FBC Carthage E-News for March 28, 2011

FBC Carthage E-News March 28,2011 Jambo, We had our first lesson in Swahili yesterday with Pastor Elijah Wanje. There are seven team members making plans to travel to Nairobi, Kenya for a mission project with Pastor Wanje and his church, June 1-15. Pray for this team and the plans, especially working through airline ticket issues this week. If you missed the message by Pastor Wanje, or you would like to pass it on to others, it can be found in the online sermons under the Media page on the church web site www.fbccarthage.com. It is one of the best messages I have heard in a long time. Ladies, I remind you of the Priscilla Shirer simulcast on Friday and Saturday. Doors open at 6PM on Friday. Invite someone to attend with you. This week is the week of prayer for North American Missions. Here is the link to read of the specific missionaries to be praying for this week: http://www.anniearmstrong.com/2011missionaries/ Our church goal is $7,000 for the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions. This is a great time to give to the work of more than 5,000 missionaries in the United States and Canada. I trust you have been enjoying the special 40 Days of Easter Devotionals each day. Thanks to all who have contributed to this effort. Have a blessed week, Bro. Tim Here’s the news for the week: 1. All Vacation Bible School workers are urged to attend the VBS Clinic this Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 PM. We will begin in the Family Life Center. Even if you have not officially signed-up, attend the Clinic and we will get you plugged-in. 2. The Pregnancy Help Center of Smith County will hold its first banquet on Tuesday, April 5 at the Ag Center. The banquet will begin at 6:30 PM. If you would have interest in attending the banquet to learn more about ways you can be involved, send a note to Bro. Tim. There is no cost for the banquet. Opportunity will be given to support the center through volunteering to serve and/or financially giving to the center. The Pregnancy Help Center will begin ministry to the community in June. 3. In preparation for Easter 2011, we have two special events set for Saturday, April 9 and 16. Here is some information distributed in the Adult Sunday School classes yesterday: Across Tennessee is a part of a nation-wide emphasis, Across America, to reach every home in the United States, Canada, and their territories with a gospel distribution, as well as an invitation to attend a local congregation for an evangelistic Easter service. Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, is quickly approaching and Baptist churches across Tennessee and the United States are preparing for one of the largest evangelistic efforts in our convention’s history. Churches will participate by praying across Tennessee on April 9, followed by a gospel distribution on April 16 and Harvest Sunday on Easter Sunday. Your Sunday School class is asked to participate in the prayer walking and gospel distribution days by enlisting teams of two-three to partner together for this effort. Encourage everyone who to participate as a part of your class team. Here are some practical ideas for prayerwalking on Saturday, April 9. • We will meet at FBC Carthage at 9:30 AM for prayer and assignments. • Prayerwalking is simply praying in the very places we expect God to bring forth his answers. Prayerwalking is usually a low-profile affair: Friends or family walk in teams of two or three through their assigned streets, praying as they go. We've come to call this sort of on-site intercession "prayerwalking." It's simply praying in the very places that we expect God to bring forth His answers. • The prayers are intercessory rather than devotional. Prayerwalkers learn to pray beyond their own concerns, focusing pray on behalf of their neighbors. You will pray for the people in the homes you are walking past. Pray for God’s power and grace to touch their lives during this Easter season. • Pray for the present-hour needs of people and places that you see. Pray quietly. You can be on the scene without making one. In confidence of God's unfolding purpose which includes your preparation prayer, don't look to initiate gospel conversations during your prayerwalk. Pray for God to open doors of communication soon. Explain what you are doing to inquirers: "We're praying God's blessing on the neighborhood. Are there specific ways we can pray for you or others? Here are some practical ideas for the gospel distribution on Saturday, April 16. • Each team will be given a specific street(s) to distribute the gospel cards. These cards will be inside a door-hanger bag and will also include an invitation to the Easter Sunday service on April 24 at 10:00 AM at the Smith County High School Auditorium. • You can knock on the door and personally deliver the invitation or you can simply place the bag on the door. Do not place the bag on or inside of the mailbox. • We will seek to distribute over 1000 invitations. Each team will have approximately 50 bags which should take 1-2 hours to distribute. We will meet at FBC Carthage at 9:30 AM for prayer and assignments. 4. As part of the Across Tennessee emphasis leading up to Easter, there will be a witnessing tract, in addition to an invitation to the Easter service, included in each packet we distribute on April 16. That tract will share the gospel and also point people to the web site www.findithere.com. This is a great web site with testimonies, answers to spiritual questions, and much more. It can be a blessing to you and a tool to use in sharing with your friends and family. Take a minute and check out the site: www.findithere.com. 5. The FBC Carthage Relay for Life Team will sponsor “Painting for a Cure” on Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 PM. The project will meet at the Paint Pail on Main Street. Participants will purchase a canvas (8X10 - $20; 16X20 - $35) and be instructed in painting a cross. The proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. The signup contact the church office or see Denise Hackett. In addition, special Relay for Life shirts are available for a contribution of $10. The Smith County Relay for Life will be held on June 4. 6. High School and college graduates are asked to contact Zeke to participate in the 2011 Graduate Recognition and Luncheon on May 1, 2011. We are gathering pictures and making a special graduate video to show during the service on May 1. 7. LifeLine Screening will be providing several medical screening tests on Tuesday, April 26. Contact Deborah at the church office to schedule a priority screening. Church members may qualify for a $10 discount by calling this week, 735-1929.