What are you preparing for? Whether you realize it or not, this question shapes and informs each moment of your life.

During this year’s Run the Race sermon, Jay Wilkinson shared one of the most influential principles his father, Bud Wilkinson, taught him: the will to prepare must be greater than the will to win. Coach Wilkinson understood that preparation was the key to success in life, as well as football.

So, what are you preparing for? Is your goal to be a great athletic champion or musician? How are you preparing today? Is your goal to be a successful business woman? How are you preparing today? Is your goal to be a great husband or wife, father or mother? How are you preparing today? Is your goal to live and die well? How are you preparing today?

Preparation shapes who we are becoming. Without preparation we are tossed to and fro by the currents and waves of life. To not prepare means that we chose not to become the person God has created us to be. One of the reasons people are often frustrated with their lives is that they expect what is not possible without the discipline and practices required during the season of preparation. This is not a “works salvation” mentality. Rather, it recognizes our responsibility in the life of grace, freedom, and maturing into the life God has called us to.

Prepare the Way is our theme for Advent 2016. What are you preparing for on Christmas morning? Over these next weeks we will be preparing for the coming of Messiah, the birth of our Savior. Yet, if the only thing we prepare for is baby Jesus, we have missed the point. The Scripture proclaims that the Messiah will one day return and proclaim the advent of a new heaven and a new earth. Again, if all we are preparing for is the future, we miss out on the breaking in of the Kingdom of God in the present. Thus, we Prepare the Way for Messiah to redeem and transform our lives today.

So, what are you preparing for? Let us Prepare the Way to live in the reality of Immanuel, God with us. For in the birth of Jesus, God is with us each day in new and life-giving ways. Let us prepare for and live in this reality.

I invite you to Prepare the Way for Jesus through the worship and ministries of First Baptist during Advent. Read and share the Prepare the Way devotion guide with your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. Let us Prepare the Way for the coming of the Lord — today, tomorrow and forever!

Dr. Wade Smith

Dr. Wade Smith

December 2016Volume 13, Issue 5

211 W. Comanche St. • fbcnorman.org • 405-321-1753

An intimate, evening featuring songs from their upcoming album,

A Mother Daughter ChristmasFeaturing guitarist Jeremy Goldsmith

DrennanPatti and Emily

unplugged7:00 p.m.

December 4FBC Sanctuary

Love people. Teach the Word. Live the Journey.

It’s December and 2016 comes swiftly to a close. This year we’ve worked hard fulfilling our shared mission to love people, teach the word, and live the journey of life and faith together.

I’d like to take this month’s article to express deep gratitude to all who have invested in the lives and spiritual maturity of students who choose to attend FBC.

To all who served on the University Ministry Leadership Team, stopped by for donuts and conversation during LifeGroup, hosted a Sunday Afternoon

Lunch Thing at your home, shared your own faith story with us, or anything else not mentioned, I say thank you!

Whether you invested time, energy, space, finances, hospitality or food in this ministry, you have — in a very real sense — lived the journey of life and faith alongside us.

As 2017 approaches, I hope you and I might learn other ways to share in this big mission. Perhaps your Sunday School class would like to join us one week during LifeGroups for a co-session? Perhaps you want to share your faith story and encourage a group of students on Wednesday nights?

Maybe you’ve had the idea of having students over to your house and are now ready to host a Sunday afternoon lunch? I don’t know your heart, but I hope next year we can live the journey of life and faith together in new and exciting ways.

Chris Canary

Page 2 / At First Glance December 2016

December HighlightsTo see more events and details, visit our online calendar at fbcnorman.org

Drennan Christmas Concert7:00 p.m.Sanctuary

4Brown Bag Lunch12:00 p.m.Wagner Hall

555+ Holiday Trip to BransonDecember 6-8Detailed itineraries available at the Family Life Center

6Sounds of Christmas concert6:00 p.m.Sanctuary

12

Norman Christmas Parade10:00 a.m.Join us at Common Ground, 324 W. Main St., at 9:00 a.m. for fellowship and hot chocolate

10

MannaFest12:00 p.m., Hallock Hall$5 donationSpeaker: Detective Glenda VassarYouth Christmas Party6:00 p.m.Youth Hall

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7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21

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22 23 24

25 26 27

S M T W TH F S

Gingerbread House Fun Night6:00 p.m.Hallock Hall

14Lights of MuskogeeDetailed itineraries available at the Family Life Center

16

Giving TreeLast Day to return giftsSounds of Christmas concert6:00 p.m.Sanctuary

1129 30 31

T h e WayPrepare

HopeNovember 27

PeaceDecember 4

JoyDecember 11

LoveDecember 18

Birth of ChristDecember 24

GiftsDecember 25

Big Mission

Smith Family Holiday Open House2:00-4:00 p.m. Home of Dr. Wade and Gay Smith

18First Family Christmas Caroling5:00-8:00 p.m.FLCNo regular Wednesday Evening Activities

21

December brings us to the end of another year in the life of FBC. Endings and beginnings always bring a time to reflect and look forward.

As we look back in our world this has been a crazy year of ups and downs, victories and challenges, successes and failures. I pray that in each of your lives, as you weigh the balance of events, that the positives outweigh the negatives and you can ultimately say this has been a good year.

As we reflect on the life of FBC, we have seen God move and act in the church as a whole and in the lives of our members. I hope you can see the many ways that God has been moving in our midst.

Certainly as we come to the end of the year, I continue to pray that God moves in a mighty way in our generosity together. We have some catching up to do, as we have been very open about through the year. I anticipate your active response and look forward to saying thanks to both God and you, allowing God to move in and through us this season.

As we look into 2017, remember our church year is changing to align with the calendar year. Lay leadership will change and we say thank you to those who are rotating off of their current positions as

well as those who are stepping into new roles.

As we look to Finish Well Together and begin new and fresh, it may be good to consider some of the ministries we are involved in because of your faithful generosity. God Bless you in your generosity.

Children MinistriesBible Study

Missions StudyBecoming a Christian

Kids Night OutSummer Camp

VBS

Facilities ForFee Based Ministries

K Scope, K JrSummerscope

NPS PartnershipCCFI Counseling

Kaleidoscope Grief Counseling

Youth MinistryBible Study

Sunday & Wednesday Youth FellowshipsSpring and Fall Retreats

Summer CampsMission Opportunities

University Ministry Outreach to University Campuses

Bible StudyFellowship Retreats

Mission Opportunities

Adult — Adults 55+Bible Study

FoundationsSr. SeminaryFellowships

TripsMission Opportunities

Worship Arts/MusicQuality WorshipChildren Music

Youth MusicFine Arts Academy

Quality Special ProgramsChristmas

Patriotic, etc.

Mission Partnerships Southern Baptist Conv.

Union Baptist Assn.BGCO

Cooperative Baptist FellowshipCBFO

Baptist World AllianceFBC Missions

Mission Trip SupportFBC Mission Partners Around The World

Missionary House

Community MinistryMeals

Food Pantry Clothes ClosetBike Ministry

Cooperate with Food and ShelterSalvation Army

DHSNorman Housing Ministries

December 2016 Page 3 / At First Glance

Youth and Children’s Ministries invitethe FBC Church Family to…

GingerbreadHouseParty

Wednesday, December 14

Hallock HallDinner served, 5:15 p.m.

HouseBuilding, 6-7:30 p.m.(SUPPLIES PROVIDED)

Cost: $58Detailed itineraries available

at the Family Life Center

Finishing Well Together

Roy Joe Ham

Sounds of Christmas

6 p.m.December 11

C o n c e r t

7 p.m.December 12

AT FIRST GLANCE (USPS 008-741) is published monthly by the First Baptist Church, 211 W. Comanche St., Norman, OK (405)321-1753.  Periodical postage paid at Norman, OK.  POSTMASTER:  Send address changes to AT FIRST GLANCE, 211 W. Comanche, Norman, OK 73069-5698.

Page 4 / At First Glance December 2016 At FIRST G

lanceFirst Baptist Church211 W

. Comanche St.

Norm

an, OK 73069

Address Service Requested

Dear FBC,Thank you for the wonderful home-

cooked meal for our football boys. They love to eat, and loved the hospitality of the church.

You always are so generous to feed our boys and it doesn't go unnoticed.

Angela Marquardt Booster Club

Dear FBC,Ron and I would like to thank you for your

love, food, prayers and support through my sister's illness and death.

It's a blessing to be a part of such a caring congregation. Please know your love lifted us up and carried us through this time!

Grace,Amy Williams

Dear FBC,Thank you FBC for sponsoring our Crop

Walk To Stop Hunger.April Heiple,

Executive Director at Food and Shelter Inc.

Dear FBC,Words will fall far short in any attempt

to express my appreciation for your love and caring for Glen as he went through his last illness and death, and would neglect, unintentionally, some.

Please continue to pray for us as we continue down this road without Glen knowing that God is with us as we go.

In Christ's love,Sarah Pool

Letters to FBC

December 1: Allison Hawkins, Joy SullivanDecember 2: Jean Callahan, Phyllis Gage, Melany PattisonDecember 3: Stephen Burris, Lindsay Crider, Benjamin Diehm, Samuel Harp, Krystal Knudsen, Jequita Uhles, Frances WelchDecember 4: Shavon Bowman, Lyndal Caddell, Chris Canary, Frederic Ferris, Glenda LargentDecember 5: Lee Bryson, Lilia Durham, Lester SnyderDecember 6: Pat Brown, Bill Geyer, Hudson Harris, Alan Johnson, Bob StoneDecember 7: Mike Bradford, Marlene Fowler, Danny Heatly, Allison TaylorDecember 8: Cooper Caddell, Olivia Caddell, Cathy Gilmore, Darline Hobbs, Jenny Smiley-Nava, Nazia ZahoorDecember 9: Madison Harner, Cerissa Keeler, Ron Mercer, Steve Owens, Renee Roe, Cayce Rogers, Jessica RoseDecember 10: Vondell WheelerDecember 11: Darrel Curry, Brittany Harris, Ellynn Wirth December 12: Melissa Long, Olivia Ratzlaff, Amanda RheaDecember 13: Barbara JamesDecember 14: Danny Foster, Leon Price, Dedra RedwineDecember 15: Linda HeinleinDecember 16: Margaret Brown, Shelley Ogle, Kathy StricklandDecember 17: Dorothy Harp, Kelsey

Randall, Kaitlin SmithDecember 18: Gabi Coleman, Roy Joe Ham, Scott Hawkins, CharlesPrater, Kiersten StewartDecember 19: Tristen Krush, Rodney SmithDecember 20: Lou King, Betty Klima, Casey Lawtence, Jennifer McMillen, Joe TheigeDecember 21: Ed Copelin, Glenda Crider, Stephany Haxel, Jamie Jinkerson, Sam SingleterryDecember 22: Steve Carter, Allen Lack, Savannah Mitchell, Dakelin StewartDecember 23: David DillonDecember 24: Holly Lassetter, Robert SummersDecember 25: Mark Rhea, Mary Ann SpauldingDecember 26: Doris Dannehl, Marylin WoodsDecember 27: Dana Morris, Marge Morton, Brad Singleterry, Avery Taylor, Douglas VaughnDecember 28: Janet Hardage, Sandra Lee December 29: Susie Conklin, Susan Hawkins, Donna HoltDecember 30: Dr. Lavonn Brown, Charles Holt, Gary Hunt, Mary Robinson, Kenton SandersDecember 31: Jay Harp, Stephanie Holderby, Lauren Satterlee, Patrick Smith, Paul Strunk, Courtney Villanueva, Gwen Wilburn

December Birthdays

SympathiesThe First Baptist Church

family wants to extend sympathies to:

Bear & Hazel Jensen, Buzz & Connie Jensen, Josh, Lisa, Luke & Cole Edge at the passing of Darla Deskin.