Thank you for all who came out yesterday to pass out brochures and invite people to church. It was great to have a good turnout and we were able to contact well over one hundred homes in the process. I have heard that some good contacts were made. Please pray that this effort bears some fruit.
Thank you as well for praying for me and my family last week as we went up to the Bible Conference of Hardingville Bible Church. The Lord gave us safety as we traveled and things went well with the Bible Conference service that I preached. We presented a little Power Point presentation about what God is doing down here at Fellowship Baptist Church and Missy gave a testimony about life as a Pastor's wife. We also sang "My Jesus, I Love Thee" as a duet and I preached. The people were responsive and I believe that God was honored and the people were challenged by the Word of God. I really do appreciate your prayers when I have the occasion to go and preach at other places. I am mindful that as I do go to Conferences and things of this nature and preach, that, in addition to representing Jesus Christ, I am also representing this church.
While I am on the subject of preaching at other places, this might be a good time to mention and request your prayers for me for the future. In December (after Christmas), I will preaching for a College and Career Retreat at Peniel Bible Camp in Ohio. This is a camp that is run by the Ohio Bible Fellowship, a strong, fundamental group of churches in the state of Ohio. I have often heard of the OBF and of this camp, but this will be the first time that I have been able to preach there. I am looking forward to the being at the camp and request your prayers as I partake in this ministry opportunity.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
It all started with Sunday School
I am excited about the beginning of Sunday School. I hope that you were here this morning and that you will make plans to be here regularly for Sunday School.
The following is given as an encouragement regarding Sunday School.
IT ALL STARTED WITH SUNDAY SCHOOL
In 1858, Mr. Kimball, a Sunday School teacher, went to visit a Boston shoe clerk who had come to Sunday School. That young shoe clerk came to Jesus Christ for salvation and God worked in his life as went on to become a famous evangelist who reached thousands for Jesus Christ. The clerk's name was Dwight L. Moody.
The story does not end with Moody, however, as the influence of Mr. Moody continued to have an impact. As Mr. Moody visited England in 1879, Frederick B. Meyer, a pastor of a small church in England became convinced of the need to be more evangelistic and God began to do great things in and through his ministry as well.
Pastor Meyer was preaching to an American College campus some years later and brought to Christ a young man by the name of J. Wilbur Chapman.
Mr. Chapman, began to be involved in the Young Men's Christian Association (in the days when the focus of the YMCA was evangelism) and employed a former baseball player to do evangelistic work. That baseball player was Billy Sunday, who became one of the most well- known evangelists of American history.
The chain could continue indefinitely if we were able to go back and look at all of those who were won to Christ or motivated for Christ through the influence of these men - and it all started with Sunday School.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
The following is given as an encouragement regarding Sunday School.
IT ALL STARTED WITH SUNDAY SCHOOL
In 1858, Mr. Kimball, a Sunday School teacher, went to visit a Boston shoe clerk who had come to Sunday School. That young shoe clerk came to Jesus Christ for salvation and God worked in his life as went on to become a famous evangelist who reached thousands for Jesus Christ. The clerk's name was Dwight L. Moody.
The story does not end with Moody, however, as the influence of Mr. Moody continued to have an impact. As Mr. Moody visited England in 1879, Frederick B. Meyer, a pastor of a small church in England became convinced of the need to be more evangelistic and God began to do great things in and through his ministry as well.
Pastor Meyer was preaching to an American College campus some years later and brought to Christ a young man by the name of J. Wilbur Chapman.
Mr. Chapman, began to be involved in the Young Men's Christian Association (in the days when the focus of the YMCA was evangelism) and employed a former baseball player to do evangelistic work. That baseball player was Billy Sunday, who became one of the most well- known evangelists of American history.
The chain could continue indefinitely if we were able to go back and look at all of those who were won to Christ or motivated for Christ through the influence of these men - and it all started with Sunday School.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Good Start to Sunday School
On Sunday, we held our first Sunday School at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland.
It was great to see that a number of folks came out a little earlier to take part in our Sunday School classes. In fact, while I did not get a chance to look into all the classes since I was teaching the teen class, I heard today that all but three people who came to the morning service were also here for Sunday School.
In our testimony time tonight at church, it was encouraging to hear some comments about the way that God is already using things that have been taught in Sunday School. Please make plans to join us for Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays.
Also, please pray for our Sunday School teachers and Sunday School students. (While you are at it, please pray for me, as well.)
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
It was great to see that a number of folks came out a little earlier to take part in our Sunday School classes. In fact, while I did not get a chance to look into all the classes since I was teaching the teen class, I heard today that all but three people who came to the morning service were also here for Sunday School.
In our testimony time tonight at church, it was encouraging to hear some comments about the way that God is already using things that have been taught in Sunday School. Please make plans to join us for Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays.
Also, please pray for our Sunday School teachers and Sunday School students. (While you are at it, please pray for me, as well.)
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Sunday School to begin this Sunday
I am excited about the beginning of Sunday School next week. I hope that you will make plans on coming out to Sunday School and to bringing others out to Sunday School as well.
The first Sunday School was started in 1780s by a man named Robert Raikes who had a burden for the children of his day. He started a Sunday School in Gloucester, England in 1780 and by 1786 an estimated 250,000 children were attending Sunday Schools all over the place.
By the mid-1980s the U.S. alone had 29.7 million Sunday School students, although there has been a significant decline in Sunday Schools in the late 1980s and 1990s.
As we begin our Sunday School program next week at Fellowship Baptist Church, I ask that all of us pray for God's working in our Sunday School program. Pray for our teachers. Pray for our students. Pray for God to be glorified and lives to be changed.
I found these verses the other day that I thought were appropriate for this week's bulletin. (To the tune of God Bless America)
God bless our Sunday School - Built on Thy Word;
Leaning only on Jesus As the way and the truth and the Word
From the preschool, To the high school,
To the seniors, one and all;
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call.
God use our Sunday School - Stir us, we pray.
Move us boldly to witness of Thy Son Who's the truth and the Way
With our families and our neighbors
In the country and the town,
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
The first Sunday School was started in 1780s by a man named Robert Raikes who had a burden for the children of his day. He started a Sunday School in Gloucester, England in 1780 and by 1786 an estimated 250,000 children were attending Sunday Schools all over the place.
By the mid-1980s the U.S. alone had 29.7 million Sunday School students, although there has been a significant decline in Sunday Schools in the late 1980s and 1990s.
As we begin our Sunday School program next week at Fellowship Baptist Church, I ask that all of us pray for God's working in our Sunday School program. Pray for our teachers. Pray for our students. Pray for God to be glorified and lives to be changed.
I found these verses the other day that I thought were appropriate for this week's bulletin. (To the tune of God Bless America)
God bless our Sunday School - Built on Thy Word;
Leaning only on Jesus As the way and the truth and the Word
From the preschool, To the high school,
To the seniors, one and all;
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call
God bless our Sunday School - On Thee we call.
God use our Sunday School - Stir us, we pray.
Move us boldly to witness of Thy Son Who's the truth and the Way
With our families and our neighbors
In the country and the town,
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
God use our Sunday School - May grace abound.
End of the Series on Elijah
On Sunday, we finished our series on Elijah that we have been studying at the church. When we started this series before Mother's Day, I did not expect that we would still be on Elijah in September.
After studying the life of Elijah for the last few months, part of me feels like I just said "good- bye" to an old friend in Sunday's sermon. It has been encouraging and challenging to read and study the life of this man who James tells us "was subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17)." It is challenging to see this man of God rise up out of obscurity and boldly proclaim God's message to a king, queen, and nation that had rejected God's ways. It is encouraging to see God's provision for this man and remember that God will take care of His children. It is challenging to see this man of God standing against the prophets of Baal and praying earnestly for the rain that God brings. It is encouraging to remember that the same God who sent the rain in answer to Elijah's prayer desires that we bring our prayers to Him, as well.
One of the most encouraging things that showed up in the study for Sunday's message was thinking through the ramifications of Elisha's actions after Elijah was taken to heaven. When Elisha asks "Where is the God of Elijah?" and then God parts the Jordan, the simple, but very important truth rings out - the God of Elijah is still in control and the God of Elijah will continue to "shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)."
We plan on adding the last sermon of this series on the church web-site this week and then have plans on making the entire series available soon (except for the one week when we were without electricity and could not record). I'll let you know when those plans are completed.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
After studying the life of Elijah for the last few months, part of me feels like I just said "good- bye" to an old friend in Sunday's sermon. It has been encouraging and challenging to read and study the life of this man who James tells us "was subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17)." It is challenging to see this man of God rise up out of obscurity and boldly proclaim God's message to a king, queen, and nation that had rejected God's ways. It is encouraging to see God's provision for this man and remember that God will take care of His children. It is challenging to see this man of God standing against the prophets of Baal and praying earnestly for the rain that God brings. It is encouraging to remember that the same God who sent the rain in answer to Elijah's prayer desires that we bring our prayers to Him, as well.
One of the most encouraging things that showed up in the study for Sunday's message was thinking through the ramifications of Elisha's actions after Elijah was taken to heaven. When Elisha asks "Where is the God of Elijah?" and then God parts the Jordan, the simple, but very important truth rings out - the God of Elijah is still in control and the God of Elijah will continue to "shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)."
We plan on adding the last sermon of this series on the church web-site this week and then have plans on making the entire series available soon (except for the one week when we were without electricity and could not record). I'll let you know when those plans are completed.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Friday, September 15, 2006
Baptismal Service
I wanted to post this earlier this week, but do to some difficulty with the networking aspect of the computer that I use for pictures, it has been delayed until today.
Praise the Lord for the Great Baptismal Service.
This past Sunday was a special day here at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. In addition to our regular Sunday Morning Worship Service this past Sunday(in which we are still looking at the life of Elijah), we had a Fellowship Lunch and a Baptismal service down at the Insley's house down at the Nanticoke River.
These are the first Baptisms that we have had since I began as Pastor of Fellowship Baptist CHurch and other than Michelle K. (a teen - now married with children - who I had the privilege of baptizing when I was a Youth Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey), these are the first baptism that I have ever had the privilege of performing.
The time of fellowship was great before the Baptismal service and the Baptisms went well. It was neat for me to help these three individuals take this step of obedience to the Lord.
A special treat for me was the privilege of baptizing my own son, Josiah. As a father, it is a blessing to me to see the growth in his life. I also had the privilege of baptizing Victoria, who came to know Christ on our last Sunday in the old building, and Dave, who has been saved for a number of years, but had never before been baptized.
Having the baptisms at the river was a really nice touch. Since we do not have a baptismal at the church building (yet), the location on the Nanticoke River seemed like an ideal spot. The Lord gave us good weather for the baptisms and the water was not too cold.
Below are some pictures of the baptisms that my wife took.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
(Cross-posted on A Thinking Man's Thoughts)
Praise the Lord for the Great Baptismal Service.
This past Sunday was a special day here at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. In addition to our regular Sunday Morning Worship Service this past Sunday(in which we are still looking at the life of Elijah), we had a Fellowship Lunch and a Baptismal service down at the Insley's house down at the Nanticoke River.
These are the first Baptisms that we have had since I began as Pastor of Fellowship Baptist CHurch and other than Michelle K. (a teen - now married with children - who I had the privilege of baptizing when I was a Youth Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey), these are the first baptism that I have ever had the privilege of performing.
The time of fellowship was great before the Baptismal service and the Baptisms went well. It was neat for me to help these three individuals take this step of obedience to the Lord.
A special treat for me was the privilege of baptizing my own son, Josiah. As a father, it is a blessing to me to see the growth in his life. I also had the privilege of baptizing Victoria, who came to know Christ on our last Sunday in the old building, and Dave, who has been saved for a number of years, but had never before been baptized.
Having the baptisms at the river was a really nice touch. Since we do not have a baptismal at the church building (yet), the location on the Nanticoke River seemed like an ideal spot. The Lord gave us good weather for the baptisms and the water was not too cold.
Below are some pictures of the baptisms that my wife took.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
(Cross-posted on A Thinking Man's Thoughts)
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Upcoming Baptismal Service and Picnic
On September 10, we will be having a very special day here at Fellowship Baptist Church. On that day, I will have the privilege and honor of performing my first baptisms as your Pastor.
Baptism is one of the two ordinances of the church. When we consider those things that are ordinances, there are three criteria that have been established. An ordinance is something that was instructed by Christ in the Gospels, practiced by the early church in the book of Acts, and explained in the Epistles. The two ordinances that fit that criteria are believers baptism by immersion and the celebration of the Lord's Table.
With this special day, we will have a little different schedule. (All times are appropriately approximates.)
For the picnic, we are asking folks to bring sides and desserts to share. If you have some folding chairs that you could bring for the Baptismal service, that would also be a help. (You could either bring them the day of the service or if you want to bring the chairs early and have them taken down to the Insley's, that could probably be arranged, as well.)
In the event of a "rain out", we will have the Picnic & Baptism on September 24th instead.
In Christ,
Pastor
Baptism is one of the two ordinances of the church. When we consider those things that are ordinances, there are three criteria that have been established. An ordinance is something that was instructed by Christ in the Gospels, practiced by the early church in the book of Acts, and explained in the Epistles. The two ordinances that fit that criteria are believers baptism by immersion and the celebration of the Lord's Table.
With this special day, we will have a little different schedule. (All times are appropriately approximates.)
The schedule for the day will be as follows:
10:45 a.m. - Worship Service at the church
1:00 p.m. - Picnic Lunch at the Insley's
We can caravan and carpool down to their house after the morning service.
2:00 p.m. - Baptismal service at the Nanticoke River
For the picnic, we are asking folks to bring sides and desserts to share. If you have some folding chairs that you could bring for the Baptismal service, that would also be a help. (You could either bring them the day of the service or if you want to bring the chairs early and have them taken down to the Insley's, that could probably be arranged, as well.)
In the event of a "rain out", we will have the Picnic & Baptism on September 24th instead.
In Christ,
Pastor
Friday, July 07, 2006
Each Sunday, the back page of our church bulletin includes some "Notes from the Pastor's Pen." This is copied from the Notes from Pastor's Pen that was on Sunday's Bulletin.
Wow! What a week!
This past week, we held our first-ever Vacation Bible School here at Fellowship Baptist Church and I believe that things went pretty well and that God blessed the VBS in a great way. How did God bless us? Let me count some of the ways.
1. God blessed us with a good turn-out.
2. God blessed us with a good crew.
3. God blessed us with "smooth sailing"
4. God blessed us with one profession of faith.
There are many other areas of God's blessing that were obvious during the week that space will not permit me to discuss here. It is exciting to be able to see God work and it is exciting to be able to serve God. Praise God for a good Vacation Bible School!
Wow! What a week!
This past week, we held our first-ever Vacation Bible School here at Fellowship Baptist Church and I believe that things went pretty well and that God blessed the VBS in a great way. How did God bless us? Let me count some of the ways.
1. God blessed us with a good turn-out.
Considering that this is the first time we have ever held VBS, I believe that having in the mid-20s every day was a good turn-out considering the size of our church and the number of children we start with as a church.
2. God blessed us with a good crew.
It was exciting for me, as Pastor, to see the dedication and talents that God has given to our small assembly. From teaching to snacks and everywhere in between, people were ready, willing, faithful, and available to help this week. I had originally thought we would need to bring on some "outside help" for the week, but God was already preparing people in our own church for the tasks at hand.
3. God blessed us with "smooth sailing"
While not everything went exactly as desired, as a general rule everything went pretty well. There we no major areas of disturbances or difficulties.
4. God blessed us with one profession of faith.
We know that Isaiah tells us that God's Word will not return void, so we know that whether there are visible or numerical results, God is accomplishing His will as His word goes out, but it was especially neat to see one young child make a profession of faith during the week.
There are many other areas of God's blessing that were obvious during the week that space will not permit me to discuss here. It is exciting to be able to see God work and it is exciting to be able to serve God. Praise God for a good Vacation Bible School!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Father/Son Campout
On Friday night, we held our first-ever Father-Son Campout and I think it went well. Jimmy and Linda opened up their yard for us to come and throw up some tents and have a great time as fathers and sons.
Dave Reese and my son, Josiah, managed to hook and haul in a huge "skape" or sting ray. It took about 30 minutes and a broken net to wear it down before they were able to bring it to the dock. Unfortunately, it was too heavy for the line of Josiah's pole, so it became an "escaped skape." We did get a picture of it up close and personal though.
Dave also managed to catch the smallest fish of the night and John & Shane stayed up late pulling in about a dozen fish for a fish-fry. Tyler & Alex also cought themselves some pretty nice fish as part of the night.
We also played a short fathers versus sons soccer game (sons won) and had a cookout for dinner and a campfire for s'mores. Jimmy also took us out on the river for a ride and it was a great time of fellowship as men and boys.
We concluded with a time around the Word as we considered some advice from David to his son Solomon as David was nearing his death.
In a day in which fathers are often absent or absent-minded, it was nice to have a time where fathers and sons could spend some time together for the night.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Dave Reese and my son, Josiah, managed to hook and haul in a huge "skape" or sting ray. It took about 30 minutes and a broken net to wear it down before they were able to bring it to the dock. Unfortunately, it was too heavy for the line of Josiah's pole, so it became an "escaped skape." We did get a picture of it up close and personal though.
Dave also managed to catch the smallest fish of the night and John & Shane stayed up late pulling in about a dozen fish for a fish-fry. Tyler & Alex also cought themselves some pretty nice fish as part of the night.
We also played a short fathers versus sons soccer game (sons won) and had a cookout for dinner and a campfire for s'mores. Jimmy also took us out on the river for a ride and it was a great time of fellowship as men and boys.
We concluded with a time around the Word as we considered some advice from David to his son Solomon as David was nearing his death.
In a day in which fathers are often absent or absent-minded, it was nice to have a time where fathers and sons could spend some time together for the night.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Hardingville Bible Church Choir at FBC
Sunday night, May 21 was a night of exceptional blessing at Fellowship Baptist Church of Salisbury.
The Adult Choir from Hardingville Bible Church came down and provided a Sacred Concert at our church. Mr. Dave Hibbard (the choir director at HBC) did an excellent job of preparing the choir for this time of ministry.
The choir sang a number of songs and interspersed the singing with testimonies of God's grace and mercy. I know that a number of our people were blessed by this evening of ministry.
I was also encouraged by the wonderful acustics that our building provides. A number of the team commented on how great things sounded in the building.
On a pastoral note, it makes me long for the time when our own choir will be ringing out praise in this new building.
On a personal note, it was neat to see some of our former teens again. It is amazing how quickly people grow up. We enjoyed getting a chance to see some old friends again and to see teens that we had worked with serving him by singing and playing piano. We had a nice time of fellowship afterwards, but it would have been nice to spend a lot more time together.
On a humerous note (sort of), it was Missy and my twelveth wedding anniversary and we received a card from a friend whose anniversary is in the same general time period who commented that they did not have a whole choir come and sing for their anniversary like "some people."
In Christ,
Pator Frank Sansone
BTW, Dave Hibbard, the choir director, has also put out an excellent CD of sacred music entitled, Along Life's Road: Songs for My Savior. I believe that Dave still has some left if you would like to order them. He can be contacted at dhibbard@juno.com or at 856-863-4992.
The Adult Choir from Hardingville Bible Church came down and provided a Sacred Concert at our church. Mr. Dave Hibbard (the choir director at HBC) did an excellent job of preparing the choir for this time of ministry.
The choir sang a number of songs and interspersed the singing with testimonies of God's grace and mercy. I know that a number of our people were blessed by this evening of ministry.
I was also encouraged by the wonderful acustics that our building provides. A number of the team commented on how great things sounded in the building.
On a pastoral note, it makes me long for the time when our own choir will be ringing out praise in this new building.
On a personal note, it was neat to see some of our former teens again. It is amazing how quickly people grow up. We enjoyed getting a chance to see some old friends again and to see teens that we had worked with serving him by singing and playing piano. We had a nice time of fellowship afterwards, but it would have been nice to spend a lot more time together.
On a humerous note (sort of), it was Missy and my twelveth wedding anniversary and we received a card from a friend whose anniversary is in the same general time period who commented that they did not have a whole choir come and sing for their anniversary like "some people."
In Christ,
Pator Frank Sansone
BTW, Dave Hibbard, the choir director, has also put out an excellent CD of sacred music entitled, Along Life's Road: Songs for My Savior. I believe that Dave still has some left if you would like to order them. He can be contacted at dhibbard@juno.com or at 856-863-4992.
BJU Drama Team at FBC
On Thursday, May 18, we had the Bob Jones University Truth-in-Action Drama Team at Fellowship Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland.
The team did a good job as they presented the story entitled, A Grain of Wheat. The story was a true story about a young man who had given his life in the War in Iraq.
The presentation was especially timely as we had just lost a couple of soldiers from our area in the previous week - including one Christian young man who many in our church knew.
It is a little too late to be posting this, but with all of the computer and moving issues of the last few weeks, I realize that I had not given any updates on The Pastor's Pen.
If the BJU team is in your area, you should make sure you stop by and see the team. (Be advised, they are also doing another presentation this summer called "Gehenna", so if you are wanting to hear this specific presentation on A Grain of Wheat, you should check with the host church to see which presentation they are doing at that church.)
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
The team did a good job as they presented the story entitled, A Grain of Wheat. The story was a true story about a young man who had given his life in the War in Iraq.
The presentation was especially timely as we had just lost a couple of soldiers from our area in the previous week - including one Christian young man who many in our church knew.
It is a little too late to be posting this, but with all of the computer and moving issues of the last few weeks, I realize that I had not given any updates on The Pastor's Pen.
If the BJU team is in your area, you should make sure you stop by and see the team. (Be advised, they are also doing another presentation this summer called "Gehenna", so if you are wanting to hear this specific presentation on A Grain of Wheat, you should check with the host church to see which presentation they are doing at that church.)
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The DaVinci Code
Below is the text for the article that I wrote about on my last post. It should be posted soon in .pdf format on the FFBC website, as well. (Please note, there are a couple of minor differences between this version and the article that was edited to fit in the space needed for publication in the FFBC Spotlight, the .pdf version is the edited version and, when printed, fits on a regular sheet of paper and has a nice layout, etc.)
THE DAVINCI CODE by Pastor Frank Sansone
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown has become an international phenomenon. As a hardback book, it has been on the famed "Bestseller List" of The New York Times for over 160 weeks and has been declared to be the "all-time best-selling adult novel." Reports indicate that over forty million copies of the book have been sold and it has been translated into over forty languages. With the recent release of the book in paperback and a movie based on the book starring popular actor Tom Hanks, the conversation around The DaVinci Code only promises to get louder in the coming days.
The popularity of this book has earned the author a place on Time Magazine's list of "The World's 100 Most Influential People." A quick look reveals that this book has been the catalyst behind a whole range of other books, articles, web-sites, and documentaries which trumpet or expand upon many of the ideas promoted in this book. In addition, there have been a number of books and articles written which have sought to correct the "alternative history" that is presented in The DaVinci Code.
Why has The DaVinci Code warranted such attention? Aren't people - especially Christians - just overreacting to a fictional novel? Does Dan Brown actually hit on some deep, dark secrets that strike at the root of Christianity? Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene and did He have children that carried on His blood? Did the early church really think that Jesus was merely a mortal prophet until Constantine got them all together and made up the idea that Jesus was God? How should Christians respond to the claims of The DaVinci Code?
While the length of this article does not allow for a full treatment of all of these issues, it is the desire of this article to highlight some of the issues presented by The DaVinci Code and present some suggested responses for believers.
BOOK OVERVIEW
The plot of the book is rather straightforward. The curator of the Louvre in France is murdered by an albino monk and leaves a coded message for his estranged granddaughter, Sophie. Sophie, who is a police cryptologist joins up with Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor in religious symbology, as they seek to find out the meaning of her grandfather's coded message and escape from the police and others. During their escape, they must break a series of codes and follow secret messages throughout France and Britain. Central to these codes is the idea that the grandfather was the Grand Master of a secret society called the Priory of Sion, whose goal has been to protect the Holy Grail and keep its secrets. The twist ensues, however, when it becomes revealed that the Holy Grail, rather than being the legendary "cup of Christ" that supposedly held the blood of Christ and was sought in the Middle Ages, is instead actually Mary Magdalene, who held the blood of Christ by being the mother of His children.
As the book progresses, a wholly different world of alternative histories promotes as fact the idea that Jesus Christ was merely a mortal prophet, that Mary Magdalene was in reality the wife of Jesus Christ and the mother to His child, that Christ believed in a "sacred feminine" and that a sexual rite is needed for man to experience union with the divine, that there has been a vast cover-up by the Catholic Church and Christians about all of these things and that Constantine basically "made up" Christianity for political purposes in the 4th Century A.D.
If many of these ideas were presented in a non-fiction work, the outlandish nature of these claims would be subjected to critique and exposed as the bad and distorted history that they are. Unfortunately, the way things are presented in the book, it is not as easy to understand what is true and what is false. Mr. Brown gives his main characters an outstanding knowledge of art and history and often has those characters display that knowledge while mixing in the "alternative history" as part of the descriptions. This mixing in of the true history with the untrue "alternative history" is what leads to much of the confusion regarding this book. To add to the apparent credibility of his ideas, on the first page of the novel, Mr. Brown presents some "facts" and claims that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In doing so, Mr. Brown makes an underlying claim of accuracy and then uses the shield of fiction to present his views, giving these radical view the air of authority by having his "enlightened" characters bring to the forefront his ideas and present those ideas as well-established fact.
For instance, consider these words from Sir Leigh Teabing, a "former British Royal Historian":
"the early Church needed to convince the world that the mortal prophet Jesus was a divine being. Therefore, any gospels that described earthly aspects of Jesus' life had to be omitted from the Bible. Unfortunately for the early editors, one particularly troubling earthly theme kept recurring in the gospels. Mary Magdalene." He paused. "More specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ."
"I beg your pardon?" Sophie's eyes moved to Langdon and then back to Teabing.
"It's a matter of historical record," Teabing said. (1)
In addition to all the distortions presented as indisputable fact, he also makes a point that "history is written by the ‘winners'" and that therefore we cannot trust the history as recorded because it is biased against the truth that has been covered up and suppressed all these years.
EVALUATION
While Mr. Brown likes to claim that this book is based on fact and well-researched, in reality, Mr. Brown presents a work that is a lopsided presentation built upon faulty documents, personal bias, and inaccurate details.
Faulty documents
Much of the undergirding for the claims in this novel are based upon two sets of faulty documents. The first set is the Gnostic Gospels, in particular those found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. Teabing speaks about these records highly, calling them, "the earliest Christian records" and uses them to support his claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.
The reality is that these documents were not even close to being "the earliest Christian records." In fact, they were written well after the Gospel accounts and other books that make up the New Testament. They were rejected by the early church because of their lack of authenticity (e.g. written by people using fake names long after the named author was dead) and their departure from the Christian message as presented by the Apostles and those that followed them.
Another set of faulty documents at the core of this story is the Les Dossiers Secrets. This is the documents that Brown uses to support his list of the Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion - including Leonardo Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton. This list is referred to a number of times to give a picture of importance to this secret organization. The problem, however, is that these documents which are presented as historically reliable were actually a forgery. Pierre Plantard, the man who supposedly found the documents, admitted under oath to a French judge in 1993 that the documents were forged - yet Brown used these documents and presented them as historically authenticated.
Personal Bias
While it is not my intention to belabor this point, Dan Brown has explained in interviews that he actually believes the underlying views that are expressed in his book. The book therefore becomes a way in which he is able to get his bias towards this view into the mainstream.
Consider these statements from an article in The Washington Post.
"I was skeptical, but after a year and a half of research, I became a believer, " says Brown.
"Do you believe that Jesus was actually married to Magdalene?" "I do," he says. (2)
When Sophie declares that she does not know much about the Bible because she was raised by a man who worshiped Leonardo Da Vinci, Teabing responds, "An enlightened soul. Superb!" (3)
Inaccurate Details
Throughout the book, Robert Langdon and Leigh Teabing are presented as "experts", yet, in a number of cases, the information that they declare to the reader is actually inaccurate information - sometimes completely wrong and other times a distortion of the truth.
Robert Langdon describes the etymology of YHWH (the personal name of God) by explaining it being derived from Jehovah, when in fact Jehovah comes from a mixing of the Hebrew consonants YHWH with the Hebrew vowels for the word Adonai (another word for God or Lord).
Teabing mentions over 80 gospels, when, even with counting the very late ones written centuries after Christ, there were not anywhere close to that many.
Langdon describes Shekinah as God's "powerful female equal" rather than the cloud that represented God's glory.
Teabing claims that the idea of Christ being God came about at the Council of Nicea and was the result of a vote that was "a close vote." The reality is that the earliest Christian documents - including the books that make up our New Testament, clearly declared the deity of Jesus Christ more than two hundred years before the Council of Nicea. While it is true that the Council of Nicea affirmed the deity of Christ and stood against the heretic Arius, even that was not a "close vote" as only three of the over 300 bishops refused to sign the document affirming the deity of Christ that came out of the Council.
Many other instances like these could be pointed out in the writings.
CONCLUSION
There is much that The Da Vinci Code claims that makes for a great conspiracy theory. But, like most conspiracy theories, when confronted with the light of the truth and the facts of history, this great "alternative history" that Dan Brown espouses in the book does not stand up to scrutiny. His personal bias allows him to elevate unreliable documents to a place of primary importance and he weaves many inaccurate details into his writing to try to make his case look much stronger than it is.
As believers, we should be prepared to give an answer of the hope that lies within (I Peter 3:15). The nature of the size of this article does not allow for a full presentation of all the issues contained in The Da Vinci Code to be addressed. For a fuller discussion on these issues and other issues related to The Da Vinci Code, some valuable resources would be the book, Breaking the Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock, a series of articles in the publication Nick of Time written by Dr. Kevin Bauder of Central Baptist Theological Seminary and found online at http://www.centralseminary.edu/index.asp?m=701 and a section devoted to this book on the Radio Bible Class web- site at http://www.rbcdavincicode.org.
(1) Brown, Dan, The Da Vinci Code, p. 244.
(2) Roberts, Roxanne, "The Da Vinci Code", The Washington Post, Aug. 2, 2003.
(3) Brown, Dan, The Da Vinci Code, p. 230.
THE DAVINCI CODE by Pastor Frank Sansone
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown has become an international phenomenon. As a hardback book, it has been on the famed "Bestseller List" of The New York Times for over 160 weeks and has been declared to be the "all-time best-selling adult novel." Reports indicate that over forty million copies of the book have been sold and it has been translated into over forty languages. With the recent release of the book in paperback and a movie based on the book starring popular actor Tom Hanks, the conversation around The DaVinci Code only promises to get louder in the coming days.
The popularity of this book has earned the author a place on Time Magazine's list of "The World's 100 Most Influential People." A quick look reveals that this book has been the catalyst behind a whole range of other books, articles, web-sites, and documentaries which trumpet or expand upon many of the ideas promoted in this book. In addition, there have been a number of books and articles written which have sought to correct the "alternative history" that is presented in The DaVinci Code.
Why has The DaVinci Code warranted such attention? Aren't people - especially Christians - just overreacting to a fictional novel? Does Dan Brown actually hit on some deep, dark secrets that strike at the root of Christianity? Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene and did He have children that carried on His blood? Did the early church really think that Jesus was merely a mortal prophet until Constantine got them all together and made up the idea that Jesus was God? How should Christians respond to the claims of The DaVinci Code?
While the length of this article does not allow for a full treatment of all of these issues, it is the desire of this article to highlight some of the issues presented by The DaVinci Code and present some suggested responses for believers.
BOOK OVERVIEW
The plot of the book is rather straightforward. The curator of the Louvre in France is murdered by an albino monk and leaves a coded message for his estranged granddaughter, Sophie. Sophie, who is a police cryptologist joins up with Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor in religious symbology, as they seek to find out the meaning of her grandfather's coded message and escape from the police and others. During their escape, they must break a series of codes and follow secret messages throughout France and Britain. Central to these codes is the idea that the grandfather was the Grand Master of a secret society called the Priory of Sion, whose goal has been to protect the Holy Grail and keep its secrets. The twist ensues, however, when it becomes revealed that the Holy Grail, rather than being the legendary "cup of Christ" that supposedly held the blood of Christ and was sought in the Middle Ages, is instead actually Mary Magdalene, who held the blood of Christ by being the mother of His children.
As the book progresses, a wholly different world of alternative histories promotes as fact the idea that Jesus Christ was merely a mortal prophet, that Mary Magdalene was in reality the wife of Jesus Christ and the mother to His child, that Christ believed in a "sacred feminine" and that a sexual rite is needed for man to experience union with the divine, that there has been a vast cover-up by the Catholic Church and Christians about all of these things and that Constantine basically "made up" Christianity for political purposes in the 4th Century A.D.
If many of these ideas were presented in a non-fiction work, the outlandish nature of these claims would be subjected to critique and exposed as the bad and distorted history that they are. Unfortunately, the way things are presented in the book, it is not as easy to understand what is true and what is false. Mr. Brown gives his main characters an outstanding knowledge of art and history and often has those characters display that knowledge while mixing in the "alternative history" as part of the descriptions. This mixing in of the true history with the untrue "alternative history" is what leads to much of the confusion regarding this book. To add to the apparent credibility of his ideas, on the first page of the novel, Mr. Brown presents some "facts" and claims that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In doing so, Mr. Brown makes an underlying claim of accuracy and then uses the shield of fiction to present his views, giving these radical view the air of authority by having his "enlightened" characters bring to the forefront his ideas and present those ideas as well-established fact.
For instance, consider these words from Sir Leigh Teabing, a "former British Royal Historian":
"the early Church needed to convince the world that the mortal prophet Jesus was a divine being. Therefore, any gospels that described earthly aspects of Jesus' life had to be omitted from the Bible. Unfortunately for the early editors, one particularly troubling earthly theme kept recurring in the gospels. Mary Magdalene." He paused. "More specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ."
"I beg your pardon?" Sophie's eyes moved to Langdon and then back to Teabing.
"It's a matter of historical record," Teabing said. (1)
In addition to all the distortions presented as indisputable fact, he also makes a point that "history is written by the ‘winners'" and that therefore we cannot trust the history as recorded because it is biased against the truth that has been covered up and suppressed all these years.
EVALUATION
While Mr. Brown likes to claim that this book is based on fact and well-researched, in reality, Mr. Brown presents a work that is a lopsided presentation built upon faulty documents, personal bias, and inaccurate details.
Faulty documents
Much of the undergirding for the claims in this novel are based upon two sets of faulty documents. The first set is the Gnostic Gospels, in particular those found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. Teabing speaks about these records highly, calling them, "the earliest Christian records" and uses them to support his claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.
The reality is that these documents were not even close to being "the earliest Christian records." In fact, they were written well after the Gospel accounts and other books that make up the New Testament. They were rejected by the early church because of their lack of authenticity (e.g. written by people using fake names long after the named author was dead) and their departure from the Christian message as presented by the Apostles and those that followed them.
Another set of faulty documents at the core of this story is the Les Dossiers Secrets. This is the documents that Brown uses to support his list of the Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion - including Leonardo Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton. This list is referred to a number of times to give a picture of importance to this secret organization. The problem, however, is that these documents which are presented as historically reliable were actually a forgery. Pierre Plantard, the man who supposedly found the documents, admitted under oath to a French judge in 1993 that the documents were forged - yet Brown used these documents and presented them as historically authenticated.
Personal Bias
While it is not my intention to belabor this point, Dan Brown has explained in interviews that he actually believes the underlying views that are expressed in his book. The book therefore becomes a way in which he is able to get his bias towards this view into the mainstream.
Consider these statements from an article in The Washington Post.
"I was skeptical, but after a year and a half of research, I became a believer, " says Brown.
"Do you believe that Jesus was actually married to Magdalene?" "I do," he says. (2)
When Sophie declares that she does not know much about the Bible because she was raised by a man who worshiped Leonardo Da Vinci, Teabing responds, "An enlightened soul. Superb!" (3)
Inaccurate Details
Throughout the book, Robert Langdon and Leigh Teabing are presented as "experts", yet, in a number of cases, the information that they declare to the reader is actually inaccurate information - sometimes completely wrong and other times a distortion of the truth.
Robert Langdon describes the etymology of YHWH (the personal name of God) by explaining it being derived from Jehovah, when in fact Jehovah comes from a mixing of the Hebrew consonants YHWH with the Hebrew vowels for the word Adonai (another word for God or Lord).
Teabing mentions over 80 gospels, when, even with counting the very late ones written centuries after Christ, there were not anywhere close to that many.
Langdon describes Shekinah as God's "powerful female equal" rather than the cloud that represented God's glory.
Teabing claims that the idea of Christ being God came about at the Council of Nicea and was the result of a vote that was "a close vote." The reality is that the earliest Christian documents - including the books that make up our New Testament, clearly declared the deity of Jesus Christ more than two hundred years before the Council of Nicea. While it is true that the Council of Nicea affirmed the deity of Christ and stood against the heretic Arius, even that was not a "close vote" as only three of the over 300 bishops refused to sign the document affirming the deity of Christ that came out of the Council.
Many other instances like these could be pointed out in the writings.
CONCLUSION
There is much that The Da Vinci Code claims that makes for a great conspiracy theory. But, like most conspiracy theories, when confronted with the light of the truth and the facts of history, this great "alternative history" that Dan Brown espouses in the book does not stand up to scrutiny. His personal bias allows him to elevate unreliable documents to a place of primary importance and he weaves many inaccurate details into his writing to try to make his case look much stronger than it is.
As believers, we should be prepared to give an answer of the hope that lies within (I Peter 3:15). The nature of the size of this article does not allow for a full presentation of all the issues contained in The Da Vinci Code to be addressed. For a fuller discussion on these issues and other issues related to The Da Vinci Code, some valuable resources would be the book, Breaking the Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock, a series of articles in the publication Nick of Time written by Dr. Kevin Bauder of Central Baptist Theological Seminary and found online at http://www.centralseminary.edu/index.asp?m=701 and a section devoted to this book on the Radio Bible Class web- site at http://www.rbcdavincicode.org.
(1) Brown, Dan, The Da Vinci Code, p. 244.
(2) Roberts, Roxanne, "The Da Vinci Code", The Washington Post, Aug. 2, 2003.
(3) Brown, Dan, The Da Vinci Code, p. 230.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Join us for our new series
He appears abruptly on the pages of Scripture and he leaves just as abruptly. In the pages in between, we find a man who God used in an extra-ordinary way. A man who saw God hold off the rain at his word. A man that prayed and saw God send fire. A man that stood boldly before the corrupt ruler of the land and denounced the ruler's sin to his face. A man that also experienced great depression and asked God to let him die.
This man, of course, is the great prophet Elijah.
When we think of Elijah, may our heart burn to be used by God in a manner like Elijah.
For the next few weeks we are going to be looking at the life of this extraordinary man of God during our Sunday morning services. We would love to have you come out and join us for these services.
We started the series on Sunday, April 30 and the first sermon in the series is available for listening or downloading on the "Sermons" page.
Hope to see you out.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
This man, of course, is the great prophet Elijah.
When we think of Elijah, may our heart burn to be used by God in a manner like Elijah.
For the next few weeks we are going to be looking at the life of this extraordinary man of God during our Sunday morning services. We would love to have you come out and join us for these services.
We started the series on Sunday, April 30 and the first sermon in the series is available for listening or downloading on the "Sermons" page.
Hope to see you out.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Sermons available for listening and downloading
After some considerable time trying to figure things out, I am pleased to be able to announce that we are now able to make some of our Sunday Sermons will be available on our church web-site.
It is not our current plan to upload every sermon, as we do not have the space for that type of thing, but it is our desire to make a few sermons available for those who are interested. The new sermons can be found by clicking on the "Audio" link on the main church website page at http://www.fellowshipbaptist-salisbury.org.
The first sermon that has been made available on the web-site is the message from last Sunday (Easter Sunday), entitled "Responses to the Resurrection" on Matthew 28. It can be found through the main church web page as described above, or it can also be accessed through clicking here.
I hope you find this helpful.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
It is not our current plan to upload every sermon, as we do not have the space for that type of thing, but it is our desire to make a few sermons available for those who are interested. The new sermons can be found by clicking on the "Audio" link on the main church website page at http://www.fellowshipbaptist-salisbury.org.
The first sermon that has been made available on the web-site is the message from last Sunday (Easter Sunday), entitled "Responses to the Resurrection" on Matthew 28. It can be found through the main church web page as described above, or it can also be accessed through clicking here.
I hope you find this helpful.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Building Dedication Sunday
On Sunday, April 9, we celebrated our Building Dedication Sunday at Fellowship Baptist Church. It was great to see many people come out to join us for this special day. We had a number of friends and visitors from locally, as well as a good group of people from our former church (Hardingville Bible Church).
In the morning service, Pastor Mark Franklin from Hardingville Bible Church preached, and he dealt with the building of the walls in Nehemiah's day and encouraged us as we move ahead as a group of believers.
In the afternoon service, Pastor Steve Wagner, the founding Pastor of Messiah Baptist Fellowship (now named Fellowship Baptist Church) spoke on Revelations 2-3 and dealt with the Lord Jesus Christ's messages to the seven churches.
We also enjoyed special music from Mr. John Fleming, Mr. Ken Dennis, and Mrs. Edna Woodhall and had a great time of food and fellowship at the new building.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Praise the Lord for the work He hath done
On Sunday, April 9, we held our Building Dedication Sunday at the church. It was a great day in which to thank God and to praise Him for what He has done in our midst. I plan on blogging about that soon and including some pictures later this week. Since I do not have the pictures for that day, yet, I thought I would take this space to highlight the work that has been done on the building and then do a post on the Building Dedication soon.
As I look around at the building, I am amazed at God's goodness to us as a church in providing for us such a wonderful place to meet. If someone had said to me last year that we would be in a building this nice by this time, I would have had difficulty believing it. If you had said to me a couple of months ago that the building we are in would look so nice, I would have had difficulty believing that as well.
One of the things that has been encouraging in this whole process is the way that practically everyone has chipped in and helped. It has truly been a team effort and the final product is much nicer than it would have been if I had been the one deciding things by myself.
Here are some pictures for those who have not had an opportunity to see the new building.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Building Is Coming Along
Things have been busy the last couple of weeks as we get things together in the new building that the Lord has provided for us. It is a time of excitement and challenge as we seek to get the building ready for our building dedication Sunday on April 9.
I am looking forward to see what God is going to do in and through our church. It has been neat to see some additional peole come out to the new building, despite the fact that we have not really advertised that we are in the new building, yet. It has also been good to see how everyone is chipping and helping - both in the labor and in the finances. We have been able to paint the entire sanctuary (including the roof), walls have been spackled and repaired, the orange room is painted and now is a temporary office (until we get use of the rest of the building in a month or so), the green room is painted and is no longer a green room. (It will be funny if we keep referring to these rooms by the color that they are no longer covered with.) The flower beds have been mulched and planted. The lobby has been set up as a beautiful entrance to the church. The nursery has been painted and then stenciled. We have been given a new stove, refridgerator and cabinet and work has been done in the kitchen. The sound system is being worked on so that it can be controlled from the sound room instead of from underneath the communion table. People have babysat children so that others could work. It has been neat to see everything coming together.
Okay, I just rambled. Everyone has been so helpful that you want to mention everything, even though I know I will miss stuff.
We still have some more to do, but progress is replacing the mess.
Please continue to help in whatever ways that the Lord has laid on your heart. Also, please continue to invite others to come out to the Building Dedication Sunday on April 9. Pastor Mark Franklin will preach the 10:45 a.m. service and Pastor Steve Wagner (the founding Pastor of Messiah Baptist Fellowship) will preach the 2:00 Building Dedication Service. In addition to this, we will have a Fellowship Lunch, Special Music, and some special visitors - including Pastor and Mrs. Woodhall who served as interim here at Messiah Baptist Fellowship prior to my arrival. We will also be officially changing our name to Fellowship Baptist Church on that Sunday.
If you are reading this and do not normally come out, may I encourage you to join us for that special day. We would love to have you as our guest.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
I am looking forward to see what God is going to do in and through our church. It has been neat to see some additional peole come out to the new building, despite the fact that we have not really advertised that we are in the new building, yet. It has also been good to see how everyone is chipping and helping - both in the labor and in the finances. We have been able to paint the entire sanctuary (including the roof), walls have been spackled and repaired, the orange room is painted and now is a temporary office (until we get use of the rest of the building in a month or so), the green room is painted and is no longer a green room. (It will be funny if we keep referring to these rooms by the color that they are no longer covered with.) The flower beds have been mulched and planted. The lobby has been set up as a beautiful entrance to the church. The nursery has been painted and then stenciled. We have been given a new stove, refridgerator and cabinet and work has been done in the kitchen. The sound system is being worked on so that it can be controlled from the sound room instead of from underneath the communion table. People have babysat children so that others could work. It has been neat to see everything coming together.
Okay, I just rambled. Everyone has been so helpful that you want to mention everything, even though I know I will miss stuff.
We still have some more to do, but progress is replacing the mess.
Please continue to help in whatever ways that the Lord has laid on your heart. Also, please continue to invite others to come out to the Building Dedication Sunday on April 9. Pastor Mark Franklin will preach the 10:45 a.m. service and Pastor Steve Wagner (the founding Pastor of Messiah Baptist Fellowship) will preach the 2:00 Building Dedication Service. In addition to this, we will have a Fellowship Lunch, Special Music, and some special visitors - including Pastor and Mrs. Woodhall who served as interim here at Messiah Baptist Fellowship prior to my arrival. We will also be officially changing our name to Fellowship Baptist Church on that Sunday.
If you are reading this and do not normally come out, may I encourage you to join us for that special day. We would love to have you as our guest.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Settlement is done! Praise the Lord!
After an unexpected delay, we are rejoicing tonight in the Lord's goodness in allowing us to go to settlement and complete the purchase of our new church building.
As was mentioned in a previous post, we were scheduled to go to settlement on our new building back on February 1, but we ran into some difficulty in the process.
Praise the Lord, that today - exactly one month after the originally scheduled date - we went to settlement at 4:00 p.m. We are now the happy owners of a new church building located at 1308 Robins Avenue in Salisbury, Maryland. If you live in the area, we would love to have you come and visit us. If you are from out of the area, we would love to have you stop by when and if you come to town. If you have been praying for us as we have been seeking a building, we thank you for your prayers for us.
Here are a couple of pictures of the new building.
As was mentioned in a previous post, we were scheduled to go to settlement on our new building back on February 1, but we ran into some difficulty in the process.
Praise the Lord, that today - exactly one month after the originally scheduled date - we went to settlement at 4:00 p.m. We are now the happy owners of a new church building located at 1308 Robins Avenue in Salisbury, Maryland. If you live in the area, we would love to have you come and visit us. If you are from out of the area, we would love to have you stop by when and if you come to town. If you have been praying for us as we have been seeking a building, we thank you for your prayers for us.
Here are a couple of pictures of the new building.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Our First Sunday in the New Building
Sunday, February 5, 2006 was an exciting day for Messiah Baptist Fellowship as we held our first services in the new building at 1308 Robins Avenue in Salisbury.
While there is still some uncertainty about the building situation, it was great to be able to get into the building and have our Sunday services and a Fellowship Lunch at the building.
For the morning service, we had a men's quartet and we spent some time examining the concept of God's timing. In particular, we noted that God's timing is Perfect, Purposeful, and Powerful.
The Fellowship Lunch and the afternoon service was a good time together as we looked at the concept of God's Goodness (yes, I actually took a detour from our Sunday Night series on Colossians this week) and then celebrated the Lord's Table.
Friday, February 03, 2006
An Update on our Building Situation
As many of you reading this probably know, yesterday, Feb. 1, 2006 was scheduled to be the date in which Messiah Baptist Fellowship officially closed on a new building for our church.
While I do not want to go into a full discussion of the situation in this public of a forum, I do request that you continue to pray for us and the building situation as we have run into a "glitch" in the process.
I still believe that God wants us to have this building and that everything will work out, but the events of the last couple of days have served to remind us all that we need to continue to seriously pray about this situation (and I know that many of you are already doing so).
The short version is that the church we are buying the building from ran into some difficulty in the process of buying the building that they are buying, and as the successful purchase of that property by them is a contingency on our contract to buy their current building, this places us in a holding pattern until things are worked out. Please pray for them that they will be able to get everything worked out, and for us that we will have wisdom as we wait and that the deal will ultimately be consumated.
We will still be holding services in the new building starting THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, but we will be doing so as a "guest" of the selling church rather than as "owners" of the building.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
While I do not want to go into a full discussion of the situation in this public of a forum, I do request that you continue to pray for us and the building situation as we have run into a "glitch" in the process.
I still believe that God wants us to have this building and that everything will work out, but the events of the last couple of days have served to remind us all that we need to continue to seriously pray about this situation (and I know that many of you are already doing so).
The short version is that the church we are buying the building from ran into some difficulty in the process of buying the building that they are buying, and as the successful purchase of that property by them is a contingency on our contract to buy their current building, this places us in a holding pattern until things are worked out. Please pray for them that they will be able to get everything worked out, and for us that we will have wisdom as we wait and that the deal will ultimately be consumated.
We will still be holding services in the new building starting THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, but we will be doing so as a "guest" of the selling church rather than as "owners" of the building.
In Christ,
Pastor Frank Sansone
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