FBC Carthage E-News for December 1, 2008

First Baptist Church Carthage E-News
December 1, 2008

Good chilly morning,

The temperatures have fallen and there is a little snow mixture falling outside. I hope you are inside where it is cozy and warm. This would be a good day to thank the Lord for His blessings of heat, clothing and shelter. Even though Thanksgiving Day has past we still have much for which to be thankful.

The celebration of Christmas began yesterday with two great services. The music and decorations helped me get into the Christmas spirit. I hope you are planning to attend every service of this season as we celebrate the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

The service Sunday night featuring missionaries Jesse and Betty Rushing was a great encouragement and challenge to me. If you were unable to attend I encourage you to listen to their testimony online at http://sermon.net/sermons-First_Baptist_Church-14421.html. You can listen to other sermons by going to the media page on the church website http://www.fbccarthage.com/media/media.htm.

The Church Council met November 30 and worked on the 2009 Church Calendar. There are many exciting events being planned for the new year. If your ministry area or committee has dates to add please send them to me at tfrank@fbccarthage.com.

Continue to be praying for Jim and Karen Wilburn as they make preparations for their move to Long Island, New York in January. Take every opportunity to pray for them and to give them words of appreciation and encouragement. Also, remember to pray for them as they anticipate the birth of their first child in January. A special day of celebration for their ministry will be held on December 28.

On a personal note, my family and I invite you to an Open House at our home on Sunday, December 14 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM. You have watched all the construction activity and read of the progress, now is the opportunity to come and share our home.

It is a great joy to serve as your Pastor at FBC Carthage. Have a wonderful week as we begin focus on the true meaning of the season, “Christmas Is Jesus.”

Bro. Tim


Here’s the news for this week:
1. Monday, December 1 is the Carthage Christmas Parade at 7:00 PM. We will have Christmas Caroling, coffee and hot chocolate beginning at 6:15 PM on the steps. Come and enjoy the Christmas Parade with us.

2. The senior adults are reminded that we will meet in the parking lot across Main Street on Wednesday, December 3 at 10:45 AM for our trip to Watermelon Moon Farm for lunch.

3. This Sunday, December 7 will be the Children’s Choir Christmas presentation at 5:30 PM. Make your plans to come and enjoy the program. A fellowship for everyone will follow in the Family Life Center.

4. “Christmas Is Jesus”, the choir presentation for Christmas, will be presented on Sunday, December 14 at 8:00 and 10:45 AM. There will also be a special presentation of the program for the community on Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 PM. Invite someone to attend this special celebration of Jesus with you.

5. All ladies are invited to the annual Ornament Exchange on Monday, December 15 at 6:30 PM in Family Life Center. Everyone is asked to bring an ornament to exchange.

6. Sunday, December 28 will be a special day at First Baptist. Jim Wilburn will be preaching in the morning service at 10:45 AM and we will have a church-wide luncheon after the service. That evening we will have Jim’s Ordination Service into the Gospel Ministry at 6:30 PM. An Ordination Council of all ordained men will be held at 4:30 PM.

7. December 29 thru January 3 will be a week of missions. During the Christmas school break we will have two short mission trips during the week after Christmas. December 29-30 we will go to the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home in Franklin to help with painting of one of the homes. There will be no cost to participate in this mission effort.

January 1-3 will be the second trip to Leslie County Kentucky to work with the Big Creek Missions Center. We will do some renovations to the center and then minister in the community as weather permits. The cost for the January 1-3 trip will be $30 which includes transportation, lodging and meals.

8. In your gift giving this Christmas remember the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. With over 5000 missionaries it is a great opportunity for our church to be a part of literally touching the entire world in the name of Jesus Christ. Consider your gift to missions as your gift to Jesus Himself, your birthday gift to Him. The video we saw Sunday and other information on the Lottie Moon Offering and International Missions can be found at http://www.imb.org/main/give/page.asp?StoryID=5428&LanguageID=1709.

9. I have copied below an article I wrote several years ago on the subject, “Hope for the Holidays.” This article specifically addresses the challenge of facing the holidays after the death of a loved one. I know several have had loved ones to pass away this year and I hope this is of help to you. There may be friends who you can send a copy of this article as an encouragement.

“Hope for the Holidays”
The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year for many people. The celebration of the birth of the Christ child brings joy and goodwill to hearts both young and old. Fabulous dinners with family, brightly wrapped presents, and all of the holiday decorations make Christmas a season to be cherished.

However, for many the holidays are a source of grief and sorrow as they remember loved ones and friends who have passed away. For them, the special season of celebration becomes a time to be endured.

Taken from several sources of care, the following list provides practical helps for those experiencing grief during the holidays.

1. Remember your loved one in a special way during the holidays and at family gatherings. Share memories of the loved one, look at old pictures, and acknowledge the person and the loss you feel. Don’t act like nothing has happened or like the person never existed.

2. Decide what you can handle and let others know. This might not be the year that you cook the big meal and have everyone over for dinner. The decorations may be cut back and Christmas cards may not get sent. Re-examine traditions and learn to say, “No”. You don’t have to try to do it all, but at the same time, hiding from the holidays is not a good option. Pace yourself.

3. Do something special for someone else. The tendency during grief is to focus on yourself, your pain, and your loss. Unless you make the effort, everything becomes centered around you. This is the perfect setting for depression. Instead, reach out to someone who has needs. It may be in the form of gifts for a needy family, dinner with a lonely friend, or volunteering at a local charity.

4. During any time of stress it is important to get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat a balanced diet. Our physical body affects our emotional health.

5. Allow yourself to express emotions. It is OK to be sad. You may have to excuse yourself from a family gathering but those close to you will understand. It is natural to feel sadness and the Lord has designed us with a natural outlet for grief, crying.

6. Don’t feel guilty enjoying the holidays. Just as it is OK to feel sad, it is also OK to feel glad. Laughter and fun times are not disrespectful to your deceased loved one. Give yourself and others around you permission to celebrate the season.

7. The holidays are a time to look to your faith in Jesus Christ for hope. The Christmas story of the birth of Jesus Christ is filled with wonder that transcends our grief, our pain, and our circumstances. Jesus Christ, God’s Son was born to meet our greatest need, our need for forgiveness and renewed relationship with God. Through faith in Jesus death for the Christian becomes a new beginning instead of the end of life. Instead of final separation, death is a time of reunion with loved ones who have gone before and an expectation of reunion with believers who are left. Because of Jesus’ birth, life has peace, joy, and hope. That is the message of the Biblical account which the angels shared with the shepherds after Jesus was born.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
"And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
(Luke 2:10-14)

There are many practical helps, but Jesus is the only real hope you need this Christmas season. He will fill your heart with peace and joy as you realize afresh and anew that He is the “Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”