1. FBConnection: Chronicle
Helping people connect to God . . .
Special . . . and discover His purpose for their lives!
Points of
Interest V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 6 N o v / D e c 2 0 0 9
• GriefShare
• Home for
the Holidays
• Image
Shoppe
Christmas
Presentation
• The
Splendor of
Christmas
• Survey Says
• Christmas
Eve
• Operation
Christmas
Child
• CAT ‘n
Mouse
Update

2. Page 2 FBConnection Chronicle: A ministry information publication
Published by: First Baptist Church
9280 Maple Avenue / Hesperia, CA 92345 1-760-244-4109
Editor: Robin Y. Martin
Pastoral Staff Support Staff
Wayne Stockstill, Senior Pastor Preschool Ministry Staff
(ext. 108) / fbc@fbch.org Maygan Bartosh
Richard Spring, Pastor of Church Development Gail Barwise
(ext. 104) / rspring@fbch.org Emily Isaccs
Cherish Kangas
Robert Grissom, Pastor of Administration Sharon Perry
(ext. 105) / rgrissom@fbch.org Sarah Sanders
Brian Kaiser, Pastor of Worship Arts Children’s Ministry Leadership Team
(ext. 107) / bkaiser@fbch.org Dawna Avery
Jim and Wanda Mole, Directors of Student Ministry Stacy Padgett
Staff (ext. 201) / youth@fbch.org Student Ministry Leadership Team
Pastoral Sherry Cleveland, Director of Children’s Ministry Dawna Avery
(leave messages at ext. 106) / children@fbch.org Reba Champoux
Administrative Nathan Freeman
Brandy Smith, Director of Preschool Ministry Fidel Gonzales
Support (ext. 120) / preschool@fbch.org Ron and Carolyn Heyward
Bill Trott, Pastor of Hospital Visitation Ministry Odena Jones
(leave messages at ext. 106) / fireroadbill@msn.com Brenda Kraus
Dave and Cheryl Olson
Administrative Staff Stacy Padgett
Richard Amos, Facilities Manager Jeannie Rash
(ext. 102) / ramos@fbch.org Lance Way
Lucy Flood, Accountant Computer Network Ministry Team
(ext. 101) / lflood@fbch.org Sammy Martin, Systems Administrator
Fidel Gonzales, Webmaster
Doris Groveunder, Financial Secretary
(ext. 103) / dgroveunder@fbch.org Audio/Visual Ministry Team
Richard Amos
Claudia Kingston, Executive Secretary David Anderson
“He who (ext. 106) / ckingston@fbch.org Travis Dickerson
has not Robin Martin, Data-Graphics-Publications Manager
(ext. 100) / songbird1954@charter.net
El Kingston
Robin Martin
Christmas Ron Murphy, Audio/Visual Coordinator
Sammy Martin
Roger Sanders
in his heart (leave messages at ext. 106) / media@fbch.org
Custodial Staff
June Warwick, Special Events Ted Holmes
will never (leave messages at ext. 106) / juneandbill@fbch.org Russell James
find it Darron Price
Glenn Trowbridge
under a tree.”
—- Roy L. Smith
FBCH Ministry Contacts
Baptism Assistance Ministry: Judy Cutright
Deacon Ministry: Duane Thompson
Guest Services Ministry
“Thanksgiving,
Greeters: Arceal Morgan
Ushers: David Johnson
after all,
Harmony Ministry: DeWayne Williams
Kitchen Ministry:, Ron and Julie Murphy
is a word of
Library Ministry: Ann Bender
Men’s Ministry: Mike Lemons
action.”
Glenn Trowbridge
MOPS Ministry: Susan Esterline
Sewing Ministry: Arceal Morgan —- W. J. Cameron
Women’s Ministry: Lynda Kaiser
YACS: Odena Jones
FBConnection: Chronicle

3. Volume 3, Issue 6 Page 3
When shall we all learn
that the good news needs the
telling, and that all men
need to know it?
Comings and Goings . . . . . . . . .
Church Members
% Peter Teuis
Mildred Coffey
John McKown
% Barbara Auw
Family Members
% Michael Auw
• Father of Carl Brewster
% Betty Canez
• Father of Carlos Briceno
Life is real!
% Rey Canez • Mother of Barbara Flood Life is earnest!
% Lucio Hernandez • Mother of Patty Jones
% Raquel Hernandez • Sister of Bob Kindaid And the grave is
% Sally Ann Herrick • Mother of Claudia Kingston not its goal;
• Son of Tom Smillie
% Elizabeth Lopez
% Samuel Lopez
Dust thou art,
% Valeeta Wilson to dust returnest,
Was not spoken
of the soul.
—- unknown—-
Taken from Apples of Gold
Real
Life and Death help
complied by Jo Petty
are parts of for
deep
the same great hurt
adventure.
Do not fear to die
and do not shrink
from the joy of life. Grief Share is a nondenominational group and features
biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics. You are
—- unknown —-
welcome to begin attending the Grief Share group of FBCH
Taken from Apples of Gold
at any session. Each is “self-contained,” so you do not have
complied by Jo Petty
to attend in sequence. You will find encouragement and
help whenever you begin. For more information about Grief
Share at FBCH, please contact Judy Gleason.

4. Page 4
November 14th
9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Cost: $6.50
Creating
Traditions
and
Making
Memories!
For more information about this event, contact June Warwick.

5. Volume 3, Issue 6 Page 5
I look forward with great anticipation to On December 27th we will all come
our Thanksgiving-Christmas season this together in a Celebration of our Lord’s
year. We will once again be sharing in the Birth through a joint worship experience
Operation Christmas Child ministry. at 10:00 am. That will be the only worship
Remember the shoe boxes for needy service for that day. There will be no
children around the world? All boxes Sunday School, no discipleship, or any
brought in by November 15th other ministry activities
will be delivered to Operation conducted on that day.
Christmas Child. All boxes
brought in after November 15th Johnny Hall, from Muslim
will be delivered to Tijuana, Bible Day Organization,
Mexico, by our local missions will be with us for a
team. musical concert that day.
On November 22nd we will have All who have heard him
our Thanksgiving Worship the several times he has
been here in the past have
The
Celebration during the evening
loved him. If this will be
worship hour. A number of our
your first time to hear him,
own people will be bringing
you will find his musical
their reasons for thanks to God.
gift and love for the Lord
Purpose
Formerly, we have had this
exciting and refreshing.
service on the Wednesday
evening before Thanksgiving
December 27th will also be
Thursday. However, so many of
our Missions Ingathering
of
our folks have requested that
time for preparation of their Day. Plan to have your
own family Thanksgiving offering for missions ready
celebration, we decided to try for that day.
Christmas
this approach this year.
===================
Starting on November 29th we
will begin our celebration of the
The Church does not
Purpose of Christmas. Here
is the preaching schedule for the superstitiously observe
five Sundays of the Christmas days, merely as days, but
season: as memorials of important
November 29th —- facts. Christmas might be
Celebration (Pastor Wayne Stockstill) kept as well upon one day
December 6th —- of the year as another; but
Salvation (Pastor Richard Spring)
there should be a stated
December 13th —- day for commemorating
Reconciliation (Pastor Wayne Stockstill)
the birth of our Saviour, because there is
December 20th —-
danger that what may be done on any day,
Infiltration (Rick Curtis, DOM of HDBA)
will be neglected.
December 27th —-
~~~Samuel Johnson
Commemoration (Pastor Wayne Stockstill)

6. Page 6
When I was young my parents
belonged to a “River Rafting
Club”. It was exciting and scary
all at the same time! I remember
feeling out of control and not
Brandy Smith liking the unpredictability of the
river. I also remember enduring
these adventures because my dad
loved it and I wanted to be close
with my dad so, I did it.
Parenting a child is much like a
ride down the rapids. When you
decide to embark on a white-
water rafting adventure, first you
must go through some very concentrated training. In river school, you will read the manual, sign it, agreeing to follow all
the rules. For many these will provide a sense of security, for others however, it is nothing more than “suggestions”; rules
do not really hem them in. Managing conflict between “rule-followers and rule-breakers” is crucial to a safe trip. The
guides will attempt to teach you everything you will need to know if things suddenly go terribly wrong.
When you first get into the raft, the surrounding beauty mesmerizes you so that you almost do not notice what is ahead
of you. You can quickly forget that you have just placed yourself in the path of an unimaginable challenge. Of course,
you have a life preserver securely attached to your torso and have been strategically placed within the raft to experience
the maximum amount of exhilaration and thrill that one could encounter. The guide’s job is to let you fully experience
the wonder of the rapids that surround you, and keep everyone safe while doing it.
The waters are peaceful at first; so much so, that you almost do not notice the subtle changes taking place. Soon, you are
aware that the rapids are moving at a much faster pace and intensifying by the minute. Now, you begin to realize that
you have entered turbulent waters, otherwise known as “transitions”. These huge rapids do not follow a particular
pattern; they may swirl back and forth and then jump back into a pool just too suddenly thrust you forward again. From
here, you will almost immediately encounter the most intense and dangerous waters of the river. These rapids will shock
you and make you wish you were still on shore.
Navigating these waters takes precise skill and a great deal of experience. They present both problems and challenges that
will require either a passive or an aggressive approach. The guide will shout to you and instruct what you are to do.
Though the people in the boat must work together, either answers or questions will arise. Although, some decisions are
made in advance, others must be made quickly! The ability to strike this delicate balance will determine whether you
build strong bonds of trust or breed mistrust as you travel down the river. Though you may feel terrified and uncertain
about what to expect, the goal here is to have fun and stay in the boat. I say this not to imply that being a parent is or
should be a fearful experience, but to simply illustrate the spontaneously changing currents experienced when
navigating through relationships with our children.
I became a mother on April 27, 1991 when I gave birth to my daughter Katharine Dayna. We were amazed at her beauty
and completely taken with our new daughter. Like most new parents, we had gathered all the information we could
about becoming parents, but as we all know, nothing really prepares you until you have a child of your own. We had
decided I would leave my fulltime teaching position and become a fulltime mom. I chose to nurse my new baby because
it was the most natural thing to do, or so I thought. However, little did I know that your baby could become what I like to
refer to affectionately as a nurse-a-holic baby!
My precious baby turned me into a 24 hour service station! I nursed everywhere and anywhere. Side streets, parking
lots and yes, even restrooms! She would cry until she almost passed out unless I nursed her. The valve in her stomach
was not fully developed so she consequently threw-up most of what she took in. I nursed in 5 minute increments,
burping in between hoping she would be able to keep it down. I kept a small closet in my diaper bag/car because it was
inevitable she would cover me every time. I learned very quickly to plan for the unexpected.
As Katie got older, I quickly began to realize I had a very smart little girl. She had an adventurous spirit, funny
personality and was quite determined to do things on her own. It was common for books to accompany her while potty
training, especially her favorite, “Dobson’s Strong-willed Child”. Katie often exhibited behavior that would cause even
the most intuitive parent to scratch their head in disbelief; once, she removed her panties, tinkled on the bedroom floor,
cleaned herself up and blamed it on her brother, who was 12 months old, and in diapers! It took me quiet a while to
figure out what had happened.
The give-away were the wipes she deposited in the trash in her room. I was completely shocked at the thought that she
could concoct such a devious little plan. Of course, she flatly denied it, which resulted in a spanking to which she then
admitted to her scheme. Katie was methodical when it came to concocting a plan. Another time, she bribed her younger
brother to climb a ladder. I heard faint screams from the back yard and when I arrived, I was shocked to see my three-
year old son perched atop the roof of our shed paralyzed with fear. She flatly denied coaxing him up there to look for
caterpillars but, once again, she received a spanking and then admitted to her scheme.

7. Page 7
Katie is now 18, and what an amazing young woman she is. She is a gifted singer, an amazing artist and is fluent at sign
language. Although she has grown into a beautiful young woman, some things will never change. She still has the
tendency to scheme, except that now it is for good reasons. She is still rambunctious and loves to run and jump on my
bed while her dad and I are still in it, play fight with her dad and relentlessly crack jokes. She still smiles with her
whole face and her eyes light up when she is happy.
When I think of a common theme that is prevalent throughout our relationship, it is communication. Sometimes it is
communication.
done loudly, other times it is quiet. Often times, it‘s lengthy, while other times it’s short and direct. We text, email and
even write notes! We are a talking family! The point here is that we communicate often. People today live hectic lives
and often times there isn’t much time for relationships let alone conversing with one another. Communicating with your
children is crucial to building strong relationships that will last. This does not mean that we do not argue, yell or
disagree at times. We do and sometimes a lot; but so much of the time, it is just a matter of taking time to understand
where each other is coming from. When you are intentional with people, whether it is showing your love for them,
listening or just spending time together, it has the greatest impact.
Katie and I have worked very hard at our relationship. It hasn’t come easy for either of us. We are deeply passionate
about what is important to us and at times, this has created conflict. We are both strong in point and opinion. We both
have much to say and more to hear. While we equally respect one another, we are not always tolerant of our differences.
With that said, we overwhelmingly love each other and seek to get along and have fun together. We desire to one day
have an amazing friendship founded on the strong bond we have developed throughout our mother-daughter
relationship. While it is still early in our journey, we are still very much in the throws of living as mother and daughter.
Katie, along with her best friend Sabra, our boys 17 and 10, as well as my husband and myself, live in the same small
house where she has been raised for 18 years. The girls share a room and a car to commute to both college and work and
our family schedules are chaotic to say the least! After assisting them, they are now recognized as adults although they
are still living at home. My husband and I have had to transition into this new phase and at times, it has been difficult
for both them and us. Nevertheless, we are making it through. Everyone is pitching in at home, and we are working
together to make this time a memorable one for us all.
There is something incredible about seeing your adult child start to live and act as such. We expend so much time and
energy in teaching and training that it is awesome to see it in action. Just as the river guide prepares you for the journey
down the rapids, we must prepare our children for adult life. We never know what challenges await them, but we do
know that if we are unwavering in our dedication and consistent in our preparation, we will see them through to
adulthood. I am profoundly amazed at the growth of my daughter. She has a moral standard that is evident; she has
established boundaries and set goals for both her career and personal life, while placing herself directly in the will of
God.
As rafters, we put ourselves in the care of our guide and we trust that what he tells us is for our best. He knows the river,
and how to navigate it, and with out him we would surely be tossed out of the boat! While the action on top of the water
is visibly rough, it is what is underneath that is so unpredictable. Without digging in hard, the undercurrent can smash
you against a rock or flip you over endangering everyone. Like the river, raising children presents its challenges.
Problems often arise because we fail to parent pro-actively, but rather re-actively.
A strong pro-active approach to parenting will not only prevent some disasters along the way, but will also reinforce a
loving relationship. We must learn to view boundaries and discipline as positive approaches to building Godly
character. We as parents know what turbulent waters can be like. We have lived through the many “transitions” that
they have yet to face. Taking a proactive approach means providing them the important tools needed to act, think and
live a life that is pleasing to God and honoring to us as their parents.
One of the most important things I tell other moms is be the example in your daughter’s life so she does not go looking
for one elsewhere. This is where the mother/daughter relationship is first established. It is through this transparency
that we reveal who we are and what we hope to be. Though we are far from perfect parents, a parenting manual
provided us for, is that of the Bible. God’s written word is our life manual; in it, you will find answers to all life’s
questions, heartaches and the many challenges we as God’s children must face. Raising children is no easy task, but God
new that; he teaches us consistently through His word, and works out in our own lives the very things we must in turn
teach them.
In this life, God does not promise that things will always work out the way we hope. I am sure many of us know
someone who is living in a shattered relationship and suffering a broken heart. It is especially difficult if it is a parent/
child or husband/wife relationship. It is easy to feel hopeless in situations like these, but if there is love, there is always
hope. I recommend you read Annie Chapman’s book, “10 Things I Want My Daughter to Know”, especially the chapter
entitled “Mercy for the Mean.”
There is one last aspect to white water rafting that I did not allude to earlier. After vigorously paddling your way
through the huge rapids, you will eventually end up in the calm waters. You cannot get there however, without first
making your way down the wild rapids. It is exhausting work; it drains you physically, mentally and more often than
not, spiritually. You can only experience these calm waters when you have committed to finishing the whole river. This
is the glory of the finish; to raise a daughter and see her become a woman of God. To realize that she is ready to face
life’s challenges with a heart of courage, a spirit of excitement, and the knowledge of whom she is in Christ Jesus. It is
for us as moms to know that He, who began a good work, will carry it on to completion.

8. Page 8

9. Volume 3, Issue 6 Page 9

10. Page 10
Christmas
C is for the Child born that
night to be our light.
(John 8:12)
H is for holy is His name.
(Rev.4:8)
R is for rejoice with
gladness & joy.
(Luke 1:14)
I is for Immanuel, God with
us.
Sunday Morning Bible Studies (Isaiah 7:14, John 1:14)
9:30 Sunday School
Grades 1-2: Kings and Prophets
Grades 3-6: Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
S is for the star that led the
11:00 Children’s Worship Wise men to Him.
Starlight Station: Lessons from the life of Joseph (Matthew 2:2)
T is for the truth and grace
Sunday Evening: Knight School that was sent our way.
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. (John 1:14)
M is for Mother Mary
November 15th will be the last session of Knight School
before we take our winter break; Knight School will
resume January 31, 2010.
laying Him in
swaddling clothes
Wednesday Evening: Image Shoppe in the manger.
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (Luke 2:7)
A is for angels singing songs
Children’s Christmas Musical
Sunday, December 6, 6:00 p.m.
December 2nd will be the last session of Image Shoppe
before we take our winter break; Image Shoppe will of joy.
resume January 27, 2010. (Luke 2:14)
S is for salvation.
—- Johnnie DesRochers.

11. Page 11
this world turns their hearts and
minds away from God. Now is the
time to reach out to children so that
their lives can be changed for the
glory of God.
If you would like to know more
children the truths of the Word of
about Good News Clubs and/or
God through songs, object lessons,
help in a GN Club, please speak to
missionary stories, memory verses
Linda Trowbridge. You may reach
and Bible lessons.
her at 1-760-244-3232.
No matter what the Bible story is,
we always teach the children
through the lesson about God the
Creator, their sin and their need of
a Savior. It is never enough to
teach just the love of God, for the
children need to realize that they
are sinners and they cannot take
away their own sin. The children,
Good News Club, a ministry of Child this year, are struggling with the
Evangelism Fellowship, is an after idea that they themselves sin and
school ministry that reaches out to not just the “really bad people”.
boys and girls with the gospel so When the children realize their sin
they can come to know Jesus as and it’s consequence, then they can
understand their need of a Savior. Sundays,
their Savior and grow in God’s
Word. We also present the good news that Wednesdays
Jesus died for their sin and bodily or for MOPS!
FBCH helps to sponsor two GNCs. rose again. We give an open
One meets on Mondays at Maple invitation so that the children have
Elementary (two years at this site) an opportunity to receive the Lord.
and the other In each lesson When you
m e e t s o n there is also an
bring your
Wednesdays at application for
Lime Street the saved child child to
Elementary (eight to encourage church —-
years at this site). them and help
We meet in the them grow in the —- you bring
open beam Lord. your child to
cafeterias unless it
For many Christ!
is really cold or
there is inclement children GNC is
weather. Our GNC the only gospel
meets once a week training from
for an hour and God’s Word they
fifteen minutes may receive
teaching the before the
philosophy of

12. Page 12
CONGRATULATIONS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
SCRIPTURE SHOLARS!!
Correctly answering 5 of 5:
Fran Gee / Ann Jennings
Correctly answering 4 of 5:
Melody Lynch / Lillian Watson
Answers from the September/October 2009 edition of the “Scripture Smarts” quiz are:
1. Dew (Judges 6:36-40)
2. C (2 Kings 8:9)
3. True (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25
4. Names of Satan (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10; Matthew 12:24)
5. We do not know, although some Bible scholars think Paul the apostle wrote it.
This was the last “Search the Scriptures” quiz for the FBConnection Chronicle. We hope that
everyone who participated in this activity enjoyed it. Beginning in the January/February
2010 edition of the FBConnection Chronicle, a “Survey Says” section will be high-lighted.
During the year various surveys will be taken within our church body and the results will be
posted in this section. Please respond favorably to our “intern surveyors” when they
approach you to take a survey. No names will ever be taken; we will only identify age
groups, gender groups, etc. This will be an interesting way to learn more about our
congregation as a whole. It will identify how we think about current social issues, how we
exhibit our spiritual walk, and some of our habits as Christians.
The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.
No Americans have been more impoverished than these who,
nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.
H. U. Westermayer
It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing
to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the
fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed saved in
appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensible
ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continuous feast.
W. J. Cameron
FBConnection: Chronicle

13. Volume 3, Issue 6 Page 13
Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside
every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies
before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that
lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
God's throne.
@ the student center Helping
Sunday Mornings
8:00 a.m. = Jr./Sr. High Bible Study students
9:30 a.m. = Worship (wc)
11:00 a.m. = Jr. High Bible Study
Sr. High Bible Study
connect to God
Sunday Evenings
6:00 - 7:30 pm
and discover
His purpose
An opportunity to express worship
through creative movement, drama,
singing, black light routines, signing, etc.
Junior High Ministry for their lives!
Wednesday Evenings
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Taking the time to . . .
Senior High Ministry
. . . get fueled up for the
competition!

14. Page 14
TIME TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND athletic ability and charitable works, he criticizes Tebow for his
SPORTS: A New Agenda Takes Shape belief that faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation. Specifically,
(reprinted by permission from albertmohler.com) Krattenmaker cites the stated beliefs of the Bob Tebow
Evangelistic Association. As he asserts, the ministry affirms the
Sam Cook has had enough. A sports columnist exclusivity of the Gospel and rejects "the modern ecumenical
for the Fort Myers [FL] News-Press, Cook movement."
recently referred to quarterback Tim Tebow of In his USA Today column, Krattenmaker describes Tebow's
the University of Florida Gators and told his beliefs as "a far-right theology." Yet, in his book Krattenmaker
readers: "I don't know how many more 'God describes the same beliefs as "hardly fringe or half-baked." As he
bless' comments I can stand from the 2007 explains, "On the contrary, they are quite consistent with the
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback." long tradition of conservative evangelicalism in America and the
Tebow, Cook argued, should play football and beliefs that more or less define the religious lives of millions of
forget about his religious beliefs while he is churchgoing Americans." In his column, Krattenmaker goes
wearing the Gator uniform. "Somehow, we'll even further in denouncing Tebow's beliefs: Certainly, Tim
survive without him displaying a 'John 3:16' Tebow must be applauded for the good he does working on his
Bible verse under his eyes," Cook wrote. "We father's missions, but he should be seen, too, as one who
separate church and state. Why not church and promotes a form of belief that makes unwelcome judgments
sports?" about everyone else's religion. Let's not forget the twinge that is
Sam Cook's column was prompted by a far felt by sports-loving Jewish kids and parents, for example,
more prominent essay published in Monday's or by champions for interfaith cooperation, when adored sports
edition of USA Today. In "And I'd Like to figures like Tebow use their fame to push a Jesus-or-else
Thank God Almighty," Tom Krattenmaker leveled a message. Both Sam Cook and Tom Krattenmaker identify the
comprehensive critique of the evangelical Christian message exclusivity of the Gospel as the key issue of their concern when it
that, as he laments, permeates so much of the sporting world at comes to Tim Tebow and any number of other prominent sports
both the college and professional levels. The Bible verses figures. Krattenmaker repeatedly stresses that he believes
painted in eye-black, fingers pointed heavenward, and athletes should be free to express their faith. Nevertheless, he
expressions of thankfulness to God at the conclusion of a big argues that belief in the exclusivity of the Gospel of Christ is out
game amount, Krattenmaker argues, to "a faith surge that has of bounds for such expression.
made big-time sports one of the most outwardly religious sectors What we face here is undoubtedly a sign of things to come. The
of American culture." Krattenmaker's concern is that this "faith belief that Jesus is the only Savior and that salvation comes only
surge" is overwhelmingly evangelical in its substance and to those who come to Christ by faith is essential to Biblical
message. He addressed this issue in a recently-released book, Christianity. As Krattenmaker rightly observes in his book, when
Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and it comes to historic Christianity this belief is "hardly fringe or
Players into Preachers. In both the column and his book, half-baked." Yet, it is precisely this doctrine that is so odious and
Krattenmaker seeks to describe "the infrastructure and strategy inconceivable to the postmodern mind. Krattenmaker argues
of the sports-world evangelicalism" that is the source of his that evangelical Christians are unfairly using what he describes
concern. as "the civic resource known as 'our team.'" He demands that the
In his book, Krattenmaker offers a more nuanced and developed management of professional sports open the door to other
argument than what is found in his recent column. Nevertheless, religious organizations and make room for expressions of other
in both contexts his main concern is what he sees as a near religious beliefs. He also calls for Christians to use "discernment"
monopoly of evangelical influence and expression in the in seeking to evangelize their teammates. Cook, on the other
sporting world. He writes: How did this come to be? Suffice it hand, calls for an outright separation of "church and sports." The
to say that Christianity is a strong presence in sports is no sporting world is hardly the only arena where the same
accident. It happened because a movement of athletic-minded arguments are made. You can count on seeing these same
evangelical Christians have been making it happen since setting arguments appear anywhere evangelical Christians express their
out more than a half-century ago to reach and convert athletes faith in public or within ear-shot of those who may be offended.
and leverage their influence to spread the gospel to the wider The belief that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation is
sports-loving public. Krattenmaker correctly traces evangelical now at the very center of secular outrage.
influence in sports to the "muscular Christianity" movement so Consider this: Tom Krattenmaker ransacked the website of the
popular in America between the Civil War and World War II. He Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association in order to find the
expresses appreciation for the moral influence of evangelical statement that caused him to criticize Tim Tebow as espousing "a
Christians and Christian conviction within the lives of athletes. far-right theology." The outrage directed at Tim Tebow is not just
Nevertheless, he is clearly alarmed by evangelical displays of the about a Bible reference written in eye-black. The outrage is
Gospel. directed at the sincerely-held beliefs of a young man and an
Looking beyond Tim Tebow, Krattenmaker points to Baseball evangelistic association. Tom Krattenmaker suggests that Tim
Chapel, a Christian ministry that offers chaplains and worship Tebow should adopt a "more generous conception of salvation."
services for professional baseball players on the road or at the And now we all know the price of being seen as "more
ballpark. He is specifically offended by the fact that the ministry generous." Just abandon the Gospel. I am confident that Tim
believes that those who do not come to faith in Jesus will face Tebow will withstand this pressure. He has shown enough
"everlasting punishment separated from God." He pointedly theological maturity and strength of conviction to earn that
addresses the same concern to Tim Tebow. After praising his confidence. But, we have to wonder, how many others will fold
under the intimidation?

15. Volume 3, Issue 6 Page 15
Make a difference in
the life of a child.
Fill a shoebox!
Shoeboxes should be at the church by November 15th for Operation Christmas
Child. You may pick up a prayer guide and your boy/girl ID tag at the Information
Center in the atrium.
Shoeboxes turned in after November 15th will be taken to Tijuana, Mexico
by our local missions team.

16. CAT ‘n Mouse Update
Computer and Technology
Website: www.fbch.org / Email: fbc@fbch.org
Please update your current bookmark and contact information for the church.
Please update your church email contacts:
Amos, Richard = ramos@fbch.org
Bender, Ann = library@fbch.org
Cleveland, Sherry = children@fbch.org
Esterline, Susan = mopsmom@charter.net
Flood, Lucy = lflood@fbch.org
Gonzalez, Fidel = fidelgonzales@live.com
Grissom, Robert = rgrissom@fbch.org
Groveunder, Doris = dgroveunder@fbch.org
Kaiser, Brian = bkaiser@fbch.org
You can also find Kaiser, Lynda = lyndakaiser@yahoo.com
us on Facebook! Kingston, Claudia = ckingston@fbch.org
Lemons, Mike = deborahlemons@hotmail.com
Martin, Robin = songbird1954@charter.net
and/or rmartin@fbch.org
Martin, Sammy = sysadmin@fbch.org
Mole, Jim = youth@fbch.org
Murphy, Ron = media@fbch.org
Smith, Brandy = preschool@fbch.org
Spring, Richard = rspring@fbch.org
Warwick, June = juneandbill@fbch.org
Looking Ahead ————-
January 2010 21 = His Hand, Our Hand
3 = Concert of Prayer 22 = FBCH Annual Meeting
10 = Communion / Concert of Prayer Potluck Dinner
17 = His Hand, Our Hand 31 = Discipleship Training
Children’s Night Winter/Spring Session Begins
18 = His Hand, Our Hand February 2010
19 = His Hand, Our Hand 7 = Class 101: Membership
20 = His Hand, Our Hand Super Bowl Sunday
Youth Night