THE

 ENCOURAGER                   

“…to prepare all God’s people for the work of

Christian Service to build up the body of Christ.”

www.woodruff1st.org

First Baptist Church * Woodruff, South Carolina

December 20, 2006

Join with your family of faith for

Special Services this Sunday!

Sunday School at 9:45 am

Jesus, God's Greatest Gift!  *  Luke 1:36 - 2:7

Morning Worship Service at 11:00 am

Great Joy!  *  Luke 2:8-20

Evening Worship Service at 5:00 pm

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Andrew Shull, Pastor   

Kelly R. Smith, Youth & Children’s Director            Robert L. Blanton, Jr., Music Director

Debra J. Fortner, Secretary                                                               Kay M. Young, Pianist

James R. Skinner, Custodian                                                 Thomasene Owensby, Organist

____________________________________________________________________________

PREPARING FOR SUNDAY!

December 24

Sunday School

JESUS, GOD’S GREATEST GIFT

Luke 1:36 – 2:7

Morning Worship Service

GREAT JOY!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

Luke 2:8-20

Evening Worship Service

CHRISTMAS EVE

Candlelight Communion Service

December 31

Sunday School

SALVATION FOR ALL

Luke 2:21-40

Morning Worship Service

Student Day

TODAY’S BLESSINGS

Psalm 31:14-16

No Evening Service or Activities

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

    Richard McAbee, 12-24        Greg Cooper, 12-30

    Ken Morrison, 12-24    Jack Rhodes, 12-31

    Tina Osborne, 12-25         Ashton Osborne, 12-31

    Jim Young, 12-26 Brooks Osborne, 12-31

    Rita Hunt, 12-27 Becky Godfrey, 1-1

    Miranda Brown, 12-28        Marie Wood, 1-3

    Emmie Workman, 12-28         Kevin Murphy, 1-3

    Mary Turner, 12-28       Altonia Skinner, 1-4

    Becky Westmoreland, 12-28 Mae Craig, 1-4

    Lane Robertson, 12-29 Nancy Harris, 1-5

    Joanne Kiser, 12-30

LOTTIE MOON OFFERING

A mission team from Texas became an answer to the prayers when more than 400 Maasai in Tanzania accepted Jesus Christ into their lives. The mission team traveled to a Maasai village near the Kenyan border. They shared chronological Bible stories with the villagers with the aid of a storying cloth depicting key stories of the Bible. “The Maasai loved hearing the stories and sat for quite a while to hear all 42 of them,” said one missionary who ministers in villages in the area. The team left the storying cloth with four of the villagers, hoping they would share the stories with others in their community. One of the missionaries said. “Thank you for your prayers for the volunteer team that came … to share Christ with the Maasai.”

What will you do that others may hear of Jesus?

Goal: $ 5,500.00 Received to Date: $ 2,540.45

CAROLING

Today, Wednesday, December 20 * 6:00 pm

Come and join us as we travel through the Woodruff Community bringing Christmas cheer! If you live near the church and would like for the “Carolers” to come by, please call the church office.

WINTER YOUTH RETREAT

January 13 – 15 * Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The balance for the retreat is due on or before January 7.

GOLDEN AGE FELLOWSHIP

Wednesday, January 3 * 11:45 am

All are welcome! Join us for great food and fellowship!

Our guest will be Gary Collins who will present:

The Potter and The Clay

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

We congratulate Jim Skinner as he completes his 21st year of service. Thank you, Jim, for all you do and your dedicated service in ministry at First Baptist.

OVER AND ABOVE OFFERING

For the Paving of the Church Parking Lots

Fund Balance: $65,750.40

GIFTS TO THE GLORY OF GOD!

Lottie Moon Offering In Memory of Sara Allene Hill

Kent & Tommie Jo McAbee

Over & Above Offering

In Honor of Mr & Mrs Soza

Thanks for being great Sunday School teachers!

Jessica Turner

In Memory of Oneal Craig

Mildred Taylor

ATTENDANCE AND OFFERING:

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Preschool 11

Children 33

Youth 20

Ext SS 5

Adults 121

Total Attendance 190

BUDGET December 17 Year to Date

Needs $ 7,555.00 $ 385,305.00

Offering $ 9,808.15 $ 385,979.23

Over/(Under) $ 2,253.15 $ 674.23

DESIGNATED FUNDS

Over and Above Offering $ 72.00

Lottie Moon Offering $    928.45

Designated Offering $   134.46

Total Designated $1,134.91

TOTAL $ 10,943.06

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE

Wednesdays during the Holidays

December 20 – Join us for Caroling, 6:00 pm

December 27 – No services or activities

January 3 – Mid Week Service, 6:30 pm

January 10 – Wednesday Night Programs Resume

PRAYER MEETINGS

Our Tuesday Morning Prayer group will not meet on Tuesday, December 26. We will resume the next Tuesday, January 2 at 7:00 am. All are welcome!

DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP

YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS!

Christmas Cards have been dropped off at the Youth Post Boxes located in the back foyer. Don’t forget to check and see if there is a card for you.

GLEANINGS FROM GOD’S WORD

Daily devotionals to help you

read through the Bible in a year.

By Gene & Jean Phillips

Purchase a book ($10) from an Acteen or through the church office. Funds raised will help our Acteens attend the National Acteens Convention this summer.

WORLD CHANGERS MISSION TRIP

Chesapeake, Virginia * June 23-30, 2007

A deposit of $50.00 is due on or before January 6.

Woodruff Community

CLOTHES CLOSET

January is our church’s month to staff the Clothes Closet. If your class or mission group would like to “claim” a Saturday in January to serve, please contact the church office. The Closet is in need of children’s clothes, especially baby clothes.

JANUARY BIBLE STUDY

John’s Letters: How to Grow in Loving God

Sunday Nights in January!

We would like to offer classes for each age group. If you can help, please contact Carolyn Culbreath, Julia Howard, Curtis Walker or the church office.

STUDENT DAY AT CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 31 * 11:00 am

Our college students are invited to help lead our worship service. Please call the church office if you would like to participate.

COLLEGE & CAREER

CHRISTMAS GATHERING

Thursday, December 21 * 7:00 pm * Andrew Shull’s

YOUTH CHRISTMAS GATHERING

Friday, December 22 * 7:00 -9:00 pm

At the Home of Kemp, Kelly,

Ashley, Amanda, & Hope Smith

Bring a wrapped Christmas gift ($7-$10) for the game.

SALT AND LIGHT

Men’s Ministry Conference

January 20 * Lexington Baptist Church

Speaker: Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

Over 50 Resource Conferences will be offered. Registration is $25 and includes lunch if received before January 4.

PROMISE KEEPERS

August 3-4 * Columbia, SC

Registration is $69.00 from now until January 31.

OVERFLOW!

Women’s Lifestyle Evangelism Conference

January 25 * Taylors First Baptist Church

Featuring: Donna Douglas, Leighann McCoy, Babbie Mason, Ashley Smith, and Sherry Cuenca. Registration is $20 and includes lunch if received before January 10.

NEWSLETTER

The Encourager will not be published next week..

The next edition will be Wednesday, January 3, 2007.

THE TRIVIA QUESTION

This week’s question: What former pastor’s name was chosen by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1933 to become part of the name of the Baptist Publishing Company?

Last week’s question: From its earliest days, our church has been an advocate of education. Our 1^st House of Worship also served as a one-room school house for the community. As the population grew, our church continued through the years to provide buildings and land for schools until the State of South Carolina assumed responsibility for public education. In that year, our church presented a “deed of conveyance” to the directors of Woodruff High School giving them 4.96 acres of land. What year did this take place? 1895

DAY BY DAY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20

6:00 pm Caroling

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

7:00 pm College & Career Gathering – Shull’s

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22

7:00 pm Youth Christmas Party – Kelly Smith’s

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24

9:00 am Handbell Practice

9:45 am Sunday School

11:00 am Worship Service

5:00 pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Office Closed

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26

Office Closed

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27

Office Closed

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31

9:00 am Handbell Practice

9:45 am Sunday School

11:00 am Worship Service

MONDAY. JANUARY 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Office Closed

TUESDAY, JANUARY 2

7:00 am Prayer Meeting

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3

11:45 am Golden Age Fellowship

6:30 pm Mid-Week Service

SHARING THE MINISTRY

Sunday, December 24

Greeters

R Rhodes, Z Orias (f), P Elliott (o), J Davidson (p)

Counting Team Sound Booth Nursery

L Turner, T & J Foster J Young       P Scott, L Morgan

Ushers

L Robertson, R Smith (f), S Rogers (o), T Skinner (p)

Welcome Center Blood Pressure Screening

R & L Tipton K Fowler

Children’s Worship

K Smith, A Tinker, A Smith

Sunday, December 31

Greeters

R Rhodes, Z Orias (f), P Elliott (o), J Davidson (p)

Counting Team Sound Booth Nursery

L Turner, T & J Foster J Young N Skinner

Ushers

J Cannon, T Westmoreland (f), B Lanford (o), H Woodfin (p)

Welcome Center Blood Pressure Screening

A Henson, V Brown J Bowie, J Cooper

Children’s Worship

L Orias, M Sumner, CA McAbee

Holiday Office Hours:

Monday – Wednesday, December 25 – 27 CLOSED

Thursday December 28 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Friday, December 29 - 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Monday, January 1 - CLOSED

Email: office@woodruff1st.org

Web site: www.woodruff1st.org

Telephone: (864) 476-8171 Fax: (864) 476-3141

THANK YOU!

Dear Church Family, Thank you doesn’t even start to say all that I want you to know on how much I love and care about each of you and the kindnesses you have shown me during the year and this Christmas season. All the cards and remembrances I have received are truly a daily blessing to me. My wish for each of you is to have a happy Christ filled holiday season. Love, Thelma Patton

Dear Church Family, Staff and Pastor, Thank you for your prayers and thoughtfulness. Mother & I enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal that was delivered to us. Mother continues to improve. She will be living with us until she can care for herself. She is in the wheelchair and walker while housebound. We are so thankful for the church family, staff and pastor that God has provided for us. Please continue to pray for Mother as she continues to improve.

Joyce & Ron Majeska and Cornelia Leopard

2007 FLOWER CALENDAR

Call or come by the church office to reserve the Sunday you would like to put flowers in the sanctuary in 2007.