First Baptist Church P.O. Box 779 Graham, NC 27253 (336) 226-7395 - Church Office (336) 226-0261 - Fax Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 12 Graham, NC 2018 Newsletter and Calendar Making Connections That Make A Difference Ryan Howe and Sydney Smith are the newest members of the FBC Gra- ham family. Sydney has been a life- long attender of FBC Graham. Syd- ney’s mother, Sharon Steele, and grandparents, the late Mr. Larry Steele and Ms. Faye Steele, have at- tended FBC Graham for many years. Ryan is the son of Chris Howe and began attending FBC Graham with Sydney several years ago. Syd- ney is currently in her last year of nursing school at UNC-Greensboro and Ryan is employed by Crown Honda in Greensboro. Ryan and Sydney are engaged and plan to be married in November, 2019. Our children and youth will be at- tending Passport Camps again this summer, and we greatly value the support this congregation gives them each year. The opportunity for them to learn, worship, play, and minister together in this way is a tre- mendous blessing. Our children will attend PASSPORTkids Camp at Montreat Conference Center in the mountains of North Carolina from July 2-5. The cost per person is $308. Our youth will attend PASS- PORTmissions Camp at Furman University in Greenville, South Car- olina, from July 9-14. The cost per person is $418. If you would like to contribute, we would gladly receive any gifts. You can help us as we raise money for our children and youth and their chaperones to attend Passport by joining us for a spaghetti lunch in the Ministry Center on Sunday, April 29, following morning worship. Do- nations will be accepted. For more information, please contact Shan- non Hall. We hope to see you there! PASSPORT CAMPS
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First Baptist Church P.O. Box 779
Graham, NC 27253
(336) 226-7395 - Church Office (336) 226-0261 - Fax
Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE
PAID Permit No. 12 Graham, NC
2018 Newsletter and Calendar
Making Connections That Make A Difference
Ryan Howe and Sydney Smith are the newest members of the FBC Gra-ham family. Sydney has been a life-long attender of FBC Graham. Syd-ney’s mother, Sharon Steele, and grandparents, the late Mr. Larry Steele and Ms. Faye Steele, have at-tended FBC Graham for many years. Ryan is the son of Chris Howe and began attending FBC Graham with Sydney several years ago. Syd-ney is currently in her last year of nursing school at UNC-Greensboro and Ryan is employed by Crown Honda in Greensboro.
Ryan and Sydney are engaged and plan to be married in November, 2019.
Our children and youth will be at-tending Passport Camps again this summer, and we greatly value the support this congregation gives them each year. The opportunity for them to learn, worship, play, and minister together in this way is a tre-mendous blessing. Our children will attend PASSPORTkids Camp at Montreat Conference Center in the mountains of North Carolina from July 2-5. The cost per person is $308. Our youth will attend PASS-PORTmissions Camp at Furman University in Greenville, South Car-olina, from July 9-14. The cost per person is $418. If you would like to contribute, we would gladly receive any gifts.
You can help us as we raise money for our children and youth and their chaperones to attend Passport by joining us for a spaghetti lunch in the Ministry Center on Sunday, April 29, following morning worship. Do-nations will be accepted. For more information, please contact Shan-non Hall. We hope to see you there!
PASSPORT CAMPS
Baptist Men’s Breakfast Ministry Center
Saturday, April 21st. at 8:00 am.
The sign up sheet is on the table in the middle hallway.
Church Conference Wednesday, April 11th
at 6:30 pm
The office will be closed on Easter Monday, April 2.
FBC Handbell Choir Our FBC Handbell Choir will resume re-hearsals on April 15th in the Handbell Room at 6:30. We are looking forward to preparing music for Homecoming Sunday in June.
Sunday, April 29, PASSPORT Fundraiser, Spaghetti Lunch following morning worship
Sunday, June 10 - Homecoming (Covered dish lunch following worship)
Monday-Thursday, July 2-5 - PASSPORTKIDS CAMP
Monday-Saturday, July 9-14 - PASSPORT MISSIONS CAMP
For more information on these events, keep watch on future Updates and Newsletters.
FRIENDS ON MISSIONS An invitation is extended to all women of First Baptist Church to attend our daytime missions group called Friends On Mission (FOM). Regular meetings will take place the first Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 3rd, at 10:00 a.m. in the Ministry Center, with a light lunch following the meeting. At Friends On Missions meetings, we will study God’s word, pray, learn about and support mission work. In our time togeth-er, we will work toward developing a serv-ant’s heart through service projects, and spend time growing and strengthening our relationship with God. As we combine our talents and follow God’s call, let us reveal to others the light of Jesus working within us, our church, our community and the world.
Tuesdays at 10
We will meet on Tuesday, April 10th, at 10:00 am in the Ministry Center. We’ll play bin-
go together (with prizes!) and have a soup lunch. Please bring an inexpensive item that can be used for bingo prizes. Make plans to share this good time together!
MINISTRY 714 The Deacons would like to invite you to take part in our church’s new prayer ministry, Min-istry 714. Ministry 714 is based on 2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people, who are called by my name, will hum-ble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heav-en, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. We believe that it is very important for our church family to fervently pray together as we seek God’s will for our church. We have scheduled our first Ministry 714 prayer meeting for Thursday, April 12th, at 6:30 p.m., at the home of Chris and Ronda Howe, 523 Wildwood Lane in Burlington. Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to spend time in prayer with our Lord and in fellowship with one another. If you would like to host one of our monthly Ministry 714 prayer meetings in your home, you may contact Debbie Farrell.
Church Staff
Rev. Travis Russell, Pastor Rev. Shannon Hall, Associate Pastor of Music & Family Ministries
Diann Clapp Administrative Assistant Ann Holt, Organist
Tune in to Station 1200-AM or 104.5-FM
at 11:00 am, for a live broadcast
of our service.
Visit our website – www.fbcgraham.org
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” We are an “Easter people.” This is something I have heard my entire life, especially around this time of year. And yet, though I love its sentiment, I often find its application much more challenging. Like Jesus, we live in a world of suffering and death. We live in a world that seems to be overcome by evil. At times, it can be easy for us to feel outmatched and overwhelmed by the brokenness around us. It can seem as though we are fighting a losing battle, despite the hope and promise of Easter. So how do we live as “Easter people”? How can we live in a way that reflects the hope, joy, and new life prom-ised by Easter? For the women who first discovered the empty tomb, living as Easter people meant racing back to the disciples with the good news. It involved proclamation, as well as falling at their Savior’s feet and worship-ping him. So what does it mean for us? I am certain there are a number of ways to live as Easter people, but I wonder if one of the best ways to do that can be found in an old PBS television program that first aired 50 years ago. In 1968, shortly after the assassina-tion of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr, a Presbyterian pastor named Fred Rogers launched the pilot episode of his new children’s program called “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Lit-tle did he know, this show would become a cultural icon that aired for over 30 years. In that time, Mister Rogers taught both children and adults how to be a neighbor. With his calm and compassion-ate voice, pleasant and caring demeanor, creative and playful spirit, Mister Rogers demonstrated for the world what it looks like to love and care for each other. For a number of children, Mister Rogers ’ Neighborhood was the only place where genuine, authentic love was found. It was a safe place of refuge; it was a place where kindness was renewed; it was a place where goodness was restored; it was a place where life was made new. Somehow, Mister Rogers accomplished this through one, simple invitation: “Won’t you be my neighbor?” This year as we seek to be an “Easter people”—those who reflect the hope, joy, and new life of Easter—may we offer others a safe place to be heard and loved. May our words be filled with kindness, our actions and respons-es be laced with goodness. May our lives bring new life to the places of suffering, grief, and death that surround us. Out of all the ways this can be accomplished, maybe the best place to start is by offering each and every per-son we meet that same, simple invitation: “Won’t you be my neighbor?”
FROM OUR PASTOR Rev. Travis Russell
The First Baptist Church family extends our love and concern to the family of Keith Wright in the loss of his mother Doris Wright, family of John and Crawford Currin in the loss of their mother Willie Mae Currin and in the loss of John’s son John “Gray” Currin, III.
Dear Care and Bereavement Lunch Committee and otherwise fine folks, Thank you on behalf of Doris Wright by Keith, Benjamin and I for another fine meal and beauti-ful dish garden. You guys are the best and the meal was delicious and expansive. We are grateful for your care for others and your hard work. Always in Christ, Mary Ann & Keith Wright
Dear Church Family, We love each one of you and we thank you for everything you did for us during Millis’ illness and death. The plant is beautiful and reminds us of your love. Love to each one, Doris & Keith
Those Serving This Month
Deacon of the Week 1 - Debbie Farrell 8 - Cameron Foster 15 - Mike Harden 22 - Judy Henderson 29 - Lionell Johnson
1 EASTER SUNDAY 7:30 am - Sunrise Service, Providence UCC 9:30 am – Sunday School, Open Assembly, Dixie Mann Room 11:00 am - Easter Worship Service No Evening Activities
