FBC Raleigh News • December 8, 2020
THANKS TO THE
CHRISTMAS ELVES
OF COVID-19

When the staff met each week this past summer and we began to realize that COVID-19 was going to be with us for many more months, we began to wonder how we could celebrate Christmas this year. Two of the central traditions that define our sacred experience are Hanging of the Greens and Toy Joy, but both involve gathering large numbers of people which is simply not possible during a pandemic. So, how could we even contemplate celebrating these traditions and would it feel like Christmas if we could not?
Quickly enough, by necessity, our pessimistic wondering gave way to hopeful (perhaps even outlandish) planning, and with the help of two massive sets of elves of the HOG and Toy Joy variety, we have managed to honor these sacred traditions in creative ways — first by serving hundreds of families in carefully distanced ways and then by hanging the greens, ten by ten, and worshiping virtually.

Special thanks are due to Carolyn Dickens and Sabrina Tyndall for their heroic efforts at leadership; to Michael Hood and Claire Willmschen for their magical work with filming, editing, and streaming; and to all the HOG and Toy Joy elves. You have enabled us to experience the joy and meaning appropriate to this season! Now, if we can only figure out how to celebrate Christmas Eve…. - Christopher Chapman
CHRISTMAS POSTLUDE PICTURES

We’d love to have a Christmas picture of you and/or your family for our postlude pictures this month! Between now and December 23, please send a picture of you and those you live with (canines and feline family members are welcome!) in front of your tree or decorated mantel or whatever Christmas-y background that you have to Lynn Lingafelt. Spread the word among your Sunday School or small group members to do the same! How wonderful it would be to have pictures of EVERYONE in our church family represented during the next few weeks!  
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, December 8: Psalm 27; Isaiah 4:2-6; Acts 11:1-18
  • Wednesday, December 9: Psalm 27; Malachi 2:10-3:1; Luke 1:5-17
  • Thursday, December 10: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 2:1-5; Philippians 3:7-11
  • Friday, December 11: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:2-6; Philippians 3:12-16
  • Saturday, December 12: Psalm 126; Habakkuk 3:13-19; Matthew 21:28-32
  • Sunday, December 13: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
  • Monday, December 14: Psalm 125; 1 Kings 18:1-18; Ephesians 6:10-17
DEACON ON CALL • DECEMBER 6-12
Diane Ellis (919-610-6606)
WEEK AT A GLANCE • DECEMBER 8-13
Tuesday, December 8
10am Staff Mtg. (Zoom or Library)
11am Open Sanctuary (by registration)
5pm Open Sanctuary (by registration)
6pm Theology on Tap (Zoom/In-person tbd)
6pm HS Bible Study (FH/302)
6:15pm MS Small Group (Zoom/1107 Marlowe Rd, Raleigh)
7:30pm Pathfinders Sunday School (Virtual)

Wednesday, December 9
5:30pm GAs All Mission Night (Wade Yard)
6pm Centerpoint (Zoom)
7pm Music Minister Search Com./Youth Listening Session (Zoom)
Thursday, December 10
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
11am Open Sanctuary (by registration)
5pm Open Sanctuary (by registration)
5:30pm College Group Mtg. (9300 Kirkhill Dr, Raleigh)
7pm Nominating Committee Mtg. (Zoom)

Sunday December 13
10am 6th Grade SS (Go to Meeting)
10am 7th & 8th Grade SS (Zoom)
10am HS SS (Zoom/In Person tbd)
11am Virtual Worship (YouTube)
4pm 3rd thru 5th Grade SS (Lingafelt Yard)
4:30pm Youth Group (Church PL)
5:30pm Deacon’s Meeting (Zoom)
CENTERPOINT

Join us this Wednesday, December 9, at 6pm via Zoom to hear about Marc and Kim Wyatt’s continued work to build community through the Welcome House. We’ve asked them to share a bit about the different efforts all across the state to form Welcome Houses, and how that has been progressing during this difficult time. They will share their thoughts on how community has changed and/or stayed the same through the pandemic, how they have adapted their ministry efforts and ways we can support them in their work. We’ll start at 6:00 and as we’ve done through the fall – the first 30 minutes will be a chance to visit and share prayer requests after that we’ll turn it over to Marc and Kim. We look forward to seeing you!

Meeting ID: 810 9542 2807
Passcode: EEwpW7

Phone number: 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 810 9542 2807
Passcode: EEwpW7
NEWLY ELECTED DEACONS    

The following eight men and eight women were elected by our congregation to serve as deacons beginning January 1, 2021. We appreciate each of them for their willingness to serve our church in this new role. Plans for a deacon ordination service will be announced in the coming weeks. Please join us in praying for these women and men as they prepare to serve our community of faith.                                                                     
Men:
Nick Bradley
Randall Burnette
Jud DeBra
Greg Flowers
Art Jackson
Keith Lewis
J D Rhodes
Daniel Rohrbaugh
Women:
Dolores Bailey                 
Maria Childrey                                 
Margaret Clary                      
Cindy DeFoor                                  
Lacey Pegram                       
Leah Filomena                           
Karen Poteat                               
Debbie Willmschen   
MUSIC MINISTRY LISTENING SESSIONS
AND CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY

The Music Minister Search Committee invites you to participate in a listening session to share your thoughts about the music minister search that is currently underway. These sessions will be held via Zoom, and we ask that you sign up so that we know you are participating by clicking this sign-up link. One more session is planned for the congregation at large on Wednesday, December 16, at 6:30pm following Church Conference. There is a session for the youth choir on December 9 at 7:30pm, and a session for handbell choir members and children’s choir leaders and assistants on December 17 at 7:30pm.  We look for forward to hearing your perspectives; they will be valuable to us as we consider ministerial candidates for this important ministry in our church.  

The Zoom meeting link for all listening sessions is here. Feel free to join us even if you forget to sign up! If you’d prefer to share your feedback to the committee in an anonymous way, you’re invited to complete a survey via this link. The survey will be open through December 23. The position is now posted on our church website; to see the complete job description, click here. Please keep our committee in your prayers as we continue our search for a Minister of Music.
OFFERING ENVELOPES

We are approaching the time of the year when we distribute offering envelopes for the next year. COVID-19 presents an obstacle to our usual process and would force us to mail all envelopes at considerable expense to ensure delivery. In addition, more and more people are switching to on-line giving, doing stock transfers, and reducing the number of times they are mailing an offering to the church.  Most people have envelopes left from this year. 
 
Taking all this into account, we will not be distributing new envelopes unless requested. If you need envelopes for 2021 please feel free to email Wayne Hager. Let him know how many of each of these envelopes you need: undated regular offering envelopes; Mike Morris Fellowship Fund envelopes; and the mission offering packet. Also, let him know if you want to arrange to pick them up on a trip to the church or if you wish for them to be mailed. 
 
We thank you for your continued faithfulness in giving and want to support your giving in any way we able. We do, however, want to be good stewards of your financial support by not spending where we do not need to spend. If you will be using old envelopes, please mark out the printed date, write in a new one, and leave your envelope number on the envelope.
OPEN SANCTUARY

There are so many things we all miss about our pre-COVID lives. Physically gathering together for worship in the sanctuary is at the very top of that list, especially during Advent. Many of you have had the opportunity to visit the sanctuary during the last 9 months, but most of you have not. While the sanctuary is decorated for Christmas, we want to give you the opportunity to come and simply be in this beautiful, sacred space. This will be unstructured time for you to have some silent, reflective prayer time. While music plays in the background, we hope this provides an opportunity for peace in the midst of a chaotic time of year. You are welcome to come and go within your time slot. Stay for 15 minutes or the entire hour - however long you need. Dates and times are listed below, and sign-up is required. Reserve your spot here.

  • Tuesday, December 8; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm
  • Thursday, December 10; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm
  • Tuesday, December 15; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm
  • Thursday, December 17; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm

We will be sanitizing pews, doing temperature checks at the door, limiting our numbers to 10 per hour, and masks are required. As you enter, you will be assigned a pew so we can make sure to sanitize as you leave. We have a slight change in the doors for entering and exiting. Please enter and exit from the front doors of the sanctuary off Salisbury Street. For those in need of a handicapped entrance, please email Leah in advance so we can make sure to have a door opened for you.

We also need your help with greeting as people enter and exit the sanctuary for these days and times. If you could help by being a greeter, please sign up here! For a place to be still, rest, pray, or just be, we hope you will join us.
CHRISTMAS MORNING BREAKFAST

For years, our church family has gathered on Christmas morning to cook and serve breakfast at the Wilmington Street Men's Shelter. Unfortunately, this year the shelter is not allowing outside visitors or volunteers; however, they are still in need of breakfast! While we will miss gathering together and serving, we can still contribute financially to providing a meal for our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness this Christmas. We will collect money through Monday, December 14, and purchase breakfast food in bulk and deliver it that week. Due to fluctuating numbers at the shelter, we will not be providing gift bags or sweatshirts this year. If you would like to make a contribution to this effort, please make your check out to First Baptist Church and write "Christmas morning breakfast" in the memo line. If you would like to give online, you may do so here with Give + or PayPal. We appreciate your gifts that will make this beloved tradition possible in a different way this year. For questions, please email Leah.
GLOBAL MISSION OFFERING EMPHASIS

December is here, Christmas is coming, and we’re all ready to sing “Joy To The World.” That’s what it’s all about, but there are still many people in this world who have not heard the Good Word. Our FBC family is fortunate to be a part of so many ways that show God’s love this year and every year. Most of our opportunities are right here at home, but our CBF missionaries have given their lives to serve both here and in foreign lands. When we give to the offering for Global Missions, we help plant new churches and share the hope of Christ with people who have never heard the Gospel, we offer food and teach children how to succeed in school and help refugees adapt and thrive in their new homes. On Sunday, December 6, we had a mission moment from Laura and Carson Foushee. They have finally been released to go back to Japan after working with our own Japanese congregation here at FBC. On Wednesday, December 9, during Centerpoint, we will hear from Mark and Kim Wyatt who will update us on their work at the Welcome House for refugees here in Raleigh. Please join us for both of these reports and give prayerfully to the CBF Global Mission Offering.
- Nancy Moore Phillips, WMU President
CHRISTMAS PRE-ORDERS

Christmas is only two weeks away, and it's time to begin planning your family's menu! This year, And Also With 'Cue has expanded their Christmas pre-order menu, including all of their delicious smoked meats, sides, and homemade desserts. All pick-ups will be on December 24, from 11am-2pm, at the food truck. Order here!
AAWC'S WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Each week, we post And Also With 'Cue's weekly schedule here in Rose Window Weekly as well as on our Facebook page to let you know our lunch schedule and if there will be outside events on the weekend for you to attend.

Come eat with us this week:

December 8-11 • 11am-1:30pm, church parking lot
December 11 • Asbury Methodist Church Christmas Festival

Have an idea about how to giveaway food in our community? Email Leah!
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.
CURRENT OFFICE PROCEDURES
DURING THE PANDEMIC

While the church office will remain closed to the public for the immediate future, we have someone in the office Monday through Friday, 8:30am-5pm to answer the phone and let people in for pre-approved activities. The staff and Church Council continue to monitor all realities related to COVID-19. In addition, we have formed a Risk Management Team (RMT) made up of John Baldwin, Sam Ewell, Ron Maness (chair), Alice Marshbanks, and Hollis Yelverton to help us make decisions. The RMT has developed a list of guidelines which can be found here. Any group wishing to schedule an in-person meeting or activity should contact Wayne Hager. We still encourage you to contact any of the ministers if you have a pressing need, using the following email links: Chris Chapman, Lynn Lingafelt, Leah Reed, and Michael Hood.
AMONG OUR FAMILY

A link to the entire prayer list may be found below.
Please use your church directory for mailing addresses.

THE RECORD WE WROTE
Week as of November 30, 2020
Current Week Revenue: $5,040.00
Month-to-Date Revenue: $92,784.82
Year-to-Date Revenue: $1,212,984.32
Month-to-Date Expenses: $87,639.38
Year-to-Date Expenses: $1,233,297.85
NC State Missions: $2,505.00
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.