FBCO Newsletter
January 2021
Our Christmas celebration was truly a blessing again this year. Christmas Is Calling was the theme of our 2020 Advent observance. And with everything that has happened in 2020, our world needs to be called to a JOY that overcomes sadness, a HOPE that transcends despair, and a LOVE that over-whelms hat.
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December 2020
Christmas is calling!!—and our world has never needed more to hear that invitation to re-visit the manger, to re-vise our perception of what is real and what is important, and to re-voice our praise for God’s most unspeakable gift—His only begotten Son.
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November 2020
November is the season for giving THANKS . . . and we have so much to be thankful for–for our nation, for our Church, and for our families. I have much to be thankful for, and I thank God and all of you. I am THANKFUL for our staff. Johnny and Nancy have served over 25 years, Steve & Ronda have served over 10 years, and Rich has been with us for 5 years. We are indeed blessed to have a dedicated and talented staff, serving the Lord and our Church. They have all responded with conviction and commitment to the unique demands of Covid-19 over the past 6 months. My heartfelt thanks to our staff for their faithful service.
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October 2020
October is finally here! This is my favorite time of year—cool air, colorful trees, the sights and smells of home. The years I was in college and Seminary in Oklahoma and Texas, I always was most homesick in the Fall. And, even in the face of the pandemic, and all the changes it has forced upon us, Fall suggests a time to slow down, to fold and put away the “busy things” of our lives, and to reflect on whence we came, and to look around. Pause, reflect, and enjoy the view!
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September 2020
Each month, when its time to print the newsletter, I pull the newsletter from the year before, just to compare notes, and see how things have changed. MY LORD, how things have changed!! As I read the newsletter from last September, I am almost brought to tears. I am reminded of how radically things changed with the onset of the coronavirus. When I compare last September’s calendar with
this month’s calendar, I am shocked by the changes. For the past six months, we have endured an unprecedented upheaval of all things so familiar, and that we take for granted—things like going to school, eating out, or even going to the grocery store. We have discovered that we can survive without baseball, football, or soccer.No movie theatres, no concerts, no big group activities.
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August 2020
Welcome to August!! Who could have known that, after 5 months, coronavirus would still be dictating the circumstances of our society, our Church, and our families? I reviewed my article
from last August when I pined about the “H” Days of August—hot, humid, and hazy—and celebrated the achievements of our Summer ministry. But how things have changed.
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July 2020
On Sunday, July 5th, we will celebrate Independence Day! In July 1776, 58 men signed the Declaration of Independence. They pledged their fortunes
and their lives on the premise that liberty was worth the price. But in recent weeks, we have seen liberty adulterated by those who presumed they have the liberty to attack our institutions violate our laws, and trash our traditions.
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June 2020
Sunday, June 7th, will mark another kind of celebration—the gathering together of FBCO to worship after three long months of isolation. We have waited many weeks and missed the blessing of being together in fellowship. We will have to begin cautiously, meeting ONLY for Morning Worship, with TWO services, at 9:00 and 10:45—NO Sunday School or evening worship.
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May 2020
I enjoy a CELEBRATION. We celebrate in worship every Sunday—our faith in a Living Savior, and being the body of Christ. But special celebra-tions are on the calendar in May. These special emphases give us opportunities to recognize people we love and remember people we miss. You can enjoy these celebrations of the body of Christ at FBCO by tuning in each Sunday morning, and sharing
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April 2020
Easter is a time of such HOPE. And hope is so needed in our world today. As we navigate these uncharted waters of Covid-19 and shelter in place, we are hearing daily of more cases, more deaths, and more uncertainty. That uncertainty is very uncomfortable because we are anxious about where we go, who we see, and social distance. Forced isolation is so contrary to our experience in the family of God, and we miss the ability to come together, be together, and worship together. I really miss the comfort of loving hugs and shaking hands!! But God demonstrated His power over death and the grave on that first Easter morning. And we find HOPE in His power over this pandemic, as well.
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March 2020
Vision 20/20 has begun. Our Capital Stewardship Campaign enters the second phase this Sunday, the Communication Phase. Over the next few weeks, you will hear a great deal about the proposed building and how we hope to make that vision a reality. My thanks to our Deacons who conducted the first phase, a ministry of prayer to our entire Church family. Over the next several weeks, I ask you to continue praying for God’s continuing blessings on our Church, for the success of the capital campaign, and for how God is leading you to participate.
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February 2020
February can be a con-fusing month as we struggle with the last gasps of winter. I can accept the cold weather of winter, but I sure don’t enjoy shoveling it!! I am glad that February is the shortest month of the year, and that groundhogs only predict the weather— they don’t control it. But then again, forsythia comes back in February—I love bright yellow.
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January 2020
Our Christmas celebration was truly a joy and a bless-ing again this year. Advent, with the “Characters” that visited each week, the Choir’s presentation of The Carols of Christmas, our Christmas cantata were beautiful reminders of the wonderful story of that first Christmas.
January 2020
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November 2019
Our Christmas celebration was truly a joy and a bless-ing again this year. Advent, with the “Characters” that visited each week, the Choir’s presentation of The Carols of Christmas, our Christmas cantata were beautiful reminders of the wonderful story of that first Christmas. And our Christmas Eve service was well attended and a very meaningful way to pause and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray your Christmas cele-bration was joyous and blessed.
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October 2019
October is finally here! This is my favorite time of year—cool air, colorful trees, the sights and smells of home. This October is a busy one at FBC, Oakville.
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Sept 2019
I love September!! I love watching as God turns green to gold in nature. Apples are ripe and pumpkins are grow-ing. September is a month of New Beginnings. We begin our new Church and Sunday School year September 1st. The weather begins to moderate and the leaves begin to change color. Wow! I enjoy September.
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August 2019
Welcome to August!! The “H” Days of August are upon us hot humid, and hazy!! But that will change. They do call it “dog days”. Our Soccer Camp/VBS has been a real blessing.
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July 2019
Why do we mark Independ-ence Day! In July, 1776, 58 men signed the Declaration of Independence. They pledged their fortunes and their lives on the premise that liberty was worth the price. Several of those men had to make good on their pledge.
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June 2019
May was a month of real CELEBRATION at FBCO. We observed Mothers Day, High School and College graduations, our Kidz Kollege Commencement, and we con-cluded with Memorial Day. Of course, our Sunday worship always should be a celebration—of God’s love, our fellowship, and His grace. But some Sundays are special. And these May Sundays certainly were.
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May 2019
I enjoy a CELEBRATION. Of course, we celebrate in wor-ship every Sunday—our faith in a Living Savior, and our fellowship with each other as the body of Christ. But special celebrations are on the calendar in May.
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April 2019
Easter isI enjoy a CELEBRATION. Of course, we celebrate in wor-ship every Sunday—our faith in a Living Savior, and our fellowship with each other as the body of Christ. But special celebrations are on the calendar in May. These special empha-ses give us opportunities to recognize people we love, remember people we miss, congratulate peo-ple who achieve, and thank people who serve. You can enjoy these celebrations of the body of Christ. Also, remember that evening worship is cancelled on Mothers Day and Memorial Day, so you in our church family can celebrate with your families.
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March 2019
March is an enigma month. The weather in March is just so “iffy”! Winter has certainly left its mark on us, and it may not be over. But March also is a “Get ready” month—get ready for Easter, get ready for Spring, plan for Summer, and get ready to leave Winter behind. God has a time-table for the changing seasons, just like His timetable for us. I sense God is telling us to “get ready” for what He has in store. I don’t know about you, but I am ready.
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February 2019
February can be a con-fusing month as we struggle with the last gasps of winter. I can accept the cold weather of Winter, but I sure don’t enjoy shoveling it!! I am glad that February is the shortest month of the year, and that groundhogs only predict weather—and they don’t control it. But then again, forsythia comes back in February—I love bright yellow.
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January 2019
Our Christmas celebration was truly a joy and a bless-ing again this year. Advent and the Choir’s presentation of Only Love, our Christmas cantata were beautiful re-minders of the wonderful story of that first Christmas.
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December 2018
Christmas is coming!!—and we have cold weather and the first snowfall to prove it. The changing of the seasons this year has seemed sudden and radical. Where was Spring? And what happened to Fall? This has been a memorable year! As we conclude this season of Thanksgiving, I anticipate many things that will make this Christmas memorable, too. That is certainly true for FBCO, and I pray it will be so for your family, as well.
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November 2018
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October 2018
October is finally here! This is my favorite time of year—cool air, colorful trees, the sights and smells of home.
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September 2018
I love September!! I love watching as God turns green to gold in nature. Apples are ripe, pumpkins are growing, and we get to “change gears ” from the Summer rush. September is a month of New Beginnings.
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