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.
Deck the Halls!
Join us as we transform the sanctuary
and church grounds with beautiful Christmas
decorations on Tuesday, November 28 at 9:00 a.m.
Church Passenger Bus for Sale
The church Trustees recommend selling the church’s 2005 Ford E-450 24-passenger bus which is no longer being utilized. The Trustees have discussed the possible sell with the Board of Deacons and the Deacons have suggested presenting the recommendation before the church membership at the November 15th Fall Conference for discussion and a vote.
Main reasons for selling the bus:
Not being utilized.
No longer needed for larger groups.
We have a smaller church van to accommodate our needs and After School Ministry.
The E-450 bus is 18 years old with an odometer reading of 61,789 and expensive to maintain.
The E-450 bus requires a Commercial Driver’s License to operate.
The Singing Christians – November 19
Mission Moment 11.8.23
Rev. Veronica Martinez-Gallegos
Chaplain and Assistant Director of Spiritual Care and Education at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC
At a young age, I learned that prayer means having a conversation with God. In my personal experience, prayer has always been how I connect with God. Of course, the way I do so has changed over time. I have learned that I do not need to be in a holy place to pray. On the contrary, I have been in chaos, accompanying others in my role as chaplain. I have experienced God at work in the darkest of places, not just in the stillness and peace of a sanctuary.
The way I best connect with God is through journaling. I have a collection of diaries I have kept from my youth. When I feel sad or distressed, I read some of those diaries and remember my conversations with God. Reading those prayers is like watching a movie of my life and remembering how God has been by my side.
On occasion, I have used art to connect with God. I draw images and ideas that I capture in my diary, another way of conversing with God. For example, I remember that, for a while, I often drew a labyrinth where I could not find the exit. After several years that image changed to a path where I had options. When I see those images, it is very comforting to know that I was not alone in all that time that I felt lost. Skimming through my journals gives me a sense of peace and a desire to continue having meaningful conversations with God. However, not long ago, I discovered that this was a spiritual practice that I had been observing for many years.
I have also found other ways to let go of my worries through prayer. “Casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). As a chaplain, seeing so much suffering caused me great anguish. Realizing that I was carrying the suffering of others with me, I decided to do something about it. At the end of each clinical day, I began the practice of placing a ribbon in a glass jar. The jar represents God, and the ribbon represents each person I visited that day. Offering an interceding prayer and letting go of each person, acknowledging that God holds them, helped me feel free of burdens that are not mine. I have called this the “prayer jar.”
Pray. . .Give. . .Go.
Passport — Already?
Believe it or not, it is time to start planning for next summer’s Passportkids! Sylva FBC children grades 3–6 will be at Montreat College, June 30–July 3 for a week of learning, fun, Bible study, and more.
Please register to attend by letting Cheryl Beck know as soon as possible. Space is limited. A $100.00 deposit is due by November 12. The total cost for camp is still to be determined.
Circle Meeting – November 14
The next Missions Circle Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 14 at 10:30 a.m. in the Gathering Room. We are receiving numerous requests from nonprofit groups for help. We will be discussing those needs. Anyone who is not a member is very welcome to join.
Thanksgiving Worship
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.