Inside: Graduate Sunday NEVER GRADUATE Why Christians Never Graduate from the Gospel!
by Will Smith
App: First Baptist Owensboro Facebook: First Baptist Owensboro Instagram: @fbcowb Twitter: @fbcowb 270.683.3505 | fbcowb.org PASTOR, Paul Strahan pstrahan@fbcowb.org ADMINISTRATION and MINISTER TO SENIOR ADULTS Bob Farmer bfarmer@fbcowb.org
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Connect with Paul
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God @ Work (ApParent Privilege)
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Connect with... Recreation and College
MINISTER OF DISCIPLESHIP Wesley Dunn wdunn@fbcowb.org
Senior Adults and Administration Worship
MINISTER TO CHILDREN Suzie Horner shorner@fbcowb.org MINISTER TO STUDENTS and MISSIONS Will Smith wsmith@fbcowb.org
Discipleship 8
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INTERIM RECREATION and COLLEGE Brent Phillips bphillips@fbcowb.org MINISTER OF MUSIC Derry Billingsley dbillingsley@fbcowb.org PRESCHOOL and WOMEN’S MINISTRY COORDINATOR Cheryl Goss cgoss@fbcowb.org OFFICE MANAGER Judi West jwest@fbcowb.org ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Michele Burton mburton@fbcowb.org Susan Dant sdant@fbcowb.org Maeghan Adams madams@fbcowb.org FINANCIAL SUPERVISOR Barbara Wright bwright@fbcowb.org
Never Graduate
Why Christians Never Graduate from the Gospel! By Will Smith
Connect with... Preschool and Women’s Ministry Children Graduate Recognition
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FOM (Sunrise Children’s Services)
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East Asia by Will Smith
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Connect For Future Generations
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Calendar of Events
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Connect with One Another
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)
Discipleship and Evangelism are inseparable. You really can’t have one without the other. In Matthew 28, the Great Commission, we are commanded to “go and make disciples”. The truth is that you cannot make a disciple without that person having been evangelized. We must first come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and then the discipling process begins. Just recently I shared a message on Personal Evangelism and emphasized the responsibility of every follower of Jesus Christ! Thom Rainer, President of LifeWay, in a blog entitled “Obstacles to Evangelism in the Local Church”, gives the following main reasons Christians do not evangelize:
Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people. Many Christians and church members do not befriend and spend time with lost persons. Many Christians and church members are lazy and apathetic. We are more known for what we are against than what we are for. Our churches have an ineffective evangelistic strategy of “you come” rather than “we go”. Many church members think that evangelism is the role of the pastor and paid staff. Church membership today is more about getting my needs met rather than reaching the lost. Church members are in a retreat mode as culture becomes more worldly and unbiblical. Many church members don’t really believe that Christ is the only way of salvation. Our churches are no longer houses of prayer equipped to reach the lost. Churches have lost their focus on making disciples who will thus be equipped and motivated to reach the lost. Christians do not want to share the truth of the gospel for fear they will offend others. Political correctness is too commonplace even among Christians. Most churches have unregenerate members who have not received Christ themselves. Our churches have too many activities; they are too busy to do the things that really matter.
I also shared some ways of turning our conversations into a spiritual conversation of the gospel. Dr. Adam Greenway, Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry provided these to one of his evangelism classes. These are very helpful as we seek to be witnesses to the world. Bridges to the Gospel A conversation technique designed to transition from a secular conversation to a Gospel conversation.
Church bridge- “Were you brought up in a particular religious tradition?” or “what does your church believe about how one goes to Heaven?” Personal experience bridge- “What is your current level of interest in spiritual things?” or “where are you in your own search for purpose and meaning in your life?” Intellectual bridge- “Has anyone ever shared with you about what the Bible teaches about _________________ (any subject)?” or “is there a specific question or concern that is hanging you up in your spiritual journey?” Personal opinion bridge- “In your opinion, what is a Christian?” (Be ready for a candid response!) or “in your opinion, what does it take for someone to go to Heaven?” or “what do you think about ___________?” We must be interested in them, not ourselves! Current issues bridge- “What does the Bible say about __________ (any current issue)?” Sports bridge- “Did you know that _________ (fill in with Christian athlete, like Stephen Curry) is a Christian?” Use caution with this—make sure the athlete you are choosing lives a Christ-honoring life. Prayer bridge- “Is there something I can pray for you about?” Felt needs bridge- Use in order to show the Gospel meets our deepest need. “I still have problems too, but having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is changing how I handle those problems.” Relationship bridge- “We’ve been friends for awhile. I’d like to share with you about my spiritual journey.” Are we more worried about protecting & preserving the friendship at all costs, or truly loving God and them by sharing with them their greatest need, the Gospel?
How have you seen God @ Work in your life through the ApPa Parents have the greatest privilege of their lives literally in front of them everyday: their children. Pointing their children to Christ, modeling faith, encouraging with words, and showing unfailing love isn’t a burden. It’s a privilege. ApParent Privilege is a seminar offered at FBC that arms parents with biblical understandings and up-to-theminute research to show them the unparalleled opportunity they have to be the primary influence of their children. It gives parents a biblical view of parenting, answering questions and concerns we all have, and helping them understand how Christian parenting must become more than taking your children to church. Here is what parents who have attended have to say… Andrew & Donna DePasquale For us, the Holy Spirit used the parenting seminar as an opportunity to convict us to hold regular worship as a couple, and show us where we needed to grow, as individuals and in our marriage, in order to set gospelcentered priorities for Isabella. The seminar helped to expound on our understanding of our role and responsibility as parents to disciple our child while giving practical ways to do so. Since attending we have increased our family worship time as a couple. We read the Bible to Isabella in preparation for when she is old enough to start understanding it and to make it a habit for our family. We really enjoyed being able to see how Wes and Julie have family worship time and how we will be able to modify it to work for our family. We enjoyed the emphasis put on the simplicity of family worship and how to keep practical expectations of this time. Seeing Godly discipline modeled from various families throughout the seminar was beneficial in helping us to shape how to handle this important aspect of parenting. Also, we found the amount of Scripture that was used in the seminar to be valuable both as a resource and as a reminder of the basis for Godly parenting. The daily practices given provided many beneficial and insightful ideas for encouraging our child to learn more about Christ in daily life rather than simply while at church. Jarrett Horton & Tonya Barnes I'd like to begin by saying that I am grateful to attend a church that cares about the future of our children as much as FBC. Our decision to attend FBC and become members began with seeing just how much the church wants its members’ children to come to know Christ. Going through the ApParent Privilege weekend was great for Tonya and I for multiple reasons. First, it reinforced FBC's commitment to our children. Secondly, it was nice to see that others in the church knew that they, like Tonya
and I, need reminders and guidance on how to parent from a biblical viewpoint. I think for me, the takeaway from the weekend is that in God's Word we see that raising our children according to His design is commanded. Not only is it commanded, but the "how to" is also provided to us. Jeremy & Kristin Shiflet I know for me, seeing the Alexanders, the Smiths, and the Dunns model a typical family worship was what stood out the most because it showed me how I was missing the mark. And while that may sound bad, it provided me with the insight on things I could do to lead my family better. It also showed me that there is no "perfect" or singular way to be Christian parents. As long as Christ is at the center of your home and you have each other, you can see what an honor and privilege it is to raise our children. The Parenting Seminar was a great experience for us as a couple. God really opened our hearts to the understanding that we, as Alex's parents, are the ones charged with pointing our daughter to Christ. We learned to be more intentional about how we share the Gospel with Alex, how we parent, and how we live our daily lives. At this stage in our family's life, we are holding short devotionals in the evening before bedtime. It was so beneficial to see how the Dunns worship together as a family. Neither of us grew up in households where this occurred, and it was so inspiring to see family worship in action. There are so many resources on how to be "good parents", but the Parenting Seminar really opened our hearts to focus on raising Alex the way that God intended through a biblical model. We began to put more thought into ways to be intentional and creative in teaching Alex and realized how essential consistency is for us all. We are so grateful for the Parenting Seminar and we look forward to putting more of the ideas into practice as our family grows together in faith and maturity. Josh & Katie Albers When Josh and I attended the ApParent Privilege Parenting Seminar we had a 5-year-old son, a 3-year-old daughter, and a second daughter on the way. We had already been parenting for a little while, but we felt the pressure of raising godly kids in a very fallen world, and so we were eager to hone our skills. We came away from that weekend realizing that Christian parenting is all about modeling the life of a follower of Jesus. Our kids imitate our behavior, for better or for worse. Josh
arent Privilege Seminar? loves to watch Star Trek and root for the St. Louis Cardinals, so Lance loves to watch Star Trek and root for the St. Louis Cardinals. I tend to break out into song randomly just for fun, so Mallory sings about everything too. They repeat our phrases and our mannerisms and participate in our hobbies, mimicking every bit of us that they see. Apparent Privilege made us realize that we needed to take advantage of their interest in us to shape their spiritual lives as well. Before the seminar, we prayed together at meal times, but our personal prayers were made silently or during private times. We read kid versions of Bible stories to them, but we studied the Bible for ourselves while the kids were asleep. We faithfully took them to church, but it had not occurred to us to include them in our personal times of worship with God. We thought that by spending time with God when the kids were busy or asleep that we could be more responsive to their needs, but what they really need to see is that our true priority is not meeting every one of their desires, but meeting every desire of our God! We are now making efforts to let our kids witness us glorifying God. They see us reading the Bible and they want to read it too. They hear us praising God in the good and the bad, and they want to find the positive in life too. They know that our main job on this earth is to glorify God because Josh and I do our best to model that mission to them every day.
Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” This passage says that it
Brock & Kendal Quinton Prior to becoming parents in February 2015, we attended the Parenting Seminar. We had a clean slate when it came to parenting, and we wanted to start this journey focused on God and focused on raising Tate in a God-centered home. We understood that simply taking Tate to church on Sundays and Wednesdays was not enough. Although we both grew up in Christian homes, we never experienced daily family worship. After attending the class and seeing examples of family worship, we began reading the Bible, praying, and singing hymns with Tate. We still continue to this day. This is a time that our entire family enjoys. Tate enjoys reading and singing with Mommy and Daddy each night before bed. Most importantly, our family worship has helped us to grow in our faith and prayer life and demonstrates to Tate how to pray. When we pray, we pray through Scripture, which has helped us to become focused and specific in our prayers. As parents, our greatest prayer is for Tate to one day accept Christ as his personal Savior. Attending the Parenting Seminar helped us to begin our parenting journey focused on God and on that goal. The seminar also helped us to realize what a privilege we have to raise Tate to walk with the Lord.
is the church’s job to equip parents, especially in this day and age where the family is under attack. We must equip, support, encourage, and join forces with parents like never before.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SERVE Pray about where you can serve for the Family Pavilion at the BBQ Festival. For those of you who are new to
FAMILY PAVILION
@ the BBQ Festival Saturday, May 14 10am-5pm
FBC or Owensboro, the BBQ Festival is a major event in our city. Our downtown will be full of people, including
locals
and
out-of-town
guests. For those who have been around a while, you know that FBC’s Family Pavilion is a fun, free, familyfriendly area. It has been exciting to see an average of 500 families attend our event each year. We look forward to serving by providing activities for our community and visitors. Specific opportunities to
serve
include:
registration,
clowns, face painting, prayer tent, balloon technicians, and inflatable helpers. There is a place for everyone to serve.
Inflatables, Rides, Face Painting, and more... Volunteer now at fbcowb.org and click on church life.
PHASE II PROJECT One year ago we embarked on a journey to give you a compelling reason why we needed to renovate the 1920’s building and to connect the Christian Life Center with the main building. The PERA Committee provided sessions with the congregation to give information about the project, as well as entertain any question they may have had. The committee met several times after the sessions to process the questions and concerns from the congregation and made adjustments to the project. After much prayer and discernment, the committee moved forward with the scale of the project and gave approval to RBS Design Group to complete the design phase of the project. RBS Design Group completed the design phase of the project at the end of March and sent out the bid documents to a group of invited contractors. The deadline to receive the bids is May 3. Included in this article is a timeline for church approval of Phase II. Please be in prayer as we seek God’s will for our church in this important matter. We want to give you an opportunity to ask questions before the called church business meeting on Sunday, May 15. There will be an opportunity to meet with the PERA Committee and Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 11 at 12 noon during the Prayer Meeting time or at 5:30 p.m. We will also be recommending the financial plan for the project at the called business meeting. A sub-committee of the Finance Committee has been working diligently to present a recommendation to the church for the project. This committee includes Becky Whitehead, Dave Roberts, Steve Marshall, Jim Ruth, and Bob Farmer.
mation where everyone will be located in reference to SS space. This transition will require all of us to be flexible and patient. There are a few changes we can give you to this point. Where will the church offices be located during the construction? Church offices and reception area will be in the West Chapel area. There will be four staff members located on the 3rd floor of the 1960’s building. The main office door will be the west alley door. What will happen to parking? Parking in the back lot next to the CLC will not be available during construction. We will have some parking in the large lot at the corner of Daviess and 3rd Street. We are also working with Malcolm Bryant for some additional parking in the Commerce Center/Chase Bank lot closer to J.R. Miller Blvd. Street parking will continue to have 2-hour parking around our church property. Where will everyone be on Sunday mornings? We will use the CLC to its fullest capacity. Our plans are to keep everyone on our campus during the construction phase. Wes Dunn will be sharing this information with you in the very near future. We will be sharing more information with you as we move forward.
May 3
PHASE II – TIMELINE Bid Opening – RBS Design Group – 2:00 p.m.
May 3
PERA Committee Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
May 4
Trustee’s Meeting – 5:30 p.m.
May 6
Finance Committee Meeting – 7:00 a.m. Includes approval of Construction Bid and Banking/Loan Services. Send Recommendation to Deacons for Approval.
May 8
Mother’s Day Worship (No Evening Service)
I am confident God will continue to be faithful to us during this time and He will lead us in a way that would honor Him and glorify His name. PROJECT TRANSITION In the coming weeks we will be challenged to completely move out of the 1920’s building to prepare for the upcoming construction and renovation. If everything goes according to schedule and the church approves the project on May 15th, we will be required to be completely out of the building by May 21st to prepare for the abatement phase of the project. We will need a large group of volunteers to help with the moving phase of this project. We will be updating you with a schedule in the very near future of how we will organize the moving phase. We will also be sharing infor-
May 10 Called Deacons’ Meeting – 7:00 p.m. Includes approval of Construction Bid and approval of Banking/Loan Services. May 11
Information Meetings 12 noon and 5:30 p.m.
May 15 Special Called Business Meeting – Morning Services. Includes Deacon/PERA Committee Recommendation of Construction Bid and approval of Banking/Loan Services.
LA-55: We will have our next BLT on Thursday, May 26. Please contact Susan Dant to register for this event (sdant@fbcowb.org).
“Derry, you must know two things: you are now a singer, and you will never ‘arrive’.” Those were the words of my coach during my first ever voice lesson as a freshman in college. During my days in high school, I knew that I wanted to make a living somehow through music, but it wasn’t in music ministry or singing. My first interest was in music therapy, and I was on scholarship playing an instrument at Memphis State (now the University of Memphis). When I realized God was leading me into music ministry, specifically leading others in worship, I felt I needed to learn how to sing. I moved to a different school and began a different major. It was a bit intimidating. I had never had a voice lesson in my life, and I was to give a thirty minute recital at some point before I graduated. In the months before that recital, I learned the basics of what I needed to know to sing well. It was a shocking revelation! You see, as an instrumentalist, I used to scoff condescendingly
at vocalists when they spoke of how hard it was to sing well. I used to think, “Now really, how hard can it be to sing? Just get up there and do it.” The scoffing stopped during my first lesson. You see, more goes into singing well than you might think, a whole lot more. Seemingly little things like how you stand and breathe make a significant difference. I found out that singing was multitasking to the extreme…patting your head while rubbing your stomach while hopping on one leg. Throughout my entire college experience, my coach was there to encourage and remind me that I was already a singer, and that I would never feel a sense of arrival. I would always feel like I had more to learn. She was right. When graduation day came, I was more aware of the fact that I had so much more work to do as a singer, and I continue to feel that way to this day. My teacher’s words of wisdom also apply to the believer’s walk on earth. As a follower of Christ, I will al-
ways have a sense that there is more to learn. Each day God encourages me to rest in the comfort of what He has already revealed to me: He loves me, and has shown this love through the death and resurrection of Christ. He permits access to His resurrection power, and has promised to never leave me. He loves me as I am, and loves me enough not to leave me that way. I definitely don’t feel that I’ve arrived. Each day I learn more of Christ and His nature. It is a challenging and beautiful place to be, and I am grateful to be in the process. Now that I think about it, my vocal coach’s advice eventually breaks down when applied to the Christ-centered walk.
The follower of Christ does finally arrive… it’s called Heaven.
nary for impressing upon our hearts is this: We never move beyond the gospel…as lofty as our studies might get, our foundation must always be in the gospel of Jesus Christ!
REFLECTIONS FROM OUR SEMINARY JOURNEY This month marks my graduation from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. With this event happening, it has caused me to reflect on “the journey” through seminary. It began in 2010 when FBC graciously sent us off from Owensboro. We honestly thought we had said our final goodbyes to this city and FBC, having no clue what God would lay before us at the conclusion of our time in Louisville. Little did we know at the time that His plan was for us to turn around two years later and end up right back at FBC! ACADEMICS The first two academic years I was a full-time student while Julie served as a teacher in Shelby County. The Lord’s provision for this time of our life was so evident as we look back. When we returned, I served full-time here and transitioned to part-time student work. Having completed 2/3 of the degree in less than two years, the Lord taught me more than what was in my books as I moved into the part-time student role. Patience and endurance were foremost life lessons. I longed to finish quickly, but the Lord used the final four years as a teaching moment in life. The work over these years has been difficult and challenging, but has grown me in the Lord and life in ways that I could not have imagined. I have never read or written so much in my life as I have in the past few years of seminary! In addition, Julie was able to attend Seminary Wives classes during our time on campus, and the Lord used these in a mighty way for her growth at the same time! One thing that I thank Southern Semi-
SUPPORT & ENCOURAGEMENT During these years, the family of FBC has supported and encouraged us in so many ways, and we cannot say thanks enough! Many folks helped us pack and move to Louisville initially. Denny & Lee Waldroup allowed us to live in their home twice (before moving and when we came back). Several sent cards of encouragement while we were on campus. Most notably we received gift cards from people like Rob & Jan Carlton so that we could go out to eat (a rare opportunity in seminary life!). Others came and visited and stayed with us and treated us to meals while there (Woody & Leigh Ann Maglinger…Kent & Danya Moore…and others). On top of that, I received scholarship money from FBC during my education, which was made possible by you! Even beyond that, I only paid 50% tuition fees because that is the format for students that are Southern Baptist. That is made possible through Cooperative Program giving, which means that you contributed further to my education by giving to the FBC budget, which then gave to CP! For all of this, we are grateful.
From 2010 to 2016, many changes have happened for our family. We left as just the two of us, and now we are a family of four! We have grown numerically, but the depth of our family relationships is greater than at the beginning as well. The Lord has used circumstances and biblical teaching to grow us in our relationship with Him, as a married couple, and as parents. We praise God for His molding and shaping through these years. Amidst all the changes, He has remained faithful & constant! TO MY WIFE Thank you for your consistent encouragement and support through this journey! Thank you for humoring me by listening to me go on and on about all the new things I was learning in classes and reading to you out loud from books you probably didn’t want to hear from after a long day of working! TO THE CHURCH Thank you for your consistent prayers, support, and encouragement. Please know that we love you and are grateful to be serving the Lord alongside of you in Owensboro! Don’t forget to continue praying for others that are preparing through education for future Kingdom work!
CHANGES
Wesley, Julie, Elliot & Lillie Dunn
I hated middle school. High school wasn’t as bad,
tians (Acts 8:1-3). Who can forget the murder of Ste-
but I still didn’t like it. As much as I disliked middle
phen (Acts 7:54-60)? Angry men drag him out of the
school and high school, I loved college. I loved it so
city and began to stone him. And there is Saul,
much that I had planned to take a four year Youth
standing in approval. Not only standing in approval,
Ministry degree and stretch it to a five year degree.
but also being the coat rack. I envision Paul standing
That would give me an extra year to hone my ping
around watching these men throwing stones and
pong skills in the student center. However, that all
realizing that their “fastball” is being hindered by their
changed when I met a beautiful Texas girl who was
outer cloaks. So as the men come running to throw
on the four year degree plan. After a couple of sum-
stones, Saul asks each one of them for their cloak so
mer classes and 19 hours my final semester, I gradu-
they can get more velocity as they throw. Fortunate-
ated on time with a Youth Ministry degree and a
ly, that is not the end of the story. In Acts 9, Saul is
wicked ping pong forehand. When we are in school
changed by the grace of God. The Gospel. He turns
we look forward to graduation. It means the comple-
from a Prosecutor to a Defender. Just as the Gospel
tion of something. It means no more papers, no more
changed Paul, it changes us. It isn’t something that
book reviews, no more tests. It means that we can
we “graduate” from.
read what we want to read. Our time is not dictated by classwork or labs. It is the closing of one part of our
Paul later wrote to the church in Colosse encourag-
lives and the beginning of another.
ing them to “continue living in him” (Colossians 2:6, NIV). This should be a reminder to us that our faith is
The Christian life is far different. The Gospel changes
not “theological creed only; it is also a lifestyle of
us. We will never graduate from the effects of the
faith”. The word “live” translated in the NIV is the
Gospel, at least not this side of heaven. Being a Chris-
word “walk” in the original language. John MacAr-
tian isn't something we do, it is an endeavor. It
thur writes that “walking in Christ means living in union
changes us. The Apostle Paul is a prime example of
with Him. It means to maintain a lifestyle patterned
this. Pre-conversion, Paul (Saul) was a staunch de-
after His. ‘The one who says he abides in Him,’ the
fender of Judaism and a vicious persecutor of Chris-
apostle John writes, ‘ought himself to walk in the
NEVER GRADUATE Why Christians Never Graduate from the Gospel! by Will Smith
same manner as He walked’ (1 John 2:6).” The desire of
the ascent. It wasn’t long before I was sucking air like an
every Christian should echo the words of the hymn “O
out-of-shape Youth Guy. My heart kept screaming at
to Be Like Thee”:
me, reminding me that this is something my heart and I do not do. It wasn’t long before my legs teamed up
O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
with my heart and began to ridicule me. The next thing I
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
knew, I was crawling up The Great Wall of China being
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
passed by little children and the elderly. Several times
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
throughout this endeavor I remember sitting on the steps of the Wall thinking, “I can’t do this! This is ridicu-
The goal of every Christian is to have the image of
lous! You were just passed by a lady with a cane!” How-
Christ stamped deeply on our hearts. This happens
ever, after a couple of hours and a little bit of embar-
when we continually “walk” in Him. Though the road
rassment, I reached the top. It was here at the end that
may be difficult, the reward is great. If you ever happen
you can look down and see what you have accom-
to get stranded in Beijing I would recommend killing
plished. The reward was worth the effort. The Christian
some time and heading out to the Great Wall of China.
life is not different. There will be ups and downs. Good
The most popular section of the Wall is Badaling. It is
times and bad times. But through it all we are to “walk
here that you find the tallest point on the Great Wall.
in Him”. Christians never "graduate" from the Gospel. At
While standing at the bottom, you cannot see the top
the end of our “walk” may we hear the voice of Jesus
of the wall due to other sections of the wall. I remember
say “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
looking at the highest point I could see and saying “That doesn’t look that tall…I’m gonna “rock this wall”. A few minutes later I was at the “top” only to look up and truly see the top. I wasn't even close to the top. As a matter of fact, I had moved up the first section so quickly that I was already exhausted. However, I was there and I was going to complete it. So I trekked out again and began
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Church Family, It has been an honor to serve, pray, and walk with all of you! God has blessed me in so many ways during my time at FBC. I have gained much needed ministry knowledge as well as beautiful relationships with all of you. Several years ago I had the opportunity to stand at the pulpit and share with you how God was calling me into ministry and how I was stepping out of my comfort zone to make sure I was fully following God’s will. That step took me into leading our women and preschool over the past several years. During my time here at FBC, I knew He was calling me in deeper, but I patiently prayed and waited for Him. Most of you know the passion I have for women and sharing God’s love with them. God has opened doors for me to be able to grow this passion so I am once again stepping out of my comfort zone to see where He leads. February 2016, I finalized paperwork for a non-profit ministry called Connecting Ministries. This organization will exist to equip and empower individuals to live out God’s word. This will be done through consulting, biblical counseling, and women’s conferences. We will work with churches, individuals, and other non-profits in offering tools and resources to grow their faith. We will offer parenting classes, marriage classes, and consulting in women’s ministry and discipleship. Connecting Ministries will also offer counseling to local organizations like Care Net, Friends of Sinners, and other non-profits. This resource will be available to the organization’s clients and staff for little or no charge. We will also offer women’s events throughout the year and conferences for women to attend. The conferences will be held in Owensboro and other states, and will be a place and time where we can come together with all denominations, races, and backgrounds to worship our Lord and Savior.
ApParent Privilege Sunday, May 15 & May 22 4:30 p.m. Room 202 Apparent Privilege will arm parents with Biblical understanding and up-to-theminute research to show them the unparalleled opportunity they have to be the primary influence on their children. CHILDCARE PROVIDED
Our prayer is to not only reach the lost, but to also reach women who want a deeper relationship with Him. We want to walk and biblically guide them through life. Each one of you has been given gifts and passions from God. My prayer for you is that you will listen when He speaks and you will move when He says to. He gives us a command and that is to share His Word with all people, including the people of this nation. You don’t have to move to another part of the world or be a minister in order to share… We are merely called to share the Word with people: at your work, in your neighborhood, and in your city. Take time to live life with one another and share your messes with each other. Take time to pour into someone's life. Share scripture, pray, and love them just like God loves you! Who are your people? Share God’s truth with them and let’s see God move in our community like never before. I want to thank each one of you for the support, guidance, and love you have shown my family and I through the years. Thank you so much! You are a blessing!
Completed
K-5th Grade
Jesus sees us! Jesus knows us! Jesus saves us!
Vacation Bible School 8:30 AM-11:30 AM OPENING will be in the CLC this year. Visit fbcowb.org and click “Church Life” to register for VBS.
Master of Divinity Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Wesley Dunn Andy Waldroup Mitchell Anderson Apollo HS
Tyler Dobbs Daviess County HS
Ashley Filbeck Daviess County HS
Natalie Hoover Daviess County HS
Annie Johnson Daviess County HS
Hunter Anne Julian Daviess County HS
Ansley McLellan Daviess County HS
HS Graduates Not pictured: Jacob Anderson Augusta Hardesty Lex Smith
Courtney Payne Apollo HS
John Robbins Apollo HS
Whit Wiman Daviess County HS
More info at sunrise.org. Sunrise Children's Services , Inc. is a historic 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since 1869, this nonprofit ministry has continuously affiliated with Kentucky Baptists. Today, the Commonwealth of Kentucky licenses Sunrise as a Behavioral Health Services Organization (BHSO) which provides foster care, residential, therapeutic treatment and communitybased services statewide. The Joint Commission has given Gold Seal accreditations to Sunrise, and the respected BHSO maintains other professional licenses and accreditations needed for comprehensive therapeutic child care. Sunrise Children's Services provides care and hope for hurting families and children through Christ-centered ministries. Sunrise Children's Services has been at the forefront in the fight to protect Kentucky's children since 1869. Today, Sunrise is a home for children who have been abused and neglected — children whose lives have been scarred by unspeakable physical, sexual, and emotional abuse — and who have been removed from their homes. From the president of our organization down to our direct care staff, our goal every day is to provide a place of refuge, of hope, of love, and of healing to these children whose lives have been devastated. For these children, Sunrise is a place where they can begin to feel safe, a place where they encounter adults who give unconditional love, a place where they can begin to learn that the world can be a good place.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells the church that they will be HIS "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The word “witnesses” is referring to those who have an intimate understanding of the Gospel (the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the Salvation of those who believe) and the proclamation of that good news. Where are we to proclaim this good news? In Jerusalem (Owensboro), Judea (Kentucky), Samaria (US) and to the ends of the earth (everywhere else). This is the vision of Jesus to be carried out by his witnesses. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then you are His witness. You have an intimate knowledge of Jesus’ saving power (because He saved you) and now are charged with the great privilege of sharing your story with the world. In just a few days I will be leading a group (seven people total) of college students/young adults to East Asia to minister and share the gospel. The area in which we will be serving is home to 1.3 million lost people and over 36 different languages with ZERO known believers. Our hope is that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our story of the Gospel will resonate with all whom we share and that they will be saved. Please pray for us; not just for safe travel, but, more importantly, for the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of the people we will connect with. Pray that we would have courage as we share and that the language barrier would not be a barrier at all. Thank you all for your commitment to see the nations saved. I look forward to what God is going to do and I am excited to share when we return. In Christ, Will Smith, Youth Pastor
May 16-26
THE BLESSINGS OF WAITING! Do you ever consider it a blessing to wait? Is God involved in situations that require us to wait? What does my response to waiting say about me? What does my response tell others about my view of God? Those are some very interesting questions. Questions that aren't easy to answer. I have been delayed at airports a few times, have you? It is interesting to observe what happens when people have their plans interrupted. Some passengers desperately explain to the ticket agent why they simply must be the first in line for the next available flight. Their trip had been planned for a long time, someone was waiting for them, or their big event was going to be missed unless they were moved immediately to the front of the line.
Have you not known? Have you not heard! The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord
I sometimes find myself equally impatient with events in life that shall renew their strength, they shall are not happening according to my timetable. I have also remount up with wings like eagles, ceived blessings during times of waiting. Sandy and I recently They shall run and not be weary, experienced a vacation interruption. We discovered it is not They shall walk and not faint. easy to find a transmission repair shop in Newfoundland. However, during the lengthy process of resolving the problem, we met Isaiah 40:28-31 several interesting people and had an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. People we would not have met without the delay. You can probably recall similar situations in your life. When believers see daily interruptions as God's appointments, life events are viewed from a more positive perspective. Delays are likely as the Phase II Renovation moves forward. Delays and unexpected expenses are inherent in most construction projects. How will those delays be viewed? Will we respond by looking for God's Appointments? Will we become impatient? Looking at the current lengthy process of getting construction underway, we can find blessings. Contributions are being received each week. These contributions reduce the amount of money we will need to borrow. We may pay less interest because of the extra time required to get the construction started! No matter what the endeavor, we can always expect the unexpected. God doesn’t tell us to believe in Him because we can see what will happen. God tells us to believe in Him because we can’t know the future — but He does, and He wants us to trust in Him. Commit to trusting God today. Whatever the situation, know that God is in control. "God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. To know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves." (A.W. Tozer) Virgil Barker, Coordinator, FBC Follow Up Team
CLC HOURS Monday & Tuesday 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Wednesday 6:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Friday 6:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. CLOSED MAY 30
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OFFICE HOURS Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CLOSED MAY 30
*BROADCAST INFO
Morning Service Broadcast on WKWC (90.3 FM) at 10:00 a.m. and Channel 72 on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. *Please note that if sensitive information is mentioned in the service, it cannot be broadcast. An older service will be aired in its place.
MINISTER ON CALL
270.683.3505 Press 9 See website recent news or back of the weekly bulletin for a minister on call list.
Sunday 8:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Classic Service Sunday School Elevate Service VBS Preview Mtg. Evening Service
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. Legacy Night Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting Fellowship Hall 4:45 p.m. Family Supper 6:00 p.m. Orchestra, Say Yes to VBS, Youth, & Adult Bible Studies 6:30 p.m. NDP Youth Rally, FBC 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
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Thursday National Day of Prayer 6:00 p.m. Seekers Prayer Mtg.
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Sunday Happy Mother’s Day 8:30 a.m. Classic Service 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Elevate Service No Evening Service
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Monday 6:00 p.m. MyMission Tuesday 9:30 a.m. Jo Nelson Bible Study Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting Fellowship Hall 4:45 p.m. Family Supper 6:00 p.m. Orchestra, Say Yes to VBS, Youth, & Adult Studies 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
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Saturday 10:00 a.m. BBQ Festival Family Pavilion pg. 4
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Graduate Sunday pg. 12 Week of Prayer for Daviess McLean 8:30 a.m. Classic Service 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Elevate Service 4:30 p.m. ApParent Privilege pg. 10 6:00 p.m. Evening Service 7:00 p.m. Deacon Meeting
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Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting Fellowship Hall 4:45 p.m. Family Supper 6:00 p.m. Orchestra, Say Yes to VBS, Youth, & Adult Bible Studies 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
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Thursday 6:00 p.m. Seekers Prayer Group Sunday 8:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Classic Service Sunday School Elevate Service ApParent Privilege pg. 10 Evening Service
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Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting Fellowship Hall 4:45 p.m. Family Supper 6:00 p.m. Orchestra, Say Yes to VBS, Youth, & Adult Bible Studies 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
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Sunday 8:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
30
Classic Service Sunday School Elevate Service NO Evening Service
Memorial Day Office & CLC Closed
If more information is available about an event, you will see a page number following the title.
Sympathy
Christian love and sympathy to...
The family of Wanda Ballew.
Ginger & Marty Mayfield in the death of her stepfather,
Shane & Barbara Frazier in the death of his grandmoth-
Billy K. Johnson. er, Anna Faye Gray.
Debbie & Bruce Hudson in the death of her mother, Violet Flener.
Dot & Larry Kanipe in the death of her aunt, Velma
Joy Jenkins in the death of her sister and Tammy Bradley
Dunn. in the death of her aunt, Patti Cowgell Mulloy.
David & Kelly Moore family in the death of his father, Don Moore Sr.
March 27 James Beard Profession of Faith
April 17 Brett Miller Transfer of Letter
Diane Walters in the death of her mother, Ovellia Phelps.
Donnie Stroud, Aprilea Stroud, Betsy Griffith, Dan Griffith, & Cindy Temple in the death of Martha Stroud, wife, mother, sister, & aunt respectively.
Darlene Johnson in the death of her brother, Mike Lambert.
Bonnie & David Bivins in the death of her mother, Mabel Elizabeth Whitworth Williams.
Emily & Corey Clark and family in the death of her grandmother, Mary Erkridge.
Congratulations
We rejoice with...
Brian & Beth Russell on the birth of their daughter, Hadley Elizabeth. Grandparents are Betsy & David Russell.
April 25 Joseph & Starla Canning Transfer of Letter Pictured with Thomas, Rowan, Rory
Alex & Molly Marshall in the birth of Oliver J. and Henry Stephen. Grandparents are Steve & Judy Marshall.
Andrew & Donna DePasquale in the birth of their daughter, Isabella Kate.
Kyle & Meredith Hayden in the birth of their daughter, Sadie Jean. Grandparents are Ed & Cheryl Walls.
Please note that all announcements must be submitted to Judi West in the church office in order to be placed in our church publications. Email: jwest@fbcowb.org Information on this page was received on or before April 24.
YOUTH INFO
Events are for youth completing 6-12 grade
Ministry Partner–LifePoint Church Church plant is eight years old and averages around 100 people on Sundays. Seattle is unchurched. Ministry Project Possibilities Recreational soccer camp for kids K-5th grade Community outreach activities Partner with Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN Schedule July 16: Fly from Nashville to Seattle July 17: Attend LifePoint Church and orientation July 18-21: Community activities during day & soccer camp at night July 22: Cultural day with excursions July 23: Return flight Trip Cost: $550 per participant (4 per Room) Includes airfare, local transportation, lodging, breakfast, and T-shirt. Does not include other meals, Seattle excursions, or souvenirs. Families are welcome to join. Children K-5th grade can participate in the soccer camp.
Camp Participants in 2015: 190 | Expected for 2016: 225+ Application and Deposit due on Sunday, May 29th Trip Deposit: $100 per individual Link to application and mission manual: www.fbcowb.org/go Contact Will Smith with any questions: wsmith@fbcowb.org
BBQ FESTIVAL
Parking Lot Fundraiser Saturday, May 13 & 14
Money raised will go towards Youth Camp and Seattle Mission Trip
HYDRATE Youth Camp Go and assist our mission partners who serve at LifePoint Church. This mission team will lead a soccer camp for elementary age kids. This is the largest outreach opportunity of the year for LifePoint to connect with families. You may be thinking, “I have no soccer experience,” or “I have absolutely no athletic abilities.” Well, no soccer experience, no worries. You just need a willingness to serve God and love on elementary aged kids. Also, thanks to Dale Poole, we will not send you to the soccer field without preparation. Team members, along with others from our church, will have an opportunity to serve at the iPlay soccer camp here in Owensboro from July 57. This is an excellent training ground to help get ready for the Seattle camp.
June 23-27 Cost: $200
WORSHIP Bethany Barr Phillips SPEAKERS Scott Dawson Joey Hill Tony Nolan Chad Poe
Panama City Beach Florida
Sign up online @ fbcowb.org or contact Will at wsmith@fbcowb.org.
Guardian Angel Project (GAP)
We are currently updating our Neighborhood Clusters for our Guardian Angel Project. If any of the following four items apply to you, PLEASE contact Susan so that she may update her records.
Email: sdant@fbcowb.org | Phone: 270-683-3505 1. You are a cluster leader (she has no record as to who they are). 2. You would CONSIDER being a cluster leader but need more info. 3. You would CONSIDER being a helper in your neighborhood (consider if you have things like, but not limited to: chain saw, deep freezer, wood burning stove, the will to drive to the grocery on snowy/icy streets, strong teenagers with snow shovels, etc). 4. You don’t know what GAP is and would like more information.