Newsletter October 2015

First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte

P.O. Box 170, Eagle Butte, SD 57625 www.fbceaglebutte.com (Website)

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

October 11, 2015

Dear Friends,

Since last I wrote, Summer has officially come to an end.   And we knew just how to celebrate.

On most weekends, there is not very much going on around here.  But  on Labor Day weekend, the place veritably explodes with activity.  We all celebrate with our annual Pow-Wow, Rodeo and Parade, each of which are an outstanding display of Eagle Butte’s rich local culture.  Here in Eagle Butte, the various kinds of Pow-wow dancing are highly refined art forms, and rodeo is a competitive sport in our local high schools.  It is a wonderful thing, on a hot summer night, to walk through the Pow-wow grounds (full of dancers in their beautiful regalia), and pass directly into a carnival (complete with ferris wheels and funnel cake), and finally arrive at a Rodeo-just in time for the calf-roping competition.  I love my job, and I love my city.

Children’s Ministry, Both New and Old

Those of you who have been following us for some time know that our church sponsors a children’s breakfast ministry.  Our vans travel all over the city, picking up children and taking them to the church for breakfast.  For some of these children, it will be the first meal they have eaten since lunchtime on Friday.  Afterwards, they stay for Sunday School. 

But in the past month, our brilliant Sunday School teachers came up with a way to make this ministry even better.  In the back room of the church, locked in a forgotten closet, were some puppets that were not being put to use.  We are now using them to put on puppet shows on Sunday morning.  Rachel Cowan (who teaches the older children) narrates the story, the older children perform the show, and the younger children watch.  It has been VERY well-received so far.  We are very glad to have this opportunity to bless the children in a new way.

A Ministry of Caring

A new ministry has been started at First Baptist Church, and it is being spearheaded by those whose health problems often prevent them from serving in other capacities.  It is based on the immense value of handwritten notes.

In our modern world, it is so easy to send emails and text messages that few people write notes by hand anymore.  For this reason, a simple handwritten note, crafted with genuine sincerity, is valued more now than it ever has been.  Our church is making a move to minister through this means. 

We began a few weeks ago, when we gathered the names and box numbers of all the policemen in the area.  The two ladies who volunteered for this ministry, Connie Jackson and Susan Berndt, then set to work writing notes to every person working in law enforcement in this area.  They thanked them for their sacrifice and hard work to keep us safe.  Then I mailed the letters (84 of them!) to everyone.  We were so excited in this effort to spread a little bit of God’s love through the community.  We are working to reach out to firefighters next.  After that…who knows?    

How our Church’s Front Was Transformed

This summer, the City of Eagle Butte began an extensive city improvement project.  They replaced numerous sections of underground pipe, repaved the street, and widened the sidewalks.  But in front of our church, the changes were particularly extensive. 

Prior to the city’s project, our church had a concrete ramp leading up to our front door.  It had a dangerously steep slope, and our elderly often felt a little uncomfortable approaching our front door in the wintertime.  But all of this changed when we made a deal with the city to build a new ramp for us.  It cost something, but it was worth it.

The city used their machines to carve large amounts of dirt from the front of the property.  Then they poured large quantities of concrete, forming a slow, gradual slope to our front door.  They even added some steps, creating two beautiful approaches to the property.  But that was not the end, for we still needed a handrail.

That need was answered in the form of a workday that the church planned.  Our men assembled on the church steps one bright Saturday morning, and got to work.  Post holes were dug; posts were set; beams were screwed in and sanded.  The result was an entrance to our church that was prettier, safer, and more practical.  How the Lord has blessed us!

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