THE BRIDGE NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID FRANKFORT, KY PERMIT NO 58
Published monthly by First Baptist Church 201 St. Clair St. Frankfort, KY 40601
The BRIDGE JULY 2015 a publication of First Baptist Church @ the Singing Bridge
What’s Inside 2 Music Ministry 2 Staff
SUMMER SCHEDULE July 01 – No Supper, Activities, Clinic, Choir or Clothes Closet
3 Calendar 4 Children’s News 4 Spiritual Formation 5 Pastor Bob’s page 6 Youth News
July 08 – Subway Night/Youth Camp Reports July 15 – Deacon’s Cook/Prayer Meeting, No Choir July 22 - Pot Luck Dinner, Prayer Meeting, No Choir July 29 – Pizza Night, Kids Camp Reports Aug. 05 – Wednesday Night Activities Resume, Business Meeting
- Kristin Belcher
The youth are at Passport Choices in Greensboro, NC at Greensboro College. We will spend the week learning about how to be a people who live a life that brings about a revolution to this world #Passportrev. We will join with students from all across the country to engage in mission, Bible study, worship and fellowship. We ask for your prayers as the following youth and adults travel to camp. I encourage you to go to http:// passportcamps.org/blog/why-i-love-camp to find out why we love Passport camps! Youth: Aaron Bradley Clara Bradley Cooper Hendrix Bradley Hughes Caroline Insko Sarah Glenn Insko Parks Mason Sam Midkiff Emma Rhorer Julia Rhorer Jonathan Thompson Holly Wolford ** Margaret Whitworth (Passport Intern)
Chaperones: Justin Bradley Kristin Belcher Stephen Mason Karen Rhorer
New Members Caden Crowe
The youth will report about their camp experience on Wednesday July 8th. Please make plans to come!
Carlos Pugh
th
Pool Party for all Middle Schoolers and rising 6 graders! We will meet at Tammy and Justin Bradley’s after church on Sunday July 12th. We will have a time of fun and fellowship and getting to know one another in order to help transition our new 6th graders into the youth group.
MEET OUR NEW EMMA QUIRE MISSION CENTER DIRECTOR VANESSA GARLAND Vanessa is a graduate of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and Liberty University. Vanessa’s greatest love has been working in ministry with her husband since 1997. She has had opportunities to serve Christ through teaching children and youth in various churches as well as short term missions in Haiti. She has enjoyed leading women’s retreats with an emphasis on missions. Vanessa enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Holiday World!! On Satur day August 1st, the youth will welcome the new 6th graders into the youth group by traveling to Holiday World together. This is a fun and exciting trip where the entire group can play and get to know one another. All youth are encouraged to attend! Sign-ups are outside the youth room. Please sign up and pay by July 19 th. We will meet at 8:30 a.m. and return by 9:00 p.m. Cost is $30.00. Chaperones are needed, so please sign up if you want to help chaperone!
Vanessa and her husband, Jimmy have been married for 33 years. Jimmy has served as Pastor in Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia. They have one son, Billy and his wife Samantha. God has also blessed them with two beautiful grandchildren, Lucy and Jack, and a cat named BJ. Vanessa is looking forward to serving as Director of the Emma Quire Mission Center and making new friends in all the mission groups that come to share their gifts with Owsley County.
Beginning July 1st please note that the Church Office will have new hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday – 8:00 a.m. - Noon www.fbcfrankfort.org
MISSIONS MINISTRY
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
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Please pray for Vanessa as she hosts missions groups and watches over the facility.
www.fbcfrankfort.org
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THE BRIDGE Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
1
2
6 9:45 am Bible Study 10:50 am Worship Service
12
7
3
4
8
9
10
11
5:00 pm Subs for Supper 6:00 pm Clinic/Clothes Closet 6:00 pm Youth Camp Reports
7:00 pm Boy Scouts
13
9:45 am Bible Study 10:50 am Worship Service
Saturday
14
7:00 pm Boy Scouts
15
16
17
5:00 pm Deacon’s Cook Supper 6:00 pm Prayer Meeting 6:00 pm Clinic/Clothes Closet
18 9:00 am Clothes Closet
No Choir Practice
19
20
9:45 am Bible Study 10:50 am Worship Service
21
7:00 pm Boy Scouts
22
23
5:00 pm Pot Luck Dinner 6:00 pm Prayer Meeting 6:00 pm Clinic/Clothes Closet
24
25
6:00 pm Finance Team Meeting
No Choir Practice
26
27
9:45 am Bible Study 10:50 am Worship Service
9:30 am Soup Kitchen 7:00 pm Boy Scouts
DEACON OF THE WEEK July July July July
05 12 19 26
Don Hines Stephen Mason Gary Forman Janie Forman
GREETERS - DOWNSTAIRS July July July July
05 12 19 26
Linda Divine Linda Divine Helen Tipton Linda Divine
GREETERS - FRONT DOOR July July July July
05 12 19 26
Jennie Smither Mary Hines Bob Tipton Ralph Divine
28 11:15 am OASIS Meeting NO Bus Service
29
30
31
5:00 pm Pizza Night 6:00 pm Kid’s Camp Reports 6:00 pm Clinic/Clothes Closet
GREETERS - WORSHIP HOUR July 05 Stephen Bass July 12 Jane Mason July 19 Tamela Biggs July 26 Larry & Donna Britton
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OFFICE CLOSED
NO ACTIVITIES CLOTHES CLOSET OR CLINIC No Choir Practice
5
Friday
THE BRIDGE
EXTENDED SESSION July 05
1s & 2’s - Diane Mason 3 - 3rd. Gr - Elaine Shryock-Allen & Timmy Campbell
July 12
1s & 2’s - Angela Whitis 3 - 3rd. Gr - Cynthia & Caroline Insko
July 19
1s & 2’s - Brandy & Larry Mayes 3 - 3rd. Gr - Jenny Luscher & Janice Jackson
July 26 1s & 2’s - Beverly Lovan 3 - 3rd. Gr - Jenny Luscher & Cynthia Insko
VBS: Thanks to all of the 35 adult volunteers plus youth who helped make our VBS a great week. I am glad to say we had 39 registered and 20 were visitors! Thanks to all who invited and brought guests. I am following up in the coming weeks with notes and invitations to guests to come back and see us.
PASSPORT KIDS’ CAMP: We are so excited to travel to Crossville, TN July 23-26th for Passport Kids Camp! Please pray for this great crew of 3rd-5th graders and our chaperones, for a safe journey and for us to grow in our relationship with God and others.
The kids continue their efforts to raise $240 by August 16 to buy two sheep through Heifer International. So far we have $97. Banks are in all Sunday School rooms and in the sanctuary. How will our sheep help those in need? Income from sheep’s wool can help a family in remote China pay for a generator that gives them electricity! Quiz: How many toes does a sheep have? A sheep can yield up to ____ pounds of wool a clip? (two toes on each foot, 18 lbs. from heifer.org)
KIDS: Jesse Colston, Brooklyn Taylor, Carlee VanHouton, Hayden McCoy, Aubrey Masters, Layne Masters, Lauren Bradley, Mackenzie Adcock, Kirsten Crowe, Emma Brewer, Annabelle Perkins, Andrew Howell, Mason Little, Emillee McCann; Chaperones: Andrea Masters, Tammy Brewer, Elaine Greer, Justin Bradley, Mark Little, Cynthia Insko CAMP REPORT: The whole church is invited to join us for pizza and a report on our week on Wed, July 29 @ 5:00 p.m. an our report will begin at 5:30. This is always a joyful time to see how God is at work among our kids. Call the church office and let us know you are coming so we can order pizzas! SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS: Yes! We have Sunday School all summer long and Children’s Worship. In July: Cindy McCann will teach our 2’s and 3’s about Joshua and how God Helps Us . Cynthia will teach 4’s-2nd grade about how we are Never Too Young to teach others about God. We will study David, Namaan’s servant, Jeremiah, and Timothy. Jenny will teach our 3rd-5th graders using the desert stories of the People of God from Godly Play. We are so very, very thankful for our kids’ Sunday School teachers and hope they enjoy a July sabbatical. SAVE THESE DATES FOR AUGUST!! Sunday, August 2: Bible Bucks Auction for 3rd-5th graders & Breakfast Celebration Day for 4’s -2nd grade Sunday, August 9: Pr omotion Day for Sunday School & Blessing of the Students in 10:50 am worship Sunday, August 16: Chur ch-wide picnic
During June, folks ranging in age from 17-80 have enjoyed gathering at 5:30 p.m. to pray through Psalms together and share how God’s Word is shaping us. What fun we have had being with one another! As we met I was reminded that while we vary in age, we are each on a life long journey towards becoming more and more like Jesus in the way we live and love. We all take different things on our journey and face various obstacles and encounter many joys. But there are two resources we share in common as we step day by day towards Christ-likeness. We have travel companions in one another. We have the Holy Spirit working to transform us as we go. Paul writes to the Philippians: If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. We will not be meeting in July due to Wednesday night fellowship plans but be on the lookout for some new small group opportunities forming in MidAugust.
volume 7 • number 3
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THE BRIDGE
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VBS
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 201 St. Clair - Frankfort, KY 40601 Office - (502) - 227-4528 Fax - (502)- 227-4520 Web: www.fbcfrankfort.org E-mail:
[email protected]
Dr. Robert F. Browning Pastor
[email protected] Rev. Richard Summers Minister of Music & Administration
[email protected] Rev. Truett Cocanougher Ministry Associate Rev. Cynthia Williams Insko Minister of Children & Spiritual Formation
[email protected] Kristin Belcher Youth Minister
[email protected] Jenny Luscher Children’s Ministry Associate
[email protected] Janice Foster-Jackson Office Manager
[email protected] Linda McKinley Organist Lois Summers Pianist Timmy Campbell Preschool Director Anthony Hager Building Superintendent
I am in the process of reviewing music for worship for Advent and Christmas. It always seems odd to do so in 90+ degree weather, but to have it prepared in time it is necessary to choose it now. Choosing music for worship, whether it be for Christmas, Easter, or any time, is a sacred responsibility and one I take very seriously. I have been asked, at times, how I choose music for worship and I don’t think I’ve ever shared the process with you. So here it is: First I strive to always be in prayer about what will be selected. Second I try to match the theme of the scripture for the particular service or season. Since we follow the lectionary I can look ahead and see what the texts are for the particular Sundays for which I’m planning. When I finally get to the point of reviewing music it is the text that is of ultimate importance to me. I read it and see if it is theologically sound and whether it is pertinent to the theme of the service. I then look at the music and see how well (or how poorly) it communicates the text. Finally, I check its compatibility with our resources such as voice parts, vocal ranges, difficulty, instrumentation, etc. These criteria are for the anthems the choir sings, but they are also what I use for the hymns we sing with one exception. I consider how well, or not, we know the hymn. I usually try to intro
duce new hymns through the choir or by using familiar tunes the congregation knows. The choir has opportunity to learn new things, but the congregation does not. Notice what is not on my list? Here are a few things not on my list that I sometimes hear about. Is it upbeat? Is it loud? Will it make people happy? Is it fun? Can I tap my toe to it? My understanding of worship is that it is about pleasing God and enabling those gathered to worship to be able to do so. Many have been surprised to learn that I don’t like some of the music we do, but it is not about what I like, or what you like, but rather about what best communicates our worship. I learned a valuable lesson the very first Sunday I led congregational singing many years ago. As I greeted those leaving the service that day a person told me I took a particular hymn too fast. I felt bad for a minute until about three or four persons later I was told that I took the same hymn too slow! I had no chance to please everyone that day, and haven’t since. The point is not to please everyone, it is to please God, and that is my goal in choosing every anthem, hymn and instrumental selection. Whether you agree, or disagree, with how our music is chosen, I hope you will see that it is intentionally chosen to lead us to focus upon, and worship, God. I hope that whether or not you like a particular selection will not hamper your ability to use it to aid in your worship. You are a great singing congregation and very gracious! Thanks for both.
I am grateful to all who worked in Vacation Bible School this year. Cynthia said we had 35 volunteers who helped, and I cannot thank them enough for making VBS such a great experience for the kids. The children came bouncing into the church each night with big smiles on their faces, and they left every evening talking about all they had done and learned. God bless everyone who made this happen!
SUMMER TIME Summer is in full swing now. Schools are out, pools are open, lawn mowers are humming and weeds are growing. I hope you are able to get away with your family to make special memories and enjoy a break from the routine. We’ll miss you when you are gone and look forward to hearing about your trip when you return. When in town, continue to be faithful in Sunday school and worship. Sunday school teachers and the staff work hard to plan meaningful lessons and services each week. Also, be on the lookout for visitors. Summer is a good time for families to relocate and settle in before school resumes. When you see someone new to our church, go out of your way to make them feel welcome. Let’s all be faithful stewards in the summer as well. Expressing gratitude to God for His blessings by giving our tithes and offerings is a part of every season. Even when you are away, have someone bring your offering or mail it to the church. The needs of people around us do not take vacations. We must be as attentive to them in the summer as we are the rest of the year.
SERMON EXCERPT FROM JOHN 3:1-17, THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN JESUS AND NICODEMUS To me, this story underscores the importance of spiritual formation, that process of growing and maturing in our faith. Few texts help us see how much our faith needs to expand and mature as this one so we can draw closer to God each day and live for God as best we can. If Nicodemus, Israel’s finest teacher, did not know everything and needed to learn and grow, how much more do we? If this brilliant scholar was wrong about some things and needed to change his mind, how much more should we? If this sincere man of faith needed to take that faith to a deeper level, how can we be satisfied where we are? How does a person grow spiritually? I think this was a question J ohn hoped ever y individual would ask upon r eading about the encounter Nicodemus had with Jesus. With this in mind, let me share some suggestions for you to consider. Make spiritual growth a priority in your life. Faith gr ows in the hear t that year ns for God. Seek to know God and develop a relationship with God with the same passion you pursue anything of value. Adopt a humble attitude. Embr ace a teachable spir it by acknowledging your limitations. Allow ever y per son you encounter to become your teacher. Listen to their story and perspective on life. Discover where God is at work in their life and how each one reflects God’s image. Develop a ‘holy curiosity’. Become comfor table with questions. For most of us, faith begins with questions, and for all of us, faith grows as we wrestle with the complexities of life and faith. The dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus certainly indicates this. A few years ago, one of my mentors taught me faithfulness has more to do with the questions we ask than the answers we memorize. He’s right; questions will take you places answers will not, which will lead to new revelations. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions and never interpret the lack of answers as a weak faith. Don’t be defensive. Be willing to examine and r e-examine everything you believe. If it is true, it will endure this kind of scrutiny. If it is not, you need to know it now. We cannot grow spiritually if our goal is to impress people with how much we know or to get in the last word to prove our point. Growth occurs when we suspend our understanding of truth and open our hearts and minds. Nicodemus had to put down his defenses, which had to be hard for him to do as a Pharisee. If there was one thing Nicodemus knew for sure, it was that he had a clear vision of the Kingdom of God and was actively participating in it by virtue of his birth, gender, ethnicity, status and lifestyle. Can you imagine how Nicodemus felt when Jesus opened their conversation by saying, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born from above?” Nicodemus had no idea that a relationship with God was open to anyone who approached God with a humble spirit and contrite heart. According to Jesus, God did not play favorites. God loved the whole world and everybody in it, including Nicodemus, his gentile neighbor and the woman at the city gates begging for bread. I wonder what we believe that may be wrong. How would Jesus begin a conversation with you and me? I am glad to be on this journey of discovery and growth with you! Join us each week as we explore the mysteries of life and faith. Until Sunday, Bob
