FirstUpdate | January 6, 2023

A weekly update from First Baptist Church of Strafford

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Remembering Wayne & Clarence

It's been a heartbreaking week for our church family, as Wayne Noe and Clarence Briggs went home to be with the Lord. Both of these men were fixtures of our church and we will deeply miss them. Please continue to remember Frankie, Joann, and their families in your prayers over the coming days.

Wayne's funeral service will take place TODAY (Friday) at 10:00 a.m. at Meadors Funeral Home in Republic, with burial to follow at Manley Cemetery in Battlefield.

Arrangements for Clarence are still pending, but there will be a celebration of life service once Joann returns from Florida. We will update everyone as soon as we know more details.

Worship with Us This Sunday!

We invite you to join us for worship this Sunday, January 8, as Pastor Orvin continues our series Looking Into 2023 - Grow...Show...Go! with a message titled "SHOW Everyone the Difference Jesus Makes in Our Lives" (Philippians 1:27). Music will be led by our choir, band, and orchestra.

We hope to see you and your family for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45 a.m. You can preview the service plan HERE. The bulletin is available for download HERE.

Sign up for Bless Every Home!

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life."

The Lord planted our church where we are to help our neighbors discover the light of life. So, we're asking each member of our church to consider becoming a Light to their neighbors and living intentional "pray-care-share" lifestyles.

Becoming a Light is free and confidential. You'll receive a map and list of your closest neighbors, along with emails at the frequency of your choice to pray for your next five neighbors that day. When you get a chance, walk or drive by those homes as you pray for them.

To learn more about this opportunity visit the following link to sign up on the website: https://blesseveryhome.com/fbcstrafford

SBC Missionary Highlight & Prayer Prompt

Close to 90 percent of the 400,000 people who live in the Niagara region of Canada are unbelievers. Seeing a clear need for the Gospel there, Steven and Cindy Martins were called by God to plant Sevilla Chapel in order to help reach the growing Latino population in the region, the Niagara region being home to more than 14,000 Latinos.

A few years ago, the Martins met Gonzalo and Abril Alcazar, who had just moved to the area from Mexico. They asked if they could visit the couple and tell them about the hope offered in Jesus. Over a meal, the Martins walked the Alcazars through the Gospel of Luke. They continued that practice every Friday night and eventually the Alcazar family came to faith in Jesus.

THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM takes the Gospel to the nations and the neighborhoods. Your financial support through the Cooperative Program helps missionaries plant churches and share Jesus in their communities.

Pray that God will make the Martins’ Gospel conversations fruitful and that the Lord will help them develop leaders in their young congregation.

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 plate or 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 giving! If you need help setting up online giving or have any questions, contact Josh Erisman.

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This Week @ FBC Strafford

This Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023

ECM | Emily E. & Aroara F.
Greeters | Sandy S.
Information Desk | Connie W.
Audio | Jeremy F.
Video | Jeff P.
Security | Ray S. & Larry A.
Counters | Kenny W. & Sandy S.

If you cannot serve on your assigned Sunday, please arrange a substitute and let the church office know by calling (417) 736-2148 or emailing us. Thank you to all those who serve our church in these important roles each Sunday morning!

Week ending January 1, 2023
Worship Attendance - 102
Sunday School Attendance - N/A

Undesignated Giving - $6,990.03
Weekly Budget Goal - $5,000.00
Q4 Giving - $68,918.35
(106.9% of budget through 13 weeks)
2022 Undes. Giving - $246,830.74
(95.7% of budget through 52 weeks)

NOW Attendance - N/A (Dec. 28)