Do you believe God can make “All Things New?” As Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan after years in the wilderness, God was making “All Things New.” As Nehemiah struggled to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, God was making “All Things New.” As Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah at Nazareth, God was making “All Things New.”

As I look around our church, I see signs of new things. I see new attitudes. I see new volunteers. I see new things in worship. I see new things with our youth and children. I see new things with our fee-based ministries. I see new things in many different places. And you? What new things are you seeing? What new things are you a part of?

One of the new things for me is teaching again on Sunday evenings. As part of the Foundations series, I am teaching a 12-week Old Testament Survey course. Join us on September 17 at 5:30 p.m. I can’t wait to walk through the pages of the OT with you! Financial Peace University and the New Testament survey course also begin in September. How are you strengthening the Foundations of your life and faith?

OU’s home opener on September 2 means the resumption of our parking ministry. Four hours before each home game, volunteers arrive to park cars and shuttle fans to campus. We ask for a $10 donation which provides significant scholarship and activity funds for various ministries. This year our Community Impact, Worship Arts and Youth ministries will support our six home games. Encourage your friends, neighbors and out-of-town guests to park with us. And if you need something to do on Game Day, we can always use another volunteer.

Our ministry staff is currently reading “Growing Young.” This book details the struggles of churches in reaching young adults and families. It debunks the false assumptions and reasons some offer and concludes that at the heart of “Growing Young” is a desire to grow young. It is about creating an authentic, warm community of faith where people of all ages are welcome and invited to contribute. “Growing Young” doesn’t mean that growing old also is not a vital part of our life together. But, it does mean that if we want young families and students to join us, we must all purpose to reach, welcome, and serve them. We must start where we are today. We must focus our efforts together. We have much to offer and the young have much to offer us. We must appreciate, value and listen to the young who are already here. And we must be ready to receive those who come.

God is making “All Things New” and this means God is preparing a new generation of families and leaders at First Baptist.

Dr. Wade Smith

September 2017Volume 14, Issue 2

211 W. Comanche St. • fbcnorman.org • 405-321-1753

10:30 a.m.

GAME DAYPARKING

GAME DAYPARKING

$10 Suggested Donation

Benefits Community Impact

September 2September 2

Four Hours before kickoffFour Hours before kickofF10:30 a.m.

September 3A New Work

September 10A New Perspective

September 17New Doors

September 24A New Future

all thingsNEW

Dinner For 8 Kickoff Lunch11:45 a.mHallock Hall

Financial Peace University5:30 - 7:15 p.m.

Page 2 / At First Glance September 2017

SeptemberHighlights

To see more events and details, visit our online calendar at fbcnorman.org

FBC to Falls Creek 100th2:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Friendship Sunday Supper4:00 p.m.

Clothes Closet4:30 p.m.

3

First Day of Gymnastics Classes10:00-11:40 a.m.3:40-6:40 p.m.FLC

5

Labor DayChurch Office and FLC Closed4

Neighborhood Night Out6:00 - 9:00 p.m. FLC

8

Brown Bag Lunch12:00-1:00 p.m.Wagner Hall

11

Roy Joe Ham

10

Encountering the Old Testament

Continues Sunday, Sept. 175:30 - 6:45 p.m.

Location: B25

12 week study Facilitated By Dr. Wade Smith

Encountering the New Testament

Begins Wednesday, Sept. 66:15 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: B25

12 week Study Facilitated By Dr. Mike Wilson

Sept. 11 Noon-1:00 p.m.

Wagner HallUniversity of

Oklahoma Campus

And just like that, Summer 2017 is over! School is back in session, activities at FBC are gearing up and the traffic in Norman is overrun by NPS and OU students, staff and families. It's amazing what the beginning of a school year means to our community and church!

The Big Summer Cookout was GREAT! If you missed it, you missed fun, food and fellowship with our congregation hosting the three churches currently utilizing our facilities, along with the Korean Church who housed the corner building at Main Street and Webster Avenue for many years. Indeed it was a time to praise God! Thank you to all who helped cook, set up, clean up, and be great hosts to a great event!

Volunteer Ministry Service: Thank you to the many who are stepping up to be lay ministers at FBC. Your time, energy and talents are being used by God to minister to our church, community and staff.

Of course there are still abundant

opportunities for you to find your place to serve. We continue to need individuals who can serve as greeter/reception in the main office during the week. Please contact Robin Nipper or me for more information.

Hospitality/welcoming: In the new organization of staff the hospitality/welcoming ministry has been added to my scope of responsibilities.

This is a reminder that each of us has been called to welcome those who sit beside us each Sunday. I fully believe that God uses our interest in others as a foundation to relationship and church growth.

When was the last time you sat through a service with people 20-feet away from you that you didn't know and missed the opportunity to introduce yourself? It doesn’t matter if they are a guest or have been members here for 50 years, we need to get to know each other.

We also need to grow our assigned

welcoming ministry team. We've talked about the need to add greeters to the parking lot, in the sanctuary and as hall monitors. It is my hope and prayer that we will be able to grow the team so we can rotate

the responsibility. Please contact Palla Henderson or me for more information.

Thank you: Many of you know we owe Joyce Marley a big thank you for the years of service as coordinator of our greeters for our traditional, early or classic services. Joyce has asked for some relief in that position as she and Bill go to their winter home in Florida. Joyce, we appreciate your faithful service, your servant heart and willingness to serve in this capacity for these many years.

Many volunteer opportunities still available

Flu Shots10:30 - 11:30 a.m.12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Family Life Center Conference Rm

Blue Plate Special11:30 a.m.G.O.E.

13

September 2017 Page 3 / At First Glance

Join us this September as we meet our FBC neighbors — those living in houses and apartments all around the church.

Our Community Impact team will host a Neighborhood Night Out on September 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. We will open our grill and the doors to the FLC for a fun night of indoor and outdoor games, along with hot dogs, chips, watermelon, drinks and dessert for all of

our guests. We need your help to make this a

success and give our guests a warm welcome. Help us build relationships with those that God has placed at our doorstep. To volunteer for this community event, sign-up at the FLC.

With the start of a new school year, our ministry with our neighborhood school, Lincoln Elementary, kicks off as well. If you would like to become a

part of this ministry — whether it is through one-on-one mentoring each week, teacher appreciation events each nine weeks, or in other ways — email me at angelaa@fbcnorman.org to talk more about it.

Neighborhood Night Out planned for September 8

Angela Atkins

FallFallout

Oct. 1Sept. 29

Youth Retreat

UNIVERSIT Y

Begins Sunday, Sept. 10

5:30 - 7:15 p.m.

PeaceFINANCIAL

Nine Week Course Facilitated By Deanna and Steve Carter

Wagner HallUniversity of

Oklahoma Campus

First InItaly

Thank YouRobin Nipper

years of service

AT FIRST GLANCE (USPS 008-741) is published monthly by the First Baptist Church, 211 W. Comanche St., Norman, OK (405)321-1753.  Periodical postage paid at Norman, OK.  POSTMASTER:  Send address changes to AT FIRST GLANCE, 211 W. Comanche, Norman, OK 73069-5698.

Page 4 / At First Glance September 2017 At FIRST G

lanceFirst Baptist Church211 W

. Comanche St.

Norm

an, OK 73069

Address Service Requested

September Birthdays

SympathiesFirst Baptist Church would like

to extend sympathies to:Sybil Foster at the passing of

her brother, Leo Lowrimore.

September 1: Wanda Blake, Frank Gatewood, Jackson Holderby, Amy Rifenburg, Valerie Robinson, Rhonda Roe, Alana TurleySeptember 2: Claudia Griffith, Naomi Nakamura, Ryane RatzlaffSeptember 3: Al Bass, Barbara Ferris, Chuck Lawrence, Heather MurphySeptember 4: Greg Alexander, Monica deFee, Melissa Kelly, Mary NipperSeptember 5: Katherine Brooks, Greg Ferguson, Darci TuckerSeptember 6: Kelley Ann Blackman, Barry Brown, Stacy Davenport, Mark Lenington, Adrienne Rust, Maddie ScottSeptember 7: Laini Akram, Jordan Busse, Luke Edge, Marilyn Naylor, Haley Price, Susan WarrenSeptember 8: John Antonio, Brandon Arrington, Elizabeth Clancy, Bobby Hare, Lara MasonSeptember 9: Josh Bibb, Terry Boehrer, Pablo Calixto, Jillian Campbell, Ginger Teague, Kerri Hudson, Blanche Johnstone, Sean Judy, Morgan Rogers, Jerry WardenSeptember 10: Michael Gray, Larry McDade,September 11: Lorraine Baugh, Carol McDade-Conley, Alley Morrison, Connie Norton, Carolyn Sigler, Laura WoodsSeptember 12: Ethan Dvorak, Ethan Fleischer, Barbara Foreman, Leslie Haxel, Doris Johnson, Mike Lang, Steven Sheldon, Mark WrightSeptember 13: Victoria Bugg, Paige Portwood, Brandon RehkopSeptember 14: Ashley Christian, John Lesser, Amos Nunnally, James Philemore, Tracy Reddick, Cathleen Sullivan-Russell, Alicia Turley

September 15: Bill Conner, Lynn Etter, Julia Lee, Lesley Turner, Douglas Vollgraff, Scott WeaverSeptember 16: Gary Campbell, M’Lynn Emanuel, Marilyn Leflore, Dennis Schwabe, Wilson SmithSeptember 17: Brad Badgett, Janice Hodges, Erin Linn, Leanne WarrenSeptember 18: Olushola Fatola, Benn Riddles III, Courtney Singleterry September 19: Stephen TeagueSeptember 20: Sandra Brown, Shirley Glitsch, Payton Henson, Traci MullinaxSeptember 21: Lee Cory, Janie Dilks, Kerry Ann Etter, Mary Hale, Hannah Jones-Harp, Jill Hunt, Kyle Jones September 22: Jeff Annesley, Mary Hartsock, Jennifer Marcum, George Wilson IIISeptember 23: Sarah Brown, Addy Deering, Linda Dill, Al Graham, James Odell, Ryan Small, Boston TanSeptember 24: Lauren Adkins, Vicky Busma, Sue Matheny, Sally WadeSeptember 25: Janelle Borden, Jim Couch, Kathy Howell, Carl Ketner, Ron Kirkpatrick II September 26: Marco Fisher, Chester Ketner, Shelba McGowen, Olivia Raiber, Elmer Roberts, Charissa SmithSeptember 27: Judith Conklin, Cullin Faison, Beth Glabas, Victoria Haxel, Ann Linn, Cheryl Love, Katie Love, Betty Northcutt, Zeke ZacharySeptember 28: Brent Briscoe, Lesa Dale, Nina Patterson, Rachelle ZacharySeptember 29: Johnny Blaul, Sue Carrell, Amen Holman, Lester Jensen Sr., Andrew Lawrence, Nolan LeBlanc, Emily Thompson, September 30: Troy Adams, Daniella Fatola, Christianne King, Kin Pirtle

6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 Family Life Center

NHS Football Team DINNER

CHURCH CONFERENCEand LUNCH

11:30 A.M. SEPT. 24HALLOCK HALL