Charity for children with cancer supported by First Baptist, the Magic Yarn Project, is featured on CNN

This is the charity that the church supports through Nicole Brzezinski Powell's fundraiser from last year, the Fairy Enchanted Evening which was a mother-daughter (or father-daughter, grandma-granddaughter, etc.) event which raised $1,500 for the Magic Yarn Project. This year's event, Fairy Enchanted Evening's Princess Ball will be May 5th. Fairy Enchanted Evening website  Those interested in attending the ball should go to the website for ticket information, those willing to volunteer to help put on the Ball should also contact Nicole through the Fairy Enchanted website, or call the church at 814-432-8061.

Those who live in the Venango County area who wish to attend, please get your tickets early, last year's event sold out.

The Magic Yarn Project story on CNN

Upcoming Meeting in January regarding assistance to those in need.

What Every Christian Should Know About: World Religions - to be offered again

The presentation/seminar by Pastor Powell on the topic, What Every Christian Should Know About: World Religions, will be offered for a second time in three parts at Seneca United Methodist Church on Wednesday, January 17th, 31st (not on the 24th), and finishing on Wednesday, February 7th.  Each night will begin at 7:15 PM and last until 8:45.  Seneca UMC is located at: 196 E State Rd, Seneca, PA 16346.  If you have any questions about the class or its content, contact Pastor Powell at 432-8061 or by email at: pastorpowell@hotmail.com

Google map to Seneca UMC

Christmas Eve at the Parsonage

The church family of 1st Baptist, as well as our local family and friends in the Franklin area, are invited to join the Powell family (Pastor, Nicole, Clara, not to mention doggies Winnie and Linus) on Christmas Eve from 5:00-6:30 for coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and Christmas cheer at the church parsonage (connected to the church building, use the church parking lot and enter through the church).

The parsonage will be decorated (by Nicole) to highlight its 125+ year old Victorian charm, but lights and trees need people to enjoy them, please join us if you can.

The Christmas Eve church candlelight service will begin at 7 PM, if you don't have another church service to attend that evening, you are more than welcome to stay and join us in a service full of singing Christmas carols and punctuated with Lois Ann's rendition of "O Holy Night", as we celebrate the arrival of the child of Bethlehem.

Teacher Support Cancelled, Bible Study returns to Wednesday

Due to lack of participation, the Teacher Support Group is being cancelled, after Bible Study this Sunday night (10/8), Bible Study will return to its original place on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM starting on 10/11.  The evening group is currently working its way, verse by verse, through the Gospel of Matthew.  All are welcome.

What Every Christian Should Know About: World Religions

In this 3 part series, Pastor Powell seeks to give a brief but accurate explanation of the basic beliefs of 11 of the world's religions viewed through the perspective of their commonalities and differences with apostolic/traditional/Biblical Christianity.

In the first part, the Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons are discussed following a brief general introduction to the topic.  In the second part, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism are discussed.  In the third part, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Scientology are examined.

                                                       World Religions - Part 1 of 3

                                                        World Religions - Part 2 of 3

                                                           World Religions - Part 3 of 3

Parents' Night Out returns to save the day once again.

1st Baptist will host the first Parents' Night Out of this year on Friday, November 10th from 5:00-7:30 PM.  This is an opportunity for parents' to have a "date night" and spend some quality time with each other and/or with friends, as well as a chance for the young people to enjoy a whole lot of fun at the church.

This year Parents' Night Out will be a cooperative effort that includes First UMC and Christ UMC as well.

Additional dates have also been chosen: Saturday, December 2nd (10 AM -3 PM) for Christmas shopping, and Friday, February 16th (5-7:30 PM) for Valentine's Day.

Please RSVP, 432-8061, starting two weeks prior to each night so that we can asses how many volunteers we need to work with the kids and how much food they'll need (parents, you don't need to feed them before you go, we'll take care of it).

Teacher Support/Fellowship Group to begin 9/20

As a former teacher, I know that teaching is both a rewarding and a stressful career, one requiring support from friends and family.  With that in mind, a support/fellowship group is beginning on September 20th at the First Baptist Church of Franklin (1041 Liberty St.).

 The group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month during the school year from 7-8 PM.

This will be a lightly structured event, focusing on allowing teachers to connect with each other and find help for the challenges they face through dialogue.

Refreshments will be provided, all teachers, public and private, current and former are invited, along with classroom support staff.  No registration necessary, come when you can, and thank you for your service to our community.

If you have any questions, please call 432-8061 or email Pastor Powell at: pastorpowell@hotmail.com

1st Baptist 150th Anniversary recognized by the State of Pennsylvania.

Knowledge is the enemy of Hatred

150th Anniversary Worship service video

Our recent 150th anniversary of the founding of the church was celebrated with a special worship service on July 30th.  The video of the service is divided into 3 parts due to length, click the links below to watch.

                                          150th Worship Celebration - Part 1

                                          150th Worship Celebration - Part 2

                                          150th Worship Celebration - Part 3

Still standing on the Promises of God

The family and friends of 1st Baptist on the 150th anniversary.

Some of our senior saints and their family members, along with Pastor jumping into the shot.

God has been faithful, in every generation.

Sunday marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of 1st Baptist Church of Franklin, an in recognition of that milestone, we celebrated with family and friends including former pastors Roy Johnsen, Ray Williams, and regional executive pastor Frank Frischkorn.  Over 120 people worshiped together, celebrating the past and praising God for his faithfulness, as well as looking to the future and trusting that God has great things in store for his church.

Clara Powell makes a break for it while Pastor Powell and wife Nicole work with the choir before church.

Pastor Roy Johnsen, 1983-90 shares memories during the service.

The congregation sings, with Pastor Frank Frischkorn in the center.

Pastor Powell leads congregational singing in front of the Estes Organ.

It wouldn't be a Baptist celebration without food, everyone gathered in Clark Hall after the service.

Former interim pastor Ray Williams (2011) and his wife Frances.

Pastor Len Lewis and his wife Shirley, Len was ordained at 1st Baptist.

Pastor Powell in front of the collage of 18 former pastors out of the total of 31 during the church's 150 years of existence.

Bill and Marilyn Moffitt, long-time members and stalwarts of the church.

Pastor Powell speaks to the congregation in the sanctuary, completed in 1904.

Pastor Powell writes down prayer requests during the service.

Lois Ann Schaeffer sings "His Eye is on the Sparrow", Lois Ann sang in the choir in 1947 for the 80th anniversary, and in every year since.

This weekend: Open House and Worship Celebration for the 150th

It is finally here, we've been working on preparing for this date for a year now.

Saturday: 11-2  Open House at the church - tours, organ music, historic picture display, and refreshments, open to the public all are welcome.

Sunday 10:45- Worship Service - featuring Pastor Powell, former Pastor Johnsen, and ABCOPAD Regional Executive Pastor Dr. Frank Frischkorn, plus special music from the FBC choir, Nicole Powell on the viola, and more.  Please join us to celebrate the goodness of the Lord to this congregation over the past 150 years.

* Immediately following the service we will be gathering on the front steps to take a photo of the congregation together with our friends and guests.  After the photo, we will all gather in Clark Hall for dinner and fellowship. *

150th Anniversary commemorative booklet

With our anniversary celebration coming this weekend, we've created a 150th anniversary commemorative booklet to pass out to our members, friends, and guests who will be joining us in person.  For those of you unable to attend, the link below contains the PDF of the booklet.  It was created by Pastor Powell's wife Nicole, utilizing the work of the previous booklets from 1967 and 1997.  Please let anyone with a connection to our church know about the booklet so that they can download it too.

First Baptist 150th Anniversary Booklet

Video of the Jews for Jesus presentation

Many thanks to Tuvya Zaretsky for bringing this presentation to our church, and for the ministry of Jews for Jesus.  Below is the video of his lecture of The Gospel in the Feasts of Israel.

Reminder: Jews for Jesus presentation this Sunday night at 6 PM

The Franklin Christian Ministerium presents:

The Gospel in the Feasts of Israel

An educational ministry of:

With Tuvya Zaretsky

Sunday, July 16th at 6:00 PM

At the First Baptist Church of Franklin

1041 Liberty St. 432-8061

This event is free and open to the public, no tickets necessary

A freewill offering will be taken to support the ministry of Jews for Jesus

Upcoming educational series from Pastor Powell

What Every Christian Should Know About:

The Religions of the World

A three-part educational discourse created by Pastor Randy Powell

At First Baptist Church of Franklin

7:00-8:30 PM

September 17^th, 24^th, and October 1^st

Will include: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Mormonism, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, 7^th Day Adventists, and Scientology

How do they differ from traditional Christianity?

What are the barriers to the Gospel in each?

This event is free and open to the public, no reservations necessary, and will include time for Q&A

For more information, please call 432-8061

1st Baptist thanked by the Magic Yarn Project

First Baptist of Franklin was thanked in a promotional video (at about the 3:40 mark) put out by the Magic Yarn Project in connection with our support for the Fairy Enchanted Evening this past May.  The mother/daughter evening organized by Pastor Powell's wife Nicole raised $1,500 for the Magic Yarn Project.  First Baptist was happy to be a part of this worthy project and looks forward to continuing with the 2nd annual Fairy Enchanted Evening next May 5th.

Fairy Enchanted Evening's Facebook page.

The video is in the post from June 9th.

Summer running club for youth

Pastor Powell will be leading a running club out at Two Mile Park each Wednesday at 3 beginning on June 14th.  This is primarily designed for the youth, but all are welcome to come on out and enjoy nature with us and get some exercise.  Those bringing youth to run are asked to remain at the park until the kids are done running, and to bring water or a sports drink for the kids (I would also suggest an old towel, unless you don't mind sweat on your car seats).

Questions?  Call the church at 432-8061 and ask for Pastor Powell.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church

As you may have heard, 1st Baptist of Franklin will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the church this July 29th and 30th.  We invite everyone to join us for this time of praise.

Flyer for the 150th

The details for the event are in the link above.

Choir Sing 2017

For those of you who were unable to attend the Choir Sing 2017 celebration of praise at First United Methodist Church, where five local church choirs sang (including our own), below is the link to the video of the service.  This first time service (in recent memory) was very well received and will be on the calendar next spring as well, hopefully with even more churches participating!

Jews for Jesus presentation at 1st Baptist on July 16th

First Baptist Church, in conjunction with Franklin Alliance Church, invites all to hear a presentation given by Jews for Jesus on Sunday, July 16th at 6:00 PM.

 The topic will be Gospel in the Feasts of Israel.

 Jews for Jesus is an agency that proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. The late Moishe Rosen, a Jew who has believed in Jesus for over 35 years, founded the organization. However, Dr. Rosen was quick to point out that he did not "start" Jews for Jesus. "Jews for Jesus began about 2,000 years ago, around 32 C.E., give or take a year. Jesus' first disciples were Jewish, and there have been some Jewish people who have believed in him ever since." The organization has permanent branches in eight North American cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Washington D.C. and Fort Lauderdale) as well as over 127 volunteer chapters spanning some 41 states and five countries. The group's international branches are headquartered in Johannesburg, London, Paris, Odessa, Moscow, Essen, Rio de Janeiro, Kharkov, Dnepopretrovsk, and Tel Aviv.

 To the Jews for Jesus, believing in Jesus makes sense in light of the Jewish Bible and in light of their experiences as "believers." For those who argue that Christianity contradicts the meaning of Judaism, the Jews for Jesus say there are answers, which their representative will be happy to discuss after the presentation.

 Call (814) 432-8061 for more information. There will be no admission charge, a freewill offering will be collected to support the ministry of Jews for Jesus.

Jews for Jesus: The Gospel in the Feasts of Israel - Event Flyer

Talking about Sex in Church

For the next three weeks (April 23, 30, and May 7) we'll be talking about sex in Church.  The text of 1 Corinthians chapter 5 will be our guide as we seek to understand the dangers of sexual immorality within the Church.  Few things are as misunderstood or as controversial as sex and sexuality.  Please join us as we allow the Word of God to teach us about this important topic.

Educational Series - Five minutes each week

Beginning with Sunday, April 23rd, Pastor Powell will begin a new topic in his "five minutes a week" educational series.  The topic will be explored at the end of the worship service for five minutes each week until completed.  The first topic will be: What Every Christian Needs to Know about Islam.
Subsequent topics in the series, "What Every Christian Needs to Know about..." will follow, including: Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Communism, Capitalism, Philosophy, Humanism, Secularism, the History of the Church, and more.  All materials are created by Pastor Powell.

Why learn about other religions, ideas, and philosophies?  Christians needs to know what they believe, and they need to know what other people believe.  How else can we deepen our own faith, share that faith with others, and defend our faith against those who would tear it down?  Jesus declared that, "I am the truth", his disciples should likewise exhibit a love of truth and fact.

Summer Youth Events Scheduled

First Baptist Church will have three summer events for the youth of the church (more details on each to follow).  The first will be on Saturday, June 24th, at Waldameer Amusement  and Water Park in Erie.  The whole church is invited to join the youth for this day of fun.  On Friday, July 21st, the youth will be going to Two Mile Park for a one day camping trip, and on Saturday, August 12th, we'll be taking the youth on a bike trip on the river trail.

Lenten Prayer Service - Thursday, March 16th at 7 PM

We will be hosting a Lenten Prayer service sponsored by the Joint Ministerium on Thurday the 16th of March at 7 PM.  The focus of this time of prayer will be our local government here in Venango County.  All are welcome to join us in prayer.

Upcoming: Parents' Night Out! - Friday, March 17th

First Baptist Church is offering parents an opportunity to have a date night, hang out with friends, or just get a break from it all by opening up our church on Friday, March 17th from 5:30-8:30 for kids age 4 and up.  Dinner will be provided for the kids (Pizza!), so no need to worry about that.  We'll be playing games, running around like crazy to use up all that energy, and learning a thing or two about God in the process.

Those planning on bringing their kids should please RSVP by calling 432-8061 (Or better yet, tell Pastor Powell in person on Sunday at church).