Member Spotlight - August
Vol. 46 No. 8
August 27, 2025
Good News Newsletter
Rev. Dr. K. Scott Robertson
Senior Pastor
pastor@fbcmiddletown.org
Weekly Live Stream from
our website:
www.fbcmiddletown.org
and from our Facebook
page and YouTube
Channel
Sunday School
9:15 AM
Sunday Morning
Worship 10:30 am
Wednesday Bible Study
at 2 pm
Office Hours
M-Th
9 am to 2 pm
Member Spotlight
Q: What childhood memory makes you smile?
A: Going tobogganing with the church youth group.
Q: What drives you to get up every morning?
A: I automatically wake up, like my Dad did and I’m ready to work on retirement projects.
Q: How do you spend your free time?
A: Watching Netflix and reading.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Photography and playing the guitar.
Q: What goal are you working toward right now?
A: Developing a center in Middletown for adults on the Autism Spectrum.
Q: What subjects, current events, or causes are you passionate about?
A: The deaf community.
Q: What’s your favorite way to unwind after a hectic day?
A: Sitting on the patio
Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?
A: We are taking a trip to Portugal in October.
Q: What book or movie left a lasting impression on you?
A: Love and Will by Rollo May.
Q: Who do you look up to, and why?
A: God, the source of all things.
bob Basil
People @ First
Please keep Vonda Barner and Ron and Billie Gerzema in your prayers.
As always keep Jackson Redding and Nathan Byers in prayer.
Coffee Cart Dates
9/7 Coffee
9/14 No coffee
9/21 Coffee
9/28 No Coffee
The Walking Track will be closed Sunday, August 31 and Monday September 1 for carpet cleaning.
Thank you to the Leadership team for the gift card and to our FBC Family for the many, many cards we received.
Blessings,
Chuck and Jeanette Montgomery
Sept 2 Vickie Selby
Sept 5 Jo Johnston
Sept 15 Eli Boggs
Sept 16 Kaleb Janney
Sept 17 Irene Orem
Sept 18 Judy Harper
Sept 21 Colton Adkins
Sept 21 Roberta Daly
Sept 21 Mark Dunaway
Sept 21 Tim Willis
Sept 25 Autumn Allen
Sept 29 Andy Singer
Sept 30 Marvin Clark
Jerry and Judy Beasley
Sept 8 – 63 years
Don and Tami Hughes
Sept 23 – 30 years
Tom and Terri Henry
Sept 29 – 35 years
Discipleship Focus Group Update
The summer was full of chaos – Camp Chaos that is. Our Sunday morning group of children and approximately 80 children in our Day Care participated in lessons that teach us that Jesus understands and is with us through life’s chaos. On Friday, August 1st, church members and Day Care families joined together to see what the children had been doing, hear them sing the songs they learned and share a casual meal. Thanks to all that assisted with Camp Chaos – Ruth Willis, Kadie Grossman, and Kathy Dunaway in the game center, JoAnna Stitt and Susan Singer in the story/song center, Beth Daly, Mia Shoemaker and Kristi Cofield in the science/art center, and Tom Henry that got the dinner together. A shout out to the women of the Mary Martha class that have always supported VBS and provided sides and dessert for the dinner.
On the mission side of your giving – funds used to assist those in the community in need of help with utility bills has helped 51 families, utilizing $2,650. Think of the blessing this has been to those families.
If this local mission is a passion of yours, please consider an extra donation to this fund as the need is always great.
As the season of Autumn starts up, pray for our children as school gets into full swing. We want to support them as they learn, grow and are challenged.
Church Finances & the Building
Celeste Scheibert
Administration Ministry
Focus Area
Congregational Care & Worship
Tim Willis
Community Ministry
Focus Area Coordinator
Christian Education & Missions
Beth Daly & Susan Singer
Co Chair of the Discipleship Ministry
Focus Area Coordinator
From the Archives of FBC
“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”
Robert Heinlein
American author
(1907-1988)
Recap of our 2025
Founder’s Day service and
celebration.
More from Verla ……
Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?
A: I would like to tour each state in the U.S. meeting the people.
Q: What book or movie left a lasting impression on you?
A: The Ten Commandments, The Shack, and now viewing The Chosen.
Q: Who do you look up to, and why?
A: Everyone I know has a special quality that I try to implement in my life to make me a better person. I’m grateful for Sally Welch. She trained me on my job. She brought me back to church and got me back on track. I also learned a few life lessons from her. Thanks, Sally.
Who will be the next FBC Member in the spotlight?
Have a suggestion, let me know.
secretary@fbcmiddletown.org
People @ First
july 2025
Please keep Jane Cook in your prayers as she recovers from gallbladder and hernia surgery earlier this month.
Ron Gerzema had an ER visit this month. He was treated and sent home. Has a couple of doctor appointments coming up. Please keep him in prayer.
Susan & Andy Singer’s daughter-in-law, Tara Singer had a stroke and is in a hospital in Chicago.
As always keep Jackson Redding and Nathan Byers in prayer, both are deployed.
The next Men’s breakfast is Saturday, August 23, at 8:30 am at Triple Moon Café.
Coffee Cart Dates
8/3 No Coffee
8/10 Coffee
8/17 No coffee
8/24 Coffee
8/31 No Coffee
Aug 1 Tom Henry
Aug 6 Dot Hall
Aug 7 Steve Pledger
Aug 7 Mia Shoemaker
Aug 9 Zach Nicely
Aug 10 Bob Allen
Aug 10 Kyle Daly
Aug 11 Gary Perkins
Aug 13 Charles Nicely
Aug 14 Jeanette Montgomery
Aug 15 Monroe Shoemaker
Aug 18 Don Hughes
Aug 24 Kathy Dunaway
Aug 30 Nicole Redding
Kyle & Amy McGlone
Aug 2 – 22 years
Andy & Susan Singer
Aug 10 – 51 years
Tim & Paula Cox
ug 15 – 33 years
Gary and Donna Perkins
Aug 17 – 57 years
Bob & Cheryl Basil
Aug 18 – 46 years
Jim & Irene Orem
Aug 22 – 68 years
Jerry & Esther Arnold
Aug 30 – 56 years
Welcome to new Member Tom Carroll, who came forward Sunday, July 27, 2025.
Dear Friends of Middletown FBC,
We invite you to join us in celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the marriage of Wayne and Julie Paulsen. They were married at Prairie Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kansas, on August 15th, 1965. If you are geographically close in the area, we invite you to attend a reception on August 16th from 2-4 p.m. at Prairie Homestead, 1605 W. May St. in Wichita, Kansas, where they have been living for the past 7 years. The reception will be held in the main building's Garden Room.
If time and/or distance prohibit you from attending, we kindly ask if you would participate in a card shower for them. You may send a card to the above address in care of them or at their private address:
Wayne & Julie Paulsen
1613 W. May St., Apt. 4
Wichita, KS 67213
We thank you for your friendship with them through the years, either past or present, as you have been a support and comfort to them. They often speak of the churches where they served and the many fond memories they have of the people. They will be thrilled to hear from you!
Kind regards,
Lisa Knapp, daughter of the Paulsen’s, and the rest of the Paulsen clan.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP REPORT
A few months ago, Pastor Scotty presented your leadership team with a list of goals that we could achieve this year. It was part of the Church Reimagined Initiative. Your Community team decided to begin serving communion at home. We’ve done this in the past at First Baptist, but it was sidelined for obvious reasons during Covid.
Pastor Scotty put together some training pointers for the team. Earlier in June, Pastor Scotty and Jean Back made the first visit to Mount Pleasant and offered communion to some FBC folks there, among them Jim and Irene Orem and Marvin Clark.
Our ultimate goal in giving home communion is to get other people from the congregation involved. If you’d like to be part of this effort, reach out to anyone in Community or Pastor Scotty.
On July 12, Community is planning a new/prospective members BBQ. Other than having some great grilled food, we’ll be sharing what it means to be a Baptist and, most likely, share some stories about FBC.
Your Community team for 2025 (which is now half over!): Tim Willis (chair), Jean Back, Jeannine Taylor, Bob Allen and Jo Johnston.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HOUSE CLEANING
(Mid to late July starting in the Daycare Wing)
The Leadership Administration Team needs your help!
There are numerous pieces of furniture in the lower level that are not being used, in addition to more chairs in the old choir room located in the back hallway near Scotty's office.
If you have family or friends who are looking for furniture to set up new housing or to add to family rooms, dorms, etc. Free of charge!
The Boy Scouts have agreed to help with the clean up along with several leadership members to make a start on the clean out middle to late July.
In the meantime, please notify your clean-up committee, Rosy Burchett or Janet Horton if you are interested in furniture items.
Thanks for your help in this monumental task.
Thank you for the cards, calls and prayers during my recent illness. I am so thankful and blessed to have such a caring church family. Marilyn Mulligan
I want to say thank you to my church family for the kindness shown to me with passing of my sister. Although my relationship with her was complicated, your compassion has reminded me of the importance of forgiveness. Grief can take many forms, and your kind words, support, cards and flowers has been a comfort. Blessings, Paula Cox
