Fee Fee Baptist Church

Author: Derald Harris

  • Family Front Vol. 64, No. 2

    Our Family Nerf Games night was so much fun! If you missed it, you missed a great time.

    February 9-10 is Super Start event for pre-teens (our 4th and 5th graders) right here in St. Louis. I have taken our preteens to this for several years and it does not disappoint! The event is held at Harvester Christian Church. We will stay in our gym on Friday night. Please pray for our preteens as they attend this event that they will draw closer to the Father.

    We will plan to have a Parent’s Night Out coming soon. Watch for more information on date and details.

    VBS – SCUBA, Diving Into Friendship with God, is July 22-26, 2024. If you plan to teach or help or just volunteer in whatever area is needed, please let me know. We also plan to have a sports camp in the afternoon as well. Put this on your calendar and plan to be involved!

     

  • A Word from Interim Pastor, Matt Easter, 64, No. 2

    Jesus causes quite the stir in Luke 4 (his first public words). In the synagogue in Nazareth, he reads from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And then Jesus says, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Wow! What a claim!

    John the Baptist was in prison when Jesus spoke these words, but I imagine John heard about it somehow and took Jesus’ words to heart. Perhaps he even took Jesus literally. That is, maybe John the Baptist anticipated Jesus literally to bring good news to the poor, give sight to the blind, and proclaim release to the captives. John is probably thinking, “In a little while, the Christ is going to free me of these chains.” But Jesus didn’t.

    In Luke 7, John sent two disciples, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” With John in prison, this question sounds more like, “If you’re really the one, then why I am still in jail?!” Jesus tells them to look around: the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are receiving good news.

    But wait. What about the captives?! I can almost hear John now: “You said you were going to release the captives! Here I am – I’m a perfect candidate!” Then, Jesus closes with, “And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Jesus tells John that He has His own plans. Jesus is the Messiah, and He’ll fulfill the words from Luke 4 on His own terms. Jesus will release the captives, but John won’t be one of them.

    John the Baptist passes from the scene almost without notice. Unlike Matthew and Mark, who explain the details of John’s death, in Luke Herod admits to beheading John after the fact. That’s it. John died as a captive, but this does not make Jesus unfaithful to His promise. Jesus will still release the captives.

    Near the end of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is hanging on the cross between two captives. One of them says, “If you are really the Christ, then save yourself and us!” That is, “Release the captives!” But the other man trusted Jesus: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom!” And finally, hanging on this cross, Jesus makes good on his promise and releases the captive: “Today you shall be with me in Paradise.”

    We serve a Lord who is true to His promises. Still, like John, most of us have expectations in mind. When these expectations are not met in the way we hope, or are not met soon enough, then we start to worry and doubt. But remember that our Lord is always faithful.

    Blessings,
    Pastor Matt

     

  • Bible Study Corner Vol. 64, No. 2

    There are Bible Studies for all age groups on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Sunday morning Bible study begins at 9:15 for all ages. If you have no idea where you might fit in, contact Gloria at gloria@feefeebc.org and she can offer some suggestions. A greeter can help you find the location for a class on Sunday morning.

    Wednesday night studies for all ages begin at 6 pm. There is something for everyone. Even the youngest will find a place in Puggles!

    Finally, if anyone is interested in starting up or joining a small group or Transformation group, please let Gloria know. I would love to see some small groups getting started again. We do have a small group that meets at church every other Thursday morning at 10 am, a Bible study that meets on Tuesday at 10 am and some T-groups that could use another participant or 2. Let Gloria know if you are interested.

     

  • Announcements Vol. 64, No.2

    Sunday Night Connection

    The Connection scheduled for January 14 will be rescheduled for March. Keep your games out!

    Sunday Morning Door Access Policy

    With the change in our Sunday morning schedule, we will not have members of the First Impressions Team at the doors to the Sanctuary off the main parking lot until 10:00 a.m. Those doors will remain locked until that time. We are encouraging people to enter through the Welcome Center doors or the Handicapped door off the East Parking area (by MBCH). This will enable us to maintain the security of our Sanctuary entrance and direct guests through the Welcome Center where they can be greeted and directed to Sunday School classes.

    Alaska Mission Trip Fundraiser

    Join us on Tuesday, February 6 and have some lunch or dinner at the Bandana’s on Dorsett. Bring your Fee Fee flyer from the Connection Center and 15% of the day’s proceeds will go to the Alaska Mission trip in June. See you there!

    Inclement Weather Cancellation Policy

    Fee Fee Baptist Church will cancel services, Bible studies and activities when it is deemed necessary for the safety of church members driving to and from church as well as walking and moving around the church properties itself. The church no longer mirrors Pattonville School District’s cancellation policy as they have changed their procedures in calling for cancellations and Virtual Learning Days.

    We will take many criteria into formulating a decision on cancellations.

    On days Fee Fee is not cancelled, but inclement weather is happening, it is the sole discretion of the bus drivers if they feel comfortable picking up church goers. All cancellations will be conveyed through TV stations Channels 2, 4, and 5. It will be posted on our website, social media and notifications will be sent out through our church app.

    Help Needed for Our Ministry with “Loaves and Fishes”

    For several years, Fee Fee Baptist Church has provided a meal for the residents of the Loaves and Fishes emergency shelter on the third Tuesday of the month. We need Bible Study classes, T-groups, families or others to volunteer to provide and deliver those meals. Loaves and Fishes is a wonderful ministry that provides emergency shelter for homeless individuals and families (in addition to a food pantry, utility services and street outreach programs).

    There are sign-up sheets in the Connection Center where you can specify which month you (or your group) will provide the meal (for about 30 people). Please contact Gloria Fox for more information.

    “Thank You”

    The Church has received a thank you card from the Pattonville Early Childhood Program

    “Thank you so much for continuing to provide food for our Weekend Food Backpack Program and also for adopting families for the Angel Tree Program for Christmas! We truly appreciate you all!”

    Pattonville Early Childhood

    International Food Pantry

    Food items needed for February include:

    Peanut Butter

    Jelly
    Canned Fruit

    Items are due by February 28.

  • Music Musings Vol. 64, No. 2

    Psalm 96:1-2
    Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

    Please Be Patient as We Transition Our Worship Service

    The music will likely never be “everything to everyone.” It is a work in progress. However, we continue to strive to be the best we can in praise of our Savior. He is worthy of our highest praise.

    Your Musical Gifts Are Needed

    We are welcoming new members to our choir. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. We are practicing in the Worship Center. All are welcome!

    With loss of some instrumentalists we are looking to fill spots in our worship band. We would value hearing about the dimension you could add to our worship music. We welcome singers, drummers, guitarists or players of other instruments (bass and/or winds). Please step up to share your musical gifts. We need you.

    “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

     

  • Prime Time Vol. 64, No.2

    Come join us on Wednesday, February 7 at 11 am for lunch and creativity! We will be making valentines for the residents at St. Andrews and then delivering them. Lunch will be either sandwiches or soup and salad and of course, desert. The cost for lunch is $7. If you have stickers or jewels to help glamorize our valentines, feel free to bring these along.

    On Thursday, February 22, we will go to the Omnimax to see “Extreme Weather” and then go to our favorite – Zia’s for lunch. Don’t forget to bring cash if you want to go across the street to Missouri Bakery for some sweet treats! “Extreme Weather” is a documentary that takes us to the frontlines of this phenomena. We will see glaciers collapsing, massive wildfires and devastating tornadoes. Created by National Geographic, this documentary will help us understand and adapt to our ever-changing weather. The ticket price for a senior is $9.50 and lunch is on your own.

    Hope you are reading along with us in our church-wide Bible reading plan. We are reading only a chapter a day and have started in Matthew and will do the 3 synoptic gospels the first quarter. One thing I have discovered as I have aged, you can never know everything there is to know about God and His Word. We will finish the New Testament in one year and hopefully will have a greater understanding of our Mighty God. We are reading Monday-Friday so you have the weekend to catch up if you fall behind. This is an attainable goal for all of us. There will be a quiz at the end of the year!

  • Chi Alpha Vol. 64, No. 2

    Be sure to mark your calendars for February 16-18 because we are going to DNOW. It is going to be an amazing weekend where we are going to explore what it looks like to follow Jesus. We will join several area churches for this event at First Baptist Church, O’Fallon. There will be hundreds of students there all fellowshipping and worshipping together.

    This is an amazing opportunity for our students to meet other believers their age, who they go to school with and live around. I ask that you pray for this event, that hearts will be softened and that lives will be changed as we wrestle with the gospel. We will be staying at the church and traveling to FBC O’Fallon for large group sessions. Sign ups are all on-line at dnow.feefeebc.org

    Chi Alpha is having a Super Bowl party on February 11th! It will start at 5pm. Family is invited and encouraged to come with students. We’re doing food potluck style so bring your favorite game-watching snacks.

    We are still looking for more leaders to help disciple our youth. I ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us in this ministry. Serving can seem intimidating, but we are not looking for perfect teachers. Rather, disciples who love the Lord and what to invest in his children.

    Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” You will not be without proper tools, prayer, and equipping. I want to pour into leaders as they are pouring into the youth. If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at tyler@feefeebc.org.

  • Chi Alpha Vol. 64, No. 1

    It has been an immense blessing to finish the year with Chi Alpha! We are looking forward to the new year and all the events that are coming with it. At the start of the new year, we are going to go through the ten commandments on Wednesday’s nights. Seeing that God gave these to us because He loves us and how to apply them to our lives to glorify Him. On Sunday mornings, we will continue our study, “A Name Like No Other,” in which we explore the importance of God’s name and His attributes.

    Be sure to mark your calendars for February 16-18 because we are going to DNOW. It is going to be an amazing weekend where we are going to explore what it looks like to follow Jesus. We will join several area churches for this event at First Baptist, O’Fallon. There will be hundreds of students there all fellowshipping and worshiping together. This is an amazing opportunity for our students to meet other believers their age, that they go to school with, and live around. More information will be coming soon! I ask that you pray for this event, that hearts will be softened and that lives will be changed as we wrestle with the gospel.

    We are still looking for more leaders to help disciple our youth. I ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us in this ministry. Serving can seem intimidating, but we are not looking for perfect teachers. Rather, disciples who love the Lord and what to invest in his children. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” You will not be without proper tools, prayer, and equipping. I want to pour into leaders as they are pouring into the youth. If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at tyler@feefeebc.org.

     

  • Bible Study Corner Vol. 64, No. 1

    Don’t forget the new time for Bible study beginning January 7. All classes will begin at 9:15 and end no later than 10:15 so you can get to worship by 10:30.

    The women will begin a new study on Wednesday, January 10 at 6 pm. We will begin Lisa Harper’s newest study entitled LUKE: Gut Level Compassion. We will quickly discover that perfection is not a prerequisite for a deep and personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus loves us and meets us where we are. This is an 8 week study.

    All other groups including Awana, Youth, and Pastor Derald’s study will also begin at 6 p.m. on January 10.

     

  • A Word from Interim Pastor, Derald Harris Vol. 64, No. 1

    This is a season of celebrations and transitions. We have celebrated the birth of our Savior. We celebrated the love of friends and family. We celebrated the wonderful blessings God has given us and we prepare for the end of one year and the beginning of another.

    The New Year brings a blank slate, a fresh start and a wealth of new opportunities. 2023 is over and a brand new 2024 stretches before us. The turning of the calendar usually causes us to re-examine our personal lives – and make commitments to do some things differently. I hope you will take some time to work on your goals for 2024. Set goals for your spiritual growth. Don’t just make “New Years’ Resolutions” that you know you won’t keep. Set real goals – realistic goals that you can measure. Don’t waste this New Year that God has given you. Accept the challenge to find new ways to serve God and others through Fee Fee Baptist Church.

    A new year also gives us the opportunity to re-examine our church life. Is Fee Fee Baptist Church a better church now than it was in January of 2023? If not, why not? I know many of you will say it is because of the lack of a full-time pastor, but that is just one person. What have you done in the past 12 months to move the church forward? How active have you been in ministry, prayer, worship, discipleship and evangelism? When you look at Fee Fee Baptist Church do you see the opportunities that God is giving us, the ministries that are touching the lives of many hurting people and the warm fellowship of loving people? Or do you just see negative things?

    I believe God wants us to focus on the positives of the church and work as a congregation to meet the challenges that face us. Let me challenge you to look at what you are doing in ministry and at what needs to be done. How can you personally get more involved in building our church? When you see things that need to be done, ask yourself if you might be the one to accomplish that task. When you see problems, ask yourself if you might be the solution. When you talk to people about our church, talk about the positive things God is doing and not the negatives that Satan keeps pointing out.

    I hope you are excited about the possibilities for more joyous worship and greater church fellowship that our new Sunday morning schedule gives us. I believe many will be surprised what a difference this will make for our church. If you are a bit hesitant about the new schedule – that is normal. Let me encourage you to give it a chance.

    Look for the good that it will bring. Don’t just focus on the few things you might not like about the schedule or the worship style or the fact that someone from the “other” service is setting in YOUR seat! If you believe God will bless Fee Fee Baptist Church through these changes, you will be amazed by the blessings you see.

    God wants to greatly bless the ministries of Fee Fee Baptist Church in 2024. He is calling each of us to be a part of what He is doing here.

    Blessings,
    Pastor Derald