Frank and to the Point

The Arts Festival is just around the corner, and you'll want to be a part of this Building Bridges event that your church is sponsoring in the community. The theme for this year's Arts Fest is Exploring the Twenty-third Psalm. Art may be entered in one of four theme driven categories, The Shepherd's Provision, The Shepherd's Protection, The Shepherd's Care, and The Shepherd's Promise. Paula Barnes, Arts Fest Chair is reporting a growing interest in the community outside of our church as participants are registering for this adjudicated event. To find out more information about registration and many other details related to the festival, go to our website at www.fbcartsfestival.org.

The whole idea of an Arts Festival is to reclaim the historic relationship that art has to the Christian community. When we recall that God is Creator, it just may be that we are most like God when we express the creative gifts that he has entrusted to us. Our hope is to fill the hallways and our foyer with beautiful and creative expressions of visual art that will help us explore the depths of the Twenty-third Psalm. In the process we hope to build a meaningful and sincere bridge with the visual arts community of Nashville.

First Baptist members and friends in the community will have an opportunity to purchase works of art that are submitted to the festival. In addition awards are going to be presented for works of art in each category, and on Sunday April 27th, we will have an opportunity to hear from those artists as their works are presented in the morning worship service. Our good friend Kyle Matthews will be with us that day to present original songs written for each category or movement of the Psalm. It's going to be another one of those days in worship that you will want to be sure to be present.

You can help us spread the word to the arts community and direct any artist that you know to the website so that they can find a way to connect with us for this year's festival.

Blessings.

What Happens Next?

Artists have been called, entry forms are arriving, patrons are being solicited, and volunteers are signing up. In the next few weeks art will begin to arrive and be displayed in our foyer. We as a church family will open our doors to the community, encouraging all to view and purchase works of art inspired by the 23rd Psalm. Are you ready? It all sounds great, but...What happens next?

Get Involved: What happens next is that the family of First Baptist Nashville gets involved. Have you encouraged an artist friend to enter the festival? Have you entered the festival yourself? Have you thought about where you might serve as a volunteer? Have you invited friends, co-workers, and neighbors to attend the festival?

Prepare: What happens next is that the family of First Baptist Nashville asks God to prepare our hearts. Prepare us to welcome the artists who have allowed the God of Creation to work through them. Prepare us to welcome those who come through our doors seeking art that is an expression of their faith. Prepare us to welcome those who come through our doors simply to see just what this arts festival is all about.
Reach out: What happens next is we reach out to our downtown neighbors and build a bridge to those who might not otherwise come through our doors. Are you ready?

For more information on the festival or to volunteer, please visit our website at www.fbcartsfestival.org.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

April 1 - Electronic submission of work due
April 12 - Art Delivery Day
April 25-27 - Art Festival
April 27 - Morning worship with award-winning songwriter/recording artist Kyle Matthews

Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis

The 2008 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is scheduled for June 10-11 in Indianapolis, Indiana. If you are interested in serving as a messenger from First Baptist Nashville, please contact Lori Towns at 664-6001. Messengers will be elected at the May 4 Business Meeting.

Lives Changed and Challenged at LCU

It's truly been a Life Changing experience through LCU. The opportunities have been numerous and attendance fabulous. You'll be hearing personally in the coming weeks how lives have been changed and persons drawn deeper to Christ. Plan to be a part of LCU with our preview on September 7. 

"Servant Warriors has challenged me to be more disciplined, both in the areas of physical fitness and spiritual fitness. I have become more reflective on the benefits of each and also the benefits of pursuing each in community. There are many parallels between the encouragement we receive from engaging in physical exercise with a group and the encouragement we gain from exercising spiritually together." 

~ Tim Stewart

Current Classes

Our current Life Change University Classes will conclude as indicated
• Stepping Up by Beth Moore, April 27
• Financial Peace University, May 11
• Building Bridges through the Centuries, May 4
• Servant Warriors, May 4
• Modern Parables, March 30
• Caregiving for Aging Parents, May 4

Insight Groups:
• Adults, April 13
• Adult Women, May 4
• Adult Young Women, April 29

Union University

The Union University Singers will be our special guests for worship on Sunday morning, April 13. We are excited to welcome this talented choir comprised of 48 singers to lead us in worship. Interim Minister of Music Paul Clark has a personal connection with the group in that his daughter and nephew are both participants.

To help accommodate their travels we will need housing for the singers. If you would be willing to house 2 (or more) of these students in your home on Saturday evening, April 12, please contact Laurie Hall in the music office--laurie.hall@firstbaptistnashville.org or 664-6030. Responsibilities would include picking them up at the church Saturday around 8:00 p.m., providing a place to sleep and a good breakfast, and transportation back to the church on Sunday morning.

We look forward to the blessing that these students will share with us as they continue to learn and move past the recent devastation on their campus. God is using them in a mighty way to spread His Kingdom.

Scholarships Available

The First Baptist Church Scholarship Committee is currently receiving applications for the Yarborough and Cox Memorial College Scholarships. Applications will be considered for full-time college, technical, or trade school students. Decisions will be based upon student involvement (church, community, school), academic standing, career goals, an essay, a letter of recommendation, and an interview with the committee.

An applicant must be a resident member of First Baptist Nashville for one year or have been a member for one year prior to entering college.

Application forms, along with scholarship descriptions, are available from Student Ministry Assistant Bonnie Holmes or click here to download the pdf.

In order to be considered, an application must be received by the church office on or before April 16, 2008.

First Baptist Nashville Singles

Visit to The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina

April 18-19, Cost: $150

Make your reservation by making a $75 deposit by Sunday, March 30.

Contact: Bonnie Holmes, ministry assistant 615.664.6008 / bonnie.holmes@firstbaptistnashville.org

More Than I Signed Up For

I signed up to help the college class serve at Room in the Inn but meeting Gerald was a blessing I didn't expect. I ate barbecue sandwiches with him and six other homeless men as we talked about music and traveling. The others eventually left to prepare for bed, but Gerald and I stayed put. We ended up talking for over an hour.

We talked about his job; I told him about my hometown in Texas. He kindly refused cake as he explained his desire to stay healthy. We discussed theology, and Gerald outlined his strategy to get a ticket for Room in the Inn each night. He even told me part of the story that brought him to the place of homelessness. We laughed, expressed surprise, and spoke on deeply serious issues.

Over the past year my perspective on the homeless has changed. I used to think of the homeless as beggars and people who slept under bridges and had mental problems. But that was before I actually met a homeless person. That was before I listened to the person and saw traces of myself in him.

Now I know the truth. Homeless people are just like me except they weren't born into privilege as I was. When hard times hit, some people are affected more dramatically. I am glad there is a ministry like Room in the Inn to help those people. And I'm glad FBC Nashville is involved. And I am blessed to have met Gerald.

Ruth Graham & Friends Coming to Nashville to Tackle Life-Controlling Issues

Ruth Graham & Friends 'Get Growing' Conference will be held Oct. 3-4, 2008 at First Baptist Nashville

Ruth Graham, founder of the Ruth Graham & Friends ministry and daughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, will lead this very special two day conference focused on helping equip lay people, church leaders and lay ministers, to better deal with life controlling issues affecting them and people they care about.

The need for churches to respond to people's concerns over life-controlling issues such as depression, divorce, addiction, abuse, pornography and other such serious challenges, has never been greater. At the same time, many within the church find it awkward to offer help - or to seek help, because of a false sense that these are not issues that "good Christians" should be facing in their own lives. All of the speakers and workshop leaders involved in the Ruth Graham ministry - including Ruth herself - are all-too-painfully aware from their own personal experience that this is not the case, and that the church can do better to help those who are hurting.

Ruth and her fellow workshop leaders are all experts in the fields in which they work, and they are thus able to show people that by blending modern science and psychology, along with sound scriptural teachings, they can successfully work through these issues.

Tickets for the conference are on sale now, through First Baptist Nashville. Order online at www.firstbaptistnashville.org. The early bird discount tickets are $50 and available through Sept. 19; after that date, tickets are $70.

More information about this conference is avavilable at www.ruthgrahamandfriends.com.

StudentLife Tour

April 4-5, 2008
Long Hollow Baptist Church,
Hendersonville

The Sign-Up Deadline has passed, but if you or your friends would like to join us and have not signed up, please contact the Student Ministry Office! Cost is $100, and friends come for FREE!

Sign up at firstbaptiststudents.org or contact Bonnie Holmes at 664-6008 or bonnie.holmes@firstbaptistnashville.org

Children's Activities

Parent's Night Out

The next Parents Night Out (for babies - grade 6) will be Friday, April 11, from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
The cost is $7 per child, payable at the time of registration. Your child must be registered in order to participate. To register, fill out one of the designated envelopes, located in the preschool suite and on the third floor. Place your money in the envelope and return it either to Pam Nail's office or the church office. Deadline for registration is April 9.

SAVE THESE DATES

• Parents Day Out - starts June 3
• Terrific Tuesday - starts June 3
• Vacation Bible School - June 23-27

Mark your calendars and watch for more information!

Spring Cleanup

The fun is about to begin! Cleanup, rake, plan for the spring and summer around the beautiful landscape at First Baptist Nashville. We'll meet at 8:30 a.m. on the patio on April 5. Bring a sack lunch, work gloves and your own tools. Water and trash bags supplied by the church. Gardening feeds the soul! Come keep us beautiful!

CONTACT: Marlan Seward, 664-6001, lori.towns@firstbaptistnashville.org