FBC Raleigh News • December 1, 2020
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. Reserve your spot here.

  • Tuesday, December 8; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm
  • Thursday, December 10; 11am-1pm, 5-7pm
  • 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. Please enter the pew from the center aisle and exit from the side. We ask that everyone enters and exits from the Edenton Street door.

We also need your help with greeting as people enter and exit the sanctuary for these days and times. If you could help by being a greeter, please sign up here! For a place to be still, rest, pray, or just be, we hope you will join us.
DEACON ON CALL • NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5
Kati Gardner (404) 374-7141
WEEK AT A GLANCE • DECEMBER 1-6
Tuesday, December 1
10am Staff Mtg. (Zoom or Library)
6pm Theology on Tap (Zoom/In-person tbd)
6pm HOG Prep-Youth Included (Sanctuary)
7:30pm Pathfinders Sunday School (Virtual)

Wednesday, December 2
HOG Team Decorating (Sanctuary/2nd Floor;
throughout the day)

Thursday, December 3
HOG Team Decorating (Sanctuary/2nd Floor;
throughout the day
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
7pm Nominating Committee Mtg. (Zoom)
Friday, December 4
HOG Team Decorating (Sanctuary/2nd Floor;
throughout the day

Saturday, December 5
HOG Team Decorating (Sanctuary/2nd Floor;
throughout the day

Sunday, December 6
11am Virtual Worship (YouTube)
6pm HOG Video Recording (Sanctuary)
CHRISTMAS MORNING BREAKFAST

For years, our church family has gathered on Christmas morning to cook and serve breakfast at the Wilmington Street Men's Shelter. Unfortunately, this year the shelter is not allowing outside visitors or volunteers. However, they are still in need of breakfast! While we will miss gathering together and serving, we can still contribute financially to providing a meal for our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness this Christmas. Money will be collected through Monday, December 14, and breakfast food will be purchased in bulk and delivered that week. Due to fluctuating numbers at the shelter, we will not be providing gift bags or sweatshirts this year. If you would like to make a contribution to this effort, please make your check out to "First Baptist Church," and write "Christmas morning breakfast" in the memo line. If you would like to give online, you may do so here with Give + or PayPal. We appreciate your gifts that will make this beloved tradition possible in a different way this year. For questions, please email Leah.
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. On Sunday, December 6, we will have a mission moment from Laura and Carson Foushee. They have finally been released to go back to Japan after working with our own Japanese congregation here at FBC. And on Wednesday, December 9, during Centerpoint, we will hear from Mark and Kim Wyatt who will update us on their work at the Welcome House for refugees here in Raleigh. Please join us for both of these reports and give prayerfully to the CBF Global Mission Offering. - Nancy Moore Phillips, WMU President
HONOR A LOVED ONE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Our sanctuary is so lovely during Advent and Christmas when it is decorated with candles, fresh flowers, and greenery. This holiday “dress” transformation will certainly be different this year; however, we have determined a safe way for our church family to be a part of adding the elements that bring us such joy during the season. The article above gives details about our virtual Hanging of the Greens and how you can participate. Once again, you are invited to honor a loved one by making a donation toward the decorations for the service. With $15 for each honorific or memorial gift, all monies will help defray the cost of the trees, wreaths, fresh flowers, and greenery for the service. An insert in the December 13 worship order will list the names of all for whom gifts were given. Please submit your request here. Checks or electronic payments should be received no later than Friday, December 4. Forms are also available in Sunday School boxes. Mail checks to: Financial Administrator, 99 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603; please write “Holiday Greenery” on the memo line.
HANGING OF THE GREENS

Since 1977 our church has held our annual Hanging of the Greens Service without missing a single year! Once, we had to move it to a later week due to a sudden snow storm, but nothing has kept us from coming together for this meaningful service. As has been said so many times, 2020 is a year like none other and it has certainly presented us with many challenges. How to hold Hanging of the Greens is certainly one of those! Few other traditions at First Baptist are the result of the combined efforts of so many members of the congregation. We did not want 2020 to take it away from us. So, after much thought and planning we have determined a way to provide this time-honored service virtually!

The decorating that will be completed this week will be videoed. It will later be combined with the readings, prayers, and music to make our virtual 2020 version of Hanging of the Greens on Sunday, December 6, at 6pm. We hope that this video, which will be quite different from our normal service, will nonetheless be a celebration of our church family and of the hope and joy of Advent and Christmas.
LISTENING SESSIONS

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. These sessions will be held via Zoom, and we ask that you sign up so that we know you are participating via this sign-up genius link. Two sessions are planned for the congregation at large: one this Sunday, December 6, at 9:45am and on Wednesday, December 16, at 6:30pm following Church Conference. There is a session for Handbell Choir members/choir leaders and assistants on December 17 at 7pm, a session for Children’s Choir (parents and/or children) on December 6 at 12:30pm. There is also a session for Youth Choir on December 9 at 7:30pm. 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.  If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, a questionnaire will be shared in a future edition of Rose Window Weekly. The zoom link for all the listening sessions is the same, so join us here!

The position is now posted on our church website; to see the complete job description, click here. Please keep our committee in your prayers as we continue our search for a minister of music.
NEW GUIDELINES FOR FACE MASKS

The CDC has recently released additional information and guidelines on face coverings. The information includes directions for different types of characteristics to look for when selecting masks. An important piece of information that came out of this update is that the face coverings should not have an exhalation valve or vent, because the wearer's breath flows through the vent and the face covering no longer protects those around them. The images below are from the CDC website, and can be used as a guide for selecting a mask. Please make sure to adhere to these mask guidelines when coming to the church building, as we continue to do our small part in limiting the spread of COVID-19. For more information on face coverings, visit the CDC website.

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 1-4 • 11am-1:30pm, church parking lot
December 4 • 5-8pm, McCullers Walk Neighborhood
December 5 • 2-6pm, Barrel Culture Brewery & Taproom, Durham

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.



NOVEMBER 2020 – MEMORIAL GIFTS

Capital Repair & Replacement Fund
In Memory of:
Thomas Broughton

Day Mission Fund
In Memory of:
James B. Clary

Japanese Baptist Church Mission Fund
In Memory of:
Tokiko Waters

Mike Morris Fellowship Fund
In Memory of:
Thomas Broughton
Patsy Kelly
THE RECORD WE WROTE
Week as of November 30, 2020
Current Week Revenue: $5,040.00
Month-to-Date Revenue: $92,784.82
Year-to-Date Revenue: $1,212,984.32
Month-to-Date Expenses: $87,639.38
Year-to-Date Expenses: $1,233,297.85
NC State Missions: $2,505.00
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.