F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H O F D E C AT U R V O L . X L • I S S U E N O . 1 2 * D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6

THE OUTLOOKD E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6

JesusMeans

Joy

December 187:00 p.m.

the music ofchristmas

\Sunday • December 1110:30 a.m. • Combined Worship

Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.Congregational Meeting following worship.

\Sunday Sunday \Sunday \

Combined WorshipSunday • December 11 December 11• December 11 December 11 December 11 December 11 December 11

10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday

10:30 a.m. •• Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship• Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined Worship Combined Worship Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Combined WorshipGroups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Congregational Meeting following worship.Congregational Meeting following worship.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.Groups meet at 9:15 a.m.

Congregational Meeting following worship.

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2 Introducing FBU

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H D E C A T U R

First Baptist Church Decatur invites the Decatur community and all who are interested to participate in a new Christian education and support program in 2017.First Baptist University (FBU) will offer 7-8 week classes and care groups on Wednesday nights beginning January 11. Winter Term courses/groups run through February 22. Spring Term will begin on March 8 and run through April 26.Courses begin at 6:30 p.m. and in most cases end at 7:30 p.m. All courses are led by qualified teachers or facilitators and are free with the exception of any study materials. Everyone is welcome. Support groups close to new participants after two weeks to facilitate meaningful conversation.An optional dinner is available in our Carreker Fellowship Hall for $7 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Introducing First Baptist University

First Baptist University courses winter term 2017These are the courses which will begin Wednesday,January 11. • A Study of How the Bible Was Developed• Restorative Justice 1 — Mass Incarceration• Caregivers Support Group• Financial Peace University• Total Body Conditioning• Grief Support Group• CS Lewis' Mere ChristianityComplete course descriptions and facilitators can be found on Pages 6 ands 7 and on the church website at: fbcdecatur.com/FBU

(re)Commit to FBCDIt is never too late to make a commitment to God through the work of First Baptist Church Decatur. Pledge cards may be used to commit your talents and your monetary resources. Cards for your commitment are available in the church office or on the tables in the hall.

Prayerfully consider your commitment for 2017.

Congregational Meeting on December 11immediately following 10:30 a.m. combined worshipThe Congregational meeting will address several items of interest for the congregation, including:• Names of the members of 2017 church committees and teams, as recommended by the Church Nominating Committee and supported by the Deacons Council• Quarterly update from the Finance Committee• List of names recommended by the Nominating Committee to serve as the FBC Decatur Pastor Search CommitteeThere will be a vote on the recommendation for a Pastor Search Committee.

The following FBCD members have been nominated and have agreed to serve on the Pastor Search Committee: Eddie Campbell, Tifanie Haun , Ronnie Jowers (perby-laws the current finance chair is to be one of the nominees), Kathy Kinlaw (per by-laws current deacon chair is to be one of the nominees), Keith Pierce, Carla Stanford and Bob Woodson. Thanks to the nominating committee who identified nominees for the search committee: Lou Ann Brown, Gwen Cottrell, Amber Draper, Tex Grubbs, Wilson Holland, Peter Rhea Jones, Kathy Kinlaw, Davis Tyler.Please plan to stay a few minutes following worship for this important meeting.

Congregational Meeting

Food for thought, care for the soul

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News & Events 3

For current events at FBCD, visit News & Events on the church website.

News & Events

December Wednesday NightsFor details go tofbcdecatur.com/wednesday-nights/

No Wednesday Night Activities on December 28

Family Dinners each weekWednesday night meals served5:30-6:30 p.m. in Carreker Hall.Begin with supper and a time of sharing around the tables before attending activities and studies which begin at 6:30 p.m.See the complete Wednesday menus here.Advent StudyBob Williamson leads the Study on Advent December 14 and 216:30 p.m., in Carreker HallKidsKids activities will resume in the new year.Youth Wednesday NightsWildcard Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room S320Worship ArtsSanctuary Choir – Music Suite7:30–8:45 p.m.Fresh Start Band – Carreker Hall7:30–9:00 p.m.Support Groups Meet WeeklySupport groups meet on their own schedules, so please contact your group leader if there is a possible holiday conflict. Emotions Anonymous 7-8 p.m.Al-Anon 7:30-8:30 p.m.Support Groups listed here: www.fbcdecatur.com/support-groups/

Combined worship onDecember 11 at 10:30 a.m.On the third Advent Sunday—the Sunday of Joy, The Music of Christmas will tell the story of Christmas in song. Worship will be led entirely by our Fresh Start Band and Sanctuary Choir and musicians. Come and worship God through music in this season of Advent.Combined Worship for everyone will be at 10:30 a.m. in the SanctuarySunday morning Learning Groups and Bible Study will be at 9:15 a.m.

Christmas on ClairemontPresented by FBCD on December 18, 7 p.m.Christmas on Clairemont is a collaborative music event featuring notable conductors directing a full orchestra, organ, piano, soloists and a festival choir of more than 100 voices presenting the timeless music of Christmas. Formerly a Buckhead event, it is being brought to Decatur and FBCD. Free of charge. Donations will benefit the Lake Victoria Water Project. The evening’s host is FBCD organist Daniel Solberg.

ChristmasCelebrationChristmas Eve Candlelight & Communion6:00 p.m.The FBCD family will worship on Christmas Eve together in the Sanctuary at 6 p.m. Family friendly. Guests welcome!

Christmas Day—Family Christmas Brunch10:30 a.m. in Carreker HallCome in your “jammies” and bring your toys. Carols and kid-friendly sermon by Pastor David and fellowship around the tables.

The Music of Christmas“Jesus Means Joy”

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4 News & Events

Decatur Civic ChorusChristmas ConcertAnnual Christmas Concert on December 11, 3 p.m.Our friends in the Decatur Civic Chorus present“Sing We Now of Christmas.” The community is welcome. Free of charge. In the FBCD Sanctuary.

Women on MissionDavid Gushee to speak Tuesday, December 13, Women on Mission will meet in S218 at 10:30 a.m. for study and prayer. David Gushee, our interim pastor, will speak at 11:00 a.m. Everyone is invited.

First School TourDecember 13There will be a school tour led by Harriet Holland onTuesday, December 13 at 8:00 a.m. The tours are offered for parents of infants and preschoolers who are interested in learning more about First School. Registration is not necessary.

New Young Adult GroupSundays at 10 a.m. is the regular scheduleCome at 9:15 a.m. on December 11All 20 and 30-something adults who would enjoy plugging into a Sunday morning group at FBCD are invited to this newly forming group. It meets in Room S-218 (second floor, Sanctuary Building). Children will enjoy their own groups with FBCD Kids (across the first floor breezeway).Special time on December 11Groups will meet at 9:15 a.m. on December 11 beforeThe Music of Christmas combined worship at 10:30 a.m.

Poinsettias at ChristmasPoinsettias in honor of or in memory ofIf you ordered a special poinsettia for the worship spaces in honor of or in memory of someone, you may pick it up after either morning worship or the 7:00 p.m. evening event Christmas on Clairemont.

Deacons ElectedNew 2017 Deacons electedOn November 13 the congregation elected the deacons who will begin their three year Deacon Council term in January. They are Kevin Benefield, Cecil Cannon, Fred Cavalli, Darren Draper, June Gay, Randall Hampton, Carol May, Bill Neal, Tracy Pondo, Todd Smith and Christina Vanzant. Thank these for their willingness to serve.

Year End Giving to FBCDPlan ahead for tax deduction on your 2016 donationsTo be considered tax deductible for 2016, gifts not given in worship in 2016 must be hand-delivered to the church office by noon on Friday, December 30, 2016 or post-marked by Saturday, December 31, 2016. The church office will be open until noon on Friday, December 30, to receive gifts.

Kids on Wednesdays Kids and families are invited to be a part of the Decatur Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons in the spring through fall. The Kids Tent Team is taking a break for the winter months. Look for this opportunity to return when warmer weather returns.

KidsNews & EventsWednesdays for Kids beginning January 11 We will have children's programming that will run concurrent with FBU on Wednesday Nights. Specific classesand/or experiences and room locations will be announced later.UPDATES ONLINEFor more information on all children’s activities, go here. Contact Pastor Dale at ddoud@fbcdecatur.com.

YouthNews & EventsFor the latest youth news:fbcdecatur.com/youth-updatesCALENDARSunday Morning Bible Study10:00 a.m. in the Youth Room S320Experiencing AdventWildcard Wednesdays6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room S320Upcoming Events in 2016Christmas PartyDecember 10, 10 a.m.–NoonUPDATES ONLINEFor more information � � contact Billy Roberts at broberts@fbcdecatur.comor go to the youth page at: www.fbcdecatur.com/youth

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News & Events 5

Young at HeartEVENTSWednesday Daytime StudySchedule for Bible StudyThe Wednesday Senior Adult Bible Study meets from 4–5 p.m. every Wednesday.Margie and Bob are leading the year long curriculum series. You may join the study at any time.The study is held in—S206—and a fresh pot of coffee will be ready when you get there.Anyone and everyone is welcome. Just plan to show up and bring your Bible.

Know Morewww.fbcdecatur.com/senior-adults

DEAM Pantry at ChristmasA Christmas tradition at FBCD helps our neighborsin need.Food will be received for the Decatur-Area Emergency Assistance Ministry during the month of December.The most needed pantry items are: 1 qt. packages of powdered milktoilet paper Jiffy Corn Muffin Mixcanned fruit (peaches, fruit cocktail, pineapple)

Money donations are always needed. Monetary gifts should be clearly designated, and given as an offering in worship or through the finance office during the week.

Saturday-MondayJanuary 14-16, 2017Volunteer now for an opportunity to help Decatur’s home owning seniors with needed repairs they cannot afford. That’s the focus of the service the FBCD Work Team participates in each year during Dr. King’s birthday weekend. Begun in 2003, Decatur’s MLK Jr. Service Project provides free house maintenance and repair for Decatur’s needy senior homeowners each January. In January 2016, FBC members joined approximately 1,300 volunteers that contributed over 10,000 hours of time helping 41 senior households during the 3-day weekend project. These volunteers helped these seniors to live more safely, comfortably and affordably in their homes as a result of these much needed repairs and yard work. Get a group of friends together and sign up with Mai Cavalli at maicavalli@comcast.net or 404-931-2394.Help provide food for volunteers on Monday, January 16If you want to help out by providing breakfast items for the Monday morning volunteers on January 16, 2017, contact Mai as well. Thanks!

MLKDay ofService

Our Church is pleased to support CBF Global Missions in moments like these where bearing witness to Jesus Christ takes form through care and sustainability. Rockie Chick, a resident of McCreary County, Kentucky, was homeless for ayear before he met Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Scarlette Jasper. Most days, he survived by catching squirrels or rabbits and sleeping in a boxor wherever he could find shelter. Though there is no easy solution for the cycle of poverty, Jasper says, "The solution to persistent poverty is not a handout; it's a hand up; it means doing what Jesus did— feeding the poor, clothing those who need clothing, taking care of the sick, but also helping them make sustainable changesthat move them into community and opportunities to help their neighbor. It means forming partnerships that will help engage communities in transformational development together."— Blake Tommey, collegiate minister at the University of Virginia

Mission Bites

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S E Q U O I A C L U B

6 First Baptist University

A Study of How the Bible WasDevelopedThis is an in-depth study of the Bible with discussions on:

• Theories of the inspiration of the Bible• Development of Old Testament• Writing the history of the Jewish people• The role of David and Solomon; major and minor prophets• Between the testaments—the Apochrypha• Writing of the gospels• The Vulgate• Translation of King James I's Authorized Version• Modern day translations and interpretations of the English Bible• The place of the Bible in contemporary Christian traditions

Facilitator: Bill FulkersonBill is retired from the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board where he served as the Director of the Department of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement.

Caregivers Support GroupThis group will offer a comforting place where you can find friends with whom you can share your experiences. If you are a primary orpart-time caregiverto parents, your spouse, children or friends, you are welcome to join with us as we learn about the many aspects of caregiving and as we support one another.

Facilitator: Ann MurphyAnn is a retired registered nurse who has a passion for helping in her Decatur community.

Restorative Justice 1 — Mass IncarcerationThis class will discuss the book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signaled a new era of colorblindness. Author Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." The book can be ordered from Amazon for a cost of $12.80, plus tax and shipping.

Discussions will also be held on:• Race and police brutality• Private prisons based on Shane Bauer's "My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard” from the August 2016 Mother Jones• Immigrants in prison

The class will end with an invitation to advocacy.

Facilitator: Linsey AddingtonLinsey is a third year seminarian at McAfee School of Theology and serves on staff at Scott Boulevard Baptist Church as the Aging Ministry Intern. She also works at Lee Arrendale State Prison for Women.

Food for thought,care for the soul

Continued from Page 2

Introducing First Baptist UniversityThese FBU courses begin on January 11.You are invited to select a course based on your interests.

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First Baptist University 7

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Financial Peace UniversityDave Ramsey and his teaching team will walk you through the basics of budgeting, dumping debt, planning for the future, and much more. Classes are made up of small groups of people who live in your area and are a great way to share ideas, be encouraged, and stay motivated. Classes meet for nine weeks and are led by Matt Visser, a Financial Peace University volunteer coordinator.

Get started onlineOne Financial Peace University membership per family is all you need to get started in a class. After purchasing your membership online, be sure to follow the directions in your order confirmation email. You may contact the class coordinator about specific details before or after registering by clicking on the "More Class Information" link.

Please use the following link to register for the class which begins January 11, 2017 and ends on March 15. Each session meets from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Link: daveramsey.com/fpu/classes/1030657

Facilitator: Matt VisserMatt is a Dave Ramsey trained Financial Peace University facilitator.

Total Body ConditioningA one-hour full body workout with a fun and challenging mixture of stretching, cardio and resistance training set to high energy music. People of all fitness levels are welcome.

Facilitator: Kristian Smith

Kristian is a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor

Space may be limited. Contact Kristian to sign up.You may also ask questions about the class.Kristian: 256-508-2930 or kristiansmith02@gmail.com

Grief Support GroupThe Grief Support Group is open to anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. The size of the group will be limited to ten participants and will be closed to new participants after the second week.

The group format will be topical, with information about normal versus abnormal grieving, weekly guided discussions, as well as exercises in grief writing.

Facilitators: Ms. Tommye Morris, RNChaplain Larry Connelly, M.Div., BCC

Both Tommye and Larry are experienced in group dynamics and have co-led grief support groups for several years.

CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity

This course explores the central issues of Christianity through a study of the lectures of C.S. Lewis. The study will be based on Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity.

Topics in the study include:• Clue to the meaning of the universe• What Christians believe• Christian behavior• First steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity

Facilitator: Bob WilliamsonBob is the Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church Decatur.

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8 Sharing in Prayer, By the Numbers, Wednesday Family Dinner, Contact Us

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BobFocht

GaryOwen

MelindaMcBride

JanPratt

DebraPyron

Contact UsMain Office—404-373-1653Fax—404-370-7692First School—404-370-7688Activities—404-373-2442Website—www.fbcdecatur.comE-Mail—fbcd@fbcdecatur.comfacebook.com/decaturchurchTwitter: #decaturchurch308 Clairemont AvenueDecatur, Georgia 30030

Weekend ContactsTo reach a staff member for weekend pastoral emergencies, please calltheir cell phone number (below).

Pastors on callBob Williamson (770) 633-4651Deacon on callNov 28-Dec 4 —Bob Focht Dec 5-11—Gary OwenDec 12-18—Melinda McBrideDec 19-25—Jan PrattDec 26-Jan 1—Debra Pyron

Wednesday DinnerServed each Wednesday nightfrom 5:30–6:20 p.m.In Carreker Hall

MenuDecember 7—Teriyaki ChickenDecember 14—Country Fried SteakDecember 21—Annual Christmas DinnerDecember 28—Christmas Break — No Wednesday DinnerMeal PricesAdults—$7 Students—$6.00Children (10 and under)—$3Family Maximum—$25

Office ScheduleRegular Office HoursMonday–Thursdays—9 a.m.–5 p.m.Fridays—9 a.m.–NoonOffice HolidayChristmasOffices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Dec. 26.New YearOffices will be closed on Monday, Jan 2. 26.

Visit the FBCDwebsiteYour go-to place for FBCD informationwww.fbcdecatur.comBrowse the site from your computer, your smart phone or tablet. Explore each section to find the information most useful to you.Check out the News & Events section regularly to see the latest announcements. Need to find something? Enter it in the Search Box in the footer (at the bottom of every page!).Go to Explore on the top menu bar to find a list of resources to tap into. These include:News & Events, Sermons Online, Author Conversations, Newsletter (Outlook), Stories, Media Center, and Calendar.

Sharing in Prayer Christian SympathyTo Ginny McManus and Paula Echols on the passing of their brother Henry Brecht on October 27. To Rosamond Buckler on the passing of her daughter Bonnie Buckler Adams on November 4.To Gail Roper and family on the passing of her cousin, Steve Smith and his daughter, Sydney McKoy on November 28.

Complete menus online

Sunday Morningsin DecemberDecember 48:45 a.m. FreshStart10 a.m. Learning Groups and Bible Study11:15 a.m. Sanctuary Worship

December 1110:30 a.m. Combined worship

in the Sanctuary“The Music of Christmas”

December 188:45 a.m. FreshStart10 a.m. Learning Groups and Bible Study11:15 a.m. Sanctuary Worship

December 2510:30 a.m. Family Christmas Brunch

in Carreker Hall

To Eddie Campbell and family on the passing of his sister , Sheila J. H. Morris on November 29. To husband Mike Fallon, daughter Kathy Fallon, and family on the passing of Deborah Fallon on December 5. Memorial Service at Thomson United Methodist Church, Thomson, GA on December 17. Visitation at 1 p.m. Service at 2 p.m.

New MembersWelcome!Mary Beth Fucile