The event will include advocacy training and feature a community-service focus that will engage youth in volunteer outreach efforts. The pulse of the U.S. capital will provide the backdrop for high-energy and transformative worship coupled with hands-on urban mission experiences.
As youth meet daily in small groups and enjoy exciting recreation time, participants will get to know other youth from across the United States. Activities will include visits to Capitol Hill and a prayer walk on the National Mall. The $399 cost per youth participant or adult leader includes housing and food.
Check for updates at www.abhms-immerse2012.org or on Facebook and Twitter at Immerse 2012.
"New Community" Update
Due to scheduling conflicts, The New Community youth initiative is being postponed from the originally scheduled dates of July 31–August 5. We want to ensure that we have a full representation of persons from all ethnicities within our region and will offer a future retreat to introduce as many as possible to this training program. We will be in touch with you once a new date has been set, but until then please prayerfully consider how “The New Community” may be able to serve some of the members of your congregation.
If you would like to hear more about “The New Community,” contact Liz Lussier, the Director of Program Development & Marketing for Grotonwood/Oceanwood, at (401) 527-2144 or by email at lizlussier@grotonwood.org. Liz will be happy to set a time to meet with you and/or your membership at a time that is convenient and share details about this in person.
Time of Prayer at Oceanwood: Friday, July 29
We invite everyone to our second quarterly Time of Prayer to be held Friday, July 29 from 11 am to 2pm at Oceanwood where we will meet for a time of spiritual discernment and “making our requests known unto God."
We will meet at 11 a.m. for a prayer walk around Oceanwood, have lunch at noon, and from 1-2pm have an open conversation regarding our common future. Feel free to attend any one, two or all three of these times and you might just want to stay longer for some of the MidSummer Fest fun.
In addition to the Oceanwood setting, we anticipate several prayer locations at other locations as well and these will be listed on the Web site as they become identified. The First Baptist Church of West Springfield (337 Piper Road) will host the prayer session for Pioneer Valley churches.
While any and all personal requests will be lifted up, we also trust that the congregations, the associations, each pastor and all congregational leaders will be upheld, and that significant time be spent in silence listening to the call of God upon us. If you cannot be present at Oceanwood, please join in prayer wherever you are. God will patch it through!!
Job Opening: Minister of Christian Education
The First Baptist Church of Worcester seeks a Minister (or Director) of Christian Education who is committed to the growth of the programs. Responsible to the Senior Minister and working closely with the Board of Christian Education, the successful candidate will be responsible for the educational programs for adults, youth, and children of the church. A degree in Education and life experience in a Protestant church is preferred. Resumes and inquiries should be sent electronically to: tomm@fbc-worc.org. More information about the church may be found at www.fbc-worc.org.
Book Review by Tony Pappas
Church Do's and Don'ts: Tips for Success, Pitfalls to Avoid
A Guide for Clergy, Lay Leaders and people in the pews.
By Mike Durall, www.vitalcongregations.com
In this little book (just 70 pages) church consultant Mike Durall has brought together 24 learnings on what makes congregations healthy and what factors work against health. My favorite tip is "Don't Sit Around and Wait for New People to Show Up"! Durall quotes George Barna, "The most powerful attraction to non-churchgoers is seeing the life of someone transformed by the power of faith." And Durall goes on, "The attitude regarding potential new members in most churches is, 'If people are lucky, they'll find us. If not, there's nothing we can do about that, is there?' Such aloofness is a debilitating factor in congregational growth. When I ask clergy and lay leaders who the next 25 members might be, the answer is invariably, "Whoever show up.' This is woefully inadequate." Then there follows some strategies to proactively proclaim life changing good news!
The chapters in this book are easy to read, make good sense, and reflect wisdom on living into faithfulness as a congregation. It would make for a great study for the leaders of your church.
WARNING: Only read and study this book if you are willing to change toward congregational health and Kingdom goals!
Mission Team Headed to Deaf Community in Moldova
Please be in prayer for Pastor Lamonte Grant of the Immanuel Deaf Church of Allston who is leading a team to Chisinau, Moldova from July 21-31 to work within the the Deaf Community in the city of Chisinau. Pastor Lamonte and his team will work alongside Deaf Moldovans as well as a team from Austria and together they will run a camp for Deaf children and young adult from Chisinau. Please download this letter from Pastor Grant and share with others to find out how you can help through your prayers or to make a financial contribution to this mission outreach.
Baptist History, Principles & Polity
The Baptist Heritage Center of Rhode Island will offer a three-part course on Baptist History, Principles, and Polity in fall 2011. The sessions, which are to take place at Canonicus’ Motter Resource Center, will include:
Session I: September 17 --- Baptist History --- J. Stanley Lemons
Session II: October 29 --- Baptist Principles --- Charles K. Hartman
Session III: December 3 --- Baptist Polity --- Donald R. Rasmussen
This course will satisfy TABCOM’s Baptist history and polity requirement for candidates seeking ordination or recognition of ordination.
The course also is open to anyone else who is interested in learning more about Baptist history, principles, and polity. Such individuals may elect to take as many sessions as they would like. The fee for candidates for ordination and recognition of ordination is $300 for the three sessions. For all other individuals, the fee is $50 per session.
The registration deadline is July 30. Download the Polity Registration form. This deadline will allow time for the instructor to contact students with reading and other course requirements to be done prior to the first session in September.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Kathryn Palen at (401) 423-1651 or cbc.kathryn@cox.net.
Mass. DOC Seeks Native American Volunteers
The Massachusetts Department of Correction greatly desires to secure Native American volunteers to facilitate Native American spiritual, educational and/or community programming.
Native American Volunteer facilitated programming includes, but is not limited to:
~ Purification Ceremonies ~ Native America Spiritual Circle Programs ~ Talking Stick Ceremonies ~ Sweat Lodge Ceremonies ~ Pipe Ceremonies ~ Smudging ~
If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested to explore becoming involved in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Bill Milhomme, Director of Volunteer Services for the Mass. DOC, at (508) 422-3437 or by email at wtmilhomme@doc.state.ma.us.
ABMEN Disaster Relief Team Alert!!!
ABMEN disaster relief teams and funding is urgently needed to continue disaster relief assistance in both Joplin, MO and Monson, MA, and to begin long-term assistance in Minot, North Dakota.Please contact Jack Cobb concerning your availability to work at disaster.relief@abmen.org or 304-206-8462.
Donations may be received at http://www.abmen.org/ (Click on “Donate”), mailed to ABMEN-USA DISASTER RELIEF, PO Box 1019, Parkersburg, WV 26102, or sent via the regular TABCOM missions process as a “Specific-ABMen Disaster Relief” designation.
Please read the entire alert bulletin to find out more about ABMEN's Disaster Relief teams and upcoming projects.
Spiritual & Behavioral Covenant Initiative
Some of our TABCOM churches have completed their Covenants and others are prayerfully considering the need and opportunity of the Covenant Initiative.There are many options for following this program. Read the enclosed flyer to find out about SBCI retreat opportunities this fall.
New Baptist Covenant II
TABCOM, in conjunction with Progressive National Baptists and other Baptist groups in Massachusetts, has been invited to host a satellite location for the New Baptist Covenant II, November 17 to 19, 2011. We are thrilled to do this BUT we need a host site that meets the technical criteria. Download download technical and other criteria to be a host site here.
If your church has the requisite technology and desires to host the powerful event, please contact The Rev Conley Hughes at chjr27@aol.com or Tony Pappas at pappas@tabcom.org. Please respond ASAP as the deadline is upon us!
Services of Ordination
Sunday, July 24: All are invited to the ordination service for Maria Lucrecia Rodriguez at 11:00 a.m. at the Tremont Temple (88 Temple Street, Boston).
Sunday, July 24: The Alliance of Haitian American Baptist Ministers Alliance invites all to the ordination service for Jephte Roseme, pastor of Eglise Baptiste Haitienne de Siloe. The service will be at 6:30pm at the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain.
Pastoral News
Rev. Greg Staples has been called as the Minister of Christian Education for the First Baptist Church, Melrose
In Our Thoughts and Prayers
Rev. Craig Collemer whose father, Raymond Collemer, died on June 11 after a brief illness; a memorial service was held on June 25. If you wish to be in touch with Craig, he may be reached at 5 Cousins Street, Salem, MA 01970, ccollemer@comcast.net.
The family and friends of Rev. Peter Russell Sanborn, 67, who died on June 13, 2011 in Melbourne, Florida. His formal ministry took place at churches in Dedham, MA, Bainbridge, NY; Cranston, RI; Franklin, NY; Burlington, NY; and Vineyard Haven and Aquinnah, MA. He also shared his ministerial gifts in his final years in Florida.
