Dear Church Family, 
Mid-Week Service tonight at 6:00 p.m. I’ll be preaching on Philippians 4:1-9.
Make sure you are here!

Sunday was great in our worship service.  We were down in numbers due to COVID cases and quarantine.   I thought the prayers for the sick, the music, and the preaching were all Spirit-led.  The giving was fantastic.  If you haven’t had a chance to get your gift in, please make sure you run that by the office as soon as you can. If you missed the service, here is the link to the sermon:
https://fbcolney.com/sermons/the-second-passover-numbers-9/

Here is the latest newsletter:
https://fbcolney.com/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/10.7.20.pdf

Hey Deacons, don’t forget we have a meeting is this Sunday at 8:00 am!
Church Reporting Fellowship will be the 18th.  We will have it in the Fellowship Hall directly after church.  No meal will be served. 
BGCT Annual Meeting is November 16-17.  If you can watch from home and participate and would like to represent our church in the voting, let Jan know and she can register you.      

  I know there is a little COVID spike going around.  We’re going to do our best not to cancel church again going forward. Please be careful.   If you have any symptoms or have been exposed, please stay home.  If I get sick with it, we have plenty of guys who can preach and teach.  We have a talented team who can lead music.  All of this will eventually go away.  They warned us this summer that the virus would roar back in the Fall.  This is the pattern of all pandemics.  The other thing to remember is that they eventually do subside.  Things will get better.  Hang in there.  God is good and he is teaching us something during these times if we will listen and learn.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday.   Brother Chad

March for Jesus this Saturday. How wonderful it was to gather Sunday as the Body of Christ. I appreciated Verma’s testimony and exhortation to us to serve outside the four walls of the church. The 22nd March for Jesus is this Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. This is a project dear to Verma’s heart. Can I prevail upon you to come out and support her this year for the march? Maybe you’ve never participated in the March for Jesus. Come on out. Bring the kids. Its a lot of fun. We will start marching at 10a.m. from the Tommy Perkins (little) park. We will walk down main street to show our love for Christ and then we will head back to the park and have some music, preaching by Mikey Pasqueda from FBC Archer, and a free lunch. We will give away bikes and new sporting equipment. We will also be giving away a small Oscar Schmidt guitar.

Preaching Update. I preached on Numbers 7 this past Sunday. If you haven’t heard the sermon, here is the link. If you are paying attention, you will notice that I skipped the blessing passage at the end of Chapter 6. I will preach on that this Wednesday. I will also not be preaching Numbers 8. Chapter 8 discusses the lampstand in the tent of meeting and the role of the Levites. I covered the themes and applications that we find in chapter 8 when I preached on Numbers 3-4. We will be in Numbers 9 this Sunday talking about the second observance of the Passover.

Newsletter You can read the latest newsletter here.

Free Flu Shot Clinic. On October 12th from 9-11am United Regional will be here to offer free flu shots in conjunction with our food pantry. There is no fee for the shot and no income test to receive the shots.

Next Business Meeting will be October 18. We will have it directly after the service. There will be no meal served.

Fall Festival Let’s go ahead and start bringing in candy for the festival! The date is October 25.

Giving. If you haven’t brought your gift in for this week, please bring that into the office. We are about $2,000 short of regular budget needs.

The Bi-Fork Associational Meeting is October 4 at 3pm at FBC Seymour. Members of the Missions Committee will be attending. If you would like to go with us then let me know. I anticipate that at this meeting I will be elected to serve as an area representative for Region 2 of the association. We can sent 5 voting messengers to this meeting.

Upcoming State Conventions. We are dually aligned with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas. The BGCT convention will be held online on November 16-17. We can have 19 virtual messengers. If you would like to participate, let me know. The SBTC meeting is in person at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. November 9-10. If you would like to participate in that meeting as a messenger, please let me know. I am anticipating that I will be elected to serve a one year term on the BGCT Executive Board of Directors this November.

Great Sunday at FBCO on September 20.  197 on campus, several watching online, 150 in Sunday School.  Great spirit in the room.  What a blessing it is to be in church each week with you.  I sometimes wonder if my ministry has had any impact over seven years.  It’s easy to question effectiveness and I’m acutely aware of my failures, weakness, and areas that need improvement to serve you well.  Yet, when I see how you love to hear the preaching, even of a book like Numbers, I can’t help but think that the Lord has grown us all in a love for his perfect, inspired, inerrant, glorious, never-failing, lasting-forever Word! 

Giving was strong on Sunday.  We exceeded budget requirements for the first time in a while.  If you have not brought in your gift, please get that to the office or give online.  Of course, our attendance is nowhere near where it was, but the Lord is moving and working and eventually we will be back to where we were, but it will take work, reaching out and encouraging those who have become disconnected for various reasons.  I would ask that if someone crosses your mind who you haven’t seen in a while, pick up the phone and call them and encourage them with Christian love.   

Sunday Evening classes are going well.  I picked the adult studies because I thought they were unique and interesting.  I know they are a little different than what we have done before, but I think they are edifying.  I hope you are enjoying them.  Rue Rogers and I are having a great time leading the youth on Sunday nights.  I told the kids that as soon as we truly round the corner on this COVID-19 we can do much more together, but we are still having a good time and learning.  I hope we can inspire them in the short time we have them to get a view of a God who loves them and a Savior to whom they can always turn.  I have heard reports from the children’s classes that they are all having a great time as well.

One class I would like for some of you to consider is the Grief-Share class that will meet Sundays at 5pm.  Some of you have recently lost loved ones and for others it has been years.  Learning to deal with grief is important and I would like you to consider attending.  This is a new session that is starting so everybody is starting fresh.  Leigh Stephens is the leader. 

The Mid-Week service was great last Wednesday.  I hope you will consider being a part of it.   It was great to see everybody and to worship together. We had over 60 in attendance. The service lasted about 45 minutes.  I hope you will be a part of it each week.  We are giving the youth the option of attending the mid-week service or attending the Wednesday Night program at the Refuge with Rodney and Kristy Nantz.  One issue we had was with getting volunteers for child-care for some of our evening services.  I told Anna to make a schedule for nursery volunteers and I’m going to sweetly ask everyone to serve their turn, or if you can’t make it one particular night, switch with someone on the list.  Thank you for loving our children and having a heart for them to know Jesus.  Also thank you for making it possible for mothers to have a break from the action to breath and reconnect with the Lord. 

-Bible Drill starts at 5pm on Wednesday nights.
-March for Jesus is October 3, 2020 at the Tommy Perkins park!  Parade at 10am Program to follow at the park.
-Bi-Fork Association meeting is October 3 at 3pm at FBC Seymour for anyone who would like to attend.  Learn more about that at bifork.org.  I think it is great that the first thing that pops up on the website is our parking lot service. 
-We are planning on having the Fall Festival on October 25 from 5-7pm.  Be ready to volunteer for that!

I love you I’m so grateful to the Lord to be your pastor.  I still cannot believe I get to do this for a living.  Live for Jesus this week and I will see you on Sunday!        -Brother Chad

Tonight is the night! We start our Mid-Week Service at 6:00p.m. We will sing a few songs, have scripture and prayer, and I’ll give a short sermon. I promise. Tonight’s message will be on John 14:27.

Please support the March for Jesus by clicking here and buying a t-shirt. The deadline to order the shirts is September 22.

Sunday Service was incredible. We had 219 on campus and more watching at home. Things are creeping back to normal. Hang in there and come to church. Our giving below budget giving by about $2,000.00. Let’s be sure to stay on top of our giving.  Please bring in your gifts this week so we can catch up.

We met with the architects yesterday to continue to refine plans and work toward a price for new construction. This building will require our time and financial sacrifice. Continue to pray that the Lord will be preparing our hearts for a time of sacrifice that will yield fruit for the Kingdom for many years to come.

HELP, HELP, HELP!! Did that get your attention? I need some volunteers from our church to take an active role in representing FBCO in the Bi-Fork Baptist Association Work. The Annual Meeting is coming up in a few weeks on Sunday, October 4, starting at 3pm at FBC Seymour.  We can have up to five messengers.  It will consist of a business meeting followed by a time of corporate worship.  Hopefully, the entire meeting will be done by 5pm so people can get home in a timely manner. During the business meeting there will be several votes taken to approve important Bi-Fork proposals including: amendments to the Bi-Fork Constitution (that will effectively restructure our association), nominations for and approval of various officers and committees to serve next year, and the 2021 budget.  Many of these proposals can be previewed right now at the www.bifork.org website. If you are not serving anywhere, this may be a good ministry in which to be involved. Reach out and let me know.

Our deacon election results are as follows: The following men will serve three year active terms: Dale Lovett, Spencer Key, Chuck Calvin, Matt Searcey, and Freddy Hammond. All of these are ordained so we will not have an ordination service.

Our Sunday Evening classes started this past week and they were all great. It isn’t too late to join any of the classes. Find out about the classes here. We are going to move the Luther class into the Sanctuary because the original room was so too small and too hot! We had great groups in youth, RAs, GAs, Mission Friends, and in the adult classes.

This past Sunday was really incredible as Morgan Simmons sang our special with the praise band. I also enjoyed preaching on substitution and redemption in Numbers 3. When I got home I had received a a message from an old friend from Tech Law School. He and his family “attended” our church this past Sunday via YouTube. He said he liked the service and he enjoyed seeing me cry after Morgan sang! What can I say? I am a sensitive man. We’re still waiting to see if his tithe check shows up in the mail.

Don’t forget that we will begin our new Sunday evening schedule this week on September 13. Make sure your children and youth are here and please attend either the marriage class, the church history class, or the prayer meeting. There is a place for everyone. Everything starts at 5 p.m. you don’t need any class materials to participate in the adult “Training Union” classes, but they are available if you click here, if you want to purchase on your own.

I’ve been previewing the Adult studies. The R.C. Sproul study is going to be led by Rodney Nantz and Doug McCutcheon. That study will be looking at the different beliefs between Protestants and Catholics by understanding how the Protestant Reformation came about in the 1500s. If you’ve never heard R.C. Sproul teach, you are in for a treat. Be reminded that this course will be taught from the reformed point of view. Sproul was a Presbyterian. This study will be in Rosalee’s class at 5 p.m.

The other class is called, The Meaning of Marriage, and it is a study based on the book by Tim and Kathy Keller. This is an interesting video study because the video section of the study features a christian couple and a non-Christian couple speaking about marriage. It is interesting to see the contrast between the two, and then to hear Tim Keller instruct them. You will learn a lot and enjoy the discussion. This study is good for married people and single people. This class will meet in the Fellowship Hall at 5 p.m. This class will be facilitated by Ed and Minnie Wood and Ronnie and Barbara Cowart.

I know we are all thankful for the steady rain received today. We’ve even been blessed to discover a few leaks in the building today. Maybe this should be a subtle reminder to all of us to start contributing to the building fund!

I appreciate how our property committee takes care of things like this when they happen. They are doing a great job for us.

It doesn’t seem like it has been that long, but this past month the Edgington family celebrated 7 years in Olney. We have loved every minute of being here. I often think about how much I have grown as a pastor and as a man in my time here. Thank you for putting up with me. I hope I am able to serve here another 7 years.

Our giving this week was strong, we met and exceeded our weekly budget needs for the first time in several weeks. Please be faithful to bring your gifts to the church, even if you are having to stay away from the fellowship right now due to virus concerns.

Our newsletter mailed out today. It has details on the new schedule that you will find helpful. You can download it and view it here.

I’m really enjoying teaching the Youth on Sunday nights. Please make sure that you have your students here at 5 p.m. each Sunday. They enjoy spending time together. We just finished up a 3 week study on how to use cell phones and social media to the glory of God, rather than making idols out of them. After our study we ate snacks and had a craft soda tasting party! It was a lot of fun. There are some gross drinks out there. I didn’t know there was such a thing as pickle juice soda! This week we will meet up in the youth Sunday School room.

Next Wednesday (9/16) we will begin our Mid-Week Worship Service. This service will be for the whole family. It will be a great time of fellowship and worship as we get to encourage one another. We will spend time singing, reading, praying, and hear devotions and testimonies. I’m looking forward to this so much. I can’t wait!

Sunday September 6, 2020
Sunday School Attendance: 151
Worship Attendance on Campus: 199
Budget Giving: $12,880.00
Budget Required: $11,171.67
Designated Giving: $1,200.00

Changes to FBCO Schedule!

August 30 was an extra special day to be a part of FBCO. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper for the first time this year and we baptized 6 new members at the McClelland’s pool. I hope you were able to attend the baptisms or at least view them on Facebook.

Sunday giving was strong, but we were still a few hundred dollars short of our budget needs. If you are behind on your regular giving, please catch up this week. Let’s have a strong offering this week. Click here to make your give online right now!

Here is a link to the newsletter from August 26

Property Committee Update: Our committee has been meeting and considering plans from the architect. There is still a lot of preliminary work to be done before we will be able to begin the project. However, start preparing your heart and your budget for a campaign. It is a privilege to sacrifice for a church building campaign, but it isn’t easy. We trust the Lord will provide for our needs and bless in amazing ways, but our faithfulness will be required.

Our 2020-2021 Schedule will begin on Sunday, September 13 at 5 pm. We will have a nursery for the little ones, Mission Friends for 3-5 yrs, RAs and GAs for 1-6 grade boys and girls, Youth for 7-12 students, Prayer Meeting, and 3 different classes you may want to attend that cover the subjects of marriage, church history, and Christian apologetics. Everything will run from 5-6 pm. This will allow everyone to get back home earlier for a great start to the week. (Students: you can get all your homework done after church if you need to, no excuse for not being at youth!).

We are in great need of nursery workers for both Wednesday and Sunday evenings. If you can serve with the children, call Anna or Chad and let them know.

The marriage study and the Luther study both have workbooks. You don’t have to have the workbook to come and participate in the class, but if you want to purchase the workbook you will be responsible for ordering the class material on you own. Here are the 3 classes that will be offered on Sunday Evenings this fall:

The Meaning of Marriage -Tim and Kathy Keller (6 Weeks)
September 13 – October 18 (week off for Fall Festival)
The class will consist of 30 minutes of viewing a video and 30 minutes of class discussion of the material.
Link to purchase workbook
Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that marriage does not mean ’til death do us part, but merely for as long as my needs are being met; and that when serious differences arise, divorce is the best solution. According to the Bible, all of these modern-day assumptions miss what marriage is all about. In this six-session video-based Bible study ( guide sold separately), Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of forty years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful.
This study is for anyone from singles to couples considering marriage to those who have been married recently or for a long time.

Luther and the Reformation – R.C. Sproul (10 Weeks)
September 13 – December 6 (weeks off for Fall Festival, Thanksgiving Service, and Thanksgiving holiday).
The class will consist of 20-25 minutes of video instruction and then 35-40 minutes of discussion.
Link to purchase Workbook
Centuries after his death, Martin Luther is celebrated as an intellectual giant, a brave opponent of corruption, a shaper of culture, indeed, as one of the most significant figures in Western history. Many people, however, are unaware of the events of Luther’s life that led him to make a courageous stand for the gospel in the sixteenth century. In this series, R.C. Sproul provides a thorough introduction to the life and thought of Martin Luther. With an eye to the lessons we can learn today, Dr. Sproul traces the major events of Luther’s life and explores the gospel recovered by Luther and the other Protestant Reformers.   Note: be aware this study is deep and much more intellectually intense than a normal Sunday School class, but if you put in the work, you are going to grow tremendously as you learn what you are “protesting” as a protestant. It is also taught from a classically reformed point of view (although that is probably obvious from the title and the speaker!).

Is Faith Delusional -Ravi Zacharias and others (3 Weeks)
November 1 – November 15 (this class will begin the week after the marriage class ends). There is no workbook for this class. It will just be an hour of video teaching.
According to atheists like Richard Dawkins, there’s no difference between God and the Easter Bunny. Is God really just a trick or a deception like the Tooth Fairy? Is accepting God’s existence a fantasy fit only for the consumption of a child? In a world with so many tears is belief in God simply a lie we use to persuade a smile?   This class features lectures by top apologists to explore why faith is not delusional!

Wednesday evenings beginning September 16 we will have a Mid-Week Worship Service at 6pm. The service is intended for all of our members, but it will be a neat time for parents and children to attend together. We will do some upbeat songs, maybe even do a fun activity or game, pray, read scripture, and have a short devotion or testimony. Then we will dismiss. Prior to the service we will have Bible Drill for students in grades 3-6.