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The
VISITOR
Date: December 1, 2013
Volume: 51
Number: 12
First Baptist Church 410 S. Hickory Street Ottawa, KS 66067
fbcottawa.org 785-242-2713 [email protected] fax: 785-242-2867
John R. Hogge 1980
Alleluia Service 9:00 a.m. (Traditional Service)
Sunday School/Fellowship Time 10:15 a.m.
Celebration Service 11:00 a.m. (Contemporary Service)
Pastor: Rev. Joel Fredrikson--Assoc. Pastor: David Glavin
We move through the weeks of Hope, Peace, Joy and finally Love before we arrive at the Christ “Get Ready For What”
Event. If we could only ponder more deeply the In one way or another, most of us live by the cal-­ meaning of those four words….but alas, the busy-­
endar. We highlight birthdays, anniversaries, dr. ap-­ ness of the “holiday season” swallows us up (if we allow it to).
pointments, meetings, social engagements, (hopefully Church events get in there), school events Maybe we can prayerfully strive to make this and on and on it goes. In some homes, if it’s not on year different. Maybe we can journey to that manger the calendar, it’s not happening.
in Bethlehem with the same reverence, wonder, awe CELEBRATE LIFE
As Christians, we live by a different sort of cal-­
endar called the Church year (which sometimes gets confused with Hallmark occasions). The Church year consists of Advent, Christmas (literally Christ Mass), Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week (Palm Sunday—
Easter), Eastertide and Pentecost, which then carries us around again to Advent.
This “schedule” was devised by Church Fathers and Mothers long ago to help all of us focus on the “seasons of faith”. We live in a world where the fo-­
cus on seasons is different than these seasons of faith. So how do we live in these two worlds?
and humility that those shepherds and wisemen came with. And, maybe we can kneel once again with a catch in our throat and goosebumps all over when we consider what God has done and is doing. Maybe like Mary, we can “keep all these things, pondering them in our heart’s” and realize once again what (or better, Who) we’re really getting ready for.
I’ll look forward to seeing you in Church on Sun-­
day. In Christ’s love,
Sunday, December 1st, marks the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of preparation;; preparing In This Issue...
to once again celebrate “the Word becoming flesh * Children’s Christmas Program
and dwelling among us”. In a world of sound-bites * Judson ‘Mission Encounter’ Blog
and catchy slogans;; the wonder, the majesty, the mystery of the Incarnation comes out as “Jesus is * Alternative Giving Options
the reason for the season”—which pales (to me) * Santa Visit at Chuppers
alongside “now God’s dwelling place is with hu-­
* Christmas Caroling Opportunity
manity”. So Advent is to help us focus our hearts, our lives, our Spirits on the grandeur of God’s un-­
* Angel Tree Adoption
fathomable risk of coming to this world as a babe.
* Directory Photo Request
* Poinsettia/Radio Ministry Memorials
* Retired Minister/Missionaries Offering
First Baptist Church of Ottawa is
Prior week’s service is broadcasted every part of the American Baptist Sunday on KOFO 1220 at 10:00 a.m. Archived
Churches of the Central Region (ABCCR) services are also available online at KOFO.
and American Baptist Churches, USA (ABCUSA).
Church Council will
meet Sunday,
December 8th at 3:00 in
Elliott Hall. Committee
chairs, please have your
previous meeting
minutes to the Church
office by Wednesday,
Dec. 4th, at 2:00 for the packet mailing.
**A Retreat for all current and new Council members
will be January 12, 2014. Further details will be
announced in the bulletin.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH SESQUICENTENNIAL
MARK YOUR 2014 CALENDARS!
First Baptist Church will celebrate 150 years of ministry
in Ottawa Friday, May 2, 2014 through Sunday, May
4th, 2014. There will be much planning for the three day
celebration. If you would like to help with preparations,
please contact Wendell Smith at 242-0670 or 418-4790 or
the Church office, 242-2713.
ADVENT
STUDY
Experience
Advent from
three different
perspectives. Pastors Troy Hoffman, Rich Menninger
and Warren Smith will provide leadership for this Sunday
School class, “What Is It All About?”, which will meet
December 1, 15, 22 and 29 (Children’s Christmas
program on the 8th). These pastors will look at the origins,
meaning and symbolism of Advent—Hope, Peace, Joy
and Love. The class will meet in the Fireside Room of
Elliott Hall.
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS
PROGRAM
The Christmas program will be
Sunday, Dec. 8th during Sunday
School or approximately 10:15 to
10:45. Rehearsals are Wednesday
evenings at 6:30. If you child is
interested in participating in the
program, please contact Gina Taldo,
Angela Audiss or the Church office.
CHRISTMAS CAROLING
Our last Wednesday
evening gathering for 2013
will be December 18th and
we will be going
CAROLING! ALL ADULTS are encouraged and
welcome to join us for an evening of Christian
fellowship and fun! We need two or three people who
play the guitar or other portable instruments to be our
accompanists. Contact Angela Audiss if you would be
willing to join our group and play for that evening, 418-
7597.
**Consider participating in the Adopt an Angel
program—a way to make the holidays brighter for
children of all ages in foster Care. Adopt an Angel is
sponsored by KVC Behavioral HealthCare located in
Ottawa. Children in foster care have created a “wish
list” which includes their name, age, clothing size and
“wish”. Choose a bulb off the tree located at the back of
the Sanctuary or at Chuppers and sign-up on the sheet
provided to the corresponding child. After purchasing
your gift please return it, unwrapped, to the KVC office
(416 S. Main), the Church office or when Santa Claus
visits at Chuppers, Dec. 11th. December 11 is the last
day gifts can be accepted. Monetary contributions will
also be accepted if you’re unsure what to purchase.
Thank you for helping make a difference in a neglected
or abused child’s life; together we can make Christmas
wishes come true for children in foster care.
**FBC will again be collecting food for Hope House’s
Christmas Food Boxes. Their goal is to provide 80
boxes to area families. Items needed include: boxed
potatoes, canned yams, fruit and vegetables, jell-o and
brownie and cookie mixes. They also need toys for boys
& girls up to age 18. Monetary contributions are always
needed and welcomed. Items are needed by Dec. 12th.
**Don’t know what to give the person who has
everything? The Outreach committee suggests
Alternative Giving. Give a gift to the Franklin Co.
Cancer Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer
Project, Hope House or LifeCare in honor of that
special someone! You will receive a gift card to give to
the designee. Please make checks payable to the specific
organization. Details can be found in the Parlor, at
Chuppers or call the Church office.
**In October, our website, fbcottawa.org, had 1,174
different visitors and 11,506 total pages were viewed,
almost 10 pages per visitor. If you have something you
would like posted on the Church website, please contact
the office for more info.
AB GIRLS NEWS
American Baptist Girls in
Relationship, Leadership and
Service
AB GIRLS will gather Sunday,
December 8th in Elliott Hall at 4:15 p.m. We will create
greeting cards to be used year-round for our shut-ins.
ANNUAL MEETING
Our Annual Meeting is
Sunday, January 26, 2014 following the combined
worship service. Committee chairs and other members in
leadership roles, please have your information for the
Annual Report to the office by January 20, 2014 to
include in the Report.
??BIBLE QUIZ??
According to Scripture, what does the name Jesus mean?
A. “God is with us”
B. “Anointed, One of God”
C. “(The Lord) will save his people from their sins.”
D. “Son of the Most High God”
Find the answer on page 5 of this issue.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING
TO
FIRST BAPTIST
Santa Claus will be our guest
following Chuppers December
11th at 6:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall.
Please bring your Adopt an Angel
gift or a non-perishable food item
for Hope House. Santa will be available for pictures so
please bring your camera!
AMERICAN BAPTIST
WOMEN
Mission Possible Circle will meet
Tuesday, Dec. 10th, in the Parlor at
6:00 p.m. Vicki Alderson will
provide the program.
Samarian Circle will meet Wednesday, Dec. 18th at the
home of Golden Peterson at 10:30 a.m. We will work on
Christmas cards prior to our traditional pot-luck
luncheon. Christian Service Circle will meet
Wednesday, Dec. 18th at the Bertha Morgan home at 1:30
p.m. Jeanne Anne Fredrikson will provide the program.
ABW CHRISTMAS BAKE
SALE
The Christian Service and
Mission Possible ABW
Circles are sponsoring a bake
sale Saturday, December 14th from 10:00 am to 2:00
pm in the Church Parlor in conjunction with the Ottawa
Christmas Parade. Proceeds from the sale will go to the
ABW Fund. Enjoy the parade then come check out the
baked goodies. Anyone wishing to donate a plate of their
favorite Christmas treats would be greatly appreciated.
Free, hot coffee will be served!
DIRECTORY NEWS
There is still time to submit a
photo! A digital copy is preferred
(Church email: [email protected]),
but if all you have is a hard copy we
can get it scanned and imported into
the directory. Please get those to the Church office or to
Shanta’ Kemp as soon as possible.
ABW MISSION
ENCOUNTER
On December 1st, 15 Am.
Baptist Women from across the
US will board a plane in Los
Angeles bound for Thailand and
Myanmar. Jane Smith from
First Baptist, Ottawa, will be a part of this ABW
Ministries Mission Encounter team. The group will visit
all the missionaries serving in Thailand, including:
Bangkok, Kwai River Hospital, Chiang Mai and Chiang
Rai. The group will also travel to Myanmar (Burma) to
participate in the 200th Anniversary Celebration of the
Judson’s missionary work in Burma. The Judsons are
recognized as being the first of the missionary movement
from America, which resulted in churches banding
together for support. The result of this collaborative work
eventually became today’s American Baptist Churches,
USA. The connection to the Judsons is still felt very
strongly in Myanmar and also by those who are
immigrants in the US today. They have a strong
connection to Baptists and many new churches are
springing up among the Karen, Chin and Zo refugees now
living in America. Please pray for those taking part in this
Mission Encounter as they travel and represent you
during this trip. Members of the group will blog their
experiences at the following address as availability of
internet occurs. The address is:
http://2013abwmmissionencounter.wordpress.com
The group returns home Dec. 17th. Jane will be eager to
share her experiences with you.
SENIOR ADULTS LUNCHEON
Sr. Adults Luncheon is Thursday,
December 19th. The Ottawa High
School Cytones will provide musical
entertainment following our meal. If you are interested in
attending, please indicate on your Church attendance
form or give the office a call.
CHRISTMAS EVE
CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
The shopping is done, presents are
wrapped and now it’s time to stop and
focus on the true reason for the
season, which can get lost in commercialism. Jesus
Christ, who came to earth as a human child to forgive
mankind for its sins, is why we gather on this holiest of
nights. Join us as we sing carols, read the Christmas
Story, and light candles symbolizing Jesus as the Light of
the World. Attending this service each year is a tradition
for many people – make it yours this year! The Service
will begin at 5:00 p.m. with pre-service music beginning
at 4:30.
Please plan to join us for this special service celebrating
the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
NEW YEAR’S EVE WATCH
PARTY
The Fellowship Committee will again sponsor a New
Year’s Eve Watch Party Pot-luck in the Parlor, Dec.
31 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Please bring your favorite
board game to play following dinner. Come enjoy
welcoming in 2014 with great food, fun and Christian
fellowship. Children are WELCOME to join in the fun.
fellowship. Pick-up will be 8:00 a.m.
*No Youth Group—Dec. 22, 25, 29, Jan. 1 & 5. We’ll
resume Jan. 8th.
The hustle and bustle of the season can feel overwhelming,
God. Thank you for this time apart from the world, where I can
focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
The Newsletter Newsletter 12-13
The Retired Ministers & Missionaries Offering
(RMMO) is an annual Am. Baptist Churches, USA
offering that provides (1) “Thank you” to more than
3,000 Am. Baptist retired ministers & missionaries (and
their widowed spouses) with 20 or more years of ABC
service and (2) emergency and financial assistance based
on need. We will be collecting this special offering during
the month of December. Envelopes can be found in the
pews or mark your check RMMO in the memo area.
Remember with LOVE. Give with GRATITUDE.
As the Advent
Season approaches,
we encourage
members to provide
poinsettias for the
Sanctuary. They
may be brought to the church as a memorial/honorarium
or to add to our lovely Christmas decorations. If you
prefer, you could make a monetary donation to the Radio
Fund, which supports this outreach ministry. A sign-up
sheet will be available at Chuppers, in the Parlor or
Church office. The memorials will appear in the
Christmas Eve bulletin. Please have your poinsettias to
the church office by Tuesday, Dec. 24 by 10:00 a.m.
FBC ANNOUCEMENTS
*There is still time to complete and turn in your 2014
Pledge Card. If you need a card, there are some in the
back of the Sanctuary or give the Church office a call.
*On December 8th, the Celebration Service (11:00
service), will begin at 11:15 rather than the usual time.
This will enable us to have adequate time for our
wonderful Christmas program during our Sunday School
time (10:00) and to reset the Sanctuary for the
Celebration Service.
*The Mid-Winter Mission Conference will be at Cross
Winds Conference Center Jan. 17 – 18, 2014. Speakers
include Walt White, Global Consultant with ABC
International Ministries and Mang Sonna, Director of
Bethel Neighborhood, Kanas City. Early registration is
due Dec. 17th. Go online, abccr.org, for costs and the
registration form or stop by the Church office.
YOUTH GROUP NEWS
**The Youth Group Christmas Party
will be Sunday, Dec. 15th at 6:00. Girls,
please bring snacks and guys, please
bring drinks. We will have a White
Elephant exchange-gift limit is $5.
**Youth Group will join with the other
Wednesday evening groups and go caroling December
18th. We will leave the Church at 6:30 and return at 7:30.
This will be our last Wednesday evening gathering for
2013.
**Our annual Youth Lock-in will be
Tuesday, Dec. 31st. We will gather at
9:00 p.m. for food, games, fun and
A CHRISTMAS
CELEBRATION OF OUR
CHURCH STAFF
What can we do to
acknowledge our
appreciation for our church
staff? The Staff Relations
Committee is again offering an opportunity for you to
show appreciation for our church staff. Joel, David,
Natalie, Melissa, Edith, Gaynia, Angela, Gina and Kent
share their spiritual gifts with us in a Christ-like manner.
Information and an envelope are located in the pews.
Opportunities to gift will continue into January, 2014.
PRAYER CONCERNS
Prayer does make a difference
Physical Needs: Ruth Addessi (Alice Crawford’s
sister); Gene Portas (Gloria Terrill’s brother);
Gerry Bromert; Melanie Herken; Pat Morgan;
Legacy Oaks; Vance Wendelburg (Betty
Minnick’s nephew); Agnes Neff (Tom Neff’s
mother); Ken Roper (Virginia Gilroy’s son-inlaw); Carol Allen; Dee Wagoner (Sandy Miller’s
sister-in-law); Marg Baldwin; Colin Carr; Easton
Higginbotham; Dana Coble; Gloria Terrill; Stacy
Milliman (Golden Peterson’s niece); Mike Fowler;
Jane Smith; George Markley; James Harrod;
Extended family of Jerry & Marcia Servatius
Ongoing Needs: Mary Stevenson; Garrett Reed;
Nanette Doolittle; Shirley Reynolds; David
Polsley family; Ray & Jeanne Schmidt; Earl Payne
Shut-Ins: Earl Mendell; Bill Myers; June Foulks;
Dorothy Fitzgerald; Eleanor Mullen
Military Service People: Chase Reed (Chris
Bean’s son, Ft. Gordon, Georgia); Tate Grogan
(Jim & Doris Grogan’s grandson, South Korea);
Ryan Nelson (Stateside); Veronica Cooper
(Japan); Rob Heinsohn (Stateside); Josh Hoyt,
(Home); Liz Hailey (Janet Wolken’s niece,
Stateside); Dustin Van Leiden (Afghanistan);
Nicholas Hermreck (Ft. Hood, TX); Alan Hailey
(Janet Wolken’s nephew, Stateside); Adam Linck
(Stateside); Ryan Douglas (Gene Bromert’s
grandson, Turkey); Erin Epp (Becky Blaue’s
niece-Stateside) We make every effort to keep this list
updated. You could help us by letting us know of any
changes/deletions.
ABC/CR Prayer emphasis: Each month the Region
Board of Directors highlights a prayer emphasis.
During December, pray for all retired ABC/USA
ministers and missionaries. May we show love to
them through the M & M Offering. December is the
month we celebrate our Savior’s birth. As we open
our pocketbooks, may we give special gifts in His
honor to brighten someone’s Christmas. May we let
Jesus, in return, fill our lives with peace and joy.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
men on whom His favor rests.” Luke 2:14
Church website: fbcottawa.org
Church email: [email protected]
Pastor Joel: [email protected]
Pastor David: [email protected]
Church office:
[email protected]
Church Phone: 785-242-2713 ~
Fax: 785-242-2867
Dear First Baptist Church:
We appreciate all of the support my
family has received in the way of
cards, visits, phone calls, support and prayers during the
last few weeks with the death of my nephew and my dear
mother. Continue to pray for my brother, Bill, who lost
his best friend and mother. He will have the hardest time
adjusting to the loss.
Cheryl
Seymour family
Dear Caring Church Family: Thank you for your many
acts of kindness during my physical ordeal.
Love, Gloria Terrill
Thank You First Baptist Church for putting on a
wonderful lunch during Braving Discipleship.
Lauren Mena, Ashlyn Heitmann, Ethan Sullendier & Bud
McCluney.
Dear First Baptist Church: The members and parents of
the Rowdy Wranglers 4-H Club wish to thank you for the
use of your facility. We held our traditional Thanksgiving
dinner and meeting in Elliott Hall and it was wonderful.
Your kindness is greatly appreciated.
!
You Know Who You Are…..A special THANK YOU to
all who have helped rake and discard the many leaves that
have fallen around the Church buildings. We appreciate
your efforts in keeping our grounds looking so nice.
“Treat others as you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31
Thank you for the 72 pounds plus of food you donated to
our food pantry. Your thoughtfulness is great!appreciated.
God Bless…..Hope House
BIBLE QUIZ?
Answer: C (See Matthew 1:21)
COMMUNITY ANNOUCEMENTS
**Church Women United will sponsor a Human Rights
Celebration December 6, 2013. Registration begins at
9:30 am at the First Baptist Church located at 8200 W.
96th Street, Overland Park, KS.
**Experience Jesus’ birth at the Bethlehem project
December 13-15, 2013 at the Sylvester Farm, 1792
Kingman Rd. (southwest of Ottawa). The walking tours
run from 5:45 to 8:30 each evening and are approximately
40 minutes long. Tours are free and parking is on-site.
First Baptist Church of Ottawa is
part of the American Baptist
Churches of the Central Region
(ABCCR) and American Baptist
Churches, USA (ABCUSA).
FIRST BAPTIST
Visio
Published by the First Baptist Church
785-242-2713 fbcottawa.org
410 S. Hickory Street P.O. Box 308
Ottawa, KS 66067