First English Baptist Church of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CARING
Commemorative artwork by Annie Barnhardt
Available on notecards in packages of ten at the church after Sunday service |
Sesquicentennial (150th) Events & Activities
KICK-OFF DINNER: Sunday January 18, we held our Annual Congregational Meeting following the church service. After the meeting, a covered dish meal was enjoyed by all. Spirits were high in our social room as we celebrated the Kick-Off of our 150th anniversary year. Pastor Lee spoke briefly about having an "Attitude of Gratitude" as a theme in 2009.
PROJECT LINUS: Project Linus is a national organization that works through local chapters to provide comfort in the form of hand-made blankets to seriously ill children. In keeping with our theme of 150, our goal was to make and deliver 150 blankets in this anniversary year. On Sunday, April 19, the pews of our church were blanketed with the fruits of our labor. Over 190 blankets were displayed and blessed that day, far exceeding our goal.
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| Many of the blanket makers pose in the sanctuary with their handiwork. |
FOOD CUPBOARD: Each month this year, we will be collecting food for the Food Cupboard at Winona in Bloomsburg. Once again, our goal is at least 150 items each month. Here are the totals to date:
| Month | Item | Total | Grand Total |
| January | Canned fish and pasta | 288 | 288 |
| February | Soup and crackers | 303 | 591 |
| March | Cleaning Supplies | 446 | 1037 |
| April | Canned Fruit & Vegetables | 259 | 1296 |
| May | Packaged Meals | 178 | 1474 |
| June | Puddings, Jello & Juice | 150 | 1624 |
| July | Canned Meat, Tuna & Pasta | 178 | 1822 |
| August | Food Storage & Paper Products | 206 | 2028 |
| September | Canned Fruit & Vegetables | 154 | 2182 |
| October | Peanut Butter Crackers & Soup | 138 | 2320 |
| November | Baking Supplies | 165 | 2485 |
| December | Paper Products | 139 | 2624 |
CHURCH DIRECTORY: As a part of the celebration, work is under way for an updated church directory to be published before the end of this year.
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| The appeal goes out for everyone to be part of the new directory. |
STAINED GLASS WINDOWS: Two very old stained glass windows which adorned the original FEB church have been resurrected and refurbished. They have been hung and back-lit in the newly painted social room. They are a sight to behold.
ROADSIDE SIGN: A new lighted sign has been erected on Millville Road at the entrance to our parking lot. It contains both permanent and changeable information including time of Sunday service and information on up-coming events.
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| Thelma, Dave, and Sandy put the finishing touches on the new sign. |
COMMEMORATIVE SHIRTS: Several styles of shirts and sweatshirts have been offered to members and friends as a fundraiser for the 150th year celebration. They will remain a wonderful memento of the church and its anniversary.
RENAISSANCE 2009: Once again First English Baptist Church had a stand on the corner of Main and Iron Streets during the annual Renaissance celebration in downtown Bloomsburg on April 25. This year we sold hot dogs and chocolate covered pretzels and distributed information about our church along with free bottled water.
CHOIR CONCERT: A special choir concert was held on May 3 at 2 p.m. It was an afternoon filled with beautiful music and was very well attended.
PLANT SALES: On May 16, 23, and 30, we held spring plant sales in our parking lot. A wide variety of annuals were available by-the-flat as well as in hanging baskets and several different pot sizes. This was a very successful project, not only as a fundraiser, but as a time for good fellowship and fun.
LIBRARY DONATIONS: Until June 6, we collected books for the Bloomsburg Library's June book sale. Any donations of books other than text books and encyclopedias were welcome. We collected 515 books and far exceeded our goal. Thanks to all who contributed.
"THE PERFECT STORM" WITH BETH MOORE: On June 12-13, 24 members and friends of FEBC (pictured below) were part of the 6000 women attending an event in Pittsburgh that many described as life altering, inspiring, and truely awesome.
AB GIRLS HOUSEPARTY: was held here at FEBC on July 31 and August 1 & 2. It was well attended and a good time was had by all.
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| Houseparty 2009 | Houseparty 2009 Hosts |
WORSHIP IN THE PARK: Bloomsburg Town Park was the site of our Sunday worship on August 30, 10:00 A.M.
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| Perfect weather for our worship service |
HOMECOMING: October 24 & 25 were the dates of our Homecoming weekend. On the evening of the 24th a gala banquet was held in our social room. Special guests included former pastors and fifty year members. A special church service was held on Sunday, the 25th. This weekend was the highlilght of our year of celebration.
