This Sunday evening December 16th at 7:00 p.m.
Sanctuary Choir Christmas Worship Concert
Celebrate the season with ten beautiful new anthems Of various styles and tempos
Violin music by Libby Dotson and Dr. Henry Goodman
Handbell music by Older Children’s Handbells and Praise Ringers Handbells
Older Children’s Choir joining the Sanctuary Choir
LeeAnna Avery, sign language
Accompaniment by brass ensemble, rhythm, and bass guitar
Power Point Visuals
The nursery will be open

WEDNESDAY NIGHT OPPORTUNITY IN JANUARY
Please mark your calendar for January 9th, 16th and 30th. Dr. George Braswell, Director of Campbell University Divinity School's World Religions and Global Cultures Center, will be leading us in exploring Mormonism, Islam, and various other religious traditions. Dr. Braswell shares his insights from a lifetime of in depth learning and life experiences from around the world. Please make plans to join us in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 - 7:30. Bring your questions, and something to take notes with. This is also a wonderful opportunity for our youth to come and learn as well. Make it a family learning event so your family may be better equipped for the opportunities/challenges that present themselves in our communities, schools/colleges and workplaces.

YOUTH NEWS
Senior High Progressive Dinner this Saturday, December 15th at 6:00 p.m. Meet in the Fellowship Hall. Please contact the church office if you are coming!

MANO E MANO Man to Man/One on One
A Youth Retreat for Guys only!!! January 11 & 12 at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest NC. Cost: $60 per person (Cost includes 3 meals, housing and High Ropes Course). Sign up by December 16 with a $20 deposit (balance is due on January 6.) At the retreat we will challenge each other to be the best men of God we can be as we play, laugh, encourage each other on the ropes course and take some time to flex our muscles for God!

TRUE LOVE WAITS
The True Love Waits weekend will be February 1-3. The theme for the weekend is titled “Courting, Dating, and Hanging Out.” Youth will be staying at host homes for the weekend. The cost is $25* and money is due NO LATER than Sunday, January 13. Cost includes a book, Saturday lunch and a Steak dinner on Saturday night. (There will be additional cost for true love waits rings, or key chains). The weekend also includes a Saturday afternoon event. “The Amazing Date Race” where clues will lead groups of our youth all over the Smithfield area for challenging competitions. The weekend caps off with a True Loves Waits Ceremony at the early service on Sunday, February 3 with a message from Aaron Hinton, a great friend of the church and youth group. This opportunity only comes around once every 3 years, so be sure to sign up! (*scholarships available!!)

AUCTION TO BENEFIT
THE YOUTH MISSION TRIP!!!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd
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!!!
If you want to have contribution credit for year end 2007 for 2008 auction donations, merchandise must be received by or before 5:00 p.m. December 31st
Questions? See Art Andrews, Margie Crumley, or Tommy Cook

DECORATION DONATIONS
Donations of $10.00 are being taken to help with the cost of the Christmas decorations for our Sanctuary. You may give these donations in honor or memory of a loved one or a special friend. Drop off your donation at the church office. We will accept donations until Wednesday, December 19.

COMING FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
A fellowship meal and planning for Student Day at Christmas will happen Tuesday, December 18 at 11:30 a.m. at Mucho Mexico. All college students are invited to attend.
ALSO
There will be a college class dinner on New Year’s Day at the home of Mike and Neppie Stevens. Meet at the Stevens’ house at 6:00 for a night of fun, fellowship, and food with fellow students. Please make plans to attend, as we hope this will be the beginning of a wonderful FBC College Ministry tradition!

MUSIC NOTES
Special Sunday night services will be as follows:
? Dec. 16 – 7:00 p.m. – Sanctuary Choir Christmas Program including bells, instruments, older children’s choir
? Dec. 23 – 6:30 p.m. – Church-wide caroling outing followed by a dessert fellowship
? Dec. 24 - 7:30 p.m. – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

MUSIC IN OUTREACH
This Sunday December 16 at 4 p.m. the Praise Ringers bells will play as part of the Christmas program at First Missionary Baptist church, 403 E. Caswell Street. Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy this handbell and choir program.

Thank you to all the children’s choir members, directors, their parents, accompanist Olive Cooke, and Kathi Nixon who played “Miss Diane” in the Christmas play last Sunday evening.

Mark your calendars to enjoy an evening of Christmas caroling with the church family on Sunday evening December 23, gathering at church at 6:30 p.m. Bring a favorite goody to share when we return to the church.

EARLY WORSHIP IN DECEMBER
The following musical groups will be leading at Early Worship (8:45 service) in December: December 16-Baptist Blend Quartet; December 23—Sanctuary Choir.

WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!
Cookbooks have arrived and can be purchased from Shelley Gardner, Michelle Ball, any M & M member or in the church office. They will also be available Sunday mornings before Sunday School and Wednesday nights in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is $20. They would make great Christmas gifts!

OUR KNOWN SICK
Eunice Weeks (Bryan Center), Selma Davis (Home), Doug Strickland (Home), Kathy Hale (Home), Gale Stanfield (Duke)

MISSION NEWS
The Soup Kitchen will be open Christmas Eve from 11:30 – 12:30. We will deliver meals to senior citizens, or home bound persons needing a meal. What better way to spend an hour or two on Christmas Eve giving to others because we love them. Please come and help. Please call me, Anesha Johnson, 934-1601, if you can help.

2007 CONTRIBUTIONS
Important Notice
To comply with tax law, contributors must deliver or mail (and postmark) checks on or before December 31, 2007 to claim a charitable contribution deduction for 2006. Checks that are given to the church after December 31st will not qualify for a charitable contribution in 2007. However, checks that are dated, mailed, and postmarked in 2007 will be deductible in 2007 even though they are not received in the church office until 2008. The church office will be open on December 31st until 5:00 pm to accommodate your needs.

Also, your 2008 offering envelopes are ready to be picked up. Feel free to pick up your envelopes in the church office Monday through Friday before 5:00 and or in the Fellowship Hall beginning December 9 before Sunday School or after the worship service. Any envelopes not picked up by Friday, December 23rd will be mailed. Please do not begin using these envelopes before Sunday, January 6th.

Thank you for your continued support of First Baptist Church and its ministries to continue God’s work. “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

HISTORY TIDBIT
In 1953 Grace Blackmon (now Wall) was hired as the first full-time secretary of the church, and shortly afterwards Jean Poston was hired as the first Director of Religious Education and Youth. The church helped organize a mission in North Smithfield. It is now North Smithfield Baptist Church. In 1954, a parsonage was built on Vermont Street.

ATTENTION YOUNG ADULT I
SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
Just a reminder that this Sunday, December 16, we will have a covered dish luncheon at the home of Stan and Beth Watson immediately following the 10:55 a.m. worship service. Please call Beth to RSVP at 524-2837.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BIBLE STUDY
Would you like to know the “Secret of Contentment?” Join us as we begin this study on January 9th at 2:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Please call Sybil Edwards at 934-4972 to enroll if you have not already done so.

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome into our Christian fellowship Haley Pearce who comes to us by profession of faith and believer’s baptism.

We welcome into our Christian fellowship Caroline Evans who comes to us by profession of faith and believer’s baptism.

NEW ARRIVAL
Congratulations to Bryan and Kathy Hale on the arrival of their infant son, Gates Matthew Hale.

OPPORTUNITIES OF THE WEEK

* Nursery provided