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FAITH&

FOOTBALL

CONTENTS

FA I T H & F O OT B A L L

G AT H E RC o m m u n i t y G ro u p s

6MINISTRY STAFFC H I P S T E V E N S S E N I O R PA S TO R | cstevens@fbcstarkville.com

C L I F TO N C U R T I SA S S O C . PA S TO R O F PA S TO R A L C A R E & FAC I L I T Y A D M I N .

ccurtis@fbcstarkville.com

TO M J E N K I N S A S S O C . PA S TO R O F M U S I C & M E D I A | tjenkins@fbcstarkville.com

J A S O N D U R A N A S S O C . PA S TO R O F FA M I LY M I N I S T R Y & D I S C I P L E S H I P

jduran@fbcstarkville.com

N AT H A N TAY LO R U N I V E R S I T Y & M I S S I O N S M I N I S T E R | ntaylor@fbcstarkville.com

N E I L T U L LO S YO U T H M I N I S T E R | ntullos@fbcstarkville.com

L E A H F R A N C E S E ATO N DIRECTOR OF CHILDRENS MINISTRY | lfeaton@fbcstarkville.com

C H A R I T Y G WA LT N E Y DIRECTOR OF PRESCHOOL MINISTRY | cgwaltney@fbcstarkville.com

B O B BY D ’A L E S S A N D R O DIRECTOR OF MEDIA & TECHNICAL ARTS MINISTRY

bobbyd@fbcstarkville.com

4 First Word from Chip Stevens

FEATURES5 MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Apartment Ministry

8 GROW: ECHO Parenting Conference

16 GO: World Hunger Day & 2016 Missions

18 Spotlight: See You At The Pole

OUR CHURCH FAMILY20 Parents Page/Upcoming Events

21 Calendar

G I V EM e n ' s M i n i s t r y

14

FRONT COVER PHOTO RUSS HOUSTON/MSU

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all is a great season of the year! Fall

means that MSU students are back

in our community, the weather will

begin to get cooler, and, of course,

football! Like so many of you, I love

football. Whether it’s a Thursday night junior high game,

a Friday night high school game, or a Saturday at Davis

Wade Stadium, I just love watching football games.

One of the great things about living in a community

like Starkville is that you realize that the personalities you

see associated with your favorite football team are real

people. Coaches, administrators, and players are just like

you and me (but with exceptional athletic skills). Many

of them are using the gifts God has given them to honor

Him on the football field just like we strive to do in the

marketplace, the classroom, and our homes.

In this month’s edition of Redefined, you will have the

opportunity to read about “Faith and Football.” It really is

a reminder that football, though just a game, can have a

greater impact on people’s lives than we may be able to see

from the stands. Enjoy!

Thank you for allowing us to GATHER…GROW…

GIVE…and GO with you!

FIRST WORDFROM CHIP STEVENS

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 5

Ghana, Libya, Iraq, Nicaragua, China, India - these are just some of the countries represented at College Station and The Polos apartments in Starkville. Last year, Nathan Taylor caught my attention when he informed me of the large inter-national student population at College Station and The Polos. Many internationals leave their countries to further their ed-ucation at Mississippi State University. They find an apart-ment, go to class every day, and come back to their empty apartments, and while they long for friends or simply some-one to talk to and eat meals with, many of them go unnoticed. Putting myself in their shoes, I realize how lonely I would feel if I lived in a foreign country and my only source of social interaction was with professors. When my roommates and I heard of the opportunity to live right next door to so many of these students, we moved to College Station in the fall of 2014 with the vision of starting an apartment ministry and intentionally loving our neighbors - internationals as well as Americans.

Last year, we built a great relationship with the manage-ment at the apartment complex and held a few cookouts and events for residents, but now that we have gained respect and trust with the management, we have a more concrete plan of action to reach out to our neighbors. On Monday, September 21, we held a fall cookout for the residents, and the turnout was incredible! Approximately 150 people representing over 8 nations came to the cookout; basketball games, volleyball games, and great conversations lasted for over two hours. My roommates and I met a handful of international women who recently arrived in America and who desperately long for companionship. We are excited to invite these women into our apartment on a regular basis this year to get to know them and to share our cultures with each other, and through sharing life together, we are praying for abundant opportuni-ties to share the Gospel.

How is it that I am living in little Starkville, Mississippi, but literally surrounded by the nations?! This question ex-cites me and makes me stand in awe of God every single day. I am confident that one of the greatest assets to Starkville and

MSU is the presence of so many international students who are more of a blessing than I can describe. A couple of weeks ago, we met a neighbor from Iraq. Since we met her, we have seen her almost every single day, and she has been coming to FBC with us on Sundays even though she is a Muslim! Yesterday, as she was leaving my apartment, she embraced my roommate, Sarah, and me so tightly and held on for dear life as she looked up to the ceiling and proclaimed, “My god, my god, thank you for giving me friends, my god!!!” Does this young lady have a personal relationship with the God that I serve? No, not yet. But my God is powerful enough to bring her all the way from Iraq to Starkville just to open her eyes to the truth of who He is. My prayer is that she and the hun-dreds of internationals around us will one day look up and proclaim thanksgiving and praise to the one true God who created them and gave His life for them. My roommates and I are humbled that we get to watch God’s hand at work in their lives.

We also plan to hold an apartment-wide event every six weeks so that we are consistently reaching out to ALL of the residents and getting to know them personally. When our neighbors realize that we are loving them just because we desire to know them and develop a stronger community at the apartment complex, they are astonished in a positive way! Our prayer is that the residents, as well as the management at College Station and The Polos, will be deeply impacted and only pointed to Jesus Christ through our outreach. Our prayer is that HE would be magnified and that HIS name would be known among the internationals and Americans here - abun-dantly more of HIM and much less of us.

B Y A N N A M AT H E N Y

APARTMENT MINISTRY

ANNA MATHENY is a Senior Kinesiology major from Memphis. She is active on campus and in the community and has a passion for the nations.

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GATHERF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y J A S O N D U R A N

COMMUNITY GROUPS

ommunity is something we all desire. No matter your personality type—introvert, extrovert, socially skilled or socially awkward—you were created for meaningful relationships with others. There is a de-

sire in all of us to know others and be known by them.In life, we value friendships that allow us the freedom to

be ourselves. God did not intend life to be lived alone; He cre-ated us for relationships. We see the evidence of that in Adam and Eve. Andy Stanly once commented, “You can’t grow spiri-tually unless you connect relationally.” God wants us to have a relationship with Him and with others. That was his purpose for creating us.

Have you found that place in life where you belong? Do you have a place where you can learn from God’s Word while in fellowship with others? Have you found a place where you can serve with a group? Are you searching for a place where

you can do life with like-minded people? Do you want to learn from others and their experiences?

At FBC Starkville, we pursue and live out community by gathering together in Community Groups. Made up of men and women from all generations of life, these groups gather together Sunday mornings at 9:45 for fellowship, care, prayer, accountability, sharing stories, and studying God’s Word. These groups are a place where we work to consider each oth-er over ourselves. No group is perfect, and no two groups are exactly the same. We don’t expect them to be. Our goal is to create a place for everyone, and there is room for you to join a Community Group.

Community Groups are made up of people in all stages of their Christian walk. One of the purposes of Communi-ty Groups is to help you move to the next step in your walk with Christ. If you do not know Jesus, we want you to come

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 7

JASON DURAN serves as our Associate Pastor of Family Ministries and Discipleship. You can connect with him on The City or on twitter @jason_duran.

to know Him through a personal relationship with Him. If you are a new Christian, we want you to develop and grow your re-lationship with Him. If you have known Jesus for a while, we want you to grow even deeper, disciple others, and serve Him.

A Community Group is the place where you can receive encouragement, hear from the life experiences of others, and learn how you can foster a deeper relationship with Jesus no matter what your stage of life. Community Groups also provide an opportunity to be involved in a D-Group which will help you deepen your relationship with Jesus and fellow believers even further.

In Community Groups, we value the teaching and learn-ing of God’s Word. Each group leader is different; therefore, the style of teaching varies from group to group. Lecture, vid-eo-driven teaching, discussion, and walking through Scripture verse-by-verse, are some of the options available to you in your search for a Community Group. Finding a group that fits you best will enrich your community group experience. We encour-age everyone to take some time and visit multiple groups be-fore settling on one.

Community Groups gather together outside of Sunday mornings as well. They often gather to share a meal, watch a football game, tailgate together, and share life experiences. It

is also our desire that each Community Group find a way to serve others through their group. We believe that serving to-gether will help the group develop even more. Meeting the needs of those in our community builds a strong bond between group members and provides an opportunity for the church to become the hands and feet of Jesus. Serving together helps the group build unity as they gather to serve others in need. The service projects are different for each group as well.

No matter your circumstances in life, there is a place for you in a Community Group. If you are looking for a list of groups, please visit the Connect tab on our website: www.fbc-starkville.com.

There you will find a list of groups, leaders, and locations. You can also stop by the Cove on a Sunday morning where we will be glad to help you connect with a group. Meet your need for community and join a Community Group this Sunday.

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GROWF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y N E I L T U L LO S

ECHO PARENTING CONFERENCE

n a typical Sunday morning, parents and teens arrive on the church campus and then go their separate ways. Moms and dads go one way in search of adult conversations where they can try to figure out how to follow Jesus in the

midst of their careers and while navigating this season of life with a teen in their home. Teens go another way to gather with their friends in groups that are led by an adult and a university student where they learn to live out their faith in their schools and daily activities. There are plenty of reasons why this parting is healthy and normal, but should there be a time where both groups are intentionally together in order to strengthen their relationships with one another?

Last year, our youth ministry began Echo as an effort to help bridge the relationship between the family and the church. Echo aims to bring together the voices of the home and the church so that we can have a greater impact on the lives of teens. Both the family and

the church have the responsibility of making disciples of teenagers. We believe that by working together, we can do more than either of us can do on our own.

In Deuteronomy 6, Moses delivers a message that becomes central to God’s people. He gives the command that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might, and then Moses gives parents the command that they are to instill their love for God into their children. God is to be the main character in a family’s narrative. Children are to learn what it means to know God by the conversations that are had with their parents whether it’s in the van after school or at the dinner table.

Parents do not have to carry this heavy responsibility alone. The church is to be their partner in the disciple-making process. One of the primary ways the church can come alongside the family is by providing Godly men and women to help influence teens. Many of

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 9

"No one has more potent ia l to impact your

ch i ld or teenager than you. But one of the

greatest ways you can impact the l i fe of

your ch i ld i s to become intent iona l about

partner ing with others who can a lso have

inf luence with your ch i ld . "

- Reggie Jo iner and Carrey Nieuwof

NEIL TULLOS serves as our Youth Minster. You can connect with him on Twitter @neiltullos or on The City.

us could share personal stories of how a Godly adult or university student helped to point us toward Christ during our teenage years. The church can partner with families by helping parents surround their teens with Godly adults who aim to make disciples of their teenagers. Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carrey Nieuwof has been one of the most helpful resources to me in my understanding of how the church and the home can partner together. The authors write:

“No one has more potential to impact your child or teenager than you. But one of the greatest ways you can impact the life of your child is to become intentional about partnering with others who can also have influence with your child. If you try to parent alone, you will just become increasingly aware of your built-in flaws and risk becoming discouraged and disillusioned with parenthood. No matter how great our parenting skills, we all have limited capacity to accomplish this impossible responsibility…. Your weaknesses as a parent can work in your favor. They should remind you to pursue other influences for your family. Face this truth about parenting: Every parent has a different set of limitations…. When you learn to parent beyond your capacity, you tap into other influences that also have the potential to impact your children’s future. You become intentional about modeling relational values. You exchange short-term outcomes for a long-term impact. Here is a primary point of this book: Your children one day will seek affirmation and approval from adults other than you. Either you can become intentional about enlisting other trusted adults to influence your kids, or you can depend only on your limited capacity. You can leave them alone to discover random influences who will shape their character and faith, or you can help them proactively pursue strategic relationships for their lives.”

When the home and the church view one another as partners in the disciple-making process, this creates an environment where teens are more likely to follow Jesus. A teen’s group leader at church is reinforcing the message that teens have heard for years at the dinner table. Parents view Sunday morning not as a religious duty, but as a critical part of the family and church’s plan for developing

ECHO NOVEMBER 8Our fall Echo will be held on Sunday, November 8. Andy and Karen

Taggart will be our featured speakers for the day. Many of you will rec-

ognize Andy’s name from his time as chief of staff for Governor Fordice

and from his involvement in Mississippi politics. He’s an attorney with

Taggart, Rimes & Graham law firm in Jackson where he and his family

live, and they are members of Broadmoor Baptist Church. Two years

ago, they went through the devastation of having their college-aged

son take his own life. It’s their hope that through sharing their story

they can help prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.

SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 89:45 AM – 10:45 AM

Parents of preschool, children & teens will meet together in the Ware-

house Outreach Center to hear from Andy and Karen Taggart.

12:00 – 1:30 PM

Luncheon for teens & parents of teens in the Outreach Center. Child-

care will be provided for younger children. It’s a free event, but please

register in order for us to prepare enough food and to have plenty of

childcare workers. Register online at fbcstarkville.com.

I hope you make plans to join us for Echo on November 8. I believe

that the message the Taggarts will share will be helpful to you as you

guide your family. Their story is a testimony that needs to be heard by

our community, so please use your influence to invite your friends to

join you for this event. If you have any questions please contact me at

ntullos@fbcstarkville.com.

their teens into people who love the Lord with all of their hearts, souls, and might. It’s the home and the church working together in order to see teenagers follow Jesus.

The church and the family must work together in order to see the Gospel take root in our teenagers. Each week as our church gathers together, we have men and women who love the Lord and are committed to helping teens follow Christ. By having your teens involved in our youth ministry, you are placing them in an environment where they can be influenced by adults and university students who are your partners in helping to shape your teen into a Jesus follower.

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 11

Football in the South is a religion in its own right. Where our priorities should lie and where the sport itself should fall in line behind our daily walk with Christ is a topic for another day.

While the South's most beloved sport doesn't really matter in the over-all scheme of life, it does impact just about every one of us in one way or another. We've all enjoyed Saturdays with friends watching a game in a sold out stadium where, for the better part of four hours, nothing in the world seems to matter but what's going on in between the white lines.

Most of us have had the blessing of being taught the game by men who spend their time away from their own families to build another. That extended family becomes a football team and, as strange as it may seem, a coach can sometimes make as big of an impact on a player as his own father.

That's what makes football matter in the overall picture of life. God doesn't really care about the outcome of a game, but I'd like to think that He created the game for us as more than just entertainment.

When the SEC Network debuted last August, it was the single most successful sports channel debut in history. The network is now on more television sets than ESPN, which means there are even more eyes on the game of football than ever before.

That makes the platform for the sport even bigger than we can imag-ine. Former Florida Gators’ quarterback Tim Tebow uses that platform about as well as any single person has ever used it. The Heisman-winning quarterback used Jesus' name on live television (gasp) and thanked God at every opportunity he had on camera as a player.

While Tebow has yet to really excel in the NFL, he has made an impact for Christ in a positive way, and he's going to be blessed for it. Tebow is now cemented on the SEC Network as an analyst. His platform is even bigger than a game because he has a microphone on him for three hours every Saturday morning.

Forty years ago, Duncan McKenzie, a member of FBC Starkville, was in Tebow's shoes as a player. He followed a different path in his walk with Christ, but he knows the demands of college football and how it can strain one's relationship with the Lord.

B Y R O B B I E FA U L K

FAITH&

FOOTBALL

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12 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | I s s u e 1 0

The connection was made immediately between McKenzie and Garrett through football. Garrett was a former coach who had the ability to reach McKenzie internally through their love of the game.

So how big of an impact can a coach have on a player? An astro-nomical one, added McKenzie.

"I think the biggest impact they can have is not so much what they say but how these young men see them act," McKenzie said. "The way the coach handles himself has a huge impact on these kids. It's life-changing."

That's the opportunity that MSU's defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who currently attends FBC Starkville, has in front of him present-day. Still relatively young, Diaz has a connection with the modern-day athlete that many can't find. He's taking what he learned several years ago in a sanctuary and bringing it to the field.

Diaz was sitting in a church service eight years ago. He was a Christian that went through the motions of daily life. God spoke to Diaz in that service and made it known to him that he was to utilize his position as a coach to lead others to Christ.

"Everything we're taught to be a good Christian is the exact same thing we are trying to teach our kids on defense every day," Diaz said. "In life, it's our will versus God's will. It feels like we're giving some-thing up when, in reality, we're getting so much back in return.”

Diaz explained, "When you're coaching defense, you are surren-dering yourself to a scheme, a living organism of 11 guys. You feel that if you surrender yourself and do one job, you're going to give up

McKenzie was a big tight end for the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 1974-77 who considered himself a Christian during his playing days but wasn't living life the way that Christ intended. Football and school became his top priority, but he was involved in church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The demand of a daily college athlete is dangerous for the faith at times. McKenzie experienced this first hand and again with his son, Johnathan, who was a Bulldog defensive end from 2009-10.

"I was one of those lukewarm types of people," McKenzie said. The football life “was busy. You really didn't get into the college life that much because you had the demands of football. I think it's much worse now than when I was playing. I think that they demand so much of their time."

McKenzie, now an intricate part of MSU's athletic department as the Executive Associate Athletic Director, praised the current administration for their willingness to work with FCA director Bill Buckley who is present for the athletes 24 hours a day when needed. When McKenzie was in college, he had those that influenced him as well.

Former MSU quarterback “Rockey Felker was a senior when I was a freshman and made an impression on me," McKenzie said. "One of the biggest influences was a guy named Bill Garrett who was a minister at Faith Baptist Church, and he lived down the street from us. I saw him during the week and on Sundays, and he was the same person. He lived it seven days a week."

"WHEN YOU'RE COACHING DEFENSE, YOU ARE SURRENDERING

YOURSELF TO A SCHEME, A LIVING ORGANISM OF 11 GUYS. YOU

FEEL THAT IF YOU SURRENDER YOURSELF AND DO ONE JOB, YOU'RE

GOING TO GIVE UP THE ABILITY TO MAKE PLAYS. IN REALITY, YOU

MAKE SO MANY MORE PLAYS. WE WANT TO HOLD ON TO OUR

WILL ALL THE TIME INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING TO A PLAN."

- M A N N Y D I A Z

Photo Russ Houston/MSU

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 13

the ability to make plays. In reality, you make so many more plays. We want to hold on to our will all the time instead of submitting to a plan."

McKenzie was in a similar state in the early part of his marriage. God spoke to him and his wife 25 years ago while watching a Billy Graham sermon on television. They knelt down, surrendered their lives to Christ and have been servants for the Lord since that time.

While the elder McKenzie didn't get the chance to make as much of an impact on his teammates, he and his wife tried to instill the love for Christ into their sons, Matthew and Johnathan, so that they could fill that void.

"As parents, we just try to expose our kids to activities and get them involved in church and point them in the right direction," McKenzie said. "It's important that someone develop their own rela-tionship with Jesus. Their mom devoted her life to both of them. Me working in athletics, I was gone, but she spent hours and hours read-ing the Bible and being with them teaching them about the Lord."

That's something that their children carried with them, and it gave them the opportunity to influence others on the field and be-yond. Colossians 3:17 puts it best: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Fa-ther."

Football, especially in the South, has the ability to reach millions of people. The impact of Tebow's prayerful touchdown celebration or a Bible-verse-themed eye black and even thanking God, win or lose, for giving athletes the ability to play the game is a start. Paul thanked the Lord in ceaseless prayer while in prison. Bound by chains, he was thankful.

For a coach, the impact is never-ending. Thousands of players’ lives will be touched by Diaz's actions and words over the course of his career.

Diaz is in his second stint with MSU after previously running the Bulldogs' defense in 2010. He's had a chance to impact teams at Middle Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana Tech and in Starkville, and God's plan has been his playbook from the beginning.

Teaching players defensive schemes is Diaz's job, but develop-ing them beyond the game of football is part of God's purpose for him.

"Players begin to realize that you're coaching them way beyond football," Diaz said. "Football ends for everybody, but they're all going to be men forever and fathers and husbands. The things that you're trying to teach them on the field, it's the exact same thing (in life). You've got to be a great man."

"FOOTBALL ENDS FOR EVERYBODY,

BUT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE

MEN FOREVER AND FATHERS AND

HUSBANDS. THE THINGS THAT

YOU'RE TRYING TO TEACH THEM

ON THE FIELD, IT'S THE EXACT

SAME THING (IN LIFE). YOU'VE

GOT TO BE A GREAT MAN."

- M A N N Y D I A Z

Manny DiazPhoto from Hailstate.com

Photo Russ Houston/MSU

ROBBIE FAULK is a sportswriter at the Starkville Daily News and covers Mississippi State sports for 247Sports.com. You can connect with him on Twitter @robbiefaulk247.

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s a youngster roaming the halls of First Baptist, there was a quarterly meeting that I found somewhat mysterious. No, it wasn’t just the business meeting - I’m talking about the Brotherhood Breakfast. In hindsight, it wasn’t all that mysterious, save that only the men of the church were invited and it seemed (to a

kid) to be scheduled unreasonably early for a Sunday morning. In later years, I not only got to attend, but I also got to help cook breakfast once or twice and even got an invitation as a guest speaker.

When my family and I returned to Starkville years later, the men of the church had shifted the meal to a wild beast feast in the evening, a much more reasonable time of day for eating and fellowshipping. Since then, that event has evolved into the Sportsman’s Banquet, an outreach event for men all over the city. (See the April edition of Redefined for more details.)

Other memories that I replay from that early era have to do with “helping” projects. As a Royal Ambassador (RA) or just tagging along with my father and other men from the Brotherhood, we would occasionally do things like rake leaves, pick up limbs, or take care of minor household projects for other church members who were unable to do those kinds of things for themselves.

That kind of outreach is still happening, and this October, the Men’s Ministry Committee is planning to kick off an organized format for this truly ancient ministry (see the book of Deuteronomy): the HandyMENistry.

Scripture speaks often of the responsibility of the church to take care of those who are in need; it might not always be a widow or orphan, but the model of Acts 6:1-4 and James 1:27 is there. The needs vary as well, and they could be as simple as cutting up a fallen limb, tightening a leaky faucet, or repairing a broken step. This is where HandyMENistry will come into the picture, and here’s how it will work:

GIVEF B C S TA R KV I L L E

B Y J AY R E E D

MEN'S MINISTRY

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 15

JAY REED is a pharmacist by day (Synergy Pharmacy) and a freelance food writer by day off. He leads an adult Community Group in the same Ray Building where he was first brought to the nursery as a baby. You can connect with him on social media @eatsoneate or on The City.

When a request for assistance comes to the church office, Jason Duran (Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Family Ministry) will take a look at it. If the project appears to be something that falls within the parameters of the HandyMENistry, Jason will match up the project with men who have the tools and/or the skills required to get the job done. Those men will be on a list that is expected to grow as the ministry develops. For example, Tom and Bob have chainsaws and are usually free on Saturdays. Richard and Harry aren’t limb-cutters but have wheelbarrows and trucks. Fred is willing to rake up the leaves and will bring Fred Jr. and his friend from school to help. (Disclaimer: the names are made up, but the principles are real.)

Ideally, small projects that take a day or less will be taken care of by fellow church members, and a network of men (and boys) willing and able to help will develop. In the process, cross-generational relationships will be built and strengthened. As the hammer hits the nail, the saw cuts the wood, or the rake hits the leaves, iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).

Here’s what Daniel Shy, the Men’s Ministry Committee chair, had to say about it: “We’re not re-writing the story. We want to be the hands and feet of Christ. We want to be obedient to the Word when it comes to taking care of people.”

In addition to the helping aspect, the Men’s Ministry Committee hopes that this project will also provide an opportunity to bring sons (or grandsons, or nephews, or perhaps even boys without dads in their daily lives) alongside to set an example, to show them “this is how we take care of people who can’t take care of this themselves.” Along those same lines, other ideas they are working on are a men’s retreat as well as a father/son outing. Stay tuned for that.

We’ll be hearing more about the HandyMENistry in the weeks to come. In the meantime, Men of FBC, if you have tools, talent, or just time, contact Jason Duran at the church office or a member of the Men’s Ministry Committee. Everybody needs a handyman sometime.

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WORLD HUNGER DAY

GOF B C S TA R KV I L L E

October 11 is World Hunger Day. Educate yourself on the hunger crises going on around the world. See how Southern Baptists are combating this issue at www.globalhungerrelief.com. Be a part of this cause!

• In the United States, 1 in 6 people struggles with hunger.

• About 795 million people are undernourished globally.

• One in four of the world’s children is stunted. In developing countries,

the proportion can rise to one in three.

• One out of six children—roughly 100 million—in developing countries

is underweight.

• 100% of gifts to Global Hunger Relief go directly to meeting hunger

needs. No administrative or promotional costs are covered by donations.

• In 2014, more than $1 million was provided to over 1,000 hunger

ministries in North America.

• 4.5 million meals were provided and more than 21,000 professions

of faith were reported through hunger relief ministries in North America.

* Source: http://globalhungerrelief.com/statistics

If you desire to donate to this cause through FBC Starkville, please note “Hunger Relief” on your contribution.

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F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 17

Interested in these opportunities? Attend an interest

meeting on October 18 at 4:15pm in the Outreach

Center. Email Nathan Taylor for more details or

with any questions, ntaylor@fbcstarkville.com.

V I C TO R I A , B C , C A N A DAM A R C H 1 2 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 6

CO S T : $ 1 2 0 0S e r ve a n d s u p p o r t C a n va s C h u rc h o n b e a u t i f u l

Va n c o u ve r I s l a n d t h ro u g h a k i d ' s b a s ke t b a l l c a m p .

J o i n c h u rc h p l a n t e r, A s h l ey A u s t i n , a n d h i s f a m i l y

i n b e i n g a l i g h t t o t h e s p i r i t u a l l y d a r k a n d l a r g e l y

u n c h u rc h e d c i t y o f V i c t o r i a .

R WA N DA , A F R I C AA P R I L 8 - 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

CO S T : $ 2 5 0 0J o i n w i t h F B C m e m b e r, C h r i s B u s h by, i n K i g a l i , R w a n d a ,

t o i n ve s t i n t h e f a m i l i e s s e r ve d by h e r m i n i s t r y,

H a g a r i R w a n d a . S e r ve t h e wo m e n a n d c h i l d re n o f h e r

c i t y by t e a c h i n g wo m e n ' s s e m i n a r s , p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n V B S ,

a n d a s s i s t i n g i n a g r i c u l t u ra l p ro j e c t s .

18 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | I s s u e 1 0

eenagers are in the process of learning what it means to follow Jesus in a world that has rejected Him. They are learning that what God is doing in them is meant to impact their community. For teens, their community is largely their school campus, as they spend more time at school than in any other environment. At school, they spend their day surrounded by peers and school leaders

who may or may not be Christ followers. God’s instructions for them is to make disciples as they go along their way, just as it is for all believers. A teen’s primary mission field is his or her school campus where God has placed each of them to make an eternal difference.

See You at the Pole is a prayer event that began in Burleson, Texas, in early 1990 at a Disciple Now event, as a group of teens became burdened to pray for their schools. They went that evening to their schools and gathered around the flagpoles in order to pray for their friends, schools, and leaders. What began as a prayer movement in one church youth group quickly spread across our nation. In September of the same year, 45,000 teens gathered at their schools’ flagpoles to pray. A year later, over 1 million teens gathered to pray. The tradition has continued as each September on a Wednesday morning, teenagers gather to pray for their schools.

This year’s See You at the Pole was held before school on Wednesday, September 23, at school campuses across the nation, including right here in Starkville. Many of the teens in our youth ministry helped to organize the prayer event at their school’s campus by working through campus organizations like FCA in order to plan and promote the event to their classmates. Then, they gathered together to pray for their schools. This event allows teens to take a stand on their campuses, to unite with other believers at their schools, and to spend time talking to their Heavenly Father about their school, friends, and leaders.

B Y N E I L T U L LO S

F B C S TA R K V I L L E . C O M 19

NEIL TULLOS serves as our Youth Minster. You can connect with him on Twitter @neiltullos or on The City.

S A R A G R AC E D U N C A N1 1 T H G R A D E R AT S TA R K V I L L E H I G H S C H O O L

It was just really cool to get together before school and just get to pray with people you may not normally see every day. It’s just a reminder that even if you aren't close to everyone at your school, they are still part of the body of Christ and your school and you have much more in common than you think. It also is just a reminder of the power of prayer and that God can move in amazing ways even through what may seem like a small thing to us.

R E I D S T E V E N S1 1 T H G R A D E R AT S TA R K V I L L E AC A D E M Y

We had about 30-35 people come out. It was a great time of fellowship and prayer. It was good to see people from our school gathered together praying for our country and its leaders, our school leaders, and that Christ would intervene in our school. It was a good morning of prayer.

C A M E R O N J O H N S TO N1 2 T H G R A D E R AT S TA R K V I L L E H I G H S C H O O L

Well, I think it's cool when all Christians get together and

worship God together not worrying about the different denominations, but united by Christ.

20 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | I s s u e 1 0

YOUTH BLACKLIGHT DODGEBALLOCTOBER 16 | 9:30-11:00 AMWAREHOSUE OC | $5

YOUTH MINISTRY BONFIRE & COOKOUTSUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 5:00 PM - 7:30 PMat the home of Gary & Charlotte Smith, 105 South Ridge Road

KIDS

BIBLE DRILL BOOT CAMPOCTOBER 4-252ND FLR CHILDREN’S BUILDING

CHILDREN'S CHURCHOCTOBER 25 | 8:30 & 11:00 AM2nd Floor Children's Building

YOUTH

ADVANCE FOR 12TH GRADERS

OCTOBER 18 | 4:00-8:30 PM | $10Helping teenagers reach their full potential.

HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT October 30-November 1Lake Forest Ranch |Cost: $90Register at fbcstarkville.com.

PARENTS PAGE

UPCOMING EVENTSSENIOR ADULTS TO BB KING MUSEUMTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 299:30 AM | $12

Join us as we travel to the BB King museum.

We will be enjoying lunch at Crystal Grill in

Greenwood, MS. Sign-up in the church office.

ORPHAN CARE SUPPORT GROUPMONDAY, OCTOBER 196:00-7:00 PM | 2ND FLR. CHLD. BLG.

MOPSFRIDAYS | 9:00-11 :00 AM

2ND FLR. CHLD. BLD

This group is specifically designed for

Moms who have a child from babies

through kindergarten age. There is a cost

of $24.95. Sign up at fbcstarkville.com.

SUNDAY NIGHT STUDYWHO AM I?OCTOBER 4 - OCTOBER 255:00 PM | WAREHOUSE O.C.

ECHO PARENTING CONFERENCESUNDAY | 9:45 AMParents of preschool, children & teens will meet together in the Outreach Center to hear from Andy and Karen Taggart. Learn more on page 8.

THE COMMONS FOR MOM & DADWEDNESDAYS | 5:45-7:00 PMEveryone is invited to join us in the Commons for coffee while your children attend Stark kids, Preschool M3: Music, Missions, & More, and youth activities.

PRESCHOOL

PRESCHOOLER FAMILY PUMPLIN PATCH VISITOCTOBER 3 | 8:30 AM

COMMUNITY GROUPATTENDANCE

FOR SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER 6 | 741

SEPTEMBER 13 | 899

SEPTEMBER 20 | 1000

SEPTEMBER 27 | 971

LUNCH BREAK MENUS

OCTOBER 7Smothered pork loin,

Hash brown casserole, Butter beans,

Green salad, Rolls & dessert

OCTOBER 14Taco salad bar and Dessert

OCTOBER 21Chicken pot pie, Green beans

Copper pennies salad, Rolls & dessert

OCTOBER 28Soup and salad bar

(Italian ravioli and broccoli cheddar)

THE COMMONS FOR MOM & DAD

Everyone is invited to join us on Wednesday

in the Commons for coffee while your

children attend Stark kids, Preschool M3:

Music, Missions, & More, and youth activities.

WOMEN’S MISSION GROUPS

• Monday, October 12 Houston Mission Group | 2:00 pm

• Monday, October 12 Reed Mission Group | 6:30 pm

For more information please contact the church at 662.323.5633.

STARTING POINT CLASSSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

4:00 - 6:00 PM | THE COMMONSFor those interested in knowing more about FBC Starkville and membership join us for Starting Point. For more information or to signup contact Jason Duran, jduran@fbcstarkville.com

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P E R I O D I C A L S

106 East Lampkin St. Starkville, MS 39759

FBCSTARKVILLE .com | 662. 323. 5633

FBCSTARKVILLE

@FBCSTARKVILLE

@FBCSTARKVILLE

FBCSTARKVILLE