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God blessed us this past Sunday with a stunningly beautiful day for
our 170th anniversary. The sky was cloudless and the temperature was
perfect. The mood was festive and the worship was rich. I only wish
you could have all stood on the platform with me and experienced the
view that I had. There is nothing to compare with a full house at FBCJ!
Many people worked overtime to make Sunday such a wonderful day.
Greeters, ushers, the housekeeping and maintenance staff, the choir
and orchestra, and
many others pitched in to help us celebrate God’s blessings on our church.
A special thank you goes to Dot Mann for setting up the pictorial history of
former pastors.
As exciting as Sunday was, I must confess that I am more excited
about what God has in store for us in the days ahead. New members
are joining our ranks,
the lost are being saved, many are being baptized, and the possibility
of a new West Campus all combine to give us a bright future. Of
course, we must
be careful to remember our mission: Connecting People, Transforming Lives
into
Passionate Followers of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission in Matthew 28
and Acts 1:8 compel us to share the good news of the gospel with others
so they
can become disciples of Christ and receive the gift of eternal life. As
we keep our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and continue to proclaim
the Word
of God in Sunday School and worship, I firmly believe God will honor our
efforts
and bless our church just as he has in the past.
Vacation Bible School for Internationals is scheduled for June 2-6,
the same week as our regular VBS. However, we have a big problem. We
need van drivers for that week. We have people who want to come to
VBS for Internationals but who have no way to get to our church. We
have the vans to carry people. We simply need some drivers for the
vans.
If you are
in a position to help with this very important ministry
of driving vans, please contact my office at 601-949-1935
and we will give you some more information. How sad it
would be if had
people
wanting to come to VBS, but we refuse to bring them.
I just know our people will step forward and fill
this very important position and give people the opportunity
to learn more
about our great God. Would you be willing to be the one
who makes VBS a reality for someone from another country
who knows very little
about
God?
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This Sunday, May 4, should be a wonderful day of worship and fellowship
as we celebrate 170 years of ministry at FBCJ. Please take note of
the following reminders:
- There will be only one worship service and it will be at 10:30
a.m.
- There will be no Sunday School and no evening activities.
- We have sold 1,450 tickets for lunch. We were required by the
food provider to turn in the number on Monday afternoon. Thus,
no more tickets
for lunch are available.
- Pictorial directories will be available after the worship
service on the corner of President and College Streets. Please
note that
you must have had your picture taken for the directory in
order to receive
one. Olan Mills gives us directories for every family who
participated in the making of the directory.
- A book of Dr. Pollard’s sermons has been published and
will be available after the service on the second floor near the
location
of the Guest Reception.
- A photographic history of former pastors will be placed
in the second floor atrium.
This Sunday, come early, stay late, and celebrate what God has done
in the past, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future
through FBCJ.
Thank you for participating in our “Help for the Hurting” service
this past Sunday. Over 800 cards were brought to the front of the sanctuary
as we cast our cares and anxieties on the Lord (Ps. 55:2, 1 Peter 5:7).
God moved among us to remind us of His love and mercy.
On Tuesday of this week, we placed all of the cards on a table during
our staff meeting. Five of us placed our hands on the cards and then
several staff members prayed for the hurts and pains of those who
wrote on the cards. In addition, our counseling staff is in the
process of
sorting the cards by category (marriage, financial, death of loved
one, etc.) to determine the major issues our people are struggling
with. Hopefully, we’ll be in a better position to address the
needs of our members.
I want to thank the Sanctuary Choir, Lisa Leavell, and Graham Smith
for their participation in the music portion of the service Sunday.
Also, Bucky and Linda Stewart and their newborn son blessed us
with their testimony and presence.
During Sunday’s service, I mentioned 5 practical things to
do when you are hurting: read scripture, spend time in prayer, worship
with other believers, accept love and help from other believers, and
read helpful Christian books.
One of the best sources for Christian books is our library
at FBCJ. We have over 20,000 books, including the book I recommended, “The Promise,” by
Robert J. Morgan. My wife, Jewell, is likely the biggest reader of books from
our library. Weekly she comes home with Christian books to read. There is a
great selection and, as a bonus, she saves us a fortune by borrowing books
from the library instead of buying them! Be sure and visit our library on the
3rd floor and you’ll be amazed at the wonderful treasures you will find.
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I hardly know what to write regarding
the events of this past Sunday. I have been in church all of my 41
years and have never been part of
a Sunday like that one. As we concluded our month-long evangelism emphasis,
Junior Hill preached in the morning and evening services and the Holy
Spirit moved greatly among those present. Seventy (70) spiritual decisions
were made. Some people came forward to be saved and/or baptized (41),
some to unite with FBCJ by letter or statement (22), and others came
by watchcare or to rededicate their lives to Christ (7). In addition,
2,629 people were in Sunday School studying God’s word. That was
636 more people than this time last year!
As I reflect on the events of Sunday, I realize what a joy it was
to see people making commitments to Christ rather than commitments
to
the world. How wonderful to see people embracing the ways of God
rather than
the ways of the world. What a blessing to see God drawing people
to Himself for salvation and baptism.
It is my hope and prayer that we will continue to see God move in
our midst. Please pray for our church and ask God to protect us
from the
enemy. Satan will not be pleased with what has happened. He will
seek to sow seeds of discord and disunity. We must be wise to his
tactics
and trust our Lord, knowing that He who is within us is greater
than he who is within the world (1 John 4:4). We must battle the
enemy
using the weapons of spiritual warfare: prayer, scripture, humility,
and
wisdom.
Most of you know that Ronnie Falvey has accepted the position of
Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church Madison (please note this is
NOT our Madison Campus, but rather FBC Madison). Ronnie has served
our church for 10 1/2 years in a variety of capacities. Most recently,
Ronnie has served on the Senior Staff as Missions and Evangelism
Pastor.
Ronnie has done an awesome job as a minister on our staff. His
family members – wife Martha, daughter Catherine, son Will – are
greatly loved by the membership of FBCJ. We will miss the Falveys
and their hearts for the Lord and His work.
This Sunday, April 27, will be the Falvey’s last Sunday at
FBCJ. Ronnie will preach his first sermon as the new pastor at FBC
Madison on May 4. Please pray for Ronnie and his family and please
be in attendance at a reception to honor them this Sunday night,
April 27, at 7:00 in Fellowship Hall East.
 This Sunday will be a special day at FBCJ. We have entitled the
service, “Where is God when it hurts?” Every Sunday hundreds
of people sit in our pews hurting. They are struggling with many
different issues. Some are having marital difficulties, some are
dealing with financial issues, and others have problems with rebellious
children. Still others are facing serious physical problems and some
struggle with depression. Quite a few suffer from substance abuse
problems and many are paralyzed with sadness or anger or hurt over
the death of a loved one.
All of us hurt at one time or another. This Sunday, come and experience
the presence of God. Feel His love and grace and goodness. Be surrounded
by people who care and who struggle just as you struggle. Invite
a coworker, neighbor, or friend and experience the healing touch
of God.
This Sunday, April 27, is the last day to purchase lunch tickets
for our 170 year anniversary
celebration on May 4. Remember, there
will be one worship service at 10:30 a.m. involving all five of our
normal morning services. A new book of sermons by Dr. Frank Pollard
will be available and we’ll be handing out the new pictorial
directories.
Please pray for events this weekend regarding the proposed West
Campus. The prospective Campus Pastor and his wife will be meeting
with the entire deacon body Sunday afternoon at 4:30. He will give
his testimony and entertain questions.
God is blessing our congregation in so many ways. Let us never forget
that He blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others and so
that we can fulfill our purpose of Connecting People, Transforming
Lives into Passionate Followers of Jesus Christ.
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This Sunday, April 20, is Connection Sunday. For three weeks now
we have been focusing on evangelism. We have looked at why, how,
who, and where in relation to sharing our faith. This Saturday we
will canvass Belhaven and Fondren at 11:00 a.m. and the Madison Campus
will canvass the neighborhoods there from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
On Sunday, the 20th, we will have High Attendance Day in Sunday
School (our goal is 2,800) and Junior Hill will be preaching in the
worship services. Sunday night we will have combined choirs of adults,
students, and children and the orchestra will be playing. This should
be a great weekend at FBCJ. Please pray that God will save many lost
souls this Sunday.
Once gain, this past Sunday afternoon many of our members went out
from 1:00 – 4:00 to help with debris removal. I want you to
know how important your efforts have been. One gentleman mailed the
following letter to the church:
Dear Pastor Buckley:
Allow me to thank you and the members of your congregation who
on Sunday, 6 April 2008, volunteered their services in removing
trees and debris from homes in the Lake Trace subdivision.
We were pleasantly surprised late Sunday afternoon when a gentleman
knocked on our door and asked if we would allow him and his group
of volunteers to remove a downed tree resting against the side
of our home. In a matter of minutes the tree was removed and refuge
stacked at the curb. With a warm hand shake, their blessings, and
an invitation to join your church services next Sunday, they then
left us to assist others in need of their labor.
It is uplifting to know that good people like these are around
in a time of need. Again, please accept my family's heart felt
thanks and gratitude to your group.
Respectfully yours . . ..
We also received the following letter from a lady who was blessed
by our members:
Dear Pastor & The First Baptist Church
of Jackson Family:
I would like to personally thank the group of volunteers from First
Baptist for all their hard work in the cleanup of debris and cutting
up of "big" tree branches, after the recent storm. They
worked so hard not only at my home, but also the homes of my neighbors.
Thank y'all so very much. I want to thank you, Pastor, for being
a Good Shepherd. The word of God and the Love of God is working
mightily in the family there. I am constantly telling people about
the Love
that was shown to us from your family members.
Thank God that you are a blessing to the people. I pray that God
will continue to bless you and the body of Christ bountifully,
and that you may continue to live out of His glorious overflow
of benefits.
Sincerely . . ..
Thank you FBCJ for spending time and
effort and resources to help the hurting. There are still others
we are attempting to help and
we hope to reach them soon.
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I was so proud of the response of FBCJ to the storms that hit Jackson
last week. The storms hit Friday and by Saturday morning Lee Thigpen,
our Community Missions Director, had organized teams to begin the
clean-up process. On Sunday afternoon we set up headquarters at the
Brookshire on Ridgewood Road. Our church members brought 350 cases
of water, most of which were distributed that afternoon to workers
and home owners in need of something to drink.
In addition, over 150 of our members spent many hours cutting trees,
removing limbs, and hauling debris. I have heard story after story
of how the elderly and those with no family nearby were incredibly
blessed by the cleanup crews of FBCJ.
While we were looking for no publicity, WLBT television came by
Sunday afternoon, interviewed our members, and aired a positive story
Sunday night at 10:00.
Also, at 6:00 Sunday evening, hundreds of our members gathered in
Fellowship Hall East and had a rich time of worship and prayer as
we interceded for the homeowners, paid workers, and volunteers who
were helping with the cleanup.
God is blessing us with many new members this year. During the first
three months of 2007, we had 68 new members. During the first three
months of 2008, we have had 121 new members. These include new believers,
people who were looking for a new church home, and people who have
been out of church for years. Please look for our new members and
make them feel welcome at FBCJ.
Don’t forget that April 20th is Connection Sunday. We have
a high attendance goal in Sunday School of 2,800 that day. Guest
speaker Junior Hill will be preaching the gospel in the morning and
evening services. Also, that night we will have combined choirs of
adults, students, and children. The orchestra will be playing and
we will once again proclaim the gospel.
May 4th is the Sunday we celebrate 170 years of worship and service
at FBCJ. There will be no Sunday School that day and one combined
worship service at 10:30.
Also, lunch will be served on President Street between the Sanctuary
and the Capitol. Tickets are $5 for lunch and can be purchased on
Wednesdays and Sundays.
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This past Sunday we kicked off our month
long emphasis on evangelism that we are calling “Contagious Christianity.” On Sunday,
we talked about the “why” of evangelism. This coming
Sunday we will be looking at the “how” of evangelism.
Hopefully, when the day is over, we will all be equipped to share
our faith in one way or another.
In fact, the Sunday evening worship service will take place in Fellowship
Hall East and I will lead our time together as we learn and practice
the Bridge Drawing. This is an uncomplicated presentation of the
gospel that anyone can learn. I anticipate this being a very nonthreatening
learning environment where we can learn a simple tool to share our
faith.
This month-long evangelism emphasis will culminate in evangelistic
services in the morning and evening on Sunday, April 20, with Evangelist
Junior Hill. We are expecting a great day with a High Attendance
goal in Sunday School of 2,800. The day before, on the 19th of April,
we will visit the Belhaven and Fondren communities and invite them
to services the next day, as well as give them other information
about FBCJ.
The nigh of the 20th, we will have a combined choir that includes
adults, students, and children. The orchestra will also be playing.
Most important of all, the gospel will be proclaimed by our guest
preacher.
On Sunday, May 4, we will celebrate the
170 year anniversary of our church. There will be one worship service
at 10:30 a.m. involving
all five of our normal morning services. A new book of sermons by
Dr. Frank Pollard will be available and we’ll be handing out
the new pictorial directories. In addition, there will be a lunch
that day on President Street between the sanctuary and the capitol.
Please note that there will be no Sunday School on May 4.
Thank you for praying about the meetings last week regarding the
possibility of a West Campus. Over a three day period, the prospective
Campus Pastor met with the West Campus Task Force, Missions Committees,
Personnel Committee, and Finance Committee. There was a wonderful
sense of unity and excitement about the possibilities of reaching
people through this Campus. As we have discussed, the West Campus
would be an inner-city campus known as First Baptist Jackson, West
Campus. The Campus Pastor would be an African-American who would
preach and provide leadership.
We had another banner day at the Madison Campus this past Sunday.
Nine new members joined FBCJ at the Madison Campus and we had the
highest attendance in worship other than Easter and the Sunday
we launched the campus.
Our Minister of Education, Cathy Jeffcoats, spent the morning at
the Madison Campus and led the Membership 101 class for new members.
She had 34 people in her class and all were eager to learn more
about FBCJ. Also, Cathy ate lunch at the campus with all of the
Sunday School teachers and led them in a training session. One
thing she told me that was very interesting was the fact that
one of the childrens classes had so many children (twice the
enrollment)
that an adult class had to move to a new location just to make
room for all the children!
God is blessing. Our Campus Pastor, Mark Farris, is working hard.
Unchurched people are being reached with the gospel.
Great days lie ahead for FBCJ! The
Contagious Christianity focus, the Anniversary Celebration, the Madison
Campus, and
the possibility
of the West Campus are all marvelous tools that help us to
fulfill our purpose of Connecting People, Transforming Lives
into Passionate
Followers of Jesus Christ.
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Easter Sunday truly is the greatest day of the year and this year
was no different. I want to thank everyone who participated in
the services as well as all who attended this past Sunday. You
really blessed our hearts and helped point us toward the resurrected
Jesus.
Our focus for the next month is on “Contagious Christianity.” We’ll
be talking about the how’s, what’s, who’s, and
where’s of evangelism. Hopefully, we’ll learn how to
share our faith and lead others to know Christ.
This month-long evangelism emphasis will culminate in an evangelistic
service on Sunday, April 20, with Evangelist Junior Hill. This
is a day you will definitely want to invite your unchurched and
lost friends.
The second big day is May 4. On this day,
we will celebrate the 170 year anniversary of our church. There
will be one worship service
at 10:30 a.m. involving all five of our normal morning services.
Also, we’ll be handing out the new pictorial directories.
In addition, there will be a lunch that day on President Street
between the sanctuary and the capitol. Please note that there will
be no Sunday School on May 4.
This week the appropriate committees have been meeting to discuss
the possibility of a new campus for FBCJ. This would be an inner-city
campus known as First Baptist Jackson, West Campus. The Campus
Pastor would be an African-American who would preach and provide
leadership.
In light of these events, we want to continue to inform and educate
about the multi-campus concept. Click the following links to
find two Question and Answer sections. The first section
deals
specifically
with
the Madison Campus. The second section deals with general questions
about the multi-campus concept. Of course, another campus would
simply be an additional tool for us to fulfill our purpose of
Connecting People, Transforming Lives into Passionate Followers
of Jesus Christ.
Q&A related to the Madison Campus
Q&A related to the
Multi-Campus Concept
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This Sunday is Easter Sunday, the day Christians celebrate the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe this is the greatest
day of the year. Why? Because the Resurrection brings hope and
joy and love and more hope. On that marvelous day 2,000 years
ago, Jesus walked out the tomb victorious over death. Come this
Sunday and celebrate the greatest event in history – the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Two Big Days
Please keep in mind two big days that will take place in April
and May.
April 20
The first big day is April 20, Connection Sunday. On this day,
evangelist Junior Hill will be the guest speaker as we conclude
a month long evangelism emphasis called Contagious Christianity.
During the month of April we will be talking about the how’s,
what’s, who’s, and where’s of evangelism. We’ll
learn how to share our faith and lead others to know Christ.
May 4
The second big day is May 4. On this day, we will celebrate
the 170 year anniversary of our church. There will be one worship
service at 10:30 a.m. involving all five of our normal morning
services. Also, we’ll be handing out the new pictorial
directories. In addition, there will be a lunch that day on President
Street between the sanctuary and the capitol. Please note that
there will be no Sunday School on May 4.
Satellite Campuses
Please don’t forget to be praying about the possibility
of a new inner-city campus called First Baptist Jackson, West
Campus. Next week many of our committees will be meeting to discuss
this new campus.
Also, you might be interested to know that even with a
smaller crowd due to spring break, five more people joined FBCJ
at the Madison Campus this past Sunday. God continues to bless
as we are able to reach more people through the Madison Campus.
New Website
Last week we launched our new website at www.fbcj.org. There
is a new design and lots of great information about FBCJ. Whether
you are a visitor or a long-time member, you should enjoy spending
time on the new website. Of course, our website is just another
tool for us to fulfill our purpose of Connecting People, Transforming
Lives into Passionate Followers of Jesus Christ.
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In 1997, FBCJ produced a document entitled “Vision
2000.” Committees representing various areas of FBCJ set
forth plans for the future and those plans were presented to
the deacons. One of the committees was the missions/evangelism
committee whose chairman was Doug Gunn, our current chairman
of deacons.
One of the Key Initiatives recommended by
the missions/evangelism committee was the following: “Start
a church in the inner city by funding an Urban Church Planter/Minister
. . ..”
In light of Vision 2000 and other developments,
a group entitled West Campus Task Force has been meeting for
several months to discuss the possibility of a new satellite
campus that would be located in inner city Jackson and would
have an African-American Campus Pastor. The campus would be located,
at least initially, at Mission First in West Jackson.
Members of the West Campus Task Force include
three former chairmen of deacons (Buddy Huff, Bill Boteler, Bobby
Ray), the current deacon leadership (Doug Gunn, Kendall Smith,
Joe Young, Tommy McMillin, Eddie Kinchen), two ladies (Tammy
Pearson and Pat Dawson), two new members (Rodney Depriest and
Don Williams), and three staff members (Bob Gladney, Lee Thigpen,
Stan Buckley).
While the church discussed the hiring of an
Urban Pastor back in 1997, the timing has never been right to
move forward on that initiative. Our West Campus Task Force believes
that time has now come. We have examined several developments
that cause us to believe the timing is right:
- We are FBC Jackson.
- We elected to stay in Jackson and be a part of the city.
- Mission First has been established in the inner city, is flourishing, and has
provided a tremendous amount of credibility for FBCJ in the inner city.
- There is a crisis in the city of Jackson that requires a spiritual solution.
- We have established the Madison Campus. It is going better than we ever
imagined and we have gained much insight into the multi-site church concept.
In addition, the Task Force has recognized that Matthew
28:19-20, known as the Great Commission, compels us to make disciples and Acts
1:8 tells us to be Jesus’ witnesses not only to the ends of the earth,
but also in Jerusalem. The city of Jackson is our Jerusalem.
The West Campus Task Force has been addressing
such vital issues as Campus Pastor, Name of the Campus, Impact
on Mission First, Timing, Funding, Interaction with other community
leaders/pastors, and Process for approval.
This past Tuesday evening, March 11, the idea
for a West Campus was presented to the deacons at their regularly
scheduled meeting. We also outlined a process for the establishment
of a West Campus:
- March 11 – presentation of idea to deacons
- March 13 – presentation of idea to church via
Baptist Record
- March 25 – meeting with prospective
Campus Pastor and Task Force
- March 26 – meeting with prospective
Campus Pastor and Missions/Evangelism
Committees
- March 27 – meeting with prospective
Campus Pastor and Personnel and Finance Committees
- April 27 – meeting with prospective
Campus Pastor and entire deacon body
- May 13– vote for approval by entire
deacon body at regularly scheduled meeting
- Sept./Oct. – launch of First Baptist
Jackson, West Campus
Shortly after the May 13 vote, the Campus
Pastor would be introduced to the entire church body along
with a presentation regarding the new campus.
I ask that you pray about this amazing
opportunity to reach people for Christ that we otherwise might
never have. Please pray for wisdom and guidance. Pray for the
prospective Campus Pastor. Pray for the West Campus Task Force.
This could a historical event in the life of our church.
Those of us on the Task Force believe the timing is right,
the goal is right, the motives are
right, and our hearts are in tune with God. What an awesome opportunity for
us to continue to fulfill our purpose of Connecting People, Transforming
Lives into Passionate Followers of Jesus Christ.
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