Senior Adult

YahYah’s (Fellowship of the Young At Heart’s)
Young at Heart is a group of Senior Adults of First Baptist Church who are aged 55 and older. Our church feels this group is so important that they have their own Pastor, Rev. Judy Butler. Her job is to coordinate activities, bring short devotionals to gatherings, make visits to those home-bound, in hospitals and nursing homes, and to share preaching duties.

The purpose of the group is to promote Christian fellowship and support and to provide travel and exploring opportunities around North Carolina and beyond. In most events, friends and relatives are welcome to join us. There is at least one activity or luncheon scheduled per month. Young at Heart in-house activities meet in our church Fellowship Hall. The away adventures usually are traveled by church van or church bus.

The Young at Heart bulletin board is located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall. Information about future events and trips and sign-up sheets can be found here. There is also a twice-monthly group of senior adults who meet in the library for games and fellowship.

Activities in the past have included trips to the Raleigh Art Museum, Southern Supreme Fruitcake Factory, Shatley Springs, Asheboro Zoo and a few even ventured to Nova Scotia last fall! Our next big trip will be to the Amish Country. There have also been special guests to speak on topics of interest such as prescription medications, fire safety for Senior Adults, Medicare issues, community volunteer opportunities, and more!

Newcomers are always welcome! As this is an active fellowship, the group will have different faces each month. Come join us and see what fun and new adventures await! Praise be to our Father who gives us a wonderful world to explore and love to share! For more information, please contact Rev. Judy Butler.

GAME TIME!
All adults are invited to meet at 2:00 p.m. in room #309 on the third floor for a wonderful time of fellowship and old-fashioned games. Meeting each Wednesday, we play checkers, dominoes, Bingo, Chicken Foot, and more! This is an open group and anyone is welcome to join us whenever you are free.

February'S NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.  ~Oswald Chambers

A friend of mine gave me this very nice devotional book (365 Day Brighteners: Whispered Words of Encouragement) for Christmas and I really liked this quote by Oswald Chambers, who is famous for “My Utmost for His Highest”.  Sometimes, well actually most of the time, I try to control when and how God shows up in my life.  Fortunately for me, God doesn’t pay this any attention and He shows up the way He wants to despite my best efforts at controlling life.  The problem is that more often than not, I fill my life with so much activity, chores, and errands, that there isn’t much time for God. 

I was away this weekend, finishing up, and graduating from my training as a Spiritual Director.  This training takes place in the mountains and there is a labyrinth located on the premises.  Some of you may have questions like, “What in the world is that woman doing now? Or, What is a Spiritual Director? Or maybe, What is a labyrinth”?  I think I may have told you before about labyrinths but just to recap in case there are any new folks reading this: a labyrinth has only a single, non-branching path, which leads to the center. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.  Many labyrinths set in floors or on the ground are large enough that the path to the center and back can be walked. They have historically (means it is a really old practice) been used both in group ritual and for private meditation.

When I am in this place I like to walk on the labyrinth, meditate, and pray.  It rained most of the time I was there and it seemed as if I would not have an opportunity to accomplish this cherished activity.  On the morning I was to return home it was still pouring down rain and boy was it ever chilly.  No, it was cold!  I had already checked out and loaded my car but as I was about to leave I had this overwhelming nudge to walk and meditate.  Of course I complained about the rain and the low temperature but this insistent feeling would not go away as I sat there.  I found my umbrella, pulled on my coat, and set out for the labyrinth.  It started raining harder and harder until water was running down the inside edges of the umbrella and I was shivering.  I stepped onto the opening and prayed for God to show Himself to me and to make plain His will for my life.

I took one step and began to cry.  I took another step and could not tell the rain from the tears.  I believe God was letting me know that He is always present and if I will only sit still for just a few minutes He will show Himself to me.  God didn’t care that it was pouring down rain; He only cared that I sat still in my car long enough to feel His nudge.  Once I gathered myself and stopped my tears (I was too wet to dry them) I had the most incredible peace and joy fill me up and I danced and splashed in the puddles as I completed my walk on the labyrinth.  As I walked, danced, and splashed I kept hearing, Matthew 5:45,  “. . . so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous.”

There’s a sermon in there but that’s for another time.  If you’re wondering about those other two questions I asked in the second paragraph, I encourage you to come by and have a chat with me and find out what this woman has been up to.

Pastor Judy  

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES  

Tuesday, February 14 Valentine Banquet, 11:30 am.  Signup sheet is posted.   Good food, fellowship, and fun will be had by all!

Tuesday, March 20      Monthly Fellowship, 11:30 am .  Italian lunch – details will follow.  Brenda Fox, from Silver Sneakers, a Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritional Consultant will be our guest speaker.  Wear your sneakers.

Sunday, April 08 Easter

Sunday, April 15 Sr. Adult Sunday.  More info to come.

Monday, May 07-09 Fort Caswell Trip.  Begin planning now!

Because some activities are announced as they are planned please keep your eyes open for announcements in the newsletter of upcoming events.  It would be helpful if you would also frequently check the Sr. Adult bulletin board outside the fellowship hall, check the FBC website if you have a computer, check the Sunday bulletins, or call the church office.  There is no telling what I might come up with for us to do and I don’t want you to miss out on all the fun.