FBC Raleigh News • August 10, 2021
INTERGENERATIONAL FALL KICK-OFF

On Wednesday, August 25 we hope all of the First Baptist family will come to the kick-off of our Wednesday night gatherings to begin “dreaming the dream” of a vision for our future ministry. Our answers to the questions of how we want to serve God going forward will start with a shared conversation about what we as a church look like when we are at our best. Chris Gambill with the Center for Congregational Health will facilitate our conversation. We will share a meal together outside, so bring lawn chairs for your family. Please RSVP for the meal with this sign-up link, and the cost of the meal will be our usual Wednesday night fee ($6 adults, $4 for kids 4-12 years old, with a max of $20 per family). After dinner, we'll transition to the Fellowship Hall where we'll have (masked!) small group conversations around the table. The conversation and sharing time will be for all ages, including children! Childcare will be available for babies up to two-year-olds. We hope you'll make plans to join us for this important time of fellowship and sharing.
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, August 10 - Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 18:19-33; 2 Peter 3:14-18
  • Wednesday, August 11 - Psalm 57; 2 Samuel 19:1-18; John 6:35-40
  • Thursday, August 12 - Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:1-30; Acts 6:8-15
  • Friday, August 13 - Psalm 111; 1 Kings 1:28-48; Romans 16:17-20
  • Saturday, August 14 - Psalm 111; 1 Kings 2:1-11; John 4:7-26
  • Sunday, August 15 - 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 and Psalm 111; Proverbs 9:1-6 and Psalm 34:9-14; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58
  • Monday, August 16 - Psalm 101; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 6:1-7
DEACON ON CALL
August 8-14 • Bob Bailey (919-214-9972 m or 919-900-7799 h)
WEEK AT A GLANCE •August 10-16
Tuesday, August 10
7pm Social Committee Mtg. (Rm. 301)
8:30pm Children’s Ministry Council Mtg. (Zoom)

Wednesday, August 11
10am HS Bible Study Breakfast (tba)
11am HS Bible Study (Blue Rm.)
4pm Grade School Olympics (Lingafelt Yard)
Thursday, August 12
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
7:30pm College Group (tbd)

Sunday, August 15
9:45am Sunday School
11am Worship (S/YouTube)
11:15am JBC Worship (Rm. 302)
5:30pm Deacons' Mtg. (Zoom)

Monday, August 16
10am Clothing Ministry
CBF GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN CHARLOTTE

In the last 18 months, we’ve experienced a global pandemic of historic proportions and levels of social and political divisiveness that have strained the fabric of our communal and family ties. We need our friends at all times, but especially in times like these! The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is one such community of friends who provide support and encouragement for us at First Baptist Raleigh as we seek to serve God faithfully in challenging times.

During the period of August 25-28, our Cooperative Baptist family will gather in virtual and in-person formats for worship, fellowship, and mutual encouragement in pursuing God’s mission “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). The Denominational Relations Committee encourages FBC members to consider registering and participating in the CBF General Assembly in any of the ways that are available for attendees. Registration is free and you may choose to participate virtually in any of the worship events, guest speaker presentations, and workshops. An in-person regional gathering is also being held at Providence Baptist Church, Charlotte, on August 27 and 28, hosted by the CBF of North and South Carolina. Information and registration are available on the CBF website.

None of us has to navigate this season of life alone, either as individuals or as a single congregation. God has provided us with a wonderful fellowship of “like-hearted” Baptists to share this journey together. Please consider participating in the 2021 CBF General Assembly August 25-28. - Barry Jones, Chair, FBC Denominational Relations Committee
AUGUST MISSION PROJECT

The need for children's clothing is still great as the Clothing Ministry has reopened. All clothing (new or gently used) and socks and underwear (new only please for these two items) in any children's sizes for boys or girls is needed. Now is a great time to shop as many of the stores are changing out for fall and will have their summer things on sale. You may purchase items for any season. As always, thrift stores and yard sales are a great resource. You may place your donations in the Clothing Ministry cart that's usually at the back parking lot door of the church or you can put them in the marked drawer in the Lewis Lobby cabinet.
HECK-JONES UPDATE

We are in the final push for collecting our annual Heck-Jones offering. Our congregation has remained faithful in support of our church and its ministries, both for ourselves and for the community, and we trust we can collect a bit more for these impactful ministries! As a reminder, our offering this year will go toward Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and Rise Against Hunger. Both of these organizations sustain our community in incredible ways - one through housing, and the other through the global hunger crisis. Our goal is $10,000, and we have raised $2,485.00 to date. Your financial gifts will give us the opportunity to participate in another Habitat for Humanity build in our community, and a meal-packing event in October. Join us in giving to feed the hungry of the world and support the common dream of homeownership!
RISK MANAGEMENT UPDATE

In response to the surge in COVID cases with the Delta variant, the increase of break-through cases, the lack of access to vaccines for children, and the fact that the first people vaccinated - and thus the most vulnerable - have passed the peak of their immunity, the risk management team has returned us to wearing masks at the church at all times other than for staff members in a workspace alone and anyone speaking at the pulpit. This applies to Sunday School classes, choirs singing, and outside groups. Our hope is that we do not have to curtail activities altogether, but that will depend on how things go over the next few weeks. It has been a long and exhausting journey, but we continue to do everything we can to care for one another and benefit the community in which we live.
THE RETURN OF WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

Churchwide Wednesday night programming will begin on Wednesday, August 25, from 5:30-7:30pm, with an intergenerational kick-off for the fall! Chris Gambill from the Center for Congregational Health will be leading our time together with dinner and a visioning conversation for all ages around the table. Childcare will be provided for babies and children up to two years of age. More details in the article above!

Music/Missions for children (three and older) and programming for youth/adults will begin on Wednesday, September 1. Here's our basic schedule:

Wednesday Night Schedule:
5-5:50pm – Supper in the parking lot 
Since it's pretty impossible to eat with a mask on, we'll be having our very own tailgate party every Wednesday night! Troy will provide the food and drink and you provide the lawn chairs. If it rains, we'll move inside to the Fellowship Hall and distance appropriately. 
6-6:40pm – Music for children/Centerpoint for adults/youth activities
As the semester begins, all music for children will focus on non-singing activities - making music nonetheless!
6:40-6:50pm - Bathroom break for children and outdoor playground time for preschoolers
6:50-7:30pm – Mission Friends, RAs, and GAs for children/Centerpoint for adults/youth activities
CROP WALK

Mark your calendar for Sunday, October 31! Our congregation is thrilled to be involved with the Greater Triangle Area CROP Hunger Walk again this year. We are already beginning to fundraise for this effort, so please visit our team's website to register and the Facebook page for fundraising. Come walk with us in October!
FIRST FOUNDATIONS

Issue eight of the First Foundations magazine is hot off the press and ready for you to read! We hope you enjoy each page filled with different interpretations of our theme, Grow. Copies of the magazine are located at both entrances of the sanctuary and beside the elevators on the first two floors. Please note that we are not doing a mass mailing of this publication, considering most of our congregation is coming back in the building. However, if you were on the pre-COVID list to receive your copy in the mail, those were sent out last week. If for some reason you have not received a copy of the magazine and would like one mailed to your home, or you would like to be added to that mailing list, please email Deborah. If you would rather enjoy the magazine online, the PDF version is linked here.

None of this would be possible without the hours of hard work by our editorial team, writers, and artists!  We are so grateful for all of our contributors - Jen Foster, Jeff Mercer, Lin Carter, Emily Hoover, Michael Hood, Anne Bullard, Chuck Nichols, Mary Nash Rusher, Amy Galvan, Mary Hauser, and Lou Anne Liverman. We hope you'll enjoy this beautifully designed publication, which comes to us thanks to the graphic design work of Angie Dickinson. As always, a very special thanks to Jen Foster, Anne Bullard, Lou Anne Liverman, and Leah Reed for their continued vision, and hours of tedious work editing the magazine! We hope you enjoy reading about growing from a wide range of voices from our community of faith. 
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,
August 9!

This is a big week for the AAWC team as we take on the challenge of providing 900 (yes, 900!!) BBQ and pulled chicken sandwiches and assorted sides for the Athens Drive High School Jag Week student orientation in partnership with Ekklesia Church of Raleigh!
For inquiring minds, 900 sandwiches will be around 400 pounds of pork shoulder BBQ, 100 pounds of pulled chicken, and 900 buns!

Lunch:
Wednesday and Thursday • church parking lot, 11am-1:30pm

Do you have an idea about how to give away food in our community? Email Leah!
AMONG OUR FAMILY

A link to the entire prayer list may be found below.
Please use your church directory for mailing addresses.


JULY 2021 • MEMORIAL & HONORIFIC GIFTS      

Clothing Ministry
In Memory of:
Jean Finch
Dorothy Knott Preston
William H. Simpson

Mike Morris Fellowship Fund
In Memory of:
William H. Simpson

First Baptist Church
In Memory of:
William H. Simpson

First Baptist Church Maintenance Endowment Fund
In Memory of:
Dorothy Knott Preston
Jeanie Lewis Jessup
William H. Simpson
THE RECORD WE WROTE
Week as of August 5, 2021
Current Week Revenue: $21,321.25
Month-to-Date Revenue: $21,321.25
Year-to-Date Revenue: $846,875.82
Month-to-Date Expenses: $1,675.20
Year-to-Date Expenses: $748,185.00
Heck Jones: $2,485.00
NC Missions: $4,600.00
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.