May/NEWSLETTER 2015 - First Baptist Church of Muskegon

1070 S Quarterline Rd Muskegon MI 49442
(231) 773-5476 www.miFBC.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
May/NEWSLETTER 2015
Dedication 1891_____________________________________________________________Now 2015
First Baptist Church 1871-2014
Pastor’s Pen June 3, 2015
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’"
– Matthew 19:14 NIV
Over the years, I’ve heard two things about children’s and youth ministries in the churches I’ve attended and also pastored.
One is that “The youth are the church of tomorrow.” The other is “The youth are a vital part of the church today.” Of course, as you
might imagine – and as you have perhaps already concluded – both of these statements are true. While we hope and pray that our
children stay at First Baptist after they become adults, and that they will take positions of leadership and ministry at FBC, we realize
that in order for that to happen, we must integrate our children and our young people into the family that is First Baptist Church! So how
do we do that?
First and foremost, we must truly love all our children – not just those that are our own, biological descendants! As I write this,
I’m still thinking of the profound honor that Jack Price and I had this past Sunday to baptize two of our FBC children – Jack baptized his
own grandson Curtis, and I had the privilege of baptizing Gabriele Monterusso. As I stated on Sunday, this was not only a time when
we encourage these young people to “put Jesus first, and everything else will fall into place”, but we also encouraged all of us to love
and nurture the children of our church. This is what a family does – both a biological family as well as a church family.
God has also blessed us in a very unique way at First Baptist with regard to our children’s and our youth ministries – we are
literally sharing those ministries with Calvary Church. Teachers and leaders from both churches are working together to raise up our
children and young people in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This is a marvelous blending or overlapping of ministry – very
gifted and loving teachers from both churches are working together to help our youth make wise decisions and become disciples of
Jesus.
As we have said in the past, First Baptist Church faces some specific challenges. We are not unique in this – all churches face
challenges - but our challenges have included the fact that we are a disproportionally older congregation. Our church has a relatively
low percentage of children and youth as part of its demographic. One of the ways we have been able to address this concern is by
partnering with Calvary Church with our children’s and youth ministries. If you have children – from nursery to senior high age! – I
strongly encourage you to encourage them to participate in the various ministries that are available by this ministry overlap. Whether it
be Wednesday night activities, Sunday school, or any other children’s or youth ministry, I encourage you to involve your children and
young people in the ministries they can be a part of here at First Baptist. If you aren’t sure where to turn with this, I urge you to consult
Karen Poland, Cindy West, or other leaders in our children’s and youth ministries.
FBC is a part of the body of Christ – the same Christ who said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
FROM THE FRONT DESK
New Members
We welcome into fellowship Curtis Jackson Scott and Gabrielle Elisabeth Monterusso. They were baptized on May 31th. We are now
given the privilege of being there with them as they continue to grow in their Christian life.
Vote
May 31st, First Baptist Church voted to pursue the purchase of the property to our south. The Board of Trustees was given the
authorization to take out a loan of $65.000.
Potluck
Good food and good company… that’s what you missed if you did not come to the Fifth Sunday Potluck. The next Potluck will be
August 30th. These Potlucks are a great way to connect with some of the newer members or friends of First Baptist. We would also like
to extend a hand of fellowship to Calvary Church to join us.
Graduates
We have three graduates this year. Cheyanne Wezell’s “Open House” will be on Saturday, June 6th from 2-5 pm here in the Family
Center Gym at First Baptist.
Mark Poland and Austin Carlson will be having their “Open House” Sunday, June 7th at Mullally Park on Horton Rd. from 1-4 pm.
Sunday June 7th we will recognize our graduates in the Morning Worship Service. There will be a reception in the Narthex.
Tithing
Sometimes we get busy with life and let our tithes get behind. The end of the school year, catching up our home winter bills, weekend
events that take us away from church, all of these can impact our giving. We don’t mean to let it slide and then we wonder how will we
ever get caught up? Do it a little at a time by adding a few dollars to your weekly or monthly giving.
TV Ministry
Fiber Optics is here. They have run the conduit along the parking lot and behind the building. On June 3 &4 they ran the fiber and coax
cable. When that is done and activated the equipment that is down at cable will come over to our control room. From that point on we
will be broadcasting from here down to cable. Donna Scott will no longer be making trips down to Comcast to insert our programs.
Cable is paying for the cost to run the fiber optics and any necessary equipment to make the change. We will be updating you on the
progress and what it means for our ministry. This ministry has been serving the community since 1978. The First Baptist Television
Ministry has had a crew of dedicated people who are here on Sundays and for the Wednesday and Thursday tapings, Lee Haynes,
Bryon Haynes, Ken Scott, Andy Keehn, Ruth Haynes, Penny Burns and Dave Thill. Without the devotion of these people the ministry
would not happen.
Getting Things Done with a Servant Hearts
Things in this building, just like in our homes, eventually need to be repaired or replaced. We just recently replaced the two door
refrigerator and the grease trap in the Family Center kitchen. A few months ago a noisy transformer was removed from the kitchen
pantry. What an improvement not only in noise reduction but in electric use. Randy Miller from Calvary is going to build us a platform
over some of the electrical connections that were left behind. We will then get some shelving for that corner. Randy also repaired the
plaster on a badly broken corner by one of the Narthex windows. Sam Galindo patched a hole in the parking lot. Sam Galindo, Andy
Keehn and John Blease (Calvary), trimmed the trees on the North side by the back parking lot and spread bark around them. It looks
beautiful. Jerry Peterman got someone to remove the huge tree stump that was left behind from a tree that fell a few years ago. Terry
Hoofman and his granddaughter Madison have teamed up to do the church sign. These are just a few of the people who have worked
on the physical needs of our building.
Servant Hearts
There is another kind of servant heart. These are the people who give of their time to touch people’s lives. There is a group of women
who make and then send out cards to our shut-ins or those who need encouragement. Barb Fore went with De Scott to Ann Arbor for
De’s appointment at the Pain Clinic. They did not get back until almost 9:30pm. Shirley McCarthy and TJ Morrell went with Sam
Galindo to his second eye surgery. Some of our people bring meals to those who have health issues or going through a rough patch.
These are the marks of a Servant Heart.
Yard Sale
There is a flyer in this publication with information about the Yard Sale. They would appreciate any help with set up and on the days of
the sale. Contact Penny Burns at 955-3985.
Camp Scholarships
You have an opportunity to impact the life of a child. We are looking for sponsors for Lake Louise camperships. The cost of sending a
child to camp this year is $325.00. If you are able to give all or part of the Campership it would bless a child and you. They have about
14 children signed up for camp thus far.
Kitchen Rules
There is a folder in the Family Center kitchen with kitchen rules and a check list. If you are signed up for an event please take one of
the pages and use it to help you with clean up and procedures. The folder is on the door of the new two door refrigerator. We will also
be publishing some guide lines about food safety. We had a couple of infractions in our Health Department inspection. These are easy
fixes and will just require us to be aware of food safety and be to be diligent on following them. If you have questions you may call Matt
Scott or stop in the office. Food safety is an important issue when we are serving our church family or the community.
Kitchen Need
We need to have the kitchen floor washed at least once a week and after every event. We would also like to have the floor strip of the
old wax and fresh wax applied. Some day down the road we will replace the floor but for now regular maintenance is a need.
Kitchen Pantry
The kitchen pantry needs to have regular maintenance. There is a fire safety rule requiring us to maintain a 24 in gap from
the top shelf to the ceiling. This allows the Fire Department to remove tiles and get at a fire if needed. The other
requirements are Health Department related. No boxes or items may be stored on the floor. Boxes and serving or cooking
items need to be covered or reversed so that if critters get in they are not going to soil the surface of the items we use.
These are simple rules but require regular diligence.
WACKY WEDNESDAYS
Calvary has a program called “Wacky Wednesdays” it is held on the 1 st Wednesday of every month thru August. This is a
program that includes the whole family and starts at 6:30pm. Bring your whole family and be a part of the fun.
JUNE EVENTS
June 7th
Graduate Sunday
th
th
June 12 -13 Yard Sale/Bake Sale
June 21st
Father’s Day
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
3rd
Jade Stott
th
4
Skylar Alexis Wezell
6th
Reyanna Sue Wezell
7th
Nancie Smith, Dorcella Douglas
10th
Kyle Wilcox
14th
Greg Herder
15th
Joy Wier
th
16
Marge Hawkins, Thelma Sharp
17th
Kassandra Rindfusz
18th
Ken Loss
19th
Jack Price
22nd
Alex VanderWal
23rd
Phyllis East, Bryon Haynes
24th
Kim Arter, Kaitlin McGettigan
th
27
Brad Blair
29th
Danielle Maynard
30th
Craig Alderink
JULY BIRTHDAYS
1st
J.J. Zayaz
2nd
Jennifer Scott
th
4
Bruce Anderson
th
6
Paige Wagonmaker
7th
Matthew Scott
13th
Dakota Howell
15th
Debora Keith, Kathleen Sims, Bob VanderVen
16th
Gisela VanderVen
th
19
Jackson Price
22nd
Flynn Murphy
rd
23
Colleen Riley
th
24
Matthew Larsen,
26th
Wanda Lind, Kristen Hoofman, Andrea Huizenga
th
27
John Cadriel, Jacob & Mark Gleason
28th
Mike Stewart
th
29
Mel Maynard
th
30
Andy Keehn
LADIES - YOU'RE INVITED!!
First Baptist Fellowship Hall
COOK-OUT
Wed., June 10 @ 6:30 p.m.
Every woman in the church is invited to a time of fellowship and fun. We'll supply the hot dogs,
buns and condiments (even the cook). Bring a dish to pass and your enthusiasm, as well as any
ideas you have for things you would like to do this summer; we look forward to seeing you there!
Please RSVP to Terri (773-8945) or email terri.gleason43@gmail.com, so that we know how
much meat to purchase and how many tables/chairs to set up!
Please make every effort to attend – we want to get to know you better, to share your joys and
sorrows and to share our love of Jesus with our Sisters in Christ!
Love in Him,
Terri & Val
Laura’s Birthday Cards
103 Birthday cards
Laura’s family would like to thank
everyone for making this a memorable
birthday. She opened cards for a
week.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS
The choir performed 5 brand new numbers this season. That
may be a record number for a single choir season.
All of the musical groups at FBC did a wonderful job this
season.
The annual musicale brought in just under $1000.
May 24 marked the end of choir season. Choir is now off for
the summer and we have a sign up list in the choir room for
soloist/groups/instrumentalists to fill the anthem and offertory
spots during the summer.
You do not need to be a member of any of our musical groups
to sign up for summer special music. If you have musical
talent to share, please stop in the choir room on a Sunday
morning to see what dates are available.
Denny
June 2015
Learn about a Little Servant girl in the book of 2 Kings,
Operation No more Tears in the book of Isaiah and
A Scary Sleepover in the book of Daniel!
Follow through the Bible with your Children,
Read the stories to them at home.
It’s a great way to spend time together!
Children’s Sunday Programs!
Music with Bonnie!
Songs & Gathering time
before children head to class.
We gather in the main room for the Large Group story.
Then each child will go to their classroom where they will play games that
go with the story, make a craft, or discuss what the story means.
Junior High Class
Each week we will meet in the lounge and discuss a scripture lesson and
reflect on how this impacts their lives; along with sharing and praying for
group concerns.
First Baptist Church Annual Yard Sale
June 12 & 13 9:00am to 3:00pm
1070 S. Quarterline Rd.
Muskegon, MI. 49442
Bake Sale
June 12 & 13 At FBC
All proceeds go to the “Mixer Fund”
Sudoku is easy
to play and the
rules are
simple. Fill in
the blanks so
that each row,
each column,
and each of the
nine 3x3 grids
contain one
instance of
each of the
numbers 1
through 9.
Pet Dog
Find and circle all of the words that are hidden in the grid.
The remaining 26 letters spell a secret message.
BARK
BATH
BONE
BOWLS
CANINE
CHASE
CHEW TOY
COLLAR
COMPANION
FAITHFUL
FEED
FETCH
FOOD
FRIEND
GROOM
GROWL
GUARD
HAIR
HARNESS
HOUSE
ID TAG
JUMP
KENNEL
LEASH
LICK
LOYAL
OWNER
PANT
PAWS
PLAY
PUPPY
ROLL OVER
SHAMPOO
SLEEP
TRAIN
TREATS
TRIM NAILS
WAG TAIL
WALK
WATER
CELEBRATING FREEDOM IN CHRIST
First Baptist Church
For Information 231-773-5476
Web Page MIfbc.com
E-Mail firstbaptistmusk@frontier.com
SUNDAY
10:30 am Worship
11:00 am The Message
11:00 am Adventure Land
Pastor’s Message may be viewed on line
MIfbc.com
WEDNESDAY
9:30 am Walking in Family Center
4:45pm Men’s Prayer Meetings
FRIDAY
9:30 am Walking in Family Center
MONDAY
9:30 am Walking in Family Center
TUESDAY
1:15 pm Shuffle Board
7:00 pm Volley Ball
This newsletter is a Monthly Publication of
the news and information for our family and
friends of First Baptist Church.