We are honored you have chosen to join us in worship. There is a time in our service when we will welcome guests; we will not, however, ask you to stand, raise your hand or do anything that makes you feel awkward. We would like to know you were here, however. Please fill out the information request below and place it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher or minister. We promise to use it only to contact you about our church.

This is my (our)…

___ First visit to First Baptist Church

___ Second (+) visit

Name_________________________________

Spouse’s Name ________________________

Address_______________________________

City___________________ State __________

Zip Code _________________

E-mail ________________________________

Marital Status

____ Married _____ Single ____ Widow(er)

Telephone ____________________________

Children at Home (Name/Age/Grade)

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

___ I am new to Rome.

___ I am interested in knowing more

about First Baptist Church.

___ I would like to talk with a minister.

___ I would like to know how to become a

Christian.

___ I am a guest of:

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Sunday, March 8 9:00 a.m. Scrap Iron Broadcast (WLAQ 1410) 9:45 a.m. Bible Study 11:00 a.m. Worship 5:00 p.m. Youth Small Groups - Host Homes

Monday, March 9 9:30 a.m. Centering Prayer 10:00 a.m. Women’s Bible Study - Dining Room 11:00 a.m. Ruble-Whitworth Mission Group - Community Room 5:15 p.m. First Baptist Ringers - Choir Suite 5:30 p.m. Women’s Small Group - Community Room

Tuesday, March 10 12:00 p.m. Men’s Bible Study - Dining Room

Wednesday, March 11 5:00 p.m. First Choice Dinner - Fellowship Hall 5:15 p.m. Bible Study Teachers Prep. - Dining Room 5:45 p.m. Children’s Choirs Youth Hangout - Youth Room Choir Ladies Small Group - Room 305 Younger Women’s Bible Study - Room 300 6:00 p.m. Prayer Time - Fellowship Hall 6:15 p.m. Youth Wednesday’s Connection - Youth Room 6:20 p.m. Adult Lent Bible Study - Dining Room 6:30 p.m. Children on Mission 6:45 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal - Choir Suite

Thursday, March 12 6:00 p.m. Bridges Out of Poverty - Fellowship Hall

Friday, March 13 12:00 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting - Conference Room

The flowers in the Narthex are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Hazel Hay Dowd and Willard C. Hay and Edward and Doris Dellinger Dowd by Lucy Hay Vick and Dub and Lyn Hay.

The flowers in the Sanctuary are given to the glory of God and provided by the Jo Huffman Flower Fund.

ADULT BIBLE STUDY TEACHERS PREPARATION

Teachers of Adults will gather on Wednesday evenings at 5:15 p.m. in the Dining Room to collaborate in planning the following Sunday’s lesson. Bring your dinner into the Dining Room as we gather to review the lesson and consider presentation options.

TALENT SHOW & SILENT AUCTION

Tickets for our 3rd Annual Silent Auction, Talent Show, Spaghetti Fundraiser are on sale. Tickets are $10 each with a family maximum of $30. Sign-up sheets for the talent show and for auction items are available at the preschool desk. The event is Sunday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m.

SENIOR MISSION IMMERSION SPIRITUAL PARTNERS

The senior class of FBC Rome will travel and serve in Puerto Rico, May 30 to June 5. We are looking for four spiritual partners for each senior. Those partners will get to know, pray for, and financially support the seniors who choose to travel. If you are interested in participating, please let John know.

First Baptist Church, 100 East Fourth Avenue, Rome, GA 30161

Phone: 706.291.6850 Website: www.fbcrome.org

WELCOME CHURCH CALENDAR WELCOME

In the Dark The Tempter

Martha

A Man Born Blind Woman at the Well

Our Betrayal

Encounters with the Holy

Lent 2020

First Baptist Church

Rome, Georgia

First Baptist Church

Rome, Georgia

March 8, 2020 11:00 a.m.

We welcome a larger congregation through Comcast Channel 44

and through the livestream over the church website.

To help maintain a spirit of worship, please silence cell phones.

Chiming of the Hour

Prelude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Hill, organ

“Be Thou My Vision” ...arr. Fred Bock (Please use this time to pray for yourself, for others, and for this service.)

Invocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Uldrick

*Hymn of Praise No. 349. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TO GOD BE THE GLORY

“To God Be the Glory”

A Personal Encounter with the Holy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keith A. Reaves

“Be Still, for the Spirit of the Lord” (Stanza 1)

A Time for Silent Meditation and Confession

What hard questions are you wrestling with?

Where do you go with your doubts?

Are you willing to not have all the answers?

Extinguishing the Second Lenten Candle

Response. . . “Be Still, for the Spirit of the Lord” (Stanza 2)

Together, We Connect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan, Leigh, Sim and Winn Weldon

*Reading of Holy Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John 3:1-17 (The text may be found on page 1051 of the Bible in the pew racks.)

Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

*A Lenten Doxology

Praise God throughout these forty days. Praise Christ, our Lord, whom God did raise.

And praise the Spirit who imparts God’s love in Christ into our hearts. Amen. Published by The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, PO Box 340003, Nashville, TN 37203-0003. Used with permission.

Hymn of Testimony No. 589. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALVARY

“At Calvary” (Children ages four through second grade may depart for Children’s Worship.)

Morning Prayer (with The Lord’s Prayer). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kristen Pope Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on

earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we

forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For

thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Musical Offering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sanctuary Choir

“Arise My Soul, Arise”...arr. Dan Forrest

Betty Holland, piano Samantha Lester, violin

Arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears;

The bleeding sacrifice, in my behalf appears;

Before the throne my Surety stands. My name is written on His hands.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:

"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry, Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;

He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear.

With confidence I now draw nigh, and "Father, Abba, Father," cry.

Sermon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt DuVall

“Encountering Jesus in the Dark”

*Hymn of Response No. 616. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TO THE LIGHT

“I Have Come From the Darkness”

*Prayer of Stewardship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tamara Tillman Smathers

Offertory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Hill/Samantha Lester

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”...arr. Charles Callahan

Meditation Text:

Over and over Jesus reached out to those who looked to him for answers and turned them

around to look at the world instead—at sibling rivalries and unjust labor practices, at miffed

royalty and mugged travelers—not to dodge his listeners’ search for meaning but to enroll

them in the making of it. His silence gave them room to speak, and better yet, to act. His

restraint guaranteed their freedom, which they might or might not use to seek God. The

choice was theirs, as it remains ours. —Barbara Brown Taylor in When God is Silent

Welcome to New Members of the Church Family

*Pastoral Blessing and Passing of the Peace

*Commissioning Hymn No. 504 (Stanza One). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I AM THINE

“I Am Thine, O Lord”

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and it told Thy love to me,

But I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died.

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side.

*Postlude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joan Hill, organ

“Hosanna”...Craig Penfield

What Is Lent?

Lent is a season of preparation leading up to Easter. It is

the forty days plus the six Sundays before Easter. For

centuries, it has been observed as a special time of self-

examination and penitence. Throughout Lent, the worship

services of the church take on a simpler tone, appropriate

to the season. The word “Alleluia” is not used in the words

of the readings or hymns. This practice, and others, help us

to mark this season of renewal as a special time in the

church year. This season can be a meaningful time of

reconciliation with God.

Children’s Worship.

Children ages kindergarten through second grade are

invited to Children’s Worship on the second floor of the

Education Building. Parents may pick up their children there

following worship.

Joining First Baptist

We receive new members in several ways. Those who have

never publicly acknowledged Christ as Lord join by public

profession of faith. Baptism is scheduled for a later date.

Members of other Baptist congregations may transfer their

membership to our congregation. We handle the details of

contacting your current church. Members of other Christian

faith traditions are invited to join by “statement of faith.”

Because other traditions vary in belief and practice, those

joining by statement of faith are invited to speak with a

minister before joining so that they might answer questions.

Recording

All services are recorded and may be viewed on our

website. If you would like a video or audio copy of today’s

service, please call the office.

Safety

Safe zones for severe weather are in preschool hallways for

children and the Fellowship Hall for the congregation. If

there is a need to evacuate the building, parents should

pick up children at the bus parking lot on the far side of

First Presbyterian Church.

Prayer Concerns

(Please place in offering plate or hand to a minister.)

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Matt DuVall, Pastor

Keith A. Reaves

Senior Associate/Minister of Worship

Tamara Tillman Smathers

Minister of Education/Administration

John H. Uldrick

Minister to Students and Missions

Kristen Pope, Minister of Faith Development

Gwen Stephens, Ministry Assistant

Beverly Harris, Pianist Joan Hill, Organist

The Second Sunday in Lent FOR YOUR INFORMATION