United Christian Ministries is in need of pasta sauce, ramen, pancake syrup, applesauce (6-pack individual cups), and laundry detergent. To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!
Join Us for Worship!
Join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary! There is no Sunday school on this Christmas Morning.
The CDC recommends that you wear a mask indoors.
Maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others.
Our worship service will be streamed online at firstbaptistsylva.com.
Recipes Appreciated!
Each week we include a recipe in the Church Chimes and we hope that you are enjoying reading and trying them. You can add your favorite recipes to the Chimes by sending them to Cheryl Beck at cabeck@ncsu.edu. This is an ongoing WMU project.
Thanks for participating!
Christmas Offering
Consider giving a gift that will extend the work of Christ’s Kingdom in our community! This year, choose to give a gift in honor or memory of someone special through our Christmas Offering. All proceeds of the Christmas Offering will be used to further the mission and ministry of First Baptist Church in our town and around the world. When you contribute to our Christmas Offering, the church will send a Christmas card to the person you choose to honor. Christmas Offering envelopes are available in both the pew racks in our sanctuary and our church office.
Mission Moment 12.21.22
Rick Burnette
CBF Field Personnel in Immokalee, FL
My friend, Gabby, tells me that he wakes up each morning with eager anticipation of what the new day will bring.
That’s interesting. I’m not sure what Gabby’s personality classification might be but, unfortunately, Enneagram Six types like me—reliable, troubleshooting, trustworthy—are prone to anxiety. Rather than being inclined to greet the day’s opportunities, my waking brain attempts to address anticipated issues and needs.
For me, prayer and meditation are essential for getting past those “what ifs” and to find a centered position from which to engage the remainder of the day.
Besides dealing with anxiety, I also contend with prediabetes, making it vital that I maintain a physical exercise regimen. Although my vocation related to community gardening keeps me active, I usually need supplemental physical activity to help keep my blood sugar in balance.
During my 19 years in Thailand, I would see Buddhist monks silently walking their daily predawn rounds through neighborhoods to collect alms of food from local devotees. While humbly receiving food for daily subsistence, monks are engaged in a walking form of meditation.
Inspired by such spiritual disciple, and to maintain both my physical and spiritual health, I start each day with a two-mile walk. It is during the first mile or so that I attempt to engage in prayer and meditation. Depending on my mood, the walking prayer is usually meditative, during which I attempt to “listen” to God.
Some days I may need an internal, calming mantra that incorporates attention to breathing to help settle my heart and mind. Other days, I pray through the Lord’s Prayer, applying each phrase of the prayer to the day’s circumstances and needs. And often, my supplications are more like Anne Lamott’s “Help me, help me, help me” prayer.
Some mornings are naturally devoted to praise and gratitude, especially as I take in the Florida sky at dawn. But often, my “monkey mind” isn’t so easily tamed, rested or centered.
A quote from Father Richard Rohr resonates with my prayer aspirations. In a 2020 New Yorker article describing how he wakes around 5:45 a.m. each day to spend an hour praying wordlessly, Rohr told the reporter, “I’m trying to find my way to yes,” adding that he often wakes up in a state of “no.” May God help us find our daily way to “yes.”
Pray...Give...Go.
The CDC Recommends That You Wear a Mask Indoors
Cranberry Congealed Salad
Gertrude Allen, a former long-time choir member, would always bring this dish to choir
gatherings. Barb Holquist made it for the choir party this year, and it was a hit!
Ingredients
4 cups (1 pound) fresh cranberries, chopped
1 large apple, chopped
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 orange, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple (drain and save juice)
2 cups sugar
6 ounces cherry jello (any red jello will work)
Instructions
Combine cranberries, orange, and sugar; let stand for several hours. Add pineapple, apple, and nuts to cranberry mixture
Heat pineapple juice and water to a boil; add jello and stir to dissolve. Pour over cranberry mixture and mix well.
Chill until set.
–Gertrude Allen (submitted by Barb Holquist)
Cranberry Congealed Salad
Click here to download a printable version. Recipe provided by Gertrude Allen (submitted by Barb Holquist).
Thank You So Much!
Church family, Carroll and Gaye Buchanan wish to thank you for the cards, phone calls, and wonderful meals brought to us after my fall. We love each and every one of you!
Merry Christmas!
1st Explorers Update
Another busy week for 1st Explorers as they wind down for Christmas holidays. On-Site Coordinator Melanie Stokely reports that the children enjoyed music enrichment on Tuesday when her friend Kayla Maynor visited the group. They played musical games including Freeze Dance and a game called Poison where they had to recognize specific notes and sounds. 1st Explorers loved it!
On Thursday, Curtis Collins visited from the Jackson County Health Department, providing guidance on having a positive self-image. A special treat at the end of his visit -- he brought his 3 dogs for the kids to visit and love on. A fun time was had by all.
The week was capped off on Friday with hot chocolate with marshmallows, popcorn, and the Grinch movie and treat bags supplied by Charlie and Diane White..
We continue to be grateful for the FBC volunteers who work the back door each week, to the RA and GA leaders who come each Wednesday, and to the guests who lead Chapel each week. And, special thanks to Melanie Stokely and her staff who love and care for the children each day.
Send Us Your Prayer List Updates
Add this email address to your contacts list on your devices so that our staff and Pastoral Care Team can learn of your prayer requests as quickly as possible. And yes, you may still contact the church office directly at 828-586-2095 to share your prayer concerns, as well.