Children’s ministry: Egg hunt, Grand Prix, Family Night, and VBS by Rebecca Shipman I have heard that time goes by faster the older we get but April seems to have come and gone at a ridiculous pace. Easter Sunday was so much fun; we had a great turnout for the Easter egg hunt! I do not know what is more fun-hunting the eggs or getting to watch- but it seemed that all involved enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it a success. April 18 th , we had the Awana Grand Prix in the Family Life Center. There were 61 kids who brought their cars to race and all the kids cheered each other on during the races. We had kids, parents, siblings, grandparents, and more show up to cheer and help and it was wonderful to see everyone participate. May 9 th is our last night of Awana/ Missions for this school year. It will not be a normal Wednesday night. There will be no class time. Instead, we are asking parents to stay for a short program in the sanctuary and then join us for dinner. Be there at 5:30!! It has been a great year. Parents, thank you for so faithfully bringing your children. Teachers, thank you for devoting your time and energy week after week; you are greatly appreciated!!! Children, thank you for being willing to learn with us and from us; we cannot wait to see you at VBS!!!! Reminder: VBS is June 17-21. We hope to see you all there!!! We still need volunteers. Please email me at [email protected]if you are willing to help or sign-up on the sheet outside of the sanctuary. I thank you, in advance. Baptist Association Quarterly Business Meeting by Becky Weber The Lake Ivie Baptist Association will be holding its quarterly business meeting on Tuesday May 15 th at the First Baptist Church in Mercury. Executive Board & WMU meet at 5:00 pm, followed by the meal at 6:00. The Mission Emphasis program will begin at 6:45. Please mark your calendars now to attend the Associational Meeting. Both the Executive Board Meeting and the WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union) meeting are open to anyone who is interested in attending. We hope you will come and represent your church and support your association. This is your opportunity to find out what has been going on within your association and to find out what future events have been planned. We look forward to sharing a great meal with you along with a wonderful time of Fellowship. Come and be blessed. Welcome new member By letter J.W. Angel First Baptist Church Newsletter Brady, Texas http://fbcbrady.org/ Vol.13, No 5 May 2012 Sharing—not just for children by Bro. Kevin McDonald [email protected]One of the first things we learn as children is to share. Judging from my childhood experiences and observing others, it seems that sharing doesn’t come naturally to many of us. But as we grow up, we do learn to share, albeit with differing motives and de- grees of success. I think that sharing is a lot like an iceberg. You see, 90 percent of an iceberg is under the water, and out of sight. But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there (remember the Titanic?). The little acts of generosity we see in oth- ers are almost always indicative of something much larger: a lifestyle of being gener- ous, a life that loves to share. This past Sunday we enjoyed Mark Blankenship singing in our morning service, and an evening of his singing, his songs, and his stories, as we worshiped. Mark shared his time (he is a pretty busy guy), his talent, his presence, and best of all, his love for Jesus with us. But-we would not have enjoyed Mark’s wonderful generosity if Charlie and Becky hadn’t shared him with us. We were all blessed last Sunday; not by skill and talent, but by the act of sharing. One man shared his friend with us, and the friend shared his God-given gift and stories with us. This is starting to sound like a Bible story, isn’t it? Share your friend Jesus with others. Share your friends from church with others. Share your church with others, as well as your time, your presence, and your life. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, because that is what He is. What kind of a giver are you? We didn’t plan the mission trip to China this year; God did! by Charlie and Becky Elliott We prepared to go to China armed with the Chinese/English translations of the Gos- pel of John this church bought for us and the members signed. The previous year, we were privileged to have a university class of students who were eager to have the little Bibles and to study the Word. This year, we didn’t find such a class, and the English- teaching job we went to do did not materialize. BUT GOD HAD A BETTER PLAN. After two weeks of missed appointments and much prayer as to what we should do, God said, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Then He led us to go enjoy fellowship with a retired missionary and her helper we had met two years before. There we met two college freshmen girls who were friendly and eager to talk with Americans. They asked questions that led us to explain our love and God’s love for them. They eagerly made an appointment to meet with us the fol- lowing week. The missionary, who lives in China permanently, said, “Give them a gospel and tell the story of Jesus. They are ready!” NOW THAT WAS A GIFT FROM GOD. After two more sessions with us, they both prayed the sinner’s prayer and invited Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. By the way, the little gospel books we gave them were signed by two of you we know well, so we used your testimony to help them understand that Christians pray for them. Mia is an excellent English student, and she emails us about her new journey. We have to be careful how we word our emails, but Mia very bravely said, “We meet with Lynn (the missionary) every week and learn more about God. We remember our times with you—what happened is unforgettable!” God continued to open doors, and we never shied away from telling the story of Je- sus. We taught six middle school children the Christmas story using Christmas cards and picture books. When we taught them to sing “Away in the Manger,” we discovered what a strong invitation the last verse is for a lost person: “Be near me Lord Jesus and stay by my side and love me forever, I pray.” When we taught them the Easter story, we learned to sing a peppy version of “He Lives.” We asked the two boys if they really believe that Jesus is alive. They an- swered, “Of course!” When we asked them if they wanted to invite Jesus to be their Savior and boss, they answered, “Sure!” God led us to renew friendships with amazing secret Christians; and He showed us that the challenges to teach and disciple believers still exist. We ask you to pray for one believer who is losing her way because of the temptation to put her trust in her rich friend instead of Jesus. In fact, she did not let us work with her private English class because we taught them to sing, “This Little Light of Mine.” Pray for the missionaries who get discouraged because they see very little spiritual growth. The Christians still live in a Communist society, and they are suspicious of one another and afraid to meet in groups to study God’s Word. Pray that they may know that He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world. We want to teach more hymns like “Be strong in the Lord, and be of good cour- age, for He is your guide….And rejoice, for the victory is yours.” Pray for China. Every day religious freedom comes closer. After all, there are 100,000,000 Christians in China.
Transcript
Children’s ministry: Egg hunt, Grand Prix, Family Night, and VBS
by Rebecca Shipman I have heard that time goes by faster the
older we get but April seems to have come and gone at a ridiculous pace. Easter Sunday was so much fun; we had a great turnout for the Easter egg hunt! I do not know what is more fun-hunting the eggs or getting to watch- but it seemed that all involved enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it a success.
April 18th, we had the Awana Grand Prix in the Family Life Center. There were 61 kids who brought their cars to race and all the kids cheered each other on during the races. We had kids, parents, siblings, grandparents, and more show up to cheer and help and it was wonderful to see everyone participate.
May 9th is our last night of Awana/Missions for this school year. It will not be a normal Wednesday night. There will be no class time. Instead, we are asking parents to stay for a short program in the sanctuary and then join us for dinner. Be there at 5:30!! It has been a great year. Parents, thank you for so faithfully bringing your children. Teachers, thank you for devoting your time and energy week after week; you are greatly appreciated!!! Children, thank you for being willing to learn with us and from us; we cannot wait to see you at VBS!!!!
Reminder: VBS is June 17-21. We hope to see you all there!!! We still need volunteers. Please email me at [email protected] if you are willing to help or sign-up on the sheet outside of the sanctuary. I thank you, in advance. Baptist Association Quarterly Business Meeting
by Becky Weber The Lake Ivie Baptist Association will
be holding its quarterly business meeting on Tuesday May 15th at the First Baptist Church in Mercury.
Executive Board & WMU meet at 5:00 pm, followed by the meal at 6:00. The Mission Emphasis program will begin at 6:45.
Please mark your calendars now to attend the Associational Meeting. Both the Executive Board Meeting and the WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union) meeting are open to anyone who is interested in attending.
We hope you will come and represent your church and support your association. This is your opportunity to find out what has been going on within your association and to find out what future events have been planned. We look forward to sharing a great meal with you along with a wonderful time of Fellowship. Come and be blessed. Welcome new member
By letter J.W. Angel
First Baptist Church Newsletter Brady, Texas http://fbcbrady.org/ Vol.13, No 5
May 2012
Sharing—not just for children by Bro. Kevin McDonald [email protected]
One of the first things we learn as children is to share. Judging from my childhood experiences and observing others, it seems that sharing doesn’t come naturally to many of us. But as we grow up, we do learn to share, albeit with differing motives and de-grees of success. I think that sharing is a lot like an iceberg. You see, 90 percent of an iceberg is under the water, and out of sight. But just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there (remember the Titanic?). The little acts of generosity we see in oth-ers are almost always indicative of something much larger: a lifestyle of being gener-ous, a life that loves to share.
This past Sunday we enjoyed Mark Blankenship singing in our morning service, and an evening of his singing, his songs, and his stories, as we worshiped. Mark shared his time (he is a pretty busy guy), his talent, his presence, and best of all, his love for Jesus with us. But-we would not have enjoyed Mark’s wonderful generosity if Charlie and Becky hadn’t shared him with us.
We were all blessed last Sunday; not by skill and talent, but by the act of sharing. One man shared his friend with us, and the friend shared his God-given gift and stories with us. This is starting to sound like a Bible story, isn’t it?
Share your friend Jesus with others. Share your friends from church with others. Share your church with others, as well as your time, your presence, and your life. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, because that is what He is. What kind of a giver are you?
We didn’t plan the mission trip to China this year; God did!
by Charlie and Becky Elliott We prepared to go to China armed with the Chinese/English translations of the Gos-
pel of John this church bought for us and the members signed. The previous year, we were privileged to have a university class of students who were eager to have the little Bibles and to study the Word. This year, we didn’t find such a class, and the English-teaching job we went to do did not materialize.
BUT GOD HAD A BETTER PLAN. After two weeks of missed appointments and much prayer as to what we should do, God said, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).
Then He led us to go enjoy fellowship with a retired missionary and her helper we had met two years before. There we met two college freshmen girls who were friendly and eager to talk with Americans. They asked questions that led us to explain our love and God’s love for them. They eagerly made an appointment to meet with us the fol-lowing week.
The missionary, who lives in China permanently, said, “Give them a gospel and tell the story of Jesus. They are ready!” NOW THAT WAS A GIFT FROM GOD. After two more sessions with us, they both prayed the sinner’s prayer and invited Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. By the way, the little gospel books we gave them were signed by two of you we know well, so we used your testimony to help them understand that Christians pray for them.
Mia is an excellent English student, and she emails us about her new journey. We have to be careful how we word our emails, but Mia very bravely said, “We meet with Lynn (the missionary) every week and learn more about God. We remember our times with you—what happened is unforgettable!”
God continued to open doors, and we never shied away from telling the story of Je-sus. We taught six middle school children the Christmas story using Christmas cards and picture books. When we taught them to sing “Away in the Manger,” we discovered what a strong invitation the last verse is for a lost person: “Be near me Lord Jesus and stay by my side and love me forever, I pray.”
When we taught them the Easter story, we learned to sing a peppy version of “He Lives.” We asked the two boys if they really believe that Jesus is alive. They an-swered, “Of course!” When we asked them if they wanted to invite Jesus to be their Savior and boss, they answered, “Sure!”
God led us to renew friendships with amazing secret Christians; and He showed us that the challenges to teach and disciple believers still exist. We ask you to pray for one believer who is losing her way because of the temptation to put her trust in her rich friend instead of Jesus. In fact, she did not let us work with her private English class because we taught them to sing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
Pray for the missionaries who get discouraged because they see very little spiritual growth. The Christians still live in a Communist society, and they are suspicious of one another and afraid to meet in groups to study God’s Word.
Pray that they may know that He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world. We want to teach more hymns like “Be strong in the Lord, and be of good cour-age, for He is your guide….And rejoice, for the victory is yours.”
Pray for China. Every day religious freedom comes closer. After all, there are 100,000,000 Christians in China.
In our lives we are identified by so many things. We are identified by the jobs we have, the positions that
we are in, the families that we are a part of, the events that we do, and even the churches that we are a part of. All the things that we identify ourselves with most of the time are things that will not matter when we reach heaven.
If we are followers of Christ then how we are identified is supposed to be in Christ. But to be identified as
having a life with Christ is something that is not just an inward thing but outward. Our life in Christ must be expressed constantly. A life filled with Christ cannot be withheld and kept to ourselves. To have Christ in our heart we must be exploding to share it.
The youth will be talking about “Identity” this month. The goal is to help them understand that we are
Christ’s children and by being that we have to not merely claim to be Christian but actively live a life to show it. I pray that we all examine what our identity is in and if we are really living for Christ or just saying the words.
God bless you all and be with you. I ask you for your prayers as Ashley and I come down to the last
month before the wedding and all the planning and things we must do. Skyler Maley
Notes from Rob
by Rob Tucker, Minister of Music [email protected] drtucker.blogspot.com London in the rear view mirror for me (at least figuratively)! My time was spent learning, listening, experi-
encing, teaching, and mostly soaking in a new culture in a new environment. Far from perfect with plenty of flaws but also many great wonders, I loved my London time with its arts world of great music, amazing thea-tre productions, and beautiful architecture throughout the city. Taking full advantage of all the city has to offer, I experienced several different styles of worship including Anglican high church, Anglican low church, Reformed Baptist, Methodist, and non-denominational. From strict liturgy and art music all the way to hard rock music, I worshiped God in every form I could find.
Worshiping is a matter of the heart and mind giving honor to God regardless of the method. Worship can be individual and often is, but there is strength in the collective and joy is easily contagious in groups of peo-ple. I love to sing praises to the Lord and part of my joy is in seeing the Lord working in people around me as they sing and honor God. There is something glorious about knowing that all across the ocean another church is also worshiping at the same time.
As I settle back into my routine in my Texas world, I am reminded of how thankful I am for my family, my
friends, and for FBC Brady. During my London time, I frequently kept the church in my prayers. I am so pleased with Tyler and the excellent job he did as interim music minister. He is much appreciated and I know he grew from his experience as he selected and led music for worship every Sunday morning.
And now I am back and ready to resume my normal life of teaching at Howard Payne University, working
with college students, and being the minister of music at FBC Brady. It is great to be back among my friends and my family and to live in Texas once again where the sky seems to go forever and the demand for rugged individualism is matched by the naturally friendly social life of the people. Of course I'll miss the cooler weather, the frequent rain, the sculptures, the architecture, and the multitude of museums and galleries. But no matter how many ways I look at it, my home and my heart reside in Texas.
As we gather to worship God, let us remember that across the ocean are many thousands worshiping God
as well. Our worlds are joined by a common desire to love God, to thank Him for the many blessings, and to sing praises to His name at every opportunity.
See you in church, Rob
May 2012 page 3
Broadcasts on KNEL 95.3 FM
Sunday morning: live broadcast at 10:55 AM Weekdays: Morning Devotional at 7:45 AM
Thanks to Kevin McDonald, Shane Owens, Carrah Sparks, and Brian Sparks for recording radio devotionals in April.
May devotionals will be done by Joyce Scott, Velma Hendley, Janet Avey, Ida Owens, and Serena Alexan-der.
Food Ministry Report
April 2012: • 113 families • 172
adults • 63 chil-
dren under 12
• 44 adults 65 and older
Weekly Events Sunday
9:45 AM Sunday School Bible Study 10:50 AM Morning Worship 5:00 PM Kid’s Praise 6:00 PM Evening Services/Events
Monday 4:00 PM Bible study, home of Mary Ballew
Tuesday 1:30-3:00 Dorcas quilting group 6:00 Beth Moore study
Wednesday 7:00 AM Men’s Prayer Breakfast Presbyterian Church 5:30-7:15 AWANA/Mission classes (ending May 9) 6:00 Prayer meeting/Bible study 5:45-6:30 Middle School Youth 6:30-7:00 Youth snack time 7:00-8:15 High School Youth
Deacons on call for May Virgil Middleton 597-2629 Ed Weber 325-475-3471
Greeters for May East Door
May 6 Virgil and Glenda Middleton May 13 Ken and Claudette Young May 20 Mabel Jones & Geneva Joslin May 27 Shane and Denise Owens
West Door: Youth
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2 Wes Avant Tim Owens
3 Ethel Blackwell
4 Oleta Weaver Matthew Bishop
5 Alton Roberts
6 Wedding shower for Skyler and Ashley, 2:00-4:00, FLC Evening worship, 5:00, Elliott Ranch
7
Daniel Virdell 8 Grace Class meet-ing, 3:00 , FLC Edith Slaughter
9 Awana Family Night, last Awana for year
10 Terry Virdell
11 Food Distribution, 10:00-12:00 Geneva Stanley Dewey Young
12 Cody Munden Crockett Jurius
13 Mother’s Day Baby Dedications-Business meeting, 6:00 Pat Gary Emily Spurgen
14 Triple S lunch, noon, Fellowship Hall Wesley Virdell
15 LVIA meeting, Mercury Baptist Norma Ridout
16 Bill Finley
17 Lynn Munden
18
19
20 Fellowship, 6:00
21 Sharon McDonald
22 Blake Sopher
23
24
25 Margaret Custer
26 Jeanagayle Behrens
27 Visitation, 6:00 Teresa Felts Layne Avant
28 Triple S game night, 5:30, Fel-lowship Hall
29
30 Arlan McBee Daryl Booth
31
May 2012
Mother’s Day May 13 Baby Dedication
Please contact Maurice Mallow ASAP if you would like to have your baby or young child involved in this special service. Kid’s Praise
Our children’s choir is planning a special song as part of our Mother’s Day service.
May 2012 page 4
• VBS/Day Camp • Mission to the Navajo • our nation’s leaders • our members in the nurs-
ing homes • our homebound members • the lost and un-churched
in our community • Brady children & youth • Our Sunday School Joyce Blackwell Glenda Bradshaw Dariel and Glenda Carson Bill Curry Steven Curry Brianna Danford Betty Daugherty
Truman Farris Martin Flores Sam Flores Craig Gideon Louise Hammett Lloyd Harris Greg Jordan Simon Lambert Francis Lovette Mike Lowery Tara Maden John Nix Paul and Connie Nix Denise Owens Tracy Parsley Bobbye and Jerry Petty Alton and Destani Roberts Ann Roberts
Jesse Rumfield Marvin Sanders Jim and Rose Sherer Mike and Laurie Slone Opal Smyrl Marguerite Threadgill Patrick Tingle Jack and Susan Turk Lucy & Harold Underwood Richard Valdez Tess Warren Billy and Doris Whitaker Skylyn Whitaker Coleman Williams Debbie Winkle
In military: Daryl Booth Jerry Brown Brandon Haymon David Hernandez Concho Moore Ashley Pirtle Cory Pirtle Tyler Remini Jace Telford Sammy Telford Jonathan Torres Alisha Slone Wes Stark Daniel Virdell Justin Williams Ricky Williams, Jr.
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Psalm 86:5
Pray without ceasing. . .
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection
and the life. He who be-lieves in me will live, even though he dies;
and whoever lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
First Baptist Church RR 1 Box 4 (325) 597-2956 1103 W. 17th St. Brady, TX 76825 Website and newsletter online:
http://www.fbcbrady.org Staff: Kevin McDonald, Pastor [email protected] 597-1926 Rob Tucker, Minister of Music
One Last Chance One last chance to sign up to go on the Na-vajo Mission Trip. No special talents re-quired. Only a willing spirit and a desire to be used by God. The dates are June 22 - May 1st. We have 5 ladies going from FBC and there could be more. Please call Betty Smith - 325-597-0740 - for ques-tions or to sign up. You won't be sorry.
Dear First Baptist,
Thank you so much for being so willing to donate your facility to Hill
Kountry K-Life for the last several years. The Family Life Center has
been a tremendous blessing for
many people in this community. We are honored to be fellow servants of
Christ with y’all. Please accept this small donation from K-Life.
Sincerely, K-Life Board
The newsletter is available on t h e c h u r c h w e b s i t e : fbcbrady.org. It can also be sent to your email address each month; just send your address to [email protected].
Wedding shower
for Skyler Maley
and Ashley
Whitaker May 6, 2:00-4:00,
FLC Bring a gift or add to the money tree
Petunias enjoy the spring sunshine in the courtyard bed at church 4-25-12
Pictured is Athena Papadopoulos, who came through Brady early in April. She is running (now biking, because of a stress fracture in her foot) across America on behalf of World Vision to raise aware-ness of the need for clean water in Africa. She was hosted in Brady by Ken and Claudette Young and visited our church. Visit her web site and blog at
coast2coast4cleanwater.webs.com
Workers are needed to help with Wednesday night youth from 5:45 to 8:15. Con-tact Skyler if you would like to help with this ministry.
