The Gift of God’s Word to Our Neighbor

"A local partner congregation here in Texas recently invested over $700 in bi-lingual Bibles written specifically for young children. After their recent book fair, we presented about 40 of the 90 Bibles to Kindergarten children. This particular Bible can be read by parents to their children, whether they speak primarily English or Spanish at home. There are also really wonderful pictures inside to help the children understand stories from the Bible. The rest of the Bibles will be used this summer during Vacation Bible School. What a great gift! I am always thankful for wonderful partners who help bring God's Word to the people of southern Texas!"

- Diann Berry, CBF field personnel, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Passport Offering

Kelly and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the Passport offering this year. Your contributions will help fund some very important ministries!  Kelly and I divided the bottles between the youth and the children.  The youth ended up donating $379.00 to the Passport offering.  The total collected at Passport Choices in Greensboro was $1,327.00.  There were 11 churches contributing and 28.5% of that offering came from FBC Sylva! The children donated $408.00 in Montreat. The total collected in Montreat was a little over $1,600.00 and roughly 25% of that came from FBC Sylva. There is also a little more (roughly $100) that was in the bottles as checks written to the church.  These will be sent on to Passport as an additional offering.  Thank you all so much for your willingness to help with these mission offerings.  Your generosity will go far in ministering to those in need.
- Carol Cloer

Loving the Neighbors Who Are Different Than Us

"Several years ago we were invited to take part in an interreligious debate. Afterwards I talked with the Muslim Imam -- Hamza. Since then we have gotten to know him well. We ask each other hard questions and try to better understand each other's faith. Recently we talked about the violence practiced in the name of Islam. I was struck by his remark -- 'Understand that we also fear the extremists. Please tell your American friends that.' 

Ignorance encourages fear and prejudice, so we must better understand Muslims and learn to live together in peace. Pray for the moderate voices of Islam in a world of extremes. Pray that the Lord will help us to see the world as God does and to love our neighbors and our enemies."

- David Brown, CBF field personnel in Paris, France

Watering Malawi Project

Remember the water bottles the GAs and RAs distributed after worship service a couple of weeks ago?  Remember that you were asked to pray for the people of Malawi as you drank your water?  Remember that we you were asked to bring your bottle back to church filled with change (or bills) to help the people of this African country to obtain clean, safe drinking water?

Sunday, June 24th is the day we are asking for you to return your bottles.  Over 100 water bottles were handed out on June 2nd and less than 12 have been returned to the church office.  Please bring your contribution to this project to church this Sunday.  Our children and youth attending Passport will take the money collected and it will be added to the other contributions from across the state, helping to make a real difference in the lives of the people of Malawi. 

Thank you for any help you can give!

Thank God for this place

"The war started at night, and we had to run, leaving our parents. We haven't seen them since and still don't know where they are. It was horrifying, but we had no choice. In South Sudan killing is normal. People kill each other like slaughtering hens. When we made it to Kampala we ended up on the street with nowhere to sleep. One day, through CBF and Refuge and Hope, we were able to find affordable housing and get off the streets. Thank God for this place, where we can forget the nightmare we went through."

- Jacob and Esau, about the work of Jade and Shelah Acker, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel, Kampala, Uganda

WATERING MALAWI WATER BOTTLE PROJECT

Every 15 seconds, a child dies around the world because the water they drink makes them sick. 

This statement is the reason that GAs and RAs distributed water bottles as the congregation exited the sanctuary.  On the bottles was a label with the following instructions:

        1)Drink this water.  Pray for those who don't have safe water.
        2)Cut off top of bottle or cut a slit and fill bottle with change (or bills).
        3)Return to church office by June 24th.

The money collected will be our children's and youth's contribution to the Passport project "Watering Malawi".

During their week at Passport Camp, the children and youth who are attending from our church will learn more about this mission opportunity and other ways to reach out with God's love.

If you would like to learn more about the project and about the Passport connection, go to wateringmalawi.org/about. 

Our WMU is supporting this project.  Thank you to Sandra and Leo James for obtaining the water bottles, Tia Ashley for printing the labels,the GAs for labeling the bottles, the RAs and GAs and their leaders for distributing the bottles, and Emma Burnes for making the announcement on Sunday. 

Hope to see a lot of water bottles with money inside returned to the church office by JUne 24th!

Passport Camp Car Wash Fundraiser

Passport Camp Car Wash Fundraiser
June 16th from 10 AM —1 PM
Church Parking Lot
Help us raise money to fund our children and youth’s mission camps

Knowing and Being Known

"When I walk down the street of my neighborhood in the inner city, I do not see thugs, delinquents, or terrorists. I see my friends, people I know. When we seek to know the other and understand who they are as people and we let ourselves be known and understood, it is virtually impossible to stereotype. You can't lump everyone together because you know the person and you know how that person is different from others you know. So the next time you see a person you would normally shy away from, just say hello. It will go a long way towards knowing and being known."

-  Nell Green, CBF field personnel, Houston, Texas

Friendship of Beloved Community

"Human trafficking is the slavery of our time. Women who have been trafficked often times have been subjected to profound trauma both physically and mentally. They also face social rejection, discrimination and humiliation both in their own society and the one for which they are forced to work. In France, a group of Christian women have joined together through the Ladies in Waiting ministry. This group aims to reach out and minister in holistic and meaningful ways to prostitutes.

The first time we met Jessica, we invited her to a Ladies in Waiting picnic and invited her to bring a friend if she would like. Jessica said, 'I don't have a friend.' That is what this ministry is all about; building beloved community with those who do not have a friend."

- Joel and Tiffne Whitley, CBF field personnel in Strasbourg, France

Mission Bite

"The Gospel compels us to bring about a transformation in people's lives and into the communities because all people in all communities have a contribution to make. There are over 3,000 refugees in North Carolina. We look for ways that will seek to be beloved community to those who literally spent years on the refugee highway, unable to work and far away from family. We advocate on behalf of them and look to find ways to help their transition. This ministry of welcoming refugees is all about building beloved community together as we practice radical hospitality by being willing to go outside of our comfort zone. Because in order to truly cultivate beloved community, we need to somehow, some way walk in each other's shoes."

- Marc and Kim Wyatt, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel, Research Triangle, North Carolina