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Helping Hands Continue to Reach Out

Our Helping Hands Resource Center continues to reach out to the community with non-perishable food, clothing, blankets and coats. . Your prayers, donations of food, blankets and coats is greatly appreciated but as the weather continues to be cold, the need still continues especially for blankets and coats.

We are also in desperate need of volunteers. If you could spare three hours in the morning Tuesday through Friday, please just come and you will be blessed.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we serve the people of Beckley and Raleigh County in Jesus’ name.

February is Here!

That means all of the husbands and boyfriends will wait until the 13th to stand in the card aisle together and aimlessly look for that one special card that reminds those wonderful women in their lives of how lucky they are to have them. It’s that traditional Valentine’s Day message that shows those we love how much we actually love them. But, does that identify the love we have for our wives/husbands/girlfriends/boyfriends? I hope you don’t spend 365 days a year with your loved ones and only select one day to express your love for them.

See, in John 13:34-35, Jesus tells his disciples, “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This love that Jesus is talking about here isn’t that deep intimate love that we may feel or show with our spouses, but it is a deep respect or fondness of one another. In the Greek it’s ἀγαπάω/agapaō—of persons; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. It’s through respect and humility that we treat each other with love and kindness. All of these things we must learn to develop and show as Christians. It’s an attitude that we raise our kids with in the hopes that they also will show the same to those around them.

I wonder how many people are turned off from hearing the Gospel message based on their observations of how we treat one another? Can we challenge ourselves to show hospitality and encouragement to our church family? Can we do some introspection of our personal walk and devote some effort to build upon these wonderful qualities?

As your Pastor, I want to challenge you all to make a change this year. Within our church we have many areas of need and many more areas of opportunities to serve. Please don’t wait to be asked to be involved, see an area and feel a tug, then make a move to commit. Our church environment is only as healthy as your personal walk. Take time to ask yourself what you can do to show love within First Baptist Church. Blessings

In Christ, Pastor Bryan W. Knight

OCC: It’s going to be a great 2024!

With each new year, there are 365 gospel opportunities for us to share the name of Jesus to the people we meet. Operation Christmas Child shares these gospel opportunities to children around the world who have never heard to the name of Jesus and many have never received the precious items inside a shoebox.

We here at FBC have been involved in this program for over 20 years and these boxes have reached countless numbers of children and given them the hope that is found inside that shoebox.

For the month of January, this hope starts with a simple pair of winter gloves. Even if these boxes go to a climate that we think doesn’t need gloves, God has a purpose for putting that particular box in that particular child’s hands.

So keep praying for OCC and shop for those winter glove bargains. They’re out there – just keep an eye out for them and thanks for supporting OCC. It’s going to be a great 2024.

Christmas Surprises for Our Backpack Kids

Each of our Backpack Kids had some nice surprises under their trees on Christmas morning. Our volunteer shoppers bought items on every child’s wish list and wrapped them beautifully. We delivered the gifts to Beckley Elementary for distribution to the parents or guardians of the children. We hope each child found love, caring and fun in every package.

Thank You! to each volunteer for your time and caring for these children. Thanks to everyone who donated food, money or prayers for our Backpack Ministry. May God Bless every one of you!

For the month of January please donate Vienna Sausages.

Helping Hands Needs Blankets and Coats!

Helping Hands is continuing to help those less fortunate with food and clothing. The Lord has blessed us with a monthly truck from the Mountaineer Food Bank that we purchase food at a discounted rate. Our numbers continue to grow weekly and now that the weather has turned cold the need for coats and blankets is growing as well. WE NEED BLANKETS AND COATS, AND LOTS OF THEM. They can either be new or “slightly” used. We also are always in need of soap, toilet paper and non-perishable food.

ABW: Join Us!

Our ladies meet the first Thursday of every month 12 :15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We have several mission projects that we are working on and would love to have you join us. Our “undie Sunday” project is going well. Each month we ask the congregation the last Sunday of each month to bring in underwear and socks for children. These items are taken over to Helping Hands and distributed from there.

Happy New Year, FBC!

by Pastor Bryan Knight

We will all feel an atmosphere of newness, new number, new roles at church. Some will seek a n new start or what many will call, a new year’s resolution. Have you ever stopped to ask what a new ye year resolution is? Many sources mention its beginnings with the Babylonians thus being adopted by the Romans. And it seems with the Babylonians and Romans that many debts were settled during this time. Now that’s a nice thought. Having any type of debt settled will make anyone excited about the New Year.

The origins of the word “resolution” as applied to our current usage and understanding is slightly comical. According to www.etymonline.com, “late 14c., resolucioun, “a breaking or reducing into parts; process of breaking up, dissolution,” from Old French resolution (14c.) and directly from Latin resolutionem (nominative resolutio) “process of reducing things into simpler forms,” noun of action from past participle stem of resolvere “to loosen”. Well, this sounds like what most folks do with their new lofty goals, they dissolve them.

Around a hundred years later that changed, “In mid-15c. it also meant “frame of mind,” often implying a pious or moral determination. By 1580s as “a statement upon some matter;” hence “formal decision or expression of a meeting or assembly,” c. 1600. New Year’s resolution in reference to a specific intention to better oneself is from at least the 1780s, and through 19c. they generally were of a pious nature.” Now this definition makes more sense. I see nothing wrong with a person pursuing to better themselves.

Many will make resolutions to promote their health, such as diet, physical fitness etc. Most will neglect their spiritual growth, while suggesting they will grow closer to God. 1 Timothy 4:7b-10, “… Rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; ⁸ for bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.”

If we apply this to the reality of God/YHWH and the scriptures, we see the debt of sin. Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, …”, we have inherited the sin nature. We all owe a debt to God. This debt isn’t paid once a year nor during any new year or change of a number. Our debt was paid by Christ, as you well know. Promoting the Great Commission must be at the core of our new goals! Not just once a year, but daily! For each day, each breath is a blessing and a new opportunity to present the Gospel message of Christ. Create a perpetual New Day’s Resolution attached to Matthew 28.

ABW Update

A Note About Our Sanctuary Decorations

You may have noticed a change in our Chrismon Tree this year. The large tree standing behind me contains many symbolisms of the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. First and foremost this tree is an evergreen, to represent Eternal Life. Just as John 3:16 says “ For God so loved the world, He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life…

The tree is ablaze with over seven thousand lights, Chrismons, crosses, and other shiny items reflecting light, just as Jesus is the Light unto our path. John 8:12 tells us, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I Am the light of the world, whosoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This humble tree bears sprigs of white berries to reflect Jesus’ pure words found in John 15 “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

The bows on the tree simply seem to say, “Blessed be the tie that binds.”

Also hanging from its branches are 33 crimson red ornaments, each representing a single drop of the precious blood of Jesus, one for each year He walked upon this earth, leading, guiding, teaching, preaching, and ultimately dying for our sin, to be gloriously resurrected that we might be saved, to live eternally with Him.

As you look at this tree this year, look beyond the earthly items so humbly placed, and look deeply into the effects of the meaning of each, that you might be blessed in the beauty and splendor of Jesus, of Christmas, and this season of celebration of Jesus, his birth, and His Love.

Merry Christmas FBC. You are loved. You are appreciated!

Operation Christmas Child 2023

As the year winds to a close, so does our shoebox season for this year. Through your generosity both in donations and monetary contributions, we were able to send 227 gospel opportunities, otherwise known as shoeboxes. That’s 227 children that will be blessed to know that someone they will never meet loved them enough to pack a shoebox just for them.

This was a huge undertaking that could only have been completed through your help. We collected all year what needed to be collected. We had a huge packing party that was successful beyond what we had estimated. We packed cartons and delivered those cartons to the drop off location without a hitch thanks to Pastor Bryan and Matt.

This year was a different year because it was the first year we were not a drop off location but God knew exactly what he was doing. He placed the right people in the right place at the right time and the task was completed in record numbers and for that, again, I thank you.

For the remainder of the year, please pray for the people that will be in charge of moving these millions and millions of boxes to their locations and for the people who will present these boxes to the children in countries around the world.

One more thing, if you see a bargain in kids gloves, pick them up because that’s what we will be collecting in January.

Thanks a bunch again for all your help.