Step It Up is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Elgin, IL, whose primary goal is to provide brand new shoes for children in our community returning to school. The church works all year long – in collaboration with partners like the Elgin Elks Club #737 and the Elgin Golden K Kiwanis Club – to collect as many pairs of shoes as possible. The shoes are then given out to families on Distribution Day, which is typically scheduled for the first Saturday of August every summer.

Prior to Distribution Day, all of the shoes are prayed over by members of the FBC family – adults and children alike. In addition to providing new shoes to kids, it is the hope and prayer of Step It Up that each family they serve experience and are blessed by the Love of God through the ministry and its many volunteers. Christ calls us to be His hands and feet to the world, and Step It Up seeks to do just that.

Step It Up’s Distribution Day is always an exciting day for FBC, and over the years it has been organized, developed and fine-tuned into an efficient, well-oiled machine. Organized into numbered groups, the families are brought into the church where children are sized for shoes. Once the correct size has been determined for each child, they are brought into the gym which is filled with brand new shoes – organized by size – and the children are given the freedom to select pairs of shoes to try on.

On Saturday, August 4, 2018, Step It Up celebrated its 10th year of distributing shoes – and it was certainly a year to remember. This year Step It Up collected more shoes than ever before, resulting in a total collection of 1,737 pairs of shoes. Not only that, but over 150 volunteers participated in Step It Up this year – from FBC and the community, including officers of our very own City of Elgin Police Department – which is the greatest volunteer force in Step It Up history.

1,100 children received brand new pairs of shoes for school. It’s not uncommon that more shoes are collected than are needed on Distribution Day, but it certainly improves the chances of every child finding the size they need. But rest assured, shoes are never discarded or thrown away. At the end of each Step It Up year, all of the remaining pairs of shoes are kept for the following year’s distribution. Once a pair of shoes is collected by Step It Up, it will not leave the building unless worn by a child.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICS!

If you would like to donate shoes, simply ship them or drop them off at First Baptist Church of Elgin (1735 West Highland Avenue, Elgin, IL 60123). All pairs of shoes donated must be brand new tennis shoes, sized from children’s 8 to adult 12, and should appropriate for school. Please no sandals, dress shoes or high-heeled shoes. Keep in mind that these shoes are for children – the more bright and colorful, the better!

If you would like to make a financial contribution to Step It Up, please visit www.fbcelgin.com, click “Give Online” and select “Step It Up” as your designation. If you would like to mail a check, please make it payable to First Baptist Church, Step It Up. All donations are tax-deductible and are used to purchase shoes.

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Bring the family and join us on Saturday, September 8, from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, for FBC Kids Game Night! The gym will be transformed into nearly 20 table & board game spaces – grab a friend, pick a game, snag a table, and play away.

The event will be “open house” style – so come whenever you want! However, we will be ordering pizza about an hour into the event, so if you plan to come hungry – make sure you arrive before 5pm!

Also be sure to visit & share our Game Night Facebook Event Page to help spread the word to your friends, neighbors, family – the more, the merrier!

We will have quite a variety of games for ALL ages – feel free to scroll through the games below to brush up on some classic, familiar games or to get a sneak peek at some that you’ve maybe never played before!

ANIMALS ON BOARD

ANOMIA

Anomia plays off the fact that our minds are positively brimming with all sorts of random information: things to eat, pop songs, websites, etc. To play, draw and reveal a card from the center pile. Does the symbol on your card match one on another player’s card? If so, you must quickly face-off with the other player by giving an example of the person, place, or thing on his card before he can do the same for yours. If you blurt out a correct answer first, you win his card and the drawing continues.

Sounds simple, right?Wrong! Sure, under normal circumstances, it’s easy to give an example of a frozen food or a dog breed, but you’ll find that your brain works a little differently under pressure!

BOHNANZA

Bohnanza is the first in the Bohnanza family of games and has been published in several different editions.

The cards are colorful depictions of beans in various descriptive poses, and the object is to make coins by planting fields (sets) of these beans and then harvesting them. To help players match their cards up, the game features extensive trading and deal making. One of the most unique features of the game is that you cannot rearrange your hand, as you need to play the cards in the order that you draw them.

CANDY LAND

For generations, boys and girls have enjoyed Candy Land as one of their first board games! The game is color-themed and there is no reading involved, which makes it a good game for young children.

You play the game by moving the gingerbread playing pieces on the gameboard spaces that match the colors and pictures of the drawn cards. The object is to be the first player to reach the candy castle. If you are the first person to reach the last purple space, or move beyond the last purple space, you reach candy castle and have won the game!

CATCH PHRASE

Quick, rattle off as many clues until somebody on your team yells the word or phrase you want to hear. Get as physical as you want. Gesture. Say anything you want. Just keep talking. And keep passing. ‘Cause if the buzzer goes off while you’re holding the disk, the other guys get the point in CATCH PHRASE… the fast-passing, fast-talking game.

CHUTES & LADDERS

This delightful game is simple and easy to play, even for children who can’t yet read! Fun pictures help kids understand the rewards of doing good deeds as they climb up the ladders, and the consequences of naughty ones as they slide down the chutes.

Each player takes turns spinning the spinner and moving the number of spaces displayed. Any time a pawn lands on a picture at the bottom of a ladder, that pawn gets to climb to the picture at the top of that ladder. Any time a pawn lands on a picture at the top of a chute, that pawn must slide down to the picture at the bottom of that chute. The first player to reach the “Winner” square (square #100) wins!

CLUE

The classic detective game! In Clue, players move from room to room in a mansion to solve the mystery of: who done it, with what, and where? Players are dealt character, weapon, and location cards after the top card from each card type is secretly placed in the confidential file in the middle of the board. Players must move to a room and then make an accusation against a character saying they did it in that room with a specific weapon. The player to the left must show one of any cards accused to the accuser if in that player’s hand. Through deductive reasoning each player must figure out which character, weapon, and location are in the secret file. To do this, each player must uncover what cards are in other players hands by making more and more accusations. Once a player knows what cards the other players are holding, they will know what cards are in the secret file. A great game for those who enjoy reasoning and thinking things out.

HEDBANZ

The quick question game of “What am I?”

Am I a chicken? How about a bicycle? In this goofy game you never know what you are until you start asking questions! Strap a card to your head, then begin playing by asking the other players “yes” or “no” questions until you’re able to figure out the card that’s on your head. Everyone knows except you!

The first person to guess their card is the winner!

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS

This children’s game is as much of a toy as it is a game. Each player has a plastic hippo that is arranged around a plastic arena. When you push the tail it will reach its head onto the playing field – perhaps trapping one or more marbles to be pulled back to a private player marble gutter, perhaps just sending marbles bouncing around the playing field.

Some marbles are released onto the playing area; players attempt to get their hippos to eat as many marbles as possible.

IGLOO POP

A children’s game where players shake plastic igloos in an attempt to identify how many beads (between 2 and 13) they hold.

Nine cards are dealt face-up in a circle around the igloos, with each card showing a different number (or range of numbers). Players then start shaking the igloos to find one that matches the number of beads shown on a card. When a match is found, the player marks that igloo with a colored chip and places it on the card with the same number. If the guess is correct, that player receives the card (worth points) as a reward. If the guess is incorrect, that player loses the chip used to mark the igloo. The game is finished when one player has no chips left, or when all of the cards have been claimed!

JENGA

The classic tower building game! Jenga is played with 54 wooden blocks, which are stacked in a tower formation. There are therefore 18 stories to the Jenga tower.

Once the tower is built, the person who built the tower moves first. Moving in Jenga consists of taking one and only one block from any story except the completed top story of the tower at the time of the turn, and placing it on the topmost story in order to complete it. The turn ends when the next person to move touches the tower, although he or she can wait 10 seconds before moving for the previous turn to end if they believe the tower will fall in that time.

The game ends when the tower falls in any significant way – in other words, any piece falls from the tower, other than the piece being knocked out to move to the top. The loser (or “non-winner”, if you’re sensitive) is the person who made the tower fall (i.e. whose turn it was when the tower fell); the winner is the person who moved before the loser!

LIFE

This classic game attempts to mirror life events many people go through from going to college, raising a family, buying a home, working and retiring.

The intent of the game is to have the most assets at the end of the game, which are earned primarily by working and earning tokens with dollar amounts on them.

There is a very linear board that you move along by spinning a wheel or landing on spaces that tell you to move to a specific space or forward or back. There are a handful of intersections where you can choose to go one direction or another – but don’t move too quickly! The winner is not the player who reached the end of the board first, but rather the player with the most assets once everyone has completed the board.

MONOPOLY JUNIOR

Join Rich Uncle Pennybags and his nieces and nephews for a thrill-filled day at the Amusements along the Boardwalk – the Roller Coaster, the Magic Show, the Water Slide, the Video Arcade and more.

Of course the kids want to get into the act, so they set up Ticket Booths on the Amusements and collect fees from other players who land on them! Set up a Ticket Booth on two Amusements of the same color, and you can collect double the fee! Draw a Chance card and you may take a ride on a Miniature Railroad, win a free Ticket Booth…or pay $3 to visit the Rest Room!

With all this money changing hands, sooner or later one of the players runs out – and the player with the most cash on hand wins…

MYSTERIUM

SCATTERGORIES

This fun-filled and classic game, published in 1988 by Milton Bradley, is a great game for any group to play.

In the game each player fills out a category list with answers that begin with the same letter – which is determined by the roll of the letter dice. If no other player matches your answers, you score points. The game is played in rounds. After 3 rounds a winner is declared, and a new game can be begun.

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

In this game, players will not only be able to experience Nottingham as a merchant of the city, but each turn one player will step into the shoes of the Sheriff himself. Players declare goods they wish to bring into the city, goods that are secretly stored in their burlap sack. The Sheriff must then determine who gets into the city with their goods, who gets inspected, and who may have their goods confiscated!

Do you have what it takes to be seen as an honest merchant? Will you make a deal with the Sheriff to let you in? Or will you persuade the Sheriff to target another player while you quietly slip by the gate? Declare your goods, negotiate deals, and be on the lookout for the Sheriff of Nottingham!

SORRY

This classic is a “slide pursuit” game! By turning over a card from the draw deck and following its instructions, players move their pieces around the game board, switch places with players, and knock opponents’ pieces off the track and back to their Start position.

Slides are located at various places around the game board. When a player’s piece lands at the beginning of one of these slides not of its own color, it automatically advances to the end, removing any opponent’s piece on the slide and sending it back to Start.

The first player to successfully move all 4 of their pieces from Start to Home is the winner!

SUSHI GO

In the super-fast sushi card game, you are eating at a sushi restaurant and trying to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by.

Score points for collecting the most sushi rolls or making a full set of sashimi. Dip your favorite nigiri in wasabi to triple its value! And once you’ve eaten it all, finish your meal with all the pudding you’ve got! But be careful which sushi you allow your friends to take; it might be just what they need to beat you!

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A BIG thank you to everyone who helped partner with the FBC Women’s Ministry and White Cross this year. With your help, we sent:

• School supplies, clothing, books, CDs, toiletries, and Christmas gifts to the Edna Martin Christian Center (value about $350)
• 2 large boxes of knitted items to the Cordova, Alaska Mission
• 2 large boxes of knitted items to the Kodiak, Alaska Mission
• 142 school kits for Gifts of the Heart
• 350 health kits for Gifts of the Heart
• 20 baby layettes for Gifts of the Heart
• 121 rolled bandages to Brethren Service Center
• 19 pairs of eyeglasses to Nzunga Mabudiga
• $200 to Lebanon to fight trafficking
• 685 books, 2 bingo games, 11 DVD sets, 5 boxes of flashcards and 23 CDs to Deborah’s House
• 92 books to Rainbow Acres

Our three White Cross workdays – September 23, October 14 and March 24 – were a big success. A total of 39 people came to help. We rolled bandages, cut cloth pieces, and assembled baby layettes, school kits, and health kits. Many thanks to all who helped!

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By Matt Walberg

Not many years ago, you had to make an effort to get pornography, sneaking into the 7-Eleven late at night, or the adult bookstore on the way out of town.

Today, graphic sexual videos and images are a few clicks away on our smartphones or laptops.

Not surprisingly, the overwhelming availability of pornography–coupled with advances in technology that enable it to be viewed easily and privately–have resulted in startling increases in the number of people who view graphic sexual images and the frequency with which they view it.

Along with that, attitudes toward pornography have begun to shift, as it is viewed as less taboo — even as a growing number of academic researchers, governments and secular and religious groups are warning of the public health crisis pornography has engendered.

Unfortunately, pornography use among those who follow Christ is not too dissimilar from usage among those who do not call themselves Christian.

A recent Barna Group study found 41 percent of Christian men age 13-24, and about a quarter of men age 25 and older sought out porn at least twice per month.

Usage was lower among Christian women, but still significant — particularly among women age 13-24. The study found that 13 percent used pornography at least twice per month.

OKAY, PORN IS BAD.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH FBC?

I think it would be naive to assume that the statistics would be any different at FBC.

I believe there are people in our church for whom pornography is a regular part of their life.

Men who watch pornography on their laptops with their wives and kids in the same room.

People who’ve been called in to to talk to their company’s HR department because they were looking at pornography at work.

People who live in terror over the prospect that they’ll lose their marriage if their spouse finds out.

People who have become so desensitized to pornography that it’s not a question of whether they’re fighting temptation — it’s a question of why should they bother.

And people who’ve just given up.

EVERYBODY GETS HURT

One of the great lies about pornography is that it’s a victimless crime. Certainly, most people agree that child pornography, or sexual content that is recorded without the consent of all parties, is immoral, abusive and (rightly) illegal.

But what about the rest of it?

Maybe the porn clip you just watched was filmed by paid actors. Or maybe not.

Maybe you don’t watch “porn,” but that movie — or the show you’re binge-watching on Netflix — has a lot of nudity or sexually explicit scenes, and you’re a little slow with the fast forward button. Is that victimless?  #metoo.

But let’s just assume that you can be absolutely certain that no one got hurt or abused in the making of the pornography you viewed. Well, you’re the victim, and if you’re married, so is your family.

The bottom line is this: Nobody who gets involved with pornography — either as a maker or consumer — gets away unscathed. It violates the dignity and demeans the value of everyone and everything it touches.

GOD GETS IT, AND HE WANTS TO HELP

Even if we set all of that aside — we still have to deal with what God says about how we should responsibly exercise our sexual appetites.

While the U.S. Supreme Court may have had difficulty defining pornography, Jesus Christ had little trouble cutting through the noise, setting a standard as intractable today as it was in the First Century:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt. 5:27-28)

That’s tough get around, and Jesus knew it. If that’s the bar, the only thing that can get us over it is grace and forgiveness.

Fortunately, Jesus knew that, too.

Which is why I don’t want this piece to be about  pointing fingers or passing judgment or hand wringing.

I want it to start a conversation — not some abstract discussion about “the decline of our culture” or “the church at large” — but a conversation about what real steps the people of FBC can take to make sure we are a place that offers grace and forgiveness and help.

I don’t claim to be an expert or to have all the answers. But maybe I have some starting points — first for those who use pornography, and then for the community called to love and support them.

FOR THE PERSON STRUGGLING WITH PORNOGRAPHY

YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE

I’ve struggled with pornography in the past, and I’m sure I’ll have to struggle with it again. It’s everywhere now, even when you’re not looking for it. I thank God for every victory, yet I’d be stupid to think I’ll never be tempted again.

It’s hard to admit that I’m not perfect in this area, but one of the best things about being forgiven is that I don’t have to care anymore if people know. In fact, if telling someone about it helps them to move toward freedom, then maybe that’s a way to allow God to redeem my past mistakes.

So if you are struggling with pornography, now you know of at least one person who you worship with that knows what you’re going through.

BUT YOU’VE GOT TO OWN WHAT IT IS

If you are looking at people — or images of people — for your sexual arousal or satisfaction, you are:

Sinning against God, the one who actually invented sex as an incredible gift for the people he created and therefore gets to say how that gift is to be used.

Sinning against the people in the images or videos, many of whom may not be the willing participants you imagine them to be. Remember, when you click on a link, somebody’s making money and it’s probably not the people on camera.

Sinning against your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend or fiance, unless you think Jesus was somehow exaggerating in Matthew 5.

It’s serious. Don’t rationalize it.

AND YOU’VE GOT TO OWN WHY YOU USE IT

Telling yourself, “I just have to stop” is like getting deathly ill and saying, “Well, I just have to get better.”

You wouldn’t do that — you’d find a doctor that would ask you about your symptoms in order to identify your illness and figure out how best to treat you.

So don’t do that to yourself with pornography. Ask yourself questions. Do you turn to it when you’re stressed? When you feel lonely? When you’re feeling dissatisfied with your marriage? When you’re tired of being good and want to just do something risky? When you want to regain a sense of control? Knowing your weak spots will help you mitigate them.

AND THEN YOU’VE GOT TO ASK FOR HELP

I’m not qualified to differentiate between pornography usage and pornography addiction, but if you feel like you’re addicted, you should seek out professional help. It’s that important.

But regardless of whether you seek out a professional counselor, you’ve got to talk to someone about it, and the first person to talk to is Jesus. He’s not going to be shocked because he already knows, and the best thing is that he has real power.

You could try stop using pornography on your own, and you might have some success. But if you really want to break free, you have to let Jesus do it with you, and for you. It’s not like He is unwilling — he died for your sin before you even thought about committing it.

Tell Him you have a problem and you can’t fix it. Thank Him for the fact that He’s already forgiven you, and ask Him to help you change.

But God also knows that we need to live in community. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have spent so much time inventing the church and telling us to be involved in helping each other live out our faith.

He knows we need our fellow imperfect-but-forgiven believers to encourage us and help keep us on the right path. It will take some courage (and maybe a bit of desperation), but seek out someone you can talk to regularly.

WHICH LEADS ME TO THE COMMUNITY

DON’T BE WEIRD ABOUT IT

Some sins (gossiping, pride, anger) are a lot easier to confess. We expect those sins. They’re vague, kind of generic and universal. If someone confesses that they’re just really struggling with pride, you probably know exactly how to nod and put your hand on their shoulder and pray for them.

But pornography? That’s… real.

And that’s the beauty of it. It is real. It is vulnerable. If someone comes up to you and says, “I’ve got a problem with pornography,” you can be almost 100 percent certain that he or she is seriously invested in making a change, because those are difficult words to say to another person.

Don’t freak out. Take a deep breath and start listening.

PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR COMBAT BOOTS

If pornography has never been a temptation for you, you should thank God for that and then rush to the aid of those wounded by it.

Let me give you an example of how pervasive pornography is.

I try to stay current with what’s going on in the news, and one of the ways I do that is to check one or two popular news aggregators each day. I’ve learned to roll over a link before I click so that I can see where that click will take me. Because there are a number of non-U.S. news sites that have legitimate news — and porn.

I also use social media regularly as part of my job, to promote my work and that of my colleagues. It’s a good way to connect with people – it’s also a good way to get spammed by fake profiles that are nothing but porn.

My point is that many of us spend a lot of our working lives on the internet, and unintended exposure to pornography or sexually suggestive material is virtually unavoidable.

As followers of Christ, we’re all part of a kingdom at war with evil, and we go out onto the battlefield every day. Inevitably, some of our fellow soldiers find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When they do, we have to make every effort to support them – even when they make poor choices. What kind of kingdom sends its soldiers out to battle and then looks down on them when they get shot?

DON’T OFFER PITY; OFFER GRIT

Sin is an equal opportunity destroyer, so let’s not set up “porn” as somehow worse than any other sin.

As a community, we can simply acknowledge that it makes perfect sense that people are struggling with pornography. We won’t excuse sin, but we can love them and choose not to view them as somehow more broken than us.

If someone comes to you for help, pity is not helpful. Respect them as someone you can learn from, because that person is willing to risk their reputation in order to weed out sin. And that makes them someone God is using to further His work — not some permanently damaged sex weirdo.

And then, don’t give up if things don’t turn around right away. Keep talking with them. If they won’t talk, be respectfully persistent and keep praying. You work at a hospital, not a hospice.

IT’S HIS (OR HER) STORY TO TELL, NOT YOURS

The joke has been told a thousand different ways, but the gist of it is this: Christians don’t gossip; they share prayer requests.

Sharing “prayer requests” is also a fool-proof way to make sure that no one will ever feel safe to talk about their struggles — be it pornography or any other “embarrassing” sin.

If a person comes to you looking for help, unless there is some extenuating, super-critical reason to break their confidence, don’t talk about it with anyone but God without that person’s permission.

And if there is a reason to break their confidence, strongly consider approaching the person first to tell them why you want to bring another person into the loop.

ONCE MORE, NONE OF US ARE ALONE IN THIS

I suspect that, while this piece is sort of divided between addressing an individual’s struggles and addressing our community’s response, the reality is that many of us might find ourselves in both camps.

Your story can encourage someone else, just as I hope mine can encourage you. We need each other, and we can’t buy the lie that our failures have left us permanently damaged damaged goods.

Our adversary wants us to withdraw and hide, convinced we are unworthy. But our Champion views us as beautiful, worthy of not only His unconditional love, grace and forgiveness, but also deserving of love, respect and grace from the people that worship him at FBC.

Finally, if you are struggling with pornography and you don’t feel like you have anyone you can talk to, talk with one of our pastors. Or check out some of the links below to resources that can help you put pornography behind you. And you can always talk to me or my wife, Erin.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

http://www.covenanteyes.com Covenant eyes is a respected program that offers a unique way for people to be held accountable for activity online. There is a cost, but the site also offers free trial periods.

http://www.pornaddictsanonymous.org 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous.

http://newlife.com/ Founded by the Steve Arterburn, author of the “Every Man’s Battle,” New Life holds a wealth of resources from counseling to workshops to radio programs intended to help men and women (and their spouses) find freedom from sexual sin.

And, of course, http://counseling.fbcelgin.com/, with Pastor Jason Poland.

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Nancy Farquhar explained that the Mission Team of FBC was able to donate a scholarship toward the cost of each woman’s trip which was much appreciated. Janet Riehecky thanked everyone for the donated books and for the financial gifts toward the mailing fees for the new library at Deborah’s House.

Paula Holabaugh Steudler, from Pennsylvania, who was one of the volunteer leaders  at Deborah House came to Elgin to help us with the program and stress how much Deborah House needs more volunteers to finish the new building. She is planning to go two more times this year to help with the volunteers who will go to Deborah House. Several people attending the program inquired about volunteering, so there will be a meeting to discuss the possibility of forming another group or two to go to Deborah’s House during the summer of 2018 on Sunday March 11th at 10AM in the Fellowship Hall. Please join us if you are interested in hearing more about the trip or trips.

submitted by Judy DeRolf..

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you’re invited!

Easter is fast-approaching and the time has finally come! FBC Kids will be hosting our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31st from 10:30am until 12 noon. (click here for directions)

This Family-friendly outreach event features games, crafts, hotdogs and one of Elgin’s largest Easter Egg hunts. This is also a great opportunity to invite your friends, family and neighbors – the more the merrier!

In order to help us to have a “ballpark” headcount, please let us know if you’re coming – and how many people you’re bringing with you! Simply click the link below, fill out the form indicating how many people will be attending with you, and hit “submit” – it’s that simple! Rest assured, you do not need to RSVP in order to attend, this is simply to help us better prepare. We hope to see you and your family there!

rsvp.

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This fall, the FBC Women’s Ministry – in partnership with White Cross – will be assembling and distributing School Kits to underprivileged children. But now is the time to buy! School Supply Sales have already started, so now it the time to start collecting these items. Please watch the ads at places like Staples, Office Max, Walgreens, and Target. You can get school supplies at a fraction of the regular cost, such as 10 cents for a spiral notebook or 25 cents for a pair of scissors!

WHAT IS A SCHOOL KIT?

School Kits are small packages of school supplies assembled by volunteers and shipped to children in need all around the world. Though last year’s collections were incredibly successful, the need in our world is still ongoing. If you are interested in participating, see below a list of the items we are collecting. A list will also be printed in the bulletin Sunday morning.

WHAT ITEMS ARE BEING COLLECTED?

Each individual School Kit will contain all of the following:

• Three 70-count spiral notebooks
• One pair of rounded-tip metal scissors
• One 30-centimeter/12-inch ruler
• One hand-held pencil sharpener
• One large eraser
• Six new, unsharpened pencils with erasers
• One box of 24 crayons (only 24)
• One 12″ x 14″ to 14″ x 17″ finished size cotton or lightweight canvas bag with cloth handles. Place handles on long side and add a two-inch Velcro closer.

WHERE CAN I BRING ITEMS TO DONATE?

Donations can be placed in the “School Kits” box outside the Fellowship Hall door. Keep an ear out for information on how you can be involved in assembling these kits in the fall!

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On Friday, February 23, we will be hosting a Family Movie Night at First Baptist! The event is completely FREE and will start at 7pm. In anticipation of the upcoming sequel, we will be watching The Incredibles! (Parents, if you’re interested in a complete, conservative review of the film, click HERE)

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR YOUTH!

Popcorn will be provided for free, but concessions will be also be available for purchase. All concessions proceeds will go to support the FBC High School 2018 Mission Trip. This summer, the students will be traveling to Dickinson, Texas – a community devastated by Hurricane Harvey last year. They will be partnering with 4B Disaster Response Network to help repair and rebuild homes affected by the storm – the number of which exceeds 2500.

VBS DISCOUNT COUPONS!

Planning on joining us for VBS this summer? Great news – we will also be holding a drawing for 2018 VBS coupons, so you DON’T want to miss this fun event!

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On Sunday, April 16, you and your family are invited to
celebrate Easter with us at First Baptist Church!
We hope to see you there!

EASTER SERVICE TIMES
7:30AM | 9:00AM | 10:30AM

Planning on joining us? Great!
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON WHAT TO EXPECT

Would you like to know more about First Baptist Church?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO WE ARE

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I recognize that wading into the murky waters of online Christian opinion is dangerous – otherwise I would have written this two weeks ago. I’m always weary of the spiritual “hall monitors” – pacing the floors of the internet, always prepared to write up pink slips of absolute truth and send me to heretical detention. Despite the risk, I offer up my thoughts on The Shack – the book, the upcoming film and why I plan to see it.

WHAT IS THE SHACK?

In 2007, William Paul Young was working multiple jobs and living in a tiny apartment with his wife and four of his six children after losing his home to bankruptcy. One morning, while on his 40-minute train commute, he began writing a novel that he hoped would express his feelings about God to his children. It was a genuine gift of the heart – the one thing he could offer during a season where he lacked money to buy gifts. He expected it would be read by a few select people – his family and maybe even a few friends.

He was off by over 20 million.

Young’s novel, The Shack, about a man whose mourning the death of his young daughter prompts an unexpected (and unorthodox) visit from God, has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Not surprisingly, it has recently been adapted into a film set to hit theaters this weekend.

As people all over the world began turning its pages, The Shack quickly became the focus of countless debates on grief, loss and – most significantly – theology. Battle lines were drawn between those in favor of the book and those adamantly against it. Boycotts were organized, Christians nationwide rallied to physically remove copies of the book from local libraries and heated debates among believers caught on like wildfire. Agreeably, there is plenty to be debated when it comes to the spiritual “meat” of the book. But rather than attempt to delve into the theological hits and misses of the book, I’ll simply refer you to others who have done a much more exhaustive (and likely accurate) job than I ever could. A very thorough review was written by author/blogger Tim Challies, detailing the many orthodox theological concerns raised by the book. I encourage you to balance his critique with an article by author Wayne Jacobsen, which provides a defense to each of Challies’ concerns.

THEN THE PEOPLE SAID, “LET THERE BE A MOVIE”

In the 10 years since the release of The Shack, the dust had all but settled. And then announcements of the film adaptation began to surface, once again stirring the pot that had finally come to rest. What we’ve seen develop since those initial announcements has been almost an exact replica of the argumentative whirlwind that took place nearly a decade ago. But now we are in an age where information travels faster than ever before and the audience to our words and actions is virtually limitless. Not surprisingly, Challies was quick to release his aforementioned article. Apart from his theological arguments, Challies’ most significant concern is with the film’s physical representation of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) by human actors.

I’ll be honest – I was truly compelled by Challies’ arguments. He brings up some valid concerns – many of them affirming how much ground I have yet to cover in my intellectual grasp of the vast depths of Scripture and theology. But my main concern is with Challies’ conclusion – and that of many believers with whom I have spoken about the film – which is to simply not see the film at all. Many have taken this conclusion a step further, calling for an all-out, worldwide boycott. This is where I feel there simply has to be a better way to “represent Christ” to a world that is in such desperate and obvious need of a Savior.

With that, I’d like to offer up just a few encouragements for my fellow Christ-followers to consider as the debates continue, and as the film is released this weekend.

DON’T SIMPLY DECIDE THAT YOU WON’T SEE THE MOVIE

I heard something said recently that was deeply impactful and relates directly to this conversation – when people open spiritual doors, we should have enough sense to go through them. Far too often, those doors are opened by the world around us and we respond by slamming them shut. Our response may be rooted in Scripture and grounded in theological truth, but the result is always the same. Many of those doors that we claim to be knocking on have been slammed shut one too many times.

This book and story have obviously connected with millions of people over the years. That in itself reflects a deep spiritual hunger in the world around us. But what good will it do to simply turn up our spiritual nose to a seeker – or even fellow believer – who chooses to see the film? One of the first questions raised in these conversations will undoubtedly be, “Did you see the movie?” When “No.” is our response, the discussion is over. This story is deeply rooted in emotion, and thus its connection with many who choose to see the film is an emotional one. Any concerns that we have with the film will fall on deaf ears if we don’t have the intellectual curiosity to see it.

If the dilemma of contributing to Hollywood’s wallet by seeing this film in theaters is troubling you, wait until it comes to Netflix. But I encourage you – rather implore you – to consider seeing this film. Doing so will allow you to emotionally engage with other viewers and effectively “till the soil” of hearts seeking the Truth. Why did they choose to see it? What hurt have they experienced that drew them to connect with the story? What deep, burning questions do they have that they hoped this film would answer?

Allowing for these conversations will result in some very intimate doors being opened to us.

BE CAREFUL WITH HOW YOU SHARE YOUR OPINIONS

Debate and disagreement are inevitable. We can’t simply choose a world in which everyone gets along (although that would be terribly boring). Matt Chandler puts it beautifully – “Truth should always be handled like a scalpel, never like a club.” If we wield the Truth of God and the life-giving power of His Gospel like a club, then it’s questionable how deeply we understand His truths. The opportunity to actively engage in conversations with others about the Truth of God’s Word is something that we are called to seek out. We are literally called to “go out into the world” – to spread the Good News and share of God’s incredible work in our lives through Jesus Christ. But too often we forget that God calls us into those conversations to win their hearts for His glory, not to hammer them down or “put them in their place” with belittling or aggressive rhetoric. We need to seek out and engage in those conversations in a way that is winsome and beautiful.

PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER WHY OVER 20 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE CONNECTED WITH THIS STORY

The numbers don’t lie. Over 20 million people have bought a copy of The Shack since 2007. And when you consider how many of those copies have been shared, checked out from local libraries or passed on to friends and family, we can easily conclude that 20 million is a conservative figure. Before we immediately discredit this book, its story and its film adaptation for seemingly sound theological arguments, we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

This kind of response is indicative of a deep, spiritual hunger – both in the world and within the Body of Christ.

Sure, one could argue, “Fifty Shades of Grey sold over 120 million – over six times as many copies as The Shack. So are you saying we should see that movie too?” Obviously not. The difference here is that The Shack boasts a spiritual theme and focus that is not only unapologetic, but celebrated. We simply must acknowledge that by flipping through its pages, over 20 million people have opened a spiritual door of curiosity and questions that they hoped The Shack would answer.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t. But if the Body of Christ has decided not to address it, and has effectively slammed every single one of those doors shut in the name of “theological integrity”, then those who read the book or see the film in search of answers will take what The Shack gives them and go on with their lives – never fully experiencing the Truth of God’s Word and the life-changing power of the Gospel. We’re past the point of denial – people are hurting. This world is hurting. The question is, what is more effective in winning people’s hearts for the glory of God – shouting from our mountaintops to the hoards of moviegoers below, or engaging in conversations with hearts and souls seeking answers?

DON’T WORRY – GOD IS DOING JUST FINE

One of Challies’ main critiques of The Shack is that “it presents God in human flesh. It makes the infinite finite, the invisible visible, the omnipotent impotent, the all-present local, the spiritual material.” He goes on even further to say that portraying God in human form “diminishes” Him, makes Him small. But I fear that worrying so desperately about the damage that The Shack can do also makes God small. Should we not consider the incredible work that God can do with 20 millions souls seeking answers to spiritual questions? If that doesn’t qualify as freshly-tilled soil, I’m not sure what does.

In 2014, the film Noah was released in theaters worldwide. As you can imagine (and probably recall), that film was met with its own fair share of boycotts and accusations of heresy. But what you may not know is that YouVersion reported a 300% increase in the US and a 245% increase globally in people accessing Genesis 6-9 – the biblical account of Noah. BibleGateway reported its own statistics, noting a 250% increase in viewing of the same passage.

Films like these are drawing people to Scripture. They are stirring in people’s hearts a hunger for Truth and a desire to understand something bigger than themselves. God can use that. Don’t underestimate how big our God is and the work that He can do in a world that is so obviously reaching out for answers. But what part are we playing in that work by boycotting movie theaters and shutting down conversations by admitting to all those inquiring, “Nope, I never saw it”?

YES, WE’RE STILL FRIENDS (I HOPE)

Obviously there will be some (perhaps many) who disagree with me on this – and that’s ok. These are just a few propositions that I wanted to make to all those caught in the whirlwind of opinions being shared left and right. At the end of the day, I pray we can all agree that the decision to either see or skip The Shack this weekend has absolutely no bearing on the redeeming work that God has done in our lives through Christ.

Far too often, those within the Body of Christ latch onto issues like these and turn them into weapons of division. Some may argue that I’ve only propelled this “machine” further by writing this article. But my hope and prayer is that, rather than divide, it encourages discussion. That it does its own small part to draw us to a deeper awareness of the world around us and the work that God is doing (and can do) in it.

If any of my thoughts above encourage you enough to see the film, I love you.

If you share in Challies’ sentiments and choose not to see The Shack, I also love you.

And I hope that, despite any disagreements we may share, you can return the sentiment.

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