July 15-19 is the date for you to attend PASSPORT at Greensboro College. Are you going? Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to make new friends, play, fellowship, and learn more about your place in God’s world. It promises to be an exciting and challenging adventure.
To secure your place at PASSPORT, please make a deposit of $150.00 at the church office by January 29th. (The total cost is still to be determined) Spaces are limited and you don’t want to miss out!
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 Pen Pal Project, in its 4th year, will begin soon. This is an opportunity for the adults in our congregation to connect with the children from our church and from 1st Explorers After School Ministry by corresponding through letter writing. The children are always excited to receive a letter and their replies to their pen pals helps with their literacy and writing skills.
Cheryl Beck will be contacting folks soon about participating. In the meantime, please let her know if you are interested.
The two people who have had the most profound influence on my life, personally, spiritually and professionally, are my parents, Dorothy and Jerry Hubbard. For 30 years, my parents served as missionaries in Zambia. Now, they continue to serve God and others in their community in Alabaster, Alabama. For as long as I can remember, my parents would wake up early in the morning to read the Bible and pray. To this day, they still meet each morning for a focused and intentional prayer time. They have an extensive prayer list and take prayer more seriously than anyone I know. My dad reads through the Bible twice a year in a different version and spends hours studying and preparing for his weekly Sunday school class. My mom reflects the love, compassion, gentleness and wisdom of Jesus as she ministers to those around her. I consistently hear stories from people about how they have been impacted by my parents. I don’t take this for granted. They raised me in a home where I never doubted that I was loved by God or that God had a purpose for my life. Now, as I serve on the mission field, I realize more and more how much my faith and my ministry calling were developed by my parents. I also feel empowered and encouraged to know that they are specifically praying for me, my family and our ministry every single morning—and yes, they also pray through CBF’s Prayers of the People guide each year! I’m so thankful to God for my parents and the legacy they have passed on to me.
—Shelah Acker
My secret ambition in life has always been to one day look back to the place from which I have come and to have a mindset like Job. So far, I’ve experienced a lot of trials in my short life, and thankfully I’ve had many people to guide me. I met Mr. Chad on my first day of physical education at my new school last year. Mr. Chad was my PE teacher, and although he was in his 30’s, had experienced more than most people in their entire lifetime. Mr. Chad suffered from multiple issues like early arthritis, ADHD, OCD, bipolar disorder and extreme depression. There has never been a day when Mr. Chad didn’t feel physical pain in his body. Like Job, Mr. Chad continued to trust in God no matter his circumstances. He also mentored those around him and said that his pain was worth it to teach younger minds about what trusting in God can do.
Job experienced unbearable pain in his life. He suffered through a life of torment, but he managed to stay strong and put his hope and trust in God. As my family serves God here in Uganda and walks through our struggles, it is sometimes easy to forget that suffering gives us an opportunity to lean on God and trust in God. Many people around the world are suffering physically, spiritually and mentally. We have the opportunity to do the same as Mr. Chad—even when we ourselves are suffering. We can offer hope and help to others and teach them to lean on God.
—Anna-Grace Acker (17-year-old daughter of Jade and Shelah Acker)
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.
Men, bring your appetite to the next Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, February 3, at 8:00 a.m., in the Mission and Fellowship Center. You’ll enjoy a delicious meal and have fun and fellowship with other men of the church. Be there!
I wish to express my gratitude to everyone at FBC for your prayers, words of love and concern for me and my family in the death of my brother, Tom Jones. We were blessed by all the people who came to the funeral home to pay their respects. We are appreciative of the flowers, cards and letters. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. – Betty Blanton and Family
1st Explorers After School Ministry is in need of help with snacks for the new semester. We appreciate your contributions in the fall. Your snacks help offset the cost of the ministry — and the children love them!
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!
Kayla Hartman, the new Assistant Director for 1st Explorers, reports that the children only had 2 days in the program last week because of snow and the MLK holiday. On Wednesday, RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends met. GAs and Mission Friends are learning about a family from Honduras who moved to Minnesota to start a Spanish speaking church. Mission Friends even learned a new Spanish word. RAs are learning about sportsmanship and they enjoyed a lively discussion in their meeting.
On Thursday, the children watched a video about John the Baptist and how important it is to always have the courage to tell the truth. This was followed by a group game where the boys got a chance to practice good sportsmanship. It was a lot of fun!