FBC Raleigh News • January 24, 2023
REGISTRATION FOR THE CHURCHWIDE RETREAT

We are looking forward to our churchwide intergenerational spring retreat moving to a new location this year, in the beautiful North Carolina mountains! Mark your calendars now for April 14–16 at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC! 
 
As in years past, we’ll enjoy small groups, worship, individual prayer time, free time, meals together, and a myriad of craft and recreation electives from which to choose!  We have reserved the entire Blue Ridge Center for the weekend. Each room in Blue Ridge Center is equipped with air conditioning, telephones, two queen beds, and private baths – hotel-style accommodations. The building has fifty rooms, housing a total of 200 people. We have handicapped-accessible rooms available and elevator access to all floors. The dining hall is located in this building, as well as all of our meeting spaces that we’ll be using for worship, small groups, and electives.

Youth may attend without their parents as long as we have individuals who are dedicated to helping chaperone during free times and transitions. Children 3 and under are free! 
 
The cost of the weekend for all adults, ages 12 and up (two nights lodging + four meals + supplies) will be:  

  • Single room - $290/adult
  • Two per room - $160/adult
  • Three per room - $120/adult
  • Four per room - $95/adult

The cost of the weekend for children, ages 4 to 11 (two nights lodging + four meals + supplies) will be:
  • Two per room - $125/child
  • Three per room - $80/child
  • Four per room - $60/child
  • Family cap = $450
 
Our time together will begin after supper on Friday and will end after worship on Sunday morning. Space is limited, so please register by emailing Leah Reed with the total number of adults and children in your family, indicating your sleeping preferences. Payment in full is due no later than February 26. Single rooms will be assigned on a first-come/first-served basis. We will operate under the most current CDC and NC COVID guidelines. With current realities, we would require vaccination or a negative COVID for all participants, but we will finalize these plans closer to the retreat.

When you register with Leah, she’ll confirm your total amount owed, which can be paid via check to FBC (put "Churchwide Retreat" in the memo line), or by the following links: PayPal, Online Giving, and Vanco.
 
Since we know that not everyone will be able to attend, we will also have Sunday School and worship in our sanctuary on Sunday, April 16. For any other questions, please email Leah.

THANK YOU, ANITA!

In grateful appreciation of Anita Jarratt Bare for her sixteen years of dedicated volunteer service as librarian of First Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC, 2004-2020. Given by the Everette Miller Friendship class, November 2022.

Come by the library and see this beautiful window, styled by Kay Ewell, in Anita's honor. We'll have a basket where we will gather notes of thanks if you'd like to write one to let her know of your love!
A NOTE ABOUT STEWARDSHIP

FBC Family,

Taking care of our home requires continued care and investment. Our church home is no different. The annual budget provides the blueprint for how we take care of our church home. The FY23 budget was created to meet the growing needs of our church and the community beyond. It will also allow us to better take care of those that take care of us, the staff. 

As you may recall, we need 80% of the FY23 budget or $1.26 million dollars to be pledged in order for the Finance Committee to recommend approval at the church conference. This 80% mark provides the needed confidence that we are able to meet the annual obligations outlined in the budget. Thus far, we have received 148 commitments totaling $1,114,143. This leaves us $146K short of the 80% goal. If this level is not reached, the Finance Committee will have to make adjustments to the budget.

We would like to thank those that have already made a pledge. If you have not had a chance to make your commitment, we would love your prayerful consideration and support. You can find a pledge form at the church office. A QR code linking to the pledge form can be found below and throughout the church. You may also click here to go to the form.  

Please click here for a video message from Matt Strickland, of the Stewardship Committee.

Thank you for who you are and what you do. Take care.

Kind regards,

FBC Stewardship Committee
Chuck Underwood
Allison Strickland
Matt Strickland
CBF GLOBAL MISSION OFFERING

We continue to collect our CBF offering through March as we seek to do our part to support our field personnel both here and around the world. All of us are experiencing increased expenses, but we know we are better able to survive the strain than most others. As the scripture says, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” Please prayerfully consider what you are able to contribute to ensure that God’s love continues through the presence of our missionaries. 

We look forward to Sunday, March 5, when Dr. Paul Baxley, CBF Executive Coordinator, will be preaching for us in worship.
Nancy Moore Phillips 
WMU President 

WINTERTIME IS READING TIME
 
The library volunteers invite you to come to the library and check recent additions we have chosen for your enjoyment. Whether you are looking for new information, Biblical insights, inspiration, true stories, or fiction, you will find good choices in our church library. Some examples are:
           
Faith Still Moves Mountains, by Harris Faulkner: a collection of inspirational true stories showing God’s love and intervention in difficult and frightening circumstances
 
Journey with Me by Dr. Randall Lolley: a collection of his sermons, one on each book in the Bible
 
Life and Death in High Places by Bruce Miller: a historical account of the murder of Ludlow Skinner, son of Rev. Thomas Skinner, pastor of Raleigh’s First Baptist Church
 
A Christmas Memory by Richard Paul Evans: an inspirational story
 
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks: a novel by a favorite author
 
We Are the Light by Matthew Quick : a novel about love, grief and healing
 
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny: a novel by another favorite author
 
We hope to see you soon. 
ART BANNER UNVEILING

In May 2021 the church conference approved funding for an art banner measuring 30 feet by 12 feet, to be installed on the exterior large wall facing McDowell Street. According to the Department of Transportation, 44,000 cars drive by the church on McDowell Street each day – that’s 11 million annually!

In September 2022 the Art Banner Committee, comprising chair Jeff Hobart, Nancye Gaj, Timothy Brock, Royce Willmschen, and Leah Filomena announced the selection of well-known muralist Max Dowdle to create the image for the banner. Max has created murals throughout North Carolina including as close by as the NC Museum of Natural Sciences as well as up and down the East Coast. Find more of Max's art at ncpublicart.com.

The purpose of the art banner is to provide a visual representation of the identity and mission of our congregation to the downtown Raleigh community. Based on feedback from congregational sessions with the Dream Team, the Art Banner Committee asked Max to focus on themes of “caring community within” and the importance of outreach and ministry to our neighbors. We believe the image Max created is eye-catching and communicates our church’s values.

We proudly share the image of the newly created banner below. Max will speak to the church on Sunday, February 12, at 9am about his artistic process in creating the banner. There is more information to come. We hope you will be able to join Max and the committee that Sunday morning.
JANUARY MISSION PROJECT

The churchwide missions project for January will piggyback on the children’s mission project, which will be collecting monetary donations for Heifer International, a non-profit that focuses on giving animals to impoverished families to boost sustainable and dependable food sources.
 
This month, our Mission Friends, RAs, and GAs are learning about CBF’s ministry in Togo, West Africa, where nearly 81% of the rural population lives beneath the global poverty line. Karen Alford, a nurse practitioner, serves as a CBF field personnel in Togo, providing medical care as well as teaching the people there about sustainable food sources
 
At the end of January, our children will not only count their donations and decide what kind of animal they want to gift to an impoverished family, but they will also be given the opportunity of deciding what to purchase with our church’s LARGER pool of donations as well!
 
Here are some of our options with a larger pool of donations: 
  • A goat (for milk and cheese) - $120
  • A sheep (for wool to sell to buy food) - $120
  • An alpaca (for wool to sell to buy food) - $150
  • Or maybe even a heifer (for milk and other dairy products) - $500
 
Your contributions may be made with a memo for January Churchwide Missions or Heifer Project. 
 
Thank you for partnering with our children and for helping them to expand what they are able to do to help a family (or families) acquire food and financial security.
INCLEMENT WEATHER

Cancellation information about scheduled activities will be noted on a recorded greeting obtained by calling the office at 919-832-4485. Information will also be supplied to: WRAL-TV (1st Baptist, Salisbury St), WTVD-TV (First Baptist Church–Salisbury St.), and posted on our home page and on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). 
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT FBC

Beginning on Wednesday, January 25, Centerpoint will feature a three-week series led by Dr. Bo Prosser entitled, “The Praying Hands Emoji and the Prayers of the Saints.” Each week will include information and experiences designed to strengthen the spiritual life in the context of modern life in a digital age. Bo is a minister, educator, writer, consultant, coach, and speaker. He has served churches in Raleigh and Charlotte, and recently retired after 20 years in leadership roles with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. 

If you are not able to join us in person, we encourage you to join us virtually. We will begin at 6:15pm with a prayer time, and our program will follow. Please note that this is a NEW zoom link from previous weeks.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 863 8046 2213
Passcode: 7MBzJ9

Audio Only
               +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 863 8046 2213
Passcode: 579342
 
2023 CHURCH CONFERENCE DATES

Mark your calendar for the following 2023 dates for Church Conference:
February 15, March 29, May 24, August 30, September 27,
October 25, November 15, and December 13

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SUPPERS
 
We invite you to join us for a mid-week fellowship meal Wednesdays at 5:15pm. Reserve your spot at this link to the page on the church website or by calling the church office.

The menus for upcoming Wednesday night suppers are as follows (all meals come with salad and bread):
January 25: Taco night; non-meat option: vegan tacos.
February 1: Mexican casserole: non-meat option: vegan Mexican casserole; kids: tacitos.
February 8: Sloppy Joes with corn and green beans; non-meat option: vegan Sloppy Joes.
February 15: Chicken marsala with broccoli and potatoes; non-meat option: mock-chicken marsala; kids: chicken nuggets
HONDURAS 2023

For nearly twenty years, FBC has been sending mission teams to Honduras as part of Baptists on Missions Honduran ministry. This year's trip is scheduled for February 6 –13. The cost is $500 per person (covers food, lodging and ground transportation) plus airfare. Once again, our project is house construction. Picture a large pile of sand, bags of cement, two metal windows and two metal doors, tin roofing sheets, and 800 concrete blocks. Then imagine five days later presenting keys to a family so they now have a place to call home. If you are interested in going, or have an interest in future mission trips to Honduras, please contact Steve Brown at 919-349-4984 or John Baldwin at 919-600-9124.  

BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, January 24: Psalm 27:7-14; Judges 7:12-22; Philippians 2:12-18
  • Wednesday, January 25: Psalm 27:7-14; Genesis 49:1-2, 8-13, 21-26; Luke 1:67-79
  • Thursday, January 26: Psalm 15; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 1 Peter 3:8-12
  • Friday, January 27: Psalm 15; Deuteronomy 24:17-25:4; 1 Timothy 5:17-24
  • Saturday, January 28: Psalm 15; Micah 3:1-4; John 13:31-35
  • Sunday, January 29: Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12
  • Monday, January 30: Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 1:1-18; Philemon 1-25
DEACON ON CALL
January 22–28 • Lynn Loomis (919-601-9578)
WEEK AT A GLANCE • January 25–February 1
Wednesday, January 25
5:15pm Meal served (FH)
5:45pm Children's music (301,307,311)
6:15pm Centerpoint (FH/Zoom)
6:30pm Children's missions (PS/CS)
6:30pm Handbell rehearsal (302)
7:30pm Adult choir rehearsal (310/S)

Thursday, January 26
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
10:30am Thirty-Niners (FH)

Sunday, January 29
9:45am Sunday School
11am Worship (S/YouTube)
11am JBC worship (226)
12:15pm Lunch Bunch (231)
5pm Toy Joy Wrap-up meeting (FH)
5pm Youth choir (choir room)
6pm Youth supper (301)
6:30pm Youth program (Blue Room)
Monday, January 30
10am Clothing ministry open
5:15pm Dream Team (Blue Room)
6:30pm High School Bible study (Wade home)
6:30pm Music Made in Heaven rehearsal (302)

Tuesday, January 31
10am Staff meeting (CR)
10:45am WMU Group 2 (Springmoor)
1pm WMU Group 2 (Independence Village)

Wednesday, February 1
5:15pm Meal served (FH)
5:45pm Children's music (301,307,311)
6:15pm Centerpoint (FH/Zoom)
6:30pm Children's missions (PS/CS)
6:30pm Handbell rehearsal (302)
7:30pm Adult choir rehearsal (310/S)
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 25–27!

LUNCH:
Thursday & Friday in church parking lot, 11am–1:15pm
Wednesday: CandleScience Company, Durham
SUPPER:
Thursday: Creekside at Crabtree (5–7pm)
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
As of January 19:
Current Week Revenue: $17,549.80
Month-to-Date Revenue: $55,871.21
Year-to-Date Revenue: $55,871.21
Month-to-Date Expenses: $65,550.00
Year-to-Date Expenses: $65,500.00
Global Missions: $5,869.00

To facilitate your giving to FBC, use the QR codes below to link to the website
for our main electronic giving, VANCO Faith, and the page that lists
all our e-giving options and instructions.        
Use this QR code to e-give
to FBC on line.
Use this QR code to e-give through
Paypal and other options.
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 Jennie Herrick. Email Jennie here.