The Baptist Update Newsletter for the American Baptist Churches, Rochester-Genesee Region

Transcription

1 CHURCHES, ROCHESTER-GENESEE REGION 1 The Baptist Update Newsletter for the American Baptist Churches, Rochester-Genesee Region JUNE 2014 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: THE REV. ALAN G. NEWTON Dear Friends, Patrick Lencioni s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team has provided a helpful strategy for developing healthy vital organizations. I believe that the five dysfunctions, when turned on end as assets, provide the building blocks for healthy Christian community. These five assets are: a sense of trust, making good use of conflict, the ability to commit, holding one another accountable and focused results. This month I am focusing on Holding One Another Accountable which is not possible without the first two building blocks of Trust and Making Good Use of Conflict and especially The Ability to Commit. The whole area of accountability is one of the most challenging for churches. But if there is not high trust, the willingness to risk commitment and no commitment or clarity as to expectations then avoidance of accountability is inevitable. A staff member s outbursts of anger are tolerated because no one wants to confront. A long time church member s controlling behavior is allowed to continue even though others have been harmed. Harmful behavior which goes unaddressed becomes toxic for us. Instead of addressing the offending behavior we hold back until one day we erupt in outrage and the resulting alienation is often irreparable. In Ezekiel 2:6 God instructs Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious people of Israel, Do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified of them, thought they are a rebellious people. And in verse 2:7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. Like Ezekiel, we at times are afraid to speak a word of correction or to share a concern, or to encourage repentance and the result is the deterioration of the quality of the Christian community. A church which holds one another accountable improves the quality of life in a Christian community, it helps identify potential problems quickly and resolves them, and it establishes respect among members. But accountability in the church is most effective when it is redemptive rather than punitive. The aim of accountability is stronger relationships, clarity of expectations, and improved performance. Accountability is, if nothing else, the greatest tool in increasing the quality of a Christian community. Leaders advance Kingdom objectives because expectations and direction are clear. Members quickly resolve differences and grow in their love for one another. Blessings, Church of the Month Feature Article Highlighting Mt. Olivet Baptist Church. Page 2

2 CHURCHES, ROCHESTER-GENESEE REGION 2 In every issue of the Baptist Update each church in the region will be invited to create a feature article highlighting their ministries. One congregation will be featured each month. These articles will be reflective of our diversity and will represent our commitment to the autonomy of the local church. We guarantee that no one will be completely comfortable with each featured ministry but in true American Baptist spirit we will gain an appreciation for the breadth of commitments and interests of sister congregations and will hopefully marvel at the countless ways in which each church seeks to be the hands and feet of Christ. Youth Ministry Changing Lives for the Better! Mt. Olivet Baptist Church 141 Adams Street Rochester, NY Phone (585) Pastor: Rev. Dr. Rickey Harvey, Sr. The Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church is devoted to building maturity in Christ into every youth and young adult within our faith community. This ministry strives to help this maturing process by connecting people through worship and service; through teaching and discipleship; through intentional relationships and intimate fellowship. As a ministry, we believe in Education as Transformation, Spirituality as a Foundation and Self-identity as a Necessity. At Mt. Olivet in general and the Youth and Young Adult Ministry in particular, we understand that authentic Christian faith is encouraged and developed by authentic Christian relationships through Christ and the Church. We are dedicated to creating a spiritually vibrant and socially just environment for youth and young adults. By utilizing our ministry Core Values as our guide, we strive in all that we do to cultivate and create an environment in which each youth and young adult will be better equipped with both the spiritual and practical tools necessary to navigate successfully in the world. We offer over 15 individual ministry program designed specifically to meet the spiritual, academic and cultural needs of youth. Our ministry s include: Youth Ushers, Friday Night Youth Bible Study, Sunday Christian Academy, Cub and Boy Scouts, Youth Choir (ages 5-17), L.E.A.D.S. College Prep Program for 12th Graders, S.T.A.R.S. Young Women's Ministry - AB Girls, Nursery, Technology Support, Cultural Enrichment Activities, Wings of Glory Dance Team, Community Service Activities, Youth Leadership Opportunities, Seasonal Theatrical Productions, Parent Support Team, Youth Musicians Group and much more! June is Youth Month at Mount Olivet, where we dedicate the entire month to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments, creative zeal and importance of our youth.

3 CHURCHES, ROCHESTER-GENESEE REGION 3 Flapjack Saturday Community Fundraiser Saturday June 21, 8 to 10 am at FBC Penfield, 1862 Penfield Road Delicious pancakes, pure maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage, and more! All for just $4.00 per person, $3.00 for children 10 and under. All June proceeds will go directly to help support Penfield Habitat for Humanity Missionaries from Nagaland, India From Saturday, July 5 to Thursday July 10, Taku and Katie Longkumer will be in the Rochester Region to share the story of what God is doing among the Naga tribes of Northeast India. Following will be some of the opportunities you will have to hear them: FRIDAY NIGHT PARADE: 7PM from 216 Thurston Rd. to Chili Ave to Woodbine to Aberdeen Square. PANCAKE BREAKFAST: 8:30 AM Entertainment starts at 9:45 Vendors: 10-5:30 Raffles Children s Activities Bounce House Sunday, July 6 at 12:30 PM, a pot luck lunch at Immanuel Baptist Church. Monday, possible program hosted by Nunda Trinity Church (details to follow) Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM at First Baptist Church in LeRoy Wednesday evening a 6:00 PM dinner hosted by First Baptist Church of Rochester. It would be helpful if you plan on attending any of these events to call the host church to confirm your attendance. Find out more about Taku and Katie by going on line at internationministries.org and click on the link to people and scroll down to Longkumer. If you wish further information, please contact Paul Vick at paul.vick@internationalministries.org. 10 th Annual Dr. Samuel McCree Jr. Scholarship Golf Tournament News from Around the Region REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Mutual Assistance Funds Grant Program for Community Ministries. For more information visit DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 30TH) Chicken Barbecue at Parma Baptist Church 4997 Ridge Road West, will hold a Chicken Barbecue on Saturday, June 7 at 5 pm. For tickets contact Karl & Cheryl Fishbaugh at (585) Saturday, July 19, 2014 Salmon Creek Country Club 355 Washington Street, Spencerport, NY Donation: $85 and Non-Golfer Lunch: $35 For more information contact Bro. Marvin Williams at (585) or the Church Office at (585) To Respect and to Remember Sponsored by GRCC/FIAN June 7, 2014 at 2 PM We will gather in celebration to place the markers the community has so graciously purchased on the graves of the people buried at Oatka Cemetery. GOLF FOR A GREAT CAUSE! Please save the date for the 4 th Annual Swing for Seniors Classic to benefit Fairport Baptist Homes. The tournament will be held on Wednesday, July 16 at Ravenwood Golf Club. Please consider supporting Fairport Baptist Homes by sponsoring, golfing, donating a prize or placing an ad in the program. For more information, Jessica Regan: jregan@fbhcm.org. SUBMIT AN ARTICLE The Next Submission Deadline for The Baptist Update Newsletter is June 15 th. TO SUBMIT: VIA OFFICEABCRGR@ROCHESTER.RR.COM Via Phone: (585) Clergy Changes CONGRATUATIONS REV. CAELA WOODS (First United Church of Bloomington) Best wishes as she prepares to move to her next call as pastor of First Congregational UCC in Manhattan, KS.

4 CHURCHES, ROCHESTER-GENESEE REGION 4 Prayer Concerns Prayer Concerns The Rev. Dr. Barbara Hulsing, Pastor of The Good Shepherd Community of Faith in Buffalo, NY is home recovering from recent hip surgery. Cards may be sent to: Bear Road, Cowlesville, NY The Rev. Sheila Wilson - Retired Chaplain, for the recent passing of her mother, Ida M. Wilson-Cunningham. Cards may be sent to: 3422 E 143rd Street, Cleveland, OH "For where two or three gather together in my name, there I am in the midst of them" - Matthew 18:20 NATIONAL NEWS Virtual Mission Encounter on Homelessness Inspires Action VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/23/14) American Baptist Women s Ministries hosted an online opportunity May 5-9, 2014, for women to learn about homelessness and to explore its impact on their communities and the world. Break Every Yoke: Homelessness focused on causes of homelessness, effects on those who are homeless or inadequately housed, and a variety of approaches that individuals and faith communities can take to address the issue. Participants were introduced to resources, ideas, and inspiration for advocacy and action. Illinois Couple Endorsed as IM Missionaries to Serve in France VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/23/14) Rev. Holale C. Azondjagni and his wife, Awenam Anifrani, of Evanston, Illinois, have been endorsed by American Baptist International Ministries (IM) to serve as missionaries with the Federation of Evangelical Baptist Churches of France. The Ministers Council Announces Executive Assistant Position Valley Forge, PA, May 28, The Ministers Council announces an opening for an Executive Assistant to support the work of the Ministers Council. The Executive Assistant role is a multi-faceted position for a motivated professional. The Executive Assistant is the Office Manager in the Valley Forge Office. The Executive Assistant functions as Membership Coordinator interfacing with Regional Ministers Council chapters and members, processing membership information, responding to inquiries, and receiving dues payments. The Executive Assistant is the assistant to the Executive Director, working closely with her to implement the vision of the organization. The Executive Assistant serves as administrator for meetings, travel, and capital campaign tracking efforts. The Executive Assistant also manages and handles Accounting/Financial functions and transactions. This is a wide-ranging, important role for an organization that is rebuilding for the future. For more information, refer to the full job description, which can be found at: MC AA Send your resume, and name/address/phone numbers of three (3) professional references to jobs@abc-usa.org.

5 CHURCHES, ROCHESTER-GENESEE REGION 5 The Baptist Update Newsletter for the American Baptist Churches, Rochester-Genesee Region 1100 South Goodman Street Rochester, NY UPCOMING EVENTS IN REGION SUNDAY, JUNE 1 3:30 PM Region Delegate's Meeting - Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Avenue, Rochester, NY SUNDAY, JUNE 8 7:00 PM Old Time Music Night at Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Road, Rochester, NY Special Guest, Taylor Buckley. SUNDAY, JUNE 15 1:30 PM 3:00 PM Brockport First Baptist Church, 124 South Main St., Brockport, NY will hold a free community dinner, The Gathering Table, All are welcome to join us for a hot dinner.