FirstUpdate | December 4, 2020

A weekly update from First Baptist Church of Strafford

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"Light Up Strafford" This Weekend!

The City of Strafford, along with Strafford business and community partners (including First Baptist Church), invites you to “Light Up Strafford” this December! In addition to our annual Christmas parade, we’ve added some new and exciting traditions that we hope will make your season bright in the midst of this difficult year.

DECORATE THE CITY
First, we are asking everyone in the Strafford community to “go all out” with their decorations this year, businesses and homes alike, putting them up prior to Saturday, December 5. String up some lights, add a tree or two, put a nativity scene out on the lawn, bolt Santa and Rudolph to your roof…the possibilities are endless. We want to make the streets of Strafford THE destination for holiday lights and decorations this year!

Second, mark your calendars for Saturday, December 5 and make plans to head downtown for three thrilling events that evening:

CHRISTMAS PARADE
Our 9th annual “Small Town” Christmas Parade will look a bit different in 2020, as it will be our first evening parade and all entries will be required to include lights! We are also asking for a walking “spotter” with a light on each side of floats, vehicles, etc. for safety purposes. Line up will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Strafford Schools, with the parade starting at 5:00 p.m. The parade will proceed south through the elementary school parking lot, then head east on Pine St through downtown, turn north on Jefferson St, and go back west on McCabe St/Indian Way to the school. If you have any questions about the parade, call John Berry at 417-844-0555.

TREE LIGHTING
After the parade, everyone is invited to Delp Historic Park next to City Hall for the lighting of the new official Strafford Christmas tree! Carolers will be singing and the rumor is that Santa is slated to make an appearance as well. If you are interested in joining the carolers, contact Josh Erisman ASAP!

HOLIDAY FUN AT STRAFFORD BUSINESSES
The evening will conclude with special hours, sales, and holiday activities at our local businesses, downtown and elsewhere. Watch the event page for more details on these events coming soon!

For more information or if you have any questions, call Strafford City Hall at 417-736-2154. We hope to see you on Saturday, December 5 as we “Light Up Strafford” together!

"To See Thy Face, Immanuel"

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The Advent season came early this year. Each year, we light five candles over a four-week time frame. The Advent candles mean the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. This refers to the significance that Christ is the Light of the World. When the candles are lit, the illumination is to symbolize the Christ of eternity and His coming as the Light of the World and our worship and honor of His most precious gift of grace and mercy. This past Sunday, we lit a purple candle representing "Hope" because God is faithful to us. The second purple candle will be lit this coming Sunday, signifying “Peace” that indicates connecting Jesus’ birth and crucifixion and His triumph over the darkness of sin.

One of the greatest preachers of all times, C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), at the age of eighteen penned the beautiful words of the following poem:

Immanuel

When once I mourned a load of sin;
When conscience felt a wound within;
When all my works were thrown away;
When on my knees I knelt to pray,
Then, blissful hour, remembered well,
I learned Thy love, Immanuel.

When storms of sorrow toss my soul;
When waves of care around me roll;
When comforts sink, when joys shall flee;
When hopeless griefs shall gape for me,
One word the tempest's rage shall quell--
That word, Thy name, Immanuel.

When for the truth I suffer shame;
When foes pour scandal on my name;
When cruel taunts and jeers abound;
When "Bulls of Bashan" gird me round,
Secure within Thy tower I'll dwell--
That tower, Thy grace, Immanuel.

When hell enraged lifts up her roar;
When Satan stops my path before;
When fiends rejoice and wait my end;
When legioned hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry, Immanuel.

When down the hill of life I go;
When o'er my feet death's waters flow;
When in the deep'ning flood I sink;
When friends stand weeping on the brink,
I'll mingle with my last farewell
Thy lovely name, Immanuel.

When tears are banished from mine eye;
When fairer worlds than these are nigh;
When heaven shall fill my ravished sight;
When I shall bathe in sweet delight,
One joy all joys shall far excel,
To see Thy face, Immanuel.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23, NIV).

Celebrating Immanuel,

Pastor Rick

New Sunday School Study

This Sunday at 9:30 a.m., our adult Sunday School classes will begin a new quarter of the "Bible Studies for Life" curriculum. First up is a six-week study called "When Emotions Rise." Sunday's lesson deals with "Walking in Grief" with Scripture from Psalm 116:1-9, 15-17. If you aren't currently part of a Sunday School class, now is a great time to jump in! Email Minister of Music & Education Josh Erisman if you want more information.

Also, a special note about the Personal Study Guide PDF files we have been posting in the "FBC Strafford Family" group since March. LifeWay made those available for free the first few months of the pandemic, then offered a very discounted rate for the fall quarter given that many churches were still not meeting in person. For this winter quarter, the prices have returned to normal and we have elected not to purchase the "online curriculum" option in addition to our printed books. We hope this does not inconvenience anyone. Please contact Josh Erisman if you are not yet joining us in person but would like a printed book and he will see to it that you get a copy.

Worship With Us This Sunday!

Join us for worship this Sunday, December 6, as Pastor Rick continues our Advent message series, More Than A Baby, with the message "No Way!" from Matthew 28:1-15. During the service, we will light the second Advent candle and continue our emphasis on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. You can preview the service plan HERE and download the sermon outline HERE.

We hope to see you and your family for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45. 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 if you do not have a Facebook account. Be sure to comment and let us know that you're watching with us! If you need any technical assistance, email Josh Erisman.

Annual Business Meeting & Christmas Lunch

Our annual business meeting will be held immediately following worship this Sunday, December 6. We will be voting on the 2021 budget as well as new officers and committees. Copies of the proposed 2021 budget are available at the Information Desk. If you have any questions about the budget, talk with Terry Bruton (church treasurer) or Josh Erisman.

After the business meeting, we will move to the fellowship hall for a delicious church-wide Christmas lunch, catered by Sheila's Place in Marshfield (however, the deadline to sign up for the lunch has passed).

2020 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Your giving (above and beyond your tithe) to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions enables Southern Baptist missionaries to be sent to make disciples and multiply churches among unreached peoples and places for the glory of God. What will YOU give so that others can go?

We have received $131 toward our 2020 church goal of $3,500. A special basket for the Lottie Moon offering is available at the back of the worship center. You can also designate an amount to Lottie Moon in the memo line of your tithe check or give online through Tithe.ly. We will receive the offering through Sunday, December 27.

SBC Missionary Highlight

This week, we want to pray for two missionaries that our church supports through our Cooperative Program giving. They are Rick and Jill Thompson, who serve in Netal, Brazil.

If you look at a map of Brazil, on the right side you’ll see a point that juts out into the Atlantic. That’s where the city of Netal sits, right on the coast. Well over one million people live in and around this big city. But growth increased even more after 2014, when the new international airport opened.

That meant new people! To our missionaries, Rick and Jill, it also meant that many new churches were needed.

They got help through a partnership with Baptist churches in Arkansas. Many Southern Baptist volunteers came to Brazil, to knock on doors in communities around the airport and tell people about Jesus. Our missionaries are still working to plant new churches in the many high-rise apartment and condo buildings that have popped up.

Let’s pray for our missionaries, Rick and Jill, and their important work of planting new churches in this huge city. Let’s pray that they can meet this huge missions challenge.

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

Even if you aren't joining us for in-person worship on Sunday, please continue to remember your tithes and offerings. The church’s ministries and operational expenses go on in spite of the current situation. We want to be a blessing to our community 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:

Online through Tithe.ly or the Tithe.ly app
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 and faithful giving! If you need help setting up online giving or have any questions, contact Josh Erisman.

Website

Facebook

Instagram

FB Group

Give Now

Tithe.ly App

This Week @ FBC Strafford

Sunday, December 6
9:30 a.m. | Sunday School
10:45 a.m. | Worship Service
12:00 noon | Annual Business Meeting
12:30 p.m. | Christmas Lunch (Choir Rehearsal will take place after lunch)

Monday, December 7
6:00 p.m. | Men's Group

Wednesday, December 9
6:00 p.m. | NOW Free Family Meal
6:30 p.m. | KidsNOW & StudentsNOW
7:00 p.m. | LivingNOW (Adults)

Thursday, December 10
12:00 noon | Painting Class

CLICK HERE to view full calendar.

This Sunday, December 6

ECM | Terry B. & Brittney T.
Greeters | Sandy S.
Audio | Wayne S.
Video | Jeff P.
Security | Larry A. & Steve E.
Counters | Ryan F. & Jameson E.

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!