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

Young Musicians Present Solid Rock Cafe Sun. @fbcknox @ Noon

Church-Wide Lunch and
Young Musicians Musical  
Sunday, March 27
12 Noon, Trentham Hall 

Join us in Trentham Hall following the 11:00 AM service for a church-wide lunch
(Wednesday night prices apply): Your choice of ham or chicken tenders, fresh broccoli medley, potatoes, salad bar, rolls and dessert.   

The Young Musician's Choir under the direction of Ann Buchanan will present The Solid Rock Café. 

You won't want to miss this opportunity to fellowship and support our children's music program.
See you there!

First Baptist Church Knoxville
510 West Main Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
865-546-9661
William D. Shiell
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church
Knoxville, Tennessee
www.fbcknox.org

Making Room at the Table @fbcknox #generosity #tithe #stewardship

By now you've heard from everyone who expects a commitment from you in 2011. Already this year, I’ve been contacted by Parker's school, my alumni association, and the nonprofits I support. I’ve renewed magazine subscriptions and memberships. All of these are important, but all pale in comparison to the annual commitment I make to our church.

Last year people demonstrated their commitment to First Baptist in historic ways. Through God’s generous blessings, we set a record in budget giving, paid down our debts to the lowest they have been in 10 years, and repaid all the money we borrowed from our designated funds to get through the budget crunches from 2006-2009. At a time when we thought that we were desperate, you became dependent, sought direction from the Lord, and began a process called “Because I Have Been Given Much.” We acknowledged that as James 1:7 suggests, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above”; and we’ve been blessed with incredible gifts.

The generosity season is here again. Our goal is to “Make Room at the Table” for every person that is touched by First Baptist in 2011. I believe that there is plenty of room for everyone at God’s abundant table. We need your help to provide the meals, staff, camps, materials, mission, air conditioning, fuel, building repairs, and so much more to make that happen.

Our budget goal is $1,876,000. Our remaining debt is $465,750. You saw what we were able to do this year: repay designated funds and pay down the debt. After we meet our financial obligations and provide for appropriate cash in the bank, any excess to the budget will go toward the debt. A gift to the budget is a gift toward getting out of debt. That would create plenty of new seats at the table.

This year our students will take a very active role in the budget. Through Michael McEntyre and Susan Tatum’s leadership, our youth are adopting the Mission Friends as their budget goal. Our children are adopting the ESOL ministry as their budget goal. They will be receiving offering envelopes and a program tailored just for them.

On April 10, we will demonstrate that love for the Lord and our church by turning in commitment cards for 2011. We do not sign pledge cards at First Baptist. We ask people to commit toward a 2020 vision of tithing. By taking one step at a time, you will become a generous tither within 9 years. Last year, many of you took the first step and will take another small step of sacrifice again this year. If you've never experienced the joy of tithing, or had to organize your finances last year, now is the time to take the first step.

You can begin today. Please fill out the online commitment card. Once you press "submit," the information will go straight to the financial office and will be handled confidentially. You may also print the card and bring it with you to worship April 10. The deadline for commitment cards is April 24. We will conclude our season of generosity with the “Step Up” offering May 15. This offering kicks off a summer of ministry and celebration.

I will have to admit to you that last year we did this on a bit of blind faith. Since all faith is blind, now we obey on lots of evidence of what God can do through you. So let’s enjoy the bountiful blessing of his table.

@fbcknox & @bridgeknox raised $4,422 for @SecondHarvestET last week. Thanks for your generosity.

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

Special offering 4 @secondharvestet & 200 Youth Singing this Sunday @fbcknox

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

Downtown ecumenical Lenten lunches announced @fbcknox

Join us each week as we celebrate the unity of our faith and the diversity of our congregations. Hosted by the downtown cooperative churches, we welcome you to join us for worship each Wednesday during lent at 12:05 followed by a light lunch at 12:30.

March 16: First Presbyterian Church

March 23: Immaculate Conception

March 30 St. John’s Cathedral

April 6: Church Street United Methodist

April 13: First Baptist Church

@fbcknox welcomes 200+ Students to sing March 6 @ YouthCue Festival

Music shapes the memory and meaning of a life of faith. More than the beautiful offering we give to God, music informs our belief and remains with us until the end. Only one person has ever requested an encore sermon for her funeral, but most people have a favorite song or two.

Youth choir shaped much of the faith I have today through the melodies of the heart. I still catch myself humming a tune from a choir tour even now. Whether as an artist or now a part of the audience there is still nothing quite like the youth choir experience that brings together scripture, tradition, service, worship, teamwork, and relationships.

At First Baptist, we're blessed to have parents and students who participate in Chapel Choir, a music minister in Kely Hatley who teaches ministry through music, and a congregation who supports the efforts. On March 6, we will discover new partners in worship through the Youth Cue Festival Concert.

Founded in 1990 by renowned Baptist music minister Randy Edwards, Youth Cue brings together students across denominations with one common refrain: students singing and making music in our hearts to the Lord. They blend voices, harmonies, orchestrations, and traditions to exalt the Lord, inspire others, and teach the gift of a lifetime of service and sacrifice.

We're expecting over 200 students leading in worship on Sunday morning, March 6. The choir loft will overflow into the balcony for sure. But don't miss out on the 4:00 p.m. concert. Our Chapel Choir, along with the other 200 and a full orchestra, will exalt the Lord and challenge our hearts.

Through YouthCue, you will receive hope for the future of the church, and you will be in awe of what God is doing to shape the present. It's something that you will carry the rest of your life.

Katie Erwin and @fbcknox Youth Serve at Second Harvest Food Bank

Katie Erwin describes her experience at Second Harvest Food Bank during Disciple Now weekend.

Disciple Now Volunteers at Second Harvest Food Bank - Interview with Katie Erwin from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

"Hi! I'm Katie Erwin, and I went to Disciple Now on January 14 and 15. Part of my mission project was at Second Harvest. Second Harvest gives food to over 458,000 people all over East Tennessee. Anybody who wants to volunteer at Second Harvest can get a $1 credit."

2010 Record Set for Budget Giving, Surpasses budget for 1st time in 9 years, Receipts rise 12%. Praise the Lord. Thanks @allenwalworth & Generis

“How Can I Say Thanks for Things You Have Done for Me?” Andrae Crouch’s lyrics begin hymn 153 in the Baptist Hymnal. These words capture the spirit of your generosity in 2010. This was truly a record year of giving and sacrifice.

In 2010, First Baptist exceeded budget for the first time in 9 years. We gave the most to the budget in the history of First Baptist, and our giving exceeded last year’s receipts by over 12%.

Here is a quick summary, as of this writing:
2009 Total Receipts 2010 Budget Need 2010 Budget Given
$1,678,236 $1,776,048 Over $1,880,000

You will hear more about this in our business meeting February 2, but I could not wait to thank you.

I am so grateful for a group of courageous laity on the Generosity Task Force who saw an opportunity when the need was so great. Jim Decker and Betty Coley chaired the group. Mark Moeller, our Associate Pastor, provided direction and leadership. Allen Walworth from Generis provided hands on counsel and advice at key points along the way. The church stepped forward, gave generously, and God provided.


“Because you have given much,” you touched people like Connie and Kim (pictured below) with the love of Christ. They spent a week with us in February as part of our partnership with Family Promise of Knoxville. Volunteers served meals and spent the night with them. Your budget gifts supported the program, staff and utility costs to serve this homeless mother and teenage daughter. By November, Connie and Kim found an apartment and were back on their feet. They wrote, “Thank you for giving Kimberly and I an environment where we could just breathe, a place that was and still is full of support and patience. Kimberly and I received so much support and caring from each or our host churches and their volunteers, sometimes it was very overwhelming. I didn’t think it was possible for people who didn’t know us could care so much. I now have my own apartment full of furnishings that someone gave to Family Promise. When I sit at the kitchen table and have morning coffee I look around and say to myself, ‘I am Home. Kim and I are Home! Thank you everyone!”
“I am Home.”

What great words to be said of First Baptist and the love you have given this year.

Welcome home!

Join us for Worship Live @fbcknox @ 11 EST; or if you're home, on our webcast or Fox-43

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We're open for Breakfast @ 9:30 & Worship @ 11:00. Or Watch the Webcast & Fox-43 TV

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Join us @ 5-6 2nite 4 Christmas Eve service @fbcknox or live on local Fox-43

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Services canceled tonight. Middle school party moved to Friday night

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Services are canceled tonight. Middle school and high school Christmas party combine Friday night.

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Eddie survived a fire & is now #homeless. But he's always kept his word. Watch:

Christmas Brunch Interview 3 from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Eddie survived a fire and lived to tell about it. After working at Regas and Club LeConte, Eddie is now at Volunteer Ministry Center, hoping to move into Minvilla Manor. He learned from his father to "keep his word with people" so "he could always go back." Eddie joined us this past Saturday as our guest for the 5th annual Christmas Brunch.

In 2010, you could find @fbcknox people everywhere. Watch this year of ministry in review:

Looking back on a great year of ministry.

Love Feast Video - 2009-2010 Year in Review from First Baptist Church, Knoxville on Vimeo.

Many thanks to Michael McEntyre and Brandon Moore for producing this video.

An open Sunday night on the calendar during Advent? Perfect time for partnership and mission @fbcknox #missional @downtownknox

Finding an open Sunday night for a program-based church during the Christmas season is like finding an empty parking spot at the mall. It rarely happens. But for churches on mission, Sunday nights no longer need to be filled with another event for the sake of the calendar. Many groups celebrate the season and carry out the church's mission even better than we can on campus. With no reason to reinvent the proverbial worship wheel, churches can partner with these groups and extend the mission of the kingdom of God.

Consider what happened yesterday at First Baptist. The Fellowship Council and Worship Council provided lunch and worship. Neither happened on our campus, but both were "First Baptist events." During the lunch hour, several families participated in "Advent out to Lunch." Nine downtown restaurants offered "discounts" for eating out. I like what Courtney Evans said. She called it the "GOJESUS discount." But these families went a step further. They re-gifted the savings to the restaurant servers. They shared their percentage off their meal as an additional gratuity for the work the food service workers provide year-round.

Following the meal, many others attended the Knoxville Nativity Pageant. For 42 years, the First Baptist family and extended family have provided a living re-enactment of the prophecies and announcements of the birth of Christ as well as the arrival of the shepherds and magi. At 3:00 p.m. we worshiped together along with hundreds of others and joined (officially) what this fine organization as been doing in our community.

Our strategic plan for 2010-2014 calls us not only to work together but think creatively about these kinds of partnerships we can form with groups already on mission. Sunday was just one example of the way this is happening. There is no better season than to share the season with people who know the kingdom of God is "at hand." Now we can join hands.

(Pictured above Jonathan Higdon, Reese Higdon, and Drake Shiell check out the sheep stars of the Nativity Pageant.)

For more information on other churches who are engaged in partnerships, check out these great examples:

Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina, Harrelson Center
Hopeful Imagination Resources