January 2014 Newsletter

First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte

P.O. Box 170, Eagle Butte, SD 57625

(605) 964-3617 (Office) / (605) 891-1704 (Pastor’s Cell)

January 5, 2013

Dear Friends,

Christmas time has come and gone, and the warmth of that happy time of year has been a blessing to us in this cold season.  This very, very cold season.  Last Sunday, wind chills drove temperatures down to negative 47 degrees.  How cold is that?

Well, imagine that it’s a cold January morning where you live.  You look out at the thermometer and notice that it’s 33 degrees outside.  You get out your heavy winter coat and resolve to drive carefully, as it could get icy later. 

Now imagine that it’s eighty degrees colder than that.

The national weather service tells me that, as I write this, Anchorage, Alaska is 36 degrees warmer than we are.  A little research on Google taught me that, on Sunday, Eagle Butte had temperatures only slightly warmer than Mars.  Seriously.  Wooly Mammoths are starting to roam the landscape at this point.  It’s that cold.

A Little Construction Project

Before the cold became too intense, I had the time to do a little improvement project around the church.  I was never very handy with tools, but since I came to this city, I have found that it’s best to learn how to do as many things as possible.  Our church basketball goals, which are used during our Friday night youth activities, had both been destroyed- the first by the wind, and the second by a vandal.  With the help of some very nice hardware store workers, and with the loan of a church member’s jigsaw, I managed to cut out two nice basketball goals for us to use.  I even poured concrete into the bases, to give them more stability.  Here’s hoping that these goals will stick around for years to come! 

Wise Men Come from Afar, Bearing Gifts

In Late November, we were visited by four wonderful people who have been friends of this church longer than I have been its pastor.  Their names are Frank and Brenda Raper, and Jim and Carol Johnson.  They drove all the way up from Clarkesville, GA, where they, their fellow members of Bethlehem Baptist Church, and listeners of the Christian radio station WCON had put together a trailer full of gifts for the people of Eagle Butte.  They brought sports equipment (including a basketball goal) to Windswept Academy.  They brought toys, games and clothing to the nearby community of Bear Creek.  They left diapers, toys and various gifts at the church, so that we could find a good home for them. We are grateful for their generosity, as it was all given in the spirit of…

Christmas!

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

Oh, didn’t I mention?  I love Christmas!  It is second only to Easter when it comes to miraculous celebrations.  The very idea that God Himself, who holds galaxies in their proper course, would become a man (and not just pretend to become a man-REALLY become one of us) is such a great and wonderful thing that only the Perfect Sacrifice made at Easter could possibly surpass it.  At First Baptist church, we see that as a great cause for celebration, so we made it our business to make the season one to remember. 

In the pictures above, you can see us during our annual Christmas party.  There are snacks and refreshments to be had, while we decorated the sanctuary.  In the pictures below, you can see close-ups of some of the decorations we put up-a Christmas tree, A light-up manger scene for the outside of the building, and a smaller nativity for the inside of the sanctuary.  This last decoration was carved out of Cottonwood root by a local artist.

Our children’s Sunday School teachers began work just before Halloween on a small Christmas pageant called, “What God Wants for Christmas”.  All the children in our Sunday School were involved.  There was singing, poetry, and a Gospel-centered message.  They gave two performances-once for the church, and once for the residents of the Manor-a local nursing home.  In the picture just below this text, you see the children with speaking parts, all in costume.  Below that, you see them performing.  And on the bottom, the residents are enjoying the show.  But this was only a small part of our Christmas festivities.

During our Christmas service, the children performed their pageant for everyone.  And afterwards, there was a special potluck, at which the Sunday School kids ate and fellowshipped alongside of the adults who had just enjoyed their performance.

After the meal, there were presents for the children to open, donated by good people from all over the country, through the First Nations Baptist Association.  This was complimented with some goody bags full of candy, which we gave them as well.  All the children seemed pleased with their gifts.  Oliver, who you can see on the bottom there, was especially happy about a can of Silly String-which he promptly sprayed all over me!  For some of these children, they would have very little else this Christmas besides this, so we were happy to do what we could.  Our people were happy, and our Savior was glorified.  That’s what I call a successful Christmas, eh?

Plans for the New Year

Due to hectic holiday schedules, our women’s Bible studies have been delayed for a little while.  But beginning this month, they will be back with a vengeance, as the women of our church begin to look at the lessons that can be learned from the life of Gideon, as it is written in the Book of Judges.  All the women involved with this activity are enthusiastically looking forward to maturing their faith and fellowshipping with the other women.

So perhaps you are wondering how you can become a partner with us in our ministry here in Eagle Butte?  If so, then we are happy to tell you, since we welcome assistance from the body of Christ. Here is what we need the most:

Prayer.  It may be true that our church is getting along very well at the moment, and that God is doing great things here.  But it is precisely when a church is being used by God that Satan does all in his power to destroy it.  So please pray, my brothers and sisters.  Pray that our leadership will keep their hearts pure and humble, and that we will live at peace with each other.  Pray that we will be protected from the power of the enemy, and that God’s Holy Spirit will shine through in our lives.  Pray that the Lakotas in the community will come to know the Lord, and that the commitment they make will not be a superficial group of words, but a real change in their Spirits that will alter the course of their lives for eternity. 

E-mail addresses.  For those of you who have e-mail addresses, please send them to me.  That way, these monthly newsletters can be forwarded to everyone in your church who wants one!  Just send your name and e-mail address to me at benfarrar777@hotmail.com, and I’ll make sure you receive this newsletter as often as it comes out.

Financial Assistance.  Our church is fortunate to have members who are generous in their giving. But some of our most generous members are, nevertheless, very poor.  We have long been blessed with assistance from outside churches and individuals, and we try to use those gifts wisely and well. 

If any one of you wishes to bless the church with a financial gift, you may send it to:

 First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte

P.O. Box 170

Eagle Butte, SD 57625 

May God bless you all, and draw you closer to Himself each and every day.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Ben Farrar

Pastor

First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte