First Baptist Church

301 E. Elm St. (309)647-7241

www.cantonfbc.org

Fbc Canton

Don Reul.…………………. Interim Pastor

Beth Kelly………………… Office Manager

Gretchen Thum…………… Director of Children & Youth Ministry

Gretchen Thum…………… Worship Leader

David Bell………………………. Board Chair

Kevin Brooks.…………………... Vice Chair

Dianna McKinney……………… Secretary

Joyce Nebergall………………… Deacon of Finance

Phebe Hardin...…………………. Deacon of Membership

Mary Helen Henderson…………. Deacon of Children

Amanda Larkin….……………… Deacon of Youth

………………..………………… Deacon of Evangelism

Frieda Talbert….……………….. Deacon of Worship Services

Joan Russell…………………….. Deacon of Missions

Shawn Larkin…………………… Deacon of Property

Jeff Ashwood…………………… Deacon of Adult & Family Volume 21 Number 8 August 2021

FIRST BAPTIST

CHURCH

PATHWAYS

From the Pastor’s desk… Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,

and you shall find; knock, and it

shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asks receives; and he that

seeks finds; and to him that knocks it

shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son

ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a

serpent?

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give

good gifts unto your children, how

much more shall your Father which is in heaven

give good things to them that ask

him?

When I think of the promises of God, I’m

reminded of the story of the young man who had

a dream to go to America. He scrimped and

saved, and did everything in his power to save

enough money to buy a ticket on a boat bound

for America. The day came when he had

precisely the amount of money needed, and he

went immediately and purchased that ticket. The

ship was to leave the next day, so with great

excitement, and with all of his possessions

wrapped neatly in a blanket he boarded the ship,

and settled down for his great journey. After

the first couple of days, the young man had

exhausted the meager supply of food that he had

been able to scrimp and save in his blanket, and

he began to get hungry. He knew that if he

could only survive for a few days more, he

would enjoy all the riches that America

promised. It was that evening that a steward

found him preparing to sleep in a secluded corner

on deck. The steward confronted him, accusing

him of being a stowaway. Protesting his

innocence, the young man produced his ticket.

The steward apologized, but then asked “but why

are you sleeping here on deck, when you have

quarters”? When the young man replied that he

had only enough money for the passage but no

room, the steward explained that the room was

included in the price of the ticket. As the steward

led the astonished young man to his room,

they passed the large dining room where a

sumptuous meal was being laid out. The young

man peeked in and saw that the room was filling

with people, and the steward told the young man

that he could be seated for dinner in about fifteen

minutes, as that was included also.

So many times we understand that we have

redemption, and we look forward to the beauty of

Heaven, but we are ignorant of so much that is in

between. We fail to grasp all that God has

prepared for us.

Brothers & Sisters……You are a child of the

Lord. You are loved and cherished. You are

watched and guarded. I truly hope and pray you

understand some of what that means. Nothing

can separate you from him. When things press

against you…talk to him. It will do you lots of

good. Your heart and spirit needs Him….you

were put together that way. I adjure you….seek

and you will find treasures and blessings that will

sustain you.

Pastor Don

Do you have time on your hands?

I have a job for you that you can do from the safety and comfort of your home! Below are the

names of our shut-ins and family members who are in the military. Pick a name each day and

pray over that person.

For our shut-ins: pray for their physical and mental health. Pray that God puts people in their

paths every day so they have interaction with other people. If you have time, give them a call!

For our servicemen and women: pray for their safety along with their physical and mental

health; for Godly people to lead them and to interact with them. While you’re praying for them,

pray for their families, too, who sometimes spend months waiting for them to come home.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all

circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Jackie Walters David Vandermeer

Junior Scott Louise Byrum

Mabel Freeman Charlotte Stambaugh

Alvin Bartlett Pat Stairwalt

Clayberg - Irene Schoonover, Ilene Davison

Courtyard Estates - Del Barnett, Sara Leffingwell

The Loft - Joyce Cannon, Marian Paul, Dick Harkness, Dondra Rupe

Renaissance - Sue Weaver

Sunset - Ed Ford

Shut-ins Those serving our country in the Military - Caleb Webb David Bell Brandon Collier Cody Aten Darian Robb Kailey Orwig Dariann Thompson Jake Beekman Zachary Collier Cory McCoy Tony Sykes Katie Sykes

First Baptist Church Family,

Thank you to our church family for

the prayers, cards and kind words of

support. Having Dad’s celebration

of life in the Fellowship Hall was

perfect. The Baptist Church was

such a strong part of his life since

he started attending in 1951.

The Jack White Family

The day’s activities will be led by Rev. James Harper. Special musical guest is Robert Sampson. Robert is an award-winning blues and gospel musician who taught himself to play guitar and piano by ear at a very young age. He has an amazing testimony about his life. Come enjoy Robert’s music and unique brand of humor, truth and sincerity! Senior Adult Day is offered to any “senior” alumni, volunteer or supporter of LSBC at

no charge. An offering to support the camp will be taken. 9-2pm. So that we have an accurate count for lunch, please RSVP Monday, July 26 to: Kim - 217-370-7967 Camp - 217-670-2356 or email: lsbconline@gmail.com

Mark your calendars, Life Line Screening will

be here Tuesday, September 14.

Get Screened for Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease. For 4 out of 5 people who have a stroke, the first symptom of any illness is the stroke. Screenings provide Peace of Mind or Early Detection. Get Our Screening Package For Only$149 (Special package pricing 50% off)

5 Preventive Health Screenings

for these Diseases:

Carotid Artery Disease

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

Osteoporosis Risk

Birthdays Anniversaries

Please let the office know if we need to add your birthday or anniversary.

3 - John Reed

3 - Sheila Harris

6 - Junior Scott

6 - Charlotte Stambaugh

8 - Jim Watts

11 - James Booth

12 - Patty Polhans

13 - John Grant

13 - Janice Ashwood

15 - Reno Dampoli

16 - Sammy Mackey

18 - Ruth Todd

20 - Faye Sipes

21 - Chandler Davison

24 - Jocelyn Davison

25 - John Hardin

29 - Jared Reid

30 - Catfish Bartlett

30 - Sheila Vaughn

30 - Rylynn Voice

30 - Dale Wagner

2 - Jim & Jacqui Rilea

6 - Larry & Diane Nelson

8 - Ray & Gretchen Thum

Nursery staff is available on Sunday mornings

during the church service

if needed. Please see an

usher if you need

directions to the nursery.

Children’s church on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of

each month! After the worship music in the

sanctuary, children ages 4

and up can go to the

Fellowship Hall for

children’s church.

The church has homework for you! We need

you to take a moment and subscribe to our

YouTube page. It doesn’t cost anything but

you’ll be able to find

church services easier.

Go to Youtube.com,

sign in/create your

account and in the

search bar type in First Baptist Church Canton

IL. In the middle of the page you’ll see a purple

circle with the letter ‘F’ (that’s us!) and beside

it, a red box that says ‘Subscribe’. Click on it

and you’ll be subscribed. We need 100 subscribers

for it to be found more easily.

Love INC would like a board

member from our church. They

meet once a month and have

office hours a few hours a week.

If you are interested, please contact the church

office.

First day of school for Canton

School District students is Monday,

August 16th.

Wednesday night Youth Groups and Kids

Groups will be starting again on Wednesday,

September 8th! Please start praying now for the

kids who will be coming, and the volunteers that

will be leading them. Prayerfully consider how

YOU can help! Contact Gretchen Thum if you

have any questions.

The Health & Wellness Connection of Fulton

County wants to get the word out that they can

help with medications, counseling, vision care,

dental care, chiropractic care, etc. Please call for

an appointment to talk with them about your

need. They are located at:

103 S. Main St., Suite A, Canton.

Phone: 309-649-0048

Central Illinois Agency on Aging Benefit

Access/Medicare Program

Are you 65 or older or disabled? If so you can

call this agency to apply for a

discount on license plates. The

application is good for 2 yrs.

Income limits: $33,562 for

1 person, $44,533 for 2 persons, $55,500 for 3

persons. Call 309-674-2071 or 1-877-777-2422,

9:00am - 3:45pm

Veteran’s Assistance Commission

Emergency Financial Assistance to qualified

Fulton County Honorable Discharged Veterans

and their families:

Energy

Food

Rental

Emergency Medical Assistance

Free Transportation to VA Hospitals

Our administrative staff is standing by to help fill

out VA forms. 260 W. Lincoln Ave., Lewistown.

Monday - Friday, 0700 - 1100.

Phone: 309-547-7262

Area Services

Our Sincere Sympathy

Please extend your condolences

to the families of…

Amanda Larkin and family on the passing of her step-dad.

Jeremy & Brandi Smith,

on the passing of Brandi’s grandmother, Nancy Harper.

Office Hours The church office is open:

Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 3:00

Friday 9:00 - 2:00

If you need to see any of our staff outside

these hours, please call the office to make

an appointment.

__________________________________

Brag On Your Kids! We want to know what your kids are doing

so we can highlight them in the Pathways!

Have they been recognized for an

achievement? Participated in an event?

Let’s get the word out! Write up a brief

paragraph and give it to Beth in the office.

F Y I

Spoon River Pregnancy Center -

Advocates Needed! Our

advocates are trained to

come along side our

clients to help them

make life-affirming

choices in unplanned

pregnancies, relationships, family matters and

even personally. If you are interested

or have questions, please call 309-435-7130.

Bible Study will be streamed live on

Facebook every

Wednesday at 6:00pm.

Tune in to watch!

Hospital Admitting: If you are

admitted to Graham Hospital,

please have a family member let

the church know. Even though the

hospital asks about your church affiliation,

they do not call the church.

Love INC is in need of these items:

Pots & pans, skillets, toasters

Coffee pots, mixing bowls

Paper towels, toilet paper, tissues

Bath & kitchen towels, soap

If you would like to donate any of these

items, please call the Love INC office at

647-0037.

August 4th-6th - VBS @Oaklawn

August 8th - Kartville after Sunday service

August 1st & 17th - Men’s Group, 6:30pm

August 10th & 24th - Sisters In Christ,

5:30pm

August 11th & 25th - Evening meal

followed by Bible Study in the

Fellowship Hall

VBS 2021 Seek Truth!! Find Jesus!!

We are busy planning different, fun, exciting and safe ways to bring our kids together for

Children’s Church and mid-week groups… would you like to be a part of that team?

If you love kids, we’d love to have you join us! We are looking for Volunteers that would

love to serve in our Children and Youth groups in various ways. Please see Gretchen Thum

or stop by the church office if you’re interested!

Destination Dig VBS was amazing! I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone that

worked so diligently to help put things together, along with those that spent time in prayer. It

takes so many hands working together to see a successful VBS, and I know we were able to

touch the lives of so many throughout the week!

We were able to serve around 50 children and youth each night, with Fridays numbers being at

39. It was awesome seeing the halls filled with kids and hearing their laughter, while giving

them experiences each night that centered around learning the truths found in the Bible.

Our theme Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:13, tells us that when we seek Jesus with our whole hearts,

we will find Him. He is in EVERY aspect of our lives and we wanted our kids to know that we

can trust the information that has been found in the Bible. We were able to show them real life,

archaeological finds that prove Jesus is real, that He’s our Savior and that we can trust all that

God tells us He will do for us when we have faith.

Life can be hard, but we have the power of Jesus on our side! Let’s choose today to believe the

truths that God has given us in His word and live our lives to the very best ability that we can;

experiencing the freedom and joy that Jesus has given us through His sacrifice on the cross,

knowing that we have amazing things in store for us right now, as well as one day in heaven!

Love and Blessings!

Gretchen Thum

Director of Student Ministry