Selected items from the June 2004 Newsletter…


ABW MINISTRIES
    
ABW Ministries Picnic
Tuesday, June 8, 6:00 p.m. at Dottie Ammann's.  Please bring a dish to pass and table service.  All are welcome!

Delta Lake Area Conference
 June 11-12.  This is a great time of fellowship, devotion, and fun.  If you are interested in going, please contact Shirley Mapstone (682-8169) or Gail Carlsen (445-0581).  Transportation will be provided.

ABW National Conference  July 24-31 at Green Lake Conference Center, Green Lakes, Wisconsin.  The theme this year is "Finding Your Focus."


STAMP MINISTRY
By:  Shirley Mapstone
     Thank you to all who have turned in stamps recently.  I have another box just about ready to go to "Stamps for Literature" in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  They sell the stamps to dealers and with the money, print Christian books and bibles in Spanish which are distributed in Latin America by several Christian groups.  Please cut or carefully tear your stamps from the envelopes leaving a margin of at least ¼ inch or more on all four sides.  Please place your stamps in the box in the Narthex. T-you.

UNITY FELLOWSHIP

      Will meet Saturday, May 22nd, 6:30 p.m. and have a "Dish-to-Pass" supper in the Chapel.  Scott and Donna Griffin will speak on the subject of "Wind Turbines for Generating Electrical Power".  Hosting this event will be Trudy Siegenthaler and Jessie Mapstone.  All are welcome to join us in this evening of fellowship.

Mother-Daughter Banquet 
(Sponsored by ABW Ministries) will be held Tuesday, May 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the gym.  Theme:  "Rainbows" ~ Program:  Debbie Oley and Pam Foss.  Dinner will be prepared and served by George Oley and men of the Church.  The menu will include:  Rainbow Gelatin Salad, Parmesan Herb Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Green Beans Almondine, and dessert.  The cost is $6.00 for adults and children 12 years old and older, $4.00 for children ages 6-11 years old, free for children 5 years and under.  Come and bring a friend!  If you have any rainbow stories to share, please contact Pam (682-0640) or Debbie (682-3198), so we can add them to the program.  Also, if you have any rainbow decorations or items you would like to share with us, please feel free to bring them that evening.  All are invited!

 
ATTENTION GRADUATES!

     There will soon be many graduations being held; and if you or someone in your family will be graduating (high school, college, Master's, Doctorate), the Church office would like to know about it.  Please submit a photograph and a paragraph telling us where you are graduating from, the date of graduation, where you will be attending college or where you will be working after graduation and any other pertinent information you would like to include.  This must be submitted to the Church office no later than Friday, June 11th, so we can include this in the July newsletter!  Photographs will be returned.  Thank you!

CHURCH SCHOLARSHIPS

     Applications for the First Baptist Church Scholarships are available in the Church office.  They are due into the Church office no later than June 1st.  For further information, please contact Ken Bex at 677-3569.




DAY OF PRAYER

     Thank you to all those who participated in our Day of Prayer on April 1st.  Many prayers were lifted up that day between 7:00am and 7:00pm - and other times too!  They came from the church library, from living rooms, from offices, from hospital rooms - and other places too! 
     Please continue to pray for the specific concerns that were a focus on the Day of Prayer: our pastoral search, parking lot/playground, sanctuary upgrade, our ministries with children, our life & ministry together as a congregation, our world.  If you haven't already, pick up a prayer card as a reminder.  
Thank you and remember God's promise - "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:12,13)
            -Mary Schwarz

NOTE FROM EDITH LANING
"Arizona is beautiful - the fruit trees were blooming and the scent was heavenly.  Now, back in Ohio, dreary are the days - but spring is on the way.  My Church family is so good to keep me informed and my thanks and God's blessing to everyone.  God is LOVE, Edith."  

IROQUOIS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES
"Spring Celebration"
Saturday, May 8th, 9:45-2:45
McGrawville Baptist Church ~ McGraw, NY
The theme will be "Rewarding Ministries" with Rev. Brett Charsky as the keynote speaker. Rev. Charsky is back from a tour of duty as a chaplain in Iraq. The program committee, chaired by Rev. Janice Robinson, has prepared a great day of celebration.  All are invited!  Directions, pls. call FBC office (682-8941).    
 
EVENTS COMING IN JUNE

     Sunday, June 6th is "Children's Day" and the last day of Sunday school.   Worship Service - 10:45 a.m. with a Potluck Luncheon to follow.  Please join us for fun, food, and fellowship!
  
     The following Sunday, June 13th is "Graduation Recognition Sunday."  The Worship Service time will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue at this time through the summer months.

DISCOVERY

Today I smiled, and all at once
Things didn't look so bad.
Today I shared with someone else,
A bit of hope I had.
Today I sang a little song,
And felt my heart grow light,
And walked a happy little mile,
With not a cloud in sight.
Today I worked with what I had,
Nor longed for any more,
And what had seemed like only weeds,
Were flowers at my door.
Today I loved a little more,
Complained a little less,
And in the giving of myself,
Forgot my weariness.


"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
 (Proverbs 12:18)

 
MAY BIRTHDAYS
Birthstone - Emerald
Flower - Lily of the Valley

  1.    Tiffany Mellor   
  2.    Lorna Kerwin & Abigail Ferris-Zedwick
  3.    Cameron Bates & Joni Dominy & Randy Kerwin
  4.    Sandra Radell Weiss
  5.    Patrick Burrows & Mark Carlsen &  Betty Heller
  6.    John Granata
  7.    Marge Edwards & Hannah Lane
  9.    Linda MacLennan
10.    Marilyn Macco  &  George Oley & Harold Ware                           
11.    Sarah Edwards & Paige Whittaker
13.    Jeannette Burrows
14.    Michael Everly & Amy Heller Penoyer        
17.    Carol Beckwith
18.    Beverly Curr & Kathie Shevchuk
20.    Sara Procopio
22.    Sean Callesto
23.    Kelley Dew & Lynn Rybinski
25.    Trevor Hotchkiss

                 MAY    
     ANNIVERSARIES

2.    Karen & Matt Ros
3.    Jean & Tony Gaudio
4.  (Q.) Hungkyu &
        Heejeong Kim Chun
7.  Valerie & Sean Malloy
8.    Ellen & Mike Everly
11.    Hannah & Paul Whittaker
21.    Myrna & Dan Coleman        Nancy & Ron Reeves
28.    Deborah & George Oley
30.    Joni & Allan Dominy       
31.    Lorna & Bob Kerwin

       
From the Pastoral Search Committee

     If you look at the search progress poster that's hanging in a few places around the church, you'll see that the "visiting neutral pulpits" box is checked.  We had such a visit in March, and another one is coming soon.  As the process has intensified, our decisions have become more and more significant.  We rest in the confidence that, collectively, we are making decisions that bear the mind of Christ. Keep praying!  "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

Your ministry partners,
Ken Bex, Ross Binder, Betsy Burt, Ellen Everly, Mark Mapstone, Mary Schwarz, Myrna Stasiw