1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

THE CALENDAR
Expressing the Mission and Ministry of First Baptist Church
Chippewa Square
Savannah, Georgia
Palm Sunday
March 29, 2015
9:45 Bible Study
11:00 Worship
12:15 Congregational Luncheon
12:45 Easter Egg Hunt
in Orleans Square
F
IRST
THOUGHTS
For several weeks now, you have been reading about the promotional video that our church is currently
producing for use on our church website. The simple fact of the matter is that our congregation has a lot to
overcome from some of the more extreme expressions of the “Baptist” name, among them, the shenanigans of
the Southern Baptist Convention, the outright hatred of the Westboro Baptist Church, and the continuing
legacy of fundamentalist Jerry Falwell. Ask the average unaffiliated person on the street what they think of
when they hear the word “Baptist,” and you get a laundry list of negative impressions. As I say, we have a lot
to overcome.
The video is being produced by Josh Jasso Films with the assistance of Lauren Colwell and Ginger
Heidel. It features a number of our church members explaining what they love about First Baptist Church,
why they joined, what keeps them coming week after week, and what makes them most proud about our
congregation. In short, the video explains our uniqueness as a congregation to persons outside of our
fellowship and some of the ways in which we are “a different kind of Baptist church” than the caricature they
may first imagine. We hope that this brief introduction to our congregational life, mission, and ministry will
be enough to whet their appetite and to encourage them to visit one of our worship services and try us out.
Here is where you come in. Because our corporate worship experience is such a central part of who we
are as a church, we want to include scenes of our Sunday morning worship service in this promotional video.
We purposely have chosen Palm Sunday and Easter as the two remaining days of filming in order to feature
the most comprehensive view of what we do in worship, including congregational singing, our magnificent
pipe organ, adult choir, bell choir, children processing with their palm fronds, communion, sermon, prayers,
lay readers, scripture lessons, affirmations of faith, and more. Obviously, we need all of you to make this
happen in the most compelling way, and especially these next two Sundays. We hope that as members or
regular attenders of First Baptist, you will want to help us put our best foot forward in this video through your
attendance and enthusiastic participation. Any person who does not wish for their image to be used is free to
sit in the balcony, but frankly, we hope that all of you will take part. We encourage everyone to sit “forward”
in the sanctuary, to take an active role in the congregational prayers and singing, and not to look directly at the
cameras that will be present. As we worship our God together, let’s use this opportunity to invite friends to
join us and to reach out to others who would love to be a part of a church like ours if they only knew it. I will
look for you this coming Sunday.
Hospitalizations
Amelia Dreese
Hospice Savannah
Vreeland George
Candler Hospital – Room 686
Maundy Thursday Menu
Thursday, April 2, 2015
meatloaf
buttered potatoes
spinach casserole
roll
strawberry shortcake
Children’s Time on March 29
Lauren Colwell
Hospitality Hosts
Doug and Tricia Craig
Lay Reader on March 29
Phil Campbell
March Responsibilities
Greeters on March 29
Kee and Seon Kim
Audio: J ohn Rabun
Greeters: Martha Davis
Ordinances: Shirley Allen
and Lynn Hadwin
Sanctuary: J ohn Thomas
Ushers Serving in March
Harrell Roberts, captain
Glenn Arnsdorff
Reed Creaser
James Cubbedge
Deacons Serving in March
Reed Creaser, captain
Ann Frech
Bill Heard
Ginger Heidel
Emily Richardson-Dion
Les Stull
A LENTEN DEVOTION ON CLEARING A PATH...ANXIETY
Sometimes our fears and anxieties create the greatest barriers to our being able to clear the pathway to
a healthy relationship with God. Our fears often encircle us like dark clouds. We allow them to control our
lives and to stunt our personal and spiritual growth. It may seem as if these thoughts are insurmountable.
How do we let go? How do we surrender our feelings of fear and worry from their role as our everyday
companions? We find ourselves at home in these feelings of darkness. The unknown of what we may
encounter on the path to letting go often scares us and halts us in our tracks.
We all carry around a fear. Some fears may feel small and some fears may feel all-consuming. We
struggle with the fear of moving forward after a great loss. We worry about sharing our heart again after a
love leaves. We fear that we aren’t going to be good enough or that we can’t do all that is asked of us.
Painfully, we fear that our futures will never improve.
During this season of Lent, allow your mind to think of the possible: a love, a life, a new career, or a
stronger faith in your God. The process of letting go of fears is not an easy journey. It will include debris
blocking your path or even dead ends. However, there is a way through the clutter of our mind and our heart.
Draw upon your family, your strengths, your church community, and your faith to help you in facing
your fears. Allow yourself to trust. The first step may be to pray about your fears and to speak them aloud.
Envision a place without your fear, a place where you feel more free and closer to God.
– Jennifer Currin-McCulloch
The following persons have
birthdays during the month of April:
April 1
April 2
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 11
April 13
April 14
April 16
April 17
April 18
April 21
April 22
April 26
April 28
April 29
- James Cubbedge
Bettie Hodges
- Becky Bolt
- John Thomas
- Anabelle Malcolm
- Whit Davis
Hudson Harrison
Bill Kleinpeter
- Marty Foxx
Tom Scholl
- Polly Cargill Stramm
- Noel Cooper
- Howard Pendley
- Lynne Davis
Winona Pendley
- Madeline Cervino
- Kami Johnson
- Dale Willhite
- Brenda Helmly
- Charlie Waldrop
- Alan Pritchard
- Philip Campbell
Nathan Finley
Richard Lewis
FLOWERING OF THE CROSS
On Easter Sunday, April 5, you are
invited to bring flowers to adorn the cross on
the front steps of the sanctuary. Members of
the Flower Guild will be present to assist in
the placement of the flowers.
Wednesday – April 1
No Activities
Maundy Thursday – April 2
5:00 p.m. Meal in Lewis Hall
6:00 p.m. Service in Sanctuary
Good Friday – April 3
7:00 p.m. Service in Sanctuary
Dear Church Family,
A thousand thank-yous to all of you. You have
been reminding me daily that losing nearly every thing
is far from losing everything; I treasure being
in community with you. Thank you for the things you
have given me and especially for the fellowship with
which you surround me.
Gratefully yours,
Jenni Halpin
TASK FORCES – GREETERS
This week we are highlighting the Greeters Task
Force. Members of the Greeters Task Force stand in the
narthex on Sunday mornings to greet people as they enter and
exit the sanctuary. They are available to answer questions,
welcome newcomers, and connect visitors with others in the
congregation. If you would like to welcome others to our
church, please consider joining this group. Contact chair
Donna Plunkett or staff liaison Kyle Ballantine.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
facing Chippewa Square
at 223 Bull Street
Offices located behind the sanctuary
at 102 West McDonough Street
Phone 912-234-2671
Fax 912-236-4493
Email office@fbc-sav.org
Website www.fbc-sav.org
Office hours Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00
First Baptist Church
P.O. Box 9551
Savannah, GA 31412-9551
Address service requested
CHURCH STAFF
John M. Finley - Senior Minister
jmfinley@fbc-sav.org
Lauren E. Colwell - Associate Minister
for Spiritual Formation and Families
lauren@fbc-sav.org
Kyle J. Ballantine - Organist and Choir Director
kyle@fbc-sav.org
Faye Anderson - Secretary
faye@fbc-sav.org
Karen Jerald - Secretary
karen@fbc-sav.org
Janice Quarterman - Custodian
Bill Roberts - Custodian
Vol. 81
The Calendar
Lauren Colwell, Editor
March 25, 2015
No. 12
Schedule of Activities
March 29-April 4, 2015
SUNDAY, March 29
9:45 Sunday School
11:00 Morning Worship
12:15 Congregational Luncheon
Lewis Hall
12:45 Easter Egg Hunt
Orleans Square
MONDAY, March 30
10:00 Staff Meeting
Conference Room
WEDNESDAY, April 1
No Family Night Activities
THURSDAY, April 2
5:00 Family Night Meal
6:00 Maundy Thursday Service
Sanctuary
7:00 Adult Choir Rehearsal
Room 300
FRIDAY, April 3
7:00 Good Friday Service
Sanctuary
The Worship of God
Palm Sunday
March 29, 2015
Eleven O’clock
Maundy
Thursday Service
Thursday, April 2
6:00 p.m.
Sanctuary
Sermon:
“One Far Fierce Hour and Sweet”
First Lesson:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Second Lesson:
Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel Lesson:
Mark 11:1-11
Anthem:
“Sanctus”
by Charles Gounod
Good Friday
Service
Friday, April 3
7:00 p.m.
Sanctuary
Easter Sunday
Service
Sunday, April 5
11:00 a.m.
Sanctuary