The Church Office will be CLOSED
December 24th, 25th, and January 1, 2010.

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

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST
Saturday, December 19th
beginning at 8:30 a.m.
in the Fellowship Hall

Children and their families are invited to come sing, create, decorate, and fellowship. Activities will be directed toward children 6th grade and under but all who wish to attend, of any age, are welcome. We will make a special treat for a mission project.

Caroling, Caroling, Now We Go…

Meet Sunday, December 21st at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall to go caroling, then come back to the church for hot chocolate and cookies!

YOUTH NEWS
NEW YEAR YOUTH/PARENT MEETING
Sunday, January 3rd, at 7 p.m.
NO COOK-OUT THIS YEAR
but we will have some snacks and drinks.
You’ll need to bring insurance information for 2010 Permission Forms and get the latest information about the Ski Trip, Mission Trip and upcoming activities and more….

2010 ALL YOUTH MISSION TRIP
Salyersville, KY on June 26-July 3, 2010
Cost: $100 ($50 due Jan. 10)
Once again, just our youth group this year will be doing home repairs in a small Kentucky community. The youth will start the week off with white water rafting on June 27th then hang on for a week of hard work, great food and lots of good times with each other.

FBC SMITHFIELD WELCOMES
CHRISTMAS GUESTS!!!!
Our youth have partnered with “Tabitha Woman’s Ministry” in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where we have served during our 2008 Summer Mission Trip, this past years Spring break with a crew of 6, and plan to go back in 2010 with a team of 14. Our youth will continue our support for Tabitha, now providing childcare for 60 children and 6 orphans. We are very honored to have Cindy and Luis Estuardo Bercian Diagut, who work with Tabitha, visit with us during Christmas week. Our team last year became close friends with Cindy and Estuardo. Our church family can hear a report on Tabitha during the Sunday School hour on December 20th in the Fellowship Hall. After worship, you can have opportunities to help support Tabitha by buying some Guatemalan Crafts specially made to keep Tabitha going. Please join our youth as we welcome our friends during Christmas. “Tabitha’s Woman Ministry seeks to aid impoverished mothers living in a Guatemalan City dump by providing childcare so that the mothers can earn income during the day.”

MUSIC ROOM CLEAN-UP DAY
The music room is in need of some cleaning! If you are interested in helping purge the old to make room for the new, meet in the music room on January 6th at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome…no experience required!

OUR KNOWN SICK
Billy Blackmon (UNC), Vitus Carroll (Home), Rick Childrey (Home), Ricky House (Home), Mildred Jordan (Home), Katie Williams (Duke Raleigh), Rebecca Mast (JMH)

NEW MEMBER
We welcome into our Christian fellowship Lillian Dotson, who comes to us by profession of faith and believer’s baptism. Lillian is the daughter of Bill and Angela Dotson.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST
When: December 19th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Fellowship Hall
Activities:
? Breakfast
? Games & Songs
? Christmas story
? Mission outreach project

Children and their families are welcome to fellowship, celebrate and serve together. Activities will be directed toward children 6th grade and under but all who wish to attend, of any age, are welcome. This is a family event. Call the church office to sign up with the number in your family.

BACKPACK NEEDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Backpack Program needs the following items for the upcoming holidays: 18 oz. jars of Peanut Butter, cans of Chef Boyardee (any size), 8 pack cereal boxes (small individual boxes), small individual boxes of raisins, individual fruit cups or apple sauce. If you can help with any of the above items, please drop off your donations in the church office

CLEAN WATER IN BIHAR, INDIA
A great present at Christmas time is to honor someone with a gift of clean water. Someone in Bihar, India would like to see and drink a cup of clear clean water. Please help.

2010 OFFERING ENVELOPES
To comply with tax law, contributors must deliver or mail (and postmark) checks on or before December 31, 2009 to claim a charitable contribution deduction for 2009. Checks that are given to the church after December 31st will not qualify for a charitable contribution in 2009. However, checks that are dated, mailed, and postmarked in 2009 will be deductible in 2009 even though they are not received in the church office until 2010. The church office will be open on December 31st until 5:00 pm to accommodate your needs.

Also,
2010 is just around the corner and with it our Capital Stewardship Campaign. Even though the campaign will not officially start until next year, donations can be made in 2009. Any donation received in the church office before December 31st (or postmarked by that date) will be credited to 2009 contributions. This applies to budget and other designated offerings, as well. “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)

Finally,
The 2010 Offering Envelopes are available for pick-up in the Fellowship Hall before and after church, or during normal working hours Monday thru Friday. Envelopes not picked-up will be mailed December 28, 2009.

ATTENTION: COLLEGE STUDENTS
A fellowship lunch and planning for Student Day at Christmas will be Monday, December 21st at 12:00 noon. at El Sombrero. All college students are invited to attend.

SOUP KITCHEN SCHEDULE
The Soup Kitchen will serve lunch on Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. We will deliver our regular routes in addition to Meals on Wheels routes, so we need drivers. If you can help, please call Anesha Johnson at 934-1601.

ATTENTION WOMEN
ATTENTION HUSBANDS…GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT
The Coastal Women’s Retreat will be held February 26 – 28, 2010 at Caswell. All women are invited to attend. The theme is “Make a Splash.” The cost for the weekend is $134.00. If you would like to join us for this time of personal renewal and fellowship, please call the church to sign up. Brochures are available in the church office and around the church. If you have questions, please contact Sandy Baker at 934-8365.

IT’S CHRISTMAS!

A R H L U I N F G U V M Y M R
P E P F S M I K J Y Y E R X M
N B W R L N I Z E F T A C B W
Y S J A E N Z W S L S Q P W C
G Q H T G G E B U A B X F H O
W C P S N Q N Z S E V A X H W
E I E D A S N A T I V I T Y T
B J S R G C I H M F H Z O S Y
T Z O E U F L D L X E B A R I
A N J H M E W O D S F M A G P
P R O P H E C Y C S N M E I I
X L T E V K N A H S H O G L K
Y L M H S E O V E E G Q V T G
U C T S V I X I I P O J Y R Y
Z Y Q R M U E Z Z B G J G I T

ANGELS JOSEPH PROPHECY
BETHLEHEM KING SAVIOR
FLOCKS MANGER SHEPHERDS
HOLY MARY STABLE
INN NATIVITY STAR
JESUS PEACE WISEMEN

(Find these words associated with Christmas. They can be either horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, backwards or forwards. Have fun looking!)

FROM THE PULP

OPPORTUNITIES OF THE WEEK

* Childcare provide

2009
General Fund:
Budget needs per week: $16,462.33
Received as of 12/13/09 $18,299.20
Budget needs Year to Date $823,116.35
Received Year to Date $749,822.28

Building Fund:
Received 12/13/09 $17,255.00

Lottie Moon
Received to Date $2,770.17

CBF Global
Received to Date $2,486.50

India Project
Received to Date $1,540.00