TALK OF THE TOWN

Greetings, FIBC Members and Friends,

RECORD-BREAKING!!! That is certainly the word for the July 2023 for the pastor and people of FIBC. We began July ushering in our 47th year together, thank you, Lord! Then, Pastor Karen and I were off to the Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance in Stavanger, Norway, where I delivered the closing message. On the way there we stopped in London, England long enough to visit Buckingham Palace Once we headed back to the Valley, we were involuntarily invited to be participants, along with you, in Arizona’s historic stretch of days with temperatures above 110 degrees. Lord, have mercy! What Kairos timing to haven been invited to preach for the Annual Fellowship Sunday of the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Kent, Washington The Rev Levada Coker and Sis Judy Russell accompanied Pastor Karen and me. For the first time, I was able to tour the cool, verdant and hilly Seattle, Washington metro. We arrived back home the night of July 16 safely.

We worked a couple of days in town, then we were off to one of my “bucket list” travel spots Morocco for the wedding of our former Minister of Children, Youth and Young Adults, the Rev. Dr. Keisha J. Agard to Bro. Eddie Williams in Marrakech, Morocco Their wedding was spiritual, breathtaking and epic in the restaurant where a scene from the 1942 movie “Casablanca” was filmed. On our last full day in Morocco, Pastor Karen and I took an all-day tour to the coastal city of Casablanca. Thank God, we made it home late Tuesday night ready to get back on the FIBC Campus and to be in your presence God is faithful! He is showing your Senior Pastor and his partner in marriage and ministry so many unimagined blessings during this season in our lives. Of course, Pastor Karen and I appreciate deeply FIBC’s Pastoral Staff, other church leaders, and you for your faithfulness in our absence

With that being said, we enter August praying for some relief from the excessive heat. We are also enthused to be guided by this month’s focus LET’S SHIFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LORD’S “BUT” LOVING OUR GIFTED SISTERS! Yes, sisters, August is your month at FIBC and we, brethren, want you to know how much WE LOVE YOU, even though we do not always show it like we should The third Sunday is our Annual Women’s Sunday and I have invited the Honorable Reverend Quanta’ M. Crews, the newest African American to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives She is a member of the Historic Tanner Chapel A M E Church and a daughter in the ministry of our brother and my friend and colleague, Dr Benjamin N Thomas, Sr as well as a young adult single mother Let us pray that the Lord will use her to preach to us during our 7:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services on August 20th.

Lastly, remember that we “return to our regular scheduled programming” which is “having church” on Sundays twice

Keep the faith and be encouraged!

Pastor Stewart