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Shoeboxes 2021

It’s hard to believe it’s March already and spring is just around the corner. Through your generous packing of shoeboxes, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being spread around the world on a daily basis. This year Samaritan’s Purse is focusing on those little known islands in the Pacific Ocean where the name of Jesus is virtually unknown. These children will know that they are loved and blessed when they receive a shoebox packed just for them and will hear the name of Jesus and how he loves them.

Although we are still facing the challenges of the COVID virus, we are confident that this ministry will continue with its mission and that’s where you can help. Pray for the ministry. Prayer can move mountains and sometimes the devil puts those mountains in front of us but only through prayer can they be overcome.

Keep those donations coming in. It may not seem like much now but by November we will have enough, hopefully, to pack 100 shoeboxes and send them on their way.

For the month of March, I am asking for donations of toothbrushes, hair brushes and combs. The donation box is in the Welcome Center. Thank you for your support of this mission to spread the love of God through the power of a shoebox.

Helping Hands Continues to Help

First off, thank you so very, very much for your continued support of this ministry. It’s mission of providing food and clothing to the people of Raleigh County is needed more now than ever before. Our number of families and individuals seeking help has been steady for the most part. God is blessing us as we continue to serve his people.

Your prayers for this ministry are always appreciated and greatly needed. Also if you have a few hours in the morning one day to spare, we can always use extra set of hands.

We are asking for you to continue to donate non-perishable items, toilet paper and soap. Items can be either brought over to Helping Hands or left in the black container outside the church office.

From the ABW Executive Director

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:24-32, NIV

Dear Friends,

I love this text because it shows the possibilities when we rely on Jesus and not ourselves. When we trust Jesus, we can experience the unexpected, and that can be awesome. Peter got out of the boat and has an experience that the rest of the disciples missed, he walked on water! Yes, he may have lost his footing when the reality of the experience surpassed the possibilities in his mind…. but that is Jesus.

We simply cannot conceive or comprehend all that Jesus can do because Jesus “can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.” Peter’s limitations may have produced a short walk but… wow, what a walk! One or two steps, 10 or 15 seconds walking on water must have been a feeling he would never forget. It was a faith-building experience, and even in his unbelief, Jesus did not forsake him but kept him safe.

In 2021, let us get out of the boat! Build your testimony. Let God lead and believe that the possibilities are infinite. Let us take the lessons of 2020 and allow 2021 to be a year of discovery and growth. Be ready for the Holy Spirit’s revelation to you and move forward, expecting God’s strength and love to guide you. Next week we enter into the Lenten Season, a sacred time in our liturgical calendar. Christians all over the world draw close to God for a time of introspection. Many will fast from meals, favorite foods, activities, and even hobbies to dedicate that time to prayer. As we approach Lent, let us have the hope and expectation of Peter, ask God to bring us closer, hold our hand and guide us in our unbelief.

Reach up God’s hand is waiting and the possibilities are infinite,

Rev. Dr. Gina Jacobs-Strain
Executive Director

To the FBC ladies, we are still collecting quarters for the Weirton Christian Center quarters for grades program. We are also collecting used stamps for our mission project. Both of these can be brought to the church office.

Spring is almost here

Spring is almost here and our Backpack Kids are soon to be back in classes five days a week. I am sure they are looking forward to getting back to a more normal routine.

We have continued to provide food every week for our children and will continue as long as necessary.

I have been amazed at the kindness and generosity of our congregation and friends that have supported our Backpack Ministry. We have been able to buy the food necessary to feed the children a varied menu and things they might really like. May God bless everyone who has supported this ministry whether it is by donations of money, food or prayers. Thank You!

For the month of March please donate Ramen Noodles.

Spring Cleanin’

by Rev Doc Adkins

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

I remember well the earliest days of Spring as a kid. Whether at my mom’s house or later living with my grandparents, the same weird thing would happen. Both my mom and grandmother would start looking for dirt. Not the outside kind but the inside. Those cob webs, window sills, closet floors, back porches and dresser drawers were the first targets. Man, they both had that “look” of “Mr. Clean” about them. Scary! There were words used like: spring cleaning, painting the kitchen, new curtains and somehow, I just knew that a lot of this would concern me. Lord, I wished so many times I had a sister!

When spring arrives, more sunlight brightens your home as the days grow longer, and fresh air blows in once the temperatures warm up enough to open your front door as to welcome a breath of fresh air. But all the light and fresh air reveal what you may not have noticed during the dark, cold days of winter: Your house is a mess. It’s not fun to see the clutter and dirt that needs to be cleaned up around your house, but the lighter and air that flow in, the more motivated you are to do some spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning can be more than just a chore, however, it can show us in a spiritual way how cluttered and (we don’t want to admit it) what’s hiding in the corners and closets of life. We can actually use the time to start cleaning up something far greater than your house: your soul. The closer you get to Jesus – the Light of the world – and the more you invite the Holy Spirit to blow the fresh air of His love into your life, the more you become aware of how messy your soul has become. Thankfully, there’s no sin too messy for God to clean up when you follow His divine cleaning plan of confession, repentance, and reconciliation.

So while you’re spring cleaning your house, invite God to clean your soul. Here’s how:

Eliminate clutter. Get rid of distractions that block your intimacy with God. Take an honest look at what might be interfering with making your relationship with God your top priority. Are you devoting more time and energy to working, watching TV, shopping, playing sports, socializing with friends, pursuing a hobby, or something else than you’re devoting to time with God? How much time are you really spending doing activities that nurture your connection with God, such as praying; participating in church; and reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible? Are frazzled thoughts cluttering your inner life, or are you making time regularly for quiet reflection, and asking the Holy Spirit to renew your mind? Eliminate clutter in your schedule and your mind to create space to focus on what’s truly important.

Scrub away dirt and disinfect. This is the hardest part. Cleanse dirty attitudes and behaviors and purify your soul. What kinds of unclean attitudes are lurking in your soul? Are you harboring bitterness against people who have hurt you? Do you entertain judgmental thoughts about people you don’t like? Are you infected with anger, fear, or selfishness? How do impure behaviors affect your life? Are you struggling with a bad habit or even an addiction that causes trouble whenever it rears its ugly head? Pray about each dirty attitude and behavior, asking God to help you clean up each specific one. Whenever negative thoughts enter your mind, purposefully replace them with positive ones that reflect biblical truth. Whenever you’re tempted to slide back into a bad behavior, pray for God to empower you to resist and overcome temptation.

Vacuum. Suck up everyday annoyances and persistent resentments that will stain your soul if you let them accumulate. Keep short accounts with people rather than letting issues between you pile up and spill over into dirty arguments. Ask God to help you learn how to deal well with difficult people and those whose personalities differ significantly from yours. Whenever people offend you in minor ways, be willing to let the issues go. Whenever people offend you in major ways, be willing to forgive them and reconcile if possible. Remember that God expects you to forgive others since He has forgiven you. Trust Him to empower you through each step in the forgiveness process. Do all you can to live at peace with others and resolve conflicts quickly and wisely.

Dust. Wipe away old dirt of the past that is hindering you from moving into the future with confidence. Ask God to show you ways you need healing from past traumas and losses. Then patiently work through the healing process as God leads you. Expect that each time you deal with one layer of dust from your past, you can see a bit more clearly as you move into the future.

Polish. Make your relationships shine by serving others as God leads you. Be creative about figuring out how often you can bless others through your words and actions. Remember that even a brief encouraging comment or small act of kindness can make a significant, positive difference in someone’s life. Every day, look for opportunities to encourage or help the people with whom you come into contact.

Organize. Rearrange your life so you find “the time.” Clear out your own agenda and invite God to show you His dreams for your life. Then build your decisions for how to use your resources (time, energy, talent, money, etc.) around pursuing those things, so you can focus on what’s important without being sidetracked by what’s urgent. Set specific and measurable goals to help you move closer to fulfilling God’s desires for you. Check your progress regularly, and make whatever adjustments you need to make to keep your life organized well.

It’s a great big job. Isn’t it? Yet, when you see the final outcome, nothing compares to a “clean house” where God resides.

Backpack Ministry: January and February 2021

Happy New Year! Everyone is praying for 2021 to be the year of returning to a more normal life.

Our Backpack Ministry was busy in December shopping for gifts to send to our 21 children. We had lots of volunteers who searched to find the prefect gifts for each child. When everything as wrapped and returned to the church it took two trucks to transport them to the school! Thank you volunteers for your time and talents to complete this project.

Thanks to everyone who donated money, food or prayed for our Backpack Ministry and the children served.

For the months of January and February please donate cans of beans.

Facing Problems Head-On

by Rev Robert A Wendel

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 “Do not worry about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6.

Looking through my life of sermon illustrations, I read the following story. An old cowboy remembered “Hereford cattle taught me an important lesson. Winter storms took a heavy toll on the herds. Strong winds piled show into huge drifts. Most of the herd would turn their backs into the icy blasts. Herefords, however, would face the winds head-on and survive the season, teaching us humans to have courage to face life’s problems directly.”

Many people think living would be better if they had fewer problems. It’s easy to think of a place where no one has problems – the cemetery. Problems are a sign of life. I would risk saying that the more problems you have, the more alive you are. We might as well face the hard cold fact that you and I will have setbacks until we die. The story of Job says “Men (and women) are born into trouble.” (Job 5:7). The Gospel of John relates “In the world we will have tribulation.” (John 16:33).

The Bible also says “Be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.” This is what you and I can do. I want to assure you that we need fear no problems on earth, but with God’s help we can overcome them, however formidable they may appear to be. So don’t fear a problem – solve it. A psychologist is reported to have said “The chief duty of a human being is to endure life”

My father broke his arm when he was a teenager. To save his arm, doctors inserted a silver plate which pained him the rest of his life. To provide an example for his six children, he lived above his own circumstances, never letting on about his chronic discomfort. No matter the setbacks, he lived a meaningful life, regardless of his boyhood affliction. He mastered his personal problem, until his death at age 53 from cancer.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale advised, “Never give up. Keep at it. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep thinking until the answer comes. “Remember, the darkest hour is often just before the dawn.”

Operation Christmas Child 2021

Well, we’ve turned the page to another year and said good-bye to 2020 (thank goodness). We survived collection week with all of the COVID restrictions and did quite well. While our number was down from last year, each and every shoebox that was put into a carton will be a blessing to the child who receives it. This child will probably hear the name of Jesus for the first time in his or her life and what an impact that will bring.

This collection year marks officially the 20th year we have been doing shoeboxes here at FBC and what a blessing it has been. Just imagine how many lives have been changed over those 20 years. It’s astounding. We’ve had some fun times and some challenges but with God’s help we’ve gotten through them. I thank all of you who have packed a box, worked in our collection center or loaded a truck, sometimes at 6:00 AM on a cold Saturday morning. Without your help, none of this would have happened.

Looking forward to the 2021 collection season, let’s start the months of January and February by donating bar soap and washcloths. This not only cleans the outer body but starts the process of sharing God’s love through the power of that shoebox that you will pack. Thank you again and God bless you.

Helping Hands: What a Blessing!

Praise God for all the blessings we have received over the past several months and for the many, many donations of food, blankets and coats. We have been able to help countless people and families through your generosity. We also want to thank all of those who helped with our Christmas toy give-away last month. There again we helped families with toys and a treat bag for the children. What a blessing.

As always, we continue to need blankets and coats through the winter months. Basically as soon as we put these items out – they are gone and keeping someone warm this winter. Your food and clothing donations are also a great help. Clothing donations are only being taken on Tuesday’s at Helping Hands. Food and clothing donations can also be left at the church.

Finally, we ask that you keep us in your prayers through these winter months. Our mission grows almost daily and your prayers are what keeps us going. God bless each and every one of you.

ABW: Quarters for Grades

Even though the Lizzie Lewis Circle is not meeting currently, one of our mission projects is Quarters for Grades for Weirton Christian Center. These quarters are accumulated and then sent to the school to be distributed to the children as a reward for good grades. If you would care to participate in this project, just put your quarters in an envelope and mark it Quarters for Weirton and we will see that it gets to the right place once we reach $100.00.

We also continue to collect used postage stamps for another mission project. There is a box in the church office on the counter for these. Just cut them off the envelope, leaving an edge around it, and drop it in the church office.