FBC Raleigh News • February 7, 2023
CBF ANNUAL GATHERING

The psalmist writes, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Admittedly, we do not always get along with our sisters and brothers. We can easily give in to taking sides and endless arguing but we continue to do the work of cooperation and kingdom-building. This idea, this theology of cooperation is what guides our Annual Gathering in 2023 as we explore together in a variety of ways our theme of Living Together.

We look forward to gathering together with Cooperative Baptists from across North Carolina at the CBFNC Annual Gathering on Thursday and Friday, March 23-24, at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem! This year's event will be an in-person gathering with both general sessions live-streamed online. We hope you will make plans to join us for two days of connecting, worshiping and learning together. Click here to begin registration to attend in-person. (There is no registration required for online viewing of the live-streamed sessions.)
 
Leadership Forum will be offered on Thursday morning. This is a professional/spiritual development event. NEW THIS YEAR: there is a separate registration for Leadership Forum. If you wish to attend the Leadership Forum and Annual Gathering, you will need to register for BOTH. Click here to register for Leadership Forum. - Nancy Moore Phillips, Denominational Relations
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
 
As a Baptist congregation that follows the Christian year, we allow the Jesus story to shape our lives throughout the year and we allow a sacred calendar to shape worship. By doing so, we are borrowing from other Christian traditions, while making them our own. One tradition we have embraced for over a decade is the Ash Wednesday Service to be held Wednesday, February 22, at 6:30pm, in the sanctuary.
 
The service includes congregational singing, prayers of confession and assurance, and a brief homily, but the central act is the imposition of ashes in the shape of a cross, as we speak these words, “From dust you have come, and to dust you will return.” These ashes (created by burning the palm fronds from last year’s Palm Sunday service) offer a sign of our mortality and penance, a confession of our frailty and need for God. Our willingness to receive them demonstrates our commitment to self-examination as well as our openness to God’s grace. Our Ash Wednesday service provides sacred space in which to begin a season of spiritual renewal called Lent. All who are comfortable doing so are invited to participate in person, but the service will be streamed as well.

CHURCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Softball season is upon us! If you’d like to join the team for this spring season, or have any questions please email Michael. This is a co-ed team for adults 18 and up. The deadline to sign up is February 19. We need as many people as we can so don’t hesitate to join in on the fun!

THEOLOGY ON TAP'S
FEBRUARY GATHERING

The next time Theology on Tap will meet is on Thursday, February 16, at Clouds Brewing (126 N West St), starting at 6pm. Join in for dinner, drinks, and good conversation!
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 156 commitments totaling $1,175,723. This leaves us $84.3K 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
ART BANNER BREAKFAST AND PROGRAM

We are very excited about the unveiling of our new art banner was placed on the exterior wall of the Lewis Building facing McDowell Street on Monday. Through this Sunday morning, February 12, we will have a likeness of the banner’s background available in the fellowship hall for you to help us color in as a way of connecting to the art.

On Sunday, February 12, we will begin with a breakfast in the fellowship hall at 9am during which you will be invited to draw an outline of your hands. The artist, Max Dowdle, will then lead an intergenerational conversation during the Sunday School hour on the creative process that led to the banner and the role of public art. Finally, in worship, we will place our paper hands on the background we have colored in, providing a visible sign of the subject matter the banner proclaims about the richness of our shared life.

We are grateful for the thoughtful work of the Art Banner Committee – chair Jeff Hobart, Nancye Gaj, Timothy Brock, Royce Willmschen, and Leah Filomena – which built on input gathered from congregational sessions led by the Dream Team on the future mission of our congregation. We believe Max’s art captures our identity as a caring community in an eye-catching way. We hope you will join us for the entire day of celebration on February 12, beginning with breakfast which you can pay for in the normal way, or by bringing five cans of soup or other food for Urban Ministries (see related article below).

It is a privilege to be part of a Baptist church that is willing to color outside the lines, literally and figuratively, by affirming the connection between art and spirituality, reaching out to the arts community, and proclaiming our identity in such a bold and beautiful way!

SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY

While the Eagles and the Chiefs give it their all on the gridiron on February 12, won’t you join us in giving our best efforts in our own SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY? We invite you to bring in cans of soup as you come to church on Sunday, February 12. There will be collection “wagons” at 9am in the fellowship hall for our breakfast and banner presentation (in fact, five cans will pay for your breakfast!), in the Lewis Lobby before Sunday School, and in the narthex of the sanctuary. These canned goods will be a part of our offering time in worship, and they will be donated to Urban Ministries food pantry which provides fresh produce and canned goods for families in need throughout our community.   

A collection wagon will be available for donations in the Lewis Lobby for anyone who cannot be with us on February 12. Our SOUPER BOWL SOUP COLLECTION will also serve as our churchwide mission project for the month of February.

FIRST FOUNDATIONS SURVEY

As the magazine team plans publications for 2023, we want to hear from you! We've put together a short, five-question survey to help us get some feedback we can put to use in the new year. Please fill out the survey linked below by Tuesday, February 14. We appreciate your continued support of our church magazine!


WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL
SILENT AUCTION

The weekday preschool has a silent auction running now until February 8. Please feel free to stop by and bid. All proceeds will fund the scholarship program. The preschool awards over $10,000 in scholarships most years, and we depend on fundraising to help offset this cost. 
 
Bidding sheets are located near the elevators down the preschool suite hallway, or in the fellowship hall on Wednesday nights. Keep checking back – we are adding new items to the auction daily!
 
Contact Crystal Bacon for more information. 

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.

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 
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT FBC

This Wednesday, February 8, is the concluding night of our Centerpoint series led by Dr. Bo Prosser entitled, “The Praying Hands Emoji and the Prayers of the Saints.” Each week has included 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.

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):
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
February 22: Vegetable pasta with cream sauce, spinach, and mushrooms; kids: buttered noodles.
March 1: Smothered chicken with red potatoes and mixed veggies; non-meat option: mock smothered chicken; kids: chicken nuggets.
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 (Facebook and Instagram). 
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, February 7: Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
  • Wednesday, February 8: Psalm 119:105-112; Proverbs 6:6-23; John 8:12-30
  • Thursday, February 9: Psalm 119:1-8; Genesis 26:1-5; James 1:12-16
  • Friday, February 10: Psalm 119:1-8; Leviticus 26:34-46; 1 John 2:7-17
  • Saturday, February 11: Psalm 119:1-8; Deuteronomy 30:1-9a; Matthew 15:1-9
  • Sunday, February 12: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 or Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37
  • Monday, February 13: Psalm 119:9-16; Exodus 20:1-21; James 1:2-8
DEACON ON CALL
February 5–11 • Beth Yerxa (919-602-2121)
WEEK AT A GLANCE • February 8–15
Tuesday, February 7
7pm Properties Committee meeting (Zoom)

Wednesday, February 8
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, February 9
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
10:30am Thirty-Niners (FH)

Sunday, February 12
9am Banner presentation and breakfast (FH)
9:45am Sunday School
11am Worship/Offertory (S/YouTube)
11am JBC worship (226)
12:15pm Deacons' meeting (220/Zoom)
5pm Youth choir (choir room)
6pm Youth supper (301)
Monday, February 13
10am Clothing ministry open
6:15pm Finance Committee meeting (Zoom)
6:30pm High School Bible study (Wade home)
6:30pm Music Made in Heaven rehearsal (302)

Tuesday, February 14
10am Staff meeting (CR)
10:45am WMU Group 2 (Springmoor)
1pm WMU Group 2 (Independence Village)

Wednesday, February 15
5:15pm Meal served (FH)
5:45pm Children's music (301,307,311)
6:15pm Church conference (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!

LUNCH:
Tuesday–Thursday - church parking lot, 11am–1:15pm


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 31:
Current Week Revenue: $13,662.66
Month-to-Date Revenue: $141,120.34
Year-to-Date Revenue: $141,120.34
Month-to-Date Expenses: $118,562.36
Year-to-Date Expenses: $118,562.36
As of February 2:
Current Week Revenue: $18,715.38
Month-to-Date Revenue: $18,715.38
Year-to-Date Revenue: $159,835.72
Month-to-Date Expenses: $16,049.99
Year-to-Date Expenses: $134,612.35
Global Missions: $6,219.00

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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.