140 struggling families will have a homemade Thanksgiving meal thanks to the selfless volunteers from FBCW. Both the givers and the receivers were in high spirits on Tuesday evening November 22 as FBCW handed out un-cooked packaged dinners. They included a frozen turkey, with all the fixings for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

The outreach event is more than just addressing hunger in the community; volunteers say they hope to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to those in need. The church feels called to feed the hungry, and pray for everyone who comes to get the free items.

This event reminds those that volunteered as a community, they are all one. It’s important to always remember that God has been good to them and blessed them, which allows them to be a blessing to someone else.

This is the 11th year the church has provided free Thanksgiving meals to the community.

Additionally, on Saturday November 19 FBCW opened up its doors to a record breaking crowd for the annual HOPE Thanksgiving Dinner. HOPE Pantry volunteers and children's ministries offered hospitality to the clients from the Pantry with serving them dinner and waiting on them throughout the evening. Twenty-five gift baskets containing household items and food were given away that evening.

Finally, FBCW will be involved in a Christmas Store to be held at the LINC Community Center December 13-15.

The Christmas Store exists to provide new toys at Christmas to children in low-income families by engaging volunteers in meaningful community service.

Following the instructions of Jesus, the Christmas Store is designed to help families in this area who are in need during the holidays. There are many families who do not have adequate resources to purchase gifts for their children at Christmas time. They find themselves struggling just to “make ends meet” with the necessities of life. Additionally, there are many other people in this area who have abundant resources. They find themselves wanting to help their neighbors, but do not know what the need is or how to help. The purpose of the Christmas Store is to bring those two groups together.

If you care to participate in giving gifts for the store or volunteering your time, please contact Kathy Thompson at 636-332-5127 ext.222

“Evangelism is everybody’s business”

One of the most difficult challenges that we face as believers in this world is to keep the main thing...well...the main thing! And yet focus is one of the most important keys to accomplishing anything.

If you want to land an airplane, somewhere along the line your focus better be trained upon the runway. If you’re a baseball player and you want to hit for a good average, you must learn how to focus on the baseball. If you want to score a lot of points in basketball, you really need to be able to focus on the basketball goal. If you want to have a successful business, you really need to be able to focus on your vision and purpose. You have to know what the main thing is and then keep the main thing... the main thing. And the same thing is true for the church...the believer...people like you and me.

When that doesn’t happen goals are not realized. Take the Ivy League schools for example. They were all started by people of faith with the intention that people would be educated that the gospel might be shared and implemented in the world for the glory of God. That was the main thing...but when the main thing was lost, so was the dream, the purpose, the vision. Most people would be surprised to know how and why those schools were started. They are hardly a bastion of faith and practice, that’s for sure.

When Paul writes to the church at Philippi he draws a comparison between what the lost world focuses on as the main thing in contrast to the believer, the church.

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:18-21 (ESV)

The unbeliever has their mind set on the things of this world...that is what they focus on. But for the believer our citizenship is in heaven, and Jesus is our Lord, not Caesar. The gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the main thing.

Indeed we are pilgrims. A vagabond has no home, a stranger is away from home, but a pilgrim is headed home. Verse three of Chapter four of the same book teaches us about what the main thing is.

Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:3 (ESV)

We just finished as a nation another election cycle. But for the believer our primary focus is on the spiritual not the political. The focus of the church is the Great Commission and the preaching of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The main thing is giving witness to the saving power of the gospel. There are many tentacles’ that seek to reach out and pull us away from the main thing. Most of them you could even consider to be “good” things in comparison to “bad” things. But even good things are not the best thing. The best thing is the main thing and the only thing that we should focus upon and that’s the spreading of the gospel, for it is the only hope for any man, woman, or child.

We are also citizens of this country, the United States of America. We seek to live as good citizens in this world. We vote our conscience and take advantage of the privilege we have to engage our culture and make a difference through our involvement in all avenues of life, including the political.

But as believers we are well aware that it is not an election that will change the heart and minds of people, but only as the elect share the gospel and give evidence of the power of the gospel to save our lives and change our hearts. Make no mistake, the gospel, Jesus Christ, the Savior , is what the world needs more than anything else in life. He alone, by His grace, can save and will save any who call upon His name. He has the power, He is able, and He is the main thing.

^“ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Satan and this world will try to keep you from being witnesses for Him and yet that is our main thing. It is our mandate. That’s what the power of the Holy Spirit is for...to help us focus on the main thing and get it done.

How about this year we let Congress focus on making the laws. Hollywood can focus on taking care of their garbage pit. The boys on Wall Street can focus on the economy. And we can keep focused on what we as citizens of heaven should be focused upon....the main thing. We can tell this world about Jesus! That He is mighty to save.

“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20 (ESV)

After all, when you stop and think about it, it’s soon going to be over with anyway. We are headed “home” and we want to take as many with us as we can. After all...it’s the main thing.