Membership Class
July 12
9:30am
Fellowship Hall, Downtown Campus

First Family #101 is taught by Jay McGuirk, Minister to Adults.
Contact: jay@firsthattiesburg.com or 601.544.0100

Register

Medical Fund Raiser Dinner

Mack’s Catfish Dinner plates
For: Jim Grenn, son of Chip and Selena Grenn
Cost: $10
Date: July 22
Tickets available: church Welcome Center, Sunday mornings & church office.

Preschool & Children

CentriKid
Please pray for CentriKid campers who are at Shocco Springs this weekend, returning Sunday Evening.

First Things First Baby Dedication Class
Sunday, July 19, 4:30 p.m.
Children’s Building, Lincoln Road Campus
Register: Dotty Krebs, Minister to Children: 601.544.0100 or dotty@firsthattiesburg.com
Childcare available upon request
Backyard Kids
Starts Wednesday, August 12

Promotion Sunday
August 16

Teaching Opportunities
Wednesday nights at Backyard Kids or Sunday mornings at Sunday School
Contact: Dotty Krebs, Minister to Children: 601.544.0100 or dotty@firsthattiesburg.com

Senior Adults

Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

God has shown His favor towards us in both our First Baptist Church Brazil and Honduras mission trips and for His blessings we are thankful. Much was accomplished physically and spiritually on both trips. Heaven will prove it.

Eternity will be different now for many in both countries all because First Baptist Church sent missionaries to present the Gospel and to serve the people. Keep up the good work of sending and going.

Pray
Ask God if He wants you to go on one of our mission trips. God doesn’t need your ability – He wants your availability. You open to going if He sends you? Pray about it.

Our 3rd mission trip to Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is quickly approaching. It’s not too late yet to go. Call Charles at 601- 544-0100.

Key Dates
September 25-27
Habitat for Humanity home build. Its exciting, fun, hard work and a huge blessing.

Singles Beach Retreat

September 4-8
Grayton Beach, FL
Cost: $200
Contact: Jay McGuirk, Minister to Adults: 601.544.0100 or jay@firsthattiesburg.com
Speaker: Tim Simpson, College Pastor, First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa, AL

Serving in Iraq

Jimmy Smith

Jimmy is the husband of Darlene Smith.

Email: jc.smith@us.army.mil

Mailing Address:
MSG Smith, Jimmy
HHC, 155 BCT / 155 BSTB
Camp Taji, Iraq
APO 09378

Piano Sale

We have seven upright piano’s that we would like to sale. If you are interested you can view the piano’s at the Pine Street Campus in the Chapel. We will be taking offers on the piano’s until Sunday, July 19.

Contact: Jason Golden, Executive Pastor: 601.544.0100 or jason@firsthattiesburg.com

Membership Class
July 12
9:30am
Fellowship Hall, Downtown Campus

First Family #101 is taught by Jay McGuirk, Minister to Adults.
Contact: jay@firsthattiesburg.com or 601.544.0100

Register

Two Worthy Causes

1) Coldwell Banker is selling Mack’s Catfish Dinner plates to raise money to help defray the cost of medical expenses for our own Jim Grenn, son of Chip and Selena Grenn.  The event takes place on July 22.  Plates cost $10 each.  We will be selling tickets at the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings for the next several weeks.  You may also stop by the church office on Lincoln Road and purchase tickets from Pat at the front desk.

2) We are also collecting laundry detergent and liquid dish washing detergent for the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp from now until July 5.  Collection boxes will be located downtown adjacent to the Welcome Center desk, and at the receptionist desk at the Lincoln Road campus.

Real Men Sermon Series

This Week’s Message
Real Men series continues this week.

Watch Previous Messages

Leading Worship This Week
Tom Edwards

Youth Mission Trip

Continue to pray for our M2009, our youth mission trip to Arlington, TX. They are there right now, and will be returning Thursday, July 2.

Senior Adults

Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

God has shown His favor towards us in both our First Baptist Church Brazil and Honduras mission trips and for His blessings we are thankful.  Much was accomplished physically and spiritually on both trips.  Heaven will prove it.

Eternity will be different now for many in both  countries all because First Baptist Church sent missionaries to present the Gospel and to serve the people. Keep up the good work of sending and going.

Pray
Ask God if He wants you to go on one of our mission trips. God doesn’t need  your ability  – He wants your availability. You open to going if He sends you? Pray about it.

Our 3rd mission trip to Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is quickly approaching. It’s not too late yet to go. Call Charles at 601- 544-0100.

Key Dates
Sept 25-27
Habitat for Humanity home build. Its exciting, fun, hard work and a huge blessing.

Singles Beach Retreat

September 4-8
Grayton Beach, FL
Cost: $200
Contact: Jay McGuirk, Minister to Adults: 601.544.0100 or jay@firsthattiesburg.com
Speaker: Tim Simpson, College Pastor, First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa, AL

Piano Sale

We have four upright piano’s that we would like to sale.  If you are interested you can view the piano’s at the Pine Street Campus in the Chapel. We will be taking offers on the piano’s until Sunday, July 19.

Contact: Jason Golden, Executive Pastor: 601.544.0100 or jason@firsthattiesburg.com

My pastor-friend’s response?  I don’t need to be someone different around you.  THIS IS WHO I AM ALL THE TIME.

Of course he didn’t mean that he’s perfect or that he doesn’t need close friendships.  He meant that his public “image” matched up to who he is in private.  He meant that he rejected this guy’s definition of real manhood as someone who presents one image publicly, yet needs to be someone different in private.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I spent a couple of days in Las Vegas with some friends.  (What happened there did not stay there, by the way.  I’ll be glad to tell you about my trip.  One part involved me shooting a machine gun…how’s that for real manhood?!?!?)

Naturally, we met a few people who were there for…well, what most people go to Las Vegas to do.  We met men and women who in their everyday life were accountants, factory workers, moms, college students, etc.  Put them in Las Vegas, though, and it was clear that they were behaving in ways that they would never behave in their normal, everyday life.

It dawned on me:  these were people who were taking vacations from themselves.  Something in their regular lives does not fulfill some need they have, so they go to places like Las Vegas to immerse themselves in a lifestyle that is not their own.

Something else dawned on me:  I don’t need a vacation from myself.  That’s not to say I don’t need a vacation from time to time…trust me, I do!  That’s not to say that I’m 100% completely happy with who I am all the time (like when I step on the scales, or when snap at my kids, or playing basketball with younger and more athletic guys…).  I just (try) to be who I am consistently enough whether I’m in Hattiesburg, Las Vegas, my parent’s house in Alabama, or at the beach.

The times I find myself most satisfied in life is when I am being most obedient to God’s plan and His will.  It is also many of those times that I find myself on an incredible adventure that goes beyond any need I have to go outside of who I am at the core of my character in order to find satisfaction.

When we do this, it’s called “compartmentalizing” our lives.  We segment our lives into categories like “home me”, “work me”, “vacation me”, “spiritual me”, “college football game me”, etc.  It’s just another way of saying, “God you can have these areas of my life to transform, but I want you to leave these other areas alone.”  All we are doing, then, is selling ourselves short of what a full life in Christ can (and should) be.

Most men have an idea in their head of who they want to be.  Most men also fall short of that ideal.  Guys, the answer to making up that gap is not found in taking a few days a year to try and be someone we’re not.  The answer is finding our purpose in God’s plan and then being daily the kind of man it will take to get us there.

Whatever need you think you are meeting by vacationing from yourself, begin by asking these questions:

• Is it a healthy need I’m trying to fulfill?  If not, then confess that to God and turn away from it.
• If it is a healthy need (like to be respected, loved, to have a sense of purpose, to feel alive, etc.) then how I can appropriately fulfill it regularly?

Want to be respected? Find a way to serve others, and/or read Proverbs to see what a wise man looks like.  Need adventure? Pray about how you can step out in faith in a way you have never done before.  Need an adrenaline rush? Become “Mr. Sunday Morning Preschool Worker”.  Need a spark in your romance?  Become “Mr. Take Out”.

Bottom line:  real men are consistent in who they are (Hebrews 13:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31-33).  Make this summer’s vacation a vacation to recharge yourself.  Not a vacation from yourself.

2) We are also collecting laundry detergent and liquid dishwashing detergent for the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp from now until July 5. Collection boxes will be located downtown adjacent to the Welcome Center desk, and at the receptionist desk at the Lincoln Road campus.

Thanks for your help with each of these worthy causes!

Membership Class
July 12
9:30am
Fellowship Hall, Downtown Campus

First Family #101 is taught by Jay McGuirk, Minister to Adults.
Contact: jay@firsthattiesburg.com or 601.544.0100

Register

This Week’s Message
Real Men series continues this week with “Real Men Need Others”

Watch Previous Messages

Sermon CDs
You can pick up audio CDs of sermons from the past two weeks at the Welcome Center. CDs are $3.00 each.

Leading Worship This Week
Matt Christenot

Vacation Bible School

View Photos
Highlight Video

Thank you for an amazing week at Boomerang Express!

790 total enrollment!
43 decisions for Christ!

• Tuesday, June 23th at 6:00pm
• Wednesday, June 24th at 6:00pm

This Week’s Message
Real Men series continues

Watch Last Week’s Message
Real Men Ask Change Diapers

Sermon CDs
You can pick up audio CDs of sermons from the past two weeks at the Welcome Center.  CDs are $3.00 each.

Watch the Video
Real Men of Jesus: Mr. Preschool Worker

Leading Worship This Week
First House Band

Vacation Bible School

June 15 – 19
Lincoln Road Campus

View Photos

Enrollment
Children: 461
Workers: 297
Total: 758

Decision Service
On Wednesday morning 35 children expressed an interest in inviting Christ into their lives.  We are in the process of following up those decisions.

Celebration Service
Sunday, June 21
Downtown Campus
510 West Pine Street
Come celebrate the week with us!

9:30
Sunday School for all ages
If you’ve been our guest this week in VBS, we’ll help you find your child’s Sunday School class!

10:30
VBS Children gather to prepare to sing:
Preschoolers (Fours – Kindergarten VBS):
Parents should bring their children to the Chapel. Please stay with your children until we exit to the worship center.

Take note!! Preschoolers sing in the first five minutes of the service. If you’re late you’ll miss it!

Grades 1 – 6 – Children will gather in the Fellowship Hall. Children who have attended Sunday School will be led by their VBS teachers from their Sunday School class to the Fellowship Hall. Parents may go find a seat in the worship center.
Children and teachers should wear their VBS t-shirts or an orange t-shirt.

11:00
Celebration Service Begins

Thank You Mrs. Susan!

After almost a year and a half serving as our Children’s Ministry Associate, Mrs. Susan Boleware will be leaving her position as of June 21. Susan has served graciously and tirelessly in this position. However, this position has been approved to move into full time status as we anticipate major growth in Children’s Ministry in the fall. Susan has never been interested in working full time, and so sadly, we will lose her as a staff member. Of course, we hope and pray she will be willing to use her abundant gifts volunteering in Children’s Ministry (meaning she gets to pick what she wants to do!)
Please tell Mrs. Susan of your appreciation for her work here. She has been a blessing to us all. We could not have made the move into our new facility, changed our Wednesday night programming and maintained our Sunday School program without her creativity and energy. She will be missed!

First Family #101

Real Men Sermon Series

This Week’s Message
Real Men Change Diapers

Watch Last Week’s Message
Real Men Ask for Directions

Watch the Video
Real Men of Jesus: Take Out

Leading Worship
Matt Christenot

Vacation Bible School

June 15 – 19
Lincoln Road Campus

T-Shirts
Boomerang Express t-shirts are on sale at the registration tables for $8. Children will be wearing their t-shirts at the Celebration Service, so get yours while they are still available.

VBS Day 1 Schedule
Children attending VBS should do the following on the first day of VBS, June 15:

Children Pre-registered

• Every preregistered child will receive a room assignment card in the mail during the week of June 7.
• All preschoolers and school age children should report directly to their assigned classroom at 9:00 am on June 7, Children’s Building at Lincoln Road Campus.
• Rosters will be posted at the entrance of the building with room assignments should you not have your card with you.
• ALL PRESCHOOLERS AND CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 -4 MUST BE TAKEN TO AND PICKED UP FROM THEIR CLASSROOOMS by an adult or youth.
• 5th and 6th Grade children may sign in and out, if their parents have given permission.

Children Not Pre-registered

• Registration tables will be set up at the entrance to the Children’s Building on Monday and Tuesday. Registration moves inside to the Atrium on Wednesday.
• Children who register during VBS week will be given an room assignment card when they register. Children who register the week of VBS MUST have a roomassignment card in hand in order to join a classroom. Because they are not preregistered, their names will not be on class rosters until a room assignment card is brought to the teacher.
• ALL PRESCHOOLERS AND CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 -4 MUST BE TAKEN TO AND PICKED UP FROM THEIR CLASSROOOMS by an adult or youth.
• 5th and 6th Grade children may sign in and out, if their parents have given permission.

Pickup
The Boomerang Express ends at 12:00 noon each day! Please be prompt in picking up your children!

Celebration Service
Sunday, June 21, 11:00
Downtown Campus

The children will celebrate the week of VBS on Sunday, June 21 during the 11:00 worship service. All children, Four Years Old through 6th Grade will sing, we’ll see the conclusion to the Australian Adventure, and we’ll see the video highlights of the week!

No Family Night Event
Due to safety concerns at the construction zone at our new location, there will NOT be a Family Night Event this year. Parents are welcome to visit their children’s classrooms during the week.

Missions

Pray for and get involved in our missions ministries

Brazil Missions Team
Our team is in the field now in Brazil. They’re doing medical missions, children’s ministries, construction of a church, and evangelism. Pray for them.

Honduras Mission Team
At the close of the 11:00am worship service on June 14, Jeff Clark will lead a special prayer time for our Honduras missions team. If you’re on this team, please attend this service.

Last Meeting
June 15, 6:00pm
Cafe, Lincoln Road Campus

Missouri Mission Team
August 1-9
We are finalizing our Missiouri team roster now. There’s room for more team members.

If you’d like more information about this trip, call Charles Welch, Missions Director, at 601.544.0100.

Students

Youth Mission Trip
We have 2 meetings left before our mission trip! Please make plans to be at both meetings!

• Wednesday, June 10th at 6:00pm
• Wednesday, June 24th at 6:00pm

Both meetings will be at Lincoln Road in the Student Building.

College students
Don’t miss the second week of our 2 week Bible Study series “Indescribable” this Wednesday, June 10th! We will start at 8:00 PM in the Student Building at Lincoln Road. Be there and bring a friend! We will also have homemade chili that night!

New Sermon Series
Starts June 7
Listen to the promo

Click here for info & to register
Vacation Bible School
June 15 – 19

Work Day
June 4, 10:00am – 2:00pm
Children’s Theater, Lincoln Road Campus
Lunch $3 with reservation
Childcare with reservations
RSVP: Church office, 601.544.0100

Registration
Parents, have you registered your children for VBS?  Sunday, June 7 is the LAST DAY to preregister! After Sunday, walk-up registration will be taken on the first day of VBS and throughout VBS week.

T-Shirts
Boomerang Express t-shirts are on sale at the registration tables for $8. Children will be wearing their t-shirts at the Celebration Service, so get yours while they are still available.

VBS Day 1 Schedule
Children attending VBS should do the following on the first day of VBS, June 15:

Children Pre-registered

• Every preregistered child will receive a room assignment card in the mail during the week of June 7.
• All preschoolers and school age children should report directly to their assigned classroom at 9:00 am on June 7, Children’s Building at Lincoln Road Campus.
• Rosters will be posted at the entrance of the building with room assignments should you not have your card with you.
• ALL PRESCHOOLERS AND CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 -4 MUST BE TAKEN TO AND PICKED UP FROM THEIR CLASSROOOMS by an adult or youth.
• 5th and 6th Grade children may sign in and out, if their parents have given permission.

Children Not Pre-registered

• Registration tables will be set up at the entrance to the Children’s Building on Monday and Tuesday.  Registration moves inside to the Atrium on Wednesday.
• Children who register during VBS week will be given an room assignment card when they register. Children who register the week of VBS MUST have a roomassignment card in hand in order to join a classroom.  Because they are not preregistered, their names will not be on class rosters until a room assignment card is brought to the teacher.
• ALL PRESCHOOLERS AND CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 -4 MUST BE TAKEN TO AND PICKED UP FROM THEIR CLASSROOOMS by an adult or youth.
• 5th and 6th Grade children may sign in and out, if their parents have given permission.

Pickup
The Boomerang Express ends at 12:00 noon each day!  Please be prompt in picking up your children!

Celebration Service
Sunday, June 21, 11:00
Downtown Campus

The children will celebrate the week of VBS on Sunday, June 21 during the 11:00 worship service. All children, Four Years Old through 6th Grade will sing, we’ll see the conclusion to the Australian Adventure, and we’ll see the video highlights of the week!

No Family Night Event
Due to safety concerns at the construction zone at our new location, there will NOT be a Family Night Event this year.  Parents are welcome to visit their children’s classrooms during the week.

“No matter where our place of worship may be, we can offer the Father the worship He desires as long as it flows from deep within our surrendered hearts.”

When I read this, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s not about where we are. Do you think God cares where we worship Him? To me, it’s more about how we worship. Not necessarily what we do physically, but the condition of our hearts.

In the book I mentioned, the writers referenced the story of the Samaritan woman at the well who encountered Jesus, the Lamb of God.

“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
John 4:19-20

When the woman asked about the location of worship, Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21, 23-24

Our physical or audible expressions of worship don’t really matter much if our hearts are not right with God. At the end of the day, he knows our hearts.

“These people worship honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain.” Matt 15:8-9

He knows our hearts. He knows our struggles, our pain, our guilt. All we have to do it let go. Surrender!
The good news is that God loves us with an amazing, everlasting, immeasurable love. A love like no other. He freely offers forgiveness to us.

That makes me smile. That makes me want to worship God with every fiber of my being.

Harland and Moser define worship as “our response to God’s revelation of who He is and what He has done.”

When I think on who God is and wrap my mind around what He has done (which is hard to do) it’s hard not to worship.

God is good and His faithfulness endures through all generations.

First Family #101

Church Info Class – New Date, Time, & Place!
May 31, 9:30am – 10:45am, Downtown Campus

Real Men’s Motorcycle Ride

Sunday, June 7, 12:00pm
Contact: Larry Sellers

Vacation Bible School

June 15 – 19

Wednesday Summer Schedule Change

There will be no preschool, children, or adult activities on Wednesday evenings during the summer after May 13.

The regular Wednesday schedule will resume in August.

Students

Student Building, Lincoln Road Campus

College Bible Study “Indescribable”
Wednesday, June 3 & 10, 8:00pm
Student Building, Lincoln Road Campus

Two week college Bible study

Youth Mission Trip Meeting
Wednesday, May 27, 6:00pm

Precept News

Schedule Change
May 20 is the last meeting at the Lincoln Road Campus.
Tuesday and Wednesday Precept classes will combine for the summer and meet on Tuesday evenings.

New Precept Study
The Book of Romans, chapters 6-8
Tuesday, June 2
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Magnolia Room, Wesley Medical Center
Nine-week Precept Workbooks cost $18.00
Pick workbooks up in the last class of part 1, May 19 or 20 or from Gayle or Glenn Galey 601.264.7395

Head on over to UpgradeHattiesburg.com and leave your story in the comments.

Painting: Shara Reno
Video: HR Sweat
Lead vocals: Jessica Campbell

Music recorded live Easter Sunday.

If you go to Sunday School at 8:30, follow your normal schedule – Sunday School at 8:30, worship at 9:30.

If you go to Sunday School at 9:30, you will attend WORSHIP at 9:30. Your Sunday School class will not meet on Easter.

If you go to Sunday School at 11:00, you will attend WORSHIP at 11:00. Your Sunday School class will not meet on Easter

If you do not attend Sunday School right now, you are free to attend the worship service you normally attend.

Children will attend worship with their parents. There will be no Children’s Sunday School on Easter.

Youth will attend worship at 9:30. There will be no Youth Sunday School on Easter.

College will attend worship at 9:30. There will be no College Sunday School on Easter.

Preschool Sunday School and childcare will be available at both hours.

We’re hosting Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope!

Date: Thursday, April 23
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Student Building, First Baptist Church Hattiesburg, Lincoln Road Campus
Street: 4142 Lincoln Road
RSVP: Facebook
Contact: Jason Golden – 601.544.0100, jason@firsthattiesburg.com

Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope is a free event simulcast to thousands of locations across America on 4/23. The economy. Your money. Real answers.

More information:

• Town Hall for Hope
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
  

We’re building a disaster relief team. Training will take place on Sunday afternoon, March 22.

Contact Charles Welch for more information or to sign up. 601.544.0100 or cwelch@firsthattiesburg.com.