How Do I Give to Missions?

I realized recently that one of our faithful members at First Baptist Church Norfolk didn't know how to give to missions. The logical concern is then, if they don't...who else may need some help?

You can give online: http://www.firstnorfolk.org/contentpages.aspx?parentnavigationid=12249&navigationId=12276&viewcontentpageguid=aa38add7-1428-499a-a3e2-a2082061c028

This link will direct you to enter your online code or register to do so.

Then click "Go to my organizations egiving page."

There is a section for general missions giving that is labeled "Missions." This gift will go toward our World Missions Offering which is then divided as following: 40% International Mission Board/Lottie Moon, 40% North American Mission Board/Annie Armstrong offering, and 30% Partnership missions (essentially everything else that we do as a church).

There is also an area designated for giving toward a "Missions Trip." In this area you may indicate a journey and/or individual that you would like to give on behalf of.

Then finally, if you wish to simply give an offering in support of the direct Missions ministry of our church, you may give a gift in the "Other" column and label that as "FBCN Missions."

What if I am not an internet "surfer" or I am not comfortable using a credit/debit card for such?

An offering may be included in an offering envelope, a regular envelope, or with a simple description of your wishes attached. Simply use the designations given above to explain what kind of offering you wish to give. This offering may be given at our church or mailed to:

First Baptist Church Norfolk

Attn: Missions Offering

312 Kempsville rd.

Norfolk, Va. 23502

Thank you again for considering this great need and the opportunity that we have as a church to support missions throughout the year. If our Missions Ministry team can be of assistance in this process or answer questions about specific needs please contact us by calling the church at 757-461-3226.

Living the Mission: G.R.O.W.

Lives Changed through Outreach Ministry

Our three-member G.R.O.W. (God Rewards Our Work) visitation team enjoys a diversity of things from family and travel to computers and gardening. One of our greatest joys is when we see God providentially open doors of opportunity for our outreach team to share our faith!

A recent visit was to a family where the husband did not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus. After an opportunity to share the Gospel with him, he prayed to receive Christ. The tears in the wife’s eyes and her words that they could now come together as a family were a blessing that cannot be explained.

We wish we could describe the awe and excitement of our team as we return from one of these visits! It is an unbelievable joy to realize that God has allowed us to be part of His plan to bring the unsaved to Himself. Our desire is to see many more of our family of faith experience this amazing transformation that takes place on many Tuesday evenings at G.R.O.W. If you have ever felt a desire to grow in encouraging and reaching others for Christ, prayerfully consider G.R.O.W. as a step of faith to Live the Mission. For additional information, please contact Carol Hughes at 461-3226 (ext. 281) or chughes@firstnorfolk.org.

Glorious Night at the Cuffee!

I just had to post this great report from Julie Albritton:
I just wanted to send out a great big humongous THANKS to everyone who helped out with our Cuffee Christmas Program and Party tonight! It was a sweet time! I think we had around 80 people total there, gave out over 30 goody bags to the children filled with knit hats, crayons, "Happy Birthday Jesus" activity books, toothbrushes, snowflake ornaments that said, "God made me unique like a snowflake", a copy of the Gospel of John, and a candy cane, had a program of music, dance & storytelling, then celebrated with wonderful food!
It's hard to say exactly, but I would guess that over 50 of our church family were involved in some way! Special thanks to Sheila Arnold for sharing her amazing gift of storytelling with us, Megan Galan for coordinating the food and making everything look so beautiful, Melodie Walenius for making awesome cupcakes, Amy Sholes and Susan Briggs for working with the kids on their dances, Stephanie Freeman for printing our programs, heading up the tutoring and helping us stay organized, and Mike Tortora for planning great recreation and Bible study each week! Thanks so much to ALL OF YOU who faithfully come every week to love on these children in the name of Jesus!
Please continue to pray for these children and their families, especially as we reach out to them through our Angel Tree gifts!

Watch some of the videos:

Jingle Bells with Mrs. Julie from craig clayton on Vimeo.

Fun Snow song with the kids! from craig clayton on Vimeo.

Sheila storytelling with the children from craig clayton on Vimeo.

Living the Mission: Gosnold Apartments

Members of First Baptist Norfolk “Live the Mission” at Gosnold Apartments by demonstrating God’s love and sharing the living hope we have through Jesus Christ . The Apartments, located at 2425 Gosnold Ave in Norfolk, are a 60 unit, single occupancy studio apartment building constructed from a former RC Cola bottling plant by Virginia Supportive Housing of Richmond, in partnership with the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake, for persons who have been homeless for at least 12 months. Residents may live there indefinitely, as long as they comply with their lease and pay the rent of $50.00 per month, or 30% of their income, whichever is greater.. Every Thursday night we have a one hour social, with 20 to 25 residents attending. At Christmas and Easter we host a meal for all of the residents, including a devotion related to the season, and the First Norfolk orchestra frequently provides concerts on these occasions. Every Sunday, transportation is provided for residents who want to attend Bible Study and worship at First Baptist. Most importantly, these ministry activities are about building bridges and relationships with individuals and ministering to their specific needs. More First Baptist volunteers are needed for each of these ministry activities.

WOM p.m. Serve at the Beacon House

The Women on Mission evening group hosted a Christmas luncheon today (12/11) for the folks at Beacon House. Beacon House is a facility that provides recreational activities for brain injured adults. About 18 people attended with some of their assistants. Besides lunch and dessert, we had story-telling, crafts, and cookie decorating. This possibly could be a new area for the WOM to serve. The director was very appreciative of us coming. You can read more about it at www.maryfoundation.org

Living the Mission: Medical Missions Team

Reaching our neighbors’ practical needs to touch them spiritually was a model used by Christ that the Medical Mission Team strives to put into practice.

Through the Big Serve Health Fair and with the help of many volunteers, the medical AND spiritual needs of over 150 local residents were addressed. A military family was provided with free wellness exams and Virginia school screenings so their children could begin school the next day. Families who had never attended our church previously were so moved by the kindness and compassion shown to them that they’ve been attending faithfully ever since.

Jesus came to heal. The Medical Mission team seeks to continue ministering to those in our community who are in need of healing and without hope. Please prayerfully consider how you might be part of this team as we live the Medical Mission throughout Hampton Roads in 2011.

Living the Mission: Cuffee Community Center

The church has truly left the building to live the mission by making God’s love real to children and adults alike through our ‘Wacky Wednesdays’ program at the Cuffee Community Center. Each Wednesday afternoon, Chesapeake Fellowship offers free music, tutoring, dance, games, crafts, sack dinners, and Bible stories to children in the surrounding neighborhoods. Through this program, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know the Cuffee staff and sharing with them. Through this partnership, our church has been invited to participate in community events and to bring our block party trailer. One staff member told us that we are now “part of the Cuffee family.” Through the relationships we’ve built at Cuffee, God has allowed us to connect with a Vietnamese man and his son. We invited them to our Vietnamese Thanksgiving Celebration on November 21st where the father prayed to receive Jesus! Please be in prayer for our Christmas program at Cuffee on December 15th, which we hope will be an opportunity to connect with additional families and for even more lives to be changed.

Living the Mission: Vietnamese Catalyst Team

Testimony – for many years I was bitter because I had to flee my country with two small children and my sister. We were frightened, heartbroken, and didn’t know anyone in this country. I was angry when church people told me that God loved me when He allowed war to tear apart our family and now my children had become fatherless. My sister took me to a Billy Graham crusade in Washington, D.C., and Jesus became very real to me that day. I began to understand, through the Holy Spirit, why church people loved me even though we were not related. I am excited to reach out to the Vietnamese community here and also by returning to Vietnam next month – the first time since the fall of Saigon in 1975! Through the cooperative efforts of the Catalyst Team and other members of our church, an amazing work has begun in the Vietnamese community in Hampton Roads. We have held Bible studies and fellowships on six occasions and had approximately 60 in attendance at the first gathering held at the Crossroads Center. We are praying for even more at the next event, a Thanksgiving Celebration on November 21st. God has also provided a Vietnamese pastor from Northern Virginia to lead Bible studies and worship services in the Vietnamese language. We believe God has orchestrated some amazing things so that a church could be birthed in the very near future as we daily LIVE THE MISSION!

Christmas Mission Opportunities

Below are some opportunities to get involved in missions over the Christmas holidays. Contact the missions office (466.5181) for more details or to get involved.

Christmas at First
First Baptist Norfolk
December 10th, 7:00 p.m.
December 11th, 7:00 p.m.
December 12th, 3:00 p.m.

Invite your friends who are unchurched to attend this free program at our church! Invitations are available in the Grand Lobby.

Cuffee Center Christmas Program
Cuffee Community Center, Chesapeake
December 15th, 5:00 p.m.

Volunteer to help set up for the program, serve food to families in attendance, and/or pass out gift bags to the children.

Alzheimer's Unit at Chesapeake Place
Saturday, December 18th, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

We are in need of volunteers who can provide entertainment and others who can visit with residents.

Gosnold Christmas Dinner
Gosnold Apartments, Norfolk
December 19th, 3:00 p.m.

Volunteer to cook food, set up for the meal, and/or serve meals to the residents.

Outreach for Christ
Virginia Beach
ongoing

Volunteer to help with their Toys for Children program by in various ways (assembling/delivering gifts, etc.). Call 498.4700 for more information.

GroupServe Newsletter (November/December 2010)

gsnovemberdecember2010

Thoughts from the SBCV

Some have asked about the workshop that I had the privilege of participating in at the SBCV homecoming today, so I would like to briefly recount this experience.

Mark Custalow, Director of Multiplying Churches and Church Planting Strategist for the SBCV, moderated our time as I served on a panel with Jonge Tate and Kevin Cummings to share in the workshop entitled "The Church Unleashed."

The panel was asked to share what has made the difference in our churches when it comes to being unleashed.

Kevin's church has seen great blessing as they have managed to start a medical ministry on Tuesday evenings at Fincastle Baptist Church. This includes dental ministry and has seen a good response from the community.

Jonge's church is a young plant that has managed to make an impact by serving local businesses and individuals by cleaning toilets, cutting grass, and doing other projects.

In the course of my time with these men, I shared about the rich history of our church and some of the ministries that had begun prior to my arrival such as Julie's work with the Coronado School for Young Mothers and the Gosnold apartment partnership. I proceeded to share about how the Big Serve has proven to mobilize our people to new levels of missions involvement as they experience a change in their missional DNA. The challenge of our Pastor has greatly impacted our members as they are learning to live the mission through their natural gifts and interests. This has resulted in Group Serve projects and other individual endeavors. All the while we strive for John 1:14 which says in the Message paraphrase, "The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood."

The panel was then asked to share a few examples of missions opportunities that God is cultivating in our churches.

I shared about the work that our Chesapeake Fellowship is doing at the Cuffee Center. I rehearsed the history of our work with the Homeless Connect group and how this opportunity evolved. It is so exciting to share about how these public institutions now call us to help them at special events, etc.

The panel was then asked to share about someone who has been discipled through the process of our church reaching out to the community.

I enjoyed sharing about how God has allowed us to engage the Vietnamese people of Hampton Roads and see great growth in their spiritual lives. This growth has continued to the extent that there are now various classes that are meeting at our church and the people are becoming much more confident in the faith to reach out to others.

Mark Custalow then concluded our first session (there were actually two that were nearly identical) by asking that I share about the Celebration Service that we have on Sunday night after our people have been serving all weekend.

I told Mark that words just cannot explain the incredible feeling that our people have as they return, much like the 72 who were sent out by Jesus. There is an electricity in the room and everyone wants to share about their experiences. We utilize video and testimonies, but people are still anxious to share how God has blessed their day...so we have an ice cream fellowship as another connecting point.

Mark requested that Pastor Eric speak at the end to express his perspective on Big Serve. He shared about the impact that having a large number of members serve in the community has on the growth of the church and assured those present that God provides the financial needs even though it seems like a financial setback.

The times that we had to share were very well received as various people spoke with the panelists after our workshop. (There was so much interest in the second workshop, the panelists volunteered their chairs to those attending and there were still others standing due to a lack of space.) Some expressed that their churches were inspired by the story of our church to begin their own Big Serve efforts. I anticipate opportunities for our church to partner with other churches in our state for missions advancement in the near future. Thank you again for your prayers for me in this opportunity and continue to pray that we can be a church that multiplies the faith by helping other churches to live the mission!

Craig

(Pictured above: One of our college students, Thomas Starchia, leading the LU Praise group. They did a phenomenal job!)

LIve the Mission Celebration 2010

Come join us in the Fellowship Hall THIS SUNDAY and listen in our worship gatherings as we share many of the ways that God is moving our church to Live the Mission around the world. There will be many mission opportunities displayed, videos of current missionaries serving, as well as other surprises. Our newest Live the Mission magazine will be available, so be sure to get your copy. Chesapeake Fellowship will also have a Mission Celebration before and after worship the following Sunday (November 14th) in the cafeteria of Greenbrier Middle School. You won't want to miss this opportunity!

Virginia Supportive Housing Training

Find Out More About VSH Volunteer Opportunities At South Bay! Attend An Upcoming Information Session To Find Out How You Can Become Involved! Virginia Supportive Housing's newest property, South Bay, is scheduled to open at the end of November in Portsmouth. South Bay will offer 60 studio units with support services for homeless individuals in the localities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth. Make plans now to attend an information session on Saturday, October 23! Needs include: Processing donations Transporting donations Transporting furniture Grand Opening event Ongoing client support SESSION TIMES: Norfolk: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Virginia Beach: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Space is limited! Participants MUST RSVP in order to attend. To see VSH volunteers in action, just click here!

Join Our Mailing List! Virginia Supportive Housing P.O. Box 8585 Richmond, Virginia 23226 804.788.6825

Live the Mission Luncheon- Adoption

We are looking forward to a great time of information and inspiration as we host two national agencies in our church for lunch this Sunday.

Bethany Adoption Services and United Methodist Family Services will have representatives to briefly present information about their organizations and answer questions about the Foster care and Adoption process.

Everyone interested is encouraged to RSVP with the missions ministry as soon as possible to reserve you place. A $5 box lunch will also be available and can be reserved by contacting sfreeman@firstnorfolk.org

Join us as we live the adoption mission!

Outreach For Christ Christmas Gift Needs

Outreach for Christ is collecting items for Christmas gifts for the families of inmates in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center and other needy children and their guardians. See the list below for ways you can help.


CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS
Items needed(new & good used)

Boys & Girls: New born- 3 yrs
Age appropriate toys; Rattles, blankets, infant toys,
Toddler toys, Stuffed animals with sewed on eyes (no button type)
Boys & Girls: 4 yrs to 18 yrs
Dolls, there are never enough Black Barbie Dolls
Board games- all ages
Hand held electronic games
Sports equipment (balls, gloves, bats)
*We are very short of sports items and games*
Wallets; Purses- varied ages
Cologne, shaving items
Perfumes, body wash, lotions
Grooming sets, i.e. hair clips, Brush/combs, Make-up, nail polish, nail sets etc
Socks/scarves/gloves/hats
Watches
Craft kits
Sketch pad for drawing
Coloring books
Color pencils and crayons
Car and plane models (include glue if needed)
Jewelry, jewelry making kit
Small radios, small CD player?s
Remote controlled cars, etc.
All ages: Jig Saw Puzzles: 25 pieces to 300 pieces

Adult Female Guardian:
Purses, wallets, perfumes, make-up, nail polish, watches scarves/gloves;
Kitchen items (pot holders, towels, trivets, etc.)

Adult Male Guardian:
Shaving cream, wallets, socks, watches, cologne, scarves/gloves

Batteries: AAA, C, AA, D, 9V, AG 10-1.5V, AG 13-1.5V
*We use a lot of these*

Please, no items pertaining to violence or witchcraft.

Also, we do not give computer software, games, since we do not know which child has a computer.

We ask that you limit the cost of a gift to no more than $20 or $25, so each child?s package is about the same.

WE ACCEPT TOYS ALL YEAR,NEW AND USED.

We are always in need of items (see list) for the older Children and Adults

Health Fair Celebration

Everyone who participated in the Health Fair for Big Serve and anyone else with a heart for medical ministry is invited to join us on Thursday, October 14 at 6:30pm in Room 220. This will be a casual time of refreshments, testimonies, and vision- casting for future opportunities. For more information contact the missions ministry of the church.

Crisis Pregnancy Center news

Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater
Join us for a special one-hour radio broadcast!

Interested in following CPC in the news?
Join us on the radio!
Dear Friends,

We have some exciting news - Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater will be on the radio tomorrow afternoon! WYRM Ministry Radio AM 1110 invited us to speak, and we're looking forward to sharing about our ministry with all of you!

Tune In On Thursday!
Toby DeBause, President
Please join to hear Toby on WYRM AM 1110 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 23.

Not able to access a radio station during this hour?

Not a problem! WYRM broadcasts online - just tune in at www.wyrmradio.com.
Connect With Us
phone: 757.410.9703
website: www.cpcfriends.org
Facebook: Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater

Big Serve 2010 Excitement

An article that impacted me greatly in High School was called Tyranny of the Urgent. The premise of the essay is simply a nugget of wisdom told to Charles Hummel by a cotton mill manager who said, "Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important."

This tendency in our nature is what necessitates the celebration of Big Serve at our church this weekend. The example given in scripture is of a church (people not a building) who have a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ and by the empowering of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) they become His witnesses EVERYWHERE.

Somewhere, somehow, we have suffered a disconnect. We have invited Jesus into our lives like inviting a guest into our home. We tell him that he can have access to certain areas, but only those that fit our schedule. As someone said to me today, "I find myself saying that I will get involved and serve someday, but the years pass and that day never comes..."

If we do not resolve to seize the day and make the most of the time and resources that we are given, we risk the misguided investment of our lives in things that are not eternal. Taking time to change the oil for a military spouse whose husband is deployed, washing the feet of runners from around the world, or ministering to the health needs of our neighbors are all ways that we serve with the goal of sharing the Good News of Christ.

This is why we get so excited about Big Serve. The body of Christ is shining the glory of God through our actions and deeds in ways that are unparalleled. The salt is out of the salt shaker. The little light is no longer hidden under a bushel. The Word is once again becoming flesh and blood and moving into the neighborhood.

As we prepare to serve, don't forget:
Pray like crazy! We need to cry out to God for a mighty movement of His Spirit through our people.

Remember the goal! Acts of kindness are in keeping with the character of Christ, but the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) calls us to make disciples, baptize, and teach as well.

Don't let it die! The goal of Big Serve is to change our DNA by making service a regular part of who we are and what we do. What should life after Big Serve look like?

Big Prayer

Prayer Guide

Health Fair Flyer!

Community Health Fair Flyer_final

First Baptist Free Health Fair

Come and Join us!

Sunday September 5th from 9 AM - 1Pm

♥Heart Disease Screening and Education ♥

Diabetes Screening and Education

☺Pediatric Developmental Screening, Support and Education ☺

Games, Face-painting, Moon-Bounce

Smoking Cessation Support and Healthy living

Fire Safety, Prevention and Emergency Preparedness

Cancer screening, prevention, support and education

BMI screening, Bone Density Screening

Fasting Cholesterol Testing

Red Cross Blood Drive

Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder Support

Event to be held at
First Baptist Church Norfolk
312 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, VA 23502

Journey Ministry Opportunities

Journey Ministry,
We are continuing to reach out to the community locally and
internationally! We have recently sent out care packages to journey age soldiers to encourage them during their time of deployment. Also, groups have been engaging people in places like town center to spread the gospel!

We have some more opportunities to glorify God coming up these next two weeks, so we encourage you to come out with us!

On Wednesday, August 18th (8am-12) we would like to bless the Regent University undergrad students by helping move them into their dorms, then inviting those with no church home to come join us for worship.

Also, on August 26th (thurs) & 27th (fri) from 8am-5pm, we would like to show Christ to the ODU Undergrads by helping them move in!

Both of these are great opportunities to reach out, so facebook me if you can join us as a coordinator or volunteer!

I appreciate you all and look forward to seeing you out there!
For His Glory,
-Bronson Simmons
Journey Ministry Intern
First Baptist Norfolk
Bsimmons@firstnorfolk.org

Big Serve Info and FAQ's

We are looking forward to another great year of loving God, loving others and living the mission at First Baptist Church Norfolk. Big Serve continues to grow and develop as people gain a vision toward serving in Hampton Roads. Many of our missions teams who have served internationally are returning with a vision toward reaching others where we live.

As a result, we continue to seek ways to grow the mission of our church toward reaching those who have never been reached. We are excited to share the following Big Serve plans with our church:

Prayer

We are renewing our prayer emphasis by making this a significant strategy in the planning and implementation of our projects. We are asking each team to:

• Prayerwalk before serving- This can be done at any time, but we should dedicate as much time as possible to praying for the people that we will be reaching out to. We must pray specifically for open doors for the gospel.
• Prayer times at church- The chapel will be open on Friday, September 3 from 6-7pm and on Saturday, September 4 from 11am-12:30 for individuals/groups to pray.
• Prayer as the goal- Teams are challenged to adopt areas of Hampton Roads and to pray directly for the needs that exist in those areas by prayerwalking among them.

Evangelism

Every year we have sought new ways to impact Hampton Roads with the gospel. Each team is challenged to evaluate their work and to ask themselves how their labor will advance the gospel. Efforts should be made before, during, and after each project to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Those interested in learning a new evangelism approach can come on Saturday, September 4 at 10:00am for a brief introduction to the Soularium method. This training will occur in the Live the Mission Center prior to our prayer time.

Organization

In an attempt to expedite the reporting process, we are asking that 3 photos be sent by text message to Craig Clayton at 971-0031 and by email to sharper@firstnorfolk.org and cclayton@firstnorfolk.org for use in our Sunday evening celebration service. We also ask for reports stating how many people were served, how many volunteers participated, and any decisions for Christ that were made as a result.

Resources

Our resource table is available in the main lobby of the church for your Big Serve needs. On the table you will find:

· A listing of classes who have registered their projects

· Big Serve cards- take as many as are needed and return the unused portion

· Why are we here? Tracts- another tool to explain why we do Big Serve

· Registration forms- fill out and submit one of these so that we might have the necessary information about your project

· T-shirts- available in the Live the Mission Center for $5

· Salvation bracelets- available the Sunday before BigServe (one per church member, please)

FAQ’s

How do we find a project? Ask yourself “where would Jesus go?” and “what would He do?” Then…do it!

How do we register? Fill out a form from the Big Serve table or email sfreeman@firstnorfolk.org

When should we do our project? The goal is to have our whole church serving across Hampton Roads on Sunday, September 5. Some groups may serve at other times due to the nature of their projects, but this is the general goal. It is also a great time to reach out to the unreached in our area!

Which t-shirt do I wear? The blue or the tan Big Serve shirts may be worn, or anything else for that matter. We are just excited that you are living the mission!

How do I report? See the information sheet or visit www.bigserve.org

Can you help me with ideas? Visit www.bigserve247.org to begin and then if you still need help, contact the Local Missions office for a visit from one of our leaders.

Why serve? Because Jesus did and we are supposed to be like Him.

Where do I go to serve? Pray and seek the area that God has placed on your heart. Consider a need for which you have compassion in our community.

Is this just for mature believers? No! Young and old, spiritually mature and immature are welcome to show God’s love through their words and actions.

Why is this just one day? It’s not! We challenge our members to seek opportunities to serve through Group Serve and regular opportunities that they encounter. We are a church that lives the mission!

What about sharing our faith? That is the ultimate goal of all that we do as we share the Good News of Jesus with people. Please make this a large portion of your planning and prayer as you consider your project.

What if I have read everything and am still greatly confused? Let us help you. Contact the missions office (466.5181) and schedule a time to discuss any questions that you may have.

Running for Jesus

The famous line from Chariots of Fire states, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." Four of our members represented First Baptist Church Norfolk at the Flagship Military Challenge by wearing their Big Serve shirts and speaking with other runners.

Continue to pray that our people will live the mission by boldly standing for Christ where they live!

Don't miss these training opportunities!

We are thrilled to announce that one of our members who if preparing for the mission field will be leading a class on Chronological Bible Storying beginning on August 18 in room 308. Here is a brief decription:

Not everyone can read, but all people love a great story! What's better than to learn to share the story of the Bible? Missionaries use this around the world and we can use this in our church too. Speak to the hearts of students, neighbors, and coworkers with this great way to show that God's word is truly alive.

We are also developing training times for the Soularium Cards that our Portugal team used this year on mission. They have returned and are sharing this method with us. More classes will be coming soon!

Medical Missions Open Meeting

Dear First Norfolk Member

In keeping with our church's goal to Love God, Love Others and Live the Mission, we are prayerfully considering the goal of providing a community based health ministry. The following is our mission statement:

The Community Health Ministry of FBCN seeks to change lives through Christ-centered education and compassionate health services

Mission Statement: To glorify God through serving the mission, we will:

• Share Jesus, the son of God, who loves and came to save and heal every individual
• Identify health needs of the local community
• Develop educational and support programs
• Make programs accessible

One way to assess for need and response to this goal is to hold a Health Fair at First Baptist Norfolk. Our plan is to hold this Health Fair the Sunday of Big Serve, September 5th, 2010. There are many possibilities for several classes and individuals to be involved in both data collection and medical provisions. In preparation for this Health Fair we are holding a meeting for interested individuals on August 15th, 2010 immediatly following the 11 AM service in the Live the Mission Center. We will provide information, answer questions and do some brain-storming as a group. This is an excellent opportunity to touch lives in a profoundly holisitic way but we want to do so in a way that truly honors God.

Please continue to pray with us regarding this wonderful opportunity and do not hesitate to contact me if I can answer any questions for you prior to our meeting.

Loving the Mission,

Craig Clayton

Minister of Missions

First Baptist Church Norfolk

Request to Assist a Portsmouth Public Servant

First Norfolk Family,

I am passing on this request for your consideration as we Live the Mission in Hampton Roads. CC

My name is Roger Allen; I pastor Common Ground Community Church in Portsmouth, VA (SBCV). I am also an Auxiliary Police Officer for Portsmouth. Recently a benefit was held for an officer and his family. They lost everything they own to a house fire. I asked the officer coordinating the benefit if they had any unmet needs telling her that I believed the churches in our association would want to help the family if they could. So, I am forwarding her response to you and asking that you pray about helping a local public servant get back on his feet. I believe God would be pleased to have us do this. You can send cards if you wish, or box items up. If you contact me, I can get these items to the family. Please put the name of your church on the cards or boxes of items. Below is the letter from Lt. Lisa Smith of the Portsmouth Police Department.

Because He is with us,

Roger Allen

CGCC

757-652-1976

comngrnds@msn.com

Mr. Allen,

"They are in need of clothing, shoes, linens, dishes, and personal items. They lost everything in the fire and the insurance only covers the structure so they have to start over from nothing. They unfortunately do not have a place to store furniture or appliances at this time as they are staying with family. Here are the sizes if you have anyone who would like to donate clothing:

Mom:

Pants-size 10 Misses

Shirts-size medium Ladies

Shoes-size 6

Daughter (age 14):

pants-size 5 Junior

shirts-size small to medium

shoes-size 6

The daughter also loves to read funny books. She has a book shelf that her aunt purchased at the thrift store, but it only has a couple of books on it. Thank you so much for your offer to help them out. It means a lot!"

Thanks again,

Lisa Smith

Coronado Funeral

The lead team for the Coronado ministry would like to let our membership and other volunteers know that there will be a funeral for one of the babies who passed away on Monday due to a heart defect.

The funeral arrangements are as follows:

Keith Matthews Funeral Home

5665 E. Virginia Beach Blvd.

Norfolk, Va.

459-9944

Services begin at 11a.m.

Donations may be made and/or flowers sent on behalf of Clinton Glover.

Please pray for God’s comfort and peace for the family during this time of unbelievable loss and grief.

Worldchangers Opportunity to Serve

We are invited to join our Worldchangers group that we have been feeding this week for some door to door visitation Wednesday afternoon at 4p.m. as they reach out to the neighborhood!

The address is: 2308 Lafayette Blvd, 23509

For more information, contact the missions office.

Live the Mission!

Rebecca St. James concert

Join us for a memorable evening of music, conversation and worship with Rebecca St. James. This event will support the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater, an amazing ministry that helps save life and spare hearts. You will be given the opportunity to financially partner with CPC.

Seating is limited.

Tickets are $10 and are available at www.cpcfriends.org or 757.410.9703.

Free children's program is available for children ages four and up (included with ticket purchase).

Kids in the Kingdom-Inner City VBS Opportunity

Park Place Baptist Church will be hosting a summer program in the Park Place neighborhood of Norfolk. They will meet on Tuesday and Friday mornings (10:00 a.m.-12:30) from July 6th-September 3rd. They are planning to have fifty children and the curriculum will include Bible study, music, praise dancing, crafts and lunch. They are also looking for supplies: scissors, construction paper, pencils, markers, crayons, old magazines to cut up, etc. and have requested a donation to order materials from Oriental Trading as well. If you are interested in volunteering to help or in making a donation, please contact Roni at 622.1847 for more information.