December Newsletter 2020

For more information on any events please visit the church website:

www.fbc-brenham.org

www.facebook.com/BrenhamsFirstBaptistChurch

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS:

Mon - Thurs: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Fri: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Brenham’s First Baptist Church Contact Info: Ph: (979) 836-2807 Fax: (979) 830-0122 info@fbc-brenham.org

Mailing address: PO Box 600 Brenham, TX 77834

Sympathies

-Stacy Strickland and family in the loss of her uncle, Don. -Ryan Jahns and family in the loss of his uncle, Freddy Ewald.

-Nancy Jahns and family in the loss of her uncle, Parker New. -Traci Pyle and family in the loss of her dad, Wayne Hickman.

As you prayerfully consider your year-end giving, please consider three opportunities to support Brenham’s First Baptist Church: -The General Fund: Our general fund is “the engine” of the church and funds of budget. This is what funds our daily operations, personnel, local ministry support, missions, etc. Also, as a reminder, we tithe (7% directed to and between the Baptist General Convention and Southern Baptist Convention and 3% to the Independence Baptist Association) whatever we receive in the General Fund (undesignated receipts) so that we, as a church, are modeling the faithful generosity we pray will shape every Christian’s life.

-Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions: This offering is one of three special mission offerings we offer each year. The Lottie Moon Offering is focused specifically on funding international missionaries. You can learn more about this offering by going to https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering/. Our goal for the Lottie Moon Offering this year is $30,000.

-Faith Building Capital Campaign: While we have exceeded our three-year goal, as noted in the above paragraph, there will be further funding needs in order to complete the first phase of our relocation in 2021.

Any giving you can provide over-and-above your giving to the General Fund and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will enable us to have clear picture of construction funding available as we address construction funding needs in 2021.

As a reminder, all year-end gifts mailed to the church office must be post-marked on or before December 31st. Our church office will be open until noon on Thursday, December 31st to accept gifts. You can also give by going to http://fbc-brenham.org/give/. Every year since I’ve been here, I’ve watched the Lord provide for our church through year-end gifts. Therefore, “THANK YOU!” in advance for your year-end faithful giving. Because of your faithful giving, we are resourced to be the church God has called us to be!

Thank you for the privilege of being your pastor. I am truly grateful and humbled.

From Pastor Ross

In December of 2017, we launched our Faith Building capital campaign to help us build the first phase of our relocation without debt. This was an exciting time of watching God work in the life of our church as people made pledges to support this campaign. When it was all-said-and-done, we ended up with three-year pledges totaling $2,989,743! As I write this article in November of 2020, our current amount raised is $3,088,693.85! I am so grateful to God and proud of our church for the amount that has been raised.

In order to complete the first phase of our relocation, we will need, through God’s provision, to raise some more funding. We will be sharing more detailed information about funding needs as we continue with the construction. Nevertheless, I think it is good to pause for a moment and thank God for His provision over the past three years of the capital campaign!

A Letter From Reba Dear Friends, Recently my daughter shared a memory on her Facebook of her son when he was four years old.

She shared that she had been reading the Bible to him and stopped to rub her eyes and told him “Mommy needs to get her eyes tested, I think I may need to get glasses.” He said it is okay Mommy I will read it to you and took the Bible. Now he is 4 years old and not reading yet. He looked up at her and says, “It says love! That’s what it says right mommy?”

Oh, that we should all remember this very thing everyday not just at Christmas, but every day! Our world needs to see and feel a lot more love than is being seen this year. It has been a hard year for everyone, but as Christians we need to be the example put forth in love for our world. I guess the bottom line would be “Love everyone.”

Christmas celebrations will most likely be different this year with limited group meetings. We just need to remember the most important guest will be there with us no matter the situation of the day. Jesus Christ will be our guest no matter what is going on we just need to invite Him to our celebrations.

I pray you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year also.

Blessings, Reba Pair

Music Ministry

The music ministry is excited to be able to share with you our Virtual Christmas Choir presentation!

We have been working hard all fall on preparations, recording, and production of this project. You will hear some great music, see some powerful dramatic elements, and WE PRAY, be encouraged during this difficult time by receiving a fresh reminder of the hope that is ours through the gift of Jesus! We will be premiering the finished product to the choir on Wednesday, December 9th. The week following, we plan to release the presentation through our various church social media outlets and our website. Thank you to the brave souls who were willing to try something new (and perhaps a little intimidating) in order to bless our church and community this Christmas season!

Blessings! Charles Covin

Sweet Hour of Prayer One of God’s greatest gifts is “Today”. As it is said, “Yesterday is gone and tomorrow never comes, but we will, as long as we live, have Today”. God has a lot to say about “Today”.

Psalm 95:7B & 8A - “ Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts”.

Luke 2:11 - Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you”.

Like 19:9 - Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house.”

Luke 23:43 - Today you will be with me on Paradise.”

Hebrews 1:5. “You are my Son, Today I have become your Father.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another as long as it is called Today.”

Hebrews 4:7. “Therefore God has again set a certain day calling it Today.”

Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, Today, and forever.”

Psalm 118:24. “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Matthew 6:11. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

To God there is no day like Today. Let us hold it dear in our hearts and thank Him for it. This is the only day we are given, Today. Today is the day of salvation. If Jesus is not in your heart as your Savior get on your knees and ask Him to come into your heart,Today. If someone dear to you does not have Jesus as their Savior get on your knees and pray for them. If the world seems to be crashing down on you, get down on your knees and talk it over with the Lord. Does some one need your prayers, now, Today? Don’t hesitate, get on your knees and pray for them. Do you get the drift? Everyday is Today, and Today is the day to pray. Don’t let it pass. Although, tomorrow becomes Today, don’t t let yourself regret not praying yesterday. Yesterday is gone and you can’t ever get it back and tomorrow only comes after Today is finished. Don’t miss what God has for you Today.

Sweet Hour of Prayer - Come join us!

Thursday, 10:00-11:00 am. Sycamore House Garage.

Thank yous

Dear BFBC Family, Thank you for your generous love offering that you gave us during our time of need after the hurricane. I apologize for the delay in sending our appreciation.

Love in Christ, Pastor Robert and Theda Trahan

From Troy's Heart

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope you are ready for a joy-filled holiday as we celebrate Jesus.

For our family, we are expectantly waiting for the birth of our first grandchild, Olivia June. For months we have been praying for her, as well as, Jamie and Cameron. We have prayed for her health. We have prayed for her physical and spiritual development. We have prayed for her to accept Jesus one day and to be a person of character and integrity. We have prayed for Jamie and Cameron to be parents of unconditional love, joy and to be filled with patience. With so many prayers surrounding her birth, when we hold her, it will seem as we already know her.

I imagine it was the same that first Christmas as Mary and Joseph held Jesus. For nine months, He was their expected-one and for generations, He was the Long-Expected-One for the world. Their prayers, as well as, the prayers of the multitudes were now cradled in their arms on that first Christmas morning. The Bible says, “Mary treasured up all of these things and pondered them in her heart�

Luke 2:19 This Christmas, what are we praying for? Are we praying with such fervency that when our prayers are answered, we will welcome them as we already know them? Will we hold those answered prayers as treasured gifts of a loving Father?

I hope so!

I love you, Troy

Small Groups Big News ,

I am so proud of our Sunday Bible Studies and Home Teams! Weekly I hear about and see the good work of our groups:

·Adult 5 is helping lead the Operation Christmas Child shoebox drive. On 11/7, they met in the

gym to fill over 300 shoeboxes!

·Adult 3 sends Christmas cards to all of our homebound and shut-ins, as well as, supports the work of Go Drill International.

·Adult 4, Hope Class and Friendship Class find families to bless at Christmas time. (I am sure others do as well, I just don’t know it).

·Agape Life and Adult 3 “Zoom in” other class members during Bible Study to make them feel apart during Covid.

·Our deacons(yes, they are a small group too), helped one of our single-adult moms move into a house, as well as, regularly doing many other acts of service to our church.

I know there are many other groups are doing work anonymously and selflessly. Thank you as well.

Piece Makers

Piece Makers would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas season! Though we lost several months of meetings, we are right on track with our annual December donation of baby quilts, mommy bags, burp cloths and receiving blankets to New Beginnings Life Ministries. As the restrictions on getting together have eased, several Piece Makers have made use of our longarm quilter to finish their baby quilts. Rosie Harris pieced and quilted this pinwheel quilt to be presented to New Beginnings later this month.

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Preschool Ministry Pajama Day December 20th It’s Pajama Day and Celebration of Jesus birth, here in the preschool ministry!

Memory Verse:

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Big Picture Question:

How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory.

Happy Birthday:

Reba Pair Brady Wallace

Student Ministry How is it possible that the year 2020 has seemed to drag along but also now at the end it feels like it’s flown by? It was an emotional roller coaster for sure with lots of ups and downs.

It’s a huge temptation to talk about the losses, but I want to point out some of the gains of 2020. God was still working and reaching people for His Kingdom. Facebook and other social media were flooded with worship services, prayer meetings, and so many devotionals. The gospel was going around the world! I enjoyed worshiping each week with multiple churches. I watched services from past church homes, and others from pastor friends around the country, and most excitedly of former students who are serving in ministry. There’s no question that 2020 has pushed everyone out of their comfort zones. People are open and asking important questions like, What is the meaning of life? God is giving us this unique opportunity in history to speak truth in love into peoples’ lives. It can be a challenge to get overwhelmed with the uncertainties of life, but let’s try to take this chance to SPEAK LIFE into others Parents, the sign-up for FUGE Camp this summer 2021 is up and online. We will be going to Panama City, Florida this summer and will be taking a charter bus which means we have LIMITED spots available. Our one and only youth fundraiser, THE MEN’S CAKE BAKE will be January 24, 2021. Please, men, especially fathers of students, make a cake and have some fun in the competition.

In Him, Bro Chad

FBC School and EEC “ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!� 2 Corinthians 9:15 Things have looked very different for all of us this year. Our constant has been the love of Christ. May each of us rejoice in Jesus every day of the year. He is the reason for our lives, not just this season!

Since we are unable to have our Christmas programs, we will be creating Advent videos featuring each preschool-elementary class. We will begin sharing them on December 1 on our Facebook page. Check them out and prepare your heart for Him! As we look to the New Year, I pray for wisdom and discernment as we, the church and school, seek His plan for each of us. We are looking forward to what is before us as we have gratitude for what He has already done for us!

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Serving Him, Nancy Jahns

Texas Celebration

We are collecting donations and items for Texas Celebration which will be March 5, 2020.

CALENDAR

December 16 11:30 DISMISSAL Report Cards go home 16-18 EEC open 21-23 EEC open 28-31 EEC open

January

1 4 5

FBCS & EEC closed FBCS & EEC Closed for training FBCS & EEC students return to class

Children's Ministry “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” (Luke 2:10, NIV) Good Morning, Merry Christmas! When I say this I mean, “May your celebration of Christ’s birth be an intimate time of communion filled with gaiety and festivity” (a paraphrased combination of the definitions of the two words as found from Merriam-Webster.com). Aren’t you glad that we have a system that combines a whole lot of meaning into a couple of words? Just think how tiring it might be to go throughout your day combining the definitions of words to express your thoughts instead of just putting the words into shorter phrases?

Now let’s get back to Merry Christmas – two words carrying different meanings that amplify each other when brought side by side in reverse alphabetical order. When you use this phrase is your intention to communicate, “May your celebration of Christ’s birth be an intimate time of communion filled with gaiety and festivity,” every time? Are you hoping to wish merriment? Are you attempting to encourage intimate communion with Christ? I hope so. What happens with me though, as the season carries on, the intended meaning is “oh, hello,” or “good-bye.” Sometimes I use the phrase to draw attention to myself instead of Christ. What meaning have you morphed the phrase into?

By trying to communicate, “May your celebration of Christ’s birth be an intimate time of communion filled with gaiety and festivity” in a short two-word phrase, do we shrink the meaning as well? Christmas is a time for bright eyes, positivity and hope. It is an opportunity for delivery of the gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is also a time to gift positivity and hope to those who are experiencing a bleak and blue Christmas.

Continue to wish people a Merry Christmas with your voice. Let your heart and actions tell them, “May your celebration of Christ’s birth

be an intimate time of communion filled with gaiety and festivity.”

His Servant & Yours,

1. Jingle Jam at the Boys and Girls Club of Washington Bro. Alex

County 12/13/2020 6pm-7:30pm, RSVP required

(12/14 & 12/15 as needed)

Upcoming Events:

2. VBS 6/21-24/2021

3. Camp Tejas 7/8-12/2021

Brenham’s First Baptist Church P. O. Box 600 Brenham, TX 77834-0600

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