Launch

2.12.12 Announcements

2012-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

I hope that you are excited about where we are going as a church. It is great to see people responding to the different incentives that are near to their heart. You are a vital part of the incentive of “fully equipping believers for ministry.” Thank you for the important role you play!

February 12, 2012

Special Called Conference TODAY
Sunday, 2/12, following each service in each Venue
• Budget vote, without discussion
• Recommendation to call Chris Stull as Executive Pastor of Mobilization, without discussion
• Recommendation to call Jack Haye as Executive Pastor of Ministry Development without  discussion  

Incredible Fridays Needs Help on February 24
Incredible Fridays is a monthly respite ministry for families that have children with special needs. Parents bring their children, including siblings without disabilities, to First Baptist McKinney for three hours once a month. There is a need for volunteers for February 24th. There is a short training time that evening and diner is provided. If interested, please contact Kari Loth at kari.loth@tx.rr.com.

Transforming Your World

Start the TYW season April 14th with a run! Grab your running shoes, your BFG or small group and make a difference. Run for Cover is a one day 3e McKinney 1, 5 & 10K walk/run to raise money for the Samaritan Inn. The race is through Stonebridge Ranch. The 5 and 10k courses are fun, challenging and certified. There will be music, prizes and awards! The Samaritan Inn is the only shelter in Collin County for people experiencing homelessness. To register go to www.runforcover.org

2012 Missions
Mission Expo and Passports are coming soon. You won’t want to miss February 19th! We will have our 2012 Mission Projects on display in the connection and the Passport will be available. Start praying about where God is calling you to serve this year and visit the connection on the 19th.

Interested in playing Men’s Softball?
We are starting the week of March 19th in McKinney. Contact Danny Gentry at danny.gentry@fbcmckinney.com

Roadmap to 2020

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

God designs Christians to function together in relationship with one another. One expression of that design is church. First McKinney believes the role of the organized church is to be a ministry development center and a missions sending agency because lost people matter to God. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's sermon Roadmap to 2020: The Vision. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app or Android app.

The vision for First McKinney is to lead people to find and follow Christ. Our purpose is to make disciples of our neighbors, the nations, and the next generation. Our process to make disciples centers around four concepts: Love, Grow, Serve, and Share. Ephesians 5:1-2 reminds us, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Leadership is crucial to accomplish this purpose, and this reason that First McKinney is restructuring staff to align with this vision. Chris Stull will provide leadership as the Executive Pastor of Member Mobilization and Jack Haye, when approved by vote on February 12th, will lead as the Executive Pastor of Ministry Development. This will help us take the next steps in expanding our impact in McKinney, surrounding areas, and the world. As the city of McKinney grows, so will the number of people who do not know Christ.

To expand and accelerate ministry to embrace the McKinney of the future, we seek to:
·     Develop a holistic approach to stewardship

·     Reach the next generation

·     Utilize media and technology to be culturally relevant

·     Become more like heaven on earth

·     Fully equip believers for ministry

·     Model God’s heart for our community and the world

·     Expand out headquarters to read the lost

This provides the Roadmap for 2020. The heart of First McKinney is to be obedient and used by God to reach the nations for Christ. Will there be turns or bumps in the road? Yes. But there is clear direction, a defined destination, and strategic leaders to help us get there. First McKinney will be consistent and stay on this road to 2020.

Why are we moving this way as a church? Because lost people matter to God. The time is now to pray, give, and go! God has not made a plan B. In essence, Jesus said, tag you are it!

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church, check out this week's newsletter.

2.05.12 Announcements

2012-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

It was great to hear from Richard last Sunday night as he presented Roadmap to 2020. I hope that you were able to make it. You can hear the whole evening online at: http://www.truthcasting.com/player.aspx#showChannel=100000015.

Thank you for sharing the following opportunities with your group!

February 5, 2012

Upcoming Special Called Conferences

Wednesday, 2/8, 6:15 in the Theatre

Budget presentation, with discussion
Bylaws recommendation
Recommendation by the Executive Committee to present candidates to fill the positions of  Executive Pastor of Ministry Development and Executive Pastor of Mobilization

Sunday, 2/12, following each service in each Venue

Budget vote, without discussion
Recommendation to call Chris Stull as Executive Pastor of Mobilization, without discussion
Recommendation to call Jack Haye as Executive Pastor of Ministry Development without  discussion

Run for Cover
Start the TYW season April 14th with a run! Grab your running shoes, your BFG or small group and make a difference. Run for Cover is a one day 3e McKinney 1, 5 & 10K walk/run to raise money for the Samaritan Inn. The race is through Stonebridge Ranch. The 5 and 10k courses are fun, challenging and certified. There will be music, prizes and awards! The Samaritan Inn is the only shelter in Collin County for people experiencing homelessness. To register go to www.runforcover.org

2012 Missions

2012 Mission Projects on display in the connection and the Passport will be available. Start praying about

Mission Expo and Passports are coming soon. You won’t want to miss February 19th! We will have our

where God is calling you to serve this year and visit the connection on the 19th.

Interested in playing Men’s Softball?
We are starting the week of March 19th in McKinney. Contact Danny Gentry at danny.gentry@fbcmckinney.com.

The End as We Know It: The Judgment

2012-02-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

Judgment is not a popular word in today’s society. Because of this, many Christians remove this character trait from the nature of God. Christians should not say God is a God of love without also acknowledging that He is a God of judgment. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's sermon The Judgment. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app or Android app.

The Bible is very clear that God will judge all people one day. This judgment has nothing to do with whether or not we will spend eternity with Christ. If we have a relationship with God personally, we are going to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. While those who have placed their faith in Christ may no longer have to deal with the penalty of sin, there will be a time when God judges what we did with our salvation and how we invested our gifts in God’s Kingdom.

What kind of awards and rewards will be given? The Bible refers to them as crowns:

Crown of Glory: 1 Peter 5:4. This crown is given to those who handled Scripture with a pure heart.

Crown of Righteousness: 2 Timothy 4:8. This reward is given to those who waited anxiously for Christ return.

Crown of Rejoicing: 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. This is a crown for those who actively shared their faith in Christ.

Crown of Incorruption: 1 Corinthians 9:25-26. This is a reward for believers who lived a disciplined life.

Crown of Life: James 1:12. This final reward is for those who endured trials, troubles, and tribulation.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus did something that we didn’t deserve. He died on the cross for all of our sins: past, present and future. Then, He arose from the grave. So the work for our salvation was done. Now, we do not work our way into heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that, “We are saved by grace through faith.” Once we have received Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit works within us to do good works, reflecting what’s inside of us – being Jesus with skin on.

Studying end times and prophecy is wonderful information, but if we stop at just receiving information, it is useless. God did not give this to us simply FYI - for your information. Instead, He wrote it FYT – for your transformation. When we take this Biblical information and apply it to the here and now and begin to live out its truth – we are transformed.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. We have some suggested resources to assist you in your personal study of Revelation. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church, check out this week's newsletter.

1.29.12 Announcements

2012-01-26T12:44:00.000-08:00

We had a great night of corporate prayer on Wednesday Night! You will notice there are several meetings that are coming up over the next few weeks. Your group members will not want to miss these times. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday evening!

Young and Median Adult BFG Leaders – We will have our meeting at 8:00 AM in the Fireside Room on Sunday Morning, 1/29. We would like to get some input from you regarding planning for the Fall. Thank you for making it a priority to be there.

January 29, 2012

Vision Night – TONIGHT, (Sunday, January 29th)
Worship Center, 5:00-6:30pm (Childcare: Birth-5th grade)
Join Pastor Richard and church leaders as we share the Roadmap to 2020 - the Vision we believe Godwould have us share and accomplish over the next eight years.

Upcoming Special Called Conferences

Wednesday, 2/8, 6:15 in the Theatre
Sunday, 2/12, following each service in each Venue

Reliability of Scripture - Starting this Wednesday, Feb1st!

Have you ever wondered how we got the Bible? Are you concerned about the Bible’s reliability?
Would you like to have a better understanding of how God has given us His word? The Reliability ofScripture class will help you answer these types of questions. The class will be for four weeks at 6:15pmin room 1215/1216. To register, please contact Susan Collins at susan.collins@fbcmckinney.com.

Foster Care and Adoption Training Course, Begins Jan 31st, 6pm, Chapel

First Baptist Church will be partnering with Covenant Kids to host Foster Care/Adoption training. This 2week course will allow you to become licensed to care for some of the more than 7,000 children currentlyin foster care. To register, Jailynn Smiley (jsmiley@covenantkids.org). For further questions, contactMark Baker mark.baker@crossresourcegroup.com.

Mission Trip INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS

*Please note all dates are subject to change

Dominican Republic Mission July 7-14

Team Leader: Kenneth & Terri Ussery, Kenneth.ussery@fbcmckinney.com
Informational Meeting Jan 29th @ 11:45am, Fireside Room

Zambia, July 4-15,

Team Leaders: Robert and Sandy Spengler, sandy.spengler@fbcmckinney.com
Informational Meeting Jan 29th @ 11:45am, Multi-Purpose Room

Sierra Leone Mission May 15-26 & June 13-23

Team Leader May: David Dossey, david.dossey@yahoo.comTeam Leader June: Chris Stull, sandy.spengler@fbcmckinney.comInformational Meeting February 19th @ 11:45, Fireside Room

Zambia June 13-23
Team Leader: Myron Wilson, Leslie.Gerbrandt@fbcmckinney.comInformational Meeting February 12 @ 11:45, Choir Room

The End As We Know It: The Tribulation

2012-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

The Book of Revelation describes a time on earth that will be filled with unimaginable pain, death, and suffering. This time period is called the Tribulation. Where will you be during this time and what will God be doing? The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's sermon The Tribulation. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it atwww.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app orAndroid app.

The concept of the Tribulation is contained in Revelation 16-18. Some biblical scholars believe that the rapture, the instantaneous act of God where He moves Christ followers from this life to the next, will occur before the Tribulation allowing the faithful in Christ to escape God's judgment.

The Tribulation will be ushered in by a charismatic person who will conquer the world without violence. He will be the Antichrist. People will follow and worship him because he will be alluring and inviting, but with his arrival, there will also be an increase in suffering and disease. Each year of his reign during the Tribulation will escalate in its unimaginable pain and suffering.

There are three things that God wants Christians to know about the Tribulation and how to respond to its coming:

First, Christians need to have hope about how history will unfold. God is in control and will bring about His promises.

Second, Christians need to understand the temporary in contrast to the eternal.

Third, the rapture and the Tribulation should motivate Christians to pray for those who don't know Christ and look for opportunities to share Christ with them.

A study of the Tribulation should lead to life change. For Christians, it should encourage us to deepen our walk with God, which will increase our desire to share His character with the world. For those who do not know Christ, a study of the Bible's view of end times should encourage you to place your trust in Christ.

Have you responded to Christ? Are you living your life in such a way that those who don't know Christ are drawn to Him? For those that know Christ, the end times motivate us to be about God's purpose.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. We have some suggested resources to assist you in your personal study of Revelation. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go towww.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church, check out this week's newsletter.

Study Helps for End Times

2012-01-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

There are many questions surrounding end times issues and the Book of Revelation. Below are a list of resources that will help in your personal study of these issues. Click on the book title for more information about the resource.

Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John & the Praying Imagination by Eugene Peterson

Letters to the Seven Churches by William Barclay

Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond Edited by Darrell Bock

Three Views on the Rapture Edited by Stanley Gundry

End Times by John Walvoord

Insights on Revelation by Charles Swindoll

1.22.12 Announcements

2012-01-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

This is going to be another exciting week here at First McKinney. Upward is off to a great start. Thank you for helping raise up people to pray for those who are involved. On Wednesday, we will be gathering to pray as a church. You will not want to miss this time of gathering corporately with God. Thank you for your leadership and service.

January 22, 2012

Prayer Service – Wednesday, January 25th
Worship Center, 6:15-7:30pm (Childcare – Birth-4 years old)
In the coming days, we are going to communicate to our church family the Roadmap to 2020. On thisnight, all Wednesday night activities, grade school (K-5th grade) and students (6th-12th grades), willcome together as one body for a time of teaching and a call to prayer. Please check your child/youth intotheir appropriate class before the service. Their groups will join us after check in. The church’s greatestdays are ahead of us – join us on the journey.

Vision Night – Sunday, January 29th
Worship Center, 5:00-6:30pm (Childcare: Birth-5th grade)
Join Pastor Richard and church leaders as we share the Roadmap to 2020 - the Vision we believe Godwould have us share and accomplish over the next eight years.

The Journey-Hosting Foster/Foster to Adopt Training
Beginning Tuesday January 31st at 6PM, The Journey/First Baptist Church will be partnering withCovenant Kids (www.covenantkids.org) to host Foster Care/Adoption training. This training will becontained within the FBC McKinney campus, and will allow you the opportunity to receive training tobecome licensed to care for some of the more than 7,000 children currently in care in the DFW area.There is a HUGE need for caring, Christian homes to provide a stable and strong family environment forthese children. This is an incredible opportunity to open your homes to be the hands and feet of Jesus tochildren who by no fault of their own have entered into the Child Welfare system. Please pre-register bycontacting Jailynn Smiley (jsmiley@covenantkids.org). If you have any questions, please feel free tocontact Mark or Melissa Baker (mark.baker@crossresourcegroup.com or melissa_slah@sbcglobal.net).

The End as We Know It: Rapture

2012-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves happy endings. Those who have placed their trust in Christ can be assured of a “happy ending” regarding the end of the world. The concept of rapture and end times can be scary for those who do not have confidence in Christ. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard’s sermon The Rapture. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone App.

Scripture speaks to the end times and the Rapture throughout the Bible. Some of the passages are Matthew 22, 24, and 25; I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:15-18; 1 Thessalonians 5; and Revelation 3. Many books, lectures, conferences, and teachers have tried to clarify the complexity of Scriptures concerning how the end times might occur. God has created us with a desire to understand how eternity will unfold.

The bottom line for those who have a relationship with Christ is that we are secure because of all what He has done for us. Studying prophecy and the end times for the Christian is about making sure we are ready for Christ’s return and inviting others to meet Christ. In Luke 12:35 -40, Jesus describes how His followers should anticipate His return.

Be Ready by doing what Christ has asked us to do while He is way.

Light Up by being a light in the worlds because our lives model Christ in purity and holiness. At the time when Jesus used this illustration, a person would have a little boat of oil with a cotton wick constantly had to tend to the wick and the oil so the lamp would not go out. Actively conforming our lives to be like Christ is “keeping our wicks trimmed” and helps us shine Christ effectively.

Wait Up by looking forward to Christ’s return. Our agendas and plans should fit with Christ desires and passions so that we will not waste time while He is away. Christ will return. We may not know the exact time but we are to live as if it is today.

Are there things in your life that need to be addressed so you will be ready for His return? How would you live differently if you knew you would see Christ this afternoon?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups . Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church please look at the church newsletter.

1.15.12 Announcements

2012-01-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Your leadership helps us to impact McKinney, Dallas, Texas, and the world for Christ! Through your faithful leadership and teaching, men and women are better equipped to love Christ, one another, their family, and their world. Thank you for the time and energy you invest each week.

Please notice the upcoming meetings with Pastor Richard. Also, please encourage your class to join in prayer for Upward. As a coach, I see the impact this ministry has on a daily basis.

January 15, 2012

PrayerService – Wednesday, January 25^th

WorshipCenter, 6:15-7:30pm (Childcare – Birth-4 years old)

In the coming days, we are going to communicate to ourchurch family the Roadmap to 2020. On this night, all Wednesday nightactivities, grade school (K-5th grade) and students (6th-12th grades), willcome together as one body for a time of teaching and a call to prayer. Pleasecheck your child/youth into their appropriate class before the service. Theirgroups will join us after check in. The church’s greatest days are ahead of us– join us on the journey.

Vision Night – Sunday, January 29th
Worship Center, 5:00-6:30pm (Childcare: Birth-5th grade)
Join Pastor Richard and church leadersas we share the Roadmap to 2020 - the Vision we believe God would haveus share and accomplish over the next eight years.

Coffee House – Ladies Night Out on 1/22 from6:30-8:30 in the Gym

Come and enjoy our coffeehouse atmosphere and be encouraged as Liz Karnafel, one of our own, shares herstory of how God answered her prayers in His will and in His time! Liz will bejoined by her daughter Katrina and together they will share their music. Today is the last day for Registration in the connection and online Registrationhas been extended through Tuesday Jan 17th. Teenage girlsare welcome at this event!!!

32 Prayer Partners are needed for Upward

FBC Family Sports Ministry is in needof some Upward Prayer Partners. Would you please consider joining our staff inprayer for this ministry? Contact Danny or Rob for more info. danny.gentry@fbcmckinney.com or rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com, 972-542-6472

Created to Connect- NEW CLASS DATES
We are now meeting the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in room 3115 @ 6:15pm. AChristian’s Guide to The Connected Child is a guide designed to help adoptiveand foster parents better understand how to build strong and lastingconnections with their children. Contact Melissa Baker for more information972-898-2899.

The Revelation

2012-01-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Old Testament prepares the way for the Messiah. The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John share how Christ entered the world and claimed fulfillment of all Old Testament promises regarding the Messiah. The book of Acts and the New Testament letters show the struggle of Christians working their faith into the reality of their daily lives. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, focuses on the judging and remaking of the world that comes through Christ. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard’s sermon The Revelation. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone App.

The book of Revelation if full of imagery and symbolism which causes people to avoid studying it. However, Revelation 1:3 states, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation has two purposes. It challenges complacent Christians with the reality of end time events and encourages persecuted believers.

The book of Revelation is divided into three parts: what John saw, current events, and future events. The central figure of the book is Jesus Christ. He is referred to with twenty different names and each highlights a different aspect of His character.

In Revelation 2 & 3, Jesus challenges seven churches to continue to live out the reality of Christ in each of their unique environments. Chapters 4-22 deal with the reality of what is to come and focuses on Jesus as the only one who has the ability and authority to deliver judgment. The book of Revelation then closes in Chapters 21 and 22 with the promises of a new heaven and a new earth where things will be unspoiled by sin, death, pain, and sorrow.

Revelation focuses on Christ’s righteousness and the deliverance that can only come through Him. Just as there are blessings for those who read and apply the truths of Revelation to their lives, there is also a curse. Revelation 22:18-19 promises, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”

This book reminds us that we must respond to Christ. How will you respond? Will you be ready for His return?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church please look at the church newsletter.

1.8.12 Announcements

2012-01-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I know you are ready to meet on Sunday. Please notice that there are some church moments with Richard that your group members will not want to miss. I am looking forward to seeing how God continue to use First McKinney this year.

January 8, 2012

Prayer Service – Wednesday, January 25th
Worship Center, 6:15-7:30pm
Childcare – Birth-4 years old
In the coming days, we are going to communicate to our church family the Roadmap to 2020. Onthis night, all Wednesday night activities, grade school (K-5th grade) and students (6th-12th grades), will come together as one body for a time of teaching and a call to prayer. Please checkyour child/youth into their appropriate class before the service. Their groups will join us aftercheck in. The church’s greatest days are ahead of us – join us on the journey.

Vision Night – Sunday, January 29th
Worship Center, 5:00-6:30pm
Childcare: Birth-5th grade
Join Pastor Richard and church leaders as we share the Roadmap to 2020 - the Vision we believeGod would have us share and accomplish over the next eight years.

Created to Connect- NEW CLASS DATES
This bible study now meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in room 2110 @ 6:15pm. A Christian’sGuide to The Connected Child was created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe. This study guide is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand howto build strong and lasting connections with their children. Contact Melissa Baker for moreinformation 972-898-2899.

PERPSPECTIVES Class 2012
With striking clarity, Perspectives illuminates God’s unchanging promises as they unfold fromGenesis to Revelation. You may never read your Bible the same again... Class meets Jan 10th-May 1st on Tuesday evenings 6-9pm @ Christ Fellowship. To help offset the expense of the classFBC will credit a portion of the fee back to you on completion of the class. Contact theMissional Life Office for more information, sandy.spengler@fbcmckinney.com.

Missionary Moment
TODAY you are invited to fellowship, encourage and love on Brian and Jennifer Easley, FirstBaptist McKinney missionaries deploying to South Africa with J-Life ministries on January 12th.
Date: TODAY Sunday, January 8, 2011
Time: 12:00 to 2:00pm
Place: 2913 Meadow Glen Dr., McKinney, TX 75070

Call me Crazy! Joy!

2011-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

Ebenezer Scrooge made a series of choices based on a series of hurts that ledhim to be a bitter old man. After being paid a frightful visit and ponderinghis past, his present, and his future, he makes a choice to radically changehis life. One of the promises of Christmas is joy. If joy is going to work, ithas to work in an imperfect, often ugly world. The following is a synopsis ofRichard's sermon on Sunday entitledCall Me Crazy! Joy! If you would like to watch the sermon, you canfind it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live oryou can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhoneapp or Android app.

God came into this world, as ugly as it can be at times, in Jesus and told usjoy can happen here. Paul writes to Christians in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to“Always be joyful.” But joy does not just happen in our lives. It is somethingwe choose in our lives. How is it possible to make the choice to be joyful?

The shepherds of the Christmas Story can help us see how we can experience joyin our current situations. In Luke 2:8-11, we read:
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch overtheir flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory ofthe Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said tothem, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy forall the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he isthe Messiah, the Lord.

The shepherds made choices that helped bring joy in their lives. First theychose to hear the Good News. All of a sudden, in the routine of an ordinarylife, God brought them a message of joy just like He wants to do today. The good news the shepherds heard is the same for us today. The good news isthat Jesus Christ wants to make a difference in our lives. Because Jesus cameto earth, those who know Him can be joyful!

The second choice theshepherds made was to do what God asked them to do. Luke 2:15 says, “When theangels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord hastold us about.’” Why did they go? They went because they believed what Godsaid. There is incredible joy in doing what God says to do. Our circumstanceswill not always work out like might hope but there can be joy to sustain.

Finally, the shepherds chose to tell someone else. There is great joy inletting others know what is available to them through Christ. Luke 2:17-18states what the shepherds experienced, “When they had seen him, they spread theword concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heardit were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

You have a choice to make this Christmas and every day. Will you let the hurtsand pain of this world lead you to bitterness like Ebenezer? Or will you followthe example of the shepherds and hear the good news, respond in obedience, andlet others know about Christ? Joy is what is at stake.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths areality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. Formore information about groups at First McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Ifyou would like more information about what is going on in the life of thechurch please look at the churchnewsletter. Finally, don’t forget your Christmas gift for Jesus thatgoes to the church budget!

Merry Christmas!

12.18.11 Announcements

2011-12-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here! I still love the anticipation of Christmas morning and time with family. I hope that you will be able to enjoy time with your love ones during this special season of the year.

Please remember that after this Sunday, the next time BFGs will meet is January 8th.

Merry Christmas!

December 18, 2011

Prayer Partners needed for Upward
FBC Family Sports Ministry is in need of some Upward Prayer Partners. Currently we have 4 people signed up; we need a total of 37 more. Would you please consider joining our staff in prayer for this ministry? If interested, please contact Danny Gentry or Rob Bowsher for more information. danny.gentry@fbcmckinney.com or rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com, 972-542-6472

A Gift to Jesus
This Christmas season we are taking a special offering specifically for our operating budget to support the ministries and mission of First McKinney, both here and around the world. Red and white envelopes are located throughout the FBC campus and in the pews in the Worship Center. You can also give online at fbcmckinney.com/give. This holiday Season, in all the hustle and bustle, give a special Gift to Jesus, by giving to His church.

Deacon Nominations
Nominations for the 2012 Deacon Mentor process must be received in the office by December 31st. Nomination forms are available through the BFGs or in the church office.

Christmas Gifts
Stop by the connection to purchase some handmade jewelry and note cards that directly support our missions in Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic.

Perspectives Class 2012
Stop by the connection for more information on the upcoming Spring Perspectives class. Perspectives will open the eyes of your heart with fresh knowledge and understanding of God’s unchanging purposes and why they are relevant to your life.

Holiday Events and Schedules:
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day – Dec 24 & 25
All services will be identical
Dec 24 / 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 & 6:30pm &
Dec 25 / 10:30am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
No Childcare or Bible Fellowship Groups

New Year’s Day – Jan 1, 2012
2 services: 9:00 & 10:30
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
Childcare: Birth-3 yrs.
No Bible Fellowship Groups (Senior Adult BFG optional)

Crazy Busy: In Search of Peace

2011-12-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

In Luke 2, the angels appeared to the shepherds singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” But for many people, Christmas is more a time of busyness and depression than an experience of peace that the angels declared. The following is a synopsis of Richard's sermon on Sunday entitled Crazy Busy: In Search of Peace. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

There is a vast difference between the peace that the world seeks and the peace that God offers. The world’s peace is found in external circumstances that can change without warning. God’s peace is a condition of wholeness and well-being that includes a right relationship with God and a harmony with other people. Biblical peace is a calmness of the soul.

Peace with God comes when we confess our sins and accept God’s gift of forgiveness that comes through Christ. Once we have peace with God, He then begins to help us experience the peace of God. The cultivation of God’s peace in our lives comes by prayer and obedience to what He has asked of us. In order to grow in experiencing the peace of God, the Christian must depend on God’s rule and reign in the believer’s life.

There are enemies in life that would love to rob the believer of experiencing the peace of God. Anxiety and worry are two of the chief thieves. False guilt for past sin can rob the believer of their peace. Wrong attitudes can stand in the way of the believer experiencing the peace that is available to them. It is important that the Christian identify things that are robbing them of peace, confess these things to God, accept God’s forgiveness that Christ offers, and utilize the power that comes from the Holy Spirit to live differently.

For the person who has trusted Christ, peace can be experienced on a moment by moment basis. Jesus humbled Himself, came to earth and died for our sins that we might have a right relationship with Christ and experience peace with God and the peace of God. Jesus modeled what a life of peace looks like for those who desire to follow Him.

We hope that you are experiencing the peace of God in your life. Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church please look at the church newsletter.

12.11.11 Announcements

2011-12-08T07:49:00.001-08:00

This holiday season please remind your groups that we are taking a special offering to help support the ministries and mission of First McKinney, both here and around the world. Red and white envelopes are located throughout the FBC campus and in the pews in the Worship Center. You can also give online at www.fbcmckinney.com/jesusgift.

Young and Median Adult Leaders, please remember our meeting this Sunday, 12/11, at 8:00 AM in the Fireside Room! Looking forward to seeing you there!

December 11, 2011

Gift to Jesus
This Christmas season we are taking a special offering to help support the ministries and mission of FBC, both here and around the world. There are red envelopes located throughout the building and in the pews
in the Worship Center, or you can give online at fbcmckinney.com/give. This holiday season; give a special gift to Jesus.

Deacon Nominations
Nominations for the 2012 Deacon Mentor process must be received in the office by December 31st. Nomination forms are available through the BFGs or in the church office.

Christmas Gifts
Stop by the connection to purchase some handmade jewelry and note cards that directly support our missions in Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic.

Child Sponsorships
Stop by the connection and help fund a Zambian Child’s Education. Lifesong School in Zambia is one of the best schools in the city, as it embraces all areas of the children’s needs: academic achievement, increased use/understanding of English, nutritious food (2 meals per day), health care, Bible-based curriculum and spiritual growth. Our missionaries Shane and Mitzi McBride are the directors of this school. It is caring for 230 orphan and vulnerable children who are receiving Christian education and being fed 2 meals per day.

Critical Needs for Finch Elementary
· We have 6-8 kiddos in desperate need of a mentor and about 20 on the waiting list.
· We have 13 classes that have not been adopted. Won’t your group step up and take a class?
· The Finch Chess Club is in need of volunteers to help on Thursdays between 10:30am- 1:00pm. Knowledge of Chess is not necessary.
For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com or (214) 548-4107.

Holiday Events and Schedules:

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day – Dec 24 & 25
All services will be identical
Dec 24 / 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 & 6:30pm &
Dec 25 / 10:30am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
No Childcare or Bible Fellowship Groups

New Year’s Day – Jan 1, 2012
2 services: 9:00 & 10:30
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
Childcare: Birth-3 yrs
No Bible Fellowship Groups (Senior Adult BFG optional)

It’s a Crazy World

2011-12-07T08:49:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Season surfaces all types of emotions. Good times are great and bad times seem worse. In a world of constant chaos, change, increasing despair and loneliness in this crazy world people need hope. The following is a synopsis of Richard’s sermon on Sunday entitled It’s a Crazy World. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

People are starving for hope. People were drawn to Jesus because of His concern for them. Matthew 9:35-36 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The greatest act of compassion that Christians can demonstrate is to help people see how Christ gives hope.

Help people change their way of thinking about God and themselves. The Bible teaches that God is giving, consistent, caring, and gracious. Knowing this about God helps to let go of a sense of guilt. As 1 Corinthians 6:11 reminds us,“...God has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit have done for you.”

Offer your life as an example of hope. The hope Christ gives provides security. Romans 15:13 states, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”God offers the ability, through Christ, to overcome all the sin that messes up life.

Point people toward victory. The victory of overcoming sin allow us to think about others first and point them toward Christ.

Express God’s concern for them often because it adds validation to Christ’s claims.

Many people today need to experience hope. Christ desires for Christians to be one of the chief ways they see that He gives hope. This holiday season do not rush past someone who needs Christ’s message of hope.

Christians can help instill hope in others by remembering this meaning of HOPE:
Help people change their way of thinking.
Offer your life as an example.
Point people toward victory.
Express God’s concern for them.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups. Also if you would like more information about what is going on in the life of the church please look at the church newsletter at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/clientimages/43279/newsletter%2012_04_11.pdf.

12.4.11 Announcements

2011-12-01T14:19:00.001-08:00

This time of year for many is chaotic, crazy, busy, and maybe even depressing. My hope for you is that you will be able to remember the birth of a child who changed history and lives. May we never be too busy doing stuff that we forget the One who wants to be in relationship with us.

Thank you for sharing these opportunities with your group. We hope that it will help them express their love for Christ to the world who desperately needs Him.

December 4, 2011

Mission Christmas – Dec. 7th
Showing Christ to McKinney – Meet in the Worship Center at 6:00 pm. This is a family event to bring Christmas cheer to those in our community.

Gift to Jesus
This Christmas season we are taking a special offering to help support the ministries and mission of FBC, both here and around the world. There are red envelopes located throughout the building and in the pews in the Worship Center, or you can give online at fbcmckinney.com/give. This holiday season; give a special gift to Jesus.

Missionary Moment
TODAY you are invited to fellowship, encourage and enjoy lunch with TJ and Tammy Mitchell and their daughter Madison, First Baptist McKinney missionaries serving in Bolivia. The Mitchells will be returning to Bolivia on Dec. 6.
Date: TODAY Sunday, December 4, 2011
Time: 12:00 to 2:00pm
Place: 1513 Lee St. McKinney 75069
Lunch is provided

Angel Tree
Stop by the connection and pick up your Angel from the Angel Tree and bless a family this Christmas.

Christmas Gifts
Stop by the connection and purchase some handmade jewelry and cards that directly support our missions in Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic.

Holiday Events and Schedules:
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day – Dec 24 & 25
All services will be identical
Dec 24 / 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 & 6:30pm &
Dec 25 / 10:30am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
No Childcare or Bible Fellowship Groups

New Year’s Day – Jan 1, 2012
2 services: 9:00 & 10:30
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
Childcare: Birth-3 yrs
No Bible Fellowship Groups (Senior Adult BFG optional)

Acts 29: Next Generation

2011-11-21T08:08:00.001-08:00

Legos were first patented in 1958. Those original Legos still interlock with the ones made today. Legos have successfully connected to multiple generations for the last 53 years. The Lego Company has found a way to reach new markets while continuing to hold true to their original vision. Legos can be a visual reminder for Christians that have been entrusted with the message of the Gospel that we need to connect to the next generation. The following is a synopsis of Richard's sermon Acts 29: Next Generation. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

The Gospel is of greater value than Legos. Christians have a privilege and responsibility to live out the Gospel in such a way as to connect to its incredible message to future generations. Some researchers have suggested that only 4 % of the next generation will respond to the gospel. To put it in a local context, over 400 McKinney students a year who currently attend church will walk away from the church after graduation to never return.

The connecting of the Gospel to one generation, or culture, to another has always brought challenge. Acts 15 describes in detail the conflict about the Gentiles coming to Christ and certain Jews feeling that they needed to be circumcised in order to be Christ followers. The result of the conflict was a confession that the Gentiles did not need to become circumcised in order to follow Christ. Through Christ, they were completely accepted and forgiven. There were no other requirements for them to have a right standing before Christ.

Paul put the whole issue in Acts 15 in a succinct way in Galatians 6:11-18. He was warning the Gentiles about Jewish believers who knew Christ yet still insisted on holding on to their religious traditions. Paul was warning of the danger of relying on human traditions versus the evidence of new life – a changed heart! All throughout Scripture, the temptation is for the people of God to hold on to tradition and what is familiar over expansion of the Gospel.

What about this next generation? Will those of us who trust Christ be willing to take steps to connect the Gospel to their generation? Or will tradition and what is familiar keep the message of the Gospel from reaching the next generation?

The Millennial Generation is spiritual but not religious. They are ready to respond to authentic Christ followers who put their faith into action in the practical problems of this day. They are ready to respond to the Gospel message that gives hope in the messiness of life. They are ready for the freshness the Gospel can bring to a hopeless world. The harvest is ripe!

Paul’s message in Galatians 6:11-18 to Christians today is that to connect the Gospel to the next generation we must:

1)    Not be distracted by the counterfeits (12).
2)    Understand our weakness (13).
3)    Celebrate God’s work (14-18).

The message of the Gospel does not give the freedom to ignore the next generation. It demands that those who trust its message share it for those in need today and for the many tomorrow. Christians today must listen to, invest in, and serve with the next generation for the sake of the Gospel. We need to connect what was invested to this current generation to future generations.

Questions for the week:

What are some barriers that I see in my life that keep me from sharing the Gospel?

How am I actively connecting the Gospel to the next generation?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

11.20.11 Announcements

2011-11-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

This is a time of year when we remind ourselves to be thankful. I hope that you will be able to enjoy some time reflecting on all God has done for you. Please remember to remind your group of the service time change for next week (November 27th). I am thankful for the ministry you lead so faithfully!

November 20, 2011

Angel Tree is coming soon!
Nov 27th is the day to grab your angel off the tree.

Child Sponsorships
We still have many children to sponsor. Let’s come along side our very own missionaries to care for so many needs. Sponsorship insures a child gets to eat, attend school, and have medical care and many other benefits. Please stop by the connection TODAY and help us sponsor all these children.

Holiday Events and Schedules:
Deck The Halls
Nov 27th – 8:30, 9:45 & 11:00am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
Childcare: Birth-3 yrs (9:45 & 11:00am services only)
No Bible Fellowship Groups (except Senior Adults)

Service of Hope
Wednesday, 11/30 at 6:15 in the Chapel
For many, the holidays are an especially difficult time. If you have lost a loved one or know someone who has, come to the Service of Hope for a special time of worship, remembrance and comfort. (Childcare/Activities for children Birth-5th grade)

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day – Dec 24 & 25
All services will be identical
Dec 24 / 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 & 6:30pm &
Dec 25 / 10:30am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
No Childcare or Bible Fellowship Groups

Mission Trips
Uganda, Jan 27-Feb 4
We are looking for anyone who has interest in joining God at work in Uganda. While much of what we do is medical, our focus has matured into serving many areas at Mengo Hospital. We will serve and support the chaplain services as we present the gospel with clarity. We can use physicians, nurses, paramedics, construction guys, artists, and musicians. Check out the web site for more information. http://fbcmckinneytouganda.com Contact Brent Armstrong for more information ERDOC67@aol.com

IMB Central Asia, March 16-25 (Tentative)
Join this team and serve alongside our very own members who serve with the IMB as we engage in relationships with Muslim community. Trip Leader Barbara Cross. Maximum Team size is 10. For more information please contact Barbara.cross@fbcmckinney.com or 469-452-6921.

J-LIFE South Africa, February/March
Construction Team is desperately needed to finish the construction of living quarters for missionaries serving with J-Life in Johannesburg. If you can swing a hammer we need you. Team Leader, Chris Stull. For more information, contact debbiesanders@fbcmckinney.com or 469-424-1660.

Acts 29: Persecution

2011-11-16T06:47:00.001-08:00

As Americans, we enjoy many freedoms. One of these freedoms is the ability to worship without fear of persecution. The freedom to worship Christ is neither the norm for Christians around the world today nor was it the norm for Christians during the time of Acts. The following is a synopsis from Richard’s sermon on Sunday entitled Acts 29: Persecution. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the First McKinney iPhone app.

Many Christians all over the world suffer for their trust in Christ on a daily basis. The sad thing is most Christians in America may listen to reports of suffering and say, “That’s a shame!” and continue living lives of excess and waste opportunities and resources that could make a difference for the cause of Christ. It is important that the believer understand that the Bible teaches that persecution of those following Christ is essential.

The rise of persecution and growth of the Church go hand and hand. The book of Acts demonstrates this truth. The book of Acts shows that rather than looking to escape persecution, early believers had an intense focus on Jesus, His purpose, and His glory. Their concern was spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s glory not on themselves. The suffering and persecution that many early believers experienced demonstrated on Whom their trust was placed.

Here are some key verses regarding persecution:

Romans 8:17-18
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

I Corinthians 4:12-13
“We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.”

2 Corinthians 1:7
“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”

Suffering is a part of the life of those who put their trust in Christ. A trust placed in Christ in hope of avoiding pain and loss does not work; instead, trust placed in Christ provides strength to endure pain and loss. Persecution is a part of the process of following Christ. By God’s grace, American Christians have been spared much pain and suffering. However, maybe a great question to ask ourselves is why are we, as American Christians, not being persecuted for the cause of Christ? Could it possibly be that as Christians we tend to direct our lives in the same direction as those who do not follow Christ; therefore there is no opposition?

Let’s pray that First McKinney will be willing to join with those who are suffering around the world for their faith and be found faithful to His call and faithful to His task. Let’s challenge ourselves to be willing to go to the hard places for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Questions for the week:

Why is it normal for those who follow Christ to experience persecution?

Is there an area of your life where you would experience persecution if you obeyed Christ?

Take time this week to pray for those who are experiencing persecution currently for their trust in Christ.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at First McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

11.13.11 Announcements

2011-11-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

DNow is a special time of year where we as a church get to disciple hundreds of youth! Many of your groups have stepped up to help but as you can see there are still some opportunities. Please ask your group to also help in providing some of the paper goods (Yes, plates can be used to help disciple people!) for this important weekend.

You will notice the change in the holiday schedule. Because so many of our group members serve and travel, we want everyone to have multiple opportunities to hear the information. Thank you for leading well!

November 13, 2011

DNOW Needs!!!
URGENT….We still need 5 Host Homes and 3 Cooking Coordinators!! Please pray about this opportunity to serve. We have almost 500 students signed up and will have more within the next 2 Wednesdays.

Can’t be a Host Home or Cooking Coordinator but still want to help??
We need Paper Goods!!! We will need 2,400 plates, cups, plastic silverware and napkins.
If you can help, please drop a package or two off at The Rock, Monday-Wednesday.
We need Driver’s for Saturday and Sunday Morning. We will need drivers to help drive
the students around for various activities.

Please stop by the rock to sign up or E-mail Maria @ maria@youthquakerocks.com

Attention Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Parents of Children in Sports
Come to the Theatre this afternoon, November 13th, at 4pm in the Family Sports Center to be equipped and empowered to be intentional as a sport parent/coach with those families you that will be a part of your life for the next several months. For more information call about 360 Sports and 360 Coach email
rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com.

Child Sponsorships
We still have many children to sponsor. Let’s come along side our very own missionaries to care for so many needs. Sponsorship insures a child gets to eat, attend school, and have medical care and many other benefits. Please stop by the connection TODAY and help us sponsor all these children. Angel Tree is coming soon- Nov 27th is the day to grab your angel off the tree.

Deacon Nominations
Nominations for the 2012 Deacon Mentor process must be received in the office by December 31st. Nomination forms are available through the BFGs or in the church office. Please return your Nomination Form back into your BFG box, or to the Main Office.

Holiday Events and Schedules:
Deck The Halls – Nov 27th – 8:30, 9:45 & 11:00am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
Childcare: Birth-3 yrs (9:45 & 11:00am services only)
No Bible Fellowship Groups (except Senior Adults)

Service of Hope – Wednesday, 11/30 at 6:15 in the Chapel
For many, the holidays are an especially difficult time. If you have lost a loved one or
know someone who has, come to the Service of Hope for a special time of worship,
remembrance and comfort. (Childcare/Activities for children Birth-5th grade)

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day – Dec 24 & 25
All services will be identical
Dec 24 / 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 & 6:30pm &
Dec 25 / 10:30am
Combined services in the Worship Center (Live Link will not meet)
No Childcare or Bible Fellowship Groups

Acts 29: True Religion

2011-11-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

The plight of fatherless in America is epidemic, and it is a multilayered issue that is not easily resolved. Scripture is clear that this problem is not to be ignored because God does not ignore it. The following is a synopsis of Richard’s sermon Acts 29: True Religion. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

The Bible describes God as Father, Protector, and Provider. He cares about those who have been abandoned and left on their own. Psalms 68:5-6 states, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” This theme is repeated in James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Many have issues related to their relationships with their imperfect fathers. Often, those who have been abused, abandoned, or ignored by their earthly fathers have difficult times relating to God as Father. However, God is a good Father, loving each of His children more than anyone can fathom. He loves, protects, provides, challenges, grows, covers and leads us. If you have “father” issues, allow God, the Father, to heal your hurts. He is the father you have always needed. He truly is a father to the fatherless.

Therefore, He demands His Church care for all orphans. Though marginalized by some, these precious orphan are not overlooked by God. Knowing about the plight of these precious boys and girls is just the beginning of the Church’s responsibility.

Instead of simply shedding a tear, the Church must take action. The orphan issue represents a huge need in our world but the Church should not respond simply out of social responsibility. There is a bigger theological issue. Caring for orphans is the heartbeat of God! We must not stand by idle, ignoring the lives of those for whom our God has great compassion.

God did not look at us and ignore us before we met Christ. He sent Christ to our point of need to save us from our sin, and therefore, we were adopted as His children. 1 John 3:1 says it well when it says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Questions for the week:

If you have accepted Christ, how are you helping express God’s heart for the orphan?

Why is it so difficult for us to demonstrate God’s heart for those who are fatherless?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Acts 29: The Joy of Giving

2011-11-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

Dr. Richard Mark Lee continued with the Acts 29 series and spoke about living out our life of faith in our daily routine. To view this sermon or others in this series, go to www.fbcmckinney.com/live or watch them on the FBC McKinney iPhone app. This week's sermon is entitled the Joy of Giving.

In looking at the life of the early believers in Acts, we are able to draw some conclusions that will challenge our cultural perspective of God and the use of money.

Acts 4:32-5:11 highlights the core issue in the matter of giving. Giving is more than just sacrifice. Giving is about the attitude of the heart. As you read the book of Acts, a large amount of the book deals with economic issues within the community of faith. It was the habit of the early believers to give generously; they saw the needs of those around them and did something about it immediately.

Acts 4:32 says all believers were one in heart and mind... even about their possessions. Their identity was in Christ not in their financial standing. When we realize that God owns our possessions, it changes the whole perspective on sacrificial giving. It is only when we think everything is ours and not His that its tough to give.

In chapter 5:1-11 we see a couple giving a significant amount, but not all they had. This story exposes the heart of the selfish giver. The impure motives of Ananias and Sapphira were revealed in the story. There is nothing wrong with wealth. It is not a sin to be blessed financially and have nice things. It is a sin for nice things to have you!Greed is a sign of the heart that has not been changed by the Gospel!

According to Scriptures...it is impossible to say we are fully devoted followers of Jesus and NOT give! Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and money. Who/What are you serving? If it is Jesus then we must submit ourselves to the teachings of Scripture and that includes our possessions. It is amazing how many "Christians" will receive the salvation passages of Scripture but then want to complain about the giving passages.

The bottom line is that giving is NOT a money issue, it is a heart issue. When our hearts are right with God then giving is not a problem! The truth is that we are never more like God than when we give. A person who claims to walk with God but has not surrendered his or her finances will always walk with a limp.

Some questions to consider:
1. What financial changes would you have to make in your life to make being a generous giver a priority?
2. What "heart" issues keep you from giving generously?

11.6.11 Announcements

2011-11-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your servant leadership on a weekly basis. Through equipping and mobilizing your group, our community is able to experience Christ. I am grateful for all you do.

Attached are this week’s announcements. You might also want to remind your group that time change happens on Saturday Night. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
November 6, 2011

DNow
Disciple Now weekend is coming up quickly for students on November 17th through the 19th. Visit the Youth Office today to learn more and to sign up. Also, we need host homes and cooking coordinators to help make DNow possible.

Orphan Sunday- TODAY, 6:00 pm in the Theater
This community wide event will focus on how we can help serve the fatherless here and around the globe. The evening service will feature the Andrew Heath band, inspiring Interviews with those directly affected and a great message. The evening opportunity is open to everyone in our community.

Mission Partner
We have some great opportunities for you to hear from Jamal Lidawi, our mission partner, about his work planting churches in Iraq and ministering to Muslims. Come hear how God is working amongst Muslims and how we can get involved.
Tuesday 11/8, 6:30 pm @ Spoons Garage for cookies and Coffee
Wednesday 11/9, 6:15pm @ Ignite

Deacon Nominations
Nominations for the 2012 Deacon Mentor process must be received in the office by December 31st. Nomination forms are available through the BFGs or in the church office.

Adopt a School- Finch Elementary
· Finch is in need a few clothing items to help when there are accidents at school. If you are able to provide any of the following please bring them to the mission’s office or call 469-452-6925. Boys: Briefs size 2-4, 6-8 or Black (or dark blue) sweatpants size s, m
· We have kiddos waiting for a mentor. If you have one hour per week to give you could change a student’s life for generations to come. For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com.
· We only have 8 classes that have not been adopted. Won’t your BFG or small group step up and take a class? For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com.

Great Opportunity!
Do you have children involved in the youth sport culture in McKinney? If you are a coach, assistant coach or just a parent that is at every practice, game and part of the carpool, then you will want to be in the Theatre on Sunday November 13th at 4pm in the Family Sports Center to be equipped and empowered to be intentional as a sport parent/coach with those families you that will be a part of your life for the next several months For more information call about 360 Sports and 360 Coach email rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com or call 469-424-1607.

10.30.11 Announcements

2011-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

There are many opportunities for your group members to get involved in the areas of love, grow, serve, and share. Thank you for letting your group know about these opportunities.

Median and Young Adult Leaders – We will have a directors meeting this Sunday, 10/30, at 8:00 AM. We look forward to seeing you there!

October 30, 2011

Women’s Fall Retreat
Today is the last day tickets are available for purchase in the Connection or Online for the Women’s Fall Retreat on November 4th and 5th. Author Devi Titus will speak at this year’s retreat that will focus on building a home that honors God. Ticket cost is $45.00 which includes dinner on Friday night and brunch on Saturday morning.

Scare Away Hunger
Sunday, October 30th and Wednesday, November 2nd are Scare Away Hunger Collection Days. Bring the cans you have collected to church with you and drop them off at the table located outside the Connection near the parking lot. There will be a truck and a collection table and our Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action will be there to take your donations.

Finch Fall Festival Nov 5, 11:00am-2:00pm - Volunteers Needed
Join our Fall Festival Team as we lead this great event to bless the families of our adopted school, Finch Elementary by contacting Robert Till, robert.till@fbcmckinney.com, or 469.452.6917.

DNow
Disciple Now weekend is coming up quickly for students on November 17th through the 19th. Visit the Youth Office today to learn more and to sign up. Also, we need host homes and cooking coordinators to help make DNow possible.

Great Opportunity!
Do you have children involved in the youth sport culture in McKinney? If you are a coach, assistant coach or just a parent that is at every practice, game and part of the carpool, then you will want to be in the Theatre on Sunday November 13th at 4pm in the Family Sports Center to be equipped and empowered to be intentional as a sport parent/coach with those families you that will be a part of your life for the next several months For more information call about 360 Sports and 360 Coach email rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com.

Finch Elementary Needs
Finch is in need a few clothing items to help when there are accidents at school. If you are able to provide any of the following please bring them to the mission’s office or call 469-452-6925. Girls: Underpants size 4, 6, 8 and Black (or dark blue) sweatpants size s, m Boys: Briefs size 2-4, 6-8 or Black (or dark blue) sweatpants size s, m.

Orphan Sunday- November 6, 6:00 pm in the Theater
This community wide event will focus on how we can help serve the fatherless here and around the globe. The evening service will feature the Andrew Heath band, inspiring Interviews with those directly affected and a great message. The evening opportunity is open to everyone in our community. Limited childcare is provided, registration required. www.fbcmckinney.com/oschildcare

Acts 29: Prayer

2011-10-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Every Christian knows they should start every day with prayer, but living a lifestyle of prayer is challenging. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray continually. Many Christians have reduced their prayer life to a formality rushed through at meal time before the food gets cold.

In the book of Acts we see that prayer was a vital part of the early community of faith experience with God. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's sermon entitled Acts 29: Prayer. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

The prayer recorded in Acts 4 provides great insight into the role of prayer for the early followers of Christ. Christians are reminded how prayer can shape one’s focus on God. It is a conversation with God and requires the one praying to remember God’s character. The early believer’s response to crisis was prayer; however, early believers saw prayer as a privilege and a chance to draw alongside God’s agenda rather than a last resort.

Prayer can bring a group together. The early believers raised their voices together. There was unity and agreement among the early church as they called out to God. Christians need to support and remind one another how we can have confidence in God’s character.

They prayed and trusted in God’s sovereignty placing their crises in perspective. The Christians’ confidence was secure because of an understanding and reciting of Scripture as they prayed. The greatest desire and prayer was for others would know Christ in the midst of crises. The truth of scripture reminds the Christian of the character of God and the promises He wants us to claim. The believers loved Jesus and had a consuming passion to be obedient to His call to share His message of grace and love with those who needed Him.

When Christians experience God in a fresh way, one of the first things they receive is courage. The early Christians had courage to share the message of Christ in a highly oppressive environment. Prayer helps the Christian to obey even in difficult situations.

Questions for the week:

What is your greatest need this week? Are you reflecting on God’s character and trusting Him to be at work in your crisis?

Who are a couple of people who don’t know Christ, and do you trust God to be at work in their life? Are you talking to God about an opportunity to bring them with you to church?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

10.23.11 Announcements

2011-10-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you for continuing to love and guide your groups well. I hope that you are encouraged by the work of God in the lives of those who you lead. Thank you for sharing these announcements with your class.
October 23, 2011

Women’s Fall Retreat
Tickets are available today for the Women’s Fall Retreat on November 4th and 5th. Author Devi Titus will speak at this year’s retreat that will focus on building a home that honors God. Go by the Connection today for more information or tickets.

Finch Elementary - 8 Classes Still Need Adopting
Won’t your BFG or small group step up and take a class? For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com.

Finch Mentors Needed
There are only 12 girls remaining on the waiting list for mentors. If you have ever thought about mentoring now is the time. Let’s erase the waiting list! For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com or (214) 548-4107.

Finch Fall Festival
Volunteers needed to host Finch Fall festival. Bounce houses, games, snow cones and lots of fun. Be a part of this day as we love on the families of Finch elementary. Contact Robert.till@fbcmckinney.com for more information.

Scare Away Hunger
We have the opportunity to fill up the McKinney food pantry through Scare Away Hunger. Pick up your paper bag today and you can fill them with canned goods and bring them back. Packets are available in the Children’s building.

DNow
Disciple Now weekend is coming up quickly for students on November 17th through the 19th. Visit the Youth Office today to learn more and to sign up. Also, we need host homes and cooking coordinators to help make DNow possible.

Acts 29: Holy Spirit

2011-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Many Christians understand that Christ died for them but do not understand His gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and His work in the believer’s life is crucial for a healthy spiritual life. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's sermon entitled Acts 29: Holy Spirit. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

We have been taking time looking at the major themes from the Book of Acts. Any study in Acts must include the Holy Spirit. There tend to be two extremes in the Christian’s concept of the Holy Spirit. Some limit the work of the Spirit by trusting only in those things that can be logically explained or validated. The other extreme relies on emotion and mysticism as the work of the Holy Spirit. These claims are often disconnected from the character and truth of God as evidenced in Scripture. Neither of these extremes are healthy for the Christian who is living according to what God has revealed from the Bible.

The apostles were ordinary men like us with a keen awareness of God’s Spirit and His work. They acted in obedience to what He showed them. We are the beneficiaries of their obedience. God wants the same thing for Christians today.

The Holy Spirit is not some power or force. He is God with the same nature and persona. God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father even though they are one. It is a mystery. Here are some passages that teach about the Holy Spirit:
•    1 Corinthians 2:9-14 - the Spirit speaks
•    Ephesians 4:30 - the Spirit has emotions and can be grieved.
•    John 1 - the Spirit was at the creation of the world.
•    John 14:25-26 - the Spirit reminds us of the teachings of Jesus.
•    Ephesians 1:13-14 - the moment we placed our faith in Christ we received the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s role is to be the Christian’s guide in their relationship with God. His role is to help Christians understand their new life, empower, and follow Christ in obedience. Growth in the Christian’s spiritual journey comes as he or she spends time with God, studies His word, and responds to the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. This growth will lead to the adventure and fullness of life with Christ.

Questions for the week:

What is one misconception you have had about the Holy Spirit?

How will understanding the Holy Spirit help you this week as you seek to follow Christ?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

10.16.11 Announcements

2011-10-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you for helping make Sunday such a great day! Many of you took advantage of the time to tailgate and made it a fun experience. As you can tell from the attached announcements, there are many ways to serve in the days ahead. Please take time to encourage your group to serve together as we seek to be Christ's hands in our community.

October 16, 2011

First Conversations
We hope you will join us this Wednesday, October 19th at 6:15 p.m. for First Conversations. Please be a part of this Q&A time with church leadership. The service will also be streamed live and regular Wednesday night childcare will be available.

Women’s Fall Retreat
Tickets are available today for the Women’s Fall Retreat on November 4th and 5th. Author Devi Titus will speak at this year’s retreat that will focus on building a home that honors God. Go by the Connection today for more information or tickets.

Volunteers Needed for Finch Fall Festival
11-2pm November 5th - Join our Fall Festival Team as we lead this great event to bless the families of our adopted school, Finch Elementary. Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Inflatable Games, Face Painting and more!. Please contact Robert Till for more info on joining the team. robert.till@fbcmckinney.com

Scare Away Hunger
We have the opportunity to fill up the McKinney food pantry through Scare Away Hunger. Pick
up your paper bag today, and next week, the 23rd, and you can fill them with canned goods and bring them back. Packets are available in the Children’s building.

DNow
Disciple Now weekend is coming up quickly for students on November 17th through the 19th. Visit the Youth Office today to learn more and to sign up. Also, we need host homes and cooking coordinators to help make DNow possible.

Orphan Sunday
Please Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 6th where we will take time to give special focus to adoption and foster care as a part of Orphan Sunday.

Acts 29: The Gospel

2011-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

The primary theme in the book of Acts is the spread of the good news of Jesus Christ which is referred to as the Gospel. The message that we are completely forgiven, accepted and love based on God’s work through Christ is good news. The Gospel is not just the way we enter into a relationship with God it is the way a relationship with God is grown and maintained. It forms the whole context of the follower of Christ’s life. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard’s sermon entitled Acts 29: The Gospel. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

The culture in America has radically changed over the last fifty years. Common understanding of words like God, love, sin, forgiveness, and Jesus cannot be taken for granted. The life of following Christ is often equated with a life in pursuit of the American Dream. The current cultural climate in America is similar to the culture at the time the book of Acts takes place.

In Acts 17, we see that Paul is seeking to communicate the Gospel to two groups of people: Epicureans and Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans valued pleasure; the absence of pain and disturbance. They believed it was all about pleasure, peace and being entertained. The Stoics saw God as uninvolved in life. They encouraged people to develop their own self-sufficiency and had a view that the universe and god were identical.

Because we live in a similar cultural backdrop, it is crucial for Christians to understand and live out the Gospel. The Gospel is the key to all spiritual growth and progress. It is the way we grow and renew our relationship with God. Most problems in life come from a failure to apply the Gospel to life. Colossians 1:6 states, "All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth."The Christian never gets beyond the Gospel.

Tim Keller says there are two thieves of the Gospel: religion and irreligion. Religion believes that salvation comes through obedience. Irreligion says that we are all accepted so there is no need to worry about obedience. However, the Gospel teaches that each person is accepted based on Christ alone therefore we desire to obey out of love and gratitude. The Gospel transforms our heart, thought process, and approach to everything in life.

The questions for all Christians are: Are we willing to live out the Gospel in such a way that the world around us will stand up and take notice of Christ? Will we seek our own comforts or will we temporarily sacrifice our comforts and pleasures to fulfill the mission that God has given us? The Gospel is not an elementary truth. The Gospel is the main thing!

Questions for the week:

What is one area of my life where I need to experience the reality of the Gospel?

What are things that I may be substituting for the Gospel?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Acts 29

2011-10-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." The book of Acts records the beginning of the local church and the fulfillment of the mission of God. God's plan was revealed in Jesus Christ and carried out through the Church. First McKinney has been a part of that plan for over 150 years. The following is a brief synopsis of Richard's first message in a new series entitled Acts 29. To view this sermon or others in this series, go to www.fbcmckinney.com/live or watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

The word church in the original language means "called out ones. Bible scholars define the Church as a community of baptized believers who confess Jesus as Lord. In obedience to Scripture, the Church is organized under qualified leadership and gathers regularly for preaching and worship, observing the biblical sacraments of baptism and Communion. The Church is unified by the Spirit, disciplined for holiness, and scattered to fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 as missionaries to the world for God's glory.

Attending church is not a consumerist experience but a worshipful and equipping experience. Hebrews 10:25 says, "let us not give up the habit of meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching." Meeting together should have a purpose that helps us live out our faith in the midst of a culture that is far from God. It is important to stay connected to others that are following God's heart.

What Christians do now matters forever. We need to value the history of what God has done as we actively join His work today. You and I are part of The Plan.

If you are ready to join FBC, please email or call. We want you to experience all Christ has for you as you love, grow, serve and share. Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

10.2.11 Announcements

2011-09-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your help last week! We had over 90 people make some kind of decision. Some of these folks may show up in your class this week for the first time. Please help them to quickly connect.

Please remember that we will not have BFGs next week. I hope you have plans to sit together and invite others to join you. It will be a great time of worship together!
October 2, 2011

Big Re: Union is almost here!
One body celebrating together in worship! The service will begin at 10:30 AM but please make plans to arrive early for this special day. Also please remember to bring water for your family and a guest family along with your picnic lunch. This will be a great day of worship and fellowship.

First Conversations is Coming!
On October 19th at 6:15 PM in the Theatre, we will be having First Conversations. This is a time for you to come and ask your questions about the church and hear from your church.

Parent of Teenager Conference w/ Duffy Robbins- Sunday 10/16 from 12-3 pm.
Please join us for a fun and very helpful afternoon in The Rock. Sign up at The Rock! Cost is $5.00 until 10/12 which includes a pizza lunch. After 10/12 cost will be $10.00.

Existence of God
This class begins on Wednesday, 10/5 at 6:15 PM. This is a 4-week class and will meet in room 3116. We will explore how we can defend and explain God to a world that largely believes He does not exist. This class will be led by Tom Austin who has a MA from Biola University in Christian Apologetics. Contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com to make your reservation.

Calling all Adoptive/Foster Families
If you are an adoptive or foster family or have been adopted or a foster child and would be willing to share your story we are compiling these to have on file. As The Journey ministry grows we are looking for ways to encourage and inspire our church body. Please forward your stories to sandy.spengler@fbcmckinney.com

Adopt A School- MENTORS NEEDED
There are 16 children on the waiting list for mentors. A mentor volunteers one hour per week by giving their time and heart to a program that not only changes a student’s life but generations to come. The role of a mentor might include: guide, friend, encourager, self-esteem booster, listener, role model, goal setter, advocate, tutor, etc. For more information contact Sara Pederson @ pspeder@aol.com or (214) 548-4107.

Adopt A Class-13 Classes Still Need Adopting
We still have 13 classes that have not been adopted. Won’t your BFG or small group step up and take a class? Activities might include but are not limited to: Prayer, Committing to pray for the teacher and students, Pen Pals, supportive notes, help with class parties, provide needed school supplies for the class per request, and more. For more information contact Sara Pederson @pspeder@aol.com or (214) 548-4107.

Membership Matters: Serve and Share

2011-09-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past three Sundays, Richard has been explaining our discipleship process here at First McKinney. We describe the process as love, grow, serve, and share. This week he concluded the series by focusing on serve and share of the discipleship process. Below is a brief synopsis of the sermon entitled Membership Matters: Serve and Share. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

Our purpose at First McKinney is to help people trust Christ and focus their lives on being like Jesus. We desire to cultivate people’s love for Christ, foster their growth to be like Christ, and equip them to serve Christ’s body (the church) and share Christ with the world. We want every person to spend time in each area of love, grow, serve and share to help them develop in their walk with Christ.

Once you place your trust in Christ you become part of His body, the church. Each of us is a member of the family and with that membership there are privileges and responsibilities. God has equipped and empowered every member to serve in a ministry. Not every Christian is a pastor but every Christian is a minister. We practice this because of the way Christ modeled service in Matthew 20:28, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." This is our example. Take a look at the many wonderful ways you and your family can serve today or in the upcoming weeks.

Just as Christ modeled service for every Christian, He also modeled a heart for the world. Your ministry is to those who know Christ. Your mission is to people who don’t know Christ. Missions is overseas, in your house, across the street, at work and play. We are to be living as a “sent” people expecting God to be at work. Jesus wants us to be about the mission of God everywhere we find ourselves. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." We have a strategy here at First McKinney to express God's love through Christ locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

We all have a call on our lives to invest and invite others to experience Christ through our words and deeds. We want to create an atmosphere that is welcoming, not intimidating to those who are seeking to know more about a relationship with Christ. We attempt to be intentional in our design to reach people in our methods (music, audio/visual, etc.) that are relevant to this culture. While the methods may vary or change, the message is always the same—Jesus Christ!

If you are ready to join with us, please let us know by emailing or calling us! We want you to experience all Christ has for you as you love, grow, serve and share. Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

9.25.11 Announcements

2011-09-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

I hope that you will join us in praying that we will see many people make a commitment to join with us this weekend. For many people, this will be a time to solidify their relationship with Christ and publicly align with Him. It will be exciting to see how Christ continues to work.

For Median and Young Adult Teachers and Directors, we will have our meeting this Sunday, 9/25, at 8:00 AM in the Fireside Room. We look forward to seeing you there!

September 25, 2011

Deacon Ordination and Missionary Commissioning Tonight!
Please join us tonight at 6:00 PM in the Worship Center as we celebrate two groups who are
serving the body of Christ.

Big Re: Union is almost here!
One body celebrating together in worship! The service will begin at 10:30 AM but please make plans to arrive early for this special day.

8:00 AM     Tailgate Area Open
9:30 AM     General Parking and Shuttle service begins
10:00 AM Tailgate Area Closes
10:15 AM   Pre-Service under the Tent
10:25 AM   Prelude
10:30 AM   Service
11:50 AM   Tailgate/Picnic Lunch
2:00 PM     Wrap up and clean up

Also please remember to bring water for your family and a guest family along with your picnic lunch. This will be a great day of worship and fellowship.

First Conversations is Coming!
On October 19th at 6:15 PM in the Theatre, we will be having First Conversations. This is a time for you to come and ask your questions about the church and hear from your church.

Parent of Teenager Conference w/ Duffy Robbins- Sunday 10/16 from 12-3 pm.
Please join us for a fun and very helpful afternoon in The Rock. Sign up at The Rock! Cost is $5.00 until 10/12 which includes a pizza lunch. After 10/12 cost will be $10.00.

Existence of God
This class begins on Wednesday, 10/5 at 6:15 PM. This is a 4-week class and will meet in room 3116. We will explore how we can defend and explain God to a world that largely believes He does not exist. This class will be led by Tom Austin who has a MA from Biola University in Christian Apologetics. Contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com to make your reservation.

Membership Matters: Grow

2011-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we began unpacking how church cultivates the disciples of Christ. FBC’s process is to love, grow, serve, and share. Sunday Richard spoke about the concept of growing in our personal relationship with Christ. Below is a brief synopsis of the sermon: Membership Matters: Grow. If you would like to watch or listen to the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

Growth is vital to each Christian’s personal relationship with God through Christ. We have to be intentional with our spiritual disciplines that help us grow in faith. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our mental choice to practice our new life in Christ is crucial to us experiencing what God has for us as His followers. Here are some of the spiritual disciplines that can lead to growth:

Prayer
Prayer is a conversation with God. It is meant to be informal and personal, not ritualistic. Here is a guide if you need help in starting the conversation:
A – Adoration or expressing love and esteem to God. It is a time to focus on what is true about His character.
C– Confession or specifically confessing areas where you have disobeyed God
T – Thanksgiving or thanking God for His forgiveness, mercy, and good gifts in your life
S- Supplication, which is making requests in regards to God’s guidance and needs in your life as well as the lives around you

Bible Reading
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is God’s truth and without error. We read and study the Bible to understand God’s heart and bring our lives into alignment with His plan.

Growth Groups
Growth groups are people who voluntarily gather to study the Bible, build relationships with Christ and with one another. These groups fulfill a sense of belonging as we care for one another and build on the diversity of people.

Tithing and Giving
Giving is a spiritual discipline and an act of obedience and worship just like baptism or any other action step in the development of one’s faith. God does not need our money, but He knows that giving is an outward indication of our trust in Him.

Your Story
Share the story of how Jesus changed your life. Sharing our faith in Christ is not difficult. Simply take steps in pointing the conversation to God.

Our relationship with Christ is based on grace. We grow in our walk with God based on His work in our life through grace. The disciplines of sharing our story, giving, growing in groups, Bible reading, and prayer help us see God’s grace impacting larger areas of our life.

Challenges for the week:
What is one area where you would like to experience growth this week? Try to practice that discipline every day for one week.

Our response to God’s grace is obedience. What are some ways these disciplines help us to better understand God’s grace?

Test God with your giving. Try giving one percent more than you presently give and expect God to bless.

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Membership Matters: Love

2011-09-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Every player on a football team needs to know and understand the playbook. It is crucial that every church member fully understands who we are as a church and where we are going. Richard is leading us through the Membership Matters Series for just this reason. This week he introduced our discipleship process that centers around four words: love, grow, serve, and share. Below is a brief synopsis of the sermon. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

FBC is a group of real people seeking to grow in the love of a real God and transformed by that love into contagious Christ-followers. Our process of discipleship centers on four words: love, grow, serve, and share. Every member of FBC is challenged to find their place, passion, and purpose.

This week we focused on the word love. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.” God desires an intimate relationship with every believer expressed through individual and corporate praise and worship. Scripture encourages us to meet together and encourage one another in our love for the Savior.

Our love for God must come out of a relationship with God. Mankind has been created by God to have a personal relationship with Him; however, man chose his own selfish way resulting in a broken fellowship with God. This is called sin. The Bible tells us that it is sin that separatesus from a holy and righteous God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.”

Our world thinks there are two primary ways of overcoming this sin problem. The first is by being a good person. The second is by just believing in God. The fact is that neither helps us to overcome our sin problem.

Ephesians 2:8 & 9 explains how fellowship with God that has been broken and damaged by sin can be restored. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” By placing our faith in the work of Christ, we can start a relationship with God that leads to experience fullness and love in our relationship with Christ.

One of the first steps of obedience in our relationship with God is to let the world know that we are trusting and following Christ in baptism. Baptism is a public demonstration of a person’s private decision to follow Christ. Baptism by immersion identifies the Christ follower with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.

Another ordinance (or practice) of the church that helps us to remember Christ’s sacrifice and cultivates a love relationship with God is partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ with His disciples and is a symbol of Christ’s work in us.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. Love is expressed in worship. Worship begins with a relationship.

Actions steps:
1.    Establish a relationship with God
2.    Foster of love of Christ by participating regularly in worship
3.    Identify with Him in Baptism

In responding to His love that He demonstrated for us on the cross, we reply with love in our own actions by obeying what He asked us to do.

Questions for the week:

Have I trusted in Christ? If so, am I cultivating that love relationship?

Do I regularly meet with other Christ followers for the purpose of being encouraged in my love relationship with God? What are the ramifications of not regularly meeting with other believers?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

9.11.11 Announcements

2011-09-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

The cooler temperatures were a nice break! Hopefully it will feel that way on October 9th when we have the big Re:Union Service. You will see more information about this in the announcements this week. One important piece of information that I need you to communicate is that we need every family to bring water for themselves and another family. This will help us host ourselves and our guests well.

One other item that I need you to help with as leaders. On September 25th, Richard will wrap up the Membership Matter Series asking people to make a commitment to join the church. We are expecting a strong response and want to make sure we have enough leaders to meet with those who respond. Would you be able to council with the families that come after each of the services? If so, please email me. There will be a training time on September 21st at 6:15 PM.

September 11, 2011

Big Re:Union
Sunday October 9th we will join together in celebration as one church in one service at 10:30am. Be part of this historical service as we unite in a visual representation of FBC united under a big tent in the common area next to the Children’s building. The service will be a great day to invite a friend for all the food, fun, fellowship and faith. We encourage you to come early to find a seat and then stay late and join us for a time of fellowship. After the service there will be bounce houses, the playgrounds will be open for the little ones as well as lots of room to catch up with old friends. If you like, bring a picnic lunch for you and your family.

Clothe A Child
Clothe A Child ministers to the basic needs of children in our community by providing $100 of new clothes to each needy child in the program. Each family is matched with a volunteer to assist in shopping. Volunteer your time Saturday, September 17th from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. To sign up to volunteer go to www.3e.com or stop by the connection today.

Created to Connect
A Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child was created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe. This study guide is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand how to build strong and lasting connections with their children. This bible study starts on September 14th and meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in room 2110 @ 6:15pm. Special guests Michael and Amy Monroe will be with us September 28th.

New Wednesday Night Study Option
· Existence of God – Contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 10/5. This 4 week class explores how we can defend and explain God to a world
that largely believes He does not exist. This class will be led by Tom Austin who has a MA from
Biola University in Christian Apologetics.

An App for That: Work Relationships

2011-09-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

We are in the last message on our series: An App for That. Chris Stull, Executive Pastor at FBC, shared from Ephesians 6:5-9. To view this sermon or others in this series, go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

In Ephesians 6:5-9, Paul gives instructions to slaves (or employees). We are to obey and serve remembering that the way we treat one another is a reflection of our relationship with Christ. The Bible never speaks to checking our faith at the door when entering school, business, home life, and neighborhood. Our faith should be expressed fully in all our walks of life.

1.   Our work should serve the common good of man vs. advancing our own interest.
            (a)       Meeting needs of family (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
            (b)       Meeting needs of the poor (Titus 3:14)

2.   "How" we work seems to be the first concern of God. Issues of integrity, character, ethics, truth, honoring relationships, processing conflict...these are important to God. Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

3. A job seeking formula (DNA):
Determine your unique gifts and skills, see the
Needs of the world, and
Acknowledge your deepest honest desires.

God invites us to come to the saving grace of Christ and join His redemptive work. (1 Timothy 2:4).

In Ephesians 6:9, Paul states that masters (employers) should behave likewise toward their employees. The same expectations are required.

Some questions to consider:

Do you honor Jesus with your work ethic?

Are you consistently living out your faith in your workplace, school, or neighborhood?

Jesus said, "Love the Lord Your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength." Is that happening in your life?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Harry Beverly, PhD., LPC
Minister of Family Life
First Baptist Church McKinney
469-424-1618

9.4.11 Announcements

2011-09-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

We have had a great start to the fall! I hope your groups are encouraged. Thank you for leading them well!

Please remember to follow up with the guests you have each week. It is crucial to get them connected relationally with someone else in the group after their visit. A good start is to give them a call to thank them for coming and to welcome them back again.

September 4, 2011

Big Tent Day!
Get ready for October 9th! We will be having one service that day outside under a BIG TENT. This would be a great time to invite a friend or neighbor to join you in worship. BFGs will not be meeting that day but are encouraged to sit together during the service.

Clothe A Child
Clothe A Child ministers to the basic needs of children in our community by providing $100 of new clothes to each needy child in the program. Each family is matched with a volunteer to assist in shopping. Volunteer your time Saturday, September 17th from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. To sign up to volunteer go to www.3e.com or stop by the connection today.

Created to Connect
A Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child was created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe. This study guide is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand how to build strong and lasting connections with their children. This bible study starts on September 14th and meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in room 2110 @ 6:15pm. Special guests Michael and Amy Monroe will be with us September 28th.

New Wednesday Night Study Option
· Prayer class – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 9/7 (4 weeks) at 7:30 pm in The Atrium (note room change)

An App for That: Parenting (Ephesians 6:1-4)

2011-08-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Once we experience grace that comes from a relationship with Christ, God wants us to model His character in our lives and in the home. God has given us guidelines on how to be imitators of Christ in the home in Ephesians 6:1-14. Here is a synopsis of Pastor Richard's sermon entitled An App for That: Parenting (Ephesians 6:1-4). If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

In Ephesians 6:1-4 Paul gives specific instructions to children and parents to practice in the home. It begins with proper motivation for obedience. For children and parents, obedience to parents is first and foremost a submission issue to the Lord. When we train our children toward obedience, and when as children we choose to obey, we are doing so as unto God.

Whereas obedience is an act, honor is an attitude. The right attitude behind the act of obedience is honor. Certainly, we are to obey our parents unless it violates Scripture; however, in every circumstance we can still honor our parents as gifts from God.

Parenting was never intended to be easy. Positive, Biblical parenting takes time and effort, but the character and rewards will pay off.

In v. 4 Paul addressed the parents, more specifically, the Fathers, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Paul addressed the fathers they had absolute legal control. Paul had been speaking of both parents in the previous verses so no doubt he continues this thought process here. So single parents, step-parents, moms and dads – this applies to all parents.

How do we exasperate or provoke our children? Here are some examples:

Overprotection. Children need guidance and direction but they do not need to be shielded from every unpleasant consequence that might develop their character.

Underprotection. Coach, guide and counsel your children. Teach them to make wise decisions. Discipline is requires time and wisdom. Assuming that your child will always, “figure it out” without parental input creates an atmosphere of underprotection. As parents, sometimes we stick our heads in the sand when we should be exercising our God-given authority over our kids.

Favoritism. Comparing one child to another or preferring one child over another is. Each child is a unique gift from God and should be valued, nurtured, and celebrated.

Pushing achievement beyond reasonable bounds. Parents sometimes push their children to achieve what they want instead of accepting and loving the child for who they are not what they can do.

Making them feel unwanted. Children are a gift from God and should never be made to feel unwanted.

Failing to let children grow up at a normal pace. Our culture pushes our children to grow up too fast.

Using love as a tool for reward or punishment. Love for our children should be given unconditionally. They are precious gifts from God! I’m thankful God’s love for us is not based on our performance!

By physical and verbal abuse. Neither verbal nor physical abuse should ever have a place in life or in the home! Using negative labels or insulting speech can be detrimental to children. Children and adults should speak to each other with respect at all times. There is never a place for physical abuse. If you need to explore this issue further, please contact the family counseling ministry. Dr. Beverly’s office can help you go deeper with these issues.

Paul balances the negative: “do not provoke” with a positive statement: “Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Discipline is often thought of as punitive. Yet in the biblical sense, discipline means to teach and train.

This week, I challenge you to serve one another as if you were serving Christ. Apply the App of Ephesians in your home. Honor and obey Christ by loving and submitting to one another in your marriage and parenting. Watch your home begin to transform from the inside out!

Questions for the week:

How can you demonstrate honor to your parents this week?

What are some ways you may be exasperating your children? What are some practical things that you can do to train and instruct your children in the Lord??

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

8.28.11 Announcements

2011-08-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, it was great last Sunday to see all that was going on! I hope you got to experience it in your class or where you serve. Thank you also for helping us to collect information from your people. Please remember to ask anyone who was not in your group last week to fill out a form. We would like to capture all the anniversary dates (including the year!) that we can.

Please also remember to help us create a “culture of initiation.” There are folks in our community and our lives that would come to FBC if we would just invite them. There are also people who would love to come and visit a group. Especially if they knew that we were expecting them!

Let’s keep a lookout this week for those who may be new and looking for how they can join us.

August 28, 2011

Current Wednesday Night Study Options
Financial Peace University – contact melissawillmarth@gmail.com
Class begins on 8/24 (13 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 1210
Prayer Class – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 9/7 (4 weeks) at 7:30 pm in The Atrium (note room change)

Big Tent Day!
Get ready for October 9th! We will be having one service that day outside under a BIG TENT. This would be a great time to invite a friend or neighbor to join you in worship. BFGs will not be meeting that day but are encouraged to sit together during the service.

Women’s Bible Studies
Today is the last day to register. Registration can be made in The Connection.

The Journey- Created to Connect
A Christian’s Guide to the Connected Child was created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe. This study guide is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand how to build strong and lasting connections with their children. This bible study starts on September 14th and meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in room 2110 @ 6:15pm. Special guests Michael and Amy Monroe will be with us September 28th.

Dv8 Informational Meeting TODAY @ 12pm in the Multi Purpose Room in the Family Sports Center.
dv8 is an outreach ministry dedicated to reaching HIGH RISK kids in
McKinney's government housing projects! The kids we hang out with live within the walls of
poverty, many with broken families, low self-esteem, lack of love, and violence. If you are
looking for a way to go and be on mission--every week, then check out dv8!

Finch Elementary Mentoring & Adopt A Class Signups Aug 21 & 28
Stop by the connection today and learn more about mentoring, volunteering and adopting a class
at Finch Elementary. Building a trusting relationship with a specific class, teacher or student can have a major impact on the level of sustainable support consistently given to Finch and the Finch Community. Please
consider joining with Finch to make a profound difference in children’s lives.

An App for That - Marriage

2011-08-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Men and women are different! Those differences are often seen as a challenge in marriages; however, these differences are not just by happen stance but God's design. God's plan for marriage is unity even in differences. Here is a synopsis of Pastor Richard's sermon entitled "An App for That - Marriage" (Eph 5:21-33). To view the sermon in its entirety, go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

Men and women are different. We can continue to learn how to interact, relate, and understand each other but the foundational truth is that God made us, male and female, in His image. We need to learn to value our differences!

God's game plan for male / female relationships is that the man should be the spiritual leader in the home. But what does that mean? Genesis teaches that the husband is responsible for oneness in the marriage relationship. God created Adam (Genesis 2:7) and Adam was assigned to tend and keep the Garden of Eden. In fact, in Genesis 2:16-17 God gave Adam instructions to enjoy everything in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then, God said it was not good for man to be alone so he made him a helper suitable for him.

At the end of Genesis 2 the woman was made for the man and what was her name? Her name was woman. She didn't have a name. Genesis 5:1-2 states, "This is the written account of Adam's family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them." And when they were created, he called them, "man." So they were one. They functioned as one.

When you are one - you don't work against each other; instead, you work with and for each other. When people are doing "oneness" the way it was intended, there is no need to stop and give instruction or correction. The relationship comes naturally.

Paul expounds on this truth of oneness in the New Testament in Ephesians 5:28-29, "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church." When a husband loves his wife the way God intended, he is loving himself. It is no longer me and her; it is "us" (together as one). Oneness becomes the priority.

Sin and selfishness have messed up what God intended and designed for our good. Paul continues to write in Ephesians concerning marriage about submission and sacrificial love. Designed unity does not come naturally. The wife's role in marriage is to communicate to the family unit the importance of following Christ and submitting to His lordship. The husband's role is to love his wife as Christ loves the church.

So, husbands, communicate the love of God to your wife by sacrificially serving her. Wives, communicate the love of God and set an example in submission and service. Husband and Wife, do these things out of reverence for Christ. Marriage is about God. It is not about your spouse- marriage is a demonstration of your personal relationship with God. Submission to one another and love for one another is the app that cures marriages. Even though we are different, in unity we display the wonder of God's grace in action.

Please let us know how we can best serve as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

8.21.11 Announcements

2011-08-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to Sunday! It will be fun to see the campus buzzing with activity. Please remember that we will have many guests with us. So if someone looks lost, offer to help them find their way. It will make an impact!

This week we need everyone, members & guests, to fill out an information card in their group. For your regular attendees please use the single card. For your guest, please use the duplicate form so you can have a record to assist you in your follow up this week. These cards should be completely filled out, including your class name.

Encourage everyone to write legibly. Please also pay special attention to the anniversary date. We need everyone to fill out the year on their anniversary. It is a small thing but it will help us to better lead and love those who are involved with us.

August 21, 2011

Upcoming Wednesday Night Study Options
· Financial Peace University – contact melissawillmarth@gmail.com
Class begins on 8/24 (13 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 1210

· Understanding Mormonism – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 8/24 (4 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 3116

· Prayer Class – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 9/7 (4 weeks) at 7:30 pm in The Atrium (note room change)

Big Tent Day!
Get ready for October 9th! We will be having one service that day outside under a BIG TENT. This would be a great time to invite a friend or neighbor to join you in worship. BFGs will not be meeting that day but are encouraged to sit together during the service.

Women’s Bible Studies
Register today through 8/28. You can register online or in The Connection for the study of your choice.

Weekly Mission Opportunities
Come talk with us today in the connection for more information on dv8, an outreach ministry dedicated to reaching HIGH RISK kids in McKinney's government housing projects! The kids we hang out with live within the walls of poverty, many with broken families, low self-esteem, lack of love, and violence. If you are looking for a way to go and be on mission--every week, then check out dv8!

Finch Elementary Mentoring & Adopt A Class Signups Aug 21 & 28
Stop by the connection today and learn more about mentoring, volunteering and adopting a class at Finch Elementary. Building a trusting relationship with a specific class, teacher or student can have a major impact on the level of sustainable support consistently given to Finch and the Finch Community. Please consider joining with Finch to make a profound difference in children’s lives.

3e Clothe A Child
Clothe A Child ministers to the basic needs of children in our community by providing $100 of new clothes to each needy child in the program. Each family is matched with a volunteer to assist in shopping. Volunteer your time Saturday, September 17th from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Watch for sign-up info coming soon.

2011 Back to School Prayer Walk
August 21st members of our community are invited to join together for the annual Back to School Prayer Walk.Meet at the school of your choice at 1:00 PM at the schools flag pole. A volunteer prayer leader will be at each MISD campus and several other local schools.

Unpack: Ephesians 5:1-21

2011-08-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

Unpack: Ephesians 5:1-21

The grace we have experienced from Christ compels us to model our life after Him. In Ephesians 5:1-21, Paul explains that we need to imitate God by living a life of love, living in the light, and living life in wisdom. Here is a synopsis of Pastor Richard's sermon entitled Walk This Way! (Ephesians 5:1-21). If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

When Paul talks about “walking,” he is refereeing to allowing our faith in Christ to affect our lives in the everyday details and decisions of life. We are either becoming more like Christ or we are sliding away from Him. There is no neutral ground in our relationship with Christ. Paul reminds us that the Christian life is a day by day discipline that springs from the love we have experienced from Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2 states that we are to imitate God by walking in love. The word imitate literally means mimic. We are to mimic Christ. In order to mimic God, we must invest time with God getting to know who He is and how He acts. We learn about God from personal study of the Bible, time in prayer in private and with other believers, spending time with other believers, and being about building God’s kingdom in the world. The litmus test for how we are doing in imitating God is described by Paul as being kind, compassionate, and forgiving.

The world where we are seeking to live out God’s character offers many counterfeit expressions to love. Two of the detours to walking a life of love are lust and greed. Love gives, but lust takes. Love sacrifices itself, but lust sacrifices others. Love purifies, but lust degrades. Love satisfies, but lust leaves a gnawing emptiness. The Greek word for “no sexual immorality” is porneia. Porneia refers to all kinds of sex or sex acts outside of the bounds of marriage. Marriage is God’s design for sexual expression and anything outside that boundary robs us and others of what God intended for our best.

Greed is another counterfeit to walking in love. Greed demands that we just look out for ourselves. It leads us to an in insatiable thirst for more. In essence, greed is lust expressed in other areas besides the sexual areas.

Paul encourages us to not just walk in love but to also walk in light. The light that Christ brings into our life through grace shows us what holiness looks like. We see our choices in light of what produces goodly character or disobedience to God. As we live as children of light, we show to those who are living in darkness that there is a different way to live.
Finally in Ephesians 5:15-21, Paul closes by reminding us to walk in wisdom. Wisdom has the idea of living life in a way that fits with how God designed life to be lived. Wisdom helps us to understand the brevity of life and how we need to take advantage of each day to accomplish God’s plan for us. Living life in wisdom beckons us to invest in leaving a legacy in our family, investing in God’s kingdom, and investing in God’s people.

Questions for the week:

What is one way you can express the love you have experienced from God to someone else this week?
Are there any areas where you are living in pursuit of lust or greed rather than God’s love? How can you refocus your life to pursue God’s best for you?
What is one area of your life that you need to change because of the reality of how brief life is?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

8.14.11 Announcements

2011-08-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the announcements, Fall is coming! Hopefully lower temps will accompany it. Please take time to let your group know about each of the attached opportunities.

Also, please remember that classes need to go from 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM and from 10:30 AM to 11:40 AM. This helps with the transitions between groups and insures that parents can pick up their children and have time to arrive at their worship venue in time. Just a great reminder as our campus gets more crowded this fall.

August 14, 2011

Women’s Bible Studies
Register today through 8/28. You can register online or in The Connection for the study of your choice.

dv8
This outreach ministry is dedicated to reaching HIGH RISK kids in McKinney's government housing projects! The kids we hang out with live within the walls of poverty, many with broken families, low self esteem, lack of love, and violence. The vision of dv8 is to build lasting relationships and love them like Jesus! If you are looking for a way to go and be on mission--every week, then check out dv8! Come to an information meeting on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 12:00 pm in the Fireside Room.

Membership Matters for 8/14 & 9/25 has been cancelled
Pastor Richard will be spending three Sundays on Membership Matters in September and these sermons will cover all of our regular Membership Matters Material. You will not want to miss this important series.

Upcoming Wednesday Night Study Options
Financial Peace University – contact melissawillmarth@gmail.com.
Class begins on 8/24 (13 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 1210

Understanding Mormonism – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 8/24 (4 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 3116

Prayer class – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 9/7 (4 weeks) at 7:30 pm in The Atrium (note room change)

Finch Elementary Mentoring & Adopt A Class Signups Aug 21 & 28
Building a trusting relationship with a specific class, teacher or student can have a major impact on the level of sustainable support consistently given to Finch and the Finch Community. Please consider joining with Finch to make a profound difference in children’s lives. Stop by the connection Aug 21 and 28 and learn more about mentoring, volunteering and adopting a class at Finch Elementary.

3e Clothe A Child
Clothe A Child ministers to the basic needs of children in our community by providing $100 of new clothes to each needy child in the program. Each family is matched with a volunteer to assist in shopping. Volunteer your time Saturday, September 17th from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Watch for sign-up info coming soon.

Unpack: Ephesians 4:17-24

2011-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Unpacking always takes time. Often when it gets down to the details it is difficult work because it takes time to work through the tedious items. In Ephesians 4:17-24 Paul gives a commentary on Ephesians 4:1-16 and unpacks these truths in more detail. Here is a synopsis of Pastor Richard's sermon entitled A New Body (Ephesians 4:17-24). If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app.

We have a common ground of grace. It is because of this common ground of grace we have received that we are led to then serve one another and the lost world around us. God has grafted us together in a new work to bring glory to Himself through Christ.

Paul opens his challenge to the Ephesians believers to not live like those who don't know God. He uses the Gentiles as a means to compare and contrast for them. Paul is focusing not necessarily on their behavior but on the mindset that leads to the behavior. One of the roots of behavior is how we think. Those who don't know Christ can find themselves in the downward spiral of sin.

When we meet Christ, we gain knowledge that encourages us to look at life differently. This different orientation leads to a softness of heart which keeps us tender toward others. Paul builds the expectation that those who meet Christ will not have a "me" oriented perspective.

Many people know facts about God but don't have a personal experience with God. The phrase, "That is just who I am," loses meaning once you have a personal experience with Christ because one of His primary roles is to help us process from a self centered orientation to an others orientation. The longer we are in relationship with Christ the more our lives should reflect and resemble His, just as couples who are married for long periods of time begin to resemble one another.

Paul then specifically gives some practical applications of how Christ would look in issues that they were experiencing. The following chart highlights what Paul asked the Ephesians to lay aside, put on, and then the reason they should do this:

This new life takes us rejecting self and accepting the lifestyle of Christ. God has provided us with the Holy Spirit to enable this transformation. We live in the tension of being made new but that newness is working itself out in our life. It is in the small areas of our lives, as God begins to gain control over time, that we begin to see changes on a grander scale.

Questions for the week:

Paul challenges the Ephesians Christian to not think like those who don't know Christ. What is one area in your life where you tend to think more like those who don't know Christ? Ask God to help you experience a change in your thinking in that area.

Paul has an extensive list of behaviors that he challenges the Ephesians to change because they know Christ. Which of those behaviors do you need to see changed in your life?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

8.7.11 Announcements

2011-08-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is Leadership Impact! Please make plans to join us as we hear from Richard. This is a time you will not want to miss!

We have had many people joining the church over the summer. It will be fun to have everyone back from their travels and mission trips once the fall rolls around. As we prepare for the fall, who is someone you could invite to church? I hope they will join with you and be encouraged to follow after Christ.

See you Sunday!

August 7, 2011

Reminder: Leadership Impact is TONIGHT from 4:00-6:00pm

Women’s Bible Studies
Registration begins TODAY and goes through 8/28. You can register either online or in The Connection for the study of your choice.

Membership Matters for 8/14 & 9/25 has been cancelled
Pastor Richard will be spending three Sundays in September with a sermon series on Membership Matters. This is an important series for the life of the church. Because the material in the sermon will cover all of our regular Membership Matters Material we will not have the previously scheduled Membership Matters Classes in August and September. You will not want to miss this important series.

Upcoming Wednesday Night Study Options

Financial Peace University – contact melissawillmarth@gmail.com
Class begins on 8/24 (13 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 1210

Understanding Mormonism – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 8/24 (4 weeks) at 6:15-7:30 pm in room 3116

Prayer class – contact john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com
Class begins on 9/7 (4 weeks) at 7:30 pm in The Fireside Room

Ignite – Growing with God in a Facebook Age – exploring the way our faith,
technology, and culture interact. Starting on 8/24 at 6:15 PM in the Theater. Contact
john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com for more information.

Unpack: Ephesians 4:1-6

2011-07-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Life is not about me. We wish it were but it is not. The attitude of life being all about “me” is the opposite of what Christ died to give us. God values us but did not intend for us to live life being “me” focused. God designed us to be part of a team of people following after Christ.

Our decision to trust Christ is personal but not meant to be a private matter. Richard reminded us on Sunday from Ephesians 4:1-6, that we are designed to be one team that is accomplishing God’s purpose. If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iPhone app. The following is a brief synopsis.

How can we be different but yet unified? Paul highlights three mindsets that help us maintain unity. They are humility, gentleness and patience. Humility is a difficult mindset to have if we think life is all about “me”. We can allow ourselves to be humbled by keeping an honest perspective on who we are or God will help us to have that perspective.

Practicing these virtues with one another demonstrates our love for Christ and His church. We need to be careful when we criticize the church. Our identity in Christ is also wrapped up in the identity of the church. Our actions speak louder than our words and the world is watching to see if we love one another. Christianity cannot be a solo sport.

God’s plan for the church involves being a team that works together to accomplish His purpose in the world. We must have a unity of purpose, faith, and direction. We are one team, one church. The unity Paul talks about in verse 4 reminds us of the unity we need to display as a team.

God has equipped the body to have leadership. God has equipped the church for each person to have a role. God has a purpose for the church which is to make disciples of Christ so that the world will worship Him. There are people who are gifted in certain roles but it is not just about that role. It is about the team and their role in the larger picture. On a team, not one person is done until we are all done.

Thoughts for the week

Are you cultivating the unity of the body of Christ? Do you need to confess times where you have been divisive in the body?

How can you practice humility, gentleness, and patience this week to help maintain the body of Christ?

How do you see yourself in the body of Christ? Do you understand your role on the team? Are you seeking to help others find their role on the team?

Don’t forget to let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Unpack: Ephesians 3:14-21

2011-07-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been frustrated by the constant emphasis on improving our physical bodies by today’s culture and media? The never ending stream of diets, workout plans, gym memberships, and now Zoomba tell us that if we are not focused on improving the outside that something is “wrong with us.” Pastor Richard led us this past Sunday stating that our focus should be not on the outward appearances but on the inward character that only God can develop in us. In Ephesians, Paul teaches the believers how to build up the body of Christ from the inside out as he shares with them his prayers on their behalf. The Bible says in 2 Cor. 4:16 “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Here is a synopsis of Pastor Richards sermon entitled Immeasurably More (Ephesians 3:14-21.) If you would like to watch the sermon, you can find it at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live or you can watch it on the FBC McKinney iphone app.

Paul’s subsequent prayer for the church focuses on three components of inward Body Building:
1) Strength Training

Ephesians 3:16-17 teaches that as followers of Christ, we do not get a free pass when it comes to dealing with troubles and tribulations. The strength to deal with the trials of life comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus knew what it was like to suffer, to be falsely accused, and to be betrayed. He can give us the strength to persevere when times are tough. A person’s character is displayed when they are forced to deal with life’s hurts and difficult circumstances, yet be at peace in the midst of a personal storm.

2) Heart Conditioning (Aerobic exercise of the spiritual body)

In Ephesians 3:17c-19 it says Paul prayed that we might have the power to grasp the depth of the unconditional love of God; in essence, to have a lifestyle of love. Relational love is crucial to the viability and ministry of the body of Christ. Paul calls us to move beyond the superficial, the fake, the phony - to the authentic. We must grow in love with one another and model a lifestyle of love toward all believers.

God’s love is incomprehensible yet Paul prays in v.18 that we would grasp the magnitude of Christ’s love.
His love is wide enough to embrace the world. (John 3:16)
His love is long enough to last forever.
His love is high enough to take us to Heaven. (1 John 3:1-2)
His love is deep enough to reach down to the lowest depths. (Philip. 2:8)

3.) Replenishing Results
In Ephesians 3:19 the result of Strength conditioning in the inner man is through the Spirit and the aerobic exercise of heart conditioning through a lifestyle of love is to be controlled by the fullness of God in you.

To be full of God, we have to be empty of ourselves! God will not force Himself into a place that is already filled. We must empty ourselves of everything so He can fill and guide us. Every time I try to do things my way and in my power – I fail. But when I operate in step with His Spirit with the fullness of Christ, He does far greater than anything I could hope or imagine.

Just like physical exercise and training, building up the spiritual body is tough work… sometimes it’s easier to quit. But when you think you can’t do anymore… look what Paul reminds us in v. 20-21 . . . he is able to do immeasurably more than we could even ask or think.

Thoughts for the week

Throughout this week each time you look in a mirror consider how God is at work in developing your inward character.

Pray this week that you will be more authentic in your everyday life so that you are able to see people as Christ sees them and to love them as He loves them.

What is the one thing that keeps you from emptying yourself and allowing the Holy Spirit to conform you into His image? What steps do you need to take to surrender this to God?
Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Harry Beverly, PhD., LPC
Minister of Family Life
First Baptist Church McKinney

Unpack: Ephesians 3:1-13

2011-07-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Do you have some areas in your life that you know needs to be changed, but you continue to put it off because you know it will be difficult? Richard shared some things on Sunday with us that if practiced can be difficult. In Ephesians 3:1-13 we learned that God has revealed a mystery in Christ, a ministry for all of us, and a mission for us to join. If you missed the sermon this week, here is a link http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live.

Following is a brief synopsis.

God has a purpose and a plan for us individually as well as corporately as a church.

The first part of God’s plan for us is to be unified. The mystery that God has revealed and which Paul was sharing in Ephesians 3:1-7 is that the church is a new group. A group not defined by race or ethnicity but by their trust in Christ. Mystery, as Paul uses the word in this passage, has the connotation of a truth that is now revealed. The truth is that everyone has equal access to God through Christ therefore we can experience an amazing unity.

Unity in Christ does not mean uniformity. We are different and God wants to use those differences to reflect His character. The power of our unity around Christ comes from our diversity. The ground around the foot of the cross is level because our need is the same.

Our differences also are helpful in the different ministries God has called us to in the Body of Christ. Paul understood his role in God’s plan. In Ephesians 3:8-10, we see Paul’s attitude. He was humbled by the responsibility and realized the privileged he had to be used by God in His plan.

Finally, God has a mission for us all. Paul saw his life in the context of God’s plan and mission to let the world know about who God is and what He has done in Christ. God’s plan was being carried out and Paul, in Ephesians 3:11-13, encouraged the Ephesians believers to not be discouraged when it was difficult.
God has a heartbeat for those who do not know Him. He wants them to understand the incredible unity and forgiveness that can come through Christ. The church is central to revealing this plan to the world and central to Christian living. We are all vital to accomplishing this mission in the world. We are either reflecting Christ or distorting Christ.

Questions for the week:

Do you long for the unity in the church? How can I this week help the church to be more unified?
Do we love all members of God’s family? What is the danger of favoritism in the body of Christ?
How are you personally expressing God’s mission in the world?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group (either Bible Fellowship Group or a Community Group) is a great step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

7.10.11 Announcements

2011-07-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

I hope that you are growing and learning much from Richard’s sermon series on Ephesians. I am still amazed how much I can learn from God’s word no matter how many times I go through it. Thank you for continuing to lead people to experience Jesus through your group and interaction over God’s word.

I am looking forward to launching into the Fall! This will be a great time for us to invite and connect people to our groups and church. Please begin praying now for who God might be bringing to your group. Also, mark August 7th on your calendars for Leadership Impact and invite your class leadership to attend with you. Please ask everyone to RSVP to susan.collins@fbcmckinney.com.

July 10, 2011

Leadership Impact – Mark Your Calendars for August 7th
Are you ready to “Launch” into the fall? Please put August 7th from 4-6 PM on your calendar for Leadership Impact. This will be a time for all leaders of BFGs, Community Groups, Children and Youth Workers, and Worship Teams. We will start in the Worship Center at 4:00 pm hearing from Richard and then break up into our different departments. You will not want to miss this crucial time.

Quiet on Campus but Busy Outside the Doors
The church office will be closed each Friday in July. But please remember to pray for the many mission trips that are occurring throughout the summer. The youth just wrapped up a great mission project locally with Mission McKinney. Upcoming trips include Alabama Relief Effort (July 11-17), Germany (July 22-31), Family Mission Trip to Port Arthur (July 28-31), and Bolivia (July 28-August4).

Unpack: Ephesians 2:11-22

2011-07-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Richard helped us tackle the problem of division and the importance of unity. Our sin nature, which we talked about in Ephesians 2:1-10, loves to exaggerate our differences so we often have divisions over religion, race, economic status, and political party affiliations that can radically alter relationships. Jesus provides a solution to this division and created a new place for unity – the Church. If you missed the sermon this week, here is a link http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live.

Following is a brief synopsis.

All prejudices point to selfishness and accentuate sin nature. We are all equal and there is no favoritism with God. Paul challenged the Gentile Ephesians believers to seek unity. He reminded them of what God did to bring them into the Body (the Church) alongside the Jews.

Paul reminded the Ephesians that they had been:

Segregated Socially (v. 11)
Separated Spiritually (v. 12)
Isolate Nationally (v.12)
Friendless (v.12)
Alienated (v.12)

However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, there can be a group where all prior distinctions of race, gender, religion and social status are done away with. God unites people to form a new race, a new body – called the Church.

How did Christ’s death create the ability for this unity? By destroying the ceremonial Jewish law and creating a new race. The Church is God’s way of creating unity in the midst of diversity on planet earth. Through Christ we have a new identity – a new race; a new citizenship in heaven and a new family – the family of God. The common bond we have is not economics or race or social status or denominational status – it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Church gathers together under the bond of the virgin birth, the sacrificial death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When we begin to understand the process of what Christ has done and the purpose to which he has called us – we will begin to take our role in building the Body more passionately. It is not about being a consumer but rather a contributor! Christians have a part to play in building up this Body. We need to actively remove walls of hostility between us and others for the sake of the Gospel.

If you find yourself with prejudices towards others, either by race, religious background, economic status or so forth – you need to deal with it in your heart because if you don’t, I have news for you: you’ll hate heaven!

Questions for the week:

Why do groups exclude people? What are some ways people are excluded from groups?

What are ways that I build up barriers to unity? What things can I do to help tear down barriers to unity?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group (either Bible Fellowship Group or a Community Group) is a great step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

7.3.11 Announcements

2011-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

I hope that you will be able to enjoy the Freedom Celebration this Sunday night (7/3) with your family!

Please also make plans to join us for Leadership Impact on August 7th. This will be a crucial time as we “launch” into the fall. Thank you again for all you do!

July 3, 2011

Freedom Celebration is this Sunday (73)! 6:00 pm-FIREWORKS
Everyone is welcome to join us for this fun, FREE, family time together! There will be fireworks, hayrides, inflatable’s, arena races, water balloon toss, face painting, burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, etc. ONLY 15 minutes NE of McKinney! 5920 County Road 500, Blue Ridge, TX 75424

Leadership Impact – August 7th
Are you ready to “Launch” into the fall? Please put August 7th from 4-6 PM on your calendar for Leadership Impact. This will be a time for all leaders of BFGs, Community Groups, Children and Youth Workers, and Worship Teams. We will start in the Worship Center at 4:00 pm hearing from Richard and then break up into our different departments. You will not want to miss this crucial time.

Quite on Campus but Busy Outside the Doors
The church office will be closed on July 4th as well as each Friday in July. But please remember to pray for the many mission trips that are occurring throughout the summer. The youth just wrapped up a great mission project locally with Mission McKinney last week. Upcoming trips include Alabama Relief Effort (July 11-17), Germany (July 22-31), Family Mission Trip to Port Arthur (July 28-31), and Bolivia (July 28-August4).

Unpack: Ephesians 2:1-10

2011-06-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

The ability to remember is a powerful tool. This week Richard walked us through Ephesians 2:1-10 where Paul wants us to remember where we were before we met Christ so that we can live our lives in response to the change He has made in us. If you missed the sermon, you can go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live. Here is a brief synopsis.

We all start in the same place according to Ephesians 2:1-3. Paul says we were separated from God and spiritually dead. We were also darkened in our understanding. Because we did not have a relationship with God, we could not identify with His perspective. This limited our perspective on the world and His working in it. Finally before we met Christ we were deceived. We were deceived about God's character and our freedom. Because we were deceived, darkened, and spiritually dead, our lives reflected disobedience toward God and His desires for us.

Paul wants us to remember that we are all sinful. As Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all start from the same place with the same point of need. There are only two groups of people: those who know Christ and those who don't. Without Christ we become consumed with our view of the world and become completely self focused. The result is we become objects of God's wrath. That is a bad story.

In verse 4 of Ephesians 2 we are reminded of the great news that God did not leave us in that state, "But because of his great love for us". God's love for us compelled Him to move toward us, even in our sin, to save us. God's movement toward us is the theme of scripture. In love He showed us mercy. Mercy is defined by not getting what I deserve. No person can take pride in their salvation because God did it. Not because we were worthy but because He is graceful.

Most of us believe that we are good. If we were to actually put that to a test most of us would fail. We are bad people who have good moments. The pull is toward selfishness instead of service. We need to be encouraged in who we are but not at the sacrifice of spiritual truth that can help us grow and mature in our faith. The whole council of God's Word reminds us who we were because that helps us to grow to who God wants us to become in Christ.

God by his grace gave us forgiveness. This forgiveness is ours because of Christ. Our response is not just to say I acknowledge what Christ has done but to put our trust in Christ. You can't say look what I did with God. Religion is, "Look what I did!" Christianity is relationship and says, "Look at who I trust!" Grace is relationally based. Belief is to understand facts. Faith is putting trust in facts that leads to action.

Christ followers need to remember where we started. We are God's workmanship. We are saved for good works. We are to serve him. We don't serve to avoid punishment but out of a relationship with Christ because our focus and our life seeks to mirror His life.

Paul states in verse 10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The word for handiwork could be translated "poem." How will God's grace be displayed through the "words" of your life to a world that does not know Christ?

Questions for the week:

What is the story of your journey with Christ? Could you share your story of where you were before Christ, how you met Christ and the difference Christ has made in your life?

Do you ever get frustrated with people who don't know Christ? How can what Paul said in Ephesians 2:1-3 help us in dealing with those who don't know Christ?

What difference would it make in your life this week if you think of your life as a poem written by God to let the world know about Christ?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

Freedom Celbration!

2011-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Freedom Celebration ~ FREE for Everyone
July 3rd ~ 6pm to FIREWORKS
Hosted by New Community / FBC McKinney

"MORE" is the theme for Our Biggest Outreach Event of the Year

MORE FUN, MORE FOOD, MORE PARKING, MORE HAYRIDES,
MORE INFLATABLE GAMES, MORE FIREWORKS and...
MORE VOLUNTEERS!

Please email newcommunity@fbcmckinney.com to help with:
Set Up Team, Welcome Table, Cooking, Food Serving,
Inflatable Games, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Hayride Hosts,
Traffic & Parking Team...

Set Up Team begins at 4:30

Please bring a lawn chair, and don't forget to invite your friends!

ONLY 15 minutes NE of McKinney!
5920 County Road 500
Blue Ridge, TX 75424

HUGE COVERED ARENA with PLENTY of SHADE
Farm Raised Beef Burgers, Hot Dogs, Cold Drinks, Popcorn,
Cotton Candy, Scenic Hayrides, Inflatable Games, Blue Bell Popsicles,
Water Balloon Toss, Kids Arena Races and..
MORE

6.26.11 Announcements

2011-06-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers for Backyard Bible Clubs! It has been a great week. 1 out of every 3 children who came did not go to church. This was a great week of impact.

Please note that both announcements are for July 3rd. There will be changes in worship as well as our annual Freedom Celebration on the same day. Please make sure your group is aware of these church-wide events. Also continue to pray for the many mission trips taking place this summer.

Young and Median Adult Leaders, please note that we do not have a meeting this Sunday. Hope you guys are having a great summer!

June 26, 2011

July 3rd Services
New Community & the Theater venues will not meet for services on Sunday, July 3rd. We will all worship together in the Worship Center at 9 & 10:30 for a unified service.

Freedom Celebration
July 3rd from 6:00 pm-FIREWORKS
Everyone is welcome to join us for this fun, FREE, family time together! There will be fireworks, hayrides, inflatables, arena races, water balloon toss, face painting, burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, etc. Contact newcommunity@fbcmckinney.com for directions or for more information.

Unpacked: Ephesians 1:15-23

2011-06-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

This week Pastor Richard talked about how Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians’ to know God’s purpose, portion, and provision. If you missed the sermon, you can go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/live. Here is a brief synopsis.

Paul remembered what it was like to not know God. Can you remember what it is like to be separated from God? Paul’s remembrance led him to praise God for Christ in verses 1:1-14. Paul is then moved to pray for the believers in Ephesus. As you read his prayer in chapter 1 verses 15-23, compare them to your prayers. Our prayers tend to be on our wants, our needs, and our desires. Paul’s prayers, while asking for things, were consumed with who God is and gratitude for all He has done.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23 focuses on the believers gaining a spirit of wisdom and an understanding of the hope that they have in Christ. Paul wants the Holy Spirit to “turn on the light” of all that Christ has done for them. Paul’s request is not just for head knowledge but knowledge that leads to life change that allows us to display more of Christ’s character and show Christ to the world around us.

Paul wants the “light bulb” of understanding to come in three areas. First, Paul wants them to understand the purpose for which God redeemed them (v.18). Second, he wants them to understand the portion they have in Christ (v. 18). Christ has given us all we need to live the life He has called us. Finally, Paul desires them to understand the power that God gives us through Christ (v.19-25).

Paul knew that knowing God would lead to a life that was reflecting God’s character. Our view of God determines how we live. If we believe the song some of us used to sing in Vacation Bible School, “My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty, there is nothing my God cannot do,” we can have in God’s purpose, portion, and power as we trust Him…

…praying for the family member who has yet to trust Christ.

…seeing the sin patters in our life changed.

…making a difference in the world that will last.

Questions for the week

How will understanding God’s purpose change the way I address challenges in my week?

What is one struggle where I need to trust God’s power to help me obey?

How can I demonstrate belief in the power that comes through Christ at work and home this week?

Please let us know how we can best serve you as you seek to make these truths a reality in your life. Getting involved in a group is a great next step. For more information about groups at FBC McKinney, please go to http://www.fbcmckinney.com/groups.

6.19.11 Announcements

2011-06-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Backyard Bible Clubs are this week! It will be a time of fun, energy, water, and learning about Jesus. Please pray that the temps will stay in the low 90s so the children will not be too distracted by the heat. There are just a couple of announcements to alert your group to this week. Thank you for leading your groups well!

June 19, 2011

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- Begins tomorrow, 6/20
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers). To find a Host Home near you, go to www.fbcmckinney.com. A few more volunteers are still needed. To volunteer, contact delores.turner@fbcmckinney.com.

Two-Day Marriage Intensive Program
Whether your marriage is on the brink or you are only needing a tune up, our NEW Marriage Intensive Program will help. It will teach you practical skills to communicate and resolve conflict. If you and your spouse are ready to commit to making your marriage a top priority, call Dr. Harry Beverly’s office at 469.424.1618. Two, full day appointments are needed.

July 3rd Services
New Community & the Theater venues will not meet for services on Sunday, July 3rd. We will all worship together in the Worship Center at 9 & 10:30 for a unified service.

6.12.11 Announcements

2011-06-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2011

Welcome Reception for Pastor Richard and his Family
Join us as we welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Mark Lee, for his first sermon TODAY. Then, this afternoon from 4-6 pm, you are invited to a reception in His honor where there will be a modern day “gift-card” pounding. For more information or videos of Dr. Lee and his family, visit www.fbcmckinney.com/pastorsearch.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) To find a Host Home near you, go to www.fbcmckinney.com. A few more volunteers are still needed. To volunteer, contact delores.turner@fbcmckinney.com.

Alabama Mission Trip
The Worship & Arts Ministry will be leading a Disaster Relief and Rebuilding Mission trip to the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area July 11-17th. If you are interested in participating in this trip or you would like more information, please call Kara Greer at 469.424.1609 or email at kara.greer@fbcmckinney.com.

More Missional Opportunities
Bolivia Mission to Casa De Amor Orphanage- NEW OPPORTUNITY
Leader: Mike and Kim Simpson, dv8kids@gmail.com

Sierra Leone Mission, June 20-July 2
Team Leader: Mark Phillips, maphillips77@gmail.com

Germany Baseball Mission, July 22-31
Team Leader: Rob Bowsher, rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com

Cambodia Mission AUG 11-19
Team Leader: Andrew Heath, Andrew.heath@fbcmckinney.com

Malawi Mission- FALL 2011
Team Leader: Jared Smith, jared@teamsmith.me

6.5.11 Announcements

2011-06-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Please pray for the Gospel to take root in lives this summer! Youth, children, adults here in McKinney and throughout the world will be introduced to Christ through folks from FBC McKinney. Pray that those who don’t know Him will respond.

As you communicate these announcements to your group, please take time to communicate the specific details that are written. There may be a need or an opportunity that someone in your group will step up to meet. You guys are vital to mobilizing the church to be the hands and feet of Christ!

June 5, 2011

Dr. Creech Reception - TODAY
We are so thankful for the leadership and guidance Dr. Creech has provided over the past 6 months. Please join us for a reception in the Chapel before and after each worship service this morning as we say “Thank You” for serving us well as our interim preacher.

Alabama Mission Trip – Informational Meeting TODAY at 11:56 in the Choir Room
The Worship & Arts Ministry will be leading a Disaster Relief and Rebuilding Mission trip to the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area July 11-17th. If you are interested in participating in this trip or you would like more information, please call Kara Greer at 469.424.1609 or email at kara.greer@fbcmckinney.com.

Welcome Reception for Pastor Richard and his Family
Join us as we welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Mark Lee, for his first sermon on Sunday June 12. Later that evening, you are invited to a reception in His honor where there will be a modern day “giftcard” pounding from 4-6pm. For more information or videos of Dr. Lee and his family, visit www.fbcmckinney.com/pastorsearch.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website.

Missional Opportunities

Bolivia Mission to Casa De Amor Orphanage- NEW OPPORTUNITY
Leader: Mike and Kim Simpson, dv8kids@gmail.com

Sierra Leone Mission, June 20-July 2
Team Leader: Mark Phillips, maphillips77@gmail.com

Germany Baseball Mission, July 22-31
Team Leader: Rob Bowsher, rob.bowsher@fbcmckinney.com

Cambodia Mission AUG 11-19
Team Leader: Andrew Heath, Andrew.heath@fbcmckinney.com

Malawi Mission- FALL 2011
Team Leader: Jared Smith, jared@teamsmith.me

Message from RML

2011-06-02T09:37:00.001-07:00

Unpack Invite from FBCMcKinney on Vimeo.

5.29.11 Announcements

2011-05-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have a sense of expectancy about this summer! Extreme Camp will be leaving in just over a week. Backyard Bible Clubs will be happening soon. And even this Wednesday, folks who have placed their trust in Christ through the ministry of DV8 will be baptized. Lives are being impacted for Christ because of your service and involvement. I hope that you see how valuable you are to God’s plan in lifting Christ high in the world!

Thank you for giving voice to the areas of church life and service in the announcements each week!

May 29, 2011

Dr. Creech Reception
We are so thankful for the leadership and guidance Dr. Creech has provided over the past 6 months. Please join us for a reception in the Chapel before and after each worship service on June 5th as we say “Thank You” for serving us well as our interim preacher.

AlabamaMission Trip
The Worship & Arts Ministry will be leading a Disaster Relief and Rebuilding Mission trip to the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area July 11-17th. You can join and help with not only the rebuilding of people’s homes, but also the rebuilding of lives as we try to reach out with God’s love. If you are interested in participating in this trip or you would like more information, please call Kara Greer at 469.424.1609 or email at kara.greer@fbcmckinney.com. In addition, there will be an information meeting, with snacks and drinks, on Sunday, June 5th at 11:56 in the Choir Room. Deposits are due now, so don’t wait!

Welcome Reception for Pastor Richard and his Family
Join us as we welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Mark Lee, for his first sermon on Sunday June 12. Later that evening, you are invited to a reception in His honor where there will be a modern day “giftcard” pounding from 4-6pm. For more information or videos of Dr. Lee and his family, visit www.fbcmckinney.com/pastorsearch.

Online Giving Update
Do you give online using First Connect? If you set up a recurring donation it may have expired. First Connect requires an end date to recurring contributions. Go online (www.fbcmckinney.com / click on FBC Member Login) and see if yours is still active. If your intent is to give regularly, then enter an end date that is 10 years in the future. That way it won’t expire any time soon and you can always go back in to update.

Xtreme Camp – June 4-7
Xtreme Camp is for adults and teens who love God and like having LOTS of fun! The most FUN week of the summer is just around the corner, and we would love to have you come with us! Interested? Signup in the ROCK office! Adult Sponsors are still needed.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website. Host Homes are needed for the backyard clubs!

Unified Missions Offering
Help us reach our goal of raising $275,000 for our 2011 unified missions offering. To date we have raised just over $238,490 and with your help we can reach our goal. Please pray and consider how you and your family can be a part of this amazing opportunity.

5.22.11 Announcements

2011-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

What an exciting time of year! For those with children and grandchildren, graduations and summer are just around the corner. A season of fun for many before a new beginning. We are looking forward to FBC’s new beginning under Richard Mark Lee’s leadership. He will preach on June 12th. Please note in the announcements that there will be a reception later that day.

For Young and Median Adult Leaders, we will have a directors meeting this Sunday, May 22nd, at 8:00 AM in the Fireside Room. Looking forward to our time together.

May 22, 2011

First Conversations TONIGHT (5/22) at 4:00 PM
First Conversations is a town hall style meeting with an open mic forum. The next meeting will be held on Sunday, May 22nd at 4:00pm in the Theatre. If you have additional questions, please contact Debbie Sanders at Debbie.Sanders@fbcmckinney.com.

Xtreme Camp – June 4-7
Xtreme Camp is for adults and teens who love God and like having LOTS of fun! The most FUN week of the summer is just around the corner, and we would love to have you come with us! Interested? Signup in the ROCK office! Adult Sponsors are still needed.

Unified Missions Offering
Help us reach our goal of raising $275,000 for our 2011 unified missions offering. To date we have raised just over $234,500 and with your help we can reach our goal. Please pray and consider how you and your family can be a part of this amazing opportunity.

Dr. Creech Reception
We are so thankful for the leadership and guidance Dr. Creech has provided over the past 6 months. Please join us for a reception in the Chapel before and after each worship service on June 5th. The come and go reception is a chance for the church family to say thank you for serving us well as our interim preacher.

Welcome Reception for Pastor Richard and his Family
Join us as we welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Mark Lee, for his first sermon on Sunday June 12. Later that evening, you are invited to a reception in His honor where there will be a modern day “giftcard” pounding from 4-6pm. For more information or videos of Dr. Lee and his family, visit www.fbcmckinney.com/pastorsearch.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website. Host Homes are needed for the backyard clubs!

5.15.11 Announcements

2011-05-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

May 15, 2011

First Conversations on May 22 at 4:00 PM
First Conversations is a town hall style meeting with an open mic forum. The next meeting will be held on Sunday, May 22nd at 4:00pm in the Theatre. If you have additional questions, please contact Debbie Sanders at Debbie.Sanders@fbcmckinney.com.

Finch Fit Fest
Sign up to sponsor Finch Fit Fest, May 20th. Members can sign up (1) on-line at http://finchfitfest.eventbrite.com, (2) via sign-up sheets placed in records boxes, or (3) by emailing finchfitfest@gmail.com. Encourage your members to sign up and make it a great day for Finch students and faculty! (More event info included in your box this week.)

Xtreme Camp
Xtreme Camp is for adults and teens who love God and like having LOTS of fun! The most FUN week of the summer is coming June 4-7, and we would love to have you come with us! Interested? Sign-up in the ROCK office!

Unified Missions Offering
Help us reach our goal of raising $275,000 for our 2011 unified missions offering. To date we have raised just over $220,000 and with your help we can reach our goal. Please pray and consider how you and your family can be a part of this amazing opportunity.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website. Host Homes are needed for the backyard clubs!

Welcome Reception for Pastor Richard and his Family
Join us on June 12th from 4:00-6:00 pm as we welcome our new Senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Mark Lee, his wife, Wendy, daughters, Jessica and Meredith with a modern-day “gift card” pounding. Pounding is a custom dating back to Quaker founding days. Friends, neighbors and church members would bring a pound of sugar, pound of flour, etc…to stock up the new neighbor’s cupboards. You may wish to enclose a gift card inside a welcome note or card.

5.08.11 Announcements

2011-05-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly approaching! Extreme Camp, Vacation Bible School, and Mission Trips will be taking off to all corners of the world. In the midst of travel, vacation, and work, I hope that you will encourage your group to stay engaged with God, one another, and the church. Thank you for all you do in helping men and women follow Christ!

May 8, 2011

First Conversations on May 22 at 4:00 PM
First Conversations is a town hall style meeting with an open mic forum. The next meeting will be held on Sunday, May 22nd at 4:00pm in the Theatre. If you have additional questions, please contact Debbie Sanders at Debbie.Sanders@fbcmckinney.com.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website. Host Homes are needed for the backyard clubs!

Finch Fit Fest
Sign up to sponsor Finch Fit Fest, May 20th. Members can sign up (1) on-line at http://finchfitfest.eventbrite.com, (2) via sign-up sheets placed in records boxes, or (3) by emailing finchfitfest@gmail.com. Encourage your members to sign up and make it a great day for Finch students
and faculty! (More event info included in your box this week.)

ONE Spirit ● ONE Hope ● ONE Lord ● ONE Faith
ONE – a women’s evening of worship and praise will be held on Friday, May 13 at 7:00 pm in the Worship Center at FBC McKinney. Melissa Shaver will teach “Live a Life Worthy of Your Call” and Amy Nobles Band will lead in worship. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Education Fund for Widowed Families. Tickets are on sale in the Connection today for $10.

Sports Ministry News
3on3 Basketball Tournament – MAYhem in McKinney - Saturday May 14th...This is “A Great Experience” for the whole family! $50 Team Registration fee (5 player max per team) Age division from 3rd Grade to adult Go to www.fbcmckinney.com/sports or call 469-424-1607 Sign your team up today!!!

Summer Sports Camps …. Today is the last day for early registration. Don’t miss out, go to the church website and sign up now!

Pastor Search Committee Introducing Dr. Lee

2011-04-28T07:42:00.001-07:00

Announcements 5.1.11

2011-04-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to Sunday! It will be great to hear from Dr. Richard Mark Lee. The Search Committee will also have a video for you to show your group. For BFGs, the video will be in your BFG box. For Community Groups, it will be up on the Discipleship Website at www.discipleshipfbc.blogspot.com.

With all the attention on the Pastor Search Process this week, please do not forget to highlight the other opportunities in the announcements this week.

May 1, 2011

National Day of Prayer – Thursday May 5th
You and your family are invited to attend the 60th Anniversary observance of the National Day of Prayer. It will be May 5 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at McKinney Mitchell Park (Located 1 block west of Town Square). A Bible Read-a-thon will take place following the time of prayer. Register for your scripture at www.mckinneyndp2011.org or at the event at the registration table. Read at the park or from where you are.

Mother Daughter Brunch Saturday May 7, 2011
9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Children’s Theater. This free event is open to daughters of all ages. Enjoy a special garden party brunch. Register online under upcoming events. Speaker: Dr. Melissa Ewing. Topic: Helping your Mother Daughter Relationship Bloom.

Backyard Bible Beach Blast- June 20-24, 2011
9:30-11:30a.m. 4 years to 3rd grade (4th & 5th grade can serve with their parent as junior helpers) It is time for another week of backyard Bible clubs. Register you and your children today. Find a way to volunteer during the most exciting week of the summer. For more details and registration, go to the FBC website. Host Homes are needed for the backyard clubs!

Finch Fit Fest
Sponsor sign-up for Finch Fit Fest, May 20th, will begin this Sunday. Members can sign up (1) on-line at http://finchfitfest.eventbrite.com, (2) via sign-up sheets placed in records boxes, or (3) by emailing finchfitfest@gmail.com. Encourage your members to sign up and make it a great day for Finch students
and faculty! (More event info included in your box this week.)

ONE Spirit ● ONE Hope ● ONE Lord ● ONE Faith
ONE – a women’s evening of worship and praise will be held on Friday, May 13 at 7:00 pm in the Worship Center at FBC McKinney. Melissa Shaver will teach “Live a Life Worthy of Your Call” and Amy Nobles Band will lead in worship. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Education Fund for Widowed Families. Tickets are on sale in the Connection today for $10.

New U
New U is the new believer’s class for grade school children to help them prepare for baptism. The two week class is being offered on Wednesday May 4th and May 11th at 6:15 PM. Please contact Children’s Ministry to sign up and for more information.

Sports Ministry News
3on3 Basketball Tournament – MAYhem in McKinney - Saturday May 14th...This is “A
Great Experience” for the whole family! $50 Team Registration fee (5 player max per team) Age
division from 3rd Grade to adult Go to www.fbcmckinney.com/sports or call 469-424-1607
Sign your team up today!!!

4.17.11 Announcements

2011-04-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

I hope that you are having a great Spring! Easter is almost here. Please remind your folks of the Easter Service Schedule and that we will not have BFGs next week. Also, there will be flyers in your box for those who want more information about Finch Fit Fest.

Median and Young Adult Leaders – Please remember our meeting this Sunday, April 17th, at 8:00 AM in the Fireside Room. Please make it a high priority to be there. We have a few items that we need to clearly communicate.

April 17, 2011

Family Sports Ministry News

Summer Sport Camps
This summer the Sports Ministry is hosting a variety of Sport Camps. You will not want
to miss out on some great instruction and fun. To register or get more information go to
www.fbcmckinney/sports.

Monday Night Men’s Hoops
Men Come hoop-it! When: Every Monday night from 730-930 in the Family Sports
Center Gymnasium. Bring a friend and whatever game you got.

Thursday Night -Adult Co-Ed Volleyball Open Gym Night
Bring some friends or your entire small group to play some volleyball on Thursday nights
from 7-9pm in the Family Sports Center Gymnasium. Come serve it up and have some
fun and fellowship.

Summer Mission Adventures

Malawi Mission, July 15-23 INFORMATIONAL MEETING TODAY @ 11:45am in
the Fireside Room. Purpose: Support our Adopted People Group and Missionaries, Keith
and Christeen Moller with construction of school Team Leader: Jared Smith,
jared@teamsmith.me.

Family Mission Trip will be July 28-31. There is an informational meeting today at
12:00 PM in the Multipurpose Room. For more information please contact John Shapiro
at john.shapiro@fbcmckinney.com.

2011 Muslim Background Believers Conference
April 29-30, 2011 at First Baptist McKinney
The (MBB) Muslim Background Believers Conference is an annual conference for Muslim
background believers, pastors, missionaries, lay leaders, students and any Christian with a
burden to reach Muslims with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To register go to mbbconference.org
and use code FBCM2011 for a special discounted rate. To volunteer please contact Conita
Cramer, Conita Cramer@gmail.com or call the missions office for more information.
469-452-6925

What’s in the Bag?
Finch Fit Fest is May 20th. Will your group help answer the question, “What’s in the bag?”

Easter

Sunrise Service: 6:30am (Parking lot near FBC baseball fields-rain out location the ROCK, childcare not available for the Sunrise service)

Worship Center: 8, 9, 10 & 11am (childcare available for birth-age 3 at 9, 10 & 11am only)

New Community (FBC Gym): 9, 10 & 11am (childcare available for birth-age 3 at 9, 10 & 11am only)

Theatre (FSC Theatre): 9, 10 & 11am (childcare available for birth-age 3 at 9, 10 & 11am only)

Announcements for 4.10.11

2011-04-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a great Transform Your World Season! This is the last of the video announcements this week. Here is the link for you to preview the DVD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPvnkczl_I8. For those of you who show the video in your class, it should be ready in your DVD player.

Young and Median Adult Leaders, please remember that we will have a meeting at 8:00 AM on April 17th in the Fireside Room.

Go & Be this Sunday, April 3rd!

2011-03-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Go and Be is this weekend! Please remind your people that we will be worshiping through service at Garage Giveaway on Sunday. There will be no worship services at the church building on Sunday, April 3rd.

Please also remind your group that the Transform Your World offering will be collected on Sunday, April 10th. Encourage those who you lead to be in prayer about how they will participate in this offering and come ready to give on that Sunday. These funds help us demonstrate Christ’s love in word and deed throughout the world!

Have a great weekend!