MessengerMessengerMessengerMessenger TheTheTheThe
First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa
M A R C H 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 3
We are a body
of
believers
united in
Christ to
proclaim,
live, and love
according to
God’s Word.
Christians all around the
world are giving things
up for Lent: chocolate,
caffeine, candy, televi-
sion, Facebook, or just
about any other pleasure
in life. The practice of
giving something up for Lent is often met
with suspicion, lament, or even anger.
However, the primary focus of Lent is not
deprivation but of preparation.
Many Christians question the usefulness
of Lent. “It’s Catholic.” or “It’s about
punishment.” are typical responses to
Lent. Christians often ask, “Why observe
Lent? We do not need forty days to
examine our Christian life because we are
just fine.” Some Christians believe that
Lent is outdated. The temptation for
Christians is to ignore Lent. We are
tempted into disbelief that Lent is not
beneficial to contemporary Christians.
Christians for hundreds of years have
made Lent into a spiritual journey.
Yet, we wonder, do we really have to give
something up for Lent?
We are all yearning for ways to authenti-
cally attach ourselves to God. Lent is a
way to discover new opportunities to
connect with God. Erwin McManus in his
book, Soul Cravings, says:
We are all on the same quest. And our
soul craving is to find something we
can believe in. This thing that haunts
you, that never seems satisfied, the
cravings in your soul that you are
unable to satiate through all the
success that the world can bring—this
is your soul screaming for God.
Many give up sweets, soda, or some type
of rich food. While giving something up
for Lent is a simple way to remember
what Lent is all about, is it time we
Christians try something other than
deprivation? As Baptists, we have the
freedom of autonomy to worship and
practice our faith as we see fit, within
historical Christian boundaries of course.
This year I encourage you to think about
adding something for Lent in addition to
or in place of giving something up. Tony
W. Cartledge wrote in Baptists Today, an
encouragement1:
I’ve tended to take a dual approach to
Lent. Aware that Jesus not only gave
up his life, but was constantly giving
himself to others, I may still give up
some favorite food or activity, but I
also combine it with giving something.
MessengerMessengerMessengerMessenger TheTheTheThe
First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa
STOP! Don’t Give Anything Up for Lent!STOP! Don’t Give Anything Up for Lent!STOP! Don’t Give Anything Up for Lent!STOP! Don’t Give Anything Up for Lent! By Rev. Alan Rudnick
continued on next page
INS IDE TH IS
I S SUE :
Birthdays/
Anniversaries 10
Book Bound! 5
Budget & Finance 7
Calendar 11
Capital District
Women’s Conference 5
Children’s Worship 9
Church Mouse 9
Creative Vision
Gathering 3
Daylight Saving 10
Deacons 6
Holy Week
Services 4
InterVarsity Update 8
Lenten Bible Study 2
Lenten Devotional 3
Lenten Lunch 3
Library 10
Missions
Committee 5
Mssion Opportunity 3
Notes from the
Region 7
Pastor’s Column 1
PSRC 6
Preaching Series 2
Summer Camp 8
The 11:11 Service 3
Trustees 7
1“Ashes to Acts” Baptists Today, Tony W. Cartledge. March 7, 2011
P A G E 2
So, this year, I won’t be eating any sweets
between meals (and maybe not even then), but
I’ll also be looking for at least one random act
of kindness to present itself each day,
something I can do or give to make another’s
life a little easier, a little happier.
As an alternative, try adding something during
Lent, such as daily Bible reading, trying a new
ministry in church, times of prayer, or taking a
course of study. Taking on something for Lent
could look like praying the Lord’s prayer at noon
each day, participating in a Bible study, or serving
in a food pantry once a week. Come to our Prayer
and Communion service every Wednesday at
11:11 a.m., or attend our Lenten Bible Study:
Angels, Demons, & Satan, Separating Fact from
Fiction.
Our souls are longing for connection to God. God
can repair our lives and widen our souls through
prayer, service, and acts of mercy. When we add
something to our Lenten journey we are asking
God to enter into our narrow hearts.
In a culture that tells us not to limit ourselves or to
spend money we don’t have with credit cards, we
need limits. Lent is a season of limits. It is a time
for us to slow down, think about what is really
important in life, and to reflect upon our priorities.
May you in this season of Lent, reorder your
priorities. Don’t just give something up for Lent
just to give it up. Make Lent mean something.
Add a spiritual discipline or commitment to your
Lenten journey and see how God will work
through your decision!
With all Love and Grace,
Rev. Alan Rudnick
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY
Angels, Demons, & Satan:
Separating Myth from Fact
A Lenten Bible Study with Pastor Alan
So many myths surround angels,
demons, and Satan. Did an
all-loving God really create
Satan and demons? What do
angels do? Who is Satan? Can a
demon really possess a person?
These questions will be
addressed as we trace the development of these
divine beings in scripture. Pastor Alan Rudnick’s
Bible study will start on Wednesday, February 29
@ 6:30 p.m. Childcare available if needed; please
RSVP the church office.
February 29 – Angels: Origin and Identity
March 7 – Angels: What Do They Do?
March 14 – Demons: Origin & Identity
March 21 – Demons: Their Power
March 28 – Satan, The Accuser: Old Testament
April 4 – Satan, The Evil Tempter: New Testament
PREACHING SERIES: “THE TRIALS OF JESUS”
As Jesus faced his last days on
Earth, he endured several
trials. Like a courtroom drama,
a series of witnesses came
forward to give testimony about their experiences
with the accused--Jesus Christ. Through their
accounts we came to know the truth, that Jesus
came to take our place in the defendant's chair.
Each Sunday, Rev. Alan Rudnick will deliver a
dramatic perspective of each character in the trials
of Jesus:
February 26: The Voice of Satan
March 4: Guest Preacher Rev. Dr. Aidsand
Wright Riggins, Rev. Rudnick leading worship
March 11: The Voice of Annas
March 18: The Voice of Caiaphas
March 25: The Voice of Herod
April 1: The Voice of Peter
April 5 (Maundy Thursday): The Voice of Judas
April 8: The Voice of the Empty Tomb
P A G E 3
THE 11:11 SERVICE
WEDNESDAY PRAYER & COMMUNION SERVICE
Each Wednesday at 11:11 a.m. we will gather for
prayer, song, and communion. Each
brief service (about 30 minutes) will
utilize the worship style of Taize,
which enables the worshipper to
experience God through the simplicity
of focused prayer and song. You will
not want to miss this intimate opportunity to grow
through the spiritual discipline of communal
prayer. After the service, we invite everyone to
the Ballston Spa Lenten Lunch at the First
Presbyterian Church.
ECUMENICAL LENTEN LUNCHEON
Join us each Wednesday in Lent, February 29 -
April 4, at 12:10 p.m. for lunch and a devotional
time with local Ballston Spa churches at the First
Presbyterian Church. A brief devotional time will
be led by a different Ballston Spa pastor each
week. On February 29th
Pastor Rudnick will give
the pastoral reflection. The First Baptist Church of
Ballston Spa will provide lunch on March 21st
. We
will need people to provide a soup, dish, or lunch
item. Please speak to Vallee Albert.
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL
These 40 days of devotions for Lent (or
anytime) touch us in our modern-day
world and use Scripture to help us
answer the questions we often have
about how our God meets us in our
21st-century surroundings. Through
these devotions, we discover anew how the cross
of Christ ultimately serves as our compass through
our many mazes of doubt, confusion and fear, and
how our God truly does have the whole world in
his hands. Devotionals are available at the
greeters’ stations and at the church’s Welcome
Center. Devotionals are free.
MISSION OPPORTUNITY
FBC Ballston Spa is planning on
preparing and serving dinner to
the residents at Shelters of
Saratoga on Friday, March 2.
We’ll need a team of 5-7 people each to prepare a
portion of the meal, and if desired, take it to the
shelter and share dinner and fellowship with the
19 residents. We’ve done this in the past and it’s
been a very positive experience for both the team
from FBC and the residents. We’ll meet at 5:15pm
at the church on Friday, March 2 and carpool to
Saratoga. Please prayerfully consider joining this
mission!
Signup sheet is in the fellowship hall. Contact
Colleen Pierre with any questions. or
[email protected] 338-7304
CREATIVE VISION GATHERING
On March 24 9:30 a.m.-
11:30 a.m. the Vision
Community will lead a
church-wide creative
vision gathering. Our home vision gatherings were
very fruitful and the Vision Community has taken
into account comments/ideas from the home
gatherings. During this time, we will share and
creatively examine vision ideas and an adaptive
ministry model. In addition, we will consider vision
statement language. Come with an open mind and
creative ideas. Light breakfast served.
P A G E 4
HOLY WEEK SERVICES
Palm Sunday April 1, 2012
Palm Sunday is the
Sunday before Easter and
is the last Sunday in Lent.
This day commemorates
Jesus’ triumphal entry
into Jerusalem with
waving palms in a procession in which children,
youth, and adults participate in worship. This is a
joyous and festive day and celebrates Christ’s
entry as the King of Kings. Some of the Palm
Sunday palms are kept and used to make the Ash
Wednesday ashes for the next year.
Maundy Thursday April 5, 2012
On April 5th
at 7:00 p.m. we
invite you to remember The Last
Supper through prayer, worship,
song, and reflection. Worshipers
will experience the last days of
Jesus through scripture and
song. Communion will be served
and everyone will be invited to
receive communion “at the
table”, which will provide a deeper and intimate
setting to receive the communion elements.
Good Friday Service April 6, 2012
Ballston Area Clergy Association
will hold a Good Friday service at
Christ Episcopal Church on April
6th
. This simple and powerful
service dramatizes the suffering
and death of Jesus Christ. Both
clergy and lay people will lead
the service. The service begins
at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal
Church, 15 West High St. Ballston Spa.
Easter Egg Hunt April 7, 2012
We invite all children and
families to come celebrate
the signs of new life
together on Saturday, April
7th
, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
at the Parsonage (818
Greenwood Drive, Ballston Spa, RSVP 288-3100).
We anticipate the new life of our risen Christ by
children hunting for eggs (a sign of new life), adults
fellowshipping, sharing breakfast fare and
beverages together. Families will hear a word from
Pastor Alan of the new life in Christ’s resurrection.
In the event of inclement weather the event will
be canceled and filled eggs will be passed out to
the children during Easter Sunday worship.
Sunrise Easter Service April 8, 2012
Join us for an informal
sunrise Easter service
and light breakfast at
Don and Barbara
Roll’s home, 6025
Jockey St. Galway, NY.
We will gather at 6:00
a.m. for song and worship. The Roll’s property
provides a wonderful sunrise and Easter morning
experience.
Easter Sunday Worship Service April 8, 2012,
Christ is risen! He has risen
indeed! Christians have
proclaimed these words for
almost 2,000 years. The
celebration of the
resurrection is a day of
proclamation. Our worship service will inspire and
excite all to experience the joy of Jesus’ victory
over death and sin. We encourage you to bring
your friends and family to this special Sunday of
worship!
HELP NEEDED FOR LENTEN LUNCH
Again this year, the First
Presbyterian Church will host a
Lenten Luncheon event with all
local churches taking a turn in
providing lunch for the event. The Luncheons are
open to all and will be on Wednesdays from 12:10
– 12:50 pm, beginning with Wednesday, February
29th
. A brief Lenten devotional will be led by the
different Pastors in Ballston Spa, preceded by a
luncheon. Our Pastor will give the pastoral
reflection on Wednesday, February 29th
, and our
Church will be serving lunch on Wednesday, March
21. This year, we will again serve soup and
sandwiches. If you would like to help please speak
to Vallee Albert. Donations are welcomed for the
luncheons.
MISSIONS COMMITTEE
Engaging Discipleship: Open my Eyes, My Heart,
My Hands (Mark 10:46-52) is the theme for
America For Christ Offering 2012 which we will be
participating in and learning more about during
the month of March.
America for Christ gifts support Christ-centered
ministries that engage discipleship across the
United States and Puerto Rico- through evangelism
training, missional church leadership experiences,
discipleship resources, youth initiatives, volunteer
ministries and disaster response, plus initiatives
that fight poverty and so mush more.
“Engaging Discipleship” denotes putting Jesus first
in all things. In our materialistic and consumer-
minded society, this goes against the grain. But the
word of our Lord encourages us to put off the
self-centeredness for Christ-centeredness instead.
What is the mission of American Baptist Home
Mission Societies? ABHMS ministries is the caring
heart, serving hands, going feet and prophetic
voice of Jesus Christ—establishing ministries of
discipleship, community and justice, while
equipping and networking followers of Jesus to
transform persons, congregations, neighborhoods
and cultures throughout the United States and
Puerto Rico.
To help kick-off our America for Christ Offering -
Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III, Executive
Director, American Baptist Home Mission
Societies, CEO of Judson Press will be speaking at
First Baptist on Sunday morning, March 4th
.
Monthly mission events are being planned; look
for postings by the Mission Board in the gathering
area. Some events that are already in the works
are:
♦ Shelters of Saratoga, dinner with the residents
on Friday, March 2. Meet at church 5:15 p.m.
♦ Lunch Bunch after worship service on March 25
to hear about Mark Hopper and Susan
Hennessey’s trip to Guatemala.
♦ Village wide garage sale in June – proceeds
from the sale will help support missions at FBC.
Start thinking about what extra household
items, clothing or other items that you no
longer have a use for but others might. Please
no furniture or computer equipment.
If you have an idea for a monthly mission event,
please speak to any member of the Mission
Committee or Pastor Alan.
For the Mission Committee,
Barb Pennie
It's easy to be a part: Come to the upper room of
the church on the second Monday of each month
from 4-5 p.m. with your fellow congregation
members and maybe some new friends! This
month’s meeting will be on March 12th.
It's easy to join in: Read the book for that month
and come for good discussion, with snack and
beverage provided. Come once this year or come
every month! Childcare provided.
It's easy to follow: Check the Messenger each
month to see which selection of varied literature is
on the schedule.
It's easy to start: Start reading now Animal,
Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara
Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, and Steven L. Hopp
for March's selection! April’s selection is The
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. We know you
are bound to love it! So get BookBound!
Joy Hanchett and Christine Rudnick
BookBound!
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
OF BALLSTON SPA BOOK CLUB
P A G E 5
CAPITAL DISTRICT WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Keeping Company with God
March 10, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Loudonville Community Church
This year’s speaker will be Rondy
M. Smith, a warm, engaging
communicator of God’s Word who
invites women to love Jesus with all
their heart. More details and registration forms
are available on the ABW Board.
DEACONS
Your Board of Deacons has been preparing for the
upcoming Lenten Season, assisting the Pastor and
the congregation in making this season one of
reverence and remembrance of our love for our
Lord Jesus Christ.
This year we will be ordering
Easter Lilies to grace our
sanctuary with details and
pricing to follow in the coming
weeks. Lilies can be ordered 'in
memory of' or 'in honor of' a
family member, a friend, or for
our church.
As a Board, we are also anticipating becoming
actively involved in our eventual participation in
our Vision Community and its work on behalf of
our growing church family and our goals for a
thriving and fruitful Church. Each of the Deacons
will be calling the members of their Shepherding
List to let our congregation know we are always
thinking of them and are ready to help if needed.
We participated in our Ash Wednesday service, on
February 22, with the local Presbyterian and
Alliance Churches, bringing the Lenten message
home to First Baptist Church. A general offering
was taken to benefit the Ballston Area Clergy Fund
which enables our local churches to collectively
help the needy in our community.
New drip-less candles and candle holders were
ordered for special services throughout the year
such as our Christmas Eve gatherings. This enables
us to replace old and worn candle holders that we
have been using and will ultimately make our
special services safe and memorable as we light
our sanctuary with our collective love for our Lord.
We will also be facilitating the 11:11 Service of
Wednesday Prayer and Communion at our Church
also beginning on Wednesday, February 29th
at
11:11 am. All are welcome to gather for prayer,
song and communion to experience God through
focused prayer and song. After the service we will
all be able to attend the Lenten Luncheon at the
First Presbyterian Church.
All of these efforts will bring us closer together as
a Church family and as a community as we
celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ collectively. The
Deacons will be assisting in worship for Palm
Sunday, on April 1, Maundy Thursday, April 5, and
Good Friday Services on April 6 which will be held
at Christ Episcopal Church.
Your Board of Deacons consists of Vallee Albert,
Dave Fresn, Mike Hensler, Mark Hopper, Gene
Kenyon, Bob Staulters and Terry van den Heever.
Working in God's Service,
Vallee Albert
P A G E 6
THE PASTORAL-STAFF RELATIONS COMMITTEE –
THE WHAT, WHY AND WHO
The Pastoral-Staff Relations
Committee (PSRC) is comprised of
five members of the congregation:
Sarah Watkins, Wes
Terrell, Carol Gerbing,
David Stacey, Paul
Pelliccia and the pastor. Members
serve 3 year terms.
We are responsible for overseeing the church
staff. This includes maintaining the church staff
job descriptions, performing annual performance
reviews of church staff, and making budget
recommendations for staff salary, benefits and
cost of living increases. The PSRC also oversees
the pastor’s health insurance contract and its
annual renewal. The PSRC advertises vacant
positions, interviews applicants and recommends
suitable candidates to the Advisory Committee.
We work to facilitate communication between
employees, pastor and the congregation. If you
have a comment or question pertaining to church
staff, please contact someone on the committee.
In May I will be ending my term on the PSRC. It
has been a pleasure serving on this committee and
as the chairperson for the past several years.
Please continue to support this group and our
church staff. Your open, honest communication
and your feedback are appreciated. If you are
interested in serving on this committee, please let
the nominating committee and/or Pastor Alan
know.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Watkins
P A G E 7
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board will be moving forward with
our Flooring Task Force. Praise God that
we have been given such a generous
gift!
The Board will also be working closely with the
folks involved with our Summer Lunch Program to
make sure they have the equipment they need
and the space to continue to provide such a loving
mission to our community children.
The Board welcomed back Kevin Krogh. Kevin has
been missed greatly. What a blessing that he felt
the need to join us! Welcome back Kevin. We are
so thankful for your selfless giving!
Serving Him Together,
Laura Marino Chair Board of Trustees
NOTES FROM THE REGION
January 27, 2012
Incredible things are happening in the world of
Baptist Camping in New York State. With
transitions also come rumors, misconceptions, and
anxiety.
Camping has become its own corporation. Or, in
better terms, Camp Vick and Pathfinder Lodge
have become their own ABC missions
organization. In reality, we have always been, but
now it is formal.
Outdoor Ministries is now Vick and Pathfinder
Camp and Conference Ministries (VP Ministries for
short). We are
strong partners
with the Region and
are the Baptist
Camping Ministry
for ABC/NYS. None
of this has changed
who we are.
In the meantime,
we are building
missions support to
be able to do an
ever increasing level
of quality ministry to children, youth, and adults.
We are currently hiring the summer staff for 2012,
writing curriculum, and putting final touches on
the brochure.
We would ask you to pray for us. Also pray about
being involved, either by volunteering, donating,
or recruiting staff and campers. We have people
ready and willing to come and do presentations to
churches, groups, or one on one. In March and
April we will be doing several face-to-face
meetings across New York to let people enter into
the dialogue of what is going on in your camping
ministry. Please look for the event in your area (or
ask to host one) and plan on attending. We also
invite dialogue. Call us at our offices (which also
have not changed) 315-469-4236 ext. 11.
Rev. John Buskey
Vick & Pathfinder Camp & Conference Ministries
BUDGET AND FINANCE
As spring approaches, we count our
blessings and are thankful for the mild
winter that has lifted our spirits and
brought lower heating bills.
Our treasurer, Paul Pelliccia, has become very
proficient at projecting our estimated income. For
the month of January he was right on target.
January’s income was $21,170.50. Our expenses
for the month were $22,996.43. Although we
transferred $4,000 of endowment interest to
current expense to balance the 2011 budget, we
are a minus $1,712 through the month of January.
We do, however, have our restricted gifts of
$4,180 for the Summer Lunch Program, $1,958 for
Christ’s Cupboard, and $1,800 for stoves in
Guatemala.
This may look like a dreary picture, however God
always provides. With the passing of our dear
friend, Jim Whelden, came a gift for $25,000. This
should allow us to not only balance the books for
2012 but also enable us to do needed repairs on
our beautiful church building.
As always, please feel free to give any suggestions
or ask any questions regarding the church finances
to the Budget and Finance Committee.
Serving Him together,
Mary Ann Becker, Chair
P A G E 8
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
A SUPPORTED MINISTRY OF FBC
February 2, 2012
Campus is often like the Pool of Bethesda (John 5)-
a gathering place for a great number of broken
people. Students come in spiritually blind, hobbled
by the sin of others, in the paralysis of their own
sin, shame, and fear. They have often been like this
"for a long time", so long in fact that they have lost
hope in even hoping . . . it is there that Jesus goes,
in His people. Our friend at Union College is here,
in this condition. I have asked her directly, on a
number of occasions, "Do you want to get well?"
Her response has been varied, from "I'm not sure",
to "How is this even possible!?" But God, in the
mercy of a Savior, has moved her past the "I have
no one to help me" to "I realized that my friend
loved me in a way I couldn't explain except that it
was from God, so I decided to trust her." Then do
you know what happened?!! Her friend (Danielle
Bailey, IVCF Area Director) helped her pray "Holy
Spirit, come and help me trust God". Oh merciful
Savior, how we thank you for your untiring work,
faithful in her life!
It is a joy to see students come to Christ! Rejoice
with us, and keep praying . . .
Thank God with me for:
• Students Transformed: Student's path to Christ
has been instrumental to teach many of us more
about faithfulness,
about love in the long
haul, about not
taking offense and
remembering that sin is against God, about how
we each have needed to grow.
• Faculty Transformed: Some significant
movement in the lives of several faculty at
Skidmore, new conviction, repentance, growth,
openness, prayer. May God be praised!
• Campuses Renewed: For 2 semesters at
Skidmore we have seen a growing interest--by
administrators--about the work that IVCF is doing.
From "can we provide food for your events" to
"how can other students on campus get involved
in NYCUP?" At Union there has been an offer of a
significant amount of campus funding to help
students attend NYCUP. God is using serving
students in IVCF to help lead both campuses.
• World Changers Developed: Two Skidmore
alum will be speaking on Forgiveness this term,
one in relation to her future path in justice issues
and combating sex trafficking, the other on the
ways that Forgiveness works in community.
Please pray for:
• Outreach efforts on both campuses-especially
small groups exploring Jesus-and-justice issues, for
seekers.
• Fatigue and Balance - I have been sick with
consecutive colds for about 4 weeks. Rest is not an
easy place for me (sin).
• Urbana 12 - we are beginning to recruit
students to attend. Pray for me as next week I'll be
in Dallas, having been invited to come for training
as a Manuscript leader at Urbana.
• Funding - I remain $9,800 short of my full
budget. Ask God to raise up new partners for this
work.
His mercies are new each morning, great is His
Faithfulness.--Lamentations 3:23
In Christ Jesus,
Caleb LaRue, Campus Staff Member
Skidmore College and Union College
SUMMER CAMP
There are many Christian Summer Camp
opportunities for our youth, and the board of
Christian Education offer Scholarships. Please see
Judy Lister for an application.
Think Fun
Think Summer
Think CAMP
CHURCH MOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL
February was a busy month
full of fun activities. The
children made lots of
Valentines and enjoyed a
visit with a Dental Hygienist.
They made predictions
about whether or not the
groundhog would see his
shadow, and they learned
more about God’s amazing
love for us. During Chapel
Time, Pastor Alan told the
children the story
about Jonah and
also about how
Jesus welcomes all
the children.
Open House was a
success. We had
many new families
visit our school.
Teachers and assistants were on hand to meet
new families, explain our program, and play with
the children. The morning classes of 4-year-olds
and Pre-K are almost full. There are still openings
in the afternoon for 4-year-olds and morning 3-
year-olds.
In like a lion, out like a lamb…Pink will turn to
green as we enter the month of March. Lions and
lambs will cover our bulletin boards, as we observe
the unpredictable weather that March brings.
Some of the fun activities this month will be
learning about dinosaurs, having a game day, and
wearing pajamas to school for PJ parties. Classes
will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday. There may
even be some green eggs and ham!
Student evaluations will
be completed and Parent/
Teacher conferences will
be held on Thursday
afternoon, March 15th
and
all day Friday, March 16th
.
We enjoy this time to be
able to sit down with our
parents and discuss their child’s progress.
Plans are in the works for a Preschool Fair to be
held at the Christ Episcopal Church in Ballston Spa
on Saturday, April 21st
from 10 a.m. -12 noon. If
you hear of anyone
who is searching for a
great preschool for
their child, please tell
them about our
Preschool Fair…or
have them give us a
call so we can give
them a tour of our
school.
Please keep our
school, staff, parents, and children in your prayers.
We are so thankful for God’s faithfulness, protec-
tion, and opportunities for growth.
Serving Christ Together,
Cheryl Dunkelbarger
P A G E 9
Cover your sneeze please!
CHILDREN’S WORSHIP
The children at FBC have been
playing follow-the-leader and
getting rainbow-colored chicken pox
this winter. Thanks to our
enthusiastic and hardworking
volunteers, every Sunday during the sermon
children ages 4 to third grade can go downstairs to
hear about Jesus in a fun and hands-on way.
Through activities and crafts, the children have
learned about following Jesus, following His rules,
and praying. And those multi-colored chicken pox?
They’ve learned that we can turn to Jesus when
things seem hopeless.
During Lent, we will be exploring the parables.
Jesus told some great stories about caring and
forgiveness, using our talents, and hearing and
heeding His Word. During Children’s Worship,
we’ll explore the stories and ideas, with more
crafts and activities, of course!
Volunteers are always welcome! If you would like
to lead Children’s Worship, talk to me! We have a
rotating schedule, and it would be easy to add
your name to the list!
Joy Hanchett
587-0674, [email protected]
LIBRARY CORNER
Children’s Books:
1. Prayers for a Fragile World by
Carol Watson
2. The Story of The Lord’s Prayer
by Patricia A. Pingry
3. The Lord’s Prayer by Richard Jesse Watson
All of the above deal with prayer.
4. Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson
5. St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
To celebrate March 17.
6. God Made Spring! ∼ A Really Woolly & Friends
book
7. Wake up, Sleepy Bear by Christine Morton-
Shaw and Greg Shaw
All about spring!
8. Easter by Gail Gibbons
9. The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry
10. Easter Bunny Are You for Real? by Harold Myra
Children’s DVD:
1. Wake Up, It’s Spring! by Lisa Campbell Ernst
2. The Luckiest Leprechaun by Justine Korman
3. Looking for Easter by Dori Chaconas
Adult Books:
March 2, 2012 is Women’s World Day of Prayer
Every month really does focus on
prayer, so listed are just a few
choice words on the subject, all of
which can be found in the Library.
1. Pray With Your Eyes Open by Richard L. Pratt,
Jr. ∼ looking at God, ourselves, and our
prayers.
2. Bible Prayers for All Your Needs by Clift &
Kathleen Richards ∼ God’s answers for every
need.
3. Praying the Bible for Your Children by David &
Heather Kopp ∼ as a parent you want your
prayer to have an impact on the lives of your
children.
4. Prayer Does it Make any Difference? by Philip
Yancey ∼ probing the very heartbeat of our
relationship with God.
5. Don’t just Stand there, Pray Something by
Ronald Dunn ∼ the incredible power of
intercessory prayer.
The library is one of the ministries of the church
that receives donations at Easter time. We
welcome your support. Please use the envelope
provided in the pews.
Enjoy!
Mary Morelock
P A G E 1 0
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS
Sunday, March 11, 2012 Turn your clocks one hour forward,
or be late for church!
If we missed your birthday or anniversary,
please let the church office know!
March Birthdays
7th
Raymond Marshall
10th
George Ball
13th
Agnes Downing
15th
Hillary Jones
16th
Deborah Hodgkins
16th
Terry van den Heever
18th
David France
20th
Christine Rudnick
21st
Roman Audette
21st
Erin Fresn
24th
Amanda Hodgkins
24th
Jacqueline Pelliccia
25th
William Hinckley, Jr.
25th
Olivia Pritchard
26th
Bev Hier
28th
Sherry Hoffman
28th
Andrea Fresn
29th
Velma Scanlon
31st
Colby Krogh
March Anniversaries
15th
Paul and Brenda Pelliccia
15th
Thomas and Tammy Townson
22nd
Michael and Cheryl Hensler
Ma
rch
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P A G E 1 1