You and friends are invited to join us on Sunday afternoon, July 21, at 4:00 p.m. for family fun, fellowship and a covered dish picnic. We will meet at East LaPorte Park at 6912 Highway 107 in Cullowhee at 4 pm. The pavilion has been rented for the festivities. In addition to bringing your yummiest picnic dish, you may also want to bring a chair. Picnic tables and benches are available in the pavilion. Our Church will provide water, soft drinks and paper goods.
Thank You, Church Family!
A tremendous and heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the family, friends, and guests of First Baptist Sylva, for your faithful and generous support of the church’s missions and ministries! As you can see from the weekly budget report, we did not quite meet our budget target, but we came really close: 96%. This is impressive during a time of transition such as we are currently experiencing. Your gifts, both unrestricted and restricted, enabled the church to not only provide traditional worship opportunities and programming but also to accomplish the following:
support for our community mission partners
support for foreign missions, including the provision of medical and personal hygiene supplies for the community served by Kerygma Baptist Church, our sister church in Holquin, Cuba
a comprehensive refresh of our Nursery area
maintenance of our church facilities in good working order
maintenance of our facilities as an inviting and welcoming presence, inside and outside
care and outreach efforts by our Pastoral Care team
support for our quarterly Men’s Breakfasts
support for our After School program
attendance by several of our children at Passport Kids camp
hosting Pastor Ernesto and his wife, Marisol, of Kerygma Baptist Church, during their stateside visit in the spring
updating and enhancing our technology infrastructure, to include a teleconferencing room
All of these endeavors required not only financial resources, but also personal efforts, time, and commitment to make them come to fruition. For those of you who have given of yourselves in addition to your monetary gifts, we are deeply grateful! For those of you who would like to partner with the church in supporting these and other works – there’s a place for you!
Sunday School and Childcare is Available!
Send Us Your Prayer List Updates
Add this email address to your contacts list on your devices so that our staff and Pastoral Care Team can learn of your prayer requests as quickly as possible. And yes, you may still contact the church office directly at 828-586-2095 to share your prayer concerns, as well.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
This musical—based on the story of Joseph—is coming to the Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center in Franklin this month. Older children, youth, and parents who are interested in attending a performance on July 19, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., are asked to call Cheryl Beck at 828-421-3820 as soon as possible. The cost is $19.25 for adults and $15 for students. If there is enough interest, we could take the church van.
Joe's Window
By Dr. Joe Yelton
Interim Pastor
As we finish our July 4th celebrations, I hope we've given ample opportunity to thanking God for this amazing nation. We are not completely united. We have never been completely united. What we are is adjoined. Each of us have varying views of what it takes to be a good American, just as we have differing opinions of what's required to be a faithful Christian. Ultimately though, we find our way into the variegated tapestry which is our astounding nation. Not always in unity, but usually in unison, we march together in the parade of all that's involved in being an American.
It's precisely the same with belonging to this exemplary church. No two of us live, think, and believe precisely the same. But we are family, so we make lots of room for one another. That seems to be a very Jesus thing to do. Jesus chose 12 disciples who couldn't have been more at odds with one another. It was in their differences that the actual strength of their clan was revealed. We celebrate that First Baptist is both Republican and Democrat. We embrace that we are wealthy and not so wealthy, young and old, single and married, diplomaed and not. You see, we were NEVER called to be the same. Our call is to follow Jesus; and at First Baptist, we discover many roads that lead to that calling.
Coca-Cola Cake
It’s so easy! No mixer needed!
CAKE
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Heat butter, cocoa powder, and Coca-Cola until boiling. Pour over sugar and flour mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add buttermilk, eggs, soda, vanilla, and marshmallows. Beat together well. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes. Ice while warm.
Icing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans that have been toasted, optional (Sometimes I leave them out.)
Instructions
Combine butter, cocoa powder, and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil. Pour over powdered sugar. Beat well. Add nuts. Ice cake while warm.
– Provided by Linda Todd Phelps Chambers
Coca-Cola Cake
Click here to download a printable version.
-Provided by Linda Todd Phelps Chambers
Flowers for Sanctuary
If you would like to provide flowers in the sanctuary for Sunday morning services, please contact Gwen Messer at 828-506-8370, or Janice in the church office to be placed on the calendar.
Join Us for Worship!
Join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary! Also join us for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. for all ages!
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.