HOLY WEEK SERVICES

We have four opportunities for worship during Holy Week, the annual recognition of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. We begin with Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem which includes shouts of “Hosanna!” and the waving of palms, but which also takes place under the shadow of the cross.  We continue with a Maundy Thursday service (a name derived from the Latin mandatum which means “command” or “mandate” and refers to Jesus’ last teachings at the table, recorded in John 13) on Thursday, March 28, at 7pm in the sanctuary and on our YouTube channel. This service will include the celebration of communion. And then on Easter Sunday, you will have two opportunities to worship and celebrate the resurrection: the Easter Sunrise Service at the Capitol at 6:30am (music begins at 6:20am) and our worship service in the sanctuary at 11am.

This is a week that defines our faith, one that points to the central mysteries of crucifixion and resurrection, and each part of this story is significant. Thus, we encourage you to participate in as many of the services as possible and to reflect daily on the meaning of this week for your life and the whole world. To experience Maundy Thursday and Good Friday without experiencing Easter is to miss the ultimate joy that is ours. To experience Easter without experiencing Maundy Thursday or Good Friday is to miss the cost of our salvation and to hide from our responsibility. To experience all of the events of this week is to know authentic joy – the joy that comes because love prevails over fear, hope prevails over despair, life prevails over death. Who would want to miss that?

HONOR A LOVED ONE

AT EASTER



By paying tribute to a loved one this Easter, you will also support FBC mission teams. With each gift of $10 or more, a portion will be used to prepare a small display of lilies in the sanctuary on Easter and the remainder will be directed to the Day Mission Fund, supporting the efforts of various mission teams sent from our congregation. An insert in the Easter worship order will list the names of those memorialized or honored along with the donor’s name. Submit your requests here. Today (Wednesday, March 20) is the last day you can give a gift; electronic gifts may be made on the credit card kiosk or by going to the church website.



THEOLOGY ON TAP'S

MARCH GATHERING

You're invited to join Theology on Tap for their March gathering at Clouds Brewing (126 N. West Street) on Thursday, March 21, at 6pm.

Join in for discussion, connection, and a good beverage!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

FOR ALL AGES

Our intergenerational VBS will be Sunday, July 28 – Thursday, August 1, from 5–8pm (which includes an optional supper). There will be self-contained classes for babies through rising kindergarteners, and for rising 1^st graders through adults, we’ll have age-grouped Bible study followed by the ever-popular craft, recreation, and music electives! 

It’s never too early to let Lynn know if you can help teach and/or if you have ideas of fun and engaging elective ideas! Teaching opportunities include:



• self-contained preschool classes
• Gradeschool Bible study
• craft and recreation electives

We hope you can join us! It’s a great time of intergenerational fun and learning!  

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SUPPERS

Please note that every person eating Wednesday night supper must check-in with our volunteer collection team before getting their meal. Even if you have pre-paid online, please check-in with our volunteer. We recognize that many of you do this every week, but many do not. This is just an attempt to streamline our process and make sure every person is checked off the reservation list. A volunteer will be stationed in the Lewis Lobby with the Wednesday night supper reservation list. You may reserve your spot at this link on the website or by calling the church office. The volunteer will check-in your family and collect payment for the meal - we accept cash, checks, or credit cards.

Ages 0-3: Free

Ages 4-12: $4

Adults (over 12): $8

Family cap (over 3 people): $24

The menus for upcoming Wednesday night suppers are as follows (all meals come with salad and bread):

March 20 - Breakfast for supper! Eggs, sausage, mock sausage, grits, pancakes.

March 27 - No Wednesday night activities (Holy Week)

April 3 - Pizza

April 10 - Shrimp and grits with vegetable medley; non-meat option: mock shrimp and grits; kids: pizza rolls.

April 17 - Hamburger steak and gravy with rice and mixed veggies; non-meat option: non-meat patty; kids: hamburger.

April 24 - Chicken fried rice, egg drop soup, Asian veggies; non-meat option: mock chicken fried rice; kids: spring rolls.

NEW WIFI NETWORK

Due to the high use of the WiFi at the church, we have established a guest WiFi network. Please begin using FBC-MG when at the church. The password is "biography." This network refreshes each day so we will not clog up the network with users, many of which are connected only one time. Last fall, we were unable to connect any new devices to the FBC network due to the high number of users being retained by the network. We refreshed the network but do not want to clog it up again. The FBC network will soon have a new password that will be used only by staff.  Thanks for shifting to the use of FBC-MG. You will need to sign in upon each use.