We are honored you have chosen to join us in worship. There is a time in our service when we will welcome guests; we will not, however, ask you to stand, raise your hand or do anything that makes you feel awkward. We would like to know you were here, however. Please fill out the information request below and place it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher or minister. We promise to use it only to contact you about our church.

This is my (our)…

___ First visit to First Baptist Church

___ Second (+) visit

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Marital Status

____Married ____Single ___Widow(er)

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Children at Home (Name/Age/Grade)

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___ I am new to Rome.

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about First Baptist Church.

___ I would like to talk with a minister.

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Christian. ___ I am a guest of:

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Sunday, December 23 9:00 a.m. Scrap Iron Broadcast (WLAQ 1410) 9:45 a.m. Bible Study 11:00 a.m. Worship 5:00 p.m. Silent Lord’s Supper - Sanctuary

Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve - Church Office Closed 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service - Sanctuary

Tuesday, December 25 FBC Serves Community Kitchen Christmas Day - Church Office Closed

Wednesday, December 26 FBC Serves Community Kitchen

Thursday, December 27 FBC Serves Community Kitchen 9:00 a.m. Flower Committee Workday

Friday, December 28 FBC Serves Community Kitchen

FBC CHRISTMAS CARD DELIVERY SERVICE Drop in your family’s Christmas cards along with a delivery donation in boxes around the church. Your cards are available after worship today.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE Our annual Christmas Eve service is tomorrow at 5 p.m. It will be broadcast live on Comcast Channel 44 and livestreamed over the church website. Choir, readers and candlelighters, please be here by 4:30 p.m.

SILENT LORD’S SUPPER Communion will be served continuously from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. tonight. You are welcome to stay as long as you want for a time of silence and reflection in this busy time of year. Please enter through the front doors of the Sanctuary.

DEVOTIONAL BOOKS The 2019 Upper Room Discipline Devotional Books are available. Pick up your copy in the Narthex or at the Welcome Desk next to the elevator.

TOGETHER WE LEARN On most Sundays, families arrive at church and go their different directions but Sunday, December 30, we will learn TOGETHER. Join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 a.m. for an intergenerational Bible Study.

“ALL IS CALM, ALL IS BRIGHT” This wonderful exhibit of woodwork by Bob Harris and other artists is now open (Gallery on 3rd Floor) and will run the Christmas season.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS We need Sunday School teachers for our K-1st grade Sunday School class beginning in the New Year. This could be on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Please contact Kristen Pope if you would be able to serve in this way.

WOMEN’S EPIPHANY RETREAT (January 4-6) Join us for the Second Annual Women’s Epiphany Retreat. Together we will seek the light of Jesus. Please contact Tamara Smathers with questions.

First Baptist CHurch, 100 East Fourth Avenue, Rome, GA 30161 Phone: 706.291.6850 Website: www.fbcrome.org

WELCOME CHURCH CALENDAR WELCOME

Calm and Bright 200 Years of Silent Night

Advent 2018

First Baptist Church

Rome, Georgia

First Baptist Church

Rome, Georgia

December 23, 2018 11:00 a.m.

To help maintain a spirit of worship, please silence cell phones. We welcome a larger congregation

through Comcast Channel 44 and through the livestream over the church website.

Chiming of the Hour Prelude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beverly Harris/Joan Hill

“Coventry Carol”...arr. Mark Hayes/Marvin Gaspard

Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Pope A Worship Threshold. . . . . . . “Calm and Bright: 200 Years of Silent Night”

Keith Reaves/Mary Donahue/Sanctuary Choir

Please speak the fourth stanza when prompted:

Silent night! Holy night! Wondrous star, lend thy light;

with the angels let us sing, "Alleluia" to our King.

“Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born.” Lighting the Candle of Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claborn and Ann Bradfield

A Time for Silent Confession and Prayer

Response No. 80. . .BAUGH Hope, peace, joy and love! These are gifts You bring from above. Jesus, Emmanuel, come to be light of Your love reflected in me.

Unison: Fill us with Your love and light.

Make the world so calm and bright.

*Carol of Praise No. 124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE FIRST NOWELL

“The First Nowell”

*Reading of Holy Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke 1:39-45 (The text may be found on page 1013 in the Bibles in the pew racks.)

Nancy Ratcliffe, reader Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

*Christmas Doxology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O TANNENBAUM

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow, in every generation. Praise Him, all creatures here below, Who gives to us salvation.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Let all creation praise the Lord with love and adoration.

Special Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maggie Inman

“Gesu Bambino”...Pietro Yon

Carol of Love No. 92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BALLAD OF MARY

“Young Mary Lived in Nazareth” (Children kindergarten through second grade may depart for Children’s Worship.)

Morning Prayer (with The Lord’s Prayer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Uldrick Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Musical Offering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sanctuary Choir

“Love Can”...arr. Jay Rouse

(This anthem is given in honor of Gwen Stephens, by Murray and Ann Walker Ellington.) Maggie Inman, cello

A million stars will speak His name across the widening sky. Between the dark and light of day we’ll hear a Baby’s cry.

Now Love’s desire will break our chains by giving us a Lamb, But what could ever restore us?

Love can.

The holy Child who’s sleeping here upon a bed of hay, Takes on Himself a heart of flesh and gives us Christmas day!

As angels sing of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, O what could ever restore us?

Love can.

O sing for joy to heaven’s King, this gift of priceless worth. Great mercy shown to sinful man, He bring to us new birth.

Now Love’s desire will break our chains by giving us a Lamb, But what can ever restore us?

Love can. ©2018 Lorenz Publishing Company CCLI1416589)

Sermon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. DuVall “Love Moves Us Forward”

*Hymn of Response No. 136. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAMFORD

“Where Shepherds Lately Knelt” *Prayer of Stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tamara Tillman Smathers Offertory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Hill/Beverly Harris

“O Come, All Ye Faithful”...arr. Mark Hayes/Marvin Gaspard Meditation Text:

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. —Augustine The Work of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev. Smathers Welcome to New Members of the Church Family *Pastoral Blessing *Passing of the Peace *Commissioning Hymn No. 80. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BAUGH

“Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love”

Hope, peace, joy and love! These are gifts You bring from above. Jesus, Emmanuel, come to be light of Your love reflected in me.

*Postlude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Hill

“While By Our Sheep We Watched”…arr. Gilbert Martin

What is Advent? The observance of Advent began in about the sixth century. Advent includes the four Sundays before Christmas Day and the inclusive weekdays. The word, ADVENT, consists of two Latin words: ad-venie, "to come to." Therefore, the message of Advent is that God in Christ is coming to the world. One of the most beautiful traditions of Advent is the lighting of the Advent wreath. The wreath is circular in shape to represent the eternity of God, without beginning or end. Evergreens are used to symbolize God's gift of life and growth and life to come. The candles, representing the four weeks of Advent, symbolize God's Son as the light of the world. Individual attributes (hope, faith, joy, love) are linked with the individual candles. Three of the candles are purple, representing royalty. One candle is rose-colored and is lit on the third Sunday and symbolizes joy. The fifth candle is white and larger and is placed in the center of the wreath to represent Christ and is therefore called the Christ Candle. We light this candle on Christmas Eve. The flame reminds us that Christ is the light of the world, the light which dispels all darkness. Advent can point us to a deeper meaning of Christmas and true spiritual renewal as we celebrate the first coming of Christ as a child and anticipate his second coming as King.

Children’s Worship Children in kindergarten through second grade are invited to Children’s Worship on the second floor of the Education Building. Parents may pick up their children there following worship.

Joining First Baptist We receive new members in several ways. Those who have never publicly acknowledged Christ as Lord join by public profession of faith. Baptism is scheduled for a later date. Members of other Baptist congregations may transfer their membership to our congregation. We handle the details of contacting your current church. Members of other Christian faith traditions are invited to join by “statement of faith.” Because other traditions vary in belief and practice, those joining by statement of faith are invited to speak with a minister before joining so that they might answer questions.

Safety Safe zones for severe weather are in preschool hallways for children and the Fellowship Hall for others. If there is a need to evacuate, parents should pick up children at the city bus parking lot at First Presbyterian Church.

Matt DuVall, Pastor

Keith A. Reaves, Senior Associate/Minister of Worship

Tamara Tillman Smathers Minister of Education/Administration

John H. Uldrick, Minister to Students and Missions

Kristen Pope, Minister of Faith Development

Gwen Stephens, Ministry Assistant

Beverly Harris, Pianist Joan Hill, Organist

The FOURTH Sunday In Advent FOR YOUR INFORMATION