July 2014 The Bridge

1. 950 Self Street Franklinton, LA 70438
Phone: (985) 839-3427
Fax: (985) 839-3572
E-mail:
fbc.natasha@gmail.com
www.fbcfranklinton.org
Sunday Bible Study
9:15 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship
8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Worship
6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Evening Worship
6:00 p.m. Activities
The Bridge
July 2014
Monthly Newsletter of
First Baptist Church
Franklinton
31 What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge
against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is
he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and
furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39

2. Paul Watts, Pastor
fbc.paulwatts@gmail.com
Biblical Evangelism
The summer is packed with church programs and activities we might label
“evangelistic.” Vacation Bible School, Mission Trips, Bogue Chitto State
Park services and children’s/youth camps fill the calendar. Each of these
events will offer the opportunity for evangelism. I would consider an event
evangelistic if the message of salvation through the blood bought
forgiveness of Jesus Christ, was shared with an invitation for repentance
and commitment. We often measure the results of these evangelistic efforts
by the number of outward decisions or baptisms. Decisions and baptisms
will certainly be present where the Holy Spirit is moving and the message
of Christ is changing hearts. However, a fuller inspection of our evangelistic
effectiveness would take place at multiple levels.
1. Faithfulness to the Message: The Gospel is Good News! We
were lost and without hope of salvation before Jesus Christ came. We were
living under the penalty of death. Our sin made us owe a debt to God that
could not be paid by any earthly means. Only God could pay the debt and
free us from our death sentence. He did so through sending His Son Jesus.
Jesus (God in human flesh) was born and lived His life without sin that
He might bear our sin penalty on the cross. God’s wrath against sin was
poured out on Jesus. Jesus bore our sin, died in our place, and rose from
the dead as the first-born among the dead. If we will turn from our sin and
our best efforts and put our faith in (follow) Jesus as our Lord and Savior,
we will be forgiven and receive new life. God’s Holy Spirit will regenerate us
(come to dwell in us) and we can enjoy a relationship with God through His
Son that is eternal. THIS IS GOOD NEWS! The world needs to hear it!
2. Faithfulness to the Mandate: We can know the Word and
experience the Word, but we only bear fruit when we share the Word.
Jesus gave us marching orders that are still incumbent upon us today. Our
love for God will always be demonstrated in our love and concern for oth-
ers. We are surrounded by a world full of people who are lost, broken, and
bound for hell. If we truly love them, how can we keep from sharing the
Gospel with them? Acts 1:8 Jesus told us in no uncertain terms that we
were to be His witnesses throughout the entire world in. We bear witness to
the person and truth of Christ as we share the Gospel with the others.
We bear witness to the life changing power of the Gospel as we live out our
faith through self-sacrificial, holy living.
3. Faithfulness to the Method: Jesus did not simply tell us what
to share and that we must continually share it. He also gave us a plan for
how His Kingdom’s agenda would be advanced. We are to make disciples.
This involves a great deal beyond the initial decision to follow Jesus. We
are to share the message fully, fulfill the mandate to share it always, and
share it with the understanding that we are calling people to a relationship
that is eternal. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus explained that discipleship
entailed passing on all that we know of Jesus to the next generation of
disciples. This occurs within the community of the church (Body of Christ).
It is within this community that disciples help one another become more
mature disciples who are then able to make disciples.
Join me in praying the baptisms and other decisions we record and
celebrate this summer will bear fruit for the Kingdom of God that is long
lasting. Pray we will make every effort, under the direction of the Holy
Spirit, to help these disciples grow to be disciples that will make disciples.
Discipleship 101
Schedule
Sunday evenings
at 6:00 p.m.
July 6th
Senior Adult Choir
Performance
July 13th
Biblical Evangelism:
What’s our Target?
July 20th
Developing a Burden for the Lost
July 27th
Redeeming the Culture:
Thwarting the Devil’s Schemes
A Cup with Pastor Paul
http://acupwiththepastor.blogspot.com
Check out Brother Paul’s Blog
for more insightful wisdom
throughtout the month!

3. In her book, Voices of the Faithful, Beth Moore
relates the story of Angie, a missionary in South Asia.
Here is Angie’s story:
“One thing you can count on in Asia is that the
electricity will go out. A prudent homemaker has a candle
(and matches) in every room for such occasions. One
night when the power went out, my husband and a friend
stepped out onto the balcony into the pitch
darkness: no house light; no streetlights, no lights from
cars or motorcycles, just darkness. They faced a hill some
distance away, which was peppered with houses. As they
watched, one candle was lit, and they saw its small light
shine. Two more were lit, then five more, then twenty
more. At an increasing rate, the hill became illuminated
with small lights.
Sometimes, when our family feels overwhelmed
at the task before us, especially when we focus on the
many lost people in our target group, there just isn’t
enough time in each day to impact every life by ourselves.
But we have chosen to pour our lives into a few
believers who have a strong influence in the community.
These few, in turn, are each disciplining several new
believers, who will disciple several more and so on,
spreading the Light. Even Jesus chose only twelve,
knowing that those twelve would impact their own
people as well as other nations surrounding them. He
knew our human limitations.
Using His example of discipleship, many more
will be added to the kingdom at an increasing rate. That’s
what I hope for - the rapid spread of the gospel, starting
with just one: me.”
As you read this article, I am in Honduras with 16
other team members. Each day we will do Vacation Bible
School, and we will also be doing a Medical/Dental/
Veterinary Ministry, a Women’s Ministry, and a Worship
Service on Saturday, July 5th that I hope will reach the
men of the villages of Buena Vista and Guayabo.
One of the people I long to see in Honduras is
Anna Selgado. Anna is in her mid 70’s and lives down the
mountain from Guayabo. Anna comes to almost
everything we do in her village. It takes her most of the
day to walk to the village because of her age and there is
no road to her house, only a foot path and very steep
terrain. Yet, she still makes the effort to come, and when
she arrives we make a big deal out of her arrival, as if
she’s our honored guest.
For me, Anna is a small light on a dark hillside.
We have shared the gospel with her, and she knows
Christ as her Lord and Savior. But her faith doesn’t end
there. Anna makes sure her grandson and daughter-in-
law come, too. (her son was killed in a fire a few years
ago).
Many times in mission work we wonder if we’re
making any difference at all. It’s in those times that God
reminds me that the kingdom is built one person at a
time. And as long as the “Annas” will make the effort to
come, I will make the effort to go.
Next year’s team dates are June 29 - July 5.
Won’t you consider going with us?
God bless,
Brother Dale
Dale Parker,
Minister to Senior Adults
& Discipleship Training
fbc.daleparker@gmail.com

4. Cody Thomas,
Student Pastor
fbc.codythomas@gmail.com
Greetings Church,
Many of you have prayed for, contributed to, or
helped in some way for our students’ summer
camp. From the bottom of my heart … THANK
YOU.
I tell people all the time what a blessing it is to
serve in a church that deeply cares for students.
I echo the words of the Apostle Paul writing to
the church in Philippi, “I thank my God in all my
remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine
for you all making my prayer with joy,
because of your partnership in the gospel from the day
until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a
good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel
this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all PARTAKERS with me
of grace …”
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making our student ministry a priority and be-
ing “partakers” with me in this journey of reaching students with the gospel.
REACHING In &
REACHING Out
Student
Ministry Events
Wednesday, July 9th
at 7:00 p.m.
Basketball vs. Hillcrest Youth
Wednesday, July 16th
at 7:00 p.m.
Wiffleball vs. Memorial Youth
Saturday, July 19th
Camp Living Waters
Ropes Course
Please remember our
Juniors & Seniors
as they are at Camp
July 21st - 25th
Photos from Fuego 2014

5. The walls were broken down. The gates were
burned with fire. The survivors were there in “great
distress and reproach.” The golden age of David and
Solomon were but a memory. The Covenant between
God and His people had been forsaken and
judgment for sin had been harsh. The prophet
Nehemiah, upon hearing a report of conditions in
Jerusalem, “sat down and wept, and mourned for
many days.”
Then, fasting and praying, he said: “I pray,
Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who
keep Your Covenant and mercy with those who love You
and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be
attentive and Your eyes open that you may hear the prayer
of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and
night, for the children of Israel your servants, and confess
the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned
against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We
have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept
the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which
You commanded….” As he ends his prayer, he says: “O
Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of
Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire
to fear Your name…”
There is another country which continues to
rebel against Almighty God, and the cancer of
corruption is devouring its very core. Many of its
leaders, exalted in their own arrogance, reject
Absolute Truth. This nation is headed for judgment
and, perhaps, even destruction if it does not realign
itself with the principles on which it was founded.
That which is ungodly is heralded as a legitimate
“choice” and that which is Godly is mocked as
prejudicial and irrelevant. The present path is perilous
and survival is not guaranteed!
Because it is the month in which America
celebrates her independence, July is certainly a prime
time to reflect on the state of the nation. It is not
necessary here to list the many ills our country is
facing. It is only necessary that we pray. Nehemiah
was broken-hearted over what had happened to the
nation of Israel, both politically and spiritually, and he
realized that it had all happened as a result of sin. God
had promised blessing if only they would trust Him
and obey Him. They did not, and the price for their
rebellion was cataclysmic.
We should make no assumptions about the
future well-being of the USA. Truth matters.
Repentance is necessary. Forgiveness and restoration
are available. But we must pray. You know the verse:
“If my people…” The future really does depend, not
so much on what happens in the White House or in
Congress, but on what happens in the Church of the
Living God.
As you think and pray about the spiritual
health of the United States of America,
consider this prayer (above) of the very first
Commander-in-Chief.
Butch Reviere
Minister of Music
fbc.butch@gmail.com
Note from Brother Butch
“Almighty God; We make our earnest
prayer that Thou wilt keep the United
States in Thy holy protection; that Thou
wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to
cultivate a spirit of subordination and
obedience to government; and entertain
a brotherly affection and love for one
another and for their fellow citizens of
the United States at large. And
finally that Thou wilt most graciously
be pleased to dispose us all to do
justice, to love mercy, and to demean
ourselves with that charity, humility,
and pacific temper of mind which were
the characteristics of the Divine Author
of our blessed religion, and without a
humble imitation of whose example in
these things we can never hope to be a
happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
George Washington, April 30th, 1789

6. Children’s
Ministry
Upcoming
Events
Kelly McElveen
Director of Preschool/
Children’s Ministries
fbc.playschool@gmail.com
July 1st - Infinity Space Center at
stennis space center in
Pearlington, MS
Cost is $10
July 8th - new Orleans audubon zoo
$13 zoo + coolzoo
July 15th - Centrikid camp
Louisiana college
July 22nd - water day at camp living
waters $6
July 27th - centrikid camp timber creek
Rules:
Tuesday activities are available to all children that
have completed LA4/Pre-K. Younger children are
always welcome to join us but must have their
own chaperone and transportation, as car safety
seats cannot be accommodated on the church bus.
All swimming/water activites require both boys
and girls to wear a dark colored t-shirt.
If your child needs a ride, please call the church
office no later than noon on the day before the
event so that transportation can be arranged.
To Sign up for text
messaging alerts
for the Preschool &
Children’s
Department, text
FBCKIDS to 24587.
Other upcoming events:
Preschool Committee Meeting on Sunday, July 6th at 5:00 p.m.
Children’s Committee Meeting on Sunday, July 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Preschool & Children’s Department Volunteer Training for all
Wednesday Night Programs, Sunday, July 27th at 4:30 p.m.
This specifically regards changes to our Wednesday night programs. Please plan to
attend if you are a volunteer during the school year, or if you would like to learn more
about becoming a volunteer.
CentriKid Camp
July 15th - 19th OR
July 28th—August 1st
For more detailed info on each event,
check the bulletin each week.

7. Vacation Bible School 2014
DebriefingTotal Enrollment: 294
Average Attendance: 245

8. Leslie Westmoreland
WINGS Coordinator
lwestmoreland.ees@wpsb.org
WINGS
Ministry
The WINGS Ministry will be hosting a Mugs and Muffins
on Saturday, July 26th at 9:00 a.m. This event will take place in the
Family Life Center. The guest speaker will be Katie Breland.
Mugs and
Muffins
Mark your calendars now
for a Living Proof
SIMULCAST
EVENT with
Beth Moore -
September 13, 2014.
More info next month.
Just a reminder, we have an
Intercessory Prayer Room
(Located behind the sanctuary)
that is available for prayer 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
You can submit a prayer
request in 3 ways
1. By e-mail to
fbcfranklinton.prayer@gmail.com
2. Call (985) 839-3427.
3. Place a prayer request card in the
box on the desk just outside the
prayer room.
To join the Intercessory Prayer
Ministry, check out the flyer on the
desk outside the prayer room.
Our Casserole Ministryis in need of some casseroles!If you could donate a dish or two,please bring them to the freezer inthe kitchen.
For more informationon this ministryplease contact Beverly Cooke.

9. Children’s Church
Month of
July
Kelli Brumfield &
Kristi Crain
for ages 3
to
Kindergarten
Nursery
7/6
Tana Burris &
Leslie Westmoreland
7/13
Emily Phelps &
Linda Crain
7/20
Kay McElveen &
Judy Simmons
7/27
Whitney Crowe &
Sandy Morgan
Sunday Night
Supper
7/6
Morgan, Cooke, Sylvest,
Cooke, Morgan & Mobley
7/13
Knight, Branch, Wales,
Rester, Kirby, Varnado &
Fortenberry
7/20 - McVea, Phelps, Knight,
Stokes, Knight, Brown, Knight
& Gill
7/27
Waskom, Thomas,
Stringfield, Taber, Burris,
Driskill & Kennedy
7/6
Howard Gibson &
Mike Hickman
7/13
Dennis Wager &
George Cowart
7/20
Stephen McElveen &
Hunter Knight
7/27
Jeff Driskill &
David Sylvest
VolunteersforJuly
Sound Schedule
7/6
Jordan Dale
7/13
John Burris
7/20
Matt Westmoreland
7/27
Cody Thomas
If you are interested in helping
with any of these activities,
please contact the church office
for more details at (985) 839-3427.

10. Please be in prayer for
our church members and
others as they embark on
their mission to Honduras.
They will be leaving
Monday, June 30th and
returning on Sunday,
July 6th.
While in Honduras, the
team will be hosting a
Vacation Bible School for
the village children. Please
be in prayer for the hearts
of the children as
volunteers share the love of
God with them.
This year a new dental
mission was added. This
team will be helping with
dental issues and with
overall dental health.
There will also be a vet
mission team going out
in the village helping the
farmers with their
livestock. Please be in
prayer for the vet team as
they minister by helping
the farmers with their
livelihood.
There will also be a group
of ladies reaching out
to the women and their
children while they are
there. Please be in prayer
for these ladies and the
women to whom they will
share God’s love during the
week.
The team members going
on this years Mission Trip
are:
Jennifer Beason
Whitney Crowe
Hunter Knight
Mallory Knight
Denia McMillian
Dale Parker
Margie Parker
Chris Pender
Bailey Pender
Darren Schilling
Tracey Schilling
Alan Stafford
Bruce Thomas
Phyllis Thomas
Terry Thompson
Paul Watts
Titus Watts
Announcements
Pray for Honduras Mission Trip
COLORADO FLOOD RECOVERY
Volunteers from across the
country came to Colorado in
the fall of 2013 to help
help homeowners along the
Northern Colorado Front
Range clean out their flooded
homes.
Now Colorado Baptists invite
you to come help them help
residents complete the recov-
ery process and share the love of Christ with their neighbors.
Registrations are now being accepted for Estes Park Baptist Church in
Estes Park, Colorado. If you are interested, contact Ben Fussell for more
information. We have a group going August 8th - 16th!
IT’S NOT TOO EARLY...
to start planning for Operation Christmas Child.
Last year FBC blessed 408 children with shoe box gifts and opportunities
to learn about Jesus. Can’t we double our number this year?
We will have a PACKING PARTY in late October or early November to
fill at least 500 boxes. Children donated toys at Vacation Bible School this
year, and Sunday School classes will be asked to contribute specific items
to complete the boxes. Also, individuals and families can fill their own
boxes to help meet our goal. Boxes and labels have been ordered and will
arrive soon.
Please be a part of
this mission effort to
impact children and
their families around
the world for the
cause of Christ.
More information
to follow.

11. Birth
Announcements
Congratulations to
........................
Carolyn & Wayne McElveen on the birth of their
granddaughter, Mabree Elizabeth McElveen.
Proud Parents are Bruce & Kayla Crawford
of Shreveport, LA
Mabree was born May 27th and was 7 lbs 7 oz and
20 inches long. Her big brothers are
Bryce 8, and Brayden 4.
........................
Ryan and Sierra Smith on the birth of their
daughter, Madison Leigh Smith.
Proud Aunt is Sharon Lambremont.
Madison was born May 21st and
was 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long.
Welcoming her home were brother Blaize and
grandparents R.T. and Jennifer Jackson of Folsom, LA, and
Randy and Cindy Welch of Franklinton, LA.
........................
Jimmy & Jean Wales on the birth of their
granddaughter, Sophia Grace Wales.
Proud Parents are Stephen & Desiree’ Wales
Sophia was born May 21st and
was 6 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches long.
Welcoming her home were siblings Michael, Rachel,
Joshua, and Andrew and grandparents
Earnest & Janie Fontenot.
Kerri & Mike Cross
Walt Smith
Pierson Whitten
Brandon Stafford,
son of Mr. and
Mrs. Jimmy
Stafford, is this
year’s recipient of
the Charles and
Jan Montgomery
Memorial
Scholarship.
Brandon, an active member of FBC, plans
to attend LSU this fall, majoring in
Wetlands Ecology. Because of his
outstanding grade point average and
overall achievements, he was chosen
over many applicants by the scholarship
selection committee as this year’s
deserving student.
For those of you new to FBC, this
scholarship has been in existence since
1985 and is managed and distributed by
FBC. It is awarded each year to a
deserving, college-bound, high school
senior who meets certain qualifications.
Applications and guidelines for eligibility
can be obtained through the church
office or through the schools near the end
of the school year.
If you are looking for a meaningful
honorarium or memorial gift,
please keep in mind a donation to the
scholarship fund. You will not only
be helping perpetuate the scholarship,
but also helping a worthy student with
student with his or her college expenses.
Charles & Jan Montgomery Memorial
Scholarship Recipient

12. PRSRT STD
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 27
950 Self Street
Franklinton, LA 70438
www.fbcfranklinton.org
First Baptist Church
Franklinton
July 2014
For
Discipleship 101
Schedule
See Page 2