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CONTENTS

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MINISTRY STAFFC H I P S T E V E N S S E N I O R PA S TO R | cstevens@fbcstarkville.com

C L I F TO N C U R T I SA S S O C . PA S TO R O F PA S TO R A L C A R E & FAC I L I T Y A D M I N .

ccurtis@fbcstarkville.com

TO M J E N K I N S A S S O C . PA S TO R O F M U S I C & M E D I A | tjenkins@fbcstarkville.com

J A S O N D U R A N A S S O C . PA S TO R O F FA M I LY M I N I S T R Y & D I S C I P L E S H I P

jduran@fbcstarkville.com

N AT H A N TAY LO R U N I V E R S I T Y & M I S S I O N S M I N I S T E R | ntaylor@fbcstarkville.com

N E I L T U L LO S YO U T H M I N I S T E R | ntullos@fbcstarkville.com

L E A H F R A N C E S E ATO N DIRECTOR OF CHILDRENS MINISTRY | lfeaton@fbcstarkville.com

C H A R I T Y G WA LT N E Y DIRECTOR OF PRESCHOOL MINISTRY | cgwaltney@fbcstarkville.com

B O B BY D ’A L E S S A N D R O DIRECTOR OF MEDIA & TECHNICAL ARTS MINISTRY

bobbyd@fbcstarkville.com

4 First Word from Tom Jenkins

FEATURES5 MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Go Visit Granny

8 GROW: I'm A Christian Now

14 GIVE: University Ministry Volunteers

18 Spotlight: D/Now

OUR CHURCH FAMILY20 Parents Page/Upcoming Events

21 Calendar

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FIRST WORDFROM TOM JENKINS

t’s January! Have you gotten all your Christmas decorations sorted and packed away for next year? Or perhaps, you’re like me and there are still bits of wrapping paper from Christmas morning peeking out from the sofa. Either way, the holidays are over and its time to get back to LIFE!

How many New Year’s Resolutions are you making this year? If you can make three resolutions, then let it be Money, Health and Time. AND you can find out God’s plan for each of these areas by joining us each Sunday Night at 5 pm in the OC Warehouse at FBC starting on Jan. 10. Most of my New Year’s resolutions are usually broken by the end of January. I plan to focus on God’s plan for my LIFE instead of my own.

While you’re sipping hot chocolate and pondering whether you can leave the Christmas lights up all year, take a peek at where FBC has been this year and our plans for the second half of our 2015-2016 vision. Pastor Chip gives us an update in his article, “The Year Ahead.”

As you read Redefined, remember that we want you to be informed, encouraged and inspired by what you read. These are the stories of people who are working to glorify God as they Gather, Grow, Give and Go. We want you to be informed about our events and calendar and ways to be involved; we want you to be encouraged as you work to walk the daily path of a Spirit filled life; and we want you to be inspired to chart your own course to Glorify God as you gather, grow, give and go!

It’s January! Let’s resolve to do LIFE together this year, as we continue to follow the Vision that God has for the community of believers here at FBC Starkville.

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 5

G O V I S I T G R A N N YB Y R E B E K A H H O WA R D

y name is Rebekah Howard and I am a Sophomore at Mississippi State University. My major is Elementary Education, and I hope one day to be a teacher. I am from Southaven, MS and attended high school at Northpoint Christian School, formerly known as SBEC. At the beginning of my freshman year, I found out about “Going

to Visit Granny” at First Baptist Church and instantly signed up. I was assigned to go visit Ms. Frances Langerfeld. When I first started visiting her, I was so excited that I was going to be able to help her. I honestly had no idea how much she was actually going to help me. For the past year, a group of college students and I have been able to visit her almost every week for about two or three hours. She has always been so hospitable and generous to invite us into her home! It is so special being able to have a granny in Starkville because both of my grandparents live more than ten hours away from me. When we go to visit Ms. Frances, we normally talk about our week and eat dinner together. I love hearing her stories about her childhood and her life. She has the greatest memory of anyone that I have met. She even remembers things that I have forgotten that I told her! Sometimes we play cards (mostly BINGO), and she always wins. We have also built a few puzzles together! I have learned so much from Ms. Frances that I don’t even think I could put into words. She is so kind and can light up a room with her smile. She is constantly encouraging me and thinking of ways to help others out. Ms. Frances always knows what to say to make me laugh or make my day brighter. The most admirable thing about her is her love for the Lord. She has an unwavering faith that is so incredible to see. I hope one day that I can be half the incredible woman that she is. I love Ms. Frances so much, and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to go visit granny!

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GATHERF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y M A R K YO U N G

JANUARY STUDY: LIFE

week to the panel via anonymous text message. This will allow you to submit questions that are open and honest on topics for which you are seeking to get some Biblical guidance and answers. Each question submitted will be kept anonymous, that way you are free to ask anything without feeling awkward or embarrassed. To submit a question, text it to (662) 268-7734.

The combination of looking at God’s Word, and then receiving biblical council from professionals in each field, will surely help us live with the right perspective and live out each area of life in a way that is Christ-centered and brings glory to God.

Our Family and Discipleship Minister, Jason Duran, said, “I would like to see people trust God with these issues and trust that God has the answers. We look at a self-help book to answer these questions and we don’t look at God’s Word enough to answer these everyday issues. January is a prime time. It’s when people are looking to recommit and be better for the new year.“

Our hope in this multigenerational study is that it will reach an even broader audience than last January. It will be a fun event, kicked off each week with a game hosted by our own Pastor Nathan Taylor and his wife Ashley—your sides will hurt from laughing so much. Pastor Chip said that he hopes that our LIFE study will reach every age group, including our University students and young families.

ould you improve your management of your personal budget and finances? Could you do better with fitness and nutrition in the New Year? Do you ever have trouble managing your time and schedules with work, family, and

church? Are you living everyday in a way to make your life count?These questions come straight from the heart of Pastor Chip,

and they are for each of us to wrestle with. If you are anything like me, when you ask yourselves these questions, you immediately begin to feel like you can improve in at least one of these areas of life – if not all. Because these topics are so prevalent to our everyday life, and because we are continuously looking to apply the word to help us in each area of life, our January Sunday night study—called LIFE—will address these crucial topics.

LIFE ¬will be a mutigenerational study that will address each of these topics individually over the course of 4 weeks in January. We will cover the following topics: budgeting and finances, health and nutrition, time management, and making your life count. It will feature a short teaching time from Pastor Chip as he addresses each issue by looking at our ultimate authority—The Bible.

Moreover, this study will be unique from previous multigenerational studies in that each week will feature a panel of Christ-following professionals within our church that work in each field respectively. We will allow you to submit questions each

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“A multigenerational study is only as good as how multigenerational you are,” said Pastor Chip.

When I asked him which week of the study he, personally, was most looking forward to, and he said he is most looking forward to the first week with finances and budgeting.

“Coming off Christmas where everybody, including myself, overspends, every one is in the mindset of wanting to do better. The topic of finances really hits home with a lot of folks,” he said, honestly.

Pastor Jason expressed that these are the “very top issues” that people in our community are dealing with. “I want to stress that you don’t miss any of them,” Jason said. For most of us, if we’re honest, we are already wrestling with these issues and ask ourselves questions of how to improve in each area of our lives.

Pastor Jason said, “How can I pay off my Christmas debt? How can I lose the 50 pounds I gained from eating cookies? I think you are already asking yourselves these questions and you’re really struggling with the answers. If you do not come to the study, you will keep asking yourself these questions; and you’re not going to get the right answers if you are looking to a day-time talk show for guidance. The answers won’t be there. We are going address these questions based on what God’s Word says about them.”

MARK YOUNG serves as our Family and Youth Associate. You can connect with him on Twitter @MPYoung17 or on The City.

While we hope our church family will join us for the study, we would love for people in the community and outside our church to come join us as well. Pastor Jason expressed how people in our community may not know that the solution to life’s issues come from God alone.

“They may not know that God really can help them with finances or that he can help with time management. They may not trust him and that he can do that. Your going to find that God does provide those answers,” he said.

We would love for everyone to join us for Life on Sunday nights beginning January 10, because as Jason put it, we long for you to “come and experience what life really means.”

Pastor Chip personally gives each of us the challenging invitation which we must consider.

“Are you ready to get serious about doing things better? If you are, you need to be there.”

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GROWF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y L E A H F R A N C E S E ATO N

I 'M A CHRISTIAN NOW!

walk the aisle during a service to attend the class. We do ask that parents discuss with their children what it means to become a Christian and follow Jesus, gauging what their children do and do not understand.

W H Y I S I T I M P O R TA N T ?

“I’m A Christian Now” is an excellent and comprehensive four-week study for helping children understand the decision they have made and what it means to live a Christian life.

We have found that children feel less pressured and are more open to discussion in a class setting. Much like Starting Point is the membership class for adults, I’m a Christian Now class is catered to help children understand what it means to follow Christ and be a part of the Body of Christ. Each week focuses on a new topic that includes daily information and application activities. We desire to help children understand what it means to be a Christian, the importance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, their role as church members, and getting started in daily Bible study and prayer.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF KIDS AND PARENTS?

The class will take place during the LIFE Study on Sunday nights in January at 5 PM in the Children’s Building. In addition

uiding children to take those first steps toward faith can be the most rewarding opportunity of life for parents. Parents who have growing relationships with Christ should create an environment for a child to be introduced

to Him from the first days of life. As a child grows and matures, his knowledge of Jesus will grow. By laying these foundations for spiritual conversion, parents become partners with the Holy Spirit as He prepares and calls your child to accept Christ as Savior.

It is exciting when a child feels and accepts the invitation to follow Christ. Becoming a Christian is a decision that affects every decision. Given the importance of that decision, I would like to invite you and your child to be a part of a discipleship process that will complement what you are currently doing to assist your child in growing in Christ. This study is entitled “I’m A Christian Now!”

W H O ’ S I N V I T E D ?

This class is designed for children (Grades 1-6) who have made recent professions of faith – this includes those who have not yet been baptized and those who have.

Many children come to know the Lord and make the decision to follow Him while at home with their parents or other family members. Because of this, it is not necessary for your child to

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 9

LEAH FRANCES EATON has served as our Direc-

tor of Children since 2013. You can connect with her on Twitter @LeahFrances or on The City.

to the class, the kids will have a journal that will require 15-20 minutes each day during the four-week period. We ask that you walk through these daily activities with your child. This will be time well spent for both of you—time that will impact your child’s life from this point on and into eternity. This will be a valuable time for you both.

WHAT ARE FAMILIES SAYING ABOUT THE CLASS?

When asked about their experience in the class, Heather Collier responded, “I think what I most enjoyed about Luke taking part in the class was his desire to read his devotional daily and seeing the joy he had in being baptized and sharing with others his choice to follow Jesus. He and I talked about it and I asked what he would tell someone who was considering taking the class. He said 'it was fun to learn about baptism and the Lord's Supper. I liked learning how to be closer to Jesus.' "

Kerri Wardlaw, mom of Karis, says, “I am so thankful that Karis was able to participate in this class. It affirmed Biblical truth in her heart about salvation and increased her desire to study the Word. She finished the class excited about following through with Baptism so she could share her commitment to Christ with others.”

HOW DO I SIGN-UP?If your child has made the decision to follow Christ,

consider having them participate in this class. Feel free

to call (662) 323-5633 ext. 1206 or email (lfeaton@

fbcstarkville.com) if you have any questions. We want to

help you help your child understand each step along the

path to understanding what it means to be a Christian and

becoming a growing disciple of Christ.

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 11

It’s hard to believe that 2015 has come and gone, and that the new year has begun. For many of us, the beginning of a new year marks an opportunity to evaluate life. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the good things that happened and to identify things we need to work on moving forward. By doing this, it helps us set the course for the new year. As a church, we must do the same thing so we can set some goals and identify objectives to help us meet them.

At FBC, our church year runs concurrent with the academic year. That is a little unique, but each church must adapt to the community in which it’s located. At the beginning of our church year, on the first Sunday of August, we set aside a day to celebrate God’s faithfulness in the past and to look at how God is leading us in the future. We call this day Vision Sunday. In this article, I want to provide a church mid-year check-up based on the objectives we identified for this church year.

CELEBRATIONS

One of our objectives for this year was to re-brand Sunday School. To begin, we changed the name to Community Groups. Though it’s always a challenge to make a change, we felt it was necessary, primarily to change the focus of the groups to intentionally building community. For a person visiting the church or for a new member, this group is the primary place where that person can begin to make relationships with people in a similar stage of life. Though the term, “Sunday School,” has been around a long time, we felt the name speaks more to a classroom than an environment. Though this change has not been 100% successful, we have made some strides and that’s a start.

B Y C H I P S T E V E N S

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in the business community asked us to please let them know when we have our next one.

Another way to reach out was to begin a ministry to preschool moms. MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) began last semester and several women from the community meet at FBC on Friday mornings to encourage one another. For this new beginning, we celebrate.

The Orphan Care Support Group is another ministry that has really taken off this past semester. What began as a burden and a prayer request has now turned into a monthly support meeting and several training opportunities. Also, this group has led the church to find ways to partner with DHS and minister to its families. In addition, a designated account is being set up to help FBC families who feel led to adopt with the costs of doing so.

OBJECTIVES

Though many of our objectives, by God’s grace, have been accomplished, there are always things that need improving. One of the greatest dangers of a church is complacency. Because our world is always changing, if we’re not moving forward, we’re moving backwards. Let’s look at some of the things that we need to work on as we move forward.

First of all, we want to continue to improve and to begin more Community Groups. The Community Group is the first place for a guest to really get connected to the church family. Therefore, we want every group to be outward-focused in order to provide community for more people. D-Groups are designed to be closed groups. Community Groups are designed to be open groups from which D-Groups are then formed. However, once a Community Group gets to a certain size it begins to lose its effectiveness in

Another objective was to find a way to better connect with church guests. The Cove located in The Commons has been a huge asset to helping us do that. Particularly early on in the semester, we were able to make many face-to-face connections with guests and get valuable church information into their hands. Even now, we are able to connect people to Community Groups and we have a great team of people who help them find their way around the campus.

Two other ways of connecting with guests are effective signage and promotion of events. We have made great strides in these two areas. Bobby D’Alessandro, working with our sign team, has created great directional signs in every building and has helped us with signs on the outside of buildings to make the campus more guest-friendly. In addition, he has created great banners, posters, and promotional materials to help promote events. The Happening at FBC video at the end of each service has helped us to make pertinent announcements in a more concise, interesting way. Another helpful communication tool has been how the sanctuary stage has been set for the different sermon series. This is just a simple tool that helps tie together the messages in the series as well as to update the sanctuary at minimal cost.

Speaking of guests, another objective was to begin a class for those interested in church membership called, Starting Point. This is a two-hour class on selected Sunday nights where guests are able to hear the gospel, what Baptists believe, and who we are as a church. Attendees also have the opportunity to become a part of the church family through this class. To date, we have had two classes and over 30 attendees in each. More than 50 people have become part of the church family through Starting Point.

Last year, we started a new discipleship opportunity called D-Groups. D-Groups are groups of 3-5 people who agree to meet together for at least an hour once a week for a year to grow in their faith. We realize that with people living such busy lives, discipleship can’t be limited to one hour on a Sunday or a Wednesday night class. We needed to make discipleship more accessible. Many joined a D-Group, but we wanted to build upon that this year. Over 200 people are now in a D-Group. That’s reason to celebrate.

Regarding reaching outside the walls of the church, we wanted to do a better job of being a blessing to our community. One of the ways we wanted to do that was to host a Faith in Business luncheon. The purpose of this event is to help business leaders know how to live out their faith in the marketplace. We held our first Faith in Business luncheon in November. Congressman Gregg Harper was our guest and did a fantastic job. Many

Mark Young as the host of the Happening at FBC video.

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 13

promoting a true environment of community. Simply put, we need more Community Groups. Now that we have expanded the campus, we have the room. We need leaders who feel called of God to invest in the lives of people. If this interests you, please contact Jason Duran in the church office. We also want every Community Group to identify a ministry that they will adopt. This not only helps us keep an outward focus, but also helps us to match guests to a group based on their desire to serve.

Secondly, we still have some steps to take to make the campus more guest-friendly. Do you realize that the only sign identifying the campus at First Baptist Church is a small, old sign standing outside the sanctuary? We need a better sign than that and we are in the process of taking care of that. The plan is to put a good size, modern but classic sign on the corner of Lampkin and Lafayette on the hill beside the chapel. The reason this location was chosen was because most guests approach campus from the east and because the hill gives us more visibility as so many cars park along Lampkin Street. In addition, we plan to make more permanent parking around the south side of the Children’s Building so people don’t have to walk so

CHIP STEVENS serves as the Senior Pastor. You can connect with him on Twitter @fbcstarkchip or on The City.

far. Hopefully, all of this will be completed by the beginning of the next church year.

Another objective is the beginning of a ministry to special needs families. This is not as simple as just opening up a room. Volunteers have to be properly trained and rooms have to be specially equipped. We have a team of people that are meeting to help us to understand the needs so that we can truly minister to these families.

At FBC Starkville, our mission is to glorify God by gathering together for worship and community, growing through discipleship, giving ourselves in ministry, and going out into our community and world with the message of the gospel. As we begin 2016, let’s commit to gather better, grow better, give better, and go better for the glory of our Lord.

Pastor Chip Stevens during a Q & A

with Congressman Gregg Harper at

the Faith In Business Luncheon.

Congressman Gregg Harper

during a Q & A at the

Faith In Business Luncheon.

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iving and working in Mississippi’s College Town, FBC members have a unique opportunity to impact students’ lives during their time in Starkville, and our University Ministry volunteers do just that.

“We both attended college away from home and realize that while students are excited to be away from home, they do miss family life. We have been able to provide a ‘home away from home’ to a few of the students,” said Katie and Kenny Anthony, who have served as University Community Group leaders for three years.

“These students have become our extended family,” continued Katie Anthony, a registered nurse and mother of three. “Last year, we went through our first graduation of some of the seniors we had become close with, and it was an emotional day. We were so proud of their accomplishments and shared in their excitement of their new phase of life. The more we get to know our students and the deeper our relationships with them develop, the richer our lives become.”

Now in their 10th year teaching college students, Tricia and Michael Newman echoed these sentiments. “We spend a lot of time thinking about and preparing for the content of the lessons, but in the end it is all really about the relationships,” said Tricia Newman.

GIVEF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y M E AG H A N G O R D O N

UNIVERSITY MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS

“We certainly feel privileged to have gotten to know so many of these students over the years. They feel like an extended family to us.”

The Newmans say they love the commitment FBC Starkville has to college students. Our church readies them to go out into the world as disciples and church leaders, just as their college majors prepare them to go out and perform in a career.

“Most of the students who join our Community Group are very strong in their faith, so we have to be on our toes,” said Michael Newman, a professor of agricultural education and the director of the MSU School of Human Sciences.

“So many of these students are actually living for Christ,” agreed Kenny Anthony, an assistant professor in the MSU Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education. “Not just coming to church, but truly living out their faith by staying in international housing, spending their summers on mission trips, and being the hands and feet of Christ where God has placed them. They are here for an education, but when you talk to these kids, you can tell their priority is finding out where God is at work around them and putting themselves smack in the middle.”

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 15

The Newmans cite former students who are youth ministers, missionaries, seminary students, and many who are doing God’s work in a variety of ways. However, they say if they had to pick something the most special about working with this age group, it would have to be the marriages.

“We have had quite a group of students in our classes who have gotten married or will be getting married to another student in our class,” Tricia Newman smiled.

One of the most memorable is her son Ben Newman, a senior chemical engineering major, who will marry another chemical engineering senior, Anna Turner, on June 11. The Newmans also name Charity and Jordan Craft as another couple who sticks out in their minds. The Crafts, married for nearly three years, began serving in University Ministry this year.

“Jordan and I were both products of the FBC University Ministry, which was a crucial part of our time at MSU,” said Charity Craft, a third grade teacher at Ward Stewart Elementary. “We learned and grew so much through the small group experience and from our leaders’ willingness to serve college students.

“These people made a huge impact in our lives through our college years, and we want to pour our hearts into the same ministry that blessed us so much,” she continued.

“When University Minister Nathan Taylor first approached us about serving, we were hesitant to teach because we felt inadequate to lead university students. After all, we are only a few years older than most of these students,” explained Jordan Craft, who graduates in May with a master’s in turf grass management. “We have learned, however, that God does not care how inadequate we are, but He still can use us to accomplish His purposes,” he continued.

Kenny Anthony noted although today’s college students are frequently charged with lacking motivation, our university students here at FBC are far from that. “Many of these young people have a deep relationship with Christ and a desire to serve in a variety of settings,” he said. “Their commitment to live missionally and intentionally is evident in their involvement not only in our church, but also in the community.”

Michael Newman summed it up best. “Teaching these young people gives us a great deal of hope for the future.”

MEAGHAN GORDON , a communication instructor at MSU, is married to Wes Gordon. They have four children, Mary Reeves, Murphy, Max, and Mamie, who will come home from China this summer.

Jordan & Charity Craft

Kenny & Katie Anthony

Tricia & Michael Newman

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GOF B C S TA R KV I L L E

ften, when people think about going on a mission trip, they envision traveling to the other side of the globe to a third-world country that is overwrought with poverty and disease, and while certain mission opportunities

do take people to those very locations, there are other places overflowing with lost people who desperately need Jesus who may not appear as destitute on the outside. One of these prosperous, in a material sense, locations is Victoria, Canada, located on Vancouver Island. This is the site of Canvas Church, pastored by Ashley Austin. He and his family are missionaries to this area, and it is a place where FBC Starkville has sent short-term mission teams for the past several years. Canvas Church has been in operation since 2013 where it started in the Austins’ living room with 15 people in attendance. It has since blossomed into a 140-member congregation, thanks to the work of the Austin family as well as churches who partner with them financially and physically, by sending teams to do mission work there throughout the year.

Victoria, Canada, is one of the more expensive places to live in the world, according to Ashley, and it is also, sadly, “the second leading center for occult worship in the world.” When asked about

B Y C O U R T N E Y D U E I T T

CANVAS CHURCH

the spiritual makeup of the people of Victoria, Ashley said that it is populated by people who are “lost and indifferent or apathetic toward God [and] church.” It is obvious that Canvas Church has much opportunity to share God with this group of people who are in desperate need of a Savior, but Ashley says this is only possible because of God’s people coming alongside him and his family. The biggest need of the Austins and Canvas Church is prayer, which is something we can all offer them from the comforts of our own homes; however, he says that “Specialized mission teams like the one from FBC Starkville that help…with the basketball camp and [who] prayer walk [the] community are very beneficial.”

Shawn Smith is one of our church members who seized the opportunity to travel to Victoria, Canada, during March 2015, along with her husband and their two sons. They served on a short-term mission team that led a basketball camp for the children of Victoria, which was an outreach opportunity for Canvas Church to connect with the families in their community. Because Shawn acted as a “manager” for the camps, someone who could provide first-aid and sort of oversee the goings on of the whole operation, she was able to really connect with the parents who came to watch their children

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 17

participate in the camp. When I asked her what moments stood out to her, she said, “I think just being able to have conversations as a parent with moms and dads…[and] just building relationships that hopefully Canvas Church will have the opportunity to build on” was great. Shawn says their group witnessed “small victories” throughout the week as far as seeing people in Victoria make steps in coming to know Jesus, but she saw even bigger blessings in her personal life and walk with the Lord. She said, “I think just growing with my family through this experience, the friendships we made with the college students we traveled with and worked with, and seeing how the Lord [is working in] Canvas Church and Victoria was really great.”

If you would like the opportunity to see God move in a tangible and awesome way in Victoria, then you’re in luck! There will be another group traveling to work with Canvas Church on March 12 - 16 this year. The deadline for sign-up is January 15. This trip is open to anyone, and according to Nathan Taylor, this is a great opportunity for families and individuals, alike. The cost of the trip is $1,000.00 - $1,200.00 per person.

Even if you are unable to go on the trip yourself, there are still ways for all of us to be actively involved with this ministry. As Ashley said, prayer is their number one need. Along with that, we can also give financially to this ministry. These camps hosted by Canvas Church for their community cost upwards of $4,000.00, and Ashley says that

“65 percent of financial support still comes from partnering churches and individuals who generously invest in the mission work [they] do.” If you would like to donate directly to Canvas Church, you can visit their website at Canvaschurchprospectus.com.

You might also consider donating money to our church, FBC Starkville, and designating that gift as a scholarship for someone who feels led to travel to Canvas Church on this trip. Even though the purpose of this trip is to host a five-day basketball camp for kids, Nathan assures me that even “if you don’t know the difference between a layup and a free throw” there will be a place for everyone to serve. In fact, the team is still in need of a couple of individuals to serve as cooks for the week. No matter your talents, God can use you on this trip. As Shawn said when asked about any advice she has for those of you thinking about signing up, “If the Lord provides a way, just get on the plane and go! God will bless you more than you can imagine!”

COURTNEY DUEITT is an instructor in the English Department at MSU and a newlywed who is happy to have found a wonderful church home and family at FBC Starkville. You can connect with her on The City.

Canvas Church during a worship service

Micthell Austin, Mac McReynolds, Andrew Austin, and Grant Smith

Back row Ashley &

April Austin.

Front row Andrew,

Max, and Mitchell

Austin

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isciple Now is our biggest annual event for teenagers. This year’s event will be held the weekend of January 15-17. Disciple Now is a mixture of small group Bible study, worship services, mission projects, lots of food and very little sleep. The small group Bible studies will be led by twenty-four of our church’s incredible university

students. Our speaker for the weekend will be Bryant Bush, chaplain for the Atlanta Falcons, and Patrick Lyle will be leading worship.

Teens are divided by grade and gender for the weekend as they stay in host homes. A host home is a family in the church that opens their home as a place for teens to gather for the weekend. Two university students stay in each host home along with the host family. Many of these university students are active at FBC Starkville and lead weekly in our youth ministry. Teens will meet for small group Bible studies in the homes and we will meet all together at the church for worship services on Friday evening and twice on Saturday.

Our youth ministry goal/theme for this school year is “SQUAD: Many Members. One Family.” Disciple Now will continue that theme as we dive into the Old Testament book of Nehemiah for the weekend. Nehemiah is living as an exile in Persia serving as a cupbearer to the king when he hears the news that Jerusalem’s walls have crumbled. He is broken hearted over the city and is compelled to return to the city in order to spearhead the rebuilding of the city’s walls. Nehemiah is a self-less leader who rallies others to join his cause.

Our hope is that as teens learn and study Nehemiah’s story that they will see that we too are to be broken hearted for the brokenness that exist in our world and be compelled by God’s love to see people restored. It’s too great an assignment for any one teenager to accomplish on their own, but by the church working together we can see it happen. Our goal for the weekend is for our teenagers to link together in order to see God’s Kingdom expand.

One of the critical parts of the weekend will be our mission projects on Saturday afternoon. Our seventh and eighth grad boys will be serving at the Palmer Home (PalmerHome.org). The seventh and eighth grade girls will be serving at Montgomery Gardens Assisted

D/NOWF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y N E I L T U L LO S

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 19

NEIL TULLOS serves as our Youth Minster. You can connect with him on Twitter @neiltullos or on The City.

Living. Our ninth through twelfth graders will be developing their own projects. Just as Nehemiah was compelled to meet a need in his community, high school students will be challenged to discover what need they can meet during the weekend. Each group will be given a budget and time allotment to serve our city. All together we will give about eight-hundred man hours to serving our community in the name of Christ during Disciple Now.

In order for our church to provide an event like Disciple Now it takes a big team working together. It’s adults who open their doors to allow a group of teens to gather in their home for the weekend in order to eat, study the Bible, and to perhaps even sleep. Drivers who transport teens from their host home to the church and mission projects. Adults who provide meals throughout the weekend and university students who study and prepare to lead students to study God’s Word. Disciple Now is also not possible without the generosity of our church; as you give to our church budget you help our church disciple teenagers.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Invite. If you know of a teenager who is not connected to our church, please invite him or her to join us for Disciple Now. Registration is available at FBCStarkville.com.

• Serve. Rather it’s helping with registration, driving teenagers or helping serve meals there’s a place for everyone in the church to help. If you have an hour to help we’ve got a spot for you and if you can give the entire weekend, we’ll take you up on that as well. Email ntullos@fbcstarkville.com if you would like to serve.

• Pray. Pray for the 150 or so teens that will participate, the 24 college leaders who will be leading small group Bible studies, and for the 12 host homes that are opening their doors to allow for teens to invade them for the weekend.

HOW CAN YOU REGISTER FOR DISCIPLE NOW?

• Register online at FBCStarkville.com (scroll down until you see the Disciple Now registration info); you may also register by bringing a check to youth ministry events on Wednesdays, Sundays or to the church office during the week.

• Cost: $60

20 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | I s s u e 1 3

COMMUNITY GROUP ATTENDANCE FOR DECEMBER

NOVEMBER 29 | 850

DECEMBER 6 | 1034

DECEMBER 13 | 1020

DECEMBER 20 | 721

LUNCH BREAK MENUS

JANUARY 6Taco salad bar

JANUARY 13Catfish and hush puppies, baked beans, coleslaw, and dessert

JANUARY 20Hamburger steak, mashed potatoes, green bean

JANUARY 27Spaghetti, salad bar, garlic bread, and dessert

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY SCHEDULE

JANUARY 3

REGULAR SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE RESUMES

• Worship Services: 8:30 & 11:00 am | Community Groups: 9:45 am

JANUARY 6 | REGULAR WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE RESUMES

• Preschool M3 & Stark kids | 5:45 pm | Children’s Building

• Youth Meal & Worship | 5:30 pm | Warehouse OC

• Adult Studies | 6:00 pm

• Celebration Choir | 5:55 pm | Choir Room

• Worship Team | 7:00 pm | FBC Sanctuary

JANUARY 15

• MOPS Resumes | 9:00-11:00 am | 2nd Floor of Children’s Building

JANUARY 15-17

• Disciple Now | Register at fbcstarkville.com.

JANUARY 10 - 31

• LIFE: Sunday Night Study | 5:00 pm | Warehouse OC

• Preschool Activities | 5:00 pm | 1st flr. Children’s Building

• FBC Kids: I’m a Christian Now | 5:00 pm | 2nd Floor of Children’s

Building

• Youth will meet in Warehouse Gym.

• University After Party | 6:00 pm | Warehouse OC

LIFE SUNDAY NIGHTJANUARY 10 - JANUARY 31Join us, starting January 10, for the Sunday night study called LIFE. We will be looking at Money, Health, Time management, and making your life count. Each week we will have a live panel

to discuss and answer your questions on these topics.

YOUTH D/NOWJANUARY 15-17 | COST: $60Disciple Now is our biggest annual event for teenagers. Teens will stay in church members homes and be led in small group Bible studies by our college leaders. Bryant Bush, Atlanta Falcons chaplain, will speak and Patrick Lyle will lead worship. Our theme this year is Linked as we discover through Nehemiah’s story that we are called to work together to accomplish God’s mission in our world.

CELEBRATION MUSIC MINISTRY

WEDNESDAY STARTING AT 6:00 PMThe Celebration Music ministry invites you to find your place of praise! We have places for orchestra, band, bells and choir available as we begin a new season of worship. Easter planning and rehearsals are already underway! Email Dr. Tom Jenkins tjenkins@fbcstarkville.com for more information.

I’M A CHRISTIAN NOW CLASS FOR KIDSSTARTING JANUARY 10

2ND FLOOR OF THE CHILDREN’S BUILDINGI’m A Christian Now is an excellent and comprehensive four week study for helping children (Grades 1-6) understand the decision they have made and what it means to live a Christian life. Each week focuses on a new topic that includes daily information and application activities. To register email Leah Frances, at lfeaton@fbcstarkville.com.

START FRESH WITH GRACE 2016 LADIES CONFERENCEJANUARY 22-23 | COST: $50NORTH MISSISSIPPI CHRISTIAN CAMP

It's time to getaway from everyday life to reconnect with God and each other. All ladies college age and up are invited to join us. Be sure to sign up soon because there is a limited number

of spots. Register today online at fbcstarkville.com.

YOUTH MINISTRY FUNDRAISERSUNDAY JANUARY 31$10 CATFISH PLATES FOR LUNCH IN THE GYM

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P E R I O D I C A L S

106 East Lampkin St. Starkville, MS 39759

FBCSTARKVILLE .com | 662. 323. 5633

FBCSTARKVILLE

@FBCSTARKVILLE

@FBCSTARKVILLE

FBCSTARKVILLE