All Saints Remembrance Day Our annual memorial service honoring the memory of church members who have died since last All Saints Day will be Sunday, November 5 during the 11:00 a.m. Celebration service in the Sanctuary. Time Change Sunday The time changes on Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 a.m. Remember to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday! A Special Thanks! We had a wonderful Fall Festival last week! Whether you donated candy, contributed a baked good, volunteered your time, or just showed up, you helped to make the evening a special time of fun and fellowship. I am so proud of the ways the evening brought people of all ages together! Please help me thank our planning committee, led by Farrah Crider: Jennifer Harkleroad, Ellee Hilley, Julie Joiner, and Jennifer Pugh. Mark your calendars for our next church-wide fellowship—Wednesday, November 26 is our Advent Celebration at 6 pm in Morgan Hall! Christmas Poinsettias The church will be decorated for Advent and Christmas with fresh poinsettias and wreaths. If you would like to make a contribution toward this expense, please place your gift of $15.00 (per listing) and the name(s) of the person(s) you are remembering or honoring in the offering plate by Sunday, December 3. The gifts received pay for the poinsettias and wreaths, as well as the bows for the wreaths and the green covers and plastic saucers for the pots.

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Dear First Baptist Music Ministry, Thank you so much for providing supper for the Spalding High band. What a thoughtful gesture. —Band Boosters and Spalding High Blue and Silver Brigade

Dear First Baptist Family, Karyn, Duncan, and I are so grateful for the many messages of loving support and gifts you’ve given to us during October’s Minister Appreciation. We certainly do feel appreciated as a ministry family. It would be impossible to achieve any measure of success in music ministry without dedicated volunteers, talented music staff, a wonderful church staff, and a caring congregation. We give thanks to God for the opportunities we have to work alongside you.

Food, Friends, and Football Join us for Food, Friends, and Football November 3 at 5:00 p.m. in the FLC Gym Confused about the when and where of student ministry on Wednesdays? Maybe a few mixed messages between parent and child? Here’s what you need to know: 6:00 pm – Games, Free Play, & Adult Supervision in the Gym 6:30 pm – Popcorn, Fellowship, & Adult Supervision in the Basement *Students in the gym will be escorted to the Basement at 6:30 pm 7:00 PM – Games, Worship, & Small Groups for Middle & High School

STUDENT MINISTRY

MUSIC MINISTRY

Intergenerational Advent Celebration Wednesday, November 29 6:00 p.m., Morgan Hall All ages are welcome to join us as we create and worship together to make time and space for Jesus during the busy season of Advent!

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

Update from Brian McCartney:

We are in the beautiful and cool mountains at Delphi, site of the famous Oracle. We are still playing catchup after the rest of our group missed their connection in Frankfurt. Our group of ten is very compatible, our driver is great, and our guide is superb! Hope you all are missing me a little. Brian

ADULT MINISTRY

Wednesday Night Menu November 1 - Baked Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Butter Peas, Mixed Salad, Strawberry Shortcake November 8 - Pork Loin, Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, Sliced Carrots, Broccoli Salad, Biscuits, Lemon Cake November 15 - Turkey Breast, Dressing and Gravy, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, Watergate Salad, Mixed Salad, Rolls, Cranberry Sauce November 22 - NO MEAL. THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.

From the Prayer Team “but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.“

Philippians 3:12b

PAGE THREE Christian Sympathy is Expressed to: Family and friends of Juanita Brooks in her passing on October 25. Michael and Rebekah Ridgeway and family in the passing of his father, Durwood (Doug) Ridgeway on October 27. Tim Evans in the passing of his grandmother, Thelma Moore Richie on October 30. Family and Friends of David Lee in his passing on October 30.

Sanctuary Flowers The flowers in the Sanctuary are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Cain Brown on the anniversary of his birthday, November 1, by his family. Focus on the Foundation Your gifts to the First Baptist Church Endowment Foundation are the keys that open doors and can be given in many ways: Doors of Faith by supporting the church’s primary mission to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Christ. ATTENTION: ALL LADIES Advent by Candlelight has a new day and time this year. On Sunday afternoon, December 3rd, 2017 at 4:00p.m. we will have our annual event. If you would like to be a special part of this time by hosting a table, please contact Jody Singletary to sign up for a table or call the church at (770) 227-5517. The arrangement of tables is based on the order of sign-ups. We hope you will be able to join us in this magnificent celebration of Advent by Candlelight The Advent By Candlelight Planning Team Contact Information: Jody Singletary Cell: (404)723-5878 Email: jodysingletary@gmail.com

New Arrivals

Congratulations to Adam Crow on the birth of his son, Knox Madsen Crow, born October 25, 2017. Proud grandparents

are Sharon and Steve Crow, and proud aunt is Mindy Crow Clark.

Congratulations to Christina Stacy on the arrival of her daughter, Arya Elizabeth Stacy. Proud grandmother is

Elizabeth Stacy and proud great-grandparents are Fran and Buddy Pitts and Sam Stacy.

Women on Mission Daytime Women on Mission will meet Tuesday, November 7 at 11:00 a.m. in the FLC Hospitality Room. In preparation for the Holiday Season, the program will emphasize CBF Global Missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Lunch will follow the program. Please bring a sack lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided.

PAGE FOUR

Too Significant Not to Mention

Dr. Bill Hardee

T his Halloween will be the 500

th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. While there were certainly those who

had protested against the established Church orthodoxy before, this was the first time it gained critical mass to challenge abusive practices in the Roman Church. Martin Luther was a German priest who had no desire to leave the priesthood or the Church, he simply contested primarily the sale of “indulgences” to people to raise

money for the Church. On October 31, 1517, he composed a document calling for debate on 95 propositions within the Academic/Priestly community. As was tradition, they were nailed to a Church door. The Church door to which these “95 theses” was nailed was the Castle Church (Schloßkirche) in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther did not see these proposi-tions for debate as a break with his Church. Having recently been awarded with the title of Doctor of the Church, he felt bound to address what he considered to be fallacies of certain practices within the Church. The statements for debate stretched all the way from the basis for acceptance by God to the authority of the Pope to make binding theological statements to the travesty of selling indulgences (paying money to buy one’s way out of Purgatory so as to get to heaven more quickly). He was a reluctant pioneer who, when he was hounded rather than heard, found himself excommunicat-ed (1521) and would have been executed except for the powerful political force of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony (one who chose the emperor) who hid him in Wartburg Castle.

These 95 theses were written in Latin and not intended for the masses. However, copies were obtained by his friends and quickly published due to the recent invention of the Gutenberg press.

Within these theses, however, were also the seminal thread of Protestant thought (1st thesis): "When our Lord and Mas-

ter Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” He went on to speak of trust in the divine promise of acceptance through faith in Christ. In the years that followed, the protestant movement was propelled by 5 “sola” (only) statements. Faith Alone “sola fide” is all that is needed to receive the gift of salvation. Grace Alone “sola gratia” means that the gift of God’s acceptance is not be virtue of our goodness or enabled by the Church in any form. Christ Alone “Solus Christus” is our Lord to whom we owe allegiance and is himself the ultimate revelation of God. Scripture Alone “Sola Scriptura” is our highest authority in matters of faith and practice. And, Glory to God alone ‘Soli Deo Gloria” says that we live for God’s glory alone, not for any political purpose or church authority.

Martin Luther was a trail blazer that others quickly followed. The most notable were: John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and the English Reformers. John Calvin’s initial salvo of reform occurred in November 1533 during his inaugural address to the Collège Royal in Paris, France. His most fruitful ministry, however, would be focused in Geneva, Switzerland. Zwingli’s thought began to challenge the status quo in 1519 when pastor of Großmünster in Zurich; also in Switzerland. In Eng-land, the Protestant reform got a boost from King Henry VIII who wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon. When the Church forbade the divorce, he declared himself to be the final authority in matters related to the English Church! Clergy whose names are remembered for their work in Reform in England are Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Thomas Bilney (all three of which were burned at the stake). All these reformers are collectively called “Magisterial Reformers” because they had the backing of either the state or local governments to protect them and enforce their theology.

Ironically, the Roman Church did address the abuses of selling indulgences at the Council of Trent in 1562. Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences in 1567 that were offered as a result of gifts of money to the Church.

Karl Barth and Paul Tillech, two of the most influential of 20th century theologians said that “The Church is always in

need of reform.” By this they meant that Church, by its very nature, tends to develop practices and theologies which are more influenced by power and tradition than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Protestantism must retain its critical eye to the human tendency to dilute it due to cultural influences or to twist the gospel into personal interpretations rather than allow-ing it to be free in the world to draw people to Christ. The Church will always be flawed until Christ gathers us all in his kingdom. It will be flawed because it is a hospital for sinner rather than hotel for saints. It is flawed because divisions over theology and practice will never cease. It is flawed because people are always at different places in their spiritual growth and ability to understand the Scripture. It is flawed because while we often have the same beliefs, we differ in how those beliefs are to be applied in a darkened world. It is flawed because orthopraxy is not valued as much as or-thodoxy.

Regardless of conflicts among those who carry the name of Christ, the Holy Spirit is still calling people to trust in Christ and to grow in the measure and pace they can in a blighted world. Faith and grace alone saves. Christ alone do we follow. Scripture alone is our authority. And, the purpose of man is to “glorify God alone and enjoy him forev-er” (Westminster Catechism).

PAGE FIVE

SERVING SUNDAY, November 1

If you’ve traded dates to serve, please remind the

individual with whom you traded.

Deacons: Linda Chappell, Hoby Davenport, Hundley

Harkleroad, Kenneth Moore, Paul Moore

Intercessors: Marguerite Murphy

Common Grounds: Martha’s Team - Martha Hudson,

Jessica Natale, Gloria Treadway

Extended Teaching Care 11:00 a.m.:

Babies: Ashley & Eric Callahan

Walkers: Betsy & Tyler Simpson

Twos: Ginger & Alex Hamilton

Threes: Jessica & Patrick McEwen

Greeters:

8:45 a.m. Chapel Service: Brenda & Ed Bistany,

Rudolph Bullard, Butch Sutton

11:00 a.m. Celebration Service: Martha Donehoo,

Gail Gardner, Belinda Shaw, Mary & Tony Walraven

11:00 a.m. Connexion Service: Bridgett & Michael Carruth,

Donna & Brad Glass, Stuart Whatley

Library: Evans Millican

Security Team: Kim Willis

Transportation: Call Ed Baldwin at 910-280-0224

First Baptist Church of Griffin

106 West Taylor Street

Griffin, Georgia 30223-3025

www.fbcgriffin.org

Church Numbers

Church Office ......................................... 770-227-5517

Fax number ............................................ 770-412-7873

Pastor’s Study/Pastoral Care ............... 770-227-1096

Weekday Office ...................................... 770-228-7880

Dr. Bill Hardee, Senior Pastor...………………..……………..……………….ext. 120

Rev. Sarah Murray, Minister to Families with Children…………………...ext. 122

Rev. Brian McCartney, Minister of Education………………………....……ext. 124

Rev. Marty Watts, Minister of Music and GSA Director…………………...ext. 121

Mrs. Diane Lamb, Weekday Director and Director of Food Service…….ext. 128

Dr. Jim Patterson, Minister of Pastoral Care

Dr. Bruce Morgan, Pastor Emeritus

Worship Broadcasts can be found each Sunday on

Comcast Cable Channel 25

(11:00 am and 10:00 pm) and at

WKEU 88.9 FM (11:00 am)

Live Streaming is now available on our website.

For a detailed listing of calendar events, please visit the

church website at www.fbcgriffin.org

If you want information to appear in the E-Vision, please have all info to Publications by FRIDAY at 5:00 p.m. each week. All information for The

Page should be in by WEDNESDAY at 12:00 p.m. each week. Information should be emailed

to publications@fbcgriffin.org.

MINISTERS ON CALL

If you have an emergency after hours, on these

weekends, and need to contact a minister, please call

678-692-8350

Sarah Murray November 3-5

Bill Hardee

October 10-12

Sunday School

October 29

Children 44

Students 23

Adults 194

261

FAITH FORMATION THIS WEEK

VITAL SIGNS | October 29, 2017

ATTENDANCE

Worship Attendance 285

REVENUE

Tithes and Offerings $ 29,930.35

Weekday and GSA $ 4,635.50

Received Budget (10/29/17) $ 34,656.85

Annual Budget $ 1,553,400.00

Needed in 44 Weeks $ 1,289,615.09

Received in 44 Weeks $ 1,177,952.95

Below Requirement to date $ 111,662.14