Welcome to First Baptist Port Richey

 Our new building will soon be ready.  The walls are up and painted, and the concrete poured for the sidewalks, and the men have started laying the tile!  Keep watching for the announcement that we have moved into the new sanctuary, but in the meantime, come and worship now with us!

                Paint Day at Church

    Now this is how you paint a building                                    Team Work

      That does'nt look like a paint brush                      She flat wore the knap off that roller

   The walls are going up..yea!                                                          Brave Mike

                             Come Grow with us

 Where you are not only wanted, but needed

 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

News of Interest:

•  Alabama Church Hands Out $50G To Parishioners:  An Alabama church handed cash to parishioners with the instructions for them to use it on others.  The pastor of Bay Community Church in Malbis, AL. gave the parishioners the simple instructions, "you can't give it back to the church and you can't spend it on you and your family."  Associate Senior Pastor Trey Taylor told WALA-TV that he had masterminded the plan "to spread goodness and cash during the tough economic times".  Each of the church's 2000 congregants walked away with an envelope containing between $20 to $100, and printed instructions "to turn around and bless someone."  The cash in the envelopes was destined not for the clergy, nor the parishioners themselves but for needy people who likely don't belong to Bay Community.  The full article can be seen at: www.nbcnewyork.com/news/us_world/Church-Hands-50000-To-Parishioners.html?yhp=1

• Religious Freedom Breakthrough: Massive Christian Celebration Allowed in Vietnam
  In what religious freedom advocates regarded as a breakthrough in Vietnam, authorities granted rare permission to unregistered house church groups to hold a large, public Easter-related service here last night.
  More than 15,000 people gathered at Tao Dan Stadium.
  Leaders of the celebration and religious freedom advocates in Vietnam said the event was significant in that unregistered house churches were allowed to hold a large public celebration. They added that authorities must have felt enough pressure to consider the event less harmful than possible negative publicity from denying permission.

• Two Christians Acquitted of ‘Blasphemy’ in Pakistan After more than two years in a Pakistani jail, two elderly Christian men convicted of “blasphemy” against the Quran were acquitted on Thursday (April 16) when a high court in Lahore overturned their 10-year sentence.
  
  The pair has claimed from the start that the blasphemy charges were fabricated due to a dispute over a plot of land that a Muslim neighbor wanted James Masih to sell.
  Christians previously accused of blasphemy continued to experience prejudice and sometimes violence even after being cleared of the charges.

• Religion News Roundup: “I’m perfect, You’re Doomed,” Elves, the Shroud of Turin, and cult killer art
  Today's Religion News Roundup includes stories about elves, a ship operated by a religious sect, mosques facing the wrong direction, and mosques possibly spied upon by the FBI.
  
  Also: "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed." Yes, it's about Jehovah's Witnesses.