First Notes: In Celebration of New Beginnings

Dear First Baptist Family,

Jen and I sat on the porch yesterday and noticed the budding trees and emerging colorful flowers. Warmer weather and outdoor fun are just around the corner. I love the way that Spring lifts the heart as new life blossoms. 

God is a God of the old and new, of conclusions and beginnings. Seasons of change always come, for the earth as well as our lives. 

One of my favorite verses comes through the prophet Isaiah, where God says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19, NIV).

God is doing something new with our church. There’s a great spirit of love. We’re listening to one another and working well together toward our collective mission. We may not agree on everything, but together we agree that our purpose centers on Christ: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus.

Let me highlight just a few new things happening and invite you to pray and get connected. 

Baptismal Waters are Stirring

Until the end of the year, our baptismal theme and invitation will be A River Runs Through It. As a person who loves rivers, I get excited every time someone enters into the life-giving waters of baptism. 

We have two people who have expressed interest in baptism in recent weeks, and I expect there are more to come. We plan to baptize this Sunday, Easter Sunday, and probably one more time in May. We will highlight testimonies and celebrate baptisms as we go. Maybe God is calling you into the waters. If so, please reach out to me at bmcdougal@fbcknox.org.

Contemporary Service Starts Strong in the Chapel

We had a strong beginning to our contemporary service re-launching in the chapel. Richard Buerkle, Jim Snell, Seth Ramsdell, Jaynie Moore and Michael Moore, in addition to church volunteers, helped us get the space ready. Those who attended this first Sunday enjoyed the pre-worship refreshments and then took part in a Spirit-filled service, including communion where participants approached the altar to receive the elements. 

If you’ve never been to the early service, I encourage you to check it out. Some people switch between the early and late services on a regular basis. 
 
Madie Coffer Begins March 9

Our next chapter in FBC's children's ministry starts on March 9 and we welcome our new Children's Pastor. Madie is a great fit and I know that you will enjoy working with her. This is a great opportunity for some new volunteers to step forward to help Madie as she begins.

One of the most important things we do together is encourage the next generation to follow Jesus. Through teaching, fun activities, seasonal things like eggstravaganza and VBS, and much more, we point the youngest members of our church to Christ. 

Please pray for Madie and extend her a warm welcome as she begins! 

We Are Family

Finally, our stewardship focus from here until the end of our fiscal year (June 30) will be We Are Family (cue the music). The core message is just what it says: we’re family! In families, we take care of each other and invest in our shared life together. Everyone contributes — some more, some less, depending on the season — but we all participate because this is our family. 

As we develop our budget for the next fiscal year, we’ll be sharing what it costs to sustain our family life. We want every family member to feel loved, accepted, and seen. Together we make an impact beyond what we can do as individuals. 

Just as new life is emerging through a beautiful Spring ahead in East Tennessee, our church is emerging, too: toward decisions to follow Jesus, greater faithfulness, passionate worship, and intentional discipleship and stewardship. 

I can perceive it. Can you?

With love, 

Pastor Brent McDougal