June Newsletter 2020

Due to the spread of COVID-19 we will be revising our calendar. We will update you as soon as possible. If you would like more information & updates on Brenham’s First Baptist Church’s response to the Corona Virus go to http://fbc-brenham.org/covid-19-response-info/

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

As we move forward as a church, we continue to make changes slowly in different areas. One of the challenges is to keep everyone informed of the changes, especially since the changes can happen week-to-week or even day-to-day. Therefore, here are some ways you can stay informed:

-I send out 1-2 emails per week with updates. If you have an email

and you are not receiving these emails, please email me at

rshelton@fbc-brenham or call the church office (979-836-2807).

-You can go to our home page, www.fbc-brenham.org, where you will find updates.

-You can call the church office, and one of our administrative staff can update you.

Please know we miss seeing everyone and look forward to seeing what God will do in and through our church in the days ahead.

From Pastor Ross

It is still hard to imagine all the changes that have happened over the past few months.

Nevertheless, I can say that I have never been prouder of our church than I have through this season. You have adapted to the changes, checked in on each other, faithfully given, and served our community in different ways. God willing, we are beginning to take to small steps towards a more normal rhythm pattern of life. As a staff, we meet each week to discuss where we are and where need to go as we move forward re-opening different parts of the church. One quote I saw that has been helpful to me in this has been the following, “Reopening will be a process and not an event.� This has certainly been true for us.

A Letter From Reba

Dear Friends, As I was preparing to write today, I had to do some soul searching. It has been an unusual time in history these last few months and we are having to learn how to deal with a different lifestyle as we go from day to day. I have enjoyed my extra time at home, and I have completed many projects that I had just let go. I was afraid just sitting on the porch and doing nothing that real loneliness would set in.

When feeling a need to get out we get in the car and take a ride out in our beautiful county to see the beauty of God’s creation.

At the beginning it became my reality that I am in the high risk category for this virus with pre-existing health issues. That has been the hardest part for me, to realize I cannot be the helper this time around. So when the call came out for face mask for Bread Partners I went to my sewing closet and found plenty of fabric (not a surprise to anyone who sews),but I wasn’t sure about elastic, but God provided enough elastic to make about 40 face masks.

Which takes me to this point that if we are willing to do, God will provide the things we need to do what He has called us to do I do not know what is in our future, but know that God has a plan. I would also like to wish our fathers all a happy Fathers Day in a few weeks.

I was blessed with a Christian father and mother and I am so thankful for them and miss them all the time. They are the ones who taught me to have a servants heart and to do for others anytime you can.

I would like to leave you with this song I saw in the back cover of my old Broadman Hymnal.

The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee by B.B. McKinney The Lord Bless thee, and keep thee The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, And be gracious unto thee, The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, And give thee peace Blessings, Reba Pair

Thank yous And Sympathies

Dear Church Family, Thank you so much for the beautiful potted plant that you sent for my brother Greg’s funeral. It was very much appreciated.

Pat & Charlotte Mulligan

Thank you for the peace lily you sent to mother’s funeral. It was good to be remembered during this time of loss. We appreciate this expression of sympathy from our church family.

We also thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Love, Judy & Dan Bishop, and the Burnell Waters family

From Troy's Heart At the time of writing this article, something exciting is happening at our church! NOISE! There are voices of people coming up and down the halls. Our Early Education Center employees are busy getting trained and preparing their rooms and doorways for the arrival of precious children on May 18th. Our Building Staff are cleaning rooms, checking supplies and getting our sanctuary ready for the re-opening of Sunday Worship on May 17th.

Administrative and Ministerial Staff are answering and making phone calls to members and volunteers with joy, as they catch up on stories from Covid hibernation. Smiles. Laughter. Conversations. Relief. New life has entered our church today!

For the past 10 weeks, I have sat in my quiet office and walked empty church hallways. No kids. No FBCS teachers. No FUN! BUT today, the whole atmosphere has changed. Today we have PEOPLE! People change things. Today, the people in our church have reminded me that THEY matter. Not only the “THEY” of FBC School/EEC, but the “THEY” of our world. Jesus died for the “THEY”. He commanded us to go to the “THEY”, to love them, serve them, speak to them, baptize them and teach them. “THEY” should bring us to missional life.

As we all start to “re-open”, maybe we will re-open our eyes to the “THEY’S” around us? If so, THEY will change us.

I love you, Troy

Focus of the Month: Toys (no war toys, water guns, etc.)

Suggestions for boys and girls of all ages: Balls, finger puppets, slinky, etch-a-sketch, interactive toys w/noise, lights, & sound w/extra batteries, cars, boats, trucks, plastic tools, dinosaurs, yo-yos, small frisbee, small kite, baseball & glove, action figures, hacky sack, doll

Small Groups, Big News Welcome to Summer! Typically, at this time of year, we are getting ready for a busy summer calendar filled with camps, fellowships, trips, VBS and Mission Trips. With Covid, everything is turned upside down. Some of these activities have been cancelled and some of them will not look the same this summer. We have all had to adjust to a new way of life. UGH! The same principle applies this summer to our small groups. We met as a staff to talk about what Sunday Bible Studies and Home Teams could look like this summer. Right now, there is a feeling that with so many unknowns regarding the spread of the virus and the reality of schedules still changing, the restarting of our small groups will need to wait a little longer.

However, we do have framework around a plan ready to implement when the time comes.

We look forward to when our small groups restart!

Preschool Ministry Memory Verse: “Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, … punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.” Isaiah 53:4-5

Big Picture Question: Why did God create people?

God created people to love Him and give Him glory.

Happy Birthday: Hunter Clark Beau Yelderman Knox Brannon Lincoln Anderson

Piece Makers Even though we are not meeting as a group right now, our Piece Makers are still busy!

Making jump ropes out of t-shirts is our current project.

Doddie Messick has Piece Makers collecting t-shirts and cutting them into strips which will be braided to make jump ropes. These colorful jump ropes will then be packed into Christmas Child boxes for collection in November. Doddie is in charge of this program for our church and has some great ideas each month for getting a ‘jump’ on filling boxes.

Mother’s Day Out BFBC Mother’s Day Out is enrolling children 15 months- 5 years for the 2020-2021 school year.

The Enrollment Fee for the school year is $100 and is due at the time of enrollment. It is non-refundable. If your child will be attending the preschool program at Brenham’s First Baptist Church School, keep in mind MDO offers after school care from 11:30am-2:30pm.

Contact Kristie at mdo@fbc-brenham.org with questions or go to our church’s website where you can find a registration form for Mother’s Day Out.

Student Ministry As I set here wondering what I should write about the Lord just reminded me that this job is no fun without interacting with people face-to-face. It’s not so rewarding for me to stare at a computer screen. I find myself sitting in front of a camera or behind a keyboard and I feel like a part of my life is falling short because we have been put in to isolation and social distancing. I know that God has made us all different and with different gifts but I personally enjoy life and ministry more when it’s being shared with other people. And I’m sure most people are that way. God has made us to be in fellowship with each other. That’s why I am praying that this is over sooner than later.

Just about everyone in the world has been affected in some way or another. I’m sure your family has felt the strain either financially, or being thrown into “home” schooling, or having anxiety about just going to get groceries. And our community has been very affected and many of us has felt it personally. But one thing I realized is that God has a plan through it all.

He has a plan for me and He has a plan for you to reach others for His glory. Satan want us to take our eyes off of the Lord and to focus more on all of the things that have been taken away from us.

Have you just stopped and praised God for all the things you still have in your life? It may take you some time to work through it. You’re alive another day, we have air to breathe and homes to live in. We have clothes to wear. I can see, I can run (slowly) and walk, I have healthy children.

The list can go on and on.

I praise you Father for all the things You have blessed me with. You are the sustainer of our lives and You bring so much joy in our lives. Lord, help us to keep our eyes on you and not on the things in the world that can’t bring everlasting joy!

FBC School and EEC

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Matthew 18:16

May 18th was one of our best days this spring! We were able to open our Early Education Center to essential personnel only. While the process and size or the program looks different, the sound of children remains pure joy! Another praise was there has been more laughing than crying! As new State Licensing requirements are released, we hope to be able to open up to more families. Although childcare centers may now take non-essential people, we are not able to do so. The requirements currently on us, max out our ability to take more children due to personnel. There is a huge It’s not too late need for summer care in Brenham. It is a great opportunity to to enroll for the reach more families, so we hope to be able to accommodate them soon!

2020-2021 school year!

Our school students and teachers finished the 2019-2020 year Call or come by the school office strong! I’m so proud of the teachers, students, and the parents for information and a tour. for sticking with it. As a school staff, we have struggled with not having closure with the children we have loved so much Go to this year. Last week as we were meeting, we discussed ways we https://www.fbcsbrenham.org/ could reach out to our families. We decided to have a two-way for info and to enroll. parade with an Aloha theme. The parents were encouraged to decorate their vehicles, wear tropical styled clothing, and come have fun. We decorated and set up stations along Pahl and Cottonwood streets. Our staff wasn’t sure if people would come, but we planned big. What teamwork was shown by the group! A sweet grandparent of the school created an amazing 30’ banner for us. We had strings of colorful pinwheels and balloons.

Teachers had class goodies to pass out to their students. We had also treats of leas, popcorn, cotton candy, and flamingo soft drink holders with cold sodas to pass out throughout the parade. Then, on the hottest day of the year, we celebrated. And man, did the families come! They were so thankful for the opportunity to see staff. Our blessing to them, was a blessing to us! It was a huge shot in the arm of encouragement. It had been a pretty massive undertaking to accomplish in one week. It was completely worth it – for the families and for FBCS. We were all so blessed

by HIM! Serving with you, Nancy Jahns

Please pray for our summer Early Education Center program. We are open with limited numbers of students and reduced hours due to state requirements for operating. Pray specifically for us to continue to provide quality care that engages our children and points them to Christ as well as to open the program to more families as state requirements are lifted.

Children's Ministry

“But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:7, NIV) Good Morning,

Have you ever been going about your day, then someone comes along, knocks you on the head and kidnaps you to a distant land where you are forced into slavery surrounded by strangers who speak a strange language? Then, in that foreign land, just when you start succeeding at your job, you are falsely accused and thrown into jail. Do you think you would start wondering what you did to make God mad at you? Does this story sound familiar? No, it is not the last episode of some true-crime series. It is from the Bible. It is the abbreviated story of Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel), in the book of Genesis. Joseph did make it out of prison, but would you not agree that he had a pretty tough time?

Joseph was his father’s favorite son, and it seemed that he was favored by God as well from the dreams he had been given. Things were going well for Joseph, and then in one day he went from a loved and cherished son to a slave who had been thought dead by his father. It is hard to imagine what Joseph thought through those times, but chapter 40 verse 15 gives us a glimpse into his thoughts – “I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” This is the time that he is in jail, and deciphers the dream of the cupbearer who was about to return to Pharaoh’s service. Joseph was using his God-given abilities to try and change his circumstances – “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison” (Gen. 40:14). However, the cupbearer forgot him, and Joseph stayed in prison for two more years.

The bottom line is that while Joseph was going through his challenges, he was not so faithful to allow God to be in control. He asked the cupbearer to appeal to Pharaoh to release him. His following statement reveals how he was focused on the trials he was forced to bear, instead of being focused on the God above all the trials. I know we have been through (and are still in the middle of) a unique and tough time in our lives. For some it may have even felt like you were in prison.

Joseph was literally in prison, but when he was released, and looked back on how God orchestrated his life, he was able to testify of how all that had happened had been for God to use him to provide for Israel.

You might not see the flowers from the rainstorm of COVID-19 yet, but remember when you do witness the positive that you need to testify of the One from whom all blessings flow. Give glory to God. He was not absent during the shelter in place and did not stop working. Have you already witnessed some blooms of blessings? Please share. FaceBook about it. Maybe even pluck some of the bounty, and share a bouquet with those you meet who need to hear of God’s greatness.

His Servant & Yours, Bro. Alex

-Take Home VBS: June 29-JULY 2 (PACKET PICKUP) -Camp Tejas: July 6-10 -beTWEENtime Mission Trip - Cancelled

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