Hospitality Table Sign-Ups

We are looking for volunteers to sign up to host the Hospitality table after worship on Sunday mornings! If you would like to provide/serve snacks and drinks to our congregation one Sunday, please consider signing up for any Sunday through the end of May! You can sign up by emailing Kristin Fritts at fritts-kristin@aramark.com.

Also, we'd like to send a huge thank you out to everyone who has pitched in to help at the table this past year! We always enjoy being able to fellowship together after worship on our front porch steps.

Skyland Care Center Valentine's Party

A Recipe for Tasty Goodness

In a strange twist, I’ve recently discovered that I like to cook. Why am I surprised by this realization? Until the last few years, I found it relatively easy to consume food. Whether from the stove, from the oven, out of a box, or from a cheap, fast-food joint, I could eat it. But alas, I’ve been forced to change my eating patterns and food preparation has taken center-stage in my life.
 
No, I’m not a natural in the kitchen. Unlike my father, I’m not intuitive about spices, food combinations or suggested cooking procedures. And unlike my mother, I can be sloppy about following directions. I’m not drawn to cooking shows and I certainly wouldn’t brag about my meal offerings to others (although my mashed potatoes are pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself).
 
So, I’m surprised by the fact that I’ve discovered a fondness for food preparation. And no one in my family has complained loudly enough for me to drop my new hobby.
 
As the pastor of our church, I often find myself to be in the kitchen. No, I seriously doubt that Ruth and her team of kitchen experts would value my presence in the Mission and Fellowship Hall Kitchen. Better said, I find myself in a position of arranging our church’s resources—think ingredients--in such a way that the yeast can rise and a tasty offering can be made to our community and world.
 
Most experienced cooks know that food preparation and kitchen management is a bit of an art form. Cooking requires appropriate care for the different kinds of items that will go into a meal or dish. Flavors need time to marry. Entrees need quiet moments to marinate. Skipping steps in preparation will yield an unhappy outcome, and too much tinkering, stirring and flipping will turn a lovely dish into an unsightly mess. Cooking, like pastoring and leading, requires preparation, trust, and above all, patience.   
 
I can imagine that if there was a recipe card for developing a rich and bountiful church-- complete with a savory sauce and a sweet aroma--it would look something like this:
 
1.) Assemble the following ingredients in advance, and then wash them with the water of baptism and pat dry:
-Individuals endowed by the Spirit with a variety of dynamic skills and gifts
-Individuals with a willingness to share what God has given them
-A corporate desire to work together
-A willingness to share a common vision together
-A desire to take Christ-like risks out of love for others
-Courage to be honest
-Resiliency
-Grace
-A boundless, faithful love for one another
 
2.) Place the ingredients in an appropriately-sized mixing bowl.
-Please note: The bowl doesn’t need to be too big, or the ingredients won’t mix properly. Also, the bowl doesn’t need to be too small lest there’s not enough room for new ingredients to be added later.
-Gently mix the ingredients until everything is uniformly distributed. This process may take more time than expected, depending on the pliability of the ingredients.
 
3.) Allow ingredients to set, and for the flavors to fuse.
-Do not rush this step. Be aware that if you do, ingredients will become lost and the rich flavors will not be drawn out.
 
4.) Add the yeast of the Holy Spirit.
-Stir in the yeast and allow time for the mixture to rise.
-Caution: The mixture may not rise as you expect or imagine. Be open to what occurs and what may develop during this step. Also, be aware that it may take longer for the mixture to rise than you first thought.
 
5.) Place in a casserole dish and bake in a setting that will transform the ingredients into a wholly new creation.
-Be aware: The mixture will take a different form and may look completely different by the time it’s done. Also, know that the mixture may spill out of the pan. This is completely acceptable.
 
6.) Final words of encouragement:
-Do not skip steps, or the dish may become spoiled.
-Do not leave any ingredients out, or the finished product may be distasteful.
-Do not rush the process of allowing everything to marinate and settle. Rushing the cooking process may result in wasted ingredients and a failed product. This will inevitably yield distrust and may risk future attempts at cooking.
 
Y’all, as one of many cooks in our faith community’s kitchen, be assured that the quality of our ingredients are second to none. I’ve been in a variety of kitchens over the years, and I know the goods when I see them. The First Baptist Church of Sylva is uniquely arranged, and supremely stocked, to provide a banquet feast for the community in which we are located.
 
I’m hungry. Let’s get cooking together.  

How to Give to 1st Explorers

Our 1st Explorers Ministry continues to grow at First Baptist Church and many have asked how to support this ministry. There are several ways to support this ministry.

1)     With your prayers! Pray for our staff that care for children daily. Pray for the children and their families. Pray that our programs leadership continues to listen to God and hear where he is calling us.

2)     With your time! Come volunteer in the program. You could read with a child, assist in a classroom or provide a special program! Contact Kelly Brown our Director about volunteer opportunities!

3)     With supplies! We are always in need to crayons, paint, pencils and more! Check with Kelly Brown our Director to find out what specific needs are.

4)     Our Amazon Wish List here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/LKIDY053QS5O/ref=bnav_topnav_lists_2

5)     Financially. The money that funds our 1st Explorers Ministry is mostly through tuition and contributions.

a.     While the tuition assists in the overall costs of the ministry we know that it takes more than that to support the good work our staff is doing as the minister to children and their families. You can donate directly to the 1st Explorers Ministry which in turn will assist the annual budget of $133,000 for the program.

b.     You may donate to the Lou Bryson Memorial Fund which is overseen by our Children’s Advisory Board. This fund was created by Lou Bryson’s family to honor her love for children and our community. This fund is used to provide scholarships for families and provide supplies for the 1st Explorers Ministry.

c.      Provide Scholarships for students in our programs:

                                                    i.     Wee Explorers Pre-School tuition is $250 a month.

                                                  ii.     After School for one child is $85 a month, $130 for two children, $195 for three children.

Summer Explorers Camp costs between $600 and $1,200 depending on family sizes.

WCU Research Study

Confounded by Jesus’s Baptism

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
 
This past Sunday, as the brilliant afternoon sun reflected off our snow-covered mountains, our church gathered to ruminate on this passage from Matthew’s Gospel.
 
We talked about timing. We wondered aloud why it was that Jesus was nearly 30 years old before he began his public ministry.  At this time period in the ancient near east, reaching the age of 30 was quite an accomplishment. Of those who had been born, only 20% would have reached the age of 30.
 
We concluded that the apparent delay in Jesus’ ministry may have be a result of God’s timing, rather than Jesus’s readiness. This is something that we can all empathize with. Namely, how the timing of things in life can confound us.
 
And yet, the timing of Jesus’s ministry is not the only thing that seems perplexing about this passage. Let’s ask ourselves this: What was Jesus doing getting baptized in the first place?
 
The ritual of being dipped in water was a symbol for the repentance of sins. Mark and Luke’s Gospels confirm this. But what is not made particularly clear is why Jesus chose to have this experience in the first place.
 
Here’s Jesus’ own response to John the Baptist’s sense of shock at seeing Jesus approach him to be baptized: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”
 
Fulfill all righteousness? What in the world does that mean?
 
First, let’s tackle the word righteousness. It suggests, living in a right relationship with God. Some scholars and commentators have suggested that Jesus becomes fully human in order that everyone can experience a right relationship with God.
 
Second, some think that Jesus may be referring to the righteousness of God. Yes, you read that correctly. Readers of Isaiah will find that the prophet is imploring God to, “Tear open the heavens and come down to make your name known.” When Jesus is baptized, the heavens are in fact, torn open. God’s identity in Jesus is made known. Perhaps this is how God makes good on a promise.
 
One thing is for certain, Jesus has an encounter with God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit, during his baptism. The best explanation that we may have for why Jesus begins his ministry with baptism is his obedience to his Father.
 
Think about that for a minute. Jesus has an encounter with God through obedience.
 
Of course he does. We’re mildly surprised, but why should we be?
 
We will experience God when we do what God asks of us.
 
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
 
Oh, sure. We’ll see in the coming weeks how God encounters people when they are being less than obedient or faithful to him. But overwhelmingly, if you want to have an encounter with God, then you should do what God is asking of you.
 
We know that this is how the universe works. We hear it in the voices of coaches, teachers and mentors. If you show up for practice and run the plays, you will encounter success. If you rehearse, you will encounter proficiency. If you exercise and are active, you will become fit. Rocket science, this is not.
 
Our new year is but a handful of days old. Consider arranging your life in such a way that you will encounter the living God. Yes, the Bible teaches us that in time, God will encounter us, regardless of our level of faithfulness. But wouldn’t you rather be found doing what God has asked of you when God shows up in your life? 

Our Pulpit Guest for Sunday, Jan. 15th

Reverend Dana Patrick is a graduate of Western Carolina University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree.  She then attended Campbell University Divinity School where she received her Master of Divinity. Dana has served in a variety of ministry settings including a two year chaplaincy residency at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She is currently contracted by the SPARC Foundation to offer Resiliency Support for Buncombe County Health and Human Services, offering one-on-one consultation and training for staff who are experiencing secondary trauma or critical incident stress. She lives in Arden, with her husband Charlie, and their three wonderful boys, Zachary, Eli, and Jacob.     

Rev. Patrick will be our pulpit guest this Sunday during worship. Please help us to welcome her warmly to our congregation.

Mission Moment from Spain

Our Church is pleased to support CBF Global Missions in moments like these where unity and love are modeled and shared.

"One Saturday, I visited a local Spanish church that uses a storefront for its space. It was a special gathering. Christians from different churches in the community had been invited to come together to discuss how we could work together to transform our community. It wasn't a grand Cathedral or the living room of a house church, it was a simple storefront church, but we were there, praying, worshiping and being replenished in community so that we could serve our community. That is the beautiful picture of the church that I hope to see and of which I want to be a part of."

- Matt Norman, CBF field personnel in Spain

Identity Youth Group

Identity Youth Group for those in middle and high school will now meet on Wednesdays nights in the Youth Suite beginning at 5:00 PM with games and dinner then from 6:00 – 7:00 PM they will have worship. Caleb and Elise Parham serve as leaders with our youth in helping them learn and grown in their faith. Please ask them how you can help and assist as they lead our youth.

Kitchen Helpers Meeting Rescheduled!

On Wednesday at 5:45 PM, we will be holding a very brief meetingfor the kitchen helpers immediately following worship in the front of the sanctuary about beginning of the year kitchen business.