200 S. Church St.

Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Church Office Hours: 8:30 am—5:00 pm Monday—Friday

Church Office (252) 446-9113

Fax (252) 446-5025

Website www.fbcrm.org

24-Hour Prayer Request Line (252) 446-5993

First Baptist Child Care Center (252) 446-7416

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Pastor’s

Article

2

Church

Staff

2

Upcoming

Events

3-4

Passion Week

Schedule

5

Calendar 6

First Baptist News M A R C H 2 0 1 4 R O C K Y M O U N T , N C

Knowing God, Making God Known, and Becoming like His Son, Jesus Christ, through Worship, Bible Study, and Ministry

First

Baptist

Church

Week of Prayer—March 2-9

Sunday, March 2

Combined Schedule

9 am—Sunday School

10:30 am—One Worship Service

P A G E 2 A Great Forerunner in the Faith . . .

From time to time, I plan to introduce

some of the great Christians of the

past in our monthly newsletter. Why?

We stand to gain an immeasurable

amount of knowledge and inspiration

by looking to those ordinary men and

women who have gone before us and

have demonstrated extraordinary faith

in an unfathomably wise and powerful

God. We begin with Herman Bavinck.

You say, “…who?” I know! Most peo-

ple have never heard of him. Hence,

my reason for introducing you to him!

Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) is not a

name with which many American Evan-

gelicals are familiar. That is truly unfor-

tunate. We are biblically impoverished,

in significant ways, for not knowing his

life and thought.

Among his many accomplishments, Dr.

Bavinck was a leading theologian in the

Netherlands a century ago. His major

work (Reformed Dogmatics) has been

translated into English over the past

few years and we are richer for it. He

was not only a fine, fine theologian; he

was a powerful churchman, and a pas-

tor.

While space does not allow for an ex-

tended treatment for why we should

read biographies about him or, dare I

say, read and study his Reformed Dog-

matics (four volumes), I will call atten-

tion to a small excerpt from his writ-

ings and make one observation.

His massive four volumes have been

condensed into one book, Our Reasona-

ble Faith. I heartily commend this book.

Below is a citation from Our Reasonable

Faith. Read it, meditate upon it, and

ask Christ to open your mind and

heart to the glorious scope of Christ’s

kingdom plans!

“This experience (of grace) was

their (the Reformers) point of de-

parture, but it was not their resting

place, nor the end of their way.

They penetrated further, both for-

wards and backwards. Behind the

grace of God which comes to ex-

pression in the

pardon of guilt,

there lies the

sovereignty of

God, the infi-

nite and wor-

shipful being in

all His excel-

lences and per-

fections. They

saw that if God

was sovereign in His work of salva-

tion, He was sovereign always and

everywhere - in creation as well as

re-creation. If He had become King

in the heart of man, He had become

that also in his head and hand, in the

home and office and the field, in state

and society, in art and science

(emphasis mine). The question,

How is man saved? did not suffice,

but had to be led back to another,

higher, deeper all-comprehensive

one: How is God to have His due

of glory? Hence for Zwingli, and

even more for Calvin, the work of

(continued on page 3)

F I R S T B A P T I S T N E W S

Church Staff

Dennis Darville

Lead Pastor

Larry Curtis

Pastor of Education & Admin.

Jim Alley

Pastor of Music & Worship

Mike Avery

Pastor of Families with Students

Tim Griffin

Pastor of Families with Children

Stephen Weeks

Pastor of College Students

Bob Britt

Homebound Visitation

Mary Helen Batten

Receptionist/ Admin. Assistant

Nina Daughtridge

Music Assistant

Kayla Dozier

Admin. Assistant

Jewell Pullen

Financial Secretary

Faye Strickland

Facilities Director

Beth Thompson

Office Manager

“If He had become King

in the heart of man, He

had become that also in

his head and hand, in

the home and office and

the field, in state and

society, in art and

science . . .”

Herman Bavinck Rev. Dennis Darville

March 23

Please join us as the Friendly Avenue Baptist

Church Orchestra from Greensboro, NC joins

the FBC Orchestra for special music during

the 11 a.m. worship service on March 23,

2014.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS

Sunday, March 9

P A G E 3

reformation had only begun when they had found

peace of heart in the blood of the cross. The

whole world lay open before them, so to speak,

not in order to be left to its own devices but to

be penetrated and hallowed by the word of God

and by prayer. They begin in their immediate

environment by addressing themselves to the

church and city where they lived. They restored

not only the office of preaching but also the worship

service and the church discipline; they reformed not

merely the religious life of Sunday but also the civic

and social life of the days of the week. They reformed

not merely the private life of the citizen but also the

public life of the state (emphasis mine).” (pp.125-

126, Our Reasonable Faith, H. Bavinck).

Focus, if you will, on the areas I italicized. Bavinck, like the

Reformers before him, did not stop with the glories of a

man or woman encountering the grace of forgiveness

through Christ. Rather, Bavinck and the heroes of the

Protestant faith understood, rightly, that the experience

of grace was the starting place from which God would

then employ these “new-creation people” for the greater

purposes of reforming all of life (i.e., arts, sciences, educa-

tion, politics, philanthropic enterprises, community devel-

opment, business, etc.).

When he says, “they reformed not merely the private life

of the citizen but the public life of the state….,” he is hint-

ing at something most important - God redeems us for

greater purposes! He is calling His people, as He always

has, to go forth into this world, which belongs to Him by

right of Creation and Redemption, and reclaim what be-

longs to the King of the world. Why has Christ created

and redeemed you? This is one of the most important

questions anyone could ever ask!

P A G E 4

Class 101: Kingdom Citizenship:

Meaningful Membership at FBC Required for all new members. Begins March 23

The next 6-session class begins Sunday, March 23. The class is

taught during the Sunday School hour (beginning at 9:30 am) in the

activity room above the Fellowship Hall. This class is for anyone

interested in joining our church as well as for those who simply

want more information about who we are and what we believe.

Please sign up by calling the church office (446-9113) by March 16.

BELARUS MISSION TRIP:

May 10-19. This team is complete with Tom Jones coordinating.

Pray as the team plans & prepares for their trip.

ECUADOR MISSION TRIPS:

May 6-13, August 5-12, November 4-11

Contact Coordinator: Gretchen Boseman @ (252) 904-0985

CAMBODIA MISSION TRIP:

Tentatively planned for the end of Dec., 2014 or beginning of Jan.,

2015. Information/Interest meeting will be held on Sunday, March 9

at 2:30 pm in the FMC Café area. Contact Coordinator: Guy Tut-

terow @ 252) 885-1890 .

Join us Wednesday, March 12 6 pm – FBC Sanctuary

as we hear from

Mark Harris, Pastor FBC Charlotte

Candidate for US Senate

Mark Harris is a native of Winston-Salem, NC, and graduated from Appa-

lachian State University in Boone, NC in 1987 with a Bachelor’s Degree

in Political Science. He graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological

Seminary in Wake Forest, NC with both his Masters of Divinity degree

and his Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Leadership.

In every phase of his life, Harris has served in leadership roles. In addition

to the leadership position he held in “Vote for Marriage NC,” he has held

positions of leadership in the North Carolina Baptist State Convention and

the Southern Baptist Convention. He has served as Second Vice President

of the Baptist State Convention for one year, First Vice President for two

years, and for the past two years has served as the organization’s President. He has also been actively involved with the

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, serving on various committees as well as Chairman of the Board.

P A G E 5

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PASSION WEEK

Our desire is to spend more than just one or two services focusing on the last days of

Jesus’ earthly life—accordingly, we have several events planned for Passion Week.

Plan to attend and invite family, friends and co-workers to join you.

Sunday, April 13 Palm Sunday

Our morning message will focus on The Triumphal Entry.

Rather than focusing on one evening, this year special music

will be a part of each service during Passion Week.

Wednesday, April 16 No meal/evening activities

Note: The adult choir will rehearse at the usual time.

Thursday, April 17 Maundy Thursday Service @ 6:30 pm

We ask that you make this a day of prayer and fasting (for

those who are able). Our service will be held in the sanctu-

ary—we will serve communion during the service.

Friday, April 18 Good Friday Service @ Noon

Pre-service music will begin at 11:45 am. The worship & mes-

sage (30 min. –FBC sanctuary) will be followed by lunch and a

time of fellowship (Fellowship Hall).

Secret Church: We will not have a gathering at church;

however, you are encouraged to do so in your homes

with friends and neighbors.

Sunday, April 20 Easter Sunday Schedule

Sunrise Service on Franklin Field @ 6 am

(This will replace our early service)

No Sunday School

Worship Service @ 10:30 am

(Message will be the same for both services)

F I R S T B A P T I S T N E W S

w w w . f b c r m . o r g

Sundays 8:00 am Televised Morning Worship

(WHIG Channel 17)

8:15 am Contemporary Worship Service

9:00 am Church Library open until 10:00 am

9:30 am Bible Study

11:00 am Worship Service

4:30 pm dgroup for high school (FMC—3rd floor)

6:00 pm Small Groups for adults —FMC & homes

Nursery for Birth—2 yrs. (M 105 & M101)

TeamKID for 3 yrs.—K (M102)

KOGS for 1st—5th (FMC—3rd floor)

Sunday X-Change (6th-8th) (FMC—3rd floor)

Orchestra Rehearsal

Mondays 10:45 am Inspiration Singers (Choir suite)

7:00 pm Praise Team Rehearsal

Tuesdays 6:30 am Women’s Prayer Groups

8:46 am Staff meeting

9:30 am Women’s Bible Study

10:00 am Women’s Prayer Group

1:00 pm Stephen Ministry (1st & 3rd Wks M103)

6:00 pm Handbell Rehearsal

6:30 pm Alpha at Fountain Correctional

Wednesdays 10:00 am SEBTS EQUIP (M203)

3:00 pm Church Library open until 6:00 pm

COOL Kids (FMC)

5:00 pm Fellowship Meal

6:00 pm Nursery for Birth—1 yrs. (M105 & M101)

Mission Friends for 2-3yrs. (M102)

Cherub Choir for 4 yrs.-K (E202)

Sonshine Choir for Grades 1&2 (E201a)

Music Makers for Grade 3 (E300)

Young Musicians for Grades 4-5 (E307)

Crossroads for Grades 6-12 (M301)

Prayer Meeting for adults (Fell. Hall)

7:10 pm Adult Choir Rehearsal

7:30 pm Community Basketball Outreach

Thursdays 6:30 am Men’s Prayer Group (Choir room)

12:30 pm Prison Ministry

3:00 pm COOL Kids (FMC)

7:30 pm The Bridge (Wesleyan College)

REGULAR WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 Combined Service 9 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship

3 4 5

6 7 8

9 Cambodia Info Mtg.

(2:30 pm—FMC Café) Deacons’ Mtg. (4 pm—M201a)

10 Forever Young

(11:30 am—Fell. Hall) Fountain Chaplaincy (6 pm—AT Room)

11 Senior Adult Council (2 pm—AT Room)

12

Mark Harris (6 pm—Sanctuary)

13 14 15

16

17 18 19

20

21

22

23 30

24 31

25 26 Meals on Wheels 27 Meals on Wheels 28

March 2014

Week of Prayer for North American Missions/Annie Armstrong Offering March 2-9