It’s always good to make good financial plans. Creating an estate plan is one of those good ways that lets you bless others far into the future. When you make a will and craft a plan for your estate, you are able to decide how to support the people and places you love, and be a good steward of the resources God has given you.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation partners with FreeWill to offer preparation services to members of Baptist churches. FreeWill’s online estate planning tool can help you create your will and safeguard the things and people that are important to you. Go to FreeWill’s website here to get started.
A Gift of Art
Recently, the church was contacted by a friend of Pastor Stuart’s, who was wanting to find a home for a piece of art. Bernice Levy and her husband were trying to find good homes for some of their special possessions, and since the art piece is religious, Bernice thought our church might be a good place for it. Since then, we have learned how special it is.
The piece is called “Mother,” by Allen Stringfellow (1923–2004), and is now hanging in the middle of the Sunday School hallway. It’s not a painting but is technically a collage, using different patterns and materials to portray a modern and artistic depiction of Mary, Jesus, and an angel.
Allen Stringfellow was a highly respected artist who lived in the Chicago area. He frequently produced collage art, often with religious themes—worship services, baptisms, fellowships, meetings, and singings. (See more here.) Many of his works he framed himself, and ours seems to be framed by him as well. Among those who collected his works include Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, civil rights leader Percy E. Sutton, journalist Les Payne, and Congressman John Lewis, among many others.
He was born in Champagne, Illinois, as the son of a jazz musician and a nightclub manager who lived in Chicago. Stringfellow was raised by his deeply religious great-grandmother, who took him to church services constantly. As he grew, he started painting murals for local churches.
After completing his formal education, he opened a gallery to help promote other talented African-American artists. He continued to mentor and teach artists the rest of his life. In his own collage work, he used vibrant colors, and especially loved reds. Church and gospel themes were common in his work, enlivened by a flutter of choir robes and stylish women’s hats. A fresh-air baptismal in the river is recalled in his signature piece, the dazzling collage “Red Umbrella Down By the Waterside.”
Over the years, his work evolved to use patterns and groupings that were abstract and surreal, inspired by his parents’ jazz influences. Translucent shapes suggest sunlight, opaque flourishes for clouds and multicolored facets become skirts, parts of blouses and jackets recall African patterns and modern culture.
Through some online research, Pastor Stuart was able to connect with Allen Stringfellow’s nephew in Illinois, Bryan Piper. Mr. Piper shared how beloved and celebrated Stringfellow was in their family. He was glad that this special piece is now on display at a church so it can bless others. His encouragement to us was, “Please treasure it.” And we certainly will.
Leaving a Legacy that Lasts – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 6:00 pm
During our weekly Bible study time on January 25, we will hear from guest speaker Allen Schuyler, a representative from the North Carolina Baptist Foundation. He’ll talk about how people can leave a lasting legacy that prepares for their future and helps build God’s kingdom through intentional estate planning. He’ll share advice for making a family legacy plan, with practical actions and helpful ways to set up your will and estate. All are welcome.
Creative and Helpful Ways to Give
With the recent rise in inflation and interest rates, people are getting creative about supporting ministries they care about. There might be less cash leftover after groceries are bought these days, so some people opt to donate stocks. Donating stocks directly to one’s church makes an immediate impact on the church’s mission while also saving cash for current living needs. It also allows people to benefit during tax season: if you itemize deductions, you can take a charitable deduction for the entire donation and avoid paying the capital gains tax—allowing you to give and save at the same time. Just call our administrative assistant Debbie Sprinkle in the church office, and she can walk you through the process.
Another tax-savvy way to support the work of churches is through IRA gifts. Anyone who is 70 ½ or older can donate directly from their IRA accounts. This immediately helps support the church and helps save money on your taxes in the process. For anyone who is 72 or older, IRA gifts also help you meet the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)—the legal amount you must withdraw from your retirement assets. (The Cooperative Baptist Foundation has a helpful online tool here for calculating one’s RMD, learning more about potential savings, and creating a gift that will have an eternal impact.)
Christmas Treat Bags for Inmates and Staff
The holidays are especially hard on prison inmates. We will once again provide items for Christmas treat bags for inmates and staff at Craggy Prison. Please put any contributions in the designated box in the Fellowship Hall by Sunday, December 18.
Only store bought boxes of items like cookies, cakes, candy, gum, bags of nuts, etc. are allowed. All food items must come from a vendor or store in their original packaging. No fresh or dried fruit including raisins. Please strictly follow those guidelines. *Easy items to pick up are Little Debbie cakes, brownies, and cookies.* This is a wonderful opportunity to express to the inmates that they have not been forgotten and that God does indeed love and care for them.
Season of Prayer for the Offering for Global Missions
Late October is when Cooperative Baptist churches around the country pray for and give towards incredible mission work being carried out by over 50 missionaries in 18 different countries. The theme this year is "A Place at the Table for Everyone" based off of Luke 14:12-14. One hundred percent of all offerings given will go towards supporting Cooperative Baptist missionaries serving in the US and around the world. For more information and prayer guides, visit their website here. You can give using your normal giving method through the church and designating the funds for "CBF Global Missions."
Scan and Give
It’s now easier than ever to give to the church electronically. Just let your phone scan this code with its camera, and it will take you to our online giving page, where you can use any card payment or Venmo. You can give to certain funds specifically, or support all our ministries and missionaries around the world by giving to the General Fund budget. Your gifts make a difference in Weaverville and the ends of the earth!
Love Offering for Afghan Refugee Family
First Baptist Black Mountain has recently welcomed a refuge family from Afghanistan into their community. This family of six is expecting another baby and has many needs ahead of them as they set up their new lives. As a gesture of love and welcome, we will collect an offering for them during March. Each week in the Friday newsletter we will share information about the family, as you pray about how you can help. Then, on Sunday March 27 during worship, we will take up an offering for them and pass it on to FBC Black Mountain. If you would like to give before then, you can do so at any time by giving in your normal way and designating it toward Refugee Family Ministry.
We cannot use pictures or last names of the family since doing so could put any remaining family they have in Afghanistan at risk. However, the names of the parents are Sha & Mali; they have 6-year-old twins, a 5-year-old, a 14-month-old, and a baby due in June. If you would like to meet them in person, FBCBM is hosting an ice cream fellowship this Sunday, March 13 from 3-4 pm and has invited us to join. May we be good neighbors to the refugees coming into our community, keeping them and all displaced people in our daily prayers.
Giving through Venmo
The church is now using the Venmo payment app, which can be used easily by anyone else with the app. You can find the church by searching for First Baptist Weaverville or with our username @FBCWVL. Using Venmo might be easier on the spot for people when it comes to things like purchasing cookbooks, giving offerings, or chipping in on a project. Scan the QR code on the right to test it out!
Children's Summer Offering
This summer our children have been collecting an offering for the non-profit organization charity: water. We learned that 785 million people in the world live without access to clean water. (Twice the population of the US, and nearly 1 out of every 10 people worldwide.) Unlike those of us with plumbing, many people, mostly women and young girls, have to walk for hours a day to collect water for their families, and often the water is dirty and riddled with disease-causing bacteria. In order to address this problem, organizations like charity: water raise funds to help dig wells and install filtration systems. This not only increases people's health but also increases the chance for children to go to school and get an education. If you would like to find out more about this organization and their work, click on the image below to watch a short video, or visit charitywater.org. You can join our kids' effort by giving online or by giving money to the church and designating it to this offering. 100% of the funds go to clean water projects.
