FBC Carthage E-News for February 15, 2010

FBC Carthage E-News
February 15, 2010

Good Snowy Morning,

When I looked out this morning and saw the snow and ice I was glad it did not come yesterday before the services. I know it is a challenge for the work week but I am still glad we did not have to deal with it on a Sunday.

The big news for the week is the Personnel Committee’s recommendation to call Zeke Tomaselli as the Minister to Youth and Music. The committee will have a question and answer time on Wednesday night, February 17 at 6:30 PM in which you are welcome and invited to come and ask questions. The official church vote will be Sunday, February 21 during both of the morning services. I have attached a biographical introduction for Zeke at the end of this E-news if you didn’t get a chance to read it several weeks ago. Please be praying this week as we prepare for this important step in the life of First Baptist Church.

Also this week, be praying for Jim Wilburn who is on a mission trip in Thailand. Jim served as Minister of Music at FBC Carthage before moving to Long Island, New York to pastor the North Shores Baptist Church in the town of Kings Park.

I want to say a special “Thank You” to Cindy Dowell, Charlene Qualls and others who helped with the Couples Dinner on Saturday. We had a great time together, enjoyed a delicious meal, and shared on the importance of communication in marriage. The emphasis was on the art of listening. I have attached the links to two videos which provided a humorous look at communication:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMgu7cBJ9Yw&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_TqDYY-dMw

I also have listed the ten suggestions shared for more effective listening:.

Importance of Communication – The Importance of Listening
James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, slow to wrath.

1. Pay attention. Turn off the TV. Put down the paper. Tune in and focus on your spouse.

2. Clarify if you are unsure of what your spouse is saying. “What I understand you to say…”

3. Resist urge to interrupt or finish sentence.

4. Your spouse needs you to listen first, fix problem second.

5. Communication takes time. It is important to have time to communicate so you can properly focus. For example, when you are getting ready to go to sleep may be a bad time to start a deep discussion. Also during the middle of a big game, a favorite program , etc. may be bad timing. As you talk, it is a good idea to make a habit of sitting together where you can listen and look at each other as you talk.

6. Be patient and kind. Don’t demean your spouse or jump to conclusions. Conversations between spouses should be a “safe place” to express ideas, fears, dreams, and concerns.

7. If the conversation becomes intense, it may be wise to call a “time-out” for reflection and regaining composure. If the issue is of major importance, your spouse may need time to think before responding.

8. Take turns listening. In other words, take turns talking. It may be helpful to have an object, such as a ball, which the person talking holds. Then when the other spouse wishes to talk, he or she requests the ball. This also helps alleviate the challenge on abrupt interruptions in the conversation.

9. Listen for the main points of the conversations. Statements such as “The main point is…” or “What I am trying to say is…” are indicators of the main points.

10. Listen to words, tone, body language. In a conversation, only a small amount of the conversation is actually the words said. The tone of the words and the body language used often give a conflicting message to the words.

Have a blessed week as you live out the message from Sunday; “Love suffers long and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Bro. Tim


Here’s the News:
1. The youth have two events coming up in February:
Sunday afternoon, February 21 Third Day Concert
February 27-28 Youth Ski Trip
More details are available this Wednesday during the Youth Bible Study at 6:30 PM.

2. All Sunday School leaders and teachers are reminded of our Sunday School Leader Meeting this Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 PM in the Christian Life Center. This quarterly meeting provides us an avenue to discuss the upcoming events and emphases in Sunday School as well as touching base with each teacher for needs you may have in your class.

3. A Mission Trip information meeting will be held on Sunday, February 21 at 4:00 PM in the Sanctuary to give the basic details for the Mission Trips being planned for 2010. All persons interested in any of the projects are asked to attend. Listed below are the anticipated trips and dates:
June 2-5 Youth ReFuel Community Missions
June 14-18 Vacation Bible School
June 28-July 3 New York working with Bro. Jim Wilburn
July 12-17 Associational Mission Trip to Appalachia
July 13-20 Montana – Native American Pow-Wow Ministry
July 26-31 Smith County Fair
August 1-14 Kenya, Africa
October 8-16 Wiamea, Hawaii

4. The Buckets of Hope for Haiti was a great success with all forty of the buckets given out to be filled with food for the people of Haiti. We will have additional buckets this Sunday for those who did not receive a bucket. The information with a list of the exact food to purchase for the buckets is found at: http://www.tnbaptist.org/pdf/dr-buckets-of-hope.pdf

5. The baby bottle offering for the Smith County Crisis Pregnancy Center is being received as of this past Sunday. Bring your bottle and offering and we will get it to the CPC Center.

6. Membership 101, a one hour class for new and prospective members, will be held Sunday, February 28 at 4:00 PM in the Sunday School room to the left of the Sanctuary. All persons interested in membership are invited and encouraged to attend.

7. We are delighted as we continue to see people coming to FBC Carthage for the morning worship services. On some Sundays, the 10:45 AM service is beginning to be filled. We began the 8:00 AM service in April to provide additional space and opportunities to reach more people for the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Lord continues to bring people our way, I encourage others to explore the possibility of coming to the 8:00 AM service. We have the same format for both services to provide continuity. If you haven’t been to the 8:00 AM service, I invite you to try it.

8. Meet Ezekiel “Zeke” Tomaselli. Zeke was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was an ordained Pentecostal preacher and my mother was a homemaker. Zeke has 4 sisters and 1 brother. At age 3 his family moved to Hilo, Hawaii where they were a part of a new church plant (His Highest Praise Church). At age 12, Zeke accepted Jesus as his Savior. Zeke writes, “I was aware that my good works were worthless and all God wanted was me.” That same year Zeke began serving the Lord through his talent in music. He writes, “With my new identity and new given passion and drive, there I was in humility leading worship for our congregation. During those days, worship was filled with true, genuine surrender to our King. There were no fancy lights, sound and media to assist us.

During high school years, Zeke’s life took a difficult turn and he made many bad decisions. He shares, “In that time, God sent two godly people into my life; a past football teammate who graduated two years before me and his grandmother. They invited me to a youth service at their church and I went. During that youth service God convicted me of my rebellious ways and revealed to me Himself through the labor of these two special people. I was restored and I never went back to my sinful ways. Today, I keep in contact with my friend’s mother, who became my spiritual adopted grandmother.”

After high school, Zeke moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to live with his sister. In Las Vegas, Zeke met the pastor and several leaders from a new church in the area, Hope Baptist Church. They invested time and ministry in Zeke, taught him to read and study the Bible, and lived out the life of Jesus before him. Through their labor, Zeke sensed God’s called to full time ministry.

For the past seven years, Zeke has served as a youth intern, student worship leader, student interim pastor, tech director and worship pastor. He writes, “I have seen many come to know Jesus and have had the privilege to baptize many as followers of the king. I have seen students called to the mission field as well as full time church ministry.” It was during this time that Zeke met and married Layne, a Tennessee girl from Shelbyville.

Zeke and Layne came back to Shelbyville last year to be closer to Layne’s parents after Layne’s dad had been diagnosed with cancer. We received Zeke’s name and resume from a member of FBC Carthage who grew up with Layne’s parents.

In addition to his experience in leading youth and worship, Zeke has an Associates of Arts Degree in Music from the Community College of Southern Nevada. He is presently working on his Bachelor of Science in Religion Degree and his Masters of Divinity Degree from Liberty Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia.