BIBLICAL RECORDER SUBSCRIPTION DUE
(New or Renewal) $12.75 yearly - Make check to FBC and have it to church office by May 15.

MONTHLY MEETINGS IN MAY
Executive Committee - May 13, 5:30
Finance Committee - May 18, 6:00
Deacons Meeting - May 18, 7:00
Building & Grounds - May 28, 4:30

CHURCH DIRECTORY PORTRAIT MAKEUP DAY
May 16, 2008  Time:  4 - 6 PM - Taken at Black Tie Affair, Stone Photography
Call 667-5412 for an appointment.

Small Groups on Wednesdays in May (2nd, 3rd, & 4th weeks)
Spirituality:
    Adults - Lectio Divina - Leader, Tricia Brooks
    Adults - Sacred Conversation - Leader, Hope Coffey
    Children - The Way of the Child - Leaders are Tori Norwood and Jennifer Bracey
Bible Study:
    Adults - Holy Land, Pastor Nelson
    Youth - Various Scriptures - Leader, Colby Foster
The Arts:
    Painting - The Seven Sayings of Jesus - Leader, Gene Harris
    Photography - The Seven Sayings of Jesus - Leader, Mickey Leapley
    Handbells - Worship Music, Larisa Leapely

WOMEN'S RETREAT - MAY 30 & 31 - DON'T MISS THE FUN...
THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR 2 MORE TO SPEND THE NIGHT

HAS YOUR LAWN BEEN FLOCKED BY FLAMINGOS YET?
A flock of Flamingos are helping our Youth earn money for their mission trip.  If the flock arrives in your yard, call Tricia Brooks at 984-3472 or 428-7904 to have them sent on their way to another yard.  Our Youth appreciate your help! 


TICKETS ARE REQUIRED IN ADVANCE FOR Relay for Life "M&M Team" Benefit Luncheon and Gospel Concert - Sunday, May 18, at Noon In the Wayland Hall
Price - Adult: $10.00
          Children ages 5-12: $5.00, Children under 5 years: no charge
          (to benefit American Cancer Society) See a choir member, Larisa, or come by the Church Office to purchase your tickets by Friday, May 16.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR VBS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
JUNE 15-19, 2008
Times:  Children - 6:00-8:30 PM
           Adults - 6:30-8:00 PM

MAY CALENDAR - MISSION OPPORTUNITY
May 12:  Men of the Church - American Red Cross Blood Drive from 2:00 till 6:00 PM
             in the Wayland Fellowship Hall
May 18:  Relay for Life, "M&M Team" - Benefit Luncheon and Concert at 12 noon in
             the Wayland Fellowship Hall

Euzelian Class:  Provide all food for the church food pantry; Support one person on
                      life line; Support one person on BROC Elderly Nutrition Program
Empty Nesters Class:  BROC Elderly Nutrition Program; Samaritan Kitchen Back-pack
                              Program

Members/Sunday School Class/Other Groups In Church:
Please furnish Wanda at the church office with information on June 2008 mission opportunities.    Sherrill Faw - Mission Coordinator


2008 SPRING/SUMMER CALENDAR OF EVENT          
           
May 11             Mother's Day
May 12             Blood Drive
May 18             Parenting Class - 5:00-6:30 - Five Love Languages of Children
                      Children - 5:00-6:30 Supper/Mission Friends
                      Youth - 5:00-7:00 Apostoloi
May 25             Ordination for Carson and Joanna Rich
                      Parenting Class - 5:00-6:30 - Five Love Languages of Children
                      Children - 5:00-6:30 Supper/Mission Friends
                      Youth - 5:00-7:00 Apostoloi
May 26             Memorial Day, Office Closed
May 30-31        Women's Retreat

June 1              Youth Sunday, High School Grads Recognized
June 6              Last Day of School
June 7              Samaritan Kitchen Workday
June 8              Linda Trivette's Deacon Ordination
June 11            Vespers on the Mountain
June 15            Father's Day
June 15-19       Vacation Bible School
June 19-20       CBF General Assembly
June 22-28       Youth Week
June 29            5th Sunday Celebration

July 4               Independence Day, Church Office Closed
July 9               Vespers on the Mountain
July 21-26         Youth Passport Mission Trip
July 30              5th Wednesday Celebration

Aug. 13             Vespers on the Mountain
Aug. 25             Public School Begins
Aug. 27             Welcome Back Wednesdays
Aug. 31             5th Sunday Celebration

BIG THANK YOU!
Thanks to all the Children for their leadership in our worship service last Sunday.  You did a great job!

An added thanks to Stacy & Jerry McNeil for their several hours of help transporting and tagging balloons.

Also, a big THANKS to all who participated in Star Search last Wednesday night, particularly to Tamarah Cornette and the Family Life Committee and Colby Foster for doing an excellent job as host.

THANK YOU NOTE.....
The Bill Byers Family would like to thank everyone for the kind expressions of sympathy from the church family.  What a comfort you all have been with your thoughts and prayers.  Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Granade, Larisa, and Tammy for sharing their talents and gifts at his service.  A special thanks to Group #3 and the Euzelian Class for providing the wonderful meal.      Love, Julia and Family

    
A Note From The Pastor

    Dale Carnegie said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."  I think the same can be said of a congregation.  If we want to attract people to our church, we will draw more by becoming interested in them than we will by promoting ourselves.

     Jesus said it another way, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."  (Matthew 16:24-25).  In other words, we are to focus more on our mission and less on ourselves.

     Paul echoed this same tenet when he said, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4).  Like Jesus, Paul is reminding us that our greatest joy is found in serving God and others.

     It is my hope that the special missions offering we receive on June 1 will not only help these worthy causes, but will help refocus our congregation beyond ourselves.  Any organization that becomes inwardly focused loses its way.  First Baptist Church exists to fulfill a cause greater than ourselves - the Kingdom of God.

     To help us remember our mission call, I will bring a series of sermons the next three weeks entitled:  Beyond Ourselves - God's Call to Mission.  We parallel Jesus' commission to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) with our call to be witnesses in Wilkes, North Carolina, America, and the world.  If we can take the focus off of ourselves and put it on our mission, God will bless our work.

Nelson