word “Allelulia” is sung or spoken.

Bring a fresh flower to decorate the cross and place them in the receiving baskets in the Atrium and Children’s Wing entrances during the Sunday School hour, 10:30 am.

April 21 – The church office is closed for the Easter holiday.

Moved with Compassion a Lenten exhibit 2014 “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them.” (Matt.9.36a)

The World Beloved A Bluegrass Mass

Presented by FBC Greensboro’s Sanctuary Choir at Wilkesboro Baptist Church (Merlefest Weekend).

Sunday, April 27

The author Nora Gallagher once asked a friend who is a counselor how to love. Her friend said, “if you want to love, you must enlarge your capacity to suffer.” This Lent, if we enlarge our capacity for compassion, we enlarge our capacity to love, and we will emerge from the wilderness bearing much more than foreheads marked with ash, but lives marked with the very compassion of Christ.

The Visual Arts Team invites you to carve out time to view, reflect, and meditate upon the compassion of our Lord.

April 2014 | 5

Connect & Grow

And All the People Said

BY STEVE SUMEREL

D

uring the month of March, our congregation engaged in an intense and focused examination of prayer. In Sunday school classrooms, evening share sessions, and through countless hours of preparation by teachers and facilitators, this congregation coalesced around the many and varied ways in which we experience God through prayer.

How do we celebrate the end of such a combined effort? What sort of punctuation mark can give justice to such a sacred space of time for us? Perhaps, it’s not just the punctuation that we need, but the exclamation of the final word...AMEN !

Amen…a word that for centuries has marked the ending of our prayers. Amen…the code word for us to now open our eyes, return to the realities of the world, pick up our issues and move on. But, to view “amen” as merely the end of something is a shallow understanding of the word.

Although there are several traditional definitions of “amen,” perhaps the one that is the most universally accepted and affirmed is “so be it.”

The March prayer emphasis was born from a desire of the deacon body to lead the congregation into more intentional processes of discernment. Our congregation approaches forks in the road every day. Which of the many roads that lay in front of us will be our best path to becoming the people that God would have us be? We do not find this on a map, there is no GPS that will recalculate our course. The way is revealed only when we open ourselves to the leadership of God’s spirit.

March gave us a doorway into a new phase of intentional openness to God’s leading. And so now we can utter a collective, “Amen!” It’s not an ending to the prayer, or to our season of intense study of prayer. Amen becomes the affirmation that now we are moving into the “happening” of the prayer. So be it…and so it shall now begin.

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Sunday Evening Bible Study

In April we shall resume our regularly scheduled and ongoing Bible Study sessions as Dr. Jim Wayne continues his study of the “Women in the Gospels.” Sunday Evening Bible study meets each Sunday at 6 pm in room 102.

6 | Connections

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FRONT: The Spring Mini-Semester

During the four Monday evenings of May, Brad Twigg will lead the next “mini-semester” of FRONT. This course of study is called “Between the Testaments.” Brad will take the class on a journey of understanding the complex history of the Hebrew people that bridges the narrative of the Old and the New Testaments of our Bible. The trajectory of this history is set in motion by the accounts of the hostile occupations and exiles of the Old Testament, and connects us with the needed context to grasp the cultural, political, and religious dynamics at play as Jesus came upon the scene.

Registration is requested, but not required.

Contact Steve Sumerel ( steves@fbcgso.org /274-3286, x233) for more information and to sign up.

Adult Access classes continue through April: Wednesday nights, 6:15 - 7:10 pm • Acting on Our Faith (Meets in 102) • Bible Study: The Three Kings of the Old Testament •

•

(Meets in the Chapel)

• Women’s Book Study (Meets in the Café) On April 30 all the classes will meet together in room 108 to hear a report on the High School Choir Mission Tour to Romania.

Connect with Adults

We Are Celebrating Our 50-Year Members 50-Year Luncheon Is May 4

BY KATE KITCHEN

I

STEVE PRESSLEY

n a day when long-term commitments appear to be on the decline, churches can appreciate the importance of members who “came and stayed.”

It is one thing to value the helpful contributions of long-time members, but yet another to recognize veteran participants in a regular and formal way. At First Baptist Church we do offer such recognition, and we have for many years!

Poet Robert Browning wrote, “Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made.” In the spirit of making “the last” also “the best,” we honor our halfcentury members at our annual 50-Year Member Luncheon. Their membership years do NOT have to be consecutive.

The 2014 edition of the luncheon will be Sunday, May 4. Participants will gather first in the Sanctuary for worship with the full church. Then our very special 50-year group will adjourn to the Fellowship Hall for their complimentary noontime meal and program.

Several youth from our church will provide musical entertainment, and Pastor Alan Sherouse will offer a brief message. RSVPs must be in by Monday, April 28. Reply to Rosemary Kellam ( rosemary@fbcgso.org /274-3286, ext. 225). For those who request it, transportation can also be provided.

PrimeTime – Monday, April 7 Dr. George Fuller, Jr. “Celebrating Your Whole Life” Dr. George Fuller is a Certified Senior Advisor and Medicare SHIIP volunteer. He has worked as a chaplain with people on Medicaid, and is a Family Financial Mediator specializing in Transformative and Family Mediations.

PrimeTime includes– 9 am: Ceramics, Gym; 9:30 am: Prayer Shawl Knitting, 108-A; 11 am: Bible Study “Prayers of the Bible” with Dr. Pressley, 218; 12 noon: Lunch, 108 Reservation deadline is March 27. Sign up online: www.fbcgso.org/seniors or contact Rosemary Kellam ( rosemary@fbcgso.org /274-3286, x225) .

Church Acquires “Urn Pall” for Funeral/Memorial Services

BY STEVE PRESSLEY

F

irst Baptist families now have the option of displaying cremation urns beneath a beautiful “urn pall” during Services of Christian Remembrance. The new pall is an embroidered silk coverlet appliqued with a gold Latin cross, and made by the C.M. Almy Company of Pittsfield, Maine. It matches our existing “casket pall” (see accompanying photos), which was manufactured by the same company.

The presence of the casketed body or inurned ashes of a loved one is a traditional funeral practice, and one strongly recommended by Candler School of Theology professor Thomas G. Long in his celebrated 2011 book, Accompany Them with Singing: the Christian Funeral. Long notes that this historic practice acknowledges the truth of that which has happened, even as a church proclaims the promise of the resurrection which is yet to happen.

The placement of the “pall” upon casket or urn underscores the Christian identification of the loved one, while making the purchase of a floral spray optional. FBC members and families may specify the use of a pall when theyy fill out “The Funeral Plan” (Appendix B of our current funeral policy, Preparing a Rite of Remembrance, available in the Pastor’s Office or main Church Office).

April 2014 | 7

Connect with Children and Youth

“Following Christ” Workshop New Library Sundays: April 27, May 4, 11 and 18, June 1 and 8 Following Christ is a workshop offered to children who are seeking answers to questions about their faith and how to make a commitment in their lives to follow Jesus. This class is recommended for children in 3rd-5th grades. This workshop requires commitment from both the parent and child for the child to attend the six week session. Parents and children are also invited to meet in private counseling sessions with members of the Pastoral staff as children reach points of decision or have questions needing further exploration. Contact Virginia Reynolds ( virginia@fbcgso.org /274-3286, x 241) to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Easter Egg Hunt, Celebration & Hot Dog Dinner Sunday, April 6, 4-6 pm

BY VIRGINIA REYNOLDS

C

alling all children to our Easter Egg Hunt, Celebration & Hot Dog Dinner. On April 6 from 4 until 6 pm, preschool and gradeschool children and families will enjoy stories, fun songs, planting flowers, cookies, and of course – egg hunting. Be sure to bring a basket and a camera. Following the hunt, participating families are invited to join us for a hot dog dinner on the grounds. The fun will begin in the Atrium promptly at 4 pm. * News flash: The Easter Bunny is stuck in the snowy briar patch!

Please provide a dozen or more pre-filled eggs or individually wrapped candy.

Indicate the appropriate age group of the eggs on the bag (Toddlers, Preschool or School-age. Drop off the eggs any time in the designated boxes on the Children’s wing of FBCG. We are also looking for homemade cookies and brownies to share with young families at the celebration. Baked goods may be placed in the Atrium on the morning of April 6. Contact Sandy Frost for additional details ( frostyone4@earthlink.net /282-8551). Interested in helping the Family Care Team with dinner? Contact Holly Messick to learn more ( hmgrad@hotmail.com /708-3328).

8 | Connections

Books

BY TERESA ALLEN

YOUTH SECTION in Main Library • Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Deception by Gary Paulsen • Wonder by R. J. Palacio CHILDREN’S LIBRARY • Bear Has a Story To Tell by Philip Christian Stead • A Friend Like You by Tanja Askani • Goldilocks and Just One Bear

by Leigh Hodgkinson • Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies • Oh, No! by Candace Fleming • One Drowsy Dragon by Ethan Long • Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino • The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean • Dinoworld: Incredible Encounters with the World’s Lost Dinosaurs

by Archie Blackwell • Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson • Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal • Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett • Kids Gone Fishin’ by Dave Maas • Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer • Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean • Snakes by Nic Bishop Save the Date – June 16-20

BIBLE Camp 2014

Connect with Children and Youth

Middle School Summer Missions—Extra!

Unidiversity 2014

If singing twice with Ken Medema (in two different cities!) weren’t enough, FBC Middle Schoolers will trek to Nada, KY June 22-27 for a week of mission work as part of CBF’s “Together For Hope” ministry to people in 20 of the nation’s poorest counties.

We will do some construction work and we will also build relationships with local children through fun activities. Cost for the week will be approximately $185/person. Reserve your spot with a $75 deposit online: www.fbcgso.org/youth

Grow in your faith during an incredible week of fun learning about God with friends from churches all over the southeast. Join us as we experience God’s invitation, forgiveness, and power through worship, community, and small groups!

A $75 deposit reserves your spot for the week! Make your deposit by Sunday, April 6 and your cost is $300/person.

AFTER April 6, the cost is $320/person if space is available. Sign up online: www.fbcgso.org/youth -

July 21-26 @ University of Tennessee

For more information about Unidiversity: www.unidiversity.org/unidiversity-camps/camp-information

The 2014 Bible Drill Team Congratulations on the team’s impressive work at the Church Level I Drill on Sunday, March 9.

Members of the FBC Bible Drill Team: Ginny Barnes, Millicent Childs, Parker Hall, Anna Hartis, Jacob Knight, Liza Lewis, Julia Lyle, Kyleigh Pegram, Grayson Smith, Kate Stephens, and Lindsay Worsley.

Bible Drill Level II Drill: Sunday, March 30 @ 6:30 pm in the Chapel Bible Drill Level III Drill: Sunday, April 27 @ 6:30 pm in the Chapel

The team’s excellent leaders are Carolyn Clontz and Christy Jones.

YARD Sale benefitting the FBC High School Choir Mission Tour to Romania Friday, April 4 from 4-7 pm Saturday, April 5 starting at 6:30 am until everything is sold!

Donations can be dropped Sunday and Wednesday evenings from 5 - 8 pm at the FBC Gym through April 2.

We need your donations: • Furniture (all types) • Decorative household items • Pictures/Picture Frames • Whimsy...anything!

• Jewelry • Accessories (belts, scarves, headbands, purses, & gloves) • Designer Clothing • Electronics • Books, DVDs, CDs • Games, Toys (with all parts included) • Luggage/Backpacks • Coats (all sizes) • Tools (small electric & hand) • Sports/Exercise Equipment Kitchen Items (dishes, pots & pans) • Bedding (sheet sets, comforters, blankets)

Information: Lynda Grace Moore: lyndagracemoore@gmail.com /407-3584

Photographs

by Charles Hartis

April 2014 | 9

Connect with Business

March Church Conference

T

he monthly Church Conference took place on Sunday afternoon, March 9, 2014 in the Fellowship Hall.

Church Moderator, Jack Swanson, presided. The following actions were taken– Alan Tutterow, Personnel Committee Chair, made the following motion: • Motion: I move that the statement in the Personnel Policy Manual which reads “The Committee is responsible for recommending to the Church and maintaining official personnel policies” be replaced with the statement “The Committee’s responsibilities are specified in the By-Laws.” Action: The motion was approved.

February 2014 Financial Update Receipts & Distributions Actual Budget Last Year YTD Budget Receipts $317,462 $343,211 $306,192 YTD Budget Disbursements $319,241 $298,403 $277,004 YTD Differential $(1,779) $44,808 $29,188

Sunday, April 13–

Community Lunch followed

by Church Conference 12 noon, Fellowship Hall. No reservations are required. $6/person – $20/family max.

Connect with One Another If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1st Corinthians 12:26)

April Birthdays 1: Jane Adair, David Carter, Marsha Thompson, Betty Ray Troxler, Emiley Turner 2: John Bennett, Tom Cornett, Max Garner, Bill Tutterow 3: Eleanor Gibson, Jenny Hall 4: No FBC Birthdays 5: Jeanne Blakely, John Fogleman, Betty Jean Hipp, Kathy McDaniel, Sue Miller, Gary Rives 6: Millicent Childs, Stuart Philpott 7: Randy Lewis, Ken Ripley, Jean Taylor, Anne Wilson 8: Melissa Milligan, Norma Moore, Jeff Moseley 9: William Bolton, Frances Fickling, Lucille Fitzner, Sarah Frances Young 10: Jennifer Morrow 11: Hilda Hester 12: Mildred Griffin, Wink Kirkman, Carla Porter 13: Louise Deshaies, John Gee, Jennifer Hill, Daniel Linney 14: Carole Ann Darnell, Judy Hester, Jonathan Kalish, Jill Pegram, Lisa Riddleberger 10 | Connections

15: Mary Carter, Willard Dean, Marjie Ray 16: Jack Headspeth, Mona O’Bryant 17: Lois Edinger, Vic Holshouser 18: Beth Hardy 19: Kevin Cole, Ralph Tate 20: Jean Ayers, Inez Harrington, Sara Sears 21: Ronny Blakely, Mary Markham, Paul Stewart, Jr. 22: Alice Culclasure 23: Wanda Barnett, Gladstone Harrell 24: Morgan Alexander, Colleen Hardy, Catherine Little, Doris Melton, Matt Messick 25: No FBC Birthdays 26: Stephanie Cole, Lawrence Mann, Mark Pegram, Joel Reynolds 27: Betty Echerd, Julie King, Ellen Morrow, Sandra White, Fred Williams 28: Mae Bradley, Wynn Bradley, Howard Counts, Rosemary Kellam, Larry Putnam 29: Ken Melton, Martha Sills 30: Bob Baggett, Indigo Stephens 31: No FBC Birthdays

College Birthdays Stuart Philpott 4/6 2921 Thurman Drive Campus Box 16199, Sullivan Hall, NCSU Raleigh, NC 27607 sjphilpo@ncsu.edu

Sarah Frances Young 4/9 500 Alexander Road, Apt. 833 West Columbia, SC 29169 youngsf@email.sc.edu

Bereaved • Steve Cothran in the loss of his uncle, Joe Cothran, on March 6 • Jim Lutzweiler in the loss of his brother, David Lutzweiler, on March 10 • Lucille Fitzner in the loss of her sister, Grace Webster, on March 12 • The family of Ila Mae Griffin, on March 15

april@fbc When You send out Your breath, life is created, and the face of the earth is made beautiful and is renewed. (Psalm 104.30)

•Friday, April 4 – HS Youth Choir Yard Sale. 4-7 pm, (See page 9) •Saturday, April 5 – HS Youth Choir Yard Sale. 6:30 am, (See page 9) •Sunday, April 6 – Easter Egg Hunt, Celebration & Hot Dog Dinner. 4-6 pm, 108, (See page 8) •Monday, April 7 – PrimeTime. 9 am-Lunch, (See page 7) •Saturday, April 12 – HS Youth Choir leaves for Romania.

•Sunday, April 13 – StepUp Ministry Clothing Collection. Atrium.

•Sunday, April 13 – Palm Sunday. (See page 5) •Sunday, April 13 – Community Lunch followed by Church Conference.

12 noon, Fellowship Hall Th • ursday, April 17 – Maundy Thursday. 6:30 pm, (See page 5) •Friday, April 18 – Good Friday. 7:30 pm, (See page 5) •Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunday. 10:30 am, (See page 5) •Monday, April 21 – Church offices closed.

•Monday, April 21 – HS Youth Choir returns from Romania.

•Sunday, April 27 – Sanctuary Choir sings at Wilkesboro Baptist Church (Merlefest). (See page 5) Wednesday, April 30 – HS Youth Choir Mission Trip Report. 6:15 pm, 108.

• April Fellowship Meals

Wednesdays, 5-6:30 pm 2: Country Style Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad Bar// Kids: Mini Burger 9: Ham, Mac & Cheese, Squash Casserole, Salad Bar // Kids: Corn Dog 16: Pork Chop, Lima Beans & Corn, Cole Slaw, Salad Bar // Kids: Cheese Pizza 23: Grilled Chicken Breast Quarter, Malibu Blend Vegetables, Pasta Salad, Salad Bar // Kids: Chicken Tenders • 30: Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad Bar // Kids: PB&J

• • • •

Regular Weekly Schedule Sunday AM @FBC

•Bible Study - 9:15 am •Worship - 10:30 am •Guest Reception - 11:45 am (209) Sunday PM @FBC

• Youth Bells I & II, 4 pm • Following Christ Class, 4 pm (begins April 27) Children’s Bible Drill, 6 pm • Youth: MS Discipleship & HS • Choir, 5 pm • Youth Snack Supper • Youth: MS Choir & HS Discipleship, 6 pm • Adult Bells I, 6 pm •Adult Bible Study, 6 pm • Sanctuary Choir, 7 pm • Instrumental Ensemble (3rd Sundays), 7 pm

Wednesdays@FBC

Looking Ahead to May • • • • • • • • •

Sunday, May 4: Youth Sunday, 10:30 am, Sanctuary Sunday, May 4: 50-Year Member Luncheon, 12 noon, 108, (See page 7) Monday, May 5: PrimeTime, 9 am - 1 pm, (See page 7) Sunday, May 11: StepUp Ministry Clothing Collection, Atrium Sunday, May 18: Called Business Meeting for Election of Officers Sunday, May 18: Community Lunch followed by Church Conference Wednesday, May 21: Kids’ Access Open House (3’s-1st grade), 6:15 pm Sunday, May 25: Memorial Day Service at the Columbarium, 9 am Wednesday, May 28: Kids’ Access Open House (2nd-5th grades), 6:15 pm

Key:

•Fellowship Meal - Dinner is served between 5-6:30 pm / Reservations: Due Tuesday at 12 noon – 274.3286 or www.fbcgso.org/fellowshipmeal

•Kids’ Access - 6 pm •Youth Forum - 6:15 pm •Adult Access Classes - 6:15 pm •Sanctuary Choir - 7:15 pm

•Adults •All Ages •Children •Seniors •Weekday School •Worship •Youth April 2014 | 11

First Bapt ist Church Greensboro 1000 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27401 www.fbcgso.org

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID GREENSBORO, NC NO. 179

Connect with Missions

WE! Shelter Ministry: Looking Back on the 2013-14 Season

BY CATHERINE LITTLE

F

rom December through March 31, our congregation partnered with the YWCA and several other congregations to operate the Winter Emergency! Shelter for homeless women in our community. FBC members supported the ministry by volunteering their time, contributing food and other supplies, and through financial contributions.

Through this partnership we were able to serve 49 women (as of March 15) with 93 nights of lodging, food, and compassionate company.

Although the fruits of this ministry are never fully evident because it takes a long-term effort to touch lives impacted by homelessness, we do know that four of the women were employed when they left the shelter, seven moved to permanent or transitional housing, and seven were transitioned to another shelter. Two of our guests completed job readiness training during the time they were in the shelter, and two additional guests started job readiness training. Several other women experienced other successes including obtaining a birth certificate after a year of trying, making significant strides in dealing with difficult personal history or mental health issues, completing applications and qualifying for food stamps and medical assistance, completing an application for disability assistance and reuniting with family.

Thank you for all of your support as we covered Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday evenings (and sometimes Saturdays!) during the three+ months the shelter was open. That’s 49 evenings, with 7-9 volunteer slots per evening, or over 340 volunteer opportunities.

FBC has been an important part of this ministry for five years and continues to provide leadership to the effort to serve homeless women in our community.