April 29, 2008
During our worship service on April 27, we commissioned and prayed for three Longwood students (pictured L to R), Neena George, Emily Caviness, and Robbie Yancey and as they prepare to serve as summer missionaries through the Baptist Collegiate Ministries. Neena will be ministering in India for a month. Emily and Robbie will spend three weeks in Macau and Hong Kong teaching English. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!
April 26, 2008
Today, our youth group together with the youth group from Tar Wallet Baptist Church hosted a car wash fundraiser for Passways Camp. It was a beautiful day for a car wash! The group washed a lot of cars and raised about $600! And as you can tell from the pictures, a good time was had by all. Click on “more” to see more pictures. (more…)
April 25, 2008
Starting Wednesday, April 16 and lasting until May 7, Dr. Rodney Dunning will lead a study on “The Bible in English” a study on how we got our Bible, textual criticism, English translations, the notion of “inspiration” and Bible study tools. The following is the schedule of topics to be covered:
4/16 ….. Recovering the original text of the Bible
4/23 ….. English translations of the Bible
4/30 ….. The nature of the Bible as an inspired text
5/7 ……. Tools for interpreting the Bible
Rodney will post a summary of his presentation on his blog called “Very Important Stuff.” Click on the links above to read a summary of Rodney’s presentation.
April 4, 2008
Pastor’s Column in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter) - published April 2008
Having just experienced a wonderful Easter service last week, it got me to thinking about new life in Christ for us as a congregation. This past year, I feel that we have continued to experience a renewed vitality in the life of our church. I am grateful for your faithful attendance in worship and Bible study, and for your service in the name of Christ in the church and in our community.
I am especially grateful for the ten new members who joined the church since May of last year: Russell Chassey, Rodney, Tammy and Sarah Dunning, Lindsey Davis, John and Amanda Johnston, Jordan Miles, Cameron Patterson and Jeaninne Milne. Of those, Russell, Lindsey, John, and Jeaninne were baptized, in addition to Sandy Covington. And on Sunday, April 6, we will celebrate with Jewel Moore and her family as Jewel comes to be baptized as a follower of Jesus Christ. What an occasion for thanksgiving to God!
As we baptize Jewel, I also know of several others who are very interested in becoming members of Farmville Baptist. And so, it is with these folks in mind that we will have a New and Prospective Member Luncheon after worship on Sunday, April 13. At the luncheon, I will give a brief overview of the beliefs and ministries of Farmville Baptist and answer any questions you might have. If you have been sensing that God might be leading you to formally join in the life and ministry of Farmville Baptist, I would love to hear from you and to cordially invite you to attend this luncheon.
May God continue to bless Farmville Baptist as we continue to grow numerically and spiritually in the days ahead!
Yours in Christ, Michael
March 26, 2008
Yesterday, we held a funeral service for Ethel Southall, one of our beloved members who unexpected passed away last week. Ethel was active not only at our church, but also at New Life Assembly of God, where she fixed hot dogs for their school every Wednesday, and at Heritage Baptist Church, where she participated in their Friday morning quilting group.
Ethel was the “momma hen” of her big family clan, and the whole sanctuary was packed with family, friends, and former students. During the service, we played Ethel’s moving testimony of her faith in Christ that she gave at one of our Lenten services last year. Her testimony can be heard here.
Ethel will be greatly missed by our church and by our community, but we know that she has entered into her eternal reward and is now reunited with her parents, her husband Walter, her younger brother Everett, and older brother Bill–a former Minister of Education here at Farmville Baptist who also recently passed away on March 7.
The picture above of Ethel with her oldest daughter Jayne was taken in March of 2006. Our hearts and prayers extend to Ethel’s family during this time of loss.
March 17, 2008
Last Sunday afternoon, we had nearly fifty children (in addition to their parents) in our front and back yards enjoying an Easter Egg Hunt. Many thanks to Amanda Johnston and our Children’s Committee for organizing the event. We had youth hiding the eggs, college students offering games and face painting, and parents bringing food. John Johnston grilled over one hundred hot dogs for everyone!
Click “more” for more pictures. (more…)
March 7, 2008
Last night, about eighty people attended a “Christ in the Passover” presentation given by Rob Wertheim of Jews for Jesus. Rob’s forty-five minute presentation went over each of the elements of a traditional Jewish Passover Seder meal and how each element points to Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the spotless lamb of God sacrificed for the sin of the world. After the presentation, we all celebrated Communion. It was especially gratifying to have members of First Baptist and Zion Hill Baptist churches, two African-American churches, in our midst. As we received the bread and the cup together, we experienced the truth of St. Paul’s affirmation proclaimed in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
March 6, 2008
Following the children’s lesson of our regular worship service, children from kindergarten through second grade leave the sanctuary to participate in their own worship service in our Fellowship Hall. Two adult leaders, plus an older child, guide the children in this service.
The service is quite simple, and, with the exception of the changing Bible story, it remains constant from week to week. The kids follow a simplified order of worship that echoes what the main congregation is using upstairs in the sanctuary. The hope is that the children’s worship service will allow children to worship more fully now — and in the future, when they join the grown-ups in the main service.
The concept and materials are based on Young Children and Worship by Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, available in our church library.
Click on “more” to find links to .pdf versions of the leader’s guide and the weekly lessons for Children’s Church through August 2008. (more…)
March 5, 2008
Pastor’s Column in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter) - published March 2008
I had the privilege of attending the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta at the end of January, and I was greatly inspired by the experience. It wasn’t so much because of the “big name” speakers, although they brought wonderful messages. No, it was the mere fact that I was in the same room with nine thousand other Baptists, spanning many geographic, racial, political and cultural divides, worshipping and praising God together. During those three days, I felt a spirit of unity based on our common commitment to Jesus Christ even in the midst of our diversity. It made me glad to be a part of the larger body of believers who call themselves Baptist. But after that meeting, a question remained: “What now?”
Then I returned to Farmville and found our town reeling from the fatal shootings and the car accident involving the Prides and Baxter Stegall. That Sunday afternoon, I attended a community-wide prayer vigil service at First Baptist Church on behalf of the victims. In the midst of our tragedy, I witnessed a sanctuary packed with fellow believers spanning geographic, racial, political and cultural divides, worshipping God in Christ and praying together. I felt a movement of God’s Spirit that unified us despite our deep differences. But after that meeting, a question remained: “What now?”
I’m happy to report that after the prayer vigil service, a small group of local pastors, African-American and Anglo (and one Asian!), decided to meet to plan other joint services to gather the community together. We feel that God’s Spirit is leading us first to establish trust, friendship and love among ourselves, and then to lead our congregations to do the same. I will keep you posted as plans materialize. In the meantime, pray for us pastors as we seek to join in what God is doing here in Farmville to unify us all in the love of Christ.
Yours in Christ, Michael
February 21, 2008
For three Wednesday nights, February 20, 27 and March 12 April 2, Michael will be leading a study examining the ways the Bible and Christians have understood how Jesus saves. Special attention will be paid to the various “theories of atonement” that Christians have used to explain the saving work of Jesus. We encourage all to attend the study to gain a better appreciation for our salvation through Christ as we approach Holy Week.
Books used as resources for this study include:
Outlines of the presentations in .pdf format are available below:
