FBC Carthage E-News for April 9, 2012

FBC Carthage E-News
April 9, 2012

Good Morning,

The Easter weekend celebration was awesome.  I was blessed in each of the services and want to say “Thank You” to all who planned, prepared, and participated in the services.  The Good Friday service was especially moving this year with the involvement from the Sunday School classes and the special music.  The Easter Celebration service stirred my spirit in worship and praise to the risen Lord.  The Sing and Share service is always a blessing with the special music and times of sharing.

The attendance for the Easter services was fantastic.  The 8:00 AM service had 116, which is the first time we have gone over a hundred in that early service.  The 10:00 AM service had right at 200.  Thank you for inviting and bringing friends and family to the services.

During the Sing and Share service, we heard a report from the Youth ReFuel Mission Trip to Nashville.  It sounds like they had a great week of service, fellowship, and worship.  It is a blessing to share mission experiences with other churches in the Nashville area.

This past Saturday was the first night for the Hispanic Mission to meet again at FBC Carthage.  They began here several years ago and then moved to the Association office on Highway 70.  They have experience growth and needed a larger space for worship and a space for teaching the children.  It is a blessing to us to partner with this vibrant congregation.  They had 35 people attend this first service, back at FBC Carthage.  Spread the word and invite Hispanic families you may know to join them on Saturday nights at 6:00 PM in the old Fellowship Hall, directly under the Sanctuary.

Speaking of the Hispanic Mission, they will be hosting a Community Block Party on Saturday, April 21 from 4:00-7:00 PM at FBC Carthage.  We are working together to make this a great outreach into the Hispanic community.  Members of FBC Carthage are invited to come and help with this event.  More details will be in next week’s E-News.

Another mission opportunity which you can be a part of this week is the Community Food Distribution at the Ag Center on Wednesday, April 11 from 11:30 AM to around 2:30 PM.  Second Harvest will bring a truckload of food for volunteers to sort, separate into boxes, and distribute.  Join together with others throughout our community for this exciting outreach.

Thank you to Shawn Pinson for leading the Easter Service at Defeated Creek Campground.  They had 23 people in attendance for this service.

Have a blessed week as you continue to worship and serve our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Bro. Tim


Here’s the news for the week:
1.    The special Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions received $6,576.64 during the services on Easter Sunday.  With the amount already given, that brings the total to $11,194.64!  We praise the Lord for the opportunity to give and touch lives through the missionaries that serve in the United States and Canada. 

2.    The Senior Adult Fellowship luncheon will be this Tuesday, April 10 at 11:30 PM in the Christian Life Center.  All adults, 55 and over, are invited to attend this time of fellowship, great food, and inspiration.  Bring a covered dish and join us.

3.    The April Business Meeting will be held this Wednesday, April 11 at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary.

4.    The Church Library will have a Grand Opening this Sunday, April 15, before and after the services.  The Library has recently had several renovations, with an increased focus on our Children’s Section.  These renovations were made possible through memorial gifts in memory of Linda Brackebusch and Hazel Grandstaff.  Stop by, look in, and see the updates.  You might even see a book, CD, or DVD you would like to check-out.  The Library is located just behind the Sanctuary, beside the Connection Point.

5.    The Mission Montana Team will meet this Sunday, April 15 at 4:00 PM in the classroom to the right of the Sanctuary.  Final details are being worked out and preparation is underway for a great work in Poplar, Montana.  The trip will be June 24-July 3.

6.    Next Monday, April 16 is the 2nd Annual Pregnancy Help Center Banquet at 6:30 PM at the Ag Center.  Our church has been very involved during this year of center renovation and start-up.  You are invited to attend the banquet, learn more about the center and ways you can serve, and prayerfully consider being of financial support to the work of the Pregnancy Help Center.  The center, which is located at 108 College Avenue East, opened last summer to minister to girls and ladies during pregnancy and to focus on the life of the baby they carry. Please make reservations by calling the church office at 735-1929 or the Pregnancy Help Center at 615 281-8054 by Tuesday, April 10.

7.    Next Tuesday, April 17 will be our first planning and organization meeting for our Community Connection Groups, Bible study groups that are designed to be led in homes, businesses, community centers, etc. The focus is on getting the gospel out to the people who are not coming to church.  We will meet at 7:00 PM in the classroom to the right of the Sanctuary. If you have an idea of a location for one of these groups or simply want to be a part of reaching Smith County for Christ, plan to attend this time of prayer, preparation, and planning.

8.    Next Wednesday, April 18 will be a planning meeting for all Vacation Bible School workers.  We will meet at 7:30 PM, after the evening prayer service, in the classroom behind the Sanctuary, next to the Connection Point.  There are several important decisions that need to be finalized for this year’s VBS.  Be a part of these decisions as we prepare for the greatest week in the whole year for outreach, evangelism, and fun.  Let’s all be involved in some way in Vacation Bible School 2012.

9.    A new movie will be coming out this weekend at the Roxy in Lebanon.  The movie is called October Baby and is the pro-life story of a young lady and her search for her birth mom.  You can watch the trailer for this movie at http://octoberbabymovie.net/.  We will have group pricing for the Friday, April 20 showing at 7:00 PM.