Head in the Clouds

My head really is in the clouds this week!!  The outpouring of love and support I’ve experienced from current Sanctuary Choir members, and former singers is most heartwarming.  During the thirty-two years I served as choral director and voice teacher at WCU, there were many students who were faithful members of our church choir.  They were solid voices and trained in music, and certainly, significant contributors  to the offerings of our music ministry.    Typically, there were four to seven singers from WCU each year.  Our choir members made them feel welcome, as did the congregation.  Several served in leadership roles as children’s or youth choir directors, and also as pianist.  It won’t surprise you to know that these former students are still active in their churches--some are choir directors, several are pastors, and many others are the people who continue to serve as singers and musicians. First Baptist of Sylva, you were their church home during their university years, and for that, I am most grateful.

Music ensembles, like athletic teams and other groups which work together toward a common goal, form a special bond.  Leaders and members must all work together if success is to be realized.  A great leader without talented and committed members, can do nothing.  A group of highly talented members needs leadership to provide direction toward the goal.  Because of this dependency on one another, a close relationship develops.  Joy and satisfaction is manifest in a job well done, and team members take pride in the results that are achieved.  And. . .we want to do it again, and again, and again. . .

That is why some sixty-five singers (plus our eighteen current choir members) have decided to come together this Saturday and Sunday, for a few precious hours of fellowship and making music. I can’t wait to have my eyes make contact with their eyes as I conduct them.  Once again, God has richly blessed me.

Bob Holquist

Adult Book Study Continues TONIGHT, October 11

Join us TONIGHT, 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). 

WNCBF Fall Gathering

Sunday, November 12
Canton First Baptist Church
5:00 p.m. Meal  |  6:00 p.m. Worship

We will have our annual Fall Gathering on November 12 at Canton First Baptist Church. Following a fellowship meal, we will worship together as we remember the influence of saints around us and those who have gone on before us. Reverend Doctor Guy Sayles will be our proclaimer, and congregants will have an opportunity to light a candle prior to the worship service in memory of friends and loved ones. Child care will be provided.

Cost is $20 per person (12 and under eat free.) The meal is provided by WNC Baptist Campus Ministries (grilled chicken or pork chop, salad bar, potato bar, bread, and dessert.) 

Click here to register now!  Or register and pay in person.  To register by phone and pay in person, please call 828-667-4541  (M – Th, 9 am – 3 pm).

We will be taking an offering that evening in memory of Rev. Dr. Tommy Bratton, to be given to CareNet Counseling in Marion, NC. If you would like to donate online now to that offering, click here.

Hurray for Our Nursery Workers of the Week!

Thank you Judy Henderson and Mary Lou Millwood for serving in the nursery
on October 8. We appreciate you!

Heather and Jeremy Ellenburg are in charge of the nursery on Homecoming Sunday. Thank you for serving!

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.