Volume XLVI May 20, 2020 No. 11

ON-LINE STUDY How God’s Word helps us

through the COVID-19 virus! Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Led by Cindy Hall and Jacob Peterson

Each class about 45 minutes

Week 3: Economic Anxiety—May 26

Week 4: Anxiety about Isolation—June 2

Week 5: Anxiety when Church can’t meet—June 9

Please sign-up by calling the office 919-774-4220

Feeling homebound from COVID-19

and want to be part of an uplifting

event? Sandra Lamb Lewis invites

you to a “Drive by Birthday” for her

mother, Diane Lamb. If you have quarantine fatigue, we

want to invite you to celebrate the birthday of Diane in a

way that is safe for her and for you! Simply meet in a

carline at Tramway Elementary (360 Center Church

Rd., Sanford, NC 27330) at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May

26. There will be a sheriff’s deputy to escort the carline

from the school to Sandra’s home at 244 Saintsbury

Place, Sanford, 27332. You can decorate your car with

balloons, or honk, wave or drop a card in a basket by the

circular drive. Shhhhh! Mum’s the word.

Help us Celebrate our Graduates! If you have a graduate graduating from high

school or college, please send photos of them to the

secretary through email: secretary@fbcsanford.com.

You may also drop off pictures at the office, in person,

Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00 or mail them to

FBC, 202 Summit Drive, Sanford, NC, 27330. Please

include a description of the degree obtained along

with any special honors so that as a church we can

share in the joy of your future

plans! All of our graduates need to

know that First Baptist wants to

pray for them now and in the fu-

ture.

We are proud of our graduates

and consider them to be

“survivors.” Read Ephesians 2:10. God

has made a path for you to walk with Him into your

future. Deadline: June 1

Happiness Retreat Cancelled

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Happiness

Retreat for 2020 has been cancelled. Judy Autry will be

getting in touch with all those who signed up.

Virtual Church Services to Continue Church services will continue to be held online

until the green light is given by the government to open

and when church leadership is satisfied that we can

gather safely at church. Please continue to pray for

opening safely. Even when we decide to open our

church doors our virtual church will continue.

Good news! Our YouTube account is 30 days

old. Because we have 100 subscribers now, we have met

the criteria for a custom URL. Our new URL is: http://

youtube.com/c/FBCSanford

New viewer? We invite you to “subscribe” to our

YouTube channel so you can receive notifications from

us! Simple go to the new link and click on the red

“Subscribe” button.

Memorial Day Holiday

The office will be closed

Monday, May 25, in

honor of Memorial Day.

Volume XLVI April 22, 2020 No. 9 202 Summit Drive ● Sanford, North Carolina 27330 ● fbcsanford.org

Church Office (919) 774-4220 ● Family Life Center (919) 776-6137 ● AM radio 1050 WWGP or FM radio 95.1 Sundays, 11:00 a.m.

A Newsletter of the First Baptist Church, Sanford, NC

Reflections from the Pastor Go and Make Disciples

Pandemic Lessons It would be an understatement to say that the pandemic has affected our

lives. Most of us have experienced and still are experiencing great changes in our

daily living. It is easy to be stressed or worried by all of the unknowns. But we don’t

have to panic because we have a God in whom we can trust. However, we should

also follow our local health authorities’ guidelines for precautions. There is a line

between trusting God and testing God to protect us. Jesus refused to recklessly

endanger His life to prove God’s power of protection. (Matthew 4:5-6 “Then the devil took him to the holy city

and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘ If you are the Son of God ’, he said, throw yourself down.”)

As Christians, our choice of response should be one of love for our neighbors, especially those who are more

vulnerable. If we act from love, we will understand that everyone’s response to this pandemic is not the same. Some were

ready to return to normal yesterday, and others are way more cautious. In Christian love, we can accept their views and love

them anyway.

As individuals, we Christians might need to look at how we trust God instead of economics or social gatherings.

We should examine ourselves to see if we love God more than we love going to church. Our best plans get put aside. We

are not in control. But God is in control and he has given us a wonderful promise: Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with

you always, even to the very end of the age.” Hope to see you soon! Love in Christ, Cindy

faMily lifE cENtEr

GOD TO PROTECT US

As Christians we know the command from Jesus found in Matthew

28, “Go and make disciples…” One thing is absolutely clear - we need to

make disciples! What I would like us to think about is this question: What is

a disciple?

During the sermon from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13, I shared a thought

about the nature of discipleship. “[D]iscipleship, at heart, involves

transformation at the deepest levels of our understanding, affection, and will

by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and in relationship with the

people of God” (Putnam and Harrington, DiscipleShift, Five Steps to Help Your

Church Make Disciples Who Make Disciples, 49). While that is a helpful truth

about discipleship, it doesn’t really answer the question of what is a disciple.

Perhaps it helps, though, to think about the difference between

conversion and discipleship. I think a lot of times we confuse the two. Robert Coleman, author of The Master Plan of

Evangelism, writes that, “Conversion is the first step in the discipleship process. A convert is one who turns around.

Meaning, a person is moving in one direction, becomes convicted of sin, turns the other direction, and comes to Christ.

By simple faith, the person receives the gift of salvation. Conversion is the beginning of a journey, whereas discipleship is

ongoing” (emphasis mine). So if you are a Christian, then you have been converted.

Understanding the nature of conversion is a good first step in our inquiry. While it still doesn’t answer my

question, it does help us on our journey together as we seek to understand what it means to be a disciple. I look forward

to continuing our discussion in the weeks and months ahead about Jesus’s command to go and make disciples.

Blessings to you, Sam

An Ongoing Journey

May 24 Preacher: Dr. Sam Roach 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"I Came to Praise the Lord" "All My Hope"

Sung by the Upper Room Band

May 31 Preacher: Dr. Sam Roach

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "Be Thou My Vision" "You Raise Me Up"

Denise Wallace, Horn and Carole Troutman, Piano

"Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me"

arr. K. Lee Scott Duet by April Fleming and Michael Handy

with Camp Price, Clarinet Solo by Sharon Malloy

Worship at First Baptist

We were blessed to be able to spend a few

days with Lu Anne's father and sister in Huntsville, Alabama, last week in what was a "delayed spring

break" trip. God has been gracious to the Handy and Gillespie family in looking after all of us even

though one niece tested positive for the virus. We were interested to observe in other states that many restaurants were remaining limited to drive through in spite of the state granted permission to

open their dining areas. While there, as well as in the office, it's been

great to catch up with most of our senior saints by phone or at their door to deliver monthly literature.

We all certainly have time to read or have someone read to us. As the June materials become available

I'll look forward to making the rounds again where permissible and someday our fine Home-

bound Committee will resume their deliveries.

The service will be livestreamed on YouTube video at 11:00 a.m. Simply go to the website and click on the light blue box which says “Sunday’s 11:00 service on YouTube.” Sunday’s service will be carried live at 11:00 on WWGP AM 1050 or WFJA FM 95.1 You may also visit the WFJA website at www.wfjawwgpradio.com and click on “Listen Live” and the “WWGP stream.”

Thank you for the outreach of support following Odell’s

death through texts, calls, cards, outdoor visits, food and

prayers. It has especially helped and meant so much to me

during this time of isolation. —Patty Baldwin

I would like to say “thank you” to those in her church

family that took time from their busy day to mail my moth-

er, Jo Lane, a happy birthday card for May 3rd. She was

humbled to receive 168 cards for her 90th birthday. Her

Sanford family celebrated with a Zoom meeting from fami-

ly in Asheville, Rock Hill, Durham, Charleston, Pawleys Is-

land, Wilmington, Southport and Charlotte. What a great

day! She says thank you for helping make her day special.

She loves you all… —Donna Parrish

The leadership of the church has been very active in looking

forward to the day when we will be able to gather safely

again. Though a date has not yet been established, a great

deal of planning for that day is being done. Continue to pray

for First Baptist Church as we look forward to the day when we

can safely assemble.

Varga family (and Joan Bland on far left)

Deamer family Bill Hall

Camp and Ruth Price

AT A GLANCE

May 3, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 17,646.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 448.00 Other………………………………………………. 875.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 18,969.00

May 10, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 9,034.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 60.00 Other………………………………………………. 200.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 9,294.00

May 17, 2020 Weekly Budget Requirement………..………….……. 19,500.00 Budget Received …….…………………………….… 11,465.00 Building/Capital Improvement…………………..…… 125.00 Other………………………………………………. 355.00 TOTAL………………………………….……………. 11,945.00

Christian Sympathy is extended to: Family of Betty Rhyne—Betty passed away peacefully on Monday, May 11. Richard and Rachel Holshouser—in the death of his brother, John David Holshouser, 92, of Myrtle Beach, Saturday, May 16. Glenda Patterson—in the death of her brother-in-law, Johnnie Hunter, Monday, May 18.

Steve and Jackie Cole (son of Betty Rhyne)

1257 Tulah Lambert Road Mebane, North Carolina 27302

As we continue in this time of quarantine, we want to uplift our young people and support

them in their achievements to stay strong in the Lord!