Thursday Thoughts

Did you know that money is NOT the root of all evil? And nowhere in the Bible is it ever said that money is the root of all evil. So, if someone has told you that it is, they are not speaking Biblically.

Money, in fact, is an often-mentioned topic in the Bible, and it is usually seen as a way to gauge one’s spiritual walk. Money is never seen as a problem from the Biblical perspective. The problem is how we see money.

Jesus talks about money.  Paul talks about money.  Peter talks about money.  Whoever wrote Hebrews talks about money.  The wisdom literature in the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs) talks about money.  All of those mentions about money address how the love of money and wealth can hinder one’s spiritual walk.  It is the love of money that opens the door to evil.  We are encouraged to love God and our neighbor and not love material wealth.

So, let’s talk about some healthy ways we can see and use our wealth. The Church Administrator always has the church budget in mind, but I hope you do too. Often, we will use the term Ministry Action Plan for our budget.  This is a great reminder that we have a church budget for one reason – it is fuel for our ministry efforts. As you contribute to the church budget you are providing fuel for ministry, which means you are loving God and loving your neighbor through your wealth.

Soon you will be hearing about new ways to use your wealth.  As a part of our Bold Faithfulness initiative, we will be renovating our facilities and raising funds outside of our budget to accomplish these endeavors.  We have partnered with Generis, a company that works with faith-based organizations in developing cultures of generosity. The Bold Faithfulness Committee has had some great conversations with our consultant, Rusty Lewis, and are laying the groundwork for our campaign.  

Interestingly, Jesus mentions money in 11 of his 39 parables.  That is roughly 1/3 of his parables.  Jesus’ parables are all geared toward allowing an understanding of the Kingdom of God.  I guess if Jesus thinks that examining our attitudes towards wealth is a good way to perceive God’s Kingdom maybe we should too? 

Peace be with you. 

Christian 

The Safety Team (ST) has been busy over the last few months working on putting together plans for all facets of safety and security on the First Baptist campus.  The ST has 3 focus areas for safety planning and implementation: Campus Safety and Security Patrol, Emergency Preparedness, and Medical Response.   A summary of accomplishments to date includes: 

• Established a duty roster for safety patrols during Sunday & Wednesday services 

• Assumed lock and unlock duties from the Properties & Grounds committee 

• Identified 11 individuals who will serve as medical emergency responders  

• Conducted CPR training to certify additional ST personnel and other church members 

• Met with a security training professional with regards to evaluation and advice for enhancing church security, specifically with regards to active shooter mitigation and response 

• Purchase & installed fire blankets in the Fellowship Hall kitchen and office area 

• Provided campus surveillance, door security and general support for the Jordan Feliz concert in February.  

• Authorized four Safety Team members for concealed carry on campus in accordance with the church Safety Policy document. 

The Campus Safety and Security Patrol has been tasked with locking and unlocking the church campus every week and maintaining roving patrols before & during Sunday and Wednesday services.  The campus patrols have been in conjunction with Powell Asset Security.   The contract with Powell Security will phase out at month-end as the ST evolves to self-performance in terms of campus patrol and surveillance, which will include a limited number of personnel authorized to conceal carry a firearm.  Those authorized to conceal carry on campus have been through a thorough vetting process and will continue participating in any trainings deemed necessary by the ST.  Powell Security will remain available for events on an as-needed basis.   

Emergency Preparedness is working in conjunction with the Medical Response team to develop plans for medical emergencies, fire evacuations and weather-related safe shelter areas.  The Medical Response team has posted a bulletin board of members along with photographs so the congregation can identify members easily.   CPR training was conducted in May for 9 individuals learning CPR for adults, children and infants along with AED, Basic First Aid, and Tourniquet training.  The AED (automated external defibrillator) was updated with a new battery pack and new chest pads are being ordered.  Additional training dates will be forthcoming for team members and congregation to maintain certifications. 

Future plans and focus areas for the ST moving forward include: 

• Have means of easily identifying ST personnel on sight: vests, lanyards, etc  

• Add an additional AED for the Fellowship Hall/Gym area and increase the medical/first response equipment around the campus.   

• Enhance campus lighting and surveillance cameras to aid safety and security as well as early alert capability 

• Document ST protocols & procedures in a binder (hard copy & electronic) 

• Conduct training for the ST members in areas of severe weather response, evacuations (e.g.- fire) and active shooter scenario 

• In turn, the ST will conduct similar training for the congregation 
• Establish periodic drill calendar to maintain ST proficiency as well as congregational familiarity with evacuations and response to emergencies 

Another Thursday, another Thursday Thought! Perhaps this time around, we’ll call it “Thursday Thought: Evening Edition” This week, the task falls to me, your resident Director of Music & Worship.

The topic this fine Thursday brings us back to our fantastic church app! For those who have been persistent in using it, you will likely have noticed that its function has improved of late. Church wide notifications are being delivered, committee chats are buzzing, and settings are staying set. Our friends at Apple and Android have recently pushed some updates to improve the experience. If you haven’t noticed this, you might need to update your app through your preferred app store. For those who haven’t been using their app, read this missive as an invitation to do so! There are myriad reasons to hop on there, and I hope you’ll get in and poke around all of the content!

Feeling a bit uncertain? Perhaps you think you just aren’t cut out for app life. Maybe you’ve been so frustrated with the hundreds of apps 2025 life demands that you’re contemplating a more low-tech existence. Step away from that flip phone you’re eyeing, and fear not! Here at AFBC, we have our very own Geek Squad. Well, it is more of a Geek Guy. Ok, it’s really just mostly me, and I’m actually only marginally better with tech than most. However, I make up for what I lack in knowledge with enthusiasm (and strategic googling)! Together, we will sort out your tech problems and you’ll be tippy-tapping your way across this galaxy of gadgets in no time! Reach out, and I’ll be happy to assist in any way I can. In the meantime, I wish you a most relaxing evening, and pray that you are well!

Peace,

Zach Derr

So, it is Thursday, and I have been assigned the Thursday Thoughts column.  I guess I had better get to thinking. 

I am thinking that I have found a good spot at Aiken’s First Baptist Church.  It has been 3 delightful months working and being with you.  Dana and I had a pretty good idea that there were good people at AFBC, otherwise, we would not have moved here.  But you continue to show us what love looks like. 

I am thinking that we have arrived at a good time.  The Bold Faithfulness conversations have developed into what I think is the best “heavy lift” I have ever seen.  The scope of the conversations and the imagining of what church can be is really astounding.  It is Bold and it will require great Faith.  Both of which I have seen in abundance here. 

I am thinking that the next few steps might not be the most comfortable, but I know that people grow only when they are challenged. 

Our next step will be to remodel the Roberts Building and prepare it to become the permanent home of Brothers and Sisters of Aiken County.  This means that we will have to relocate our existing classes/groups that meet there.  

Most of our Adult classes will be affected.  In time, Adult 1, 3, 4, and 6 will find new homes for study and fellowship.  I will be dropping in on some of our Adult classes this Sunday (6/1) to offer some detail and answer any questions.  Our target to begin this changeover is June 8.  Please know that we will make every effort for a smooth transition. 

In the meantime, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns (706 669 2990). 

I am thinking that new space and a change in routines just might be the best way for people to grow into their potential.  And I know that people of faith are called to do just that – sometimes in a bold way. 

Peace be with you. 

Christian 

Good afternoon, church family!

I write to you today to let you know about our Summer Choir. Have you ever found yourself pondering, “I sure would love to get involved with the Sanctuary Choir, but it is just such a big commitment!”? Well, if so, fret no longer! This summer, the choir is going to meet biweekly beginning May 21. Below you can find the detailed schedule. There has seldom been a better opportunity to join up and make some music. In addition to this modified schedule, we will also begin rehearsal at 7:00 pm. It is my prayer that if you’ve ever given thought to how you might lend your voice in leadership you will consider coming alongside this group. We are a community within a community here at Aiken’s First Baptist Church. Consider yourself invited to come, sing, care, and worship!

Summer Schedule 2025

Peace,

Zach Derr

If any of you took a peek at the author of today’s Thursday Thought before reading it and thought, “Oh boy… not another long-winded reflection from Matt,” I’ve got great news for you! I really only have one thing to say, and it’s, “Join us!” Today’s Thursday Thought is simply an invitation, and more importantly, an invitation to celebrate. Don’t worry! You didn’t forget an important holiday or special occasion. We are bringing back the AFBC Churchwide Picnic though, and we hope that you will join us on Wednesday, May 14th!

Every season of life has words that best describe its emphases, and right now, two words that have been present in the life of our church are “intentionality” and “intergenerational.” We have heard much passion around living into the call that God has for us and have taken some big steps to do so. We may have many bigger steps ahead, but that is reason to celebrate! We have also heard desires for intergenerational relationship-building through fun and play and have also taken steps to make that a priority as well.

This picnic is the perfect opportunity to continue to lean into both of these words, and to simply celebrate one another and all that God is doing and will do through Aiken’s First Baptist Church. I encourage you to remind yourself of the details in the attached graphic, but more than anything, I hope that you will come as you are as we share in each other’s company next Wednesday. I could not be more excited, and I hope to see you there!

In truth and love,

Matt Waller

I don’t know about you, but I find the transitional period after Easter (or really any holiday) to be difficult. Don’t get me wrong, we all know the extra time and effort that we put into the family, meals, and gatherings that accompany the weeks leading up to these special times of the year. But, at the risk of sounding silly, I don’t think that it’s always the extra effort that leaves us feeling drained. I know, I know… but hang in there with me! Those things can be stressful, but it’s not that they are draining in and of themselves. If you’re anything like me (and it’s okay if you aren’t), extra time spent with family, Holy Week services that convict and empower, and even pancakes & easter egg hunts full of fun and laughter give more to me than they take. If we’re honest with ourselves, we put in the effort that we do for these things because the moment calls for it and we believe that it is worth it, if not for ourselves, at least for the ones we love and care about.

So the question remains, why do we struggle returning back to what we so often call “normal life”? Well, not to be dramatic or cliche, but normal life is hard. Plain and simple. During Easter, we are surrounded by constant reminders of resurrection, joy, and hope. Furthermore, our senses are flooded with constant pick-me-ups, whether it’s the extra sermons we hear, the people we embrace, the bright colors we see, the extra meals we smell, or even the extra candy we eat! No wonder we struggle a bit when these things slow down!

So, remember to give yourself some grace as you settle back into life after Easter. Our days are full enough of stressors without us adding spiritual inadequacy into the mix. You are not less of a Christian because you find it harder to start some days off with an “Allelujah!” than others. Whether holidays simply help us to forget some of our daily struggles or, as I believe, empower us to face them in better ways, we could all use a little extra help to remember and seek intentional ways of living out the resurrection on “regular” days.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes by Howard Thurman that helps me to remember:

“This is what the Resurrection is all about. Not even death is capable of telling us what it is that God has to say about life. Therefore, I will hang on to my event. I will not accept it as the final and ultimate conclusion….I shall not despair. I shall not allow the events of my life to make me their prisoner. I shall believe that life has much more to it than experience disclosed to me. I shall continuously believe that God is not through, not merely with life, but with me.”

How ironic is it that the resurrection truth we tend to lean on during the joyful time of Easter is the very same truth that we often neglect most during our lowest, mundane, and ordinary moments? I’ve got great news for us… the power of the resurrection is still accessible to us. May we learn how to resurrect ourselves out of the depths of our insecurities and condemnation, whether inflicted by ourselves or the world around us. Amen.

In truth and love,

Matt Waller

These words we hear so often in our sanctuary as we share in communion with one another. These words, weighty. As we recall the final meal Jesus shared with those closest to him on the night he was betrayed, we are reminded of the ultimate sacrifice made for us.  

As Rachel Held Evans writes in Searching for Sunday, “Remember how God became one of us? Remember how God ate with us and drank with us, laughed with us and cried with us? Remember how God suffered for us, and died for us, and gave his life for the life of the world? Remember? Remember?”

Part of what we are called to remember when participating in the Lord’s Supper is the depth of Christ’s love. From his very first sermon, Jesus’ ministry focused on the outsiders. His life and teachings exemplified the kind of love that seeks the welfare of others above all else. Seeking the outcasts and giving welcome to the stranger. Whoever the world does not want finds shelter in the kingdom of heaven. Today is Maundy Thursday, and we will share in communion together. Here at AFBC we believe it is God’s table and not ours, meaning all are welcome and invited to participate in holy communion. Isn’t that a beautiful thing?

Do this in remembrance of me. These words ask us to remember the radical love of Jesus Christ for all people. The acceptance Christ showed when he invited us all to sit at his table.

These words are also a reminder that there is still work to be done, and we are the ones who have been commanded to do it.

Grace and Peace,

Sarah Laurence

I must be honest. During this season of Lent, I have been less than diligent in practicing a spiritual discipline.  Of course, I have an excuse.  I have been busy.  Selling a house, buying a condo, moving to a new city, making new friends (and trying my best to remember all your names), and learning a new job has taken up some time.  I try to justify and say that this year has just been too hectic to add a Lenten discipline to an already busy life.   

That is the thing about spiritual disciplines, though.  They are not meant to be convenient.  They cannot be easy.  Discipline, after all, is practicing something that rarely ever feels natural. The practices of Lent, whether you decide to give up something, or to add a routine of showing kindness, or reserve time for study or meditation, or whatever you might choose to do should not be something you necessarily feel like doing.

Lent offers us an opportunity to see with Jesus.  When we practice a discipline, we walk with him in the wilderness as he faces the tempter.  We struggle with him as he resists the demands that he be the king.  We agonize with him at Gethsemane as he deals with the reality of laying down his life.  We hang with him on the cross as he nears death.  We lay aside our living and we hope for the possibility of Resurrection, and the newness it will bring.

By the way, have you ever noticed how close the word discipline is to disciple?  Both words come from the Latin word “discipulus”, which means student, learner, or follower.  I find it interesting that one cannot be a disciple without discipline.  A disciple is one who is finding a new way to see and know and be.  And that requires discipline.

Perhaps you have heard of Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline. Foster does more than just cover aspects and ways of practicing spiritual discipline, he offers a way to see how discipline opens the door to discipleship.  He says, “Disciplines are not the answer; they only lead us to the Answer.” 

Maybe you are like me and have been putting off this practice of discipline.  Not to fret, there is still time.  8 days remain in the 40 days of Lent.  And I hope you have inferred already, but Lent is not the only time to be a practicing discipliner, or disciple of Jesus.

Luke reminds us of how we follow.  He distinguishes himself from the other synoptics (Mark and Matthew) and adds a word to Jesus’ admonition to take up our cross and follow.  In Luke Jesus tells his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their crossdaily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NRSV).  

Every day.  Every season.  Even if you have a condo to paint.

Peace be with you.

Christian

Rooted & Grounded, the podcast we produce here at Aiken’s First Baptist Church, is great! I don’t say that only because I spend time each week editing and posting its content, but because it is true. Whether you just want to take another listen to the sermon from a given Sunday, or dive into one of our many focused series, there is something to found enjoyed.

Currently we have been regularly listening episodes of a new series that we call “Meditation and Prayer Toolkit”. These episodes are designed to be digestible and repeatable. Some are meditations focused on specific topics such as anxiety or gratitude. Some are reflections on your day, also called Examen. They are meant to be used by you and others as a means to grow in your faith and provide a measure of peace in the midst of the chaos of daily life. We pray that you’ll take a listen when you have the chance and glean some benefit from them!

Our podcast can be accessed from major podcast providers like spotify, apple, or google. It can also be listened to directly in our app! Follow the button below to get a taste of what this series is all about!

Zach Derr

Director of Music & Worship

“My Great Adventure” was how my best friend in Dalton Georgia described my move to Aiken South Carolina.  Using Steven Curtis Chapman’s song, Great Adventure, she told me to “get ready for the ride of my life!  Gonna leave in a cloud of dust and discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored.  This is what you’re created for.” 

Six years ago this weekend I relocated to this city and began as your Church Administrator.  What an adventure it has been!  You welcomed me warmly.  You have loved me through COVID, the passing of my mom, staff changes, buying a home, and life’s other ups and downs.  You have given me encouragement, respected my opinions, and helped me grow both as an Administrator and in my walk with God.  You are a great family of faith and I feel privileged to continue to be a part of this community!   

Thank you so much for the beautiful reception, your well wishes, and the gift card to Hobby Lobby!  I appreciate you all so much. 

I am still on “My Great Adventure” and look forward to doing life with you! 

Saddle up your horses; you’ve got a trail to blaze, 

through the wild blue yonder of God’s Amazing Grace. 

Just follow your leader into the Glorious unknown, 

this is the life like no other – this is your great adventure. 

Blessings, 

Debra