The following is from the Pastor's Pen that occurs on the backside of our Sunday bulletin.
Vacation Bible School is Here!
One of the songs that my home church would sing for Vacation Bible School started off with the words, "Vacation Bible School is here, and to it we'll give a cheer." As you look around the church today, the fact that Vacation Bible School is here should be obvious.
I hope that the Vacation Bible School decorations and items spread throughout the building serve as a reminder for you to be praying for Vacation Bible School this week. While a lot of work has went into getting things ready for this week, God's blessing is necessary if anything of value is to be accomplished this week of Vacation Bible School This really is a great opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a number of children.
Our theme for Vacation Bible School this week is "SeaQuest: Diving for God's Treasure" and features lessons concerning treasures taken from the parables of Jesus Christ - for instance the parables of the treasure hid in the field and the pearl of great price.
The Cola Clash is Friday
While you are thinking and praying about Vacation Bible School, please also pray for The Cola Clash Youth Rally that we will be hosting on Friday night. This event will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be a great time for the teens as they participate in a number of games and activities. Please take a few flyers and invite out some teens that you know (or even teens you don't know) to join us for this activity.
Church Website
The church website has been updated and moved to a new hosts over the summer. There is still work to be done on the site, but it has been greatly improved. A special thanks is due to Scott Zockoll for his work in getting the website moved to its new location and working on improving the layout and design. Thanks, Scotty.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Some Thoughts Regarding Youth Ministries
This month will be a very busy month around here at Fellowship Baptist Church, especially in the area of ministry to youth and children. While we do not have large numbers of young people at our church, we do believe that ministering to young people is very important.
Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me" (Mark 10:14) and warned in Matthew 18:6 "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
In the next few weeks, please be in prayer for the following four major events will be occurring involving our church and young people:
1. Teen Week at The Wilds
The teens leave TOMORROW for a great week at The Wilds. Weeks at The Wilds have often proven to be weeks of great spiritual challenge and encouragement in addition to a great time of fun, excitement and memories. This year we have five young people going to camp and Mr. John Crowley will be taking them. This trip leaves tomorrow morning. Please be in prayer for this week.
In addition to praying for this week, we will have a special offering after the morning service to try to help with some of the cost of this week of camp. In addition to the cost of getting back and forth to camp, we would also like to provide assistance to some of the young people who need financial assistance to help cover the cost of camp. Please prayerfully consider what you can give for this offering.
2. Junior Week at Tri-State Bible Camp
Next week, the junior age young people are heading off to Tri-State Bible Camp in New Jersey. There are still openings for this week if anyone would like to attend.
3. Vacation Bible School
We will be hosting our annual VBS the week of July 26-30 from 9 am - 12 noon. In addition to helping out the days of VBS, we also could use help with snacks, prizes, inviting folks out and more.
4. Cola Clash Youth Rally
On Friday, July 30, we will have a Cola Clash Youth Rally here at the church for young people in grades 7-12. We look forward to an exciting time of outreach.
Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me" (Mark 10:14) and warned in Matthew 18:6 "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
In the next few weeks, please be in prayer for the following four major events will be occurring involving our church and young people:
1. Teen Week at The Wilds
The teens leave TOMORROW for a great week at The Wilds. Weeks at The Wilds have often proven to be weeks of great spiritual challenge and encouragement in addition to a great time of fun, excitement and memories. This year we have five young people going to camp and Mr. John Crowley will be taking them. This trip leaves tomorrow morning. Please be in prayer for this week.
In addition to praying for this week, we will have a special offering after the morning service to try to help with some of the cost of this week of camp. In addition to the cost of getting back and forth to camp, we would also like to provide assistance to some of the young people who need financial assistance to help cover the cost of camp. Please prayerfully consider what you can give for this offering.
2. Junior Week at Tri-State Bible Camp
Next week, the junior age young people are heading off to Tri-State Bible Camp in New Jersey. There are still openings for this week if anyone would like to attend.
3. Vacation Bible School
We will be hosting our annual VBS the week of July 26-30 from 9 am - 12 noon. In addition to helping out the days of VBS, we also could use help with snacks, prizes, inviting folks out and more.
4. Cola Clash Youth Rally
On Friday, July 30, we will have a Cola Clash Youth Rally here at the church for young people in grades 7-12. We look forward to an exciting time of outreach.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Easter Season is upon us
This time of year is an exciting time of year for a lot of people.
Spring is in the air - and with it comes flowers, grass, and the sense that everything is new again. The deadness of winter is passed and life is springing up everywhere.
More important than the advent of spring, however, is that this time of year also leads us to a more focused attention on the central message of Christianity - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While it is true that every Sunday is a reminder of the Resurrection (and one of the reasons we worship on Sundays), there is a special sense in which Resurrection Sunday (Easter) brings a focus on the vitally important events that make up the Passion Week - the week which brought the crowd's praise on Palm Sunday and the crowd's cries of "Crucify Him" later in the week. The week that culminated with a sham trial, a broken and bloody and crucified Savior, and a discouraged following.
As we end the week, it looked like all was lost - when it reality things were just beginning.
"Up from the grave He arose" begins the chorus of the great Robert Lowry hymn - and what a triumphant truth that is. Jesus Christ arose!! Death could not keep its prey. Jesus died for our sins and He was resurrected and in doing so, He was declared the Son of God with power (Romans 1:4).
Please join us over this season as we take some time to look into God's word and to consider the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Spring is in the air - and with it comes flowers, grass, and the sense that everything is new again. The deadness of winter is passed and life is springing up everywhere.
More important than the advent of spring, however, is that this time of year also leads us to a more focused attention on the central message of Christianity - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While it is true that every Sunday is a reminder of the Resurrection (and one of the reasons we worship on Sundays), there is a special sense in which Resurrection Sunday (Easter) brings a focus on the vitally important events that make up the Passion Week - the week which brought the crowd's praise on Palm Sunday and the crowd's cries of "Crucify Him" later in the week. The week that culminated with a sham trial, a broken and bloody and crucified Savior, and a discouraged following.
As we end the week, it looked like all was lost - when it reality things were just beginning.
"Up from the grave He arose" begins the chorus of the great Robert Lowry hymn - and what a triumphant truth that is. Jesus Christ arose!! Death could not keep its prey. Jesus died for our sins and He was resurrected and in doing so, He was declared the Son of God with power (Romans 1:4).
Please join us over this season as we take some time to look into God's word and to consider the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wow! What a past couple of weeks!
The last couple of weeks has been a very unusual time here in Salisbury. The strong snow storms back to back to back have taken a toll on a lot of folks. With roofs collapsing, cars getting stuck, children staying home from school day after day, and church services having been cancelled for two Sundays and a Wednesday night, it seems like we live in a winter wonderland rather than our normally sunny Delmarva.
We still have some work to do over the next couple of days to try to get the parking lot and sidewalks at church cleared off, but barring something unforseen, we should be able to have our services again this Sunday. (YAY!)
For those who may not have heard, due to the snow and the cancelled services, our Fellowship Sunday has been moved to February 28th. We will also have the Annual Members Meeting on that day after the Fellowship Meal.
It is my understanding that blogger is making some adjustments to the way that it does hosted blogs, so I may also be needing to make some adjustments to this small (and seldom used) pastoral blog some time in the near future.
Have a good day and may you focus on Christ as you walk and work today.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
We still have some work to do over the next couple of days to try to get the parking lot and sidewalks at church cleared off, but barring something unforseen, we should be able to have our services again this Sunday. (YAY!)
For those who may not have heard, due to the snow and the cancelled services, our Fellowship Sunday has been moved to February 28th. We will also have the Annual Members Meeting on that day after the Fellowship Meal.
It is my understanding that blogger is making some adjustments to the way that it does hosted blogs, so I may also be needing to make some adjustments to this small (and seldom used) pastoral blog some time in the near future.
Have a good day and may you focus on Christ as you walk and work today.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Monday, December 07, 2009
A Note About Goodsearch and Goodshop
A Note About GoodSearch and GoodShop
GoodSearch is an organization that provide an opportunity to support the churches and charities in a pain-free and cost-free method. At the end of 2007, after researching Goodsearch, I completed the steps necessary for Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury to be able to receive funds from the Goodsearch program. We recently received our check from Goodsearch for 2009 in the amount of $55.24 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to explain the program and to encourage you to use Goodsearch and Goodshop if you use the internet - or have friends and family that use the internet.
How does Goodsearch work?
Goodsearch provides a donation to the church whenever you use Goodsearch to search the internet - instead of using Google or some other search engine. The search results are powered by Yahoo!, so the search results are good results. Anyone who uses the internet already uses some method to search the internet, with Goodsearch, we are simply asking that choice of search engine to be Goodsearch and that the designated charity be Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury.
It is a blessing to be able to receive this money and for a small church like Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury, even a relatively small amount of money like this can help offset the cost of Sunday School curriculum or Vacation Bible School materials or Jr. Church materials or tracts or bulletins. The more people who use Goodsearch for us, the more we are able to raise. The amount of money raised last year was from a relatively few people searching.
In addition to being able to receive donations by simply using GoodSearch as you search the internet, over the last year or so, Goodsearch has added a program called GoodShop. GoodShop uses the same concept, except that instead of making a donation for searching, it makes a donation when you buy something online by going through GoodShop to get to the store's online presence. The stores represented by GoodShop are places many of us go shopping anyway, such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Staples, Petsmart, etc. The difference is that you would be making your purchases online instead of at the store. Depending on the store, you may even be able to make your purchase online and pick it up at the store in person (or have it shipped to you - or to a loved one in another part of the country for Christmas). The amount of donation from Goodshop purchases are a percentage of the overall purchase, so that purchasing that Wii from Target through Goodsearch (instead of just going over there) could result in a donation of $7.00 (3.5% of $200).
How do I use Goodsearch?
Goodsearch has made the process pretty easy. You can either go directly to the site (www.goodsearch.com) and enter "Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury" in the box that asks "Who do you Goodsearch for?". This should only have to be entered once. You could also just simply CLICK HERE and it will already be pre-populated with the information for Fellowship Baptist Church. In addition to this, they also have a Goodsearch toolbar that you use that adds a Goodsearch search box to your Internet browser, allowing you to search for anything you want from anywhere on the internet (using this feature, you don't have to leave the page you are looking at in order to search for something else).
You can Goodsearch at your home computer or from any other computer you use. Even if you don't use the internet very much, perhaps a friend or relative may be willing to "Goodsearch" for us (my sister and mom in Illinois use Goodsearch for our church). If you need help with setting this up, please see me.
While we are not going to raise a large amount of money through this method, it can definitely be a help. If we had just 50 people using Goodsearch an average of ten times a day for searching, we would raise over $1500 during the course of a year. If we had 25 people make $100 purchases that they were aleady going to make at Staples (for instance), it would be an additional $50.
So, thanks to Goodsearch for the recent donation and thank you to all of you who already use Goodsearch for Fellowship Baptist Church. If you don't, would you consider helping us out in this way? Click here to get started.
Thanks for your help,
Pastor Frank Sansone
GoodSearch is an organization that provide an opportunity to support the churches and charities in a pain-free and cost-free method. At the end of 2007, after researching Goodsearch, I completed the steps necessary for Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury to be able to receive funds from the Goodsearch program. We recently received our check from Goodsearch for 2009 in the amount of $55.24 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to explain the program and to encourage you to use Goodsearch and Goodshop if you use the internet - or have friends and family that use the internet.
How does Goodsearch work?
Goodsearch provides a donation to the church whenever you use Goodsearch to search the internet - instead of using Google or some other search engine. The search results are powered by Yahoo!, so the search results are good results. Anyone who uses the internet already uses some method to search the internet, with Goodsearch, we are simply asking that choice of search engine to be Goodsearch and that the designated charity be Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury.
It is a blessing to be able to receive this money and for a small church like Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury, even a relatively small amount of money like this can help offset the cost of Sunday School curriculum or Vacation Bible School materials or Jr. Church materials or tracts or bulletins. The more people who use Goodsearch for us, the more we are able to raise. The amount of money raised last year was from a relatively few people searching.
In addition to being able to receive donations by simply using GoodSearch as you search the internet, over the last year or so, Goodsearch has added a program called GoodShop. GoodShop uses the same concept, except that instead of making a donation for searching, it makes a donation when you buy something online by going through GoodShop to get to the store's online presence. The stores represented by GoodShop are places many of us go shopping anyway, such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Staples, Petsmart, etc. The difference is that you would be making your purchases online instead of at the store. Depending on the store, you may even be able to make your purchase online and pick it up at the store in person (or have it shipped to you - or to a loved one in another part of the country for Christmas). The amount of donation from Goodshop purchases are a percentage of the overall purchase, so that purchasing that Wii from Target through Goodsearch (instead of just going over there) could result in a donation of $7.00 (3.5% of $200).
How do I use Goodsearch?
Goodsearch has made the process pretty easy. You can either go directly to the site (www.goodsearch.com) and enter "Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury" in the box that asks "Who do you Goodsearch for?". This should only have to be entered once. You could also just simply CLICK HERE and it will already be pre-populated with the information for Fellowship Baptist Church. In addition to this, they also have a Goodsearch toolbar that you use that adds a Goodsearch search box to your Internet browser, allowing you to search for anything you want from anywhere on the internet (using this feature, you don't have to leave the page you are looking at in order to search for something else).
You can Goodsearch at your home computer or from any other computer you use. Even if you don't use the internet very much, perhaps a friend or relative may be willing to "Goodsearch" for us (my sister and mom in Illinois use Goodsearch for our church). If you need help with setting this up, please see me.
While we are not going to raise a large amount of money through this method, it can definitely be a help. If we had just 50 people using Goodsearch an average of ten times a day for searching, we would raise over $1500 during the course of a year. If we had 25 people make $100 purchases that they were aleady going to make at Staples (for instance), it would be an additional $50.
So, thanks to Goodsearch for the recent donation and thank you to all of you who already use Goodsearch for Fellowship Baptist Church. If you don't, would you consider helping us out in this way? Click here to get started.
Thanks for your help,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Friday, July 31, 2009
Some Thoughts on Christian Camping
This week the junior age young people from Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury are enjoying a week of camp at Tri-State Bible Camp in Montague, New Jersey. Tri-State is a smaller camp that is doing a good job of providing a quality Christian camping experience in a beautiful location on the Delaware River at the border of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. We have enjoyed our visits to Tri-State as a family over the years, although this is the first year that our own children have went away for a week of camp without us being present with them.
I appreciate the work that Chris and Michelle Jenkins are doing up at Tri-State and the leadership they are providing at the camp. I can't wait until Josiah and Christina get home and we can talk about the things they learned this week at camp and I can hear about what God has done in their lives this week.
It was at Ironwood Christian Camp in California the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school where the Lord called me to full-time ministry and the ministry of camping has always had a special place in my heart. I have enjoyed the opportunities over the years to work as a counselor at some quality Christian camps and to preach at a few different Christian camps.
One of the greatest benefits of Christian camping is the fact that it provides a great opportunity to get away from the distractions of this world and have an extended time of focus on God and God's Word.
One of the realities of life (like we discussed a few weeks ago in our Sunday afternoon Bible study) is that prolonged and involved exposure to the Son of God through the Word of God has an evident effect upon a believer - just as prolonged exposure to the sun has an evident effect upon a person.
Camp provides a great opportunity for that kind of prolonged exposure. However, as believers, while we can rejoice in the opportunities for prolonged exposure to God's Son that is provided at a Camp or Retreat, we should recognize that we need continued exposure to God's Son through God's Word if we are going to have change that is lasting and fruitful.
Thank you, Tri-State, for providing this ministry for the young people at our church and others. Thank you, FBC family, for allowing us the opportunity to take young people from here to camp each summer.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
I appreciate the work that Chris and Michelle Jenkins are doing up at Tri-State and the leadership they are providing at the camp. I can't wait until Josiah and Christina get home and we can talk about the things they learned this week at camp and I can hear about what God has done in their lives this week.
It was at Ironwood Christian Camp in California the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school where the Lord called me to full-time ministry and the ministry of camping has always had a special place in my heart. I have enjoyed the opportunities over the years to work as a counselor at some quality Christian camps and to preach at a few different Christian camps.
One of the greatest benefits of Christian camping is the fact that it provides a great opportunity to get away from the distractions of this world and have an extended time of focus on God and God's Word.
One of the realities of life (like we discussed a few weeks ago in our Sunday afternoon Bible study) is that prolonged and involved exposure to the Son of God through the Word of God has an evident effect upon a believer - just as prolonged exposure to the sun has an evident effect upon a person.
Camp provides a great opportunity for that kind of prolonged exposure. However, as believers, while we can rejoice in the opportunities for prolonged exposure to God's Son that is provided at a Camp or Retreat, we should recognize that we need continued exposure to God's Son through God's Word if we are going to have change that is lasting and fruitful.
Thank you, Tri-State, for providing this ministry for the young people at our church and others. Thank you, FBC family, for allowing us the opportunity to take young people from here to camp each summer.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Sunday, July 19, 2009
A Good Sunday at Fellowship Baptist
We had a good day today at Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury. It was great to have some visitors out and to have some other folks back who have been away for awhile.
It was also especially nice to have Dr. Terry Smith and a group from Hardingville Bible Church join us for the services. It is always nice to see old friends.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
It was also especially nice to have Dr. Terry Smith and a group from Hardingville Bible Church join us for the services. It is always nice to see old friends.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What a Great Week of Vacation Bible School
Wow! This last week has been a great week of Vacation Bible School at Fellowship Baptist Church. We have had a good turn-out and it has been great to have all the children and young people join us for the week of learning great Bible truths, singing, playing, eating, making crafts and enjoying time together. The young people were excited and well-behaved and the VBS staff we had this year was second to none.
Thank you to everyone that helped out and to all of the parents who allowed us to minister to your young people this week at Vacation Bible School. We would love for you to join us for Sunday School and Church this Sunday - or any Sunday.
Our Sunday School is for all ages - including adults - and begins at 10:00 a.m. Our morning service is at 11:00 a.m. and we have Jr. Church for children who wish to attend the Jr. Church service.
Thanks again children, parents, and helpers. I hope to post some VBS pictures on the church website this coming week.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thank you to everyone that helped out and to all of the parents who allowed us to minister to your young people this week at Vacation Bible School. We would love for you to join us for Sunday School and Church this Sunday - or any Sunday.
Our Sunday School is for all ages - including adults - and begins at 10:00 a.m. Our morning service is at 11:00 a.m. and we have Jr. Church for children who wish to attend the Jr. Church service.
Thanks again children, parents, and helpers. I hope to post some VBS pictures on the church website this coming week.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Vacation Bible School is here!!!
Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury is hosting VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL the week of July 13 - 17 for children ages 4 years old through finishing 6th grade.
VBS is always a great time of fun and fellowship at FBC and VBS is FREE and will feature Bible Stories, singing, games, crafts, snacks and more. Many folks have been working diligently to make this our best Vacation Bible School ever.
VBS is from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day, Monday through Friday. We have classes for different age groups and a well-staffed group of teachers and helpers.
For more information or if you need a ride, please call 410-341-7100.
For directions and more information call 410-341-7100 or email pastor@fellowshipbaptist-salisbury.org.
Look forward to seeing you here.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
VBS is always a great time of fun and fellowship at FBC and VBS is FREE and will feature Bible Stories, singing, games, crafts, snacks and more. Many folks have been working diligently to make this our best Vacation Bible School ever.
VBS is from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day, Monday through Friday. We have classes for different age groups and a well-staffed group of teachers and helpers.
For more information or if you need a ride, please call 410-341-7100.
For directions and more information call 410-341-7100 or email pastor@fellowshipbaptist-salisbury.org.
Look forward to seeing you here.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Church Christmas Letter # 2
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:10
Dear Church Family,
When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. Christmas is a time of great rejoicing. It is a time when we rejoice in time spent with family and friends. It is a time when we rejoice with the songs of the season and the things that remind us of yesteryear. Most importantly, Christmas should be a time when we rejoice in the birth of the Savior.
This year has been an exciting and difficult year here at Fellowship Baptist Church. We have had the excitement of the salvation of Lila, followed a week later by the sadness of the stroke to Nancy. We have had the excitement of being given one van only to discover we couldn't get it through Maryland's inspection. We have had the excitement of the Lord's provision of another wheelchair accessible van and the excitement of a good turn-out for our summer Vacation Bible School. We have had the difficulties of many of our church family facing times of physical, financial, and even spiritual trials.
In November, I preached a message in which I referenced a quote from Winston Churchill regarding "insurmountable opportunities." The phrase was meant to convey the idea that the task ahead was a task of difficulty, but was also a task that could reap great benefit and great fruit. As I look ahead to the coming year, I believe that we, as a church, are facing some "insurmountable opportunities" from a human perspective, but I rejoice that even as the Christmas story reminds us, "with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37)
In the coming days, we, as a church, need to be more diligent than ever in our attempt to reach out for Christ and to stand for Him in the midst of a lost and dying world. May I ask you to seriously pray about your involvement here at Fellowship Baptist Church during the days ahead? I am excited about some of the things that we have planned for the days ahead, but I recognize that for many of them to have the impact that they can and should have, we, as a church family, need to show ourselves faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us that "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." The requirement isn't exceptional abilities or great wealth - it is faithfulness. As we look forward to another year of ministry, may we be faithful in our attendance, faithful in our witnessing, faithful in our Christian walk, living for and depending on Christ in every area of our life.
May God give you a blessed Christmas season and may the New Year be a year in which we all grow closer to Christ and see Him work in us and through us in an even greater way.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone and family
Matthew 2:10
Dear Church Family,
When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. Christmas is a time of great rejoicing. It is a time when we rejoice in time spent with family and friends. It is a time when we rejoice with the songs of the season and the things that remind us of yesteryear. Most importantly, Christmas should be a time when we rejoice in the birth of the Savior.
This year has been an exciting and difficult year here at Fellowship Baptist Church. We have had the excitement of the salvation of Lila, followed a week later by the sadness of the stroke to Nancy. We have had the excitement of being given one van only to discover we couldn't get it through Maryland's inspection. We have had the excitement of the Lord's provision of another wheelchair accessible van and the excitement of a good turn-out for our summer Vacation Bible School. We have had the difficulties of many of our church family facing times of physical, financial, and even spiritual trials.
In November, I preached a message in which I referenced a quote from Winston Churchill regarding "insurmountable opportunities." The phrase was meant to convey the idea that the task ahead was a task of difficulty, but was also a task that could reap great benefit and great fruit. As I look ahead to the coming year, I believe that we, as a church, are facing some "insurmountable opportunities" from a human perspective, but I rejoice that even as the Christmas story reminds us, "with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37)
In the coming days, we, as a church, need to be more diligent than ever in our attempt to reach out for Christ and to stand for Him in the midst of a lost and dying world. May I ask you to seriously pray about your involvement here at Fellowship Baptist Church during the days ahead? I am excited about some of the things that we have planned for the days ahead, but I recognize that for many of them to have the impact that they can and should have, we, as a church family, need to show ourselves faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us that "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." The requirement isn't exceptional abilities or great wealth - it is faithfulness. As we look forward to another year of ministry, may we be faithful in our attendance, faithful in our witnessing, faithful in our Christian walk, living for and depending on Christ in every area of our life.
May God give you a blessed Christmas season and may the New Year be a year in which we all grow closer to Christ and see Him work in us and through us in an even greater way.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone and family
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
2008 Church Christmas Letter 1
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:10
When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. Christmas is a time of great rejoicing. It is a time when we rejoice in time spent with family and friends. It is a time when we rejoice with the songs of the season and the things that remind us of yesteryear. Most importantly, Christmas should be a time when we rejoice in the birth of the Savior.
God is a giving God and has given unto us His Son, Jesus Christ, to born in a lowly manger, to live a sinless and spotless life, to die on the cross for our sins, and to rise again in power and glory.
As the Christmas season is upon us, may our minds not only be filled with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads, but may our minds and hearts be filled with a love for the One who gave everything for us. The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible relates to us the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin and that he lived a perfect, sinless life and died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary to be our Substitute and our Savior.
December is a special time for at Fellowship Baptist Church, and we would like to invite you to join us for our Special Christmas Sunday Service this coming Sunday, December 21. As part of our service that morning, the children will be performing a program called "There's A Song in the Air." We will also have a great time of singing, special music, a special Christmas-themed message and a Fellowship Lunch with plenty of great food and good fellowship after the service.
Whether you are a regular attender or whether you have not been out for awhile, wouldn't this Christmas Sunday be a great Sunday to come back out and join us at Fellowship Baptist Church?
May God give you a Blessed Christmas in which the Gift of Christmas remains foremost in your mind.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Matthew 2:10
When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. Christmas is a time of great rejoicing. It is a time when we rejoice in time spent with family and friends. It is a time when we rejoice with the songs of the season and the things that remind us of yesteryear. Most importantly, Christmas should be a time when we rejoice in the birth of the Savior.
God is a giving God and has given unto us His Son, Jesus Christ, to born in a lowly manger, to live a sinless and spotless life, to die on the cross for our sins, and to rise again in power and glory.
As the Christmas season is upon us, may our minds not only be filled with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads, but may our minds and hearts be filled with a love for the One who gave everything for us. The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible relates to us the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin and that he lived a perfect, sinless life and died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary to be our Substitute and our Savior.
December is a special time for at Fellowship Baptist Church, and we would like to invite you to join us for our Special Christmas Sunday Service this coming Sunday, December 21. As part of our service that morning, the children will be performing a program called "There's A Song in the Air." We will also have a great time of singing, special music, a special Christmas-themed message and a Fellowship Lunch with plenty of great food and good fellowship after the service.
Whether you are a regular attender or whether you have not been out for awhile, wouldn't this Christmas Sunday be a great Sunday to come back out and join us at Fellowship Baptist Church?
May God give you a Blessed Christmas in which the Gift of Christmas remains foremost in your mind.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Monday, October 06, 2008
Join us for our 10th Anniversary Service
Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury, Maryland would love to invite you to join us as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary on Sunday, October 12, 2008.
Ten years ago a small group of believers began to meet in a home and eventually formed what became Messiah Baptist Fellowship. Pastor Steve Wagner served as Pastor of this small group of believers and they were soon able to secure a meeting place next to the Red Door Sub Shop on South Salisbury Boulevard. Over the next five-plus years, this little church remained faithful to the Word of God under Pastor Wagner's leadership and was privileged to see some folks come to Christ for salvation and some other believers who were looking for a good church come and join Messiah Baptist Fellowship.
Sensing the Lord's leading into full-time Jewish missions, Pastor Wagner and his wife relocated to South Carolina where he continues to serve with Messiah Ministries. Dr. William Woodhall, who had faithfully served as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lewes, Delaware for 33 years served as the Interim Pastor of Messiah Baptist Fellowship for most of 2004 and provided needed stability to this small flock during this time without a full-time Pastor.
In October 2004, Messiah Baptist Fellowship called Frank Sansone to serve as Pastor and Pastor Sansone and his family officially started on December 5, 2004. The last few years we have rejoiced in God's continued working in our church. Over these last few years, we have seen the Lord add to His church and we have seen growth in the people of God. In the Spring of 2006, the Lord provided us with a building at 1308 Robins Avenue and we changed our name to Fellowship Baptist Church. Since then, we have also rejoiced as this new building has allowed us to have the addition of Sunday School for all ages, some youth activities, and the excitement of Vacation Bible School in the summer. We have also rejoiced in Baptisms in the Nanticoke River and at a neighboring church, and the recent provision of a handicap-accessible van in specific answer to prayer.
For our 10th Anniversary, we invite you to join us for a very special Sunday. We would like to extend a special invitation to any of our friends who have been part of the ministry here over the years to "come home" for this Sunday. We also invite our neighbors and friends from the Salisbury area to join us for this Special Anniversary Sunday. All of the men who have served as Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church will be preaching. Dr. Woodhall will be preaching during the Sunday School hour at 10:00 a.m., Pastor Sansone will preach the morning service at 11:00 a.m. and Pastor Wagner will preach the afternoon service at 2:00 p.m. We will also be have a special lunch at the church between the morning and afternoon service, complete with good food prepared by the folks at Fellowship.
If you would like more information or have any questions, please feel free to call the church at 410-341-7100.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
2008 Vacation Bible School
Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury would like to invite you to our 2008 Vacation Bible School - Dino Detectives - Digging for God's Truth.
Vacation Bible School is for children ages 4 years old through 6th grade and is a great time to get together and learn the truth of God's Word. Each day will feature Bible Stories, Crafts, Singing, Games, and more as together we dig for God's truth regarding creation, the fall, and what happened to the dinosaurs.
VBS is Monday, July 28 through Friday, August 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Noon) and is free.
For more information or to register, please call 410-341-7100.
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Great Week at The Wilds
Last week, we had the privilege of taking a group of teens and juniors down to camp at The Wilds Christian Camp in Rosman, North Carolina.
The Wilds is a great camp that focuses on doing all things excellent for Jesus Christ. The camp verse is 1 Corinthians 10:31 and is not just a verse put on a sign and forgotten about, but serves as a driving force behind all that is done at the camp - "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
To the parents, thank you for giving us the opportunity to take your young person to camp. Pray for and with your children. Talk to them not only about the fun adventures at camp, but also about what God taught them through His Word.
To the teens and juniors, thank you for a great week. You were a joy to take down to The Wilds. Don't allow the distractions of the world to draw your focus away from Christ and "continue thou in the things thou hast learned." (2 Timothy 3:14)
To the others in the church. Thank you for praying for the young people and praying for our safety. Thank you, as well, for giving generously to help offset some of the expenses.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
The Wilds is a great camp that focuses on doing all things excellent for Jesus Christ. The camp verse is 1 Corinthians 10:31 and is not just a verse put on a sign and forgotten about, but serves as a driving force behind all that is done at the camp - "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
To the parents, thank you for giving us the opportunity to take your young person to camp. Pray for and with your children. Talk to them not only about the fun adventures at camp, but also about what God taught them through His Word.
To the teens and juniors, thank you for a great week. You were a joy to take down to The Wilds. Don't allow the distractions of the world to draw your focus away from Christ and "continue thou in the things thou hast learned." (2 Timothy 3:14)
To the others in the church. Thank you for praying for the young people and praying for our safety. Thank you, as well, for giving generously to help offset some of the expenses.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Join us for Special Meetings with Evangelist Mark Kittrell
Fellowship Baptist Church is pleased to have Evangelist Mark Kittrell for Special Meetings from Sunday, May 4, 2008 through Wednesday, May 7, 2008. (Please ignore the banner that says the meetings have been postponed - that is from earlier and I can't seem to get it changed.)
We will be kicking off the Special Meetings with a Cola Clash Youth Rally on Saturday from 4 pm to 8 pm. This activity will feature Tube Tug, Spoke Tackle and Speedball, as well as some indoor activities before a message from Evangelist Kittrell. Please come out and join us for this activity.
On Sunday, we will be having a special day, with Mr. Kittrell teaching a combined adult and teen Sunday School and preaching in the morning service. Following the morning service, we will be having a Fellowship Lunch together followed by an early afternoon service at 2:00 p.m. with Mr. Kittrell preaching again.
If you live in the area, we would love to have you join us for the meetings.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
We will be kicking off the Special Meetings with a Cola Clash Youth Rally on Saturday from 4 pm to 8 pm. This activity will feature Tube Tug, Spoke Tackle and Speedball, as well as some indoor activities before a message from Evangelist Kittrell. Please come out and join us for this activity.
On Sunday, we will be having a special day, with Mr. Kittrell teaching a combined adult and teen Sunday School and preaching in the morning service. Following the morning service, we will be having a Fellowship Lunch together followed by an early afternoon service at 2:00 p.m. with Mr. Kittrell preaching again.
If you live in the area, we would love to have you join us for the meetings.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Kittrell Meetings on Hold - Pray for his mom
I realize that this information has been well-publicized to our church folks, but I wanted to make sure that I mentioned it here, as well.
As I mentioned in this post, we at Fellowship Baptist Church have been looking forward to having special meetings this week with Evangelist Mark Kittrell and his family.
Unfortunately, Mr. Kittrell's mom having some very serious medical issues at a hospital in Florida and the Kittrells needed to be there. Please pray for Mrs. Kittrell as the next few days will be critical for her.
Also, we are going to try to reschedule these Special Meetings with Mark Kittrell later on this spring, so, keep your ears open for an update.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
As I mentioned in this post, we at Fellowship Baptist Church have been looking forward to having special meetings this week with Evangelist Mark Kittrell and his family.
Unfortunately, Mr. Kittrell's mom having some very serious medical issues at a hospital in Florida and the Kittrells needed to be there. Please pray for Mrs. Kittrell as the next few days will be critical for her.
Also, we are going to try to reschedule these Special Meetings with Mark Kittrell later on this spring, so, keep your ears open for an update.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Monday, February 18, 2008
Special Meetings with Evangelist Mark Kittrell
Fellowship Baptist Church is excited to be welcoming back Evangelist Mark Kittrell and his family for some Special Meetings from Sunday, March 9, 2008 through Wednesday, March 12, 2008.
I have set up a page on the Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury website with some additional details about the meetings. That page can be found here, although the better way to reach it is probably through the main site (www.fellowshipbaptist-salsibury.org) and then clicking on the banner near the top.
Mark and Tammisue are long-time friends of Pastor and Missy Sansone and we had a great time with meetings the last time they visited us. In fact, I blogged about the meetings we had with them soon after I began this blog. You can check out some of those posts here, here and here.
If you live in the area, I greatly encourage you to come out and join us for these special meetings. You will be challenged, blessed, and encouraged.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
I have set up a page on the Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury website with some additional details about the meetings. That page can be found here, although the better way to reach it is probably through the main site (www.fellowshipbaptist-salsibury.org) and then clicking on the banner near the top.
Mark and Tammisue are long-time friends of Pastor and Missy Sansone and we had a great time with meetings the last time they visited us. In fact, I blogged about the meetings we had with them soon after I began this blog. You can check out some of those posts here, here and here.
If you live in the area, I greatly encourage you to come out and join us for these special meetings. You will be challenged, blessed, and encouraged.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Search with Goodsearch and help support our church
This spring, I set up Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury as an approved charity under Goodsearch.
Goodsearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that donates 1 cent ($.01) to your favorite charity for every search you make on the internet using Goodsearch. Like many of you, I tend to be a little skeptical of things like this, but I rejoice to be able to tell you that it actually works!
Recently Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury received our first check from Goodsearch in the amount of $49.71. You may think this is nothing to write home about (or blog about), but this can help us to be able to purchase Sunday School materials for about one quarter - for people doing nothing different that what they already do.
SO, here is my comment and my plea. If you are part of our church or a friend of our church, would you please consider using Goodserch to do your internet searching. If your church does not use Goodsearch, would you consider using Goodsearch as your search engine and designating Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury (Salisbury, MD) as your charity. (There is a pre-populated link on the right hand column of this blog to make it easy - or you can click here.)
If 10 people searched 10 times a day using Goodsearch, that would be $365 at the end of the year - not a huge amount to a lot of churches, but this additional money could easily be used for ministry.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Goodsearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that donates 1 cent ($.01) to your favorite charity for every search you make on the internet using Goodsearch. Like many of you, I tend to be a little skeptical of things like this, but I rejoice to be able to tell you that it actually works!
Recently Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury received our first check from Goodsearch in the amount of $49.71. You may think this is nothing to write home about (or blog about), but this can help us to be able to purchase Sunday School materials for about one quarter - for people doing nothing different that what they already do.
SO, here is my comment and my plea. If you are part of our church or a friend of our church, would you please consider using Goodserch to do your internet searching. If your church does not use Goodsearch, would you consider using Goodsearch as your search engine and designating Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury (Salisbury, MD) as your charity. (There is a pre-populated link on the right hand column of this blog to make it easy - or you can click here.)
If 10 people searched 10 times a day using Goodsearch, that would be $365 at the end of the year - not a huge amount to a lot of churches, but this additional money could easily be used for ministry.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Join us during this Christmas Season
Fellowship Baptist Church rejoices in the opportunities of the Christmas season. It is a time of year to enjoy family and friends, to remember Christmas's of the past and to make memories of the future. Most importantly, it provides a great opportunity to think about what Christmas is really all about - the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Just to think about the fact that God became a man at Christmas is mind-boggling. The Bible tells us that Jesus "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7) and that "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).
It is not enough, however, to realize that Christmas is about Christ becoming a man, it is also important to remember the reason for this incarnation. Christmas happened for a reason! Christ became a man that He might die as our substitute on the cross. He was, indeed, "Born to Die."
We would love to have you join us for any of our services and would also love to sit down with you and show you from the Bible more about what Christmas is all about.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Just to think about the fact that God became a man at Christmas is mind-boggling. The Bible tells us that Jesus "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7) and that "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).
It is not enough, however, to realize that Christmas is about Christ becoming a man, it is also important to remember the reason for this incarnation. Christmas happened for a reason! Christ became a man that He might die as our substitute on the cross. He was, indeed, "Born to Die."
We would love to have you join us for any of our services and would also love to sit down with you and show you from the Bible more about what Christmas is all about.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Don't forget the other services
I love God's people and I love to get together with God's people. At Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury, we meet a few times a week in order to provide greater opportunities for worship, fellowship, discipleship and growth.
Everyone is aware of our main Sunday morning worship service, but I want to encourage those who only come for the Sunday morning service to try to make a more concerted effort to make it out for the other services throughout the week.
On Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m., we have our Sunday School. Sunday School is a great opportunity for discipleship and Bible teaching in a smaller group setting. We have classes for all ages, including an adult Sunday School class.
On Sunday morning worship service at 11:00 a.m. seeks to bring glory to God as we worship together in Spirit and in truth. We sing hymns, pray, fellowship, and look into God's Word together on a weekly basis during this service.
On Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m., we have our Sunday evening Bible study. Sunday evening tends to follow a particular series and gets a little bit more in-depth with the teaching and preaching of God's Word. Currently, we are studying through the book of Philippians on Sunday night - with a particular emphasis on "Right Thinking Really Matters" looking at the concept of the mind and thinking in this great book.
On Wednesday nights, we try to focus the nights on prayer. We take requests and split up in prayer. Recently we started to focus on some public reading of the Word of God on Wednesday nights and have begun to read through the Gospels as part of our Wednesday night service. Our current schedule is designed so that we corporately read through the Gospels by the end of this year. We also have a questions time to answer any questions that may come up as a result of the Bible reading.
Anyway, I would like to encourage you to join us for all or our services at Fellowship Baptist Church. You may find the blessing extends beyond Sunday morning.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Everyone is aware of our main Sunday morning worship service, but I want to encourage those who only come for the Sunday morning service to try to make a more concerted effort to make it out for the other services throughout the week.
On Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m., we have our Sunday School. Sunday School is a great opportunity for discipleship and Bible teaching in a smaller group setting. We have classes for all ages, including an adult Sunday School class.
On Sunday morning worship service at 11:00 a.m. seeks to bring glory to God as we worship together in Spirit and in truth. We sing hymns, pray, fellowship, and look into God's Word together on a weekly basis during this service.
On Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m., we have our Sunday evening Bible study. Sunday evening tends to follow a particular series and gets a little bit more in-depth with the teaching and preaching of God's Word. Currently, we are studying through the book of Philippians on Sunday night - with a particular emphasis on "Right Thinking Really Matters" looking at the concept of the mind and thinking in this great book.
On Wednesday nights, we try to focus the nights on prayer. We take requests and split up in prayer. Recently we started to focus on some public reading of the Word of God on Wednesday nights and have begun to read through the Gospels as part of our Wednesday night service. Our current schedule is designed so that we corporately read through the Gospels by the end of this year. We also have a questions time to answer any questions that may come up as a result of the Bible reading.
Anyway, I would like to encourage you to join us for all or our services at Fellowship Baptist Church. You may find the blessing extends beyond Sunday morning.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
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