Offering Envelopes for 2017 have arrived! The boxes are in the foyer of the sanctuary for pick-up with each family's name on them! Please pick yours up on Sunday mornings or in the office during the week!
Poinsettias
If a poinsettia was left in your honor, please take home one of the poinsettias in the front of the sanctuary after worship on Sunday morning! They will be removed after Sunday's worship service.
Toy Donations
If you or your child have toys or games that are no longer played with, and you would like to donate them, consider donating them to our Wee Explorers Preschool Ministry! These kids always need new toys to play with, and they could benefit from the toys that are gathering dust in your child's playroom. If you have any donations, please bring them to the church office or the Loving Kindness room near the sanctuary.
Women's Community Bible Study
Women’s Community Bible Study Begins on January 4th
All ladies are invited to join a community Bible study! Women's Community Bible Study will offer a new study starting on Wednesday, January 11th: A LifeChange Bible Study of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John.
This verse by verse bible study on the letters of John teaches participants about John's response to false teachers at the end of the first century. When false teachers began to undermine the faith of Christians at the end of the first century, John responded with hard-hitting words about righteousness, love, and truth. His message continues to expose falsehood and give true Christians confidence in their relationship with God. In this Bible study participants are encouraged to apply God's Word to their life.
The study will begin January 4th and go through early April. Women’s Community Bible Study meets every Wednesday morning, 9:00 am - 10:30 am at First Presbyterian Church of Sylva. No pre-registration is required and childcare is provided.
Join us on January 4th for an opening coffee and an overview of our newest study. Member workbooks will be available for purchase on that day.
An evening study is also available on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm at Webster Baptist Church. No childcare is provided at the Thursday evening study.
Women’s Community Bible Study is a non-denominational, weekly meeting for women to learn God’s Word in a practical way and enjoy fellowship with other ladies. For more information, contact Joyce Pope at 631-9496 or Tiffany Stack at 293-0536.
Looking Elsewhere for Peace
I am aching for a good snow. Open the arctic windows, flood our land with a damp cold, and pour down the snow of my dreams.
Sigh.
My love affair with snow is silly and childlike. There. I admit it. I’m quite aware that snow complicates things. Travel is impaired with even the hint of wintry weather. Many individuals do not have the luxury to cozy up by their fire when sleet and snow coat their driveways. I am aware of all these things, but my heart still sings for the gauzy clouds of snow to descend from our highest mountains to our lowest valleys.
Here’s why I love snow: snow brings peace. Snow brings quiet. Snow brings transcendent rest and Sabbath.
Snow has the power of obscuring the raw, unattractive realities of our world. Our ability to see far ahead is limited and the falling flakes erase the horizons. Meteorologists will tell us that they measure the intensity of falling snow based upon the impaired visibility. In essence, the farther you can see—10 miles, for example—while it is precipitating would suggest a light snow with relatively minor accumulations. And yet, a snow that falls so heavily that you cannot see your neighbor’s house only 50 yards away heralds a heavy snow with the promise of a 10-foot tall snowman.
Snow also silences the noise of the world. The volume of traffic, construction or the sound of barking dogs is muted by the furiously falling snow. The sound of falling snow feels like being tucked into the softest of bed sheets.
And of course, snow transforms the landscape. It obscures the brown, beat-up lawns and grey leaves of the forest. Snow covers the scars we’ve inflicted upon the land, and magically converts the gnarled briars and undergrowth into a cathedral of decadent wonder and beauty.
Y’all, I need a good snow.
But I’m not going to get one. At least, not for some time. At present, our Christmas weekend looks to be mild. It will feel more reminiscent of mid-march than frosty December. To my great horror, the following week will tempt us to consider our spring gardening plans.
Although my heart yearns for the Sabbath and rest that only a good winter storm can provide, I’ll have no help from the weather department. I want my world to become smaller so that I can see the faces of my family more easily than I can the sadness and tragedies of our global community. The tidal waves of social media and ghastly headlines will give me no holiday and the world will not be transformed by the Magician’s Hand.
Any peace that I experience this Christmas season will not be because of snow. I suppose that peace will have to come from a higher source.
In lieu of drifting snow, the Prince of Peace will have to suffice.
First Baptist Church, may your celebration of Emmanuel—God With Us—bring you a peace that surpasses our failed attempts at peace-making. May you experience Sabbath these next few weeks so that your soul can find its rest in God. I pray that you will allow God to tend to your hearts so that you will see the world the way God sees it. Merry Christmas, brothers and sisters, and may the start of the New Year be restorative and rich.
Christmas Day Worship Service
Join us on Sunday, December 25 for our Christmas Day service at 10:30 AM. Dress comfortably and bring a favorite Christmas tree ornament from home. Also, bring any leftover cookies or goodies to share by placing them on the hospitality table as you come to worship. Please note, we will not have Sunday School.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Begin your family’s Christmas celebration with the story of Christ’s birth. Join us at 5:30 PM on December 24th for First Baptist Church of Sylva’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Our family friendly event will capture the magic of Christmas with familiar carols, the retelling of the Christmas story and the glow of candlelight. Don’t miss this opportunity to create lifelong memories with your entire family!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Thank you to everyone who helped make "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" live up to its namesake! The kids did a wonderful job and so did the backstage helpers! And a big thank you to everyone who came out to watch the program as well!
Advent and Christmas Schedule
Advent and Christmas Schedule 2016 at First Baptist Sylva
Wednesday, December 14 will be our final Sylva First Wednesday programming until Wednesday, January 11th.
Friday, December 16 at 7:00 PM: 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' Production, followed by a church-wide Christmas Party and Reception to follow in the Mission and Fellowship Center.
Saturday, December 24 at 5:30 PM: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday, December 25 at 10:30 AM: Christmas Day Worship at First Baptist. Dress casually and bring leftover goodies to share. Also, be sure to bring a favorite Christmas Tree ornament to share about with your church family. There will be no Sunday School or nursery offered.
Sunday, January 1, at 10:30 AM: New Year's Day Worship at First Baptist. Dress casually and bring leftover goodies to share. There will be no Sunday School or nursery offered.
FUMC Hosting Red Cross Blood Drive
First UMC Sylva is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, Dec. 28th from 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. There is a critical need for blood at this time. Many appointments are available and walk-ins are welcome. To register, go to RedCrossBlood.org