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First WordDecember 12 & 13, 2009

Living Christmas TreesThere are only 2 shows left so

purchase your tickets now.

Sunday, December 13th at

4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Lottie Moon Christmas

Offering 2009

See middle of book for

removeable handout.

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Guest ReceptionThere is a guest reception in the Commons immediately following theSaturday night and the 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning service. Come and meet

Dr. Wicker.

A Green Christmas

Christmas particularly,

is identied with

colors, especially red

and green. We love

the gold of glitteringornaments and the

silver on tinsel of

the trees. For most,

Christmas has a

uniquely green quality about it, and I am

not talking about environmental tree-

hugging or our favorite Christmas

trees. Retailers see Christmas

as the pot of gold (er, green) at

the end of their yearly retaining

rainbow.

In 2006 the National Retail

Federation estimated that

holiday sales would total$457.4 billion dollars with 2007

spending patterns being similar.

Their survey of 7,623 shoppers revealed

spending an average of $451.34 on family,

$85.60 friends, $22.40 on co-workers,

$99.22 on themselves. Giving to Christian

causes did not even make the charts. I am

certain that the recession changed that

trend. Unfortunately, the average American

Christian gives about 2.44% of his income

to Christian or charitable causes each

year, well below a 10% tithe to the Lord

through the local church and giving to

mission causes as oerings. Lets buck the

trend.

I encourage you to give as we always do

to those who need the gospel through the

Southern Baptist Lottie Moon Christmas

oering for international missions. This

provides a huge chunk of all monies neededto fulll the Great Commission. Continue

to give to missions and ministry by giving

to our church through the budget, a

large percentage which goes to various

missions. If you are involved in the Great

Commission Connection, keep putting

those coins in your piggybank

and turn in your Change the World

oering to further the cause of

missions.

We certainly need your continued

gifts to reduce our building

indebtedness of about $13.2 million

dollars. Doesnt Gods work in a lostworld deserve more money than

your friends or co-workers? Isnt

the family of God also important to you?

Our Baptist missionaries are desperately

in need of these funds and are praying for

you from points all around the world. I do

not demean the generous giving to others

which marks the Christmas season. I thank

God that Jesus entrance into the world is

called the gift of God (John 4:10) and that

we can receive eternal life as the gift of

God (Romans 6:23) through Christs fully-

paid redemption. All who love bargains can

say, Such a deal already!

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To ensure your contributions qualify for 2009, checks must be

delivered or mailed (post-marked) on or before December 31,

2009. Checks placed in the church oering in 2010 will not

qualiy for 2009, even if the check is pre-dated to 2009. For

your convenience, the church nance ofce will be open

Thursday, December 31, 2009 rom 9:00 a.m. until 12:00

p.m. Please do not le your 2009 tax return until you have

received your 2009 contribution statement from the church.

2009 Tax Information

Stock contributions in certicate form must be recieved in

the nance oce no later than noon on December 30, 2009.

Stock contributions in transfer form must be received into the

churchs account no later than December 30, 2009. Please

contact Conard Wrightsman at 596-8600 x257 for more

information.

2009 Stock Contributions

Take note o these Christmas Events

There will be Christmas Eve Candlight Services

on Dec. 24th at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.(see back page for more info).

There will be no Wednesday activities on

December 23 and December 30th.

Church ofces will be closed on December 24, 25, 31, and January 1.

Volunteers are needed to take the Living Christmas Trees down

on Monday, Dec. 14th, starting at 8:00 a.m.

Lunch will be provided.

Volunteers are also needed for the rebuilding of the choir loft on

Tuesday, Dec. 15, starting at 8:00 a.m.

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Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended theweak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of

civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour torearm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our

fellow citizens, believers, and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. Thesetruths are:

1. the sanctity of human life2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife

3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

www.ManhattanDeclaration.org

Holding Onto H.O.P.E.(Helping Others through Pregnancy

Encouragement)

This ministry offers Christ-centered supportand encouragement to married women who are

struggling with the pain of infertility challenges, including primary and secondary

infertility, pregnancy loss, early infant death, and adoption loss. This group of women

will meet monthly for a time of prayer, discussion, and encouragement from Gods

Word and other Christian supplemental materials. For more information, please contact

Sue Gonzalez at sgonzalez@fbalions.org or call the Womens Ministry ofce at 596-

8600 x241. The next meeting is November 19th at 6:30 p.m. in DC108.

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WednesdayWednesdayWednesday

at 6:25 PMat 6:25 PMat 6:25 PMWorship Center(Commons Entrance)

Teacher,Teacher,Teacher,Rev. Greg DavidsonRev. Greg DavidsonRev. Greg Davidson

A Ministry for Men of All AgesA Ministry for Men of All AgesMens Ministry airs Saturdays on 91.5 FM at 11 AM & 9 PM

Avoidingthe

Great

AmericanFairyTale

Jail Ministry

Would you like to see women have another

chance? Volunteer one Sunday a month

at the jail. If you are willing to learn how

to teach a womens Bible study, please call

Rosemary at 430-7911.

DECEMBERBIBLE SALE

Choose

from

NASB

NIVESV

HCSB

NKJV

"Therefore the LORD

Himself shall give you

a sign; Behold, a virgin

shall conceive, and

bear a Son, and shall

call His Name

Immanuel"

Isaiah 7:14.

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Womens Ministry of First Baptist Church Naples

announces our Winter 2010 RefresHer Bible Study.

Mary Kassian

Godis too big, too magnicent

for a single name.

Consider this: the God whose

many names include Creator, Provider, Ruler,

and Redeemerwants you to know Him

better. Mary Kassians new study -

Knowing Godby Name - examines

35 of His names. This is more than a Bible study;

its a personal encounter with an awesome God.

Knowing God by Name

by. . .

Mary Kassian

Our teacher will be our Senior Pastors wife, Janet Wicker.

Beginning. . . Tuesday, January 5th, at 9 a.m.& Wednesday, January 6th, at 6:30 p.m. in the

Worship Center. Please enter through the commons.

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LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS

OFFERING 2009

2009 Week of Prayer Guide

False religions, political oppression,multiple languages, harsh livingconditions, and religious persecutionare some of the barriers to sharingChrist with unreached people groups.Still, that doesnt override the GreatCommission that Scripture gives to allwho follow Him.

It is this challenge that compelsSouthern Baptists to go into dicult

places and preach the Gospel.

DAY 1Peoples of Northern India

At 17, Moses suered from debilitating

arthritis. Like many OrthodoxHindus, he petitioned various godsand goddesses seeking help. As hiscondition worsened, he began to losehope. One day a stranger handedhim a Gospel tract, and Moses beganreading about the Great Physician. Hestarted attending church and soon

put his faith in Jesus Christ. Fifteendays later, his arthritis was gone. Yearspassed and Moses became a successfulbusinessman, but God convicted himthat he needed to do more. Leavinghis wealthy lifestyle, Moses journeyedwith his wife and children to remoteHimalayan villages in northern India to

share the Gospel. But following Jesusis hard. Indian people are willing toadd Christ as one of their gods, butif they believe in Christ alone, theyare persecuted. Many believers areburned alive, raped, mutilated, killed,or chased into the surrounding jungles.Moses and his family have been thrownout of their home numerous times

after landlords learned of their faith.Despite the hardships, Moses worksalongside International Mission Boardmissionaries supported by the LottieMoon Christmas Oering. Together,Moses and the missionaries share theGospel, disciple believers, and starthouse churches.

PrayPray that God will give boldness andprotection to Moses and other believersin northern India as they share theirfaith. Time is short, Moses says. I must

go, pray, and preach the Gospel.

DAY 2Peoples of EthiopiaAs the sun rises in Ethiopia, thousandsof people make their way to church.

They worship, sing, and hear sermonsdelivered by priests in an ancientlanguage they do not understand. Thepeople place their faith in a religion withmany roots in the Bible Christianityand Old Testament traditions. Thisreligion, however, has lost touch withbiblical truth through the years. Manyworship saints and demons.

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They believe there are more than a dozen paths

to heaven. They do not have any assurance of

salvation and lack understanding of who Jesus

Christ is. Most put their trust in Saint Mary. More

than 42 million people in the Horn of Africa

claim this religion as truth. Christian workers

Renee and Ed (names changed), have dedicated

their lives to sharing the Good News with thepeople of Ethiopia. More than 90 percent are

illiterate and unable to read the Bible in their

own language.

Pray

Pray for Renee and Ed as they build relationships

with them and share that the only way to heaven

is through Gods Son, Jesus. Pray that the peopleRenee and Ed meet in Ethiopia will be open and

receptive to the friendship and message of hope

they oer. Pray that more workers will be called

to help spread the Gospel message.

DAY 3

Lezghi people of the Caucasuses

Fear of the supernatural is part of daily life forthe Lezghi people, who make their homes in the

Caucasus Mountains of Central Asia and Eastern

Europe. Though they profess to be Muslim,

nearly all Lezghi wear amulets or charms to ward

o evil spirits; broken teapots hung from homes

and thorns hung from vehicles rearview mirrors

serve the same purpose. Holy places called pirs

(pronounced peers) provide Lezghis a place

to oer sacrices and consult witch doctors to

garner favor with spirits. Most of the more than

650,000 Lezghis have never heard the Gospel.

Southern Baptist workers Carl and Amy Stroller

(names changed), from Wake Forest, N.C., are

working to change that. But progress is slow

and there are few workers. Carl and Amy have

served among the Lezghi for more than 10 years

and seen little results. But that doesnt stopthem from sharing. Today the Strollers are busy

nurturing a Lezghi church they helped start and

are looking for new opportunities to tell others

about Jesus. Despite the challenges they face,

they remain faithful to the task. The biggest

hardship working with the Lezghi is their overall

resistance to the Gospel, Carl says. We thought

these people only needed to hear about Jesus

and they would start coming to faith. Their eyes

have truly been blinded.

Pray

Pray that God will open the hearts of the Lezghi

and protect the Strollers from discouragement.

DAY 4Berber people of North Africa

Keith Jones (name changed) often stopped in at

the small shop across the street from his home

in a North African city. Sometimes it was just to

pick up bread or fruit, but Keith always tried to

share Gospel truths with the Berber shop owner,

practicing the Berber language he was learning.

He and his wife, Susan (name changed), bothfrom South Carolina, say the shop owner

viewed Keith as a person of God because of

his conversations. One day the shopkeeper told

Keith that he should be an imam, a spiritual

leader in a mosque. The Berber man explained:

We live up here and we speak [the Berber

language], and these imams come here and

they preach to us in Arabic and we dontunderstand a word that they are saying. But

you come and talk to us about God and youre

doing it in our own language. It was as if, for

the rst time, he realized that God could speak

his own language, too, Susan recalls. Keith and

Susan are Bible translators, working to complete

a translation of the New Testament into the

Berber heart language something the Berber

people have never had. Southern Baptists play

a vital role in getting the Gospel to the Berbers

through their gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas

Oering.

Pray

Pray for Keith and Susans team to develop

relationships with more Berber men and women

with whom they can test these vital materials.Pray that they and other translators will be

able to quickly complete their New Testament

project, communicating in language that is

clear, natural, and accurate.

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DAY 5

Vietnamese of Cambodia

Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in

Southeast Asia, is dotted with numerous

oating villages occupied by much of

Cambodias Vietnamese population.

Because so many Vietnamese are

shermen and nd it dicult to gain land

rights in Cambodia, they prefer to live on

the water in tight-knit communities. They

take care of each other from sharing

generated electrical power to caring for

one anothers children. Most residents

in the oating village of Kbal Taol hadnever heard the name of Jesus but

that changed in March 2008. A Christian

worker named David* visited the villagers

to tell them about the One who is a sher

of men. During one of Davids many visits,

a Vietnamese man named Tim* became

especially interested, so David gave him aBible. On one of Davids subsequent visits,

Tim invited David to his home for dinner.

After dinner, the talk turned to spiritual

things. Tim had begun reading the Bible

David gave him and had many questions.

Around 3 a.m., Tim accepted Christ. That is

the longest visitation Ive ever had, Davidsaid with a smile. Tim is the rst believer in

Kbal Taol. By Gods grace, he will not be the

last.

Pray

Pray that other Vietnamese in Kbal Taol

and surrounding villages will be open tothe Gospel and will put their faith in Jesus

Christ.

DAY 6

Peoples of Iran

Tucking away a JESUS lm and a few

Bibles in her belongings, Zahra* boards

a bus in the capital city of Tehran to share

the Gospel with relatives in the Iranian

countryside. Zahra is taking a risk by

carrying evangelistic material in the Islamic

Republic of Iran. Publishing and distributing

Bibles is illegal. Converting to Christianity

and sharing the Gospel can be punishable

by prison or death. Despite the risks, Zahra

felt burdened to act after seeing her tribe

the Bakhtiari listed as an unreached

people group in International Mission Board

material her house church pastor had given

her. While it is safer to share the Gospel in

small home groups to escape notice, theLord gave Zahra boldness when the movie

being shown on the bus malfunctioned.

She handed the JESUS lm to the driver,

who played it all the way through. Eight

of the 40 people on the bus told her they

were interested in becoming Christians.

During home visits, Zahra led the driver, hiswife, and their three grown children to the

Lord as well as her own sister. Though

there are restrictions against Christian

workers living in Iran, giving through the

Lottie Moon Christmas Oering and the

Cooperative Program enables personnel

to share the Gospel with Iranians living invarious parts of the world, disciple Christian

refugees, and train house church leaders

when they can travel outside their country.

Pray

Pray for Christians who risk their lives

to share the Gospel in Iran. Pray for thepeoples of Iran to be able to hear and read

Gods Word. Uplift workers as they nd

ways to help Iranians know Jesus as Lord

and Savior.

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DAY 7

Lost cities of China

During the past two decades, central

Chinas urbanization has grown at full-

throttle. Workers migrating from the

countryside to new urban centers havetransformed 223 towns into cities, each

counting more than 1 million people.

The lure? Money. A city job pays three

to four times the salary possible in

villages. But in the past, moving to nd

that job put rural people at risk because

government policies denied them thedocumentation they needed to work

in the cities. Last year, thousands of

Chinese took to the streets to protest

their dire economic situation. The

government responded by allowing

20 percent of them to move into cities

cities with insucient housing,

factories, and roads. And little Christian

witness. As these metropolitan areas

continue to sprawl, theres a growing

concentration of people who dont

know Jesus and have little opportunity

to meet Him. In essence, they are acollection of lost cities. Finding a way

to share Christs love, developing a plan

to reach these urban centers is critical.

Now is the most opportune time as

workers arrive and struggle to nd their

way. They and the relatives they left

behind need the stability found only

in Jesus.

Pray

Pray that God will call more Christian

workers to take the Gospel to these

unreached peoples.

DAY 8

Peoples of the Canary Islands

Pepe and Shari Lopez (names changed)

rely heavily on relationship-building to

enhance their ministry opportunitiesin Fuerteventura, one of seven Canary

Islands located o the west coast of

Africa. Many islanders are immigrants

from northwest Africa who have come

looking for a better life in the European

Union. Some enter the country legally,

while others go a more dangerousroute on rickety boats or makeshift

rafts. Earning these peoples trust is

a lengthy process, but the Lopezes

have found that providing free, no-

strings-attached services such as

teaching help tremendously. Shari

leads multilingual childrens camps,

and Pepe teaches a free Spanish class.

Omar, a Muslim, is one of Pepes most

dependable students. Because of

Pepes dedication and free teaching,

the trust level among his students has

skyrocketed especially with Omar.The friendships built during the classes

and camps have helped Pepe and Shari

reach areas of the community that

previously would have been nearly

impossible.

Pray

Pray that Pepe and Shari will continue

building deep relationships with fellow

islanders.

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Conference led by:

Dr. Gary Chapman

Best Selling Author of

The Five Love Languages

January Bible Conferencewith Ray Vanderlaan

Walk as Jesus WalkedJanuary 15-16, 2010

T icket s are on SA LE now

in t h e Ligh t h ouse Bookst ore.

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Kidsorner

Each week at KidzTown, our children in K through 4th grades

have the opportunity to worship the Lord Kid Style. We have a

great time studying His Word, singing His praises, and seeking His

will. With puppetry, skits, and games the lessons learned each day areenforced. We will be continuing our Christmas theme by looking at

how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus ministry.

Your child will not want to miss this weeks KidzTown

Worship which meets Saturday at 6:00 p.m. or Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in

DC120. Afterwards your child will be brought to a BLG class where

they will further learn Gods Word and experience the love of God in

a relational small group atmosphere.

announces the

7th Annual

Friends of the LionBanquet

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Campus Tours6:00 p.m.

Reception

6:30 p.m.

Dinner and Program7:00 p.m.

Our guest speaker is:

Dr. Gary ChapmanBest Selling Author

The Five Love LanguagesFor more information or to host a table,please call (239) 596-8600, ext. 619.

First Baptist Academy

First Baptist Academy

3000 Orange Blossom Drive

Naples, FL 34109

Phone: 239-597-2233

Web: www.fbalions.org

First Baptist Academy

3000 Orange Blossom Drive

Naples, FL 34109

Phone: 239-597-2233

Web: www.fbalions.org

New Arrival

Miss Teagan Nicole Castle was born on

December 3, 2009 to John and Tiffany Castle.

Teagan weighed 6 pounds and 5 ounces, and

measured 19. She has an older brother named

Gregory. Congratulations to the family!

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Upcoming EventsSaturday, December 126:00 p.m. Worship Service/Worship Center6:00 p.m. KidzTown Childrens Worship/DC1206:00 p.m. Hispanic Worship Service/Chapel7:30 p.m. Bible and Life Groups/Various Rooms on Campus

Sunday, December 138:15 a.m. Bible and Life Group for 60+/DC1079:30 a.m. Worship Service/Worship Center9:30 a.m. Bible and Life Groups/Various Rooms on Campus9:30 a.m. KidzTown Childrens Worship/DC12010:00 a.m. Vietnamese Bible Study and Worship/DC22011:00 a.m. Worship Service/Worship Center11:00 a.m. Bible and Life Groups/Various Rooms on Campus

12:30 p.m. Hispanic Worship Service/Student Center4:00 p.m. Living Christmas Trees Presentation/Worship Center5:00 p.m. Romanian Baptist Mission/Modulars 3 & 4

7:00 p.m. Living Christmas Trees Presentation/Worship CenterTuesday, December 156:00 p.m. CBOP Meeting/DC1086:30 p.m. Dave Ramseys Series/DC1217:00 p.m. The Vine College & Career Service/Student Center

Wednesday, December 166:20 p.m. AWANA6:30 p.m. RefresHer/Chapel6:30 p.m. Mens Ministry/Fellowship RecreationThursday, December 179:15 a.m. MOPS/WC1176:00 p.m. Celebrate Recovery/SC1006:00 p.m. Divorce Care/DC1076:30 p.m. H.O.P.E./DC108

Friday, December 187:00 p.m. Singles Christmas Party/CM100

Free Christmas Gift Wrapping

For Lighthouse Bookstore purchasesDonations will be accepted for Missions Offering

"Every good thing

given and every

perfect gift is

from above

James 1:17

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Financial Stewardship

Worship Attendance

Bible & Life Attendance

December 5 & 6Saturday Night Total 954

Sunday Morning 9:30 1,496

Sunday Morning 11:00 959

Total 3,409

December 5 & 6Saturday Night 818

Sunday 8:15 38

Sunday 9:30 346

Sunday 11:00 726

Home Groups 155

Total 2,083

2009-2010 Operating RevenuesJuly 1, 2009 - December 6, 2009

Budget Actual Variance

$2,765,973 $2,688,584 -$77,389

Next Week

Deacon of the Week

If you need assistance, please call the churchdeacon hotline at 800-732-9573.

For Spanish, call 601-6051.

December 14-December 20Ron Howard and Gene Hoff

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Wednesday 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.Friday ClosedSaturday 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Sunday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Bookstore HoursMonday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Tuesday & Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Wednesday 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday ClosedSaturday 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Sunday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Cafe Hours

Last Weekend

Dr. Wicker on the Radio

Wednesday Family Meal

Bar-B-Q Chicken, Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Dinner Roll, Dessert

Tickets may be purchased at the Lighthouse Cafe during regular business hours or at thedoor for $5.50 each or $22.00 for a family (please, immediate family residing in home).Alternate choices include grilled chicken breast, hamburger, pizza, or a grilled foot long hot dog.

Decisions For Christ

You can hear Dr. Wicker every day at1:00 p.m. on 91.5 Kingdom FM WJYO.Dr. Wicker is also on WSOR 90.9 FMat 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings, andon Praise FM 89.5 at 1:30 p.m. Sundayafternoons.

Profession of Faith

Membership byStatement of Faith

Ronald S. Henderson

Leslie JohnsMelanie Johns

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Sermon Notes

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Pastoral Staff

Church Ofce

Dr. Hayes Wicker ...................................................................................................... Senior Pastor

Miguel Cruz ....................................................................................Hispanic Congregation PastorGreg Davidson ...................................................... ......Associate Pastor/Evangelism & DiscipleshipBeverly Day .................................................................................. Director of Preschool MinistryNathan Dooley ......................................................................Associate Pastor/High School MinistryDr. Roy Fisher ............................................................................... Associate Pastor/Pastoral CareNathan Gaddis ............................................................................ Worship/Creative Arts AssociateSteve Hayes ...................................................................... Associate Pastor/Single Adult MinistryForrest Head ..............................................................................................Senior Associate PastorJim Hill........................................................................ Director of Single Parent Family MinistryLewis Howard .....................................................................................Associate Pastor/EducationShannon Moore .............................................................................. Director of Womens MinistryDoug Pigg ..................................................................Associate Pastor of Church AdministrationTom Rider .........................................................................Associate Pastor/School AdministratorLarry Rigley ........................................................................ Associate Pastor/Childrens MinistryDr. Todd F. Stearns ...............................................................Associate Pastor/Worship and MusicKevin Van Duser .......................................................... Associate Pastor/Middle School Ministry

3000 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109

Ofce Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Church Receptionist ......................................................................................................... 597-6057Enter ext. # for direct connection ..................................................................................... 596-8600Lighthouse Bookstore ...................................................................................................... 449-4488First Baptist Academy Naples ......................................................................................... 597-223324-Hour Prayer Line .......................................................................................... 597-PRAY (7729)Ch h E il FBCN@fb

Candlelight ChristmasEve Services

December 24th There will be two candlelight services. The

rst one will begin at 4:00 p.m. and the second

one will begin at 6:00 p.m. Childcare will not

be provided.

If you would like to be baptized at either one

of these services, please contact Linda at

239-596-8600 x280.