THE DISCIPLE

The Newsletter of Franklinton Baptist Church

102 West Mason Street

Franklinton, North Carolina 27525

Volume Sixty-One, Issue Ten

October, 2025

Welcome to our church newsletter! We’re glad you’re here. Our goal is to inspire and encourage you in your walk with Christ, fostering a deeper connection in prayer, Bible study, spiritual growth, and our faith community. May the content of this newsletter motivate and stimulate you to draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ!



Is God to Be Found Here?

Dear Church Family,

A few years ago, I heard a story that still makes me shake my head and smile. It’s one of those tales that sounds too absurd to be true, but my friends in Tennessee assure me it happened.

In Carter County, Tennessee a local church hired an attorney to draw up the deed for their property. The lawyer, perhaps caught up in a moment of reverence (or mischief), listed the owner as none other than “The Lord God Almighty.” The congregation loved it. After all, what better declaration of stewardship than to say, “This land belongs to God”?

But years later, when the church decided to sell the property and relocate, they ran into a legal snag. Before a new deed could be issued, the court had to confirm that the previous owner, God Himself, could not be found.

So, the papers were filed, the sheriff was dispatched, and in a moment that surely felt surreal, he returned with a sworn statement: “The Lord God Almighty was not to be found in Carter County, Tennessee.”

The local paper ran with it. The headline read:

“Lord God Almighty Not to Be Found in Carter County.”

Now, I don’t know that congregation personally. I grew up next door in Sullivan County, Tennessee. But I’m confident of this: they never intended to declare to the world that God was absent from their community. Yet that’s exactly what the headline said.

It makes me wonder: What are we declaring to the world, not with our headlines, but with our lives?

If someone wandered into Franklinton Baptist Church, or bumped into us at the grocery store, would they encounter the unmistakable presence of God? Would they feel His love, His peace, His joy? Or would they walk away wondering if God is anywhere to be found?

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). That’s not just a poetic image; it’s a calling. We are meant to reflect the presence of Jesus Christ so clearly that no one can miss it.

So, let’s ask ourselves:

Are we living in such a way that people see God in us?

Is Franklinton Baptist Church a place where His glory dwells, not just in word, but in warmth, welcome, and witness?

Let’s be the kind of people who make it impossible for anyone to say, “God is not to be found here.”

Instead, may our lives proclaim:

“Surely the Lord is in this place” (Genesis 28:16).

In the eternal fellowship,

Dr. Richard Childress 

We Need Your Attendance at the Raleigh Baptist Association'

Semi-Annual Meeting

The last step in Franklinton Baptist's consideration for joining the Raleigh Baptist Association involves our attendance at the semi-annual meeting of the Association on October 28.

You must RSVP for this meeting by October 23 by calling 919-231-3995.

This meeting will be at The Fountain of Raleigh at 9621 Six Forks Road in Raleigh. The meal is at 5:30 P.M., and the program begins at 6:30 P.M. Cost of the meal is $17.00 per person, and you may pay with cash or check at the door. The menu is honey glazed ham, turkey, yams, mixed vegetable medley, sauteed green beans, tossed salad, rolls, desserts, tea, and lemonade.

We will be joining churches from across our region as we gather for a time of worship, learning, and connection.

Frankenfest Volunteers

and Donations Needed

We need volunteers and candy donations for our annual event at Frankenfest on Main Street in Downtown Franklinton on October 25 from noon til 5:00 P.M.

As you know, this is just around the corner, and we need your help to make it a success!

We are looking for volunteers to help with our hospitality tent and candy to give out to visitors to our tent.

This is a great opportunity to show Christ's love to our community in a fun, family-friendly way.

Please bring candy donations to our church by October 19.

Frankenfest 2024

Operation Christmas Child and Christmas Giveaway

We are collecting filled shoeboxes for the amazing ministry of reaching children for Jesus - Operation Christmas Child! Filled shoeboxes need to be returned to the church by October 26. (Shoeboxes to fill are available at the church). Contact for Operation Christmas Child is Tillie Pickard at 919-495-8287.

We are also collecting new or gently used unwrapped toys and coats for local children in need. This is for our Christmas Giveaway. We will be collecting these items through

November 22. Contact for our Christmas Giveaway is

Phil DiFrancesco at 919-724-3304.

Franklinton Baptist Church Congregational Wellness Inventory (available Sunday October 5, 2025)

A Moment to Reflect, A Chance to Renew

Franklinton Baptist Church has always been more than a Sunday gathering place. We believe God has planted us here for a purpose: to be a living, breathing expression of Christ’s love in our community.

Our mission (tag line) is clear: “To know Jesus and to make Him known to all people.” But even the most vibrant church needs moments to pause, reflect, and ask:

Are we living out what we say we believe? Are we growing in the direction God is calling us?

The Congregational Wellness Inventory is one of those sacred moments. It’s not just a survey, it’s a spiritual check-in. A chance for every voice to be heard. A way to name our joys, our struggles, and our hopes. Your responses will help us see clearly where we are thriving and where we need to grow, so we can move forward together with clarity, unity, and renewed purpose.

Why This Matters

Churches, like people, go through seasons. Some are full of energy and momentum; others feel stuck or uncertain. Without honest reflection, we risk drifting from our mission or missing the Holy Spirit’s invitation to change. This inventory helps us stay rooted in truth and open to transformation. It’s a tool for stewarding our relationships, ministries, and future.

We’ve been disappointed by the low attendance at our “Shaping Our Future” sessions. It’s made us ask: Do we truly care about the future of our church? This inventory is another opportunity to show that we do.

How to Participate

The Congregational Wellness Inventory will be available on Sunday, October 5th in the Welcome Center and on the front pew of the sanctuary. No signatures are required. Just your honest reflections. Completed surveys can be returned to the church office.

This exercise can spark a season of renewal. Leaders can listen more deeply. Ministries can be reshaped. Worship can become more participatory, and our church can once again reflect its mission with fresh clarity.

It’s a way of saying: We care about how you feel. We care about where we’re going. And we believe God is still writing our story.

“So, in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5

When we reflect together, we grow together. And as we grow together, we become a clearer witness to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Richard Childress, Pastor

Patrick Woods, Music Director

Cheryl Hollar, Secretary

Anita Fuller, Handbell Director/Worship Leader

Danny Fuller, Custodian

Kay Mendenhall, Nursery Attendant