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!
The Ladies Mission Circle will meet Tuesday, September 12 at 10:30 a.m.in the Gathering Room. Beverly Duncan-Midgett will lead a round table discussion concerning Mental Health. All ladies are encouraged to attend as we continue to support needs in our community.
We are thrilled to announce a very special Homecoming celebration as we honor Dr. Bob Holquist for his remarkable 40 years of dedicated service as our Minister of Music. This momentous occasion calls for a grand reunion, and we are calling all FBC Choir alumni to join us in this joyous event.
On Homecoming Sunday, we will gather on October 15 in worship to celebrate Dr. Holquist's incredible contributions to our church and community. Prepare your vocal cords, as all former FBC Choir members are invited to return and raise their voices during the 10:30 AM worship service. Let us fill the sanctuary with the harmonious sounds of praise and gratitude!
In addition to the exciting reunion of our FBC Choir, we are honored to welcome former FBC pastor, Rev. Ed Beddingfield to fill our pulpit. Presently serving as the pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Buies Creek, NC, Rev. Beddingfield will grace our service with his leadership.
After the worship service, we will continue the festivities with a feast for the ages in the Mission and Fellowship Center. It will be a time of fellowship, laughter, and reunion. This is an opportunity not to be missed as we commemorate Dr. Holquist's extraordinary tenure and the impact he has made on our church family.
Please help us spread the word about Homecoming 2023. In particular, share this announcement with any FBC Choir alumni or former members of our congregation who may not be aware of this special Homecoming celebration. Let's come together to make this day truly spectacular!
Save the date, mark your calendars, and join us on October 15 for a day filled with reunion, celebration, and gratitude. We look forward to seeing you there!
Ingredients
6 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 12 oz can chicken, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 10-1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup plus enough milk to make 2 cups
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced pimiento
Instructions
Mix all ingredients. Pour into buttered 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8.
—Provided by Judy Wilkey
Chicken Macaroni Casserole
Click here to download a printable version.
--Provided by Judy Wilkey
Life can be difficult, and challenges present themselves regularly. In the coming weeks of September and October an eight (8) session course will be offered to address the major concerns facing each of us. These will include financial, health, spiritual, personal, social, and retirement planning. Each week a topic of interest in one of these areas will be presented, discussed, and questioned. Attendees will be challenged to address these issues in order to improve their lives and those around them.
The course is free and open to all adults. The first session will begin Monday, September 11 at 7:00 PM at First Baptist Church Sylva, rear entrance. Each session will continue on Mondays through October.
The program will be lead by Homer and Marilyn Royals. Both have extensive experience and real life training in each of these areas. Please join us each Monday evening as we provide you with answers to the challenges of this world. If you would like more information contact Homer or Marilyn at 828-293-7786 or cell- 813-469-1400.
1st Explorers are back in full swing, having started on August 16th. Many familiar faces returned and a few new children were welcomed as well.
Chapel stories centered around The Lost Sheep and the story of Jonah. There was lots of time for outside play, too.
Thank you to everyone who provided snacks this week. Thank you to our door volunteers. And, thank you for the donations that we have received from our wish list!
The tire swing is seeing lots of action with the return of the After School Program.
Your response to the Wish List has been great and some people have asked what else is needed. Here are items that could still be used over the next few months:
Sidewalk chalk
Balls (footballs, kick balls, etc.)
Hula hoops
Checkers game
Chess game
Card table
Cups
SNACKS!!!
Thank you to everyone who provided snacks this week. Thank you to our door volunteers. And, thank you for the donations that we have received from our wish list!
Sign up here to provide goodies and beverages on Sunday mornings after worship.
When we are hospitable, our congregation can become a church on the sidewalk after worship while munching on a cookie or sipping fruit punch. Click here and find a Sunday to host our Hospitality Table!
A big “thank you” to Brooke Drum and Reagan Devoe for working and playing in the nursery last Sunday. Looks like everyone had fun!
Workers are still to be determined for August 27.
If anyone would like to volunteer to serve in the nursery, please contact Cheryl Beck.
There is still room on the schedule to serve “the least of these”
on Sunday mornings. It is a blessing to see their smiles and enthusiasm as you spend
time with our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Please contact Cheryl Beck (cabeck@ncsu.edu) if you would like to help.
by Carol Cloer
Anticipation. It fills our minds with all kinds of possibilities for the future. It focuses us on future events and can help us prepare for the unexpected. It can be fun to think about the future and all it may hold, but if we concentrate on the future too much, we miss what is happening in the present. Growing up, one of my favorite Bible verses was Ecclesiastes 3:1. That reference may not ring a bell for you, but if you were born before 1965 you will probably remember these words. (Maybe even those born up to 1975). “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecc 3:1 KJV
I have read this verse many times and in many different translations and my favorite is still KJV. It speaks to me when I am anxious. When things are all a mess, it let’s me know that God still has a plan and He is still on the Throne. As the 1965 Byrd’s song says, the world keeps turning, (“turn, turn, turn…”) but God’s plan is still unfolding and there is a time for everything within His plan. The question is, are you on God’s timetable or yours? We have our own plans, and, in many cases, we focus on our plans to the exclusion of all others. We need to ask ourselves, “Who has the best information about what’s coming?” It certainly isn’t us. God sees the future, the past and the present. We can only see what has happened and what is happening right in front of us. And even then, our vision is often cloudy and we don’t understand what we think we are seeing. 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 says it best: “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.” NRSV
God has a plan. We have a place in it. Are we walking in that space or are we lagging behind, running ahead or scattered out doing our own thing? When we fill our place in God’s plan, the journey is easier. We see more. We understand more. We are content to walk the path knowing that, when the time comes, we will understand it all. God’s timing, God’s plan, God’s purpose. Our job is to follow, trusting Him even when we can’t see the next step. God’s love is greater than we can imagine. Trust His love when you can’t see His plan and trust His timing for every purpose under heaven.