2022 December Beacon

DECEMBER

DEAR CHURCH,

Sometimes Advent sneaks up on me. You would think stores putting out Christmas displays in early October would be a clue, yet its arrival still surprises me when the Thanksgiving turkey is still warm.

Advent means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a season of expectation and hope. Believers worldwide spend the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day preparing for the arrival of the Christ child, Emmanuel.

Our Advent theme this year is “Hope for the World.” This season, we will reflect on having hope in the unexpected, the unexciting, and the unknown. Maybe you’re experiencing one or more of these feelings. The stories of Advent are stories of hard times. Jesus was born into unsettling and challenging times when the people felt powerless. But when the world

feels hopeless, Advent reminds us God is with us. There is Hope for the World, and his name is Jesus.

I hope you will join us for Advent and make the most of this season of anticipation. On page two, you will find our Advent schedule. Let me encourage you to participate and engage with our church this season. Attend worship in person or online. Share a gift with those in need. Enjoy the beautiful music of the season. Give to global missions. Invite family and friends to join you. Sign up for the daily devotions or grab a printed devotion book in the lobby or church office.

Let us anticipate together with joy our Hope for the world, Jesus!

UPCOMING

Dec 4 - Sunday

Presenting Our Gifts 9 am Youth Dessert Theatre 6 pm

Dec 18 - Sunday Caroling, 4:30 pm

Dec 24 - Saturday

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service & Lord’s Supper, 6 pm

Dec 25 - Sunday

Worship, 9 am No Bible Teaching Classes

Jan 1 - Sunday Worship, 9 am No Bible Teaching Classes

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH / JEFFERSON CITY, MO

SEASON OF ADVENT

CHRISTMAS MAILBOX

DECEMBER 4 | 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9:00 am Worship - HOPE IN THE UNEXCITING, James 5:7-10

Lord’s Supper | Benevolence Offering

Presenting Our Gifts | Bring a new, unwrapped gift, non-perishable food item or money to worship.

10:15 am Bible Teaching Classes

6:00 pm Youth Dessert Theatre, Fellowship Hall Enjoy some dessert and musical talent from our youth as part of their mission trip fundraiser event.

DECEMBER 11 | 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9:00 am Worship - HOPE FOR THE WORLD, Adult Christmas Choir & Orchestra Musical 10:15 am Bible Teaching Classes

DECEMBER 18 | 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

9:00 am Worship - HOPE IN THE UNKNOWN, Matthew 1:18-25

10:15 am Bible Teaching Classes 4:30 pm Church Caroling, 1st Floor Café We’ll start with some refreshments before heading out to carol at homes of homebound church members. Transportation provided.

DECEMBER 24 | CHRISTMAS EVE

6:00 pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Service & Lord’s Supper

DECEMBER 25 | CHRISTMAS DAY SUNDAY

9:00 am - HOPE TO LIGHT OUR WAY, Isaiah 9:2-7 Christmas Pajama Day!

Children & Youth are welcome to wear your Christmas PJs to church. No Bible Teaching Classes

Our Christmas Mailbox returns to our lobby this year. Pick up or send Christmas cards to church members by placing them in the cubbies organized by the last letter of the alphabet. We encourage you to give the money you save on postage to our Global Missions Offering.

ADVENT DEVOTIONS

Our Advent devotions began November 27. If you do not receive them via email but would like to, contact Mary Huhn at mary@fbcjc.org. Printed books are also available at the Welcome Center and the church office.

GUITARISTS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

Each year we invite volunteers to play guitar during “Silent Night,” our closing song at the Christmas Eve service. If you’d like to participate, contact Jeanie McGowan, Interim Pastor of Worship, at jeanie@fbcjc.org.

ADVENT ART

We invited members of our congregation to create art related to our “Hope for the World” Advent theme. These works will be displayed in the lobby throughout Advent. One painting, by artist Amy Potts, is painted directly on a wall leading to the balcony. This is a temporary art piece that will be painted over after January 2. We hope these pieces help you experience the Hope of the World in richer and more meaningful ways than words alone.

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

No Wednesday activities December 21 & 28

5:00 - 5:45 pm Church Supper (3rd Fl)

5:20 – 6:00 pm Orchestra

6:00 - 7:00 pm Choir (high schoolers & older)

5:45 - 7:00 pm Activities for all ages

FIRST FRIENDS for Preschool (3rd Fl, Rm. 304)

FIRST KIDS for Grades K-5 (2nd Fl, Rm. 201)

MIDWEEK for Grades 6-8 (2nd Fl, Refuge Rm)

Bible Study for Adults (Room 326) This room is inside Door 3 on the East Parking Lot, down the hall from the Library and Maintenance office.

5:45 - 8:45 pm Pickleball - all ages (GYM)

7:30 - 9:00 pm MIDWEEK for Grades 9-12 (in Refuge Room on the 2nd Floor)

ADVENT DEVOTIONS

The first Sunday of Advent begins November 27 with a new season of devotions written by members and friends of our congregation. Devotions are emailed daily through Christmas Day. You may also pick up limited print copies of our Advent Devotion Booklet in the church office or at the Welcome Center. These are wonderful to give to neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family members. The print booklets will be available in the church office the week of November 21 and on Sundays beginning November 27.

If you want to receive the daily devotions email and have not before, visit fbcjc.org/connect or contact the church office.

FBC CONTACT

INFORMATION

573.634.3603 fbcjc.org youtube.com/fbcjc info@fbcjc.org facebook.com/fbcjc twitter.com/fbcjc Instagram.com/fbcjcmo

STAN FARMER Church Administrator stan@fbcjc.org

CARA HARRINGTON

Interim Children’s Weekday Minister cara@fbcjc.org

MELISSA HATFIELD

Pastor of Youth & Missions melissa@fbcjc.org

MARY HUHN Administrative Assistant mary@fbcjc.org

JEANIE MCGOWAN

Interim Pastor of Worship jeanie@fbcjc.org

ALICE SATTERFIELD Administrative Assistant alice@fbcjc org

DANI SCHMIDBAUER Accountant dani@fbcjc.org

DEBORAH SCOTT

Interim Minister to Senior Adults deborah@fbcjc.org

ROBIN STULL Maintenance Supervisor robin@fbcjc.org

SYMPATHY

Sarah Barnes and family in the death of her sister

Sheila Huddleston and family in the death of her uncle

Linda Chick and family in the death of her husband

Don and Beth Johnson in the death of their brother-in-law

PRAYER REQUESTS

If you have prayer requests, contact the office or email prayerteam@fbcjc.org

RESERVED PARKING

Rand and Carolyn Swanigan will park in the spot reserved for the Lead Pastor. Proceeds to youth mission trip. THANK YOU!

(For College and Young Adults)

Monday, December 19, 7:00 pm White Elephant Exchange & Game Night at Mel’s House (4055 Scarborough Way)

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching for @dwell. fbcjc

MUSIC REHEARSALS

5:20 p.m. Orchestra in Sanctuary except December 28 6:00 p.m. Choir in Sanctuary except December 28

DEBORAH SCOTT NAMED NEW INTERIM MINISTER TO SENIOR ADULTS

The Personnel Committee named Deborah Scott as our new part-time Interim Minister to Senior Adults at First Baptist. Deborah fills the role recently vacated by Jim and Sharon Nelson before their move to The Baptist Home Ozark. Deborah can be reached at deborah@fbcjc.org.

Year End Giving

You may bring your gifts to the office by end of day Thursday, December 29, give online, or mail them. All end of year gifts and offerings must be postmarked by December 31. The church office will be closed December 30.

MISSIONS hands on

COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP SERVES THE WORLD

Each December as we busily prepare for our holiday celebrations, our church family pauses to consider the work of international field personnel serving though Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). Again, this year we have a goal of collecting $8,000 for Global Missions through our annual offering.

Currently, more than 50 CBF field personnel serve in eighteen countries where they cultivate relationships, seek transformational development, and bear witness to Jesus Christ. The work that they do is far-reaching including:

•Helping meet the needs of families living in extreme poverty, people neglected by society, and children rescued from or at-risk for human trafficking.

•Seeking transformational development through education initiatives and English as a Second Language training in both public and private religious schools.

•Bearing witness to the peace of Christ in partnership to promote religious freedom, interreligious dialogue, and reconciliation in communities splintered by religious tensions.

•Ministering among those who have been forced to flee their home countries due to violence and persecution.

Mike, who serves in Southeast Asia, explains the emphasis on long-term relationships: “CBF’s commitment to long-term presence really makes the greatest impact in how effectively we work and serve in this community. To learn the language takes time. To learn the culture takes time. To develop relationships takes time. And in a community where the people are afraid to be direct, it takes time to develop deep relationships of trust, where they can tell us, ‘This is what we really need. This is how we really need you to serve.’”

These efforts and so much more are only possible because of your support for global missions. 100% of contributions to the Offering for Global Missions supports the work of field personnel serving in the U.S.A. and around the world.

You may give in multiple ways: 1) the Global Missions Offering envelopes mailed to members; 2) Online at fbcjc.org/give and select one of the Global Missions Offering options; 3) mail a check to the church office and write “Global Missions Offering” in the memo line.

Visit cbf.net for more information about CBF

First Friends & First Kids thoroughly enjoyed preparing table decorations for FBC's Thanksgiving Dinner!

December 7 and 14 | MIDWEEK in the Refuge Room

NO MIDWEEK December 21 and 28 (Christmas break)

5:45 – 7 pm | Grades 6-8

7:30 – 9 pm | Grades 9-12

DECEMBER SERIES | HALO

There are certain things that make Christmas really feel like Christmas, right? Christmas trees, holly, candy canes, nativity sets, that one Christmas album your family can’t get enough of . . . oh! And angels.

In this series from the Gospels, we’ll pay close attention to the announcements the angels made surrounding Jesus’ birth. Together, we’ll see why the messages the angels shared back then still matter today — like the message that God’s timing is always right, that Jesus is always good news, that we can always share God’s story, and that God is always ready to rescue.

YOUTH DESSERT THEATRE

Sunday, December 4, Fellowship Hall

4:00 pm – Decorate tables

4:30 pm – Rehearsals begin

5:15 pm – Pizza Supper

6:00 pm – Youth Dessert Theatre

FOR YOUTH IN GRADES 6 - 12

Get text updates: RefugeJC to 573.606.4123 refugejc.com

SUNDAYS

FIND US ONLINE

@refugejc

FOR YOUTH

Worship | 9:00 am (Sanctuary)

Basecamp | 10:15 am (Refuge Room)

Donuts and Bible Study

December 4 – Leadership. Teacher: Ken Enloe

December 11 – HALO. Teacher: Melissa Hatfield

December 18 – HALO. Teacher: TBD

December 25 – No Basecamp

January 1 – No Basecamp

DATES SAVE THE

December 4 - Youth Dessert Theatre, 6 pm

March 17 - 19 - DNOW Weekend

April 23 - Youth Sunday

April 30 - Mission JC

May 7 - Graduate Sunday

July 9 - 16 - Youth Mission Trip

Joyce Phillips (12/3) 1214 Freedom Blvd. Rm 220, Jefferson City MO 65109

Marilyn Barnard (12/10) University House Issaquah 22975 SE Black Nugget Rd. Apt 330 Issaquah, WA 98029

Norma Braucksieker (12/15) 1303 Edmonds St., Apt. 203 Jefferson City, MO 65109

Marge Newell (12/15) 1214 Freedom Blvd., Apt. 129 Jefferson City, MO 65109

Reta McDonald (12/17) 1721 Tanner Bridge Rd. Jefferson City, MO 65101

Pat Bly (12/19) 1114 Primrose Dr. Jefferson City, MO 65109

Dorsie Mosher (12/21) 1030 Edmonds St. RM 408 Jefferson City, MO 65109

Jean Lee (12/27) 239 Karen Dr Rm 107 Holts Summit, MO 65043

The important ministry of the church continues as we fulfill our vision to be Christ’s love and hope in our community. Our faithful giving is a spiritual discipline we continue to practice as we trust God’s abundant provision. We are grateful to partner with you and with God in Kingdom work. We are better, and stronger, together.

fbcjc.org/give