FBC Raleigh News • September 15, 2020

WELCOME, MICHAEL HOOD! On Sunday, September 13, 2020, on the recommendation of the Search Committee, the church in conference voted unanimously to call Michael Hood to be our next Minister of Youth and College. He will join the staff on October 1. Michael has a passion and energy for ministering with students, and a deep commitment to building and strengthening relationships with students, their families, youth leaders, and the church as a whole. He is excited about immersing himself in the programs and traditions of our church, and creating new ones. He shares our church’s commitment to education and mission work. Michael comes to us from Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem where he has served as the Pastoral Intern and Youth Ministries Coordinator for the past 2 years. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies at the University of Mt. Olive (December 2016), and his Masters of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity (December 2019).  We are excited to welcome Michael to the First Baptist Church family! If you want to reach out to Michael, his email is mhood@fbcraleigh.org.

HAPPY FIFTH ANNIVERSARY TO DEBORAH MASTRODONATO! In the six months since FBC began meeting and worshiping virtually, Staff Administrative Assistant Deborah Mastrodonato has played a vital role in maintaining the ongoing work and ministry of the church. As a regular presence in the church office, she coordinates the flow of Sunday school literature to classes that continue to rely on their quarterlies, assists ministers with administrative tasks, and makes sure that supplies are stocked and that office equipment functions properly.  Church Administrator Wayne Hager describes Deborah as "a master of special printing projects. She loves designing things like the invitations for the GA Tea, and special certificates for the children's ministry. She also creates the montage on the monitor in the church lobby." In recognition of her fifth anniversary as an "essential employee" of FBC, the Personnel Committee offers Deborah grateful thanks on behalf of the church family. Deborah, we appreciate your work among us and congratulate you on this milestone. 

TREY DAVIS TO PREACH Trey Davis will be preaching this Sunday, September 20, his mother will sing, and we will celebrate baptism as well. We invite you to make a special effort to tune in to what promises to be a moving service. 

BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE Tuesday, September 15: Psalm 77; Nehemiah 9:9-15; Romans 14:13-15:2 Wednesday, September 16: Psalm 77; 2 Kings 2:1-18; Mark 11:20-25 Thursday, September 17: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 15:22-27; 2 Corinthians 13:1-4 Friday, September 18: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16:1-21; 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 Saturday, September 19: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16:22-30; Matthew 19:23-30 Sunday, September 20: Exodus 16:2-15 and Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Jonah 3:10-4:11 and Psalm 145:1-8; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 Monday, September 21: Psalm 119:97-104; Exodus 16:31-35; Romans 16:1-16 

DEACON ON CALL • SEPTEMBER 13-19 Allison Strickland (919-274-3589)

WEEK AT A GLANCE • SEPTEMBER 15-20 Tuesday, September 15 10am Staff Meeting (Zoom or Library) 6:15pm MS Small Group (Zoom/1107 Marlowe Rd, Raleigh) 6:30pm HS Bible Study (Helms’ Home) Wednesday, September 16 6pm Centerpoint Presentation (Zoom) “Christian Community in Times of Duress” 6:30pm Children’s Mission & Music (tba) Sunday September 20 Family Promise Week begins (ends 9/27) 11am Virtual Worship (YouTube)

CENTERPOINT Wednesday, September 16 (presentation, 6:15-7:30pm): Christian Community in Times of Duress: Insights from Bonhoeffer, Moltmann, and Others. This week, we continue our fall Centerpoint focus on the theme of Community with a session led by Dr. Chris Chapman. Dr. Chapman will use the experiences of several preeminent 20th Century theologians to help us think about the role community has played during deeply challenging times.This week’s meeting is a Zoom meeting. We’ll gather online at 6pm and wrap up by 7:30.   Join us here. Wednesday, September 23 (small groups, 6-7:30pm): What’s In A Name? Our names shape our identities, both as individuals and as groups. Connect with others over a conversation about how our communal names shape us and what those names convey about us. Joining us online? Click here Joining us in person? Consider signing up here. Wednesday, September 30 (presentation, 6:15-7:30pm): Paul’s Letter Writing. New Testament scholars Diane Lipsett and Rick Vinson will lead us via Zoom as we discuss how Paul used letters to foster community, especially when he couldn’t be physically present. Join us here. Children's Music & Missions: Though more details will be communicated directly to parents, we will have outdoor, socially distanced children’s activities on Wednesday nights in various backyards from 6:30-7:30pm. Three-year-olds through Kindergarteners will have missions and non-singing music activities on one Wednesday night, first – fifth grade GAs will combine and have missions and non-singing music activities on another Wednesday night, and first – fifth grade RAs will combine and have missions and non-singing music activities on another Wednesday night. The cycle will continue as long as it is light and warm enough to continue being outside!

NEW RESOURCE LIST As our community of faith continues to deepen our collective and individual understanding around racial justice, we invite you to explore the following resources for your own personal research and application. On our website, you'll find a new list of books, documentaries, movies, and podcasts all engaging racial justice issues. If you have a resource that should be listed, please email Leah. See the full list here.

TOY JOY 2020 SERVING DURING A PANDEMIC Over the summer, several members of the Toy Joy team discussed how we could hold this event, given the COVID-19 pandemic. We brainstormed ideas, knowing the format would have to be vastly different, in order to minimize risks for our guests and volunteers. The Toy Joy Team held its first virtual team meeting on August 21, planning with the question in mind: “What CAN we do safely?” We decided that this year’s event will be a “curbside pickup” format. Our goal is still to enroll approximately 1000 children (about 300 families). Following is a brief summary of our plans. Our registration process is moving online, with some accommodations and strategies (such as working with local agencies) to reach families in need. Parents will provide some individualized information about their children and their interests to assist our volunteers in pulling together gifts for each preregistered family. We will then schedule that family to come pick up the package “curbside” in the back parking lot on one of the event days, tentatively planned for November 21 and 22. We have simplified what we are providing to families, due to logistics and the need for revised assembly procedures. We will not be adding stockings or adult items this year, but otherwise we are still able to offer gifts for each child and family, similar to what we have provided in the past. What does this mean for volunteers and contributors? WE STILL NEED YOU!! We will have volunteer opportunities on multiple days during October and November for the following: To work at FBC: in small teams sorting and assembling family packages and/or volunteering for a shift on the event day to help distribute packages to registered families. To work from home: holding virtual prayer circles to pray specifically for a subset of families we enroll, making wrapping kits, or writing notes. We also have opportunities to contribute toys, supplies, and monetary donations. This year we will ONLY be able to accept NEW toys. There will be Amazon and Walmart “wish lists,” which you can access to purchase needed items and have them shipped directly to the church. There will be designated days to drop off NEW toy donations if you prefer. In addition, we hope to collect enough funds to purchase a Food Lion gift card for each family, so you may also contribute toward that purchase as well. As we plan specific work tasks, we will advertise sign-ups for volunteers. If you have any questions, please email our team here. To learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities, please email our Volunteer Coordinator, Anne Cooke.

HURRICANE LAURA RELIEF OFFERING Thank you to all who gave to the Heck-Jones Offering. We didn’t reach our goal, but $7,323 allows us to do much for the projects we chose. September is when we collect for the NC Mission Offering; however, September is also hurricane season. Last year it was Hurricane Dorian and this year Hurricane Laura brought unbelievable devastation to parts of Louisiana and Texas. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors and designating this NC Mission Offering to CBF Disaster Response is a great way to show our love. By design, the CBF Disaster Response isn’t first on the scene but they have a strong track record of "turning off the lights" months after FEMA and other organizations have left. Their first actions were to work diligently with state and regional CBF organizations to position material resources like tool and shower trailers for a volunteer response to Hurricane Laura. As Baptists, they partner with local churches, organizations, and neighbors to rebuild communities because God transforms communities not only through carpentry and sheet rock, but also through relationships. Please join CBF in praying for those affected by Hurricane Laura and please give generously to this offering to support CBF Disaster Response’s relief and long-term recovery efforts. Nancy Moore Phillips WMU President

RISE AGAINST HUNGER MEAL PACKING 2020 has been full of new ways to do old things and Rise Against Hunger has worked hard to find safe but productive ways to continue their goal of stopping world hunger. Leah Reed and Nancy Phillips visited their warehouse this week and they feel good about their set-up to ensure proper social distance between volunteers. We are now seeking volunteers to sign up for one of two shifts on Sunday, October 11, at the Rise warehouse location at 3200 Wellington Court, Suite 111 (near Gresham’s Lake). The 1st shift is 1-2pm, and the 2nd shift is 3-4pm. These one-hour shifts will allow us to keep the numbers smaller so work stations can be spread out all across the warehouse. Also, the hour break will allow us time to properly clean equipment, work stations, and bathrooms between shifts. We're asking that everyone wear a mask so that we can do this as safely as possible. Work stations will be set up based on the relationship of our volunteers. Some will work great for family units and others are designed for non-related individuals. There is room for everyone! To sign up, please go to FBC's Rise Against Hunger website and register. On this site, you can also read more details about safety precautions. We're looking forward to this opportunity to be in the same room with some of our church family as we do our part to stop world hunger. For questions or more information, please email Nancy Phillips.

AAWC'S WEEKLY SCHEDULE Each week, we'll start posting And Also With 'Cue's weekly schedule. We post this on our Facebook page, but we want to make sure you all have this information as well. We will let you know our regular lunch schedule and if there will be outside events on the weekend for you to attend! Come eat with us this week: September 15-18 • 11am-1:30pm (or until sold out), in the church parking lot. September 18 • 5-7:30pm, Apex 540 Flats Apartments Have an idea about how to giveaway food in our community? Email Leah!

SLIGHT CHANGE OF OFFICE PROCEDURES While the church office will remain closed to the public for the immediate future, we will have someone in the office Monday through Friday, 8:30am-5pm to answer the phone and let people in for pre-approved activities (mail, janitorial, and food deliveries; maintenance work; and a few small meetings). The staff and church council continue to monitor all realities related to COVID-19. In addition, we are in the process of forming a risk management advisory group that will help us make decisions related to reopening. We still encourage you to contact any of the ministers if you have a pressing need, using the following email links: Chris Chapman, Trey Davis, Lynn Lingafelt, and Leah Reed.

WAYS TO GIVE There are several different ways in which you can continue to support the church financially during this time of social distancing. We know many people are facing their own financial challenges right now and have been very generous already, but a number of people have asked how they could support the church while we are unable to gather together physically. Wayne Hager has provided the following answers to this question. • We continue to receive mail daily. Any gifts mailed to the church will be processed and deposited as soon as possible. • We will continue to debit bank accounts through auto drafts as we have been instructed by donors. • If you have set up a recurring donation through one of our electronic options, those donations will continue without interruption unless YOU make a change. • If you wish to begin electronic giving, please go to this link where each of our options is explained. • If you are considering a stock gift, please visit this link for instructions.  If you have any financial or giving-option questions, please email Wayne Hager.

AMONG OUR FAMILY A link to the entire prayer list may be found below. Please use your church directory for mailing addresses. Prayer List • September 15, 2020

THE RECORD WE WROTE Week as of August 31, 2020 Current Week Revenue: $4,824.00 Month-to-Date Revenue: $93,497.49 Year-to-Date Revenue: $962,681.05 Month-to-Date Expenses: $124,080.91 Year-to-Date Expenses: $921,302.82

SUBMIT A ROSE WINDOW WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENT Do you have an announcement that you would like to include in the Rose Window Weekly? All information must be submitted by Thursday at noon, to be included in the following Tuesday's edition. Just fill out the Google form in the link below, and we'll make sure to include it in next week's publication. For any questions concerning the Rose Window Weekly, contact Leah Reed. Email Leah here. SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT HERE!

A link to the current and archived editions of the Rose Window Weekly is available on the website.

First Baptist Church Raleigh| (919) 832-4485 | 99 N Salisbury St, Raleigh NC 27603 www.fbcraleigh.org ‌ ‌ ‌