New Outlook. Second Baptist Church. Open and Progressive since Christmas at Second Baptist

Transcription

1 New Outlook December 2017 Second Baptist Church Open and Progressive since 1833 Christmas at Second Baptist Christmas is soon approaching, and lots is happening at Second Baptist! Thought-provoking sermons, fellowship times, good food, performances by our children and youth, beautiful music and poetry, and the solemnity of a candlelight service on Christmas Eve all provide opportunities to celebrate Christ s coming among us. Annual Christmas Dinner and Entertainment December 10, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. Plan to kick off the Christmas season with a special evening of great food and fellowship, with entertainment provided by our children and youth. Our children will put on the play A Lesson in Time, written by Linda Marks. In the play, a special guest comes to a classroom and helps the children there discover the true meaning of Christmas. The youth will entertain us with some Christmas songs. We are expecting a jolly man with a long white beard to drop in. It will be a joyous evening for all ages, and we hope you can join us. The cost is $9 per adult, $4 per child, or $25 per family. You can make your reservation by calling the church office or by filling out the sign-up sheet at church. On Christmas Eve at 5:00 p.m. we will share in a traditional candle-lighting service. The children will complete the nativity scene by putting the baby Jesus in the manger.

2 The Music of Advent December 3 The choir will open the Advent season with a lovely new setting of Every Valley, based on scripture from Isaiah and Micah. December 10 The Second Sunday Choir will present a fresh pairing of Give Thanks with O Come, Let Us Adore Him, accompanied by piano with Tennessee San on violin. December 17 This will be the date of our festive Songs and Sonnets service. Poets from our congregation are hard at work composing original poetry to pair with four anthems by the choir. We'll start with a rousing version of the familiar carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, accompanied by piano with Lori Watrous on flute. This will be followed by the gentle a cappella anthem Only a Manger, featuring a solo by Cindy Collins. Then the choir will present a powerful arrangement of the haunting English carol "What Child Is This? accompanied by piano with Tennessee San on violin. The choir will close with a spirited rendition of the African-American spiritual "Rise Up! Shepherd, and Follow. December 24 At the morning service, the choir will sing a beautiful new arrangement of Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus. The evening service will feature a charming choral selection entitled "Of the Father s Love. Lori Watrous will also play a fascinating flute solo that evening of "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The choir department has been working overtime to prepare all of this music, with the prayer that you will feel inspiration, hope, and the Christmas spirit once again this year. We are looking forward to sharing our music with you. Please plan to attend and bring friends! Marilyn and Brad Short Two Opportunities to Help Our Neighbors Again this year we will provide gifts for two families from St. John s Community Services in the city. A small Christmas tree in the narthex has ornaments on it that request either gift cards or food for these families. If you d like to help, choose one of the ornaments, purchase the item listed, and bring it to church by December 10. Antioch Baptist is providing toys for needy children in their neighborhood. We can help by either purchasing toys for children from newborn to age 12 or donating cash for the project by December 10. Please put monetary donations in the offering plate in an envelope marked with what they are for or give them to Larry Marks or Jim Shepardson.

3 The Second Baptist Church Talent Show and Chili Cookoff The Motown Sound: Carter and Evan Marks, Cindy Collins, Darryl Briscoe, Linda Marks and Jay Jensen perform My Girl, Stop in the Name of Love, and Do You Love Me Now That I Can Dance? Linda Marks and Darryl Briscoe sing We re a Couple of Swells Shari Nelson-Faulkner sings The Sweetest Sound Leon Faulkner sings Requiem from the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen Esther San plays Give Thanks Judi Mechem sings Far Away Places Brad Short sings What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? accompanied by Marilyn Short Hari Smith reads poetry by Edgar Allen Poe, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and a poem that he wrote Joseph Heller sings I Walk a Lonely Road

4 Glamorous star of stage and screen Lillian Lovely (Linda Marks), Hannah Homemaker (Joy Gardner), Patty Parker, Party Giver (Mary Shepardson), and Gossip Columnist Tillie Tattle compete in the game show Do You Know Your Bible Super Heroes? with emcee Guy Smiley (Jay Jensen). Mirian San singing a song based on Psalm 27:1, accompanied by Carey San Henry San sings Kissin on My Tattoos, accompanied by Tennessee San Brothers Jeff and Rick Hoyt play After Wildflower March In The Pint-Sized Pirate, a small, young pirate (Esther San) is left behind when the other pirates go out to hunt a sea monster (Tennessee San). They are all captured except one (Henry San). The pint-sized pirate leads a rescue mission. She convinces the monster to let the men go if they promise not to litter the ocean any more. Narrated by Cindy Collins. Cindy Collins, Rick Hoyt, and Rick Rardin perform Billie Boy.

5 Decorating for Christmas Inside and Out If you d like to provide poinsettias to decorate the sanctuary for the Christmas season, you can order them in memory of, in appreciation of, or in celebration of someone. They will be displayed on the Chancel from December 17 through Christmas Eve. You may take them home after that. The cost is $15.00 each. If you would like to place an order, fill in the green sheet in the bulletin or call the church office by December 10. WEEKLY ACTIVITIES Sun 8:45 a.m. Choir practice 9:15 a.m. Karen worship 9:15 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship service 11:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship 11:40 a.m. 2nd Sunday Choir Rehearsal Wed 9 - noon Friendship International Thurs 6:30 p.m.* Choir practice COMING UP Dec 3 Advent begins Dec 3 11:30 a.m. Budget meeting after church Dec 10 5:30 p.m. Christmas dinner and performances by the children and youth Dec 12 2:00 p.m. Book group Dec 13 6:30 p.m. Koinonia Dec 17 10:30 a.m. Songs and Sonnets Dec 18 6:30 p.m. Council meeting Dec 24 10:30 a.m. Christmas Eve morning service Dec 24 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve candelighting service Note: There will be NO CHURCH school December 24 or 31 and No Men s Breakfast this month. Discussing Books with Friends On Tuesday, December 12, at 2:00, in the Community Room, Jane Mahan will lead a discussion of Christmas Memories, by Truman Capote. All are welcome. The New Outlook is a monthly publication of Second Baptist Church of Greater St. Louis. Please send articles and photos to mary@shepardson.us by December 17 for the next issue.

6 From our pastor... Hey everybody, Welcome to Advent. The Advent season marks the four weeks before Christmas. It is meant to be a time of waiting for the arrival of the Messiah, the Christ, God expressed in human form. We wait, but the waiting is active. We wait. We yearn. We pray. We study. We meditate. We celebrate. We anticipate. We share. We serve. We wait eagerly and actively. Most of us find things to do as we wait. In the doctor s office, we read a book. In the checkout line at the market, we peruse the ridiculous tabloids. As we wait for a movie to begin, we check our phones. As we wait for a baby to be born, we paint a room and childproof our lives. The traditions of the Advent Season are a product of our waiting waiting for the Arrival of a King who ushers in a new realm. Sunday morning messages during the Advent Season will focus on some of these traditions, their origins, their practices, their application to a life of faith. Should be fun. The first Sunday in Advent is December 3. Cindy Collins recently wrote a wonderful piece titled Waiting. I share it with you here in celebration of Advent. WAITING As a seed, I wait; impatiently For Your word For Your timing For Your conditions to be met I have all that I need in Your keep Yet the weeds grow all around me The storms vow to take me down The life giving sun burns my soul My fellows crowd me aside Like the seed coat that keeps me dormant Waiting for Your word Waiting for Your timing Waiting for Your conditions to be met Let me wait in Your keep. -- C. Collins Let s take care of each other, Steve World Food Day Fourteen people from Second Baptist packed 3024 meals!

7 Second Baptist Church of Greater St. Louis An American Baptist Church 9030 Clayton Road at McKnight SUNDAY SCHEDULE Church school 9:15 a.m. Worship service 10:30 a.m. A nursery is provided. Coffee Fellowship follows the service. Telephone & fax (314) office@2ndbc.org Website: Rev. Stephen Mechem, Pastor Youth take a break after packing all those meals