Issuu

The First Baptist Church of Redlands

T A PE S T R Y

JAN 2019

Wo v e n To g e t h e r I n L o v e : C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 2

Issue No. 1

Follow the Star A Message from Pastor Shawn

When New Years Day comes it is always tempting for me to think that I am going to make some kind of change in my life. Sometimes it is that I am going to take up more healthy habits like eating better, exercising more, watching less television and reading more books. The beginning of a new year is also a time when I wonder what will happen in the new year. I think about the places that I plan to travel during the year for vacations and conferences. I wonder about what unexpected things will happen, what new people will come into my life and what loses I will experience. In the church year January brings the season of Epiphany. With Christmas we have the birth of Jesus, the celebration of God breaking into human history and living among us. Epiphany celebrates the stories when we see who Jesus really is. Epiphany is when someone has that “ah ha” moment, maybe when Jesus does a miracle or something points to the fact that Jesus is sent from God. One of those is the story of the Magi or the “Kings” who discover a scientific wonder in the sky and get on their camels to follow it. They confer with rulers and historians and religious scholars, only to find a child with humble parents in even more humble surroundings. The Magi find this one of a different culture, different religion, but someone who will make an impact on the world, breaking down the walls of nationality, culture, religion and time. As the Magi returned to their homeland, I wonder how these scientists of their day were impacted by this encounter with Jesus. Did it impact their continuing studies or their relationships? Who did they tell and what did they say? As we enter Epiphany as a church family, I wonder what “ah ha” moments we will have. I am excited that we are planning to welcome two teachers from Bamaw, Myanmar, who will

come to live among us while studying for masters degrees at the University of Redlands. I am wondering what it will be like to prepare for their coming and make arrangements for their stay. How will we see Jesus as we develop friendships with them and begin to see how God has worked in and through them as they have lived in a place that doesn’t have the same kind of religious freedom that we have? Who else will God bring into our church family this year? What new gifts and talents and passions will we see in our young people as they grow into who God is shaping them to be? And not just our young people, but what will we discover in those of us who are older, but continue to seek out what God wants to do with us? What are other ways that we will experience Epiphany this year? Will there be moments that we will see and hear Jesus in each other? Will we see God at work in ordinary places or unexpected encounters? Will we meet the Spirit of God in worship, Bible study, service, meditation, silence or fellowship? As we begin a new year, may we be like the Magi, who, when they saw something new, they set out to discover what it was and what it meant. May we be adventurous enough to look for God in the expected and unexpected places. May we see Jesus in each other and the people that come into our lives, even when it is hard. May we find what the Spirit of God is doing in our lives and all around us and join in. May we follow the star! Happy New Year! Grace and Peace in Christ, Pastor Shawn

CONTENTS

The Tapestry is published monthly by The First Baptist Church of Redlands, 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands, CA 92373. All material for the Tapestry should be typed and emailed no later than the 10th of each month to tapestry@fbcredlands.org. If you would like to be added or removed from the Tapestry mailing list, please email tapestry@fbcredlands.org. Current and previous Tapestry issues are available in digital format at issuu.com/fbcr.

CO V E R 1 A Message from Pastor Shawn : “Follow the Star” 2 Staff and Contents 3 Pastor Nick : “New Days and Old Hopes”

M I N I S T RY 4 Music Ministry: “Follow” 5 A Prayer to God for Peace and Hope 6 Children’s Ministry

M I S S ION S 7 Worldwide Prayer Concerns: China, Haiti, and World Vision International 8 “Christianity and Colonialism” from the Racial Justice Group

F E L L O W S HI P 8 Interview with Marge Emrick

NE WS 10 Church News + FBCR in Action 11 January Calendar

S TA F F Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor shawn@fbcredlands.org Nicholas Quient Associate Pastor nicholas@fbcredlands.org Rev. Cheryl Sneller Director of Children’s Ministry cheryl@fbcredlands.org Richard W. Steffen Minister of Music rwsteffen@gmail.com Linda Gentile Organist Nathan Jones Youth Director youth@fbcredlands.org Angel Florence Office Administrator angel@fbcredlands.org Isa Terrell Communication Specialist isa@fbcredlands.org Richard Colunga Buildings/Grounds

CON TAC T S Telephone: 909-793-3289 Web: www.fbcredlands.org Email: admin@fbcredlands.org Office Hours Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

New Days and Old Hopes

Pastor Nick Quient

“The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (CEB)

In looking back over the past seven for so months since I started here at First Baptist, I’m struck by the wild ride that it has been. I never conceived of being involved in pastoral ministry nor did I believe I would find a church such as this. The newness of the days is something that is coming to mind as Allison and I move from December into the New Year. The new days are filled with anticipation and joyful uncertainty, not knowing what may come. It is with this trust that I pray that the coming days will be filled with joy and growth, not only for me but also for our church family. When I think of old hopes, I am reminded of the various promises in Scripture like Psalm 86:6-7. During some personal trials in December, I meditated for a long time on Psalm 86 and spent even longer translating it and praying through it. The words therein gripped me like never before as the trials pushed me deeper into God’s story for me. Verses like “Lord, listen closely to me and answer me, because I am poor and in need” (Ps 86:1) were a balm for my heart as I reflected through the busiest season of all— especially for pastors like Shawn, Cheryl and myself! Perhaps—in looking back upon December—Advent itself was and is the synthesis between “new days” and “old hopes.” As Richard Steffen wisely noted, “silence can be uncomfortable” (my paraphrase, of course). But through the means of the Advent frame introduced in December to our church, I think we captured the flavor of the anticipation of new days and the ancient hope of Christian history: that God has acted and will bring all of God’s actions to a close in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason I pray in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit and why I often cross myself: I seek to remember and to remind myself of the great traditions within the Christian faith and to continually participate in them. The time for prayer and confession was also a struggle for me, as I’m sure it was a struggle for others. Taking the time to sit in silence is not something I particularly enjoy but I felt the Spirit move and participating in the symbolism was especially powerful for me.

As we look forward to new days with our old hopes in mind, let us be ever mindful of what God has done for us. God is love, holy love, faithful love that seeks us and invites to fully know God as we are fully known by God. The future is bright indeed and our mission as the church is to be the light that invites others to the life of Christ. Thus, through confession and prayer and kindness we build Christ’s kingdom, one gracious act at a time. In the prayerful words of St. Augustine, Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.

MINI S T RY

Richard W. Steffen, Minister of Music

Accompany, attend, come with, go with, seek, stick to, track, trail: these are some of the synonyms of the word “follow” from Thesaurus.com. The active, focused, intentional, committed movement that we pursue when we “follow” is very profound. And we have been talking – and singing – about it in worship. Last summer in August, the theme of one of our Sundays was the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Ruth loved Naomi so much she wanted to follow her. We read these loving words of Ruth: “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16-17 NRSV) And in October, we sang the 2010 song by Chris Tomlin “I Will Follow.” Here are the lyrics of the chorus of the song: “Where you go, I’ll go, where you stay, I’ll stay, when you move, I’ll move: I will follow you. Who you love, I’ll love, how you serve I’ll serve, if this life I lose, I will follow you, I will follow you.” We can sing those words with Ruth and/or we can sing those words as we retell the work of God in humankind through the Christian Year, which began in Advent last month. 25 years ago in the movie Sister Act, Whoopy Goldberg, playing Sister Mary Clarence, sings this adaptation of the 1963 hit song by Peggy March: “I will follow Him, follow Him wherever He may go, and near Him I always will be for nothing can keep me away: He is my destiny. I will follow Him; ever since He touched my heart I knew. There isn’t an ocean too deep, a mountain so high it can keep, keep me away – away from His love.” It will soon be Epiphany: a day of gladness, joy and light, and the journey of the wise men. Epiphany proclaims that Christ has been revealed of to all nations, and the term epiphany means “to show” or “to make known” or “to make manifest.” During this season we think about Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan and we remember the Transfiguration of our Lord, when Jesus, Moses, and Elijah stood on the mountaintop. And green is our color of the season: the color of living plants and suggesting spiritual growth.

In Matthew 2, we read about the coming of those wise men who brought gifts to the Christ child. And they found Him because THEY FOLLOWED THE STAR. There it is again: follow! Actually, in the Gospel of Matthew alone, “follow” appears in 28 verses! “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19 NRSV) The gifts that the wise men brought were important to them and they are meaningful to us. Gold: a gift for a king. Frankincense: an incense, which when burnt represents prayer; it is used by priests, and indicates the priestly nature of the Messiah. Myrrh: a fragrant perfume, used in embalming bodies. It symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction and Christ experienced all of them for us. Through these gift, we identify Jesus as prophet, priest and king. You can sing with me now and we will soon sing in worship the Epiphany carol “We Three Kings”: “field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.” And that star they followed? German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed in 1604 that the star was a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C. And theoretical astrophysicist Grant Mathews at the University of Notre Dame gave presentations in 2016 on that star. He states, that in the extremely rare planetary alignment in 6 B.C., the sun, Jupiter, the moon, and Saturn were all in Aries. “The Magi would have seen this in the east and recognized that it symbolized a regal birth in Judea,” But that is the “what.” We celebrate the “why.” Paul the Apostle knew “why.” “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.” (Galatians 4:47 NRSV) Epiphany: Jesus walking among us, healing the sick, telling us of God’s love, and proclaiming the joy of the Kingdom of God. Let us follow Him.

“May we all live in the peace that comes from You.” –Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-201)

by Pastor Nick Quient

As St. Clement of Rome (c. 35-101) once wrote so powerfully: We beseech You, Master, to be our helper and protector. Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly; Raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly; Restore the wanderers of Your people; Feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; Raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.

Loving God, As the Advent season ends and we approach Epiphany, we return to thank you for the gift of your Son and our time together with family and friends. Our thankfulness echoes the Psalmist when he writes, “I give thanks to you, my Lord, my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify your name forever” (86:12). Our time together has been a blessing and we hope and pray for peace. Hope guides us as we pray in these days, reflecting on the passing year. All of the turmoil and anguish, we hand them to you, Lord. Enjoin us to remember such things and to be ever mindful of the suffering of others. We pray for peace in our land, in our country, in our family relationships in these turbulent times. We pray that places of peace would remain safe during this time, and we pray that people who are inhibited by fear might find Your peace, the peace that overflows all other conceptions of understanding. Cast out fear from our lives and make us fall in love with You. Loving God, we pray especially for the hope of the New Year, where joy and love would reign in our lives. Whether we agree or disagree, remind us of our common commitment to one another as the body of Christ. We are to be united in Christ by the Spirit, not divided by political party or ideology. Christ, be our center, be our foothold, be our peace as we seek to love and serve one another.

We pray for our friends and for our enemies, the people who bully us or mistreat us. Grant them your peace and your joy, and reconcile all of us to one another. May your kingdom come, may your desires be done, here as it is where you live and reign. As St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) once wrote: O Lord, receive me in penitence. O Lord, forsake me not. O Lord, lead me not into misfortune. O Lord, quicken in me a good thought. O Lord, give me tears and remembrance of death, and contrition. O Lord, make me solicitous of confessing my sins. O Lord, give me humility, chastity, and obedience. O Lord, give me patience, magnanimity, and meekness. O Lord, implant in me the root of all good—Thy fear in my heart. O Lord, grant that I may love thee from all my soul and mind and in everything do Thy will. O Lord, shelter me from certain men, from demons and passions, and from any other unbecoming thing. O Lord, Thou knowest that Thou dost as Thou wilt, let then Thy will be done in me, a sinner, for blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Pastor Nick

C HILDR E N’S MINI S T RY

children’s sunday school program Children’s Sunday School Hour for Junior Disciples (3rd through 5th grade) and God’s Kids (preschool through 2nd grade) starts at 9:00 for choir and 9:30 am for class time. Infant and toddler care in the nursery/toddler room starts at 8:45 and runs to the end of the service. Their Sunday School time is at 9:00 AM.

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY WORSHIP TIME For visiting children who do not want to attend the God’s Kids class there is an activity bag at an early childhood level located by the Sanctuary’s back double doors in the pink basket. Junior Disciples (grades 3rd through 5th) are participants in the Worship Service. If they like they may pick up a sermon note activity bag housed in the blue tub by the Sanctuary’s double doors.

Do it together family opportunity Young Families continue to meet on Wednesdays at 10:30. Call Kathy Alexander (909-435-9667, bmeelker68@yahoo.com) for the location because they move around to exciting places for the young ones to experience and explore. The group is suitable for parents with babies up through Kindergarten. JUNIOR DISCIPLES’ EVENT A winterly campfire has been requested by the current Junior Disciples. What a great idea! How about Sunday afternoon starting at 4: 30 to 6: 00? Let’s roast some hot dogs over the campfire and cook some gooey smores. Anyone have any experience with puppets? PARENTS MEETING It is the new year and I will be serving snacks for the parents of children ages 4 through 5th grade on Sunday after church on January 27, I am looking for ideas from you to enrich our children’s programs for 2019. See you then.

Thursday Night Dinners and Children’s Bible Exploration Three Kings celebration is on January 10th the first Thursday night dinner in the new year, 2019. Our adults will start their Bible studies and the children will explore the grand event when the three wise men traveled from far away to seek out the “newborn king”.

Blessings, Pastor Cheryl

MI S S ION S

Worldwide Pray er Concerns

“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.” –Hebrews 10:32-33

CHINA

Voice of the Martyrs Pray for the church in China as the government tightens its regulatory control of churches following a law that took effect in early 2018. Voice of the Martyrs reported that the online sale of Bibles was prohibited and printed Bibles are already difficult to find. Some pastors were told that they would have to install cameras that would allow the government to monitor who was attending and what was said. Other churches were directed to remove crosses, replace Christian posters with Communist Party slogans, and sing Communist Party songs in place of hymns. There were churches that were told that teenagers were not allowed to attend, while others were closed down completely. Pray that the power of the gospel would shine brighter than the government’s attempts to hide it. Pray for Christians to have courage in the face of governmental pressure.

HAITI

www.internationalministries.org Nzunga and Kihomi ask for prayers for Haiti as the Haitian Baptist convention recently had two of its experienced pastors die suddenly. Pray also for Pastor Alberus, who has been paralyzed from the waist down due to a problem in his back. Additionally, political unrest in late 2018 meant that travel was difficult as different groups set up roadblocks limiting movement. Praise God for the committed work of Nzunga and Kihomi as they lead and teach the church in Haiti. Pray for the church to get the money it needs to send children to school and pay for life-saving medications. Pray that the hope of Christ would dawn brightly in Haiti in this new year.

worldvision.org As we begin 2019, World Vision published a list of 19 reasons to have hope in the new year. Here are a few: The number of people living in extreme poverty (under $1.90/day) has dropped by more than a billion. In the last 20 years, the number of preventable childhood deaths has fallen from 30,000/day to under 15,000/day. Polio is on track to to be eradicated, with only 29 cases globally last year. The battle against HIV/AIDS is being won. New projects are delivering clean water to millions. Pray for the work of World Vision and other organizations around the world that are working to bring good news to the poor.

- Jonathan Peske If you have information to share about the persecuted church or news from the mission field, please share it with Jonathan Peske.

Christianity and Colonialism from the Racial Justice Discussion Group It’s a hard topic to approach. Over the last six months, the racial justice discussion group has been considering the lasting effects of colonialism. Colonialism can be defined as a nation taking political control over another people, often claiming to “modernize” or “civilize” them while in fact exploiting the land, resources, or people. We specifically learned about and discussed the European colonization of Africa, the British colonization of India, and the European and American colonization of the Native peoples of America. It might be tempting to dismiss this history as something that is past. Why dwell on it now? Because the language and ideas used to justify the colonization of others remains in our culture today and affects how we see those around us. The assumption that Western civilization is superior prevents us from recognizing the enormous accomplishments of other cultures and valuing different ways of viewing the world. Ideas about people with different skin color or from another place being foreign, uncivilized, savage, or primitive are pervasive, and knowing the roots of these ideas helps us recognize how they still linger. In particular, we as Christians need to face the history that missionaries were often complicit with colonialism in many parts of the world, including with the Native Americans. The Good News of Christ was too often tied to specific types of clothing, instruments, language, or political systems. Christianity was synonymous with white European culture – which in many ways would have seemed foreign to Jesus and his disciples! Indigenous peoples were told that to follow Jesus, they had to abandon meaningful traditions of their culture. This is not to denigrate all former or current missionary work; missions done well will be culturally relevant, loving others as much as we love ourselves, and aware of the dangers of substituting customs for Christianity. But it is critical to acknowledge this history to make sure we don’t repeat mistakes of the past. This is one reason why the current global servants with American Baptist International Ministries only go to places where they are invited. We recently had the opportunity to speak with global servant Deliris Carrion-Joseph (from Deborah House in Tijuana) about this issue. She said, “Before, it was going with the gospel, putting aside everything that was meaningful for the people and cancelling the culture…[but] If we really follow Jesus’ example, that is not going to happen. Because Jesus respected everybody in their context. That is what he taught. Not the imperialism that was carried with the Good News. We, the Americas, were conquered by the Spaniards, the Conquistadores…[but] we were here! We had our relationship with God in a way that we could. You see the Mayans, the Incas, the Aztecs, the indigenous peoples of this country…they all had their own way to relate with God with that divinity that they knew was beyond them. So, in a way, what happened was that when the

conquerors came with the Bible and the sword, it brought a gospel that was not Good News at all. So we have to be very careful in how we preach, in how we communicate our truth.” She went on to describe the difficulties of women who come to Deborah House from a culture of worshipping death (Santa Muerte), and wanting to show them that Jesus is Life and Light, not death and darkness. Her approach is to say “Let’s see the effects.” What are the effects on people who worship death, versus the effects on people who worship Jesus? We can pray for Deliris in how she approaches these issues of culture and faith in her ministry in Tijuana. American Baptist global servant Stan Slade addresses it this way: “… sometimes missionaries who are deeply dedicated and wellintentioned can give themselves to mission service without much awareness of their place in the human story. We can respond to the call eagerly, but without even minimal sensitivity to the history of colonialism and neocolonialism that has shaped our world—and even ourselves! Similarly, people with a passion to see the fullness of God’s reign on earth can sometimes, despite that passion, be blind to the ethnocentrism that comes to us all so naturally. Further… people who have had the opportunity to get formal education and advanced training, especially if they come from a “can-do” culture… can speak and act from an entirely unconscious assumption of superiority. That is not at all who we want to be. We ask the Lord—and the friends we serve—to open our eyes and hearts to those tendencies within us, and to help us live differently. We seek intentionally to come to others not from “above” but from alongside or below. We have something to give, certainly, and also, just as certainly, much to learn.” May we all have such humility as we share the hope we have from God. Our global servants have clearly considered this issue, and recognize the ongoing challenge of understanding how to “go and make disciples” without the overlying (primarily white European) cultural assumptions about church and faith. We hope that individuals from other nations can see their people as made in God’s image, not just missionaries. As a church, we can support missions with our finances and prayers and at the same time be open about worries that we are imposing our culture on others in a way that harms them. This feels uneasy. But, as one person said at our last meeting, we are called to step into that tension. These are hard questions and uncomfortable conversations, and there are no easy answers. It may be that the most God-honoring thing we can do is be willing to be present in and acknowledge that struggle. You are invited to join us in such honest conversation.

Colonialism and missions will be just one of the topics that will be discussed in the Thursday night class called “The Gospel in Changing Times,” taught by Pastor Shawn, beginning January 10, 2019, 6:45 pm.

F E L L O WS HIP INTERVIEW WITH

Marge Emrick

by Ann Smith

Marge Emrick was born Margarite Aardema at the Chicago Lying In Hospital. Six months after she was born, her family moved to northern Michigan. Her father paid cash to buy a farm which became important with the arrival (onset?) of the Great Depression (that’s 1929-1930 for the historically challenged). It meant that the family did not lose their source of livelihood as so many did in those years. Originally, the family lived in a house without either indoor plumbing or electricity. When times grew better, they moved to a better home where she grew up. She says she lived a “Little House on the Prairie” existence where she, her brother, and sister attended a one-room school until they graduated to Central Lake High School in Michigan. Marge was recruited to play basketball. Her sister, Trudy Aardema, who is 10 years younger than Marge, still lives in Michigan. She volunteers for homeless people at a shelter where she is in charge of the food program. Her bother Allen is deceased. Marge grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church. In that culture, it was natural to take one’s faith seriously. She made what in that church is called a ‘profession of faith’ before she went away to Hope College. She married Phil Feenstra in 1951 while she was teaching school and he was working in Michigan. They moved from Michigan to Redlands, California to join his father who was a developer. When they first arrived in Redlands, they attended Bethany Reformed Church. As those on our Property and Finance Commission can attest, being in charge of a church’s money is no easy task. While attending Bethany Church, the Feenstras came to loggerheads with that church’s building committee and were kicked out. It was not easy or nice. They went church shopping. At that time Dr. Fagerberg was pastor of Redlands First Baptist and both Phil and Marge felt comfortable in this large church with two fully filled services (remember this was the 1950s). Marge has sung in the choir since 1957. The comfortable times did not last. Phil came under such stress that he was no longer able to cope with his life. He was sent to a hospital in Denver to recover. Unfortunately, he wanted to come home but Marge knew it would not work. He and Marge had four young children. In the interest of her family, Marge filed for divorce.

Later, Marge married Bill Emrick for security. He was charming, but he married her for the same reason. After they were married, she discovered that he wanted her to support him. Three-and-a-half years later, he decided he needed a younger woman. This marriage also failed. Marge’s favorite Bible verse is Mark: 16:15. And he saith to them go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Because it is linked to a hymn she enjoyed found in many Dutch Reformed Hymnals of the same name: Go Ye Into All the World. Her favorite Bible story is ‘The Feeding of the Five-Thousand” found in Matthew 14: 14-21. She likes the way it shows Jesus caring for the common people. Marge’s favorite hymn from those we now sing is Great is Thy Faithfulness. She has gone through many hard times in her life and the hymn reminds her that God will always be with her. One of those hard times was when her daughter, Pam, died. She felt more abandoned and lonely than she had ever experienced. She says the only way she got through it was to rely on God. The past few years have been the happiest the Marge’s life. She recently celebrated her 90th birthday amongst friends and loved ones. She continues to enjoy being a member of Redlands First Baptist and to find opportunities for growth and fellowship here. And she finds comfort in God’s continual care and guidance.

NE WS HAPPY JANUARY BIRTHDAYS TO... 1 - Milton Baidya

12 -Nina Zureick

1 - Lori Powell

14 - Natalie Olson

2 - Sam Zureick

15 - Brian Wolfe

3 - Rhys Jones

16 - Craig Baker

4 - JoAnne Stewart

16 - Mike Freire

5 - Joseph DeRoulhac

23 - Aidan Huynh

5 - Ed Irvin

22 - Sanjeet Mann

5 - Carolyn Sullivan

23 - Betty Jo Graves

5 - Paul Zander

24 - Johnie Nottingham

6 - Dori Dominguez

25 - Scott Bierschbach

6 - Seth Medlin

25- Allison Quient

7 - Janie Mendoza

26 - Cathy Zander

9 - Taylor Herron

28 - Mark Estey

9 - Joyce Smith

29 - Elise Huynh

10 - Judy Miller

30 - Elsie Warren

10 - Riley Miller

Do you have church news, photos, or recipes that you would like to share? Send them over to tapestry@fbcredlands.org by February 15th.

THURSDAY NIGHT CLASSES for all ages

FBCR in action Thank you for all the gifts, Stater Bros. cards, and cash for the Adopt-A-Family! The generosity of this church is awesome! God’s love for one happy family! Local Outreach would also like to give a special thank you to Melanie Medlin, the coordinator for Adopt-A-Family. Also Matt Winter for assisting with the deliveries.

A huge thanks to Virginia Chapman for her hand-knitted hats and scarves for the children at Family Service. A labor of love!

Beginning January 10, we will return to Thursday Night Dinners and Classes. There will be fun and interesting classes for children and youth. We will be offering three options for adults.

Manuscript Study in the Book of Mark led by Pastor Nick. This in-depth study of the Gospel of Mark is a continuation from the fall season, but newcomers are welcome. Judson Hall. Renovare Spiritual Growth Group led by Doc and Letha Sellars. Limited to 8 people, this is a study and support group delving into the various streams of Christian spirituality with a focus on practical exploration of spiritual disciplines. Chapel Annex Room. The Gospel in Changing Times led by Pastor Shawn. A discussion about the mission and shape of the church in light of cultural changes and new understandings: Can we do missions without falling into colonialism? Where does the church stand in an era of “Me Too” and “Black Lives Matter?” How does the church remain relevant to a generation that is not interested? Heritage Room

Our Coffee Time

8:30 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 9 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting

27 Pray for

8:30 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 9 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting Annual Meeting of the Congregation, Fellowship Hall

Pray for Seekers

8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village

Pray for Other Churches

8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village

Pray for Bible Studies

8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village

Pray for Pastor Shawn

6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic

29 Pray for the Earth

6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic

6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 7 p.m. Prayer Meeting, Board Room

Pray for Safety

8:30 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 9 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting

Pray for Charity

Pray for Cooperation

13 Pray for our visitors

Pray for Pastor Nick

OFFICE CLOSED

Happy New Years!

Pray for the New Year

6- 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 6:30 p.m. Diaconate, Lounge 7 p.m. Christian Ed, Field Hall Fin. & Prop., Judson Hall Local Outreach, Library Worship, Boardroom

Tuesday

8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village

Pray for the Worship Ensemble

Monday

8:30 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 9 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting

Sunday Pray for Our Congregation

Pray for School Teachers

Pray for the Sick

Pray for Shut-Ins 10 a.m. Toddler Play Group

10 a.m. Toddler Play Group

10 a.m. Toddler Play Group 1 p.m. Miriam Circle 6 p.m. Men’s Fellowship

16 Pray for the Lonely

10 a.m. Toddler Play Group

Wednesday

See events online at: http://www.fbcredlands.org/upcomingevents.html

Pray for the Myanmar School

Pray for Thursday Night Programs

Pray for Our Community

Contrite Hearts 5:45 p.m. Thursday Dinner 6:45 p.m. Classes Worship Ensemble 7:45 p.m. Choir Practice

31 Pray for

5:45 p.m. Thursday Dinner 6:45 p.m. Classes Worship Ensemble 7:45 p.m. Choir Practice

Pray for the Brokenhearted

Pray for Consolation

7:30 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Pray for Counselors

Pray for Constancy

7:30 a.m. Walking for the Health of It 1 p.m. Women’s Bible Study: “Worship the All-powerful Lamb,” David’s Corner

12 Pray for Accountability

7:30 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Saturday

7:30 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Pray for Elected Leaders

Pray for the Angry

Pray for Patience

Friday

5:45 p.m. Thursday Dinner 6:45 p.m. Classes Worship Ensemble 7:45 p.m. Choir Practice

17 Pray for the Cooks

5:45 p.m. Thursday Dinner 6:45 p.m. Classes Worship Ensemble 7:45 p.m. Choir Practice

7:45 p.m. Choir Practice

Thursday

jan uary 20 1 9

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The First Baptist Church of Redlands 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands CA 92373-5243 909-793-3289 | www. fbcredlands.org

MOZART CONCERTS at FBC Saturday, January 12 at 7:30 pm Sunday, January 13 at 3:00 pm

Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit No. 2111

The Redlands Festival Singers will present 2 concerts featuring the music of Mozart in our Sanctuary. This ensemble of 40 voices is in it’s 3rd year under Maestro Ken Tuttle. Come and hear “Regina Coeli in C Major”and “Missa Brevis in D Major” as well as “Lacrimosa” from Requiem and “Laudate Dominum” from Solemn Vespers