selma facebook.com/selmafbc...

1 .5

Night Church Begins 1 .10

Jr. High & High School Winter Camp 1 .11

Gospel Music Night 1 .12

Secret Sister Revealing & Drawing 1 .19

Annual Business Meeting 1 .22

Wednesday Night Live! Begins

De-

From Our Pastor’s Blog MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Continued on page 2…

Non Profit Org.

U.S. Postage Paid

PERMIT # 68

SELMA CA 93662

Seth Pankratz

Pastor Luke Chow

Cody Fedor

Jamie Wenter

Kelsi McKay

Melanie Moore

Karri Smith

Carrie King

Senior Pastor:

Student Ministry:

Children’s Ministry:

Connections Ministry:

Facilities Ministry:

Office Ministry:

Selma First Baptist Church 2025 Grant Street

Selma, CA 93662

559-896-5842 www.selmafirstbaptist.org

facebook.com/SelmaFBC SELMA FIRST BAPTIST

SELMA FIRST BAPTIST

January 2014 | Monthly Newsletter of Selma First Baptist Church

To help make disciples of Jesus Christ, who love God and love others in our community, region, and world.

Resolutions How long do your New Year’s resolutions last? A few months? A few weeks? Days? I’ve had my share of resolution failures, but I’ve also had several successes. My failed resolutions to “eat better” or “exercise more” have almost never succeeded. After a few days or weeks of exercise and diet, my well-intentioned plans would fall flat. Four years ago, however, I made a diet and exercise resolution that succeeded. Even though I was more than thirty pounds overweight and couldn’t run 100 yards without getting winded, I decided to complete a marathon. Somehow I was able to make the necessary changes in my exercise and diet regimen to complete this goal. Through this process I learned some important principles about goal setting and lasting change. I also gleaned a few Biblical principals that have been extremely helpful to me. As Christians, we can make behavioral changes that both honor God and yield blessings.

IN THIS ISSUE… Adult Ministries

page 4-5

Birthdays and

Anniversaries page 9

Calendar

page 10 Children’s Church

Rotation Schedule page 3 Children’s Ministry

pages 7 From the Pastor’s Blog

pages 1 & 2 Giving & Attendance

Record page 3

Letters

Page 8 Student Ministry

page 6

From the Pastor’s Blog Continued from pg. 1...

One of the clearest passages regarding change is found in the book of Romans where the apostle Paul gives us this command. He says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind...” (Romans 12:2). In this passage there are two words for “change” which are contrasted. These words are conform and transform. The word conform is the Greek word “suschematizo” (sus-kay-mat-tid-zo). It implies something that is cheap, temporary, or unstable. The alternative to being conformed is to be transformed. The word transformed is from the Greek word “metamorphai” (met-ah-mor-fay), from which we get the word "metamorphosis.” It is made of two Greek words; Meta (change) and Morphe (form). When a caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis, it’s form is changed from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Transformation in Romans 12:2 means that we undergo a change in our fundamental character and condition. We change from self-centered people, conformed to the pattern of this world to renewed and selfless children of God who demonstrate the sacrificial love of Jesus. It is also interesting (to the nerds among us) that this verb is a passive present imperative--which to the rest of us means that God does the work of transformation but there is still human responsibility involved. Even though God is actively transforming us, we can either allow God to change us or resist His work in our lives. Our responsibility to be transformed boils down

to a few key decisions: First, we must come to recognize that our behavior MUST change (Isaiah 57:21; Psalm 101:2-3). All 12-step programs include this step--the recognition of a problem. And for lasting change, I would add to this recognition a hatred or disgust for the problem. Dave Ramsey, a popular Christian financial counselor, refers to this decision as the “I’VE HAD IT!” moment. This decision is the recognition that things are drastically “broken” and there is a better and much more desirable way. Whether we are disgusted with how out of shape we are, or disgusted with a sinful behavior, our disgust must be greater than the pain we will experience during the process of change. Exercise is not always pleasant or convenient. It is difficult to say no to cookies and chocolate. It is extremely difficult to resist sinful temptations. Is our disgust with our current situation strong enough to overcome these unpleasantries? The second key decision is the ongoing decision to INTERRUPT negative or sinful patterns when they are happening. When we are facing temptation or bad habits are taking over, we must interrupt our behavior or the old patterns will take over. The more radical the interruption, the more effective the change. Jesus gave us a radical example of this when he said in Mark 9:43-47, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off... If your

foot causes you to sin, cut it off.. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out...” Jesus’ intent was not to have maimed disciples, but disciples who really, really hated sin. For some of us, this might mean throwing out the junk food in our pantry. For some of us this might mean getting rid of a source of temptation, like a computer, smart phone, or television. For some of us this might mean setting up an accountability system. Accountability was one of the keys for success in my marathon training. I had a buddy to train with and run the race with me. When I didn't feel like running, my friend inspired me to run anyway. When I was reaching for a handful of M&M's, I would "hear" his voice in my head. Accountability is an extremely important component for lasting change. The final key element to lasting change, is to CONDITION ourselves for success. To help us make and keep God-honoring changes, we need to feed our minds with God-honoring disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance (Cf. Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-2). Change is rarely an immediate event. We don’t

comb our hair once, brush our teeth once, or workout once and then be set for life. Instead, we build habits and learn to love the conditioning. To loose weight by running I needed to condition myself to enjoy running. To eat healthy food, I needed to condition myself to enjoy healthy food. We naturally tend to move towards pleasure and away from pain. Unfortunately, many "pleasurable" habits are not good for us. The key to making successful change is finding pleasure in healthy habits and the benefits they reap. Sometimes, the simplest way to do this is to make the change meaningful. Completing a marathon was a meaningful goal for me. I was proud of the accomplishment. I felt great about losing thirty-five pounds. My accomplishment inspired others to accomplish similar goals. All of these benefits made my new habits even more pleasurable. Do you have any meaningful goals or transformations to make? Don't conform, transform! You don't have to wait until midnight on the first of January. Decide right now!

January 2014

ATTENDANCE AND GIVING

December 1, 2013: 10:00 am - 251 December 8, 2013: 10:00 am - 204 December 15, 2013: 10:00 am- 201 December 21, 2013 6:30 pm - 207 December 22, 2013: 10:00 am - 228

12-01-13 12-08-13 12-15-13 12-22-13

General Offering 12,159.92 6,359.72 5,916.24 19,051.11

Sunday School 35.50 39.59 38.50

Fellowship/Comm. Fund 108.00 20.00 20.00

Good Shepherd-Haiti

Children’s Ministry

Adult Ministry 500.00 35.00 190.00

Youth Camp

One Great Hour 50.00

Youth Ministry 321.00

Church Rental 225.00 75.00

Office Ministry 26.00

Poinsettias 162.00 111.00 36.00

Memorial 40.00

Pastor’s Gifts 100.00 340.00 60.00 70.00

America For Christ 80.00

ABW 140.40

Refunds 125.00

NSF Payment 12.00

Study Books 7.00

Check Fees 12.00

January 2014

Serving January 5th 10:00 am/7:00 pm

Nursery– Lisa Coigny & Darlene Wilbanks/

Jennifer Yarbrough

Walking/Preschool-Keri Viau & Caitlyn Larkin/

Jessica Delgado

Greeters-TBA


Nursery– Dimple Rasmussen & Kristi Pankratz/

Jennifer Yarbrough

Walking/Preschool-Christina Stephens & Debbie Lopez/

Jessica Delgado

Greeters-TBA

SERVING THIS MONTH


Nursery-Dena Yarbrough & Hannah Mitchell/

Jennifer Yarbrough

Walking/Preschool-Kathy & Cheyenne Smith/

Jessica Delgado

Greeters-TBA


Nursery-Shirley Hughes & Kiley Reetz/

Jennifer Yarbrough

Walking/Preschool-Traci & Lexi Coates/

Jessica Delgado

Greeters-TBA

January 2014

ADULT MINISTRY

“It was you who

set all the

boundaries of

the earth; you

made both

summer

and winter. “

Psalm 74:17

Circle Dorcas January 9 10:00am Circle Dorcas would like to invite all of the ladies to come hear about Pastor Luke Chow’s missionary experience. Pastor Luke has gone several mission trips and both of his parents are missionaries. Come learn about Luke’s background.

Secret Sister Reveal & Drawing

January 12 2pm Fireside Room All Women are invited.

We will be celebrating a year of prayer for one another and will be drawing names of the women we will be praying for in 2014. You will be a Secret Sister of the woman whose name you draw and will pray for her for a full year. We will celebrate and reveal ourselves in January of 2015. If you have a Secret Sister for 2013 you will be revealing yourself at this time in a new and exciting way (surprise, surprise!). This is not a gift exchange, although cards and small gifts may be given to our Secret Sisters, they are just for fun. Our purpose is a prayer covenant. Please come! I’m always excited to find out who God has planned for me to pray for! -Chris Manley

Godly Girlfriends Beginning January 20 Monday 6:30pm Fireside Room This is a 12 week study on Women of the New Testament. The study is open to all women and teens in the church, so invite a friend, bring a small snack to share and come join us. For more information, please contact Cindy Pendegraft.

Gospel Music Night January 11 5:00pm Mark your calendars for January 11,2014 as we will have a night filled with good food and gospel music. Ken Hurley, pianist and singer will be with us as he presents Gods love through gospel songs. This will be a wonderful evening. Please sign up in the back of the sanctuary.

January 2014

Prayer Shawl Ministry What are prayer shawls? The purpose of a prayer shawl is to give someone a tangible example of God’s love and care. The shawl is made of soft yarn so the recipient can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around him or her. A prayer shawl is made with prayer. The maker of the shawl prays before, during, and after they work on the shawl. Sometimes we know who we are making the shawl for, and sometimes we don’t, but we pray for the person who receives it just the same. Would you like a prayer shawl? If you would like a prayer shawl for yourself or know of someone who would be blessed by one, please contact the church office. The prayer shawl ministry is not currently meeting as a group but individuals are busy creating shawls. If you would like to learn how to make one, please contact Andrea Fairbanks.

“See, I am doing

a new thing! Now

it springs up; do

you not perceive

it? I am making a

way in the

wilderness and

streams in the

wasteland.”

Isaiah 43.19

Save the Date!

February 15 Senior Banquet

Note from the Interim Senior Ministry Event Coordinator

Mary and I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas season and a Hope for a New Year that will bring us closer to our Lord. We are working on some activities that will bring us closer to Him as we fellowship and study. In January we will have a special Wednesday Night Bible study that will give us strength and encourage us as we celebrate our Golden Years! We are preparing for special topics and speakers for Wednesday nights starting January 22, 2014. Dinner will be served at 5:45 followed by Bible study. Please join in our activities and become part of the Senior Ministries.

If you have any questions or suggestions, call Bob Allen at 709-3515.

STARTING JANUARY 22 5:45pm Dinner

($5-adults $3-youth & kids) 6:00-8:00pm Student Ministry

6:30-8:00pm Classes

Quilter’s Square Tuesdays 1:00pm Conference Room Quilts are being made with love to give us gifts to our older seniors and to those in the community. We could always use more hands to help cut fabric, sew quilts, and tie off the quilts. See Leola if you have questions.

Mission Corner Keep clipping those Campbells Soup Labels and Box Tops

for Education. The soup labels are sent to the Hopi school in Arizona for much needed transportation needs. The box tops go to local schools to supplement school activities. The donation containers are back on the Mission Table. Be sure you are clipping labels and box tops as shown on flyer.

January 2014

PASTOR LUKE CHOW AND CODY FEDOR

Hi Church Family! This last month of student ministry has been an absolute blessing. On November 20th we held our Thanksgiving Feast Outreach. From the picture below, we had prepared an outdoor venue for the event, and everything was going fantastic!... until the torrential downpour began! It was the first big rainstorm of the year that evening, so we were forced to change all our plans and move everything inside the Youth House! Despite the inclement weather, we still got to share a great meal together and enjoy an evening of games and laughter. Thanks to all of the parents and leaders who made the event such a hit! As stated in our previous Lift Letter, this coming Wednesday, December 18th, the Junior High group will have its First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange. Then on Friday, December 20th, the high school group will have its Post-Finals Lock-in. The student ministry will take a short break for the holidays, but will resume on the evening of Wednesday, January 8th. Also, winter camp for both the Junior High and High School groups will be the weekend of January 10-12th. The Junior High group will be going to Sugarpine and the High School group will be going to Hume Lake. Please pray that God

would bless these events, the students, and the leaders! We have also recently run into a great problem: our junior high group has outgrown the junior high room! Although increasing the number of students in our ministries is only a secondary goal for our ministry (spiritual growth > numeric growth), we are thankful to have run into this problem. Moving forward, the junior high will be changing locations on Wednesday evenings to Room 25 to accommodate for its growth. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’m so thankful that God has brought me here to share in ministry with you. May God bless you this holiday season!!

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people!”

Luke 2:10

January 2014

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the

character of Christ, like putting on new clothes.” Galatians 3:26&27

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Jamie Wenter & Kelsi McKay

Children’s Ministry

DADS & MOMS NEEDED! (GRANDPAS AND GRANDMAS TOO)

Look what is coming to Wednesday Nights….. Christian Service Brigade (CSB ministries)...Building godly men of today and tomorrow. This is a boys ministry that is lead by men to teach young men about God through adventure, games, projects and exploration. Through these multiple life experiences they will build a biblical worldview. Check out the website. www.csbministries.org Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior (GEMS)... equipping women and girls to live radically faithful lives. This is a girls ministry that brings girls into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Each level is designed to meet the spiritual, social, physical, and emotional needs of the girls. www.gemsgc.org

Starting January 22nd

Sunday School News During the month of January, kindergarten through 5th grade will be learning about “People Who Made a Difference.” Through the stories of a woman (Deborah), a child (Jeremiah), a centurion, and an outcast (the woman at the well) they will learn about God and how great faith can make a difference.

Happy New Year! We are super excited to be starting our first New Year with our wonderful kiddos! We are ready to jump into our new curriculum, learning and growing right along with the kids. It’s the start of a new year and that means along with new challenges, there will also be new opportunities to uplift and stand firm beside our church family with Christ as our foundation. Happy New Year! Jamie & Kelsi

February 28 – March 2Sign up in the back

Cost is $139

Letters

January 2014

Dear Church Family, Thank you for your generous giving to the Ministers & Missionaries offering each year. Believe me, it is greatly appreciated by Peg and me. I know this also from the other Ministers & Missionaries who have devoted their lives to God’s service. Love in Christ, Dr. Jerald H. Traeger

A Note From Jamie: You may be wondering why we have separated the 6th

graders from the rest of the elementary classes and jr. high. A pastor that specializes in

pre-teen ministry has given some great insight and I wanted to share it with you.

6th graders belong in pre-teen ministry, rather than Jr. High ministry

because:

Students have the freedom to act their age, whatever that might look like for them.

They aren’t forced to deal with jr. high/middle school related issues while at church.

Students can more easily take on leadership roles at church. They’re older than the

other students and can flourish in their leadership skills when given the opportunity.

They feel a greater freedom to question, explore, and own their relationship with

Jesus.

6th graders get more attention because they are the oldest in the group. Because

6th grade is such a transitional year, this helps to boost their confidence.

They feel safe in a preteen ministry. Especially if 6th graders are experiencing a lot of

school related issues in middle school, but are in a preteen ministry at church.

They’re likely to feel safer in that environment.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7

Many recipients of the delicious Christmas

cookies have expressed thanks.

Thank you to those who made cookies and delivered them at Christmas time.

January 2014

1 - Cheyenne Smith 3 - Nancy Kilgore 4 - Ann Ekberg, Danyella Landrum, Matthew Larkin 5 - Hunter Gonzalez 6 - Sally Griff in 7 - McKenna Haro 8 - John Griff in, Kevin Howard 12 - All ison Dobrinin, Marie Manley, John Pendegraft, Gladys Wilkin 16 - Yvonne Kelly 18 - Sherri Haro, Tannisse Tuttrup 21 - Vanessa Berg 22 - Otto Bach 23 - Dawn Stoen 24 - Amber Oakley 25 - Michelle Barnette 26 - Cady Green 27 - Phyll is Geistl inger, Mae Grove, Adrian Zamudio 28 - Carrie King 29 - Hunter Nelson

Birthdays in January Anniversaries in January

5 - Austin & Lisa Davis 7- Mike & Andrea Fairbanks

8 - Dan & Rhonda Wood 10 - Roy & Joyce Smart

27– Lionel & Elva Gonzalez

OUR CHURCH FAMILY CELEBRATIONS

BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S GREAT LOVE, WE ARE NOT CONSUMED FOR HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS. I SAY TO MYSELF, “THE LORD IS MY PORTION; THEREFORE I WILL WAIT FOR HIM.” LAMENTATIONS 3:22-24

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