FBC Raleigh News • January 12, 2021
IN RESPONSE TO THE CAPITOL RIOTS

"Baptism into Christ means we are forgiven and transformed, and it means we claim our identity as children of God, but it also means we claim a new way of relating to other people such that things like race and gender, education and socio-economic standing, age and orientation, are out the window. We are all equals now, brothers and sisters in Christ, members of one family. If that does not stir a little holy fear, we haven’t understood what is involved!

For this means we have a calling not only to treat black and brown people with dignity and respect in our personal interactions, but to address the social and systemic racism in our culture that denies them dignity and respect. This means we have a calling not just to love the immigrants and refugees who make their way to our church and community, but to address the barriers these brothers and sisters face in getting here. And this means there has to be another layer of response for us as Christians to the reemergence of White Supremacy, anti-Semitism, and downright meanness that we have seen over the past few years and that was a part of the violent riot in Washington, D.C. this week that took lives and desecrated the very heart of democracy.

Out of respect for our political differences in this church and the historic Baptist desire to remain non-partisan, I will try to refrain from making any broader comments here. But when you look at the crowd, clearly incited by the President, it included large numbers of people who bear great hostility toward persons of color, Jews and many others. There were shirts celebrating Auschwitz and saying 6 million Jews killed was not enough… It may not have been everyone, it is not everyone in one party, but it was and is a lot of people, they have been empowered by national leaders, and many of them or at least many who have strengthened this movement are evangelical Christians. How in the name of all that is holy can this be? And how can faithful followers of Jesus stand by and remain quiet?
In the waters of baptism, we are all equal. In the eyes of God, every life is sacred. We have a calling to do everything we can to make sure every life is valued and respected. That’s what forgiven people do. That’s what people who claim their true identity do." - Dr. Chris Chapman.


We are monitoring warnings from the FBI on the possible nationwide armed protests at all 50 state capitols, beginning this weekend and continuing through Inauguration Day. We will keep you updated via email as plans for closing the church office develop.
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, January 12: Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36; Exodus 30:22-38; Acts 22:2-16
  • Wednesday, January 13: Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36; Isaiah 41:14-20; John 1:29-34
  • Thursday, January 14: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Judges 2:6-15; 2 Corinthians 10:1-11
  • Friday, January 15: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Judges 2:16-23; Acts 13:16-25
  • Saturday, January 16: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Samuel 2:21-25; Matthew 25:1-13
  • Sunday, January 17: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20); Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51
  • Monday, January 18: Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 9:27-10:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
DEACON ON CALL, JANUARY 10-16
Dan Roberts (919-815-2764)
WEEK AT A GLANCE • JANUARY 12-18
Tuesday, January 12
6pm Theology on Tap (Zoom/In-person tbd)
6:30pm Girls HS Bible Study (Zoom)
6:30pm Middle School Gathering (Gotomeet.me)
7:30pm Pathfinders Sunday School (Zoom)

Wednesday, January 13
6pm Centerpoint/Reconciliation Bible Discussion (Zoom)

Thursday, January 14
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
Sunday, January 17
10am 6th Grade SS (Gotomeeting.com)
10am 7th & 8th Grade SS (Zoom)
10am HS SS (Zoom/In Person tbd)
11am Virtual Worship (YouTube)
2pm 1st-2nd Grade SS (Zoom)
4pm 3rd-5th Grade SS (Foster Yard/Zoom)
4pm 3s-Kindergarten SS (Zoom)
7pm Music Search Committee Mtg. (Zoom)

Monday, January 18
Office Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
CENTERPOINT

January 13 • 6:15-7:30pm
In the second part of our Bible series on reconciliation, Dr. Chapman will discuss cultural forms of reconciliation. Join us here!

January 20 • 6:15-7:30pm
Dr. Andrew Manis will lead us in a reflection on racial reconciliation. Andrew M. Manis is Professor Emeritus of History at Middle Georgia State University. An ordained Baptist minister with a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he is the award-winning author of Southern Civil Religions in Conflict, A Fire You Can’t Put Out, Macon Black and White, and most recently, Eavesdropping on the Most Segregated Hour: A City’s Clergy Reflect on Racial Reconciliation. Join us here!

January 27 • 5:30-6:30pm
Church Conference via zoom.

February 3 & 10 • 6:15-7:30pm
Book/movie discussion on Just Mercy. Join us here!
2021 CHURCH CONFERENCE DATES
Mark your calendars for the following 2021 dates for Church Conference.
January 27, February 24, March 24, May 26, August 18, September 29,
October 27, November 17, and December 15
WELCOME, KATHERINE!

As a church, we want to welcome our new Financial Secretary, Katherine Rattie! Katherine Rattie grew up in Southern Maryland, outside Annapolis. She obtained a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Salisbury University and a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from University of Maryland. When she moved to Columbia, SC, she worked as staff accountant for Williams and Gee, CPA and gained experience working in non-profit accounting. She moved to Clayton, NC in 2002 to be close to family. She started working in church accounting in 2006 and joined Trinity Concepts Corporation in 2019. Katherine has been married to Dave for 28 years. He works in the Therapy Department at the Brian Center of Clayton. They have 2 children, Michael, 20 and Megan, 17 and a 2 year old chocolate lab, Reese. Katherine enjoys baking, reading, the occasional Netflix binge, and during the COVID-19 lock down, she is learning to crochet. As a family they enjoy camping (in a camper) and generally head east towards the beach. The family dream is to eventually travel the US in a camper. 
 
Wayne Hager, Church Administrator, says this about the transition in the Financial Secretary position from Jodi Schmidt to Katherine; “We loved having Jodi as our Financial Secretary for over five and a half years.  We wish her all the best in her new full-time job with another ministry. Jodi was integral to our establishing a smooth accounting process at FBC. Not only did she do her job extremely well but she did it with a joyful spirit. We will greatly miss her.  Having worked with Katherine for just over a week, I am confident that the financial office at FBC will not skip a beat. She is very proficient with our church accounting software, is familiar with the unique challenges and procedures of church accounting, and is already interacting with our members in a pleasant and professional manner. I am glad to welcome her to the FBC Financial Office and the FBC community.”
 
Katherine may be reached at financeadmin@fbcraleigh.org and 919-832-4485, ext. 210.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK/MOVIE STUDY

We invite you to join us on February 3 & 10 for a two-part series as we discuss the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. This New York Times Bestseller tells the true story of Stevenson's founding of the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law firm in Alabama whose mission is defending those in our criminal justice system who have been wrongly convicted. In 2019, this best-selling book was adapted into a movie that can be streamed on YouTube, Amazon and Google Play. Both the book and the movie take us inside the unforgettable story of Walter McMillian, who was convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. You are invited to read the book or watch the movie and join us for this important discussion, lead by Rev. Leah Reed. Join us here!
STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

Even in this pandemic time, the ministry of FBC continues touching lives and sharing God's love every day. These efforts are sustained through tithes and gifts made to the church. As of January 5, we have received 160 pledge cards totaling $1,094,441 for the 2021 budget. Traditionally the finance committee has recommended that we need to pledge about 80 percent of the church budget (which is approximately $1,188,566). We are close, but not there yet, and soon the church will need to finalize the 2021 operating budget.
 
Please help us meet our goal. Click here to go our 2021 stewardship page on our website to see our stewardship challenge and to see our 2021 tentative budget.
 
Here are three ways to make a pledge to the church:
1) Email our financial administrator.
3) Use the pledge card you received in the mail. If you want us to send you another card, please email financeadmin@fbcraleigh.org.
 
All information you send is confidential. Thank you for supporting the life and ministries of our church. - The Stewardship Ministry Team
SHARING THOUGHTS
BOOK STUDY

The Sharing Thoughts class will begin a discussion of Dan Day’s new book, Finding the Gospel: A Pastor’s Disappointment and Recovery, on January 17. As always, they welcome anyone who wants to join the discussion. The class is meeting online for now, at 10am on Sunday mornings. Email Beth Yerxa if you are interested in participating and we will send you the link. Dr. Day's book can be purchased here.
DELIVERING MEALS TO THE
HELEN WRIGHT CENTER

For the past year through our partnership with And Also With 'Cue, we have been providing dinner to the women living at the Helen Wright Center. The Helen Wright Center offers emergency shelter to single women without children who are experiencing homelessness. Ever since the pandemic began, this has been a contactless experience that involves picking up the food from our church kitchen and delivering it to the Helen Wright Center where it is served by their employees. We have already committed to several dates in 2021, and would love your help in making these deliveries. If you are able to help deliver for one or more of these dates, please email Leah.

We still need deliverers for the following dates:
• February 4
• April 1
• May 6
ESL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

USCRI is seeking volunteers with ESL teaching experience for our clients, some of whom require one-on-one sessions while others are grouped together based on language skills. They prefer that the sessions be conducted twice a week, 60-90 minutes for each session, with volunteers determining their own schedules. Volunteers are required to access the virtual volunteer orientation and training sessions and also complete application forms for a background check prior to volunteer assignments. Volunteers have flexibility to develop the curriculum for their students. USCRI’S current ESL program was developed and is managed by CBF Field Personnel, Kim Wyatt. ESL classes are offered to our local refugee and immigrant families who are children and adults of all ages with varying levels of English competency. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have continued to provide ESL classes remotely, using apps such as Zoom and WhatsApp. To sign up, email Thuy Dancik, USCRI's Volunteer Coordinator.
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 last year. 
 
Taking all of this into account, we will not be distributing new envelopes unless requested. If you need envelopes for 2021, please 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. 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.
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:

January 12, 13, and 15 • 11am-1:30pm, church parking lot
January 14 • 5-7:30pm, dinner at McCuller’s Walk off Hwy 401 (Garner)

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 January 7, 2021
Current Week Revenue: $25,723.75
Month-to-Date Revenue: $25,723.75
Year-to-Date Revenue: $25,723.75
Month-to-Date Expenses: $8,136.52
Year-to-Date Expenses: $8,136.52
NC State Missions: $3,640.00
CBF Global Missions: $12,580.00
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.