Newsletter for November 12, 2025

Wednesday, Nov 12th
Join us in the Family Ministry Building for a special Operation Christmas Child packing night. We will begin with supper and then work together to pack shoeboxes for children around the world.

 Ham or turkey sandwiches,
chips & dessert. 

Next week, the Relay Center at First Baptist will open to receive Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. If you can volunteer as a friendly, welcoming face to help receive boxes, please look over the schedule below and contact Jonathan.
Your help is greatly appreciated!

First Christmas Family Night – Cookbook Release & Covered Dish Dinner
Join us for our first Christmas Family Night in December as we celebrate the release of our church cookbook with a special covered dish dinner! Come enjoy some of the treasured recipes that have been passed down through the years in our church family. Also, we might have some fun Christmas games for everyone to enjoy. Make plans to attend and bring a friend.

We are looking for volunteers to bring the dish they contributed to the cookbook, or another favorite recipe. Please let us know what you plan to bring so we can ensure a good variety for everyone to enjoy.

Join us on Sunday, November 23, as we decorate the church for Christmas! We will enjoy a warm soup lunch immediately following the morning service, and then work together to prepare the sanctuary and fellowship hall for the season.

We need as many helpers as possible—many hands make quick work—so please stay and lend a hand if you are able. Your help will make the church beautiful for Christmas worship!

Movie Night – Why the Nativity?

Join us on Sunday, December 7th, at 4:00 PM in the sanctuary as we watch Why the Nativity?, a powerful film by Dr. David Jeremiah that brings the Christmas story to life. Through beautiful dramatization and biblical insight, the movie explores the deeper meaning behind Jesus’ birth and answers some of the most important questions surrounding the Nativity.

This is a wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends. The movie will end by 5:30 PM, giving everyone time to get home before dark. A bus will also be available for those who prefer not to drive at night—please let Jonathan know if you need a ride.
We hope you will join us for this meaningful start to the Christmas season!

Get a head start on your Christmas cards!

The Christmas Post Office will open on Sunday morning, November 30th. To help us sort and distribute everything on time, we ask that all cards be turned in by Sunday, December 14th.

If you would like to send Christmas cards to church members here in Ashburn, simply drop them off, and we will take care of the sorting and delivery for you. Collection boxes will be located throughout the church, and any donations to the Post Office will go toward covering shipping costs and supplies for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

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 . . . . $285,511.05
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $242,331.10      
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,344.69
Tithes Received this week . .  $12,062.90

Harvest Banquet offering as of Nov 11: $18,637.00 

November gives us two reminders that belong together: gratitude and service. With us just celebrating Veterans Day on Tuesday and Thanksgiving just around the corner, we have an opportunity to see how both holidays can point our hearts in the same direction.

Veterans Day honors the men and women who stepped forward to serve, which came at a significant personal cost to most. Their willingness to sacrifice comforts, time with family, and, in many cases, their own safety stands as a living example of putting others first. Their example reminds us that gratitude is never meant to be passive. True thanksgiving naturally overflows into action.

Thanksgiving calls us to pause and remember the goodness of God in our lives. But Scripture invites us to take it a step further. “Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). A thankful heart becomes a serving heart. When we recognize how much God has given us, it stirs us to bless others in His name.

One meaningful way to let gratitude lead to action is through servant evangelism. Servant evangelism involves simple acts of kindness performed in Jesus’ name to open doors for the gospel. A warm meal delivered to a struggling family, a note of appreciation to a veteran, a small act of help for someone in need. All of these gestures create opportunities to share that we serve because Christ served us first. Most of the time, a simple act of kindness softens a heart long before a conversation begins.

As a church family, this season gives us several ways to practice gratitude, service, and gospel witness together:

• Pray intentionally for veterans and military families, especially those facing health struggles or loneliness.
• Deliver a small gift or note of appreciation to a veteran, adding a brief word about God’s love.
• Support a local family in need with groceries or a Thanksgiving meal, sharing that the gift is given because Christ has blessed you.
• Look for quiet acts of kindness—a visit, a phone call, or help with a task—along with a simple invitation to church or a short testimony of God’s faithfulness.

This is a season to remember that gratitude is more than a feeling; it is a way of life. As we thank God for His blessings and honor those who have served our country, may our church be known for thankful hearts, serving hands, and a willingness to share the hope of Christ with others.