First Baptist Church, South Haven
Worship Gathering: 5/17/20
Thank you for joining us for worship this morning! While our place of worship has changed from the usual place and time, we are grateful to know that the Body of Christ can worship anytime, anywhere. As a reminder If you have a need for assistance during this time (grocery delivery, meals, etc.), please do not hesitate to call/text Kim Collins on her cell phone. We have church members ready and willing to help. We can get through this together. Our God is able.
Locations & Times
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  • First Baptist Church
    10781 76th St, South Haven, MI 49090, USA
    Sunday 6:00 AM

Worship Video 5/17/2020

You can view the sermon video that correlates with today's notes on our YouTube page by clicking here.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQahojNwyPo2LMn-ctTG8A

Weekly Bulletin: 5/17/20

View this week's bulletin including general announcements and weekly prayer requests by clicking here.

https://www.southhavenfbc.com/weekly-bulletins
Always, Always, Always
1 Thess. 5:18
Pastor Jerry Koller
The context of this admonition has to do with various instructions given to the saints.
· Some instructions are connected to others; some stand alone.
· Verse 18 seems to stand on its own merit
We can dissect this passage into three segments.
· The first deals with the admonition itself.
· The second deals with specific details of the admonition.
· The third part gives the reason why the admonition should be carried out.
The admonition is to give thanks.
· In this context, give has to do with presenting.
To be able to do this, a person has to first realize what it is he or she is thankful for.
This recognition starts in our minds.
Thanks or thankfulness is an attitude, a feeling or an expression of appreciation; an expression of gratitude.
· For the action to take place, there must be a recipient.
· You cannot give to no one.
The recipient may be God.
· However, He may not be the only One who whom thanks should be given.
It is right to give thanks to God when thankfulness is due.
· It is also right to give thanks to others when it is due as well.
The second part of this verse deals with specific details of the admonition. We are to give thanks in all circumstances.
· The word all is a quantifying word. In other words, it is an encompassing word.
· All modifies circumstances.
Why is this important? It is important because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
There are two aspects of God’s will
The Will of Decree
· Something that will always be carried out or that we should always do or not do.
The Will of Desire
· An expression of what God’s ideal or desire would be. However, He may not carry this aspect of His will out.
God’s will for those who are in Christ Jesus, is that we are
As a result of the Fall, we are not thankful people.
· Thankfulness is something that must be developed in all people.
Thankfulness reflects humility.
· Humility does not think of ourselves more highly than we should (Rom. 12:3)
· Humility allows us to thank others.
· It allows us to thank God in all circumstances.
Thankfulness reflects appreciation.
· It recognizes blessings.
Thankfulness expresses honor or praise whom it is due.
· It expresses honor to the one we are giving thanks for the blessings received.
· It may express praise for the same reason.
No matter what our circumstance may be – good, bad, or ugly – we have a Divine Father who will comfort us and assures us that we don’t have to go through our ordeal alone.
We are held closely in the arms of a Father who dearly loves us, who comforts us, who seeks to ease our pain, who will give us the strength to endure.
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. You see, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
We are here for you!
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We realize that this can be a difficult and stressful time for many of our church members. As this stay-at-home order continues to be in effect and many of you are unable to work, financial hardships can be an issue. Concerns and worry about the virus, financial issues, being stuck at home, etc. can be creating emotional and psychological stress. Your spiritual wellness many be struggling as we are unable to worship together and connect with church family on a regular basis.

We are here for you!! If you need assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Let us know how we can pray for you! You can submit a confidential request through our website (southhavenfbc.com) or by emailing either Pastor Jerry or Kim directly. In addition, we have persons willing to shop for those who cannot go to the store themselves or help in other ways too.

While we do not have unlimited financial resources, we do have some funds available. If you are in a good spot and willing/able to help others in need, perhaps you would consider a donation to our Benevolent Fund to help those who are struggling during this time.

We are all in this together! If you have suggestions or ideas about how we can support one another, please let us know.
COVID-19/ Coronavirus Status
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· Current Status: In addition to all FBC activities being cancelled until further notice, we are prohibiting access to the building to everyone unless specific permission has been granted by Pastor Jerry. If you need to come to the church, please contact Pastor Jerry in advance.
· Communication is Important! The key to getting through this is to communicate and continue to support each other however we can. Kim Collins will be working from home as much as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact her via church email, or by calling/texting her cell at 269-767-2226 if you have any questions or need assistance (grocery delivery, meals, etc.)during this time. We have church members ready and willing to help.
· Be Safe: Please be smart in safeguarding yourselves—not only for your sake, but for the sake of others. If you are sick, stay home.
· Be Faithful: Please be financially faithful. Even if you cannot gather with us, please remember that we still have expenses that need to be met.
· Be Prayerful: Please be in prayer for one another and for our nation at large.
Happy Birthday!
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· Walter Hatfield (5/18)
· Sean Wilson (5/18)
Attention Graduates
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We know this year is way different than years past, but we want to be prepared and plan to recognize our college and high school graduates once we are able to resume worship. We want to be sure that we don’t miss anybody! If you will be graduating, please contact the church office no later than Sunday, May 31. Also, if you let us know when your graduation open house will hopefully be, we would be more than happy to help spread the word through our communications. Please email your info to southhavenfbc@gmail.com.
Flower Bed Maintenance Needed
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Spring is finally here and we need help maintaining the church’s flowerbeds. If you're looking for a reason to get out of the house and yet still maintain your social distancing, feel free to stop by church at your convenience and pull weeds from whatever flowerbed catches your eye. If you contact us in advance, we can arrange for the garage to be open so you can get tools, otherwise feel free to bring your own. Once life returns to normal, we'll work on adopting flower beds as we have in the past.

Online Giving is Now Available!

We are excited to share with you that you now have the option to support our ministries by giving an online donation via debit/credit card or by donating via your bank account.  If you're interested in sending a gift via this safe and secure option, you can do so by using this link:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/first-baptist-church-south-haven-mi
We Care Pantry Collections
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The We Care Food and Personal Care Pantries continue to need supplies. We suggest calling ahead to make sure someone is there to receive your items. If you are able to help.

Food Pantry
First Congregational Church
651 Phoenix Street
269-637-3804
Suggested items are:
· Cereal
· Dry Pasta
· Canned Vegetables
· Canned Fruit
· Tuna
· Spaghetti Sauce
· Crackers
· Rice-A-Roni
· Pork & Beans
· Canned Soup
· Peanut Butter
· Oatmeal

Personal Care Pantry
First Assembly of God Church
06500 Blue Star Hwy
269-637-1286
Suggested items are:
· Shampoo
· Conditioner
· Body Soap
· Deodorant
· Toothbrushes
· Toothpaste
· Feminine Items
· Shaving Cream
· Razors
· Dish Soap
· Laundry Detergent
· Cleaning Supplies
· Trash Bags
· Toilet Paper
· Paper Towels

For questions, contact the church office. Thank you for helping those in our community who are in need.
Opportunities Via Zoom Video Conferences
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· Children's Sunday School...Janette Hendrix is leading this class for children ages 5 years through 5th grade via Zoom on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15 AM. If you'd like your child to be included, please contact Janette.

· Youth Group...Allie Wilson is working on getting this group together via Zoom. If your middle or high school teen is interested in participating, please contact Allie.

· Women's Bible Study...Brandy Zantello is leading this group via Zoom on Tuesday evenings beginning at 6:40 PM. They are currently studying "The Armor of God" by Priscilla Shirer. If you're interested in joining, please contact Brandy.

· Bible Study...Vasha Ferguson is leading this group via Zoom on Wednesday mornings beginning at 9:30 AM. They are currently studying the book of James. If you're interested in joining, please contact Vasha.

If you would like to use the church’s Zoom account to have an unlimited time slot to connect with your family/friends (instead of the 40 minutes Zoom allows for free accounts), please contact Kim for more information.
Weekly Prayer List
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· Mike & Laura Underwood and their family (daughter of Rocky & Sandi Starland) upon the passing of Laura’s father-in-law, Mike Underwood, on 5/7.
· Esther Sullivan continues to recover from successful surgery; test results show the mass that was removed is benign—praise God for answered prayer!
· Dan & Tracy Marshall and their family upon the death of Dan’s grandmother, Betty Nestrick, on 4/18.
· Lynn Rarick continues to deal with hip issues. Pray that a resolution can be figured out.
· Chan (former neighbor of John & Debbie Owens) has been transferred to a rehab facility. She is able to stand with assistance, she's eating (purée consistency), in good spirits and looks so much better. Thanks so much for your prayers!
· Jason Wilburn (son of Bill & Tina Wilburn) diagnosed with Histoplasmosis (an infection caused by breathing in spores of fungus). Symptoms are improving. He will have to get another CT scan in the near future to make sure things are in fact clearing up. As long as there are no new symptoms, he is good to go. Thank you so much for the past, present and future prayers!
· Elijah Truer (nephew of Doug & Julie Zantello) continues to recover from surgery requiring 14 pins and 2 plates for a broken leg following a skateboarding accident.
· Alyssa Zantello (niece of Doug & Julie Zantello) who is a physician's assistant and has traveled to New York City to help with the corona virus outbreak there. Pray for safety and protection as well as energy and stamina as she serves in this way.
· Crystal Jennings (sister of Tracy Marshall’s brother-in-law, Louie) is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She has begun chemo. Pray for treatments to be successful. Also pray that Louie isn’t a genetic carrier of the breast cancer gene and that it hasn’t passed to his daughters (Tracy’s nieces).
· Nancy Crowner (friend of Jean Robinson) is recovering from breast cancer surgery.
· Allen Quinn (34 year-old nephew of Jim & Marialice Quinn) is recovering from a massive brain stem stroke that resulted in Locked-In Syndrome. He continues therapy in Grand Rapids and is slowly improving.
· Anna, Gabe, Samantha and Caroline Bocock have all been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.
First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com