BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Join us for a special Blessing of the Animals service at Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday, October 1, at 5pm. The service will take place at the Oak shelter, where we will gather together to celebrate the bond between humans and their furry, feathered, and scaly companions.

All animals are welcome, from dogs and cats to birds and reptiles as long as they are well-behaved, on a leash, or in a carrier! The service will include a special blessing for each animal and their human companions, as well as readings and music to honor the sacred relationship between humans and animals. 

Please join us for this unique and meaningful event at Dorothea Dix Park. Be on the lookout next week for specific instructions about where to park, inlcuding a map. We look forward to seeing you there!

JOIN THE CHOIR

FOR CHRISTMAS

“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”

— Anon

Life weighing you down? Want to lift your spirits? The Sanctuary Choir invites you to fly with them this Christmas season beginning with a lunch and Christmas music workshop this Sunday, September 24, from 12–2:30pm. Weekly rehearsals are on Wednesdays, 7:30–9pm. For questions, please email Warren.

Making music is fun but making Christmas music is divine fun. Wings and halos are handed out at the door. Come and join us—you, too, can fly.

   100,000 MEALS PACKED!

Thanks to all who helped Sunday in our 10th RIse Against Hunger meal-packing event. What a great turnout! It all began at 11:30 when the supplies arrived and Michael Hood and his youth group set up the room for packaging meals destined to the Philippines and beyond. There were 80 volunteers in total, ranging from Caroline Bradley and Asher Helms as the youngest to Frances Shell and Joann Cooper as our “more mature” helpers.

We ate pizza, salad, and cookies, but first, we thanked God that we never have to wonder where or when we will get another meal. Then we put on our “stylish” hairnets and gloves and went to our assigned duties and stations.

Thirty of us filled bags with vitamin packs, barley, dehydrated vegetables, and rice. Another 20 of us weighed and sealed bags for boxing, while six of us packed the boxes for shipment. Meanwhile, the other 20+ of us were constantly on the move keeping supplies coming and transferring bags from station to station. The music kept us going and we celebrated every 1000 bags completed with a loud bang to the gong.

What a great way to help stop hunger in our world as we do our part and enjoy a time of fellowship with church members! Please join us in celebrating the goal we reached of 100,000 meals packaged by FBC members in love and kindness for all the children of God.— Nancy Moore Phillips

THIRD–FIFTH GRADE RETREAT

This past weekend, our church joined nine other churches for our fall children’s retreat at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp in Reidsville. Our theme centered around Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord expect of you? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God,” and this theme was explored in our Bible studies, worship experiences, and devotions. Some of the camper’s choice activities our particular girls enjoyed were creek-stomping, canoeing, cooking, duct tape designs, crafts, and GaGa Ball! Other favorites were Saturday night s’mores and walking through the woods to see the beaver dam, and encountering other “treasures” from nature on the way! Many thanks to Lacey Pegram for sharing this weekend with us!  

CROP WALK

The Greater Triangle Area CROP Hunger Walk starts and ends at First Baptist parking lot on Sunday, October 29. Registration/sign-in is at 2pm with the Walk beginning at 3pm. You may join/donate to the FBC church-wide team here. FBC youth have an additional team and you may join/donate to it here. You may also donate through the FBC electronic options. If you prefer to write a check please make it payable to FBC and write "CROP Walk" in the memo line and either place it in the offering plate or mail it to the financial administrator (FBC, 99 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, 27603). Donations for this year's Walk will be accepted through November 30.



Funds raised support these local agencies: Catholic Parish Outreach, Round Table Fellowship, Oak City Cares, and Urban Ministries of Wake County. In addition, global efforts are supported through the work of the Church World Service, which has a huge refugee ministry and works locally with the Welcome House. Go here to see information about each of these agencies. There has never been a greater need for each of these agencies to address hunger insecurity as we come out of the pandemic experiencing inflation. 

An extra connection with FBC this year is our give-back food truck, And Also With 'Cue, which will be in our parking lot from noon until 2:30pm on walk day. The church conference approved giving 20% of the sales that day to the CROP Walk. So, whether you walk or not, plan on eating at And Also With 'Cue that Sunday. The fellowship hall will be set up with tables for you to eat at and carry-out will also be available. Click here to place your order for your meal.

If you register to walk, you will receive a free GTA CROP WALK t-shirt and there is a fun activity for children and adults as well to use — the CROP Walk Calendar of Blessings, found here. As you count your blessings each day during the month, you are encouraged to set aside an amount of money for each blessing and then donate it to the CROP Walk at the end of the month!

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help set-up and take-down the event, please contact Wayne Hager, who is on our staff and also serves as the Co-coordinator of the Walk.



THEOLOGY ON TAP SEPTEMBER GATHERING

Theology on Tap will meet at The Raleigh Times (14 East Hargett Street) this Thursday, September 21, at 6pm. Please join us!

SCRIPTURAL SERENDIPITY CLASS RETURNS!

On Sunday, October 1, the Scriptural Serendipity class will begin a study of the movement and influence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. We meet in room 219, and all are invited and welcome to join us!