FBC Raleigh News • December 15, 2020
REIMAGINING TOY JOY

Thanks to all of our Toy Joy elves and our faithful church family, Toy Joy 2020 was a success! On November 21 and 22, we hosted 241 of the 290 families (representing 890 children) who were scheduled to attend. They came to our parking lot, drive-through and walk-by style, to pick up their gift packages which included: a gift, book, and stuffed animal for each child, based on their interests and ages (specified by their parent); a family game or puzzle; a bag with candy canes and gift wrapping supplies; and a special ziplock with a knitted prayer square, a Christmas card from the children of our church, along with a $30 Food Lion gift card, thanks to generous donations and a grant from our church mission fund.

One blessing with our new system was that we were more connected to families this year. With our online process, we had collected email and phone contact information, and were able to share our contact info as well, which meant having an avenue for two-way communication that we had not been able to utilize in the past. While we had 49 families who didn’t show that first weekend, we were able to follow up with them, and many of them proactively reached out to us. We learned there were a variety of reasons some families didn’t make it, further proving the constant struggle that so many families living in poverty are facing. We were able to get back in touch with them through phone calls, texts, and emails to offer two additional pickup days for those who didn’t make it the first weekend. Between those extra days, we were able to meet an additional 32 families to give them their gifts. I wish we could capture and convey the stories from each family as to how they were impacted by this ministry. We received so many words of praise, thanks, and gratefulness as we met families and loaded their gifts.
This ministry continues to thrive because of the commitment and work of our village, including:
• volunteers who knitted 300 prayer squares
• those who gave financial donations
• the church members who signed up and prayed for the families we served
• those who purchased and shipped or brought in gift donations

• the FBC children who made Christmas cards for each family
• the team members who spent hours processing applications and orders, sorting gifts, and setting up “shopping rooms” as we worked from scratch to set up a new system
• volunteers who came and worked in small teams to make the gift packages – taking time to select just the right gifts for each child
• the “night crew” who moved countless boxes to the Fellowship Hall on prep day
• the church staff and ministers who fielded and facilitated many, many phone calls and inquiries, and provided ongoing support and encouragement
• the Risk Management committee who processed our multiple ongoing requests to gather in small teams to accomplish our work
• everyone who transitioned with us in planning and working a mainly outside event (thank goodness for warm NC November days!)
• the parking lot volunteers who kept the cars moving with no waiting lines
• the wonderful translators who ensured we were able to communicate effectively with all families
• the volunteers who patiently worked (and sometimes waited to work!) and learned new processes as we implemented new procedures on the event days and the list goes on.

The Toy Joy team will take time at our debriefing meeting after the holidays to reflect on this new way of working and think about what lessons we learned that will help inform our work for next year. In the meantime, we wanted to thank you, our church family, from the bottom of our hearts for helping to share God’s love with our community once again. We are grateful for your contributions of money and time and for your many prayers of our guests and for this very different Toy Joy 2020.


From the Toy Joy Team: John Baldwin, Carol Blanchard, Anne Cooke, Renee Fulk, Chase Helms, Shirley Hobson, Lynn Lingafelt, Lynn Loomis, Mary Powell Rhodes, Leah Reed, Berti Stevens, Mary Tetro, Sabrina Tyndall, and Chris Whitten. Special TJ team helpers: Wes, Owen, and Chloe Fulk; John Hobson; and JD and Sarah Catherine Rhodes.
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, December 15: Psalm 125; 2 Kings 2:9-22; Acts 3:17-4:4
  • Wednesday, December 16: Psalm 125; Malachi 3:16-4:6; Mark 9:9-13
  • Thursday, December 17: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; 2 Samuel 6:1-11; Hebrews 1:1-4
  • Friday, December 18: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; 2 Samuel 6:12-19; Hebrews 1:5-14
  • Saturday, December 19: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Judges 13:2-24; John 7:40-52
  • Sunday, December 20: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
  • Monday, December 21: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:1-18; Hebrews 9:1-14
DEACON ON CALL • DECEMBER 13-19
Felicia Hoover (919-523-0495)
WEEK AT A GLANCE • DECEMBER 15-20
Tuesday, December 15
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 16
5:30pm Church Conference (Zoom)
Thursday, December 17
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
11am Open Sanctuary (by registration)
5pm Open Sanctuary (by registration)

Sunday December 20
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 1st/2nd Grade SS (Lingafelt Yard)
CENTERPOINT

Wednesday, December 16 • Join us for Church Conference via Zoom at 5:30pm. Link in the article below!

December 23 & 30.• No Wednesday night activities. Please note that December 22 will be our last Rose Window Weekly for the year.
FINAL MUSIC MINISTER LISTENING SESSIONS THIS WEEK

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. One more session is planned for the congregation at large on Wednesday, December 16 at 6:30pm immediately following Church Conference and we will use the Zoom link for Church Conference for that session.

There is a session for handbell choir members and children’s choir leaders and assistants on December 17 at 7:30pm.  Click here for the Zoom meeting link.

The position is now posted on our church website; to see the complete job description, click here. 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.  Please keep our committee in your prayers as we continue our search for a Minister of Music.
MUSIC MINISTER
SEARCH SURVEY

If you have missed listening sessions with the Music Minister Search Committee, you can still share your feedback in an anonymous way by completing a short survey via this link. The survey will be open through December 23. 
BYLAW AMENDMENT

The trustees have proposed a resolution for consideration by Church Conference on December 16 that will effectively amend the bylaws for one year only (2020) in light of the disruptions to the normal functions of certain committees of the church in 2020. The resolution will provide that the members of the Board of Trustees and the members of the Worship, Hospitality, Denominational Relations and Community Ministries committees extend their terms of service for one year through 2021. At the end of 2021, the trustees and those committee members will begin rotating off based on the length of their service as of the end of 2020, and the Nominating Committee will resume appointing new members to the trustees and affected committees in accordance with the bylaws for terms beginning January 1, 2022. This resolution will be presented to Church Conference on December 16, and, if adopted, will be appended to the bylaws.
VIRTUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE

Please mark your calendars for this Wednesday, December 16, at 5:30pm. The Zoom invite for the meeting is listed below, as well as a call-in number for those who would rather join via phone. We will send out the needed attachments that normally would be on the tables via email before the meeting. 

We look forward to seeing as many of your faces as possible on December 16!


Meeting ID: 827 8871 6751
Passcode: 523255

Phone number: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 827 8871 6751
Passcode: 523255
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! It would be wonderful to have pictures of EVERYONE in our church family represented during the next few weeks!  
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.


  • 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.
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. 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 less than 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! Also, just in time for Christmas we have gift cards available for the perfect stocking stuffer. Purchase your gift card 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 15-18 • 11am-1:30pm, church parking lot

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 December 10, 2020
Current Week Revenue: $87,967.94
Month-to-Date Revenue: $87,967.94
Year-to-Date Revenue: $1,302,387.26
Month-to-Date Expenses: $10,561.33
Year-to-Date Expenses: $1,243,443.43
NC State Missions: $3,610.00
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.