First Baptist Church P.O. Box 779

Graham, NC 27253

(336) 226-7395 - Church Office (336) 226-0261 - Fax

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2019 Newsletter and Calendar

Making Connections That Make A Difference

Summer’sCool Days Event Family Fun Night

Sunday, August 18

Way back in 2010, we began our summer children's programming called Summer'sCool Days. Over the years, we have scheduled different activities for children and have had a great time

together during these fun days of summer. Because we realize the importance of getting togeth-er and enjoying our time with each other, our Children/Youth Activities Council has scheduled an event on Sunday night, August 18th, at Graham Regional Park, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

We would like to invite all children and youth as well as all adults to come enjoy relaxing

and enjoying being together. There will be a sign up sheet on the table in the middle hallway for you to let us know you're coming. You are encouraged to bring a friend!

We would like to ask all who attend to plan to pack your supper (sandwich, salad, etc.),

and our Children/Youth Activities Council will provide drinks, chips, and dessert.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, September 7, 6:00 PM Summer’sCool Days End of Summer Party, Ministry Center Sunday, September 8, 5:00 PM Churchwide Annual Picnic, Bill Cooke Park, Shelter #1, 1010 Townbranch Rd., Graham. Hot dogs and beverages will be provided. Saturday, September 14, Johnson Cottage at Mills Home, Thomasville

Are you looking for a one-day missions opportunity with one of our oldest and largest Baptist min-istries? Baptist Children’s Homes of NC is sponsoring its annual Friends of Children workday at Mills Home in Thomasville. You are invited to join a group from our church as we travel to the campus of Mills Home to work at Johnson Cottage. We are going to need volunteers who can clean inside the cottage as well as those who can help in the yard outside. We will share more with you soon about supplies and tools we may need to bring with us. Lunch is provided and tours of the Mills Home campus are available as well. A sign up sheet is available so you can let us know you plan to attend. This will be a great day of work, fellowship, and food as we make a dif-ference in the lives of the boys and girls of Baptist Children’s Homes of NC!

Look for more details about these events in upcoming Updates and September newsletter!

Saturday Morning Breakfast in the Ministry Center Saturday, August 17th,

at 8:00 AM.

Katherine Wilkinson, Social Worker at North Graham Elementary, will be our guest speaker. The sign up sheet is located in the educational hallway.

Church Conference Wednesday, August 14

at 6:30 PM

Alamance and Orange County Schools on tradition-al calendar will start Monday, August 26. When driving, be sure to watch for kids and school buses! Please pray for the students and staff to have a safe school year.

Chancel Choir will resume on

Wednesday, August 7th, at 6:30 PM. Come join us!

On Sunday morning, August 25, all children & youth are encouraged to bring your backpacks with you to worship. We will also invite all school teachers and staff to this special time of dedica-tion and recognition. We will spend some time praying for you as you prepare for a new school year!

We are starting a new school year with our growing Backpack Ministry for 24 students at Pleasant Grove Elementary School and 12 students at Gra-ham Middle School. Because economic situations may not always allow families to provide meals for their children over the weekend, sending home backpacks each Friday filled with enough food for the family over the weekend is a valuable ministry to children and their families. We appreciate your continue support. We have a Backpack Ministry Fund (designated) to which you can contribute if you would like to help us continue to provide the valuable ministry in our schools. If you would like to become involved in our Backpack Ministry, please contact Robin Self at 336-226-0629. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of children!

Celebration Choir (for children ages 4 and up) and Spark (missions education for children) will resume on Sunday, Sep-tember 22, at 5:00 PM. Each week, we sing, have supper, and learn about missions together! Contact Shannon Hall(shannon@fbcgraham.org) with ques-tions.

FREE MOVIE! Featuring

“Miracles From Heaven” Saturday, August 3

Doors open: 9:00 AM Movie starts: 9:30 AM

Graham Cinema 119 N. Main St.

Starfish Ministry

We served 30 homebound and 371 guests in June.

Thanks so much to all of our Starfish Teams for your continued commitment to this wonderful ministry. You all are awesome!

Meet Team 1

BACKPACK MINISTRY

Will resume August 21 12:00 noon & 6:30 PM in the Dixie Mann Room

After a hot and eventful summer, we are excited to begin a new Bible Study series. During this 10-week series we will be studying th book of Ephesians. Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is filled with important themes that are central to our work and unity as the church in the world, as well as our freedom through Jesus Christ. We will be discussing the purpose and historical back-ground of this letter as well as how it applies to our spe-cific vision as the church in this community. We will be reading the whole letter together during our sessions, so please bring your Bible with you to follow along and par-ticipate. Our goal will be to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose and power found in Paul’s words to this church. I hope you will make a commitment to participate in this important opportunity for growth as we share God’s Word.

MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY

Church Work Day! Following breakfast on August 17th we will have a clean up day to move items for Lydia’s Closet, Starfish Food Box Ministry and the West Wing revitalization area. If you have not already signed up to help with moving furniture and stor-age items, work day sign up sheets are availa-ble in the educational hallway.

Church Staff Rev. Chris Howe, Pastor

Rev. Shannon Hall, Associate Pastor of Music & Family Ministries

Diann Clapp, Administrative Assistant Ann Holt, Organist

Tune in to Station 920-AM or 104.5-FM

at 11:00 am, for a live broadcast

of our service.

Visit our website – www.fbcgraham.org

At the age of 22, I decided it was time for me to move into my own apartment. I had been living with my mom and dad my whole life and could have stayed with them for many more years. But it was time to make my own way in life. I found a little, inexpensive apartment in Gastonia and moved in on Memorial Day weekend.

Once I got all my furniture set up, I began working on setting up my washing machine and dryer. I had never done this before solo, but my dad had taught me many techniques for the installation and mainte-nance of home appliances. So, I started with the dryer. I hooked up the vent tube to the back of the dry-er, plugged it in and voilà, it started drying! I was a genius!

Then I began installing the washing machine. I remembered two of the universal rules of plumbing which my dad had taught me. Hot on the left, cold on the right. So, I hooked up the water pipes, turned on the water, checked for leaks, pushed the washer in place and hit the start button. And voila! Nothing happened! I spent the next 20 minutes checking connections, tinkering and thinking about all I knew re-garding the installation of a washing machine. But I could not get it to turn on.

As much as I wanted to do this on my own, I needed help from my dad. I called him and within 15 sec-onds my dad revealed the true depth of my genius. “Did you plug it in? Or did you assume it ran off batteries?” For years to come my dad would bring up that story during family events and everyone would get a good laugh at my expense. Oh, how I wish I had just kept quiet and found a good laundro-mat nearby.

Over the years I have learned an amazing truth about “plugging in.” Even the greatest, most powerful, most expensive appliance in the world is useless if it is not plugged into the power source. But if it is connected, it can accomplish some amazing things. The same is true with our lives. There is a source of power, strength and endurance that is always available to us. But, unfortunately, we have the tenden-cy to believe that we can run off battery power.

I’m sure you have heard it said that church is the place we go to “recharge” our batteries so that we can serve God each day and be sustained through the storms of life. But unfortunately, you can’t run off bat-tery power any better than a washing machine. The strain and power of the storms are just too strong, and your battery power will diminish quickly. Church isn’t a recharging station; it is the place where we come together to worship and honor the power source. Not to recharge batteries, but to make sure we are firmly plugged in. It’s a place where God invites you to plug into him and tether that infinite drop cord as far as you need it!

God wants to be your constant source of power, hope and assurance. Don’t make the mistake of think-ing you can operate on your own battery strength. God is with you always! Plug in!

FROM OUR PASTOR Rev. Chris Howe

Dear Church Family, Thank you all for the cards, visits, prayers and words of kindness for the loss of our step-grandson, Aaron Grizzle. It means so much to have caring people like you. Sincerely, Earl and Cameron Foster

Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to Operation Back to School as we gathered school supplies for North Graham Elementary School. We delivered three large containers of markers, notebooks, pencils, paper, and much more to the teachers at NGES on July 15th, and they were so happy to receive these items. You truly have made a difference in the lives of teachers and students in our community with your generosity. Thanks again for being a part of this great minis-try! Dear First Baptist Church Family,

Thanks to all of you for your amazing and continued support of our youth and children and their chaperones as you helped us go to PASSPORT Camps again this summer. Your prayer support, financial support & encour-agement mean so much. With sincere gratitude, Shannon Hall

Those Serving This Month

Deacon of the Week 4 - Lorraine Allen 11 - Debbie Farrell 18 - Gaylene Fogleman 25 - Cameron Foster

Nursery 4 - Carolyn Roberts & Robin Self 11 - Brian Faucette & Linda Naylor 18 - Debbie Farrell & Sharon Steele 25 - Joyce Martin & Mary Faucette

Deacon Greeters Mike & Donna Harden

Usher Captains Ben Albright & Brewer Roberts

AUGUST 2 Vicky Johnson

AUGUST 3 Sharon Steele

AUGUST 5 Steve Reavis

AUGUST 7 Ann Holt Steve Holt

AUGUST 9 Becky Gilliam

Ryan Howe Joyce Martin

AUGUST 18 Jim Euliss

AUGUST 19 Billie Parks

AUGUST 21 Betty Thomas

AUGUST 30 Reade Allen

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 9:30 am Free Movie Graham Cinema 11:30 am Starfish Ministry Team 1

4 9:00 am Ministry 714 9:30 am Sunday School , Open Assembly, Dixie Mann Room 11:00 am Worship Service

5

6:30 pm AIM

6 10:00 am FOM 6:00 pm Properties Team

7 6:30 pm Chancel Choir Resumes No Mid-Week Bible Study

8

9

10 Ministry Center Reserved 8:00-10:30 am 11:30 am Starfish Ministry Team 2 12:00 noon Starfish Worship

11 9:00 am Ministry 714 9:30 am Sunday School, Open Assembly, Dixie Mann Room 11:00 am Worship Service

PASSPORT Presentation

12 1:00 pm Stewardship Team Library

13

Chris 1 year Anniversary!

9:30 - 12:30 Staff Planning Meeting, Library 1:00 pm Volunteer Enlistment Library

14 6:30 pm Church Conference 7:30 pm Chancel Choir

15

16

17 8:00 am Saturday Morning Breakfast, Ministry Center Church Work Day 11:30 am Starfish Ministry Team 3

18 BAPTISM 9:00 am Ministry 714 9:30 am Sunday School, Open Assembly, Dixie Mann Room 11:00 am Worship Service

5:00 - 7:00 pm Family Fun Night Graham Regional Park

19 6:30 pm Personnel Team, Library

20 21 12:00 noon Mid-Week Bible Study Dixie Mann Room 6:30 pm Mid-Week Bible Study, Dixie Mann Room 7:30 pm Chancel Choir

22

23 24 11:30 am Starfish Ministry Team 4

25 9:00 am Ministry 714 9:30 am Sunday School, Open Assembly, Dixie Mann Room 11:00 am Worship Service, Back Pack Blessing

26 ABSS and Orange Co. Schools first

day!

27

28 12:00 noon Mid-Week Bible Study Dixie Mann Room 6:30 pm Mid-Week Bible Study, Dixie Mann Room 7:30 pm Chancel Choir

29 30 31 11:30 am Starfish Ministry Team 5