September 19-21, 2008
Second Baptist Church
Suffield, CT
Hundreds of people from Connecticut and beyond came to Suffield this weekend to hear stories of how God surprises us when we engage in mission to a hurting world. Missionaries shared their stories of God's surprises: stories of how God is working to bring light and love to many places around our world through the work that we support. Worship was inspiring with great music and testimonies of God at work. There were also opportunities to learn more in-depth about the mission work being done around the world and about opportunities to support or to serve. Some participants even ate foods from around the world, getting an introduction, not only to the foods, but also to the cultural significance of sharing meals with others.
Behind the scenes there was a lot of planning and work, from the local arrangements committee which arranged for meals, parking, workshop rooms and presentation equipment; to the tech crew who ran lighting, sound, and video and helped make the experience accessible and energetic.
A new brochure is available which explains what United Mission is, how it is used, and how important it is for accomplishing American Baptist mission at home and around the world. Your church is encouraged to review the information and to make a commitment for 2009 to support United Mission and the work of American Baptists in every place.
The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB) is hosting a teleconference learning experience for church treasurers and/or pastors. There will be two sessions:
Register by calling 800-289-0579 and using the seven digit confirmation number given above. Once registered you will be given a toll-free number to dial for the session you have selected. Simply dial in at the appropriate time to join the teleconference. MMBB will provide you with any written material to accompany the session.
Resources are available on the ABCUSA website to help your church promote the World Mission Offering. 100% of the World Mission Offering supports the many short- and long-term missionaries doing the work of Jesus Christ in 76 countries around the world. Your support and vigorous promotion of the World Mission Offering can truly change the world!
Nominations for awards are being sought for the 2009 Biennial Meeting in Pasadena, CA. These are awards for the saints among us who live out their faith and commitment to Christ in significant ways. Churches or other organizations can also be nominated for certain awards. The list of awards can be found on the National Ministries website, along with the nomination forms. Nominations can be made by mail, by fax, by e-mail or online. The deadline for nominations is October 17, 2008.
In the face of the tragedies in Burma and China, the global food crisis, the impact of refugee resettlement upon local churches, the growing financial problems facing US families, and the continuing struggles faced in rebuilding the Gulf Coast, we are asking American Baptist congregations to declare the first Sunday of each month from June – December 2008 as Compassion Sunday.
On these Sundays, we call upon all American Baptists to show our solidarity with those who suffer as we remember them in prayer and commit ourselves to respond in tangible ways to their suffering as the hands and feet of Christ. For some this will lead to fasting and contributing the money normally spent on the meal to local efforts such as food pantries. For many it will mean contributing all or a portion of their income tax return for relief efforts. For others it will mean joining the next ABC build on the Gulf Coast as a volunteer.
Compassion Sunday builds upon our tradition of receiving a deacon’s offering for the relief of those in need as we gather around the table of our Lord. At this table we recall that we are one with Christians of every country and every circumstance through our common faith in Christ Jesus, from the person in the pew next to us to the person farthermost from our reach.
In the face of a great famine affecting the church in Jerusalem, Paul appealed to the church in Corinth to support relief efforts there. He reminded them: “11 You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God; 12 for the rendering of this service not only supplies the wants of the saints but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. 13 Under the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others (2 Corinthians 9:11-13).
Our hope is that through our worship and prayers on these Compassion Sundays we will realize more fully our unity and our following of Jesus’ way of radical love, agape. American Baptists have always been marked by our sacrificial following of Christ in response to the needs of others.
To assist you, we will be providing a downloadable litany of prayer that may be used each Sunday as a worship resource.
Our prayer is that through this spiritual exercise we will more fully realize the meaning of the table of our Lord and will be drawn into a deeper embrace of our discipleship and our neighbor.
In Christ for the body of Christ,
The American Baptist Churches of Nebraska has produced a very brief video promoting United Mission which is being shared with all the regions. Feel free to use this video in any way you see fit to promote the ministry of United Mission. You may download this video by going to:
The video is available in two formats: Windows Media Players (wmv format) and Quicktime (mov format). The mov file is smaller and of a higher quality so we encourage its use. If you do not already have Quicktime installed on your computer, it is available for free.
The hurricanes of this season have wiped out reserves of emergency relief kits that Church World Service provides. There is an urgent need for School Kits, Hygiene Kits, Baby Kits, and Emergency Kits. These kits are needed to provide help for those displaced by recent storms.
Please publish this bulletin insert and encourage your church members to participate in putting kits together and so, provide much needed help to brothers and sisters in need.
Weekend Workshops for Veterans are being conducted at Kirkridge Retreat Center in Bangor, PA. The first one is titled Healing of Memories and is scheduled for October 24-26. Is there a recent veteran in your church who could benefit from this experience? The cost is done on a sliding scale. Go to this website for more information: www.kirkridge.org.
The weekly "Pastoral Epistle" from Cal Lord, pastor of First Baptist, Norwich