Ash Wednesday ServiceWednesday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m.

No CrossTraining this eveningJoin us for the Ash Wednesday service on February 18th at 7:00 p.m. downtown in the church sanctuary. The ancient observance of Ash Wednesday has been a part of the Christian tradition since the 8th century, but it is fairly new to us at FBC. The service is one of reflection and renewal. Worshipers will have a chance to write down their confessions and to watch them burn until they are nothing but ashes. After a brief meditation, the service will culminate in the traditional imposition of ashes on the forehead in the sign of the cross, which is a sign of repentance. Marking the beginning of the season of Lent, Ash Wednesday is a time to “set our face toward Jerusalem,” as Jesus did, and to be reminded that, while following Christ means embracing a death to self, such practice is what

ultimately sets us on the pathway to newness of life.

First Baptist Church Wilmington | North Carolina NewsKingdom

Issue 2 Volume 79 February 2015

In This IssuePage 3FBC on Mission for 2015

Page 5 We Will Miss You, Kurt & Jean

Page 7Changing Lives, One Plate at a Time

Mayor’s Prayer BreakfastMonday, February 16th at 7:00 a.m.

First Baptist Activities CenterWe are delighted to welcome Judge James Faison as our speaker for this year’s Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by

the Men’s Ministry of First Baptist Church. James Faison III was born in New Hanover County and raised in Pender County. He is a

graduate of Pender High School, and a two-time graduate of North Carolina Central University (B.A. and J.D.).

In 1992, he was appointed to serve as Assistant District Attorney for the Fifth Judicial district, which includes Pender and New Hanover Counties. In 2000, Faison was appointed by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. to serve as District Court Judge for the Fifth Judicial District. This appointment established Judge Faison as the first African American male to become a District Court Judge in the history of the Fifth Judicial District. Judge Faison serves the youth of our communities as a mentor, motivational speaker, and frequent guest speaker at area schools. As a volunteer, he presides over high school Mock trial competitions and teen court sessions. He serves as a member of the New Hanover County Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence and he also serves our youth and community as board member of numerous organizations such as the Wilmington Family YMCA, the Community Boys and Girls Club, and SMART Start of New Hanover County. Tickets to the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast are $5.00 and are available from Vick Griffin (8:50 a.m. Worship Service), Bruce Lennon (11:00 a.m. Worship Service) or during the week through the Church Office.

Check out page 6 for our new

event, Oh, the Places You’ll Go:

Dinner & Auction!

Expand Your Friend Group

The God Squad Sunday School class is looking to expand their circle of friends! God Squad is FBC’s Sunday School class for children and adults with special needs. This is a fun environment with lots of hugs and smiles and is looking for others with the same qualities to join them during Sunday School. To find out more information, email or call Mrs. Jeannie at 910-763-2471 or jtroutman@fbcwilmington.org.

OUR VISION:“To become a community of

believers that is open and welcoming to anyone, no matter where they

are on their faith journey, and is intentionally joining with Christ in his

redemptive work and purposes in the world.”

OUR MISSION:“To become, and help others to

become, fully devoted followers of Jesus

Christ.”

SundayWorship

Schedule

February 8“Full of Wrath”

Romans 1:18-22Matt Cook

February 15 “Full of Mercy”Hosea 11:1-11

Jayne Davis

The Road Less TraveledFebruary 18

Into the WildMatt 4:1-11Matt Cook

February 22“The Narrow Way”

Matt 7:7-14Matt Cook

March 1“The Vulnerable Way”Matt 9:35-10:1,10:11-16

Matt Cook

He Is With UsIn the 28th chapter of Genesis, a guy named Jacob finds himself where he does not want to be. He’s just had a

confrontation with his brother and in his fear he runs away, and now he is frightened and alone, out in the middle of nowhere. Or so he thinks.

In a dream that night, God appears to him and tells him “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” It’s exactly what Jacob needed to hear. And so Jacob responds “surely the Lord was in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Endings are hard. Saying goodbye to Kurt and Jean Wachtel wasn’t fun. And some of us may be feeling like we’re in a place where we do not want to be. But it’s in such places where God whispers “I am with you.” It’s in such places where God appears with surprising love and provision, and reminds us that He’s God and that we can trust him to do more than we might even ask or imagine. I’m sad but I’m also excited. I’m sad to say goodbye to friends, but I’m excited to see what God is going to do in our midst this year to remind us that He is God and renew our worship as individuals and as a congregation. I’m excited because I need a fresh reminder of just how amazing God is, and I think that maybe that’s what God is up to in our church. So here’s my advice for us in this moment. Let’s stop and look around for a moment. Let’s lift our gaze just a bit and see if we can’t spot God standing right there next to us. Can there be any doubt that God is in this place, right here with us? Let’s trust him and watch what he does.

Passion Conference 2015The GPS College Group took 35 students to Atlanta in January joining over 12,000 college peers from universities all over the USA and the world. The three-day Worship & Mission conference was spent singing, sharing in community groups and in large group Bible study. Everyone returned to Wilmington full of God’s love and passion.

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SOUTH AFRICAJULY 15- JULY 30

Going on a mission trip to Johannesburg, South Africa is a truly spiritual experience. Not

only do you get to share the love of Jesus with some of the poorest of

the poor, but you get to spend time with some of the most gifted African missionary workers.

Refilwe is the name of one of the mission sites where we will serve

during the South Africa trip. There are opportunities for work in the

Baby House (a preschool center), a clinic and an orphanage. A second mission point of the trip is in rural Emmaus where we will help leaders of a young church plant among the Zulu people. The trip is

church-wide and the cost is $3,500.

SIGN UP FOR MISSION TRIPS BY CONTACTING

THE ACTIVITIES CENTER AT 910-799-7564 OR EMAIL DON VIGUS AT DVIGUS@FBCWILMINGTON.ORG.

The FBC Youth Ministry will be on mission Friday, July 10- Sunday, July 19 to Dallas, Texas.

Rising 9th-12th grade students will have the opportunity to share the love of Christ through

roofing, painting and building handicap ramps in the Dallas area. We will partner again with Mission Serve and have exciting adventures

planned on our big road trip together! We will leave at dinner time on July 10 and return late on

July 19. Cost is $450 per family: 1st child-$450, 2nd child-$400.

DALLAS, TEXAS

MIAMI/HOMESTEAD

“Give your life away” over Spring Break by traveling with

the GPS College Group to Miami/Homestead. We will

spend a great week ministering to South Florida children and teenagers who are part of the 97% poorest in America. We

will tutor them with their homework, play fun games and

spend time with them in worship. We will also stop for a little fun in Orlando and spend a day at Universal Studios. Turn

in $50 deposit by February 1 to sign up. Total cost for the trip is $300.

JULY 10 - JULY 19

Join us on one or several of these mission trips to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in our country and around the world.

MARCH 7-15

This College Group Mission Trip will be joining “God at Work” in Barcelona,

Spain. We will be working with missionaries Paul and Suzanne Luciani

and their family to serve a variety of ministry sites with several local Christian churches. Our projects include Morocco

refugees, a youth weekend “end of school” retreat, and leading workshops on “Eng-lish as a Second Language”. We will also spend time in personal “Discipleship”

studies together. To reserve a spot, a $500 deposit is due by February 15. Total cost

for the trip is $1,500.

BARCELONAMAY 17-31 JULY 23 - JULY 30

& OCTOBER 4 - 11There are two opportunities to be the hands of God in Guatemala in 2015. The first church-wide trip will be July 23 - July 30, 2015 and the second will be October 4–October 11, 2015. We will build 16 houses for Guatemalan families living in the mountains, give food to hundreds of families to last

them a month and spend time with

Guatemalan children and their families

as they receive love,

friendship & have fun with soccer balls donated by FBC! Total

cost is $1,050. Turn in a deposit by March 1.

GUATEMALA

Terry & Don RinesWe welcome Terry and Don Rines to our fellowship and also to the Cape Fear region as they have retired and moved to Brunswick County from New York. The Rines attend The Journey service along with their neighbors, Connie and David Bobbitt, that have joined the church as well (pictured right).

Sharing Life Together LWelcome New Members

Tuesday NoonJoin us each Tuesday at noon at the Activities Center for a wonderful home-cooked meal and a devotional given by one of our ministers. Tuesday noon is a great way to meet new friends and catch up with current friends. The cost of the meal is

$5 and reservations are not required. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesdays!

Schedule:February 3: Jim EveretteFebruary 10th: Daryl Trexler (Valentines Day Lunch)February 17th: Matt CookFebruary 24th: Jim EveretteThe updated Tuesday Noon schedule and menu are on our website: www.fbcwilmington.org

Connie & David Bobbitt

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The Bobbitts relocated to Leland from Bailey, NC. Connie has retired recently from a career in public education and is now working for the NC State Employees Credit Union. David teaches at Whiteville Primary School. Have you invited your neighbor to join you at worship? Both the Rines and Bobbitts joined us by transfer of their church membership from churches in their previous home towns.

Charles and Beverly PlastersBeverly and Charles Plasters have followed their daughter (our Catherine Imperial) from Newport, NC to Wilmington and FBC. Catherine and her family have been a part of our congregation for a number of years, but Beverly and Charles had to complete careers before coming this way to enjoy their retirement years. They have been worshipping with us for several months and are part of the Wells Sunday School Class. Charles is quite the poet and enjoys sharing his creations. Welcome them to FBCW.

Johnny Lindquist

We welcome Johnny Lindquist as a new member to our fellowship. He comes to us having professed faith in Christ a couple of years ago. Originally from Fayetteville, Johnny trained as a fire fighter and has relocated to Wilmington seeking new opportunities and employment. He has found community in the Route 356 Sunday School class.

New ArrivalsCongratulations to Nathan & Tara Tuttle on the arrival of their

daughter, Eleanor Grace. on January 12th. She weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. and was 181/2 inches and now joins her older sister Charlotte.

Congratulations to Steve and Kelly Callahan on the birth of their daughter Katelyn Elizabeth born on January 13, 2015.

Congratulations to Jeremy and June Dickinson on the birth of their daugther, Lucy Kate, born January 2, 2015. She was 7 lbs., 13 ounces.

Congratulations to Candi & Jason Harmon on the birth of their son, Max Paul II, on December 17, 2014. He weighed 7 lbs. and 2 ounces. Proud grandparents are Jeanette and Ken Woodruff.

Try Zumba® Free!Tuesday, February 10, we will offer an introductory class to Zumba Fitness® and we invite you to participate at no cost that night! Zumba Fitness® is an upbeat, energetic exercise that is set to Latin and international music. It is fun for all ages and abilities. The Activities Center hosts Zumba Fitness® classes every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and every Thursday at 5:15 in room 203; cost is

regularly $5.00/session.

The following memorials have been given generously, and we are deeply grateful:

Memorial GiftsGeneral Fund

In memory of R. Jack Davis by Lib, Libby & Dayton Martin

In honor of Kurt & Jean Wachtelby Frank & Nancy Davis

In honor of Bill, Kim, Ella & William Hunter

by Lucie & Ron Saylor

Pastor’s FundIn honor of new Deacons

by Joan B. Marshall

Music MinistryIn honor of Kurt & Jean Wachtel

by Willis & Ann Brownby Mr. & Mrs. William McEachern IV

We Will Miss You Dearly, Kurt and JeanAs we said good bye to Kurt and Jean Wachtel at their farewell reception on Sunday, January 25, we are reminded of their 22 years of dedication, friendship and amazing worship music they blessed us with at First Baptist Church.

SympathyChristian sympathy is extended to Elnora Sneedon on the passing of her sister, Audrey Faye Scott of Wilmington, on Monday, December 29, 2014.

Christian sympathy is extended to Joan McCall on the loss of her sister, Joyce Gloria Mattingly, on December 19, 2014.

Christian sympathy is extended to Angie Cline on the loss of both her parents. Her father, Boyce Chatham, on December 31, 2014 and her mother, Barbara Flack Chatham, on January 12, 2015.

Altar FlowersIf you would like to honor or memorialize a loved one by placing flowers on the altar, please call Deborah Rivenbark at the church office, 763-2471, for details or to schedule a date. The arrange-ments have an extended life through the “Flower Power” ministry which arranges bouquets and distributes them to homebound members, nursing homes and members in the hospital.

Giving2014 Goal:

2014 Receipts:

December 2014 Goal:December 2014 Receipts:January 2015 Goal: January 2015 Receipts:

Attendance

Worship 649 675 534 641Sunday School 503 522 558 635

JAN4

JAN18

JAN11

JAN25

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Pictures courtesy of Mark Steelman Photography

$1,995,661.00 $1,952,645.17-20,426.66 $292,842.00$272,415.34$157,559.00 $120,979.81

Joey SmithJoey Smith has professed faith in Christ and looks forward to being baptized. He was introduced to Christ and First Baptist Church by his friend Brian Furtado. Joey takes part in our Wednesday night CrossTraining seminars and enjoys The Journey worship sevice.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go:Spring Dinner & AuctionSunday, March 22nd at 5:30 P.M.First Baptist Activities Center

Heart for Missions Special Offerings for FebruaryThe month of February is Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) focus month. WMU has been an important part of the life of First Baptist Church for more than one hundred years. The Betty Stike Women on Mission Group was named in memory of the first female to be ordained as a deacon of our church and a passionate supporter of WMU, specifically, and many other avenues of ministry continues this long legacy. Members of this mission group ask that you join them in giving to the Special Offering that will be used to further God’s Kingdom in ministry through women and children across North Carolina. Special offering envelopes will be available at the entrances to the sanctuary throughout the month of February. Make checks payable to First Baptist with WMU NC as the special designation in the memo line. Donations can be placed in the collection plates on Sundays or mailed directly to the church office. February is also the month we assist with the care of our older adult brothers and sisters in Christ. With four retirement communities, Baptist Retirement Homes (BRH) of North Carolina provides all levels of care for older adults, including special programs for those with dementia-related disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease. Rising costs and decreased federal and state assistance have made maintaining BRH’s high standard of care increasingly difficult. Many residents who have

been able to pay for their care are finding themselves in financial need. Over 40% of the residents depend on some level of benevolent care. Please help by

contributing toward our FBC goal of $3,000.

First Baptist Church is always on a mission and this March we’re going to take that to a whole new level. For years we’ve held a Spring event to help support our teenagers’ mission

efforts, but this year we’re broadening that event to support all of our mission trips. We think that the funds we raise at this event will not only provide more money for our students but will

also help lower the cost of our foreign mission trips and provide scholarships for a few folks who might not be able to go otherwise. All of us want to be a part of supporting God’s mission, now

here’s one great way to do that. First, we’re going to offer a fabulous catered meal. The cost is $10 a ticket. So come and bring some

friends and enjoy a meal together.

Second, there will be a silent auction filled with goods, services, and experiences donated from people throughout our church. You might get to bid on a dinner for two at a fabulous restaurant or a night of

free babysitting from one of our youth (or maybe even both in a package deal). You might get to bid on a day at local spa, or out on the gulf stream on someone’s boat (but we probably won’t package those

together). You might even get to bid on some fabulous art handmade by a talented member of our church.

Then, the highlight of the evening will be a live auction with some fabulous items up for bid. For instance, the very first item donated for our auction was a week at a house up in the North Carolina mountains. The

live auction ought to be a lot of fun, and every dollar you spend will go to support our church’s mission teams.

We hope you’ll plan to join us, but we also hope you’ll plan to help us by putting items up for bid for either the silent or live auctions. If you have something you’d like to donate please speak with our “Oh the Places You’ll Go” team leaders Beth Trice, Rick Miley, Tracy Hamlet or Shannon Pipkin.

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First 2000 Days Summit

The 2nd Annual First 2000 Days Faith Summit will be on Monday, February 16th

at 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Activities Center. The program will be Toxic Stress In Young Children: a community discussion on the effects of stress and brain development. Dr. David Tayloe will be the guest speaker and District Attorney Ben David will be asked to “Give the Charge” at the end of the morning. Event is free and child care is provided. RSVP to 2000dayswilm@gmail.com or 910-815-3731 and mention if child care is needed when registering.

Can You Give Loving Care to Our Preschoolers?

Would you like to join the rotation to provide loving care for our preschoolers during the worship hour? You will be placed on a team to provide care for our children during a worship hour of our choice and you will serve FOUR times per year. This ministry provides families with the opportunity to worship knowing their children are being lovingly cared for.

If you have questions or if you are interested in this impor-tant ministry, please email Lauren McLean at lcl.mclean@gmail.com.

Changing Lives, One Plate at a Time

“Over 80 volunteers came together Tuesday night to cook, feed and fellowship with 120+ of our ministry friends for our Christmas meal. Representatives of the Prayer Shawl Ministry greeted folks as they came in and gave each one a beautiful handmade prayer scarf. After an awesome meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, rolls and cake, fruit bags and to-go bags were given out to each person Everyone also received cold weather bags on their way out, consisting of socks, gloves, toboggans, a hoodie and a blanket.”

This is just one example of the many blessings of the Tuesday Night Homeless Ministry that takes place every Tuesday right here at First Baptist Church.

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The Tuesday Night Homeless Ministry continues to grow. There have been meals prepared and served for over 600 straight Tuesday nights, regardless of weather…hurricanes or freezing temperatures, regardless of holidays…Christmas, Christmas Eve or New Year’s Day. What started as a mission part of First Baptist Youth Ministry, has become a church-wide sharing of the love of Jesus to over 100 homeless men and women. A recent addition of leadership has come from the First Baptist college ministry called GPS (Go Passionately Serve). Often on a Tuesday night there are over 50 UNCW students plus the many volunteers from

our church who come to cook and serve. The Homeless Ministry feeds at two locations: FBC and Mercy House. The meals are cooked from 6-7:30 and then are served in First Baptist’s Fireside Hall and the Mercy House, where a group takes the meal, tables and coolers of tea to serve homeless men who live there. The excitement for following Jesus by doing what Jesus did has become contagious in our teenagers, college students and adults of our church.

Many thanks to everyone who donates food, prepares meals, serves our guests and offers Christ-like Gospel Hospitality to people that hunger for food, friendship and acceptance that come through the doors of First Baptist Church each Tuesday night. If you are interested in getting involved or volunteering with the Tuesday Night Homeless Ministry, please contact Gary Harris at gamyharns@gmail.com.

411 Market StreetWilmington, NC 28401

Kingdom News is a monthly publication of First Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC

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