Connections - June 2013 newsletter

JUNE 2013 // www.fbcgso.org // 336.274.3286

Congratulations FBC Graduates!

June 2 @ FBC

Baccalaureate first baptist church greensboro Sunday

p3

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

Greensboro June 26-28 Workshops

www.fbcgso.org // 336.274.3286 1000 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro, NC 27401 July Connections Deadline: June 15 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 Education Ministry Assistant 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 - Youth/Families stevec@fbcgso.org / x235 Dolores Donahue, Administrative Assistant - Finance dolores@fbcgso.org / x226 Jane Anne Hayber, Music/Worship Assistant 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, Business Administrator scott@fbcgso.org / x222 Steve Pressley, Associate Pastor stevep@fbcgso.org / x231 Mike Queen, Interim Pastor mike@fbcgso.org / x231 Virginia Reynolds, Assistant Pastor - Preschool/Children virginia@fbcgso.org / x241 Marion Smith, Facilities Supervisor, x243 Doug Vancil, Associate Pastor - Music/Worship doug@fbcgso.org / x237 Terri Vancil, Assistant Pastor - Music/Worship terri@fbcgso.org / x238 Shelly Worsley, Childcare Director shelly@fbcgso.org / x293 2 Connections / June 2013

June 2013 Before the grass gets too high, make sure you register for the CBF General Assembly because its going to be right in your own backyard! More details are on pages 4-6. Look through the FREE workshops, mission communities, and business breakouts listed on page 6 and decide which ones you will attend. If your vacation this summer is more of a staycation, you can spend it with us at FBC!

3 Congratulations FBC Graduates 4 Insight | by Mike Queen 4-6 CBF General Assembly Is Around the Corner!

7

–Summer Wednesday Evening Series: “The Story of Jesus” |

by Steve Pressley –Introducing FBC Seminary Student Sarah Beth Pannell

8 Connect with Adults –New Library Books | by Teresa Allen –Day Trip to See “Show Boat”

8 Connect with Business –Update from Bylaws Review Committee | by William Waters –May 19 Church Conference Update –April Financial Update

9 Children’s and Youth News –BIBLE Camp | by Virginia Reynolds –Summer Children’s Activities | by Virginia Reynolds –Youth News | by Steve Cothran

10 Connect with One Another –Newly Updated Information Board | by Kelly Stephens

11 June Calendar 12 Back Cover – “Seeing the Savior” Open Houses

Courtney Key Greensboro Day School

Bo Starnes Grimsely High School

Class of

Congratulations FBC Graduates

2013

Gray Murray

Niki Shumaker

Autumn Rainey

Kevin Tutterow

Page High School

Philip J Weaver Education Center

Grimsely High School

Page High School

June 2 @ FBC 10:30 am - Worship/Baccalaureate Sunday 6 pm - Concert/Youth Choirs & Handbells

June 2013 / Connections 3

BY MIKE QUEEN

T

he Baptists are coming to Greensboro! That’s right.

Baptists from all over the US will be descending on the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro at the end of this month (June 26-28). The reason is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) General Assembly. This promises to be a rich opportunity for our congregation to both host and participate in the event. I hope you will block out these days on your calendar so that you can be in as much of the General Assembly as possible. It is a great way to learn about the fabulous work of CBF in the US and around the world.

On Wednesday evening, June 26, we will host the annual meeting of Baptist Women in Ministry here at FBC. We are all invited to participate in worship with them at 7 pm. The next three days will be packed with inspiring worship, informative workshops, the commissioning of missionaries and much

more. The best part is that the whole thing is free! The only thing you need to do is register. Until June 9 you can register online ( www.thefellowship.info/assembly/preregister ) After June 9 you can register on-site at the Sheraton. Many of our members will be working at Koury during the General Assembly, and our deacons will be serving communion during worship one evening.

On Sunday the 30th we will have the singular privilege of CBF’s new Executive Coordinator, Suzii Paynter, as our pulpit guest at FBC. She has been a transformational leader in every stage of her career, and she will be the same as she charts a new course of CBF. So, I hope you will plan to take advantage of this chance to meet like-minded Baptists, to learn about the work and ministry of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and to be a part of our annual celebration.

Greensboro June 26-28 2 CORINTHIANS 3:12 Since then we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.

BOLDLY REFRESH

BOLDLY REFLECT

BOLDLY RESPOND

your spirit through fellowship

through prayer and praise

through ministry dialogue

The Gathering Place - Connect with ministry opportunities, buy goods that support mission projects, and fellowship during evening receptions.

Friday Evening Worship Service Participate in a dynamic and meaningful worship with communion and a word from the new Executive Coordinator.

Workshops - See page 6 for a complete listing of the workshops and sign up for your favorites today!

Networks & Mission Communities Learn from Baptists who share your same ministry interests.

Commissioning Service for Field Personnel and New Church Starters Come be a part of this special event as the Fellowship blesses and sends new field personnel and church starters to be the presence of Christ in the world.

Auxiliary Events - The Fellowship and its partner organizations will host special gatherings.

Assembly Experiences for Children and Students - Preschool, children, and youth assemblies and the Greensboro Sessions for College Students allow for the whole family to be involved.

(Fee req. and limited enrollment.)

4 Connections / June 2013

Pre-Assembly Prayer Retreat - This pre-Assembly retreat is designed as a time of study and prayer for ministers and laity and will be held onsite at the Sheraton Greensboro. (Fee required.)

Business Sessions - Hear updates and offer input on the work of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

State and Regional Meetings - Support the Fellowship movement in NC. Learn about events, programs, and resources available to address the needs of our state.

Leadership Institute - The focus of this year’s Leadership Institute is Dawnings, the process by which churches begin living missionally. Learn about the Dawnings process by participating in this abbreviated retreat experience.

FBC MEMBERS - IMPORTANT GENERAL ASSEMBLY INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW! • YOU can attend sessions/workshops per your schedule and interest (Some events may require additional registration - see workshops/sessions on page 6).

• Pre-Register at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/preregister on or before June 9. Registration after June 9 will be on-site at the Sheraton.

• FBC volunteers are needed in several areas at the General Assembly. Volunteer opportunities are listed below.

YOU CAN BE A VOLUNTEER - SIGN-UP WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER ONLINE OR CONTACT: • COMMUNION SERVERS: Needed to serve communion during the Friday evening worship service.

Terri Vancil - 274-3286, x238 or terri@fbcgso.org • REGISTRATION: Volunteer at the registration desk to check-in the visitors attending the General Assembly.

Frances Upchurch - 855-3731, francesup@gmail.com Chris Canipe - 273-6491, ccanipe@triad.rr.com • FITNESS/WELLNESS: This is a new addition to the General Assembly. Plans include fitness walks, classes, and health screenings. Medical personnel are needed to assist with blood pressure screenings from 11 am-4 pm Thursday and Friday, as well as volunteers in the wellness room from 7 am-4 pm each day.

Cheryl Angel - 643-9667 or cherylangel@bellsouth.net • HOSPITALITY: Friendly faces are needed to welcome and give directions to our visitors at the Sheraton. Volunteers will work in 2-hour shifts and training is provided.

Toni Lewis - 855-7459 or lewis1715@triad.rr.com

Dynamic Worship at Assembly Do you observe from the sidelines or are you an active part of the team? No doubt it is easier to stay in the background, to agree with good things and let disagreements slide by. We tell ourselves that everything will work out, while easily settling into silence and complacency.

What is our posture about matters of faith? We love Jesus, but we often play it safe when sharing about his presence and work in our lives. Perhaps our fear of offending has caused us to lose our voice entirely. One theologian gets to the heart of it – “Are you an admirer of Jesus or a disciple?”

With Great Boldness– These words of Paul to the Corinthian church will inspire Fellowship Baptists gathering in Greensboro as CBF embarks in a new organizational structure led

by Executive Coordinator, Suzii Paynter. Worship experiences on Thursday and Friday evening will focus on the source of our hope as God’s spirit moves us to be a bold presence for Christ in our churches and communities.

Thursday Evening: Commissioning– Throughout our sessions we will be led by gifted singer/ songwriter Kyle Matthews from Greenville, South Carolina. Joining Kyle in the pre-worship music session Thursday evening is an outstanding group of CBF youth choirs that met earlier this year at the CBF North Carolina Youth Choir Festival. At 7:30 pm, we will hear bold stories of CBF mission work, honor our retirees, and commission new field personnel and church planters.

The evening proclamation will be brought by Wendell Griffen, former Arkansas judge and current pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, AR.

Friday Evening: Communion – Friday evening,

The Gathering Place is a tangible extension of CBF’s mission by bringing together partners and vendors who will display goods and services that are consistent with the Fellowship’s mission and helpful to individuals and churches. Each exhibitor in the Gathering Place is asked to display goods and services that are consistent with the mission, ministries, and shared commitments of CBF as described in our Mission Statement.

The Gathering Place is OPEN (3rd floor of Sheraton): • Thursday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm – 10:30 pm • Friday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

we will be led by an orchestra in great hymns of our faith.

Moving Liturgy, a professional sacred dance ensemble from Burlington will visually enhance our worship experience as we observe the Lord’s Supper. We will begin our ministry journey with Suzii Paynter as she brings the evening communion meditation.

We hope that you will join us in worship at General Assembly as we tell our stories and bear witness to great hope in Christ. Then, with Christ as our guide, we will go boldly to be his presence in the world.

Terri and Doug Vancil 2013 General Assembly Worship Committee Chairs June 2013 / Connections 5

WORKSHOPS, MISSION COMMUNITIES, BUSINESS BREAKOUTS @ CBF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

YOU can attend the sessions and meetings of the CBF General Assembly that will be here in Greensboro in June. They are open to

Workshop Key / Dates & Times

anyone to attend and free! There are lots of topics and we have divided them into interest groups to make your selection easier. Session descriptions are available online at www.thefellowship.info/GeneralAssembly/workshops

T/S1 = Thursday, June 27 - Session 1, 1:30-2:30 pm T/S2 = Thursday, June 27 - Session 2, 2:45-3:45 pm F/S1 = Friday, June 28 - Session 1, 1:30-2:45 pm F/S1 = Friday, June 28 - Session 2, 3:15-4:30 pm

Missions

Business Breakouts

• • • • • • • •

• • • •

Church Starting and Faith Sharing Mission Community (T/S1) Economic Development Mission Community (T/S1) Healthcare Mission Community (T/S1) Internationals Mission Community (T/S2) Disaster Response Mission Community (T/S2) Poverty and Transformation Mission Community (T/S2) Faith to Action Report and Dialogue (T/S2) We Need Resources (F/S1)

Pastoral • Leading Congregations through Crisis: Pursuing God’s Purpose through Perilous Times (T/S1, T/S2) • Introduction to Endorsement for Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors (T/S2) • The Sacred Journey of Dementia (T/S2) • Helping Churches Care: Grief Ministry in Action (F/S1, F/S2) • Take Me to the Water: Revisiting Believer’s Baptism Then and Now (F/S1, F/S2) • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Church: Humor in Preaching and Teaching (F/S1) • Taking a Day Off – The Importance of Sabbath-Keeping in the Minister’s Life (F/S2)

Educators/Teachers • Justice and Peacemaking Mission Community – Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Proactive Parents/Proactive Church (T/S1) • How to Read a Miracle: Gospel Healing Stories of Illness and Disability (T/S1, T/S2, F/S1, F/S2) • Will the Real Paul Please Stand Up? (T/S2) • Christian Formation for the 21st Century Church: Disciple Development Coaching (F/S1, F/S2) • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Church: Humor in Preaching and Teaching (F/S1) • We Need Resources (F/S1) • A Rabbi, A Pastor, and The Sermon on the Mount (F/S1) • Digging Deeper (F/S1) • Becoming a Teaching Church (F/S2) • Learning to Read the Gospels…Again (F/S2)

Parents • Justice and Peacemaking Mission Community – Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Proactive Parents/Proactive Church (T/S1) • Socially Speaking – Youth, Parents and Social Media (F/S1, F/S2) • Ministry and Motherhood: A Divine Duet (or Thoughts on Being Reverend Mom) (F/S1, F/S2)

Leadership • Setting Deacons Free (F/S1, F/S2) • Christian Formation for the 21st Century Church: Disciple Development Coaching (F/S1, F/S2) • Casting Wide Nets: Intentional Inclusion through Church Music and Worship (F/S2) • Current Trends facing Congregations: We’re Not Dead Yet (F/S2)

Religious/Cultural • Accommodating Religious Practice in a Pluralistic Society (T/S1) 6 Connections / June 2013

Business Breakout I: 2013-2014 CBF budget (T/S1) Business Breakout II: 2012 Task Force Report implementation (T/S1) Business Breakout III: Changes in the CBF Constitution and Bylaws (T/S1) Business Breakout IV: Open for motions from the floor of the previous Business Session (T/S1)

Worship • Too Deep for Words: Creating Artistic Liturgies and Inspiring Rich Lives of Faith (T/S2) • CBF Festival of Young Preachers (F/S1, F/S2) • Casting Wide Nets: Intentional Inclusion through Church Music and Worship (F/S2) • Current Trends facing Congregations: We’re Not Dead Yet (F/S2)

Health/Wellness • Healthcare Mission Community (T/S1) • The Sacred Journey of Dementia (T/S2)

Spiritual Life • Spiritual Formation: The Soul of Faith and Mission (T/S1, T/S2) • Setting Deacons Free (F/S1, F/S2) • Take Me to the Water: Revisiting Believer’s Baptism Then and Now (F/S1, F/S2)

Young Baptists - Gen Y • Networking with Current (T/S2)

Social Media/Communications

• Social Media in Churches: More than Just Facebook (T/S1) • Socially Speaking – Youth, Parents and Social Media (F/S1, F/S2)

Summer Wednesday Evening Series to Feature:

T HE STORY OF JESUS

BY STEVE PRESSLEY

D

uring the past several summers we have taken a break from our multi-option, Wednesday evening adult study approach. Instead, we have gathered to enjoy dinner, followed by a group discussion of significant video presentations. Topics from previous summers have included Bruce Feiler’s “Walking the Bible”, “Good Churches/Bad Churches (the Seven Churches of Revelation)”, “Jesus–Man, Messiah or More”, “The Three Faiths of Jerusalem”, “God’s Word–the Book and the Man”, and Os Guinness’s “Why Do Bad Things Happen?”—among others.

For this summer we have chosen an intriguing study that was produced and first televised by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and Public Television in late 2011. Titled “The Story of Jesus”, this “Drama-Documentary” provides insights into (and arguments about) the message and meaning of Jesus, drawn from leading archaeologists, theologians, and historians from Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, and elsewhere.

Familiar names and faces in the video include traditional New Testament scholars such as N. T. Wright of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Dr. Ben Witherington of Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. Meanwhile, the 20 total commentators also feature perspectives from leading Jewish voices, as well as critical biblical scholars representing diverse points-of-view.

A high-quality, visually-attractive production, “The Story of Jesus” is representative of documentaries that are produced by secular sources and aired usually around Easter or Christmas. It illustrates the ways in which the figure of Jesus continues to be compelling, even among skeptical scholars. As such, it should provide plenty of conversational “grist for the grinding.”

Our summer Wednesday series will begin June 5 and continue through July 31 (with the exception of June 19) at 6 pm on Wednesday nights in the Fellowship Hall. (There will be no Wednesday meals or studies during August.)

A Profile of FBC Divinity Student Sara Beth Pannell

BY SARA BETH PANNELL

G

reetings, FBC Family! I can hardly believe that two years of Divinity School has flown by so quickly. But what an amazing adventure it has been! As a lifelong Tar Heel and UMC alumna, it still surprises me every time I tell someone I’m a Duke student. I usually follow-up with a joke about being in “enemy territory” as Tar Heel amidst the Blue Devils, but I am happy to report that my deep sense of rivalry has diminished a bit over the past two years. I like to think it’s the Holy Spirit at work.

Aside from basketball rivalry, Duke Divinity School has proven to be truly transformational in my life and in my call to ministry. Lots of folks warned me before I started Divinity School, that the workload would be intense. After two years of classes, I wholeheartedly agree with them. Having never studied Religion before Divinity School, the past two years have been the most academically rigorous of my life. The blessing within that, however, is that I have learned more than I could ever describe.

I’ve learned to read the Gospels in their original Greek language. I have delved into the depths of the Holy Trinity and studied the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry. I have read everything from writings of the ancient church mothers and fathers to 21st century approaches to evangelism. The greatest lesson all the studying and the reading and the writing has taught me, however, is that the more I learn about God, the more I realize how little I know about God. God is over all things, through all things, and in all things. And it is a gift to catch a glimpse of God’s glory as a student.

The greatest learning for me, however, has taken place outside of the classroom. Duke Divinity School requires students to participate in two Field Education placements. Last summer, I was an intern at a United Methodist Church in Pembroke, NC. This year, I’ve served in a UMC congregation in Pittsboro, NC and I will stay there through the summer. Through these Field Education placements, I’ve had the opportunity to preach, teach an Adult Sunday School class, participate in leading worship, coordinate Vacation Bible School, visit homebound members of the church, lead youth programming, help cast a vision for a congregation, and simply walk alongside brothers and sisters in Christ through their journeys in life and faith.

In the past two years, I’ve also sought to see and to learn about the realities that our Church and our world face today. I have attended workshops on suicide prevention and domestic violence. I have volunteered with a ministry that serves adults with developmental disabilities and experiencing their hospitality gives me a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. I have visited Farm Worker Camps in eastern NC and listened to the stories of Hispanic Farm Workers who pick our families’ food, but barely earn enough to feed their own families. I have seen the brokenness of our world and witnessed God’s redemption at work.

In the classroom, in the church, and beyond the church, I have learned more than I could have ever imagined two years ago. I am excited for what my last year at Divinity School will bring and for the places and people to whom God will call me when I graduate.

I

June 2013 / Connections 7

Connect with Adults

New Library Books BY TERESA ALLEN MAIN LIBRARY Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton– A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913 and arrives with nothing but a small suitcase and a book of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dock master and his wife and raised as their own. On her 21st birthday, they tell her the truth, and “Nell” sets out to trace her real identity. It’s not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled.

•Colossians (Smyth & Helwys Bible commentary) by Nijay K. Gupta •Go Out On a Limb: That’s Where the Fruit Is! By Jennie Beal Counts (FBC Member) •The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom •The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

CHILDREN’S LIBRARY The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds– Vashti believes she cannot draw, but her art teacher’s encouragement leads her to change her mind.

•The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller •I Want To Be by Thylias Moss •The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Join Us on a Day Trip to See

SHOW BOAT Thursday, June 13 at Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, Wytheville, VA Show Boat is a journey into the lives, loves, and heartbreaks of show folks on the mighty Mississippi river. This Tony Award-winner features the musical highlights Make Believe, Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, and of course Ol’ Man River. Cost is $49/person. Leave FBC at 9 am/return at 6:30 pm.

Everyone Is Invited! To sign up, contact Dolly Chesson, swchesson1@gmail. com /545.7712 or Monica Vaughan, edwinv550@aol.com / 323.0335.

Sign-up online - “Events” link on FBC website: www.fbcgso.org

Connect with Business An Update from the Bylaws Review Committee On behalf of the Bylaws Review Committee, I would like to thank you for your support and participation during the recent May 19 Information Session. Please keep in mind the following upcoming and important dates: •Wednesday, June 5 – Information Session #2 (the same information will be presented during this session as was presented on May 19) •Sunday, June 9 – Formal presentation of Bylaws revisions during regular church conference. Copies of the revisions will be made available for the membership during this time.

•Wednesday, June 19 – Bylaws Discussion Session. 108, 5:45 pm.

•Sunday, June 30 – Bylaws Discussion Session. 108, 5 pm.

•Sunday, July 14 – Membership vote on proposed revisions in a called church conference during the morning worship.

Again, we appreciate your support and please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions or need additional information.

William Waters, Chairperson –Bylaws Review Committee

Actions Taken in the May 19 Church Conference Two motions were passed by the membership: 1) The Building and Grounds Committee, with the approval of the Finance Committee, requests the expenditure of up to $5,100 to refresh the Chapel through painting and new flooring in the foyer area. The funds will come from the Major Maintenance Account.

2) The Great Commission Fund Committee, with the approval of the Finance Committee, requests the expenditure of $1,000 to help fund a trip for Lesley-Ann Hix to work in Chile during the summer. The purpose of this trip will be to help establish a women’s Bible Study, work with youth groups, and do volunteer work at a children’s home. The funds will come from the Great Commission Fund.

Also brought before the membership on May 19: Deacon Chair, Dr. Laura Lomax reported on action taken by the Building and Grounds Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Deacons concerning the Adam Street house owned by the church. Although these bodies affirmed a plan of spending up to $80,000 on the renovation of the property so that the house could be used as missionary housing, Dr. Lomax acknowledged the need to appoint an ad hoc committee to further study various possibilities for the property.

While affirming Building and Grounds diligence in examining the options available, this newly appointed group will be given an additional few months to give focused attention on how this house can be folded into the broader mission efforts of our congregation.

April Financial Update

April 2013

Receipts for the month of April were down significantly from last year and nearly $45,000 below budget expectation. Hopefully, this result is related to timing issues in gift giving patterns. Encouragingly, the first two weeks of giving in May have been above average, and the Finance Committee will continue to monitor our overall progress as we prepare over the summer to enter in to next year’s budget season. Overall spending remains below budget, and thus, the cash flow of the church is about normal for this time of the year.

Receipts & Distributions

8 Connections / June 2013

Actual

Budget

Last Year

$95,859

$130,253

$159,105

YTD Budget Receipts

$539,427 $584,307

$589,145

YTD Budget Disbursements

$545,118 $582,087

$522,490

YTD Differential

($5,691)

April Budget Receipts

$2,220

$66,655

Kids’ Connections Coming Up for Kids this Summer at FBC...

BY VIRGINIA REYNOLDS

Hurdle Celebration Assembly: Sunday, June 2, room 223, 9 am. Parents/children (grades 2-5) are invited to join the Sunday School teachers for a time of recognition and celebration. A light breakfast will be served.

5th/6th Grade Fun-in: Friday, June 7, Gym/Café, 6:30-11 pm. As children begin 6th grade, they make the big jump from children to youth. Having mastered this great chasm, the 6th graders are invited to come and share their newly acquired wisdom with our 5th grade graduates. This is a time for relationship building, Bible exploration, and lots of fun. Friends are invited to join in if they are currentt 5th or 6th graders. Contact Virginia Reynolds to RSVP by June 5 if you can come. A pizza dinner starts off the evening at 6:30!

0!

BIBLE Camp: June 17-21. Children will engage in Bible study, missions projects, crafts, games, and more. BIBLE Camp iss designed for children ages 3 (last Fall) through those completing the 5th grade. Registration is now available for FBC families for only $10/child. Adult and youth volunteers are needed to help lead teachers in the young children classrooms. s.

Deadline for registering for Bible Camp is June 7. To sign up: Virginia Reynolds (274.3286, x241/ virginia@fbcgso.org).

Youth Connections

Some Reflections On Youth

BY STEVE COTHRAN

S

ometimes they just stare at you. The next moment they won’t stop talking. And if they do, it’s usually because they think you can’t see they are now texting the same friend they were just talking to across the room. Teenagers can be rude, immature, and frustrating.

They can also blow us away with brilliance and promise on a Youth Sunday or a Mission Trip. Then they can startle us with stupidity and impulsiveness that can have consequences ranging from being grounded to being buried underground, all provoking our cries of “What were you thinking?!?”

They hear that question as anger. They’ll only realize it comes more from fear of losing them—fear that they might not live to adulthood and when they can also look back and repeat in amazement: “What was I thinking?!?”

They weren’t thinking anymore than you or I were thinking when we were their age. I read about high-speed car crashes or other thoughtless decisions killing teens and remember my own near-death experiences during the storm of hormones and unknowns called adolescence and I wonder how any of us survived.

It was God’s grace and God’s graceful guides.

Sunday School teachers like Jim and Peggy Morgan, Johnny DeLoach, David Watson, and Youth Minister Bill Wilson prepared weekly to battle Bible boredom and put up with half-interested and hardly halfway humorous teens like me. Forget car crashes. How those teachers avoided what could have been ruled “justifiable homicide” on my friends and me is real

proof that God still works miracles.

It is also proof that God has a sense of humor. I imagine God chuckling at the frustrations of my youth leaders back then, and when they need a smile in their retirement years, God reminds them Galatians 6:7 says, “You reap what you sow.” They smile in their rest-home rocking chairs imagining me trying to maintain the attention of 40 clones of my own teenage self, and the staff at the Sunday School Saints Senior Citizen Center wonders why they have all suddenly started laughing uncontrollably.

And now I’m laughing uncontrollably because I have made it sound like working with teenagers is a punishment. Actually, I can’t imagine anything farther from the truth!

Teenagers are wonderful! Despite the fact that they think they know everything, they are still inquisitive. They are sponges, soaking up everything that comes their way. They are desperately searching for meaning and purpose. And the greatest privilege of my life and those who volunteer their time with youth at FBC is that we get to be part of that search, pointing them toward the love of God in Jesus Christ that gives all of our lives meaning and purpose.

I love working with teenagers because most of them haven’t yet learned how to say, “We’ve never done it that way before!”

They are malleable, eager, and excited, and the adolescent years are a crucial time in life. Studies show 90% of people making a decision to follow Jesus do so before their teen years are over.

I can’t think of anything more important!

How about you?

FBC youth are getting ready for summer and these upcoming events...

BIBLE Camp, June 17-21 / Summer Missions Week, June 24-28 / Unidiversity, July 22-27 June 2013 / Connections 9

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)

Responding to the Invitation on April 21 Janice Grannum (By Statement)

Responding to the Invitation on April 28

Lauren Worsley (By Profession of Faith and Baptism)

Have you noticed? BY KELLY STEPHENS Information boards have changed . . .

For several years, there have been information boards in the building - - outside the main office, in the Children’s wing, and in the Atrium. We hope you have noticed them as a place to pick up brochures, newsletters, important documents from Finance and Deacons, etc. These boards are constantly changing so take notice each time you pass by. Check out the recently updated information board outside the church office– it is divided into three sections: • FBC News will continue to have newsletters, brochures, and documents about life at FBC. • New Member Information is for you to put the names with the faces of our newest members so that you will recognize them as you pass by them in the building and greet them with warm hospitality.

• Community News will be a place to let you know of important things that are happening in the Greensboro community.

FBC June Birthdays Welcome New Baby Boy!

William George Hardy Born: April 24 Proud Parents: William and Shannon McGwire Hardy Proud FBC Grandparents: John and Christy Hardy

Bereaved •The family of Frank Taylor, on May 15 •The family of Steve Santmeyers, on May 12

College Birthdays Will Wooten June 16 2905 Northampton Drive Greensboro, NC 27408-6014 wootenw@live.unc.edu Tori Vaughan June 24 5274 UNCG Station Greensboro, NC 27413-1049 torieurope@yahoo.com 10 Connections / June 2013

1: Abigail Cranford, Curtis Parker 2: Fran Connell, Lynne Greene, Thom Little, Charlie Patterson, Billie Reeves, Michael Walker 3: Clara Jennings, Johnny Jones, Landon Schneider, David Stephens 4: Nathan Hill, D. C. Thompson 5: Teresa Allen, Pam Key, Vicki Morgan 6: Nanci Alford, Ginny Barnes, Hilary Leonard, Rick Randleman, Kay Smith 7: Avery Howerton, Robert Nunn, Angela Perry 8: Jolyn Kelley 9: Jenny Jennings, Christopher Rider 10: Tyler Carter, Varnell Moore, Chuck Sample, Kathy Setchfield, Polly Snow 11: Phyllis Sykes 12: Eddie Morrow, Dickie Payne 13: Payne Bradley, Jess Grassi, Matt Mallard, Davis Smith, Joe White 14: John Curlee, Kristy Mallard, Lindley Sample, Dot Walker, Sandy Witt 15: Jim Burch, Carolyn Case, Kathy Edwards 16: Jennifer Adams, Bunny Godfrey, Chrissie Idol, Will Wooten 17: Phillip Dunn, Lesa Vinson 18: Robert Angell, Brandon Harris, June Hicks, Jeff Perry, Ben Sutton, Rhonda Woodell 19: Yvonne Johnson 20: Hazel Macon, Stephen Stanley 21: Clara Bennett, Jennifer Frazier, Margaret Oberholtzer, Tami Payne, John Weeks 22: Dorothy Baker, Madison Mallard, John Mobley, Marilue Sheffield 23: Warren Crow, Libby Shull 24: Bryce Gardner, Martha Long, Tori Vaughan 25: Charles Hartis 26: Angie Messick, Andrew Petitt, Gilbert Wylie, Lindsay Worsley 27: Guy McCall, Carter Parham, Al Snider 28: Darlene Biffle, Rick Manning, Steve Pressley, Bill Stone 29: Eric Fisher, Clara Mason, Chartee Plyler, Bob Russell, Audrey Thompson, Kathy Troxler 30: No FBC Birthdays

June@

FBC

June Worship@FBC Sunday, June 2

•Baccalaureate Sunday.

Sanctuary, 10:30 am. A service honoring our FBC Youth graduating seniors. Details on page 3.

Thursday, June 13

Mark Down These Summer Dates:

Day Trip to see “Show Boat”.

Details on page 8.

“Seeing the Savior” Gallery Opening and Reception for the Community, 6-9 pm.

Sunday, July 21

• •

June 17 - 21

• •

NC Baptist All State Youth Choir Closing Concert. Hayes Barton Baptist Church, Raleigh, 6 pm.

Sunday, August 11

•Youth Choir Concert.

Sanctuary, 6 pm. Youth Choir and Bells will perform their year-end concert.

BIBLE Camp. 9 am - 1 pm, Monday through Friday. Details on page 9, BIBLE Camp Celebration, Thursday, June 20. 108, 6 pm.

Sunday, June 30

June 19

•Worship with Suzii Paynter.

•Bylaws Discussion Session. 108, 5:45 pm.

Sanctuary, 10:30 am.

We welcome Suzii Paynter as our pulpit guest. She is the new CBF Executive Coordinator and we are excited that she will be at FBC to share her wisdom and vision as she leads CBF.

Sunday, June 23 “Seeing the Savior” Gallery Opening and Reception for the Community, 2-5 pm.

•

Sundays@FBC

June 24 - 28

Bible Study - 9:15 am Worship - 10:30 am Guest Reception - 11:45 am (209)

Wednesday, June 5

•Youth Summer Missions Week.

Youth will spend a week of fellowship, service, and fun!

Wednesday, June 26

•Baptist Women in Ministry’s 30

th

•Bylaws Information Session . 102, 5:45 pm.

•Access Study “The Story of Jesus”

Anniversary, Celebration & Reception.

Everyone is welcome. FBC, 7 pm.

begins. 108, 6 pm. Details on page 7.

June 26 - 28

Friday, June 7

CBF General Assembly. Sheraton Hotel and Koury Convention Center.

••5 /6 th

th

Grade Fun-In. Café/Gym, 6 pm.

Sunday, June 9

•Church Conference and Cuisine. 108,

12 noon. No reservations required. $6/person– $20/family max.

Bylaws Information Session. 108, during Church Conference and Cuisine.

•

Key:

•

Sunday, June 30

• •

Worship with guest speaker Suzii Paynter. Sanctuary, 10:30 am.

Bylaws Discussion Session. 108, 5 pm.

Sorrells Family in concert followed by homemade ice cream fellowship. FBC, 6 pm.

Sunday, August 25 Baptism and BBQ at the Lake. Camp Weaver, 4-7 pm.

Wednesday Nights@FBC

•Fellowship Meal – 5 pm •Summer Access Class – 6 pm •Sanctuary Choir – 7 pm June Fellowship Meal Menus– June 5: Grilled Chicken Breast, Steamed Malibu Vegetables, and Baked Sweet Potato June 12: Bone In Pork Chop with Black Bean Salsa, Carrot Soufflé, and Broccoli Crowns June 19: Country Style Steak, Mashed Red Skin Potatoes, and Green Beans June 26: No Fellowship Meal

•Adults •All Ages •Children •Seniors •Weekday School •Worship •Youth June 2013 / Connections 11

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

A

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID GREENSBORO, NC

C I VA T R A V E L I N G E X H I B I T I O N

35 insightful and colorful interpretations masterfully portrayed by 13 artists from a variety of artistic and ethnic backgrounds.

Gallery open weekdays 10 am to 4 pm through June 30 Open Gallery Receptions: Thursday, June 13, 6-9 pm & Sunday, June 23, 2-5 pm

NO. 179