Recent Photos of Worship, Choir and Bible Study Christmas Parties, RAs, and GAs
First Baptist Church 212 Twelfth Street Post Office Box 828 Columbus, Georgia 31902 - 0828
to the ministry of Columbus’ First Baptist Church Family FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 18, 2022 MESSAGE
An Amazing Child Luke 2:16-40 Dr. Jimmy Elder FAMILY DEDICATIONS AT 11:00 A.M.
Winnie Marie Johnson Kristen and Tommy Johnson
Make Christmas Eve a memorable one as you join with those you love at First Baptist. Worship at our 3:30 or 6:00 candlelight communion service . Both will be in the sanctuary.
Ava Jane Long Autumn and Pearson Long Vivian Elizabeth Long Libby and Stafford Long
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L I G HT I N G T H E A D VEN T CA N DLE O F LO V E D E CE M BER 1 8
8:30 A.M. Janice and Mike Hudson 11:00 A.M. Emilie and Brice Thompson Chesley, Chaney, and Christian Thompson
READ THE BIBLE THROUGH READINGS FOR DECEMBER 18 - 25, 2022 18th Exodus 5:22 - 7:25 Matthew 18:21 - 19:12 Psalm 23:1-6 Proverbs 5:22-23
20th Exodus 10:1 - 12:13 Matthew 20:1-28 Psalm 25:1-15 Proverbs 6:6-11
22nd Exodus 13:17 - 15:18 Matthew 21:23-46 Psalm 26:1-12 Proverbs 6:16-19
24th Exodus 17:8 - 19:15 Matthew 22:34 - 23:12 Psalm 27:7-14 Proverbs 6:27-35
19th Exodus 8:1 - 9:35 Matthew 19:13-30 Psalm 24:1-10 Proverbs 6:1-5
21st Exodus 12:14 - 13:16 Matthew 20:29 - 21:22 Psalm 25:16-22 Proverbs 6:12-15
23rd Exodus 15:19 - 17:7 Matthew 22:1-33 Psalm 27:1-6 Proverbs 6:20-26
25th Exodus 19:16 - 21:21 Matthew 23:13-39 Psalm 28:1-9 Proverbs 7:1-5
Web Address: www.firstbaptistcolumbusga.com / Like us on Facebook
MENU THERE BE D E C EWILL MBE R NO 7 WEDNESDAY NIGHT NO EVENING SUPPER OR ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
L I G HT I N G T H E C H R IS T CA N DLE D E CE M BER 2 4
3:30 P.M. Gena and Clayton Davis Gemma, Charlotte, and Chloe Davis
ENJOY THE TIME DECEMBER 21, 28, WITH FAMILY AND JANUARY 4. AND FRIENDS. ENJOY TIME WITH
6:00 P.M. Teresa, Randy, and Andee Robertson
RegularAND Wednesday FAMILY FRIENDS activities resume AS WE CELEBRATE November 30. THE NATIVITY.
View the 11:00 A.M. service live on WTVM News Leader 9 or on the internet by clicking the "Watch Live Streaming" link on the church website (www.firstbaptistcolumbusga.com).
Phone: 706.322.4468
Fax: 706.324.7422
Join us Christmas Sunday morning, December 25, for worship at 11:00 in the sanctuary. There will be no 8:30 service and no Sunday School. This service will not be televised. January 1 there will be only an 11:00 service in the sanctuary.
Loving none more than Christ and loving others as ourselves, we strive to reflect God’s love to all.
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I have several purposes in this article. First, I want to say a word of gratitude to Brandon, Sara, and Abel Strozier. This family has been incredibly faithful and effective in the work Brandon has done for the past 7 years as our City Minister. After having spent 7 years as Minister to Students, he left for a year and returned to us as we founded Second Story, our ministry to college students, military, and young adults. I truly believe if God had not sent Brandon back to us, we would not have been able to bring Second Story online as quickly; and it certainly would not have enjoyed the personality and effectiveness it has without his leadership. Sara and Abel have been pivotal in this ministry. They have not only participated in the programs and structure of Second Story, but they have sacrificed family time and even opened their home to numerous activities for the participants in Second Story. Brandon’s legacy will be told in lives that have been changed, faith encouraged, souls won to Christ, and life direction guided through this work. He has put together a wonderful group of people to volunteer and serve. Fortunately, Brandon, Sara, and Abel will continue to be a very active part of the church as Brandon moves to a new career opportunity. He even mentored the one who will be filling the position of leadership at Second Story: Nico Moyer. I will have more to say in introduction of Nico in the next article. Brandon, Sara, and Abel, we love you and are grateful to God that He led you to the ministry you have offered over the past 7 years. Second, I want to mention the Family Christmas Program on this coming Sunday night, December 18. It will be an evening of fun, music, and fellowship. We will gather at 6 P.M. in Fellowship Hall and will enjoy music and some fun surprises. I also want to thank our choir and instrumentalists for the exceptional evening of music Sunday night. We were able to produce the entire program without bringing in any outside musicians. You can see the presentation on the livestream section of our webpage. If you did not see it in person, I hope you will take time to view it. One more service note: I hope you will be part of the Christmas Eve services. We will have candlelight communion in the sanctuary at 3:30 and 6:00 P.M., one of the most meaningful services of the year. Christmas Day, we will have only the 11:00 A.M. service. It will not be a lengthy service, but it will be a meaningful one. Because the service will not be televised, it will be much less formal. Come as you are and worship the Savior on His birthday. Finally, Roxann and I extend to you our prayers and best wishes for a very happy Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s grace and opportunity. It is such a privilege to be a part of this Church Family. Thank you for making a place for us in your lives; you certainly have a special place in our hearts. As we continue to move forward as a Church Family, this coming year promises to be most exciting. So many projects and plans will come together during this next year. I pray that, as you gather with your family and friends, you will sense the presence of the Spirit of God and be revived in your hearts. I love you and look forward to what Christmas and the new year will bring to your lives and our community. Your Pastor, Jimmy
FAMILY MATTERS
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY (pthompson@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)
MISSIONS MINISTRY
Weeks at a Glance
IN MEMORY OF Mr. Joe Bross Mr. and Mrs. James Moye
(hhooper@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)
God’s greatest gift finally arrived! Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, a town full of people for the census, leaving no place for them to stay except in a stable. Jesus, the King of Kings and Savior of the world, was born and placed in a manger. He is the greatest gift God’s people anticipated for so long. When Jesus was born, God’s promises came true to make a way for us to be with God forever. Let’s celebrate Him!
One of the “traditions” of First Baptist that I love is the annual Angel Tree. Each year I am blessed to be able to thank all of the generous people who have brought gifts to our Victory Mission children and adults. You truly are a blessing to this mission family, for many of whom this will be the only or best gift they’ll receive. Thank you, First Baptist, for continuing to show Christ’s love in many ways through this ministry. Merry Christmas to all of you! #firstonmission #lovewhereyoulive #victorymissionchristmas
December 18 - 24, 2022
Mrs. Betty Bush Mr. John Nobles Dr. and Mrs. Ron King Mrs. Marie Gammell John, Carlene, and Evan Masari Mr. Richard Hagler The Carles Ms. Donna Comer Ms. Dala Durham Mr. and Mrs. Robert Elliott, Jr. Mr. Clason Kyle Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lumpkin Judge Gil and Mrs. Betsy McBride Mr. James Morpeth Mr. and Mrs. Houser Pugh Mr. William Slaughter Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Annette and Amy Walters Mr. Wayne Hardy Mr. and Mrs. Bob Anderson Mrs. George Denham Mr. and Mrs. Lanier Merritt Mr. and Mrs. Ben Williams Mrs. Jane Nichols Mr. and Mrs. Ben McCosh IN HONOR OF Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Beck Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Fisher Mrs. Nancy McKee Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Guy Sims Mr. Bob Scarbrough Mrs. Katharine Triplitt on Her Birthday Mr. and Mrs. Tom Triplitt
THE FOOD CLOSET NEEDS HELP TO PROVIDE CHRISTMAS ITEMS Please bring dressing mix; canned sweet potatoes, turnip greens, collards, soups, fruits, Vienna sausages, ravioli, SpaghettiOs, and cranberry sauce; bite-sized candies; and fabric bags to the church office Monday - Thursday 9 A.M to 4 P.M. S C H E D U L E F O R P U B L I C AT I O N OF THE GUIDE DECEMBER 2022 AN D J AN U AR Y 2 0 2 3
This will be the last issue of The Guide for 2022. The next issue will begin with the week of January 8, 2023. We wish you a blessed Christmas.
CITY MINISTRY (nicojaymoyer@gmail.com]
It is the first week of my transition into my new position at Second Story; and the love and support of the students and our First Baptist Church family have been overwhelming. I am so thankful for the work Brandon Strozier has put into this community over the last seven years. It is because of him that I feel so confident and supported in leading such an amazing ministry. My hope and commitment to you all is to serve God through this ministry; to be a good steward of all that God, this church family, and Brandon have entrusted to me; and to love unconditionally each person who walks through the doors. I truly appreciate each of you so much and look forward to developing old, and building new relationships, with each of you. With love, Nico Jay Moyer
YOUTH MINISTRY (dpotter@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)
Recently, a parent of one of our frequent prayer breakfast attendees inquired about giving a donation to the church to support that ministry. I offered gratitude for the thought, but also said that this is a ministry outreach of the church, a gift to the local community. The parent let me know that it was their child's grandparents (who live out of town) who wanted to make a gift in honor of something so special, so important to their grandchild's life. I was moved to hear this and knew that you would be, too. This vital ministry is not only shaping lives in the Columbus community, spreading God's love to young people, but it is also trickling out to folks well beyond our city. What a special gift! Thank you, our loving church family for making it possible. Mark the Calendar and get in RSVPs for Youth Council Retreat and Youth Winter Retreat to Gatlinburg.
MUSIC MINISTRY (kfranklin@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)
I want to thank the choir for the hard work they did to make Sunday night’s program a success. They sang only one piece they were familiar with, and all of the other challenging pieces they learned this fall. I am grateful to have such wonderful pianists in Nancy McKee and Ksenia Kurenysheva and also top musicians Ruslan and Ina. Each of our gifted instrumentalists did a fantastic job. Thank you to all; you gave a worthy offering to God.
EDUCATION MINISTRY (mdouglas@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com) As we enter the new year, there are some great opportunities for development and growth. January 11 we will begin a chapter of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). This is an international program that offers community and support to mothers of young children. Odona Whiddon is the coordinator; she has led MOPS groups at other churches, and we are grateful she is willing to lead ours. They will meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. This is an excellent ministry for our mothers and a great outreach to the community, so please invite your neighbors and friends with small children. Let us know if you would like to join or to help. For more information, please contact Odona Whiddon or me. We are also offering another cycle of PLACE to help people discover their Spiritual Gifts and then encourage the use of those gifts. We will offer this cycle Friday and Saturday, January 27-28. Space is limited, so plan now to join us as we help you explore how God’s gifts are relevant to our lives each day. It is going to be a great year! Blessings.
SUNDAY
Fourth Sunday in Advent 8:30 AM 9:15 AM 9:45 AM 11:00 AM 6:00 PM
WORSHIP SERVICE (Sanctuary) Victory Mission Sunday School Bible Study WORSHIP SERVICE (Sanctuary)
A Musical Family Christmas Children’s Choirs with Musical Surprises (FH)
9:30 AM 10:00 AM 5:15 PM
MONDAY Food Closet TUESDAY In His Presence Prayer Group (111) Victory Mission Christmas Party
WEDNESDAY NO WEDNESDAY SUPPER, BIBLE STUDIES, MISSIONS ACTIVITIES OR CHOIRS 7:00 AM 9:30 AM
THURSDAY Men’s Bible Study (SafeHouse) Food Closet FRIDAY
3:30 PM 6:00 PM
SATURDAY CHRISTMAS EVE Candlelight Communion Service (Sanctuary) Candlelight Communion Service (Sanctuary)
December 25 - 30, 2022 SUNDAY CHRISTMAS DAY NO 8:30 AM WORSHIP SERVICE NO 9:45 AM Bible Study 11:00 AM WORSHIP SERVICE (Sanctuary) MONDAY ALL FIRST BAPTIST FACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED TUESDAY ALL FIRST BAPTIST FACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED WEDNESDAY ALL FIRST BAPTIST FACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY ALL FIRST BAPTIST FACILITIES WILL BE CLOSED
FRIDAY FIRST BAPTIST OFFICE WILL BE OPEN 9 A.M. TO NOON
PIANO FUND DONATION UPDATE Gifts to Date: $196, 000