FBC Voices. The Quarterly Magazine Volume 3, Summer 2017

Transcription

1 FBC Voices The Quarterly Magazine Volume 3, Summer 2017

2 From the Editor s imac Every family has its odd sayings. One of my favorites that my late Mother-in-law was known to say when her children climbed higher than they should, was Don t worry, you ll be fine, there s nothing to stop you falling! Now we never discovered what this really meant but it got me thinking.. In life, there are plenty of things that stop us. Laws stop most of us from behaving recklessly or putting other people in danger. Our consciences stop us from behaving too meanly and immorally. Our peers and families generally keep us on the straight and narrow! Our social conventions and cultural expectations strongly influence us to do the right thing. As does our faith, whatever form it takes. But what s to stop us doing more? I don t think it takes courage to be law abiding and to lead a reasonable life. But it does take courage to say, Nothing can stop me from doing something significant to make the world a better place. their neighbors get a better chance in life. If we are truly following the way of Christ, then nothing can stop us, not just supporting groups like the above mentioned, but actually getting properly involved in the work that these organizations do. And if nothing can stop us, we can move proverbial mountains! In our discussions about what we want FBC to be in the future, most of the ideas were about the practical ways we can assist the homeless, the unseen, the disenfranchised in our community. So are you willing to be brave and get involved? There are so many real opportunities for involvement and there is nothing in the way for you to make a difference. Stone by stone those mountains can be moved, but it takes people to pick up those rocks. There s nothing to stop you! There really isn t... and imagine what a difference you could make! Lynne Carroll I am not advocating law breaking, but I am glad that throughout history, brave people have seen unjust laws and spoken up and taken action about them. So there is nothing to stop us championing those less fortunate, the homeless, the marginalized and the forgotten. As a church, we already support groups like Abby s House, Dismas House, The Victory Center: organizations whose founders knew that nothing could stop them from helping 2

3 Articles From the Editor 2 Volunteering 3 A Pastor s Ponderings 4 WAMS Week 6 Annual Picnic 8 Scholarships 9 Men s & Women s Breakfasts 11 Youth Ministry 12 Membership News 12 Outreach News 13 What is a Moderator? 14 Finance / Stewardship 15 Music is in the Air 16 Step Right Up 17 Choir Room 17 Food for Thought 18 Scrogin Forum s 19 New Church Year It all starts Celebration Sunday. See inside for upcoming events, ways to participate and much more! We are a different kind of Baptist Church. We are an inclusive church, welcoming and celebrating all of God s children, and learning from one another as we follow the Way of Jesus. We are always seeking to be a place of community, healing, faith, and service. Volunteers Needed Buddy, can you spare an hour? That s all it takes. 9 am to 10 am on Sunday mornings, just to sit at the front desk, welcome visitors and answer questions. You will still have time to get to the Worship Service in the Sanctuary by 10 am. Please give this some thought. If we had 10 volunteers, you would only need to do one hour every two months! If you can help, please talk to Joan Gonyea, Church Administrator: Tel: joang@fbc-worc.org. Can you spare a morning or an afternoon? We desperately need people to be in the FBC office to answer the phone and greet visitors. Two to three hours per session would be such a gift of time if you could spare it. Ideally once a week or even once a month would be a great help. Your church needs you! Did you know that the youth population at FBC has grown over the past year and they are in desperate need of your ministries! Currently we only have two adults committed to teaching Sunday School for the year, Edith Swan and Courtney Stevens. As part of our Safe Church policy, we are required to have two Sunday School teachers present in the classroom. We d like to create a rotation and have back-up teachers. But most importantly, we want to increase the number of adults with whom our youth can form positive relationships that will last their whole lives! Want to try it out? Please talk with Edith or Courtney about attending a Sunday School meeting where we discuss and plan using our online curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit, or if you are interesting in observing a Sunday School class to see what it s like. Or them at fbcyouth@fbc-worc.org. 3

4 A Pastor s Ponderings Can you believe Celebration Weekend is almost here? This marks my second summer with you (and kind of the third one for the Search Committee and me). We ve had a terrific summer filled with backyards and beverages and interns and rallies and new members and many newcomers and hopefully much needed rest and rejuvenation. That last one is important. As individuals, each of us needs to be rejuvenated at times in our work, our relationships, our hobbies, or (for me) chores. New life springs up and moves each of us forward, and a sort of growth occurs. I trust many of you have found opportunities for rejuvenation this summer. As a church, this is also important. Over the past couple years, we have seen a marked enthusiasm- -a rejuvenation--in our church life. This is exciting and contagious. But it can t end there. The new work of this church is only beginning. We are on the cusp of good and important work- -great work, I believe. The next chapter of this 205 year old story is one that we will embrace and be proud of. But we need you! We can t move forward, we can t grow, without your participation. You are what makes this church; not a Pastor, not a Council, not any history or publicity. This church is made up of people who are committed to partnering in the work God s Spirit is leading us to. Where are we headed? What are we being called to do? Well, that s what we get to discern together in the great Baptist tradition. But you can start with your presence. Your attendance is important. Not because it pads our numbers, but because you matter, and your giftedness matters, and your opinions matter. And the more you are around, the more you get to meet the many new faces who ve begun partnering with us in the last year and a half. They need your wisdom and experience, too. Karl Bjork and I have a goal for Celebration Weekend. We d love to see 200 faces that Sunday morning. We have more people than that who are actively involved in our church life. It s just that we don t all come on the same Sundays. The point isn t to reach a high number just for the sake of it; there is a beauty to our sanctuary being fuller. I d like to extend that goal into a challenge. What if each of us committed to attending worship services for six straight weeks? That s six days out of 42, where you will have a 10 am commitment. 4

5 I ll leave the other 1,002 hours up to you to manage. Can you imagine the excitement of worshipping alongside 200+ people on a Sunday? Can you imagine how much warmer and friendlier our service would feel with more faces in our sacred space? The number isn t arbitrary; we have more people than this who are active in the life of the church. But if you have ever attended on an Easter Sunday, you can surely attest to the energy and excitement of worshipping with so many others. 200 is easily less than the 300 we have on Easter, and only a little more than the 150 we averaged during this same time frame last year. It s time for us to move forward in faith toward that which God is leading us. But we have to do it together--not just a few people. Will you commit to coming for six Sundays in a row? Beginning on Celebration Weekend, September 10th, that would take us through October 15th. I ve learned in the last year and a half never to underestimate The First Baptist Church of Worcester. The challenge is extended. Will you accept? With love, Brent Newberry Your Pastor We are an American Baptist Church, one of over 5,000 churches. Over the last century or more, we have developed a reputation and influence in the denomination. This year, we were one of a handful of churches who chose to be a booster at the ABCUSA Biennial Mission Summit in Portland, OR. Our name was listed with the others in publications for the event. While new leadership might not align closely with our own theological trajectory as an autonomous church, we will continue to maintain our position and voice in the hopes of nudging the denomination toward a theology of inclusion and justice. 5

6 Worship, Arts and Music Week At the end of April, we had a truly wonderful Music and Arts week, based around the theme of Breaking Down Barriers. This was a very timely theme, as FBC is focusing on being a truly welcoming and affirming church. The week started with the most amazing and visually stunning Icons of the Civil Rights Movement Exhibit. These modern icons, based on the medieval religious icons of the Orthodox Church, celebrated the lives of people who worked in America for racial equality in the 60 s and 70 s. The icons depicted groups and individuals and each bore a text, an inscription and a date. There is a permanent exhibition in a museum on the Cape in Harwich. A copy of the lavishly illustrated book that accompanies this exhibition was gifted to Pastor Brent. Mrs Pamela Chatterton-Purdy designs and makes these icons and together, with her husband the Reverend David Purdy, led an Adult Forum after worship on that Sunday and explained how this exhibit was started and how it is evolving. The week continued with a poetry jam on the Wednesday evening. Over coffee and desserts and led by Kendra Beane Tessier and Jonathan Wolf, we heard some wonderful and thought provoking original poetry. It was a superb opportunity to hear and meet some terrific young talented writers, whose poetry went right to the heart of social issues. One particular poem was from the perspective of a child with ADHD. It resonated strongly with the audience. Unfortunately I have no copy of this and the poet performed it without a script. You ll just have to come next time and listen first hand! On Saturday evening, we had the great privilege of watching Metropolis, the 1927 expressionist science fiction silent film set in 2026 when machines and powerful men run the world. The film, which was directed by Fritz Lang, is a pioneering epic in many ways 6

7 and was one of the first full length science fiction films as well as being filmed on a scale few people had seen before, with 500 children being used for one scene alone! To make our movie night complete, or rather more spectacular, the film was accompanied on the organ by Peter Krasinski. There is no other word to use other than magnificent for his interpretive soundtrack for this movie. The whole audience was entranced by his virtuosity and he even managed to weave in some gospel spirituals as he knew we had the icon exhibition in the church! Music and Arts Week ended with a glorious celebration of music in the Sunday morning Worship service. The First Handbells performed the exciting piece by Kevin McChesney based on the hymn Now the Green Blade Rises. The winning anthem from our annual competition had its premiere. It was a beautiful arrangement of the text from Ephesians 2 for trumpet, organ and choir. It really was a splendid and varied week and the Worship, Music and Arts Team, led by Sarah Sams and Wesley Hall, are to be congratulated for facilitating these marvelous events at FBC. We look forward with anticipation to next year s WAMS week! Lynne Carroll For He is our peace; in His flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. The composer is Phillip A. Cooke who was born in Scotland in If you missed this service, you can still listen to it from the FBC website Media Archive section. 7

8 First Baptist Church Annual Picnic 2017 What fun we had at our Annual Picnic in June! Thanks to Youth and Adult Ministries for organizing this! The Chefs did a great job as usual! Bouncy Castle as popular as ever! We were joined by our friends at Park Congregational. A great time to enjoy the First Baptist Church grounds! A wonderful time to chat with friends over lunch! 8

9 Scholarships from First Baptist It s always good to hear from our students at FBC. Here are interviews I had with Brielle Stoval and Stephanie Harvey who are both in receipt of scholarships from FBC from the Daniels and Peterson Educational Funds. Next issue, we shall hear from Rachel Levine, who is at college in Montana and also has an FBC scholarship. Brielle Stovall Brielle Stoval grew up at FBC and she and her family have been part of our church for many years. She is in her junior year at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, studying Vocal Performance with minors in Psychology and German. It has been a privilege to see Brielle grow in confidence and musical talent as the years have gone by and a joy to share her college experiences now. Lynne Carroll What drew you to that particular course and University? I originally went to CMU just to study voice, and the reason I chose CMU was because there s a professor there that I wanted to study with. She was my first voice teacher s voice teacher and I knew that my voice would be in good hands if I got to study with her. As for psychology, I had considered studying it for a while but ultimately chose not to. Once I got to CMU, though, I learned that the Psychology department is great and thought it d be crazy of me not to take advantage of those resources, so I picked up a minor. Lastly, I fell in love with German this past school year and the Language department gave me a full scholarship to study German in Germany for a month, and the rest is history! How have your studies met or exceeded your expectations over the past two years? I went into college knowing I d learn all about music and whatever else I decided to study; that s why I go to school. I think what surprised me, though, was realizing just how much there is to learn about music. And if there s one thing I ve learned over the last two years, it s that I have way more to learn. What aspects of college life make you most excited? The independence and freedom. The fact that I can wake up on a Saturday morning at my leisure and hop on a bus and go across the city to the Science Museum or Andy Warhol Museum and spend the day there if I so please is wicked exciting to me (and how I spend my weekends). Also, there s something really awesome and exciting about spending years learning about what you love. What are your hopes and dreams for the coming year as you start to think about life after college? My priority this year as I start to think about life after college is to narrow down my grad school list. I will most likely go right to graduate school to pursue a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and/or a Master of Music/Science (it varies from school to school) in Music 9

10 Therapy. So since I ll be in school for at least five more years, life after college is a bit of a distant thought. I suppose as it stands right now, my hopes and dreams for this upcoming year are to start preparing and saving for grad school auditions and applications. What do you miss about FBC when you are not here? Everything! I miss the music, ministry, people, everything I especially miss FBC around Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. We wish Brielle all the best for the upcoming year and look forward to her visit next time she is at FBC. She will be performing as the second spirit in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart, October and playing Dinah in Bernstein s Trouble in Tahiti, April 11-14, Her junior recital will be in February next year. Both operas will be live streamed, so Brielle will post links about that on Facebook in due course. Stephanie Harvey Here is the interview I had with our very own Stephanie Harvey. She grew up at FBC and is so much a part of our church family. She is in her junior year at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro with a major in Religious Studies and a minor in Psychology. It was a sheer delight to have time to talk with Stephanie. She is a very thoughtful, engaging young lady! Lynne Carroll What drew you to choose UNC Greensboro? I was first going to go to Elmira College in upstate New York as they had a really good nursing program, but then I realized it was in the middle of nowhere! I have family near Greensboro and when I visited the University, I fell in love with the campus! It is very beautiful and it doesn t snow ten feet in the Winter! How did you come to decide to switch courses? It took me about five seconds to see that the course was not for me! The science and math were difficult, you had to get straight As, and I was miserable doing this. I was sad for weeks. But then I made the decision to switch to Religious Studies and Psychology. I felt a huge wave of relief that I could change courses. I got through the semester and then changed courses of study. If I had been anywhere else other than UNC, I would have had to transfer schools, but UNC allowed me to switch and stay. I wanted to do Psychology, but not as a major and I can do that here as a minor with RS. I have always wanted a career working with children and I thought being a pediatric nurse would be good but now with the new studies, I can become a Counselor or Therapist for children. 10

11 What are the best things about your course? The RS group is small and we get a lot of one-on-one interaction. Also my Advisor is one of my teachers which is a great help. Although there is a lot of reading, the professors take their time and we have much discussion. I am studying world religions and it is very interesting. I loved the course on Buddhism. There is a lot of freedom in RS and the studies are wide-ranging. What do you do besides study? Do you still get to sing in a choir? Yes I do! I am in the Neo Black Society Gospel Choir, which I love. I am on the Executive Board of the Gospel Choir. I have two on-campus jobs. I am a Student Reflection Leader and I assist in a Service Learning Class. I also work as a Social Justice Leader as an advocate for different aspects of social justice. For example, I help freshmen and transfer students on their first two days of college to find their way around and answer questions. Have you found a church community to join? Yes, I attend College Park Baptist Church which is right next to the campus. They have two services each Sunday and I go to the early one, which is a contemporary service. I am on the Praise Team for that service. I have made friends there and it is a welcoming and affirming church, of course! My dad knew about this church, so that was a help. What do you miss about FBC? Of course I miss my friends and all the people I know there. I miss the choir and you can t match the music at FBC anywhere else! I regard FBC as my home space. I particularly miss Easter at FBC with all the services and the brass and the music on Easter Sunday. I am always glad to be home for the music at Christmas too! What are your hopes and dreams for this coming year? Making it through the year! Gaining more knowledge. I need to start thinking about grad school as I want to do Counseling. I am thinking about going into the Seminary at Wake Forest, NC and doing a Master of Divinity and Counseling combined course. I d like to stay in North Carolina. We wish Stephanie all the best for her upcoming year of studies as she looks forward to discovering her post-grad opportunities and making decisions for her future training. Men s and Women s Breakfasts - All are Welcome! On the second Saturday of each month, the FBC women get together for breakfast and fellowship. However, the first month is Pride Parade Breakfast at FBC. The first Women s Breakfast will be October 14th at Livia s Dish, 1394 Main Street, Worcester, at 8:30 am. For more information, contact Jan Bjork at jan.bjork@charter.net. On the third Saturday of each month, FBC men get together for breakfast and fellowship at the 122 Diner in Holden at 8:00 am. The first Men s Breakfast will be September 16th. For more information, contact Karl Bjork at karl.bjork@charter.net. 11

12 Youth Ministry This Summer we bade fond farewell to our Christian Education Assistant, Jeremy Berry. Jeremy graduated from Holy Cross this Summer and secured a post with the Catholic Diocese in New York City and we wish him all the very best as he embarks on his new career. Jeremy brought an enthusiasm for youth and family events and was instrumental in ensuring that the youth education program continued and developed throughout his years with us. He certainly made a significant contribution to Church Life and was very caring with all our youth and families. We trust that what he gained from being at FBC will stay with him in the future. And we were enriched by his presence at FBC. This Summer we also welcomed Tim Cruise to FBC. He was involved with our youth and families during this Summer and also shared in Worship each Sunday with Brent. Tim was only with us at FBC for the Summer and we are truly thankful for his ministry with us. The 10 am services in Gordon Hall this Summer proved to be very thought provoking, and allowed us to be a little more informal in our worship! Lynne Carroll 50 Year Members This year we proudly recognize the following individuals for their 50th year of membership with First Baptist. We celebrate the ways they enhance the life of our church. Join us on Sunday, November 5th when we celebrate their commitment to First Baptist. Robert Anderson, Benjamin Ayres, Mary Baldarelli, Kate Barnett,Linda S. Cristo, Nancy L. Gendron, Joyce Jayce, Donna D. Lewis, Susan Mentzer Minasian, Cheryl Norwood, Russell Pride, Susan Richardson, David Ryan Is your name missing? Please contact our office so we may recognize you at our celebration! New Members Kendra Beane Tessier Emmanuel Segrain 12

13 Outreach News FBC had a discussion in May at the Adult Forum on the topic of imagining our future visions for the church. Two ideas came from the congregants gathered in Gordon Hall. One was to offer help to refugee families with laundry needs. The other was to offer English as a Second Language tutorial sessions. As a result, the Outreach Team purchased nine laundry cards at the value of $19 each. The cards are to be used at Daisy Laundromat on Pleasant Street. The cards were distributed to Ascentria so that they can be distributed to needy refugee families in the area. D. Lyn Stevens (Facilitator of the Outreach Team), Natalie Graham and Zadock Malesi took an ESL Tutoring course at Lexington Baptist Church in July. Natalie and Zadock currently tutor Furaha, the mother in the refugee family we sponsor. Lyn will be requesting curriculum information from the Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministry which sponsored the ESL training. FBC s Community of Volunteers Representatives from the lead-agency for refugee families in Worcester, Ascentria, met with us in the Fall of 2015, asking for help from faith based communities as sponsors for families. There needed to be a Circle of Community Volunteers. FBC s Circle includes D. Lyn Stevens, Natalie Graham, Zadock Malesi, Anne Puffer, Ken and Sharon Wolfe and Carl Benander. This Circle helps with rides to medical appointments, the grocery store and the laundromat. Also ESL lessons are provided weekly by Zadock and Natalie. Zadock has been a huge help by providing translation services as the family s main language is Swahili. Our congregation has been supporting this family from Burundi since January Support from the congregation has been in the form of donations of clothing, kitchen items, toiletries and grocery cards. The family includes Furaha and her three year old son Jean-Pierre and her grandmother Frazia. Furaha and Jean-Pierre are doing well with their English. Conversations in English while waiting for doctor s appointments and the laundry to be done are extremely valuable as these two members of the family grow in their linguistic abilities. Frazia has learned a few words but is not confident in her ability to learn a new language at 74. Frazia has also had several medical needs during 2016 that required surgery and hospitalization. If anyone would like to help the Outreach Team set up an ESL Tutoring Program, please contact D. Lyn Stevens. Lyn Stevens 13

14 What s a Moderator Anyway? Tom Grisso, FBC Moderator Recently, in Gordon Hall after service, someone introduced me to a non-baptist visitor, mentioning that I was the church moderator. After a few minutes the visitor asked me, So. What is a moderator? I gave her my stock answer about overseeing how the church governs its everyday activities by way of policies, practices and finances. Afterwards, though, as I left the parking lot to make my way home, the question came back to me. What really is a moderator? I d described to our visitor what a moderator does, and I know something about that after doing it for eight years. Having announced that I m stepping down next February, I ve even written a Moderator s Manual for my successor. Upon reading it, that person will either bless me for my guidance or curse me for their mental exhaustion. What the manual describes, though, are things the moderator does, like chairing various committees, advising staff, and overseeing operations. It doesn t really describe what a moderator is. One way to do that is to consider the positions of moderator and pastor together, contrasting them in their role within the congregation. Let s call the congregation the Body of Christ (1st Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16). FBC as a Body of Christ calls a pastor, and every few years it elects a new moderator. This fact is significant. Both are called temporarily to assist a Body that lasts for centuries. This Body of Christ has both physical and spiritual needs. It asks the pastor to nurture its soul, inspire its spiritual growth, and help it realize its desire to become more Christ-like in its values and intentions. In comparison, it asks the moderator to attend to the physical health of the Body so that it can carry out the soul s mission. If we sometimes refer to the pastor and moderator as leaders, that leadership does not fit the metaphor of the pastoral shepherd who, assisted perhaps by his herding-dog moderator, decides to lead the sheep to a particular green pasture or brook. Unlike sheep, the congregation decides where it will go, guided by how it interprets its relationship with God. And in their short terms, the pastor and moderator offer guidance but do not dictate. How this works in the case of a moderator has been evident at FBC in recent years. We ve passed through an extraordinary five-year transition resulting in a totally different organizational structure, almost all new pastoral and support staff, and redirection of our missions. Yet as moderator during that time, I cannot remember telling the congregation that a transition was even needed. And at no time in the process did I feel like the shepherd who was responsible for deciding the specific destination. Both the call for change and the destination came from the congregation. 14

15 I did spend countless hours trying to clarify what the congregation seemed to want and to generate options it could consider for achieving it. Largely, though, it was a matter of listening carefully to the congregation s passions, honoring its intentions, and assisting it in deciding for itself how it could best do what its soul, nurtured by the pastor, was guiding it to do. It felt more like following and enabling than leading. If that visitor to FBC is reading this article, here is my answer to your question, So. What is a moderator? Someone who enables the congregation s use of its resources to pursue what it believes Christ is calling it to become. Finance / Stewardship Team Update Your team has had the positive experience this past year of working with a well balanced financial condition. Coming out of the years of challenges, our Church Family is in a position where our income and expenses are generally following the planned amounts, and the draw from endowment funds is within the 4% guideline, yielding a growth in the balances. Most positive of all, the support that is provided by you in pledge contributions has been more than was planned, allowing us to envision ways that we might expand our Ministry. In addition, we have completed a number of necessary projects on our Church Home, all from designated accounts, and not at the expense of our operating ministries. We have the wonderful situation that the cost of using this magnificent facility is just about completely covered by the various groups that share it with us. First Friends Early Childhood Learning Center, a joint project that we began in 1999, continues to grow and their rent continues as support. Most recently, the music programs at WPI have been an active and growing presence. The collaboration of their and our facility and music staff has been a path to growth for both programs. Park Congregational Church, and the many others who rent space from us, bring a diverse vibrancy to our lives here. We ve said over time that it is not merely what the numbers are, it is what the numbers are telling us. What we are listening to is that the model of our stewardship is helping us to be able to look at the ministries that we should be about. The Finance Team is continuing to move with care into enabling our possible new ministries. Stewardship is not only the contribution of funds, it is also how we, as a team and as a church Family, use our time, talents and treasure to Walk in the Way of Jesus Christ. Your team continues on its work, and will begin a regular sharing of how our stewardship impacts the life of our ministry. Richard Wolf Finance Team Facilitator October 15th: Semi-Annual Business Meeting Immediately following worship services, we will be holding our semi-annual business meeting. Please plan to attend. 15

16 There is Music in the Air Over the years, FBC has opened the doors to the Sanctuary and Gordon Hall for performances by many musical groups and organizations. The tradition continues but in a much larger scope. Mark your calendars for the following musical highlights at FBC until Christmas. Sat, Sept 23 at 3:00 pm WPI Family Weekend Choral Concert Showcase concert features the three large choirs from WPI Women s Alden Voices, Men s Glee Club, and the Festival Chorus. The concert is limited to 45 minutes, so audiences may also attend the orchestra and band concert at Alden at 4:00 pm. Free and open to the public. Sat, Sep 30 at 7:30 pm The Merry Widow The Worcester Schubertiade presents Franz Lehár s 1905 operetta, The Merry Widow featuring Jessica Jacobs, Joshua Dixon, Erin Anderson, and Stefan Barner. Directed by Sondra Kelly. Tickets are available at Sun, Oct 1 at 5:00 pm Worcester Festival of Four Choirs: Choral Evensong The choirs of All Saint s Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Wesley United Methodist Church gather together for a service of Choral Evensong in the English tradition. Suggested donation to support music and the arts in Worcester. Sat, Oct 28 at 4:00 pm Lost Love: Songs of Humor and Woe This concert features the WPI Men s Glee Club and student a cappella groups, singing Celtic folk music, old drinking songs, and some new favorites all around the humorous endeavors of love. Free and open to the public. Tues, Oct 31 at 11:59 pm Halloween Organ Pump The mighty organ at FBC and the a cappella ensembles of WPI come together as the clock strikes midnight to create a spooky spectacle. Popcorn, hot chocolate, and scares provided! Free and open to the public. Sun, Nov 5 at 3:00 pm All Hallows: Music for All Saints As a musical remembrance for those who have passed away, the First Baptist Church Chancel Choir, WPI Chamber Choir, and chamber orchestra come together for this All Saints concert. Presenting Maurice Duruflé s Requiem and additional works for solo instruments. Free and open to the public. Sun, Dec 10 at 5:00 pm Advent Service of Lessons and Carols The Chancel Choir at the First Baptist Church sings the 79th Annual Service of Lessons and Carols, a collection of Advent readings interspersed with traditional and contemporary musical counterparts. Collection taken for charity. Fri, Dec 15 at 7:30 pm Handbell Extravaganza Handbell choirs from across the county gather together to ring in the Christmas season. Refreshments provided. Free and open to the public. 16

17 Step Right Up! Last fall, members of FBC approved allocating capital funds for the repair and rebuilding of the front entrance steps, cement pads and railings at the front entrance of the sanctuary. At a cost of almost $50,000, the project was completed in early June. What a difference! We still have to do landscaping along the stairs (shrubs, flowers, bushes, etc) plus research and install new flood lights. Thanks to the Building and Grounds Team (Joe Wetton, Facilitator, Karl Bjork and Dean Stevens) for the strategic direction and interviewing of contractors. To the church members, thanks for making it possible. John Carroll Building Manager Choir Room Nothing like a fresh coat of paint in the rehearsal room to welcome back FBC Chancel Choir members to the choral season. When Wesley Hall asks his choir to sing with more color, they certainly can. Mark Dorsey took it to a new level this summer and painted the rehearsal room! Many thanks, Mark! 17

18 Food for Thought - A Must Read A year ago Lyn Stevens and I (John Carroll) launched the Fellowship-Hour Challenge where one dollar out of every two donated for coffee and food at fellowship time goes to charity. Lyn and her Outreach Team were looking for new ways to help local charities and I, quite honestly, as Building Manager, was concerned about the cost of food and the kitchen aide each Sunday. The bottom line is that the food and drinks for Sunday fellowship hours, breakfasts, Pancake Sundays, Bibles and Bagels and Coffee Where else can you buy a cup of coffee and know that half of the purchase goes to charity? and Conversation, plus the Kitchen Aide s wages, total over $700 a month. Some members might say, Doesn t the church pay for the food and aide? or I assume part of my pledge money goes to this expense. The answer to both questions is yes, but wouldn t it be great if your monies went entirely to more meaningful ministries? So, as we enter into the second year of the Fellowship Challenge, Lyn and I encourage you, if you don t already do so, to donate to the challenge. As she and I say, Where else can you buy a cup of coffee and a muffin for $2 and know that half of it will go to charity (not at Dunkin Donuts) or pay $5 for pancakes and know that half goes to charity (not at IHOP). Quite the bargain, yes? And you can feel good knowing you are helping local charities and reducing the high cost of fellowship time. Only at FBC--not Dunkin Donuts, not Honey Dew, not Starbucks, not IHOP--does this wonderful program exist. Come be a part of it! Lyn, the local charities and I thank you. John Carroll Donation History of 50/50 Food for Thought Challenge Mustard Seed May 2016 $190 Veteran s Inc. June 2016 $136 Boys & Girls Club July/August 2016 $75 Jeremiah s Inn Sept/Oct 2016 $175 Worcester County Food Bank Nov/Dec 2016 $151 Daybreak Jan/Feb 2017 $148 Interfaith Hospitality March/April 2017 $140 Worcester Interfaith May/June 2017 $74 Dismas House July/August 2017 $75 18

19 Scrogin Great Issues Forums Come join us as we explore great issues, often through books, but on occasion through film or a speaker. Two copies of each book to be discussed will be available in the FBC library. October 1, 2017: Food Sustainability Film focusing on creating an awareness of the incongruity between sustainability of our planet and the American diet. November 5, 2017: Our Community The Worcester Account by S.N. Behrman A collection of memoirs remembering life growing up in an industrial New England city the city of Worcester, Massachusetts! December: Everyone is encouraged to attend FBC Advent and Christmas activities. January 7, 2018: Poetry Opportunity to bring your favorite poem(s) to share with those gathered. February 4, 2018: The Racial Divide A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes An analysis of America s.criminal justice system (that) treats one group of Americans as citizens, and another as the colonized. Other suggested books include: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Tears We Cannot Stop, A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson. The possibility of having a speaker will be explored. March 4, 2018: Cultural Shift in America Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance An extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. April 8, 2018: The Cosmos We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Daniel Whiteson & Jorge Cham A witty book (revealing) the humbling vastness of our ignorance about the universe, along with charming insights into what we actually do understand. May 6, 2018: Health Care in America Discussion of America s future health care policy and whether or not health care is a fundamental right. June 3, 2018: Lobby day for Great Issues Forums for

20 The First Baptist Church of Worcester Reverend Brent Newberry, Pastor Wesley Hall, Minister of Music John Carroll, Building Manager Joan Gonyea, Office Administrator Andrea Letourneau, Treasurer Mark Dorsey, Custodian Laurie Canavan, Communications Specialist Gayle Checci, Kitchen Aide 111 Park Avenue Worcester, MA Tel: Web: