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July 27 2010 One Response Thank you for the overwhelming response to our recent sermon series entitled “One.” A lady wrote to say, “I want so badly to be a part of a church with crazy love and Kingdom actions that are at the forefront of its activities!! We are ready!” I hope and pray that FBCJ is prepared to live radical lives that make a true difference as we take the gospel of Jesus Christ and His love across the street and to the nations. If you are interested in having this series as a CD set, please contact Nancy Dearman at ndearman@fbcj.org or by calling 601-949-1935. Not Too Late This Saturday, July 31, is the annual Dress-a-Child event. Through this ministry, we have the opportunity to provide school clothing for children whose parents are incarcerated in Mississippi jails and prison. For more information or to register and participate, please click here. Chuck Missler You are most likely aware that Bible Teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ this Sunday, August 1. We will have a church-wide gathering Sunday night in the sanctuary from 5:00-7:00 to hear him share truths from God’s Word. Whatever Happened You may be wondering what happened with the funds raised for The Donelson Fellowship Church in Nashville where our friend Robert Morgan is the pastor. During the Nashville flooding a couple of months ago, the church experienced great damage to its basement. Members of our church gave approximately $14,000 to help with renovations. Recently Lee Cope and Bill Waller, Jr. traveled to Nashville and spent a weekend laying floor tile in the basement kitchen. In addition, they used the funds that were given to install new stainless steel cabinets, wooden cabinets, and commercial appliances. Most of all, Lee and Bill reported that Robert Morgan, the church, and the building superintendent were greatly encouraged that another group of Christians would reach out in love and support during their time of need. Way to go, church! Attention Sunday School Leaders The new Sunday School year starts August 15. To prepare, we are hosting training for all Sunday School leaders on Sunday, August 8. From 4:15-5:45 pm there will be breakout sessions for the various age groups. Then, a meal will be served beginning at 5:45 pm in Fellowship Hall East. At 6:00 pm the entire church is invited to hear Chris Maddux speak as we conclude our training. All Sunday School leaders are asked to sign up for this training by August 1. You may register online by clicking here or by calling Trish Jenkins at 601-949-1941. July 20, 2010 One More We have completed two sermons in our three part series entitled “One.” Thank you for your prayers and attendance thus far. We have one week remaining. This Sunday we’ll be talking about “One in Unity.” Please continue to pray as we gather on Sunday to see how God feels about unity in His church. Two Annual Events We are moving closer to Dress-a-Child (July 31) and Run for the Son (August 7). Don't for get to register online at www.fbcj.org. This Sunday Night This Sunday night, July 25, we have the opportunity to attend the Mississippi Braves game as a church family. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased in the atrium this Sunday morning. Come out and enjoy the game, eat a hot dog, and get to know some fellow church members you may have never met. July 13, 2010 One Last week I asked you to pray for our new sermon series entitled "One." Your prayers were evident Sunday and I thank you. I understand the prayer room was filled prior to the early worship service. As I shared Sunday, I think that's what God wants from us. I think He wants us to humble ourselves and come before Him in prayer. I think He wants us to acknowledge our dependence upon Him, both individually and as a church. I think He wants us to come before Him in humility and seek His face, His voice, His wisdom. I know He wants us to be one. One in Christ. One in purpose. One in unity. This week let us continue to prostrate ourselves before the Great God of this Universe. In our humility and brokenness, may He make us one. August 1, 2010 Last week I announced that Bible teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ on Sunday, August 1. In the morning, he will speak to a number of Sunday School classes in Fellowship Hall East, rather than individual classrooms. Then, he will speak at a two hour session Sunday night in the sanctuary. He will speak for 45 minutes, we will take a break, and then he will speak for an hour. We will have separate activities for preschoolers through 6th grade on that Sunday night. If you will be bringing your children (preschoolers through 6th grade), please make reservations by July 25 by calling Paula Webb at 601-949-1969 or by e-mailing her at pwebb@fbcj.org so that we can provide the appropriate number of workers. Chuck Missler is known far and wide for his expository teaching and preaching. It's our hope that he will stimulate us to a greater desire to know God's Word, understand God's Word, and apply God's Word in our lives. Dressing and Running Don't forget to sign up for Dress-a-Child (July 31) and Run for the Son (August 7). You can register for both online at www.fbcj.org. Children's Ministry Kim Parrish has done a fantastic job as our Children's Minister the last four years. She has done everything with excellence and hard work. Kim now feels that it is time for her to spend more time with her great family - her husband and three children. In order to do so, she has accepted a job with a local education system that will enable her to maintain a schedule at home when her children are there. Kim's last Sunday as our Children's Minister will be August 1, 2010. Thereafter, she will still be living in Jackson and she and her family will still be part of FBCJ. Please let Kim know how much you appreciate all she has done for FBCJ and God's Kingdom. Go Braves! Sunday morning, July 25, we will be talking about the importance of unity. Over the years I have come to realize that "shared experiences" are those things which bring people together. We can never have true fellowship and oneness if we never spend time together. Think of family members and friends with whom you have deep relationships. Most of these are people with whom you have spent a great deal of time. At FBCJ, it's hard to develop meaningful relationships with people you only see in the hallways on Sunday. Because we live in different communities and go in different directions, we often see little of one another. We have very few "shared experiences." We hope to give opportunity for a "shared experience" Sunday evening, July 25, at Trustmark Park. The Mississippi Braves will be playing. The tickets are only $5 and you can purchase one this Sunday in the atrium. Even if you don't like baseball, come join us and get to know some people you've only seen passing in the hallways. July 6, 2010 Thank You I want to say a special word of thanks to those of you who came to the Red, White, and Jackson event last Thursday. We had a marvelous turnout from FBCJ. The orchestra was wonderful and “In His Honor” really blessed our hearts. The entire evening was a great celebration of God and country. Plus, I was told that the number of people attending was twice the number from last year. During the celebration, I spoke with several people from the local Chamber of Commerce and they were thrilled that our church had chosen to participate. They are looking forward to continuing to work with us on other downtown projects in the future. Thank you for the good showing and for letting everyone know that we truly care about the location God has placed our church. Coming Up We have two important events coming up: (1) the 12th Annual Dress-a-Child event on July 31 in which you are able to provide school clothes for children whose parents are incarcerated and (2) Run for the Son, our annual 5k race, on August 7. You can register online at the following links: Dress-a-Child; Run for the Sun. Update on James Arrington Many of you have been praying for James Arrington Goff, our organist who does such a masterful job each week. I spoke with him Monday and he said that the surgery for his colon cancer went well, that scans show no other places of cancer in his body, and that even his lymph nodes were clear. He will be meeting with an oncologist soon to determine if he needs to take preventive treatment such as chemotherapy in the days ahead. Please pray for his healing from the surgery since he is still a little sore. He appreciates your prayers and is grateful for the FBCJ family. Chuck Missler Bible teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ on Sunday, August 1. In the morning, he will speak to a number of Sunday School classes. Then, as we did with author/pastor Rob Morgan, Missler will speak at a two hour session Sunday night in Fellowship Hall East. He will speak for 45 minutes, we will take a break, and then he will speak for an hour. Chuck Missler is known far and wide for his expository teaching and preaching. It’s our hope that he will stimulate us to a greater desire to know God’s Word, understand God’s Word, and apply God’s Word in our lives. Please look for more details in the days ahead. One The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 that all Christ-followers are one in Christ Jesus. This Sunday we begin a sermon series entitled, “One.” Over the next three weeks we’ll be talking about being one in Christ, one in purpose, and one in unity. Few things are more beautiful than a body of believers living out their “oneness” in Christ. At the same time, few things are more ugly than a divided body of Christians. How do we become one? How do we continue to live as one? Why does it matter? And what are the practical implications of being one? We’ll be answering these questions and more in the weeks ahead. Please pray for this series of messages. Pray for me as I prepare and deliver these messages. Pray for yourself as you hear the Word of God. Pray for our church that we will truly be one in Christ as God intends for us to be. June 29, 2010 Happy Birthday I hope you are making plans to attend the birthday party this Thursday for our nation. There's a big celebration next to the Old Capitol Thurday evening from 7:00 - 9:00. This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate to the downtown community that we are a vital part of what is taking place. With hundreds of new apartments and lofts downtown already occupied and with more being built, we want those who live downtown to know that we are here, that we care for them, and that they can find a church home without ever leaving downtown Jackson. Not only can we make a positive statement to the downtown community through our presence Thursday evening, but we can also have a good time! There will be food and drink vendors, our FBCJ orchestra, "In His Honor" ensemble, the Capital City Stage Band, fireworks, and much more. So bring your family, your smile, and your lawn chair. Let's show up, support those from our church who are participating in the program, and be a part of the revitalization of downtown Jackson. Schedule Change Don’t forget about the schedule change this Sunday. Because this Sunday is July 4, there will be no Sunday School and one combined service at 10:30. Our choir and orchestra will lead us in a time of celebration and I will bring a message regarding our nation and our faith. These are interesting times in the life of our country. Many people are very concerned about events taking place: the oil spill in the Gulf, high unemployment rate, health care, an economy that has not yet recovered, Afghanistan, Iraq, endless government spending, national debt, a growing dissatisfaction with all branches of government, and many other difficulties. What can we do as Christian citizens? Where do we turn for answers? Who can we trust? Where have we been as a nation and how do we move forward? Come Sunday and we will attempt to answer these questions as we celebrate our nation’s birth and as we thank God for the incredible blessings on the United States of America. June 22, 2010 Back to the Cross I hope you are in town this Sunday, June 27, for a special worship service. In our morning services we will be focusing on the cross as we participate in the Lord’s Supper. The entire service – music, Scripture passages, preaching, prayer – will be focused on the Cross of Calvary. I hope you will come Sunday with an expectant heart, a thankful heart, and a heart that is ready to worship. Praying For Our Students About 240 of us will be leaving next Monday, June 28, and returning Friday, July 2. Who is going? Our 7th-12 graders and their adult chaperones. Where are we going? Orange Beach, AL. Do we know there is an oil spill? Of course! But we are in constant contact with folks in that area and we are anticipating a fantastic trip in spite of any oil that may be there. Please begin to pray for this trip. Many of us have been on these trips and our lives were blessed, challenged, and changed as a result. We hope to put our students in a position to hear from God and to be challenged to live a radical, sold-out, life for Christ. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Thursday evening, July 1, we will be participating in Red, White, and Jackson. This is an event we are sponsoring with the Downtown Jackson Partnership and Jackson Chamber of Commerce. Our orchestra and ensembles will be performing, as well as the Capital City Stage Band. In addition, there will be 15-20 minutes of fireworks. All of this will take place on the green space just north of the old capitol building on State Street. There will be food and drinks and other vendors. This will be a great way for us to show our support for the downtown community. Our main campus is located downtown and we want everyone to know who we are, where we are, and that we have a heart for our capital city. So come on out, enjoy the music, the food, and the fireworks and let’s tell downtown Jackson that we’re proud to be a part of this community. July 4 This year our nation’s birthday falls on a Sunday and we are having a special celebration at FBCJ. On Sunday, July 4, we will be having one combined service at 10:30 in the sanctuary as we celebrate “Let Freedom Ring.” There will be no Sunday School that day as we all gather together to praise God for the many blessings He has given to our country. One What is the greatest number in all the world? Some would say the number seven. Others would say the jersey number of their favorite athlete. But I think the greatest number may be the number one. After all, that’s what Jesus wanted us to be. He wanted us to be one. In John 17, Jesus said to His Heavenly Father, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” Of all these things Jesus could have done the night of His arrest, He prayed that His followers would be united. That they would be on the same page. That they would be one. Apparently, He knew how powerful a group of united Christians could be. He also knew how strife and division could destroy the effectiveness of a group of Christians. In light of these truths, I will be preaching a series of messages entitled, “One.” For three Sundays in July, we’ll be talking about how, as Christians, we are to be One in Christ, One in Purpose, and One in Unity. I ask you to pray for this sermon series. Pray that God would make us one. Pray that God would reveal to us the importance of being one. And pray that God would give us the desire to be one, even as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one. June 8, 2010 Children and More This is VBS week! Children and workers are crawling all over the place, learning about God’s love, hearing the stories of the Bible, and learning how to become a child of God. Please pray for the children and the workers. Pray especially for those who might be ready to profess faith in Jesus Christ. One More Week I will be out of the pulpit one more Sunday. This Saturday evening I travel to Orlando for the Southern Baptist Convention. I understand that 20,000 messengers have already registered for this event. That is a substantial increase from recent years. May God be glorified by what takes place. In my absence, Dr. Chuck Quarles will be preaching. Interestingly, his grandfather was Dr. Chester Quarles who was Statistical Secretary and Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Miss. Baptist Convention from 1950-1968. Chuck has been a professor at our New Orleans seminary and at Louisiana College. U.S.A. We have two wonderful ways this year to celebrate the birth and freedoms of our nation. First, on Thursday evening, July 1, we will be participating in Red, White, and Jackson. This is an event that we are sponsoring with the Downtown Jackson Partnership and Jackson Chamber of Commerce. Our orchestra and ensembles will be performing, as well as the Capital City Stage Band. In addition, there will be 15-20 minutes of fireworks. All of this will take place on the green space just north of the old capitol building on State Street. There will be food and drinks and other vendors. This will be a great event for the entire family. Then, on Sunday, July 4, we will be having one combined service at 10:30 in the sanctuary as we celebrate “Let Freedom Ring.” There will be no Sunday School that day. Please make plans to attend these two special events.
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