FBC Carthage E-News for March 11, 2013

FBC Carthage E-News

March 11, 2013

Good Morning,

Happy Spring Break to many of our college students this week.  Jeff and I have made three college visits in the past two weeks and have had a great time with our students.  We have a great group of college students spread across many different universities.  This is a good week to remember them in prayer and ask the Lord’s blessing upon them.  We hope to finish our College Road Trip 2013 visits this month to the remaining schools.  Here is a list of our students for your prayers:

Anna Maxwell - Belmont

Zach Brubaker - Carson Newman

Conner Dodson - Cumberland

Corey Presley - ETSU

Erin Tackett - Lipscomb         

Amanda Eatherly - MTSU

Crystal McCormick - MTSU

Samantha Key - Nash. School of Law

Kirk Conger - Ole Miss

Sam Smith - Southwestern Seminary

Lindsey Angel -TTU

Leah Bane -TTU

Brittany Chappell - TTU

Grant Denny - TTU

Rhonda Etheridge - TTU

Sara Frank - TTU

Katie Goolsby - TTU

Hunter Hackett - TTU

Adam Johnson - TTU

Carter and Julia Robinson-TTU

Zach Sanders - TTU

Paige Russell - TTU

Caleb Smith - TTU

Jill Frank - Texas A & M

Audrey Russell - Trevecca

Kate Conger -UT

Greg Dowell - UT

Josh Lynn - UT

Kandy Smith - UT

Timmy Bush - Vol State        

Kelsey Eatherly - Vol State

James Fields - Vol State

Van Fields - Vol State

Logan Hackett - Vol State

Annabelle Lowe - Vol State    

Zeke Tomaselli - Mid America Seminary

Speaking of our college students, Josh Lynn is on a mission trip this week in South Asia.  He and a team of students from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Tennessee Tech are ministering to students and churches in South Asia.  Pray for Josh and the team during this week.

Jeff, Kristina, and Peyton Hall made a successful move to Carthage last week and are getting settled in their new home at 203 Hull Avenue.  I am excited to have them with us at FBC Carthage and can already sense the excitement in the youth and families.  If you need to contact them, their e-mail addresses are:

          jeff3024@yahoo.com

          kristina3024@yahoo.com

We had our first planning meeting for Vacation Bible School 2013 and it is going to be exciting.  VBS will be June 10-14 from 6:00-8:30 PM each evening.  We will begin with a Kick-Off event on the Sunday night before, June 9 and end with a Parent’s Night presentation on Friday, June 14 at 7:30 PM.  Kristina Hall is the VBS Director and Rhonda Ethridge is the Assistant Director.  You can contact either of these ladies to volunteer to serve in this special week of mission and ministry.

Yesterday was a special day for one of our sister churches; Lancaster Baptist Church ordained their new Pastor, Ryan Rogers, into the gospel ministry.  Be praying for Ryan as he serves this church and leads them to reach their community for Jesus.

I hope you are preparing your hearts for the celebration of Easter at FBC Carthage.  Easter is Sunday, March 31 which is just over two weeks away.  There will be several special events and services surrounding this season:

Saturday, March 23       Spring Clean-Up Day   8:00 AM                 In preparation for the Easter Celebration we will have a church-wide clean-up day. We will work on the inside and outside of our buildings and rooms.  The Clean-Up begins at 8:00 AM and we will have lunch provided for the workers.

Sunday, March 24        Children’s Easter Celebration          5:00 PM Children’s Easter Celebration will be a big “blow out” event celebrating the most important event in all of history – the life, death, burial and most importantly  resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  The evening will feature Anthony the Balloon Kid and no better way to have a“blow out” event than with the most amazing balloon creations of “PURE AWESOMENESS”! This will be a church-wide event and a great opportunity to get to know many of the parents of our children.  Invite all the children (babies - 6^th grade) you know…grandchildren, neighbors, and friends at school, and as always parents and adults are welcome!

Friday, March 29           Good Friday Service             6:30 PM

This special service will be led by our adult Sunday School classes as we focus on the eight Stations of the Cross and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for our sin.   The service will conclude with the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

 Sunday, March 31          Easter Celebration Service       10:00 AM

We will gather in one service for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  This service will feature a special musical presentation by the Sanctuary Choir, a message on the resurrection, and the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

In preparing yourself for the Easter celebrations there are several good books and videos about Easter for children in our church library.  Check them out and share them in your families to help your children grasp the true significance of Easter.

Have a blessed week:

Bro. Tim

Here’s the news for the week:

1.      During the month of March we will be receiving the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions.  This offering goes to support the more than 5,000 Southern Baptist missionaries who serve in the United States and Canada.  The entire offering on Easter Sunday will go to this mission effort to share the good news of Jesus throughout our nation.  The display in the Sanctuary will help to chart our progress toward the offering goal of $11,500.  As a red heart is placed on each of the persons on the display it represents $500 given toward the goal.  Let’s do “Whatever It Takes” to reach every one.

2.     The Senior Adult Fellowship is planning a breakfast trip to Cracker Barrel in Lebanon on Tuesday, March 12.  We will leave from the church parking lot at 8:00 AM. All adults 55+ are invited.

3.     Youth Night on Friday, March 15, from 6-9 PM in the Christian Life Center.  All youth are  invited to come get to know Jeff Hall.  Good food, lots of fun, and great fellowship are planned for the evening.  You may also bring  friends.

4.     Association Vacation Bible School Clinic in Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 PM at Rome Baptist Church.  All VBS volunteers are invited to theses sessions.  VBS leaders and teachers are encouraged to attend.  

5.     A women's book study group will begin on Tuesday, March 19 at FBC Carthage. All women of all ages are invited to participate. The group will meet each Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 for seven weeks to discuss the book Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst. More               information is available in the Connection Point and in your Sunday School classes. For more information now about the author and to read a free sample chapter, go to http://www.ungluedbook.com/. Begin praying about asking a lost or unchurched friend to come with you each week. 

6.     Smith County Backpack Program will be packing food on Monday, March 11, at 5 PM at the Smith County Ag Center.  Volunteers are welcome.

7.     Second Harvest Food Truck will be at Smith County Ag Center on Wednesday, March 13.  Volunteers are needed at 11:00 AM to unload the truck and box food for distribution. 

8.     An association-wide women’s conference will be held on March 14-16 at the First Baptist Church in Gordonsville.  Tina Craighead will be leading the sessions and the ladies trio “Beyond the Call” will be leading in worship.  The cost is $10 which includes lunch on Saturday.  For more information you can contact FBC Gordonsville at 615 683-8884 or see Shelia Dodge.

9.      Pray for Bro. Marty Dodge, our Associational Director of Missions, and several local Pastors as they travel today and tomorrow to Cincinnati, Ohio to meet with 12 area Pastors and discuss mission opportunities for our churches this Summer.