July Urgent! Meals for Contact Ministries. Needs for Children s VBS! Date Change for Quarterly Business Meeting. Save the Date!

Transcription

1 Central Baptist News Central Baptist Church: Love God. Love People. Serve the World. July 2011 Needs for Children s VBS! Be a VBS friend: church members willing to spend time with 3 to 5 kids each night Supplies: select from the items listed in the Serve the World Center display Décor items: paper lanterns, paper fans, plants, Prayer Partners: daily prayer for the kids, leaders, helpers and other volunteers If you have any questions at all about VBS, please contact Dulci Harms at , or glittergirl630@yahoo.com. Save the Date! What: Blackwood Quartet Concert When: Friday, July 15 th at 7 PM Where: Central Baptist, Springfield What: International Ministries Missionary Commissioning When: Sunday, August 21 st, 10:30 am Where: Central Baptist, Springfield Urgent! Meals for Contact Ministries When: Wednesdays July 20 th ; August 3 rd, 10 th 17 th, and 24 th Contact: Carole Volle ( ) Date Change for Quarterly Business Meeting When: Wednesday, July 27, 6:30 pm Where: CBC Sanctuary, Springfield Dinner will be served prior to meeting. Reservations required. More to come. "Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now." ~Saint Teresa of Avila

2 The Inside Story American Baptist Family Matters 2011 Biennial, San Juan, Puerto Rico As I write this article I am in the air en route to the American Baptist Churches, USA, biennial gathering in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Before you make any jokes about suffering for Jesus in Puerto Rico, remember that this is summertime, not winter. Yesterday the ambient temperature in San Juan felt like 98! (smile) Still, I expect the setting for this set of meetings to be tropically beautiful. At least part of that beauty will come from the Baptists who gather there from churches across the United States: Euro- American, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native America churches, and congregations with broadly mixed demographics. American Baptists are a diverse people with a significant presence in Puerto Rico. We are tied to each other by our oneness in Christ. Baptists arrived in America in the seventeenth century. The First Baptist Church on American soil was established in Providence Rhode Island in During our first century here, sixty churches were formally constituted in ten colonies, with 3,142 members. But Baptists experienced a lot of opposition and misunderstanding. For example, many people considered Baptists to be heathen because they refused to baptize their infants. So for mutual encouragement and to help explain themselves to the general public, Baptists connected together in organizations called associations. Churches sent representatives to the associations and documents were developed to explain to the public what Baptists believed about Jesus, about the Bible, and so on. The first Baptist association in America was formed in Philadelphia in By 1825, there were 125 Baptist associations in the colonies and on the frontier. Baptist associations not only explained Baptists to the public; they also sent out itinerant evangelists. But finally, in 1814, Baptists in America connected on a national level. Thirty-three men gathered at the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia on May 18 of that year and organized the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions. The reason for this organization was to send missionaries overseas. In the succeeding years, other national Baptists organizations were formed for home missions (missions in the U.S.), Christian education, and publication. These national Baptist bodies connected local churches and associations for specific purposes. The General Missionary Convention met every three years for the purpose of appointing missionaries to serve overseas, like Adoniram Judson who was our first foreign missionary. The American Baptist Home Mission Society met to appoint home missionaries, like John Mason Peck who traveled throughout the Midwest (which was then sparsely settled frontier). The General Tract Society formed to publish literature to disseminate the Gospel to the nation. So each national connectional body was a separate society organized for a particular purpose. People, associations, and churches became a part of each society through financial support. In 1845, Baptists in the South pulled away from the General Missionary Convention and formed the Southern Baptist Convention. Remember, the General Missionary Convention was formed to send missionaries overseas. Baptists in the South who owned slaves were not allowed to be appointed. So the southern churches withdrew from the societies (headquartered in the north) and joined the Southern Baptist Convention. The northern churches remained in the General Missionary Convention (foreign missions, as it was termed) and in the other societies for home missions, education, and publication. So, Baptist churches in the North (and Midwest) collaborated through the General Missionary Convention and these societies Continued on page 3 2

3 The Inside Story, continued American Baptist Family Matters 2011 Biennial, San Juan, Puerto Rico to spread the Good News of Jesus across the frontier and around the world. In 1907 these organizations combined to form the Northern Baptist Convention. As a newly formed convention the old missionary convention and societies collaborated with each other through various agreements for funding, policy making, and governance. In the mid-twentieth century the convention changed its name to the American Baptist Convention, then about twenty-five years later again to the American Baptist Churches, USA. Through a process of connectional evolution, centralized offices were established led by a General Secretary and governed by a General Board. At the same time, the original societies remained both independent from each other and interdependent with each other. I write all of this to set you up for what I am going to write next. Every two years the churches and regions who now identify as ABC, USA, meet somewhere in the United States or Puerto Rico for worship, fellowship, training, and decisionmaking. Each church is allowed to send a predetermined number of delegates to make decisions for the denomination as a whole. These decisions are not binding on individual churches but these decisions do govern how the ABC, USA functions. The most significant decisions that delegates will make at this biennial have to do with how we connect together and how we are organized as a denomination. Our connectional life as American Baptists is currently governed by a representative process with a General Board. This board is designed to be representative of American Baptists from across the country, so there are multiple representatives from each of the thirty-some regions. That s a big governing board; too big. What is needed is a sleeker, more cost-efficient, and more effective board, yet one that still represents the diverse character of American Baptist life. For reasons of both cost and effectiveness the General Board needs to be greatly reduced in size. One of the decisions delegates will make at this biennial involves reducing the size of this board and renaming it the Board of General Ministries. This board will continue to govern the central office and corporate activities of American Baptist Churches, USA. But it will be smaller and more cost-effective. Currently, American Baptists are structured such that the directors of our two mission sending agencies (International Ministries and the American Baptist Home Mission Society) become directors of those organizations by virtue of being on the larger and representative General Board mentioned above. In other words, members of the General Board also serve on one of the denomination s mission boards. Directors of these boards thus come to their position as directors not based on particular expertise as much as based on the region in which they live. The delegates at this biennial will be asked to decide whether or not to disconnect the mechanism by which the mission board directors are provided. In other words, if the change is approved, each of the two mission sending boards will obtain directors on their own, based on the particular needs of each organization and the passion and expertise of each person. People who serve as directors on the Board of General Ministries will no longer be asked to also serve on a mission board, but only on the Board of General Ministries. Judi and I will participate in the business meetings where these decisions will be discussed. We will also participate in plenary worship sessions, in pavilions where we learn about the work of other ABC churches and organizations, in a mission summit where we engage in conversation with other delegates about the future direction of American Baptist churches. Judi will also be attending the Women s Day activities and will join me for the minister s council workshops. We will hear preaching and music from ABC pastors and musicians. On Sunday morning we will be shuttled to a local Puerto Rican (ABC) church for worship with Continued on page 4 3

4 The Inside Story, continued American Baptist Family Matters 2011 Biennial, San Juan, Puerto Rico that local congregation. We are told each local church will also provide a meal for us following worship. Following the ABC, USA biennial, I will meet with the General Board of ABC, USA, and with the Board of International Ministries for three subsequent days to accomplish the work of the denomination. (Judi, no doubt, will be by the pool). Thank you for the privilege of representing you and serving our Lord in this broader setting. We carry you in our hearts as we go. We will remember you in prayer while we are gone. We look forward to reengaging in ministry with you when we return. Blessings, Reg PAX Academic Exchange Opportunity We are pleased to welcome a new nursery worker to our church childcare staff. Jessica Pope is a stay at home mom of five children. She enjoys children of all ages and believes in using encouraging words and positive reinforcement. She will be working in the nursery area with our current childcare providers 2 Sundays a month and at other times as needed. She is scheduled to be here on July 10 and 17 so stop in and welcome her to Central Baptist Church. Make a difference in the life of one student! Share your heart, your home and your country with a young person from abroad. Become a host family! International exchange students from South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand are scheduled to arrive in August with PAX - Program of Academic Exchange, an academic homestay program. All PAX students are between the ages of 15 and 18, speak English, have full medical insurance, and come with their own spending money. Host families come in all shapes and sizes! All are welcome to host, including single parents, young couples and retirees. Families need only provide a place for the student to sleep and study, meals and a warm, supportive environment. Providing a short term welcome stay for 6-8 weeks is also a hosting option. For more information call Tammy Spiker, PAX Community Coordinator, at or the PAX National Office at

5 Central At A Glance - July 2011 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday June July 1 2 8a ABMen s Breakfast (MH) 3 * Regular Sunday Schedule Independence Day 4 Church office and Daycare closed 5 6 Contact Ministry Meals 5:30p Outreach Area Mtg 6p Worship Band Practice * Regular Sunday Schedule 5p Finance Area (Pastor s Office) 6:30p LCT Mtg (MH) 11 7:15p CBC@ Calvary Temple Contact Ministry Meals 14 6p Worship Band Practice Noon Newsletter deadline 7p Blackwood Quartet Concert 15 8a ABMen s Breakfast (MH) * Regular Sunday Schedule :15p CBC@ Calvary Temple 20 Contact Ministry Meals 21 6p Worship Band Practice * Regular Sunday Schedule :15p CBC@ Calvary Temple 4:45p Wed Night Dinner 6:30p Qtly Business Mtg 27 1p Newsletter mailed (WL) 28 6p Worship Band Practice Olan Mills Directory Pictures Regular Weekly Activities *Sundays 8:30a Classic Worship 9:20a Adult Sunday School NB 9:45a Sunday School for all ages 10:30a Worship Service NB 11:00a Contemporary Worship Children s Church 4:00p Face 2 Face, 6 12 th grade (MH) Key: LCT = Leadership Coordination Team Mtg = meeting MH = Merriam Hall NB = New Berlin location (21) = Room 21 WL = Weber Lounge All events take place at the Springfield location unless otherwise noted. 5

6 Beyond Our Doors Breakfast & Lunch for Kids Kumler Food Pantry Kumler is providing breakfast and lunch items for Springfield kids this summer. On the back page is a tear-off shopping list of recommended items for donation. You may leave your contribution in the Kumler Food Pantry area located in the Serve the World Center in the educational wing of the Springfield campus. Contact Ministries Needs You! "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,..." Matthew 25:34-35a Can you reach out to those in need this summer? Your family, small group, Sunday school class may want to help! Provide 32 meals to feed the homeless women and children staying in the Contact Ministries shelter. Dates Needed: July 20 th ; and August 3 rd, 10 th 17 th, and 24 th While some of you are comfortable preparing the meal, other options include the purchase of prepared entrées (heatand-eat) and sides. If you need more information or can help with this ministry, please contact Carol Volle ( ). Volunteer Recruitment for the ABMen/GRR The ABC/GRR regional board of American Baptist Men is recruiting sufficient volunteers to keep abreast of ministry and disaster relief needs in Illinois and Missouri. Available positions: For all areas of GRR: ABMen/GRR seeks men willing to take leadership in these categories President, Board secretary, Board treasurer, and Disaster Relief Coordinator. The Disaster Relief Coordinator position requires a volunteer who is very organized and who is familiar with electronic communications. In addition, the next coordinator should spend time with the present coordinator, Rev. Dr. Mac Shotwell, becoming acclimated to the various levels of disaster relief organizations, including liaison with government emergency management groups. There is an immediate need for a suitable volunteer in this position. Contact person on the ABMen/GRR board is Jon Dainty at (cell) (309) or (home) (309) Next board meeting: 16 July 2011 at Fairview Baptist Church in Springfield, IL. 6

7 Money, the Bible and You Anyone who has ever been personally involved in the construction of a building knows that the foundation is of utmost importance. The finest architectural design and the best construction materials are of little value if the foundation is not built correctly. The same is true of life itself and of our giving. The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God. We can follow the counsel of the Apostle Paul concerning our giving. Through our giving, we can send our treasure on ahead. We can follow the admonition of the Lord Jesus and through our giving we can lay up treasure in heaven. John Bunyan summarized both teachings in this statement: Whatever good thing you do for Him, if done according to the Word, is laid up for you as treasure in chests and coffers, to be brought out to be rewarded before men and angels, to your eternal comfort. Our giving, then, becomes a foundation, not concerning salvation, but rather, concerning our investments. Suppose for a moment that you had invested 100% of your life s savings in the stock of a company. Would you not be watching with great eagerness how that company was performing? Would you not be checking up on how well it was doing, on management s goals for the future, and on how it was faring against the competition? In a similar way, our investments in the work of the Lord not only indicate where we are placing our emphasis, but also, they will determine where our interest lies. We will be checking up on them, evaluating their performance, and giving thought to the day when they will yield eternal dividends in our behalf. Remember, Jesus Christ is the sure foundation. Jesus is the Cornerstone. As we work and as we give, we are building on Him and on what He accomplished on Calvary. What kind of builder are you? Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age (1 Tim. 6:18-19). Off the Shelf The Unfailing Love of Jesus by R. T. Kendall How can we believe that He cares when the prayers of the truly hurting so often seem to go unanswered? Are we to believe that Jesus cares for us when He hears our cry and does nothing? In The Unfailing Love of Jesus, R. T. Kendall tackles these questions head-on, identifying ten specific circumstances we face when it is difficult to believe that God is working. As he takes you through Jesus' response to Mary and Martha when their brother died, you will discover the hidden ways God works during life's toughest situations. We make a hasty conclusion, not to mention the wrong one, if we say that He does not care. The Unfailing Love of Jesus will show not only that He cares but also that He cares more deeply and painstakingly than you or I can begin to imagine. The Ambition Bestselling nonfiction writer Strobel (The Case for Christ) makes his fiction debut with a legal thriller set in Chicago that draws on his background in legal journalism. A corrupt judge in a mob murder case. A disillusioned pastor, hungry for power. A cynical reporter, sniffing for a scandal. A gambling addict whose secret tape threatens the lives of everyone who hears it. The author weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set in a gleaming, suburban mega church, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. These books may be found on the New Book Section of the Library. Jim Filler On behalf of the Volunteer Library Team 7

8 News from the Pews In Christian Love & Sympathy I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26 (NIV) Please remember these brothers and sisters in Christ: Shirley Fitzgerald upon the death of her uncle, Daniel Yeater. Patrick Johnopolos upon the death of his uncle, Jack Jines. REMINDER: CBC Church Directory Photos Photography dates are: July 27th - 29th from 2:00 PM until 9:20 PM July 30th from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM. August 9th 10th from 2:00 PM until 9:20 PM Immediately following your photography session, you will select your directory photo and free 8 x 10 portrait. There is an option to purchase additional pictures if you desire. You will get a reminder phone call or 2 days prior to your scheduled photo from Olan Mills. Questions may be directed to Phyllis Hudspeth at A BIG Tip of the Halo to All those who parked cars in New Berlin during the Sangamon County Fair. Kids Corner Help Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego find their way to safety. Daniel 3:12-30 Continued on page 8 8

9 Pray for Our Troops We have been encouraging you to pray for our troops. If you would like to pray specifically for those known to the church, here are their names: Benjamin Roodhouse (grandson of Bettie Winslow), stationed in Japan Kyle Wooten (husband of Philip Palsen s niece), stationed in Afghanistan. Lysle Tankersley (son of George and Anne Tankersley) stationed in Afghanistan. Jonthan Boldt (brother of Andrea Wells) stationed in Iraq. Do you know someone serving in the military? Please contact Lin ( ext. 18 or office@cbcchurchfamily.org). Many thanks to God s people at Central Baptist for their heart-felt sympathy and care for our family through our tough times. It s been very reassuring to know we re cared for. Jeff, Mary Ellen, Emily & Josh You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God. ~Author Unknown Birthdays 7/1 Jowanna Walker June Winn 7/3 Ruth Ficke Lexi Wells 7/4 Jason Crain Jim Filler Linda Meyer 7/9 Katie Cagle Ethan Santacrose 7/10 Theresa Law Melana Hrncar 7/11 George Tankersley 7/12 Maggie Beauman 7/13 Cait Boatman Gretchen Gruber 7/14 Paula Harwood July Birthdays and Anniversaries Is your birthday or wedding anniversary missing? Please contact the church office ( or office@cbcchurchfamily.org). 7/15 William Crain Ken Crotchett Pat Milner Dallas Witt 7/16 Amy Thomas 7/20 Rosemary Baker 7/21 Dean Nutt 7/24 John Grisham Judi Mills Justin Riley 7/25 Bill Barnes 7/27 Isaac Alt Gus Steiner 7/28 Sheila Zeiger 7/29 Mabel Bristol Randy Wells 9 7/30 Nancy Crain 7/31 Hilary Bush Dale Whitlock Wedding Anniversaries 7/1 Paul & Susan Cressy 7/6 Jason & Jennifer Hanson 7/14 Ross & Sheila Hodel 7/21 Rex & Lowanda Medley 7/28 Ted & Liz Mims

10 CENTRAL BAPTIST NEWS JULY

11 You Are Blessed. Pass It On! Your personal checklist for getting connected! VBS Week July 18 22; Contact Ministry / Helping Hands Meals: July 20 th and all of August. Contact Carole Volle ( ) for info. Feed the Kids through Kumler Food Pantry (shopping list below). Be part of a rotating volunteer team whose members assist with general church maintenance, painting or yard work. Contact Brett Miles or Paul Cressy for more information. Volunteer to work alongside our paid childcare workers at the 11 a.m. worship service. Don t miss your sitting for the new pictorial Church Directory Blackwood Concert Friday, July 15 th at 7pm, Springfield Campus. Bring your friends! Tear Off kumler food pantry Summer shopping List Peanut Butter Jelly Easy Mac (Mac & Cheese)* Chef Boyardee microwave bowls* 100% Fruit Juice boxes Fruit Snack made with 100% fruit* Granola Bars Multi-Grain Crackers* 100 Calorie Snacks* Pretzel Snack packs* Teddy Grahams* Dried Fruits, Raisins* Apple Sauce* Fruit Cups* * 11

12 tab tab Office: 501 S 4 th Street Springfield, IL (217) Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Springfield, IL Permit # 611 Return Service Requested We exist as a church to love God, love people, and serve the world. We love God by placing a priority on public worship and spending intentional time with God on a daily basis. We love people by building redemptive relationships in group Bible study and with our neighbors. We serve the world in Christ's name by meeting the needs of people in our church, neighborhood, and world. 501 S 4 th Street, Springfield, IL W. Birch, New Berlin, IL (217) office@cbcchurchfamily.org