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.
Open House for Preschool, Children and Youth Sunday School
Parents, please plan to pop in to the children's Sunday school room on Sunday, October 1, from 9:25 to 9:40 a.m. There will be yummy refreshments, time to meet your child or teen's Sunday school teacher, and a kick-off for a “Parents Prayer Challenge.” Stop in the youth room and in the nursery to check out where the preschoolers and teens "hang out." Sunday school will follow the informal gathering.
The children's Sunday school room is located on the second floor in the corner facing the playground. Please come visit us!
Mission Moment 9.20.23
This past year has brought to me a collection of simple, but radical truths. The more I grow, the more I reckon with the reality that I fall short, that I get distracted easily and that I can’t do everything right. Prayer for me has been a surrender that doesn’t always want to surrender. In the naked loneliness, I am met with the truth: “You are beloved,” says the One who orchestrates the rhythm of my breath. I have been coming to God, not always with something to say, but to just be with God. And that is hard. It is in this human natured resistance of wanting to work to be enough that the beautiful irony of the gospel is revealed to me. A perfect God would send God’s son to die for me. The more I sit with the realization that I always come empty-handed and wordless, whether I believe it or not, the more I crave to come back to that place. When you grip something, it creates tension and after a while you begin to ache and strain. It feels good to not hold anything. Besides, we need empty hands to be able to continue tending to God’s Kingdom on Earth.
Pray. . .Give. . .Go.
Help!
Someone left an envelope full of great recipes in the church office but did not include his or her name. We want to use these delicious recipes in the Church Chimes but we also want to identify the wonderful cook who submitted them. Please email or text Cheryl Beck (cabeck@ncsu.edu) with your name. We can't wait to use them!
Reception for Carol Cloer
Please join us for a reception
immediately following worship
on Sunday, September 24 as we thank Carol Cloer for her ministry with us.
The Hospitality Table After Worship Is Back!
Sign up here to provide goodies and beverages on Sunday mornings after worship.
When we are hospitable, our congregation can become a church on the sidewalk after worship while munching on a cookie or sipping fruit punch. Click here and find a Sunday to host our Hospitality Table!
Dawnings Begins TONIGHT, September 20
Our first of four congregational meetings will be TONIGHT, September 20 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!"
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.
Love Unbounded, Wonderful, Deep, and Strong
by Dr. Jeff Mathis
At the end of our Sunday morning worship service these last weeks, our congregational response has been the chorus of a hymn by Fanny Crosby titled, "Praise Him, Praise Him." As we have sung it, it's not just the melody that resonates with me; it's the profound message it carries, particularly the line, "Love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong."
These words capture the essence of Jesus's place in our lives and the depth of His love for us.
God's love for us through His Son, Jesus, is unbounded—infinite, immeasurable, and beyond our comprehension. Jesus stretches the limits of our worldly understanding and reaches beyond the boundaries and limitations we may construct.
Those who have tasted God's love know it fills us with awe and amazement. God's love never ceases to be a source of wonder because it continually reveals new facets of God's character and grace.
The depth of Jesus's love is unfathomable. In times of joy, Christ's love is our celebration, and in moments of sorrow, it's our solace. His love is our anchor in the turbulent seas of life. Nothing is trifling about the love that Jesus offers us.
And we profess, of course, that Jesus's love is strong and unwavering. This kind of love sustains us through trials and empowers us to overcome challenges. It's a love that never wavers, a steady presence in our lives, and a source of strength when we feel weak.
As we prepare to gather in the Mission and Fellowship Center this Wednesday night for our first Dawnings meeting, I can't help but think about the significance of our congregational response. Our congregational meeting on Wednesday evening represents a new chapter in our journey as a church family. It's our first dedicated gathering to share our personal stories, providing a starting point for discerning God's promising future for our church.
Our stories are a testament to the unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong love we sing about at the end of worship. The stories we will share will reflect how Jesus's love has touched and transformed our lives. Sharing our stories is not just about recounting our experiences; it's about bearing witness to the work of Christ in our midst.
In the spirit of the love we proclaim at the end of worship, I invite you to join us at 5:30 PM for a potluck meal before the meeting begins. It's more than just a meal; it's a time for us to practice the love that is unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong. It's an opportunity to come together as a church family, sample the tasty food we've brought, share laughter, and strengthen the bonds that bind us.
As we prepare for this congregational meeting, let's carry the melody of "Praise Him, Praise Him" in our hearts and be inspired by the depth and strength of Jesus's love. Together, we can embark on this exciting journey of sharing our stories, discerning God's path for our church, and practicing a love that knows no bounds.
NEW Bible Study to Begin THIS Monday, September 25
A Bible Study will begin Monday, September 25 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.