This coming Sunday will mark our VBS kickoff from Sunday, June 6 through Thursday, June 10. It will conclude with the Family Night and Carnival on Friday, June 11. This exciting theme of “Destination Dig” will prove to be an electrifying time for all children. I want to encourage all parents, grandparents, friends, and all adults to participate this year in VBS. Here is my challenge to you! Take time out of your busy evenings to bring kids or call the church for rides. Let’s bring as many children as possible each night for them to experience an exciting week of exploration in some incredible biblical digs. One night the children will experience what it is like to be involved with a dig in Israel.
Let me share about a biblical dig site that I have visited in Israel. It is a 4,000-year-old Abraham Gate at Tel Dan in northern Israel. Here is a picture of the Abraham Gate:
It is composed of sun-dried mud brick on a foundation of large basalt stones. The Abraham Gate was first uncovered in 1979. It has been restored to its original height of 22 feet. The gate serves as a link between the two towers below its arches. The arches are the earliest completed ever found in the world. Abraham’s Gate is truly one of Israel’s most coveted and significant historical treasures.
Most likely Abraham walked through these gates at Dan. He would have walked through these gates when he entered the land of Canaan from Haran from the north. Abraham’s call began in Ur of the Chaldeans, he traveled to Haran with his father, then following his father’s death, he traveled south through the gates at Dan (or at the time the city named Laish) on his way to Egypt (Genesis 11:31-12). On another occasion, when his nephew Lot was taken captive, he went to rescue him and came there. Abraham and his men pursued the northern kings who had captured Lot as far as Dan (according to Genesis 14:14). "When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan." The reason this gate is called “Abraham’s Gate” is because Abraham almost certainly would have had to pass through this gate.
I’m so excited about the VBS this year. Again, I want to encourage our church family to give as much support as possible to make this an outlandish, mind-blowing week in the lives of our children.
Destination Dig!
Pastor Rick
Worship With Us This Sunday!
Join us for worship this Sunday, June 6, as Pastor Rick brings a message titled "The Gospel in a Nutshell" from Matthew 28:16-20. As we move into a week of Vacation Bible School and welcome children and families from around our community, it is especially timely to consider this "good news" that we as Christians have to share with the world.
We hope to see you and your family for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45, with music led by our praise team. You can preview the service plan HERE.
We are also continuing to post our services online for those who can't join us in person. The worship service video will be posted no later than Monday to our Facebook page. It will also be available at FreeChurchOnline for those who do not have a Facebook account.
VBS 2021 | "Destination Dig" | June 6-11
REGISTER YOUR CHILDREN TODAY!
We are looking forward to helping kids in the Strafford community "unearth the truth about Jesus" at our Destination Dig VBS this year. VBS will run Sunday evening, June 6 through Thursday evening, June 10, with family night on Friday, June 11. This week is always a highlight of the year for our church!
There will be a VBS volunteers meeting and decorating night tomorrow night (Thursday, June 3) at 6:30 p.m. If you're serving during VBS, plan to come out to get some last-minute updates and help us transform the church building into an amazing dig site!
If you have any questions about VBS, call the church office or talk with Brittany or Josh Erisman.
Child Dedication
We will be conducting a special child dedication ceremony during our Father's Day worship service on Sunday, June 20. Child dedication is a public commitment you make before God, your church, and your family. The dedication service provides you, the parent(s), an opportunity to express publicly your desire to lead and spiritually nurture your child in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, so your child will develop a desire to love God and love others. If you are interested in being a part of this ceremony, let Brittany Erisman know by this Sunday, June 6.
Read Through the Bible in 2021
We are reading through the Bible as a congregation this year, using a plan from the Bible Project. Here are this week's readings:
THE WISDOM OF ISRAEL (continued) Thursday, June 3 | Proverbs 4-6 | Psalm 149 Friday, June 4 | Proverbs 7-9 | Psalm 150 Saturday, June 5 | Proverbs 10-12 | Psalm 1 Sunday, June 6 | Proverbs 13-15 | Psalm 2 Monday, June 7 | Proverbs 16-18 | Psalm 3 Tuesday, June 8 | Proverbs 19-21 | Psalm 4 Wednesday, June 9 | Proverbs 22-24 | Psalm 5 Thursday, June 10 | Proverbs 25-27 | Psalm 6 Friday, June 11 | Proverbs 28-31 | Psalm 7
Many Filipinos do not have a personal relationship with God. This was once true of BJ, a Filipino high school student. BJ’s brother, Melbert, became a Christian after he began reading the Bible. Melbert shared the Gospel with BJ, and he chose to commit his life to Christ.
The brothers began attending the house church of IMB missionaries Wade and Sharon Sigrest. Wade began teaching and discipling BJ and Melbert and saw God work in BJ’s life. BJ shared God’s Word with his high school classmates and even started a Bible study with a group of friends at school. BJ now desires to attend Bible school and become a pastor after he graduates from high school.
THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM is the financial fuel for reaching every person for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state, and every nation. Your support through the Cooperative Program allows missionaries like the Sigrests to teach and disciple individuals about Jesus and His plan for their lives.
PRAY for Wade and Sharon as they disciple Filipino Christians, as well as for BJ to have the opportunity to attend Bible school as he follows God’s call to become a pastor.
In every edition of the FirstUpdate, we are highlighting the efforts of the International Mission Board (IMB), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) seminaries, and the various Baptist state conventions. Each month, our church and the other 47,000+ churches in the SBC contribute a portion of our undesignated offerings to these important Cooperative Program (CP) ministries. For more information about CP, click HERE.
Giving Options
Church family, we appreciate your ongoing commitment in giving your tithes and offerings. In addition to FBC's ministries and operations, we want to be a blessing to our community and our partner ministries around the world and it takes resources to do that. Your faithful giving makes it possible!
In addition to dropping cash or checks in the offering box on Sunday morning, there are multiple ways to give your tithes and offerings:
Mail a check to First Baptist Church, PO Box 367, Strafford, MO 65757
Several of our members have begun using online bill pay through their bank to send in their offering. This is a free service that some banks provide. All you have to do is add the church’s name and address as a vendor, just like you would the electric company or any other business.
You can also drop your offering by the church office, but please call ahead to make sure that someone will be in the office.
Thank you again, church family, for your generous giving! If you need help setting up online giving or have any questions, contact Josh Erisman.
ECM | Randi R. & Kirsten C. Greeters | Dennis & Wenda N. Information Desk | Connie W. Audio | Wayne S. Video | Jesse D. Security | Mike B. & Steve I. Counters | Colleen A. & Brenda M.
If you cannot serve on your assigned Sunday, please arrange a substitute and let the church office know by calling 736-2148 or emailing church@fbcstrafford.org. Thank you to all those who serve our church in these important roles each Sunday morning!
