CANCELLATION - NO HAVEN

The Haven of Rest is hosting their annual "Happy Birthday Jesus" on Saturday so we will not be serving this month. See you the first Saturday in 2013!

Whatever Else Flags

"Keep up the prayer-meeting, whatever else flags; it is the great business evening of the week, the best service between the Sabbaths; be you sure to make it so."(Spurgeon)

I agree with Brother Spurgeon. Prayer Meeting. Wednesday at 6:30PM. "Make it so!"

Hanging of the Greens!

Saturday, November 24th, starting at 3:00.  

Food, fun, and fellowship provided!  

Join us as we decorate the Lord's House for the Christmas season.  

Wednesday

Just a quick reminder that midweek prayer meeting will not be held this week. Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

"Thanks be unto God!"

TGIAS!

"Huh? Whatchutalkinabout, preacher? What's TGIAS?"

Well, it ought to be obvious, shouldn't it? "Thank God It's Almost Saturday!"

For this Saturday is a day filled with good things at FBC.

It all starts with the Men's Prayer Breakfast at 8:00 AM. The ladies of FBC will feed our bellies and Brother Ray will bring nourishment from the Word. Wonderful!

Following prayer breakfast, some will be moving upstairs to help hang the new curtains and blinds in the sanctuary. Some will remain downstairs assembling thanksgiving baskets for the needy among us. And then some will be delivering those baskets thereafter.

We could use some help with all three of the "after prayer meeting" ministries, so if you are able, would you consider jumping in? Anybody not participating in prayer breakfast, but wishing to serve in one of these areas, just show up at the church around 9:30. There will be plenty to do!

One Hundred Seven

Praise The Lord for the wonderful news that the FBC family packed and sent off 107 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!

107 children who will see an example of Christ's love this Christmas!
107 children who will hear the gospel and potentially come to the Savior!
107 children whose families and friends will be touched, as well!

Let us pray for those 107+ souls now, that they will not only receive the gift of the shoebox, but that they will also receive the gift of the Savior, and that they will then share that gift with others.

Sports Banquet

Due to several scheduling conflicts we have to postpone the sports banquet, originally planned for Friday evening, until after the holidays. Watch for an updated time and date in the future.

And in the meantime, we can go ahead and announce that first place in the Pastor's Masters went to Don Richards, and Second place to Charlie Egli, Jr. Congrats to both!

Three or Four

"Did we not cast three men in? Then how come I see four?"


Tonight, in one of our last lessons in the "Stories We Learned in Sunday School" series, we will look at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace. It is such a relevant story in our country today, and in our world today.

Midweek prayer meeting is one of the most important things we do at Friendship Bible Church. Will you join us? We start at 6:30, and will be done within an hour.

And if you're participating in the Leadership Training Institute, the final lesson in this session on Systematic Theology concludes tonight at 7:30 in Fellowship Hall.

FBC 1234

One of our beloved men at Friendship Bible Church was telling me about his unique hobby. His job has him out on the highway most of his day.  He drives the big trucks and pavement movers from one work site to another. His job keeps him on the road.  Now "on the road" is way different than "behind the desk." "On the road" is moving and sometimes moving fast.  People are passing you.  People are cutting you off.  People are driving beside you. You are surrounded by people in cars, trucks, motorcycles, and vans. Everyone is moving. Our friend is in a big truck. He sits up higher than most of the other vehicles on the highway. He can see a more clear picture of what highway action is going on around him.  He can see over the cars and he can see around the cars. He can see what people have in their back seats and in their fronts seats. He can see all the bumper stickers they have plastered all over their vehicles. He can see their license plates...clear as day.

 

Our friend's hobby is to look for license plates that start with FBC. Most of the new plates have 7 digits pressed into the metal. The first 3 are letters and the last 4 are numbers.  In Ohio it seems like there are a lot of license plates that start with "F." I am not sure if we finally gave out all the "A" "B" "C" "D" "E" and now we are finally to "F." I am not sure how this works...to be honest...I never really thought about it.  I didn't give much thought in the receipt of any license plate. Not here in Ohio. Or Michigan or New Jersey...the other states we have lived in.  The only real feeling I ever experienced was the long lines and the cost of the plates. WOW!  It costs a lot to drive on Ohio highways.

 

Pastor Bill and I have a license plate and sticker process in place. I purchase the plates and stickers...he puts them on.  When our birth months come up, I send the forms in and we get the stickers. We have been using our metal plates for several years. He cleans off the plates and puts the new annual stickers on.  It is a process that we do every year.  When I got my new car, I was looking at my old plate.  It started with "B." It had rust and dings in the metal. There were a lot of stickers on my license plate. Those stickers were pretty thick.  That plate had seen me through two previous vehicles and thousands of miles. It was begging me to retire it. I could hear the creaky rusty gravely voice...please let me live out the rest of my life on your barn wall. I couldn't refuse. I started thinking about a new plate for my new car. I thought about a vanity plate. I thought about a cool one...something like BETHSG8. (Beth is great. ) Or CHOCLVR. (Chocolate lover.)  Or  IUVMUZK. (I love music.) The cost for personal plates was too high so I decided that I would continue with anonymity.  I told the clerk...just a regular one.  So I have a regular license plate....like 95% of the rest of Ohio drivers. My new one starts with an "F." But it is not FBC... I wish it was.

 

FBC is the acronym for Friendship Bible Church. It is the shortened version of the name of our church. It is easy to write. It is easy to say. And... people like easy. After our friend told us this story about looking for FBC on fellow traveler's cars, I started doing it. It really is amazing how many FBC plates there are. I challenge you to start looking. You will be surprised also.  When I am driving and I see FBC, I start thanking the Lord for our church.  Not the building, or the parking lot, or the basement...but the people.  The good people of our church. The people of FBC...Friendship Bible Church. It is a reminder of the opportunity I have to pray for others. A simple reminder that I can pray for others in our church.  It only takes a couple sentences while driving on the highway. Don't close your eyes, though. Ha!

 

Have I told you all lately that I love you all?  Pastor Bill and I are thankful to serve the Lord with you. We love the Lord and we love you. This is the month of Thanksgiving and Praise. Let our minds go to all that we appreciate in our daily lives.

 

And... if you happened to see a license plate that starts with FBC...say a prayer for your brothers and sisters. We could all use as many prayers as we can get.

 

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. (Philippians 1:3)

With love,

Beth 

On This Election Day...

"... on this Election Day (and on every day), I’m thankful beyond words that my eternal future and the future of God’s eternal plan do not depend on this presidential election. Christ is risen. Christ is King. Christ is coming again. The Lord Jesus will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The Son of God is not running for re-election. The Spirit is not pandering for our approval. The Father of glory does not consult any poll. Our Triune God reigns now and forevermore, world without end, amen and amen." (Kevin DeYoung)

... and amen.

Thank You!

Thank you Lord for saving my soul!
Thank you Lord for making me whole!
Thank you Lord for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free!

Can you say that?

We're still looking for those willing to share their testimonies during this Thanksgiving month of November. Contact the pastor if you would like to share your testimony in tomorrow's service, or in any other service during November. All you need to do is answer these three questions:

1. What was my life before I came to Christ?
2. How did I come to Christ?
3. What is my life like since I came to Christ?

Time is Running Short

Only two more Sundays to get those boxes in!

Weekend Update

A couple of important reminders, as well as a cancellation for this weekend:

Campfire Fellowship and Harvest Party - Cancelled, due to both weather and the fact that the pastor had a scheduling conflict.  We'll pick the fellowships up again next summer.

Haven of Rest Set Up and Serve - This Saturday morning at 10:00.  Meet at the Haven!

And most importantly -