Thursday Thoughts

This afternoon I’d love to reflect together on something very special that we have at this church. You may notice with the changing of the liturgical calendar different elements come into our space and others leave. Some of these changes are obvious, like the addition of candles, wreathes, and poinsettias during Advent. Some may be more subtle, like the changing of our kneeling bench cushion or the bookmark in the bible on the communion table.

With the beginning of Lent I’d like to highlight one such change to our sanctuary that is really something special. Prior to our Ash Wednesday service our artwork representing the fourteen stations of the cross were hung surrounding the sanctuary. Stations of the Cross might not be a familiar term for you. They are known by other names as well. The Latin phrase Via Crucis means Way of the Cross and is sometimes used. Or perhaps you’ve heard them referred to as the Way of Sorrows, Via Dolorosa. Whatever name attributed to them they are a powerful way of commemorating the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. Every one of the fourteen stations represents a pivotal event which occurred on Jesus’ journey to calvary and beyond.

The set of the Stations of the Cross that we house here at Aiken’s First Baptist were donated by George A. Naifeh, a former U.S. diplomat to many countries around the world, and his wife Marian. This was truly a generous gift, as only 50 sets of this collection were ever created. Bruce Onobrakpeya, is a Nigerian based artist who Mr. Naifeh met in his travels. Mr. Onobrakpeya gifted this set (number 14 of 50) to Mr. Naifeh. Bruce Onobrakpeya fused into his art vivid colors and many influences of his own Urhobo culture. A devout Christian, you can feel the faithfulness with which they were crafted as you look at each print.

It is our prayer that you will take time to reflect on each station in the Lenten season to come. This act is a wonderful way to ground one’s faith in a liturgical and spiritual practice. This is a step beyond superficiality, to a deeper place of piety. The darkness seen in each vignette as Jesus walks to the cross helps us to truly appreciate his sacrifice, and to truly feel the joy of the resurrection that follows.

Soli Deo gloria,

Zachary Derr

Whether you are like me and have never played pickleball a day in your life or you are like many members of our community who love to play pickleball regularly, I am so excited to have the pleasure of inviting you to join us at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 8th for a fun time of pickleball and fellowship right here in our very own AFBC gym. Regardless of whether you have pickleball equipment, know the rules of the game, or even consider yourself an athlete, I hope you will try something new and join us as we learn together.

Over the past several months, many groups within the life of our church have been brainstorming ways to foster more intergenerational connection within the life of our congregation as well as interest from the surrounding community. Thus, the idea was born to create an accessible, tournament-style, recreation event that might attract and allow individuals of all ages to participate. We have the space in our gym for it, and you have different circles of influence in which you can spread the word and help make this not just a church event, but a community event. So, please don’t let the word “tournament” scare you! Our goal is relationship-building and fun, not trophies and competition.

That being said, we are basically a week away from this event, so if you haven’t registered yet, please do so as soon as possible so we can get a better idea of just how many people to expect. If you have your own equipment, you are more than welcome to bring it! Furthermore, if you have any extra equipment (paddles and/or balls) that you are willing to let others use during this event, please let me know! Please follow this link to register:

https://subspla.sh/kjksckk/

For those of you who still aren’t convinced, that is okay! We’d love to see you too, even if it means that you just come to watch! Once the event begins, the plan is to gather everyone to explain rules/set expectations before breaking up into different groups to play depending on experience level. We will also provide lunch and refreshments in our Fellowship Hall. If you wish to volunteer or contribute to the event in any way, whether that be sponsoring lunch, lending an extra hand to teach on the court, or even passing out water, there is a place for you! Just contact me via text or email, and we will set up a time to talk! As always, thank you all for your continued investment in the life of our church!

In truth and love,

Matt Waller

mwaller@fbcaiken.org

(704) 466-2321

It’s almost here! Sunday, February 23rd at 7:00 is our annual Dessert Auction! The Dessert Auction has proved to be the largest fundraiser in the life of our youth ministry. The funds raised provide scholarship money to supplement the cost of our trips for our youth. Currently, our youth have two main trips: Fall Retreat at $150 and Unidiversity at $400. Camps and retreats are essential in youth ministry! They provide the opportunity to focus on building and strengthening relationships. Youth who participate in retreats experience God in ways impossible to convey in a couple hours a week in a church building. Getting away from home and church allows time for the youth to simply be together. Experiencing different environments and new challenges along with spending an extended time with their peers will help to create unique memories, which are vital parts of forming more authentic and long-lasting friendships. Youth trips can get expensive, and I never want money to keep any of our youth from having these opportunities. Participating in this auction ensures there are always funds available for our youth.

Last year’s Dessert Auction was a HUGE success! Let’s do it again! It will be $5 per person at the door. Coffee, tea, water, and milk will be provided and served by the youth as you enjoy your desserts! Once again, this year we will be selling individual desserts as well. There is no expectation of participating in crazy bidding wars if that is not something you are interested in. But everyone loves community, and everyone loves dessert. So please come, buy a slice and spend the evening fellowshipping with your community!

I love this event. I love that this auction is possible because of the willingness of our congregation to donate desserts. I love the laughter and banter that comes along with bidding. I love watching the excitement on faces when dessert gets delivered to the table. More than anything, I love that so many people show up to support this ministry. Thank you for being a congregation who cares and so generously gives. I am excited to share this evening with you all!

Grace and Peace,

Sarah Laurence

Good afternoon, church!

I hope that you aware of an awesome opportunity that is coming up here at our church. Avid listeners of WAFJ 88.3 will know this already, but we are hosting Jordan Feliz in concert right here in our church on February 27, at 7:00 pm! This is a great chance for our church family and community to not only hear some great music but also showcase our wonderful church! In order for this to be the great success we’re dreaming of we are in need of some help. It takes a large team to make an event of this size happen. The tour is bringing their own crew and equipment, but they need our hands to make this work! We need able bodied individuals to give of their strength for load in and load out of equipment before and after the concert. We need a few individuals to help scan tickets, a few hands to sell merchandise outside of the concert, and a couple dedicated people willing to run our music artists and production crews around town a bit. If any of these sound like something you’d be willing to dive into, please reach out to me at zderr@fbcaiken.org, or even better, use the link below to sign yourself up for a job! With your help, we can show this community how we can craft space for fellowship, worship, prayer, and song!

Peace,

Zachary Derr

Director of Music & Worship

Tap here to sign up to volunteer

Dear Church Family,

After consultation with church leaders, I am excited to invite you to participate in a meaningful study titled “Creating Empowering Environments for Women in Baptist Congregations.”  This important research is led by Heather Deal, the Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) Director of Development, as part of her Ph.D. dissertation in Social Work.  It is conducted in partnership with BWIM. 

About the Study 

The study aims to assess and enhance gender equity within our congregation.  The first phase of the study, which was qualitative, has already been completed.  It examined the characteristics and procedures of congregations that have successfully created empowering environments for women.  Now, we are entering the second phase, a quantitative study, which involves assessing our congregation’s attitudes and actions toward gender equity and providing feedback on steps we can take to continue supporting the role of women in our church. 

How You Can Participate

Over the course of the next few weeks, you will receive a series of emails through our own email service inviting you to complete the survey.  That is all you need to do.  We hope you will take time to do this as we need the perspectives of men and women, older and younger individuals, and members and non-members.

Important Information

• All responses will be anonymous. 
• In any publications or public discussions resulting from this research, our church will not be named and will only be referred to using an alias. 
• Your email address is not being shared with any entity as we are using our own email system to send this information to you. 
• You will receive reminder emails over the next few weeks. 
• Each church, including ours, will have its own unique survey link, ensuring that all responses are solely from our congregation. After the survey is completed, we will receive a comprehensive report along with recommendations based on the findings. 

Your participation is invaluable as we strive to create an environment that is truly empowering for all women in our congregation.  Thank you for your support and participation in this effort. 

Grace and Peace, 

John 

Loving Kindness led by Holly Strother-Waller

Our upcoming Wednesdays will explore the Hebrew word, hesed, which often gets translated as mercy. However, hesed is so much more than can be captured in this one English word. Together we will explore the history and context for hesed, discuss the expected ways that we see hesed show up in the biblical text, and discover the texts where hesed is more difficult to find. We will end the study through discussions on how this impacts our daily lives by asking big questions such as “how does our understanding of God’s hesed move us to engage those around us with mercy and ever-loving kindness?”

When God Makes No Sense: A Study of Habakkuk led by Ray Barrow

This will be a small group opportunity to explore the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets whose own wrestling with tough questions helps us journey through and with our own tough questions. Join in this three-week exploration of an often over-looked book of the Bible. This study is part of a new series entitled, Resurrecting the Jesus Bible, being put together by Ray Barrow. You can read more about that series below.

Resurrecting the Jesus Bible

When Jesus went out in the middle of the night to pray and meditate, did he carry anything with him?

Certainly, it was not the New Testament (not yet written). He could not get the five scrolls of Moses into the pocket of his toga. Then what did he use as his source for His “quiet time”? He carried the Old Testament scriptures, which He had studied all of his life. Living in an oral and aural culture, large passages of the Hebrew Bible had been memorized. The life of our Savior had been shaped by what we call the Old Testament.

But so many Christians are fearful of the O.T. They are disturbed by some of the images by which God is described. Except for some of the stories and many of the Psalms, it is a very neglected two-thirds of our Bible. One influential pastor in the US has suggested that we “unhitch” it from the New Testament and follow the gospels and Acts for our growth as Christians. The biggest problem with this is that the men who wrote the New Testament were Old Testament people steeped in the same scriptures Jesus quoted and taught the disciples on the Emmaus Road. By the way, the Torah has 613 commands, but the New Testament has over 800.

We cannot grasp the mind and heart of Jesus without some understanding of the Bible that shaped Him. This year we are beginning a series of classes on Reading the Jesus Bible. There will be 2 classes we are calling “J Term” classes (January and June). The first begins on Wednesday, Jan. 15th and is entitled “When God Makes No Sense” (Habakkuk). The second June class will be “When God Makes a Promise” (Genesis 1-3). An additional class will be during the Sunday School hour for Lent (March 2) called “What God Really Wants” (Hosea). Jesus knew and was shaped by these stories. If you will pardon the figure of speech, (the OT is full of them), Jesus “showered” in the Psalms and “took a bath” in the Torah.

Our Church has committed to follow Jesus in the way that He loved. We must understand the source of the love, and He found it in the Hebrew Bible. These classes will engage the text directly and are intended for people who would like to “venture past the rope and swim in the deep end of the pool” for a bit. Please pray about this, and, if you are so led, join us for an adventure into the Bible Jesus read.

In Christ’s Love,

Ray Barrow

If I had to guess, I would say everyone has a favorite version of The First Nowell. Personally, mine is by the Pentatonix. Their trademark five-part harmony allows already powerful lyrics to build until the last chorus explodes into a chill bump inducing finale. A familiar hymn, a treasured hymn that has been performed in countless styles, by countless artists since the 15th century. It is exciting to hear a new arrangement or a beautiful accompaniment, but more than anything we love the story it tells!

Our hymnal uses “Nowell,” meaning birth; and it is the English spelling derived from the French, “noël,” meaning Christmas. Sources provide many meanings and roots for noel, however, no matter the spelling or the language of origin, the message is the same. This hymn takes us on a journey alongside those experiencing and sharing the news of the birth of Christ. Can you imagine what it must have been like? The shepherds in the fields tending to their sheep as they always had and in an instant their lives changed forever.

Frederick Buechner once wrote, “If you do not hear in the message of Christmas something that must strike some as blasphemy and others as sheer fantasy, the chances are you have not heard the message for what it is.” The shepherds took point from an angel and followed a star in the sky. Buechner is right, there is beauty and magic in that. The message of Noel, the message of Christmas, is something that in an instant changed our lives too. The First Nowell, the Angel brought forth good news, promising great joy for all people. That’s us! Isn’t that amazing? Despite the difficulties we face and the bad days we may have, it is hard for me not to feel hopeful when I remember this.

“Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell

Born is the King of Israel!”

We remember the message of good news for all people. We remember that where once it was dark, there is now light. We remember that God sent Christ as a sign of hope and promise, peace on Earth, goodwill to all.

Merry Christmas with Love,

Sarah Laurence

Thank you for your generosity this year.  To end the year strong, please bring your year-end gifts to the church by noon on December 31 or make sure they are postmarked by December 31. 

Tax-Smart Charitable Giving

As the Finance Committee continues to review and track current revenues and expenditures for 2024, we recognize, as you likely do, the difference between them. We, however, do remain optimistic that by years end we will have received more revenues than expenditures.  This can only be accomplished by us, THE CHURCH. Through our giving, we support so many missions and ministry actions. The Finance Committee has presented and the church has approved 2025 Ministry Action Plan (MAP) or as we often say, the budget. Please be prayerful for the Finance Committee, as we do our part of the work of the church. Also be prayerful for our ministries’ and missions’ needs.

There are several opportunities of supporting the church in the present and in the long-term. The Finance Committee wants to share a couple of those opportunities in this Thursday Thoughts. While the article may be a bit lengthy, we urge everyone to read, even re-read, the entire article. It hopefully offers thinking for our current days and future years.

Two Tax-Smart Tips for Charitable Giving with an IRA is a way for giving to the church – a way that many may not have heard of or thought of.  

Making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and Naming Charitable Beneficiaries.

Giving to charity (church) during retirement years through a QCD, is a smart way to save on income taxes. 

Retirement-age individuals and couples may find that they don’t need income from their traditional IRAs in certain years or all years. Their other sources of income may be sufficient.  Some may not want the IRA income because these withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax, and more taxable income may push these IRA owners into a higher tax bracket. In particular, a higher tax bracket can have adverse impacts on Social Security payments and Medicare benefits.

Regardless, starting at age 72 the IRS mandates traditional IRA owners take annual income withdrawals, known as Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Failure to take these withdrawals could subject IRA owners to stiff penalties. Thankfully, charitably-minded individuals and couples age 70½ and older have a tax-smart strategy available with traditional IRAs: the QCD, also known as a charitable IRA rollover. The QCD allows a donor to instruct a traditional IRA administrator to send up to $105,000 in 2024 and $108,000 in 2025 – all or part of the annual RMD –to an operating charity or church. Couples who submit tax returns with married filing jointly status each qualify for an annual QCD of up to $105,000 for 2024 and $108,000 for 2025. Keeping in mind that up to $105,000 per year may be rolled over to a qualified charity, donors may make a QCD in excess of their RMD.

The IRA assets go directly to the charity or church, so donors don’t report the QCD as taxable income and don’t owe any taxes on the QCD. In addition, the assets can be put to good use by a donor’s favorite charity, making QCDs a win-win strategy.

The second tip is to set up giving beyond one’s lifetime by naming a donor-advised fund account or church or other public charity as a Charitable Beneficiary. Although donors cannot make QCDs to their donor-advised fund accounts during their lifetime, they can transfer traditional IRA, 401 (k), and some other tax-deferred assets to a donor-advised fund account upon death by way of a beneficiary designation.

Not all assets owned (e.g., real estate, brokerage accounts, and retirement accounts) are treated the same when passed to heirs. In fact, a unique feature of traditional IRAs is that heirs pay income taxes on the inherited assets at their own income tax rate at the time of withdrawal.

This unique tax feature is why churches, or public charities, can be ideal beneficiaries of traditional IRA assets. Churches and public charities—including donor-advised funds—do not pay income tax on IRA income, which means every penny of the donation can be directed to support the donor’s charitable goals. Naming a Charitable Beneficiary is easy to do and may result in substantial tax savings for a donor’s heirs and estate.

SO, what can you do next? Contact your CPA/tax preparer, then your Financial Advisor to discuss these giving and tax saving options with them. Pray and consider making a QCD to the church or naming the church as a Charitable Beneficiary.

A CHURCH at WORK and GROWING TOGETHER can only carry out the ministries and missions that were prayerfully and intentionally planned when the resources are available. PLEASE consider your abilities and willingness to BE A GREATER JOYFUL GIVER.

Blessings & Prayers

Finance Committee

The time is nigh! Members of our Christmas Cantata Choir have been working hard these last couple of months to prepare Joseph Martin’s Let There Be Christmas. We hope that you will come to our special worship on Sunday, December 15th at 11:00 am. Hear as the choir and guest instrumentalists offer this collection of beautiful music. This work contains pieces that are familiar yet offer a unique twist. It is our prayer that this worship and music will enrich your Advent season.

Peace,

Zachary Derr

Director of Music & Worship

This past Sunday was such a great opportunity to hear from our Bold Faithfulness Lead Team about the discernment work they have been doing to clarify our calling and how we can begin living that out in very concrete ways. If you missed out, you can view the entire presentation in the video above so that you may stay up to date.

And, remember, please join us this Sunday, November 24 at 9:30 am in the Fellowship Hall as we take time to hear feedback, take questions, and pursue greater clarity together. We look forward to seeing you there.

Finally, when you see one of the members of our Lead Team, please tell them thank you for their good, courageous work. They have given deeply of themselves toward this effort, and they are to be commended for their faithful and bold work.

Grace and Peace,

John

As we get ready to enter the busy holiday season, I wanted to take this opportunity to make you aware of a couple new opportunities within our Children and Families Ministry!

Since my arrival at AFBC, I have noticed a strong desire for more events that meet parents where they are, giving them opportunities for fun (with and without their little ones) and equipping them with resources that they can use in their everyday lives with their families. While we have begun to do this in some small ways, I am excited to introduce a new event just for parents that will take place on Sunday, November 17th. We will meet in the Roberts Building from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to have some fellowship time over a meal, discuss some parenting/family resources, and learn some family spiritual practices. The goal is for this event to be the first of many, so please bring ideas, and we will have some conversation about what the future of our family ministry could look like! 

In order for this event to happen, we also wanted to provide something for the children and youth of our parents so that they can attend their event worry free! So, while the parents are in the Roberts Building, the children and youth will be having a movie night outside on the grassy area near our church office (weather permitting). If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll just move the party inside! Either way, there will be a meal provided, chaperones to supervise, and even childcare for any of our babies and toddlers! Both events are free of charge, but because there are so many moving parts, we just ask that you register your family for this event ASAP using the following link: https://subspla.sh/w4bscgr/. This will help us determine how much food and childcare we need!

Lastly, I want to introduce our new Winter Retreat for children in grades 3rd-6th! This event is made available through CBF of Georgia and will take place on January 10th-12th at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, Georgia. The total cost for each child is $100 (which includes a $50 deposit up front). The deadline to register is Wednesday, November 20th, so please use the following link to make sure you sign up by then: https://subspla.sh/ttnhjyq/. If you have a child that has been unsure about summer camp or overnight trips in the past, this would be a great opportunity as it would only be two nights away from home. Lots of fellowship, recreation, and spiritual enrichment will be had through the following activities: worship, arts & craft, fun sports, Bible study, and missions. I am excited for this new opportunity and the relationships that will be made there! 

If you are someone who wants to plug into these events, great! We hope to see you there! If not, you probably know someone who would, so please help me in connecting with young families and spreading the word! I am thankful for our families and the many people striving to make our church a more welcoming place for all! May it continue to be so!  

In truth and love, 

Matt Waller 

mwaller@fbcaiken.org 

(704) 466-2321