FBC Raleigh News • August 24, 2021
TOY JOY UPDATE

Toy Joy planning has begun! Toy Joy is scheduled for November 13 & 14 and will be similar to last year’s format with online shopping and curbside pickup for parents. Please watch for upcoming volunteer sign-ups for those dates and for preparation activities leading up to that weekend. This year we will be accepting gently used books, stuffed animals, games, and toys on scheduled donation days and only on those days. Donation days are being scheduled based on our volunteers’ availability to sort and prep the toys, given current and potential COVID protocols. Please do not bring toys to the church at other times as there is no one to sort them and no place to store them. Mark your calendars for the first donation day, which is on Saturday, September 18, from 9am-12pm.

Please use the following guidelines to prepare your gently-used donations:
• Wash all stuffed animals. Please do not donate stuffed animals that are ripped at seams or are still stained after washing.
• Replace and/or remove all dead batteries from toys. If old batteries have corroded in the toy, please do not donate it.
• Make sure puzzles have all pieces. Please tape puzzle boxes to indicate they are complete.
• Make sure games have all pieces, including instructions. You can often find replacement parts on Amazon and instructions can be found online and printed.
• Make sure toys are clean and have any pieces needed to make them complete. This might include instructions, depending on the toy. Toy instructions can often be found online and printed if you no longer have them.
• We will accept Lego and similar sets that are missing pieces, but please let us know so we don’t gift that as a complete set.

We also welcome donations of new toys. Wish lists for Amazon and Walmart will be available soon. Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!
BIBLE VERSES FOR DAILY USE
  • Tuesday, August 24 - Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:1-14; Ephesians 6:21-24
  • Wednesday, August 25 - Psalm 11; 1 Kings 6:15-38; John 15:16-25
  • Thursday, August 26 - Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 1:1-17; James 1:1-8
  • Friday, August 27 - Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Song of Solomon 2:1-7; James 1:9-16
  • Saturday, August 28 - Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Hosea 3:1-5; John 18:28-32
  • Sunday, August 29 - Song of Solomon 2:8-13 and Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
  • Monday, August 30 - Psalm 144:9-15; Song of Solomon 3:6-11; 1 Timothy 4:6-16
DEACON ON CALL
August 22-28 • Ginger Graves (919-637-3786)
WEEK AT A GLANCE •AUGUST 24-30, 2021
Tuesday, August 24
6:30pm Mission Friends, GA & RA Teacher Mtg. (Lounge; Preschool/Children’s Suite)

Wednesday, August 25
5:30pm Wednesday Evening Programming Kick-off
Intergenerational Program (PL/FH)
7:30pm Adult Choir Rehearsal (Choir Rm.)
Thursday, August 26
7am Band of Brothers (Zoom)
6:30pm College Group (tbd)

Sunday, August 29
9:45am Sunday School Kick-off
10:45am Worship Prep Class (Rm. 231)
11am Worship (S/YouTube)
5:30pm Youth Kick-off (FH)

Monday, August 30
10am Clothing Ministry
ADULT CENTERPOINT RESUMES IN-PERSON SEPTEMBER 1

The Adult Ministries Council has been working on a set of programs for this fall with the theme Celebrating Our Heritage with a View to the Future. Beginning September 1, we will meet each week from 6:15-7:15pm in the fellowship hall. We are still finalizing some of the programs, but here is what we have planned as of now:

• September 1 - Ashley Glimasinski, the Welcome House Raleigh House Manager, will provide an update on the local embodiment of CBF’s work with internationals, including a word about refugees moving to our community from Afghanistan.
• September 8 - Leah Reed will facilitate a conversation with others about the beginning of our clothing ministry and its implications for present and future ministry.
• September 15 - Program TBA
• September 22 - Program TBA
• September 27 - Church Conference
• October 6 - Glenn Jonas, author of Nurturing the Vision: First Baptist Church, Raleigh 1812-2012 will revisit some of the highlights of our history.
• October 13 - Pastor Emeritus Dan Day will talk about his book, Finding the Gospel: A Pastor’s Disappointment and Discovery, released last fall. Recounting his disappointment with his inherited understanding of the gospel as centered only on the evangelical Plan of Salvation, he explains his discovery of what he terms a "bigger gospel" centered on Jesus’ teaching concerning the Kingdom or Reign of God. The last section of the book is given to some of the changes this new perspective has meant for his thoughts about other topics. Time permitting, Dan may also get into the sequel book, Lively Hope: The Taste of God’s Tomorrow, to be released this fall.
• October 20 - Steve Pressley will talk about his new biography of former FBC pastor Randall Lolley, entitled Randall Lolley: Thanks for the Memories.
• October 27 - Church Conference
WEDNESDAY NIGHT CHILDREN'S MUSIC & MISSIONS

Beginning September 1, all music and missions programming will begin in person for children! All teachers and children will be masked, and there will be lots of opportunities for hands-on activities involving making music and learning about missions together. For now, we won't be singing but will be exploring music through rhythms, instruments and preparing to play our songs in worship!

Here's our Wednesday night schedule:
5-5:50pm • Supper in the church parking lot (tailgate style!)
6-6:40pm • Music for children (Centerpoint for adults/youth)
6:50-7:30pm • Mission Friends/RAs/GAs (Centerpoint for adults/youth)
Children's Choir Rooms:

Music & Movement (for 3-yr-olds)
Preschool - Room 122

Combined Pre-K/Kindergarten
Preschool - Room 131

Combined Grades 1-5
3rd Floor - Rooms 307 & 311
Children's Missions Rooms:

Mission Friends (3-yr-olds--Pre-K)
Preschool - Room 128

Mission Friends (Kindergarten)
Preschool - Room 131

Younger GAs
2nd Floor - Room 231

Older GAs
2nd Floor - Room 229

RAs
2nd Floor - Room 233
PAYMENT METHODS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEALS

The collection of payment for our Wednesday night meals will differ due to COVID considerations. To cut down on person-to-person contact and the handling of money, we will offer the following options to pay for your meal:

• Cash - exact change placed in the cash box
• Check – made out to First Baptist Church, "Wednesday Meal" in the memo, and place in the cash box
• The credit card kiosk
• Give+ Mobile App - Visit this link for instructions to get the app for your smartphone.
• Give+ Online through our Website. Visit this link for access.
• PayPal - This PayPal QR Image (below!) will be on the KIOSK or you can use it ahead of time to access PayPal payment for the meal.

For options 3, 4, 5 you will have the option of making your funding source either a credit card or your checking account. Obviously, you may go on ahead of time to make your payment electronically. For the immediate future, we are functioning without volunteers to collect money, so this will run completely on the “honor system.”
PRO SHRED TRUCK
COMING SOON

After the last year, we have all been sorting through file cabinets, cleaning out closets, and probably running across some documents that need to be shredded! The Community Ministries team will be hosting a shredding event on Saturday, September 18, from 9-11am in the church parking lot. We hope you'll make plans to bring your documents, disposing of them in this hassle-free way. There will also be a Toy Joy donation drop-off happening at the same time, so you're invited to bring your toys then too. This is a free event, open to the church and the community - help us spread the word!
RISE AGAINST HUNGER MEAL PACKING

It's that time of year again! We are now seeking volunteers for our annual meal- packing event with Rise Against Hunger on Sunday, October 10, at the Rise warehouse location at 3200 Wellington Court, Suite 111 (near Gresham’s Lake) from 1-3pm. We're asking that everyone wear a mask so that we can do this as safely as possible. Work stations will be set up based on the relationship of our volunteers. Some will work great for family units and others are designed for non-related individuals. There is room for everyone!

To sign up, please go to FBC's Rise Against Hunger website and register. On this site, you can also read more details about safety precautions.

We're looking forward to this opportunity to be in the same room with some of our church family as we do our part to stop world hunger. For questions or more information, please email Nancy Phillips.
WELCOME HOUSE UPDATE

Good Afternoon Friends of Welcome House,

We’ve found a brief pause in our current ministry efforts to sit down and update you on what is underway.

Here goes - We began receiving Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders and their families two weeks ago; a family of 7 from World Relief which we directed to Hospitality House at Temple BC Durham and a single male from Lutheran Services of the Carolinas, which we received at WHR.

Saturday night we received word from USCRI that they had an Afghan family of five who would be arriving the next day. At the time WHR was full as was Hope House and Hospitality House in Durham. We reached out to Susie Reeder, Associate Pastor of Snyder Memorial BC Fayetteville (a Welcome House Community Network Partner) about their house, which she immediately made available. In turn, working with USCRI we made available a two-bedroom apartment that had been set up for arriving Congolese families. The Congolese family doesn’t arrive until later this month so that was the best option. We will be finding them a new space.

At the same time, we posted an appeal for more housing and resources via the Welcome House Facebook page. CBFNC also posted the appeal. The message was received and shared many times by the CBF and WH communities. Sunday, Pastor Mark White at Forest Hills BC and Pastor Chris Chapman at FBC Raleigh shared our appeal from the pulpit. The two congregations collected over $10,000 each that will be used to offset costs related to these new apartment leases and program expenses like food, personal hygiene items, and other tangibles. Financial gifts have also been received from $25 - $1000 from individuals who heard the appeal for help.

We will be speaking with the CBFNC Welcome House Community Network Team this week about using some of the funds raised during last year’s Welcome Ride 2020, and about doing the same with the upcoming event Oct 14 – 17. Marriott Hotel has offered to comp rooms for arriving Afghan SIV families. Individuals from Raleigh to Charlotte to Asheville are offering their guest rooms. Our fellow ministry Refugee Hope Partners reached out to SEBTS and secured two three-bedroom apartments from student housing for up to six months. These kinds of offers and this strong support are continuing to this hour. I just got off the phone with a pastor in Virginia asking how can his family and congregation can join the welcome. And while I was typing this, I had messages from dear friends at FBC Raleigh and Trinity BC asking the same. Our heads are spinning.

WRAL, CBS17, and Spectrum News have been blowing up our phones. We’re giving interviews and referring these news agencies to the local refugee organizations responsible for the resettlement process. Tomorrow, Ashley and I will be doing an interview at Welcome House about what WH is and how we are helping SIV and refugee families. It’s incredible and overwhelming.

Please share this message with your congregation and social network as you have the opportunity. Please pray for Ashley, Szymon, Hannah, Amanda, Kim, and all the volunteers that are on the front lines with this ministry. Join us where you can. Help us extend our bed reach and capacity locally and inspire others to do the same in their community wherever that is. We’ve been waiting for the ramp-up. It has arrived. We are ready. It’s time to go to work, friends.

Peace,
Marc and Kim
JOIN THE AV TEAM

Thank you to everyone for being so supportive during the live-streaming adjustment period throughout the pandemic. We’ve learned a lot over the past year. Now that we have professional streaming equipment and a set process, we need your help! Have you ever wondered how the live stream happens? Now’s the time to learn! We’re looking for FBC members of any age who want to be a part of the regular Sunday AV rotation. Anyone can learn! And we’ll make sure to teach you everything you need to know. We will make pairs for each Sunday, one person for audio and the other for streaming. If you’re interested, please email Royce Willmschen by August 31.
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. If it rains, we'll be spreading tables out in the Fellowship Hall, lobby, various classrooms, and 301/302, so family/small groups can eat unmasked together.

Please RSVP for the meal by calling the church office, or clicking on this sign-up link. We are working on a Zoom option in the days to come for anyone not able to attend in person. 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.
CBF GENERAL ASSEMBLY VIRTUAL ONLY

Due to the rising COVID numbers, the in-person portion of the CBF General Assembly in Charlotte has been canceled. The positive side is that now each person can still attend, but virtually, without having to travel! With 18 workshop opportunities, two worship services, and two two-hour interactive Zoom sessions on timely topics, this Assembly is one you won't want to miss. We hope you'll make plans to join this virtual event with Cooperative Baptists on August 26-27, by registering here! While we cannot gather in person, you will have the opportunity to engage in virtual small groups to make new friends through fellowship and debriefing.
AUGUST MISSION PROJECT

As the Clothing Ministry has reopened, we've found that we're still in great need of children's clothing. 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 at the back parking lot door of the church or in the marked drawer in the Lewis Lobby cabinet.
COVID PROTOCOL

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 asked that everyone wear 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.
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 24!

Tuesday - Bone and Joint Surgery Center, Wake Forest Road, (11am-1:30pm)
Wednesday - church parking lot (11am-1:30pm)

Thursday - church parking lot (11am-1:30pm)
Bridgepoint Neighborhood, (5:30-7:30pm)

Friday - Sir Walter Raleigh Chevrolet (11am-1pm)
The Greenway Club (5:30-7:30pm)

Saturday - Poplar Creek Neighborhood (5-7:30pm)

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.

THE RECORD WE WROTE
Week as of August 19, 2021
Current Week Revenue: $3,336.00
Month-to-Date Revenue: $53,577.71
Year-to-Date Revenue: $879,136.31
Month-to-Date Expenses: $57,832.62
Year-to-Date Expenses: $804,342.42
Heck Jones: $4,345.00
NC Missions: $5,605.00
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.