“The purpose of our church is not to know everyone else. The purpose is to introduce more people to Christ.” - Pastor Josh Burton Faith is the essence of a Christian. No one in our church would want to be accused of not having faith. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “you are saved ... through faith.” Paul also wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk (live) by faith, not by sight.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” To the Christian faith is a way of life, but faith is challenging. For the non-believer, the difficulty of faith (putting their trust in what they cannot see) is what keeps them lost and bound to Hell. For the believer, the difficulty of faith can prevent us from continuing to see the power of God in our lives. After the disciples could not exercise their faith to reach a lost and demon-possessed boy, Jesus rebuked them in Matthew 17:20 saying that with just a little faith, the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible. How do we know if we have that little, yet powerful, amount of faith? Through our actions. James 2:18 says, “…I will show you faith from my works.” A great example of this is when God promised Joshua that he would separate the waters of a flooded Jordan River in Joshua chapter 3. God said in verse 13, “When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off.” God emphatically commanded the people to literally step out in faith into dangerous waters before he would continue fulfilling his promises. The Lord has emphatically commanded us to make disciples of all people. We have been doing so and are seeing great victories. In 2014 we operated in faith by bringing in new staff and expanding ministries and I exhort us not to stop. For 2015, we must continue to create avenues for people to come and experience the life-changing work of Jesus Christ. This will stretch us in new ways but by faith we can step out into the waters and see the power of God. Some of the actions steps we will take will be expanding our discipleship groups so more of our new members have opportunities to become connected in intimate settings. We would also like to purchase transportation to continue reaching the tremendous amounts of students the Lord is bringing us. This will also challenge us to give more financially. And on Easter Sunday we will begin an earlier service at 9:15 am. We would prefer not to have to do this but our auditorium is relatively small and we are still reaching people. Remember, the purpose of our church is not to know everyone else. You probably don’t know everyone now. The purpose is to introduce more people to Christ. All these decisions require faith. In spite of what seems difficult we are a people living for a God who requires our lives be characterized by trusting in Him through every circumstance as we move forward in our faith. Pastor Josh First Pottsboro Newsletter March/April 2015 For more info on what is happening in the church visit: fbcpottsboro.com/InTheKnow New Members in Jan & Feb -Scooter Cunningham -Charma Farris -Tyler Farris -Stephanie Faubion -PJ Flenner -Jennifer Gibson -Verne Preston -Wes Rogers A Word From Pastor Josh
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“The purpose of our
church is not to know
everyone else. The
purpose is to introduce
more people to Christ.”
- Pastor Josh Burton
Faith is the essence of a Christian. No one in our church would want to be accused of not having faith. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “you are saved ... through faith.” Paul also wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk (live) by faith, not by sight.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” To the Christian faith is a way of life, but faith is challenging.
For the non-believer, the difficulty of faith (putting their trust in what they cannot see) is what keeps them lost and bound to Hell. For the believer, the difficulty of faith can prevent us from continuing to see the power of God in our lives. After the disciples could not exercise their faith to reach a lost and demon-possessed boy, Jesus rebuked them in Matthew 17:20 saying that with just a little faith, the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible. How do we know if we have that little, yet powerful, amount of faith? Through our actions. James 2:18 says, “…I will show you faith from my works.”
A great example of this is when God promised Joshua that he would separate the waters of a flooded Jordan River in Joshua chapter 3. God said in verse 13, “When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off.” God emphatically commanded the people to literally step out in faith into dangerous waters before he would continue fulfilling his promises.
The Lord has emphatically commanded us to make disciples of all people. We have been doing so and are seeing great victories. In 2014 we operated in faith by bringing in new staff and expanding ministries and I exhort us not to stop. For 2015, we must continue to create avenues for people to come and experience the life-changing work of Jesus Christ. This will stretch us in new ways but by faith we can step out into the waters and see the power of God.
Some of the actions steps we will take will be expanding our discipleship groups so more of our new members have opportunities to become connected in intimate settings. We would also like to purchase transportation to continue reaching the tremendous amounts of students the Lord is bringing us. This will also challenge us to give more financially. And on Easter Sunday we will begin an earlier service at 9:15 am. We would prefer not to have to do this but our auditorium is relatively small and we are still reaching people.
Remember, the purpose of our church is not to know everyone else. You probably don’t know everyone now. The purpose is to introduce more people to Christ. All these decisions require faith. In spite of what seems difficult we are a people living for a God who requires our lives be characterized by trusting in Him through every circumstance as we move forward in our faith.
Pastor Josh
First Pottsboro Newsletter March/April 2015
For more info on what is happening in the church visit: fbcpottsboro.com/InTheKnow
New Members in Jan & Feb
-Scooter Cunningham -Charma Farris
-Tyler Farris -Stephanie Faubion
-PJ Flenner -Jennifer Gibson -Verne Preston -Wes Rogers
A Word From Pastor Josh
What is going on in Kindle Student Ministry?
We are getting ready to go to North Texas Easter Retreat in Davis, OK
at the Falls Creek. We are also getting ready for this summer, which
will be a lot of fun and excitement. We will be going to Wild Week at
Latham Springs in Aquila, TX July 7-11, we will also be going out to
the lake a few times this summer. I am excited to see the students
grow, we had 11 students go to the Easter retreat last year and we
are expecting around 30 students this year. I look forward to see what
God is going to do this year.
Youth Spotlight
I’d like to talk about one of our students, so this time I want to tell you
about Jimmy (Scooter) Cunningham. Scooter is a great student and
has grown spiritually. When he first started coming to the youth group
he did not hesitate to start asking his friends to come. He is always the
first one wanting to pray when asked, and has the ability to reach
people. I will ask you to pray for him as he grows and pray for the rest
of our students, that God will work in their lives. Also pray that the
students will be receptive of the Gospel.
Till He Comes, Victor Quintanilla
Children’s Corner Hello, church! These next few months are going to bring a lot of
change for our kiddos here at FBC. We are beginning to decorate the
hallways and the nursery. I will also be implementing many new
procedures to ensure the safety of all of our little ones.
I’m very pleased to announce that we now have an RA’s class (taught
by Blake) AND a GA’s class (taught by Leah) for our 5th-6th graders!
What an awesome answer to prayer! I will continue to teach the K-4th
grade coed class until we need to split into more grade divisions. How
cool is it to have grown so much that we need three teachers?
God is so good!
In Children’s worship on Sunday mornings, we have begun the “Buck
Denver: What’s in the Bible?” video series. This 13 part video series
will go through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. I think it
will be a great way for the kids to really get to know what’s in God’s
word!
We also have many upcoming events, including an Easter outreach,
VBS outreach, and summer camp. There are a few fundraisers in the
works so be ready to hear about them and please be ready to serve!
In order to do everything God has planned for this ministry, it’s going
to take all of us working together. Love you guys!
In Him, Meagan Hunter
For more info on the Youth and Children visit:
fbcpottsboro.com/students or fbcpottsboro.com/children
Youth In The Spotlight
April is going to be a HUGE month for First Baptist! On Easter Sunday, the Praise Team will play two services for the first
time. I cannot believe that we have grown so much that we are having to transition to two services—this is a great problem to
have! God is moving in and through all of us! I hope that one day, we will all be able to be united in one service if we are ever
blessed enough to have a bigger facility.
With two services comes many questions—many of them being about diversity in style and in music. I can answer those
questions quickly and easily—there will be no difference. I have a conviction that the Lord has put on my heart to do the same set
list in both services. I don’t think it is wise to “segregate” the
church because of style. We only have a size complication, not
a style complication. The heart of worship is surrender. Music
is an avenue of worship. It is all about what we give to the Lord,
not about our preferences or what we get out of the service. For
this reason, the Praise Team will continue as usual in serving
the Lord through music – this is where our heart is.
God Bless, Jenna Toland
With growth comes growing pains. This is not much of a
revelation to anyone, I’m sure, but the truth of this
applies to many things and in ways we sometimes don’t
realize. The Lord has blessed our fellowship mightily
over the past several months and, while it does not
measure up to the first Pentecost in which 3000 people
were added to the church, the growth has been enough
to produce some growing pains.
It is interesting to note how the early church handled
their growing pains. Now, I understand that caution
should be exercised when applying historical narratives
to our lives since many accounts are descriptive of the
events and not necessarily prescriptive of the way we
should live. With this in mind, I don’t think God would
have us sell our possessions and property and distribute
the proceeds to all as anyone has a need. However, the
principle is still applicable – we should be willing to
sacrifice what God has blessed us with to meet the
needs of the brethren.
We have several areas in which our growing pains are
being felt. One of these is our youth ministry. The youth
group has grown significantly recently and is, of course,
also one that is feeling some of these growing pains the
most. More specifically, the need for transportation to
and from the church is growing almost weekly.
The largest obstacle to meeting this need is the monthly
expenses such as gas, insurance, etc. a vehicle would
impose.
I would like to encourage you to prayerfully consider
your financial contributions to the church. Is your heart
that of the early church? Are you meeting the scriptural
and spiritual mandate to tithe to the Lord? Could you
perhaps increase your giving? We have had an average
attendance since the first of the year of over 114 each
Sunday. If one additional dollar was given for each
person each week, this would provide just over $450.00
each month. From estimates we have received, this
would roughly meet a gas/insurance budget for a church
van and remove a significant obstacle to the youth
ministry. If each of us will act as the early church did and
have that kind of heart toward one another and live
sacrificially toward one another, the Lord says we will be
blessed.
In Christ, Troy Kelso
From the Deacon’s Desk
From Acts 2:41-47 (labeled a Generous and Growing Church)
“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. Then fear came over everyone,
and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in
common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted
themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and
humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.”
Notes from Jenna ♫
For more info on the Music Ministry or ways to get involved at First Baptist, visit us at: fbcpottsboro.com/worship
April 1 Fleeta Curtis
10 Carson Daniel 11 Jason Mowdy & Elwanda Medart 21 John Burton
March
2 David Nixon
3 Greg Gilley & Gay Gentry
4 Tyler Farris
10 Joann Towery
15 Bob Hash & Sammy Brown
21 Joseph Faubion
24 Rhealynn Owens
26 P.J. Flenner & Maddi Elizondo
First Pottsboro Newsletter March/April 2015
For more info on what is happening in the church visit: fbcpottsboro.com/InTheKnow
Giving Needed Each Month - $10,950.00
Contact Us
First Baptist Pottsboro
400 N. Houston
Pottsboro, Texas 75076
903.786.9449
fbcpottsboro.com
First Pottsboro Staff
Josh Burton, Pastor
Victor Quintanilla, Students
Meagan Hunter, Children
Jenna Toland, Music
Service Times
Sunday
Discipleship Groups | 9:30a
Service | 10:45a
Evening Bible Study | 6:00p
Wednesday
Fellowship Meal | 5:30p
Discipleship Groups | 6:30p
January
Average Attendance: 104
Baptisms: 2
New Members: 2
(baptism)
Total Giving: $9,646.64
February
Average Attendance: 116
Baptisms: 4
New Members: 5
(1 letter & 4 baptisms)
Total Giving: $10,399.94
Facts and Figures
Don’t see your birthday here? Email us your info at
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Discipleship Groups -9:30A Service - 10:45a Service - 6:00p
2
3
4 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
5 6 7
Men’s
Fellowship
- 12p
8 Discipleship Groups -9:30A Service - 10:45a Children’s Volunteer Meeting - 5:00p Service - 6:00p
9 10
11 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
12 13 14
15 Discipleship Groups -9:30A Service - 10:45a Service - 6:00p
16 GBA Meeting
@ FBC Van Alstyne -
10:00a
17 18
Provide BSM Lunch - 11:30-12:30p
Fellowship Meal - 5:30p
Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
19 20
Spring Begins
21
22 Discipleship Groups -9:30A Service - 10:45a Service - 6:00p
23 24 25 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
26 27 28
Spring Clean Fellowship
29 Discipleship Groups -9:30A Service - 10:45a
5th Sunday
Singing - 6:00p
30 31
For more info on Upcoming Events visit: fbcpottsboro.com/Upcoming-Events
MARCH 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Easter Park Outreach - 5:30p
No Discipleship
Groups
2
Falls Creek
3
Falls Creek
Good Friday
4
Falls Creek
5 EASTER SUNDAY!
Sunrise Service - 6:00a
Service - 9:15a
Service - 10:45a
No Night Service
6 7 8
Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
9 10 11
12
Service - 9:15a
Service - 10:45a
Deacons Meeting - 5:00p Service - 6:00p
13 14 15 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
16 17 18
Kids Bake Sale
Fundraiser @ Brookshire’s
19 Service - 9:15a Service - 10:45a
Church Conference -
6:00p
20 21 22 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
23 24
Mission Arlington
25
Mission Arlington
26 Service - 9:15a Service - 10:45a Service - 6:00p
27 28 29 Fellowship Meal - 5:30p Discipleship Groups - 6:30p
30
APRIL 2015
For more info on Upcoming Events visit: fbcpottsboro.com/Upcoming-Events
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