Connections - Spring 2011

CONNECTIONS SPRING 2011 KNOW. GROW. SHOW CHRIST

INSIDE FRONT COVER PG 1—PASTOR ARTICLE

Thank you for picking up this copy of Connections magazine, which is designed to connect people with the life of Christ in the body of Plant City’s First Baptist Church. The vision of the church is to “Bear Lasting Fruit” by leading people to KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and SHOW Christ’s love. Spring is the season of new life as we see the budding of flowers, the buzzing of insects, and the warmer temperatures. For our church family, this is the season of celebrating new life through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Let me share with you several key events to connect into the life of our body this Spring.

March 27th Life Change Sunday is all about inviting friends to hear the

life-changing message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Junior Hill will be the guest preacher for all three services on this special day, for he is a favorite of our congregation. Dr. Hill is a gifted evangelist who has preached thousands of evangelistic meetings in his over 40 years of ministry and has witnessed countless lives touched and changed by the power of the Gospel. We will be having a High Attendance Sunday in Sunday School to encourage every member to do all you can to invite as many friends as possible to attend this Sunday where lives will be changed for the glory of God!

“I am the vine,

you are the

branches. He

who abides in

Me, and I in

him, bears

much fruit;

for without

Me you

can do

nothing.”

John 15:5

April 22nd - 24th Our 2011 Easter weekend will be a wonderful celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. We will survey our Lord’s wondrous cross in our Good Friday Service on April 22 at 7:00 p.m. This worship experience will include music, dramatic presentation, a Biblical mes-sage, and contemplation around the Lord’s table. On Saturday, April 23, hundreds of children will enjoy The Great Egg Drop on our south campus from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The day will include games, food, a dramatic presentation of the Trail of Miracles, and thousands upon thousands of eggs dropped from a helicopter! Easter Sunday morning will be our worship services at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. as we survey our Lord’s Empty Tomb. I encourage you to reach out and invite friends and family to experience the Easter Celebration at Plant City’s First Baptist Church!

May 8th The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 31:30 “a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Mother’s Day at Plant City’s First Baptist Church will celebrate our mothers who have molded and shaped our lives with love and care. The dedication of babies and children, songs from our children’s choirs, and the special gifts of carnations for all moth-ers will make this day memorable for all. I pray that your family will join this special worship celebration of the Lord and His goodness of motherhood. Because He Lives,

1 Connections Spring 2011 www.fbcpc.com

A Word from our Pastor

Pastor Michael Lewis & Liliana

Contents Spring 2011

Pastoral Staff Directory

Michael Lewis SENIOR PASTOR

Pete Battaglia MINISTER OF MUSIC

Bill Bender MINISTER OF PRESCHOOL & CHILDREN

Barry Chesney MINISTER OF SINGLE ADULTS & MISSIONS

Steve Morris MINISTER OF EDUCATION & ADMINISTRATION

Mike Storter MINISTER OF COLLEGE & RECREATION

Claude Walker MINISTER OF SENIOR ADULTS

Tommy Warnock ASSOCIATE PASTOR

Randy Wilson MINISTER OF STUDENTS

Connections Staff

Barbara Grainger GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sue Cole EDITOR

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Worship

9:00 & 10:30 am 6:30 pm

Sunday School

9:00 & 10:30 am

desires to “Bear Lasting Fruit” by leading people to KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and SHOW Christ’s love.

Plant City’s First Baptist Church 503 North Palmer Street Plant City, FL 33563 813.752.4104 office 813.752.1980 fax www.fbcpc.com

Meet the Need

Connections Spring 2011 www.fbcpc.com 2

A Publication of Plant City’s First Baptist Church

www.fbcpc.com

Features 1 Pastor’s Page A message from Pastor, Michael Lewis

Ministries

3 Children & Students

5 College & Singles

6 Young Adults & Women

9 Senior Adults

11 Missions Ministry

Easter weekend

breakaway

Walk in word

page 13

pages 7&8

page 11


Life Groups: Grow your relationship with God and with others. Come hear the Truth and learn how to apply it to your life.

Sunday mornings :

Middle School meets @ 9 am High School meets @ 10:30 am

Infuse :: Pouring the Truth into Life Wednesday nights - 6:00 to 8:00 pm 6:00-6:45pm Middle School meets 6:30-7:15pm Cafe Open 7:15-8:00pm High School meets

Madhouse: Once a month we meet at the Warehouse

to hang out, play sports, compete in wild games and much more! If there is someone you want to introduce to God—bring them!

Girls Ministry: Join us as we grow in Christ through

various ministries designed just for girls.

Golf Tournament Banquet April 9th

Mission Trip Yard Sale April 15 & 16

Spring Break :: Aquatica April 27

Madhouse May 11

First Girls Slumber Party May 20 & 21

Camp :: Wayfarer Camp 2011 June 12—17 :: $345 after March 30th

Mission Trip :: New York June 24—July 2 :: Deadline to sign up is April 17

Mission Trip :: Miami August 7—12 :: Deadline to sign up is April 17

5th Aannual Egg Drop Festival Saturday, April 23 :: 10:00 am— 1:00 pm Rock Climbing wall this year! Grand Prize – Xbox Kinex! Also several baskets specially designed for boys and girls. ** Avoid lines at Registration – Pre-register online @ www.fbcpc.com ** Also, only pre-registers will be qualified to win a cool IPod!

Centrikid Camp June 27-July 1 :: Grades 3-5 Eckerd College Campus Cost is 290.00 (Scholarships are available) Chaperones Needed $50 deposit is due May 31st Space is Limited!

Vacation Bible School Big Apple Adventure; Where Faith and Life Connect June 20-24 :: 6:00 -9:00 pm Ages 4 through completed 5th Grade. ** Avoid lines at Registration – Pre-register online @ www.fbcpc.com ** Also, only preregisters will be qualified to win a cool IPod!

SummerSalt Sport and Art Camp 2011 July 18-22, 2011 :: Completed Grades 1 -5

Cost is $40.00 by June 30th. OR $45.00 after July 1st. Registration deadline July 10th (Scholarships are available) ** Avoid lines at Registration – Pre-register online @ www.fbcpc.com ** Also, only preregisters will be qualified to win a cool IPod!

Survivor Weekend 2011 August 5-6, 2011 :: Completed 4th & 5th Grades $55 by July 3rd OR $65 after (Scholarships are available) Action Packed Weekend of Worship, Wacked out Sports and Whimsical Adventures! For more information on any of these events call Bill Bender or Donna Barr in the church office, 752.4104.

If you have questions about any of these events please call Randy Wilson or John

Willis in the church office.

http://www.fbcpc.com




Come grow with us at

First Baptist Learning

Center and Preschool!

Registration packets are now available to church members and returning students.

You may pick one up in the Learning Center office. Community Registration Day will be

held on Saturday, April 2nd from 9-11 am.

Call the Learning Center Office for more information: 813.754.1773

Programs:

2, 3 or 5-day Morning Preschool: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Extended care available from 6:30 am to 8:30 am and 12:00 pm to 3:00 or 6:00 pm

Now Enroll ing for Spring & Summer Music Lessons

Lessons are available for the following instruments:

Piano Cello Drums Guitar Trumpet

We also have:

A class for 3—5 year olds: “Music to Grow On.”

Spring & Summer Sewing Class for older children and teens.

For more information call the School of Music & Arts at 813.750.4878

Violin Viola Percussion Timpani Voice Clarinet

Listening to music makes you smarter. Any music you enjoy hearing will help your brain with its memory and mental capacity. Take your kids to concerts and watch them do bet-ter in reading and math.

Slower music lowers your blood pres-sure. With just a half-hour a day of breathing along to slow, soft music you can greatly decrease your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

Want younger looking ears? Well, not really in appearance, but if you par-ticipate in music lessons, as you age, the auditory part of your brain will not age as rapidly. You are never too old to benefit from taking piano or guitar lessons.

Stressed? Anxious? Listening to music has been proven to decrease your heart rate by as much as five beats per minute in patients who are criti-cally ill. Enough of a difference to help them relax and heal.

Bored with exercise? Pick out some music with a good beat and you will be motivated to work out harder and longer, great for your heart health!

DID

YOU

KNOW

DID

YOU

KNO

W D

ID Y

OU K

NOW

DID

YOU

KNO

W D

ID Y

OU K

NOW

DID

YOU

KNO

W

makes you &

A New Ministry Opportunity is

Coming Soon!

2nd Saturday local mission opportunity to Show Christ’s Love! All ages can join together for a Saturday morning to work at various ministry partner locations to do yard work, paint, organize donation centers, projects for those who need a helping hand. Something for EVERYONE! Watch for additional details… and then say YES!


The Single Adult Ministry exists to advance the gospel by reaching each Single Adult in eastern Hillsborough County with the gospel.

Revolution Wednesdays, 6:30 pm

Have you ever wanted to develop Christian friendships with other Single Adults who love God and share the same life experiences as you do? If so, Revolution is the place for you. Revolution is Plant City’s Wednesday night Single Adult gathering. Since Revolution began in September 2010, we

have seen God do amazing things. We meet every week throughout the winter and spring. Come expecting a casual atmos-phere, live music, relevant Biblical teaching, and peo-ple who love Jesus and who will love you as well! Single Adult Sunday School Sundays, 10:30 am Room 205 Come and enjoy developing authentic friendships while

listening to applicable truth.

Revolution Worship Band

An article published by PhilanthroCorp

More people make charitable contributions while they are living rather than later through their wills. The truth is, most people never get around to making a will.

What is there about a will that puts people off? Why do so many of us seem to lack the will to make a will? For one thing, it’s inconvenient to find a good attorney, make the appointment, and spend time and money going through the process of gathering information and making decisions. It’s much easier to put it off.

A second reason is the dread some feel in contemplating their own death or the death of their spouse. Their will is something they plan to do later. It’s always later, and of-ten never gets done.

Another reason for postponing action may relate to the difficulty of dividing up your estate if family conflicts exist, or when unsure how wisely the inherited assets will be used. Continued on page 9

Sundays: Bible Study 10:30 am in Room 221.

Wednesdays: Book Study 6:30 pm in room 221.

April 9: Golf Tournament

April 22: Good Friday Service

April 22: Secret Church

April 24: Easter Sunday

May 8: No Evening Service

May 9: Dr. Hunt & Choir (Sunday on Monday)

May 14-21: Guatemala Mission

June 25: Beach Day

2011


Angie Dennis A gifted speaker and Bible study leader, Angie serves at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland where her husband Jay is pastor. We are blessed to have Angie leading our Spring Breakaway Bible study!

Sunday Morning Small Groups 9:00 am and 10:30 am Real friends, finding real answers, to real questions.

SoulMATES

Sunday Mornings: 10:30 am If you are newly wed, nearly wed or a seriously dating Young Adult couple come join us on an adventure to a greater more rewarding relationship, marriage and home.

Tessera Wednesdays: 6:30—7:30 pm 3rd Floor South A Young Adult mid-week time of fellowship; a high energy and media driven worship celebration.

Tessera is a term referring to the individual pieces of a mosaic. Each individual piece possessing its own unique interest and/or beauty but as the pieces come together a larger, richer more beautiful whole emerges. “Revealing God’s Glory One Piece at a Time.”

Men’s Fraternity

Men’s Fraternity meets on Thursday mornings at 6:00 am. For the men of our community: A Time for Men to Connect with Other men in Growth, Discovery and Challenge.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:1

A n

ew

stu

dy

in T

esse

ra

!

Join us for this refreshing time of Bible Study, Worship, Fellowship, and Fun! Register online at www.fbcpc.com or brochures are available at the Welcome Desk and the Church Office.

REGISTRATIONS AND PAYMENTS ARE DUE BY APRIL 10th.

Join us for a new 7-week in-depth Bible Study starting on either :

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 @ 9:00 am or SUNDAY, APRIL 10 @ 4:30 pm

(two classes offered)

No sign-up necessary, just show up! Books are available for purchase in the church office prior

to the start date or at the door. Childcare is available.

Plant City’s First Baptist Church South Campus (Hwy 39 at Sparkman Road)

Our 2011 Easter weekend will be a wonderful celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Reach out and invite friends and family to experience the Easter Celebration at Plant City’s First Baptist Church!

7 Connections Winter 2011 www.fbcpc.com

New this year! Rock Climbing Wall Grand Prize – Xbox Kinex Prize baskets specially designed

for boys and girls Avoid the line at the Egg Drop! Online

pre-registration is now available!

“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour

contempt on all my pride”


There will be a reprieve of all regularly scheduled afternoon and evening activities.

Join us as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with uplifting music and a special Easter Sunday message by our pastor, Dr. Michael Lewis. The message is entitled, “When I Survey the Empty Tomb.”Begin praying about who you can bring on this powerful day!

Join us as we celebrate the cross with music, the Lord’s Supper and a special sermon by Dr. Michael Lewis entitled, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

The Garden Tomb


Spring is always that time of the year when new life blos-soms out. Nothing is quiet as exciting as seeing the reality of life coming forth. What a thrill and joy to know that our living Savior is the One that brings everlasting life to all who trust in Him. As Easter approaches we remember the greatness of His sacrifice and celebrate with great joy His resurrection from the grave. Because He lives, we can live also.

GriefShare Wednesdays, 6:00 to 8:00 pm God has opened the door of ministry that is changing lives and giving hope to many who have experienced the death of a loved one. This is through the ministry of GriefShare. Grief-Share is a support group that meets on Wednesday evenings from 6-8:00 pm in room 136. This is a 13-week cycle of indi-vidual sessions that assists someone who has lost a loved one to find grace and strength as we journey from ‘Mourning to Joy’. You can start at any session. If you are one of those indi-viduals that has suffered the loss of a loved one, we would love to walk with you in your grief. God is doing a great work in many lives through this spe-cial ministry.

Important Dates to remember:

April 7, 2011 :: Day Trip to Hudson Word of Life production of “Jesus, Behold the Man”. This will be in the Harry Bollback Performing Arts Center. The 2:00 pm performance will be a special event. For more information on the production go to : http://jbtm.wol.org

May 5, 2011 :: Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Game 1:00 pm game against the Blue Jays.

Tickets are $9.00. Payment is due at sign up and is nonrefundable. Deadline for purchasing tickets is April 27th.

In response to many requests from our members, the church is now able to accept online contributions for tithes and offerings, and also for making payment for books, tick-ets, or reservations for trips and programs. If this would be helpful to you, go to the church’s website at www.fbcpc.com and click the member services tab, where you will find an option for online payments and contribu-tions.

For your convenience you may use either your debit or charge card information. There is a list of frequently asked questions and answers provided for your assistance. if you would like further information, please contact our Adminis-trative Assistant, Peggy Mooney, at 813.752.4104.

Continued from page 5 Still others lack the will to make a will because they consider their net worth does not merit such a difficult personal task. They think they have too few assets to bother with a will or may assume that everything will go automatically and equally to all members of the family. They do not understand the benefits of a will, not only in settling their estates according to their wishes, but in making their departure easier for their loved ones left behind.

Whatever the reason, making a will takes will power. It re-quires not only choices but also action. Plant City’s First Bap-tist Church knows the difference a will can make. We have witnessed the peace of mind it provides, not only for the principal, but also for family members. We can help you with creating or updating your will. To learn more about this ser-vice, please visit our website at www.fbcpc.com and click on the Estate Plan Organizer. We do hope that you will take ad-vantage of this service, and let us offer a blessing to you and your family.


http://www.fbcpclegacy.com/

II Corinthians 6:2 says, “Today is the day of salvation!” Are you certain that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? If not, we encourage you to take a few minutes and read below. Jesus wants a relationship with you today!

“F” is for FORGIVENESS. We can-not have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness. Ephe-sians 1:7

“A” is for AVAILABLE. Forgiveness is available for all... John 3:16, but not automatic, Matthew 7:21.

“I” is for IMPOSSIBLE. It is impos-sible for God to allow sin into heaven. God is love, John 3:16. God is just, James 2:13. Man is sinful, Romans 3:23.

“T” is for TURN. Turn from sin & self, Luke 13:3. Turn to Christ, Ro-mans 10:9

“H” is for HEAVEN. Heaven is eter-nal life. John 14:3

The free gift of eternal life is yours only through FAITH in Jesus Christ. Receive it by trusting Him today and praying the prayer of salvation.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and ask you to come into my heart, save me, and be the Lord of my life. Amen. If you just prayed this prayer, we are so very excited for you. Please call our church office and let us help you in your newfound faith in Christ. 813-752-4104

Live Streaming Video. Watch our services live!

Go to our website and click the

worshipcast link from the home

page, or go to: www.hypercast.net/fbcpc

BEYOND THE HORIZON… It is estimated that as many as 70% of Americans do not have a current will. This greatly complicates settle-ment of the estate at a time that loved ones may be least prepared to make good decisions. Unpreparedness in this area means that the deceased has no say in the final distributions. It virtually guarantees a greater tax liability, and diminishes what is left for family or charity.

Everybody has an estate, whether large or small, it is the fruit of our life’s work. It is possible to structure our estates in such a way that the Lord’s work can benefit even after we are gone. Believe it or not, this can often be accom-plished without taking away from our family’s inheritance.

We want to provide some “layman friendly” estate planning information that can enable you to protect your family and be a wise steward of what He has entrusted you with. You can start by going to the church’s website at www.fbcpc.com and click on the Estate Plan Organizer. There is a tutorial available and a systematic data gathering feature. At the end, you can print it at home or ask for help. All of the

the information you log in is confiden-tial. The Estate Plan Organizer does not ask for social security numbers or bank account numbers. No one will see your entries unless you submit at the end and ask for help.

In that case, one of our partners at PhilanthroCorp (a Christ-centered es-tate planning firm) will be in touch to serve you in any way they can. If you prefer, you may call the church office and speak with Steve Morris about this financial planning tool.

Another benefit of our partnership with PhilanthroCorp is the ability to set up what is called a Charitable Gift An-nuity. This is an investment that pro-vides the donor a very attractive inter-est rate that is guaranteed for life. Rates are based upon the donor’s age but are much higher than the returns of certificates of deposit or savings accounts. If you would like further in-formation on Charitable Gift Annuities, please contact Steve Morris in the church office, or one of the members of our Charitable Gifts Team: Dub McGinnes, Chairman Steve Sparkman Tim Shuff Rolly Rollyson Danny Coton

...look for this link on the homepage of our web-

site!



PLANT CITY MISSIONS Second Saturday :: 2nd Saturday of every month

Have you aspired to be on mission for God in Plant City but have wondered where to start? Beginning on May 14th we will intentionally minister to the Plant City area on the second Saturday of every month. We will meet at the church at 8:30 am and leave for our desti-nation by 9:00 am. We will return to the church by noon. Come and help us show the love of Christ to our community.

Love in Action :: Ongoing Are you interested in meeting needs in our local community but don’t know where to go to find them? We have a wonderful tool right on the home page of our church website! Click on the “Love in Action” link and search the many needs that have been posted. It’s easy! Knowing the needs of those around us is half the battle!

FLORIDA MISSIONS Miami :: Student Ministries

Around a year ago, we began a partnership with New Life Church just outside of Miami, FL. In August, our


Being a Witness in the World Barry Chesney, Minister of Single Adults & Missions

Student Pastor Randy Wilson plans to take the Middle School students to New Life in order to be the hands and feet of Christ.

U.S. MISSIONS New York City :: Summer 2011

God has put New York City on our hearts. The greater New York area has around 20 million people, most of whom do not know Christ as their Savior. By God’s grace, we intend to plant a church in New York City. High School students plan to minister in NYC in July and the Single Adults are eager to travel to New York in August. Pray that God will save many souls in NYC.

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS Guatemala :: May, 2011 Delhi, India :: November, 2011

The Guatemala Mission Trip is scheduled for May 14—21, 2011. Our Guatemala team will minister at the Malnutrition Center and will build houses for the poor. God has led us to adopt an unreached people group in Delhi, India. We anticipate a trip later this year in No-vember to evangelize and disciple others in Delhi.

Bethlehem, December 2010

Plant City’s First Baptist Church desires to have a missions ministry

on which the sun never sets! ...to the uttermost parts of the earth. Acts 1:8


Dr. Johnny Hunt and the senior adult choir of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia will be with us for a special Monday evening worship experience on May 9th. We are calling this “Sunday evening on Monday evening worship” that will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Hunt has been serving as pastor of FBCW for the past 25 years, has served as the president of the South-ern Baptist Convention, and is a Spirit-anointed preacher of the Word who will greatly challenge us.

Monday, May 9th at 6:30 pm

“ “


1. Personalize Your way of keeping a journal is the right way.

The important thing is that you have a journal.

There is no right and wrong way to keep a journal.

2. Simplify Keep it simple.

Practical to use a spiral bound notebook.

Make it easy to carry around with you.

3. Centralize A. Prayer Requests

Requests you pray for on a daily basis.

Requests that you pray for on different days of the week.

Special requests and record when they are answered.

B. Daily Insights into Scripture

Read the portion of Scripture.

Ask yourself – What is God teaching me through this?

Write down a verse or insight.

C. Prayer response to Scripture

Memory Verses.

Write out a verse for each week.

Review the verses from the previous week. WALKING IN THE WORD

Each week Dr. Lewis has been encouraging the church

to memorize scripture to coincide with the Psalm 119

Sermon Series. The following are the upcoming mem-

ory verses out of Psalm 119:

April 3rd: 67 and 71

April 10th am: 73, pm: 88

May 8th: 89-90

May 15th am: 97 & 103, pm: 105

May 22nd am: 116, pm: 127-128

May 29th: 135-136

June 5th am: 138 and 140, pm: 147

Have you been

Journaling

your Walk in

the Word?


Come check out our Church Library! And check out a few

books while your there!

Library Hours Sundays

8:30—10:20 am and 4:00—6:20 pm

Wednesdays 10:00 am—6:20 pm

Parents and children have the privilege to stand before the church symbolizing their willing-ness to accept the role and responsibility of rearing their children under God's precepts, committing to the goal of rais-ing Christ-centered children. Parents stand to pray with the pastor and church body, under-standing the responsibility of modeling Christ-likeness, mak-ing the church a priority, so that one day these children may come into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Mother’s Day

May 8, 2011

The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 31:30 “a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Mother’s Day at Plant City’s First Baptist Church we will celebrate our mothers and those ladies who have

molded and shaped our lives with love and care.

The dedication of babies and children, songs from our children’s choirs, and the special gifts of carnations for all mothers will make this day memorable for all. I pray that your family will join us for this special worship service and celebration of motherhood....don’t forget to bring your mother!

How to get involved: 1. Play 2. Sponsor 3. Donate a door prize

Sr. Adults Day Trip to Hudson: April 7 20th Annual Golf Invitational: April 9 Mission Trip Yard Sale: April 15 & 16 Good Friday Service: April 22, 7:00 pm Egg Drop Festival: April 23 Easter Sunday: April 24th Sr. Adults Rays Game: May 5 Ladies’ Spring Breakaway: May 6 & 7

Sunday on Monday: May 9 Guatemala Mission Trip: May 14 –21 Student Wayfarer Camp: June 12—17 Vacation Bible School: June 20—24 New York Mission Trip: June 24—July 2 CentriKid Camp: June 27—July 1 SummerSalt: July 18—22 Miami Mission Trip: August 7—12

Plant City’s First Baptist Church 503 North Palmer Street Plant City, FL 33563 813.752.4104 813.752.1980 fax Office Hours Monday-Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Service Times Sundays: 9:00 & 10:30 am, 6:30 pm Wednesdays: 6:30 pm

Non-Profit Org

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit No. 6250

Tampa, FL

Connections - Spring 2011

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Transcript of Connections - Spring 2011