to lives of ministry and service.

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1 Dedicated to bringing Christian faith and Life together through Worship, Outreach, Education, and A Caring Community First Baptist Church, West Hartford, Connecticut June 2015 On May 19 a group of us ventured to Community Baptist Church in New Haven to celebrate Jaimie Crumley s ordination. It was a great celebration of the way the spirit is moving in human lives, and of Jaimie in particular. It comes as Jaimie graduates from the Masters of Divinity program at Yale Divinity School, and prepares to enter the Masters of Sacred Theology program. (Degrees which I fully support All of us and have encouraged her to attain they are the same as mine!) are called to lives of ministry and service. Why do people who believe in the priesthood of all believers ordain some? All of us are called to lives of ministry and service. If you are thoughtful about the tasks you are called upon to do throughout the course of a day, you will find many opportunities for ministry at school, at work, at home, volunteering and out doing your errands. Everyone who knows you knows what you are like and what difference you make. This is how ministries are built and accomplished. If the only person doing ministry were the ordained Ministers, that would mean that this church has 1 and a half ministers. Instead, we have hundreds; ministry happens everywhere through all of our members. We ordain some for full time work in service to the church, which is a particular ministry among ministries, a particular calling among other callings. Ministry in the church isn t superior, but it is different in quality, has its own particular knowledge and skill set, and is best accomplished with a host of people praying in support of it. That is what we did on Tuesday night, we prayed for Jaimie, using the laying on of hands as described by Peter and Paul in the New Testament. I d like to invite all of you to continue in prayer for Jaimie, for me, and for the incoming Pastor who has yet to be determined and named. You can be certain that your ministers (ordained and otherwise) pray for our people. God has great things in store for this congregation s future. We celebrate with Jaimie, and we ask that you pray with us as we welcome the next chapters of ministry here at First Baptist Church. Sincerely in Ministry, Erica Ministry in the church isn t superior, but it is different in quality, has its own particular knowledge and skill set, and is best accomplished with a host of people praying in support of it.

2 Our sympathy and prayers to the family of Dr. William H. Tripp who died peacefully on May 11. A memorial service was held at the church. Congratulations to Amy and Matt Guglietta on the birth of Lily Elizabeth, born on May 10. The proud grandparents are Barbara and Mike Deak. More congratulations to Amy for receiving her MS in Special Education from CCSU. Sheila and Bob MacGregor visited Rev Richard Hardy to bring him a plaque honoring him as a Minister Emeritus. At 95 he still has a good memory of events and people from FBC and he wanted to thank all who felt him worthy to receive the honor of Honorary Minister Emeritus. A number of years ago, Jim White was part of our Loaves and Fishes group. He was remembered and celebrated in their newsletter this month. Volunteer of the Month: We have lost a wonderful long-term volunteer in the past weeks. Jim White died in April. Jim helped prepare and serve our meal for many years, never missed a month, and was cheerful and always fun to be around. Jim had a kind, generous heart and will be missed. The next FOCUS will be the midsummer edition, coming out in the middle of July. The deadline for those planning to contribute will be around July 10. The First Baptist Church, West Hartford, Connecticut An American Baptist Church Interim Minister Dir. of Christian Ed. Music Director The Rev Erica Avena The Rev. Jaimie D. Crumley Mindy Shilansky 90 North Main Street West Hartford, CT Church Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Admin. Secretary Helen Michaels Secretary Kris Hanko Facilities Manager William Albert (Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:00-12:00) Phone whfbc@yahoo.com www. The Focus is a monthly newsletter of First Baptist Church Editor Faith Geist

3 Jaimie Crumley s Ordination in New Haven Terri Eickel added her voice. Sheila and Yvonne were among the guests from FBC. Sheila and Duane presented Jaimie with the robe FBC got for her.

4 BIRTHDAYS JUNE Sarah Falvey 2 June Noble Lillian Johnson 3 Sebastian Pestretto 4 William Geist 5 Vern Baker 7 Nancy Gaffin 9 Linda Parker Carol Eells 12 Jean Brown Peter Martin 13 Rachel Roones 14 Paul Ciarcia 21 Kathy McCartney 23 Rose Santiago 24 Ismael Carreras 26 Dylan McCartney 30 Mike Manish ANNIVERSARIES JUNE Yrs Roy & Stephanie Cuzzocreo 6/4/77 16 Yrs Peter & Margot Martin 6/5/99 34 Yrs Thomas & Peg Carr 6/13/81 63 Yrs William & Nancy Gaffin 6/14/52 38 Yrs Paul & Elaine Ciarcia 6/18/77 5 Yrs Steve & Lura Slowinski 6/19/10 57 Yrs William & Faith Geist 6/21/58 59 Yrs Phillip & Fay Trowbridge 6/23/56 48 Yrs Ismael & Thilsa Carreras 6/24/67 64 Yrs Sebastian & Juanita Pestretto 6/30/51 BIRTHDAYS JULY Peg Carr 2 Jason Apicella 4 Karen Eddy 8 Linda Greca 9 Orwell Tousley 11 Elaine Ciarcia 12 Peggy Scribner 18 Carol Honeychurch 19 Earl Gross 20 Mary Kunz Janna Lee Testerman 23 Carol Arrowsmith 25 Frank Amazeen Edith Castagno 26 David Shilansky 30 Richard Pierce ANNIVERSARIES JULY yrs 07/06/1997 Neil & Mindy Shilansky 19 yrs 07/06/1996 Matt Burch & Jennifer Sanborn 42 yrs 07/14/1973 Earl & Elaine Gross 16 yrs 07/17/1999 Marcos & Lisa Carreras 40 yrs 07/19/1975 Bob & Sheila MacGregor June 7 1 Samuel 8:4 11 (12 15) (11:14 15) Psalm Corinthians 4:13 5:1 Mark 3:20 35 June 14 1 Samuel 15:34 16:13 Psalm 20 2 Corinthians 5:6 10 (11 13) Mark 4:26 34 June 21 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4 11, 19 23) Psalm 9: Corinthians 6:1 13 Mark 4:35 41 June 28 2 Samuel 1:1, Psalm Corinthians 8:7 15 Mark 5:21 43 July 5 2 Samuel 5:1 5, 9 10 Psalm 48 2 Corinthians 12:2 10 Mark 6:1 13 July 12 2 Samuel 6:1 5, 12b 19 Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3 14 Mark 6:14 29 July 19 2 Samuel 7:1 14a Psalm 89:20 37 Ephesians 2:11 22 Mark 6:30 34, 53 56

5 Music & Memory ipod Drive for CT Baptist Homes How many memories can an ipod hold? Our older friends, even those with Alzheimer s and other dementias, can reconnect with memories through music that was meaningful to them in younger days. Their favorite music, found in a personalized playlist of favorite music developed for each resident, is a lifeline to their best memories. Music has been proven to help recover memories, stimulate recognition, reduce pain and enhance quality of life. Give the gift of joy through the healing power of music by participating in the ipod drive to benefit the Music & Memory program at Connecticut Baptist Homes in Meriden. We will gratefully accept gently used ipods of any generation, old iphones if you have upgraded, itunes gift cards for the purchase of music, or monetary donations to purchase headphones and accessories. More information can be found at including a video clip of Henry, a nursing home resident reawakened by listening to his favorite Cab Calloway songs. CBH will gladly pick up donated equipment from the church office. Please contact the Reverend Katherine Fagerburg, Chaplain at Connecticut Baptist Homes, for more information; kfagerburg@ctbaptisthomes.org. Social Action News The Social Action Committee would like to thank all who participated in our recent Covenant to Care projects. FBC donated 20 Easter baskets for the Covenant to Care children. In May the FBC children decorated and assembled 24 Birthday Bags during M&M time. Thanks for your generosity! Music & Memory CDs on Loan for CT Baptist Homes A special request for our music-loving congregation please help Connecticut Baptist Homes build up its music library by loaning your CDs for a short time to be imported for use in the personalized Music & Memory program. They have a decent selection of Big Band and 40s crooners but could use other genres of music as well as music of particular ethnic origins (Russian, French, Polish, German, etc.). The more CDs they can borrow, the less they need to spend purchasing songs and albums on itunes. Due to copyright law, no original mix tapes can be accepted. All CDs will be returned to their owners; please label carefully to help make this process easier! Everyone is welcome to join us for Bible Study at the home of Bill and Faith Geist, 122 Dowd Street, Newington, Thursdays: June 11 & 25 and July 9 & 23. from 5-6:30pm. We are studying the book of Acts. Contact the church office for materials if you would like to join us.

6 Correction Trustees' Annual Report On the day of the Annual Meeting, I discovered that I had submitted my first draft of the Trustees Annual Report instead of the corrected version. Thus, there are many spelling and proofreading errors, for which I apologize. One correction, however, is important. The sentence about the exterior of the parsonage should read, The Trustees will not allow a family with small children to live in the house until this situation is corrected. As the rest of the paragraph explains, we are in the process of correcting the situation and choosing a contractor to apply vinyl siding to the house. Thus, both the inside and outside of the parsonage will be in excellent condition. John Eickel GENERAL BOARD HIGHLIGHTS The Board met on April 14 with twelve members present. The treasurer reported that we are still running a deficit and cautioned committees to keep an eye on expenditures. Erica Avena has recorded two more radio spots with Ecumenical Communications. Each spot runs for six weeks on numerous radio stations. Erica reported that the Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday worship services involved quite a number of people and went very well. The Board voted to recognize Jamie Crumley s ordination with the gift of a new liturgical robe. A list of excess church property, most from Hopeworks, is available in the Church Office. Bill Albert will be in charge of distribution. Our Children s Center is occupying two adjoining rooms on the second floor. The rooms have been thoroughly refurnished and redecorated to provide a pleasant environment for about a dozen children. The organ company reports that our organ needs $200,000 in refurbishment sometime within the next ten years. The Women s Fellowship has invited women from the Chinese Baptist Church to share in the monthly Lunch Bunch, and they now make up about of the third of the group. The Chinese women hosted everyone at the Beijing Gardens restaurant in Farmington on March 31, and everyone had a very good time.

7 June 2015 [Children and Youth Christian Education] [First Baptist Church of West Hartford] [90 NORTH MAIN STREET, WEST HARTFORD, CT] Summer is almost here and it is time to celebrate. During the month of June, we will bid a fond farewell to the Academic Year and start our summer programs. Children and youth of all ages are welcome to join us. Here s what s coming up: Sunday, June 7: Ministry and Missions Time with the Mission s Ministry. All children and youth will be invited to join the Missions Ministry after the Children s Message in Studio 360 to write a letter to our friend Michelle in Mexico. Sunday, June 14: Christian Education Sunday! We will be celebrating all of our teachers, helpers, students, and graduates from the past year. Children and youth will lead worship through art, song, reading, and reflections. Sunday worship begins at 9:30 AM. If your child or teenager would like to participate in worship that day, please contact Jaimie and bring them to church on May 31 and June 7 to prepare with the other children and youth. Saturday, June 20: End-of-Year Celebration (5:00-7:00 PM). We will celebrate the end of the school year with all students ages with games, crafts, music, and food in Gilbert Hall. Please RSVP to Jaimie by Thursday, June 18. When you RSVP, indicate any allergies or dietary preferences. Sundays, June 21 and June 28: We will begin our summer session curriculum. Elementary age children will be invited to leave worship after the children s message to work with their teachers. Questions: Contact Rev. Jaimie D. Crumley, Director of Christian Education Jaimie.crumley@yale.edu Telephone: (703)

8 Summer Book Group - The New Jim Crow Sarah Nunes, Facilitator Starts Monday, June 22 7:30-9:00pm in Fellowship Hall Join us for the first of a three-part book study on The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. We will explore topics of mass incarceration in an age of colorblindness and the history behind the present manifestations of racism and class -based oppression. The study is open to the community. All perspectives are welcome and encouraged! To borrow a copy of the book, see Rev Jaimie. About Our Library Did you ever read a book you wished everyone could read? There are many like that in our church library. One is Paul Borthwick s 2012 book, Western Christians in Global Mission: What s the Role of the North American Church? Borthwick, an enthusiastic and stimulating writer, is one of the most well-known authorities in America regarding the church s global mission. He writes: We in America must take initiative in becoming more intentionally international and intercultural. (P. 181) Intentional diversity, he says, is one of the greatest challenges facing local congregations. He quotes Tim Dearborn s words: The future church will have global credibility only to the extent that it has local diversity. (P. 184) From a New Zealand student movement Borthwick cites four aims: (1) True witness. Be witnesses to the reality of Christ where we live. Care for our neighbors precedes caring for the nations. (2) An undivided life. Live out the faith we profess. (3) Deep thought. Embrace the challenges of global complexity and think carefully through our responses. (4) Global reach. Local outreach does not cancel out a concern for the world. Adult Education Sundays at 11 June 7 Leadership Training, Getting the Word Out! One of our primary interim priorities has been on attending to better communication at First Baptist Church. We will use this time to look at what we have learned and what we have changed about our communication patterns. This hour is specifically designed for church leaders -- members of the boards and committees which were voted in on May to help you to communicate effectively with the congregation, but everyone is welcome. We will be looking at: the church's website, FBC enews, the Focus/ efocus, Facebook and a brief review of Conversation Transformation. June 14 As part of our celebration of Christian Education at First Baptist Church, let us gather in Fellowship Hall for a special event entitled "A Quilt for the Past, Present, & Future - a Presentation to the Members & Friends of First Baptist Church West Hartford" - by Sherry Seeley & Kris Hanko. Come join us -with your coffee! June 21 Our guest in worship and during Second Hour will be the Rev. Marilyn Kendrix, Associate Pastor for Faith Formation at the Church of the Redeemer in New Haven, Connecticut. Rev. Marilyn has done extensive work regarding the issue of mass incarceration in the United States. She is passionate about sharing with communities of faith here in Connecticut about what we can do to combat what has been described by some as "The New Jim Crow". Rev. Marilyn will preach the sermon and she will lead our Second Hour conversation. Her participation in our Sunday activities will launch our summer book study of Michelle Alexander's 2010 book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. All are welcome. June 28 Now on a lighter summer schedule we continue to explore the subject of prayer as guided by Phil Yancey's video "Prayer, Does It Make a Difference?". On June 28 we will view the second segment "Why Pray?" We will then pray for the church and each other. Let's gather at 10:50 in Fellowship Hall. We will leave whenever we have finished praying. Please consider joining us.

9 JUNE - JULY 2015 Sun Mon. Tue Wed Thu Fri. Sat :00 am Kitchen Tag Making 10:30 am Loaves & Fishes 1:00 pm Knitting 7:30 Chancel Choir pm Mary Williams Retirement Party Hickmott Parlor 5 6 Celebrate West Hartford 7 Celebrate W. Hartford 11:00 Christian Ed :00 pm General Board Meeting 1:00 pm Knitting 7:30 Chancel Choir :30 pm (offsite) Bible Study :30 FellowshipTime Christian Education Sunday pm Trustees Mtg. 7:00 Deacons Meeting 1:00 pm Knitting pm Youth Activity 21 11:00 Christian Ed. 22 New Jim Crow 7:30 9:30 pm Book Group :30 Cedar Mountain Commons 1:00 pm Knitting8:00 Al-Anon 5 6:30 pm (offsite) Bible Study :00 pm Knitting :30 am Loaves & Fishes 1:00 Knitting Group 5 6:30 pm (offsite) Bible Study :00 pm General Board Meeting 1:00 Knitting Group New Jim Crow 7:30 9:30 pm Book Group 21 7:00 pm Trustees Mtg. 7:00 Deacons Meeting 22 9:30 Cedar Mountain Commons 1:00 Knitting Group 6:30 Potluck 5 6:30 pm (offsite) Bible Study :00 Knitting Group 6:30 Potluck 30 31

10 You are invited to a Farewell Reception for ABCCONN's Administrative Manager, Mary Williams June 4, p.m. at First Baptist Church, 90 North Main Street, West Hartford (Hickmott Parlor) Come and wish Mary well on her retirement (A basket will be available for cards and fond wishes) PICNIC POTLUCKS Join us at FBC for PICNIC POTLUCKS! Back by popular demand, the Potlucks will be held by the Memorial Garden, or, in case of rain, in Fellowship Hall. As always they will be at 6:30 on Wednesdays - July 22, July 29, August 5, and August 12. Families and friends are welcome. Bring lawn chairs, if possible, and games for the kids Please bring a dish to share salad, side, dessert, or a main dish. Drinks will be provided. If you have any questions, please call the church office; someone will return your call. We hope to see you for this fun time of fellowship (and good food)!