Happy New Year!

I hope you and family had a Merry Christmas. As we enter this new year I wish you and your family a Happy New Year. We're embarking on a new year, and our minds are drawn to new commitments, or even fresh versions of previous commitments. Whether your hope for 2008 includes a better way of balancing your budget, or simply finding less of you to balance on your bathroom scales,almost everyone is in a mood to consider change as the New Year approaches.

The challenge from the Bible could encompass all of that change. Ephesians 4:1 "I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received." The Bible message is that we're expected to walk in a different way once we follow Christ. Walking as a follower of Jesus requires a different step than the rest of the world.

I pray that as we enter this new year we will walk in the name of Jesus and allow him to direct our path.
Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

I would like to invite you and your family to attend our Christmas Eve Service on Monday, December 24, 2007. Our service will begin at 6 PM and be done by 7 PM. We will sing Christmas Carols and have special music and read the Christmas Story. We also will observe the Lord's Supper and light the Christ candle.

I realize that Christmas is a busy time but I ask that you take time to stop from the busy schedules and focus on Christ who is the reason for season. I find this Christmas Eve service does exactly that and you will have plenty of time after the service to be with family and friends.

It is my wish that you and your family have a Very Merry Christmas.

Begin Praying about Jamaica

The dates have been set for us to go to Jamaica with Dr. and Mrs. Long! This year we will to go to Jamaica on July 11-18, 2007 and we will be staying at the Bethel Christian Mission in Newport, Jamaica. As usual we will be running Vacation Bible School for local churches. We are asking for Youth and Adults to begin praying; ask God if he is leading you to work in Jamaica this summer. Space will be limited this year so seek God's guidance.

If you have questions, as you pray, you can always talk with Pastor Jeff or myself. We will have an orientation meeting early in January to answer any questions and lay out the guidelines for our trip. This will be a great trip, I am looking forward in going back to Jamaica this summer.

Christmas Cheer Boxes

All throughout this year we have shared with you different needs within our church. Each time I believe God has used people within our church to meet each one of those needs. As we come to a close of this year let me share with you another need. This year for Christmas we are need of help with our Christmas Cheer Boxes. We need food items, and money to buy items for the food boxes.

This year I'm seeing a great need for these boxes in our community. We have already received some request for these boxes and I hope we have enough food and money to purchase the items we need. We are finishing off a year where we have spent all of our funds designated for benevolence needs. We do not have extra money for this cause so we need your help. If you can donate food, please bring it to the church by December 16th and if you would like to give a cash donation, please give it by December 20th.

It's my prayer that we can give everyone who needs one a Christmas Cheer Box this year.

Prayer for Haiti

Last week I received an e-mail from our Executive Director of the Florida Baptist Convention, Dr. John Sullivan. He was asking for prayer and financial support for the 700 churches in Haiti that have been started and nurtured by the Florida Baptist Convention. Late in Hurricane session Hurricane Noel devastated this island nation. One hundred seventy five churches were damage and seventy one were destroyed. Also Two Hundred seventy six Pastor's had their Home's damaged. Their also was 943 church members that had their home damaged by the storm.

Last week I asked our Missions Committee to take $1,000 from our Missions Fund to send to the Florida Baptist Convention for the work in Haiti. The committee approved this action. Please be in prayer for the work in Haiti.

I would also ask for your prayers for a Mission Team that my daughter, Aarika, is a part of that will be leaving for Haiti on Monday, December 10 and returning on December 17th. They will be doing Vacation Bible School and working in the orphanages.

Celebration Sunday!

Last Sunday was our Celebration Sunday for our Capital Stewardship Campaign. For the last three months we have been asking members and friends of First Baptist Church to pray about making a 3 year commitment to our Capital Stewardship Campaign. Our Campaign Goals were SEED $600,000, GROWTH $900,000, HARVEST $1,200,000.

I was able to report to the church that as of 12/3/2007 we have received $1,014,000. We praise the Lord for that amount. I would like to thank everyone who helped in our Capital Stewardship Campaign to make it a great success. If there are individuals who would like to still give to our Capital Stewardship Campaign, just turn your pledges into the church office. If you need information about our Capital Stewardship Campaign, please call the church office.

Individuals may begin giving their commitment to the church for our building program. You may use your regular offering envelope that you use for your tithe and mark the portion you are giving to the Building Fund. We also have special "Future Is Now" Building envelopes.

I ask each member to continue to pray as we have many more important decisions to make toward building our new education building.

Florida Baptist Children's Home

In Fort Myers, Florida we have a Florida Baptist Children Home which houses 6 children presently. This home also watches over 37 children that are in Foster Care.

Our Mommie and Me Ministry is taking the lead this year to take care of these children for Christmas and they need your help. Our Mommie and Me class have plan to take care of the 6 children that live in the home in Fort Myers. We need your help with the 37 children that are in Foster Care. The social worker for the Children's Home has given us a list of the items the children would like for Christmas, some of these items are what we call basics need items. (Shoes, t-shirts, socks, etc) We would like to get each of these children a toy and some of there basics need items for Christmas. Since the needs vary we are asking for money so we can buy the things they need. If we could collect $800 we feel we could buy each of the 37 a toy plus meet some of there basics need items.

If you would like to donate to this cause, please bring your donation to office of First Baptist Church of LaBelle at 330 North Main Street LaBelle, FL. 33935. Please mark your gift FBCH Christmas Gift.

Thank You very much for your Help!

Support of Missionaries in Vienna, Austria

In July of this year we had Brian and Pearl Williams came to our church to share about their work in Vienna, Austria. They work in a Chrisitan school where many of the UN workers and Ambassadors send their children to school. This gives them an opportunity to share Christ with these students.

The current money exchange between the dollar and the euro put the Williams in a position where they need more support. Our Missions Committee has decided to support the Williams Family starting in October 2007 with $100 a month for one year. At the end of one year our Missions Committee will reevaluate their position.

I ask each person to pray for Brian and Pearl in their ministry in Vienna, Austria. They will be sending us a newsletters of their ministry and we will post them on the bulletin board. We hope to have them back in our church summer of 2008.

I thank the Lord every day that we are able to support Missionaries like Brian and Pearl Williams.

Revival with Dr. Long

The Lord truly blessed us last week with Dr. Ron Long and his wife Leitha for our Revival. Dr. Long has become a great friend to me and he loves this church and it's mission minded spirit. He shared some great messages with us and all of his messages can be heard through our church web page or you can download them to listen to later. Our church web address is http://www.fbclabelle.org/. I hope if you haven't seen our website lately that you would look it up.

I would ask each of you to pray for Dr. Long and his wife as they travel this fall. On October 4 through the 16th they will be in China and South Korea. On October 19-22 they will be in Quebec, Canada. November 2-9 they will be in Jamaica and November 12-18 they will be Maine. Pray that doors will be open and souls saved.

Pastor Jeff and I will be with Dr. Long in Panama this coming Janaury. Jeff and I will be teaching the final course to group of Pastors and lay leaders on Missions, Evangelism and Discipleship. After the course we will have the honor to be there for their graduation. I ask that you pray for our upcoming trip.

Stay Strong in the Lord!!

With Love, Pastor Frank

Our Trip to Louisiana

Over the Labor Day Weekend my family and I went to Louisiana so that we could attend the 100th Anniversary of Palestine Baptist Church of Bogalusa, Louisiana. I served at Palestine as Pastor before coming here at First Baptist Church of LaBelle. I had the privilege of preaching the morning message for anniverary service. Several of the former Pastors and staff members were in attendance.

David Harbison and his wife Debbie were there from Nashville, TN. David served as Minister of Music and Youth while I served at Palestine. It was good to see him and his wife and visit together. It had been along time since Cathy and I had a time to visit with him and Debbie. I also had a chance to talk with Rev. Ed Jenkins who is now 82 years old. He is a former Pastor and has served as interim Pastor several times. It was a blessing to see him and to here some encouraging words from him. I pray that if the Lord allows me to live that long that I would follow Bro. Ed example of staying the course and that I would have the energy to continue forward. That little visit was one of the special moments of the trip.

Another special moment was to spend time with the Pastor of Palestine Baptist Church, Fred Brumfield. Fred and I have a special bond that he was my youth director while I was at Palestine. I know his family and brother who is also a pastor. It good to be with him and have some time to talk. I ask that you pray for Bro. Fred as he continues to lead this church.

We were able to visit with my Dad and Ms. Nell for a few days and that was nice. I'm thankful to the Lord for the safe trip he gave us. We arrived back Monday night safe but tired.

Update on Jamaica

Jeff and I talked to Dean Dawson today about the needs in Jamaica. Pastor Dean express the need for money to purchase building supplies while they are able to obtain them. Many of the churches and homes in the area of the camp have been damaged and Pastor Dean would like groups to come help these churches and individuals repair and clean their homes.

We would like to take a small group possibly as early as September to help these people. Our biggest obstacle would be coming up with the money to pay our way to Jamaica. I ask that each of us pray and ask what the Lord would he would want you to do. Some individuals might want to give money for building supplies, others might want to give so that someone in our church could go and do the needed repairs. We would like to send a check for building supplies as early as next week.

Hurricane Report from Jamaica

Pastor Dean Dawson, Director of Bethel Christian Mission, Newport, Jamaica has shared with us about the water and wind damage that was done to the camp and in Manchester and Clarendon parishes in Jamaica. Pastor Dean is asking for volunteers to help with the recovery of the camp and helping the people in the surrounding area. It has been reported that between 50 and 60% of the homes in Manchester and Clarendon parishes have lost their roofs. If you would like to help provide humanitarian assistance to those who are financially unable to repair their roofs, we ask that you consider giving a financial gift that we can forward to Pastor Dean to help with the repairs. You might pray and see if the Lord would want you to go to Jamaica and be part of a team that would do repair work, if you are interested in going or would like to know more, please let myself or Bro. Jeff know.

Bethel Mission Website