To help raise money for a new van
Skyland Care Center's own “Songbirds” will be the opening group for this event. You don’t want to miss it!
Sponsored by: Secure in Him Ministry
Hosted by: Sheila Blackwell
When: Saturday, September 7, 2024 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Singing Groups Include: Peyton Cathey and New Generation;
His by Grace; The Clarke Kesler Singers; and Isaac’s Well
Place: First Baptist Church of Sylva | Mission and Fellowship Center
Everyone is welcome!
Our worship service will be streamed online at firstbaptistsylva.com.
Jackson County Superintendent of Schools Dana Ayers sent a "thank you" to Sylva FBC for our participation in the Back-to-School Bash. See how the community was served on Saturday:
*75 sports physicals
*52 haircuts
*960 hot dog meals
*1200 bottles of water
*800 bookbags
Hurray for all the different groups that made the Bash a Smash!
On Tuesday, August 13 at 9:45 a.m., the WMU Leadership Team will meet in the Table Fellowship Room.
On Tuesday, August 13 at 10:30 a.m., the Mission Circle will meet in the Gathering Room.
On Wednesday, August 21, the Mission Friends, Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action will begin our year from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. We will meet every Wednesday!
More about Acteens will be coming soon.
WHEN: Saturday, August 10, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Scotts Creek Baptist Church
WHO: Church Youth Groups
WHAT: Good deeds scavenger hunt throughout the community, cookout, music, games, and a speaker.
Learn more about this special event at Sunday School on Sunday. Open to all youth going into 6th grade to 12th grade.
Youth participating in this event—sponsored by Scotts Creek Baptist Church—are asked to meet in the back parking lot of FBC at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, August 10, to ride the bus. It promises to be a fun afternoon of community service, games, and a cookout. If you haven’t already signed up, please contact Brooke Dills at 828-506-0981. Thanks to Brooke for coordinating this along with Rob Stokely.
The Pastor Search Committee is asking our church family to put Sunday, September 15 on our calendars and to make every effort to be in attendance that day. Before we begin taking resumes, we would like to give you one more opportunity to talk about what you want in a pastor and to do so in small intimate groups that are not rushed and are quieter and more private.
So, please plan to attend this important meeting. A sandwich and chips lunch in the MFC following the worship service will be provided by the Kitchen Team and helpers. Following the meal, we will break up into small groups that will be led by members of the Pastor Search Committee. —Ann Melton
We will hold our Men’s Breakfast in the Mission and Fellowship Center this Sunday, August 11 at 8:00 a.m. There will be great food and fellowship. Please plan to attend, and also invite your friends!
Following breakfast, at 8:50 a.m, there will be a rehearsal time to practice a couple of hymns that will be presented by the men’s choir Sunday morning.
Virgil and Liam work on making Joseph’s coat of many colors in Gaye Buchanan’s Sunday school class for first through fifth graders.
Thank you, Melanie Stokely, for the photo!
There is a lot of talk about making the United States a Christian nation. The obvious difficulty with this notion is that there are so many definitions of how a Christian nation would operate. Many believe putting the Ten Commandments in public classrooms would be a good start. Personally, I have significant doubt that the cause of Christ would be advanced by such a posting. Further, it causes me to pause and ask: if it’s a Christian nation we desire, shouldn’t we instead post the Beatitudes? The Law came through Moses. The Beatitudes came through Jesus.
Hear me: I hope we never mandate either the 10 Commandments or Beatitudes. To do so cheapens both and builds resistance. I tend to oppose what is forced upon me.
As Christians who are also citizens of the United States, what then can we do? Are there positive measures we can take that genuinely benefit both the nation and our Christian faith? I believe the answer resoundingly is, yes!
It is both an Old and New Testament idea that when pushed into exile, our faith finds footing. Most often in exile, our faith flourishes. It’s a hard way to thrive, but a proven way. Do we want our Christian faith to make a true difference in the lives of those around us? Of course. To that end, I offer the following:
Embrace our exile. Our nation is not now, nor has it ever been “Christian.” Yes, the influence of Christian faith is undeniable, but mixed in with those influences are other ideologies we’ve nationally embraced that run in opposition to our Christian faith (think about the years our nation embraced slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, unequal justice systems, etc.).
Allow our exile as believers to give us a steadier, stronger ability to advance the Gospel of Christ. When we speak from strength, our message can feel oppressive. When we speak from humility and weakness, Christ becomes our strength.
In exile, we are forced to confront our false idols of power. In the desert, Israel created a golden calf. We still do such things, only our idols are political parties or politicians. Our idols can be money and what it affords us. You get the idea. When we speak from the platform of exile, we are not haughty or forceful. We are gentle.
When we embrace the exile we are in as Christians, we gain a greater dependence upon God. This is almost impossible to do when we soap-box from the position of strength.
Finally, exile demands discipleship of us. Perhaps the most maddening component of Christians who speak from strength is that most often, they are undisciplined and unaware of the very faith they claim to uphold.
EMBRACE THE EXILE
–Joe