From The Pastor
W Vol. 21
No. 6
June 27, 2018
hat determines whether the health of a church is improving or in decline? Our denomination, many congregations and unfortunately many pastors gauge the bottom line on a surplus in the budget and higher attendance this year over last. Unfortunately, when pastors leave a church they are remembered predominantly by whether “he grew the church” or “the church got smaller while he was here.” But God says His plans and His ways are different that man’s plans and man’s ways (Isaiah 55:8). Jesus proclaimed His Great Commission to believers and the church in Matthew 28:19-20. The central command is to “make disciples of all nations!” That is carried out in two broad ways. The first way is to focus on making disciples by salvation (“baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”). The second way to focus on making disciples is by discipleship (“teaching them to observe all My commands”). Although I confess that I would like us to be the largest and most influential church in town, I have a deep joy and peace that we are a Great Commission church that is fulfilling God’s higher purposes. We have been in the top 6% of evangelistic churches in our nation based on size and baptisms since I have been here (and under Pastor Scott before me). We will baptize more people this year than we did after a good year last year. We equip and send out an extraordinarily high number of ministers and missionaries from our church. Klint and Vicki Ostermann have been faithfully serving in Uganda. Chris and Meegan Weaver are in training to go to a remote and unreached place. Joe Ragan is serving in Ukraine. Just off the top of my head I think of Jim Witt, Steve Sullivan, Michael Wood, Aaron Lindsey, Tony Richardson, Matt DesAutels, Matt McCauley and . . . me! I joined Faith as a teen, was called by God into fulltime ministry, and have now served 11 years as youth minister and 9 years as pastor of Faith. So take a little time to thank God that though the world would not recognize us as great, I believe Christ Jesus is pleased with the direction Faith is headed. Several Faith members have shared recently that they believe we are as unified, as biblical and as eternally focused as they can remember here. I am a problem-fixer. Problems tend to weigh me down emotionally and spiritually. Many of you are problem-fixers as well. Take some time this week to look at a cup that is not half empty, but rather is pretty full at Faith. Ministers and denominations recognize that Christianity and church in America are not held in high regard like they were in the past. The lost are skeptical of churches and ministers (and rightly so in some cases). Let’s have Christ’s mindset in two areas as the skepticism continues building. First, we need to remember that people are still open to coming to church if invited (especially if someone they know well asks them to meet them at church and go to lunch with them afterward). Find special services to invite people to (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas Season, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Year’s, children’s program). Explain to them how I might be in the middle of a book such as Acts, but that each service is independent with certain emphases, teachings and application. Invite them to a t-shirt handout day, a new sermon series start or a special Sunday School class luncheon or activity. Less and less people are “checking out” church, but most are still open to a relationship with a living God and to personal invitations to church. The second area we must remember is that Jesus designed, began and expanded His church all over the world as God’s plan for believers. We were created for community! The successful strategy Satan is implementing is for believers to consider from week to week whether to “go to church.” But Acts 2:42 states clearly that gathering with believers at church contains the central facets of teaching, fellowship, taking the Lord’s Supper and prayer. Those simply cannot be fulfilled as God desired apart from involvement with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 commands Christians to not neglect gathering together “as is the habit of some,” but instead to make it a regular priority (Sundays) and with others in mind. The priority, according to Hebrews, is “encouraging one another, especially as Christ’s return grows nearer.” We would all agree that it is discouraging to us all when others we cherish are not in attendance any given Sunday. We all agree that all are encouraged on the days when most make it a priority through our presence (think of “Victorious,” Christmas Eve Service or Father’s Day a few weeks ago). Please commit with me to stop considering whether to “go to church” and instead consider encouraging your eternal family to prioritize getting back from trips for Sunday School and Sunday worship. Most believers would be shocked at how many Sundays a year they miss. Would you make it a priority to miss no more than 5 Sundays a year for trips, vacation and such? Encountering God and Experiencing God Together is a crucial part of Christianity and what Faith emphasizes. Take a little time to relax and enjoy the summer. But don’t take a vacation from gathering, worship and service to Christ Jesus our Lord! We’ll see you most Sundays this summer! Pastor Craig Lile
Update your membership record (address, phone numbers, cell provider, etc.) online at FaithConnect. Go to faithwf.com and on the “Resources” drop-down menu click on FaithConnect. here, you can access your family’s personal information and update it as needed, upload a more recent photo, check your contribution status, give online and register for events as well as secure contact information on your class members. As part of your first visit to Faith-Connect, you will receive an email with your username and temporary password. Then you are ready to check out your personal information at FaithConnect.
Senior Adults
Thank You
Our senior adult monthly luncheon is Monday, July 2 at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. The menu is pot-luck with ice cream sundaes provided for dessert! The program will be presented by Pastor Craig. All adults 50+ are welcome.
Acknowledgments have been received (and posted on the bulletin board outside the Church Office) from:
“Temple Builders,” let’s get fit! 55+ Exercise is Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in room 501 of the FLiC. Dr. Soon-Mi Choi of Midwestern University, is leading this program. Don’t miss this opportunity to get fit, to be helped by the professionals, and to cultivate friendships! SALT Team (Senior Adult Leadership Team) will meet Thursday, July 12 at 2:30 p.m. in room 120.
Sympathy Our sincere sympathy to those who have recently lost loved ones: CAROL & WILLIAM MUIRHEAD - husband and father
SYLVIA MCMULLEN - husband, Bill ROBIN LILE & TAMMY BISHOP - father CHARITY ALI & MICAIAH LILE - grandfather MARCUS BROCK - grandmother JIM PRICE - brother JIM CHILCOTT - wife, Ilaferne
Mondays — 10:15 a.m. Reception Hall Faith Singers sing Monday, July 9 at 10:30 at House of Hope, 2100 Stone Lake Drive. The church bus is not available so everyone will meet at House of Hope about 10:15 a.m. Choir members are to wear red, white and blue.
SHERRY GUICE CAROL MUIRHEAD DARLENE SKINNER CHRIS & MEEGAN WEAVER FAMILY OF JOYCE BRUCE
Deacons’ Meeting
Sunday, July 8 12:15 p.m. - Room 501
Staff Anniversaries
We celebrate two staff anniversaries in July. Minister of Contemporary Worship Kyle Padilla (3 years) and Food Services Coordinator Montana Hawkins (1 year). Give them thanks and show your appreciation for their service with us.
Congratulations
- JR & ALESHA MANDE on the birth of their son, Jordan Ray. Proud grandparents are Kevin & Teresa Austin and great-grandmother is Barbara Key. - DOUG & LINDA BURTON on the birth of their grandson, James Gabriel. - GOLDEN WILSON on the birth of her great-granddaughter. - JOHN & CHARLOTTE GILL on the birth of their granddaughter, Kollins Kate. - MARY LYNN SMITH on the birth of her great-granddaughter, Caroline Rose. - JIM CHILCOTT on the birth of his granddaughter, Delaney Faith, - TYLER & SARAH SENN on the birth of their daughter, Laura Elyse. Proud grandparents are Clay & Becky Glasgow and greatgrandparents are Bill & Veneta Glasgow.
Note This… The Church Office will be closed Wednesday, July 4.
Recently
added to the Administrative/ Financial Council are members Richard Haddox and Cecil Fultz. Richard assumes the place created by Kevin Austin’s election to the Overseer Council and Cecil replaces Barry Plaxco, who rotates off the end of this year.
Upon a recommendation from the Administrative/Financial Council, the Overseer Council re-elected Marilyn Wood as Church Clerk and Clay Glasgow as Church Treasurer for a new 3-year term. We appreciate their willingness to serve our church in these roles.
Associate Pastor Larry Shields is considering leading a group tour to the Holy Land in the spring of 2020. If you would like to be kept posted as the details develop, please let him know at
[email protected]. This will be his thirteenth trip to Israel.
In an effort to determine your interest in volunteering for ministries the next year, a survey card will be in the Sunday bulletin through the first part of July. Please complete a card and return it to a basket at the Worship Center exit doors following worship services. We will contact you based upon your areas of interest.
There are times when volunteers are needed to provide and serve a meal to a bereaved family the day of the funeral. If you would like to be a part of this vital ministry, please call Sheryl in the Church Office or email her at
[email protected]. Your name and number will be given to our two group captains. Thank you for emptying self.
Wednesday, June 27, 140+ bags of food were delivered to Interfaith Outreach Services. Praise God for such a wonderful response of His people to Empty Self through giving back some of what God has given us.
Exterior identification and directional signage is a great need of our church campus. We are looking at placing professional, quality signs at major points of entry to our campus and to our buildings. Be watching for this signage in the coming months.
Thank you to each person who emptied self during FaithKidZ. Because of you over 150 children heard about Jesus through teaching and music. May God use the seeds planted by each of you to impact each child and every family. There will be a FaithKidz evaluation meeting for all workers at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, July 1 in Fellowship Hall. The evaluation should require no more than 30 minutes once we begin.
2018 Mission Trips — Begin Praying for these trips. Denver, Colorado — July 7-15 Pray for the 19 participants through the week as they partner with Via Church.
Roach, Missouri — August 5-11
— Partner with the Weaver family
Lilongwe, Malawi — July 21—August 4 Dnipro, Ukraine — September 20—October 1
Financial Report Budget Receipts as of June 21, 2018 Budget Goal (24 weeks) Budget Receipts (24 weeks) Budget Expenditures (24 weeks)
$ $ $
716,515 542,295 580,432
75.69% 81.01%
iving through text message is available! Text FBCtxt and the amount you want to give to 73256. When you make your first contribution you will need to set up your account information, which will be saved, so that future contributions will be quick and easy. This option is available for general budget contributions only. nline giving is available using your debit card. Go to faithwf.com and click on the online giving link. You will have the same options that are available on your offering envelope and will receive a receipt for your contribution. id you know that you can make your tithe and offering by using your bank’s online bill pay? You can schedule your contribution check to be sent automatically to the church as a true first fruit of what the Lord has blessed you with. Just set Faith Baptist Church as a payee, enter “general budget” or your envelope number for the account number and 3001 Southwest Parkway, Wichita Falls, TX 76308 as the address. You can then choose a regular monthly, twice monthly, or weekly schedule.
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Have a happy and safe July 4. Remember to thank those who have served and are serving to keep America free!
Patriotic Service– July 3 We will host the Wichita Falls Community Orchestra under the direction of Rachel Kapelski for a patriotic celebration in our Worship Center Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. There is no charge, and the public is invited for this hour-long celebration. Enjoy patriotic music complete with visual effects. From The Star Spangled Banner sung by Melissa Ward to American favorites like Raiders of the Lost Ark there will be something for everyone.
Craig Lile, Pastor ✞ Larry Shields, Associate Pastor of Administration ✞ Jeff White, Associate Pastor of Families and Missions ✞ Doug Burton, Minister of Music and Senior Adults Kyle Padilla, Minister of Contemporary Worship ✞ Darrell Brown, Minister of Adult Discipleship ✞ Beth Edfeldt, Preschool/Children’s Director ✞ Justin Green, Media and Tech Coordinator
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