New Hope M. B. Church Newsletter 3005 East Ellicott Tampa, Florida 33610 April 24, 2016 Issue #5 Message from NHMBC Deacons Board Chairman Deacon Ron Peterson, Deacons Board Chairman In This Issue Message from Deacons Board Chairman Result of the Pastor Search Survey Pastor Search Committee Report Outreach Youth Ministry Photos of Resurrection Sunday Worship I am a Church Member, Chapter Three Autopsy of a Deceased Church Brotherhood Night of Bowling Baptism Movie Night Legal Seminar Thank You from Brother Geronimo Allison Congress, Association & Conventions Highlights Thanks to all of you that came out for the prayer service on April 4 th through the 6th. We prayed for the New Hope Church family, the Pastor s Search Committee (PSC) and the Lord s direction as we move forward with the search process for a Shepherd. We had a spiritfilled prayer service and look forward to scheduling future prayer services. The Deacons Ministry would like to invite the congregation to come out to the church s weekly Tuesday night prayer service at 6:30 pm. This is an opportunity to continue to pray for the well-being of the church and the PSC. The PSC has been meeting frequently, almost on a weekly basis. They are putting together a written set of criteria and other related documents. The written documents will be reviewed with the Deacons Ministry and the congregation at a future date. The PSC is now accepting resumes. The deadline for submitting resumes is May 15, 2016. Please continue to pray for the PSC. The PSC has summarized the results of the Pastor s Search survey. Read the summary of your input on the next page. Send your questions, comments or concerns to deacons@newhopetampa.org
Pastor Search Survey Results Participant Demographics 60 members participated in the Survey 47 Paper responses 13 Online responses 77% Female 18% Male Age Range: 24-78 Average age: 54 years Length Of Membership Range: 1-50+ years Average length of Membership: 10 years Pastoral Qualities of Most Importance Caring People Person Teacher Walks the Talk Strong Leader Where NHMBC Meets Needs Good Bible Study Biblically based teaching Helping the homeless Education Pastoral Priorities Preparation for leading worship Preparation for preaching and teaching Personal prayer and Bible Study Conducting weddings, baptisms, and funerals Attending church meetings and functions Providing leadership when church discipline is needed Age Preference of the New Pastor 50 and Up: 19 people or 31.7% 40 to 49: 19 people or 31.7% Preference for Formal Education Theology or Ministry Doctoral Education: 37 people or 61.7% Seminary Training: 18 people or 30% Bi-vocational Consideration (A Pastor that works a full time or part time job as well as serve as a Pastor) No: 37 people or 61.7% Yes: 13 people or 21.7% Preaching Emphasis Holy Spirit lead Messages for all members Family Youth Tithing Spoken in Love NHMBC Does Not Meet Needs Ministries for Music Married, single, young adult that are engaging and lead with commitment. Consistent deacon leadership of wards Pervasive/Lingering Problems Pastor Needs to Address Communion at other times of the day Lost membership Youth & Young Adult engagement Accountability of paid staff Greatest Needs Ministry various Youth Technology Ministries Next 5-10 years Youth Prison Financial Health & Wellness Need Additional Biblical Teaching Finances Tithing Faith at work Relationships in and out of the church Faith T h a n k y o u t o t h o s e w h o t o o k t h e t i m e t o c o m p l e t e t h e s u r v e y, t h e P S C w i l l c o n s i d e r t h e r e s u l t s f r o m t h e s u r v e y a s t h e p r o c e s s m o v e f o r w a r d s. 2
NHMBC Pastor Search Committee Deacon Oscar Young, Jr., Chairman We the members of the Pastor Search Committee are actively engaged with the task we have been assigned. The following activities have been completed: 1. We have drafted and sent letters to the follow organizations: 1. American Baptist Theological Seminary 2. Florida Theological Seminary, Lakeland, Florida 3. Progressive Missionary and Educational Baptist State Convention of Florida, Inc. 2. As of 4/15/16, 18 resumes have been received. We have acknowledged receipt of them by letter. 3. Sister Kisha Perry, NHMBC Youth Director, shared concerns and insights centered around NHMBC youth with the PSC. 4. Deacon Eddie Norman, immediate past Chairman of NHMBC Deacons Board, addressed the PSC and shared the biblical role of a pastor. Currently we are working on a Pastoral Candidate Worksheet which will help us in our evaluation of the resumes as we receive them. We thank the congregation for their support during our prayer service on April 4 th 6 th 2016. The PSC needs your continued prayers. 3
New Hope M.B. Church by S Youth MINISTRY Sister Sopheia Russ Sis. Kisha Perry, Director Youth Ministry Sis. Ashley Kindred, Asst. Director Youth Ministry Sis. Sopheia Russ Asst. Director Youth Ministry The vision for the New Hope M.B. Church Youth Ministry is to build disciplined disciples of Christ through education and programs that will help to build a strong biblical foundation and a true understanding of God s word. Another goal is to help the Youth Ministry members develop a personal spiritual relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so they may be empowered to go out and make more disciples for Christ and live their lives for His glory. Our purpose is to lead our children and youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and empower them to serve others. The Youth Ministry meets on Tuesday night in the Christian Life Center. A typical evening consists of dinner starting at 6:30 pm, teaching, Youth Choir Rehearsal after 1 st and 3 rd Sundays and reassembly with Adults in the NHMBC main sanctuary. We invite all children and youth to join us to become fearless, inspired, redeemed and empowered by God s holy word. We are praying for more individuals to join our Youth Ministry team who have a genuine love for God and children and who have a true desire to assist with the spiritual growth of our children and youth. It is also our desire for more parent involvement. If you would like to volunteer you may email us at youthministry@newhopetampa.org or call the church office at 813-236-3611. Youth Ministry 2016 Resurrection Presentation: NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST The idea was born during a meeting at the Brandon Town Center. After praying and several ideas being tossed around, we knew this was the one. After finishing the script, we realized this would require several cast members, so we had to start earlier this year. But the devil, as usual, had to try to destroy the blessing that God had for his people. But God after much prayer and re-writing the script 8 times, the final script was completed just one week before the presentation on Resurrection Sunday. And as we always pray... God was glorified! And people were blessed! Our children and youth did a marvelous job and allowed God to use their gifts and talents. So did the adult cast members, props engineers, stage and costume designers. Again we thank each of you for the role you played in making the 2016 Resurrection presentation a blessing. 4
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST photos by Sister Lynne Stokes 5
I A m A C h u r c h M e m b e r Chapter Three I Will Not Let My Church Be About My Preferences by Sister Marcia Agee The Third Pledge I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires. That is selfserving. I am a member of this church to serve others and to serve Christ. My Savior went to the cross for me. I can deal with any inconveniences and matters that just aren t my preference or style. Thomas Rainer says being a church member is not about having things go our way. As Christians we can sometimes be demanding and behave like little children who throw temper tantrums when things don t go the way we want. Rainer says the strange thing about church membership is that we actually give up our preferences when we join the church. Our main priorities as a church member are to serve others, give and sacrifice. Jesus told His disciples, If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35). In the New Testament the word servant occurs fifty-seven times, and the word serve, fifty-eight times. Serving is important! The church is not the place for a me, myself, and I attitude. True joy in church membership is not constantly seeking our own way, but giving up our rights and preferences, and serving everyone else. As a church member we are to follow the example of Jesus. We are to be servants. Servants are obedient. Servants put others first. Servants do whatever it takes to keep the unity of the church. Rainer says, If we approach membership from the perspective of entitlement, we have it upside down. We should always ask first, what can I do for New Hope? When we joined New Hope we made the commitment to serve our church. There may be some members in our congregation who make it difficult to be a servant. Thomas Rainer says, when we think we ve had it with making sacrifices for others, remember the cross. We were undeserving, but Jesus loved us so much that he chose to sacrifice everything - including His preference to let the cup of pain and suffering pass from Him. Jesus chose to serve us instead by going to the cross for our salvation. When we think of what Jesus did for us, we can do the same for others. When we serve we are serving God. That will put things in perspective. 6
Autopsy of a Deceased Church Chapter 2 Slow Erosion - Deacon Ron Peterson The author uses the example of how a once vibrant community can decline over an extended period of time. Because the decline is so gradual, the members of the community don't see their businesses, restaurants, housing deteriorating, declining or closing. People begin to move out of the community and houses lay vacant. You may have moved to Tampa and occasionally go back home and have noticed how the once vibrant old neighbor has declined, but the people still in the old neighborhood don't seem to notice decline. You may even ask some of people there what happened. They may ask you what do you mean? They don't notice anything different. That's because their perspective is day-to-day, living in the middle of the gradual decline daily and won't notice it. You may have been at New Hope for many years and may or may not have noticed the decline in the surrounding community that we are in. Businesses have closed, there has been deterioration in some houses, and houses have been boarded up and torn down, along with some other challenges. This can happen to a church as well. A once vibrant and growing church that was making a difference in the community and within its four walls, can find itself gradually over time not noticing its decline. When you are in the middle, living it on a day-to-day basis you may not notice the decline that is taking place before your eyes. There could be decline in the physical church itself, decline in the prayer life of the church, decline in the outward focus of the church or decline in the church's connection with the local community. It s important that we have the ability to adjust without compromising our principles and that we adapt to a changing world without letting the world change us. Prayer Commitment 2 God please let me be part of the solution and not the problem. Show me what I need to see. Open my eyes to Your reality. Gve me the courage to move forward in the directions You desire. 7
NHMBC B r o t h e r h o o d B o w l i n g O u t i n g 3/25/16 @ AMF University Lanes Brothers Oliver Crawford, Andrew Smith and William Spigner, Chairmen SPARE STRIKE SPLIT 8
WELCOME Sister Kathy Mason To the Body of Christ! Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Minister Charles Perry & Sister Kathy Mason Provide your name and the number of people attending with you to: events@newhopetampa.org or completing signup sheets in NHMBC dining room and foyer or by calling the Church office @ 813-236-3611 9
from Brother Geronimo Allison New Hope, I Geronimo Allison, the son of Melissa Glover, would like to take the time out to say thank you church family so much for helping me reach this important time in my life. Thank you for helping my single parent mother mold me into the young man I am today. I will like to also send a special thanks to Deacon Larry Williams and Mr. & Mrs. Oscar (Juanita) Young for their support mentoring me and also coming to watch me play ball throughout my college career. I was able to continue playing football after I graduated from Spoto High School at a community college located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. During my time there I was able to play football for two seasons and also win a national championship. I also earned an AA degree in Communications and a full ride football scholarship to the University of Illinois. During my time at Illinois, I was able to have an amazing experience as a student athlete for the University of Illinois. Also I was able to earn a bachelors degree in Communications where my family and friends were able to come watch as I walked across the stage. Again I would like to thank the New Hope family for your support and prayers over this time period. Now that I am finished with college for now, I am pursuing a career in professional football. Come April 28th I will be in this year s 2016 NFL Draft and awaiting my name to be selected into the NFL. This would not be possible if it wasn't for God and Him putting each of you in my life to better me. I'm not sure if I could have made it this far so I would like to say thank you again from the bottom of my heart. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Accomplishments: Spoto High Graduate Iowa Western Community College Graduate University of Illinois Graduate 2016 East West Shrine Allstar Game Participant 2016 North South Reesie's Senior Allstar Game Participant 2016 NFL Scouting Combine Participant Geronimo, NHMBC celebrate your accomplishments. We are praying your dream of playing in the NFL becomes a reality. We are so proud of you! 10
Congress, Association & Conventions Highlights NHMBC s Senior Women, WIA and Brotherhood delegations at the Progressive M&E Baptist State Convention of Florida in Jacksonville, Florida; March 21 25, 2016 Not pictured: Deacon Eddie B. Norman & Sister Dorine Norman Sister Sandra Collins (left) receiving a Leadership Excellence award from Sister Kathy W. Jackson, State of Florida President, Women Intermediate Auxiliary Brother Zyon Russ and Sister Zya Russ, lead vocalists for the NHMBC Mass Choir, singing Break Every Chain. 5th Week Congress, First Baptist Church of Progress Village, Tampa, Florida, Thursday, January 28, 2016. Zya Zyon Receive this newsletter at your email address by sending your email address to newsletter@newhopetampa.org Communion Service 1 st Sunday @ 6 pm 11