Light Line

January 2012

A Monthly Publication of

www.fbcwlfd.org

I was hoping to have Bill interviewed as Volunteer of the Month, but Bill went home to his Lord on December 15 before we had the opportunity to do so. This article to honor his service to the Lord is a small attempt to paint a picture of some of the things Bill accomplished for his Je-sus during his time at FBC. A few of our members have written something about Bill as they remember him and how he touched their lives. I can honestly say that Bill touched my life in so many ways. From the time I arrived in April of 2005, I was on guard as I heard about “Watchful Eye Bill”. If any of you remember his email address, you know even his email address spoke a lot about his personal-ity and his dedication to making sure their was order in the church and that guidelines were followed. Who can argue with that, for we all serve a God of order, and Bill was go-ing to make sure all was done correctly under his watch. Many of you may not realize that shortly after I arrived as the Church Administrator in 2005, Bill began helping me in the office by proofing all the bulletins each week and also proofing the Light Line newsletter. Bill was indeed my sec-ond set of eyes, and not a week went by that we did not talk about commas, sentence structure, and correct spelling of words. As we visited over the phone each week, we be-came very close friends in many ways. Bill then took on the position of Coach of Worship where he served faithfully as an overseer of our worship services. He always made sure he got the best sale price on communion grape juice and took so much pride in his position. Bill even came in to-ward the end of his time with us to help me fold bulletins and get the newsletter ready for mailing. He made the steep climb up the office stairs without a complaint and parked himself at my little cafe table, which he did not care much for but did it with a smile anyway. Bill became very close friends with my husband, Louis, and they spent some time

fishing together. Yes, Tom (read Tom’s words on page 3), Bill really did not catch any fish, but none the less, he loved to be in the boat with Louis enjoying God’s nature. Louis grew to love Bill and all his New England ways (if any of you know my southern husband from Louisiana, you can appreciate that even more). Bill left me with one last mark of his character. I have a printed out verse on my wall on a large piece of paper: Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. OK, tell

Continued on Page 2

Annual Meeting Celebration “Where We Saw God at

FBC in 2011” See Page 4 for more information

More News Inside!

• Music Bio of Cory Kroon - pg. 6 • Men’s Ministry Bible Study - pg. 5 • Women’s Ministry Opportuni-

ties—see pg. 8 • The Truth Project starts up

again— see pg. 10 • American Baptist Churches of

Connec t i cu t (ABCCONN) News— see pg. 11

In Memory of our dear friend and servant of the Lord, Bill Burrill

2

Continued from Page 1

me what is missing from that verse. If you did not notice, never fret, our Bill made sure he left this earth taking care of one more punctuation mark—he made sure to tell me I left off the ending quote at the end of that scripture. When I left my office, Bill snuck in one more ending quote, using a pen to correct that verse on my wall. I will treasure that verse on my wall forever! Anyway, Bill, I truly love you and miss you, and don’t forget to tell my daddy I miss him and love him too—I am sure you will have plenty to talk to him about—but please don’t be too hard on him; his grammar was not very good. Michele Smith From Pat Stearns

When worship hosts are needed, when we need someone to fill in to collect the offering, when we need grape juice and matzo for communion, when we need someone to serve communion on a moment’s notice, when we need something proofread, when we need clarification on Roberts Rules, when we need…, these are the moments when we will feel Bill’s absence from our church family. There are so many things that we took for granted thatsomeone did on a daily basis. Bill was that someone. He was a trusted and faithful servant to us and the Lord. When he was in Maine , he told Lucy he was homesick. She quickly replied, “No, you are church sick.” Those words said it all. Thankfully God planned for Bill to spend his last days “at home” with the people and church he loved and served. Those were the days when Bill needed us. He will always be with us, smiling down as we assume the duties he so faithfully and lovingly did for us. My prayer is that we all follow his example and continue to be faithful servants to God and our church.

From Cindy Holland-Toftness

I met Bill the first year that I attended First Baptist. We were in a Sunday School class together. That was 29 years ago! We became friends. Over the following years, we served together many times, mostly on the Board of Deacons. He always en-couraged me to serve in leadership positions. He seemed to think that I had the qualities for those positions. Right or wrong, I didn't always follow his advice. The last time we served together was in May or June of this year (we served communion). That was before he left for Maine. Bill was a significant member of FBC. Always greeted me warmly: "Good to see you! or Glad you are here!" For those of you who didn't know, Bill took responsibility for communion supplies - cups, juice, matzo. He was a unique friend who I miss already. Bill was a stickler for Robert's Rules. The con-gregation always deferred to him when questions arose re-garding the order of meetings, especially those involving vot-ing.

From Charlotte DeAndrade

I think of Bill as being kind and one who would always en-courage you to believe you could take on any task. Also, be-cause he loved the Lord so much, you could feel his gentle

spirit. Though he was a little man, he was a giant in so many ways. It has been said that he was a great teacher in the school system, but it carried over into his spiritual life also. He will truly be missed, and FBC will have a tough task filling that void. From Fred Blakeslee

Some times while being Worship Host I would be running a little late arriving at church and concerned about the front doors of church not being unlocked in time for those who arrive early for church. Upon arrival, I would find that Bill had already unlocked the doors and had turned on the lights. He was always reliable and concerned about everything run-ning smoothly. When it came time to collect the prayer re-quests, I could always count on Bill to help with that task. If there was any question about what was going on during the service that Sunday, Bill would do his best to clarify the situa-tion. I remember him walking around cheerfully greeting all who arrived early for church before the service every week not just when he may have been designated as Worship Host. The first Sunday he returned back to church from Maine he looked like nothing was wrong. When I asked about his condition, he said he was in remission. I asked if that meant he could recover from the cancer, and he said no but he planned to stay with us as long as he could then return to Maine when the end was near. Bill did not realize how close that time was, and although not able to return to Maine as he planned, his daughter and granddaughter were at his side at the end as well as all those from his church family were able to say goodbye to our brother in Christ. We will miss you Bill.

From Jean Taylor

Bill was always an active FBC member and a die-hard Dea-con. He was a long time Parabolani player, administrator of rules to Run a meeting, the Bylaw's Man, and my friend. I have known Bill since I was a child and he became a good family friend. But as I became and adult, Bill became My friend. He was always the educator, always there to encour-age you to become more involved in your church, and he was there to lend a helping hand and guidance when you were at a crossroads. He loved his church and worked hard in all areas that could use his gifts. I will miss sharing ideas, our colorful discussions, and sharing of memories. But most of all, I will miss this man I could call my friend. God has cer-tainly reaped his reward with this faithful and diligent servant now serving at his side.

Continued on Page 3

3

Continued from Page 2 Words from Tom Oppelt, Given by Tom at Bill’s Funeral

“But I just can’t afford it!!” Famous words of my friend, Bill Burrill.

Years ago, possibly when my kids were very young, Bill and I would go to lake Quonipaug for opening day of fishing sea-son and would spend six or seven hours in my canoe. Oh, it was great fun. Bill would sit in the front and hold his pole and troll while I would paddle the canoe. I told myself I was burning off some weight and it was giving a friend a day of fishing. The weight thing didn’t work. We did have some funny moments on the lake. Bill would get a hit or get lucky and have a fish near the boat, and just before he got it in the net, it was off the hook and free. “BLAST!”, he would hol-ler. I’d go back to his famous words, “Oh, I just can’t afford it.” I would tell him, “Bill, next time you buy a lure, spend an extra 50 cents, and get one with hooks on it.” He’d laugh and get back to trying again to get another fish that got away. I can’t remember Bill ever filling the boat with fish. Having a good time, yes; catching fish, not likely.

As my involvement in the church grew, Bill’s new project, so it seemed, was to mold me into a working member in the service of the Lord in this church. This he also did for my wife, Cindy, a few years later.

Bill always liked going on the church retreats. His wife, Margie, went once or twice with him. We took them to camp Wightman in our car so he would not have to drive. Bill came with us a few more times leaving Margie at home. He had a ball!! Guess that didn’t sound right, did it? Bill like to be active, and I think when it came to some active sports, Margie tried to have him act his age. He played volleyball and basketball and saying under his breath all the while, “Don't’ tell Margie! She’ll have a fit.” He loved playing with all us younger folks. He was running around like a little kid.

Sometime in the mid to late 80’s, my wife and I joined the churches acting group called the Parabaloni Players. This helped me build more self-confidence and Bill continued to encourage me to get more involved in the running of the

church. My wife and I, on the other hand, helped to encour-age this, “I can’t do it” guy to get involved in the acting group. He did get involved, and I think his best year was the year he played Judas; he had some lines, a solo, and even had a few dance steps. Bill really came out of the shell he was hiding in. It was such fun to watch him onstage. He used to get so mad at himself when he’d drop a line in rehearsal, and we did our best to encourage him by laughing at him. He was great fun to be with, and he really loved his time with the group and enjoyed hanging with the members of the cast.

Bill finally saw the fruits of his encouraging words when I joined the Board of Deacons. He was thrilled and said how happy my folks would be to see me serving the Lord in this capacity. Eventually, he would serve on the Board with me chairing it. He made me nervous! Not that he judged me, but I knew he wanted me to do my best; and I did not want to let him down. He never pressured me to run the Board his way. “Run the meeting the way you feel led,” he would say. Then he would say, “Remember, don’t let the people talk too long, you know how they all just like to hear them-selves talk. Try to keep the meetings short so they want to come back next time.”

The years went by, and Bill was always there to lend a helping hand. “Tom, do the Easter Breakfast—I’ll help,” he would say. He loved getting me involved in one thing or another. He was a generous friend, one that was always there when you needed him, giving his love, helping where he could, en-couraging all to serve God gladly.

To the worrier; to Mr. “I can’t afford it”, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and re-ceive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Not to worry, my friend, you can afford your place of rest. It has been bought and paid for, for you and all those who be-lieve by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Heaven is richer today because of your presence there. Enjoy your stay.

First Baptist has a New Website and Logo You may have noticed the new First Baptist logo showing up on the walls during wor-ship services, soon to show up on the cover of the bulletin and front page of the Light Line. With the arrival of our new Pastor, it was felt that this was a perfect time to re-vamp and renew the logo with a fresh, clean look. In addition, the FBC website (www.fbcwlfd.org) is completely redesigned, encompasses more photos and video, has a cleaner and more colorful design, and is much easier to navigate. The hope is that more and more communication to and from the church will be accomplished through the FBC website and its social media pages. John Powers

Special Christmas Offering for 2011

Sorry this announcement is a little late. If you would like to contribute to this offering, you can do so over the next few weeks. It will go toward replac-ing the roof on Memorial Parish House (MPH). You can mail your offering to the Church Office or place in the offering plate on Sunday morning.

4

Save The Date!

The Theme for this year’s celebration is “Where We Saw God at FBC in 2011”. Please plan to join us on Saturday, January 28 in the evening for a time to celebrate what God has done at FBC in 2011. This event will take the place of our normal Annual Meeting which is usually held on a Sunday in late January after the worship service each year. A nice dinner will also be provided as we fellowship together. More information will follow in upcoming bul-letins.

Winter is God’s time for all nature to Be still and know. Psalm 46.10 Winter is God’s time for you and me to Be still and know. This is God’s season intended to slow us down, intended to replenish your soul, to restock and restore and yes, even rejuvenate even you. Are you fighting it? Or can you yet wel-come and embrace this recharging time? Take the extra time and sleep. Go ahead: stop reading and sleep. Really.

Now that you’ve slept enough, open the scriptures and take them in. Don’t find them speaking to you? Give me a call, and we’ll get you a translation - with helps – that will. If enough of you call, we’ll set up a road trip to a Christian bookstore. When you’ve got one or more chunks of scripture that’s striking you, hold on to them, consider them, pray to God for what God’s saying through these old, yet new words, supplied to you, in this slow-down season of your life.

From God and Deuteronomy 6: Write these words on your hearts. Get them inside of you. Then get them inside those who you live this life with. Talk about them - wher-ever you are - sitting at home or on errands; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them and wear them on bracelets and hats as a reminder. Put them up around your home, your church home, your neighbor-hood, and your city.

Pastor Doug

From Our New Pastor - Rev. Doug Valentine

“Without me, you can do nothing” Spoken by Jesus in John 15:5

We continue to meet every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Will you clear out your schedule and join us in prayer on January 4 and 18, 2012. Joe and Stephanie Sanders

A Time of Prayer

Summary of December 6, 2011 Coaches’ Meeting

• Arrangements being finalized for home chat get-togethers with Pastor Doug. Sign up sheets will be available.

• Annual Meeting Celebration and Dinner planned.. "Where We Saw God at FBC". Don't miss it!

• Discussed better lighting of rose window in the Sanctu-ary and improved exterior lighting.

• Pledge cards still outstanding. • Jay Jordan voted in as Interim Head Coach. • Pastor Doug to spend the Christmas Holidays with fam-

ily in Kansas City—Christmas gift from congregation. • Discussed possible U.S. Mission trip designations. • Elevator/Lift close to completion. Jean Taylor, Clerk

The Coaches’ Corner

5

From Susanne Jordan, Director of Discipleship

“Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know thoroughly everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you al-

ready know it. You are all around me – in front and in back – and you have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it

is more than I can understand.” Psalm 139: 1-6

Lord, you know what my 2012 faith reso-lutions will be even before I do – show them tome Lord, reveal them to me in your time!

• Will I recommit to worshiping every Sunday? • When I go to the check-out counter at the grocery store, how will I treat that person. • Will I delve into the Bible more and revel in the beauty and simplicity of the gospel? • Will I love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my soul – during both good times and trying times? • Will I find more times during the day to seriously con-nect with you Lord? • Will I tell you everything on my heart? • ATF Youth – are you still passionately pursuing Jesus? Hour of Power students, are you nagging your parents to get you to discipleship class each Sunday? • Will I stop and reach out to those in need? • Will I sing to Jesus at the top of my lungs – in the

shower, in your car, in your bedroom? • Will I get that over-due library book back to the church library? • What will I do when I am discouraged? • When things are going absolutely fantastic, will I pray more, the ultimate line of communication to you Lord, Je-sus… “But the hour is coming; and now is, when the true wor-shipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4: 23-24 What will your 2012 faith resolutions be—take a minute to jot them down now! Thank you to all who contributed to the Joys of the Season: Christmas Pageant, sending a card or a note to a senior or shut-in, supporting our First Baptist Student Scholarship Fund, Master’s Manna, or Fulfilling Smiles…providing beautiful music, a touching story, or praying for a friend in need…or most especially, for sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth! O Come let us adore Him………. Coming in February: Winter Rally Day and our Annual Chili Cook-off – date and activities to be announced. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns……………. -Susanne

Bold Believers continues to meet two to three times a month, and we usually have a good number in atten-dance. In December, we made Christmas cards and gifts for our adopted grandparents and for our seniors and shut-ins - thank you Ms. Veitch for delivering them for us. We also had some good faith conversations with Mr. Jim and Miss Toni. At the end of the month, we had our annual Christmas party. We love to bowl so that’s what we did, and we also just relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company.

Happy New Year to you from the Bold Believers! Jillian Jordan

Men’s Ministry An Informal Men’s

Bible Study

What does "Fear of the Lord" mean to you? Men's Bible Study on Monday night, January 30 at 7 p.m. will consider the phrase "fear of the Lord". All are welcome. Feel free to call Wes Feshler at 203-793-7013, or speak with any of the following if you are interested: Joe Sanders, Tony Vance, Ken Rowe, Bill Conant, Mike McCann, Fred Blakeslee, or Tom Day. If you prefer the new guy's perspective, ask Pastor Doug. Wes Feshler’s address is: Silver Pond Apartments, 656 East Center Street - Apt. A-204, Building A - Second Floor, Telephone #203-793-7013.

6

Music Notes from Ginny Henderson Director of Music

It is Tuesday, December 20, and my heart is full with the emotions of this past weekend. I want to thank all the year-round Chancel Choir members and those who joined us to make this year's Christmas Cantata so special. I really felt God's presence with us as the Choir sang and spoke of the promises God made in our Holy scriptures and the promise fulfilled in the humble birth of a child in a stable. This child was God's greatest gift to us, our Savior, Jesus the Christ, who came to redeem us all. Thank you, Choir, for the extra hours of re-hearsal to learn and take the music to heart, the narrators, who spoke so passionately, Pastor Doug, whose presence and support inspired us all, the soloists who conquered their nerves to give of their talents, Jim Wood who came to our dress re-hearsal and worked on the sound system - making us sound far better than we ever dreamed, Danielle Barnhart and Sandra Moya who took time from their busy schedules to learn the bell parts, and Chris Geist who added just the spe-cial touch we needed with his trumpet to give the Cantata a rousing conclusion. "O Come let us Adore Him, Christ the Lord." As we finished the preparations for the Cantata, our hearts were also heavy with the passing of Bill Burrill. Bill was a long-time Choir member and our current Coach of Wor-ship. I will greatly miss Bill, his ever-present support of the music ministry at First Baptist, and his wise counsel and knowledge of the workings of the church. His Memorial Service Monday was a testament to his strong faith and the witness he was to all of us. Bless you, Bill. You are an ex-ample of a life well lived in the service of Jesus Christ. Thank you to the A Cappella Choir who lovingly sang by his bedside in his final hours and touched us all at Bill's Me-morial service, Dave Blain and his singing of "Amazing Grace" to start the service, and so many of the Chancel Choir who sang a tribute to Bill's faith in "My Jesus, I Love Thee." Bless you all. And now, we set our eyes on the Babe of Bethlehem as we finish our final preparations for Christmas Eve and Christ-mas morning. Thank you to all the Choirs who inspire us with their music: Praise Band and it's wonderful leadership, Chancel Choir, A Cappella Choir with your heavenly har-monies, and Raise the Praise Kid’s Choir with your Youth-ful enthusiasm. As the Christmas season runs through Janu-ary 6 with Epiphany, (Three King's Day), let me extend my warmest wishes for a joy-filled Christmas and a New Year centered around serving Jesus Christ with whatever talents and passion God has blessed you with.

In Christ's service, Ginny Henderson, Music Director Text or call at 203-605-9834 Email: ginnylou4Him@juno.com Our featured musician this month is CORY KROON. Thank you, Cory, for all you do here at First Baptist.

Cory Kroon

I started my music "career" when I was 3 1/2 years old. I started playing the violin, studying the Suzuki music program. Most of my childhood consisted of studying music at Hartt University and playing in their orchestra and Violin "Choir". Late elementary school and early middle school, I started singing in the Choir. During

my 6th grade year, I followed in my brother's footsteps and started playing the trombone and started in the Concert Band. I continued in the Choir and Concert Band through middle school and high school. In high school, I added the Jazz Band, the String Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, and Var-sity Singers to the schedule. In college, my music "career" came to an almost immediate screeching halt. I took a se-mester with the University Choir at Southern CT State Uni-versity. After coming to FBC, things picked up again in my music life. Starting off singing in the Chancel Choir, playing in the Bell Choir, and now singing in the Praise Band. Oc-casionally, you can find me playing my trombone or violin for a special occasion. Bringing my music to FBC has been such a blessing. It's a joy to play and sing for the congrega-tion and an honor to praise Him with the gifts that He has given me.

Cory Kroon in Bell Choir - Second from Right

7

If you would like a prayer request in next Sunday’s bulletin, please send an email to: office@fbcwlfd.org or call the Office at 203-269-4796 by Thursday at noon. Prayer Requests: If you have spiritual needs or need prayer, please seek one of our Elders: Sue DeChello, Alice Fekete, Cindy Rusate, or Cindy Oppelt. The Elders are available to come to your home or to meet privately after worship services to pray with you.

• WITH SYMPATHY: To the Family of Bill Burrill and to our church family as we all mourn his passing away Thursday. We are also rejoicing with Bill that he is now in his heavenly home with his Savior!

• WITH SYMPATHY: Laurel, Karen Sova’s sister-in-law, passed away unexpectedly last week. Our hearts and prayers go out to Karen, David (Karen’s brother and Laurel’s husband), and their entire family during their time of grief.

• UPDATE: Lynne Tomascak, Bart’s wife - receiving chemo for esophageal cancer and not feeling well due to the treatments.

• UPDATE: Jerry Hester, Mary Kay’s father and Cindy Rusate’s brother - at Silver Springs Care Center in Meriden (33 Roy St., Room 121) for physical therapy following leg amputation surgery. He would love visi-tors.

• UPDATE: Cindy Holland-Toftness - now home follow-ing knee surgery.

• Pastor Bruce Sandy and Bettylou - God’s direction for their next step as he awaits employment opportunities.

• UPDATE: Beverly Walton - still struggling with her breathing.

• Pastor Doug Valentine and Family - as Pastor Doug is separated from his family and as they prepare the de-tails for their move to Wallingford, especially prayers that their home will sell soon.

• Julia Stiefel, daughter of Jim and Marcia Treat - suffer-ing with debilitating effects of Lyme Disease (she lives in Pennsylvania).

• Henry Mitchell, Debbie Gravell’s father - has terminal cancer. Prayers needed for comfort and peace.

• Norma Podhorn, Megan Clarke’s grandmother - has sarcoma cancer and just returned home from Sloan Kettering.

• Lori Bosari, DeAndrade’s friend - has a malignant tu-mor in her stomach and having chemo treatments at Yale. Her family covets our prayers.

• Pat Vickers, relative of Wes Feshler - had a massive stroke and not responding well. He is at St. Frances Hospital in Hartford.

• Mary Leslie, DeAndrade’s friend - was cancer-free for 20 years. Cancer has returned and is spreading throughout her body.

• Anthony, Mary Vance’s brother - has terminal cancer. • David Stearns - still at Meriden Center. Prayers for Pat

during this time. • Emmy - friend of Cindy Oppelt - colon/liver cancer • Mark Stearns, Pat/Dave’s son - in the military in Libya.

Send letters to: HMI Mark Stearns (Medical), USS Bataan LHD5, FPO AE 09554-1657.

• Our Military - especially in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq. • U.S. Victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wild

fires, and drought.

Words of Thanks!

• Cindy Holland-Toftness wants to thank her church family for the prayers, cards, visits, and well wishes following her recent knee surgery. She feels surrounded by your love.

• Words cannot express how grateful I am for so many people who came to help paint Pastor Doug’s office along with preparing his temporary room where he is staying until his family arrives. Thank you, Tom Oppelt, for taking on a silent leadership role in this pro-ject—you did an awesome job. Thank you to Aimee Powers, Dave Bolles, Fred Blakeslee, Jay Jordan, Stephanie, Joe, Caleb, and Jordan Sanders, Susanne Jordan, Jim Wood, John Powers and Radical Youth Group for all the painting and prep work that was done in his office. Thank you, Mark Davis, for all the reorganizing of the wires in the offices, and thank you to Michaela Blain and Jordan Sanders, for helping me to clean/organize the kitchen at the office for Pastor Doug to use. Michele Smith

Welcome New Babies

Congratulations to the following parents and their families: • Liz and Nick Raso welcomed their new daugh-

ter, Julia Rose Raso, on December 19, 2011 at 8:30 a.m.. Julia weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces and was 19 inches long. Julia joins her almost three-year-old brother, Vito. Both baby and mom are doing well. We praise the Lord for a safe arrival for both Julia and Liz.

• Tom and Amy (Griffin) Lorenz welcomed their new daughter, Samantha Evelyn, on Fri-day, November 18, 2011 at 8:45 p.m. Saman-tha weighed 8 pounds, 9.5 ounces and was 22 inches long. Samantha joins her big sister, Emily.

8

Women’s Guild

The January 12, 2012 Luncheon Meeting of the Women’s Guild will be held at 1 p.m. in the FBC Gold Room. The program for the day will be a work pro-ject. Our Hostesses will be Susanne Jordan, Juanita Aldrich, and Leona Town-send. This is the first meeting of the new year and we would love to get off to a flying start with a lot of new members!! We invite all women of FBC to at-tend. Hope to see you there!

Special Women’s Event

All women are invited to join in celebration of the New Year for a Women of Faith event at First Baptist Church. We will meet in First Baptist Fellowship Hall on Saturday January 7th 2012 from 4-6pm. This will be a time of celebration with food, music, and discussion on Women of Faith experiences. Please bring an ap-petizer to share. For further information and questions please contact Robyn Spinaci, Cathy Copas, or Susanne Jordan.

Women's Fellowship Book Discussion Group

General Information about the Group:

We meet on Saturday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. We rotate hostesses and houses. Hostesses are on a volunteer basis and not everyone in the group is ex-pected to open their home or lead. It is open to everyone in the church and friends.

January

Date of the Meeting: Saturday, January 21, 2012 Time of the Meeting: 10-11:30 a.m. Hostess: Mary Vance Address and Phone: 10 Cardinal Drive, Wallingford, 203-269-5795 Book: "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo Heaven is for real is a special book about a young boy who during a surgery visits Heaven and sees Jesus. This is a true story told by his pastor father as he heard it from his young son. You won't want to miss reading this book and joining us for the book discussion. All women of the church are invited. Refreshments will be served. Hope to see you there.

January 1 Judie Veitch January 6 Jim Treat January 6 Joseph Moore January 7 Cathy Copas January 7 Melissa Cardonita January 8 Joshua Genest January 11 Ivan Hubbard January 11 Fred Blakeslee January 11 Allen Sherwood January 13 Lisa McCann January 16 George DeChello, III January 17 Timothy Fekete, Sr. January 20 Trevor Thorpe January 24 Bobbi Taylor January 25 Jamie Heinrich January 26 Tom Lorenz January 29 George DeChello, Jr. January 29 Erin Cioffi January 30 Sonia Chan January 30 Lori Ann Bernard January 31 Lucy Groobert January 31 Crystal Spinaci

9

Dominican Republic Mission Trip June 22-July 1, 2012 (Week One)

June 29-July 7, 2012 (Second Week)

Time to sign up for the 2012 Dominican Republic Mission Team

All interested in being part of the 2012 DR Mission Team are encouraged to register now to save your spot on the team. The first meeting will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2 p.m., in Fellowship Hall - all interested should make every effort to attend.

There will be two weeks available this summer - the traditional team of 80+ from Friday, June 22 to Sunday, July 1 and a second week from Friday, June 29 to Saturday, July 7. There also are a limited number of spots to stay both weeks.

It is expected that spots for the 2012 trip will fill up at this first meeting, so those from FBC interested should turn in their $100 deposit to John Powers as soon as possible. The application process for this year's trip will be completed online only, and more information on that process will be available at the first meeting.

Questions? Please contact John at john@drmissionteam.org, call 203-626-2239, or visit drmissionteam.org.

How We Help Those in Need in Our Community

At times, we receive phone calls at the church or the Church Office from someone who is asking for financial assistance. Although we do not keep funds here at the Church Office or in the Church building, we do support local ministries such as Master’s Manna each month. When we do receive a phone call from someone requesting financial assistance, we let them know that we are truly sorry that we do not offer financial assistance from the office, and we then refer them to Master’s Manna, 46 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford - 203-927-5886. At Master’s Manna, they can receive food, clothing, dental care, meals, etc. If you do happen to answer the phone at the church building and it is someone asking for financial help, please share this information with them. Thank you so much.

10

13 Week Study Beginning Sunday, January 8

3-5 p.m. in the Gold RoomJoe/Stephanie Sanders ~ 203-294-4359

This is the underlying question about YOUR faith. How can you share it with others if you’re not con-vinced about its certainty? God has made claims in the Bible that we each can choose to embrace or re-

ject.

Bring an open mind and join us for this thirteen-week study.

To register, please visit www.truthproject.org and

click on ‘join a small group’

Questions? Contact Joe and Stephanie Sanders at 203-294-4359.

11

American Baptist Churches of CT News

American Baptist Churches of Connecticut 90 North Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107 860-521-5421 Week of December 12, 2011 Donated Bicycles Mary Ann Blank works with a gentleman from Old Lyme who donates bicycles to children in economically difficult situations in CT. If you have children who could use a refurbished bicycle, contact Mary Ann at maryannblank@email.com. (Mary Ann is chair of our Department of Congregational Leadership and Re-newal and is a member of First Baptist Church in Essex.) From the ABCCONN Annual Gathering program committee We want to make the Annual Gathering (April 28, 2012) something you won't want to miss. The theme for 2011 is 'Proclaiming the Gospel'. Is there a topic you think we should include? Some pastor or church do-ing amazing things? What would ensure that you would definitely attend? Please email Program Commit-tee Chair Nancy Forsstrom at cbc.pastor@yahoo.com." Transformed by the Spirit ABCUSA is embarking on an adventure in and with the Spirit. With the help of The Missional Network, we are entering into a time of deep discernment around the adaptive challenges we face as churches, re-gions, and as a denomination. Where is God leading us now and what is God calling us to do and be? The Spirit is alive and moving us for sure, but how shall we engage and listen? As we consider our adaptive challenges, we are being asked to reflect deeply on the question: What ministry challenges are we cur-rently facing, for which we do not presently have an answer, but which must be addressed if we are to live into God’s future for us? We have just returned from Chicago where we began our journey as “coaches” in this process and look forward to working with others in the practice of discernment and de-veloping creative ideas for addressing our adaptive challenges. You are invited to check out the new video on Transformed by the Spirit, which highlights four churches in the ABCUSA that have undergone this type of discerning and been renewed in the Spirit, including our own Union Baptist Church in Mystic, CT. As we begin this adventure, pray for the Spirit among us, and join us in this time of discernment. Joyce Blandon and Rev. Stacy Emerson American Baptist Women News The “Shine the Light” award, established in 2011 by American Baptist Women’s Ministries, recognizes out-standing light-bearers for Christ. The award honors exemplary women from local American Baptist churches for how they shine Christ’s light in the world. The award may be given to an individual American Baptist woman or to a group of women from an American Baptist church. For more information go to www.abc-usa.org

12

First Baptist Church of Wallingford - January 2012 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Communion Sunday New Year's Day Susanne Jordan on vacation 10:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM "Raise The Praise" Kids Choir Rehearsal in the Choir Room (ages 4 thru 7th grade) 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Following Worship Service - Coffee Hour 11:30 AM NO AFTERNOON OR EVENING MEETINGS DUE TO NEW YEAR'S DAY

2 Church Office Closed Today Susanne Jordan on vacation

3 7:00 PM Coaches' Meeting CE Wing Meeting Room

4 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM All-Church Prayer Meeting in Gold Room 7:00 PM Chan-cel Choir Re-hearsal in Choir Room

5 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Al Anon in Gold Room

6 Epiphany

7 4:00 PM FBC Women's Event - Fellowship Hall and Kitchen Reserved

8 8:50 AM - 9:50 AM Hour of Power - in Fellowship Hall, then to classes 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Choir Room 10:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM Children's Worship in Gold Room 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Cafe/Coffee Hour in Fellowship Hall 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dr Mission Trip - First Planning Mtg., Fellowship Hall 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Truth Project in the Gold Room 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Radical Youth (Sr. High/College), Fellowship Hall

9 Church Office Closed Today

10 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Elders' Meeting

11 7:00 PM Chan-cel Choir Re-hearsal in Choir Room

12 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Al Anon in Gold Room 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Women's Guild in Gold Room

13 Radical Youth (Sr. High and College Age) Re-treat at Camp Wightman

14 Radical Youth (Sr. High and College Age) Retreat at Camp Wightman

15 Deadline for Light Line Radical Youth (Sr. High and College Age) Retreat at Camp Wightman 8:50 AM - 9:50 AM Hour of Power - in Fellowship Hall, then to classes 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Choir Room 10:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM Children's Worship in Gold Room 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Following Worship Service - Budget Meeting in Fellowship Hall 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Truth Project in the Gold Room

16 Church Office Closed Today Martin L. King, Jr. Day

17 18 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM All-Church Prayer Meeting in Gold Room 7:00 PM Chan-cel Choir Re-hearsal in Choir Room

19 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Al Anon in Gold Room

20 21

22 8:50 AM - 9:50 AM Hour of Power - in Fellowship Hall, then to classes 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Choir Room 10:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM Children's Worship in Gold Room 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Following Worship Service - Coffee Hour 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Truth Project in the Gold Room

23 Church Office Closed Today

24 25 7:00 PM Chan-cel Choir Re-hearsal in Choir Room

26 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Al Anon in Gold Room

27 28 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Annual (Meeting) Celebration in Fel-lowship Hall (time to be confirmed)

13

(Cont.) Calendar for First Baptist Church of Wallingford – January 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 29 8:50 AM - 9:50 AM Hour of Power - meet in Fellowship Hall and then to classes 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Chancel Choir Re-hearsal in Choir Room 10:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM "Mission Mania" - Chil-dren, Age 3-4 through grade 7 - (age 12-13) dismissed for mission project in the Gold Room 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Following Worship Service - Coffee Hour in Fellowship Hall 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Truth Project in the Gold Room

30 Church Office Closed Today 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM - Men’s Bible Study at the home of Wes Feshler, Silver Pond Apts., 656 East Center Street, Apt. A-204