Homecoming 2023 Is NEXT Sunday, October 15

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!

NEW Bible Study to Continue THIS Monday, October 2

A Bible Study will continue THIS Monday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m. in the Gathering Room.  Janet Ford will lead a study based on the book Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell.  Books ($15) are available in the church office. Plan to come and learn different ways to pray.

Dawnings Continues Next Week, October 4

The second of our of four congregational meetings will be NEXT Wednesday, October 4 beginning at 6:00 PM in the Mission and Fellowship Center. A blessing for our potluck meal together will be at 5:30 PM. 

Childcare will be provided for children up through the fifth grade in our nursery. Youth are encouraged to be a part of our congregational meeting in the MFC alongside adults. 

Dawnings is a narrative-based approach for personal and congregational visioning and discernment. Our four congregational meetings this fall will help us determine together who God is calling us to be and what God is calling us to do. Our entire church's participation in this process is critical to our determining what our future will look like. 

"This is what God says,

  the God who builds a road right through the ocean,

  who carves a path through pounding waves,

The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—

  they lie down and then can’t get up;

  they’re snuffed out like so many candles:

“Forget about what’s happened;

  don’t keep going over old history.

Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.

  It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?" Isaiah 43:16-19

Brian Foreman, the Coordinator of Congregational Ministries for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, comments that "These last two lines of scripture are both encouragement and command. The former encourages us to remember that God is still in control. The latter reminds us of our responsibility to notice and join God in doing something brand new."

"Dawnings is a congregational resource that helps you accomplish both of these things. By leaning into a spiritual discernment process through listening and responding to stories, your congregation will open itself to its place in God's sacred story for the community."

"Congregational postures of prayer and curiosity cultivate a sense of calling, not just for the congregation, before individuals as well. What better way to "be alert, be present," and to be a part of the "something brand new" God is doing!"

Giving the Jesus Way

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!

Homecoming 2023 Is Sunday, October 15

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!

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!

Third Annual GA Camping Trip September 30

The GA’s will leave on their camping trip on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. from the church. We are looking forward to it. It includes GA’s, and after school girls. We will have our worship service at Standing Indian on Sunday, October 1st, and be back at the church for parent pickup at 5:00 pm.. Sandi Allen has worked hard preparing for this fun time.

Adult Book Study Continues October 11

Join us Wednesday, October 11 at 6:00 PM as we continue our discussion of Phyllis Tickle's book, The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing & Why. 

"Rooted in the observation that massive transitions in the church happen about every 500 years, Phyllis Tickle shows readers that we live in such a time right now. She compares the Great Emergence to other "Greats" in the history of Christianity, including the Great Transformation (when God walked among us), the time of Gregory the Great, the Great Schism, and the Great Reformation. 

Combining history, a look at the causes of social upheaval, and current events, The Great Emergence shows readers what the Great Emergence in church and culture is, how it came to be, and where it is going. Anyone who is interested in the future of the church in America, no matter what their personal affiliation, will find this book a fascinating exploration."

If you are a student of history and have a heart for the future of our church, obtain a copy of this thoughtful and faithful book and dive in! You can order it on Amazon here.

Wednesday, October 11 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Gathering Place Room
-Please come to our discussion having read Part 2.

Wednesday, November 15 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Gathering Place Room
-Please come to our discussion having completed the book (through Part 3). 

Hurray for Our Nursery Workers of the Week!

Thank you, Beth and Lucie Moore, for being available for nursery last week. 
Y’all are always helpful!

Janelle Messer will be in charge of the nursery on October 1.  Thank you, Janelle!

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.

Sunday School and Childcare is Available!