Fee Fee Baptist Church

Category: Forerunner

This category contains everything pertaining to the Forerunner.

  • Featured Article – Vol. 60, No. 06

    by Nina Palumbo, Clinical Social Worker certified in Spiritual Christian Counseling

     Changing Times

    As I was wading through the latest round of COVID-19 work emails and news headlines the 1960s song by Bob Dylan came to mind, “The Times They are a Changin’.” For those not familiar with this classic from the Civil Rights era, many versions can be found on YouTube. Although anticipated to be just a temporary moment in time, everyone is being asked to change, adapt, adjust, and be flexible. Routines are changing. Routines provide us with a sense of predictability and a feeling of safety and security in a world full of unknowns. You’re not alone if all these changes and restrictions leave you feeling anxious and on edge. It’s normal to feel sad, stressed, confused, scared or even angry during a crisis. One of the headlines I came across read: “Keep calm but have an emergency kit; U.S. doctors share tips for coping with the coronavirus.” The most important aspect of preparedness costs nothing at all: Keep Calm. Easier said than done, as I have had to get up from my desk this past week several times to take breaks, get fresh air, and simply remind myself to breathe. So, what is in our control?

     Get your information from reliable sources. Follow the advice and listen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and your own personal physician. Being prepared minimizes worry. Take the steps to stay healthy. Take deep breaths, stretch, meditate, pray. Stay informed, but one of the best things you can do for your own mental health is to limit your exposure to media and focus more on what is within your immediate control.  Stay involved in your work, your family and friends, hobbies and interests. Social distancing is not social isolation.  Stay connected and better yet reach out to those that may be feeling increased isolation and loneliness. Maintain a routine although an adjusted one. Go for a walk or exercise at home. Use your extra time for a spring cleaning or decluttering projects, to learn something new or take a class online.

    I know that many of you are avid readers. With the libraries closed share your books, magazine, DVDs from your own collections with others. Reach out to others and let your needs be known. For those with mental illness, be sure to continue your treatment regimes. Consider developing a plan for telehealth sessions with your providers.

    As Christ followers we need to remember that our God is a “refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble,” (Psalm 46:1). The scriptures are full of reminders that we are not alone, and that God is our comforter. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God,” (2 Corinthians 1:3). As a collective group of believers at Fee Fee, we will get through this together. We may even be the Light that others may so desperately need.

  • Chi Alpha News – Vol. 60, No. 06

    No Chi Alpha News this week. Stay tuned for next time.

  • Announcements – Vol. 60, No. 06

    The church building will be closed to all events and services through at least April 22.

     To stay up-to-date on all calendar updates, please check our website or download our new app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

     

  • Family Front – Vol. 60, No. 06

    Families are now getting the opportunity to practice what Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says! In addition to helping with schoolwork at home, parents will have opportunity to lead worship with their families. I will be emailing you a link that provides a resource of some kids’ worship sessions you can use with your kids at home. Be watching for that! Bible Study teachers will also be mailing home the kids’ activity pages that go with their Bible Study lessons.

    If you need additional resources, you can find many of them through Right Now Media. Just give us permission to put your email into our account and you can access Right Now Media FREE! It really is a great resource for kids’ videos as well as Bible study resources for all topics and ages. What an opportunity this is to lead your kids to know Jesus better!

    Daily Prayer – We invite you to involve your kids during our Daily Prayer on Facebook Live every weekday at 7:00 p.m., by having them share prayer requests. What a precious time this will be!

    When we are able to get back together in our church building, I will offer the I’m A Christian Now 4-week class for kids awaiting baptism. Let us know if your child has made the decision to be a follower of Christ and would like to attend the class. At least one parent must join the child for the class.

    Summer Fun Week is coming and will be here before we know it! Vacation Bible School and Sports Crusaders Basketball Camp will be June 22-26. “Wilderness Escape” is the theme for our VBS, and will be from 9:00 a.m. to noon; Basketball Camp will be from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. If you would like to serve, now is the time to sign up!  See Kathy Scott about how you can get connected, kathy@feefeebc.org.

    Deuteronomy 6:4-7 – The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength. The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.

     

  • A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 60, No. 06

    By now, all of us are trying to adjust to a “new normal” for the next few weeks. Social distancing has become a phrase that I don’t think I ever used in my life until a few weeks ago. Now, it is a part of my everyday vocabulary. If I’m honest, I’m not a big fan of it. I love being a pastor and I love getting to meet with people, pray with people, and equip saints for works of ministry. I have the privilege of preaching God’s Word to a great church each and every week. It doesn’t feel the same preaching to a camera.

    And yet, there is a passage that God has been bringing to my mind quite a lot recently as we have worked to establish a new way to minister to our church and our community during this time of social distancing. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul calls all believers to “be joyful always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

    That passage reminds me to anchor myself in Christ alone. It reminds me to be flexible with these changes over the next few weeks. It reminds me to be joyful, no matter what!

    How do we faithfully adhere to this charge during uncertain times? Paul lays it out for us. First, we have joy. What does that look like? It means we have hope! In a world where people are afraid, living with hope can set us apart. It means that we find security in who we are in Christ and point our friends, neighbors, and relatives towards Him. We realize that joy is not based on our circumstances, but is based on the fact that God loves and He will never abandon us!

    Second, we pray continuously. I encourage you to join in our Daily Prayer live streams on Facebook, Monday-Friday, at 7:00 p.m. We are going to intentionally seek God’s face during that time and offer up our prayers and petitions to Him. We pray for God to eradicate this virus. We pray for wisdom for our leaders. It means that when anxiety grips us, we seek assurance at the throne of grace. It means, in times of confidence, leaving notes at the doors of our neighbors and offering to pray for them. It means that as friends and neighbors share concerns with us, we stop right then and pray. We will be intentional with setting aside time to pray, and we will be in touch with the Spirit and praying spontaneously throughout the day.

    Third, we give thanks in all circumstances. We thank God for His love for us. For always being there for us. For giving us joy and a reason for hope. For me, personally, it means being thankful that we have the technology to live stream our services, even if it is strange preaching in an empty room. It means being thankful that the church is not a building, but a body of believers! It means that, while we don’t take this pandemic lightly, we thank God that He is good, despite the circumstances. We thank God that in the midst of the challenges of social distancing, we have the opportunity to think of new ways to reach out to one another. We thank God that we get to be agents of reconciliation and ambassadors of hope for His name and His glory.

    If I’m honest, these changes and the need for social distancing have been awkward at times. However, I am so grateful to serve a God who isn’t surprised by any of this. I am confident that He who began a good work in us will see it to completion! God’s not done with our church, and I believe that we can honor him by having joy, unceasing prayer, and a heart of thanks through it all.

    Please join with us in praying for the health and safety of our community and our world, and let’s have joy and thanksgiving in the midst of it. We know God can bring beauty from ashes!

    In Him,

    Pastor Zach

  • Bible Study Corner – Vol. 60, No. 06

    Bible Study leaders will be contacting you to let you know how you can participate remotely in Bible Study.

     

  • Prime Time – Vol. 60, No. 06

    As you have probably deduced, our plans for the spring are currently on hold and activities will be rescheduled at a later date. We will re-evaluate our plans after April 4 to determine when we can reschedule.

    While our plans are uncertain, I can assure you that our Mighty God is on His throne and has everything under control. Rest in this promise from Jesus recorded in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” So, what can we do as a church to help others at this time? Phone calls, cards, checking on our neighbors, providing a meal. I believe God is giving His church an opportunity to step up and be the hands and feet of Jesus. What a perfect time to show and tell of His love!

    Since we are in the high-risk group, I encourage you to stay at home. If you need anything, feel free to call, text or Facebook message me and I, or another Fee Fee family member, will do all we can to help. My phone number is (314) 604-6071 or my email is gloria@feefeebc.org.

    The church will be closed for all services and activities until at least April 22, when we will reassess. In the meantime, check the Fee Fee App or our Facebook page for information on Bible Study and services. You can watch Sunday services live at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. If you do not have access to a computer, call the church office and we will provide you with a CD or DVD of the service.

  • Prime Time – Vol. 60, No. 05

    Don’t forget to sign up at the Info Center for the Churchill Museum trip on Thursday, March 26. The bus will leave the church at 9:30 a.m. We will have lunch at Bek’s, a local favorite.  Admission for the guided tour is $9 and there is a $5 charge for your transportation to and from Fulton, MO. Hope you can join us and bring a friend!

    When was the last time you saw a butterfly up close and personal or rode a carousel? If it’s been too long, or never, then now is the perfect time! We will leave at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 9 for the Butterfly House at Faust Park.  Admission is $5; it is $2 to ride the historic carousel, for anyone who desires. The St. Louis Carousel is an original 1920s carousel installed at the St. Louis Highlands Amusement Park in 1929. After a fire in 1963 destroyed the park, the carousel was moved to Sylvan Springs Park and operated there until 1979. The St. Louis County Historic Buildings Commission and the Faust Park Foundation raised funds to restore the carousel and bring it to Faust Park. This is a chance to relive your childhood, as I’m sure some of us rode this exact carousel at the Highlands! We will have lunch afterwards at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Chesterfield. Invite your neighbors and friends!

    Please sign up for the trip to Casey, IL by April 1; we will then be able to determine a cost per person. This is an overnight trip to see Casey’s attempts to earn themselves a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the biggest…fill in the blank. It will be a fun and leisurely trip and beautiful weather has been ordered!

    As always, sign up sheets are at the Info Center, near the Media Center.

  • Bible Study Corner – Vol. 60, No. 05

    It’s never too late to get involved in Bible Study. There are many opportunities to get plugged in to all kinds of groups including WOW, Men’s Fraternity, Pastor’s Bible Study, Sunday morning Bible Study, Precepts, and existing small groups and T- groups or you can start one of your own!  Contact Gloria for more information.

    Ministry Opportunities

    We are in need of a group to prepare and serve a meal at Loaves and Fishes on Tuesday, April 21.  We also have openings for June and the rest of the year. We will provide your group with plates, cups, utensils, and napkins if you will prepare, serve the food, and fellowship with the residents. Consider participating in this ministry and contact Gloria to get started.

     

     

  • Chi Alpha News – Vol. 60, No. 05

    DNOW 2020

    Thank you, church, for all your continued support of our student ministry, especially during DNOW weekend! We had an absolute blast getting to worship and fellowship along with our friends from Hazelwood Baptist Church and Chesterfield Community Church. Over this weekend we learned about “How to Come Home,” with our theme of Prodigal. The Gospel was clearly presented by our speaker Leon Douglas and worship was a powerful, moving experience thanks to our phenomenal band! We had 12 amazing college students and leaders step up and give their weekends to love on our students and lead them in Small Groups. We had 5 different families give up their homes for the weekend, multiple volunteers donate food, workers who were here around the clock to ensure that this weekend ran smoothly, but most importantly, we had a church that was devoted in prayer for everyone involved in this weekend. Once again, church, thank you! No matter how big or small your contribution was, it was felt and appreciated by all who were involved in this weekend. Without your support, we could not put on events like Disciple Now. Continue to pray for our students, that the seeds that were planted will take root and that the Gospel will forever change their lives!