Meet Ray Dutcher

Check out the video to get to know our pastoral candidate for Youth and Family Ministries.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 616.772.4377.

Blessings!

Good Friday services

In just a few short weeks we will be entering Passion week…this is the week that we remember Jesus death and anticipate the joy of RESURRECTION!

On Friday, April 22, we will be having combined Good Friday Services with 2 of our sister churches, Calvary Baptist and Immanuel Church (both in Holland).  Everyone is invited to these times of worship and reflection (childcare available thru age 3).
We will be holding 2 services:

• Traditional – 1pm @ First Baptist Church, Zeeland
• Contemporary – 7pm @ Calvary Baptist Church, Holland

If you are a instrumentalist or vocalist, we’d love to have you involved in our Traditional service.  Contact Pastor Jeremy to sign up!

Have a great day!!

great post by one of our own!

I came across this blog (by Katherine, one of our own students here @fbczeeland) and wanted to share with our church family. I wanted to share this quote from one of her recent blog posts:

Who will escalate the love of God to people who have never heard of HIS love?

A very challenging question indeed.

Katherine's Blog

You can check out Katherine’s blog here!

faith stories happening @ First

These past few months it has been amazing to see/watch/be apart of the stories of God’s faithfulness that are happening at First.  For example, here are some of the stories that people shared Sunday.

from here...

to here...

How is God working in YOU?  We’d love to hear!!  (if you missed Sunday, you can download the podcast via iTunes, or stream online at fbczeeland.org.

Truth – North Korean Testimony | The Lausanne Global Conversation

Truth – North Korean Testimony | The Lausanne Global Conversation.

Incredible story…

Online Worship

I was reading an article today about Online Worship.  It is found at http://www.outreachmagazine.com/features/3822-How-Online-Worship-Changing-Church.html .  I like being able to reach people in a remote area who might not have other opportunities for fellowship, but feel it would be a less than healthy alternative for someone who has access to a face-to-face fellowship.  What do you think?

Potluck!!

Hey!

Sunday, September 12 (that’s Back to Church Sunday btw), we are having a church wide potluck at 12pm (after our Adult Bible Connections classes)…everyone is invited.

Details::
Church will provide:

• hotdogs (w/condiments etc)
• plates/utensils
• lemonade
• pasta salad
• potato salad

If you would like to bring a dish to share (desserts are always fun…so are other food delicacies), please do!

If you can help serve:

• email us at:  fbczeeland@tds.net
• call (616.772.4377)
• sign up at the Welcome Center on Sunday

Grace and peace!!

Holiday Choir Survey #2

Question for choir folk?!?

Joni and Friends. Wow.

My job is to preach the traditional way.  You know, open the Bible, expound on a passage and make the right applications.  It is convenient in that it is a nice “package” of ministry for people.  But, it does not compare to the random, unexpected preaching that goes on all around me these two weeks.

Imagine being in a place where joy fests break out without warning.  Where people laugh about missing their mouths with food (the dining hall gets messy).  Where it is a thrill to simply be held in water, to be pulled up a rope, or to nap without worrying about your disabled child.

That is Joni and Friends.  And though I am preaching my guts out, giving all I have to the teaching of the Word, I watch others living it with ease.  There is a special kind of grace here that permits us to have life-branding moments.

I watched a cup stacking presentation at the talent show and I cried.  Four paraplegic young adult men wheeled up to the platform and waited for their “buddies” to stack up Dixie cups into pyramids.  Then they simply wiggled their arms just enough to touch the cups and knock them down.  That was the talent.  That was the show.  The crowd went absolutely nuts.  The men (all non-verbal) grinned and cackled.  It was as if they had just won a gold medal in Olympic swimming.  And, you want to know why?  Because they had.

With so much inability in their lives each day, knocking down a stack of cups is a feat of amazing strength.  They cannot walk, talk, sing, dance, or do most of the things we would consider “talents.”  But, they can knock down cups the way Superman can fly through a wall.

So, cheers to the Supermen at Joni and Friends.  They glorified God with what ability they had.  And that, will preach.