Heart of Knoxville receives donations for the Jones family

Many of you may have seen or heard about the unfortunate situation of members of our church, the Mary Cate Jones family and their potential eviction from their home. First Baptist has been in touch with the family and has agreed to accept donations on their behalf through our church's non-profit organization, The Heart of Knoxville, Inc. 

 

Checks should be made out to The Heart of Knoxville, Inc., and mailed to:

 

The Heart of Knoxville, Inc.

510 W Main St

Knoxville, TN 37902

 

Please include in the memo line: Jones Family.

 

Thank you.

@fbcknox Graduates launch on mission

Today we commissioned our graduates. Thanks to Michael McEntyre and Jonathan Higdon for putting together this video.

Resurrection is our home in a world upside down. See Ryan Boyette as an example

Today in my message, I mentioned Ryan Boyette's ministry in the Nuba Mountains. Check out these links to his work.

Video of Boyette's work

Nick Kristof's story about Boyette

Ryan Boyette's Twitter feed

His Facebook page

http://www.eyesandearsnuba.org/

Bearden High School @fbcknox Seniors Open a Door of Hope in South Africa

How do you measure the success of a church program? It’s easy to count inputs—registrations, attendance, money, and decisions. But the real measure is the outcome. What happens as a result of a group of people participating in studies and projects? Two ministries live on through the lives of three seniors in this year’s First Baptist class of 2012.

Anna Cate and Annie selling jewelry for the Door of Hope

In January, Taylor Burkhart participated in a unique poverty simulation as part of Disciple Now/ Merge weekend. The group learned what it was like to be a part of the 20% of the world that has most of the food and resources and the 80% who don’t. The world has abundant resources; relatively few share what the rest of the world needs. Through a simulated dinner of beans and rice for the impoverished, and steaks for others, the group learned to receive and give to each other. In April, Taylor took this experience on the road to Maryville Christian School students. Michael McEntyre and Taylor introduced the concept to the principal, and they conducted a living poverty simulation for the students beyond our walls.

Annie Pickle at the Door of Hope

Last summer, Anna Cate Hale and Annie Pickle encountered living poverty in South Africa. Each month 200 babies are abandoned by mothers and parents in South Africa. Some are dumped in rivers. Others are left in the open. An organization called Door of Hope is trying to change that. By providing a safe, anonymous way for people to leave their unwanted children, the Door of Hope ministry in South Africa receives, cares for, and places children into forever families. They literally build doors for people to place their babies and care of the babies that are left. Through their Leadership Class at Bearden, Anna Cate and Annie shared the mission of Door of Hope with their fellow students. They are seeking to raise $2,500 to launch a Door of Hope in Soweto, South Africa, to provide even greater access to parents so that baby’s lives can be saved.
Taylor, Anna Cate, and Annie are just three examples of how lives are continuing to be changed through this senior class. This month, we don’t celebrate them. We celebrate God’s work through them, and you can get involved in their mission.

To contribute to the Door of Hope Initiative, make checks payable to Bearden High School- Door of Hope. Mail to
8352 Kingston Pike  Knoxville, TN 37919. Their goal is $2,500.

Let’s give thanks to God for what continues to come out of this Senior Class. Pictured above: Annie Pickle and Anna Cate Hale sell jewelry to raise money for the Door of Hope. Below: Annie with a child at the Door of Hope in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Turning the World Upside Down #baptistsatwh

In the book of Acts, the church of Thessalonica made such an impact, that the local leaders said they "turned the world upside down." We don't have to look far for examples today.

Jeanette Barnes lived in public housing her entire life; but when a tornado devastated her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, one year ago in April, the city did not have enough housing for everyone. What was a city the size of Tuscaloosa, with FEMA and HUD resources at its disposal, to do? They did what governments, neighborhoods, and people have done for centuries. They turned to the church for support.

On March 7, I gathered with Pastor Tim Lovett of Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa; Robert Parham of Ethicsdaily.com; Ricky Creech of the D.C. Baptist Convention, and 60 other Baptist pastors. They came from every denomination in the Baptist alphabet- SBC, CBF, ABC, Progressive Baptist, you name it. We attended a "White House Briefing for Baptist Clergy," focusing on areas where the federal government works with local congregations and other faith-based groups to deliver aid where it is needed most. The Office of Public Engagement hosted us in the Executive Office Building of the White House. We dialogued about the issues of human trafficking, disaster relief, clean air and water, predatory lending, and immigration. We heard the concerns of the administration, and we shared our concerns as Baptists with the President's staff. It was a healthy, pointed, vibrant, non-partisan, civil dialogue as people working together for the common good.

As I listened, I realized there is so much that churches and government agencies are doing for people in times of crisis. First Baptist has several examples. With immigration, First Baptist has been on the border and with our Latino congregation; in education, we serve through KidsHope USA. In local disaster relief and recovery , we have worked in Macon County and with the Katrina evacuees.

Churches like ours are leading the way in these issues, and we can learn from each other how to impact lives and serve with best practices. Calvary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa has been at the center of disaster recovery for over a year now. In partnership with the department of Housing and Urban Development, Calvary and the city of Tuscaloosa have repaired or rebuilt 80 homes. Jeanette Barnes was the first recipient of a home. Calvary was recently recognized by HUD for leading the way in disaster relief. Even more significantly, they have found their mission among the residents of the community. A tornado devastated lives; but through the power of the resurrection, they've turned the world upside down.

Picture info: A picture of Jeanette Barnes' community of Rosedale, Jeanette Barnes and the team of Calvary Baptist, Jeanette's home today

White House Briefing with Baptists

Greetings from Washington D.C. Today I attended a briefing at the invitation of Robert Parham of Ethicsdaily.com, Ricky Creech of the D.C. Baptist Convention, and the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership department of the White House Office of Public Engagement. We met in the Eisenhower administration building with sixty pastors and representatives of the broader Baptist family. It was an alphabet soup of people in SBC, ABC, CBF, and other congregations in the spirit of "Goodwill" Baptists. We came not to speak for our churches. We came to speak to the administration about significant issues and to listen to the White House's initiatives.

The topics included human sex trafficking, disaster relief, the housing crisis, lending and mortgage scams, and clean water and air. We heard from each other about critical issues going on in local congregations. We learned from the Obama administration about the faith-based initiatives that are taking root across the country. Fourteen federal agencies have a faith-based office at some level.

By law, the Office of Public Engagement is not allowed to be involved in election year partisanship. We stayed away from politics and focused on Amos's mandate to "let justice roll." We looked for the common good that all of us share.

Here's the original news piece about the story from ethicsdaily.com.

Here's a link to the White House office.

If you have not read the twitter feed, be sure to check it out.

Here are a few takeaways--
Within 48 hours of leaving home, one-half of runaways will be picked up for sex trafficking.

There are ninety Payday lenders in the City of Birmingham-- more payday lenders than Starbucks.

Churches can be actively engaged in declaring a Jubilee for those caught up in the mortgage crisis, student loan debt, foreclosure, and payday lending scams.

I am humbled to be a part of this group. I learned so much about the work going on around the country in churches just like mine. The conversation has just begun.

Fleeing disciples on the path through Lent

“But he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” Mark 14:52

In the Gospel of Mark, the disciples flee Jesus when he needs them the most. They fit a theme, as David Rhoads suggests, that those closest to Jesus tend to be the farthest from loyalty.

The pattern starts with his family. When hearing that Jesus is in town, they try to seize him, labeling him as crazy (Mark 3:21). Eventually Judas, the rest of the twelve, a young man in Gethsemane, Peter in the courtyard of the high priest, the crowds at the trial, and finally the women at the tomb abandon him. All of them fled.

Jesus asked one thing of those around him to “be with him” (Mark 3:13-14; 14:34). They struggled with what that call entailed. The disciples, and many of those in the larger network, were not necessarily against Jesus. They were just never really for him either. They enjoyed the miracles, liked the teaching, admired the character, and took much of his advice. But the sign of the true disciple who was one who in the end was able to “take up the cross and follow me.”

Jesus’ call to discipleship challenges us to be for Him in the same ways that he was for the world: the many places, people, and ways that Jesus lived. This call sends us to touch the untouchable, love the unlovable, and cast out the evil in the lives and systems of our world. It means responding with humility over pride and peacemaking over hostility. When others would call for more war, preemptive strikes, and hostility, the life of Christ as we are reminded in the garden of Gethsemane puts away the swords and surrenders the weapons of power. This life resorts to prayer and sacrifice as the means to true life.

During the season of Lent, we are confronted with those same questions again. What does it meant to be “all in” for Jesus? No one would dare speak against his teachings or life; but if those closest to Mark are any example, we who desire to be close Christ today best be warned. The rare follower stays with him all the way. It’s in this season that God’s grace enables us to remain with him, even if we’re the only one left standing.

Image: James Jacques Tissot (1836-1902), "The Flight of the Apostles". Brooklyn Museum, New York

How to spend 5 1/2 hours on I-81 on President's Day Weekend

When traffic stopped at mile marker 65 on I-81 East, I had no idea that we would be moving over five hours later.
Thankfully we were not involved in the tragic accident on I-75 in Jellico. We were simply taking a 28-hour roadtrip to Winterplace.

We have to choose our weekends wisely in the ministry life. Even Monday school holidays usually mean short trips to avoid taking a Sunday as a vacation day. They are precious and few. After the services Sunday, we loaded the mini-van, picked up a McAlister's Sweet Tea, and ate our PBJ sandwiches for a four hour roadtrip to West Virginia.

During "winter storm warnings," they tell you to take flashlights, blankets, and food for a year. I assumed those warnings were for unanticipated snow. I never really factored jack-knifed semi-trailer trucks into the equation. The snow started falling north of Kingsport, Tennessee. Visiblity was low but nothing unusual. Traffic was stop-and-go in some places. When we stopped at mile marker 64, in Wythe County, Virginia, we let the car run for about two hours, assuming the traffic ahead would start moving. This wait turned into more of a German autobahn stall. People were leaving their vehicles, wandering around. We even considered building a snowman.

The people ahead of us were tracking things on the scanner. We were trackinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif developments on the I-Pad and twitter. The Weather Channel was reporting from Wytheville. After two hours of waiting, we turned off the car, took care of the necessary things, and chowed down on graham crackers. Darkness was falling, and we began thinking through what a night might be like on the interstate. Fortunately, the snow stopped. I can only imagine what would have happened if a blizzard had dropped 12 inches of snow on us.

The boys had fun bugging each other, and we enjoyed teasing them with stories, songs, and silliness. At the four-hour mark, Parker made a palate. They played every itouch game they could download. Even the wrestling match was over. We cranked the engine and started watching movies again.

Now past five hours, we turned off the engine, leaned the seats back, and began to doze. About that time, the traffic cleared. We passed the semi, now safely on the side of the road, and decided to forge on to the hotel.

When we woke up the next morning, Parker was sick. On the way to the lifts, we saw the evidence. After a brief clean-up in the warning lane, we decided to head to the mountain. The next exit was for Winterplace.

By this time, if you were superstitious, every sign was saying to "turn around and leave immediately." But we're not, and we just go with our instincts. A stranger walked up. "I've got a couple of extra lift passes that we're not using. Would you like to purchase them? They're only $20 (regular $65 on a holiday)." A blessing in disguise? A sign from above? Or maybe just good grace. We didn't deserve the passes, but we were seeing snow. We bought two for the adults. Drake was free. We were going to ski.

We arrived at the lodge and decided to set up camp in the dining area, let Parker sleep, while Kelly and Drake skied. I stayed with Parker in the morning and switched with Kelly for the afternoon.

We left around 3:00 and were home by 6:30. We did not dare exit. Parker is taking a sick day today and recovering. And we are grateful to be home.

Generosity fuels transformed lives @fbcknox when a single mom becomes a social worker @buckner_intl

Wendy Woodward knows first hand better than any one else what it's like to receive help in difficult times. Through our community ministry, she prepares the way for others to change their lives. She is just one result of God's abundant generosity in 2011.

Last year, First Baptist surpassed budget needs by over $27,000 and ended the year over $156,000 over expenses. You gave over $1.9 million to the operating budget. This is the first time in eleven years that this has happened two consecutive years. So what happened as a result of your gifts? People like Wendy Woodward came our way.

Wendy is a social work student at the University of Tennessee's College of Social Work. She's so passionate about her faith, caring in her work, and thoughtful in her studies, she has been at odds with another non profit over the role of faith in her work. She came to First Baptist by her own admission "to gain experience in a Christ centered environment." She spent a semester with us launching a food co-op to assist families with a 45 lb quantity of food for $3 every two weeks. She has met with clients, and assisted with our Christmas Brunch.

She wrote to me a in a recent email: "My experiences as a struggling job loss survivor fueled my ability to help others in my role as the benevolence worker at FBC . Carol McEntyre and I have worked closely in assisting families who are struggling with financial difficulty and have helped individuals and families with food from the fish pantry who are living in their cars and in motels because families are now homeless due to rough economic times. Landlords have been forced to foreclose on rental properties which have resulted in several families being displaced in the area. FBC also assists with numerous energy assistance pledges because of the recent increase in energy costs in the area. In my research project this semester on U.S. public housing policy, I found a devastating lack of investment into low income rental properties in urban areas. This results in higher energy bills for lower income renters. I am seeing this same pattern locally in the majority of clients who call in for assistance from the church. Most have energy costs that are sometimes equal to or exceeding their rent in most of these older units. This is where God uses the benevolence ministry of First Baptist to meet the needs of those around us in our community. I also feel God has truly turned my tragedy into a blessing by giving me the compassion to assist those who are going through similar situations that result when resources are depleted."

Even though Wendy is a volunteer intern, the work is not free. The ministry comes because you invested through the budget in a Buckner partnership years ago, and the fruits of this work continue to flourish.

In 2012, we ask you to give again through the ministry budget of the church. The goal is attainable and virtually the same amount as we gave in 2011. Our priorities are similar to this past year but with greater focus on at-risk children and families, leadership training, small group Bible study, and worship.

If Wendy is any example, the way is already prepared for these priorities and many more to be accomplished right in front of our eyes.

Resources for helping you "pray the hours" (2day's sermon @fbcknox)

Today, I preached about finding the quiet, solitary place throughout your day. Here are some resources to help.

Websites and Apps:

The Mission of St. Clare (Downloadable apps)


Book of Common Prayer (will send a daily email)


Books:
Take our Moments and Our Days

The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle (This is a series)

Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne

@fbcknox giving keeps pace with 2010

One of my favorite books this year has been Tina Rosenberg’s Join the Club. She describes how peer pressure motivates social change in our lives. Through the power of groups coming together, people will do things that no institution or leader can compel them to do when they influence each other for good.

We have seen the evidence of that positive change in the lives of our young people. This quarter, our students traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa as ambassadors of the power of Christ’s love and character on their lives. In August, we heard their stories of abstinence, purity, and character that they shared with South African young people. They taught and demonstrated how the Christ life shapes every aspect of their lives. The impact they had on the South Africans continues to affect the group back home. Under Michael McEntyre’s leadership, this group of teenagers has taught each other the life transforming virtues of the gospel that they are taking into their schools and homes.

This kind of ministry would not be possible without the positive influence that you have exerted on each other to give generously. Your financial gifts to these students and many other ministries through the budget of First Baptist have provided staff, resources, materials, supplies, and care. Just imagine, to operate the youth ministry staff, programs, and ministries at First Baptist, it costs an estimated $275 each day.

This year, your giving continues to keep pace with last year. Thus far, we have received $1,265,589, compared to $1,269,042 last year at this same time. Our expenses are also less than last year. We have spent $1,286,466 this year compared to $1,292,518 this time last year.

To finish 2011, I am asking you to continue this generous pace. Last year during the fourth quarter, God abundantly poured out his blessings through you. I am asking you to do the same again this year. Let’s join the club of generosity and do for each other what God has already done for us. He has given us his son Jesus Christ, and that is really all we need.

(Pictured above: Kathryn Pickle with South African students)

What's the one thing in your life? We asked a few people. Watch:

The One Thing from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

What is the one thing in your life, your focus? We've heard the trite expression, "Keep the main thing the main thing"; but what is the thing? The book of Philippians is written to followers of Christ trying to maintain their focus when they think their world is falling apart. Paul teaches them the highest goal of the Christian life, but this focus is more than a vision statement. His "one thing" lowers anxiety, unifies our relationships, and restores joy in life. So what is the main thing? Join us as we discover together September 18, 25, October 2, 9, and 16.

Good news 10 years later @fbcknox #September11 #worship #Habitat

How significant is a 10th anniversary? For a rising fifth grader, the passage marks a turn into "double digits," top of the school, safety patrol. For parents, 10 years goes by "way too fast." We're over halfway finished with school but only at the beginning of an education. For a nation, 10 years seems like just yesterday when terrorists attacked our country and killed nearly 3,000 people. For our church, 10 years ago marked the beginning of a new era of worship.

September is filled with a range of emotions, nostalgia, patriotism, and reflection. It's the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the 10th anniversary of First Community. One way to mark the occasion is to remember dates, times, and places in chronos time. We remember September 11, 2001; we recall the beginning of First Community 10 years ago the Sunday before September 11. All of us remember "where we were."

These are not just dates on a calendar. These occasions invite us to measure another way that time passes, out of the chronological schedule of dates, times, and places through the door of kairos time. Kairos is marked by seasons and generations. Here time is measured not by dates on a calendar but by differences in behavior. We pick up on it occasionally in our way of describing things that happen to us: "It seemed just like yesterday." "My, look how you've grown." "I don't remember when all this started, but my life has never been the same since." Kairos happens in nature all the time; a seed is planted and grows when "the time is right." The fruit is ready to be picked when it ripens. We don't know precisely when, but we believe it will happen.

Kairos time is, as you can imagine, God's way of marking time. The biblical writers describe life that is measured by passing seasons, ripening fig trees, growing yeast, and fulfilling promises. None of them have dates on a calendar, but all of them offer the chance to remember, reflect, hope, believe, and obey.

The year 2001 was a kairos moment for First Baptist. We changed the way we worship and began First Community that is still growing, evolving, and changing. Like a fifth grader, this seed planted was a promise to current and future generations that our worship will change and adapt as necessary to call people to worship a living God. We do not know yet the fulfillment of the promise, but First Community continues to blossom. As people in Knoxville after 9/11, we changed the way we live. Whether through security lines at the airport, threat levels at Oak Ridge, or economic turbulence, we think about and live in light of our fears in some way every day. We do not yet know the full legacy of these terrible days. We do know, however, that our lives are much different than they were 10 years ago.

The same choices that confronted us 10 years ago are still the decisions we see today. We face a mix of worship and fear, of hope and anxiety, of promise and threat. We cannot live in a world without either one. This is why we so desperately need the grace of the gospel. The good news is that our world or our church did not change forever 10 years ago. It changed permanently 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ entered a world deeply afraid and countered with the gift of good news in the ultimate kairos event. When confronted with the life or death, Jesus taught how to walk the path of worship, obedience, forgiveness, and hope. The promise that began with his birth, death, and resurrection has not yet been fulfilled . He will come again in the fullness of time. That promise helps us recognize that even though our world and our church are different than they were 10 years ago, his gospel makes it possible for life to never be the same.


This September, we have a chance to live out this gospel. We celebrate First Community on September 4 with a churchwide breakfast at 8:00 a.m. We remember lives lost and first responders who sacrifice during the Voices of Lee concert on September 11. We break ground on a new Habitat House and dedicate the construction materials in worship on September 18. Worship, Remembrance, Service: the ways we grow into another kairos moment.

South Africa @fbcknox_mission team doing well. Block party 2day. Blackberry internet r down.

To South Africa with Love @fbcknox_mission Skype Sunday @fbcknox 8:42 a.m.

The trip that began with a dream and a lot of home football games becomes reality today. This afternoon, 28 students from First Baptist Church along with 30 others from area churches are en route to Johannesburg, South Africa. They will spend 10 days teaching Bible studies, leading "True Love Waits" groups, coaching sports camps, and leading in worship.

Our church has supported this group in so many ways. We have parked cars for home football games, hired babysitters and lawn mowers, given scholarships through the Heart of Knoxville, and provided the resources for an incredible youth ministry. Thank you to Michael McEntyre for training this team and leading this effort. Please be praying for the group as they travel. Updates will be available on our website or via the twitter feed. During First Community Sunday, the team will Skype live into the service. Please be sure to join us for this live conversation and connection. Our team is


Annie Pickle
Michael McEntyre
Morgan Johnston
Megan Turner
Jonathan Keaton
Laura Beth Roberts
Anna Cate Hale
Cathy Johnston
Daniel Pieratt
Amy Pickle
David Lethco
Missy Burkhart
Courtney Allen
Micky Roberts
Andy Tatum
Kim Holcomb
Austin Tatum
Mac Pickle
Emily Holcomb
Julie Rice
Bryce Jones
Jan Johnson
Sean Rice
Kathryn Pickle
Mark Coffield
Nikki Austin
Mack Burkhart
Jess Maples

They return to Knoxville Sunday, July 31 at noon. We look forward to hearing their report on August 17 at 6:00 p.m. in Trentham Hall.

Second quarter of generosity @fbcknox

From Niagara Falls to Wears Valley, from Columbus, Ohio, to South Knoxville, everywhere you look, you can see God’s work through First Baptist. Thank you for your faithful generous giving during the second quarter of 2011. Giving has increased over this same time last year, and the cost to do ministry has gone up as well. We have been able to keep pace because of your faithful generosity. In the process over the last year, we have cut our debt almost in half. Here is a year to date comparison summary of 2010 and 2011:

June 30, 2010
Budget Receipts $ 834,490
Budget Expenses $ 854,304
Debt $ 801,375


June 30, 2011
Budget Receipts $ 840,314
Budget Expenses $ 866,648
Debt $ 446,837

Pictured above are the people in which you have invested this season through the budget. Mentors celebrated our fifth school year at South Knoxville Elementary as part of the KidsHope USA mentoring initiative. Through your gifts, you have touched the lives of students and have helped turn this school from being an “at-risk” elementary school into a turnaround success. These mentors have tutored shared and loved on children for Christ. Many of these children frequent our worship services and Bible Studies, and several of them were a part of our Kids Camp in Wears Valley at Camp BaYoCa. In Columbus, Ohio, the Golden Notes performed at Knightsbridge Assisted Living Center on their way to Niagara Falls. They were the first church choir to perform at the facility.



We could not do this without your gifts to the budget. These resources provide the staff, transportation, supplies, and equipment to make these events possible. If you have any questions about your enclosed contribution statement or for more information about the church’s finances, be sure to contact Amy DePriest in the finance office. July-September promises to be just as active and fruitful. Please be praying for our youth mission trip to South Africa, the start of a new school year, and the beginning of Fall Bible Study and Wednesday evening programs.

Since July 1, 2010, God has poured out his blessings on First Baptist. Over the last 12 months, our budget giving has risen 8.4%, and our debt has decreased almost 50%. The growth over the past 12 months of giving positions us for a great season of planning for the 2012 budget. We have entered this summer with no budget reductions or freezes for the first time since 2008. Councils, staff, and committees are already dreaming about what is possible in 2012 now that this past year has been so successful. We welcome your input in this process and look forward to what God is going to continue to do in the coming weeks.


Pictured above:

Dena Metts visits with one of the residents in Columbus on the Golden Notes Tour

Glenna Atchley, Barbara Butler, and Mary Nelle Robbins enjoy lunch with their “little sisters” at South Knoxville Elementary.

Sign up to #mentor @ South Knoxville Elementary this fall: 1 hour, 1 child, 1 day. @fbcknox

Kids hope mentors 2011 from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Read first hand about the power of this ministry from Ryan Plemmons. Ryan is interning with us this summer:

Kids Hope USA Anniversary

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, ministers and volunteers gathered at South Knoxville Elementary to celebrate yet another anniversary of the Kids Hope USA program. The program, which began at First Baptist Church five years ago, involves tutors from FBC working with students who have poor marks in reading. While there, tutors often form incredible bonds with their student that transcends the reading material. Kids and tutors often do out-of-class activities and have fun outside the classroom, allowing tutors to show the kids the love and compassion of their Lord. As the school year came to a close, kids and their parents were treated to hot dogs, chips and cookies. Kids could lso be seen playing on inflatable toys and generally enjoying the end of a hard year of school.

While not a tutor, I was fortunate enough to meet and chat with Trevor, a fourth grader at the school. He was extremely talkative and funny, and his favorite hobbies involve reading joke books and lifting weights. While he seems to enjoy school, there is plenty of hardship in this home. His mother is unemployed, and he as been forced to mow lawns in order to make ends meet for his mother and sisters. Having met him, I realized that all of the blessings that have populated my life and the lives of many inside the Church are not available to all. Poverty can at times seem so distant and removed from our lives, but Trevor lives only minutes away from our church and from our comfortable lifestyles. This is a challenging reality to deal with. Thankfully, programs like Kids Hope keep children like Trevor interested and engaged in school, and provide them with an opportunity to escape their tough situation through education. Programs like these are vital to improving our community, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend all the people who tutor or volunteer with the young ones at South Knoxville Elementary. Your work is certainly not easy, but the difference you make in the lives of these children is both tangible and eternal. The love of Christ you exhibit to these kids is incredible, and the impact you are making in the school is amazing. Keep up the good work!

Youth lead children at Kids Camp to jump into their faith @fbcknox

“How do you know where you’re going, Daddy,” asked Drake as we walked through the woods of Kids Camp. This was his first time to anything that involves outdoor adventure. The Shiell family’s idea of camping usually comes with air conditioning. This month was his first chance to experience camping of any sort. He tagged along with Kelly and me as we participated in the second annual First Baptist Kids Camp. (Pictured L to R: Jackson Snodgrass, David Lethco, Jim Mabe, and Mark Coffield)


Readers of this blog will remember last year’s report. We began a unique effort of producing a children's camp with youth taking key roles as leaders. This year, Michael McEntyre, Susan Tatum joined by Anissa Hudson led our students to teach and train future generations. The youth led, and 3-5th graders followed. Once again, this year has gone above and beyond our imaginations. Forty-seven of us traveled to the end of Happy Hollow Road in Sevier County to do what churches do best. We train people in the character of Christ. In this case, “we” were 7-12th graders, along with college, young adults, and parents leading Bible studies, sleeping in bunk beds, eating a lot of bacon, singing music, jumping around, and showing students how to jump into faith in Christ. I had the privilege of teaching in the morning and evening services. This year was especially meaningful to me. My entire family participated; and Mark Coffield, David Lethco and I went to Children's Camp together my first summer in Knoxville....except Mark and David were campers. Today they are leaders.


The children were church to each other. We watched as students who fell down and scraped knees were assisted by other children who ran to get band-aids without being prompted. We saw students who came from 12 different elementary schools across Knox and Sevier Counties form a small community in just a few hours. We listened as children poured their hearts out to each other and were comforted by caring adults and friends who set examples through their lives and witness.


The pre-teen years are so vital for us as First Baptist. I have a vested interest in this group. Parker is one of the rising 5th graders. Our church family must be vigilant and intentional in these formative years. The gods of our society are pretty jealous about time and commitment. Weeks like these, however, give us a chance not to only say as a church, “Jesus is Lord,” but to re-commit to these students as they mature and grow. We back that confession with action and transformation. With our "home grown" talent, children are motivated to bring friends. With the spiritual prayers and direction from staff and volunteers, the event becomes an incredible, quality offering to the Lord.


Thank you for investing in this ministry. Thank you to the adults who sacrificed their time to begin preparations weeks ago and to share with these children a piece of their lives. And if you’re like Drake and occasionally wonder where we’re going, just watch these students. They’re ready to hold our hands through the forest as a “little child” leads the way.

Pat McGlothin, #Dodgers veteran, and one of @fbcknox finest. Thanks @wbir

Dan and Kathy Romano live & worship downtown.Watch this story of faith as @downtownknoxville neighbors @fbcknox

Over 2700 residents moved to downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, in the last 10 years. Two new residents are First Baptist's own Dan and Kathy Romano. Listen to their story of faith and life as neighbors in the downtown community. Consider whether you would like to relocate to First Baptist's neighborhood.

Dan and Cathy Romano Downtown Knoxville Living from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

@fbcknox assists Tornado victims in Ringgold, GA

The Disaster Relief Team is still working to respond to the tornado and wants to let you know about an opportunity to donate relief supplies. A member of the Young Married (or Crook/Smith) Sunday school class is from Ringgold, GA, which was hard hit by the tornado. Her home church is collecting supplies for tornado victims in the area. If you want to contribute items, please bring: toiletries of all varieties (toothbrushes, combs, shampoo, deodorant), first aid supplies, water, nonperishable food items, new underwear, baby formula, diapers. You may bring these items this Wednesday, May 4 or Sunday, May 8 and place them in the collection baskets. 

Carol McEntyre
Buckner Community Minister
First Baptist Knoxville, TN
865-246-4661 work


William D. Shiell
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church
Knoxville, Tennessee
www.fbcknox.org

Ministers @fbcknox drove over 8,000 miles visiting hospitals in 2010 #funfacts #pastoralcare