Join us this Sunday Evening December 3, 2006  At 7:00 p.m. for HANGING OF THE GREEN A Traditional Service Led by Advent Planning Team, Enjoy the Sanctuary Choir, On Stage! Youth, And other musicians Come at 6:15 to learn how to decorate

EXPERIENCING ADVENT  The season of Advent is here!  We celebrate by lighting the Advent candles each Sunday.  This year a new Advent Banner (made by Joyce Wright and Jackie Jones) will help us remember the themes of the season, as well as an Advent Tableau (organized by Kathy Ward) on the communion table.  Each week we will recognize a different symbol of the season represented in the picture on the banner.  A new symbol will be placed on the tableau each week, and a small representation of the symbol will be taken home by worshippers at the end of each service.  All families are invited to create a “gift box bank” by wrapping an empty box (any size such as shoe box) and using a slot in the top to collect spare change during the month of December.  On December 31, the families will be invited to bring their boxes to church to bring to the altar as we remember the gifts of the magi on the Sunday after Christmas.  The money collected will be given to Smithfield Area Ministries to help with local food needs.  Read the pre-service Power Point information (formulated by Shelley Gardner) on the screen each week to learn more about the meaning of the season.  Also notice the art work of our children from Sunday School as they interpret the themes from week to week.  Several of our adult artists are contributing their skills by providing the bulletin covers for our Sunday morning services (Doug Strickland, Ruth Andrews, Amanda Ward and Paul Burgess).  Team members who helped plan worship are David and Shannon Council, Susan Broadwell, Judy Broadwell, Geri Hubbard, Joyce Wright, Shelley Gardner, Anesha Johnson, Kathy Ward, Renee Wooters, Bryan Harris, and Kelley Garris.

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST
Join us Sunday,
December 10th
 from 8:15 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.
for our
Church-wide Christmas Breakfast
Come enjoy lots of yummy, delicious, mouth-waterin’
 good food, and fellowship. 
Everyone is invited.

YOUTH NEWS
FBC Middle School  (7th & 8th Graders) Christmas Outing is Saturday, December 9th, 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Join us for a “Christmas Tree Ornament Search” (a Christmas Scavenger Hunt).  Meet at the Buses and Bring money for lunch at Mucho Mexico.  See ya there!!!!!

AUCTION TO BENEFIT
THE YOUTH MISSION TRIP!!!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd  
We’re looking forward to a great event for the church and our youth!  The Youth Mission Trip Auction is the biggest fundraiser for the youth’s mission trip.  We need items such as:  Antiques, Professional Services, Cakes and Pies, Vacation Home Weekends, Gift Certficates, Homemade Quilts/Afghans, Sports Tickets, New Electronics, etc…
AND IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO CONTRIBUTE!!!
Questions?  See Art Andrews, Margie Crumley, or Tommy Cook

YOUTH WINTER RETREAT
February 9-11
Cost:  $80
Where:  Camp Carraway in Asheboro, NC
$25 deposit is past due.  Call Tommy to sign up.
Watch the Visitor for more information.

 MUSIC NOTES
The NC Baptist Singers are coming!  Monday, January 29, 2007 this large group of Baptist Church musicians will play and sing a worship concert at our church starting 6:45 p.m.  Plan to
attend!

FEEL FREE TO JOIN US
The Men’s Bible Study that meets on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. would like to say “come and join us.”  We have been meeting for several weeks but it is not too late to join.  Nine of us meet and have a great time discussing the book of Acts.  We will meet November 13 and 27.  On November 20 we will be joining Mike Ward at the Men’s Rally at Clyde’s Chapel Baptist Church in Wendell.  We will meet in December on the 4th, 11th, and 18th.  Hope you will join us!

OUR KNOWN SICK
Golda Pittman (Wake Rehab, Zebulon), Karen Brown (Home), Annie Laurie Lewis (Home), Kirby Rose (Home), Mildred Wright (Home)

SYMPATHY
We express our Christian sympathy to Bill Downs in the recent homegoing of his sister.

MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
Four Oaks Baptist Church is organizing a group of men to go to Honduras.  Their mission is to build a house for a lady and her children.  The house she is living in presently is made of sticks and mud.  Please pray and listen for God’s call to go and serve.  If you are interested please contact Linwood Byrd at 202-9300 (mobile) or call the Four Oaks Baptist Church.  The dates are January 17-25, 2007.  There are four slots available.

KENNEDY HOME CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, December 10 the Kennedy Home will hold its annual Open House.  If you would like to attend we will have a bus leaving immediately after church.  We will stop on the way for a quick lunch.  Please contact Carolyn Tharrington at 934-3749 to reserve your place on the bus.

SPECIAL SUNDAY EVENING PROGRAMS

There will be two Sunday morning services all five Sunday mornings in December.

FOOD NEEDED FOR JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
Sign up on the bulletin board outside the kitchen to bring, cookies, cider, or hot chocolate mix for Journey to Bethlehem.  We need everyone to take part to have enough refreshments to serve the persons who attend this program.

FIRST BAPTIST MUSICIANS IN FESTIVAL OF TREES
Our talented church family is well represented in the entertainment lined up for the Festival of Trees at the Medical Mall on Nov. 30-Dec. 8.  At the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening Nov. 30 the Sanctuary Choir will sing as well as the family of Todd, Donna, and Abby Johnson.  The following will also perform:

1. Sunday December 3—1 p.m. Praise Ringers Handbells; 2 p.m. Baptist Blend Quartet
2. Monday December 4—10 a.m. Chris Gilbert, pianist; 3 p.m. Carolyn Crumpler, vocalist; 7 p.m. Spencer Braswell, Evan Garris, Becky Maust and Madison Garris, instrumentalists; 7:30 p.m. Olive Cooke, pianist
3. Tuesday, December 5—3 p.m. Melba Woodruff, pianist
4. Wednesday, December 6—4:30 p.m. Kathi Nixon, guitar, vocals, Hinton and Georgia Kate Edgerton, Violin, vocals

RED CROSS AT FBC
The Red Cross will be at FBC in Ryberg Hall on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Call 934-8481 for more information and to make an appointment.

WEEK OF PRAYER
FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS
An observance of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions will be led by Jerry and Mary Nell Ferguson on December 3rd thru December 10th.  They will present a Mission Study on West Africia on Wednesday evening December 6th at 6:30 p.m.  Don’t miss this very important program as we learn about, pray for, and give to foreign missions.  Our church’s goal is $8,000.  Surely we will meet this worthy goal.  The State Goal is $14 million, and the National Goal is $150 million.

THANK YOU
We would like to thank all of you for your prayers, cards and encouragement during Dad’s sickness and passing.  Debra & James Corbett.

Dear First Baptist Church, Thank you for your generous love for our community……especially for Thanksgiving Lunch! Anonymous.

WEBSITE UPDATES
Check the online calendar to get information about Sunday School class Christmas parties.  Email webmaster@fbcsmithfield.org to add a party to the calendar.
 
Website Tip:  The FBC Website is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer.  If you are using AOL or Mozilla, you may get unexpected results on some pages.  If you are an AOL user and would like to use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, email webmaster@fbcsmithfield.org. 

FROM THE PULPIT

                     
OPPORTUNITIES OF THE WEEK

* Nursery provided