Please join us Monday, December 24, 2007 At 7:30 p.m.For the Christmas Eve Candle Light Communion Service
We will enjoy Instrumental, Vocal and Choir Specials, Skit by Church Staff, Guest Cellist, Nate Leyland And Lighting of the Christ Candle

CHURCH-WIDE CAROLING
Gather your family and join us for a church-wide caroling on Sunday, December 23. Meet in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30 p.m. and bring a plateful of goodies to share when we return.

The Church Office
will be CLOSED
December 24th and 25th

The Church staff wishes you
a joyous, Christ filled Christmas
And a Happy New Year!

YOUTH NEWS
ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE YOUTH
We will have a Mission Work Day on Saturday, December 29th Meet at the church at 8:00 a.m. We will be going to Selma to put vinyl siding on a house. This is a great opportunity for Mission hours. Call the church office to sign up.

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

ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS
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!
ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS
Don’t forget Student Day at Christmas, December 30th. All those participating in music, we will warm up in the Music Room at 8:00 a.m. See ya then.

MUSIC NOTES
Special Sunday night services will be as follows:
? 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

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

CHURCH-WIDE CAROLING
Gather your family and join us for a church-wide caroling on Sunday, December 23. Meet in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30 p.m. and bring a plateful of goodies to share when we return.

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!

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.

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

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.
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 1958, First Baptist was largely responsible for the organization of Sharon Baptist Church. In 1960, Charles W. Wiggs and his wife Bonnie, members of the church, were appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board as missionaries to Korea. Dr. Mayo resigned and John L. Ryberg became interim pastor. He was called in February, 1961, to be full-time pastor and remained so until his death on December 13, 1984.

OUTING TO HEAR PEPPER CHOPLIN
Make plans to join us Friday, January 4th to hear Pepper Choplin. We will meet at the church at 5:00 p.m. to depart for Raleigh. We will stop for a dutch supper followed by a free worship concert at Greyston Baptist church featuring Pepper Choplin and other musicians. Please call the church office to sign up.

OUR KNOWN SICK
Eunice Weeks (JMH), Gale Stanfield (Home), Max Creech (Home), Danny Hensley (Home), Todd Johnson (Home)

NOTE:
The Visitor will not be published next week.

OPPORTUNITIES OF THE WEEK

* Nursery provided