The birth of Jesus should make us for-ever thankful and grateful. It also sends us into action on be-half of children, to teach them that Christmas should not be about our getting, but about WHO we have already received – JESUS CHRIST. Thanks be to God for the child who came to save us all… This is something that no one can STEAL from us!!!

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Whit

perch of the mountain to hear what he expects to be silence. He’s shocked by the sound of the Whos singing a joyous song about Christmas, signifying that Christ-mas has arrived. My fa-vorite part is when the Grinch reflects out loud with his dog Max. The Grinch says this: “It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came with-out packages, boxes, or bags!” Yes, the Grinch is cor-rect! Christmas comes without all of the hoopla of shopping, presents and other traditions! It’s amaz-ing to me that the Grinch can still move me through his anger, fear, revenge, surprise, joy and ultimately love. At Christmas we cele-brate our greatest gift—our gateway to eternal life. No matter what we will or will not get under a tree or wrapped tied with a bow, we should be the happiest we have ever been because of the gift of the child born wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

No One Can

Steal Christmas

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the

government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The ev-erlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. There is a scene from the 1966 Christmas Holiday special, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. In that animated special, the Grinch who lives in a cave on a Mount Crum-pit, sets out to “steal” Christmas from the Whos of Whoville by stealing all of their pre-sents late one Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning the Grinch leans in as he stands on a

Announce-

ments

2

A Word from Lady Whitfield

3

Save the Date 4

Prayer Request/ Birthdays

5

Grace Network 6

Spotlight: Just Because Ministry

7

Safety Tip 7

Reflections 8-

Puzzle 9

F.B.C. Deacons 10

You’re Invited! 11

Pastor Whitfield

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

F r o m t h e P a s t o r ’ s P e n

December 2011

First Baptist Church East Martinsville “Advancing the Kingdom Through Partnerships”

Luke 5:1-11

F I R S T B A P T I S T M E S S E N G E R

F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h

Dinner will be served !

P a g e 2

The Watch Night Services in African-Americans com-

munities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gath-

erings on December 31, 1862, also known as “Freedom’s

Eve”. On that night, African-Americans came together in

churches and private homes all across the Nation, anxiously

awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had be-

come law! At the stoke of midnight on January 1, 1863, all

slaves were declared, by law, as free!

When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as

people fell to their knees and thanked God. Ever since, African-Americans have gath-

ered in churches annually on New Years Eve—praising God for bringing us safely

through another year!

Pastor Whitfield’s 14th Anniversary

February 5, 2011

“Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.

Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering

knees.” - Job 4:3-4 (NIV)

P a g e 3

Greetings First B Family!! Sometimes the Lord has a way of teaching us a life lesson in the most unique

places. My lesson was learned while sitting in my Anatomy class. I came to class prepared and ready to listen to yet another lecture, when several of my classmates began “whining and complaining” to the teacher. They com-plained about needing extra credit in order to pass the class, wanting to skip an entire section so we would not have to attend class during Thanksgiving week, and whined about being overwhelmed this semester. The teacher lis-tened to their concerns and advised the class “he would see what he could do”. We then proceeded to begin

class as usual, and about midway through the lecture the teacher decided to pause and give the class a 35 minute break. We had covered a lot of mate-rial and he felt we needed a break before proceeding. Again, my fellow classmates began complaining. They didn’t understand the need for such a long break before continuing with the lecture. After the break was over, only six of us remained in the class. When the teacher returned to the classroom he was aston-ished that the majority of the class had decided to leave (mindful that the whining classmates were among those who left). The teacher advised that he gave us a long break so that we would have an opportunity to relax our minds before continuing with the final portion of lecture. He then informed us that he had something great for the six of us that decided to endure the entire lecture. He proceeded to give us information that would enable us to pass the next test with ease. After leaving class I reflected on the days events. I thought about the complainers/

whiners, and how they all left because the break was too long; but I also thought about the test information that was given to those of us that en-dured the entire class. The lesson I learned: there is a blessing in en-during to the end. Often times in life we give up too quickly, we throw in the towel because we are tired. We get frustrated because God doesn’t an-swer our prayers or come to our rescue when we want Him to. (God’s pauses/breaks frustrate us) We frequently feel that our situations are over-whelming. Today I encourage you, don’t give up, don’t quit…instead endure

to the end! What does it mean to endure? It means to last, to be durable. Endurance goes hand in hand with longsuffering and patience. It simply means to hang on to your faith until God comes to your rescue. Along the way we will get tired, we will even want to give up; but as I tell Chas and Charity, quitting is not an option. What’s the benefit in enduring to the end? There is a GREAT blessing if we endure. Not only will we be blessed, but what we learn during the endur-ing process will enhance our Christian walk! During the process we grow in God’s grace and knowledge. Yes, life does bring problems, great and small. Sometimes our hardships can last for years and it seems as if there will be no end. However, remember the race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to those who endureth to the end! Saints hold on! It’s go-ing to be alright!

A W O R D F R O M F I R S T L A D Y W H I T F I E L D

V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

P a g e 4 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

December 2011

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 Just Because

Lunch @ 12:00pm

Usher’s Christmas

13 14 15 16 17

18 F.B.C. Christ-

mas Program & Dinner @ 3pm

19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 F.B.C. New Years

Eve Program @ 10:30

pm

January 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9Leadership

Seminar @ 6:30

pm

10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Leadership

Seminar @ 8:30 am

29 30 31 Save the Date!

-Pastor’s Anniversary-February 5, 2011

P a g e 5 F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h

Bro. Anthony Dillard (VA Beach) Sis. Ressie Beamer (Blue Ridge)

Sis. Ressie Beamer (Blue Ridge) Sis. Louise Martin (Home)

Sis. Leutisha Hairston (Blue Ridge) Bro. Jim Linthicum (Home)

Bro. Jamarr Kirby (Home) Bro. Ronnie Ramey (Golden Living)

Rev. McArthur Clark (Stanleytown) Sis. Geneva Penn (Hospital)

Sis. Anita Hairston (Home) Sis. Mattie Freeman (Hospital)

Sis. Dorothy Scott (Home) Sis. Willie Mae Geter (Home)

Blue Ridge Nursing Home 300 Blue Ridge Street

Martinsville , VA 24112

Golden Living Center

1607 Spruce Street Ext.

Martinsville, VA 24112

Stanleytown Healthcare Center Nursing Home

State Rte 682 & 57-A

Stanleytown, VA 24168

VA Beach Rehab Center

1801 Camelot Drive

VA Beach, VA 23454

December

Michael Harvey 12/1

Larry Hodge 12/3

K’Sime Millner 12/4

De’Jah Williams 12/4

Elexis Dandridge 12/9

Ardaith Winslow 12/9

Keenan Turner 12/12

Marla Eldridge 12/12

Renee Brown 12/12

Kenneth Devin 12/21

Brooklyn King 12/21

Roger Epps 12/24

Janette Smith 12/24

Patricia Walton 12/25

Alexis Wood 12/30

Benjamin Hairston 12/31

January

Blanche Scott 1/4

Brenda Hampton 1/5

Marquerite Wilson 1/8

Alfreda Brown 1/8

Leslie Brooks 1/9

Bruno Hodge 1/9

Chas Whitfield 1/12

Wayne Moore 1/15

Morris Geter 1/15

Leslie Simmons 1/17

George Brown 1/18

Karen Carter 1/21

Ian Turner 1/23

Gorrell Webster 1/24

Sybil T. Worrell 1/25

Michelle Epps 1/29

February

Brandon Dillard 2/3

P a g e 6 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

Grace Network is a place where people facing a crisis involving essential life needs can find help. They give short-term assistance, but they also want to help find long-term solutions. Grace Network provides the fol-

lowing:

Provide financial assistance for essential life needs in a crisis. Help clients pay bills for housing, utilities and some related items.

A choice food pantry. The pantry can provide 2 week’s worth of food to a family. The client “shops” for their food – selecting only the items their family will use.

Their involvement with United Way’s HOPE initiative in helping people to prepare their income taxes.

Address

433 E. Commonwealth Blvd. Martinsville,VA 24112

276-638-8500 gracenetworkmch@gmail.com

Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 9:00 am-12:30 pm

Thursday - 4:00 pm-7:00 pm

P a g e 7 F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h

The Just Because Ministry was formed under the name, “The Senior Citizens Ministry”. The establishment of this ministry began as a vision of Rev. Charles R. Whitfield in the spring of 2005 as a fellowship for mobile senior citi-zens. The ministry stemmed from the growing need of those persons having to deal with the pressure of working full-time jobs and caring for aging parents. The dedicated committee of volunteers that preside over this ministry are Dorothy “Puddin” Still, Debra Moore, Jan Smith, Ardys Winslow and Shelia Williams. These women plan the meetings, prepare meals for the minis-try meetings and also plan and prepare meals for First Baptist Noon Day Re-vival services. In the past the Just Because Ministry has taken a trips to Maryland, Pennsyl-

vania and North Carolina. They take an annual trip up to Lovers Leap and then travel up to the Farmers Market for fall mums and vegetables. The next Just Because Ministry gathering will be Dec. 12, 2011 at the Parrish House for a Christmas Dinner. The Just Because Ministry will be sponsoring a spring trip to Niagara Falls, Canada and the Sights and Sounds Theatre in Lancaster Pa. to see the play JONAH. To be a part of the ministry, please contact Dorothy “Puddin” Still at 276-632-3834, or speak with one of the committee members. Please note that you do not have to be a member of First Baptist to be a part of this ministry!

Safety Tip:

Winter Home Heating Safety

More home fires happen during the winter months. Heating devices and household appliances that are fueled by gas, oil, kerosene or wood can

produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.

Some simple things to protect ourselves are:

Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home

and check the batteries every month

Remember that space heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at

least three feet away from the heater

When using a wood burning fire place, make sure to have a glass front or

screen to catch flying sparks and rolling logs.

Purchase an ABC multipurpose fire extinguisher for your home; learn how

to use it and check it yearly to be sure it’s working.

P a g e 8 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

Women’s Day

First Baptist Church celebrated our annual Women’s Day with a breakfast on Saturday,

November 19, 2011. We enjoyed music by Psalmist Demetria Dillard and heard a pow-

erful Word from Elder Angela Dones. We concluded Saturday’s event with a delicious

breakfast prepared by the men of First Baptist, while the youth served attendees. On

Sunday, the speaker was Dr. Michelle McQueen-Williams from First Baptist Church,

South Richmond, Virginia. She spoke on being “Fit for the Master’s Use”. The

Women’s Day choir, under the direction of Minister Tamika Grogans, rendered the mu-

sic. Thanks to the Women’s Day Committee for all their hard work!

Virginia State Usher’s Fellowship

The 28th Annual Session of the Virginia State Usher’s Fellowship was held on Novem-

ber 5, 2011 at Moral Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Axton, Virginia. Youth Voices

of Praise rendered the music for the closing ceremony, and the First Baptist Church

praise dancers ministered through dance! Associate Minister Matthew Brown

preached the Word. Job well done to F.B.C . Ushers, Youth and Minister

Brown for their participation at this wonderful convention!

Sunday School & Youth Workers’ Conference

The Conference was held on October 21-22 here at 1st Baptist Church. There were dele-gates attending from the Martinsville area, Roanoke, Eden, NC, Petersburg, and as far as Macon, GA. There was a great emphasis on Youth Ministry & Sunday School training that's relevant for the 21st Century. Our presenters were: Pastor Whitfield, Pastor Derek Dumas, Pastor John Faison, Pastor Carl Keith, Pastor Carl Goodman, Karen Goodman, Dr. Milton Liverman & Dr. James Coleman of VA University of Lynchburg brought greetings on behalf of the school. A special "Thank You" goes out to all of the vol-unteers who made this Conference a success! We hope to see you again in 2012!

P a g e 9 F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h

On October 14, 2011, members and friends of First Baptist Church set sail on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Monarch

of the Sea. The trip began with an “All White” First Baptist Meet and Greet Affair in which all members and friends, dressed

head-to-toe in white, introduced themselves and fellowshipped together. Later that evening, the group enjoyed a 4-course

group dinner with Pastor Whitfield and First Lady Whitfield.

On the second cruise day, First Baptist members and friends enjoyed a

taste of the Bahamas during a tour of Nassau Island. Tour guides provided

information on the rich history and cul- ture of Nassau as they passed by histori-

cal buildings and landmarks. The group visited Fort Fincastle, the Queen’s Stair-

case, and the luxurious Atlantis Resort – to name a few! One of the highlights of

the Nassau tour was the Arawak Cay Fish Fry, which is a famous location

known to locals for native delicacies such as fried fish and conch salad. Later that

evening, the First Baptist group dressed in their finest attire and enjoyed another

4-course dinner aboard the ship.

Matthew 18:20 reads, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

On Sunday morning Pastor Whitfield and the First Baptist Church family held church on the ship. The service was open to all

on the ship. Numerous cruisers attended the service in which Min. Tamika Whitfield and Min. Matthew Brown directed a

“wings over Jordan” choir that consisted of members and non-members singing for the glory of God, and Pastor Whitfield

preached the Word of God while the ship sailed the beautiful ocean.

The ship returned to the Port Canaveral, Florida on Monday morning. While First Baptist members and friends left

the ship and returned home, memories of the fun and fellowship aboard the Monarch of the Sea also left with them!

F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h

Deacon Donald Kirby: “I believe that being a deacon requires Christian de-

votion. You have to understand that it is not about us but about God! You

have to look at situations through the eyes of God not man. Being a deacon

means being able to understand change and accept it even when it is differ-

ent than your traditional belief. Being a deacon makes me feel worthy.’’

Deacon James Noel: “It is an honor to be appointed as a deacon. It is be-

ing an assistant to the pastor. When situations arise you are called to

assist the pastor in various ways. You should be well trained and quali-

fied to hold the position. A good deacon studies the Bible, knows the

Word, prays and would be able to teach Bible study. A deacon is always

ready to assist his pastor and to be a good example to others and please

Deacon James Hampton: “I believe that being a deacon is a spiritual position

chosen by God to serve His people and work as a servant. Being a deacon goes

beyond the walls of the church. You should be an example to others in the com-

munity by witnessing and helping any way you can.”

Deacon Merideth Jeffress: “A deacon is a person that is appointed and

accepted by the pastor and the members. A person who is qualified to

render a spiritual service to the members and act as an overseer or assis-

tant to the pastor. A deacon helps to make sure things run smoothly at

the church. They should have a good relationship with the pastor and the

members, and aspired to do God’s will and to study the Word.’’

P a g e 1 0

P a g e 1 1 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: December 25th, 2011

(He’s always around so the date is flexible!)

Time: Whenever you’re ready!

Place: In your heart...He’ll meet you there! (You’ll hear him

knock!)

Attire: Come as you are! (Although He said something about

new white robes and crowns for all who stay ‘til the last)

Tickets: Free! He has already paid for everyone !( It cost Him

everything He had)

Gift Suggestions: Your life

R.S.V.P. is very important!

He’s keeping a list for future reference!

P a g e 1 1 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 6

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H M E S S E N G E R

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H E A S T M A R T I N S V I L L E

1 0 4 3 E A S T C H U R C H S T R E E T

M A R T I N S V I L L E , V A 2 4 1 1 2 P H O N E : 2 7 6 - 6 3 2 - 1 1 7 0

F A X : 2 7 6 - 6 3 2 - 8 1 9 9 F B C 2 4 1 1 2 @ G M A I L . C O M

R E V . C H A R L E S R . W H I T F I E L D , M . D I V ; D . D . , P A S T O R

“We are partners with God in His Kingdom”

Ministries Deacon-Bro. James Hampton, Chairman

One in the Spirit-Min T. Grogans, Min. L. Allen, Sis C. Whitfield Deaconess-Sis. Leora Hampton, President

Senior Ushers-Sis. Katherine Hairston, President Senior Missionary-Sis. Virginia L. Hairston Junior Ushers-Sis. Sheila Williams, Advisor

Junior Missionary-Sis. Marie Jones, President Sanctuary Choir-Sis. Scharlean David, President

Willing Workers-Sis. Artis Law, President Youth Voices of Praise-Min. Tamika Grogan, Director

Youth-Sis. Ardys Winslow, Sis. Tiffany Neamo, Co Directors Male Chorus-Bro. James Hampton, President

Transportation-Bro. James Hampton, President Praise Dance—Sis. India Dillard, Sis. Ardaith Winslow