June/July 2011 Newsletter West Bowdoin Baptist Church Newsletter June/July 2011 Special points of interest: 54 West Rd. PO Box 1 Bowdoin. Maine 04287 Parsonage: 207-353-6030 Church: 207-353-8520 Sunday School each Sunday, 9:15 AM, through June 5. Wednesday evening Bible Study will resume in the fall. Visit our web site for updates between newsletters. westbowdoinbaptist.org Strawberry Festival Supper June 27 July 1 Saturday, 8:45 11:30 AM June 25 Theme Verse 4:30 6:00 PM John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Page 1
Graduates Honored On Sunday, May 1, we honored four high school graduates; Angela Dwyer, Chip Greene, Jake LeTourneau, and David Thomas. Their achievements were recognized and they were encouraged to keep in touch and to remember that the church is there for them as they venture off to new adventures and challengers in life. Best wishes to all of them. Sunday School Closing Program Sunday, June 5 The closing program of the Sunday School will be celebrated as part of the Sunday morning service followed by an ALL CHURCH PICNIC WITH GAMES. Be sure to join and celebrate with the kids but also be ready to share in the time afterwards when the grills will be going and a time of fellowship for all ages will be held. Pastor s Vacation The pastor will be on vacation during the weeks of June 20-26, July 31 August 13, and September 6 12. On the Sundays that he will be absent we will have a guest speaker to lead the worship. In the event of an emergency while the pastor is away, please contact either Laurie Fuller, Church Moderator, or Linda Gray, chair. of the Board of Deacons. They will know how to get a message to the pastor. Summer Camp It is still not too late to sign up for summer camp at China Lake Camp. China Lake Camp is one of three American Baptist related camps in Maine and is the camp that is nearest to us. Great changes have been taking place and a great deal of work is being done to spruce up the camp and repair some of the facilities. The theme for 2011 cam season is God s Space God s Plan June 26 July 1, Senior Camp for those who have completed Grades 9-12 Jul 3 8, Middle High Camp for those who have completed Grades 6-8. July 10-15, Junior Camp for those who have completed Grades 3-5 Music Camp July 17-23 (Completed 6-12) Wilderness Camp August 7-12 (Completed 9-12) Please speak to Pastor Jim if you have questions about registration and scholarships. Brochures available on chinalakecamp.org along with health forms. Page 2
Summer Church Condensed from an article written by CATHERINE IDZERDA, Saturday, May 14, 2011, GazetteXtra.com of Janesville, Wisconsin. Jesus or the beach? Jesus or the garden? Jesus or boating on the river? In the summer, Jesus often is on the losing end of those equations. Church attendance drops precipitously between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Many mainstream denominations reduce Sunday services from two to one, and classes go on hiatus. Sure, people go on vacations and might attend church elsewhere. But more often than not, it s the promise of more engaging outdoor activities keeping them away. Some local churches are making an effort to keep believers in the pews or at least at services during the summer months. Others continue to preach the message and hope and pray for the best. The summer slump is more common in northern climates. This year, First Lutheran is starting a Family Express worship service, the Rev. Naomi Garber said. The service, which will be held on the lawn, is designed for families with children in fifth grade and younger. It will be 35 minutes long and begin at 8:25 a.m. Families can go dressed for the beach or whatever activity they have planned next. We re trying to make it convenient for people, Garber said. During the school year, church activities center on the family unit. While parents are in the sanctuary, kids attend Sunday school for Bible lessons and games. Family Express brings the family unit back to church during the three-month Sunday school recess. We re going to have some kid s songs, and we ll do an activity around a Bible story, Garber said. It s going to be very interactive. The service will move to the church gym if it rains. All this raises the question: How easy does church have to be? All ministers would love to have full churches throughout the year, but that s not the reality, and churches can adapt. We re trying to do things creatively so people do hear God s word and do worship, Garber said. More importantly, it s important to celebrate the people that do come, rather than focusing on those who don t, Garber said. The Rev. Craig Zastrow, executive pastor at Central Christian Church, Beloit, WI, said attendance drops about 10 percent during the summer, but it s less noticeable because about 2,000 people attended services there every weekend. We don t stop holding any services, Zastrow said. In fact, our traditional service goes up a little bit during the summer because we serve a lot of snow birds. So what s the big deal with church attendance? It s a basic human need, Speerbrecker of Janesville s St. Mark The Evangelist Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod said. People need to hear God speak to them; they need to hear God s love for them. That usually takes place in a church setting. Connection to a supportive community is important, too. Like many ministers, he s challenged by changing ideas of what s important. It seems that man cannot live on potato chips alone. Page 3
Happy Birthday and God bless you! Happy Anniversary Liana Jordan June 2 Linda Hunter June 5 Amanda Maloy June 5 Glen Stevens June 5 Shirley Card June 9 Glen Allen III June 10 Kathy Tucci June 16 Laurie Fuller June 17 Nichole Allen June 20 Norma Huston June 20 Henry Webber June 20 Patti Eger June 20 June Wheeler June 22 Charlie Anderson June 23 Glen Allen Sr. June 25 Rachel Girouard June 28 Kaitlyn Allen June 29 Louise Anderson July 3 Bob Beaumont July 3 Reuben Wheeler July 5 Kaitlyn Ring July 7 Rachel Ring July 9 Erica Duval July 10 Laura Mullen July 11 Jack Hunter July 20 Lyn Jordan July 20 Forrest Jordan July 27 Justina Joy July 30 Reuben & Angela Wheeler June 15 Dwane & Loretta Wight June 17 Stanley & Miriam Wheeler June 17 Barry & Laurie Fuller June 21 Lincoln & Stacey Wheeler June 24 Charlie & Louise Anderson July 22 A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL RECENT PARTICIPANTS HELPING WITH OUR PLANT/BAKE AND YARD SALE, MONIES BROUGHT IN AND GOING TO OUR BUILDING FUND/ WOMEN S MISSION CIRCLE EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS, WE ARE GREATFUL Page 4 WBBC ALWAYS COMES THROUGH!
Summer Needs: Financial needs are part of the concerns of the summer at West Bowdoin Baptist Church. As we began this year, we realized that we adopted a deficit budget and would have to draw from reserves to meet that budget. Hopefully that is a short term solution. The math tells us that we can do this for only a short period of time. The solution would then become that we must cut the expenses or increase the income. We live with the reality that the economy is still not good. There are many who are giving generously are living on incomes that make it difficult to meet the needs of the home, medicine, food, and utilities. We give thanks to those who have been so faithful over the years. We are close to meeting the anticipated budget income, but the deficit budget remains and reserve funds will need to be used. It is necessary that we reach at least the anticipated income. There are some things that we all can do to help. During the summer many take vacations. If you are using offering envelopes they will remind you to give even when you are not at the church. Drop the envelopes in early or after you return. If you do not use envelopes, remember that the church is still in ministry during the summer. If your financial circumstances have changed, let the treasurer know so that the anticipated income can be adjusted accordingly. This will be a help in planning the church s ministries. There is a faithfulness that is evident all around us. The building construction is doing well and we anticipate additional opportunities for ministries in the fall. The Lord has been good and God will remain our strong foundation. Missions: International Ministries missionary, Dr. Bill Clemmer, embarks on a new medical ministry in the Sudan, Africa. Bill and Ann have served in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for fifteen years Bill writes: International Ministries and their affiliate IMA World Health approached Ann and me a few weeks ago and asked what we thought about Sudan. The southern part of the country (largely Christian) in a referendum overseen by the UN, recently voted for secession and the process of independence has started. Hundreds of thousands of refugees in camps such as Darfur and others are walking across scorched land towards the South looking for a new home, a new start, a new way of life. Sudan is beyond doubt the poorest nation in Africa and health statistics there are abysmal. I have agreed (tentatively) to help take over an IMA -led initiative to create a health care system in the Sudan which can deal with the influx of millions; of poor, malnourished, homeless, and sick. Ann and Cassie will remain in Congo until June to finish the school year, and Ann will join me in Sudan this summer as Cassie heads off to college. Half of the health facilities are closed, there are few trained nurses and almost no doctors. Less than 15% of children are vaccinated, less than 10% of women have help with deliveries; there is a paucity of water, food, medicine and the like. The important question however is not what we anticipated but what God has planned. If this is where the Lord wants us then the pieces will fall into place; our children will integrate without us back home, security issues will be worked in the Sudan so Ann and I can be together, supplies will arrive so we can make a difference, support from our churches and friends will continue so we can remain, even if it means skipping an upcoming year of furlough to visit churches, families, and friends. God has provided for all such needs in the past and much more. What makes us think he won t provide them now? We covet your prayers as we contemplate such needs..and seek most assuredly God s calling and plan for the future. Page 5
West Bowdoin Baptist Church P.O. Box 1 Bowdoin, ME 04287 Page 6