Newsletter for July 23, 2025

Instead of our regular Wednesday night prayer meeting, First Baptist Church will gather at the Elementary School for a special time of prayer. We invite everyone to join us in front of the school as we lift up our students, teachers, staff, and community before the start of the new school year.

Let’s come together in faith and unity as we seek God’s guidance and blessing over our schools.

First Baptist Church is putting together a special cookbook, and we need your help! Our goal is to celebrate the legacy of faith, family, and fellowship by gathering cherished recipes that have been passed down through generations, recipes you love and want to share with others.

We are collecting recipes. Here are ways you can contribute.

• Request a link from Jonathan and you will able to helps us out by typing a recipe in.
• Pickup a form from the church and fill out your information. 
• Download and print of a form. Click Here

Let’s preserve and share the flavors of our church family!
Please see Sue Mastrario, Nel Meyer, or Jonathan if you have any questions.  

SPARK Leadership Conference – Sunday, September 7, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:15 PM
Location: Sherwood Baptist Church, 2201 Whispering Pines Rd, Albany, GA
Cost: $15 per person

SPARK is a one-day leadership event designed to equip and encourage everyone involved in ministry—from pastors and worship leaders to Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and more. Whether you're new to ministry or have years of experience, there’s something for everyone.

Jonathan Perry will be attending—see him if you'd like to go with him!
The evening includes a keynote message from Dr. Mark Clifton, breakout sessions, and a light supper. Don’t miss this great opportunity to grow and connect!

The family of Katie Ruth Holland would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for your prayers and sympathy during our time of loss. We deeply appreciate and are grateful for each act of kindness and thoughtful gesture, and the wonderful music, songs, and message. We especially want to thank both the ladies and men of First Baptist Church and First Methodist Church for coordinating and working together to provide such a beautiful and bountiful lunch after the services. Your support and friendship have meant so much to each of us and will always be remembered.

Ray, Marion, Elizabeth, John, and Eva Lynn

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM

The sanctuary flowers used each Sunday are in need of a refresh, and the church would greatly benefit from new arrangements. If you’d like to help enhance the beauty of our worship space, a designated Flower Fund has been established for contributions. Thank you for your support!

If you would be willing to serve on our nursery rotation, please see Eilene Perry or send us a message through our contact form. While we don’t have children every Sunday, we want to ensure this ministry is staffed and ready whenever families need it.

Your willingness to serve helps us extend love and care to the youngest members of our church family.

Don’t miss Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotions in Psalms!
New messages are posted every Wednesday on our media page—take a midweek moment to be encouraged and refreshed in God’s Word.

Budget for 2025 . . . . . . . .  $329,624.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $183,828.97
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $154,947.08      
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,338.93
Tithes Received this week . . .  $5,020.00

Over the years, I’ve planned many youth lock-ins, and if you’ve ever attended one, you know that sleep is rarely a priority. One of my favorite activities to plan is a scavenger hunt. For a particularly large group, I organized one entirely on church grounds. Fortunately, with some connections, I even got permission to use the old jail next to the courthouse.

As part of the game, a clue led students to the downstairs door of the jail. After solving a puzzle, they were allowed to go up. I hid upstairs to help anyone who got stuck or lost. However, nearly half of the 25 students refused to go up. The fear of the unknown, the dark, or maybe because it was a jail, was enough to stop them dead in their tracks. Most groups shrank in size as they approached the stairs. While one student even went up alone because everyone else in her group backed out.

Isn’t that a picture of how fear works in our own lives? Though perfectly safe, the idea of stepping into a dark, unfamiliar space was too much for nearly half the group.
Whether it’s the fear of failure, of not having enough, or of walking into the unknown, fear has a way of gaining control of us. Usually, in more ways than the actual situation justifies. Psalm 23 reminds us that even “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (v. 4, ESV).

Scripture promises that God, our Good Shepherd, leads us even through the darkest valleys, protecting and comforting us. Our loving Father does not avoid the valley in our lives; He leads us through them.

Psalm 139 tells us there is nowhere we can go that God’s presence cannot protect us. When referring to the fast expanse of the sea, the psalmist writes, “Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (v. 10).

Fear grows when we feel alone, lack resources, or struggle to handle challenges. But Scripture speaks of abundance. Support, strength, and resources are consistently available and never in short supply. Like the brave student who climbed the stairs alone, sometimes faith means taking one step forward, trusting that God is already there.

This summer, choose to identify a fear you've been carrying and decide today you are going to lay it at Jesus' feet. Continue your journey toward trusting Him daily and allowing Him to guide you into a life free from fear.